Chapter 23: The Test

Late at night, in the third courtyard behind the Japanese goods shop, all the rooms were pitch-black. Only the window paper of the main house on the west side reflected a pale yellow candlelight. Inside, Proprietor Zhao, dressed in an undershirt, lay on a pear-wood rocking chair. A pair of soft hands gently pressed and kneaded his forehead. The old scars on his body and face throbbed with dull pain from time to time, and sometimes a suffocating pressure built unbearably in his head. Whenever that happened, he relied on this kind of massage for relief.

Proprietor Zhao showed none of his usual ferocity; the knife scar on his face even seemed to smooth out a little. He narrowed his eyes comfortably and said, "Wan, your technique grows ever more outstanding."

"These trivial skills, no matter how good, count for nothing. Master ventures across ten-thousand-mile waves, amid flashing blades and darting shadows, to build this family fortune. If I could not even do this well, how could I be worthy of your toil?"

"What toil is there in going to sea? I'm the one stuck in the shop all day who has it hard."

Wan looked to be well over thirty, already with some wrinkles on her forehead, but her hands remained as smooth and fair as a young girl's. Sitting behind Proprietor Zhao, she massaged him while saying unhurriedly, "I only hope that one day, Master, you won't have to go to sea anymore, and I won't have to live in fear for you every day. Then, when Xiang'er marries and gives us a little grandson to raise, I'll be content."

"Nonsense. If I don't go to sea, what would I do? Without going to sea, could we have this courtyard, could we keep so many maids and old women? I was born a man of the sea. Sure, those dog officials take most of the profit, but it's still more thrilling than selling odds and ends in a shop every day."

Wan sighed. "Every time you say the same thing. I don't hope for anything else anymore. I just hope Xiang'er starts a family soon and gives us a grandson to hold."

"How can it be soon? You're looking for a matrilocal son-in-law. This is some damn business of forsaking one's ancestors — even among marketplace riffraff, how many are willing? And you insist on a scholar. Well, there you have it: three years of searching and still nothing."

Wan lowered her head, her eyes reddening slightly. After a pause, she said softly, "If Zhengyi were still here, how could it be so difficult? Otherwise, let's adopt my elder sister's youngest son, have him take the Zhao surname, and we'll have something to look forward to. Xiang'er will be seventeen in real years in the blink of an eye. Dragging this out any longer is doing our daughter a disservice."

Proprietor Zhao said impatiently, "Just go handle it. Once you've settled the adoption with that snobbish sister of yours, quickly find a matchmaker for Xiang'er and arrange a marriage. Don't just talk and talk — it's been three years of talk and still nothing's done."

Wan felt quite aggrieved. Originally, Proprietor Zhao had one wife and two concubines; the first two died. Proprietor Zhao had intended to marry again, but after an injury below the waist on one sea voyage, he never brought it up again. She actually still preferred to find a matrilocal son-in-law for her daughter. Proprietor Zhao was away from home every few days; with a matrilocal son-in-law, she could keep her daughter at home and at least have someone to talk to. That was why she had never been very enthusiastic about the adoption. Her elder sister, on the other hand, was very eager to have a son adopted into her household, but only because she saw that their family had money.

But a suitable matrilocal son-in-law was truly hard to find. In the blink of an eye, Xiang'er was about to turn seventeen, and they dared not delay any longer. Only then did she bring up the adoption again. Hearing Proprietor Zhao agree, she began planning Xiang'er's marriage. She said to Proprietor Zhao, "Master, when do you next go to sea? Before you leave, let's first call a matchmaker to discuss it."

"I can't set a date yet. Still waiting for one batch of goods; once they're all here, I leave. I don't meddle in these matchmaker and old-woman affairs anyway. You go ahead and start; I'll look it over when I return."

Wan had no choice but to say, "Very well. Who are you taking from the shop this time?"

"Still Lao Cai. There are goods from every family on the ship; nothing can be in disarray. We can't do without a purser, and he's the only one I trust. After we leave, you must keep a close eye on the shop's affairs. That new accountant is still an unknown quantity — count the silver and cash every day."

"Understood. But guarding against him every day is also troublesome. Since we don't know his background, Master could test him."

"Mm. That's simple enough."

－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－…

"Get up!"

Before dawn, Chen Xin was kicking doors again. The three attendants had helped at the banquet yesterday and were utterly exhausted, but they still couldn't escape the morning. Bleary-eyed, they got up, went into the courtyard, and stood at attention, waiting to practice formation drills.

Lu Lvzi and Er Tun had also risen early. It had been like this for the past few days. At first, they watched with curiosity; later, they found the formation drills utterly boring and treated them as a joke. But they did find the physical conditioning useful. Lu Lvzi joined in as well. Besides push-ups and sit-ups, he had also had two pairs of dumbbells forged at the blacksmith's shop, adding one more exercise.

"Today, Hai Gouzi will give the commands. Fall in."

"Yes, sir. Dress right."

Commander Chen Xin, holding a bamboo strip, watched the three-man formation with satisfaction. His rank of commander didn't even measure up to a squad leader. He had once been a half-baked military enthusiast with a patchy understanding of cold-weapon-era armies. Now he could only apply what little he remembered from university military training. Though this kind of formation drill couldn't improve individual ability, it was most effective for instilling discipline and obedience.

"Attention. Awaiting the commander's instructions."

The three stood ramrod straight, waiting for Chen Xin to begin the formation drill.

"At ease. We will now begin physical conditioning."

Hai Gouzi answered loudly, "Yes, sir! Beginning phys... physical conditioning."

Zhang Dahui's face immediately fell. The past few days, he had taken advantage of Liu Minyou's soft heart and slacked off quite a bit. Today, with Chen Xin putting physical conditioning first, there was no escape. Last night, after hearing Liu Minyou's report, Chen Xin had decisively told Liu Minyou to rest in the morning and took over supervising their conditioning himself.

They started with push-ups. Chen Xin demanded ten sets of twenty each. The Zhang brothers gave it everything they had, completing five sets — one hundred push-ups. By the sixth set, they were already struggling badly.

"One, two... eleven..."

Zhang Dahui was drenched in sweat, his arms sore, swollen, and numb. Though his upper body was propped up, his lower body lay flat on the ground, utterly immobile. Sweat streamed down his cheeks into his eyes, but he couldn't free a hand to wipe it.

Smack. The bamboo strip struck his bare back. The pain jolted Zhang Dahui, and his lower body immediately lifted off the ground. He now feared that bamboo strip more than a knife.

"Twelve."

Smack.

Zhang Dahui took the beating and finished the full twenty. The moment he was done, he collapsed flat on the ground, unable to move. Zhang Erhui was only slightly better off.

Seeing they truly couldn't continue, Chen Xin ordered them to switch to sit-ups.

As the others began training again, Chen Xin said to Lu Lvzi, "Chuanzong, I have a favor to ask of you, brother."

Lu Lvzi said hurriedly, "Brother Chen, please speak. I won't so much as furrow my brow, whether through fire or water."

"Nothing like that. I only ask that you supervise their training using the method I just demonstrated. When they can't do push-ups anymore, switch to sit-ups. When they're tired, switch back to push-ups or dumbbells. Within one and a half shichen, complete ten full sets of each exercise. Every single rep must be done properly. Finish with formation drills, following the same method as previous days. If they don't do it right, use the bamboo strip."

Lu Lvzi listened, looking somewhat troubled. "Brother Chen, isn't this training method a bit too harsh on these young brothers? How about I just teach them some staff techniques — the kind Brother Dai taught us?"

"You can, but only after they've finished all the exercises I mentioned."

"But won't that wear them out completely..."

"Chuanzong, do you remember the day you fought with Tang Caokou's men?"

"Of course I remember."

"Was that Green Hand formidable?"

"He was formidable. But that Green Hand had a knife. If he hadn't used a blade, we wouldn't have feared him."

"Train them using my method, and with the same people as that day, they wouldn't fear even two more Green Hands with knives."

Lu Chuanzong was half-doubtful, half-believing. "This method can defeat that Green Hand?"

"Yes. And you wouldn't even need someone like your Brother Dai, born with heaven-sent strength."

"Then... I'll give it a try and help Brother Chen watch over them."

"No, not just watch over them. You'll be saving their lives."

"Ah!? Brother Chen, this..."...

Chen Xin needed to hoodwink Lu Lvzi into supervising seriously. With a solemn face, he said, "If in the future they encounter someone like that Green Hand, their fate will depend on how you supervised their training. If you were strict, they will live. If you were not strict, they will either die or be crippled. So their lives are in your hands."

Hearing this, Lu Chuanzong grew tense as well. He still trusted Chen Xin's words and had to set aside that bit of sympathy. "Since Big Brother has put it that way, Chuanzong knows what to do." He then cupped his hands toward the three attendants. "Three young brothers, you've heard Brother Chen's words. Where I must offend, I can only ask for your understanding."

Chen Xin nodded with satisfaction, handed the bamboo strip to Lu Chuanzong, and watched him direct the training. Only after all three had tasted Lu Chuanzong's strikes did he set his mind at ease. He went out, called for Lu You, and together they headed to the Japanese goods shop for work.

As usual, they waited for the Cai father and son to open the door and hang out the shop sign. Then Chen Xin and Cai Shenju went together to the storeroom to wipe down the Japanese swords and fans. As Cai Shenju worked, he complained to Chen Xin.

"Brother Chen, when you have time, can you teach me accounting too?"

"Of course. But I learned from your old man. Why do you come back empty-handed every day while guarding a mountain of treasure?"

"I can't write. Whenever he teaches me a little, he scolds me, saying I didn't take my private tutoring seriously before. I can't learn from him."

Chen Xin chuckled. That was what you got learning from the old man, so he just agreed. But given how Cai Shenju had the temperament of a monkey, it was hard to say how many characters he would actually learn.

"It doesn't have to be accountancy. Look at me — don't I do odd jobs as well as the books?"

"Odd jobs are still better than going to sea. My dad told me to get ready; we might be sailing with the proprietor. My mother is worried sick."

Chen Xin kept his expression neutral and said with a smile, "What's wrong with going to sea? You can bring your mother back a wife from the Wa country."

"I don't even want to go to the Wa country. Out at sea you're relying on a single ship — if it capsizes or breaks down, I can't even swim. Just thinking about it scares me."

"Did your father say when you'd be going? If there's time I could still teach you to swim."

"He didn't say exactly, only that it would be soon. Don't tell anyone — my father warned me. I've only been able to say a few words to you, Brother Chen…"

Just as the two were talking, they heard Lao Cai in the courtyard calling Chen Xin in his broken-gong voice.

Chen Xin opened the window and said to Lao Cai, "Mr. Song is calling for me?"

"Yes, come to the shop quickly. The proprietor wants you for something."

Chen Xin hurried out the door and went to the shop. Proprietor Zhao stood imposingly in the middle. Seeing him arrive, he beckoned Chen Xin over, then took out a wrapped parcel.

"Take this packet of broken silver to the silver-melting shop in Liye Ward and exchange it. I'll need it this afternoon. Lao Cai, once you're done, come to the second courtyard first — there's business."

Without saying how much silver it was, he put his hands behind his back and returned to the second courtyard.

Chen Xin felt a faint flicker of surprise. Normally, any slightly larger sum of silver was handled by Lao Cai. Today, with this much silver, the proprietor was sending him instead. He wondered what urgent matter the proprietor had with Lao Cai.

Surprise aside, the task still had to be done. In front of the others, Chen Xin weighed it on the steelyard and said to Shopkeeper Cai, "Sir, the total is twenty-one taels, six mace, six candareens, with roughly four li after the candareen."

Lao Cai nodded and instructed him, "That little bit doesn't matter. Go and come back quickly. When you get there, say you're from Dongyuan Shop — they won't dare try any tricks."

"Yes, thank you for the guidance, sir."

He put away the broken silver and made his way to the silver-melting shop in Liye Ward. Outside the door hung a large cloth sign with the two characters "Silver Melting." He entered, and a shop assistant came to greet him.

"Young master, melting silver or exchanging for cash?"

"Melting silver. I'm from Dongyuan Shop. Please weigh it on the balance first." Chen Xin took out the cloth bundle and spread it open on the counter. The shopkeeper sitting at the counter, hearing it was from Dongyuan, came over to inspect the amount. He set out some standard weights, weighed it on the balance, and showed Chen Xin: it was twenty-one taels, six mace, six candareens, seven li — even a little more than Chen Xin's own weighing.

After weighing, the shopkeeper asked Chen Xin, "How would the young master like it melted?"

Chen Xin didn't know much about it. He thought for a moment and said, "How do you usually do it?"

"The young master could have two ten-tael fine-silver ingots, and the one tael six mace made into a small water-thread ingot. The five candareens six li would cover the melting fee, and the young master could still keep one candareen as a handling fee," the shopkeeper said respectfully.

Suddenly he leaned close to Chen Xin's ear and lowered his voice. "We wouldn't dare adulterate Dongyuan Shop's silver, but with a little technique, we could always shave two or three mace off each ingot. The purity stays the same, the weight doesn't drop — no one could ever tell. As long as the young master agrees, we split it fifty-fifty."

The shopkeeper was around forty, dark-skinned, with a rough-hewn look. His manner was extremely amiable, yet something about him felt off.

Chen Xin's heart stirred slightly, but then he smiled and said, "Oh? Do you know I'm the junior proprietor of Dongyuan Shop? Why would I split my own money with you?"

A mocking look flickered in the shopkeeper's eyes, and he blurted out, "The young master jests — you are clearly…" He suddenly realized he'd misspoken, paused, and then smoothed it over: "You clearly couldn't be. I've met the junior proprietor of Dongyuan, and it's certainly not you."

Chen Xin kept a faint smile and pointed at the shop assistant. "Indeed, I was joking. I'm just a shop assistant at Dongyuan, same as him. But the proprietor has shown me the kindness of recognizing my worth — how could I betray him? You meant well, brother, but I can only accept the sentiment. Let's do as you just said: two ten-tael fine ingots, one one-tael-six-mace water-thread ingot. I won't short you the melting fee, and not the slightest adulteration. The remaining one candareen and one li of broken silver, please return it all to me so I can give it back to the proprietor."

The shopkeeper and the assistant both froze, seemingly not expecting this from Chen Xin. Seeing his resolute expression, they had no choice. They carefully weighed everything as Chen Xin had instructed, separated out the weight for the two ingots, and the shopkeeper came over again to take the melting fee. The remaining bit of broken silver was all returned to Chen Xin.

Chen Xin watched the assistant's every move intently, without blinking, observing as he placed the broken silver into the crucible with flawless precision to make the ingots — more focused than if he were watching a thief. The assistant grew thoroughly unnerved under his gaze.

At last, the two large silver ingots and the one water-thread ingot were finished. Chen Xin tucked them into his clothes and put them away. Both men let out a breath at the same time — the assistant because he no longer had to be watched, and Chen Xin because the task was done. He had once heard Lao Cai talk about the tricks of silver-melting shops: the moment you looked away, they would mix in lead or copper. Some in the trade even specialized in forging the natural grain of real silver, so that even experts couldn't tell the difference. That was why he had resorted to the clumsy method of watching the assistant the entire time.

With the silver ingots safely stowed, he made his way back to the Japanese dried seafood Shop. It was not yet lunchtime. The proprietor hadn't said who the silver was for, but since it was money that had passed through his hands, it naturally had to be delivered directly to the proprietor. After exchanging greetings with the others, he passed through the shop and knocked directly on the door to the second courtyard.

The door was opened by Lao Wang, who guarded the shop at night. Lao Wang was the impervious type — he listened to no one but Proprietor Zhao. Even with Chen Xin's gift of gab, he had run into a brick wall with him several times. Hearing Chen Xin's request to see the proprietor, Lao Wang said nothing, coldly slammed the door shut with a bang, and left Chen Xin standing foolishly outside. After a long while, the door opened again and Proprietor Zhao came out.

Chen Xin presented the silver ingots and the one candareen of broken silver in the cloth bundle to Proprietor Zhao with both hands, saying respectfully, "The broken silver the proprietor gave me totaled twenty-one taels, six mace, six candareens, seven li. I had it melted into two ten-tael fine ingots, one one-tael-six-mace water-thread ingot, used five candareens six li for the melting fee, with one candareen one li remaining. It is all here."

Proprietor Zhao took it, weighed it in his hand without checking the purity, grunted an acknowledgment, and turned to go back inside.

After he returned to the second courtyard, a man came in through the side door — it was none other than the shopkeeper of the silver-melting shop. He approached Proprietor Zhao with a calm expression, as if they were very familiar. Proprietor Zhao handed him the cloth bundle. He opened it, inspected it, and nodded to Proprietor Zhao, indicating it was accurate to the last fraction.

"Brother Zhao, that bookkeeper of yours is stubborn to a fault. Not only does he refuse a little benefit, he even returns every last bit of broken silver to you. Where else could you find a bookkeeper like that? You can set your mind at ease now."

"He could also be a great treachery disguised as loyalty."

"That's not something your little brother here could have tested for. Every time your Lao Cai comes, he always skims a little for himself, and you never call him treacherous. Surely the one who doesn't skim can't be the treacherous one."

Proprietor Zhao listened, and a faint smile appeared on his ugly face. He sighed ruefully, "If he were truly a great treachery, he wouldn't have come to a small temple like ours. It seems he really is an honest man after all."

"Honest or not is another matter, but Big Brother mustn't speak such disheartening words. We make our living from the sea. We may not be many, but we've never feared anyone. Now that Big Brother's family enterprise has grown, your spirit seems to have shrunk."

"Well said. Han Yong, in the next few days, get your shop in order, and also notify Ba Zi and Hei Pao. In half a month at most, I fear we'll be going to sea again."

The silver-melting shopkeeper called Han Yong beamed with delight. "Yes! I've long been waiting for Big Brother's call. Running this business day to day is stifling. Twist every trick you know, and you only swindle a few scattered coins. Years of that don't match one trip to sea. I'll go prepare right away."

Chen Xin returned to the shop, sat down alone behind the counter, and finished logging the morning's sales. When no one was around, a faint smile suddenly crept onto his face, and he murmured to himself, "A junior proprietor even Lao Cai has never met — how could an outsider like you have seen him? Do you know how many people I've interviewed, how many I've vetted? And you think you can fool me with that worn-out trick?"