Chapter 45 Want to become an apprentice? Sign a contract first.
At midday, dusk began to fall.
After Du Min led the Meng family through several alleys, a hot, pungent aroma of mutton filled the cool breeze.
"This is it." A brownish-yellow flag fluttered outside a simple doorway, bearing the character "Hu" (胡). Du Min introduced, "The female owner of this shop is a Hu (胡) person, and she makes authentic Western Region cuisine. Second Sister-in-law, you haven't been here before, have you?"
Meng Qing shook her head, "No, this shop is hidden too well. If you hadn't led the way, I would never have found it."
Passing through the doorway, you are greeted by a spacious backyard. The backyard is filled with grape trellises, and the thick grapevines weave a green net over the yard like silk threads. The brilliant sunset shines through the gaps in the vines and leaves, and the colorful red glow falls on the solid yellow earth, creating dappled spots of light that are very dazzling.
Meng Qing felt as if she had arrived in the Western Regions; this little courtyard had such a distinct Western Regions charm.
"Student Du, it's been a long time since I've seen you." A woman with a thick accent greeted him.
Du Min nodded, and led the dazed Meng family members to the grape trellis in the southwest corner. He said to the woman, "Grandma Kang, bring three catties of mutton, five 'Gu Lou Zi' (a type of mutton), five 'Xie Luo' (a type of mutton), and a bowl of 'San Le Jiang' (a type of broth) for each of us."
The woman noted it down and quickly left.
"Uncle Meng, Aunt Pan, Second Sister-in-law, please sit down," Du Min said. "The tables in this restaurant are all in the courtyard; there are no private rooms."
“Very good, very good.” Father Meng sat cross-legged on the futon. He glanced at the low table in front of him and said, “This restaurant is mostly frequented by scholars and literati, right? This kind of low table is not commonly used in ordinary people’s homes.”
“Since it’s located in the Confucian district, the customers will definitely all be scholars,” Mencius’ mother replied.
Du Min took out a handkerchief to wipe the table and said, “Most of the guests are local residents, not all scholars. Using this kind of low table is a habit of the Hu people. The Western Regions were ruled by the Han Dynasty for a long time, and the legacy of the Han Dynasty is quite evident in their daily utensils. When the Hu people come to the Central Plains to make a living, most of them are very attached to their homeland. They will deliberately follow their original habits in their lives, which gives them a sense of security in a foreign land. For example, the doorway we entered, this spacious courtyard, and the shade net woven from grapevines are completely different from the local houses in Wu County.”
Meng's father listened with great interest. He looked at Meng Chun and said, "People who have studied are different. They know everything and can talk about even a small matter in great detail."
Meng Chun: ...
"Why are you telling me this? It's not like I'm a student who doesn't study hard." He was unhappy.
Meng's father was stunned for a moment, and the interest on his face immediately diminished.
"Are there any other good restaurants around here?" Meng Qing changed the subject. "Third brother, can you tell me about some? We can come here to eat next time."
Du Min's gaze swept over Meng Chun, then he casually joked, "When you want to eat out, call me. I'll show you the way, and you can treat me."
Meng Qing was surprised that he could make a witty remark. She teased him, "You're not in business, are you? How come you're so shrewd with your calculations?"
Du Min laughed heartily, then got serious: "I've only been here twice when I accompanied Master Xie to meet his friends. I've never been here by myself, so I'm not familiar with this area. If you're interested, you can come and take a look around when you have some free time, and ask the elderly people living nearby."
"The food is served!" Grandma Kang called out. She first brought out five bowls of Sanlejiang (a type of noodle soup) and placed one bowl in front of each person.
“Uncle Meng, my second brother told me you like to drink. Try some Sanlejiang. If it’s not strong enough, ask Granny Kang to bring some wine later. She brews her own wine.” Du Min said.
Mencius' father waved his hand, saying that wine was too expensive. He picked up the wine bowl, took a sip, and said, "This is fine. I'm not greedy for alcohol. I drink for the taste."
The fragrant roasted mutton was served, followed by crab roe biscuits and Gu Louzi. Du Min invited everyone to start eating, "Uncle Meng, Aunt Pan, Second Sister-in-law, Little Brother Meng, please don't be shy."
"Third brother, no need to greet us. The aroma is irresistible, we can't be polite at all." Meng Qing took the lead and picked up a sizzling piece of roasted mutton with her chopsticks. Before the meat even entered her mouth, her mouth was already watering. As she bit through the golden-brown meat, the mutton fat splattered, and she was overjoyed by the fragrance.
Wang Zhou lay on Meng Qing's lap, staring intently as she ate meat, his little mouth unconsciously chewing along with her.
"Sister, look at your son." Meng Chun suppressed a laugh.
Meng Qing didn't look, afraid that if she met Wang Zhou's eyes, he would cause trouble. She shushed him, "Don't look at him, don't look at him at all. Mother, bring me an old building."
Gulouzi is a stuffed flatbread with mutton and mutton fat sandwiched in the dough. It has many layers, is very thick, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and is both fragrant and chewy.
Meng's parents and Meng Chun ate rice year-round, almost every meal of the day consisted of rice. They weren't used to eating noodles, and even Bi Luo rarely ate them. But today, they were won over by Gu Louzi. One bite of roasted mutton followed by a bite of Gu Louzi. The charcoal-grilled mutton mixed with the oven-roasted mutton wrapped in dough, the mutton fat soaking into the flatbread, was both moist and fragrant.
Gradually, more and more customers came, the restaurant became lively, and the aroma of mutton grew stronger.
The sunset had disappeared sometime earlier, and as dusk fell, torches were lit in the shop. The grapevines overhead blocked the moonlight, seemingly keeping out the tranquility of the night.
Even after leaving the alley where Hu Si was, Meng Qing was still somewhat dazed. Listening to the sound of the clear water flowing, she felt as if this dinner had been a dream.
"Third Uncle, what day of next month do you take your ten-day break? Tell your second brother to come to the city on your day of break, and we can have another meal together then. It'll be on me." Meng's father was satisfied with this meal, but he was still not satisfied. The food in his stomach hadn't been digested yet, and he was already planning the next meal.
“I have a gathering scheduled for my ten-day break next month, so I won’t be free. You don’t need to wait for me. You can all come and eat by yourselves.” Du Min refused, explaining, “I was just joking with my second sister-in-law. Starting tomorrow, the state school will resume full-day classes, both in the morning and afternoon. I also have to do my homework in the evening, so I can’t go out often.”
"Alright, studies are the most important thing." Meng's father did not force him.
"Studies are important, but health is important too. If you ever get tired of the food at the academy, come to our house, and I'll cook you some good meals to help you recover," Mencius' mother said politely as usual.
Du Min agreed, "It's late, let's part ways here."
“How will you get back? We’ll take you back to the prefectural school,” Meng Qing suggested.
Du Min looked at the night road. He had made a big splash today, and he was afraid someone would come after him. For safety's sake, he agreed.
The Confucian Academy was not far from the prefectural school. The five of them walked for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before delivering Du Min to the prefectural school.
“By the way, Third Brother, on the sixteenth, wear some nice clothes and dress up properly, just like today. Everyone in the village knows I’m taking care of you in the city, so dress smartly so no one will find fault with me,” Meng Qing said.
Du Min chuckled, "Alright."
After watching Du Min knock on the door and enter the academy, the Meng family left. There were no passenger boats on the river at that time, so they had to walk back.
"Will Du Min go back in a few days? With us?" Meng's mother asked.
“Yes, he can keep arguing with his parents, but if he doesn’t go back for a long time, the villagers will gossip,” Meng Qing explained. “It’s good that he comes back with us. With him around, his parents will at least be willing to kill chickens and ducks and cook some good dishes.”
Mencius' mother punched Mencius' father, saying, "It's all your fault, you old man! You had nothing better to do than go to Dujiawan. When your mother-in-law gives you a hard time, you'll be in for it."
"If you weren't happy, why didn't you stop me then?" Meng's father took two steps away from her.
"Stop you? You didn't even discuss it with me before you blurted it out. If I stop you now, won't my son-in-law feel that I, his mother-in-law, look down on him?" Mother Meng was so angry that she was about to hit him again.
After being punched twice more, Meng's father turned to his children and said, "Your mother has been very fierce lately, hitting me all the time."
The two who had never been punched before remained silent and did not respond.
"If you don't provoke me, will I beat you?" Mencius' mother asked loudly.
"Keep your voice down, don't wake Wangzhou," Meng's father reminded him. He explained gently, "Back then, I was thinking that it wasn't easy for my son-in-law to get to where he is today. His parents aren't close to him, and his wife and children aren't around. He moved to Sangtian all alone, living in a dilapidated shack. It's heartbreaking to see. We went to visit him under the guise of celebrating his housewarming, to give him some warmth and make him happier."
“My father is right. We’re going after my brother-in-law, not his parents,” Meng Chun said, taking sides. “What’s so scary about the Du family? They give you attitude, so you fight back. My sister, brother-in-law, and Wang Zhou don’t have to beg for food from them, so what are you worried about, Mother?”
"My son sees things clearly! That's exactly the point." Mr. Meng said proudly, "Accountant Pan, are you still afraid?"
"Afraid of her? I'm a reasonable person, and I find it annoying to encounter someone like her who makes unreasonable demands." Mencius' mother said dismissively.
They chatted all the way, not minding the distance, and the family took turns carrying Wangzhou, the little dumpling, until they arrived home without even realizing it.
*
The next day.
Meng's parents went to guard the shop, while Meng's father and mother continued to purchase goods such as ox glue, raw lacquer, tung oil, ink sticks, and writing brushes. Meng Qing and Meng Chun went to collect deposits according to the list they had left behind.
At the end of the Chen hour (7-9 AM), the prefectural schoolmaster finished a class, and Dr. Xu's page came to the school to find Du Min and return the policy essay that he had previously given to Dr. Xu.
Du Min unfolded it and took a look. The policy essay had been revised. He was overjoyed and rolled it up as if it were a treasure, stuffing it into his sleeve.
"Du Min, what did Dr. Xu's pageboy want with you? What did he give you?" Li Wei craned his neck to stare outside, and as soon as Du Min entered, he immediately asked loudly.
"It's nothing, it has nothing to do with you," Du Min replied dismissively.
Li Wei choked.
"Let me see it." Shi Anlin raised his leg to block the way.
“It’s something your historians consider unlucky.” Du Min said helplessly. Then he had a sudden idea and said, “Master Chen wanted to order paper effigies for funerary objects. He sent the deposit yesterday at noon, but in the afternoon he had a new idea and asked Dr. Xu to make two new designs. Dr. Xu’s page didn’t want to run errands, so he asked me to pass them on to my second sister-in-law.”
As he spoke, he glanced at the students who had placed orders on the spot the day before, hoping they would understand his implication.
"Open it and see. Your decision doesn't count." Shi Anlin didn't believe him.
Du Min's face darkened. He shoved the other man's leg aside and said, "These are funerary objects that Master Chen commissioned for his deceased father. How can you pass them around like that? Don't you know how to respect people?"
Shi Anlin was humiliated. He cursed and said, "You hang out with businessmen, you don't care what's good or bad, you're such a lackey. What's there to be proud of? And you're lecturing me now."
Du Min pretended not to hear and looked down at his book.
Xing Shu glanced at him a few more times and understood what Du Min meant. After school in the morning, he gave the page boy ten strings of cash and instructed him: "Go out quietly, pretending to buy me some food. Go to Meng's Paper Horse Shop and pay the deposit for two brass paper horses. Remember to tell them not to publicize this. After the brass paper horses are finished, have them deliver them directly to my home. My family will pay the balance when they receive the goods."
The page nodded, "Okay, I'll go right away."
"Remember to do it behind everyone's back, so no one else can see you," Xing Shu instructed.
Meanwhile, Meng Qing and Meng Chun also returned with their earnings. The price of waterproof and moisture-proof paper offerings had increased by two to five strings of cash. The brass paper horses, black gold paper horses, and paper oxen, which required ironing, were now eleven strings of cash per piece. Paper houses were thirty-five strings of cash each, and paper figures and wreaths had increased by three strings of cash. The two cloth merchants only wanted these types of paper offerings: two brass paper horses, one paper house, ten paper figures, and four wreaths. Each order was worth one hundred and three strings of cash. They collected half as a deposit, and the siblings brought back one hundred and three strings of cash.
When Meng's parents saw so much money, they were overjoyed and no longer felt bad about the ten or twenty strings of cash they had spent on purchasing goods.
“Squire Wang also sent his servants to deliver the deposit for five brass paper horses. I accepted the deposit of twenty-seven strings of cash,” said Meng’s mother. “The other party instructed that we would deliver the paper horses to their door after they were made, and I agreed.”
"We'll rent a pleasure boat and deliver it to him then, making sure he gets all the face he deserves," Meng Qing said.
“Yes, yes, yes, people like them who don’t lack money value face and prestige even more.” Meng’s father agreed. “If anyone else comes to deliver a deposit, and there are more than two large funerary objects, we will offer to deliver them to their door by pleasure boat.”
Mencius' mother had no objection. Looking at the copper coins in front of her, she no longer felt bad about the money spent on renting the pleasure boat.
“Seven people came to our door this morning wanting to become our apprentices, all offering exorbitant tuition fees and demanding that we teach them our best skills so they could leave once they learned them. I refused them all,” said Meng’s father.
“These people are like scoundrels, forcing us to take them in. Your father had a falling out with them, and we don’t know if they will retaliate against us,” Meng’s mother said worriedly. “I think we should go out and hide for a few days.”
"Tonight I'm moving to the Paper Horse Shop to sleep. From now on, I'll sleep in the attic. The shop will also keep two dogs so I can hear what's going on at night," Meng Chun said.
“A hard refusal is likely to incite hatred. How about this, we’ll set a condition: if you want to pay tuition to become our apprentice, you must first go to the government office to sign a contract. After completing your apprenticeship, you are not allowed to open a shop in Wu County for five years. If you want to open a business, you have to go to another county.” Meng Qing suggested. She told her family, “We are in the open, and they are in the dark. If there are really some extreme people who can’t stand us making money and want to use dirty tricks to harm us, we will be unable to defend ourselves.”
"I'll listen to you. You're the one with the best ideas." Father Meng made the decision. He frowned and said, "There are two people who are very anxious today. They are envious of our money and wish they could kill me and take over as the boss. It's really scary."
"Qingniang, you stay with your father and mind the shop these next few days. I'll go with Mengchun to handle the debt collection," Meng's mother said.
“Okay.” Meng Qing nodded.
Meng Chun suddenly patted Meng Qing's head. Just as Meng Qing was about to scold him for being disrespectful, he complained with a bitter face, "We are siblings from the same mother and have the same father, so why am I so much dumber than you?"
Meng Qing's anger immediately turned into joy.
“I’m puzzled too.” Meng’s father was equally puzzled. What puzzled him even more was: “You’re only realizing this now? I resigned myself to fate after you turned three. You should resign yourself to fate too.”
Meng Chun: ...
He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Don't say that, you're quite clever," Meng Qing said hypocritically. "Don't compare yourself to me; it's foolish to compare yourself to a born sage."
Meng Chun was disgusted. "A born sage? Fine, fine, my skin isn't as thick as yours."
Meng Qing laughed loudly, and Wang Zhou jumped up suddenly upon hearing the sound, staring at her without blinking.
"Goose, goose, goose—" Meng Qing deliberately made a funny face.
Wang Zhou nervously reached out and covered her mouth. He turned to Meng's parents for help, frowning and making noises.
"You scared the child." Meng's mother slapped Meng Qing on the back.
Meng Qing chuckled, removed the small hand covering her mouth, and said, "Let's eat, I'm hungry."
Just as they finished eating, Shen Yuexiu came looking for them, followed by a pageboy. "Master, Mistress, this is Xing Xuezi's pageboy. He's here to pay the deposit and requests that we deliver the brass paper horse to Xishan after it's finished. Do you agree?"
Mencius' father came out and said, "Alright, leave your address. I'll rent a pleasure boat and deliver it to you once it's ready."
"Don't use the pleasure boat, and don't make too much noise. It's best not to attract attention," the page instructed.
“Alright.” Father Meng agreed. After the page left, he instructed Shen Yuexiu: “Agree to any more requests like this. If there are more than two large paper effigies, our paper effigy shop can deliver them to their homes by pleasure boat. If there is only one, also request delivery by pleasure boat and charge them one string of cash for the boat fare.”
“Okay, I’ve got it. I’ll go tell the others right away. Master, another rogue has come to the shop wanting to become my apprentice. We can’t get rid of him.” Shen Yuexiu said with distress, “When we push him out the door, he stays outside and won’t leave. As soon as we go back in, he turns around and follows us.”
"Okay, I understand, I'll go right away." Father Meng told her to go first, then turned around and called out, "Qingniang, we've got work to do, hurry up and eat."
Meng Qing left Wang Zhou at home and went to the paper horse shop with her father, while Meng Chun followed them aggressively.
"Our master has arrived." Shen Yuexiu breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the Meng family coming over.
"Master Meng, Master." Before Meng's father could enter, a burly man rushed out of the paper horse shop. He knelt down with a thud and said loudly, "Master, please accept me as your disciple. I am willing to give up all my wealth to learn how to make paper funerary objects from you."
The shopkeepers and their assistants from both sides of the funerary object shop came out to see what was going on when they heard the noise.
"How much is all you have in total?" Meng's father stepped aside and said, "Stand up and speak."
Upon hearing that there was a chance, the man excitedly said, "My parents left me a shop in the city. I estimate I can sell it for twenty or thirty strings of cash. I'll transfer the shop to you."
"Master Meng, this man runs an incense and candle shop in the Mingqi (antiques) market in the city. He's the son of Lord Yin," the shopkeeper on the right reminded him.
"A fellow craftsman!" Meng's father realized. "I remember your father. He was a master at making incense and candles. Instead of inheriting the family business, why are you causing trouble here?"
"I don't like making incense and candles."
“You’ve really chosen us! We’ll be your apprentices, and we’ll have to learn how to make incense and candles every day,” Wenjiao said loudly.
Meng's father understood that this was a man who was all talk and no action, who wanted to make a lot of money but looked down on the small profits from selling incense and candles.
"The tuition is fifty strings of cash. I will teach you all my skills within a year, but there is one condition: you must come with me to the government office to sign a contract that you cannot engage in any funeral-related business in Wu County after you have completed your apprenticeship. If you violate this rule, you will have to pay me five hundred strings of cash," said Meng's father.
The man's joy turned to anger. He stood up and spat, "Five hundred strings of cash! You really dare to say that."
“If you dare to do it, I dare to say it. You want to learn my skills and steal my business, and you expect me to be polite?” Father Meng glared. “Go back and think it over. If you agree to my demands, bring fifty strings of cash and we’ll go to the government office to register the deed.”
The man gritted his teeth, his face contorted with malice.
“Go report to the authorities and say that someone is causing trouble in the store,” Meng Qing said to Meng Chun.
Meng Chun turned and ran.
"Fine, you win." The man, fearing trouble, quickly slipped away.
"Master Meng, are you serious? I'll give you fifty strings of cash, and within a year, you'll pass on all your skills to your apprentice?" the shopkeeper on the right asked.
Meng's father paused, then asked, "You want to become my disciple?"
“I’m almost old enough to use funerary objects, why would I need to find a master? I have a son, I’ll have him learn from me.”
"You cannot engage in funeral-related businesses in Wuxian County for five years," Meng's father warned.
“Okay. Give me a few days to raise the money. Once I have enough, we’ll go to the government office to sign the deed.”
“Uncle Wu, I have to remind you, paper-made funerary objects have gained a foothold in Wu County, but I doubt anyone will recognize them in other counties,” Meng Qing said. “We’ve been neighbors for one or two decades, and you know how the paper horse shop did before this year; it was far less successful than your pottery funerary objects.”
“I know, I know what I’m doing. At worst, we’ll lose money for a few years. He can hone his skills and then come back to Wu County. You can eat the meat, and he can have some soup,” said Manager Wu.
Seeing that he had a plan, Meng Qing stopped trying to dissuade him.
With that matter settled, three companions of young scholars sneaked into the paper horse shop like thieves. They unanimously requested that the paper horse shop finish making the brass paper horses and help send them out of the city by the end of the twelfth lunar month.
"I'll let you know the exact date later. You can use a boat to transport the brass paper horses out of the mansion in advance," a page said arrogantly.
Meng Qing nodded repeatedly, "Okay, I've written it all down."
The page handed over the bundle, saying, "Add two more black and gold paper horses. How much deposit do you want in total? I brought twenty strings of cash. If that's not enough, I'll bring more tomorrow."
"Twenty-two strings of cash as a deposit. It's okay if you're short two strings; you can make up the difference when the goods are delivered." Meng Qing wrote down the receipt and handed it to him. She was secretly overjoyed. No matter how much these little tyrants looked down on the merchants, they still kept sending money to the Paper Horse Shop.
In one afternoon, all twelve students from the prefectural schools who had placed orders earlier delivered their deposits. There were also five more who hadn't placed orders on the pleasure boat. Two of them wanted to order paper houses, not requiring them to be moisture-proof or waterproof, but only that they be like the paper houses that the Chen family had previously ordered, with three courtyards and glazed tile roofs.
Over the next four days, Meng's mother and Meng Chun went door-to-door to collect the deposits for the remaining orders.
Thirty-one deals were completed, and the deposits totaled 340 strings of cash.
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