“There are several experts in this Jiangnan Arsenal, all foreigners. What they say and write, after being translated once, nobody can understand.” Xu Jianyin got straight to the point. “The bidding notice is vague and unclear. For instance, making guns and cannons, making steamships—the required hardness, elasticity, strength, tensile capability of steel… actually, there aren’t even accurate terms for these in Chinese. We’re considering translations, but you understand what I mean…”
Lin Yuchan nodded while gnawing on a chicken leg: “You mean that manufacturing different components requires different steel performance.”
“Performance…” Xu Jianyin drew in a breath, pondering this word for a long time, then raised a glass of foreign wine and drained it in one gulp. “Good word, good word! Miss Lin, sorry, I’m taking that…”
Lin Yuchan laughed: “Continue.”
“As for the imported steel materials data these foreign firms provided you, these types and models,” Xu Jianyin casually picked up an egg tart from the table, took a bite, savored it, while flipping open another stack of papers, “these, these are all deceptive garbage that will rust within three years. This type will crack and is completely unsuitable for military manufacturing…”
Lin Yuchan had a sudden inspiration: “Can’t Chinese people smelt steel themselves? Start a steel mill or something…”
Xu Jianyin looked at her with sympathetic eyes.
“You’d have to start with exploration and mining,” he thought for a moment, then patiently explained, “find suitable ore sand, extract it, transport it here, plus you need refined coal. Mules and horses are too slow—I hear Westerners all use trains, so you’d better build a railway first. You’d also need to build supporting ports, and also…”
He closed his eyes and mentally simulated the operation for a while, then shook his head: “No good. The first step won’t work. Only foreigners know exploration and mining techniques… only foreigners know how to build railways and trains… just hiring all these experts would take you three to five years…”
Rong Hong had been listening attentively and suddenly interjected: “We could select students to study abroad and learn all these skills.”
Xu Jianyin smiled: “Would foreigners teach us all their trade secrets?—Fine, even if we met a bodhisattva, it would take ten years to complete studies, another ten years to build those infrastructure facilities, and we couldn’t fight wars in between. By the time we smelt our first furnace of steel… Miss Lin, I can only suggest you take good care of your health and try to live longer.”
Listening to his rambling, Lin Yuchan had already remembered. China’s first steel mill, the “Hanyang Iron Works,” would indeed only begin production at the end of this century. It wasn’t that people’s thinking was backward, but that in 1865, China had no talent, no infrastructure, and virtually zero industrial foundation. The fertile land rich in resources had countless raw materials buried underground, but transforming them into an industrial dragon remained a castle in the air.
She stopped pursuing this topic and picked up Xu Jianyin’s notes again.
“The steel materials supplied by these two British companies—you think they’re decent?”
Xu Jianyin nodded: “You get what you pay for with foreign money. Expensive is expensive, but the court is paying anyway. However, I still need to go to Jiangnan Arsenal for a field inspection to look at their blueprints and lathes…”
Lin Yuchan was slightly excited. She didn’t know how many competitors this bidding had, but could others hire Chinese Academy of Sciences-level experts like Xu Jianyin?
She suddenly turned around to say something, but unexpectedly bumped into Su Minguan who was holding a wine glass, spilling it all over his front.
“Oh dear, sorry…”
Su Minguan helplessly begged pardon, secretly flicked her forehead, and ran upstairs to change clothes.
Watching Su Minguan go upstairs and come back down, Xu Jianyin’s face suddenly reddened as he belatedly realized something.
These two were living together!
He had been too absorbed in eating just now, all five senses concentrated on his tongue—his eyes were just decoration!
“Miss Lin, when did… Ah, congratulations, congratulations! Should I call you Mrs. Su? Haha…”
“Still, Miss Lin,” Su Minguan smiled, saying openly, “We’re engaged, but someone calculated our eight characters don’t match, so we haven’t held the ceremony.”
Rong Hong felt a bit awkward and coughed.
Saying “we’re cohabiting boyfriend and girlfriend” was too shocking even for Rong Hong, who had frowned for half a day before accepting it. Su Minguan, rebellious as he was, didn’t dare to cut himself off from society and dared not announce this to the world.
It was Lin Yuchan who suggested a compromise, using “eight characters don’t match, unable to marry” to deflect most people’s questions. Anyway, Su Minguan’s reputation for “bringing misfortune to wives” had long spread. When people heard this, they would at most sigh about the fickleness of fate. In Shanghai, the most open place in all of Qing China, this could barely gain public understanding.
Indeed, Xu Jianyin could only sigh, lamenting: “Superstition harms people. What are eight characters but the stellar positions and seasons when someone is born? How could they affect fortune? I’ve been reading recently and discovered Westerners also have their constellation theories. Comparing them with our Chinese ones, they’re equally matched—all mutually contradictory…”
Rong Hong also laughed: “Exactly. When I was young, my parents had my fortune told, saying I’d become a wealthy merchant later. In America, an astrologer said I’d be incredibly noble in the future and marry three Arabian princesses.”
The Western-style building was filled with hearty laughter and a happy atmosphere.
Xu Jianyin picked up his coat.
Lin Yuchan put on her boss’s manner, smiling: “Accountant, let’s go look at the factory together.”
Su Minguan smiled at her and gently shook his head.
His position remained unchanged. He supported her spiritually but wouldn’t lend a hand himself.
Lin Yuchan secretly winked at him and ran out to call for a carriage.
With Rong Hong’s supervisor status providing protection, the three smoothly entered Jiangnan Arsenal’s workshops.
Xu Jianyin quickly inspected those world-class advanced lathes and machines Rong Hong had brought from America, recording data after data. His expression changed from curiosity to caution, from awe to affection, finally becoming confident assurance.
“I have a clear picture now.”
Modern China’s first complete new-style factory had been in preparation for many years, like a giant that could never be awakened. Finally, bit by bit, some gave it a skeleton, some brought it flesh and blood, some outlined its features, some injected it with spirit.
This giant finally opened its eyes and shakily stood up. But its experience was still blank, its nerves not yet fully connected. Like a giant infant, every step it took, every mile it traveled, was stumbling and bumbling, requiring countless people’s patient support.
This was its first public bidding. Li Hongzhang was ambitious, wanting to produce world-class Western military equipment from this factory. But for all other details of how to transform steel and ore into guns and cannons, besides those highly paid Western engineers, no other Chinese had a complete concept.
They could only rely on small companies like Boya and small figures like Xu Jianyin to explore and make mistakes bit by bit, helping it find the most suitable development path.
As Arsenal supervisor, Rong Hong was early pulled away by a group of “colleagues” to admire ornamental carp in the newly dug pond. When he finally escaped and returned, the two guests were already touring other parts of the workshops.
“Eh… what’s this?” Lin Yuchan suddenly noticed a newly established courtyard. “An academy? How can there be an academy in the factory?”
“Ahaha, you discovered it.” Rong Hong proudly introduced, “This is the Translation Bureau I petitioned to establish with several friends! Specially for translating Western scientific books!”
Rong Hong himself had received the West’s most outstanding higher education and was proud of it. Looking back at China, Confucian learning made the entire society stagnate, which urgently worried him.
Therefore he had long harbored great ambitions to let Chinese children receive Western education and sweep away the Qing Empire’s decadent appearance.
Zeng Guofan appreciated him and gave him official position, initially intending for him to develop Westernization military industry. But Rong Hong never forgot his original intention, often smuggling in private goods, petitioning to establish Western-style schools and academies to popularize scientific education.
Managing Westernization everywhere lacked money; moreover, it was a high-investment, long-return-cycle educational enterprise. His “private goods” were rarely heeded.
This time, he finally borrowed Jiangnan Arsenal’s favorable wind. With Rong Hong as supervisor, he finally had some power. When others gained power, they thought about profiting through corruption. When he gained power, he immediately claimed a piece of land, planning to make his educational experimental field.
But there was still heavy resistance. Finally, the “academy” didn’t succeed, and the “study abroad preparatory class” also had no support. Stumbling and retreating step by step, they opened a “Translation Bureau,” translating some Western scientific works like physics and chemistry, barely relating to “making guns and cannons,” and able to use Westernization funding.
The Translation Bureau temporarily had few people, only several Western missionaries and scholars Rong Hong knew, each holding brushes, shaking heads and nodding, seriously writing.
Lin Yuchan was still touring when Xu Jianyin had already rushed to that cabinet of English and German original books, treasuring the illustrations inside like precious gems, quickly chatting with British scholar John Fryer.
Lin Yuchan suddenly thought of something and blurted out: “The Xu father and son just left Anqing Inner Arsenal and are currently unemployed!”
Of course, strictly speaking, scholars at this time had no concept of “unemployment.” Even if temporarily unhired, they wouldn’t waste their learning but would write books at home.
However, Jiangnan Arsenal had abundant funding and definitely wouldn’t shortchange them!
Xu Jianyin was also excited, asking about the salary standards here and greatly praising them.
“Enough to eat Western food once a month! Mr. Rong, may I presumptuously ask about your hiring standards…”
Rong Hong hurriedly said, “I was just planning to find time to visit your esteemed father! Having you join would delight me immensely. What standards? I’m the supervisor, I have the final say, haha!”
Lin Yuchan discovered another small surprise: “Hey, you’re all stocked with Boya tea!”
Rong Hong somewhat embarrassedly rubbed his hands: “This doesn’t count as abusing power for personal gain, does it?”
To commemorate his commercial days in Shanghai, Rong Hong filled the cabinets with Boya’s earliest premium canned tea. The tin cans painted with flowing floral and bird patterns looked like art pieces on the shelves.
British scholar John Fryer was making tea for himself. Hearing Lin Yuchan’s conversation, he suddenly interjected.
“Miss, are you the distributor of this tea?” he asked. “May I presumptuously ask which artist created the paintings on these cans?”
Fryer was in his thirties, part-time editor of Shenbao, also taught at the Tongwen Institute. Lin Yuchan had seen him several times at foreign social occasions, not expecting his Chinese to be so authentic, almost matching Hede’s level.
She thus replied in Chinese, saying these were hand-painted works by orphanage children. The children had different personalities—some would leave small signatures on cans, but most times they’d forget, so she didn’t know which specific child created this particular can.
Fryer praised repeatedly: “They must have practiced a long time—can they earn money painting these cans?”
Lin Yuchan smiled and nodded.
“How much is the fee?”
Lin Yuchan still smiled without speaking.
Fryer felt somewhat embarrassed: “It’s like this. I’m employed by the Translation Bureau. When translating books, I often need to draw illustrations or copy some blurred originals. Though I practice sketching, drawing takes too much energy. I’ve been seeking low-cost yet conscientious artists to help me draw numerous illustrations…”
He thought for a moment, quickly calculating mentally: “Ten wen per illustration. I wonder if Miss Lin could inquire for me—if the orphanage has exceptionally gifted children…”
Lin Yuchan was slightly surprised, looking at the endless pile of original books on Fryer’s desk, realizing “drawing illustrations” was indeed a major project.
Western scientific books originally contained many diagrams. Sometimes, due to different drawing conventions, they were difficult for Chinese readers to understand. Therefore, when translating, responsible translators would redraw, changing three-dimensional realism to simple line drawings, Western backgrounds to Chinese-style scenery, bare-chested Western women to gentle, slope-shouldered classical ladies… and for the books’ interest, they would add many extra illustrations to make them readable.
Ten wen per drawing… though lower than export painting market prices, roughly calculating, it should match the children’s income from painting tea cans.
Fryer was quite economical.
A light suddenly ignited in Lin Yuchan’s heart. Painting tea cans had limited creativity after all. Many children had developed exquisite, skilled techniques but lacked further practical opportunities.
Actually they could completely become export painters. When they grew up and entered society, they could earn more money for themselves!
She thought for a long while. Fryer smiled self-deprecatingly: “I was just asking…”
“Yes,” Lin Yuchan said with a smile, “I can discuss with the orphanage priests. But there’s a condition. You need to pay to hire professional oil painting and sketching masters to regularly teach those children.”
Fryer worked part-time at the Translation Bureau, with Rong Hong directly paying him one hundred taels monthly. Hiring an export painter was a drop in the bucket for him.
He immediately shook hands with Lin Yuchan, saying, “No problem!”
Originally, a bidding inspection visit somehow found Xu Jianyin a high-paying job and negotiated art classes for orphanage children. Lin Yuchan felt delighted.
After returning, she didn’t need Su Minguan’s help and seriously wrote the bid proposal herself. Referencing Xu Jianyin’s professional advice, she finally had various managers review it. Based on Jiangnan Arsenal’s production capacity and product plans, they specified which countries to order which types of steel from, performance parameters, unit prices, final product varieties, output, proportions, delivery times, storage methods… a thick outline of dozens of pages.
Then, shamelessly self-promoting, she detailed Boya Company’s social credibility and personnel qualifications as an import-export trading company. Casually mentioning Empress Dowager Cixi’s golden words: “Those machines, translations, maintenance, parts—since he says you understand, then leave everything to you…”
Not just for this one procurement. Jiangnan Arsenal was starting everything from scratch. If she could win this bidding, she would likely become a contracted procurement supplier with continuous orders!
Supplying flower water to Cixi brought quick and substantial money, but it was unstable. If the Empress Dowager whimsically decided to try some other novel product, she’d have no complaints and couldn’t even get breach of contract compensation.
But Jiangnan Arsenal would keep living—outliving the Qing, the Republic, and Japanese occupation, into New China, into the 21st century.
She made thorough preparations, revising the bid proposal until midnight, ending up disheveled with bloodshot eyes. Fortunately, Rong Hong was staying in the second-floor guest room—she just went upstairs and handed it over without leaving the house.
The next day, originally planning to sleep until noon, she woke early anyway. Lin Yuchan came to Jiangnan Arsenal’s entrance and gazed for a long time. Watching workers go in and out, raw materials delivered, curious common people pointing at the workshops.
Xu Jianyin had already come to the Translation Bureau to begin work. Along with his father Xu Shou, family friend Hua Hengfang, Li Shanlan… Rong Hong, wealthy and generous, sent letter after letter inviting almost all famous figures from Jiangnan’s Western learning circle.
Since Hede left Shanghai, the Guangfangyan Institute expanded and moved to Jiangnan Arsenal’s back courtyard for easier management. Half of the enormous factory became a gathering place for scholars and literati, attracting attention. Even The North China Herald, usually negligent in reporting Chinese affairs, specially reserved a full page marveling at this progressive achievement of the Qing government.
Amid this thriving production scene, Lin Yuchan finally awaited the bidding results.
“Mr. Rong, calm down…”
Lin Yuchan felt her role was somewhat misplaced, pulling Rong Hong’s sleeve to prevent him from turning around again.
“Do my words carry no weight anymore? I’m a supervisor! Are my opinions waste paper?” Rong Hong’s rare angry expression filled his face, waving his fist and shouting, “Don’t they acknowledge the supplier personally appointed by the Empress Dowager? What kind of ragtag outfit is this ‘Manfa Company’? They have no qualifications…”
“That ‘Manfa Company’s’ major shareholder is Li Hongzhang’s cousin.” Lin Yuchan said wearily, “The Empress Dowager can’t manage here, but Provincial Administrator Li can. You must not conflict with him.”
A sentence of “golden words” from the Empress Dowager in Beijing had to yield to real gold and silver, immediate interests close at hand.
Since learning that Li Hongzhang’s relatives had also entered competition for procurement supplier positions, Lin Yuchan had prepared mentally.
Though Jiangnan Arsenal possessed almost the Far East’s most advanced military lathes and employed a group of world-class scholars and engineers, its essence remained a government office.
A Qing Dynasty government office.
Of course, government offices didn’t lack money. Lin Yuchan’s dozens of pages of detailed proposals were gladly adopted, rewarded with one thousand taels. Then they were handed to the “Manfa Company” as a ready-made procurement guide. Various materials were marked up by thirty percent, already half procured.
Government offices also knew how to handle people. Boya Company still received some leftover scraps, authorized as “Translation Bureau” supplier, importing some small Western scientific instruments, research materials, foreign books, and even supplying tea…
There was some profit too.
But it was quite different from Lin Yuchan’s vision of carrying firewood to fill the earth for modern China’s industry.
Rong Hong had already quarreled with relevant personnel several times, each time being politely escorted out with apologies that this department was powerless—perhaps you could try someone else?
Jiangnan Arsenal was a lucrative government position. Management personnel inside took Westernization funding, only seeking official promotion and wealth accumulation. Occasionally, accomplishing real work was also for superior commendation.
The more you did, the more chances to make mistakes. Not working was safest.
Who would risk offending Li Hongzhang to speak for Rong Hong?
So now, though Boya Company missed the opportunity, Rong Hong felt worse than Lin Yuchan. Watching machines, he had traveled thousands of miles and personally examined every component placed in this government office-like factory, becoming tools for others’ promotion, his heart felt like countless powder kegs lit in a sealed mine, barely containing the explosion.
Lin Yuchan could only comfort him instead: “At least the hired craftsmen are reliable. These machines will eventually make China’s guns and cannons. Though costs are higher and efficiency is slower, it ultimately benefits the country.”
Rong Hong: “I understand the reasoning, but…”
He clenched his fists, and suddenly his anger disappeared as he said resolutely: “Never mind. As long as I supervise this factory for one day, I’ll eventually turn around its atmosphere. I’m a Yale graduate, a world traveler—can I not outcompete those who hear nothing outside their windows…”
Knock knock knock, knock knock knock—faint knocking interrupted his reverie.
Rong Hong’s office was beside the workshops. Others disliked the machines’ rumbling noise, so they left this room to him, conveniently allowing daily inspections.
Due to the noise, it took a while to notice someone knocking.
“Good news, Supervisor Rong!”
The visitor was Zeng Guofan’s subordinate whom Rong Hong recognized. He quickly offered a seat and exchanged pleasantries. Lin Yuchan retreated to the inner room.
Zeng Guofan asked how Rong Hong was resting, whether he was accustomed to life back home. Rong Hong reported good news while concealing bad news, answering everything.
“To reward your merit in procuring machines, Marshal Zeng recommended you serve as translator under Provincial Administrator Ding with Jiangsu Provincial Administrative Office’s candidate magistrate status. The court has approved. You can prepare now to take office in Suzhou! Congratulations!”
Rong Hong didn’t understand immediately and remained stunned for a while.
The man laughed: “Hey, Supervisor Rong, you’re promoted! Don’t be dazed! Marshal Zeng is taking care of you!”
Rong Hong asked dully: “What about here…”
“Here you naturally won’t do anymore. Just a supervisor—what’s interesting about that? The new supervisor will arrive soon. You quickly tidy up here.”
“Then, my future duties…”
“No particular duties for now, just handling Westernization—Marshal Zeng said Supervisor Rong has ingenious ideas and can do anything. Didn’t you often say that many Western books urgently needed translation? You can translate books and write articles when free. When Provincial Administrator Ding meets foreigners, you can accompany him. You’ll get two hundred fifty taels monthly salary—this blessing others couldn’t get even by burning incense! See how thoughtfully Marshal Zeng arranged for you!”
Rong Hong was struck speechless by this sudden “blessing,” mouth slightly agape, eyes confused and hollow.