The inventory work continued until early in the sixth month.
Manager Wang Sheng proved unexpectedly cooperative, assigning several shop assistants to aid Shao Shuyi in expediting the warehousing so accounts with the kiln could be settled without delay.
By the third of the month, having received his monthly stipend, Shao Shuyi finally caught his breath. That same day, Wang Huadu slipped in quietly.
Shao Shuyi had the kitchen send dinner to his room, ordering four large bowls of savory meat porridge, which the two of them shared.
"Have you really just been working as a hired hand at the wharf these past few days?" Shao Shuyi asked after the laborer had cleared away the bowls and chopsticks. "You’re dark as charcoal."
"I really was working as a hired hand," Wang Huadu said, nodding. "So many ships docked—I couldn't even remember their names. One after another, hold after hold of goods. When the river wind blew, the air reeked of spices—cloying enough to choke a man."
Shao Shuyi nodded.
Entering late in the fifth, the number of ships arriving from the open ocean had indeed trended upward. The wharf was in urgent need of seasonal laborers; work was far easier to find than before, and wages had risen. Some shipowners even provided two or three meals a day just to unload cargo quickly, complete their transactions, and recoup funds to select new stock. The commodities they carried were high-value, so they cared little for a few copper coins; the cost of time was far greater.
Wang Huadu's going to the wharf at this time was truly a stroke of luck.
"I found that Sun Chuan you asked me to look for," Wang Huadu added. "I thought he’d be hard to track down, but his reputation is massive. He often goes to the wharf personally to await ships and never delegates the task. There are five or six Official Brokers and six or seven private brokers in the greenware trade, but Squire Sun is the most famous of them all. Everyone knows him; you can find out everything with just a little asking.""How did you ask?" Shao Shuyi stood up to check the door, then sat back down, lowering his voice.
"I’m not that stupid," Wang Huadu scoffed. "I first looked around based on the description you gave, then pretended to casually chat up people on the wharf. I soon knew which one was Squire Sun. Once I recognized the man, inquiring about his affairs was simple."
"Did you spend money?"
"Just bought a round of tea and water; didn't cost much," Wang Huadu said nonchalantly.
Shao Shuyi stood, went to the corner to fetch a jar of pickled vegetables and three taels of coarse salt, placed them at Wang Huadu's feet, and then counted out ten strings of banknotes. "Take it."
"What is this for?" Wang Huadu looked unhappy. "I helped you because we’re friends, not for this."
Shao Shuyi stuffed the notes into his hand. "I still kept some money. Take it. You lived off your woman's family for so long; you have to show some return."
Wang Huadu was tongue-tied.
Shao Shuyi smiled and asked, "How is Cheng Ji?"
"How can he be?" A slow smile returned to Wang Huadu's face. "The Crossroads Force barely has three or four thousand men, and these days, more than half are working outside as hired laborers. Some move cargo at the wharf, some grow vegetables for wealthy households, some do craft work, and others serve as domestics. It’s been a long time since they scraped together enough men for a drill. The worst part is that these men who go out to make a living have to pay tribute after earning money, otherwise they can't easily leave the camp. Cheng Ji got one dou of grain from you and is still suffering in the barracks."
Shao Shuyi was shocked once again.
Why was this so familiar? It was like the Xiang Army of the Song dynasty: waiters, farmers, sheepherders, servants, and even jugglers were everywhere, but no one could fight a war.
The officers turned a blind eye, tacitly allowing soldiers to leave camp to earn money, and even collecting kickbacks. If such a unit truly encountered war—even if the opponent was just a peasant uprising with weak combat power—they would not hold their ground. They would be routed.
"Let's not talk about this," Shao Shuyi waved his hand. "Tell me about Sun Chuan."
Wang Huadu sat up straight. "You have no idea. Sun Chuan is famous at the wharf. The stories circulating—"
"Just get to the main point."
Wang Huadu seemed not to have heard, shaking his head with relish. "Someone at the wharf saw Squire Sun bring several large horse-drawn carriages, receiving many foreign merchants and maritime guests into his residence. Then he sent servants out in all directions to slaughter cattle and sheep and buy countless jars of wine..."
Shao Shuyi listened silently. This external news was hard for him to gather, given his limited range of activity.
"When delivering spices, a partner pointed to a theater building and said that most of Squire Sun's business is discussed there," Wang Huadu continued. "He is eloquent, and there are no deals he cannot broker. The foreign merchants trust him deeply. Last year, someone gave him a coral tree worth a fortune; many people saw it."
"Who gave the coral?" Shao Shuyi interrupted quickly.
"A foreign merchant," Wang Huadu blinked, as if it were obvious.
"Why?"
"Rumor is, Squire Sun saved the foreign merchant money by driving down purchase prices."
"So that's how it is. Continue." Shao Shuyi nodded.
Wang Huadu spoke simply, but Shao Shuyi sensed something fishy. In his view, Sun Chuan was highly successful as a broker; not only did he collect a large amount of commercial tax for the government, but he also brokered significant domestic and foreign trade. His influence was vast, his voice heavy.
Considering the standard brokerage fee was "take three for every hundred," his accumulation of wealth was astonishing. So the question arose: did Sun Chuan have income beyond the three percent commission? For example, eating from both ends—fleecing the foreign merchants and then fleecing the local merchants? Shao Shuyi felt the possibility was very high.
The simplest model would be to persuade local merchants to lower prices, allowing foreign merchants to buy Central Plains goods like porcelain and silk cheaply, and then receive a kickback from the foreigners.
As for how to persuade local merchants to lower prices, that was a problem, but not impossible.
He could forge information—claiming, for instance, that fewer foreign ships arrived this year than in the past, or that the goods hoarded would not fetch a good price and might stagnate. If you are willing to lower the price, I will prioritize helping you sell them... It was guaranteed someone would be taken in.
Or perhaps he colluded with the agents of the local powerful gentry, officials, and merchants who negotiated prices. After all, the masters lived in luxury and did not necessarily handle everything personally, often delegating trusted subordinates to take charge. This created the opportunity for kickbacks; wealth, after all, moves men's hearts.
Wang Huadu didn't think this deeply. He spoke with beaming brows, delighted by the gossip. "Squire Sun has dozens of concubines and maids, and five large ships that travel everywhere. They say he’s a native of Zhenjiang and has a large mansion in the countryside there, with hundreds of bondservants and thousands of mu of fertile land. He is filthy rich; who knows how many people envy him? Alas, I really want to rob him and get some money to spend."
Shao Shuyi could not help but laugh.
"Did you see anyone from the greenware shop meet with Sun Chuan?" Shao Shuyi put away his smile and glanced instinctively at the door, lowering his voice.
"That, I truly did not," Wang Huadu said. "When I saw Sun Chuan, he only had his own sons and nephews and the foreign merchants by his side."
Shao Shuyi grunted in acknowledgement. If Sun Chuan wanted to meet Wang Sheng and the others, he would certainly choose a hidden place, or at least a private room in a teahouse or theater. How could they discuss such matters on the wharf? It was already impressive that Wang Huadu had discovered this much; one couldn't demand more.
After Wang Huadu finished his report, he glanced at Shao Shuyi and whispered, "Little Hu, do you think Wang Sheng and Sun Chuan have some unspeakable dirty dealings?"
Shao Shuyi hesitated, then slowly nodded.
"Then you must be careful," Wang Huadu said seriously. "Their business isn't small, is it? Whether Wang Sheng or the foreign merchant concedes a little, it's not a small amount. This money is enough to buy your life and mine many times over."
Shao Shuyi looked at him with surprise.
Wang Huadu had never studied and was destitute. When he was down and out, he scammed food and drink in the Nestorian temple and even mooched meals from widows and orphans, caring nothing for face. But he was obviously not stupid; he viewed problems from the simplest angle: to cut off a man's wealth is like killing his parents.
"I haven't made things difficult for Wang Sheng yet. He is just a little worried now, afraid I will ruin his affairs," Shao Shuyi said. "But just as you said, the bulk of the money he is skimming likely rests on Sun Chuan. He probably doesn't care about the petty theft in the shop; those are the benefits for the likes of Wu Youcai and Zhang Neng. Although they might have to pay some tribute to Wang Sheng, the amount shouldn't be large."
"That is still very dangerous," Wang Huadu said. "When I came in just now, I saw that Zhang Neng. Standing in the corridor, looking gloomy. Little Hu, you are living in the guesthouse; if someone decides to take a risk out of desperation, the trouble will be big."
Shao Shuyi sighed slightly, stood up, and paced a few steps. "For people like you and me—poor, unsupported, of low status—when we truly encounter trouble, do we have a choice? In the past, at home, I could barely afford to eat, was chased to my door for debts, fled for my life, and the next year, I would still have to serve miscellaneous corvée duties. If the family saved even a little wealth, the court would conduct a 'harmonious purchase' or 'harmonious hiring,' and it would be gone immediately. And now? I can eat my fill, three meals a day, and every day or two, there is meat or fish. Isn't this much better than the past?"
Wang Huadu listened blankly; it seemed to make sense.
"To gain something, one must inevitably pay something," Shao Shuyi said finally. "I have indeed very likely been used as a pawn by Young Sir Zheng. But if you lack even that value—if you can't even be a good pawn—why would Sir Zheng use you? Do you really think a second person who understands books and calculations cannot be found in Taicang? Not to speak of distant places, there are certainly some along the Yantietang River, but they are either Zheng clan kin, or Zheng clan fellow villagers, or confidants who have followed the Zheng family for decades. They are all more valuable than me; it would hurt a bit to lose them."
Speaking to this point, Shao Shuyi gave a self-deprecating smile. "If I die, Sir Zheng won’t even need to pay a pension. Wouldn’t that be saving money to the utmost?"
Wang Huadu was dumbstruck, yet had to admit the logic held.
"You're pretty ruthless," he looked at Shao Shuyi and sighed.
Shao Shuyi shook his head. "In truth, I’m only doing my duty; I have no irreconcilable grudge with Wang Sheng. Wu Youcai is mediocre—greedy enough, but lacking in nerve. Zhang Neng may be bolder, but he still wouldn’t dare cause trouble in the shop; Wang Sheng wouldn’t allow it. Go back to Taicang and stay there for a few days first. Tell Cheng Ji to bring the bow and arrows on the tenth."
"All right," Wang Huadu agreed without hesitation.