Chapter 18

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“Dawn has arrived, the morning light is faint, and it is clear. Early rising and diligent work bring prosperity to the family...”

Chen Ke already knew that every day, the itinerant monk from the nearby temple would walk through the streets, calling out the time and forecasting the weather. These monks, with their practiced Buddhist voices, would announce the time and weather to the neighbors and passersby. Of course, this was not free; the residents would provide them with monthly offerings of vegetarian meals and money as compensation.

On this morning, Chen Xiliang went out again, heading to the brokerage house that Sanlang had seen.

In ancient times, those who acted as intermediaries between buyers and sellers were called "toothmen" or "economic brokers" if they were male, and "toothwomen" if they were female. By the Song Dynasty, with the prosperity of commercial economy, specialized brokerage houses emerged, handling everything from goods trading to property leasing and labor hiring. No matter how trivial the matter, if it required mediation, they were the ones to turn to.

Chen Xiliang arrived a bit early, and the shutters of the brokerage house had not yet been removed. He stood under the eaves, looking at the information posted on the notice board. He immediately saw the section on property leasing and noticed that there were over twenty properties available for rent in the city, but none were priced below four hundred coins. Thinking about how he had rented a small courtyard for just one hundred coins, he couldn't help but feel fortunate.

He had already learned from Chen Chen that it was Chen Ke who had negotiated the price that day. After hearing the entire process, Chen Xiliang naturally understood Sanlang's extraordinary abilities... A ten-year-old child leading a fifty-year-old boatman by the nose couldn't be described as merely precocious; it was simply astonishing.

The current Sanlang was no longer the kind and shy child he remembered. He had become more mature, more cunning, more impulsive, and of course, more intelligent. While it was said that adversity could stimulate change, it was unheard of for it to completely transform a person.

But who cared? As long as his son hadn't turned bad, he, as a father, was content to let things develop naturally.

After a while of deep thought, Chen Xiliang turned his attention to the job listings. Since he couldn't recover the debt, he needed to find a way to make a living immediately, or he would soon be without food and clothing.

This was an era of "burning incense, making tea, hanging paintings, and arranging flowers—four leisurely pursuits unsuitable for a household." Even in a small county, there were many job opportunities. From apprentices in breakfast shops, tea masters in teahouses, laborers in construction, porters at the docks, to night soil collectors and grave watchers outside the city... as long as one was willing to work, there were various jobs available.

In this era, a family of five needed about a hundred coins per day to get by. If there was a child in school, they needed two hundred coins to support the household.

The average pay for most jobs was around seventy to eighty coins per day. However, in the Song Dynasty, most common families had both parents working, so even with these jobs, they could support their families.

But Chen Xiliang couldn't do that; he needed to earn the income of two people. Of course, there were higher-paying jobs, such as head chefs in taverns, who earned two hundred coins a day, and masons and carpenters, who earned one hundred and fifty coins. But these required skills, which he didn't have.

There were also heavy labor jobs like porters at the docks and brick carriers at brick factories, where payment was based on the amount of work done. Chen Xiliang thought that if he really couldn't find anything else, he would have to take one of these jobs.

While he was hesitating, the brokerage house removed its shutters, and Chen Xiliang immediately went inside. He was still a bit shy and feared running into former classmates.

The clerk was cleaning, and seeing Chen Xiliang enter, he immediately came over to greet him and invited him to sit in a private room.

The reason for entering the private room was not because he was a scholar, but because the toothmen were important... Licensed and regularly taxed brokerage houses not only served as intermediaries in transactions, evaluating prices and facilitating trade, but were also given the authority to oversee the market and manage commerce on behalf of the government, hence they were also called "official toothmen."

Relying on their privileges, brokerage houses expanded their operations to include buying and selling goods on behalf of merchants, handling payments and storage, transporting goods, setting up warehouses, and collecting commercial taxes for the government. They held a dominant position in urban trade, and most large wholesale transactions had to go through them. It was not an exaggeration to say that these toothmen controlled the urban economy.

In the private room, the well-dressed toothman had just finished breakfast and was making tea. Unlike in the Tang Dynasty, where tea was boiled directly in a pot, in the Song Dynasty, tea cakes were first ground into a powder and placed in a bowl. Boiling water was then poured over the tea to make "dian cha" (点茶).

The toothman invited Chen Xiliang to sit down. He had already prepared the tea in the bowl and added a small amount of boiling water, stirring it into a thick paste. He then steadily poured water into the bowl in a rhythmic manner. While pouring, he had to be precise and not disrupt the surface of the tea. At the same time, he used a bamboo whisk to beat the tea, creating foam. Both hands had to work in coordination, adjusting the speed and pressure as needed to achieve the best results.

If Chen Ke were there, he would surely exclaim that this was the Japanese tea ceremony. In fact, it should be the other way around—the Japanese tea ceremony originated from Song Dynasty tea art.

In the Song Dynasty, almost everyone had the skill of making tea. Among men, besides professional tea masters, these toothmen were the most skilled. It wasn't that they particularly enjoyed tea, but because of the custom that during the tea-making process, others had to remain silent and focus on appreciating it as a sign of respect.

A smooth and elegant tea-making process could calm the other party and bring them closer, making business transactions easier.

But this was also a point of ridicule by the literati, who, when drinking tea, only discussed poetry, Zen, and the beauty of nature, never mundane matters.

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The toothman served Chen Xiliang a cup of tea, then picked up his own, silently removing the foam with the tea lid, and smiled, "Sir, you seem to be a scholar."

"Yes," Chen Xiliang nodded. "I have studied for many years and once took the imperial exams in the capital."

"Ah, a scholar, my apologies, my apologies," the toothman said solemnly. In this era, the title of scholar was a one-time qualification for taking the imperial exams, and after the exams, the title was no longer used. However, it was still a respectful term in common usage. He thought for a moment and said in surprise, "Today is the day for registering for the provincial exams. Why are you still in the county?"

"Alas," Chen Xiliang sighed. "Necessity has forced me to abandon my scholarly pursuits and seek a means of livelihood."

"That's truly a pity," the toothman sighed, but quickly asked, "What kind of work are you looking for?"

Chen Xiliang shook his head. "I'm at a loss."

"Let me recommend something," the toothman said, looking through a stack of books on the table. He opened one and found a listing. "The Li family in the east of the city is looking for a tutor. They offer room and board, and a monthly salary of two guan. How does that sound?" Private tutors were mainly for teaching children manners and basic literacy, preparing them for school. Since there were many unsuccessful scholars in the Song Dynasty, the pay was not high.

Chen Xiliang thought for a moment. He already had a place to stay, and he could save on food, so the room and board were not significant. With a monthly salary of two guan, it was too little. He said, "I need a better-paying job. To be honest, I have no one to manage the household, and I have four sons, so the pressure is great."

"Let me look again," the toothman said, flipping through the pages. "Can you do accounting?"

"I can write and calculate."

"Excellent. The granary is looking for an accountant," the toothman said. "The job is for one month in June, with a salary of eight guan. June is the time for summer taxes, and they need extra hands. If you do well, you might be rehired in the fall."

"I'll take this job," Chen Xiliang said. "Can you also look for something more long-term, preferably something I can start immediately?"

"Nothing for now," the toothman said apologetically. "Qingshen County is a small place, and there aren't many writing and accounting jobs. Why not take the Li family's offer?"

"I can do physical labor," Chen Xiliang said after a long silence. "I have plenty of strength..."

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As soon as Chen Xiliang left, Chen Ke took out the promissory notes and carefully put them in his chest. He then said to Chen Chen, "I need to go out for a bit." Without waiting for Er Lang's response, he ran off.

Walking down the bustling street, Chen Ke greedily inhaled the air, savoring the taste of life... But without money, these were just pictures he could look at but not touch, having nothing to do with him.

He had not run out to play but to find out where the debtors lived.

Chen Xiliang had given up on the debts, but Chen Ke had not. Those who had done business knew that collecting debts was like squeezing toothpaste; if you pressed hard enough, something would come out, but you had to show a determined face. Someone as gentle as Chen Xiliang would surely be taken advantage of, and even if they had money, they wouldn't pay.

Chen Ke knew he was just a child and couldn't use force to collect debts, but he was not giving up. In the debt collection world, there was a saying: "If the method is right, debt collection is not a worry." The key was to use your brain.

It wasn't that he was showing off, but the Chen family had eleven promissory notes, totaling 320,000 coins, including interest. If he could recover half, that would be 160 guan, enough to support the family for several years. Or he could use the money to start a business and improve their living conditions.

In any case, he couldn't be like Chen Xiliang, burning the notes in a fit of scholarly pride.

He didn't think that just by showing up, he could easily collect the debts. People would surely take advantage of him being a child. But he had to check the situation. Without checking, there would be no hope, and by checking, there might be a way.

Finding the addresses, he headed to the first debtor's house.

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A tender newcomer, tearing my heart out, seeking recommendations and collections...

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