Master of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 18: Making Money

After the earlier incident, Meng Tianchu started to reflect on a practical issue. Although he acted tough, he was penniless and would need a place to settle down. He thought it over and decided to accept their offer. He could work as a shop assistant in Suzhou for some time and then look for something more suitable.

With this decision, Meng Tianchu clasped his hands and said, “Since you and your esteemed wife have so kindly invited me, it would be pretentious of me to refuse.”

Madam Qin’s face lit up with joy, and her eyes gleamed with happiness. She turned to Qin Yiyun and said, “Wonderful! Brother Meng has agreed!”

Qin Yiyun forced a smile and replied, “Yes… that’s great…”

Meng Tianchu picked up on the lack of enthusiasm in his tone, clearly sensing that Qin Yiyun had only agreed under pressure from his wife. Meng Tianchu mused that Qin Yiyun might be wary of him working in their shop because of his wife’s obvious interest in him. Selling his clothes earlier was also Madam Qin’s idea, further proving her intentions.

This realization made Meng Tianchu uneasy. It became clear that working in their shop wasn’t a long-term plan. Once in Suzhou, he would need to quickly find another way to establish himself. But for now, the most pressing matter was to get some money—without it, nothing could move forward.

By evening, their carriage reached a small county town, where they found an inn to stay at. The carriage carrying Xiahou Fengyi and her servant Feiyan also arrived and parked in the same courtyard. Feiyan hopped down and glanced at Meng Tianchu, wanting to speak but hesitated when she noticed the busy courtyard. If Meng Tianchu mocked them again, they would lose face.

Meng Tianchu ignored them, retrieving his forensic investigation kit from the carriage and discreetly opening it in a corner. He examined the equipment and chemicals inside to see what might be sold. Spotting a few glass test tubes, an idea struck him. Transparent glass was likely rare in this era and could fetch a good price.

He carefully took one test tube and placed it in his pocket. After handing the investigation kit to Old He for safekeeping, he informed Qin Yiyun and his wife that he was heading out for a walk.

Madam Qin immediately asked, “Brother Meng, it’s getting late, and the sun is setting. Where are you off to?”

“Just out for a bit. I’ll be back soon.”

“Then let me accompany you! I need to buy some rouge,” Madam Qin offered enthusiastically.

“No, no, that’s unnecessary!” Meng Tianchu thought to himself, This Madam Qin is far too enthusiastic. While I’m no saint, I know better than to eat the grass right next to the nest. Her husband is just nearby.

Politely declining, he quickly walked away. Madam Qin called after him and even chased a few steps, but he pretended not to hear.

The county, being close to the capital, was relatively bustling. The streets were lively with pedestrians. Meng Tianchu walked along the main road, looking for shops that dealt in antiques and ceramics. Along the way, he passed several pawnshops but dismissed them immediately. Pawnshops were notorious for offering low prices, and besides, he had multiple test tubes to sell outright.

Eventually, after wandering through a few streets, he found a respectable-looking antique shop and entered.

The shop assistant gave Meng Tianchu a once-over. Although the clothes he wore were slightly ill-fitting, they were of decent quality, prompting the assistant to greet him warmly. “Welcome, sir! Are you here to buy antiques? Feel free to browse.”

Meng Tianchu glanced around and asked, “Do you buy antiques as well?”

“Of course, sir!” The assistant smiled broadly. “Please step into our private room.”

He led Meng Tianchu into a small room and offered him a seat on a high-backed chair. Leaning slightly forward, the assistant asked, “May I know what you’d like to sell?”

Meng Tianchu took the glass test tube from his pocket and carefully placed it on the tea table. “Take a look. How much is this worth?”

The shop assistant, trained to be cautious, didn’t immediately touch the item. Instead, he leaned in closer for a thorough inspection. After a brief moment, his expression shifted, and he appeared visibly excited, though trying hard to stay composed. His body trembled slightly as he examined the test tube, almost pressing his nose against it.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally straightened up and, with a controlled voice, asked cautiously, “Sir… this little item… how much do you want for it?”

Meng Tianchu relaxed, crossing his legs casually. “You give me a price first. If it’s fair, we’ll make a deal. If not, I’ll take it to another shop. After all, the capital isn’t far from here.”

“Ah, well, sir, the capital is still a full day’s journey from here. Let me assure you, we’re the top antique shop in this county, and our prices are always fair…”

“Great! It’s getting late, and I have other matters to attend to. Name your price.”

The assistant hesitated briefly, stealing a glance at Meng Tianchu’s expression before steeling himself. “Four guan. How about that?”

Meng Tianchu almost burst out laughing but managed to keep a straight face. A glass test tube that cost mere cents in modern times was now valued at four guan of copper coins!

Based on what Meng Tianchu had read in the Great Ming Code and his earlier discussions with Old He about the economy, he had deduced that one tael of silver was roughly equivalent to 1,000 modern RMB. This meant one wen (coin) was approximately equal to one RMB, and one guan (1,000 wen) was 1,000 RMB.

In other words, the assistant’s offer of four guan equaled 4,000 RMB.

For a simple glass test tube, this was astonishing.

In Ming China, glass (or “liuli”) was rarely seen and considered a royal luxury. The technology for clear, transparent glass was non-existent, as even the finest “medicine jade” used in ornaments for high-ranking officials was cloudy and dull. Transparent glass wasn’t introduced until the Kangxi era in the Qing dynasty.

No wonder the shop assistant reacted as if he had stumbled upon a treasure.