Chapter 14: Little Beauty

Chen Xin thus ended the second interview early and hurried off to find Liu Minyou and the others. When he reached the entrance of the Confucian Temple, he saw no sign of them — they had probably already gone inside to look around. So he too rounded the spirit screen, passed the crescent pond and the Lattice Star Gate, and searched his way in.

Most Confucian temples of the Ming dynasty were built according to the standardized layout from the thirteenth year of the Hongwu reign: "The Dacheng Hall gate has six bays, the Lingxing Gate three, the east and west cloisters seventy-six bays, the spirit kitchen and storehouse each eight bays, and the sacrificial slaughterhouse six bays." They covered a considerable area. The Tianjin Confucian Temple was larger than the standard. Chen Xin turned this way and that inside but could not find Liu Minyou's group, so he simply went into the Dacheng Hall to look around. The Dacheng Hall was the core building of the temple and also the largest, with carved beams and painted rafters and exquisite decoration. Besides the statues of the Ultimate Sage and the Second Sage, it also displayed the statues of the Ten Philosophers. There were not many worshippers in the hall.

Ever since Confucius had been toppled, people in the country had become quite unfamiliar with these figures, and Chen Xin was no exception. Apart from Zigong, the one who had been a merchant, he knew nothing about the others and was even less interested. After one circuit he felt bored and was about to leave. Just as he reached the doorway, a figure flickered before his eyes — someone darted out abruptly from the side. Chen Xin hastily stepped back and narrowly avoided a collision.

When he steadied himself and looked, it was a young girl of about sixteen or seventeen, wearing a long emerald-green skirt with a white sleeveless over-robe. Her hair was done up in double buns. Her brows and eyes were like a painting, and her face wore no powder or rouge. Perhaps because she had been walking hurriedly, her complexion was faintly flushed, as if brushed with a thin layer of peach-blossom rouge. Set against the emerald-green skirt, she was just like a lotus bud beginning to bloom.

Chen Xin inwardly exclaimed, "A little beauty!"

"Ah!" the young girl let out a low cry of surprise and pressed a hand to her chest, as if she had been startled. Chen Xin, being in a bored mood and finding this girl fresh and charming, felt a mischievous impulse. He put on a stern face and said to her, "A little slip of a girl, walking in such a rush — you nearly injured this old man."

The young girl waved her hands in flustered apology and was about to say sorry, but when she stole a glance at Chen Xin, she saw he was a handsome young gentleman. Blushing, she lowered her voice and said, "What sort of 'old man' are you supposed to be?"

"My surname is Old and my given name is Man — I was born Old Man."

The girl's eyes instantly curved into crescent beans. She covered her mouth and laughed softly. "Who would have a name like that?"

Seeing that this girl was quick to laugh, Chen Xin found it greatly amusing and pressed his advantage. "My single-character name is Gong. You can also call me Laogong."

The girl burst out laughing, then let out a peal of silvery laughter. Chen Xin felt as if a hundred flowers had bloomed before his eyes. He heard the girl say, even as she laughed, "So you're a eunuch after all — what are you doing out of the palace?"

Chen Xin did not quite catch what "eunuch" meant. Quite pleased with himself, thinking he had succeeded in teasing her and become her cheap laogong, he chuckled and said, "Since you know I come from a family of officials and eunuchs, you must humbly heed my instruction. A young girl like you, instead of staying home and properly learning needlework and studying the Biographies of Exemplary Women, spends all day running about outside. What if you affect the Great Ming realm?"

The girl stifled her laughter and replied, "You old… little man, you're talking nonsense. I'm just a young girl out for a walk — how could that affect the Great Ming realm?"

"Who says it doesn't? A woman is a daughter at home and a wife when married. Where there are virtuous daughters, there will be virtuous wives. Thus the royal transformation begins at the women's quarters. You walk in a fiery rush and show no respect to your elders — that is a lack of virtue. Lack of virtue spoils the royal transformation, and spoiling the royal transformation affects the Great Ming realm."

"What's wrong with walking in a fiery rush? Where in the womanly virtues does it say you can't walk fast? In urgent matters, one may adapt. Besides, you're not really an old man."

Chen Xin feigned surprise. "A little girl like you actually knows about the womanly virtues — not bad at all. But the womanly virtues are only four virtues, while I, an old man, possess five virtues. My moral attainment is still a bit higher than yours."

The young girl's curiosity was piqued. "I've never heard of a eunuch having five virtues. Tell me about them."

Chen Xin said smugly, "I can eat, I can drink, I can sleep, I can play — I just can't tire myself out. I call myself the 'Five-Can Old Man.' Heh heh."

At this, the girl laughed so hard she bent over at the waist and could not lift her head.

Chen Xin continued with a straight face, "You need not bow your head in shame to apologize. Knowing your mistake is enough. In view of your sincere attitude, I shall bestow upon you an additional virtue, called 'A woman's lack of talent is itself a virtue.' Remember it well. Don't come to the Confucian Temple to play when you have nothing to do. If you end up mastering all of Confucius's teachings, this virtue will be gone."

The girl had been about to raise her head, but upon hearing this she laughed even harder. She propped her hands on her waist, unable to speak, her face flushed red from laughter, like a Yantai Red Fuji apple. By now, after all this talk, she knew Chen Xin was teasing her. After a long while, when her laughter subsided, she did not speak to Chen Xin again, yet she showed no sign of leaving. In her heart, she simply found this person amusing. Red-faced, she leaned against the doorframe and rubbed her stomach.

Chen Xin, having had his fill of teasing, was in excellent spirits. He said to the girl, "Since the little lady now knows her mistake, this old man must take his leave. Would you like to come along with me?"

The girl turned her head away from Chen Xin and said, "Mind your own business, little man. Go on your way. I'm looking for my Old Woman Zhang."

"So you've lost your old woman and gotten lost. Be careful you don't get snatched by a kidnapper and carried off to a kidnapper's den to be the den mistress and give birth to a whole litter of little kidnappers."

The girl said crossly, "Who says I can't find my way? My home is nearby. I'm afraid Old Woman Zhang will get lost."

"That Old Woman Zhang must be just an old woman, not even wanted by kidnappers. I could pick up a basketful of those by the roadside. If she really is lost, I'll send you another one tomorrow. Leave me your telephone number and address so I can deliver to your door."

The girl gently scoffed, "Bah, your mouth is full of nonsense. As if I'd tell you where I live."

Chen Xin laughed heartily, made a bow with clasped hands, and said, "In that case, this old man takes his leave. If you need an old woman, post a slip reading 'The Heavenly King Stamps the Earth Tiger' under the memorial arch outside the Confucian Temple. When I see it, I'll deliver one to you. The price is negotiable, ha ha." With that, he left the girl behind and sauntered out the door with an exaggerated swagger.

The young girl watched Chen Xin's retreating figure and spat lightly. "As if I'd ever seek you out, little man, to buy an old woman. And what is 'The Heavenly King Stamps the Earth Tiger'?"

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When Chen Xin walked out past the spirit screen, Liu Minyou and the others were already waiting for him, still gazing in the direction of the Japanese goods shop. Chen Xin approached from behind and laughed heartily. "Where in life do we not meet? Long time no see, great heroes."

The group turned and saw it was Chen Xin. They quickly crowded around him and asked about the interview. Chen Xin bragged wildly — in short, he had gotten the job. Zhang Erhui and Wang Daixi jumped for joy.

Zhang Da scratched his head and asked, "Brother Chen, as this bookkeeper you'll earn two taels a month?"

Liu Minyou chimed in, "Exactly. That's not a small sum. You can buy several dozen jin of meat with it."

"Only two taels? That's not as good as you taking us to swindle money."

"Swindle money, swindle money, swindle money." Liu Minyou chased after him, cursing and smacking Zhang Da on the head with each word.

Zhang Da dodged as he clutched his head and begged for mercy. "Ow, ow, I won't swindle anymore. I'll be a bookkeeper too." Hai Gouzi stood to the side, grinning foolishly and cheering.

Liu Minyou only stopped when he was tired of hitting. He then asked Chen Xin for the details and said with some concern, "With a proprietor of such temper, it seems this wage won't be easy to earn."

Chen Xin said nonchalantly, "When soldiers come, block them; when food comes, open your mouth. I only planned this as an internship anyway, not to really depend on him for a living. We'll deal with that when the time comes. There's nothing else today — let's go see Dai Tiezi and that group."

Liu Minyou, however, did not want to go. He said, "Since we have a job now, we should buy a house sooner. I want to go look at houses first. The innkeeper yesterday said he knows a housing broker."

"Buy a house? Is it that urgent? Tomorrow would do just as well. Besides, you don't have a job yet — you've got plenty of time to look around slowly."

Liu Minyou still insisted. "It is urgent. Staying at the inn every day and having to eat every meal at restaurants costs over a qian of silver a day. Besides, if we buy quickly, we can bring Dai Tiezi and those injured men over to stay. It's bound to be better than that shack of theirs."

"It's urgent, it's urgent!" Wang Daixi and Zhang Erhui also tugged at Chen Xin's clothes and would not let go.

"Brother Chen, let's buy a place to live, alright? Daixi can sleep in the firewood shed. We don't want to keep wandering around."

Chen Xin bent down and tweaked their noses. "The inn has everything — isn't that better than a firewood shed?"

"The inn isn't our own. A firewood shed, no matter how shabby, is still home."

Chen Xin stood up and sighed. "Inflexible demand."