Once Tailor Fan talked about his craftsmanship, he lost his humility and spoke confidently.
"Sir, every winter in the Ming Dynasty, even Yingtian Mansion has been as cold as the north. We don't burn coal in the south, and the government offices are high and spacious, so the charcoal basin can't add much. Warmth, I heard that many officials wear cotton robes with their official uniforms."
Huang Zunsu immediately understood why Tailor Fan asked if the person he was giving the gift to was an official.
"Lao Fan, those friends of mine are indeed in public uniforms. But when you ask about their seniority and official positions, why?"
Before Tailor Fan could continue to answer Huang Zunsu's second question, Zheng Haizhu had already said, "Is it because junior officials often bow down, so the front hem of the cotton robe is slightly shorter than the back piece. But There is an exception for one type of official position, that is, the censors of Yingtian Prefecture. No matter how young they are, they are high-spirited and often speak with their chests raised, so the front and back hems should still be the same length."
In normal times, Zheng Haizhu would never steal others' words and act like he "understands the king" like this.
But today, she has become interested in Tailor Fan and his daughter, and for future plans, she must give a little deterrent to the talents who intend to join her army.
In fact, there is no essential difference in the mentality of craftsmen and scholars. Scholars are prone to be arrogant based on their talents, while craftsmen are prone to be arrogant based on their skills.
Sure enough, a hint of admiration flashed in Tailor Fan's eyes, and he immediately cupped his hands and said, "It is indeed as Miss Zheng said, she is very knowledgeable."
Zheng Haizhu smiled, and after pressing down, he also wanted to lift up, so he praised the Huang couple and said, "Brother Fan is really as careful as his hair."
He made an appointment with Tailor Fan and said that he would bring the cotton fabrics from Hanjia Weaving Factory and visit him to discuss the style of the children's school uniforms.
…
It’s the twelfth lunar month in a blink of an eye.
Hanjia Weaving Workshop completed one thousand large-size face towels blended with Zhang velvet and Songjiang cotton ordered by Eunuch Liu as scheduled.
The rivers and Taihu Lake have not yet frozen, and Songjiang and Suzhou are only a one-night boat trip away.
Han Zhongwen personally took a few pieces of the finished product and a money order of five hundred taels to Suzhou to see Eunuch Liu. After preparing to send the banknote, he asked his father-in-law to check the quality of the face towel.
The entire Han family was anxious for two days before Han Zhongwen came back.
The good news is that Eunuch Liu not only accepted the money order, but was also very satisfied with the towel.
The better news is that Eunuch Liu specially asked Zheng Haizhu to pack up and follow him south to Yuegang, Fujian Province at the end of the twelfth lunar month to see the reaction of merchants to such goods, try to figure out their preferences, and then research and come up with it. Something that can bring money to the inner treasury.
Second Mistress Qian asked curiously: "Isn't this Eunuch Liu not celebrating the Chinese New Year?"
Han Zhongwen didn't think it was strange: "My father-in-law only took up the post of Suzhou Weaving Admiral last year. It was the time when he was working hard for Long Live Lord. My father-in-law said that the seaport in Fujian is not frozen, and the foreign merchants can't celebrate the Spring Festival of our Ming Dynasty. This year There is no peace in Macau. The Red-haired Fans and the Frankies often fight. Foreign merchants are afraid to go there. They would rather spend more money and go around to Yuegang to buy the goods sold by my father-in-law of the Ming Dynasty. Such a good opportunity, my father-in-law is still willing to go there. If you don’t hurry up and come to Yuegang in person, bring back some money for Lord Long Live.”
Qian said happily: "Oh, that is also the fate of our Han family. If you follow Eunuch Liu closely, why bother competing with Su Song's colleagues for Huizhou merchants' business. However, Ximeng will enter the Gu family before the Dragon Boat Festival next year, Ah Now that Zhu is gone, he won't be able to come back until spring, right?"
Han Ximeng, who was on the side, had a resolutely supportive attitude. He looked at Zheng Haizhu who was standing beside him and said, "Go calmly and calmly. The dowry and other things are almost finished. Over at the school, there is Manager Cao. Shoukuan is also a very capable young man, and he keeps watching. Besides, who doesn't know now that the school was praised by Magistrate Zhuang and Mr. Huang as a good deed, and Grandma Huang still wants to be a female teacher in it, and there is no green skin Fu Lang dares to look for trouble."
Han Zhongwen was convinced and nodded frequently.
The head of the family spoke directly: "Azhu, you have saved Ximeng's life and you are a blessed member of my Han family. Grandma and I have stopped treating you as an outsider. Here you go, It's like being the shopkeeper of our Han family, if my father-in-law gives any new orders, you just have to obey them."
Then he turned to his wife Qian and said: "Today's world is indeed very different from before. This time I went to Suzhou and saw that after getting married, a woman could take a painting box or a poem manuscript to participate in literary fairs and sell She sells paintings and poems, and her husband even took the child to see her off at the ferry. I am a person who gave up literature and went into business, and I can see everything. I think that if Ximeng married into the Gu family, she might not be able to live in a deep house without going downstairs. , and Shou Qian is the eldest grandson of the Gu family. If the Gu family's business gives Shou Qian a room, Azhu will definitely assist Zuo Ximeng in managing things. It's better to go and see more now."
Qian was furious: "That's natural. If a woman is too honest and has not seen the world, she will suffer a loss in her husband's family regardless of whether she is in charge or outside. We Ximeng cannot suffer losses."
Zheng Haizhu stood quietly, listening to the frank discussion of the three masters of the Han family, and found it very useful.
She just likes their style, putting all kinds of plans on the table, analyzing them openly, and all of them are self-serving and not harmful to others. It is a rational plan and an enlightened one that is ahead of the times.
At the same time, Zheng Haizhu was even more delighted that the opportunity came early.
Although she had a hunch from some details of her previous dealings with Liu Shimin, this father-in-law seemed to be somewhat impressed by her.
Based on her judgment as a mature modern woman in her previous life, the look Liu Shimin gave her was an endorsement that had nothing to do with male oppression and possession.
Otherwise, Eunuch Liu would not have taken her suggestion to widen the Huangpu River and establish a public customs in Songjiang second only to Yuegang.
But Zheng Haizhu never expected that he would get the opportunity to go on a business trip so quickly.
Speaking of which, Yuegang on the coast of Fujian is not far from Longxi County in Zhangzhou where she woke up after traveling through time.
But without the guidance of a powerful figure like Weaving Eunuch, how could she, a mere mediocre leek, have the opportunity to see the maritime trade activities of the Ming Dynasty since the Longqing switch.
…
On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, on the west bank of Fanjiabang at the end of the Wusong River in Shanghai County, at the construction site for widening the river channel, the commanders received a New Year's gift of one tael each from Mr. Huang, the official of the Songjiang Prefecture who personally supervised the work. The silver reward was distributed among the workers.
In the past, during slack seasons, the government ordered all men to work as corvees, and the treatment was extremely poor.
This time when I came back to Kuanda Huangpu, I not only had enough to eat, but also had meat every few days. I was also rewarded when I finished work in the twelfth lunar month.
One tael of silver is quite a lot. I heard that the monthly salary of the military household in Jinshanwei who blows the sea breeze all day long is only this little.
Everyone collected their money, packed their tools onto the carts with laughter, gathered around the open-air stove, and had a hearty meal of meat buns and Laba porridge before scattering and going home.
The slow imperial wheel of the Ming Dynasty passed by for another year.
Zheng Haizhu finished a bowl of ginger soup to keep out the cold and stood by the stove, looking thoughtfully at the backs of the farmers in Shanghai County who were leaving.
"What is Miss Zheng thinking about?"
Huang Zunsu led his officials to inspect the completion site, walked over and asked Wen Yan.
"Master, I was thinking that one tael of silver can make a citizen of my Ming Dynasty so happy and allow a farmer's family to live a decent New Year."
Huang Zunsu smiled and nodded: "Yes, what the people ask for is not much at all. Well, Miss Zheng, this time to repair the water, thanks to Mr. Han for taking the lead in setting an example, donating money and doing his best, the gentry in Songjiang followed suit. Otherwise, Not to mention today’s silver reward, if we just talk about the hundreds of people who have gangs by the river every day, the yamen may not be able to pay for food."
Zheng Haizhu did not smile, but squinted his eyes and said softly: "But at this moment, in the freezing Liaodong, General Mao's camp, and Tailor Fan's brothers, I'm afraid I won't be able to find these many If you are a wealthy gentry, please give the soldiers food, drink and pay."
The people around him didn't respond immediately.
Zheng Haizhu turned around, looked at Huang Zunsu calmly and said: "We women are also concerned about national affairs, family affairs, and world affairs. I often go to Tailor Fan's place these days, and I see that Fan Polu has at least done some sewing. There are ten cotton-padded jackets, and she said they were all sent to Liaodong, not just for the two uncles, but also for other sergeants. If they freeze to death, what will happen to their wives and daughters?"
Huang Zunsu murmured: "This girl is really kind-hearted."
Zheng Haizhu curled her lips and said teasingly: "It is indeed a joke for Ming Dynasty to rely on the kindness of a teenage girl to support the border troops."
Huang Zunsu did not change his color suddenly.
In fact, similar meanings have long been expressed by their classmates of the Donglin School, like-minded people who were Jinshi in the same year, and even his hot-blooded censor friends.
Since the girl in front of me is no worse than a man in what she does, why shouldn't she be allowed to ridicule the current situation?
After all, these women are supporting the Ming Dynasty, right?
However, when Mr. Huang was about to calmly listen to Miss Zheng's continued discussion, Zheng Haizhu changed the subject and said: "Master, I had free time that day, so I found a sand boat, launched it from Fanjiabang, and headed north to Baoshan. After looking at the Yangtze River Estuary and rowing southward for more than half an hour, I saw Sichuan Sha and the islands to the east, and then returned back, which took most of the day."
When Zheng Haizhu said this, his eyes became brighter and brighter. He rolled his eyes as if reviewing the map in his mind and continued to speak clearly: "Whether cargo ships come from the Yangtze River, Taihu Lake, canal or East China Sea, they can all gather at Huangpu Port. Nearby, there is a large area of land on the other side of the Pujiang River, which can be used for farming and building cities and houses. It is worth several Fujian moon ports. This Shanghai County is really a good sea trade port where God will provide food for you."
Zheng Haizhu elaborated on this passage from the heart.
What she praised was clearly the bustling Huangpu River Bund, Pudong Waigaoqiao Container Terminal, Baoshan Port and other places in her memory.
Finally, with a sincere smile, she said to Huang Zunsu: "Master, there is nothing wrong with criticizing the current ills, but you can't talk empty talk. What is more useful is to think about how to open up money for the court. Frankies, Hongmaofan, and Japanese I have a lot of money in my hands now, why don’t I, Ming, earn it?”
After all, Huang Zunsu is the top intellectual of this era. After thinking more about it these days, he also consulted the imperial newspapers over the years and learned about the rules of public commerce in Houyue Port after the opening of Longqing, as well as the imperial court's treatment of Frankie people in Macau since the early Wanli year. He has gradually accepted the idea of developing Shanghai County into the third sea trade gateway.
At this time, he pondered for a moment, and finally said to Zheng Haizhu: "There are pros and cons to switching. You must consider how to achieve the advantages and avoid the disadvantages. I heard from my wife that the girl will meet Eunuch Liu and the others in a few days and go to Yuegang." If you have the opportunity, please be sure to tell Eunuch Liu that Songjiang Prefecture can be opened and closed, but it cannot become the second Guangdong, and Shanghai County cannot become the second Macau."
Zheng Haizhu said sternly: "Of course it's not allowed! It's okay for foreigners to use ships to carry money to buy goods. But don't even think about using ships to carry firearms to acquire land."
She turned around and looked at the land on the other side that would later become the Lujiazui Financial District in Pudong.
She has been thinking about the hidden dangers Huang Zunsu mentioned.
The official administration in the late Ming Dynasty was too muddy.
In the Guangdong region far south of Lingnan, the imperial power was even more out of reach. The Portuguese took advantage of this and, after being unable to open the Ming Dynasty with cannons, bribed the local officials of Guangdong and stole Macau.
Although the Portuguese contributed a small amount of land rent to the Ming government, they also committed many crimes, including evading business taxes, trafficking in people, harassing the people, and even raising Japanese slaves.
As a person from later generations, Zheng Haizhu knew very well what the European powers from the seventeenth century to the early twentieth century were like.
Whether the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch or British, the need for foreign invasion and plunder of colonies is engraved in their bones and is also the original impulse of Western capital.
For this reason, in the Age of Discovery, the Ming Empire should take the lead in opening up the sea as a sovereign country and participate in the formulation of maritime order as a sovereign country.
However, the imperial officialdom, which seemed to be in decline, actually had no shortage of insightful people to stop the invasion and encroachment of foreigners under the guise of trade.
"Sir," Zheng Haizhu stared at Huang Zunsu and said, "You mentioned Haojing Macau. As far as I know, just two years ago, the Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, Zhang Minggang and Zhang Budang, seemed to have imposed stricter regulations on the Franchi people. . Cantonese businessmen who came to Songjiang to buy cloth said that when a ship arrives at Haojing, it must enter the port and wait for the captain to wait. If it stays outside Haiphong, our Daming Navy can directly seize the cargo and burn the ship. Also, in the next few years, Macau will Only existing houses are allowed to be repaired, and the Frankis are not allowed to build new high-rise buildings, otherwise the Guangdong and Guangxi coastal defense roads will be directly burned down."
The more Huang Zunsu listened, the more focused he became. Then he raised his eyebrows and applauded: "That's right! Miss Zheng, I'll think about it again when I go back and write down the joints I'm concerned about one by one. Could you please show it to Eunuch Liu?"
Zheng Haizhu understood that Huang Zunsu's softened attitude towards the admiral eunuch Liu Shimin was not because he had convinced him during the quarrel, but because he knew that Eunuch Liu was a princeling, which was in line with their political stance of the Donglin School.
She then nodded happily: "I will definitely present it to Eunuch Liu, and even if he talks lightly, I will tell him in detail."
The two stood in the north wind for a while, looking at the winter river where the water and sky were the same color.
Standing side by side with a young woman who is not a member of the family, and falling into silence without any ambiguity or awkwardness, Huang Zunsu seemed to have never had such a strange experience.
He just felt that this kind of silence, like the flowers blooming quietly, made his soul clear.
Finally, he turned around and said, "I heard that General Ma is also going together to protect Admiral Liu and the lucky ship. I wish General Ma and Miss Zheng a safe journey."
(End of Volume 2)
Note: The wife earns money by writing or participating in literary conferences, and the husband takes care of the children at home and supports her. I am not making this phenomenon up in Jiangnan in the late Ming Dynasty. You can refer to the part about Huang Yuanjie, a talented girl from Jiangnan, in the academic work "The Boudoir School Master" by American scholar ** Yi.
