3 Buying a House

Miao Zhen wanted to study medicine, and her father agreed. Xu’s father was actually quite far-sighted; he even made inquiries and believed that to excel in a craft, one must first sharpen their tools. So he told his daughter, “The Medicine King, Sun Simiao, once said that anyone aspiring to be a great doctor must be well-versed in the ‘Su Wen,’ ‘Jia Yi,’ ‘Huangdi Needle Classic,’ ‘Mingtang Flow Annotations,’ the twelve meridians, the three parts and nine conditions, the five viscera and six bowels, the exterior and interior acupuncture points, herbal medicine correspondences, and the classical prescriptions of Zhang Zhongjing, Wang Shuhe, Ruan Henan, Fan Dongyang, Zhang Miao, Jin Shao, among others. One must also master the profound arts of yin and yang, fate and fortune, various physiognomies, divination through tortoise shells, the six ren of the Zhou Yi, and be thoroughly proficient. You, however, should first focus on your studies; otherwise, you’ll end up like those quack doctors and midwives.”

“Your father will first buy these books for you to read. If you don’t understand something, I will explain it. Then you will study the ‘I Ching.’ When you have made progress, I will take you to seek out a famous doctor to learn from.”

He feared his daughter’s enthusiasm might be fleeting and wanted to see if she could persevere. Meanwhile, as she worked hard, he managed the family shop, gaining some status to avoid being looked down upon when apprenticing.

At the end of the year, after receiving seventy taels as a writing fee, Xu Erpeng bought his daughter a bronze acupuncture figure and acquired the “Nan Jing,” “Mai Jue,” and “Danxi Heart Method” books for her to study on her own. The rest of the money he handed over to Mrs. Mei.

When the school closed for the New Year, Miao Zhen took out her medical books to study. Modern acupuncture and massage differed from the ancient methods; nowadays they used electro-acupuncture, pulsed techniques, and various imaging aids, whereas the ancients relied on dialectical reasoning, where a slight error could lead to great mistakes.

The closer it got to the New Year, the better business Xu Sanshu’s tea and snack shop did. Previously, there had been leftovers to share, but now they sold out completely, even pulling Miao Lian in to help. Xu Erpeng was also busy, never resting from his writing, often finishing meals in under an hour and lamenting that last year’s seventy taels was too little income.

So when Xu Dalang returned with his wife and daughter, he found that while other families were immersed in New Year festivities, his own family was preoccupied with their own affairs, lacking any festive spirit.

His work at the academy was also not going smoothly. Others assumed he was a tribute examiner, and some inquired about his year of attaining the scholar’s degree. When he casually mentioned it, people said they knew others from his cohort and even tried to introduce them.

This flustered him greatly...

Xu Erpeng was unaware of all this. He only knew that his elder brother had always been an unattainable goal. The brother was handsome and favored by influential patrons, while he was plain and had to rely on himself. The elder brother was intelligent and favored by teachers, whereas he was barely passable and often unlucky. Each New Year’s visit to his wife’s family brought comparisons and subtle discrimination from the brothers-in-law, while the elder brother was cherished and even given a thousand taels.

The two were worlds apart, so when he heard the elder brother wanted to resign from the academy because of poor relations, he found it strange.

Miao Zhen, who was studying medicine inside, heard their conversation and suddenly recalled an old saying: “Thirty years on the east bank of the river, thirty years on the west bank.”

She resolved to work hard herself!

Compared to Miao Zhen reading medical books, her eldest sister, Miao Yun, increasingly embodied the demeanor of a refined lady. Her posture, manners, and eating habits were unlike ordinary girls, very elegant. Even Mrs. Mei praised her, saying, “Big sister is truly becoming outstanding.”

“Little sister-in-law, stop praising her,” Huang said with a smile, inwardly proud.

Huang thought that if her daughter became a teacher in a girls’ school, she would not only earn an income but also gain access to wealthy households. For girls from modest families to climb socially, this was the only way.

Her daughter was even better than hers. Her own daughter was plain and merely the child of a scholar, while Huang’s daughter was the child of a tribute graduate, resembling her father with about eighty percent of his good looks. If she could marry into a wealthy family in the future, it would be better than anything else.

After the New Year’s Eve dinner, Xu Erpeng busied himself having the sacrificial pig’s head returned to the butcher. Xu Dalang was puzzled: “Since it’s for sacrifice, why return it?”

“It was rented. Nowadays there are specialized shops for slaughtering pigs and sheep. Your brother is really out of touch with everyday life,” Xu Erpeng joked.

Xu Dalang felt somewhat offended, thinking that since his younger brother passed the scholar’s exam, he had become somewhat arrogant. It wasn’t that others had changed, but that he was no longer the center of attention. The second brother was a scholar, the third brother did well in business, and although he had higher social status, he contributed nothing during the New Year. People didn’t say it outright, but they surely held opinions.

Mrs. Mei was about to give birth, so she prepared straw paper, bandages, and a small mattress. Now that she had money and help, she felt much more at ease.

Xu Erpeng had early on paid a two-tael deposit to hire a well-known midwife nearby.

All preparations in place, Mrs. Mei gave birth smoothly on the eighth day of the first lunar month to a son, named simply Jian.

Everyone said it was a coincidence: Miao Zhen was born on the fifteenth day, the Lantern Festival, and her brother Jian was born on the eighth, both within the same month.

After the birth, a maternal aunt from the Mei family came, gifted a silver necklace, and left without even eating lunch. Miao Zhen heard that this aunt disliked the persistent odor in the Xu household and didn’t wish to stay long. She knew it was because they looked down on their poverty.

On Miao Zhen’s birthday, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, her father bought her a copy of the “Taiping Huimin Hejiju Fang” and bought delicate pastries from outside. Mrs. Mei had Feng bring her a bowl of longevity noodles with two boiled eggs.

After the meal, Mrs. Mei promised to take her to see the spring temple plays once her confinement ended.

The fifth day after the beginning of spring marks the Spring She festival. Spring temple plays are held around this time, also called She plays. Every year, her parents would take her; men crowded at the front to watch, women watched from behind wooden fences. Nearby, vendors sold sweet bean drinks, which were very tasty.

Her life in ancient times was actually quite comfortable. In the modern era, her parents divorced and remarried, but both took credit before her for her academic success.

In contrast, in ancient times, she found warmth in family.

After the Lantern Festival, Miao Zhen had to return to school. This year, Yu the scholar’s daughter was to marry. During the Ming dynasty, brides’ dowries were usually substantial. Wang Yangming once noted: “As boys and girls grow up, timely marriage is fitting. Often the bride’s family is blamed for insufficient betrothal gifts, and the groom’s family for inadequate dowry, causing delays.”

Some grooms even called off marriages because the bride’s dowry was too meager. Yu the scholar, usually carefree, now scrambled to recruit people, mixing newcomers with those who had studied two years with his daughter.

Xu Erpeng told his daughter, “Later, I will help you find a good girls’ school.”

As he spoke, he made Miao Zhen recite from the “Nan Jing” and “Mai Jue.” When she stumbled, he would prompt her with a word or two, all the while writing.

Miao Zhen noticed her father’s dark circles and knew he often stayed up late writing, sleeping poorly, with seven or eight sleepless nights a month. He compensated with extra sleep on other days. She wanted to suggest some remedies but felt she was not yet in a position to be heard. Just as when he had not yet passed the scholar’s exam, even correct advice was ignored; after passing, his words carried weight.

She had a foundation, so memorizing came easily. After listening, Xu Erpeng was deeply impressed by his daughter’s determination at such a young age. Could it be divine favor? He praised her generously: “Second daughter, you are truly smart, with good memory and insight. Father wants to reward you. Tell me what you want, and I will buy it.”

She grew small and childlike: “I want a lotus lantern.”

Such a modest request was easily granted. He bought not only a lotus lantern but also an additional gauze lantern. Miao Zhen was delighted, preferring to light the lantern rather than a candle when going to the privy at night.

This aroused the envy of Xu Siniang and Miao Lian, who, like all children, clamored for flower lanterns.

Xu Sanshu soon bought a rabbit lantern for his daughter, but Xu Siniang had none. Xu Sanshu secretly bought one for his sister, provoking a sarcastic mood from Mrs. Bao.

“This year I must save more silver,” Xu Erpeng said wearily. Living with so many people, petty quarrels were maddening.

Mrs. Mei said, “After my confinement, I’ll start weaving. We’ll save more money together.”

Xu Erpeng quickly replied, “You needn’t hurry; just take good care of Jian.”

“If not, we can rent a shop for a bookstore instead of buying one,” Mrs. Mei suggested, fearing the burden on Xu Erpeng.

Soon, her words proved futile. The landlord of Xu Sanshu’s shop refused to renew the lease this year, intending to reclaim the premises. This shop had been rented by the Xu family for two generations. Xu’s late father had started his rice business here, and now the youngest son ran a thriving tea and snack shop, especially booming these last couple of years.

Good business attracted competitors.

So the shop had to close, and Xu Sanshu roamed the streets daily in straw sandals looking for a new place.

Because the third branch’s tea shop closed, Aunt Bao spent more time at home. The second and third branches’ rooms faced each other. Bao’s thick-skinned and opportunistic nature meant she initially had Feng fetch water and pick vegetables for her, which was tolerable.

Later, she frequently called for people to watch over Zhang Ge’er, or to help patch shoes, treating Feng like a servant. Even when Mrs. Mei was confined and called for help, Feng was often absent, growing resentful.

Meanwhile, Xu Erpeng, who was searching for a residence, liked to prepare in advance. Even when buying a house, he would consult pawnbrokers and compare multiple options. At night, he wrote scripts alone. Mrs. Mei did not want to burden her daughter with these matters. When Aunt Bao once again called at the second branch’s door, Miao Zhen came out.

“Aunt Bao, please find someone else to help you. Feng has to take care of my brother. Last time you called Feng away, my mother was bedridden and couldn’t get up, and there was no one to change my brother’s diaper.”

Seeing her niece speak up, Bao smiled broadly: “Feng is a good person and willing to help me. When she’s free, then we’ll see.”

Such a persistent woman was hard to confront, so Miao Zhen had no choice but to mention it to her father on the morning he took her to school.

Xu Erpeng also found living at home increasingly inconvenient. Especially after the birth of the youngest son, four family members and Feng all lived in two rooms, the house noisy and chaotic. His scriptwriting suffered, and his wife was disturbed.

Originally, there was a residence inside the Chang Gate, once belonging to a gentry family who had fallen on hard times and planned to move to the countryside to farm. The house covered about one acre and three fen, with a two-room frontage facing south, three courtyards deep, and the innermost courtyard had a two-story building. The owner asked for six hundred taels.

He urgently needed money to buy land, so he was willing to accept three hundred taels upfront and a promissory note for three hundred more, at an interest rate of forty percent, just one percent higher than normal. The house was for sale.

Xu Erpeng hesitated at first because the Changmen Engraving Street was a very prosperous area, and the usual price was eight hundred taels. If the owner were not desperate, he wouldn’t sell for six hundred. Over the past few days, Xu had viewed several houses, even reaching as far as Wuxian, but only this one suited him.

The garden was lush, the white walls and black tiles charming, the two halls suitable for receiving guests and study, and the three courtyards allowing the daughters to have a private embroidery room.

Upon hearing this, he made a quick decision and discussed it with Mrs. Mei. She was initially reluctant but, after leaving confinement and seeing it with her husband, fell in love with the place.

Mrs. Mei had a total of three hundred and twenty taels. Xu Erpeng also gave her thirty taels intended as a dowry for Xu Siniang. Having written only one book last year due to exams, earning seventy taels, this year he devoted himself fully to writing. Within two months, he had completed eighteen volumes, nearly three hundred thousand characters, sent to the bookstore with a good appearance, and expected to receive a writing fee by April to cover the costs.

By the end of March, the house was purchased. With Xu Erpeng’s scholar status, dealing with officials was smoother, and the official deed was secured. Two cautious people had taken a bold gamble for the first time.