Chapter 24: Preparations

On this day, everyone was busy. Besides Chen Xie, Mr. Liu, the shopkeeper, also walked out of one merchant after another, and Zhang Yao also lowered her status, entering and exiting various government offices.

The location for the joint merchant house had been determined long ago. The Zhang family's shop had been closed for several days, and a new signboard had already been hung, covered with a red cloth. Banners were strung up, with red backgrounds and black letters reading, "On November 26, the joint merchant house will grandly open."

The date had been chosen long ago, but what Chen Xie did not know was that on this day, the new emperor Chongzhen had halted the production of silk in Suzhou and Hangzhou. On November 26, 1627, an imperial edict was issued: "For years, additional taxes have been imposed, and water and drought disasters have occurred frequently. Merchants are in distress, and the people are struggling to survive. Since I ascended the throne, I have been diligently working to alleviate the people's hardships and give them a chance to rest. Now, the current production of silk in Suzhou and Hangzhou will be halted, to show my respect for heaven and concern for the people."

In stark contrast to Emperor Chongzhen's poverty, the commercial development in the southeastern coastal region was thriving, but commercial taxes were not being collected, let alone customs duties. To put it bluntly, any wealthy merchant in the private sector lived a better life than Emperor Chongzhen.

There were not many new things happening in Dengzhou City, and the actions of the joint merchant house undoubtedly became the main topic of conversation for a time. Everyone was very curious about what the Zhang family and the short-haired doctor were planning. According to well-informed sources, the short-haired doctor had connections at sea and could introduce various exquisite goods from America.

The Spring Fragrance Building, with its bustling business, especially the popular girl Wan Yu, who was recently in high demand. Some wealthy merchants, even if they threw money at it, could hardly see her. According to a wealthy merchant who spent a thousand taels of silver to see her, Wan Yu was not refusing business from everyone but had been taken by a wealthy sea merchant for a large sum of money. This wealthy merchant claimed that Wan Yu had a strange and delicate fragrance and wore a new and unique tortoiseshell accessory (the most expensive of various ancient-style accessories available online was no more than a hundred yuan).

The most important topic for the wealthy merchants in Dengzhou City now was not how much silver they had earned, but whether they had received an invitation. When they met, they would greet each other with, "Have you received the invitation?" "What invitation? The grand opening ceremony of the joint merchant house and the exhibition of new American goods, of course."

The wealthy merchants who received the invitation were most willing to smile modestly, look at the envious eyes of the opposite party, and calmly say, "Are you talking about that red invitation with gold edges, exuding a strange fragrance, placed in a large envelope, and accompanied by a small bottle of perfume? If so, I received it!"

After saying this, they would walk into the Spring Fragrance Building with a steady and confident pace, leaving behind the faint fragrance of perfume on their clothes and a sturdy back. Those who did not receive the invitation could only look at similar backs with envy, amidst the smiles of the girls.

The origin of the matter was that recently, the girls at the Spring Fragrance Building seemed to be possessed by some evil spirit. Whenever they met, they talked about perfume, shampoo, and soap. It seemed that in a single night, not knowing about these items in Dengzhou's pleasure quarters made one a country bumpkin. This made some guests who usually liked to show off often feel awkward and unable to join the conversation. If that was all, it would be fine, but the girls also talked about the exhibition, the joint merchant house reserving the Spring Fragrance Building for several days, and the presence of all the important people in the city. After a few inquiries, it became clear that the joint merchant house was going to hold an exhibition, and so on. This rhythm continued almost every night, making many guests anxious and even unable to perform in bed, even after taking medicine.

As November 26 approached, the busiest person in Dengzhou City was not the short-haired doctor, not Zhang Yao, and not Zhou Shi, but Mr. Liu, the shopkeeper. The reason was simple: he still had invitations. When people came to Zhang Yao for help, she would simply say, "I never get involved in such matters," and then send them away with tea.

Some women tried to find Zhou Shi, but she would say, "It's really hard to intervene. Although the Zhang family is a major shareholder, my husband doesn't let me handle this matter. He has entrusted it to Si Hua. Why don't you ask Si Hua?" And that was the end of it.

Chen Xie was nowhere to be seen. Previously, he could be found at the Huichun Hall every day, but now he was nowhere to be found, even if one dug three feet into the ground. Only Mr. Liu still occasionally had a few invitations to offer, but the number was too small, and there were many wealthy merchants in Dengzhou City who did maritime trade, so a few invitations were not enough for everyone.

"Ha ha ha!" A burst of laughter came from the back yard of the Zhang family. Zhou Shi, who was listening to Mr. Liu's report, couldn't help but laugh when she heard about the faces of the wealthy merchants who usually schemed against the Zhang family now begging for invitations.

"Madam, Young Master Si Hua's move is indeed brilliant. The girls at the Spring Fragrance Building have been promoting it, and all the wealthy families in Dengzhou City are restless, looking for Young Master Si Hua everywhere," Mr. Liu said with pride.

Zhou Shi said, "Si Hua has been busy treating the girls at the Spring Fragrance Building. He says many of them have health issues and that if they are not treated properly, their lives will be ruined."

As they were talking, in a courtyard of the Zhang family's estate, which had been converted into a temporary hospital, the patients were all girls from the Spring Fragrance Building. These women were not particularly old, mostly in their thirties. However, in the Ming Dynasty, women were considered old by their late twenties. With a low average life expectancy, it was common for people to become grandparents by their forties, in an era where "a life of seventy is rare."

Chen Xie was fortunate that Europe had not yet brought some diseases to China. The health issues of the girls at the Spring Fragrance Building were not too difficult to treat. They mainly had gynecological inflammations that had not been treated effectively for a long time.

With modern penicillin and sulfonamides, these diseases could be easily treated. With proper nutrition and rest, they could recover in a short time. When Wan Yu mentioned this issue, Chen Xie readily agreed. There were only fifteen girls who needed treatment, and many of them no longer received guests, doing only menial tasks in the building and eating leftovers. This showed that Ying Niang, the madam, was not as gentle as she seemed.

Hongguo was a low-ranking girl at the Spring Fragrance Building. She had been in the business since she was thirteen, and sixteen years had passed. When she was young, business was good, and she had a good life. By the time she was twenty-four, there were few customers, and she had to move downstairs to receive ordinary guests. Normally, by the age of thirty, she would have to leave the Spring Fragrance Building and go to the dock or a water village, where a grass hut and a mat would be her place of business. She lived day by day.

Ten days ago, Hongguo's fate changed. The popular girl Wan Yu and the madam asked the short-haired doctor to treat everyone. At first, no one took it seriously, but the short-haired doctor really came, wearing a white coat and a strange device around his neck, examining each girl carefully.

When it was Hongguo's turn, she was very nervous. She knew something was wrong with her lower body, with many small red spots on her legs that oozed yellow fluid. The short-haired doctor solemnly asked her to lift her skirt, revealing her patched trousers. Even though she had received many guests, Hongguo's face turned red, and she completed the entire process with her skirt covering her face, not knowing what was happening.

Only when the short-haired doctor said, "It's done, put your clothes back on," did Hongguo lower her skirt and see the short-haired doctor writing something in a small notebook. With a red face, she didn't dare to ask about her condition but heard the short-haired doctor say, "The inflammation is severe, and you must be hospitalized immediately." He wrote something and handed her a piece of paper, telling her to take it out.

After coming out, she was told to pack her clothes, and a carriage was waiting at the door. She was taken to the Zhang family's estate. At first, Hongguo thought she would only be able to do business with farmers, wondering why she was brought here and what "hospitalization" meant. She thought it was just a trick to deceive her. Hongguo was resigned to her fate, knowing that the moment she walked into the Spring Fragrance Building, this was her destiny.

When she got off the carriage and entered the courtyard, stepping into the room, she saw clean and tidy beds. The walls were painted white, and the windows had transparent glass. Sunlight shone through, warming her body. Each room had four beds, with white sheets and soft cotton mattresses. The pillows were also white and soft, softer than the ones she used in the building.

Despite the strange smell in the air (disinfectant), Hongguo and her three sisters were stunned by what they saw.

"Have you all learned to read?" the short-haired doctor appeared at the door, asking kindly. Facing this sunny young man, Hongguo felt inferior and said softly, "When I was young, the madam had someone teach me a few words."

"Good, there are too many people, and I can't handle it alone. I need some assistants. You four will do. Read this little book, and I'll give you a class in the evening to teach you some basic nursing knowledge." Chen Xie's move was premeditated. He needed nurses, and the nursing profession was undoubtedly most suitable for women. Ordinary girls from good families would not be willing to do this job. Only these women, after being treated, could be persuaded to stay and help. Therefore, these four women in their thirties who could read were targeted by Chen Xie.

They took the little book in a daze, and Chen Xie left. The sisters quickly gathered and started talking. Hongguo soon learned that they all lived in the same type of room. There were sixteen sisters in total, the oldest being thirty-three and the youngest twenty-five. They all had various health issues and were brought here to be treated.

---

**[End of Chapter 24]**

---