Chapter 554: The First Month of the Forty-Sixth Year of Wanli

"What's the point of all these tricks? Didn't your second uncle tell you? In the government troops, the ones who carry firearms are all cowards. The truly elite soldiers are those who dare to fight with real blades and spears. That militia unit of yours down there — isn't it training well? Why are you messing around with firearms again? Don't ruin yourself." Zhao Zhentang came from a guard-post background and also had Zhao Zhenxing's experience, so he held no good impression of firearms.

Hearing this, Zhao Jin could only smile wryly and reply, "Grand Commander Qi's troops used firearms too, and didn't they train well? Besides, cannons are also firearms..."

The father guides the son — this is the natural order of heaven and moral duty. In this era, a patriarch or father was heaven itself; one could say he held the power of life and death over his children. But the Zhao household was an exception. By all rights, given Zhao Zhentang's background as a guard-post military householder who later became a constable and executioner, a rough and blunt temperament was unavoidable. Yet ever since Zhao Jin had been frightened unconscious and nearly died while observing an execution, then awoke utterly transformed, Zhao Zhentang had barely disciplined him at all. He let Zhao Jin make his own decisions in everything. Of course, given Zhao Jin's nature, even if he were disciplined, he might not obey in every matter.

In a certain sense, Zhao Zhentang was a rare, enlightened father for this era.

But while he was open-minded about other things — even supporting Zhao Jin in so many great undertakings — the topic of firearms was a different matter. After hearing Zhao Jin's explanation, Zhao Zhentang's brows furrowed, his expression turning stern, as if he would not let the matter rest until it was clearly explained.

"Father, rest assured. Your son understands the principle behind this and will absolutely never neglect blade and spear training." Zhao Jin hurriedly explained with a smile.

The aroma of food had already drifted in from outside; the New Year's Eve lunch was especially lavish. Yet Zhao Zhentang showed no sign of relenting. He gave a cold snort and said, "I see everything going smoothly for you, and you've forgotten who you are. Firearms — those things look useful, but in practice they're worse than a club. That bird gun can kill a man, sure, but to aim it properly you have to get close. Yet the moment the barrel bursts, you lose an eye. That time the government troops fired their bird guns outside the city, six out of ten barrels burst. Who would dare get close to aim? What use is a thing like that? Beyond ten paces it has no accuracy; within ten paces, the enemy is already charging at you with a blade raised. That long-spear method of yours is so good — you should train it properly and stop always thinking about other things."

"Father's lesson is correct. I will certainly remember it!" Zhao Jin answered at once. His father Zhao Zhentang's words were not wrong.

The firearms used by the government troops were all made in official workshops. Those artisan households, to put it bluntly, were slave households — working unpaid, performing bitter labor. How could they have any inclination to do good work? Add to that the embezzlement by the supervising officials, and the firearms were all crudely and shoddily manufactured. Never mind the specifications — even the materials were faked. How could such things be usable? Burst barrels were commonplace. As for range, accuracy, lethality, and the like — those were even less worth mentioning. By comparison, blades and spears were naturally more practical and useful. That was why the personal guards and household troops of military commanders were required to be highly skilled in archery, while there was no such requirement for firearms.

His father Zhao Zhentang's understanding naturally had its limits, but Zhao Jin was not prepared to argue. Agreeing would suffice.

After lunch, Zhao Jin did not stay home to celebrate the New Year like everyone else. Instead, he went out to inspect the encampment. He might not even return for dinner, which greatly displeased his mother, He Cuihua.

As it happened, the company commander responsible for guarding the entire Zhao household was Zhao Wan. At the time, four relatives from the Zhao and He families were serving in the Zhao Camp — Zhao Wan and Zhao Song were both company commanders. Earlier, He Cuihua had not noticed him, but once she did, she called Zhao Wan inside to eat together, telling him not to stay out in the cold. She was politely but firmly refused.

"Aunt, the camp has its rules. Your nephew is on duty and cannot leave his post."

Seeing Zhao Wan, who used to be so obedient, refuse her like this, He Cuihua finally began to understand a few things. Somewhat dejected, she went back to her chores, only to be grumbled at several times by Zhao Zhentang.

Zhao Jin and his companions visited every company stationed at He Family Village and the encampment. At each company, they said a few words and shared a bite of the New Year's Eve meal with the men, warming the hearts of everyone from top to bottom.

Only, after witnessing this scene, Chen Wu privately remarked to his family, "There's nothing wrong with doing things seriously, but to live so strenuously at such a young age — it's far too dull."

On New Year's Eve, firecrackers rang out in unison. Besides those set off by the Zhao Camp itself, there were also the ones from the shops and merchant firms in the salt market and the trading market. Everyone had made a fortune and reaped benefits this year. To ensure a good omen for the coming year, they set off extra firecrackers to beckon the God of Wealth and add some festive cheer to their own households.

Firecrackers boomed and fireworks filled the sky. Bustling as it was, beautiful as it was, several companies of the Zhao Camp were run off their feet — they were busy dealing with fires and shop blazes.

After the midnight revelry, everywhere gradually quieted down. Aside from a few fun-loving souls who would stay up all night to see the old year out, most people began to rest. After all, on the first day of the new year they still had to visit relatives and friends. At the very least, they had to go to Zhao Jin's place to pay New Year's respects. Even if they could not meet him in person, leaving a visiting card and greeting outside was still considered fulfilling the proper courtesy.

The new year had arrived. It was now the forty-sixth year of the Wanli reign.

As everyone expected, the Zhao household was thronged with visitors. Many people knew they were not qualified to enter the residence, but they all politely offered greetings, left their cards, and signed their names.

Zhao Zhentang and his son Zhao Jin greeted the guests with smiling faces. On such a joyous festive occasion, keeping a stern face would be most inappropriate.

Those who came in the afternoon could no longer see Zhao Jin, because he had gone to the artisan workshop where weapons were forged and equipment repaired. Dong Bingfeng and Liu Yong went to the horse unit. That very night they were to rush to Xuzhou Guard. The riders in the horse unit, along with the Tartar riders brought by Wang Ziyang — those who understood livestock habits and could drive large carts — had all been selected. This matter they were heading to Xuzhou Guard to handle was precisely that.

Quite a few cart drivers were needed this time, and even several of Wang Ziyang's trusted aides were chosen. They showed no reluctance; Wang Ziyang's men had worked for Zhao Jin more than once or twice.

Manufacturing the large carts used for hauling and transporting heavy loads required specialized craftsmanship. From making the wheels to building the cart body, anyone who mastered the whole set of skills could live an upper-middle-class life even in a destitute and impoverished place like Xuzhou. After the market at He Family Village opened, carts and horses gathered there in droves, and the craftsmen who knew how to build and repair large carts followed along.

At present, there was not much business. These master cartwrights and repairmen had originally gone home for the New Year, but on the afternoon of the first day of the new year, they were summoned back to He Family Village. Fortunately, the wages offered were more than generous, so it was worth it even if they missed the holiday.

Many cart teams and merchant caravans had arrived at the Zhao Camp before the new year. Because the return journey was too long and they could not make it back in time for the holiday, they had stayed here. They had many large carts on hand, and these were directly purchased this time as well. The Zhao Camp offered a generous price, so no one was unwilling.

The best locations in Qingjiangpu were on both banks of the Grand Canal. Land near the river could be described as worth an inch of gold for an inch of land. Centered on the canal and the docking wharves, it expanded outward in rings — the farther from the canal, the cheaper the land.

The great granaries of the canal transport administration, the branch offices of the Ministry of Revenue, the garden estates and mansions of high officials and nobles, wealthy merchants and magnates, the storefronts and warehouses of various merchant firms and freight yards, and the teahouses, restaurants, and pleasure quarters clustered everywhere — all of these were naturally situated in the best locations. The places where large carts parked were in the fringe areas of Qingjiangpu. Only when there was cargo to haul would they go to the areas along the canal.

Cart and horse transport in Qingjiangpu also followed a set of rules. Merchants and boat owners would negotiate with the brokers near the canal. Once an agreement was reached, the brokers would then go to the outskirts of Qingjiangpu to hire large carts. After the two great cart gangs from Shandong and Henan formed, even this layer of procedure was eliminated. The gang's account managers and stewards simply waited right at the brokers' offices. When the brokers had business, they would notify them, and the cart gang would arrange everything properly.

The gang leaders and stewards of the cart gangs had long since grown rich and powerful, and they too had purchased properties in the central district of Qingjiangpu. But in those places where land was worth an inch of gold, there was no open ground large enough to park carts and feed livestock, nor cheap lodgings to provide food and shelter for the cart drivers. The carts and drivers all stayed in the remote outskirts of Qingjiangpu, only going to the canal side and the cargo pickup points when there was work.

"Share fortune, share hardship" — such words were probably only spoken when burning incense and kowtowing. The gang leader and Protectors of the cart gang indulged in debauchery; the Incense Masters and headmen below them drank wine and ate meat. As for the rank-and-file gang members at the very bottom, they could only eat their fill and scrape by, just barely keeping their lives going.

Although they merely scraped by, and were flayed and fleeced with deductions on every job, compared to those independent cart drivers, as gang members they were still doing fairly well. It was precisely this sense of comparative superiority that made them content with the status quo and willing to work for the cart gang.

Therefore, even though the upper echelons of the cart gang might not visit these parts more than a few times a year, they knew every rustle and stir in the fringe areas of Qingjiangpu like the back of their hand. This was precisely because the rank-and-file members were so diligent in passing along news and information — nothing could be hidden from them.

The New Year — for the rich, the holiday was not over until the entire first month had passed. For the poor, they had to be out looking for a way to earn their bread by the first day of the new year. The members of the cart gang were a bit better off than ordinary poor households, but they still had to get busy around the fifteenth of the first month, repairing their large carts. Though northward travel on the canal was still inconvenient, ships were already arriving from the south. Goods were being stockpiled in anticipation of spring; everything was about to get busy.

Big Sister Xue of the North Market had not opened her doors for business in two months. She was still living there, though, and the neighbors on both sides could see her coming and going. She no longer wore those flirtatious, coquettish clothes, and there was no rouge or powder on her face. She dressed just like a respectable woman. At night, there were still callers knocking at her door, but she was never seen opening it.

Fortunately, it was the New Year holiday, and everyone was staying home to celebrate. There were hardly any who went out seeking flowers and willows. But once the fifteenth of the first month passed, the number of those out carousing would multiply.

In the past, this Big Sister Xue's business had been poor. Who knew what evil spirit she had bumped into, but for three nights in a row, someone came pounding on her door. Of course, they were all turned away. On the seventeenth day of the first month, two ruffians came calling in broad daylight.

They pounded on the door planks until the heavens shook, but Big Sister Xue refused to open it. She merely said from inside the door, "There's no man in this house; it's not convenient to let strangers in. If you have something to say, say it outside!"

"Damn it, who are you pretending to be a proper, respectable woman for?" One scrawny ruffian spat on the ground. The other ruffian, who was hardly any fatter, put on a leering grin and said, "If it's not convenient to come in, we brothers won't go in. We just came to ask — when is Big Sister Xue opening her doors for business again? The New Year is well and truly over."

"I'm not doing business anymore. From now on, I'm just going to live an honest life here," Big Sister Xue said in a trembling voice. Anyone could hear the fear in it.

Thanks to the book friend "Kong Se Liang Nan" for the reward, and thanks to everyone for your subscriptions and monthly tickets. Thank you all.