Chapter 141 Master, the child in my belly is...
"How did you manage to persuade him to come?" Mencius' mother asked curiously. "What did you write in the letter?"
“I told him that there are many Buddhist temples in Luoyang, but the most magnificent one is the White Horse Temple, which is full of eminent monks and has tens of thousands of scriptures,” Meng Qing said.
Meng's mother was somewhat skeptical, and she muttered doubtfully, "Besides Master Yikong, the three disciples of the 'Kong' generation are the most senior at Ruiguang Temple. After Master Yikong passed away, one of them became the abbot of Ruiguang Temple. Isn't he worried about missing out on opportunities if he doesn't stay at Ruiguang Temple? Or has Master Yikong already passed away? And a new abbot has already been chosen?"
"You'll know when you see them in Luoyang." Father Meng looked at Meng Qing and asked again, "Qingniang, when are you setting off?"
"I'll leave in a couple of days." Meng Qing planned to go to Luoyang again to finish up the remaining matters and return to Heqing County by March at the latest. After that, he would stay in Heqing County permanently and entrust He Bian with the management of all affairs in Luoyang.
On the evening before setting off for Luoyang, Meng Chun returned with his convoy. He had been overseeing the paper mill in Wen County for more than two months, and the mill was now on track, producing 5,000 jin of paper in two months. Most of the paper was hemp paper, while less than 2,000 jin was rattan paper, which filled ten trucks.
"Everything at the paper mill is now in order, and we can produce a stable 3,000 jin of paper every month. If that's not enough, we can hire more workers to increase production," Meng Chun said.
Meng Qing was delighted. "Take the caravan with us to Luoyang tomorrow. From now on, the Luoyang Yishu will source all its paper from Wenxian and will no longer cooperate with paper shops in Luoyang."
"And the price? Based on the paper price in Luoyang?" Meng Chun asked.
Meng Qing shook his head. "The price of unbleached paper is based on the paper price in Wen County, plus the delivery fee. If it were based on the paper price in Luoyang, why would the school need to source from paper mills? That would give people something to talk about. We can mark up the price of colored paper sold to the school because there is no colored paper on the market, so we can control the price."
"Okay, whatever you say." Meng Chun had no objections.
“Young man, once you return to Wen County, immediately begin hiring workers to increase production. After arriving in Luoyang, I will contact the private school in Chang'an and have the manager reach out to the apprentices who previously established their own schools to see if they are willing to buy colored paper and uncolored paper from Luoyang,” Meng Qing said thoughtfully.
Meng Chun nodded, "Okay."
"What's the situation with Ren Wenqiu? Is there any progress on the charity school?" Meng Qing asked.
"The charity school in Wen County has already made some money, but business isn't very good. When I go back, I plan to take 5,000 sheets of colored paper from the dyeing workshop in Heqing County to make funerary objects and open up sales channels," Meng Chun said.
“Okay.” Meng Qing figured that the situation in other states was probably the same, so she planned to contact the shopkeepers in several states near Luoyang to import colored paper from Luoyang to make colored paper funerary objects.
Of the ten cartloads of paper, five were kept in Heqing County, and the remaining five were taken to Luoyang by Meng Chun. Two cartloads of rattan paper were sold to a charity school, and the remaining three cartloads were sent to a dye house to be dyed.
Under Meng Qing's direction, the school and the dyehouse severed their cooperation with the paper shops in the paper goods business at the beginning of the new year.
The owner of the paper shop approached He Bian, who explained that the new merchant was Meng Niangzi's brother. Upon hearing this, the other party was speechless, unable to utter any more of his business acumen.
“The paper mill run by Meng Niangzi’s brother offers fair prices. They deliver the paper to your door. Ten thousand sheets of hemp paper only cost twenty strings of cash, which is ten strings cheaper than buying from a paper shop. If you go to the paper mill yourself, you might be able to get an even cheaper price. Think about it. If you want to switch suppliers, I can make a connection for you.” He Bian wanted to curry favor with Meng Qing, as he intended to poach suppliers to bring business to the paper mill.
The owner of the paper shop seemed thoughtful. Since the school and the paper mill were no longer buying paper from Luoyang, the price of paper in Luoyang might drop. With this in mind, he declined, saying, "Thanks to you, my paper shop has enough stock to last a year. Let's talk about it next year."
"Okay, come find me if you need anything." He Bian saw the person out.
The owner of the paper shop had been gone for less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn when Meng Qing arrived with his parents and Meng Chun. The two of them had gone to the White Horse Temple again today to inquire, but still had no news of Master Kong Hui.
He Bian told her that the owner of the paper shop had come by, and subtly revealed that he intended to bring business to the paper shop.
Meng Qing was satisfied; this person was indeed useful. She praised him a few times and asked, "Have the sixteen managers hired before the New Year become familiar with the school's operating model? Can they be sent out to work?"
"That's fine." He Bian nodded.
"Gather them in a couple of days, and I'll arrange for them to set off," Meng Qing instructed.
He Bian nodded again.
Seeing that there was nothing else to do at the school, Meng Qing took her parents and brothers back home.
Meng Chun was leaving, and his parents wanted to go with him. The two elders had never traveled far alone before and dared not travel alone. They also did not want to trouble their son-in-law to take them back to Heqing County, so they had no choice but to give up the idea of waiting for Master Konghui and leave with Meng Chun.
"I'll write back to you when I hear news about my uncle," Meng Qing said.
Mencius' father nodded.
After Meng's parents and Meng Chun left, only Meng Qing and Du Li remained in the courtyard, and the two began to spend their days together again.
Every day, the couple would first go to Baima Temple to inquire about the business before going out. However, even after the first month of the lunar calendar was over, when the sixteen newly hired managers, along with the apprentices and servants they had brought from Heqing County the previous year, set off one after another, they still hadn't seen Master Konghui.
It wasn't until March, when Meng Qing's pregnancy was more advanced and things in Luoyang were settled, that the two of them planned to return to Heqing County. At that time, a young novice monk from Baima Temple came to the school to report: "Benefactor Meng, a monk from out of town has come to the temple. His Dharma name is Konghui. I wonder if he is the monk you have been asking about at the temple every day?"
Upon receiving the news, Meng Qing and Du Li went to Baima Temple with the young novice monk, only to stumble upon Master Konghui debating scriptures with Master Liaowu of Baima Temple. The couple waited outside the hall for an hour before the monks finally came out.
“Master Konghui, why are you only arriving in Luoyang now? We thought you should have arrived in the first month of the lunar calendar,” Meng Qing asked. “My father was so worried, afraid that something might have happened to you on the way.”
"I encountered several temples with flourishing incense offerings along the way, and I went to exchange ideas with the eminent monks, which delayed my journey." Master Konghui followed the cargo ship northward, going wherever the ship went. Whenever he stopped along the way, he would go to the local temple to debate scriptures, and he would only leave if he won the debate.
Meng Qing glanced at the main hall a few times, then asked in a low voice, "Are you here in Luoyang to stay long-term or just temporarily? Will the White Horse Temple allow you to stay at the temple? Do you need my brother-in-law's help? His father-in-law is the Prefect of Luoyang."
Master Konghui smiled slightly, “This humble monk has defeated Master Liaowu in the debate on scriptures, and Baima Temple has agreed to allow my ordination certificate to be displayed at the temple.”
"That's wonderful!" Meng Qing exclaimed happily. "You're not going back to Ruiguang Temple, are you?"
Master Konghui did not answer. He had been lured by Meng Qing to come to the White Horse Temple in Luoyang. As her letter had said, Ruiguang Temple was like a donkey compared to a fine horse—completely incomparable. He had intended to return when he left Wu County, but now he was uncertain.
"Please leave, gentlemen. Do not disturb this humble monk's meditation unless necessary," Master Konghui said, seeing the guests off.
Meng Qing exclaimed "Ah!" with a face full of confusion.
Master Konghui ignored him and added, "Tell your father not to come see me unless it's important."
"Alright." Meng Qing sighed. "Master, could you please do me one more thing? Is the baby in my belly a boy or a girl?"
Master Konghui ignored her and left.
Meng Qing: ...
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Author's note: This chapter wasn't written smoothly and is a little short. I'll write more tomorrow.
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