Chapter 59 The day Du Min became famous, I called you by your name...

Chapter 59 The day Du Min became famous, I called you by your name...

"Second Brother, I'm heading out." Du Min said goodbye to Du Li and left. As he walked out of Jiayufang, he slowly scanned the people around him. There were no familiar faces, and his inexplicable unease gradually subsided.

In the evening, Dr. Xu followed Du Min to the Meng family home. Upon entering, he saw his two friends there as well, and he smiled and asked, "Are you here to see the colorful horse too?"

“Yes, unlike you who were invited, we shamelessly went to their door ourselves,” Wang Bushang joked.

"We went to Ruiguang Temple today to donate incense money, hoping Master Konghui could divine a suitable day for relocating our grave. On our way down the mountain, we heard from other worshippers that the colorful horse crafted by the Meng family's paper horse shop and Dr. Xu from the prefectural school was like a celestial horse descended to earth, resembling a Buddhist sacred object. We came straight to the Meng family's house to see it for ourselves," Li Bushang explained. He then complained, "We've been begging for your painting for five years without success, and you've spent so much money on it at the paper horse shop."

Dr. Xu smiled and said, "The Meng family's paper horse shop gave me the inspiration to put pen to paper."

Meng Qing leaned close to Meng Chun and whispered something to him. Meng Chun nodded and left without saying a word.

“Where’s Cai Ma? I’ll go take a look too.” Dr. Xu looked at Meng Qing.

"Teacher, please follow me." Du Min led the way.

Two colorful horses were placed in the backyard. Dr. Xu walked through the porch and stopped the moment he saw the horses.

"What? You're amazed by your own painting?" Wang Bushang joked.

Dr. Xu shook his head, “I only gave them skin and flesh; the work of shaping their form and spirit is not mine. I must admit, they are far more amazing than I imagined.”

The Meng family members were beaming with pride at the praise.

Dr. Xu approached and raised his hand to stroke the lotus seat at the center of the silk horse's forehead. Two strands of silk touched the corners of the horse's eyes perfectly. He leaned closer to look at the horse's eyes and saw a glint in them, which made him raise his hand but dare not touch them.

“I noticed that too,” Wang the cloth merchant said. “The eyes of these two colorful horses look like they were gouged out of the eyes of live horses and stuffed in. From a distance, you can even see light moving in their eyes.” He looked at Meng Qing and asked, “Does the price of these brass paper horses not match the value of such eyes?”

"You're joking. If a paper horse made of brass is used as a funerary object, and its eyes look like they're alive during the funeral, wouldn't the people keeping vigil be afraid?" Meng Qing asked.

“The funerary objects shouldn’t be too realistic, because if they are too realistic, they will attract unclean things,” said Meng’s father.

"I'm sorry for the offense," Wang the cloth merchant apologized. "May I ask how this was made?"

“It’s cow glue.” Dr. Xu recognized it. “You’ve dried the cow glue layer by layer to make glass-like eyes, just like the glazed tiles on the paper house.”

Meng Qing smiled and nodded, "That's right."

She used a mixture of cow glue, raw lacquer, and ink to create the pupils of a horse, looking at Da Mao's donkey eyes and Du Li's human eyes. Then, she used the finest cow glue to solidify the eyeballs on the pupils. The golden, clear cow glue dried completely, turning the color of amber and allowing light to pass through. From a distance, the horse's eyes would appear spirited.

Dr. Xu carefully circled the silk horse five times, and exclaimed in admiration, "After you cut and rearranged the silk, it is much more lifelike than my painting."

"But without your painting, there would be no two colorful horses, and after these two colorful horses, there will never be a third silk horse as outstanding as this one." Meng Qing said truthfully, "After seeing these two colorful horses, Master Konghui's eldest disciple even wanted to clean the mountain gate and welcome the lotus-shaped colorful horses back to the temple on New Year's Eve."

Dr. Xu laughed heartily, "Du Min told me about it on the way."

"At Shenshi (3-5 PM) on New Year's Eve, the painted boat will be waiting at the Wumen Ferry. If you are interested, you can invite your relatives and friends to come aboard and appreciate your paintings," Meng Qing invited.

"Yes, I will definitely go. I will prepare the refreshments and tea on the pleasure boat that evening, and I will arrange for someone to deliver them at noon," Dr. Xu said earnestly.

“Alright.” Having witnessed Dr. Xu’s generous nature, Meng Qing didn’t argue with him. “The refreshments and tea on the pleasure boat are yours, and tonight’s meal is ours. Dr. Xu, Uncle Wang, Uncle Li, would you do us the honor of treating us to dinner? All three of you are major clients of our Meng Family Paper Horse Shop.”

Wang and Li, the cloth merchants, looked at Dr. Xu. Dr. Xu was in a good mood today, so he gladly went over.

Du Min was very enthusiastic about such occasions, but Du Li was not. In addition, he was worried that someone might climb over the wall and steal the colorful horse, so he did not go to the dinner to thank Dr. Xu. He took Wang Zhou and cooked at home by himself.

Late at night, the Meng family of four and Du Min returned home having enjoyed themselves. Meng's parents had drunk some wine but weren't drunk. They were too excited to sleep, so they called their children out and asked them to help with the accounts.

“Third Uncle, you are very knowledgeable, come and help us reconcile the accounts.” Meng’s father brought Du Min along.

Du Min sat down without any hesitation.

There were six ledgers on the table. Except for Du Li and Wang Zhou, everyone else took one and an abacus.

After a stick of incense had burned, Meng's father gathered the accounts from the five abacuses onto one abacus and said, "Not counting the odds and ends, this year's income is 883 strings of cash. Adding the commercial tax and household tax, the total expenditure is 410 strings of cash, resulting in a profit of 473 strings of cash. Let me check, there are 22 transactions related to Du Min. These include business related to the Chen family's funeral, as well as the transactions placed by the students of the prefectural school and Master Xie and Master Lin on the day of the banquet on the painted boat. These transactions have a total profit of 140 strings of cash. I will give you 20%, and I will give you 28 strings of cash."

Du Min stood up in astonishment and looked at Meng Qing.

“Don’t look at your second sister-in-law. She didn’t tell anyone in our family. I just guessed it.” Meng’s father gestured for him not to get excited. “When she talked to me on the second day of April, she said that she would give her 20% of the profits from the business related to you. It’s not hard to guess that it’s for you.”

"Don't worry about us, we won't harm you. It wouldn't do us any good anyway," Mencius' mother said. "Besides, after all this time, don't you know what kind of people we are?"

Du Min sat down again.

"You guessed it, so why did you say it?" Meng Qing was also caught off guard.

"He's drunk. Drinking will only lead to trouble." Meng's father wanted to slap him back, but the words just slipped out.

Mencius' mother slapped Mencius' father and said, "I'm going back to the house to get the money."

Now that things were out in the open, there was no need for any more secrecy. Meng's parents not only gave Du Min twenty-eight strings of cash on the spot, but also gave Meng Qing and Meng Chun one hundred strings of cash each.

“You’ve taken too much. Just give me 92 strings and 500 coins.” Meng Qing counted seven strings of copper coins and threw them back into the box, saying, “I’ll take advantage of you by 500 coins and take 93 strings.”

"Let's round it up. Your father and I will keep 245 strings of cash. That's enough. We can earn ten years' worth in a year." Meng's mother forcefully gave her another seven strings of cash. "Don't give me any more. I'll get angry if you give them back."

Meng Qing sighed helplessly, "Even between brothers, accounts must be kept clear. You're not being fair."

Mencius' mother pointed to her and Meng Chun, saying, "You two are siblings, so you should keep clear accounts."

Watching how parents and children interact in other families, the two brothers, who were observing silently, felt it was unreal. If this scene were in the Du family, they would fight over five hundred coins.

After the money was divided, Meng's father gave Du Li five strings of cash, saying, "Let's round it up to two hundred and forty strings. It's an easy number to remember. Don't refuse. Your parents have made a fortune this year, so we're giving you five strings of cash as New Year's money in advance. Don't think it's too little."

Du Li chuckled, "Five strings of cash is a small amount of money? I think it's not enough."

Seeing that he did not refuse, Meng's father breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Alright, everyone take your money and go back to your rooms to sleep. You've been busy all year, and you'll still be busy on New Year's Eve. Take a day off tomorrow, get a good night's sleep, and don't get up early to make breakfast. Whoever wakes up hungry can go out and buy it. Now, apart from Wangzhou, we don't lack money."

"I'm sleepy." Meng's mother was the first to get up and go back into the house.

Meng's father asked his son and son-in-law to help him carry the two money boxes back to the bedroom. Now, only Du Min and Meng Qing, who was holding Wang Zhou, remained on the money table piled with copper coins.

Du Min was shaken. He was so agitated that he took half of his money and pushed it to Meng Qing. “Of these twenty-two transactions, apart from the wreaths and paper figures bought by Master Xie, Master Lin and other teachers from Chongwen Academy for the Chen family’s funeral, the rest were all handled by you. This money is already included in the fifty strings of cash you calculated for me. If I collect any more, it would be double-charging. I’ll return half to you.”

Meng Qing smiled enigmatically, “It should all be given to me. All the profits of 140 guan went through my hands, and the money ended up in my and Meng Chun’s pockets. My parents didn’t get a single penny. This share of the profits doesn’t exist; it should be returned to my parents.”

Du Min refused, saying, "I've finally managed to be generous this once, don't you dare to completely destroy the conscience that's finally sprouting within me."

Meng Qing shook her head, "You, you, integrity is not meant for you."

Du Min greedily pocketed fourteen strings of cash and happily went back to his room to sleep.

When Meng Qing and Du Li came over, she asked him to carry the money strings back to the house and put fifty strings into the money box that belonged to Du Min.

“Send it to him. My younger brother won’t touch his money box. It’ll be fine if the money box is left in his room,” Meng Qing said.

Du Li picked up the money box and knocked on Meng Chun's door. "Du Min, your second sister-in-law asked me to bring you a wooden box to hold copper coins."

Du Minlai opened the door, took the wooden box from him, and immediately realized something was wrong.

"Keep these for yourself, and move them all out after the New Year," Du Li told him as she helped him move in.

Du Min squatted next to the money box and scratched his head. With so much money, and not having a home of his own, where could he go?

Du Li returned to his and Meng Qing's bedroom. Meng Qing was already in bed. He took off his clothes and lay down as well. After a while, he said, "I can still hear the clinking of copper coins in my ears. So much money! I've never seen so much money in my life. That scoundrel Lao San didn't do anything. Including what he had given him before, he's gotten a hundred strings of cash for nothing in the past six months."

“He didn’t give me a hundred strings of cash; he just gave me fourteen more,” Meng Qing said.

"That's still quite a lot." Du Li pounded the bed in distress.

“He deserves it, he didn’t get it for nothing. Without him opening up the upper-class market for us, who would buy these valuable funerary objects like brass paper horses and paper houses?” Meng Qing laughed. “Go to sleep, go to sleep, don’t be so petty. Your third son truly earned his money through his wisdom and writing skills.”

Du Li got up and rubbed Wang Zhou's hands, saying, "Son, you'll have to make money with your pen in the future too."

"Wake him up, or I'll never forgive you." Meng Qing kicked him. "Behave yourself."

Du Liren was obedient, but his heart couldn't calm down. He closed his eyes and tried hard to sleep, but he didn't feel sleepy until the rooster crowed.

That morning, the Meng family's gate remained closed until the afternoon, when the residents, having had a good nap, gradually began to venture out to find food.

Du Li only woke up an hour and a half before nightfall, when only Meng Qing and Wang Zhou were left at home.

"Where are the others?" Du Li picked up a cold rice cake from the table and ate it.

"My parents went to the lantern shop to pick out lanterns. They plan to buy a batch of nice lanterns to hang on the painted boat. My younger brother and your younger brother both went. Your younger brother said he has a good eye and wants to help them choose."

"Speak properly." Du Li felt that Du Min was completely incomparable to Meng Chun.

Meng Qing shrugged.

It wasn't until dark that Meng's parents, Meng Chun, and Du Min returned.

"Where are the lanterns?" Meng Qing asked.

"It's already been sent to the shipping company and hung up. I've checked them all one by one, and they look pretty good," Meng's mother replied. "Have you eaten?"

“You ate? We didn’t cook, we ate out, there are no leftovers at home,” Meng Qing said.

“We’ve eaten, let’s wash up and go to bed. We can’t sleep in tomorrow, we need to go to bed early,” said Meng’s mother.

*

Mencius' parents planned to move their New Year's Eve dinner to a painted boat. The family spent half a day preparing four pots.

At noon, Dr. Xu's staff delivered tea and snacks to five tables on time.

Half an hour later, the painted boat with red lanterns arrived at Wumen Ferry. Meng's mother busied herself preparing tea, snacks and dishes to be served on the boat.

However, as soon as she stepped outside, Mencius' mother saw the four adults and two children standing there, and she frowned in disgust.

"What brings you here?" she asked bluntly.

“Mother-in-law, it’s not like you’ve already taken both my sons to your house. We’re all single now, so we can only come here to join in the fun. Look, I have another son here, I’ll send him to you too. He also has a son and a daughter, you can take care of them for me, then their mother and I won’t have to worry about them anymore.” Old Du was deliberately trying to annoy her. He smiled and said, “If you find us old folks an eyesore, we’ll just have a hot meal and leave. It won’t affect your efforts to win over my sons.”

Meng's mother was furious. "Do you think I care about your son? Didn't you, Du Laoding, disown Du Li as your son? How come I have two sons here? Aren't you contradicting yourself?"

After saying that, she turned around and shouted loudly, "Du Min, your parents are here, come out quickly."

Old Du gave her a cold look, then lifted his foot to walk into the house. "Mother-in-law, please let us come in and sit down."

"If you dare to step inside, I'll immediately report to the authorities that my house has been burgled and a hundred strings of cash have been stolen." Meng's mother completely broke off relations with this old man.

Old Du scrutinized her expression, then took a few steps back. "Fine, then, we're not getting along, are we?"

Du Min came out of the backyard in a panic. When he saw the people outside the door, he didn't know what expression to make. He only knew that his face should be ugly and ridiculous because he saw pleasure on his father's face and mockery on his mother's face.

"Student Du, how have you been?" Old Ding Du forced a smile, took a step back, stared at the Meng family's door lintel, and said sarcastically, "Is Dr. Xu home? Your father has come to wish him an early Happy New Year and thank him for inviting you to his home for the New Year."

Du Min was speechless.

Meng Qing and Du Li came out carrying food boxes. She said to Du Min, "Third brother, let's take your parents somewhere else to talk. There's a lot of stuff at home, so it's not convenient to invite them in."

Du Min closed his eyes and took the lead.

“Daughter-in-law, don’t you even greet your parents-in-law? We’ve come here today specifically for the Meng family, won’t you invite us in for a seat?” Old Ding Du said with a smile.

"You don't even acknowledge your son, so what kind of in-laws are you to me?" Meng Qing sneered, pointing at Du Li and asking, "What? Have you forgotten what you told him?"

"You want to freeload off my Meng family? I'll teach you a trick. Go to Wumen Ferry and wait there. Two hours later, all the leftover tea and food from the pleasure boat will be poured out for you." Madam Meng had no intention of being polite to the two old geezers from the Du family anymore. If things turned sour, she would simply make her daughter divorce him.

Jinshu had never been so humiliated. He grabbed his parents and tried to leave, saying, "Let's go, I want to go home."

Li Hongguo followed his force and left the Meng family. Qiaomei saw this and hurriedly followed. Du Ming looked at the Meng family mother and daughter, and seeing that neither of them was easy to deal with, he also ran away.

Old Du was almost driven mad by these worthless people, but he had already achieved his goal, so he stopped arguing and turned to leave.

"Ignore them and let them be," said Mencius' mother. "I'll stay home and watch over things. You two take the vegetables to the pleasure boat."

Meng Qing and Du Li ran back and forth, finally managing to get the food and refreshments onto the pleasure boat before it departed. Two colorful horses were also carried onto the boat, standing on the left and right sides of the bow.

Dr. Xu and his relatives and friends boarded the ship one after another. Du Min saw a great scholar among Dr. Xu's guests in the tea house and immediately tried to run out.

“Du Min, if you dare to leave even a step today, I’ll go and ask Dr. Xu if he invited you to his house for the New Year,” Old Ding Du calmly threatened him.

Du Min turned around and said, "Fine, if you're not afraid of ruining me, then go ahead and ask."

Du Laoding scoffed, "It's just a student lying. Do you think he'll expel you? No way. He'll just think you have character flaws."

"What do you want to do?" Du Min asked coldly.

"I also want to ask you what you're planning to do. Is it fun to mess with your old man? Come on, sit here obediently and keep your parents company while they watch the excitement on this cruise ship. Look at those magnificent colorful horses! No wonder they've kept you from going home," Old Ding Du exclaimed in admiration.

Unable to figure out his intentions, Du Min could only sit down and watch helplessly as the painted boats at the ferry dock set sail.

Once the pleasure boat left, most of the tea drinkers in the teahouse also left, but Old Du Ding remained motionless. He ordered a few dishes and served them to his grandchildren, completely ignoring Du Min.

Du Min remained silent, watching the river in quiet contemplation.

An hour later, Meng Qing appeared at the ferry. She stood on the covered boat, looking around, clearly searching for someone.

Du Min stood up.

"Don't move," Du Laoding reminded him.

Du Min didn't listen this time. He knew Meng Qing's character well; she wouldn't leave the pleasure boat and return at this time unless it was something important.

"Du Min!" Old Ding shouted as he saw Du Min run away.

Du Min didn't stop. He ran out of the teahouse and came to the riverbank. "Second sister-in-law, second sister-in-law, I'm here. Who are you looking for?"

Meng Qing hurriedly asked the boatman to take her there, "Third brother, come with me quickly, the governor has boarded the pleasure boat."

Du Min's heart pounded again, "Your Excellency the Prefect?"

"Yes, the governor who presided over the provincial examination," Meng Qing said happily.

Du Min quickly jumped onto the boat. "Boatman, let's go!"

Old Du was a step too slow. By the time he caught up, the boat had already crossed the bridge. In the blink of an eye, he pushed off with the pole and leaped another ten feet. He gave up chasing the boat and walked onto the bridge, his eyes fixed on the awning boat on the river.

Meng Qing turned around and smiled at him.

"Laugh now, but you won't be laughing for long. The day Du Min becomes famous, I'll make sure you lose all your reputation," Du Laoding said maliciously.