I studied in modern times

Chapter 1005 Wen Yanbo's Efforts to Save a Dowry for His Granddaughter
Wen Jifu didn't actually stay at the Xihedi Inn for very long.

He only went upstairs at Bao Cheng's invitation, sat for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, said a few words, made a brief appearance, and then apologized to Bao Cheng and took his leave.

Bao Cheng escorted him all the way to the south-facing imperial road leading from the Vermilion Bird Gate to the Wen Mansion before returning to the inn with the other scholars.

However, when they returned, everyone's gaze towards Bao Cheng had changed.

They felt awe, envy, and an indescribable, inexplicable stirrings within them.

It's human nature to try to climb the social ladder and curry favor with the powerful.

Although most people know that currying favor with the powerful and wealthy is not so easy.

But when the opportunity really comes your way, who wouldn't want to give it a shot?
Moreover, they were all scholars.

Scholars are, by nature, the most imaginative of people.

In particular, those scholars who repeatedly failed the imperial examinations.

……

Wen Jifu bid farewell to Bao Cheng, but did not return home immediately.

For him, how could he possibly waste such a beautiful time and place?

So, once he could no longer see Bao Cheng, he turned around and led his retainers straight to Baokangmen Wazi.

Yes, the three most enchanting places in Bianjing.

The Sangjia Wazi restaurant on Maxing Street is indeed famous and known throughout the world.

The problem is that Sangjia Wazi is just too famous.

Others were fine, but it was inconvenient for the sons of ministers of the rank of Attendant-in-Waiting to come and go frequently.

Otherwise, the censors would happily record this man's great achievements and save them for future impeachment when needed.

Therefore, the other two places of pleasure were where the sons of high-ranking officials gathered.

The entertainment districts under Baokang Gate, in particular, were a favorite among the sons of officials in the capital.

It is a subtle beauty that only true connoisseurs would know.

In the past, Liu Yong and Yan Jidao of the time wrote their romantic poems in the brothels of the Baokang Gate when they were in the capital.

Wen Jifu had not visited any brothels to try rouge since the provincial examinations began.

Today is such an auspicious day, how can we not have a good time?
So he stayed in the entertainment district until midnight, then, drunk, mounted his horse and, led by his followers, returned home.

As soon as he entered the door, Wen Jifu sobered up considerably.

Because he saw a figure reclining on the imperial 'Grand Master's Chair' in the center of the hall.

If it's not his elderly father, then who else could it be?
Wen Jifu hurriedly came to the front of the hall, knelt down and bowed, saying, "My lord, it is late at night, why are you still not asleep?"

Wen Yanbo slightly opened his eyes, glanced at Wen Jifu who reeked of alcohol, and knew perfectly well that this unfilial son had probably gone off somewhere to cause trouble again.

but……

This was the norm in Song Dynasty society.

On the contrary, if Wen Jifu didn't go off to brothels and entertainment venues after leaving home one day, Wen Yanbo would start to worry.

Of all Wen Yanbo's sons, only Wen Jifu has no heir to this day.

They only had daughters!

Having no children means having no heir!
Those who die without heirs will not only lose their family property, but will also have no one to offer incense after they pass away!

Therefore, Wen Yanbo never interfered with Wen Jifu's carefree and philandering outside.

This proves that Wen Jifu can still live.

As long as you sow seeds, you'll always get a son.

For example, Wen Yanbo's old friend Bao Zheng finally had a son in his later years thanks to a concubine he hired and then dismissed.

Although Wen Jifu is over fifty years old this year, as long as he can still give birth, there will always be miracles.

It's better than being childless and having no descendants.

Therefore, upon seeing Wen Jifu, who reeked of alcohol, Wen Yanbo did not reprimand him. Instead, he ordered the maids to brew a sobering tea.

After finishing this task, Wen Yanbo beckoned to him, "Come in and let's talk!"

"Yes!" Wen Jifu approached his father with trepidation, squatted down, and looked at his father expectantly. In his father's eyes, he was still just a child.

A baby over 600 months old!
"Have you met Bao Xinde?"

"kindness!"

Xinde is Bao Cheng's courtesy name.

It was given to Ren Xihe by Bao Shou after he arrived in the capital.

This is one of the iconic symbols of the joint ancestral association between the Bao clan of Luzhou and the Bao clan of Xihe.

"What kind of person is he?" Wen Yanbo asked.

Bao Cheng recalled his conversation with Bao Cheng at the Xihe Inn and his observations of Bao Cheng, and then said, "He is very amiable and should be a gentleman from Xihe!"

When Bao Cheng was at the Xihe Inn, he treated his elder brother with great respect.

Even the scholars from humble backgrounds who sat with him showed no arrogance whatsoever.

On the contrary, he always had a smile on his face.

"A gentleman!?" Wen Yanbo laughed upon hearing this.

Wen Jifu raised his head and asked, "Isn't that right?"

Wen Yanbo chuckled and said, "Do you know that your father has actually heard of his name long ago?!"

"Huh!?" Wen Jifu was stunned.

Bao Cheng looks very young.

Even my old father has heard of him?

What exactly did he do?
Wen Yanbo, counting on his fingers, said, "He was only about twenty years old, yet in the first year of the Yuan You era, he followed his grandfather to the battlefield and even participated in beheadings..."

Wen Jifu swallowed hard.

He never imagined that the smiling young man had actually killed someone.

And he had killed people on the battlefield!

“If that’s all, then so be it!” Wen Yanbo said, “The key point is that Dan’er once wrote a letter to his father, in which he mentioned this direct grandson of the Bao family of Xizhou!”

"Do you know..." Wen Yanbo looked at Wen Jifu, "that he owns three cotton farms, nearly 10,000 mu of cotton fields, and employs more than a thousand workers!"

"Tsk tsk tsk..." Wen Yanbo couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Wen Jifu, however, did not notice anything unusual.

Although he was the son of a high-ranking official in Bianjing, he had been fond of romance since childhood.

However, she was also trained from a young age to manage the family business.

With only three cotton mills and a few thousand employees, Wen Jifu figured he could manage it all.

Wen Yanbo could tell what Wen Jifu was thinking just by looking at his expression.
He then asked him, "What do you think the cotton mill in Xihe is?"

"Is it a manor outside Luoyang?"

"Are the hired laborers in the cotton mills like the strong women and servants in Bianjing City?"

"hehe!"

"If that's the case, then the powerful clans of Xihe wouldn't have been petitioning the imperial court for war since last year!"

"To tell you the truth, Dan'er once wrote to me saying..."

"In Xihe Cotton Mill, less than one in ten people over the age of thirty can still work there!"

"In fact, anyone over twenty-five is considered an 'elder' in the cotton mill!"

"And the matter of the cotton plantation has only been four years since then!"

"But more than half of the first batch of hired workers who came to the cotton plantation are no longer here..."

Wen Jifu was completely stunned when he heard this.

He asked timidly, "What do you mean by 'not here', sir?"

Wen Yanbo said, "Some died of illness, some were injured and disabled, but most were covered in injuries and illnesses and could no longer work in the cotton mill. They could only take their saved wages to the vassal state in Xizhou to herd sheep and raise horses..."

"Dan Ge'er said: There is no place in the world more cruel than Xihe Cotton Village!"

"The underworld and hell are probably nothing more than this!"

"This..." Wen Jifu swallowed hard, then asked in a low voice, "My lord..."

Why don't the cotton plantation workers rebel?

Yes, if this were in Bianjing or Luoyang, customers would be treated so harshly.

Customers will inevitably flee in large numbers.

If you encounter a vicious person, just steel your heart, kill the immoral owner, take the valuables, and escape to the mountains to become a bandit.

Throughout the Song Dynasty, similar incidents were never in short supply.

Therefore, scholar-official families tended to be conciliatory towards their clients, not daring to exploit them too much. "Rebel?"

"What are we going to use to fight back?"

"The Bao family of Xihe has several thousand armored soldiers and over ten thousand elite cavalry!"

"and……"

"Didn't you and the others worry about this?"

"I already investigated and asked the workers at the cotton plantation!"

"Dange'er once asked a cotton plantation worker... and said that if the worker agreed, Dange'er would be willing to terminate his contract with the cotton plantation on his behalf..."

"As a result, the hired worker not only refused, but also thought that Dan Ge'er was making trouble out of nothing!"

"And it's not just the cotton fields in Xihe that are like this... It's the same in Huizhou, Hezhou, Lanzhou, Minzhou, and other places!"

"Ah!" Wen Jifu's eyes widened.

Is there such a thing?
Wen Yanbo looked at Wen Jifu and asked, "Do you know why?"

Wen Jifu shook his head.

"Dan Ge'er said there are two main reasons!"

"Firstly, the cotton plantation workers were mostly fugitives from the Qiang tribes of Hengshan, slaves of the Tubo people of Xihe, and Dangxiang retainers captured by the Xihe army..."

"In recent years, disasters have frequently struck the world, and it is not only our Great Song Dynasty that has suffered from alternating snow and drought..."

"The Dangxiang and Tubo tribes are also suffering from severe drought. Even the warriors of these tribes are struggling to survive, let alone the slaves?"

"Therefore, although the cotton fields in Xihe are harsh, the people there mostly eat barley and beans..."

"But at least there's food to eat, so we won't go hungry!"

"And all the hired workers are paid wages, although the monthly salary is only a few hundred iron coins, but these wages are enough for them to buy some cheese, barley and beans nearby to support their families, and even save some money!"

"As for the second one..."

"But they are slaves from various tribes, who in the past would not live past thirty!"

“Especially the slaves of the various tribes in the Tibetan region, it is common for them to die of disease and starvation at the age of twenty-four or twenty-five!”

"Now, in the cotton mill, one can live past thirty and even receive wages!"

"Everyone called him a Bodhisattva!"

At this point, Wen Yanbo laughed: "Dan Ge'er once said: There is no place in the world more cruel than Xihe Cotton Village!"

"But the laborers in the Xihe Cotton Manor hell called the cotton manor owner a Bodhisattva!"

"That's just how the world has always been!"

Then Wen Yanbo asked, "Do you know why I asked you to meet with Bao Cheng?"

Wen Jifu thought for a moment and replied, "Does Your Excellency want me to acknowledge this relative?"

"You're quite clever!" Wen Yanbo nodded.

Wen Jifu was immediately puzzled: "Sir, please forgive my ignorance, I do not understand what you mean?"

Wen Yanbo looked at Wen Jifu and asked, "What are you doing now?"

Wen Jifu replied, "To the pawnshop!"

How do pawnshops make money?

"Loaning and collecting interest..."

"So, in Bianjing City today, who is most willing to lend money? And who is most likely to repay the loan?"

In pawnshops, although the official loan interest rate is only 40% per annum.

However, in practice, the interest rates far exceed the officially stipulated rates.

With such high interest rates, under normal circumstances, nine and a half out of ten borrowers would be unable to repay the loan.

At this point, the collateral—houses, mansions, treasures, paintings, and even wives and children—becomes the property of the mortgagee.

This is also the origin of the name of the pawnshop (pawn warehouse).

Therefore, in the past, very few people were able to repay their pawnshop loans.

Moreover, most of them were scholar-officials who had passed the imperial examinations.

However, in recent months, a new group of people has joined.

Wen Jifu almost subconsciously uttered the names of these people: "Weavers in the city and yarn mill owners in Anjie and other workshops outside the city!"

This is currently the fastest-growing force in Bianjing City.

The Bianjing News even published a legendary story about a spinning workshop owner named Li Erhu who made a fortune of 100,000 strings of cash in just over a year by spinning yarn.

Thus, he became known among the people as "Li Shiwan".

Not just the top performers, but also those who made a fortune.

Wen Jifu even knew that many women in Bianjing relied on a few imperial carriages to spin yarn at home with their sisters-in-law, sisters-in-law, and daughters-in-law.

One can earn tens or even hundreds of strings of cash a month.

The coin-making machine was so named because of this.

As a result, carpenters and blacksmiths who could make chariots also saw their prices rise accordingly.

Incidentally, the price of the Taimu car also skyrocketed.

As a result, people began to come to the pawnshop to borrow money to purchase spinning machines and raw materials.

By now, there are probably thousands of imperial carriages in Bianjing city alone.

There were also thousands of spinning machines in the spinning workshops outside the city.

The rise of the spinning industry directly led to an increase in the wages of cooks and strong women in Bianjing.

In the past, cooks and strong women who earned a monthly wage of one or two strings of cash could not be hired at all for less than three to five strings of cash.

Because they can go to work outside the city.

Some bolder individuals might even buy a loom and start their own business.

Wen Yanbo nodded in satisfaction upon hearing Wen Jifu's reply: "Excellent!"

"It seems you've really put in the effort regarding the pawnshop matter!"

How could Wen Jifu not work hard?

The pawnshop business is incredibly lucrative!
Wen Yanbo then asked, "In your opinion, what is the most important thing for spinning workshop owners and weavers?"

Wen Jifu thought about it seriously for a moment, then shook his head and said, "My son is dull-witted!"

"I humbly request your guidance, sir!"

This cannot be blamed on Wen Jifu; in fact, before the first year of the Yuan You era, there was only one place in Bianjing (Kaifeng) where cloth could be woven.

That was the Lingjin Courtyard of the Zhao Emperor.

At that time, the entire textile industry, from upstream to downstream (spinning, weaving, and dyeing), was a state-run monopoly.

Private individuals are not allowed to enter.

The same was true for other cities in the Song Dynasty.

Wen Yanbo knew this too, so he said softly, "Foolish child, the most important thing is cotton!"

"And today, cotton is mainly produced in Xihe!"

"The Bao family of Xihe has over a hundred cotton estates and more than 200,000 mu of cotton fields, which are spread throughout the various prefectures of Xihe!"

"If you can befriend him, why worry that the Di Dang Suo cannot prosper?"

Upon hearing this, Wen Jifu's eyes lit up as if a new world had opened up for him. He immediately bowed and said, "Thank you for your guidance, sir! Thank you for your guidance, sir!"

Yes, as long as we can grasp the key element of cotton, why should we worry about our business not thriving?!

Wen Yanbo shook his head as he looked at his foolish son.

He originally didn't intend to get involved in these matters—after all, he was the Grand Tutor, in charge of important military and national affairs!

Unfortunately, he had to save up for Thirteen's dowry!
At first, Wen Yanbo thought that a dowry of three million strings of cash would be enough to ensure that Thirteen Lady would be made empress.

But now, Wen Yanbo knows, three million strings of cash?

It's probably only enough for the dowry of a concubine.

If he wanted Thirteen Niang's position as Empress to be as secure as a mountain, he had to come up with a dowry that would tempt both the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.

For example...

Eight million, or even ten million strings of cash!
Even if Wen Yanbo sold everything he owned and borrowed money from the Fu, Han, Fan, and even Lü families, it would still be far from enough to cover such a huge sum.

so……

Wen Jifu was actually saving up for Shisan Niang's dowry.

Thinking this, Wen Yanbo remembered something else and asked, "By the way!"

"When you met Bao Xinde, did he mention any details about this year's provincial imperial examination?"

(End of this chapter)