Chapter 11: Servants (Part 1)

“We understand,” Wen Desi said, offering his thanks but nothing more.

Gao Ju, seeing their reluctance to discuss their ship, didn’t press the issue. Instead, he summoned the servants who cared for the house: a middle-aged couple and their two children, a boy and a girl of thirteen or fourteen. They came forward and kowtowed.

“This family of servants,” Gao Ju explained, “though not born into my household, are people whose lives I saved many years ago in Jiangxi. They are loyal and reliable.”

At the master’s words, the family kowtowed again.

“Enough,” Gao Ju said. “These gentlemen will be your new masters. You are to serve them with all your heart.”

“Yes, we understand,” the family replied in unison, then turned to kowtow to Wen Desi and his companions. “We greet our new masters.”

“This… this…” The three men were taken aback, half-rising from their seats. They were modern men. To have a family kneeling before them was a deeply uncomfortable experience.

“These are their deeds of sale,” Master Gao said, producing a few sheets of paper from his sleeve. “They are sold in perpetuity. You may command them as you wish, without worry.”

“And this,” he said, producing another document, “is the deed to this residence. I had intended to buy a house on your behalf, but it was… inconvenient. If this humble abode is to your liking, please consider it your temporary residence.”

The three men exchanged a look. The merchant’s generosity was astounding. Though his motives were transparent—to curry favor—the scale of his gift was a clear sign of his sincerity.

But this gift, this pie from the sky, had a hidden meaning.

The house was his. He knew its every secret. If he wanted to spy on them, they would be completely exposed.

The servants, too, were his. Their loyalty was to him, not to a group of mysterious sea merchants. They would be his eyes and ears, reporting their every word and action.

It was like living in a glass house.

Master Gao’s generosity was a gilded cage, a way to control them, to keep the source of his newfound wealth firmly in his grasp.

Refusal was not an option. Xiao Zishan did a quick calculation. They wouldn’t be making many more trips. As long as they were careful, they could avoid exposure. For now, it was best to keep Master Gao happy, to let him continue selling their goods.

They exchanged another glance. Wen Desi cupped his hands in thanks and accepted the documents. He then produced a tael of silver, a reward for the family’s kowtow.

Master Gao was pleased. He ordered his servants to move their silver and goods to the new residence, and sent over a generous supply of food and clothing.

The three men, finding themselves in this unexpected situation, decided to make the best of it. They would inspect the house, plan its use, and sound out the servants. They summoned the male servant.

He looked old, at least in his fifties. He stood before them, his hands clasped, his face a mask of reverence. Chief Wen and Engineer Wang shifted uncomfortably. Xiao Zishan, however, remained calm. He took a sip of tea, letting the silence hang in the air before he began his questions.

The servant’s name was Liu Qing. He was from Jiangxi, a tenant farmer. In the forty-fifth year of the Wanli reign, a flood had destroyed his crops, and he had fled the ensuing famine. He and his family were on the brink of starvation when Master Gao, returning from a business trip, had taken in a dozen or so refugee families as slaves. He had been one of the lucky ones.

He had taken his master’s surname, becoming Gao Qing. His wife was Gao Xian. They had worked as general servants in the outer courtyard of the Gao residence until, just a few weeks ago, they had been transferred to this outer residence.

He was, he said, in his early forties. He didn’t know his exact age. It was not uncommon, Xiao Zishan knew, for peasants in the old days to be ignorant of their own age.

“Is it better here than in the main residence?”

A bitter smile touched Gao Qing’s lips. “The work is light, and there is no one to watch over us. But making a living has become difficult.”

In the main residence, his monthly wage had been only two qian of silver, but their meals had been provided. Here, his wage was five qian, but he had to provide his own food. And his children, who had eaten for free in the main residence, were now his responsibility. A family of four, on seven qian of silver a month, was a struggle.

“The children have no wages?” Wen Desi asked. “Are they not also Master Gao’s?”

“They have never been assigned a job,” Gao Qing said, shaking his head. “If they have no job, the residence gives them no money, no rice. They rely on their parents.” He sighed. “I wanted to get my daughter a job in the inner residence. She could have earned a string of cash. But she is not pretty enough. I asked the housekeeper’s wife for help, but she demanded ten taels of silver. How could my family ever save so much?”

Corruption, it seemed, was a timeless and pervasive evil. Even to become a maid, one had to pay a bribe. It was a scene straight out of “Dream of the Red Chamber.”

“Are you content to work for us?” Xiao Zishan asked, his voice softening.

Gao Qing looked at his new masters, these strange sea merchants who couldn’t even dress themselves properly. “We are servants,” he said. “There is no ‘willing’ or ‘not willing.’ We are the masters’ people. We do as the masters command.”

Xiao Zishan nodded and had him lead them on a tour of the house. It was not large, but well-built, with sturdy green brick walls. The furniture was simple, but the daily necessities were all there. The kitchen was stocked with rice, cured meat, and dried fish, gifts from the Gao residence. Gao Qing presented them with a gift list. Wen Desi was about to dismiss it, to tell him to keep it for his family, but Xiao Zishan took the list and began to examine it.