Chapter 2282: Secrets of the Boudoir (1)
The "Australian Hanfu" from Shop 82, though similar in style to Ming Dynasty fashions, was cut using modern techniques that made it more flattering and elegant, fashioned from the finest fabrics. Paired with a magnificent set of handcrafted hairpins, Cai Lan was absolutely stunning once dressed.
Jiang Qiuchan was rather surprised. Cai Lan's attitude toward Senator Xie's visits had never been warm—not exactly cold, but certainly perfunctory. She bathed and changed clothes reluctantly, styled herself carelessly. Yet today there was a hint of "adorning oneself for one who appreciates beauty."
What exactly had Master Hao said to her to bring about such a change?
"Aunt, does this dress look good?"
"On you, Miss, nothing could be more perfect." Qiuchan praised her sincerely. The old saying was true: Fine feathers make fine birds. Cai Lan was only middling in appearance; even Qiuchan couldn't understand why the Australian was so attentive to her. But with this careful preparation, she was truly transformed!
A faint smile curved the corner of Cai Lan's mouth—the first genuine smile Qiuchan had seen from her in days. Though Qiuchan's mind churned with questions, she dared not ask.
Xie Erren arrived at the Three Headquarters by sedan chair. His visits to Cai Lan's quarters always came at dusk, when the streets were virtually deserted.
Normally when he came to the Three Headquarters, he would first inspect the National Army garrison and the naturalized personnel from various offices stationed there. But when visiting Cai Lan, he went nowhere else—the sedan entered directly through the corner gate, and he stepped out right in Cai Lan's courtyard.
When he first started coming here, Cai Lan had been cold, never bothering to come out and greet him. Recently, though, he had noticed this woman warming toward him, even developing what seemed like genuine attachment. This secretly pleased Xie Erren; as he'd suspected, winning women over required the "slow and steady" approach.
Today, the moment he stepped from the sedan, Cai Lan was already standing at the foot of the steps, bowing deeply in greeting.
"May the Master enjoy ten thousand blessings..."
Xie Erren waved a hand without speaking and walked directly into the main room. He unbuttoned his cotton cadre jacket and removed his coat. A maid hurried forward to receive it, spreading it on a bamboo frame and hanging it on the coat rack. Another maid brought straw slippers for him to change into.
"The bathwater has been heated. Please change and bathe at your leisure, Master," Cai Lan said softly.
Xie Erren settled into the enamel bathtub, lit a cigar, and admired the small courtyard through the window as he soaked. He had designed and renovated this bathroom himself. Beneath the bathtub was a heating chamber, with fires lit outside to warm the air, which in turn heated both the room and the tub. This way he wasn't being "boiled alive," and the entire bathroom stayed comfortable. Though it was summer now, he expected to work here for at least a year or two, and Wuzhou during the Little Ice Age wouldn't be warm.
Opposite the tub was a window inlaid with glass transported from Lingao. Beyond it lay a tiny courtyard, barely two square meters, that he had designed and supervised himself in the Japanese style—white sand, stepping stones, a water basin, artfully arranged grass and trees. Bathing while smoking, contemplating this little garden, he felt both mind and body relax, finding liberation from the busy official duties of the day. It transformed him from a Senator, from Wuzhou Regional Director, back into an ordinary man.
After his bath, he changed into silk pajamas specially supplied by Shop 82 and came to the main room. The maids and servants had already withdrawn; a kerosene lamp burned snow-bright.
A table of wine and dishes awaited him—not large quantities, but quite refined. Cai Lan poured his wine. Xie Erren drank a few mouthfuls and felt comfort wash over him.
This was what made an outside posting worthwhile—where in Lingao could one enjoy such comforts? Xie Erren's once-simmering grievances settled somewhat. Looking at Cai Lan as she served him with bowed head, he found her gentler and lovelier than before. His mood greatly improved, and he asked casually:
"You went to Dragon Mother Temple to offer incense a few days ago?"
"Yes, your servant did."
"How were things there?"
"Quite peaceful," Cai Lan said.
"Oh?" Xie Erren grew interested. "And the common people?"
"Generally passable." Cai Lan paused. "Only..."
"Only what?" Xie Erren leaned forward. Usually their conversations were stilted question-and-answer affairs; he rarely heard Cai Lan offer her own observations.
"Everyone says grain is too expensive," Cai Lan said. "Abbess Wu Yuan mentioned to me that with security being poor, the tenants refuse to pay rent. She fears they can't count on this year's harvest. And market rice is expensive again—she said they may soon be unable to afford it."
"Doesn't their temple qualify for ration rice purchases?"
"That, your servant doesn't know..."
Abbess Wu Yuan had indeed said this to her, hoping Cai Lan might whisper in Director Xie's ear and secure some benefits for the temple. Currying favor with the favored concubines of powerful men was a tried-and-true temple tactic.
"That's nothing to worry about. Endure a few more months. Once the region quiets down, they'll collect their rents." Xie Erren was suddenly talkative. "Besides, a large shipment of grain will arrive in Wuzhou soon. Prices will drop immediately. No need for concern!"
The day after Xie Erren's visit happened to be Qiuchan's rest day. Jiang Qiuchan's maternal family was right here in Wuzhou city, owners of a silk and satin shop called "Ruijintang." It wasn't a large business, but it was a century-old establishment with substantial assets.
Qiuchan's father had already passed away; only her elderly mother remained. The one managing the family business was her elder brother, Jiang Rongxian.
At this moment, the head of the Jiang household sat rigidly in the accounting room behind the shop, his brow deeply furrowed.
When a servant reported that his sister had returned, he nodded slightly, tossed the ledger he had been poring over onto the table, and continued to worry in silence.
The Mid-Autumn Festival was nearly upon them, and all debts owed and owing had to be settled. The Dragon Boat Festival season had coincided with the chaos of war; shops had been damaged and households had fled. Various families hadn't cleared their accounts then. With only two months until Mid-Autumn, this time the reckoning could not be avoided.
The accountant had brought him this ledger. He had flipped through it countless times, worked the abacus countless times. The problem wasn't losses—profit and loss were normal in business. The problem was the constant outflow with nothing coming in.
"Ruijintang" had suffered robbery during the Wuzhou battle three months ago. Nearly all the shop's funds had been plundered by the government under various pretexts; the losses were severe. Fortunately, the shop and goods remained intact—they hadn't gone bankrupt.
But though the Wuzhou market had recovered somewhat, silk and satin was a trade that flourished in peaceful times. With the Two Guangs in their current state, common people struggled to survive, and the wealthy, having suffered disaster after disaster, were reluctant to spend. The desolation of business was easy to imagine.
Business was poor, but expenses remained. According to Senator Xie's instructions, shops had to stay open whether there was trade or not; partners couldn't be dismissed; everyone had to be fed. Though wages weren't being paid, feeding these people was still an expense. The Jiang family had numerous relatives in Wuzhou, and the battle had ruined many of them. They came one after another seeking help. For the sake of appearances, the Jiangs had to offer at least some assistance. On top of that, Senator Xie's "New Policies" after Wuzhou's recovery had apportioned various levies to different trading firms through the Aftermath Bureau. The Jiangs had only outflows, no income. Jiang Rongxian's distress was easy to imagine.
And at just this time, his own sister's husband had been killed by rogue soldiers. During the military chaos, she hadn't dared return to her in-laws' household and had brought her child to stay at his home. As her elder brother, he was duty-bound to help. Unfortunately, his wife was less than virtuous—seeing this sister-in-law living under their roof for three months had provoked considerable grumbling. Fortunately, his sister had recently found employment earning one tael of silver per month, which finally quieted things down somewhat.
Looking at the deficit before him, after deducting what was recorded in the books, he ran through a secret accounting in his head. The shortfall came to roughly between one and two thousand taels—certainly at least a thousand.
His gaze returned to the ledger as he racked his brain over which debts could be "dealt with" and which absolutely had to be paid.
Fortunately, the payments to upstream suppliers—his greatest headache—could be delayed somewhat. The silk and satin suppliers were all in Guangzhou Prefecture. In the past, they sent agents to Wuzhou to collect debts and use the silver to purchase goods here, which they transported back to Guangzhou for resale, profiting twice. Now, with the roads unsafe, the upstream suppliers were unlikely to risk having their money stolen by sending collectors.
This meant he could subtract nearly a thousand taels of payables. Of the remaining seven or eight hundred, some had to be paid, some could be put off. After much calculation, he figured he needed about five hundred taels to get through.
Money he still had. The shop and household accounting room held over three hundred taels of silver. His mother and wife had their private savings. Pooling together five hundred taels wouldn't be difficult. But that would leave the shop and household without any cash on hand—and the goods in the shop wouldn't move. He couldn't pay the rice merchant in satin; the rice shop wouldn't accept it.
Thinking of the rice shop reminded him of the many mouths to feed at home. Monthly rice consumption was an enormous expense. "Ruijintang" employed six partners and three apprentices. The household had five servants, male and female. Rice purchases alone were a staggering sum each month—and grain prices were soaring! Even the "Ration Rice" sold at the Australian yamen, calculated per person, cost two to three times more than before the war.
When would this chaos of soldiers and turmoil ever end!
Jiang Rongxian calculated again and again in his head. The debts that had to be paid couldn't be reduced by a single tael. Frustration welled up—if only he could somehow come into a few hundred taels right now!
At this thought, he smiled bitterly to himself. When had he become capable of such absurd fantasies?
Then he suddenly remembered something. His own sister was now serving as a companion to the "concubine" of Australian Senator Xie. This concubine was said to be greatly favored by the "True Hair." If he could somehow find a way through this woman—get her to whisper in the right ear and bring some business to his family—that would be something...
But then he thought despondently that his business was silk and satin, something the Australians currently had no use for and no interest in.
As for what trade was most profitable now—well, that went without saying: the grain business. Wuzhou was suffering a grain shortage; non-rationed rice had already doubled from normal prices. Anyone who could get their hands on grain at this moment could double their money instantly!
Next Update: Volume 7 - Guangzhou Governance Part 486 (End of Chapter)