Chapter 55: Self-Reliance

Qín Xīn, Jiàn Dǎn, and Jiǔ Pò — all three had by now changed their duties.

Because Fei Yinghuan was away from home year-round, these three titles had lost their line of succession, and no fresh blood came in to replenish them.

Qín Xīn reverted to his original name, Fei Cheng, and was assigned to Jingxing Academy, where he now worked as a library assistant. The three great academies were the common property of the entire Fei clan, so the Lou family had not recalled him.

Jiàn Dǎn reverted to his original name, Fei Ze, and was assigned to work at the cargo depot on Ehu Dock.

Jiǔ Pò reverted to his original name, Fei De, and was assigned to work at a trading house on Ehu Dock.

One after another, a total of seventeen household slaves returned, including one head manager, two deputy managers, and also a vat master from the paper mill.

These men were either cadets in reserve or already full cadres — which meant that the Fei clan of Ehu's family enterprises were being gradually transferred into Fei Yinghuan's hands.

But the Lou woman chose to abandon all of it!

Crash!

A teacup was hurled savagely to the floor, shattering into pieces, shards of porcelain flying everywhere.

Fei Yuanyi shook with rage: "What exactly is she trying to do — does she want to split the family apart?!"

The household slaves dared not make a sound, terrified of catching the old master's ill temper.

Beyond fury, Fei Yuanyi had no recourse.

His original plan had merely been to pick out a few faults at random, punish those servants sent out from Jingxing Court, and cut off Jingxing Court's financial supply, forcing his daughter-in-law, the Lou woman, to come and admit her fault of her own accord.

Just as the Emperor might move against the Eastern Palace officials and withhold supplies from the Eastern Palace, using that to rap the Crown Prince and Crown Princess on the knuckles.

Who could have guessed that before Fei Yuanyi even made his move, the Lou woman would stage a full strategic withdrawal, recalling all the household slaves to the residence to await orders.

A fist striking empty air — Fei Yuanyi was so stifled he could spit blood!

The second young master, Fei Yingji, rushed over at the news and exclaimed with feigned shock, "Father, I hear that Elder Sister-in-law has withdrawn even the head manager of Shangming Trading House?"

Fei Yuanyi, his anger still unspent, glared at his son and demanded, "What, do you want to take it over?"

"I would never dare," Fei Yingji hastily denied, then sighed and added, "Elder Sister-in-law's temper is far too fierce. We are all one family — what is there that cannot be talked out properly? Must she go to such extremes?"

Fei Yuanyi laughed coldly. "You're beside yourself with glee, aren't you?"

Fei Yingji put on a pained expression. "Father wrongs your son. A family prospers only in harmony — I can't even begin to feel sad, so how could I possibly feel happy?"

"Good, as long as you don't." Fei Yuanyi sat down in a huff.

Fei Yingji began to needle him: "On Elder Sister-in-law's side, Father can't possibly be the one to back down first, can he?"

"Don't even think about it!"

Fei Yuanyi slammed his hand furiously on the armrest of his armchair, clearly stung by his son's words.

Fei Yingji said, "If you ask your son's opinion, we simply let this stalemate drag on — see who cracks first. That whole courtyard of servants of Elder Sister-in-law's costs quite a bit of silver to keep. We simply cut off their monthly stipends. She's recalled everyone, so her outside income is gone too. Let's see how she feeds that many people!"

"That seems the only way," Fei Yuanyi said, stroking his beard. "Since Shangming Trading House has lost its head manager, you go and take it over."

Fei Yingji said delightedly, "Then your son will shoulder it for now. The day Elder Sister-in-law backs down, I will immediately yield the trading house back."

"Get out." Fei Yuanyi's head was splitting — not a single one in this family was easy to deal with.

What gave him an even worse headache was that among his four sons, only Fei Yinghuan had turned out reasonably capable, and now he had even become County Magistrate of a major county. The whole family would have to rely on Fei Yinghuan from now on.

With the rift so deep, it would likely be hard to mend. When Fei Yinghuan came home, there would be another row.

The only way was to cut off the financial supply and force the Lou woman to bow her head and admit her fault at once!

In Jingxing Court, at Zhongqin Hall, all the household servants had assembled.

Fei Lin, his wife née Ling, and their son Fei Chun were all kneeling in the courtyard at this moment, awaiting judgment.

After sitting in silence for a moment, the Lou woman finally spoke: "Fei Lin."

"Your humble servant is here. Madam, please instruct," Fei Lin said, crawling forward one step on his knees.

The Lou woman said, "You started out as the eldest young master's page boy and grew up with him. In name, master and servant; in truth, brothers."

"I dare not, I dare not." Fei Lin kowtowed repeatedly.

The Lou woman said, "How much silver you embezzled, I can't be bothered to investigate. Estimate an amount yourself and distribute it among the brothers and sisters of this courtyard, and this matter will be considered completely settled. How about that?"

Fei Lin, overwhelmed with gratitude, said, "Madam is merciful."

The Lou woman smiled. "The chief steward's post for Jingxing Court will still be yours. In the future, you must exercise some restraint. If I catch you again, I'm afraid I won't be able to spare the eldest young master's face."

"Your humble servant will absolutely never dare act recklessly again and will obey Madam in all things." Fei Lin kowtowed frantically once more, beating his forehead until it bled without stopping.

The Lou woman paid him no further heed and said, "Fei Hong, Fei Fu, Fei Xi, Fei You."

Four men immediately stepped forward, the oldest already nearing fifty.

The Lou woman smiled faintly. "You have followed the eldest young master for many years, each of you capable of handling matters on your own. Especially Fei Hong and Fei Fu — one is the head manager of a trading house, the other the vat master of a paper mill. Not counting bonuses and outside income, your monthly wages alone are ten taels. Now that I have recalled you, your power and wealth are both lost. You must resent me in your hearts, surely?"

"Your humble servants dare not," the four men hastily denied.

The Lou woman said, "In Jiujiang, I have several hundred mu of good farmland and a few commercial shops — all dowry from my maiden family. All these years, I've only let my maiden family manage them, and they've made a complete mess of it. Fei Hong, take a few men and go to Jiujiang to take over those shops. Fei You, take a few men and go to Jiujiang to take over the farmland!"

"Yes!"

Fei Hong and Fei You immediately accepted the order.

The Lou woman continued, "On the northwest foothills of Ehu Mountain, there is a stretch of forested land that I have already purchased. Fei Fu, if I were to have you open a new paper mill, could you handle it?"

"It would require workers," Fei Fu replied.

"Can any be poached?" the Lou woman asked.

Fei Fu answered, "Men can be poached, and there's no need to poach from the Fei family's workers. The Xinzhou official bureau has plenty of papermaking craftsmen."

In the early Ming, the court established the Xishan Official Bureau in Jiangxi, and the largest official paper mill in the entire realm was born there, its specialty being "Xuande paper."

Two hundred years later, the Xishan paper mulberry trees had been cut down to near extinction, and the court relocated the paper mill to Xinzhou, at a site very close to Ehu Town.

The famed Xuan paper was actually developed by secretly learning from the Xishan Official Bureau and was at this time called "Jing County paper." Because raw materials grew increasingly scarce, it was made from a mix of blue sandalwood bark and rice straw, gradually evolving into Xuan paper during the late Ming and early Qing.

Tang-Song Xuan paper, Xuande paper, Jing County paper, and Xuan paper are in fact four different kinds of paper, often conflated into one.

The Lou woman did not fully grasp this and asked, "If we poach craftsmen from the official bureau, would they be willing to come?"

Fei Fu explained, "The Xinzhou official bureau is rotten with graft. The government artisans have become little more than private slaves. As long as we can meet their price and offer them protection, I fear every last one of those official artisans would be willing to come."

"That will do nicely. Go and arrange it," Madam Lou said with an approving nod.

The Xinzhou official paper mill had long existed in name only.

Both output and quality had fallen off drastically, the profits lining private pockets. Whenever the court required tribute paper, superiors and subordinates colluded, seizing the chance to stir up trouble, using administrative orders to disrupt the market and force the private paper mills of Yanshan County to sell at rock-bottom prices.

Fei Fu cautioned, "Madam, if we open new paper vats, even if everything goes smoothly, it will still be half a year before we produce any paper. To obtain top-grade fine paper, it will certainly take more than a year."

"A year is nothing — I can afford to wait!" Madam Lou was brimming with confidence.

Fei Fu cupped his hands. "In that case, this humble servant will exert every last effort."

Madam Lou turned to another household slave. "Fei Xi, take a few men and go take over the wine house in Hekou Town."

The wine house in Hekou Town was something Fei Yinghuan had picked up for nothing; it had originally been part of Fei Songnian's property.

After Fei Songnian was angered to death, fifty percent of his estate was donated to the academy, and thirty percent was distributed by Fei Yuanlu.

Among those assets, the wine house had been allotted to Fei Yinghuan, but its management staff had never been replaced.

The wine house had been going steadily downhill, and Madam Lou had long wanted to overhaul it. This was the perfect opportunity to replace its management.

Zhao Han suddenly spoke up. "Madam, I would like to request an assignment."

"Speak," Madam Lou said with a slight smile.

Zhao Han said, "The wine house in Hekou Town — I would like to go there as deputy manager."

There was only one head manager, commonly called the senior manager.

There could be several deputy managers, commonly called the second manager, third manager, fourth manager, and so on — each responsible for a different department.

Madam Lou did not ask any further questions, only cautioning him, "You may take up the work, but do not let it interfere with your studies."

Zhao Han added, "I will also need a few hands."

"Pick them yourself," Madam Lou agreed, crisp and decisive.

(I meant to set this to publish on a timer, but I clicked wrong — this is the midday chapter.)

(End of chapter)