Chapter 4, Everyone is a cunning old fox

He then lifted the car curtain with a folding fan and confirmed with Shen Fu: "Afu, go and ask what the current rice price is. The Suzhou Prefecture has to buy grain from outside; have the fertile fields in the surrounding prefectures and counties all been planted with mulberry trees for sericulture?"

Zheng Hongkui had originally been completely at ease with him, but upon hearing these words, he became alert again

Shen Shuren feigned a sigh of helplessness: "In fact, I have come to understand that my father is doing this for my own good. When he got married, he did not yet hold an official position; our family was merely wealthy, which is why he could not marry a woman from a prominent family. My late mother came from humble beginnings; she was just the daughter of a scholar from Ningbo."

As the administrative center of Wu County, sericulture, embroidery, and luxurious treasures are exceptionally developed

The original plan he made with his father was to send out all the Shen family's boats from the dock last night, leaving only one for today

Having just devised a strategy, Shen Shuren lifted the curtain of the carriage, pretending to admire the street scenery of the entertainment venues on both sides of the road

As he stepped out, Shen Shuren felt a sense of curiosity within him

This place is where the scholars from Suzhou and Songjiang gather for the imperial examination. Every year during the provincial examination, those who choose to travel by the Yangtze River to the autumn examination in Nanjing wait here for the boat. However, the large ship will only set sail once it has gathered enough passengers. Those who arrive early may linger here for several days.

My father does not want me to follow in his footsteps, so he has constantly advised me against taking a concubine and urged me not to rush into an early marriage. He believes that I should wait until I have secured an official position before marrying, in order to be able to form alliances with prominent families. As for indulging in flirtations with maidservants or seeking pleasure in brothels, he does not concern himself with that.

Shen Shuren got out of the car and exchanged a few pleasantries, then turned to Zheng Hongkui: "Uncle, if you have business at the dock, I won't delay you. This is my cousin, Zhang Cangshui from Yuyao, who is on his way to Nanjing for the examination and is temporarily passing through Taicang to wait for a boat. Today, we happened to meet, so I thought I would listen to a couple of tunes and catch up before leaving."

This year, even the coastal province of Zhejiang, known for its mild climate, is experiencing severe drought, to the extent that Suzhou's grain purchases from outside have been affected, which can be considered quite extraordinary

Continuous grain transport ships bring food from other regions to Liujiagang for unloading. The silk from Suhu and cotton cloth from Songjiang are then loaded onto ships and sold throughout the Ming Dynasty, or transported south to Fujian before being resold overseas

Fortunately, Shen Fu and Shen Shou had already thought of a solution earlier. Shen Fu quickly said: "Fortunately, I inquired just now that today, Young Master Biao is holding a gathering at the theater we opened at the dock, and he has invited quite a few guests—Young Master, do you remember? It is the theater we passed by on our way here this morning."

Shen Fu, this place is already the busiest part of the port, yet there are fewer warehouses and shops along the road, instead there are so many places for entertainment and leisure.

As I gazed once more at the bustling streets of Suzhou, I suddenly felt that the "filter" had changed. Even the dockworkers, who appeared to be on the brink of collapse, increasingly resembled refugees.

However, in the northern provinces where only one crop can be grown per season, encountering a drought of the same severity would undoubtedly result in barren lands as far as the eye can see. It is no wonder that Zhang Xianzhong was able to rally so many people with just a flag.

However, although he despised Shen Shuren as a good-for-nothing, he subconsciously felt that this young man was somewhat closer to him. After all, the Zheng family members also did not enjoy reading, including him, Zheng Hongkui, who usually preferred to associate with dubious friends.

Shen Fugang has not been here for long and is still not very familiar with the young master's temperament. However, he is adept at reading the room and quietly offered a way out:

Who would have thought that among the sailors, there was one who volunteered to work 996 without extra pay, diligently patrolling the ship at night for the master, and as a result, temporarily repaired the areas of the tung oil that had just been damaged by applying a fresh coat of paint

My second brother hurriedly came to me just now and mentioned this matter, urging us to delay going to the dock for a little while longer, otherwise we might be seen through by those experts from the Zheng family.

Nephew, your spirit seems quite good, but you still need to take care of your health

As Shen Shuren got into the car, Shen Fu, who was assisting him, also swiftly stepped in. Shen Shuren was slightly taken aback, but still calmly asked: "Is everything prepared according to plan?"

Shen Shuren: "No need, it's a trivial matter—my father wrote a reply to the Director of the Imperial Academy last night, requesting a sick leave for me. Today, there happens to be a boat going to Nanjing from my home, so I took the letter with me when I went out, and I will deliver it to the boat and return."

Then this issue was also discovered during the pre-departure inspection, stating that "during the last dry dock maintenance, the area of the hull that was treated was not adequately coated with tung oil, which could lead to water seepage in the event of strong winds and waves, necessitating repairs and postponing the departure."

Shen Fu did not suspect anything: "He is a distant nephew of the late lady from the Zhang family in Ningbo."

Zheng Hongkui replied calmly, "I have heard a little about it."

After Shen Shuren clarified the situation, he couldn't help but rub his temples in frustration: "How can we delay this any longer?"

A harvest of two seasons in a year can ensure the survival of one season, thus preventing too many people from starving

At this point in the conversation, Shen Shuren's tone was as if he had no ulterior motives, completely chatting as if with close friends, which led Zheng Hongkui to believe him entirely

Having no wife does not mean one cannot engage with women; there are certainly other ways to address physiological needs

It turns out that there is still a group of women in Suzhou who cannot let go! Shen Tingyang also does not allow him to redeem those women, which is why he does not want to go to Nanjing

On the third day after traveling to the Ming Dynasty, Shen Shuren finally went out for the first time

"Then it shall be done." Shen Shuren pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement. Fortunately, the Shen family's influence in Taicang is deeply rooted, and they have an abundance of backup resources at their disposal.

Dear nephew, to speak candidly, with the wealth of the Shen family, what use is there in studying? Is it that you will lack the funds to purchase an official position in the future? You could enjoy yourself just as well in Nanjing, free from the constraints of family, do you truly not wish to go?

But he soon recalled a possibility: it was likely that the commercial sector was too developed, and that other economic crops yielded higher returns

Shen He sighed, lowered the curtain of the carriage, and lost the mood to continue browsing. He instructed Shen Fu to drive directly to the destination.

Shen Shuren looked at all of this and was slightly surprised: "The saying 'When Suzhou and Hangzhou are abundant, the world has enough' is too famous. How can a land known for its fish and rice still need to buy rice from outside?"

This letter was sealed only with wax and did not bear any additional impressions on the wax, making it an ordinary private letter of relatively low confidentiality. Therefore, as long as the messenger from the Shen family boarded the ship of the Zheng family, it would certainly be an opportunity for the letter to be opened, read, and then resealed with wax.

This suspicion is very reasonable; of course, Shen Shuren had already considered it before his arrival

Shen Shuren is knowledgeable about history, which is why he has no fondness for anyone in the Zheng family except for Zheng Sen

Sigh, I did not wish to speak much about this matter, as it involves some family disgrace. However, since you are not a stranger, you should know that not long ago, I had a disagreement with my father, and in a fit of anger, I unfortunately suffered from heatstroke.

Upon hearing this question, Shen Fu immediately became animated and, in a tone that conveyed "something every man understands," he began to explain at length

In order to create a smokescreen for the Zheng family, Shen Shuren had his father pretend to write a reply to the Nanjing Guozijian, and also made some additional arrangements, spending an entire afternoon on it

In order to maintain confidentiality, the Shen family and their son ensured that the fewer people who were aware of such matters, the better. Therefore, it was impossible for the ordinary sailors on their ship to be privy to the inside information

The Zheng family claims to possess a commercial network known as "Five Merchants of Mountains and Seas," with trading houses responsible for procuring maritime goods in Suzhou and Hangzhou, and naturally, Liujiagang is no exception to the Zheng family's presence.

Shen Shuren nodded slightly, and did not pursue the matter further. It was merely some low-end entertainment venues, not worth any curiosity

In order to become more familiar with the surroundings, Shen Shuren instructed Shen Fu to have the carriage take a slight detour in the town, turning what was originally a journey of five or six li into one that stretched over ten li.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Hongkui immediately became more convinced by five or six points

However, the nearby Songjiang Prefecture and Yangzhou Prefecture have soil that is not as fertile as that around Taihu Lake, consisting mostly of barren sandy loam, which is unsuitable for mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing. Fortunately, irrigation remains abundant, allowing for the widespread planting of kapok trees. In fact, nearly half of the cotton used for Songjiang cotton cloth is sourced from the northern banks of the Yangtze River

As they spoke, the two carriages from the Shen and Zheng families drove one after the other towards the dock

If I go to Nanjing, and I cannot redeem those favored sisters here, won't that mean we will be separated by distance? Although the Qinhuai River is lined with many willows, I am someone who cherishes the past. I must wait until things are settled here before I can set off.

Shen Shuren also showed a look of surprise and quickly stopped the car, causing the Zheng family's carriage behind to be blocked and come to a halt as well

Zheng Hongkui saw him off at the door, and Shen Shuren hesitated for a moment, casually saying: "Uncle, there is no need to see me off. I still have some matters to attend to and am not in a hurry to return to the residence; I need to make a trip to the dock."

This morning, my second brother discovered during the inspection that there were indeed some overly diligent sailors who, despite having been given leave, remained on the ship. Last night, our crew had clearly made some adjustments at a spot on the ship's bottom where they were applying a mixture of hemp and tung oil, yet it was surprisingly repaired again by the diligent sailors on patrol.

Shen Shuren has indeed received systematic education in public administration and understands that simply distributing money will inevitably lead to conflicts over small benefits, and the management costs would be excessively high

Shen Shuren was also shocked upon hearing this figure; the prices in Suzhou are indeed exorbitantly high

Shen Fu's expression was somewhat unpleasant as he explained: "There was a slight mishap just now. The master ordered yesterday that all the sailors guarding our family's ship at the dock be allowed to take a break, and he even gave them silver to listen to music and drink."

Shen Shuren spoke while naturally waving a sealed envelope, which was sealed with wax but bore no impression on the wax, in front of Zheng Hongkui, before retracting it back into his sleeve

... ...

He quickly expressed that he was not in a hurry either, as the Zheng family's ship would not finish unloading until the afternoon; he just needed to arrive before the unloading was completed

Later, after my late mother passed away, when my father remarried, my stepmother's family background became quite prominent, as he had already resigned from his official position in the Ministry of Revenue

Young Master, I just inquired, and this year's rice is particularly expensive. In previous years, early rice only cost 1.28 taels of silver per shi, while late rice was a bit more expensive. However, this year, the surplus grain in Jiaxing Prefecture is also insufficient, and there is some brought over from Shaoxing Prefecture, which costs as much as 3.4 taels. Even Zhejiang has suffered from a severe drought, and it hasn't rained since the beginning of summer

Approaching the Zheng Family Trading House, Shen Shuren casually lifted the curtain of the carriage to observe the surroundings. He inadvertently noticed some peculiar phenomena and casually asked his servant:

So he merely displayed a smile that any man could understand, pretending to be shy as he explained

Zheng Hongkui came out to express his concern and inquire about the well-being of others upon hearing the news. The two parties engaged in a superficial exchange for a while, and outsiders would certainly misinterpret their relationship as being quite good.

Indeed, resentment comes in various degrees. Shen Shuren also understood that Zheng Hongkui had a bit more backbone than his three elder brothers. Historically, he did not directly submit to the Qing dynasty and even followed his nephew Zheng Sen in resisting the Qing, yet he often prioritized self-preservation and put in minimal effort.

The carriage soon arrived at the street where the Zheng family business was located. Situated at the northeast corner of the town, at the confluence of the Liuhua River and the Yangtze River, it is also the liveliest area of Liujiagang.

During the Ming Dynasty, there were many scholars who believed they could achieve high ranks or purchase official positions. They were not in a hurry to marry or take concubines, but instead wished to endure until they could stand out and then marry someone of equal social status.

The waterfront area of the port district is lined with various shops and warehouses, bustling with pedestrians, among which the most numerous are rice shops, silk stores, and cotton fabric shops

Shen Fuxian first answered the latter half of the young master's question, and then went to the rice shop by the roadside to inquire about the market conditions. After a short while, he returned to add:

There is no need; there are too many people in such places, and the flow is frequent, which can lead to chaos. I would rather go back and discuss with my father about increasing the piece rate for the dock laborers. However, we should limit the daily workload and employ more people instead.

Although a part of his memories remained in his physical body, allowing him to adapt to the lifestyle of the late Ming Dynasty, witnessing the various aspects of life in the marketplace with his own eyes was still a different experience

The cause of the matter is that I wanted to spend 10,000 taels to take a girl as a concubine, but my father refused to relent and even withheld my money. Although I have recovered from my illness now, that matter still remains unresolved.

The destination is not far, located in Liujiagang Town, Taicang, at a place called Zheng's Commercial House. Zheng Hongkui stayed there during his time in Suzhou

Thus, Zheng Hongkui also shamelessly entered this establishment to listen to the music.

Fortunately, double-cropping rice has long been popular in Jiangnan, and this spring in Zhejiang has seen sufficient rainfall, so the summer grain has been harvested. However, the current drought will only lead to a complete failure of the subsequent autumn harvest

The carriage will pass by there shortly, so please remember to lift the curtain. My second brother has already informed the young master of the Biao family, and at that time, he will happen to see you while sending off guests. You can take the opportunity to bid farewell to the Zheng family, saying that you encountered a friend on the way and would like to listen to a few songs. After all, there is no rush regarding the message, as our family's boat will not set sail until the afternoon

It turned out that Shen Shuren saw many shops along the road adorned with colorful lanterns. Although they were not lit during the day, it was evident at a glance that they were entertainment venues

After walking for a short while, the carriage slowly passed by the Shen family's own theater that had been seen earlier, and then a few young gentlemen came out, clasping each other's shoulders and bidding farewell with cupped hands

Unfortunately, human plans cannot compare to the plans of heaven

Young master, you may not be aware that the fertile lands of the Su and Hu estates are indeed predominantly used for mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing. This is because the quality of silk produced in Hu and Su is exceptionally fine and smooth, ranking among the best in the world. The price of one picul of locally produced raw silk can be equivalent to more than two piculs from other regions

This would provide the Zheng family with an opportunity, allowing Zheng Hongkui to proactively suggest, "Our Zheng family happens to have a ship going to Nanjing; why don't we help you deliver this letter"

Liujiagang of the Ming Dynasty is the largest river-sea transshipment port at the mouth of the Yangtze River, and it was also the departure base for Zheng He's seven voyages to the Western Oceans.

Taicang is a significant hub for maritime trade, attracting numerous wealthy merchants from afar

According to the "History of the Ming Dynasty," from the tenth to the fourteenth year of the Chongzhen era, there were actually five consecutive years of severe drought. Of course, it is impossible for the entire country to experience drought simultaneously, but at least three to four provinces would suffer from drought each year.

On the other side, he took advantage of the conversation between Shen Shuren and Zheng Hongkui to urgently notify Shen Fu, who was waiting outside, to delay for a while longer

He secretly thought: "Indeed, he is a good-for-nothing dandy who does not love studying. The rumors circulating about this young man’s mischief are mostly true. The only one the Shen family needs to worry about is Shen Tingyang."

Upon hearing this, Shen Shuren immediately thought to himself that it was a disaster

The next morning, the Shen family prepared the carriage early to attend to the eldest young master as he set out.

They originally believed that by giving the sailors some money, finding an excuse to grant them a day off, and diverting them, they could successfully carry out the sabotage

Shen Shuren came prepared, and when he saw that the other party had finally taken the bait and started talking about the juicy details, he quickly put on a grateful expression

Shen Fu listened and felt a deep admiration in his heart, promptly expressing that everything would be done as instructed

After clarifying his thoughts, Zheng Hongkui still felt somewhat uneasy and further inquired about the details

He was afraid that Shen Shuren would send the letter on board and then directly take the ship to Nanjing, so he hurriedly expressed: "What a coincidence? Uncle Yu just happened to remember that he needs to go to the dock today to pick up a batch of goods, let's go together."

Liuhe River is an important river in the Suzhou region, connecting Taihu Lake and the Yangtze River. The three counties of Wuxian, Kunshan, and Taicang are also distributed along the Liuhe River. The name Liujiagang is derived from its location at the river's mouth where it enters the Yangtze River

"Are you going to the dock? Is there anything we can assist you with?" Zheng Hongkui casually offered a polite remark

One of the young men, who appeared to be the host's son, casually glanced over at Shen Shuren and exclaimed, "Oh? Is that Shen family's cousin in the car? What brings you here today? Please, do come in."

The natural disasters during the later period of Chongzhen were truly excessive

Upon arriving at the Zheng Family Trading Company, Shen Shuren had someone carry the gifts and proceeded directly inside

Suzhou Prefecture is currently the center of prosperity in the world, with its subordinate counties and scattered prefectures each showcasing their own distinct charm

"Which young master of the watch?" Shen Shuren felt somewhat disoriented; he still could not fully recognize all the relatives at home.

Zheng Hongkui was originally here to monitor Shen Shuren, so how could he be willing to leave first

Shen Fu's second brother, Shen Shou, went to the ship early in the morning to secretly inspect and confirm. He saw that the area that had been damaged last night had been repaired, and he was instantly taken aback. He had no choice but to quickly move the sailor who had caused the overtime trouble away, and then urgently carry out a second act of sabotage.

Speaking of this matter, I truly have to express my gratitude to Uncle Shi for his assistance. To speak candidly, I am not cut out for studying and did not wish to go to Nanjing. Unfortunately, my father is strict and has been urging me to continue my studies. Fortunately, the doctor mentioned that I still need to recuperate, which allows me to skip school for a while longer

After exchanging a few pleasantries about Shen Shuren's condition, the host and guest took their seats inside the room. Subsequently, Zheng Hongkui persistently inquired about the follow-up arrangements

But upon further reflection, Zheng Hongkui still had one last doubt: "How could your family be so stingy when it comes to purchasing a concubine?"

Zheng Hongkui was taken aback, and it took him a while to understand the reversal within. He was instantly overjoyed and relaxed his guard against Shen Shuren a little.

Thus, the smokescreen of "Shen Tingyang genuinely wants Shen Shuren to take a long-term sick leave" was effectively conveyed to the Zheng family

If the young master feels it is unbearable, I can arrange for someone to distribute some coins to the starving people at the dock, or send someone tomorrow to provide them with porridge

The local gatherings in this vicinity are reasonably priced, often funded by local gentry, which serves to foster goodwill with the impoverished scholars. Young master, the third establishment diagonally opposite is our own family business

The Zheng family completely let down their guard, and after chatting for a while longer, Shen Shuren left with gifts, rising to bid farewell with laughter and conversation

Kunshan, situated between Wuxian and Taicang, serves as a benchmark for cultural trends, where "Kunqu" was born