On the nineteenth day of the fourth month, adhering to their prior agreement, Shao Shuyi arrived at the shipyard and boarded the boat with the Zheng family contingent, setting off for Liu Family Port. Before departing, Shao Shuyi presented Li Zhuang with five strings of banknotes as a token of gratitude; he had always been adept at such social niceties.
The farewell banquet two days prior had stretched into the small hours. A few of his destitute brothers had practically sucked the marrow from the bones; the plates, soup bowls, and rice buckets were wiped clean. It was the finest and fullest meal Shao Shuyi had enjoyed in the nearly two months since his crossing.
Early the next morning, Kong Tie was the first to take his leave. Because the "powerful commoner" Cai Luantou from Wenzhou had privately led a group away, the Transport Office and the Provincial Secretariat were forced to requisition ships from other locales, delaying the Spring Transport until now. But the time had finally come; the first batch of ships, fully laden with grain bound for Zhigu, would set sail within two days at the latest.
Yu Yuan was the second to depart. He resembled one of those well-behaved students from later generations who mixed with a crowd of delinquents, calling them brothers. If his elder brother found out, a sound beating would be inevitable—Yu Yuan’s brother, Yu Chu, served as an Interpreter at the Transport Office and was one of the forty-seven clerical officials drawing a state salary.
That fellow Wang Huadu remained in the Shao family’s small courtyard. Shao Shuyi had left the remaining grain and beans, as well as the vegetable patches, for him to use as he pleased. Wang Huadu said little, merely cupping his hands in salute. He would likely lay low at the Shao home a while longer, emerging only once the wind had settled. Rumor had it he intended to flee to Shanghai County later to seek refuge with relatives, though the truth of that remained unclear.
…
When the sun was high in the sky, the ship carrying the Zheng party finally weighed anchor.
The deep-draft, three-masted sailing ship traveled down the Lou River, heading straight for Liu Family Port. Only now did Shao Shuyi witness the full scope of the river’s lower reaches for the first time.
This main artery to the sea, also known as the Liu River, was one of the three major outlets of Tai Lake—the others being the East River and the Song River. The East River, which entered the sea near Jinshan, had silted up and been abandoned during the Tang dynasty (618–907). As the coastline expanded outward, the Song River (Wusong River) constantly extended in length; its gradient lessened, and its flow slowed. Consequently, since the late Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279), the Lou River had gradually become the primary drainage channel for Tai Lake, famed for being "swift and free of silt" and "deepening itself without dredging."
Scoured by the current, tides, wind, and waves, Liu Family Port at the mouth of the Lou River had become a harbor renowned far and wide. The river here was broad and deep, perennially hosting over a thousand official and private vessels—a perfect match for the majestic Lou River.After half a day of sailing downstream, the Zheng family ship arrived at the lower reaches. Shao Shuyi stood on the foredeck, gazing at the expansive surface with deep emotion.
The closer they drew to the Yangtze, the wider the Lou River became. The section before his eyes appeared more than two li wide, and he heard the old boatmen say the depth approached two zhang—truly astonishing.
It was here that the buildings on both banks multiplied noticeably. Large and small wharves, warehouses, shops, taverns, brothels, and even naval encampments were arranged in rows like fish scales, visible everywhere. Many wealthy merchants and powerful commoners from home and abroad settled here for one simple reason: commerce.
I truly wonder how much wealth flows through this Liu Family Port, Shao Shuyi marveled inwardly.
In his view, Liu Family Port could already be considered a metropolis in its own right, no different from Kunshan Prefecture or Taicang, the seat of the Transport Office and the Maritime Trade Superintendency—perhaps even more prosperous.
The commercial atmosphere in the few dozen li between Liu Family Port and Taicang city was equally thriving. Even among the local commoners, it seemed few grew grain. Everywhere one looked, orchards, vegetable patches, mulberry groves, livestock pens, and horticultural nurseries occupied nearly half the fields; pure grain farming was surprisingly scarce.
Residents in the suburbs of a commercial city are likely more willing to plant cash crops; they earn more than growing grain, Shao Shuyi mused. Some things truly hadn't changed much from ancient times to the present.
Footsteps approached, and Zheng Song arrived on the foredeck. Shao Shuyi turned and bowed, a smile on his face. Zheng Song nodded slightly, his expression unchanged as he stared straight at the water.
The bow cleaved through the waves, moving swiftly. The density of ships moored on both sides increased, suggesting they would soon enter the core of Liu Family Port.
"My family owns several bonded warehouses within the port. You are going to a shop that sells greenware to serve as an accountant," Zheng Song finally spoke after a long silence. "The work is not heavy, merely writing and calculating. When you have free time, you must also assist in organizing and inventorying the warehouse. You may live in the shop, and for your three daily meals, simply eat with the old staff. At the beginning of the month, you may draw four dou of coarse round-grained rice, three taels of sand salt, one jar of pickled vegetables, and twenty strings of Zhongtong notes. During the four seasons and eight festivals, you will receive the same gifts as the others; in short, we will not treat you as an outsider."
Zheng Song turned, scrutinizing Shao Shuyi with a gaze like a falcon.
Shao Shuyi squeezed out a diligent smile and bowed again.
"No need for that," Zheng Song waved his hand. "Just do your work well and do not harbor duplicitous thoughts. The Zheng family will not mistreat those who earn merit, nor will we spare those who live off us while secretly betraying us. Remember this."
"Yes," Shao Shuyi responded respectfully.
Zheng Song quickly fell silent; he had said all he needed to say.
The ship's steward poked his head out from the cabin, hesitating.
"What is it?" Zheng Song glanced at him.
"The Old Locust Tree is just a li or so ahead," the steward said.
"Drop anchor, then," Zheng Song nodded.
The steward acknowledged the order and began instructing the boatmen to prepare for mooring. Shao Shuyi looked ahead and indeed saw several tall locust trees standing on the riverbank. Beside the trees, a wooden jetty extended deep into the river. This was convenient; large ships could dock directly alongside without needing small boats to ferry cargo back and forth—unlike many other places in Liu Family Port, where ships anchored in deep water relied on sampans, a troublesome process.
Zheng Song quietly departed, seemingly having matters to discuss with his confidants. Shao Shuyi stood on the deck for a while, wanting to help but not knowing where to start; in the end, he simply shook his head and observed the shore.
As the ship drew closer to the Old Locust Tree, pavilions, high towers, and courtyards enclosed by brick and stone became faintly visible. The crowd on shore thickened. People shaded their eyes, distinguishing the ships on the river. Upon spotting the large "Zheng" banner flying high on the mast, they immediately waved their arms.
Donkey carts, mule carts, and ox carts were pulled over one by one, lining up in preparation for unloading. Around them, seven or eight men dressed in green scattered to stand guard. They were likely just hired laborers moonlighting as thugs, but with weapons in hand, they looked intimidating enough to deter petty thieves and ruffians.
The ship steward’s raspy voice rang out from the second floor of the cabin. The sailors shouted chants, lowering the sails and turning the ship in one smooth motion. The massive inland transport ship, like a tamed beast, slowly and precisely pulled up to the jetty. As it neared, a coil of rope was thrown; someone on shore caught it, secured it to a wooden post, and hauled the ship to a perfect stop on the east side of the pier.
Stone anchors splashed into the turbid water. Several gangplanks were laid out, connecting the deck to the jetty.
"Let's go." The steward had arrived on the foredeck and called out to Shao Shuyi.
Shao Shuyi turned to the cabin. Seeing that Zheng Song had already emerged, he hesitated no longer, stepping onto the gangplank and moving onto the jetty.
He had finally arrived at Liu Family Port.
…
The sky gradually darkened. Inside a courtyard of green bricks and dark tiles, all manner of porcelain was piled on the ground.
Manager Wang Sheng, having reported to Zheng Song, came to the courtyard personally to supervise the shop assistants and hired laborers as they categorized the porcelain and moved it into storage. When he saw the more than one thousand pieces of greenware—chrysanthemum dishes, tube-ear vases, fish-ear incense burners, and tripod incense burners—Wang Sheng’s eyelids couldn't help but twitch.
This was only a portion; there was more on the ship, and even more cargo to arrive tomorrow.
"Put these in Warehouse B," Wang Sheng ordered. "Be careful, don't damage them; it's all money."
A tall, strong hired laborer responded, walking away with a stack of dishes. The others also nervously selected various green porcelain items, moving with great caution.
Shao Shuyi picked up two single-handled green porcelain cups, intending to follow the tall laborer and help.
"Accountant, wait. These items belong in Warehouse A," Wang Sheng squinted for a moment before speaking.
Shao Shuyi paused, surprised.
Perhaps in a good mood, Wang Sheng explained, "You are new here, so it is excusable that you do not recognize greenware. You will understand after staying a while. The items you are holding are from the Longquan Kiln and are the most precious. In the Song dynasty (960–1279), there were the brothers Zhang Shengyi and Zhang Sheng'er from Chuzhou, who each managed a kiln. The pottery made by Shengyi was pale in color, hence the name Elder Brother Kiln (Ge Yao). The greenware made by Sheng'er was pure as fine jade and prized by the world; this was the Official Kiln, also known as the Sheng'er Kiln or Younger Brother Kiln (Di Yao). Today, most are generally referred to as Longquan Kiln wares, and the foreigners love them dearly."
"So that is how it is," Shao Shuyi nodded. "I have learned something."
"Shitou," Wang Sheng suddenly shouted.
"Coming." A hired laborer who was busy working put down his greenware and walked over lightly.
Wang Sheng motioned for him to come closer, whispered a few instructions, and finally said, "Take the accountant to familiarize himself with the warehouses."
"Yes," Shitou responded, then turned to Shao Shuyi and bowed. "Accountant, please follow me."
Shao Shuyi wasted no words, carrying the cups as he followed.
Walking single file, they passed through a courtyard, turned a corner through a corridor, and finally stopped in front of several brick rooms. The door to the innermost room was already open, and many chests and shelves were faintly visible inside.
"Accountant, you can just place the greenware on the ground; I will store it," Shitou said.
Shao Shuyi did not stand on ceremony and gently placed the porcelain down. Shitou picked them up one by one and arranged them in their corresponding spots.
Shao Shuyi followed him in, looking around.
There were roughly a thousand pieces of porcelain in the room, ranging from cups and dishes to vases and incense burners—everything one could expect, a dazzling array. And this was just one room of the so-called Warehouse A. From what he had seen earlier, several side-by-side rooms had large "A" characters painted on their outer walls; there must be several thousand pieces of large and small greenware in total.
Beyond Warehouse A, there was at least Warehouse B, which presumably stored slightly lower-grade greenware. As for whether there were C or D warehouses, no one had told him; he would have to learn more later.
The Zheng family does quite a large business! Shao Shuyi sighed with emotion.
Soon, he remembered that he was here to be the accountant. Should he recount the greenware in the warehouse?
Thinking of this, he asked, "Shitou, is there a ledger for all these items?"
Shitou, who was just about to walk out, froze, a flicker of nervousness crossing his face.