The Ancestral Residence

After leaving Wenchao Pavilion, Shao Shuyi returned to the celadon shop. On the twentieth, he practiced archery as usual. Counting that session, he had trained for another two days this month. He had basically mastered all the fundamental movements; all that remained was consolidation and repeated drilling to build muscle memory. On the twenty-fifth, the entire shop conducted its monthly inventory audit. The work was actually very light, as they had not sold any celadon throughout August. Aside from daily operating expenses, there were no other accounts to balance. Shao Shuyi, Yu Yuan, and the newly arrived warehouse keeper, Song You, finished the inventory in half a day. On the final day of August, Shao Shuyi did not practice archery. Instead, he accompanied Zheng Fan by carriage to the Zheng family ancestral residence west of Salt and Iron Creek. "That new fellow, Liang Tai, is quite good. He just doesn't talk much—a regular clam," Zheng Fan said with a grin, lounging carelessly against the carriage wall. "Yu Yuan isn't bad either. Meticulous, diligent, and keeps the books without a single slip. Xiaohu, you have quite an eye for people." "It's merely putting each person's strengths to good use," Shao Shuyi said. "Yu Yuan could never be a ship superintendent, work as a broker, or serve as a man of arms. He is suited only for this kind of work. Liang Tai is much the same. He knows nothing of worldly manners and is quiet and shy, but he trains hard in martial arts and follows orders obediently. Serving as an estate guard is more than within his capabilities. That previous fellow, Zhang Neng, mingled far and wide, associating with all sorts of dubious figures. He wasn't truly fit to be a guard; men like that easily collude with outlaws." "Well said—'putting each person's strengths to good use.'" Zheng Fan glanced sideways at Shao Shuyi. "And where do your strengths lie?" "Repaying kindness and making money for my master," Shao Shuyi replied matter-of-factly. Zheng Fan burst into laughter. Once his amusement subsided, he nudged Shao Shuyi with his elbow. "On my way back to Liujiagang, I made a detour to the Shen residence. Tsk, tsk. That contract of yours is already in Rongfu's hands—Shen Fu's second daughter delivered it in person. I took a look at it; you truly wrote it brilliantly." "You flatter me, Master," Shao Shuyi said modestly. Truth be told, he felt a flicker of quiet pride. Before crossing over, he had handled countless bids, drafting proposals, bidding on projects, and signing contracts for his boss. Exemption clauses, force majeure provisions, cost calculations, and profit-sharing terms had all been second nature to him. Doing business in the Yuan dynasty, on the other hand, relied heavily on verbal agreements. Everything depended on whether the parties kept their word. Even when contracts were drawn up, the terms were vague and left ample room for maneuvering. Once a dispute arose, they depended heavily on guarantors to arbitrate—and guarantors were typically prominent figures in the merchant world or local elders of high repute. Shao Shuyi, however, had spelled out the rights, liabilities, and interests of both parties with utmost clarity. He had even included provisions detailing how sales proceeds would be recovered once the ships returned, the exact number of days within which profits must be settled, and daily fines for each day of delay. The thoroughness of the terms and the rigor of the details were nothing short of breathtaking. Yet alongside his admiration, Zheng Fan still harbored a slight worry. "I had originally hoped for a forty or fifty percent cut," he said, "yet you pushed it all the way to sixty, and even drew up such an exacting contract. Fortunately, Rongfu didn't mind and even holds you in high regard. Otherwise, things could have turned awkward, making me look petty and calculating." "You masters need only preserve face and discuss the grand strategy; leave the penny-pinching to me," Shao Shuyi said with a smile. "I don't care about face—I only care about securing real gains for my master." Zheng Fan laughed again. There was truth in that. When he negotiated with Shen Rong, he indeed discussed only the broad strokes and settled on a general direction. As for whether the split was forty or fifty percent, he could never bring himself to haggle over it; doing so would look petty and cause him to lose face. For Shao Shuyi to win an extra share of profit for the Zheng family was the best possible outcome. A man with such talent would be useful anywhere. What was more, Zheng Fan stood to benefit as well. "Master, you mentioned Lord Wansan's daughter just now..." Shao Shuyi observed Zheng Fan's expression, and seeing that he was in good spirits, ventured to ask. "Oh? Her?" Zheng Fan sat up straight. "Then let me tell you about what I've recently gathered regarding the Shen family's history." Shao Shuyi adopted an attentive posture, ready to listen. Zheng Fan cleared his throat. "Shen Wansan's father, Shen You, originally hailed from Wucheng in Huzhou. Later, he relocated to Dongcai Village in Changzhou County. He took a liking to its fertile, well-watered paddies and settled down there. At that time, the Shen family was not yet wealthy. Shen You had to personally lead the younger generations into the fields, hauling manure to fertilize the soil and toiling alongside them. But precisely through such labor, he amassed a substantial family estate. "He had four sons. The eldest and second sons died young. The third son was Shen Fu, known as Shen Wansan, and the fourth was Shen Gui, known as Shen Wansi. "The Shen family truly rose to prominence through Wansan. Relying on the wealth accumulated by his father's generation, he bought land and cleared wilderness, expanding step by step. He was also a brilliant businessman, opening taverns, pawnshops, and grain stores far and wide. Once he made money, he turned around and bought more land. "By now, the Shen family relies primarily on three pillars: first, farmland; second, warehouses and inns; and third, overseas trade. Working in tandem, these have made him the wealthiest man in Jiangnan." Shao Shuyi listened, somewhat astonished. From this perspective, even if Shen Wansan's father's generation possessed some wealth, they could hardly be considered a prominent clan—at most, they were well-off petty landlords. Put simply, Shen You's generation had completed the primitive accumulation of capital, securing their first pot of gold. Shen Wansan then used that first pot of gold to expand their landholdings and businesses, elevating the Shen family to an entirely new height—or, to put it less flatteringly, to a height that did not originally belong to them. Shen Wansan was truly a commercial genius! Then again, this rate of development had been exceedingly swift. It was so rapid that, beyond raw wealth, the Shens had not yet had time to accumulate political and cultural capital, leaving the family's foundations somewhat shallow. "Shen Fu has three sons and three daughters," Zheng Fan continued. "The eldest son is Rongfu, whose name is Shen Rong. The second is Shen Wang, and the third is Shen Mao." Shao Shuyi turned the names over in his mind. Shen Wansan and his brother were named Shen Fu and Shen Gui—'wealth' and 'nobility'—while his own three sons were named Shen Rong, Shen Wang, and Shen Mao—'glory,' 'prosperity,' and 'flourishing.' The naming was certainly down-to-earth. "None of the three daughters have widely known given names. The eldest daughter married Chiliarch Song Tong. The second daughter married Lu Zhonghe, whom you met. The third daughter is still young and unmarried. It is said that in the future, like the second daughter, she will marry into a scholarly family, or perhaps they will recruit a live-in son-in-law. "In recent years, the Shens have taken a particular liking to associating with scholars. Any man of letters passing through Suzhou is invited with generous sums to stay for a while, and when he departs, they present him with handsome travel funds. Even obscure scholars fallen on hard times need only ask when passing the Shen estate, and they will receive assistance. "Among the Shen descendants, male and female alike, those who study the qin, chess, calligraphy, painting, and pore over the classics and histories can be found everywhere. Even Shen Fu himself is never seen without a book in hand, and Shen Gui is studying painting, reportedly with considerable skill." Shao Shuyi understood at once. Standard operating procedure for the nouveau riche. The Shen family had more than enough money; what they lacked now were two things: political capital and cultural capital. And often, the two went hand in hand. They were certainly relentless! It was one thing for the younger generation to grind away at culture and arts; they were young and could absorb it. But what were Shen Wansan and Shen Wansi doing? At their age, was it truly necessary to drive themselves so hard? That said, their drive and execution were undeniable. No wonder they had succeeded. "This time, you've completely overshadowed Lu Zhonghe," Zheng Fan said with a grin as Shao Shuyi pondered. "Third Young Master heard about it and wants to meet you as well, to hear your thoughts on overseas trade. It's a rare opportunity; don't squander it." "Thank you for the guidance," Shao Shuyi said, cupping his hands with sincere gratitude. "A small matter." Having said this, Zheng Fan closed his eyes to doze. Neither spoke another word, and silence soon settled over the carriage. Half an hour later, the carriage drew up before the Zheng family ancestral residence. After word was sent ahead, someone quickly arrived to lead them inside. Visiting the Zheng residence for the first time, Shao Shuyi could not help looking around. The main gate sat at the southeast corner of the compound. Passing through, one entered an entrance hall enclosed by walls on all four sides, with three doorways positioned straight ahead and to the left. At the moment, the door directly ahead stood wide open, offering glimpses of busy servants sweeping the grounds. The first doorway on the left swung gently open as well, and a servant invited Shao Shuyi to wait inside a north-facing outer room. These outer chambers, positioned against the southern wall and facing north without street-facing windows, typically served as guest rooms or servant quarters—a layout that emerged during the Song and Yuan dynasties and became widespread in the Ming and Qing. Zheng Fan gave Shao Shuyi a wink and smiled. "I'll go find Third Young Master first. Wait here patiently, and don't wander off." "Understood," Shao Shuyi replied with a bow. Once Zheng Fan departed, Shao Shuyi took a leisurely look around. He was no connoisseur, but he could tell at a glance that the Zheng family possessed formidable means. The carvings on the veranda pillars, eaves, and doorways were finely crafted; though somewhat robust in style, the chiselwork was remarkably refined. Beyond woodcarvings, there were stone carvings and lacquerwork, representing a substantial expense overall. The outer room was furnished with an array of pieces, including tables, chairs, stools, washstand frames, and tea tables. Whether a household was truly wealthy depended on whether the master was willing to spend fortunes on 'useless' flourishes. Shao Shuyi noticed that the legs and feet of the furniture displayed many novel forms, such as outward-curving horse-hoof feet, inward-curving horse-hoof feet, floral feet, and rolled-bead feet. While the latter two were hard to trace, the horse-hoof feet definitely showed Mongolian influence. The surfaces of the furniture were adorned with intricate motifs of swirling clouds, flora, and fauna. The carving was top-notch, and the lacquer applied was of exceptional quality. Aside from the absence of inlaid gold, silver, and gems, everything had been executed to the absolute limit. Hanging in the center of the wall was an ink wash painting. Its theme was 'Deer and Crane in Spring,' carrying the auspicious meaning of longevity as enduring as pines and cranes. Furthermore, the word for deer served as a homophone for official emolument, symbolizing the arrival of fortune, prosperity, and longevity all at once. This was likely Zheng Yonghe's preferred taste. The Transport Office was headquartered within Suzhou itself, but Taicang housed branch offices as well as the Kunshan and Chongming Guards Battalions. Naturally, officials were needed on-site to handle affairs, and the four Deputy Myriad Household Commanders took turns presiding here in one-year rotations. Zheng Yonghe had been stationed in Shanghai last year and had relocated to Taicang this year—though most of the time he was simply recuperating. "Please have some tea, guest," a maidservant said softly, carrying over tea and refreshments while Shao Shuyi was examining the room's decor. "Thank you for your trouble." Shao Shuyi rose and bowed in gratitude. "This is jade-ground tea," the maidservant noted. "And these are suqian. Please enjoy them while they are warm." Shao Shuyi glanced at the spread and asked, "What is jade-ground tea?" The maidservant paused briefly before explaining, "Finest purple bamboo shoot tea leaves are blended with Sumen roasted rice and ground in a jade basin. The resulting brew is jade-ground tea." "I see," Shao Shuyi murmured. He had wanted to ask what 'Sumen roasted rice' was, but worried she might think him an uncultured bumpkin, so he held his tongue. The maidservant soon withdrew. Settling into his chair, Shao Shuyi picked up the tea and took a sip. He found that powdered milk, spices, and sugar had likely been added; on the whole, the taste was quite good. The suqian were pale yellow pastries, soft, sweet, and delicately sticky in the mouth—also quite pleasant. Milk tea and sweet pastries—for a fleeting moment, Shao Shuyi felt as though he had returned to modern times. Of course, he knew he had not. And he knew even better that if he wished to enjoy such satisfying refreshments on a regular basis, he would have to climb higher, securing greater status, wealth, and power. Halfway through his tea and pastries, a servant came trotting over to invite Shao Shuyi to the main hall to discuss business.