Chapter 1: 1

Early summer.

 

Forest flowers bloomed into spring red, willow catkins waved all over the place, tiny snow life willow catkins floated in the air, rampantly running amok under the morning light and dawn winds, they were everywhere.

 

Ming dynasty’s north of the city Shutian prefecture, Rizhong workshop, Gulouxixie street, Tianshui lane1, a commoner’s house at the end of the lane.

 

Xi Chao Dong sat in that house, overlooking the Tianshui lane in a two levels brick and wood little house, there was a little courtyard behind it.

 

Manager Chen brought a woman to see this house, the Chen family got by acting in the profession of managers, in the family there were also those who acted as intermediaries for all kinds of goods and business transactions.

 

Growing from a bud, three generations of the family made a living from this profession, everyone called him manager Chen, his actual name wasn’t known to many.

 

This house had been in his management for almost half a year, if he isn’t able to rent it out, the landlord would change managers, he wouldn’t be able to make any money from this.

 

Win or lose, it all ended here, manager Chen gave a light cough, clearing his throat, he was about to use all his eloquence to describe this house in splendidly, he undoubtedly would be ale to persuade the client to rent it.

 

When he opened his mouth, a cotton catkin entered manager Chen’s left nostril, a earthshaking itch came out bubbling from his nose, he covered it with his sleeve promptly, giving a sneeze.

 

The female client was a little obsessed with cleanliness, hearing the sneeze she immediately took three steps backwards, and took a handkerchief to cover her mouth and nose, her brows knitting together, the two of them had just stepped through the doors, the client moving back in this way, she reached the threshold.

 

It’s ruined, ruined! Troops sent out have died before victory!

 

Manager Chen cried out in his heart oh no, he promptly bowed with his hands held in front, “Chen has been discourteous, truly sorry.”

 

“No harm.” The woman said, but her hand earnestly continued to cover her mouth and nose with the handkerchief, thus her voice was rather muffled, “Take me around the place.”

 

At this time, he could only give medicine to a dead horse.

 

Manager Chen described the downstairs and the upstairs, “...Bed, wardrobe, dining table, bench and such furnitures are all readily available, madam take a look, they’re all made of good wood. If madam likes this place, you can live here tonight…”

 

The woman only looked to be sixteen or seventeen years old, her face still possessed the innocence of childhood, but she combed her hair to that of a married woman, her hair bun was also wrapped with a white damask in a mourning apparel, at a glance she was a young widow still not out of the mourning period.

 

That’s why manager Chen called her madam.

 

However no matter how manager Chen boasted about how good this house was, the young widows face viewing the house remained indifferent from start to finish, she didn’t even give an “oh” response.

 

However, the young widow also didn’t show any impatience, wanting to leave.

 

So, manager Chen held onto a gleam of hope, taking the young widow downstairs, into the small courtyard at the back, the courtyard was covered with green tiles, because no one had lived there for half a year, during the spring weeds grew through the cracks in the tiles, in order to rent this place out as soon as possible, manager Chen had personally cleaned it up, it looked very fresh and cool.

 

“...Madam take a look, kitchen, firewood shed, toilet, every necessity is provided, set up a mat awning in the garden during summer, hang up bamboo hanging screens and muslin canopy, eating melon to relieve summer heat and enjoy the cool air, it’s simply the life of an immortal!”

 

A manager relied on glib talk for a living, as well as the ability to observe body language, but having shown the entire building, the young widow didn’t bat an eyelid the entire time, it seems she was extremely reserved.

 

Did she like it or not? Manager Chen was at a loss, he took out a set of keys, “When does madam plan to move in?”

 

In the manager profession, it’s a taboo to hang oneself on a tree. Manager Chen was subtly urging the young widow to make a decision, if the young widow had no interest then fine, this will end, no need to waste his time, he had other matters to deal with.

 

The young widow didn’t take notice, she strolled to the rear courtyard, pushing open the courtyard doors, outside the door was a narrow alley which only allowed two people to walk shoulder to shoulder, and was a dead-end, opposite was a tall wall.

 

It wasn’t possible to see the ends of the tall wall, a rich family’s residence could be seen.

 

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The young widow pointed at the tall wall, asking: “Who lives over there?”

 

What bad luck! Manager Chen said in his heart, an unconstrained smile still remained on his face as he spoke: “That is the residence of the Wang qianhu2, the Wang family’s ancestor was a great minister who gave outstanding service by dealing with the problems in the south with the ancestor of the emperor, they were bestowed the title of hereditary qianhu, now it’s been passed down to the fifth generation, they are a meritorious noble family.”

 

The young widow looked at the tall wall covered with maple vines without a word, looking pensive.

 

Manager Chen thought the young widow was afraid of being bullied by that important neighbour, he hurriedly said: “Even though the Wang family is a meritorious noble family, but they are a good family, good-natured. The neighbours in the neighbourhood of Tianshui lane are common, simple and honest folks, from great things like a theft or fire, to the smallest of bickers have never occurred, you could even not lock the doors at night, honesty prevails throughout.”

 

A widow was the subject of a lot of gossip, so for a young pretty widow, safety was naturally most important.

 

The young widow finally gave a response, “So you’re telling me, Tianshui lane is a tranquil place?”

 

Manager Chen felt it was promising, “Just as I said, most people I wouldn’t bring them here to look, only someone like madam with a good character is suited to live here.”

 

“Tranquil is good, but…” The young widow muttered to herself for a moment, saying: “I make a living from medicine, practice medicine to help the people.”

 

Until now, apart from an area young men went to pick up loads on poles, there wasn’t a way for strangers to walk by, completely deserted, no customers, how could she make a living.

 

At this moment he was thrown into a pit! 

 

Manager Chen’s brain spun, using the skill of rambling passed on from ancestors he said: “That...fragrant wine fears no dark alley,3 madam is a miracle healer, news passes quickly from mouth to mouth, you will definitely have a thriving and prosperous business in the future.”

 

Right now manager Chen no longer had any hope.

 

However the young widow actually said: “Fine, this will be the house, I will rent a year first.”

 

Manager Chen was in ecstasy, “The price I told madam before we came to see the house, rent for a year is fifty silvers , as well as ten silvers as deposit, if there is no damage to the building or furniture at the end of the period, the entire ten silvers will be returned to madam, in total sixty silvers--- where is madam staying currently? We can go to madam’s residence to sign the contract, exchange money and key.”

 

The young widow was a straightforward person, at once taking out a fifty silver banknote and a ten silver ingot, “Let’s sign here.”

 

In accordance with the rules, manager Chen could take a tenth of the rent--- five silvers for the manager fees.

 

Manager Chen was excited and remorseful, this young widow was clearly in a rush to find somewhere to live, otherwise she wouldn’t have carried so much money on her, and didn’t haggle over the price, maybe she would have agreed if I started off with seventy silvers as rent!

 

However the timber had been turned into a boat already, it was too late for manager Chen to regret, he opened his brush case, taking out a writing brush, using his tongue to lick the tip, the two of them wrote a contract, when it came to signing, the young widow wrote down her name, “Wei Cai Wei”.

 

That troublesome house had finally been rented out, manager Chen had earned money, his mood was very good, he flattered the young widow, shaking his head he recited: “`Here we are, picking the first fern-shoots. And saying: When shall we get back to our country?`4, this is a famous poem in Shijing5, doctor Wei a good name.”

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Wei Cai We smiled, picking up the key on the table, “I don’t want to bother another person, my luggage is still at the Santong tavern on Gulouxixie street, I’m a newcomer, I don’t know where the horse carriages are here, I would trouble manager Chen to lend a hand to hire a carriage to transport the luggage to---” Wei Cai Wei looked around the house, “my home.”

 

She had decided to call this home.

 

Manager Chen saw that she spent money liberally, producing sixty silvers in one go, at such a young age she dared to establish her own medicinal service, she must be a very talented female doctor, in the future she might be able to have a long lasting business, he patted his chest saying: “Such a small thing, leave it to me, I have a mule cart at my store, I’ll help doctor Wei move your luggage over--- I won’t charge.”

 

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Manager Chen hurried his mule cart to Santong tavern, Wei Cai Wei was already waiting on the main road by the front doors, her hands held a long object wrapped with a red cloth, beside her were three big chests.

 

Manager Chen and the tavern’s waiter moved the chests onto the cart, Wei Cai Wei carried that item wrapped in red cloth the entire time, it seems this was the only item that she placed great importance on.

 

When they arrived at the new residence at Tianshui lane, Wei Cai Wei unwrapped the item in the red cloth, she took the memorial tablet from inside placing it on the incense burner table, and took out a handkerchief, gently wiped the non-existence dust from the memorial tablet.

 

She lit a coloured glass lamp, taking three joss sticks she lit them with the lamp, silently mouthing a pious prayer. 

 

Manager Chen moved the first chest in gasping for breath, he saw written on the memorial tablet “Lost husband Wang erlang”6 on the table.

 

When manager Chen took his leave, Wei Cai Wei opened a chest, taking out a small wooden box, “This is a heat relief pill I made myself, the weather is getting hotter, dissolve it in water and drink it as tea, it can ease heat.”

 

Manager Chen held the wooden box repeatedly saying thanks.

 

Seeing the manager off, Wei Cai Wei opened a chest taking out a bag with two shoulder straps putting it on her back, two small flags were on either side of the bag, one said “Highly skilled gynecologist” and “Miracle doctor”.

 

She put on a conical bamboo hat, a black muslin cloth hung from the edge of the hat, using it to block the sun and the willow catkin filling the sky, on the door knocker she placed a copper lock, taking out a iron ring like a hollow baked sesame-coated cake, three fingers could fit through the iron ring, there were three iron beads between the ring.

 

She put the iron ring on her thumb, gently rotating it, the balls inside the ring struck each other, the hulalala sound of the beads immediately resounded down Tianshui lane.

 

This iron ring was called tiger palm7, it was a one of a kind percussion owned exclusively by wondering doctors.

 

Those professions which walked the streets and lanes, medical practitioners, coal sellers, perfumed oil sellers, fortune tellers and such, eight professions weren’t allowed to loudly advertise their business, they could only use their own exclusive percussion to do business, they were called the “eight mutes”.

 

Coal sellers had a rattle drum; fortune tellers had a wooden stick hitting a gong called baojunzhi8; perfumed oil sellers had wooden clappers9 with bars of unequal lengths; medical practitioners had the tiger palm.

 

Wei Cai Wei rotated the tiger palm, in the early morning of summer under a sky filled with willow catkins she faded into Tianshui lane.

 

A day very quickly went by, layers of willow catkins filled the road, it looked like snow.

 

Close to nightfall, a metal horse hoof stepped into Tianshui lane, the steed galloped forward, kicking up the willow atkins akin to snow.

 

A young man urged the horse to speed along, on horseback clung a man, his face was downwards, both legs were on one side of the horse, his body was like a piece of rag moving up and down with the horse’s movements, several times he almost fell off, the young man on the horse used one hand to firmly keep him on the horseback.

 

In the Ming dynasty no matter male or female they had to shave their heads as children, only a thread of hair on the top of the head was left in a braid, forehead and back of the head needed to be shaved smooth, when they reach the age of ten then can they grow out their hair.

 

This young man had only let his hair grow for a few years, his hair was swept up into a bun, a blinding gold hair pin stuck in it, the short fringe on his forehead and was loose as it was too short to be tied into the bun, he recklessly flew through through the willow catkin filled air.

 

Accompanying the sound of the horse hooves, was the shrieking of the man sprawled over the horseback, “Dai Xia! Wang Dai Xia! Second young master Wang! Ancestor! You’re my ancestor alright! Please ancestor, let me go! My dinner from last night is going to be jolted out!”

 

Hearing this voice, it was the manager Chen who had rented the house to Wei Cai Wei this morning.

 

Wang Dai Xia remained unmoved, and firmly patted manager Chen’s bottom on the horseback, “Give back the money, chase them away!”

 

Manager Chen couldn’t throw up even if he wanted to, he could only dry retch, “The contract has been signed. Rent has already been given to your mother, the rice is cooked, how can I return it?”

 

Arriving at the house’s door, seeing the lock on the door knocker, only then did he realise unfortunately the new tenant wasn’t home.

 

However this didn’t stop Wang Dai Xia, he dismounted, single handedly picking up manager Chen from the horse, tossing him in front of the house, cursing he said: “Such a great manager Chen, you knew this building was part of my mother’s dowry, you however gave the rent to my stepmother, you deserve a beating!”

 

Manager Chen rolled around on the ground three times, covering the brand new sapphire blue round neck gown from today’s rental deal in dust and willow catkins, creasing it as well, just like a potherb mustard fished out from a pickled vegetable jar, a sorry figure.

 

He gave an “ow” clutching his waist he stood up, looking at the lock on the door knocker, he decided on a delay tactic.

 

“My ancestor, the tenant is a wandering doctor, practicing medicine outside, it’s not know when they’ll be back, we can’t sit around all day, tomorrow early morning let’s come again.”

 

Manager Chen said this, his heart however made a plan, at night go inform Wang qianhu, Wang qianhu would properly discipline this little dandy, not to harass the tenant.

 

Wang Dai Xia gave a cold snort, taking out a new lock, he placed it on the door knocker, with a kacha the lock fixed, “I still have something to do, I don’t have time to wait, I Wang Dai Xia have only ever had others wait for me, never do I wait for others.”

 

Now there were two locks on the door knocker, when the female tenant returned she wouldn’t be able to enter, she could only find him.

 

Manager Chen threw himself to cling at Wang Dai Xia’s thigh, “This is absolutely unacceptable, the tenant has a home but can’t enter, they’ll get angry.”

 

The tenant would want to return the house and the rent, the five silver of manager fee manager Chen had already spent would also have to be returned, it would have been a waste of time.

 

Wang Dai Xia kicked manager Chen away, placing the key in his bosom, he leapt onto the horse, brandishing his whip he said: “I want the tenant to find it a problem and leave, hurriedly return the house and move out.”

 

Manager Chen sprawled on the willow catkins ground calling out: “I already gave the rent to your mother...stepmother! How can this house be given back?”

 

Wang Dai Xia urged the horse on using the whip, without turning his head, “That’s not my problem!”

 

1 Sweet water.↩

2 A hereditary official title.↩

3 Quality goods need no advertising↩

4 Her name. Cai means picking. Wei means fern. Full translated poem here: http://bs.dayabook.com/five-classics/shijing/song-of-the-bowmen-of-shu↩

5 The book of Songs, early collection of Chinese poems and one of the Five Classics of Confucianism.↩

6 Second son.↩

7 http://5b0988e595225.cdn.sohucs.com/images/20190116/0fceab28d2174cfdac2503bf57fc38de.jpeg.↩

8 https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnew.qq.com%2Fomn%2F20180826%2F20180826A14YMM.html&psig=AOvVaw28z-NbYkGuZu47nyTGhFa7&ust=1611758556239000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCICWv9Pque4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAl↩

9 https://pic.17qq.com/uploads/ihehjdhffdz.jpeg↩

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