Chapter 153: Siniang's Return to the Village

Everyone thought the same way. The thought of the cocoons coming down, the silk being sold, and the white silk turning into white silver made everyone’s faces relax. Although there were still many unknowns from hatching to the silkworms going up the mountain, and they would have to go through a lot of fear and anxiety, it was at least a hope. Everyone pinned their ethereal hopes on this.

“Speaking of news, there is another fresh matter,” Shen Kaibao said.

The biggest news was that it was already spreading in the town that this year, for the sake of famine relief, the prefect had issued an order. The business of purchasing silk cocoons in Hangzhou Prefecture this year had been entrusted to the Famine Relief Bureau. The silk and cocoon guilds had to go through the Famine Relief Bureau to purchase cocoons. It was said that the government planned to use the profits from the silk cocoons specifically to relieve the disaster victims.

For this reason, the silk guilds that held licenses from the ministry had already gone to Hangzhou city these past few days, supposedly to discuss the silk cocoon market with the Famine Relief Bureau.

Hearing this news, the originally somewhat joyful atmosphere instantly turned cold. Everyone looked at each other, not knowing whether to be happy or afraid, because they really didn’t know what this news meant.

After a while, someone muttered, “It doesn’t matter who buys the silk, as long as the market is good and they give silver.”

An old man, however, was worried, “How can it be so peaceful? Since ancient times, whenever the government gets involved in something, we common people have never not suffered.”

This statement won a round of silent approval, and the crowd began to stir restlessly. Someone sighed, and someone’s face had already darkened.

They had been so tormented by the hardships and injustices of life that their expectations were very low. They dared not hope for any good changes, only that things would not get worse.

But this sudden appearance of the Famine Relief Bureau cast a gray shadow of unease on everyone’s hopes, and they were no longer in the mood for idle talk.

After each family took the things they had asked Shen Kaibao to buy, the crowd dispersed in this state of unease.

Shen Kaibao returned to his house. He drank a large bowl of coarse tea—not tea leaves, but tea made from mulberry leaves. He then took out a pouch from his waist and poured the various copper coins inside onto the table, counting them one by one.

Running a “ferry” had no income. The boat owner neither charged a commission nor made a profit from the price difference. The income came from the free entertainment from the town’s shopkeepers and the “commissions” or gifts during the three major festivals. For Shen Kaibao, who often had to go to town, it was a business he did on the side.

However, he would occasionally take advantage of good opportunities to make a little money. This time, buying “pasting paper for the baskets,” he had made a small profit. The paper shop in town had started selling a new kind of “pasting paper,” said to be from Guangdong. So everyone called it “Guangdong paper.” The quality was better than the local paper workshops’ coarse paper, but the price was only half. As soon as it was on the market, it made the original coarse paper unsalable.

Shen Kaibao had made a little money by buying “pasting paper for the baskets” on behalf of others. Although this amount was just a drop in the bucket, it at least gave him a glimpse of a good omen. It was just that he really didn’t understand the matter of the Famine Relief Bureau, and he was filled with a complex mixture of worry and expectation.

The news that the Famine Relief Bureau was going to buy silk cocoons blew over like a gust of wind, causing a few ripples and then disappearing without a trace. Compared to selling silk, raising silkworms was the important thing. Every household was busy preparing.

The weather continued to warm up. The tender leaves on the mulberry trees were now gradually growing larger. The mulberry groves around the village were growing well, looking like a piece of green brocade spread on the dense, low, gray-white fences. The originally empty rice paddies were once again filled with water. Farmers with hungry faces began to transplant rice seedlings in the fields, and the long-lost cattle also appeared. The Famine Relief Bureau had lent seeds, grain, and cattle to the four surrounding counties. Seeing the green seedlings in the fields, the villagers of Jixian Village also breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they could plant grain now, there was some hope for the harvest in the second half of the year.

Just then, the temple attendant of the dilapidated temple at the east end of the village, which had collapsed in half and whose attendant was starving, suddenly disappeared. Just as everyone was wondering, news soon came: the temple property had been bought by someone.

Before long, masons and carpenters came. They completely demolished the dilapidated temple and began to build a house. The able-bodied men of the village helped with odd jobs in their spare time and earned a few small coins. The foreman was very stingy. Knowing that everyone was poor after the disaster year, he cut the wages to the bone.

The house was built quickly, a two-courtyard brick and tile house, neither expensive nor cheap, somewhat like the residence of a small rural landlord. The villagers all watched the excitement, discussing animatedly, not knowing who was going to live here because the house was built in a somewhat strange and unconventional style.

While everyone was discussing and guessing about the owner of this sudden new house, Shen’s wife returned.

The news immediately caused a sensation. The Shen family was originally from this Jixian Village, and he and Shen Kaibao were brothers within five generations. This family used to be quite well-off in the village, with several mu of mulberry land, and the wife was good at raising silkworms. Unexpectedly, a few years ago, because they were too eager to get rich, they borrowed money to buy extra leaves. As a result, the silkworms got sick, and they had no harvest at all. Not only were their land and house taken by Master Cao, but it was said that the whole family had sold themselves into servitude and disappeared without a trace.

Whenever someone in the village was gossiping, they would always bring up the “fall of the Shen family,” sighing with great emotion. Some comments inevitably carried the petty sentiment of “being jealous of the rich and laughing at the poor.” In short, the Shen family was the “negative example” used by the villagers to educate the restless “youngsters.”

Because Shen Kaibao and Shen Da were brothers from the same “clan branch,” he was unwilling to say much whenever the Shen family was mentioned. However, he also felt that Shen Da’s downfall was entirely his own fault. He had originally been a little jealous of this cousin: he was richer than him, had more land than him, and even his wife was much better-looking than his. And Shen Da was such a wimp, he didn’t even know how to discipline his own wife. His wife, Wang Siniang, was so flamboyant and frivolous, it was unpleasant to look at her. It served her right to be a servant now, and sometimes he even felt a little happy about it.

The sudden appearance of Wang Siniang, who had been gone from the village for a long time, made all the idle people in the village crowd to the river landing to watch the excitement. It was indeed Wang Siniang and her husband who came. They were dressed quite respectably and neatly. Although not in silk and satin, their padded jackets and trousers were half-new and clean, without patches. The boat they came in was also fully loaded with things covered with reed mats. It looked as if they had prospered outside. But there were also four strong men dressed as servants on the boat, which was frightening to see.

The boat docked at the river landing. Shen Da saw the crowd of villagers watching and was a little shy. But Wang Siniang was very generous, calling out “big brother” and “big sister-in-law” all the way. When she met a child, she would give them a piece of candy. She was very friendly with everyone. The crowd had originally wanted to see them make a fool of themselves, but seeing this attitude, they were all too timid to go forward and say much.

Shen Da’s homestead had long been sold to someone else by Master Cao, so he had no place to stay in the village. Just as everyone was wondering where his family was going to live, the group went straight to the newly built courtyard. Many chests and baskets were unloaded from the boat and moved inside.

Now the whole village was in an uproar! This Shen family had prospered from being servants! For a time, there were many different opinions in the village. Some thought that perhaps Shen’s daughter had become a concubine and was very favored by the master, so her parents had also prospered. The evidence was that none of Shen’s daughters had returned.

However, by evening, the few relatives of the Shen family who had gone in to “help tidy up” and take a look soon spread the exact news. It was not that mysterious. The house belonged to Shen’s master. The master wanted to raise silkworms and reel silk here, and knowing that the Shen family were sericulturists, he had specially sent them.

Shen Kaibao listened and felt that it didn’t sound right. Why would Shen’s master, with nothing better to do, send his own servants to the countryside to raise silkworms and reel silk? Did rich people need to raise their own silkworms to wear silk and satin? Could there be some hidden story here? The four servants who came with the boat alone looked unfriendly.

He was wary and didn’t even talk much when Wang Siniang came to his door to deliver the cakes for the new house’s completion. The cakes were something he hadn’t seen in almost a year. When they were brought out, the children’s eyes looked as if they were about to shoot out fire. On the day Wang Siniang returned, some lucky children had received candy from her, which was said to be sweeter than rock sugar, and had a sour taste that was indescribably delicious. Shen’s grandson hadn’t gotten any, and just hearing his playmates talk about it made him cry with envy.

Wang Siniang didn’t care about Shen Kaibao’s lukewarm attitude. After a few polite words, she gave the children two more pieces of candy and then left.

Before Wang Siniang was out the door, Shen’s children impatiently unwrapped the candy and stuffed it into their mouths, which made Shen Kaibao angry. He cursed a few times, which made his wife’s face very uncomfortable for a long time.

However, what happened next seemed to show that the Shen family’s work here was indeed raising silkworms. They were also seen by the river, tidying up their sericulture tools. It was just that these tools were very different from the ones used in the village. They were much lighter and more beautiful, and there were many more types. It made people angry just by looking at them. Was raising silkworms a game? Making all these useless fancy things! No wonder the whole family had to be servants!

The topic of the return of Shen Da and Wang Siniang’s family soon died down. After all, it was the “busy season,” and the villagers had to work in the fields, tidy up their silkworm tools, and paste the “silkworm baskets.” Men and women, old and young, were all busy. The Shen family was also busy.

Originally, Shen Kaibao was a little suspicious of them, but after the local bailiff came and said nothing, his originally somewhat suspicious thoughts gradually faded. He had his own things to worry about!

A few more men and women were gradually added to the Shen family’s courtyard. Every day, they were seen coming in and out of the courtyard, carrying water and sweeping the floor. They even bought lime and made a lime pit outside to slake the lime. The slaked lime was then carried in bucket by bucket to whitewash the house. The inside and outside were all painted as white as snow.