Min Song believed that such a scene would be very difficult to see several times in his lifetime.
Two women bargaining like men, sleeves covering their hand-shaking. One calm and composed with lively eyes; the other shy and delicate, flustered and resistant.
What had happened to this world? Where had all the men gone, allowing women to show their faces in public? According to ancient books, Tang Dynasty women were passionate as fire, laughing and scolding freely and naturally. He’d also heard that Great Qiu women excelled at horseback riding and archery. Only recently did he learn that Great Zhou women also had those who weren’t inferior—carefree and spirited.
“Madam, this price is still too expensive.”
Min Song originally thought Mo Zi sympathized with that reformed prostitute and so deliberately gave her business. Unexpectedly, watching her repeatedly shake her head, pushing back and forth, she actually negotiated for quite a while, even saying it was expensive—she was seriously calculating.
That young woman—he thought her fragile and weak, speaking softly even when being assaulted, yet actually she was stubborn.
She said to Mo Zi, “Customer, this price—my husband said it’s the lowest, cannot go lower. My apologies!”
Mo Zi didn’t pull away her sleeve. In her mind, an abacus clicked rapidly, yet she still maintained a smiling face. “I’ll add one hundred logs of maple, one hundred logs of pine, one hundred logs of camphor—how about this?” Her hand pushed over.
One thousand three hundred logs! For Ruimuxiang, this was a major deal that could only be wished for but not sought after.
The young woman lowered her eyes and head. Finally, she gently pushed her hand back and said softly, “Truly cannot go any lower.”
Mo Zi let out a long breath. After several rounds of haggling to this point, she finally confirmed the truth and falsity of the other party’s pricing. “Madam, today you can tell your husband some good news.”
Very satisfied. The final transaction price was slightly more expensive than the first batch purchased, but much cheaper than the two shops she’d just asked at. Lumber market prices were determined by inventory and weather—reasonable fluctuations. She considered it completely normal.
The young woman couldn’t believe this deal was made and asked several times if it was real. Finally confirming the other party wouldn’t back out, she was so happy she didn’t know what to do. Mo Zi had to remind her to bring the contract before she hurriedly ran behind the counter to fetch brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
Mo Zi handed over a small calling card.
The young woman received it with both hands and looked—this card was small and exquisite, quite refined. Written on it: Hongyu Shipyard, Steward Mo. She thought: so women can also manage major affairs. Though shipyards were few among various industries, their status was extremely high. Private shipyards were all uniformly controlled by the court. Outsiders couldn’t see the subtleties within. They thought survival wasn’t easy, but her husband said there was a whole other world inside—a commercial path that could lead to meteoric success. Even they, selling lumber, if they could regularly supply one shipyard, their livelihood would be secure for life. Throughout the year, how much lumber had to be sold? A single transaction of over a thousand logs could turn Ruimuxiang’s accounts from loss to profit this month.
“This woman’s married name is Wang.” She bowed slowly. Reformed women couldn’t speak their maiden family names.
“Madam Wang.” Mo Zi returned the courtesy.
“I dare not accept the word ‘Madam’—this woman is merely a concubine. If Steward Mo doesn’t mind, you may call me Luo Niang.” Her husband didn’t disdain her and took one character from the Luo River goddess to give her a completely new life.
Both parties signed and sealed. Mo Zi also instructed Luo Niang on some details, paid the deposit, said no more, and left with the three others.
In front of Ruimuxiang, people came and went. There were shifty eyes hiding to the side, eavesdropping and peeking. No one paid attention. After Zan Jin mentioned it, Mo Zi saw but didn’t acknowledge. Clearly watching Ruimuxiang. Nothing to do with her.
A donkey cart stopped behind Mo Zi. The middle-aged driver shouted “Madam” toward inside Ruimuxiang while helping someone down from the cart.
Mo Zi turned back curiously and saw Luo Niang rush out, extending her hands to help the middle-aged man support the person. The young man being supported wore gray outer robes with white inner garments, thin and delicate, with a sickly complexion but a gentle smile. Luo Niang spoke somewhat quickly. The middle-aged man shook his head, and her powdered face flushed crimson. The young man gently patted her hand, probably telling her not to panic. The three of them went in supporting each other.
Mo Zi turned her head and saw Min Song looking at her, so she asked, “What are you looking at?”
“I see you’re envious.” He didn’t understand—what was there to envy?
“I’m a woman—of course I’d envy Luo Niang having such a doting husband.” One after another treating her like a real man?
“How can she compare to you? You also heard—she was formerly a brothel woman.” When Min Song spoke these words, there was a somewhat disgusted expression. “That sickly person just now on the cart is Wang Lang, the third son of the Wang clan main family of Jichang, born to the legitimate wife, with legitimate son status. Frail and sickly from youth, thought he wouldn’t live past twenty. One day while boating on the lake to relax, he encountered this woman. This woman isn’t stunningly beautiful either, but one poem—Wang Lang half a verse, she half a verse—actually bewitched Wang Lang from then on. He insisted on marrying her. The family naturally disagreed in every way. Later, thinking his days were numbered, they relented one step and brought her into the Wang family as a concubine. People say lucky charm, lucky charm—having her, Wang Lang’s health gradually improved and his chronic illness was cured. The family then arranged to marry him a wife, still a daughter of my Min clan. Unexpectedly, he firmly refused, saying his wife could only be that concubine—he absolutely wouldn’t accept other women. That concubine’s status was so lowly, and from a brothel background too—no one in the Wang family approved. Wang Lang actually made his intentions public, causing quite a stir on Wang clan main family grounds. Finally somehow, he separated from the family. The Wang clan has severed relations with him, reportedly not caring whether he lives or dies.”
After hearing this, Mo Zi couldn’t help but say “wonderful.” “I said if my family has that one, there shouldn’t be few people like her in this world. Indeed, people of deep emotion and true nature have existed since ancient times. Wang Lang of the Wang clan—a good man. After hearing such a story, who can still say there’s no ‘one heart, one life, one couple’?” That one in her family was naturally Qiu Sanniang.
“Wang Lang is a good man?” Min Song scoffed. “For a woman, unfilial, disrespectful, improper, unvirtuous, abandoned by his clan, now with nowhere to settle. Such a person is more like a petty man. One heart, one life, one couple? Isn’t it very common for men throughout the world to have multiple wives and concubines? The greater the man, the more virtuous wives and good concubines around him to match. Not to mention being able to branch out and spread leaves, many sons and grandsons—the whole family prospering. Like Wang Lang, clearly born to a high family, yet because of one woman became helpless and dependent. Even if he has sons and daughters in the future, this Wang surname branch can only be lonely and pitiful. However, his woman calling herself a concubine shows she’s knowledgeable and reasonable.”
Mo Zi couldn’t rebuke Min Song’s views—this was millennia of deep-rooted beliefs that would continue indefinitely. She could only persist in herself, then praise when seeing others persist.
“From the sound of it, your father has wives and concubines in droves, and you have many siblings’ affection?” She didn’t refute him, just felt an itch to ask.
“My parents are different. My mother was born to a prestigious noble family—if we really trace it, it was the Min clan climbing high to match that family. Though my father only has my mother as wife, within the clan he already has rare glory—what need for other women to add color? Moreover, my mother bore my brothers and me, three sons, each inheriting the Min clan’s skillful hands. If there were illegitimate sons, what use would they be?” Main family legitimate line—Min Song was quite proud.
Mo Zi still ignored his proud son part but was interested in one thing. “Your father only has your mother—no equal wives, side wives, small concubines, chamber maids, outside lovers?”
Min Song immediately snorted. “My father is wholehearted toward my mother—where would all that messy stuff come from!” Even outside lovers!
“Then the family education failed. Parents in a monogamous marriage raised a son who wants a pile of wives and concubines, and from the sound of it, completely unsatisfied.” Mo Zi repeatedly expressed wonder.
Min Song’s face was thin-skinned and immediately reddened. He roared lowly, “I… I haven’t married yet! Just engaged… engaged.”
Mo Zi coldly glanced sideways at him. “You’re only engaged and not yet married, already thinking of multiple wives and concubines. I deeply sympathize with your fiancée. I deeply sympathize with your father and mother for bearing a son like you. Your own parents’ wholeheartedness—their son didn’t learn a bit of it. Instead, influenced by this world, you want to be a hypocritical great man surrounded by a flock of beauties. According to what you say, all the lustful incompetent emperors since ancient times were great men—each with three thousand wives! But I just don’t understand why marrying many women demonstrates a great man’s bearing? Marrying one means you can’t go to battle and kill enemies, can’t pass the imperial examinations with honors, can’t leave your name in history? In my view, only with fewer women can men have the focus and energy to achieve true accomplishments. The Confucian Way you most revere was founded by someone who married only one wife. Who else in the world has greater accomplishments than him? Passed down for millennia without changing a single word.”
Question after question hammered Min Song until he saw stars. Even Master Confucius was brought out—marrying how many wives had completely no connection, yet she linked them so naturally and logically. He couldn’t help thinking that maybe men truly shouldn’t marry too many—one was enough. Like his father, who only had his mother, practiced the nine Min clan techniques most proficiently—currently no one could surpass him. Unknowingly, Mo Zi had eroded the concepts society and family had given him.
“I was just talking.” Of course he couldn’t out-talk Mo Zi. In the end, he only muttered this sentence: “Even if I don’t think this way, everyone else thinks this way.”
“Min Song, you want to learn ship craftsmanship from me, right?” Although she clearly said she wouldn’t teach, if he was clever, he would watch and listen—could still self-study to success. “The highest skill in ship craftsmanship is breaking through oneself, completely renewed. If you like following the crowd in doing things, then what you learn is limited.”
Min Song fell silent. Even arriving at Jichang Lumber Shop, he repeatedly pondered Mo Zi’s words and forgot to bring out Risheng Shipyard’s name to get the lowest price.
When Mo Zi called him out of the shop, he suddenly awakened. “You’re not buying lumber?”
“The cedar is somewhat better than the previous two shops, somewhat inferior to Ruimuxiang. Just now when hand-negotiating the price, they pulled away their sleeve on me. I used the same price as Ruimuxiang. However, no matter. One thousand cedar logs is enough for me to build two ships.” Though views on polygamy were completely different, Mo Zi wouldn’t continue to show Min Song a cold face because of it. Purely personal opinion—no need to force it on others.
“You should have called me—I could have helped you press lower.” Min Song genuinely wanted to help.
“The other party said that was the price given to Risheng—whether to buy or not was up to me.” Did she think she wouldn’t borrow name recognition?
In business negotiations, first casual then serious. When she chatted casually, mentioning Old Master Min left and right, the other party treated her quite politely, but when shaking hands, equally politely told her the cedar price had risen and couldn’t be the same as half a month ago.
“Let’s find a tavern and eat.” But she was in very good spirits.