Chapter 22: It Seems I’ve Gotten Remarried

Although the Ming Dynasty had been founded six years ago, the reality of a sparsely populated north remained largely unchanged. While Emperor Zhu had initiated a migration program, his primary focus was on his hometown of Fengyang. By moving people from the Jiangnan region to Fengyang, he aimed to build up the area and prepare for a future relocation of the capital.

The massive migration from Hongdong, Shanxi, had yet to begin, but it was not far off.

Overall, the population of Shandong was currently small, and the issue of land annexation was relatively mild. Most farmers owned their own land and did not need to sell themselves into servitude; consequently, the number of "righteous sons" and "righteous daughters" was far lower than in the south. However, there were always those who fell into poverty due to illness, disaster, or misfortune, leaving them no choice but to sell themselves as servants.

Gu Zhengchen was one such case; his bankruptcy following the imperial examinations had nearly reduced him to a tenant farmer.

A tenant farmer, also known as a tenant servant...

Liang Laoliu, true to his reputation as the steward of a wealthy household, was highly capable. In just two hours, he had investigated Xue Cheng thoroughly.

"Master Juren, Xue Cheng’s background is clean. He has never been in trouble with the authorities and lives only with his wife. They have no children. The physician confirmed that his wife, Chen, did indeed suffer a miscarriage and is too weak to work. He also has an uncle, though the relationship with him is quite poor..."

Gu Zhengchen nodded slightly and asked, "How did he end up so destitute?"

Liang Laoliu sighed. "In his younger years, he traveled far and wide, engaging in trade, and his family was well-off. Later, during the chaos of war, his family fell into decline. After the founding of the dynasty, he farmed, and just as he had saved a little money, he thought of trading again. Last spring, he went south to purchase a stock of silk, but his boat capsized on the return trip, destroying everything. That is why..."

"Trading in silk—that was not a wise move." Gu Zhengchen sighed inwardly.

It was currently the sixth year of the Hongwu reign. Emperor Zhu’s restrictions on merchants were not yet severely harsh; it was not illegal for merchants and wealthy families to wear silk and satin at this time. The regulation stating, "Peasant families may wear silk, gauze, and pongee, but merchant families are limited to pongee and cloth; if even one person in a peasant family becomes a merchant, they are not allowed to wear silk or gauze," would not appear until the fourteenth year of Hongwu.

Xue Cheng was not wrong for wanting to trade in silk, but it was a difficult business. Given the long distances, the time costs, and the risks involved, small-scale merchants and independent operators could rarely withstand such a loss.

Liang Laoliu watched Gu Zhengchen, lifting his sleeve to wipe away sweat. This was no mere scholar who had studied for ten years; with such cautious and thorough deliberation, he was clearly a seasoned veteran of the world.

Returning to the private room, Gu Zhengchen looked at the anxious Xue Cheng and produced two guan of currency. "I will give you a choice. Either take these two guan and go home—consider it my pity for you, and you need not repay it—or take fifteen guan and stay with me for life. Think it over before you decide."

Liang Laoliu looked at Gu Zhengchen in surprise. Was he not afraid that the man would take the two guan and run? But upon reflection, he was filled with admiration.

This was a test. If Xue Cheng took the two guan and left, it would show he lacked gratitude and could not be counted on through thick and thin; he might even abandon his master for his own benefit. Such a person could be used, but not trusted with important matters.

Xue Cheng fell to his knees with a thud and kowtowed. "Master Juren, I, Xue Cheng, am willing to serve by your side for the rest of my life!"

Seeing that Xue Cheng had made his decision, Gu Zhengchen looked at Liang Laoliu. Liang Laoliu found a middleman to draft the contract. To Gu Zhengchen's dismay, the so-called "contract for adopting a righteous son" was actually a marriage contract.

"Establishing this marriage contract, I, Xue Cheng, due to the difficulty of daily sustenance, voluntarily offer myself to be a righteous son under the name of Gu Zhengchen through a matchmaker, receiving fifteen guan as a betrothal gift. Henceforth, I shall obey all commands and never return to my clan. Should any outsiders attempt to entice me, they shall be dealt with by law. Respectfully establishing this marriage contract, with handprints affixed, to be held by the master for record."

Gu Zhengchen’s face twitched. It felt as if he had just been remarried, yet not quite...

Before Gu Zhengchen could even take out the money or promise to pay the remaining five guan upon arriving home, Liang Laoliu had already settled the payment, promising to arrange a carriage to bring Xue Cheng’s wife, Chen, to Dayan Village.

Xue Cheng showered him with gratitude before departing with the Liang family servants.

Gu Zhengchen took out ten guan and handed them to Liang Laoliu. "Take this money. Once the person is delivered, I will have someone bring the remaining five guan. This is my man; I cannot let the Liang family bear the expense."

"Master Juren, if I take this money back, the Elder and the Master will surely have my hide." Liang Laoliu firmly refused, and seeing the matter concluded, he simply hurried away.

Gu Zhengchen sighed and left the restaurant, walking to a blacksmith’s shop on West Street, thinking about having some "wheat rakes" forged.

The wheat rake was a miraculous tool for harvesting wheat in the north. It was said to have appeared in Shanxi during the Song Dynasty, though it only saw widespread use after the mid-Ming period, likely due to technologies spread by Shanxi migrants. Unlike the sickle, which required bending over, the rake allowed one to stand while harvesting, and with much higher efficiency.

Gu Zhengchen had asked around; there were no wheat rakes in Dayan Village, nor in Teng County. If he wanted to save some effort, he had to find a way himself. Otherwise, harvesting eight mu of wheat (with two mu for mulberry and hemp) with a sickle would take four or five days, and he would be exhausted.

The shop displayed scissors, kitchen knives, and axes, with shovels and sickles standing by the door. A rugged man inside was sweating profusely, hammering a glowing piece of iron with a rhythmic clanging.

"Master Sun."

Gu Zhengchen called out three times before the blacksmith heard him. He plunged the iron into water to quench it, causing a cloud of white steam to rise, then wiped his sweat and walked out. "Kitchen knife is thirty wen, scissors twenty, axes... oh, a sickle? Eighteen wen."

Master Sun handed him a sickle. Gu Zhengchen ran his thumb over the blade to test its sharpness, then said, "Can you forge three long sickle blades for me?"

"What kind of long sickle blades?" Master Sun asked, his face expressionless.

Gu Zhengchen put down the sickle and took a piece of paper from his robe, handing it over. "Four fingers wide, two feet and five inches long, with a single edge."

Master Sun took the drawing. He could not read the text, but the dimensions were clear enough. He asked with some confusion, "What is this for?"

It was certainly not a weapon—a weapon could have a single edge, but it would need a hilt. If it were a farm tool, it was unlike anything he had ever seen; one did not need such a long blade to chop vegetables...

Gu Zhengchen smiled. "For harvesting wheat. Can you make it?"

Master Sun looked at Gu Zhengchen, warning him, "I have never seen a blade that long used for harvesting wheat. If you cannot use it..."

"Don't worry, I won't ask for a refund."

Master Sun looked at the drawing again, nodded, and said, "Three blades for one hundred and fifty wen. Thirty wen as a deposit. Come back the day after tomorrow to collect them."

"No problem."

Gu Zhengchen left his name, paid the thirty-wen deposit, and turned to leave.

As he passed through a street, the sound of music and drums drifted over, joyous and festive. Before long, he saw a bridal procession. Most conspicuous were the white-bellied, black-winged geese at the front, which spread their wings from time to time.

In ancient times, there were strict customs for sending geese as betrothal gifts, for the reason that...

"The gift uses a goose because it migrates north and south with the seasons, never losing its timing. It is also known as the bird that follows the sun, symbolizing a wife's duty to follow her husband..."

A familiar voice spoke up beside Gu Zhengchen, followed by a light laugh. "Master Gu, the Zhao family is receiving a betrothal gift today. Young Master Zhang Shiping of the Zhang family and Miss Zhao Ya'er of the Zhao family are to be wed. What are your thoughts?"

Gu Zhengchen tilted his head to look, narrowed his eyes, and gritted his teeth. "You again!"