Min Song’s eyes bulged out.
Mo Zi took a curved template from the side and placed it under his face.
“What are you doing?” He was very angry.
“Afraid your eyeballs will fall out, so I’m catching them for you to prevent them from getting dirty on the ground.” Mo Zi giggled, somewhat lacking seriousness.
“By what right do you not hire me? You can even hire that guy who can’t hold a saw, so what am I lacking compared to him?” He slammed the table.
“By the fact that I’m the one whose word counts here, and this third test is even more beyond your control.” He was anxious, but she wasn’t. “Young Master Song, you have a perfectly good Risheng to stay at—why would you want to come here? Hongyu Cove has only just opened for business. I don’t even have a single order yet, so don’t tell me you think Hongyu Cove has prospects, or that you can’t fully display your abilities under your grandfather’s protective umbrella and want to be independent. I won’t believe a single word of such talk.”
Min Song had actually wanted to say exactly that, so being blocked, he grunted and wanted to change his words on the spot, but wasn’t good at it. In the end, after saying “I” twice, he had nothing more to say.
Mo Zi saw his face flush red from holding back and couldn’t tease him further. She sighed and said, “Young Master Song, I don’t want to show you an ugly face, but my small temple cannot accommodate a great Buddha like you. Don’t put me in a difficult position. People say it takes a hundred years of cultivation to cross on the same boat. You and I once shared a boat, our lives bound as one—I won’t claim this friendship is great, but I’ll use it today. Give me some face and go back.”
Hearing this person actually lower her stance, Min Song knew her mind was made up. But he had come here after a struggle and didn’t want to give up easily. “Brother Mo, actually I want to learn your shipbuilding techniques.”
Mo Zi raised an eyebrow. “You finally admit it.” She had guessed it, but considering his pride, she hadn’t felt comfortable stating it plainly.
“I know you’re unwilling to teach your ship techniques to outsiders, but those three-masted triangular sails on Baihua River truly aroused my curiosity. Exactly why can such masts and sails unify chaotic winds, sail against the wind as if on level ground, and remain unharmed in whirlpools? Though the Min family has nine techniques, not one technique has ever achieved such results. As long as Brother Mo is willing to teach me, I’m willing to offer substantial payment and honor you as my teacher in this one skill.” As Min Song spoke, his knees bent and he actually knelt straight down.
Mo Zi hurried to help him up. “Young Master Song, I dare not accept this. I’ve never studied under a famous master, nor do I have any reputation in this trade. Taking disciples and accepting students—I don’t even have master craftsman qualifications. How could I?”
His sincerity gave her a headache, and his persistence gave her an even bigger headache. The three masts and three sails were for passing through the Ghost Gate. Having Water Snake and the others dismantle it later was precisely to prevent people with ulterior motives from learning it and using it for bad purposes. She herself had been forced to reveal this skill, so naturally she couldn’t possibly teach it to others.
Seeing that although Mo Zi’s words were deflections, her intention to refuse was unquestionable, Min Song still wouldn’t get up. “Brother Mo, do you know that if I, Min Song, honor you as my teacher in one skill, you would become a master craftsman from that moment on? If I inherit the family head position in the future, you would naturally rise to the position of grand master craftsman, without needing to participate in the examinations set by the ship trade.”
Mo Zi was unmoved by these titles. Whether she was a master craftsman or grand master craftsman, she knew it in her own heart. She didn’t need others to give it to her, nor did she need “one person attaining enlightenment lifts even chickens and dogs to heaven.” Therefore, she smiled.
Min Song wasn’t stupid. He could see the indifferent attitude in her smile, so he asked, “Brother Mo manages Hongyu Cove—is it not to make a name for yourself?”
Heaven knows, what she feared most was making a name for herself. She immediately shook her head. “I manage Hongyu Cove only to follow my master’s instructions. A fortune teller said that the ancestral business cannot be abandoned, otherwise it will affect my master’s prosperous fate. My master had no one available at the moment, which is why I was forced to accept it. Regarding ships, I know a thing or two, but compared to the masters in your Risheng, just your grandfather alone—I’m utterly inadequate.”
“Brother Mo’s words are evasive.” Pride gradually rose in Min Song’s eyes as he slowly stood up, his tall figure straight as a pine. “Grandfather indeed predicted events like a god. Before I came, he already told me that you would definitely refuse me with various reasons.”
Mo Zi’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Since he already anticipated it, why did you still come?”
“Because Grandfather gave me a strategy.” Min Song pulled out a piece of paper from his chest, folded into a neat square.
“Oh?” Mo Zi was still wondering what strategy it could be when she saw the paper unfold, and her eyes lit up.
It was a ship diagram showing a large river ship, marked for a two-thousand-shi load capacity.
“This is for two large cargo ships my third uncle ordered from Risheng a month ago. Although it’s family business, the price is slightly lower—three thousand taels per ship. If you hire me, Grandfather has spoken—this order belongs to your Hongyu Cove. How about it?” Min Song’s earlier kneeling was sincere. Now this enticement was also sincere. His pursuit of technique was extremely persistent.
What Mo Zi was thinking at this moment, however, was that Old Master Min was truly—formidable!
Her Hongyu Cove had everything ready, only lacking orders. Though breaking through the three tests had generated some reputation for Hongyu Cove, in recent days, only people looking for work had come to the door—no customers. After all, in this era, transportation was blocked and information slow. Moreover, the four existing shipyards in the capital and these two or three provinces had already divided up the old customers. Hongyu Cove needed time to find new clients. And at this moment, Min Song made a move—two large ships with a total price of six thousand taels. For her, this was simply an irresistible temptation.
Qiu Sanniang had set her target at five thousand taels, with the excess going to herself. Once she accepted these two ships, she wouldn’t need to worry about anything—just wait for the year to end and get back her contract of indenture. Then, whether to leave or stay, she would no longer need to take orders from anyone.
However, she closed her eyes, then opened them again with infinite regret. “Young Master Song, you should still go back.”
Min Song was even more shocked than before. When he mentioned the order would belong to Hongyu Cove, her eyes had clearly sparkled, showing a “that’s wonderful” expression. Why had she turned around and still refused him in the blink of an eye? Yet her gaze lingered reluctantly. Although she told him to go back, she gritted her teeth, clearly very unwilling.
“Brother Mo, once you accept the order, Hongyu Cove will be busy for half a year. And you should be very clear this isn’t just about one contract. Once Hongyu Cove’s ship mark appears on my Min family’s river transport, many people will come seeking your ships in the future. Such great benefits, yet I only ask to learn one thing from you—the three-masted sailing ship.” Not all the secret techniques.
“Young Master Song, such great benefits also require an equally large stomach to swallow them. You’ve also seen that my place is crude—only eight craftsmen and one ship worker. I won’t hide it from you—among the eight craftsmen, only two are quite familiar with ships. The remaining six have skills but not much experience in the ship trade. My master is stingy and didn’t provide much capital. Now only a bit over a thousand taels remain. Even if I grew three heads and six arms, to take on two two-thousand-shi large river ships would be daydreaming.” Mo Zi’s struggling expression had already dissipated, her eyes clear. “I once heard a saying—opportunities are for those who are prepared. I’m not prepared. If I greedily accepted this order, I’m afraid many problems would emerge. When caught unprepared then, the losses might far exceed six thousand taels of silver.”
Min Song began clapping. “What excellent words—opportunities are for those who are prepared. Brother Mo, I, Min Song, am thoroughly convinced and impressed.”
Mo Zi didn’t understand what he meant.
“Grandfather said that if you dared to accept this contract, you would be a snake swallowing an elephant—greed bringing disaster. If you were truly clever, you would definitely give up such great benefits and see farther ahead. He instructed me that if it were the former, I should leave the order and return to Risheng. If it were the latter, he told me not to be constrained by learning techniques, but to work as an ordinary shipwright with you for a year or two.” Grandfather’s meaning was that one didn’t necessarily need to formally apprentice or be taught hand-by-hand to learn things. Watching with one’s eyes and comprehending with one’s heart could also lead to growth. “You know, everyone at Risheng recognizes me, but Hongyu Cove is different. If you help me conceal my identity, I can start from the bottom.”
Ships cannot be built by one person alone. He had heard this saying no less than dozens of times, but only after passing through the three tests did he truly comprehend it.
“Young Master Song—” Stop causing me trouble, okay? And for a whole year or two at that!
Min Song put the blueprint back but pulled out another folded paper.
“I don’t care how many ship diagrams you have in your chest—it’s useless.” Mo Zi was getting somewhat mentally exhausted by this person. After all, she wasn’t accustomed to playing the bad guy.
“From now on, just call me A’Song. The Min surname is a famous name in this trade—very easy for people to see through.” Yet this person was acting as if he was confident about working here.
Mo Zi looked and saw this ship diagram—she had seen it before. In the first test, she had even personally built a ship model of it. Two levels, seven-hundred-shi load capacity, a river ship for both cargo and passengers, considered medium-sized.
“This order was placed by the Magistrate of Zhang Province. The ship must be delivered by mid-November, with a five-hundred-tael deposit. After a successful trial voyage, another twelve hundred taels will be paid.” After Min Song finished explaining, he added, “Same words—hire me, and this order belongs to Hongyu Cove.”
It must have been taught by Old Master Min Yu again. That old fox—not only testing his own grand-nephew, but also testing her. With the previous probe, he was mostly confident she would be tempted but not blind, but with this contract, he was confirming that she would be both tempted and salivating. A perfectly sized bait, so fragrant and enticing.
“Why wouldn’t the Magistrate seek an official shipyard for his ship? Moreover, even if the order was placed with you and transferred to us, the Magistrate might not agree.” Mo Zi thought very carefully.
“With the borders currently unstable, official shipyards are busy building warships—who would bother with such a small order? The order was placed with us, but as long as the final ship collection location is at our Risheng inner bay, it’s fine. Of course, the ship inspection will also be done by us. You only need to pay two hundred taels in inspection and docking fees.” Between close brothers, accounts must be clear, so what should be clarified cannot be vague.
Mo Zi swallowed, and after an internal struggle, obediently surrendered. Fifteen hundred taels in hand, in a situation she could control—very good. Moreover, since the other party had taken a step back, if she persisted further, she would be foolish.
“Since you want to stay, I’ll let you stay. You said you won’t study techniques but only work—I hope you won’t complain in the future. Starting from the bottom means being a ship worker. Same as Wei Qing—two taels monthly salary, room and board included, two sets of clothes each season.”
“Same as Wei Qing?” Isn’t that a huge waste of talent? Min Song wasn’t very pleased. “I’m a master craftsman at Risheng.” Before this Brother Mo appeared, his goal was to pass the grand master craftsman examination by year’s end.
“Who was it that said they wanted to start from the bottom, Brother A’Song?” Mo Zi felt that Old Master Min was wise—this young master needed tempering. She waved her hand to indicate this matter was not open to discussion.
He was just being polite. Min Song wanted to argue.
At this moment, someone knocked on the door. Qiu Dadong brought someone in.
Mo Zi looked—it was Xiao Yi!
[Author’s note: New Year’s Eve, the new spring awaits outside the door.
Wishing everyone a peaceful Year of the Dragon, flowers in full bloom, smooth sailing, and great fortune in all things!
Thank you all for your support of Lingzi over the past year. I can only repay you by working hard to write good stories for everyone.
Immensely grateful for every subscription, reward, pink votes, recommendations, comments, and all kinds of PK support. Please continue this journey with me—it will definitely become even more exciting!]