Chapter 9. After careful consideration, Du Min agreed. ...
After considering it, Du Min agreed.
After a cup of tea, Meng Qing took the white hemp paper with the ink still wet. On it were written three sentences: "Regarding the matter of the paper horse shop, I took the initiative to discuss it with my second sister-in-law. Parents, please do not blame her."
Signed: Du Min.
Meng Qing glanced at the paper; it was vague and unclear, and she wasn't satisfied. Her expression remained impassive as she continued, "Alright, let's discuss the next step, which is also the most important: what percentage of the profit do you plan to take?"
"What is your second sister-in-law thinking?" Du Min inquired.
"For the paper offerings that customers come to the paper horse shop because of you, and the paper funerary objects I sell, after deducting all costs, I take five percent of the profit, and you get two percent of that. Thanks to your promotion, the paper offering shop will gain a reputation and will surely attract customers from outside the academy. I won't take two percent of that profit from you," Meng Qing said thoughtfully. "Take a look and see if you can accept this kind of profit sharing."
"Second sister-in-law is generous." This was roughly what Du Min had planned. If he sold a pair of paper flying horses to Gu Wuxia, the cost would be four strings of cash, the selling price ten strings, and the profit six strings. Meng Qing would take three strings, and he would get one string and two hundred coins, so he wouldn't have to do the book copying work anymore. If he sold two more pairs of paper horses, he could buy a handwritten copy of "Kuodi Zhi" and "Da Tang Xiyu Ji," and wouldn't have to keep coming to Gu Wuxia's house to ask for books.
"Second sister-in-law, both of these profit-sharing arrangements must pass through your hands before being handed over to me. No matter how the profits are divided, they will all go to you, and I cannot be involved," Du Min declared beforehand.
"I understand, don't worry. The profit share is just my family's private money. My work at the paper horse shop is just helping my family, and it doesn't involve any commercial profit." Meng Qing knew what was going on.
“That makes sense.” Du Min clapped his hands. In this way, the only risk was that the Meng family would report the matter to the authorities.
"Second sister-in-law, when you discuss this with your parents, it's best to be tactful and make it clear to them that the money they're giving you is your personal savings, not interest. Most importantly, this money must not be recorded in the accounts; don't leave any trace in the ledgers," Du Min instructed her.
"I have to be wary of my family?" Meng Qing asked, surprised and puzzled.
Du Min smiled and said, "I'm doing this for my second sister-in-law's sake."
Meng Qing nodded, "You're right. Here's what we'll do: we need to be careful in front of our maternal family, and we also need to be careful in front of our in-laws. Third brother, write down the profit-sharing method we've discussed in detail, and then put your fingerprint on it so I can keep a record."
Du Min was taken aback. "Second sister-in-law, do you suspect that I would turn around and bite you?"
"Third brother, are you afraid I would harm you?" Meng Qing retorted. "I gave birth to your Du family's child, but for Wang Zhou's sake, I won't hurt you in the slightest. You understand, I married into the Du family and was willing to give all my dowry money to my parents-in-law. What I value is my descendants, and what I'm betting on is your future."
“That’s right, if I don’t harm you and you don’t harm me, why do we need to write a written agreement?” Du Min was very resistant; he didn’t want to leave himself with a potential problem.
“Everything needs a contract. You need a house deed when you buy a house, and a land deed when you buy land. It’s the same when we do business. Having a written agreement will prevent disputes later,” Meng Qing insisted.
Du Min smiled and shook his head; he remained silent in his resistance.
Meng Qing didn't budge. Just then, the child woke up, so she went inside to comfort the child, leaving Du Min alone outside.
As Du Min listened to the baby's cries, he remembered Meng Qing's words: with this child around, she wouldn't ruin him; besides, if he were ruined, all her plans would be in vain.
I'm taking the gamble!
A piece of paper drifted in through the crack in the door. Meng Qing looked over and heard footsteps leaving.
After feeding the child, Meng Qing picked up the paper. This document was much more formal, clearly stating the reasons and the agreed-upon profit-sharing outcome, and included a signature and fingerprint.
Meng Qing opened the chest and took out the red cloth shoes she wore on her wedding day—shoes of this color she would never wear a second time in her life. She cut open the lining of the soles, stuffed the written agreement and receipt separately under the lining of both shoes, and then sewed the opening closed with needle and thread.
After everything was tidied up, Meng Qing carried the child out the door. Du Min wasn't in the courtyard, but the door to the silkworm room was open. She went over and asked, "Third brother, when do I need to go back to my parents' home?"
“Can I go back to the academy tomorrow? The day after tomorrow, I’ll go with Gu Wuxia to the paper horse shop with the calligraphy and paintings collected by his grandfather to find you,” Du Min said.
“Okay, I’ll go pack my and your nephew’s luggage right away.” Meng Qing was enthusiastic. After taking a few steps, she turned back and asked, “Should you talk to your second brother or should I do it?”
Du Min sighed, "Let me explain. He's inflexible, so don't make a scene and let the whole family know."
Meng Qing pretended not to hear the disdain in his words. They were brothers from the same mother's house, and the elbow always sided with the in-laws. The disdain was only temporary.
Before long, it got dark. Meng Qing put the child to sleep and went to the kitchen to cook. There were leftovers from lunch, so she could just cook a pot of rice porridge for dinner.
While scooping rice, Du Li returned. He came back alone first, and the first thing he did upon returning was to find Meng Qing, "Third brother didn't talk nonsense to you again, did he?"
"I looked for it."
Seeing her expression, Du Li felt a chill run down his spine and sensed something was wrong.
"Second Brother, let's talk." Du Min emerged from the main hall, standing in the twilight gazing into the distance. He asked, "Father and Mother haven't returned yet? When will they be back? Shall we go to the ancestral hall to talk?"
“Just tell them at home that your parents and eldest brother and sister-in-law went to Yongye Field to pick mulberry leaves and won’t be back for about half an hour.” After saying that, Du Li asked with a dark face, “Since you dared to do it, are you afraid that your parents will find out? Is that all the courage you have?”
Du Min remained silent.
Du Li looked at Meng Qing, but before he could finish speaking, he changed his tone and stared at Du Min, questioning, "Are you out of your mind? Why do you have to get involved in business? Are you short of money?"
"I'm short of money." Du Min's expression turned cold as he repeated firmly, "Second Brother, I'm short of money."
"Isn't what your family gives you enough? What do you need so much money for?" Du Li was shocked.
“It’s not enough. I have many expenses. I need to buy books, socialize, and save money to study and travel,” Du Min replied.
“You should just study, why all this fuss? How many books do you need? Just ask your parents for the money.” Du Li was very confused and suspected that Du Min had gone astray.
Meng Qing could understand. The imperial court selected only three to five hundred talented people each year through the imperial examinations. Du Min, a scholar from a peasant family with no family background, how could he compete with the sons of wealthy aristocratic families who possessed extensive collections of books? Having experienced years of arduous study in her previous life, she clearly understood that even if Du Min were a child prodigy, he would still need the nourishment of renowned teachers and rare ancient books.
“The books my third brother needs might be unaffordable for the family. He needs to buy and read more than just one or two books; he needs to continuously purchase them year after year. Alternatively, he can borrow books from the collections of his classmates. When he borrows books from others, he always has to pay equal or even higher fees.” Meng Qing couldn’t help but speak up to help him. “In fact, if other academies in Suzhou invite great scholars to give lectures, if my third brother has the money, he can go and listen to the lectures without worrying about travel expenses, just like other wealthy students.”
Du Min felt like he had met a kindred spirit. He never expected that the person who understood him best in the family was his second sister-in-law, who came from a merchant family.
“That’s exactly what Second Sister-in-law means.” Du Min was overjoyed and suddenly felt the urge to confide in her. “Second Brother, the books commonly available on the market these days are like chicken bones to me, offering little help. What I need are the various ancient books, rare editions, and handwritten copies with annotations by great Confucian scholars that are held by certain students and teachers. Each one costs at least one or two strings of cash. I can’t afford to buy these books, so I can only borrow them and copy them day and night. Once the book is used, I have to return it immediately. This year, I’ve only managed to copy one book in four months, on and off. If this continues, I can only copy three books a year at most. It’s too much of a waste of time and will also wear down my health.”
“Besides books, I have to pay for incense when I go to Buddhist temples to listen to sutras, and I sometimes have to pay for boat fare or meals when I accompany my teacher to visit friends. I also have to give gifts when I attend literary gatherings held by my classmates… and so on. All of this adds up to a considerable expense. I can’t bear to put this burden on you, forcing you to be frugal and even cutting off my nephews’ path to advancement.” Du Min honestly explained why he was short of money. He continued, “As for the dowry money that my second sister-in-law brought, it’s for my travel expenses to the capital for the imperial examinations. I can’t touch it.”
There was something else Du Min dared not say: if he didn't find a way to earn and save money today, and failed the imperial examination in the future, and his 120 strings of cash for travel expenses were exhausted, where would he get the money for his second trip to the capital for the examination? His two elder brothers were already married and had children, and at that time, he would have to exchange his marriage for money, which he was unwilling to do.
Du Li gradually drifted off into thought. He thought of his son, who had just turned one month old. Master Huiming had predicted that Wangzhou would surely achieve great things in the future, but as long as Du Min continued to spend money, the family would not have the means to support Wangzhou's education.
"Second brother, don't worry. Second sister-in-law and I are well aware of the risks involved. We will be careful in our actions," Du Min assured him.
Du Li's attitude softened, and he looked at Meng Qing, "You agreed?"
"My third brother convinced me."
Du Li glanced at Du Min; this kid really has a deep mind.
"Second Brother, please agree." Du Min pleaded, quickly stepping over and hooking his arm around Du Li's shoulder, making a vow with one hand: "Second Brother, I will always remember what you and Second Sister-in-law have done for me, and I will never forget it in this lifetime. In the future, whenever I have the opportunity to make a name for myself, I will do my best to help Wang Zhou."
“You said it yourself.” Du Li glanced at him sideways.
"I said it," Du Min assured, patting his chest.
"Okay, I won't stop you anymore." Du Li finally relented.
Du Min breathed a sigh of relief and bowed deeply with joy: "Second brother and sister-in-law, please accept my bow."
"Alright, stop joking around." Du Li helped him up. "Your parents will be back soon..."
"Second brother, this matter is of great importance. It's best to keep it from our parents so they won't worry about me day and night," Du Min advised.
Du Li instinctively didn't want to agree, but Jin Shu and Qiao Mei had returned with the ox, so it wasn't appropriate to discuss the matter further. He temporarily put aside his worries.
During dinner that evening, Du Min kept waiting for Meng Qing to bring up the matter of returning to her parents' home the next day, but she seemed to have forgotten about it and remained silent.
“Amin, you’re not in a hurry to go back to the academy tomorrow, are you? Why don’t you have lunch before you leave? Have your mother stay home tomorrow and stew a lamb leg,” Du’s father asked.
Du Min glanced at Meng Qing and said, "Alright, it'll be warmer to take the boat after noon."
Meng Qing still didn't mention going back to her parents' home. When the child sleeping in the room woke up, she got up and went back to the room to coax the child.
Du Min could only wait patiently.
*
At night, Meng Qing raised her hand and touched the man beside her. "Du Li, I can't shake this feeling of unease. We both knew about your third brother doing this, so why did you insist on keeping it from your parents?"
“I’ve been thinking about that too. If you go back to your parents’ home to make paper offerings, you might not come back for a month or two. Even if you do come back, you won’t stay long. You won’t be helping with the silkworm rearing or farm work. In that case, my parents, brothers, and sisters-in-law will all look down on you, and our branch of the family will become the enemy of the whole family again.” Du Li was wary of this situation. He already had a plan in mind. “I’ll go and tell my parents tomorrow morning. Whether they’re worried and anxious or feel guilty and can’t sleep, they need to know. We can’t let you do all the work and end up being blamed.”
Meng Qing smiled with relief from the shadows. He and she had the same idea; she had never intended to hide it from Du's parents. She wanted them to know that she held leverage over Du Min, so they could never try to cause trouble for her again.
"Don't just barge in and say it all by yourself. Talk to your third brother first, and it would be best if the two of you went to see our parents together and let him speak to them. Your parents will trust him more," Meng Qing advised.
"Okay." Du Li couldn't sleep, so he got up and said, "I can't sleep, I'll go tell them now."
"I still want to sleep, I'm tired after a long day." Meng Qing pressed him down, "If you can't sleep, close your eyes and count, don't disturb me."
"Don't sleep yet, let's talk. You're taking the child back to the city tomorrow, and we don't know when we'll see each other again." Du Li sighed, turning to look at the bulge under the covers, and asked, "You didn't even discuss it with me, how could you agree to him?"
“It’s beneficial to him, and it’s also beneficial to Wangzhou. It’s worth the risk. Du Li, we need to earn money and save up so that when Wangzhou turns six, we can send him to a private school for his early education.” Meng Qing didn’t want to stay at her husband’s house to do hard labor and then have to frequently borrow money from her parents’ home when she needed it in the future.
Most importantly, she hoped that the paper funerary objects she brought would set off a trend in the Tang Dynasty.
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