Compliance and Refit

On the morning of the eleventh, Shao Shuyi went again to the scar-faced man's house and mentioned the matter of buying Li Fu's family boat. When he heard that Shao Shuyi actually intended to spend twenty ding of paper money, the scar-faced man was silent for a long while. After a sigh, he said, “Do you know that boat is worth at most a hundred ding? Maybe even less?” “Of course I know,” Shao Shuyi replied. He knew very well that secondhand things could not be worth much. When buying cars in later ages, wasn't there a joke that a new car lost twenty percent the moment it hit the ground? It was the same with boats. Besides, this was the Yuan dynasty, and too many people could trample the law and seize others' property by force or fraud. “If you spend twenty ding, people will laugh at you,” the scar-faced man said with a shake of his head. “Besides, there must be many waiting for Li Fu's family to be ruined so they can grab the boat for a pittance. The longer this drags on, the more anxious Li Fu becomes, and the lower the price the boat will fetch. It is already the eleventh month. Next month the Transport Office will finalize the list of households bearing the grain-transport corvée next year. Do you think someone will add Li Fu's name? If it comes to that, once the boat is detained, it can neither carry cargo nor be used for fishing until the boats go out to sea again in the third or fourth month next year. Do you think Li Fu won't be desperate enough to give the boat away for nothing? Do you really think no one else can come up with twenty ding? That only you have money? You've offended people. Besides, offending people is one thing, and you are not exactly a gentle sort, so you probably don't fear offending people. But to offend them and still spend that much money—do you think that's worth it?” Shao Shuyi had no reply. If he set aside emotion and considered only cold interests, waiting a while longer might indeed allow him to get the boat at a lower price. That was obvious. But when he thought of the Li family's miserable state, he sighed again. In life, a person always ends up doing a few “foolish things.” If he did it now, perhaps he would never do such a thing again. He would cast off pointless feelings and become less human—but was that really good? “Sir, others can afford to wait slowly. I cannot, because I cannot compete with them,” Shao Shuyi said after composing himself. “These twenty ding of paper money must be spent.” He meant that he did not have the strength or status to do otherwise; his cost of acquiring the boat would inevitably be higher than others'. Had Young Master Zhou, whom he had met earlier, been the one handling it, the story would likely have been quite different. “You could actually have Li Fu hand the boat over to you,” the scar-faced man said. “The owner uses the boat as usual and supports himself with it, then pays you a sum at the end of the year. It is like a tenant farming someone else's land. Do you understand?” “I have many uses for the boat myself,” Shao Shuyi said vaguely. “Oh?” The scar-faced man was startled, as if he thought of something but was not sure. He gave Shao Shuyi a suspicious look and said earnestly, “Don't commit any crimes. It is not that I am timid; you simply have no need to do such a thing now. It is not worth it.” “Thank you for your instruction, sir,” Shao Shuyi said sincerely. He understood that the scar-faced man truly cared for him, which was why he had spoken that way. There are countless people in the world, and each has a different way of making money. As the saying goes, snakes have their paths and rats have theirs. Some became rich by honest business, some by gray-market dealings, and some by outright black-market crimes. The Zheng clan had no need to engage in black or gray industries; legitimate means were enough to accumulate wealth. Over a long time, people's thinking became different—this was what people called path dependence. Although the scar-faced man had wandered as a knight-errant in his youth and often fought with others, he had still been born into the Zheng clan and could not be entirely unaffected. He most likely would never go into the business of smuggling salt. “Forget it. There are some things you will understand later,” the scar-faced man said, waving his hand. “If you are buying a boat, have you found a guarantor?” “Sir, must there be a guarantor when making a contract?” Shao Shuyi asked. “The rules are not that rigid, but it is best to find one,” the scar-faced man said. “You can read, so you need not fear being cheated. But some people are born villains. In my early years, when I wandered as a knight-errant in Dadu, there was a band of evildoers who specialized in inducing the sons of common households to borrow money privately. They would lend one ding, but write ten in the document; lend one hundred, but write one thousand. When the borrower's elders died, they would come to the door with the contract and seize the family property. If the property was insufficient, they would even cut down and haul away the trees from the graves of the borrower's parents, or sell bricks, stones, earth, and other things to pay the debt. Even literate wastrels were often lured into borrowing privately behind their elders' backs, signing false loan contracts for sums far above what they received, ruining ancestral property and corrupting local customs—enough to make people wring their hands in regret. You—better find a guarantor, so no one can find fault with you. After the contract is made, go to the Transport Office and obtain an official certificate, and the boat will be considered under your name.” Shao Shuyi bowed in thanks and said, “Then the five ding...” “Pay it back when you have money,” the scar-faced man said. “Once this matter is over, put your mind to proper business. Yesterday I talked with Third Young Master for half the day, and we have arranged to meet the kiln craftsman from Quzhou at the celadon shop on the fifteenth of the eleventh month. I want to see you that morning. This matter is truly urgent. If it is done and Third Young Master is pleased, you can escape corvée duty. After that, you will go to Suzhou to deliver gifts; try to finish before the end of the month. By the way, if the Quzhou kiln craftsman lacks skill and cannot make the porcelain Ali wants, you and I will have to think of something. Also, the warehouse-inn should begin stocking some goods...” After listening, Shao Shuyi felt that things were truly damn busy, a pile of matters. “I understand,” Shao Shuyi replied. “Rest assured, sir, I will not delay the proper business.” * * * * * Li Fu's funeral could not be finished in a short time. On the third day, his wife's body had only just been placed in the coffin. On the fourteenth, by the Lou River, Li Fu stood before his family's boat, his mind elsewhere. “I bought this boat from a boat household surnamed Zhang for a hundred ding,” he exhaled and said weakly. “As for why I became a boat household, perhaps it was because the authorities thought my family still had some money.” When he said this, his expression was calm, his voice without any fluctuation; he looked like a man whose heart was dead, as if no deeper grief remained. Someone approached not far away, accompanied by a greeting: “Young Master Shao.” “Clerk-Interpreter Yu, Master Li the shipwright,” Shao Shuyi said, turning to bow. Yu Chu returned the bow and took out a deed of sale from his bosom. “I wrote it in my spare time. See if there are any errors or omissions.” After returning the bow, Li Zhuang began to inspect the boat. Shao Shuyi took the deed, scanned it roughly, then had Yu Yuan fetch brush, ink, and ink paste. Bending over a deck plank, he signed his name on the spot and added his thumbprint. Yu Chu then took out an official certificate and handed it over. This time Shao Shuyi was somewhat interested and examined it carefully. Buying a boat was not so different from buying fields, houses, or residences— “By the emperor's edict, Li Fu, a boat household of East First Ward, Kunshan Zhou, Pingjiang Circuit, petitions: ‘I possess one four-hundred-liao zuanfeng boat. Recently I have been short of money for expenses and wish to sell it...’ Upon this, a half-seal matching certificate, number nine of the ‘Day’ series, shall be issued and delivered to the person for his keeping... On the day the transaction is completed in accordance with the law, the contract shall be brought to the authorities for tax payment...” “Clerk-Interpreter Yu, I will pay the deed tax. It is only a small amount anyway,” Shao Shuyi said. “Fine,” Yu Chu said indifferently. This time, at Shao Shuyi's request, he had made the contract and served as guarantor. Then, using his position, he had had the official certificate written the day before through someone else and delivered it to Shao Shuyi today, while taking the deed tax back to pay it, saving Shao Shuyi from running back and forth. Shao Shuyi was very satisfied. Everything in this boat purchase followed the proper procedures. There was a deed, making the transaction between both parties legal. There was the yamen's official certificate, with the authorities officially certifying this sale. After paying the tax within one month, he could wait for the authorities' “official transfer of title.” It was lawful and compliant; no one could find fault with it. Of course, at this time, private sales of fields, houses, and other large movables or immovables often proceeded “without a certificate from the local authorities, the parties would simply conclude the sale privately,” which gave the Yuan court a great headache. It had no choice but to issue documents restricting such practices and encourage informants. Those reported were sentenced to “fifty-seven strokes (beating with a plank),” and the confiscated proceeds were divided: half to the authorities, half to the informant. It sounded good, but in practice it was hard to enforce; private transactions remained very popular. Shao Shuyi was truly afraid of being reported by envious people, so he decided to complete the formalities and leave no room for others to find fault. This was also what the scar-faced man had warned him about. “Xiaohu, if this boat is properly refitted, it can still be used for some years, and she should easily earn back her cost,” Li Zhuang said loudly; at some point he had boarded the deck. “Young Master Shao, I will go back first,” Li Fu said, looking one last time at the boat that had once been with him day and night, then lowering his head. “All right.” Shao Shuyi signaled with his eyes for Yu Yuan to help Li Fu back to rest first, then shaded his eyes with his hand and looked up at Li Zhuang. “Brother Li, what needs to be done to refit her?” “After one trip to sea, many hull planks are damaged,” Li Zhuang said. “I suspect she was already leaking a little by the time she returned. Besides, the bottom timbers in several compartments are so rotten that I do not know why they have never been replaced,” Li Zhuang continued. “Some ropes and sail cloth look usable, but if you have money, replace them. The hull needs to be repainted. The bottom probably needs scraping as well. Look at this mast—how many years has this mast been in use? It should have been replaced long ago. There are some items in the cabins that do not affect sailing, but if you have money, replace them early. I have not had time to inspect the rudder yet; it is probably very old as well. This boat—” Li Zhuang made a final summary: “It is riddled with problems.” Shao Shuyi swallowed after hearing this and asked, “Brother Li, if it is refitted as you say, how much money will it take?” “It will require twenty ding,” Li Zhuang said. Holy crap! Shao Shuyi could not keep his composure. “What if she does not go to sea? If she only travels on rivers and lakes, she does not need such extensive repairs, does she?” he asked. “It would be a waste not to go to sea,” Li Zhuang said, shaking his head. “It is fine, it is fine,” Shao Shuyi said with a bitter smile. “I will just do a small business on the rivers.” Li Zhuang glanced at him and said, “The Yangtze is fine, but some rivers cannot accommodate such a ‘big boat.’” “Can she go on the Grand Canal?” Shao Shuyi asked. “She can.” “That will do,” Shao Shuyi said, relieved. Li Zhuang probably guessed something, but did not want to probe further. He only said, “On rivers and lakes the wind and waves are smaller, so minor repairs may barely suffice. If you want to refit it, I can help you find some people; labor and materials will be at most ten ding. But I still want to advise you: a major overhaul will be needed sooner or later, and the earlier the better.” “I know this as well, but my purse is empty,” Shao Shuyi said, shaking his head. “Let us wait for now.” While the two were talking, Wang Huadu came over from behind. When he saw the boat, he was overjoyed and wanted to say something, but when he saw that there were still people around, he forcibly closed his mouth, looking extremely stifled. Yu Chu, with his hands clasped behind his back, looked at the river as if he had heard nothing. In this day and age, there are only so many reasons people buy boats to do business. It is not surprising. “Brother Li, just keep an eye out for me,” Shao Shuyi finally said. “We will discuss it after I return from Suzhou.” Li Zhuang grunted, then said somewhat embarrassedly, “At that time you can go to the Qian family boatyard. My... my apprentice runs it. It is a small workshop, with three or four craftsmen including him, and a few apprentices, but their skills are beyond question. If you are willing, you can have the boat towed over in the next few days; it is not far from the Old Locust Tree.” Shao Shuyi smiled. “Brother Li, I trust you, so naturally I trust your apprentice as well.” Li Zhuang's face showed gratitude. Just as he was about to say something, another group of people approached from afar. “Young Master Zhou?” Shao Shuyi was somewhat surprised.