Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 285 Asking for help
Liu Si Niang frowned, clearly disapproving of what she said.

The head maid patiently advised, "There are some things that you may not like to hear, but I have to say them anyway."

“Our family is a scholarly family, and the elders in the clan care a lot about these things,” the matriarch said. “You are of marriageable age, and your reputation is especially important to you. If people find out about it and gossip, it could ruin your future.”

A woman's future naturally depends on finding a good husband; if her reputation is ruined, how can she expect to marry into a better family?
Since Liu Si Niang was born, the head maid has been serving her. Their relationship is different from that of ordinary master and servant, which is why she dares to say these things.

Liu Si Niang said, "That's an exaggeration. Madam Xie is different from ordinary merchants. My brother and his family write articles for tabloids, and my father even writes letters to praise them. According to you, my brother should also back down."

“Times have changed,” the stewardess said. “If Second Master can do these things now, will he still be able to do them after he passes the imperial examination and becomes a proper official?”

Liu Si Niang was startled: "Why not? Second Brother isn't that kind of person."

The headmistress fell silent, a strange glint in her eyes.

Liu Si Niang's face darkened completely. She lifted the curtain and looked outside, seeing more people heading towards Yong'an Ward, and was immediately filled with envy. Seeing her mistress's expression, the head housekeeper couldn't help but sigh. It was no use saying all this; it seemed Si Niang would only understand after they went to Bianjing.

Merchants were the lowest class. Madam Xie's position in Daming Prefecture was solely due to her involvement in the case of Prefect Liu. If it weren't for the accidental discovery that Prefect Liu had his eye on the clay furnaces, she would never have had the chance to appear. One's luck doesn't last forever.

"What I'm saying is all at Lady Zhao's behest."

Upon hearing her mother's voice, Liu Si Niang dared not speak again, but secretly she was pondering whether she should give the notes she had taken during her last trip to the capital to Madam Xie.

It was a pity that she couldn't do the Buddhist charcoal business with Madam Xie; she always felt she had missed a great opportunity.

……

On the other side, Zuo Shangying was also talking to a cousin.

The cousin was a member of a collateral branch of my mother's Zhou family. We rarely had any contact with each other, but after reading the local newspaper of Daming Prefecture, he found Zuo Shangying and brought quite a few gifts.

Zhou Dalang said in a low voice, "Knowing that my cousin was here, we came."

Zuo Shangying seemed somewhat surprised, but... only he knew that he had intentionally revealed Xie Da Niangzi's business at the village fair to the Zhou family.

He wanted to help the Zhou family and pave the way for his own future. Passing the imperial examination and entering officialdom would require money to bribe officials. His family was poor and he didn't have much money; all he had was his brains.

Seeing the rules that Madam Xie had set for the village association, and hearing that the craftsmen's wages were now being compared, he felt that the village association was acceptable. Replacing the wood-fired kilns with coal-fired kilns would save a lot of money when firing them, and now that so many craftsmen were willing to follow Madam Xie and abide by the rules of the village association, it was as if there was a basis for rewards and punishments.

Porcelain has a lower cost, so it can be sold cheaper.

The quality of the firing process will not decrease; in fact, it may even improve due to the gathering of artisans.

In addition, there was the reputation that Daming Prefecture had accumulated.

With all the right timing, location, and people in the world, how could we not succeed?
Zuo Shangying closed the book in front of her and looked at Zhou Dalang: "Cousin, did you come to me to ask about Madam Xie?"

Zhou Dalang was taken aback and stammered, "How did my cousin know?"

“The Zhou family owns a porcelain kiln,” Zuo Shangying said, “but business hasn’t been very good these past two years. Now that you’ve seen the news about the village fair in the tabloids, are you also thinking of coming to inquire about it?”

Zhou Dalang bowed and said, "My cousin is truly a remarkable person; he will surely have a bright future." Zuo Shangying shook his head: "It's not that simple."

Zhou Dalang's eyes flickered. Even though he was a merchant, he knew about the ways of officialdom. A newly appointed official could not make a living in the capital on his salary alone. Most of them had to rely on their clan to provide some money to get through the first few years.

However, Zuo Shangying had no relatives. If the Zhou family could be relied upon, Zuo Shangying would not refuse. He didn't say much at the moment and bowed again: "The Zhou family's porcelain kiln is about to be driven to the brink of collapse. I really have no other choice. I will definitely remember your help, cousin. I will never hesitate to help you if I need the Zhou family in the future."

Fearing that Zuo Shangying wouldn't believe him, Zhou Dalang swore to heaven that if he ever forgot his kindness, not only him, but the entire Zhou clan would suffer a terrible fate.

Zhou Dalang was truly anxious. The porcelain kiln was a family heirloom, and if it were to fall into ruin in his hands, he didn't know how he would face his elders.

Zuo Shangying pulled Zhou Dalang to sit down, urging him to calm down, before asking, "Why is the Zhou family's porcelain kiln declining year after year?"

Zhou Dalang sighed, "The price of firewood is getting more and more expensive, and the cost of porcelain has gone up, so it's also expensive to sell. That's why I was tempted when I heard about the coal kiln."

Zuo Shangying nodded.

Zhou Dalang said, "But I also know that Daming Prefecture sells Buddhist charcoal and clay kilns. Madam Xie has a new kiln in Lanzhou. I went to see the styles of the kilns she made, and they were completely different from what we make. I don't want to lose the Zhou family's craft."

At this point, Zhou Dalang was completely deflated.

“I don’t even know why I came here, or what I want to do. I’ve seen many merchants going to Yong’an Ward, and I’ve thought about going there too, but I’ve turned back.”

"I haven't figured it out myself, so I can't very well ask Madam Xie what to do?"

Zuo Shangying didn't speak, but picked up the newspaper on the table and handed it to Zhou Dalang: "Cousin, you can take a look at this."

Zhou Dalang looked in the direction Zuo Shangying pointed and saw that it said Xie Zishao was rebuilding the Xie Family Kiln in Daming Prefecture. Moreover, this time it was not a wood-fired kiln but a coal kiln, and the village association that helped build the kiln was Xie Da Niangzi's.

Zhou Dalang read this passage over and over again, then he looked up and asked, "Now that the Xie family has built a coal kiln, what kind of porcelain will they produce?"

"What do you think?" Zuo Shangying said, "If it's for firing Madam Xie's new porcelain, why call it Xie Family Kiln again?"

Zhou Dalang's eyes lit up immediately, and he understood: "You mean, joining the village association like this is also possible? And having Madam Xie help us rebuild the kiln?"

Zuo Shangying said, "Even so, you will probably have to abide by the rules of the village association. The porcelain can only be sold after it has been inspected by the artisans of the village association. I heard that you have to pay one hundred strings of cash a year as an inspection fee."

One hundred strings of cash.

Zhou Dalang pursed his lips. It wasn't that the Zhou family couldn't afford it, but it would cost more than a hundred strings of cash.

"We only have one craftsman left in our kiln. Fortunately, the Zhou family knows the kiln firing technique, so we can manage to get by. However... we are afraid we won't be able to raise the money to repair the new kiln."

Zhou Dalang stared at Zuo Shangying, as if he wanted Zuo Shangying to help him come up with a solution.

Zuo Shangying said, "Now that you mention it, I have no choice. If it weren't for the tabloids giving me some money for my writing, I'm afraid I wouldn't even have been able to raise the money to go to the capital for the imperial examination."

Zhou Dalang wanted to say something, but he didn't know how to say it.

“What I mean is,” Zuo Shangying said, “aren’t you asking the wrong person? You should ask whoever you want to do business with.”