Su Minguan settled his tea bill and sat alone by the Bund for a long while. Finally, he could somewhat empathize with Lin Yuchan that day when she was slighted and insulted by Chartered Bank, refused service, and why she got so angry that she even shed tears.

He thought he had grown accustomed to injustices, but still had to admit that this heart in his chest had soft, vulnerable parts after all.

He gazed at the shimmering waves, set aside his belongings, crossed and gathered his arms, and tentatively, slowly hugged himself.

His shoulders were broad – he couldn’t easily reach his own back like a little girl could. He could only grasp his shoulders, feeling those solid bones with an entirely unfamiliar sensation.

He felt this posture must look ridiculous. As if he had suddenly discovered another side of himself. Carrying some weakness, some despair, some melancholy of swimming against the current.

From the corner of his eye, he saw passersby staring. A wealthy child in silk clothing ran past him, then suddenly turned back and asked the wet nurse beside him: “Why is this man sitting by the river? Is he going to jump? Father said someone who went bankrupt from business jumped in here yesterday.”

The wet nurse was horrified, quickly covering the child’s mouth, then repeatedly apologizing: “Children speak without thinking, children speak without thinking… Young man, please don’t mind, the child is talking nonsense… Quickly apologize!”

Su Minguan finally laughed out loud, waved at the child, and called out: “The water’s too cold, only an idiot would go in!”

Those two constables and the fat scholar should be catching colds right about now.

Seeing he wasn’t offended, the wet nurse also scolded the child: “So rude! He’s just enjoying the scenery. Don’t talk nonsense in the future! Fortunately, this young man is generous, otherwise what if you caused trouble?…”

As the wet nurse spoke, she stole glances at that handsome young man.

He looked good even with a stern expression, and even better when he smiled.

The wet nurse thought, being born so handsome, his background must be good too, must have had smooth sailing his whole life, right? What could he possibly have to worry about?

Su Minguan waited until the wet nurse and child walked away, then suddenly stood up.

That casual remark, “the water’s too cold,” had stirred up an urge.

He still had a few taels of silver on hand. Time to go to Yiyuan for a soak.

Facts proved that “soaking himself” was more useful than “hugging himself.” Pity certain girls didn’t have this privilege.

He emerged onto the street refreshed and clearheaded, his mood now calm.

Just a mess, after all. Since Su Minguan had changed the course of his life, how many messes had he cleaned up?

The worst outcome would be losing three thousand taels for nothing and returning to the starting point from when he opened last year.

At worst, he’d let that little girl take advantage again.

Thinking of this, his steps became lighter as he returned to Yixing headquarters, opened his account books and notes, and searched one by one for potential private lenders.

Year-end socializing was frequent, and Su Minguan took the opportunity to sound out many fellow merchants.

Word had already spread in the industry that Boss Su of Yixing Shipping had spent fifteen thousand taels on a steamship that couldn’t operate. Everyone had prepared a belly full of flattery – “young talent,” “bold and insightful,” “glory of Chinese merchants” – planning to lay on the praise. But seeing Boss Su’s worried expression, they realized things weren’t simple.

Su Minguan did not need to hide anything, so he spoke directly – he was short on ready cash and needed the final payment.

Indeed, several fellow merchants found it difficult:

“With year-end approaching, money is tight. Hard to help…”

“Yes, even borrowing from foreign companies is difficult lately. We also have debts to repay…”

Su Minguan was prepared for polite refusals and smiled without taking offense.

Ocean shipping was high-risk, high-profit, with few shipping companies keeping large amounts of cash on hand. The traditional approach was to first borrow from money houses for financing, transport inland silk, tea, cotton, and other goods for sale in Southeast Asia, bringing back local specialties. If they returned safely, both the ship owner and the money house shared generous profits; if they encountered storms and the ship capsized, both the shipping company and the money house lost everything.

This was industry reality. Most Chinese ship owners had capital of only hundreds or thousands of taels, nearly all in debt, not expected to casually produce large sums.

Even those who managed well had mostly fixed assets, with ready cash being a luxury.

Moreover, due to the boycott against Yixing, foreign companies had tightened lending to all Chinese shipping businesses. When one suffered, all suffered, making life even harder for ship owners who survived on borrowing.

Unexpectedly, a Ningbo ship owner suddenly slammed down his wine cup and shouted through his alcoholic breath: “Enough of this depressing talk! We’re all envious of those foreign steamships! Faster than Chinese sailing ships, and more stable, too. When you meet pirates and bandits, damn it, mount a few cannons and blast them! – Minguan, my ‘Jiuda Sand Ship’ company isn’t doing well now, but after year-end accounting and paying wages, maybe I’ll have a few hundred spare taels to help out. A drop in the bucket – don’t think it’s too little.”

Su Minguan’s eyes lit up slightly. Looking at the Ningbo merchants at the table, most showed approving expressions.

For that moment, perhaps due to the alcohol, his eyes grew slightly warm, a trace of emotion passing through his chest.

In business matters, he had thought there would be no warmth in this cruel, cold-blooded profession.

He stood to toast them.

A Fujian guest merchant also said, “If you buy this steamship, we’ll also have a chance to experience it. Every time those foreign steamships overtake my worthless sand ship on the water, we curse them – I’m still in debt temporarily, but I’ll help you ask relatives and friends. If there’s good news, I’ll send someone with a message.”

Chinese ship owners had long suffered under foreign merchants but lacked sufficient capital to compete. Now, with someone taking the lead, even though everyone felt the prospects were dim, they all encouraged him. Even those at the table who were quite envious of Yixing and secretly competed with Boss Su couldn’t bear to kick him while he was down.

Low words were exchanged over wine cups.

“We Chinese need to stick together. Can’t let foreigners bully us.”

“If he succeeds, we all gain face, don’t we?”

“Can foreigners drink with us like this? Chinese people are still more reliable.”

“Cheers!”

A boss from Beijing suddenly said: “Boss Su has connections to get tax-free tickets from foreign companies, and we ship runners all benefit. Though I don’t have many ships, however many tickets you have left, I can buy a few more. In case I acquire new ships next year, I can use them immediately – what do you think? Hey, brothers, who else is adding ships next year? Buy a few foreign tickets in advance to help little brother Su with his emergency.”

Several people immediately responded: “Exactly, buying early or late, we’re buying anyway! – Hey, Boss Su, this is a group order from us, give us a discount, haha…”

Su Minguan was overjoyed, stood to toast again, and laughed heartily: “Thanks to everyone’s support, there must be a discount, won’t shortchange you – but I need ready cash.”

Before they knew it, year-end had arrived. Most shops were closed for holiday, everyone was tight on money, preparing for New Year.

The auction committee had issued a second payment reminder.

Su Minguan exhausted all his connections and disposed of considerable idle assets, but still had a four-thousand-tael shortfall.

He could sell more ships, but at this time, everyone knew he needed money urgently and pressed prices extremely low. Moreover, Chinese sand ships were increasingly uncompetitive and decreasing in value, completely not worth their profit-generating capacity.

Underground usury was also available through connections. But current usury is often multiplied dozens of times, with backing from government officials. Once he opened his mouth, he would be digging his own grave. He hadn’t forgotten that his once-mighty father had died from high-interest loans when cash flow failed.

Worse yet, he could smash pots and sell iron, dissecting and selling Yixing’s heart, liver, and vital organs to squeeze out silver. But that would damage his foundation. The day the steamship arrived would be the day he ceased operations.

As for even more unsavory methods…

He knew some channels. But the Jiangsu-Zhejiang branch was watching secretly. If he took crooked paths, it would mean admitting defeat.

What goes around comes around. Since Su Minguan started working as a runner for Jardine Matheson & Co., he had cheated countless people in Guangdong and Shanghai. Now he finally tasted a bit of being at the end of his rope.

At the end of the twelfth month, the second Guangdong fellow-provincial gathering was held at Renhe Hotel. This was a group organized by Miss Lin – he had to show respect.

Last year’s gathering was spontaneous, held on New Year’s Eve with only a dozen or so participants who couldn’t return home and were forced to stay in Shanghai. This time, he and Lin Yuchan deliberately chose an earlier date so Cantonese merchants and travelers preparing to return home for the New Year could also spare time to attend.

The three-year bet, the challenge of “claiming territory,” had already begun moving forward relentlessly. Many eyes were watching his every move.

Through word-of-mouth from the hotel owner and connections brought by last year’s fellow provincials, this time a full forty to fifty people came, occupying most of the hotel’s seating.

This time they couldn’t have mixed seating. Moreover, there were fewer than ten female guests – half customs servants’ wives, half female workers from Lin Yuchan’s tea processing chain.

There was also Shopkeeper Mao’s daughter, whom Su Minguan had met once, bringing a companion maid, shyly showing her face.

They sat separately in a private room. After a few drinks, it soon became chatty and giggly with drunken laughter.

Su Minguan only glimpsed that figure in a water-red cotton jacket. Her hair still faithfully bore the little white flower, and her clothing wasn’t proper red either, dutifully playing the role written on her identity documents.

Across several singing entertainers, she waved at him from afar with the happy smile of the New Year.

Su Minguan touched the cheap ceramic pen holder in his pocket, smiled at her with heavy thoughts.

This pen holder was like a sharp knife, harshly carving a lesson in his heart.

Gossip was fearsome. In the past… perhaps due to financial success, his whole person had indeed become too presumptuous.

He could manage his brothers, but what about others?

What did the past amount to?

He cupped his hands toward her from afar, then returned to his seat, putting on the skin of flashy worldliness. When he turned his face, melancholy was swept away, his features full of smiles.

He called out loudly to those faces equally full of smiles: “What a pleasure to meet you all.”

However, he still couldn’t concentrate one hundred percent. Occasionally, he was distracted, paying attention to the situation at her table.

Lin Yuchan ate and drank with restraint, refined and reserved, with a stability beyond her years.

She wasn’t like this when eating morning tea and pan-fried buns with him, as if afraid he’d steal her food.

She graciously greeted other female guests. She would also select some men who looked proper and open-minded, and when meeting in the corridor, would introduce herself neither humbly nor arrogantly, with courtesy.

Not so deliberately smooth and sophisticated, but making people feel comfortable.

She chatted and laughed with Rong Hong, took a long time over a bowl of sweet soup, and found paper to write and draw seriously, studying something unknown.

Suddenly, she looked up in Su Minguan’s direction. Her gaze was clear and bright, not like someone who had drunk three cups of wine.

Su Minguan withdrew his gaze again, forcing himself to focus on the group before him.

Someone asked him with a smile: “Boss Su, you said you took a fancy to that steamship – how fast can it sail?”

Socializing was fine once or twice, but doing it too often was simply torture.

But to raise money, he could only bite the bullet and vividly describe the “hundred advantages of steam-powered ships” that he’d told ten thousand times to strangers once again…

After the meal, he’d made many new friends but was left parched and dry-mouthed. There wasn’t much tea at the table, so he’d casually drunk quite a bit of wine.

He seemed to have eaten something too, purely to line his stomach, tasting nothing.

Su Minguan was usually self-disciplined, but today he threw caution to the wind for that bit of silver.

By the time the banquet ended, he was somewhat lightheaded and unsteady.

Including today’s banquet bill, he was still short twenty-five hundred taels.

After the meal, the boss led the managers and waiters out to give New Year greetings to the Cantonese guests.

Some merchants had their carriages lined up along the roadside. The boss courteously saw them off, then called carriages for the others.

Su Minguan waved his hand, about to say: “No need to spend money, I’ll walk back.”

It wasn’t like he didn’t have legs.

He felt like, after a busy year for nothing, he was back to last year’s penny-pinching state, reluctant to spend a single unnecessary copper.

Before he could take a step, a small carriage had stopped beside him. A hand reached out from the carriage and forcefully pulled him up.

Su Minguan, without thinking, thought: Sharing a ride?

He was skilled at socializing – everyone should know him by now and know where he lived. Maybe someone was truly going the same direction.

He climbed into the carriage accordingly.

This was the smallest type of horse-drawn carriage, cramped inside, perfect for one person but crowded with two. He stumbled in drowsily, softly bumping into the other person, and quickly apologized.

Unexpectedly, this fellow passenger wasn’t angry but burst into light laughter.

Su Minguan’s ears twitched, and he suddenly smiled, relaxing his body and reclining on the cushions.

“It’s you.”

Lin Yuchan pushed his shoulder – no movement. She reached out with the back of her hand and lightly touched his burning face, puzzled: “Today’s wine wasn’t much better than usual.”

He just smiled, closed his eyes and emptied his mind, his fingers touching one end of her water-red cotton jacket’s sash, drunkenly playing with it.

Lin Yuchan helplessly thought, This person is drunk.

She’d never seen him drunk like this before.

Even in the modern era with business opportunities everywhere, getting angel round investment wasn’t easy. Let alone in the Qing Dynasty.

Seeing his dejected appearance, a phrase suddenly floated through her mind:

“The only person who drank standing while wearing a long gown”…

She couldn’t help but smile again with pursed lips. Even Kong Yiji wasn’t as down and out as he was now.

Su Minguan murmured: “What’s wrong?”

She didn’t answer. She had originally wanted to discuss something with him, but hesitated, feeling this wasn’t the right moment.

“Go ahead, I’m listening.” Su Minguan suddenly spoke, still with his eyes closed, his voice somewhat ethereal. “Just a little dizzy, but my brain’s still working… If you don’t believe me, I’ll recite the Analects for you.”

He then seriously recited a few lines. Lin Yuchan gently spat: “Save it!”

She hesitated for a moment, then asked with an accusatory tone: “Have you paid the final payment? I’m still waiting to ride the ship.”

Su Minguan: “…”

She asked again: “Couldn’t get the loan, why didn’t you tell me?”

Su Minguan: “Borrowing money is the same thing.”

“Did you borrow enough?”

“…”

Had this news spread outside the industry? Who had she heard it from?

His thinking was still somewhat sluggish, and he was rendered speechless by her questions.

Lin Yuchan continued: “This time last year, Yixing had a house full of bad debts, and you spent every penny carefully, but I never saw you drowning your sorrows in drink like this.”

Su Minguan protested seriously: “I’m not drowning sorrows in drink, I’m drinking to raise funds. I drink, they drink too. As long as others are drunker than I, I can talk them into opening their purses.”

Though his words were stubborn, his heart flashed with past scenes that perfectly matched her clear voice’s description.

Back then he couldn’t even pay a three-hundred-tael customs fine, but life was fulfilling – learning about ships, practicing with guns, running errands, training younger men, developing his network, teasing his little shareholder when he had nothing else to do. The word “closure” had never appeared in his career plans.

And now? He held orders worth over ten thousand taels of silver, his shoulders weighed down heavily, his whole person like a steam engine that only knew mechanical operation. Even the glory of the “Guangdong” ship in his memory had dimmed, becoming an inescapable burden.

And… it had indeed been a long time since he’d seen her.

He sighed softly, closed his eyes, and smiled: “Once I get through this period, I’ll give myself a vacation.”

The carriage wheels responded softly, with various sounds of doors and windows closing outside, making one very much want to rest.

Lin Yuchan spoke quietly, slowly: “I discussed it with Mr. Rong. The net profits from Boya’s Hongkou branch this year can all be lent to you. Eight hundred taels from him, eight hundred from me, sixteen hundred total, all kept in my safe. Send someone to collect it tomorrow. If you need bank drafts, I can write them too.”

The carriage ran from a small alley onto the main road, wind arising from flat ground on all sides, making the carriage’s canvas flutter noisily. Near curfew, police loudly cleared the streets, shouting at the driver: “Hurry up!”

The driver agreed, pulling the reins to speed up. The wheels jolted, and Su Minguan lay in the carriage with his head buzzing from the shaking. He struggled to sit up, but the carriage was too narrow to straighten up.

Finally, he managed to half-recline, pillowing his head on something soft of unknown material.

Lin Yuchan herself was slightly tipsy, helplessly looking at that head reeking of alcohol pillowed on her lap, asking: “Why didn’t you ask to borrow from me?”

Su Minguan opened his eyes, misty and hazy, seeing that delicate little face above, her small lips tightly pursed with dissatisfaction like a drawn bowstring.

Why didn’t he ask to borrow from her? He couldn’t quite explain. Perhaps he felt it was hard to speak of borrowing money from a girl – her savings didn’t come from thin air either. It would be best if she knew nothing of the difficulties, then one day, the steamship would appear before her eyes without warning, giving her a big surprise.

Unexpectedly, she had been one step ahead. Though she said “discussed with Mr. Rong,” it was probably mostly her persuading Rong Hong to be this fool together.

A bitter smile floated to Su Minguan’s lips as he answered: “Afraid you’d take advantage of the situation and cheat me out of half the shares.”

“Oh my, such an honor, you’re starting to guard against me now.” Lin Yuchan smiled charmingly. “Good, exchanging for shares would be even better – we can discuss it.”

“See, see.” Su Minguan closed his eyes, yawned, and laughed quietly. “If I’d come to you first and you’d stripped me bare, then the other merchants would follow suit and all want a piece of the pie. All my creditors would become shareholders, and Mr. Li would have to send someone to assassinate me the next day.”

Lin Yuchan pulled out a handkerchief from her chest and threw it on his face: “Wipe yourself.”

Drunk like this, but his logic was still so clear, still able to engage in half-serious banter with her – he deserved society’s harsh lesson.

Cold and sudden, she heard his voice turn dark and hoarse: “Thank you.”

She asked: “Is sixteen hundred taels enough? How much more do you need?”

Not enough.

Su Minguan played up his seven-tenths drunkenness to full effect, pretending not to hear.

But she wasn’t so easily fooled. After a moment, that clear little voice was heard again, lowered and hesitant.

“There’s another way, I don’t know if you’d be willing to use it.” Her voice was soft, echoing in the narrow carriage, beautiful as a nightingale. “Most wealthy merchants in Guangzhou donate for official positions to facilitate business, as you know. It’s the same here. I’ve inquired – official titles are priced now. A fifth-rank prefect costs only two thousand taels, a fourth-rank expectant circuit intendant only six thousand taels. Regardless of peddler or merchant, money is all that’s needed. If… if you donated for a nominal title and changed identity to apply for loans, Chinese money houses would not dare refuse…”

Her tone was somewhat uneasy, carefully choosing words: “I only heard this casually and mention it casually. If you’re unwilling, just pretend I never said it…”

Su Minguan smiled and gently shook his head, feeling her breath fall on his face, fine and warm.

“It’s a viable path, thanks for thinking of it.” His voice carried alcoholic breath, also becoming gentle. “But no… I’ve made a solemn vow never to enter officialdom, never to take exams or become an official… Don’t tell others, it’s a secret…”

Lin Yuchan was surprised – she’d never heard him mention this.

Looking at that face with distinct features, cheeks flushed, eyes closed with thick lashes sweeping below his eye sockets, the entire brow bone area also reddened, adding three parts of languid beauty to his appearance.

She asked: “Is it a Heaven and Earth Society rule?”

But she clearly remembered him saying there was once a Thirteen Hongs merchant in the society, surnamed Wu or something, who directly bought the position of Shanghai Circuit Intendant, and during his tenure, the Small Swords Society rebelled and occupied Shanghai county seat for several months.

Su Minguan gently shook his head. His temples seemed to have thousand-pound weights, pushing his consciousness toward dark depths. The words in his mouth gradually broke free from the edge of thought, becoming instinctive revelation.

“No… not a Heaven and Earth Society rule, it’s my own… Minguan has three prohibitions in life, ‘not entering officialdom’ ranks first…”

Lin Yuchan was even more amused. Was this from being forced to study eight-legged essays too painfully as a child, rebelling to this day?

Or was he cheated by some unreliable fortune teller?

She looked at those pursed, beautiful lips and asked with a smile: “What are the other two prohibitions?”

Su Minguan suddenly half-opened his eyes, the dim light in them like a waning moon, cold and clear.

His gaze met hers for an instant, then shifted away as he answered softly: “Marrying a wife, having children.”

Then, in her instantly shocked gaze, he struggled to get up, recklessly rushing toward the carriage door.

She grabbed his sleeve: “What are you doing?”

He turned back, with full drunken arrogance, smiling: “Now you can kick me out… or do me the honor of letting me get out myself.”