Chapter 24: The Little Red Man

"…Are you also waiting, for a true love who knows your heart!"

Pang Yu stood in the medicine shop's courtyard, head tilted back, eyes narrowed, left hand pressed to his chest, right hand slowly opening upward at an angle, his face utterly enraptured.

Pang Yu's mother, his father, Zhou Yueru, and Pang Ding — four people, eight eyes — watched the bizarrely behaving Pang Yu with extreme caution. Their expressions were dead serious, none daring to breathe too loudly. Only when Pang Yu put away his lyrical hand gesture did all four exhale in unison — so Young Master Pang had not, after all, gone simple again.

Both mother and father recovered their beaming smiles. Ever since the broken engagement, Pang Yu had been like a conjurer, giving the family over thirty taels of silver in succession, greatly easing the Pang family's cash-flow crisis. The medicinal stock began circulating again, and Pang Yu's parents' complexions looked much rosier. As for Pang Yu's own Spirit Awakening, that was even more like Heaven bestowing a grand gift package upon the Pang family — so much so that his parents no longer looked at Zhou Yueru as an enemy, but rather with something approaching the regard one has for a benefactor.

"Such a weird, affected tune." Zhou Yueru kept her head down, grinding medicine with a stone pestle, then looked up at Pang Yu. "You said that day that the Zhou family ruined your marriage match. If Aunt Liu agrees this time, shouldn't you reduce this slave's silver a bit?"

"Daughter, rest a while too, come have some water. You've been working ever since you arrived." The mother spoke to Zhou Yueru, then turned to Pang Yu. "Then give the girl a little reduction. This girl, so sensible and hardworking — we mustn't treat her shabbily."

"Mom, how can your elbow bend outward? It's only been a few days and already it's 'daughter, daughter.'" Pang Yu turned to Zhou Yueru. "A contract is a contract — not one copper coin less. However, this young master rewards and punishes clearly. Given your performance these last two days, this young master is satisfied. I keep my word — you'll get your bonus at month's end."

"How much is the bonus?"

"One tael!" Pang Yu declared magnanimously. "Starting tomorrow, if the yamen has no assigned errand, you go straight to Widow Yu's place in the morning. Wherever she goes, you go. Treat her as if she's injured — make sure she's well looked after. First, draw two taels of silver… forget it, draw it in a few days. This young master himself has no silver left. In any case, whatever expenses come up, don't let her pay a cent. Every few days, buy some little things to bring over."

When Zhou Yueru heard the one-tael bonus, the corner of her mouth twitched in a semblance of a smile — probably remembering that ninety-tael loss, she truly couldn't muster any cheer.

The mother rubbed her hands on her apron and turned to Pang Yu. "Joking aside, we absolutely cannot go through with the Liu family marriage. If not for that White-Bearded Immortal, we still wouldn't know that the Pang family's fate had been suppressed by that marriage all along."

Pang Yu did some mental calculations. The Pang family medicine storehouse had lost seventy or eighty taels of silver. He himself had given the family thirty taels — still forty or fifty short. If Aunt Liu agreed to provide betrothal gifts, they could basically make up the loss.

So he countered with a perfectly straight face, "But Grandpa White-Beard also said that was because the betrothal gifts were given incorrectly. As long as Aunt Liu agrees to give our family betrothal gifts, this marriage won't be a calamity — it'll become a blessing. In conducting oneself in the world, one values doing good and accumulating virtue. Being able to help the Liu family — everyone will say Old Pang's family is magnanimous, and we'll even gain some good karmic merit ourselves. So there's no need to discuss this matter. Just listen to me and that's that."

Both father and mother furrowed their brows. They still had lingering fears about the Liu family marriage and felt even more disdain for Aunt Liu as an in-law. But Pang Yu controlled the channel to Grandpa White-Beard and was practically the White-Bearded Immortal's spokesman — whatever he said made sense, and even his parents didn't know how to refute it.

Just as the two elders were still searching for counterarguments, a voice called out from the doorway.

"Is Second Brother at home?"

"He Xianya?" Pang Yu was slightly puzzled. He had run into He Xianya several times at the yamen during the day — it hadn't even been half a shichen since they parted. What matter was so urgent that he had to seek him out now?

When he reached the front shop area, he saw He Xianya standing beside a plump man, who was carrying an assortment of packages large and small.

"This is…"

"Second Brother, this is Granary Ambassador Yuan from the Reserve Granary. He heard about your injury and came specially to visit you."

He Xianya finished speaking and winked at Pang Yu. Pang Yu immediately realized that this Granary Ambassador must have gotten word that Pang Yu was going to participate in inspecting the granaries and had come to build connections.

In truth, Tongcheng County had no official post of Granary Ambassador; the Reserve Granary's manager was just a granary laborer, whose nominal status was about the same as a yamen runner. Because the Reserve Granary ranked first among the county granaries, He Xianya addressing him by the official title Granary Ambassador was a form of polite flattery for informal occasions.

"Aiya, Brother Pang." Ambassador Yuan came up and immediately grabbed Pang Yu's arm with warm familiarity. "I only just heard about your injury. Unfortunately, official duties have kept me busy lately and I haven't found the time. Today I got off duty a bit early and went to the Yamen Runner Room to find you. As luck would have it, I ran into Brother He, and only then found Brother Pang's residence. I came specially to express a colleague's regard. Forgive me for disturbing Brother Pang's rest — do not take offense, do not take offense."

"Ambassador Yuan, what are you saying? Please, come in and sit."

"Brother Pang, after you." Ambassador Yuan kept deferring, pressing Pang Yu to enter the main room first.

Once inside, Ambassador Yuan placed his armload of packages against the wall behind the side seat. Pang Yu spotted at least one pig's leg among them.

"Yuan has the duty of guarding the granary every day and is mostly absent during court sessions. It was from brothers at the yamen that I heard of Brother Pang's insight — to have caught the County Vice-Magistrate's eye, truly remarkable." Ambassador Yuan beamed. "These are all produced by my wife's family — to help Brother Pang replenish his health."

"Brother Yuan, this won't do. We're all serving at the yamen — everyone has it hard. How could I let Brother Yuan go to such expense?" Pang Yu, of course, had no intention of sending the gifts back. Without waiting for Ambassador Yuan's polite demurral, he turned toward the courtyard and barked at Zhou Yueru, "Still haven't brought out some rice broth? No sense of awareness — did you hear me!"

Zhou Yueru had been staring blankly at the gifts on the floor. Pang Yu's shout startled her. She glared at him, dusted the medicinal residue off her apron, and made to head for the kitchen.

Ambassador Yuan assumed she was Pang Yu's wife and hastily stopped her. "No need to trouble the sister-in-law. Yuan came today solely to visit Brother Pang. I only heard of this matter a few days ago and have been worried about Brother Pang's injury ever since — so much so that I couldn't sleep at night. Seeing Brother Pang unharmed today, the great stone in my heart is lifted. But Brother Pang is, after all, still recently recovered. I shouldn't impose further."

Zhou Yueru, upon hearing the words "sister-in-law," stopped in her tracks and bit her lip, glaring at Ambassador Yuan with a distinctly unfriendly look. Ambassador Yuan inwardly wondered — he had said nothing improper just now, so why did it seem like he had offended this Madam Pang?

Ambassador Yuan had no time to dwell on it. He turned back to Pang Yu. "Brother Pang, rest easy and recover. I've also heard it was Zhou's Paper Shop south of the city that did this. That shopkeeper is an outsider from Shaanxi — never been a good sort, always engaged in bullying men and ravishing women. What kind of place does he think our Tongcheng is…"

Out of the corner of his eye, Pang Yu saw Zhou Yueru clenching her fists and quickly reached out to stop Ambassador Yuan. But Ambassador Yuan was quick — he caught Pang Yu's outstretched hands in both of his own and continued, "Brother Pang, don't try to dissuade me. I know Brother Pang is magnanimous, but your brother here hasn't cultivated such forbearance. Whoever offends my Brother Pang — I absolutely won't let him slip away easily. I may not be someone of great standing in Tongcheng, but twenty or thirty men is just a matter of a single word. Your brother puts his word here: I will utterly exterminate this Zhou's Shop. The only one I'll spare is that Zhou family daughter — for no other reason than to send her into the brothels, to disgrace the ancestors of his Zhou family…"

Zhou Yueru bit her lip, her face like frost. She abruptly crouched down and grabbed a wooden stool. Pang Yu estimated that within seconds, that stool would land on Ambassador Yuan's chattering head. Fortunately, He Xianya was quick to react — he got there first and seized one leg of the stool. Zhou Yueru tugged several times but couldn't wrest it away, so she dropped the stool and turned toward the medicine storehouse door to grab the medicine cleaver. He Xianya hurriedly went to block her again.

Ambassador Yuan was utterly oblivious to the drama unfolding behind him, still spraying spittle as he ranted. Pang Yu hastily grabbed Ambassador Yuan's left hand with both of his, dragged him through a half-turn on the spot, and then strode quickly toward the door, speaking as he went: "That Zhou family is indeed no good, but your brother here cares about face. I've already said I'd let them off — a man's spit is a driven nail. So I must ask Brother Yuan to spare the Zhou family. But Brother Yuan, I accept this sentiment of yours. I wasn't prepared today; another day I'll host a special banquet for Ambassador Yuan. You must do me the honor of attending, Brother Yuan."

Ambassador Yuan's face filled with admiration. He raised his left hand, thumb and little finger extended, straightened the four fingers of his right hand and clasped them with his left — performing a Forked-Hand Salute. "Magnanimous! Worthy of our Tongcheng's tradition of poetry, rites, and propriety! Your brother is ashamed — I have received a lesson again today! In the future, I must ask Brother Pang to grant me more opportunities. We brothers must gather often, associate often. Please, Brother Pang, do not disdain Yuan. Let it be so — from now on, we address each other as brothers…"

The Forked-Hand Salute that Ambassador Yuan deliberately performed was the salute of an inferior to a superior — a very formal ritual, and a covert form of bootlicking. But Pang Yu was utterly ignorant of such things; Ambassador Yuan's flirtatious glances were cast before a blind man.

Amid Ambassador Yuan's fervent flattery, Pang Yu finally managed to see him out the door, thus allowing this granary keeper to escape a calamity. Pang Yu put on a show at the doorway, watching Ambassador Yuan depart. And Ambassador Yuan would walk a few steps, then turn back, looking utterly reluctant to part. Pang Yu had to bow again. By the time Ambassador Yuan disappeared at the street corner, Pang Yu felt his waist was so sore he could barely straighten up.

Pang Yu stood at the door rubbing his waist, inwardly marveling. How was it that a mere granary keeper like Ambassador Yuan could be so adept at dealing with people? His flattery wasn't the least bit jarring. No wonder, out of all the many people at the yamen, he had managed to secure the post of Reserve Granary keeper. It seemed the yamen truly hid dragons and crouching tigers. His own level of shamelessness was probably only above average within the county yamen.

His success in winning over Mr. Yu this time was also because Pang Yu's speech in the Ceremonial Gate Corridor was exactly what the County Vice-Magistrate needed at that moment — so Mr. Yu had simply gone with the flow. It wasn't that Pang Yu's networking skills were truly high. So obtaining this granary inspection assignment still had a fair element of luck to it.

After inwardly cautioning himself, Pang Yu slipped back into the main room. Sure enough, his mother was crouched on the floor, her face full of excitement, taking inventory of the gifts. Zhou Yueru stood off to the side in silence, looking displeased.

"One pig's leg, two jin of tung oil, ten… fifty… sixty candles, at least five jin of mutton, two bolts of Songjiang cloth, and this tea — about one jin…"

"No silver?" Pang Yu interrupted.

Zhou Yueru interjected coldly, "What are these things if not silver?"

"Then calculate it for this young master. This young master doesn't know the prices."

Zhou Yueru rolled her eyes at him, crouched down, and began tallying as she counted. "This pig's leg is at least a dozen jin — that's three or four Mace of silver right there. This sack of white flour is probably thirty jin — another three Mace. Two jin of tung oil, five fen. One chicken, five fen. Two bolts of medium-grade Songjiang cloth, six Mace. Sixty medium candles, six Mace. The tea is worth one tael… plus this millet and the rest — altogether it's over three taels of silver. How long would my family's shop have to earn to make three taels?"

"All this pile and only three taels? That's not much at all — only sending this little." Pang Yu was somewhat dissatisfied and rummaged through the pile.

"You think this is too little? You didn't even do anything, and you're accepting gifts from this kind of person… Don't mess it up — it'll be hard to tidy. Look at you, the mutton fell on the floor."

At that moment, Pang Ding entered the main hall. Seeing the two of them going through the items, he didn't join the bustle. A casual glance, however, revealed a small pouch sitting on a chair against the eastern rear wall.

"Young Master, whose money pouch fell?"

Pang Yu turned around — his right hand darted out like lightning, and the money pouch was already in his grasp. Naturally, Ambassador Yuan had left it.

"How much?" Zhou Yueru reached out to look.

"Wait, let me weigh it." Pang Yu gently hefted it to gauge the weight. He had been practicing this skill lately. He focused and weighed it for a moment, estimating it to be about twelve or thirteen taels.

Before Pang Yu could confirm the weight, He Xianya's voice rang out again from the medicine shop. "Second Brother, Brother Peng from Fengyu Granary is here to visit you."

Pang Yu peered through a crack in the window. He Xianya was leading another person — a chicken in his left hand, a duck in his right, a grain sack on his back, with He Xianya also helping to carry some things.

Pang Yu quickly turned back to Zhou Yueru. "Hurry, put the things away. Someone else is here."

"Ah, another one? What on earth did you do?"

"No backtalk. Hurry and put the things away."

The visitor was the keeper of Fengyu Granary. Having just accepted the Reserve Granary's gifts, Pang Yu made a comparison of scale: the Reserve Granary had twenty-four granary rooms, while Fengyu Granary had thirteen — roughly half.

Having calculated the baseline in his mind, Pang Yu dusted off his clothes and went out to greet him.

…

By the time the Granary Keeper from Fengyu Granary left, the lamps had already been lit. Because of these two visitors, even Zhou Yueru had not yet gone home, and had been sneaking glances inside from outside the main room.

Pang Yu's mother was feeling rather stirred up, so tonight she broke precedent and lit an oil lamp, though the flame was only the size of a bean, because she had trimmed the wick very short to save oil.

Aside from the old man, the whole family once again inventoried the gifts. The Preparedness Granary's total value was around fifteen taels, and Fengyu Granary's around seven taels — the two together came to over twenty taels.

Pang Yu had merely moved his lips and given two speeches, and gained over twenty taels — even more than the Pang family's intangible assets had yielded. He had already recovered the cost of greasing the Advisor's palm. It seemed the ancient arena of fame and fortune was all inside the yamen.

Pang Yu reflected that although he had gained influence through flattery, his position was still lowly after all. The main target of their attentions this time was surely still Tang Weimin, the Clerk.

A Granary Keeper ordinarily had to grease the palms of the County Vice-Magistrate, the Household Clerk, the Clerk, and the copyists. He also had to send office supplies like incense and candles to the other offices. When the Branch Surveillance Circuit or Anqing Prefecture came down to inspect, the Granary Keeper had to chip in as well.

As far as Pang Yu could tell, a Granary Keeper had quite a lot to deal with. But what the Granary Keeper's own income amounted to, Pang Yu still had no idea. He was seriously short of information on that front.

"Why did those two give you so many things?" Zhou Yueru asked as she took inventory.

"They're both Granary Keepers. What do you think?"

Zhou Yueru suddenly saw the light. "It's about that granary inspection, isn't it? So they want you not to check too carefully? Then why didn't they just say so?"

Pang Yu laughed in spite of himself. "These things rely on tacit understanding. How could they be brought out and said in public? Do you think everyone is as foolish as you?"

"If there's a matter and no one says it, who could know? But what if some lord discovers it? I've heard that can cost you your head!"

"Cost me my head?" Pang Yu was startled, and felt a chill on his neck. But when he lowered his head and thought it over, he was only a Runner. The granary inspection would be led by Tang Weimin, the Clerk. If he wasn't afraid, what did Pang Yu have to fear?

Having thought it through, he scolded Zhou Yueru: "You silly girl, if you don't understand something, don't talk nonsense. Are you hoping I lose my head so you won't have to repay the mortgage?"

"You Runners have it far too easy making money."

Pang Yu looked up and saw Zhou Yueru still standing there, her eyes fixed straight on the things on the floor.

Generously, Pang Yu grabbed the mutton from the floor. "Take this piece home."

"For me?" Zhou Yueru cautiously pointed at herself, afraid that Pang Yu was teasing her again.

Sure enough, Pang Yu said, "Cook it first, then bring it back to me."

Seeing Zhou Yueru's almond eyes widen in fury, Pang Yu finally laughed. "I'm joking. Take it home and cook it to build up your father's health."

"Really or not? If this mutton is going to be deducted from that bonus, then I don't want the meat — I'd rather have the silver."

"Of course it's real. It's on top of the bonus. I told you long ago, this young master is a good man."

Pang Yu thought about Zhou Family Daughter's performance these past few days. She had handled every assigned task very well. When there were no errands at the yamen, she still had to sort medicinal materials. Yesterday, she had also handled Madam Yu's errand well. Though she grumbled constantly, overall she was a satisfactory employee.

With that in mind, he casually picked up a silver ingot of about one tael and handed it to Zhou Yueru. Once she had taken it, Pang Yu pointed at the sack of flour on the floor. "Take five jin of flour back too, and make some dumplings for your father."

"Thank you, Young Master!" Afraid Pang Yu would change his mind, Zhou Yueru's mouth instantly turned sweet, and her movements became extraordinarily nimble. Carrying the mutton, she darted into the kitchen like the wind, swiftly found a cloth bag, and filled it with several jin of white flour.

When Pang Yu saw her again, Zhou Yueru was already at the door. Pang Yu raised his head to look above the courtyard. The sky was nearly completely dark. Thinking it unsafe for a woman alone, he hurriedly called out, "It's too late, how about I see you—"

Before his words had faded, Zhou Yueru vanished like a wisp of green smoke into the vast darkness beyond the door, leaving only a cloud of flour dust drifting in the Pang family courtyard.

Pang Yu felt as if Zhou Yueru were some martial arts master with lightness skill, and even thought he was seeing things. He quickly blinked. When he opened his eyes again, he indeed saw another figure appear within that cloud of dust — it was He Xianya.

When the Fengyu Granary Keeper had left earlier, Pang Yu had specifically given He Xianya instructions to come again in the evening.

"Why is there so much white dust?" He Xianya waved his hand a few times in the air.

Pang Yu handed over a bolt of Songjiang cloth, and He Xianya hurriedly thanked him.

"Third Brother, give me an estimate — how much has Granary Keeper Yuan saved up over these years?"

He Xianya blurted out, "Over these past few years, he's embezzled at least three or four hundred taels."

"Three or four hundred taels — after splitting it with his superiors and the various offices, how much is left?"

"Second Brother, I'm talking about what's left after the splitting. He's already bought two residences in Tongcheng, and also bought a shop front at Chaoyang Gate. In the sixth month he just took a third concubine. He lives far more comfortably than the likes of us."

"A mere Granary Keeper is that rich!" Pang Yu was taken aback. Zhou Yueru's family had done business for so long and only had fifty-odd taels in ready silver. This Granary Commissioner Yuan, a mere warehouse keeper, had earned three or four hundred taels in just a few years. Who knew how many invisible tycoons lurked within that shabby yamen gate.

"Second Brother, you asked me to find out why they're inspecting the granaries now — I've asked about that too."

Pang Yu hurriedly pressed him for details. He Xianya lowered his voice. "The various granaries don't have a single grain of rice in them. The County Vice-Magistrate and the Household Office both know this perfectly well. Lord Yang Fangzao is only acting in the post. I don't know how he handled the handover with the previous Lord Gu, but when the new Sitting Magistrate arrives, Lord Yang must give an accounting. I made some inquiries at the Document Receiving Office this afternoon. They said a letter came from Susong yesterday — it's probably about this matter. The County Deputy Magistrate's trusted aides were all assigned good errands yesterday, sent to the countryside to compare tax grain accounts, which is why the task fell to you, Second Brother. So you are inspecting the granaries on behalf of the County Vice-Magistrate — you mustn't let these Granary Keepers fob you off lightly."

Having obtained this information, Pang Yu felt far more confident than before. He bounced the coin pouch in his hand, and it felt light as air. This opportunity, which he had earned by swallowing his pride and putting himself forward, he absolutely had to seize firmly.

"Third Brother, tell me in detail about the situation at each granary. Take your time, and be thorough — especially about the Preparedness Granary."