Chapter 79 The Bluebird Paper-Made Free School
Wang Zhou looked around and asked, "Mother, are you done with your work?"
"I'm done with my work." Meng Qing sat back down and asked, "What are you going to do?"
Wang Zhou slid off Du Li's lap, went to the eaves to retrieve his painting, and eagerly handed it to Meng Qing.
Meng Qing chuckled twice, “I almost forgot the important matter. We need to teach you how to paint while looking at a boat. Bring me the brush.”
Wang Zhou excitedly brought over the clay tube charcoal pencil, which Meng Qing had made after coming to Chang'an. It was made by grinding charcoal sent by Steward Chen into powder, mixing it with a little glutinous rice paste, pressing it into charcoal strips, drying it, coating it with a layer of mud, and then baking it.
Meng Qing noticed that the exposed charcoal tips were already worn down. She took a dagger and slowly began to thin the mud. Wang Zhou wasn't in a hurry either; he leaned against her lap and watched quietly.
Du Li got up and picked up a mallet to fluff up the winter clothes that were drying in the sun.
Du Min calmed down amidst the rustling sounds of shaving mud and the muffled thuds of patting. He got up and went to the kitchen to pour out the bitter, strong tea from the teapot and boil water again to make tea.
The geese were hungry and came running back, honking loudly. Wang Zhou immediately went back into the house to scoop up wheat to feed them.
After the geese had eaten the wheat and drunk the water, Du Min also came out with a teapot to brew a few bowls of tea. "Second Brother, don't be busy, come and have a few sips of tea to soothe your throat."
"Putting aside everything else, Chang'an is better than Wu County in this respect. It's not damp in spring, there's no plum rain season, and clothes and bedding don't get damp or moldy," Du Li said, sitting down beside him.
Meng Qing nodded, "At this time of year, Wu County is once again in the season of continuous rain."
"It's time to send a message back," Du Min began. "Second Sister-in-law, are you going to pick up my Uncle Meng and Aunt Pan to go north?"
Meng Qing shook his head, "Many people come, but many are also detained. We can't let them come. Chang'an is big, and it's not easy to live here. If they want to open a shop, the rent will definitely be high. In addition, the sales channels haven't been expanded yet, and there's no market for paper effigies and funerary objects. They'll have to worry if they come. It's better for them to stay in Wu County. With my uncle looking after them, they'll live a comfortable life."
“Then send a letter back and tell them to wait another two or three years,” Du Min said. “I also want to send a letter to the village. When the county government allocates my 500 mu of land, 300 mu will go to the village, and I will ask my uncle to help me rent out the remaining 200 mu. The rent is estimated to be more than ten guan, and I will give ten guan to my parents at the end of the year.”
Meng Qing looked at him and asked, "What agreement did you reach with your parents? Ten strings of cash a year?"
Du Min nodded, "As for whether the ten strings of cash end up in Father's hands or in my elder brother and sister-in-law's hands, that's not my concern."
“Oh, retirement money? We don’t need to give it to you. Your second brother’s land isn’t in his hands. The harvest from the land will be considered as retirement money from our branch of the family,” Meng Qing said.
“I also plan to divide up my second brother’s land when I get back, and you can keep the harvest yourselves,” Du Min said.
Meng Qing shook his head, "Your parents are still alive. If you divide the land and property, people will talk behind your back. Besides, we're not home. Managing the land would require asking someone to do it for us, and we'd owe them favors. It's not worth it."
“No, I can’t let Du Ming get away with this. He’s never been good to me.” Du Li was unwilling. “Favors from country folk aren’t worth much. If you owe someone, you owe them.”
Du Min laughed and joked, "Whose opinion should I listen to?"
“Listen to me,” Du Li said eagerly. “You passed the imperial examination and stayed in Chang’an to work. The magistrate of Wu County will definitely give me the land I didn’t get, out of respect for you. Eighty mu of paddy fields, rented out, will fetch at least six guan in rent. You should spend some time writing a few nice words to the village chief and the old man, and ask them to help me rent out the paddy fields under my name. I don’t care about my reputation; let whoever wants to gossip about me do so.”
Du Min looked at Meng Qing, who smiled and said, "I'll listen to your second brother."
“Alright.” Du Min agreed. He picked up his teacup, took a few sips of water, and then went inside to write a letter. He deliberately went around to Du Li’s side and patted him hard twice from behind. “Second brother, that’s how you should do it. You’re really something. We should take back every single thing that is rightfully ours.”
Du Li glanced at Meng Qing and said, "Being kind to those who have hurt you is like stabbing yourself in the back."
Meng Qing raised her hands in surrender, "I was wrong."
"Where did we go wrong?" Du Li pressed.
Meng Qing glanced at him sideways, thinking, "Good lad, you're finished."
"Who are you glaring at? Is your apology insincere?" Du Min had become his second brother's lackey at this moment.
Meng Qing glanced at him again, and Du Min immediately wilted, slinking into the house.
"It's almost noon, I'm going to cook." Du Li also wanted to slip away.
Meng Qing leaned over and pinched his waist, but Du Li tensed his waist so she couldn't pinch his flesh. He reached out and grabbed her cheek, "You don't care about the rent for the land, do you?"
Meng Qing chuckled and pushed his hand away. "Go cook. I want steamed eggs."
Du Li snorted twice, "Six strings of cash can buy three thousand eggs in Chang'an."
"Okay, okay, I was wrong, I was wrong." Meng Qing surrendered again, and she slapped him on the back. "Stop nagging and go cook."
Wang Zhou watched with amusement, pinching his cheek, but it didn't hurt at all.
"Are you silly?" Meng Qing pulled him into her arms, and she held his hand as she drew on the paper. "Draw a big black pig, stretch this hook out longer and longer, draw it as a pig's ear, and draw this as a pig's nose..."
Half an hour later, Du Min finished writing the letter, and Du Li finished cooking the meal. Meng Qing put down her pen and paper and took Wang Zhou to wash her hands.
Just after lunch, Butler Chen arrived. He didn't come empty-handed; he brought a bag of fruit for Wangzhou.
"Uncle Chen, you're already here, why are you being so polite?" Meng Qing poured him a bowl of tea.
Butler Chen smiled and said, "I bought it for my grandson. When I bought it, I thought of Wangzhou and bought him a pack as well."
"Quickly thank Grandpa," Meng Qing said to Wang Zhou.
"Thank you, Grandpa," Wangzhou said obediently.
Steward Chen breathed a sigh of relief. He was really afraid that this family would unite and attack him just like they had attacked Master Chen. Fortunately, they did not take their anger at their master out on him.
"Miss Meng, tell me what kind of house you'd like to rent, so I can choose more purposefully when I'm looking for a place." Butler Chen didn't mention what happened that morning, only asking about the matters under his responsibility.
"The layout should be similar to my paper shop, with good ventilation and a spacious yard. It would be even better if there was a shed or yard so we could dry the paper," Meng Qing said.
Butler Chen nodded. "Alright, I've got it. What about taking on apprentices? And buying servants?"
“Buying servants is too expensive; we’ll take care of that,” Meng Qing said.
"Then I'll rent the house first, clean it up, and then I'll help you move," said Housekeeper Chen.
Meng Qing nodded.
"The house shouldn't be too far from Chongrenfang. If it's too far, it will affect my going to the Ministry of Rites with Lord Chen," Du Min added.
"That's easy to solve, the Chen residence has spare rooms..."
"No, I want to live with my brother and sister-in-law." Du Min interrupted before Butler Chen could finish speaking.
Butler Chen smiled helplessly, "Alright, I'll go back to the manor and find a local servant to guide me, and we'll hurry up and find a suitable house."
After Steward Chen left, Meng Qing asked Du Li to take ten strings of cash. Du Min was going to work at the Ministry of Rites, so she took him to buy some clothes. Summer was approaching, and she, Du Li, and Wang Zhou should also buy some clothes.
*
Two days later, Zhao Xingwu arrived to inform Du Min about his shift at the Ministry of Rites. "The magistrate said that you should go to the Chen residence at the beginning of Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow and wait there. Go to the Ministry of Rites with him. When there are no duty rooms for the officials and no work is assigned to you, you should stay with me and wait for the magistrate's instructions."
"Stay with you? Stand guard outside the duty room?" Meng Qing frowned. "Isn't that inappropriate? Du Min is a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), how can you treat him like a servant?"
"Second sister-in-law, it's alright." Du Min suppressed Meng Qing's words and said to Zhao Xingwu, "I have no objection, I'll listen to the adults."
Zhao Xingwu was satisfied with his reaction and continued, "The magistrate has already spoken with Magistrate Li. Once Uncle Chen has found a house, you should take your brother and sister-in-law to the county government office in Xuanyangfang to register with Magistrate Wei."
Du Min wrote down his words, "I understand."
Zhao Xingwu then looked at Meng Qing and said, "The master instructed me to urge you to set up the free school as soon as possible. No matter what method you use, you must make a good reputation for it as soon as possible."
Meng Qing nodded, "Understood."
*
Ministry of Rites.
The Vice Minister of Rites, seeing the unexpected visitor, asked in surprise, "Prefect Li? What brings you to our Ministry of Rites? Which minor official in our Ministry of Rites has committed a crime?"
Li Mingfu chuckled twice, "You jest, Vice Minister. I'm not here to cause trouble. The county office is quiet today, so I came here to sit for a while and have a cup of good tea."
"Alright, stop beating around the bush. You wouldn't come here without a reason." The Vice Minister of Rites poured him a cup of tea. "The tea's ready, can we get to the point now?"
"You don't know? Your Ministry of Rites' Assistant Minister Chen contacted me, saying that your Ministry of Rites is going to open a free school to teach people how to make paper-crafted funerary objects. I sent my clerks to inquire, and this paper-crafted funerary object is related to the newly appointed Jinshi Du Min. The craftsman who makes paper-crafted funerary objects is his second sister-in-law? It's not a big deal for a woman to open a free school, but I need to find out whether it's in her name or in the name of the Ministry of Rites," said Li Mingfu.
The Vice Minister of Rites was secretly annoyed. What kind of mess was this?
"Summon Mr. Chen, the official in charge of the Ministry of Rites, to come here," he ordered.
After a cup of tea, Master Chen arrived. When he saw that Magistrate Li was also there, his heart skipped a beat.
"Chen Mingzhang, when is the Ministry of Rites going to set up any free schools? Explain yourself clearly, what exactly is going on?" the Vice Minister of Rites asked sternly.
Master Chen glanced at Magistrate Li a few times, and Magistrate Li smiled. He tactfully took his leave: "Your Excellency, I have a few matters to attend to at the yamen, so I will not linger any longer."
"I'll invite Lord Li for tea another day," the Vice Minister of Rites said, rising to his feet.
"Please wait, sir. No need for formalities or seeing me off." Li Mingfu departed.
As soon as Master Chen and Li Mingfu left, he immediately confessed: "Sir, it's like this, do you remember Du Min? He drank with you at my house before."
"Say the important things."
"I remember you had the idea of using paper offerings for the royal sacrifices last year, so you kept Du Min as an official in the Ministry of Rites, and also kept his brother and sister-in-law in Chang'an. I planned to try to get the people of Chang'an to accept paper offerings, so that they could become famous in Chang'an. However, Du Min's second sister-in-law refused on the grounds that she had no help and that she would not be registered as a merchant. To solve her concerns, I thought of opening a free school. By opening a free school, she would be free from the worries of being registered as a merchant, and she could also openly recruit many apprentices." Chen Yuanwai steals Meng Qing and Du Min's idea without changing his expression.
"You've been clever for once, but what's this about the free school being established in the name of the Ministry of Rites? Who gave you permission to act in the name of the Ministry of Rites? Did I give you my approval?" The Vice Minister of Rites slammed his fist on the table in anger. "You insolent fool, I didn't even know what had happened when Magistrate Li came to me. You've completely disgraced me. Have you lost your mind because of your mourning period? Are you new to officialdom? Who gave you the audacity to do such a stupid thing?"
Master Chen shrank back after being scolded. He explained in a low voice, "Sir, I was thinking of reporting to you after I had done it, and then I would give you a surprise."
"Surprise? Do you think I'm surprised? Chen Yuanwailang, you're abusing your power for personal gain!"
"Your Honor, I'm innocent! Please let me explain. I didn't seek personal gain in establishing this free school; I was doing it entirely for the public good. The more apprentices the school takes in, the more paper horse shops will spring up in Chang'an in the future. This is a new business, and the Ministry of Rites' involvement will be a great achievement for them. Furthermore, the free school teaches people a trade for free, much like a relief center or orphanage, which will bring them a good reputation." When Master Chen heard Du Min mention the good reputation associated with establishing a free school, he was immediately intrigued. After returning home, he spent the entire night devising this plan. Firstly, with the Ministry of Rites as his backing, he wouldn't have to worry about the school's reputation being taken away by others. Secondly, he felt more comfortable with the good reputation falling on the Ministry of Rites than on Meng Qing.
The Vice Minister of Rites' expression softened. "Tell me, how does the free school plan to operate? Don't do anything disgraceful that could affect the Ministry of Rites."
Master Chen had no idea how to operate the school, so he could only solemnly promise that nothing shameful would happen: "I will keep a close eye on the affairs of the free school, and I will nip any signs of trouble in the bud."
"Alright, I'll leave this to you to keep an eye on. If anything goes wrong, I won't let you off the hook." The Vice Minister of Rites wrote a few lines and handed them to him. "Go find Prefect Li and give him a report."
"Yes." Master Chen breathed a sigh of relief.
The road to Master Chen's place was paved, and Steward Chen had also found a suitable house. Just to be on the safe side, he even took Meng Qing and Du Li to see it.
“This house is near the ferry. It used to be a merchant’s storage place. The merchant had business problems and lost all his goods, so he rented out the house. Look, the roof is high, the windows are big and airy, and there’s a wooden shed in the yard. Everything meets your requirements.”
Meng Qing looked around; the two-courtyard house was spacious enough, and there was nothing to complain about.
*
The next morning, Du Min went out to the Chen residence.
At the same time, Steward Chen led four servants to Anyi Ward.
It took Meng Qing and Du Li a whole morning to move Wang Zhou and his goose friends to Chang Le Fang. After cleaning up, they settled in that night.
The next day, Du Min, carrying the letter from Master Chen, took Meng Qing to the county government office in Xuanyangfang to register.
“Your Excellency, this is my second sister-in-law’s household registration. She is the teacher who teaches the craft.” Du Min handed over Meng Qing’s household registration for inspection, then turned to ask, “Second sister-in-law, why don’t you name the free school?”
"Let's call it Meng Qingyi School. Your Honor, is this name acceptable?" Meng Qing asked the county magistrate.
The county magistrate looked at them with a puzzled expression. He checked the household registration and the letter again and asked, "Were you sent here by Chen, the official from the Ministry of Rites?"
"Yes." Du Min nodded.
“This free school was established by the Ministry of Rites, how can it be named after you personally?” The county magistrate handed the household registration book to Meng Qing, “Change the name.”
Du Min immediately became anxious, "How did it become an organization run by the Ministry of Rites? I'm going to find Master Chen."
"Wait a minute." Meng Qing pressed him down and said thoughtfully, "Mingqi communicates between Yin and Yang, acting as messengers between the two worlds, just like the Bluebird. Let's call it the Bluebird Paper Effigy School."
"Is it confirmed?" the county magistrate asked. "Which neighborhood will the free school be located in?"
"Chang Le Fang." Meng Qing watched as the county magistrate completed the registration, and he clearly wrote down that this free school was to be run by the Ministry of Rites.
"Alright, you may all go back now," the county magistrate said.
Meng Qing and Du Min left. As soon as they stepped out of the county government office, Du Min found a quiet place and started cursing, "That damned bastard, he's trying to steal my credit again. If I don't kill him in this lifetime, I'll die and be left to rot in the wilderness."
"Going crazy again? What a great thing, why are you angry?" Meng Qing said happily. "Isn't it good that we can tie ourselves to the Ministry of Rites without lifting a finger? This free school is named after the Ministry of Rites, but our people aren't from the Ministry of Rites, and we can still run away. When you go to another place to take up an official post, I'll go with you, and I'll open another Qingniao Paper Craft Free School. Can they say it's not from the Ministry of Rites? With this title, do I have to worry about not being able to gain a foothold in other counties? Do I have to worry about not being able to promote paper crafts? This is even more useful than the name of Master Konghui of Ruiguang Temple."
Du Min's hostility vanished instantly. "Did Master Chen help you by accident?"
"Thank him so much! I'll burn incense for him when I get back." Meng Qing was overjoyed. She excitedly instructed Du Min, "Don't spread this around. Don't let anyone find out. When you go to the Ministry of Rites, continue to angrily question Master Chen. Let him feel your smugness at being angry but unable to do anything about it. As long as he's smug, he won't bother to think about these complicated matters."
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