I entered Xihui Fang with everyone, where the alley was bustling with people and a constant stream of sedan chairs flowed by. Wei Pianren said to me, "The women sitting in these sedan chairs are all prostitutes. Look at 'em, raking it in all night!" As I listened, I thought about my past in Shandong, where even though I got a job as a clerk through my brother-in-law's connections, I was still at someone else's mercy. Whenever I saw those officials, all puffed up in their sedan chairs, I'd be green with envy. When will I be able to live a life like that? Now, seeing those jostling prostitute chairs, I got that official itch again.
I was thinking when, without realizing it, I passed through a door and arrived at a doorway, with a gas lamp hanging outside and several signs on the wall that said something like "brothel"—I couldn’t remember the details for a moment. Everyone urged me to come in, so I followed them upstairs. Someone downstairs shouted, "Guests upstairs!" and when we had walked halfway up the stairs, many madams came over to greet us. When they heard we were with the Qiu family, they took us inside and called out, "Guests of the Qiu family," and Qiu Wuke came out to welcome us. Everyone bowed and saluted each other, and I followed suit. Then the madams helped us out of our coats, poured tea, handed us pipes, and served us melon seeds. Everyone knew each other except for me, the newcomer. They casually asked me, "What is your surname?" I respectfully replied, "My surname is Tao." The person smiled. Qiu Wuke asked us to write down some names. Wei Pianren eagerly wrote, starting with Lu Guifang. Liu Zhanguang remarked, "Pianren always picks this little girl." Qiu Wuke said, "Pianweng has other fish to fry!" Wei Pianren continued writing his choices, ignoring the others, and wrote three or four names at once. Then he turned to me and asked, "Ziweng, who do you plan to choose? Do you want to loosen up a bit?" I said, "I don’t know any of the girls here." Qiu Wuke replied, "Since you’re here, you ought to show some respect and join in the fun just this once." Wei Pianren saw that I was speaking and realized his earlier persuasion had worked a bit, so he said, "Ziweng doesn’t know anyone, but Wuke knows many people, so let him help you choose." So Qiu Wuke helped me pick a little Lu Lanfen. I noticed there were eight or nine names on the table, and I couldn’t remember them all at once. Liu Zhanguang ordered Zhang Shuyu, who seemed to be the same one we had seen at Yipinxiang. I also saw several reserved invitations on the table, with words like "Please join us for a small gathering at Xiaojinyuanyuan Mansion in Tong'anli." I found it quite interesting and asked, "Who is Xiaojinyuanyuan?" Pianren told me, "She’s a friend of Wuke’s; we just saw her at Yipinxiang, and she even asked for your name—how could you forget?" We all laughed.
After a while, the food and drinks were arranged, and the towels were removed. Qiu Wuke asked me to sit at the head of the table, but I refused. Liu Zhanguang and Wei Pianren also spoke up for me: "Today, Qiu Wuke specially invited us, none of us are more distinguished than you." With that, everyone sat down, leaving the head seat empty. So I sat down. Qiu Wuke personally poured the wine, and I followed the official etiquette by standing up and bowing, which made it awkward for him, so he had to put down the wine jug and return the gesture. After the host finished serving the wine, I had to return the gesture, bowing deeply after pouring the wine, then bowing to everyone and saying, "I apologize for my rudeness," before sitting down to drink. After a while, the dishes were served, we had three rounds of drinks, and the girls others called for all arrived, except for mine. Even though it was my first time in such a place, seeing everyone else with a girl but me made me feel a little uneasy. Later, when all the dishes were served, the host counted and saw that Xiaolu Lanfen had not yet arrived, so he hurriedly sent someone to urge her. After a while, Xiaolu Lanfen arrived, saw Qiu Wuke, didn't mention names, and directly called out, "Hey, baldy! Which one is Mr. Tao?" Qiu Wuke pointed to me. She, her madam, and her husband came to me, one after another saying, "Mr. Tao, I'm sorry!" When I heard her call me sir but refer to me as Mr. Tao, I felt a little upset. Later, Wei Pianren quickly spoke to the madam—calling her "sister-in-law"—saying, "This Mr. Tao is from Shandong and just got off the boat today. You should sing a few more songs, and Mr. Tao will have to invite you to dinner another day!" The madam quickly ran to me, changed her words, calling me "Mr. Tao," and saying things like, "Don't mind the cramped space, sir. Please come in." A series of "Mr. Tao" made me very happy. After a while, snacks and porridge were served. Xiaolu Lanfen and her sister-in-law, after hearing Wei Pianren's words, knew I was a good guest and stayed seated. When it was time to leave, she insisted on going home with me. At first, I refused, but later Wei Pianren persuaded me, and after the two of them kept urging me, I agreed. The sister-in-law led the sedan chair in front, with me and Wei Pianren following behind. After turning two corners, we entered a lane with the words "Tongqing Lane" written on it. We entered the third house, went upstairs, and walked all the way to the end of the stairs, which led to Lanfen's room. When we went upstairs, Lanfen had already been waiting at home for a while. The sister-in-law was busy welcoming us, laying out fresh clothes and towels, the husband offering melon seeds, and pouring water for smoking. A series of "Mr. Tao" made me very comfortable. Ignoring Wei Pianren next to me, I started bragging about myself, telling them my whole life story. There were a couple of old maids in the room who couldn't understand what we were saying and just sat there dozing off. Wei Pianren first smoked on the couch, then fell asleep too.
Tao Ziyao chatted with his new sister-in-law, getting more and more excited. He said, "Us officials, we're here today, gone tomorrow; we can't make decisions for ourselves." The new sister-in-law replied, "That's just like being someone else's puppet." Tao Ziyao didn't understand what she meant by "being controlled." When she explained, just mentioning "girls in the house," he retorted, "Our daughters are 'Misses,' not the girls in the house! Where did 'Miss' come from?" The new sister-in-law said, "The rules are different in Shanghai; they also call them 'Miss,' and even 'Sir!'" Tao Ziyao responded, "You're talking nonsense again! Only our private tutors are 'Sir,' not the girls in the house!" Seeing that he didn't grasp these concepts, she smiled and said, "It means being sold or forced into debt, having no say in your own life. Just like you officials—you're not really in charge of your own destiny, are you?" Tao Ziyao, feeling unhappy, said, "That's rubbish! We bought our positions; we didn't sell ourselves! It's not the same as those women being trafficked! How can you compare them?"
The new sister-in-law is very clever. Seeing that Tao Ziyao's face was not good, she quickly changed the subject: "Rough trip? How many days have you been traveling? Your wife didn't come along? What ship did you take?" She figured Tao Ziyao's wife would be a handful, so she steered the conversation. She is really a thoughtful person. When Tao Ziyao heard this, all his anger disappeared, and a smug look appeared on his face. He said, "Let me tell you something, being an official is tough, but when things go your way, it's pretty sweet. You forget all about the hard work. I was an official in Shandong; how'd I wind up in Shanghai?" The new sister-in-law asked, "What happened? Did you get a promotion and stop off in Shanghai on your way?" Tao Ziyao closed his eyes and smoked without responding. After finishing one cigarette, the new sister-in-law quickly lit another one and handed it to him. Only then did Tao Ziyao say, "It's a coincidence. On the morning of the first day of the lunar new year this year, after I'd done my ancestor worship, I drew lots for fortune-telling." The new sister-in-law asked, "Were you playing Pai Gow?" Tao Ziyao said, "Don't be silly!" The new sister-in-law was scared and dared not speak. Tao Ziyao continued, "I have always believed in fortune-telling. The result of this draw was two top signs and one middle and bottom sign. I remember the poem on the sign; let me recite it for you: 'Smooth sailing, timely winds, / A journey across the ocean, miles and miles.' The first sentence 'smooth sailing' refers to my official career; the second sentence suggests that I have to come to Shanghai. It was all meant to be, you know? Pretty spooky, huh?"
The new sister-in-law couldn't understand the divination slip, so she could only go along and say, "The most effective thing is still the Bodhisattva. Sir, have you brought the divination slip? Can you also give me a reading? I have been pregnant for three months, and I don't know if it's a boy or a girl. If it's a boy, will he be able to become an official in the future? No need to become an official through the imperial examination, as long as he's successful like you." Tao Ziyao waved his hand repeatedly and said, "Stop kidding! How could your son become an official?" The new sister-in-law said, "Why can't my son become an official?" Tao Ziyao said, "Back in the Qing Dynasty, it was the rule that descendants of prostitutes, actors, slaves, and soldiers are not allowed to participate in the imperial examination and become officials." The new sister-in-law said, "You don't understand. I have an adopted son, considered my older brother, who used to work as a comprador (a Chinese intermediary working for foreign firms). Two years ago, he paid his way to becoming a prefect, and recently he was promoted to a circuit intendant (a high-ranking official). He even has a red feather in his hat now, and he is currently the top administrator in this department." When the new sister-in-law mentioned this, Xiao Lulanfen interrupted and said, "Auntie, are you talking about the master? A few days ago, the master had a birthday celebration and had me waiting on guests. Many officials in those fancy red hats came to congratulate him; it was very lively! The master even said he would invite me for a meal tomorrow!" The new sister-in-law said, "Yes, it's him." Then she said to Tao Ziyao, "My brother's an official, and my son's his nephew—so why can't my son be an official, too?"
Tao Ziyao was speechless and thought to himself, "Her family is so wealthy and powerful; I need to find a way to turn the tables." After pondering for a while, he said, "This time I came, the Governor gave me a fortune in silver to go and set up machinery. On the day I left, the Governor even sent me out of the city in a lavish sedan chair. Officials below the Governor set up a celebratory archway ten miles outside the city to see me off. When I arrived there, the Governor also came. After discussing official business, he casually pulled out an HSBC bank draft for forty thousand silver dollars and asked me to find four concubines for him in Shanghai, probably around ten thousand silver dollars each. If that's not enough, he told me to give him a call." His new sister-in-law piped up, "Someone like Lanfen only needs eight thousand silver dollars. Mr. Tao, why not take Lanfen with you?" Lanfen replied, "I'm not that lucky!" Tao Ziyao said, "Don't say that. As the saying goes: 'Marry the chicken, you follow the chicken; marry the dog, you follow the dog.' If you marry the Governor and become a concubine, we'll all have to call you Madam Xian." His sister-in-law said, "Then please be the matchmaker, Mr. Tao!" Lanfen added, "I won't forget your kindness. Thank you, and I will repay you in the future!" Tao Ziyao said, "This is a real opportunity, not just a waiting game." At this point, his new sister-in-law deliberately poured him a bowl of tea to moisten his throat.
Tao Ziyao continued, "I haven't finished yet. The magistrate gave me a silver ticket, I put it in my pocket, got on the sedan chair, and left. He wanted to toast, but I was overwhelmed and declined several times before it was over. The magistrate and a group of officials accompanied me to the sedan chair, bowed together, and I returned the gesture. Then I heard the sound of 'rumble rumble' in my ears." The new wife asked, "What's going on?" Tao Ziyao said, "The soldiers in the camp used cannons to send me off, so I heard the sound of 'rumble rumble'." Tao Ziyao got so caught up in his story that he didn't notice Wei Pianren waking up on the bed, not knowing what he was saying. All he heard was 'rumble rumble' and he repeated it. When Tao Ziyao saw him wake up, he thought he had heard everything he said earlier, blushed, felt embarrassed, and stopped talking, mumbling, "We were talking about the cannons fired in the camp." The new wife said, "Don't mention the cannons, you've woken up Mr. Wei." Wei Pianren, still groggy, rubbed his eyes. The new wife quickly handed him a handkerchief. Lanfen said, "Mr. Tao is speaking so loudly, everyone downstairs can hear." Tao Ziyao ignored him. Wei Pianren wiped his face, looked at the clock, it was already three thirty, and said, "It's getting late, Mr. Tao can stay here for the night, I have to go." Tao Ziyao also got up to return to the hotel. The new wife couldn't persuade them to stay and offered to serve them some porridge before they left. But because it was late, they were in a hurry to go back. The new wife and Lanfen escorted them downstairs, opened the door, and watched them leave the lane. Tao Ziyao didn't know the way, so Wei Pianren took him out of the lane, walked along the stone road to Four Horse Road, and explained that the hotel was just a short walk from Yipinxiang, near Qipan Street. Tao Ziyao finally understood that Gaosheng Hotel was so close to Yipinxiang, there was no need to take a rickshaw. When he left the hotel today, he was ripped off by the rickshaw driver and took a long detour before reaching Yipinxiang. It seems that one must be careful everywhere in Shanghai. He thanked Wei Pianren, and they bid farewell. Tao Ziyao returned to the hotel with his assistant, while Wei Pianren went to see his girlfriend, Lao San.
The next day, Tao Ziyao didn't wake up until one o'clock. Just as he got up to wash his face, Wei Pianren arrived and asked him to go grab some Yangzhou food at Jiuhua Building. After they ate, they called a carriage from Gongyi's and went to Zhang Garden for a bit of fun. It happened to be Sunday, and most of the friends who had dinner together the day before were there. Liu Zhanguang also went to the garden since his boat wasn't leaving. Qiu Wuke showed up after four o'clock. Everyone gathered in the mansion and split into two tables to drink tea. At that time, there were loads of hookers in the garden, packed the place, it was a real buzz! Tao Ziyao was hanging out with everyone and unexpectedly bumped into his new sister-in-law and Lanfen getting their picture taken. They were chuffed to see him and came back to the mansion with them. His new sister-in-law even slipped him a tobacco pouch. Wei Pianren whispered to Tao Ziyao, "Zhanguang's boat isn't leaving yet, and everyone's here, so why don't we all go to his place for dinner? We can get Lanfen there too, two birds, one stone!" Tao Ziyao had been thinking of treating everyone but felt a bit embarrassed to say it. After hearing Wei Pianren's suggestion, he eagerly agreed, saying, "Brilliant!" Wei Pianren first helped him tell his new sister-in-law, "Tao likes a drink, so make sure the food's top-notch. Tell his sister to use the good stuff!" After that, he helped arrange for Liu Zhanguang, Qiu Wuke, and the others. These guys, they're always at the pub, they'll be there.
His new sister-in-law wanted to take Tao Ziyao back with her, and Tao Ziyao took Wei Pianren along. They hopped into the carriage and left Zhang Garden. They got to Nicheng Bridge in no time. The coachman took the long way round to pad his fare before returning to Shilu Tongqingli Gate. They got out and headed inside. The new sister-in-law first informed the family and had a sedan chair sent for. The two went upstairs to drink tea and smoke. Soon, Liu Zhanguang showed up with a couple of buddies, followed by Qiu Wuke. By this time, it was already dark, and lots of people had other plans and were pushing for the food to come out quickly. They scribbled down an order, set the table, and got the party started. The host made the rounds with toasts, then everyone sat down. After a while, the dishes were served, there was singing, dice games, and a general buzz, with smoke hanging heavy in the air. Tao Ziyao, thinking himself a connoisseur, criticized the girls' singing. Qiu Wuke said, "You're a real expert, aren't you, Master Zi?" One of the guys at the table, a bit of a simpleton, insisted Tao Ziyao sing. He even kept the erhu player around to accompany him. But Master Tao refused. Finally, he pulled Liu Zhanguang aside and hissed, "We're officials, for crying out loud! This'll be a disaster if it gets back to Shandong." Liu Zhanguang told Qiu Wuke, who then told the guy. The whole thing fell flat, and before dessert or porridge even showed up, everyone bailed. Tao Ziyao didn't give a damn.
After the guests were sent off with their fill of food and drink, only Wei Pianren remained, refusing to leave. He was well aware that Tao Ziyao, with his successful career, put on airs and was clearly someone who enjoyed kissing up, a real smooth operator. Even the bride could see it. Wei Pianren used the excuse of needing to use the restroom to pull the bride into a small room, where the two of them whispered their plan. Meanwhile, Tao Ziyao was sitting in the main room on a smoking couch, while Lanfen prepared his hookah for him. He was boasting, saying, "As the wife of a magistrate, you get to ride around in a fancy sedan chair carried by four people, with a sedan bearer wearing a hat and a red umbrella leading the way. Everywhere you go, there are people to serve and attend to you. The only fear is that if she badmouths someone in front of important people or cracks a few insults, no one can bear it. In her quarters, there's a whole staff of maids and servants. She gets two hundred taels of silver a month, just for her allowance! That doesn't even include clothes, jewelry, food, and everything else. Just that two hundred taels a month is double the salary of our boss!" Lanfen interrupted, "Master Tao, how much do you earn in a month as an official? Do you have a wife? How much does your wife spend in a month?" Tao Ziyao was blindsided by Lanfen's questions and couldn't come up with an answer. Just as he was about to make an excuse, Wei Pianren and the bride emerged from the small room, changing the subject.
Wei Pianren put on his long gown and was about to leave. He winked at the new sister-in-law, who got the message. Tao Ziyao also wanted to leave, but unexpectedly, the new sister-in-law held onto his jacket to stop him from leaving. Tao Ziyao had no choice but to let Wei Pianren go alone. The new sister-in-law was busy feeding Tao Ziyao porridge and asked his butler to return to the inn first. That night, from setting up the banquet to Wei Pianren's departure, anyone who came to call the new sister-in-law was handled by Jin, while she stayed with Tao Ziyao. She mentioned to Tao Ziyao, "Although Lanfen is sixteen years old, she is still a young girl. This girl is careful and will definitely not wrong you." Although Tao Ziyao had only been there for two days, he was very clever. He'd picked up on her identity at the banquet, so he knew what was going on. After finishing the porridge, it was past two o'clock, and since Lanfen was not on the night shift, everyone cleaned up and went to sleep. Tao Ziyao ended up staying the night. Suffice it to say, they were inseparable.
He stayed for a solid week or so, either being invited to dinner by others or inviting others to dinner. It was a daily thing. He slept till two or three in the afternoon every day. Once his new sister-in-law was all dolled up, they would have breakfast together. After breakfast, they’d take a carriage out. At first, they’d bring Lanfen with them, but later they stopped. Their outings were either to Zhang Garden or just joyrides. They’d hop out at fancy department stores like Ren Changxiang, Zhentai Chang, and Hengdali. They’d splurge on silk, watches, rings—hundreds of bucks every time. And that's not counting the jewelry and pearls. At first, Tao Ziyao would hit the bank for a few hundred silver dollars, plus a couple hundred in foreign cash and paper money. Soon, everyone knew he was loaded, so they’d give him credit. His new sister-in-law thought his clothes were a joke, so she had tailors whip up some new threads for him—and herself—right there in the living room. After ten days, he’d only spent a hundred bucks or so on booze and grub, but three or four thousand on shopping and new clothes. With everything else, he’d burned through more than a quarter of his twenty grand. He figured it wasn't that much. He’d just claim it back when he bought the machine. So he felt good and kept on spending. Then his new sister-in-law's mom had a birthday, so she threw a big party. Tao Ziyao alone had four tables set up, and even invited some strangers.
Wei Pianren saw that Tao Ziyao was a real spendthrift, throwing money around like it grew on trees, and calculated in his heart: "He has spent almost all of his money; I gotta strike while the iron's hot!" The next day, he went to find Qiu Wuke to discuss. Qiu Wuke said, "This guy's a walking ATM; we gotta milk him dry." Wei Pianren asked, "Is there any way to get his money?" Qiu Wuke said, "Easy. Just tell him that the company's ship will set sail the day after tomorrow. If he wants to buy a machine, let him come to me. We're all in on this, just give him a break on the price." Wei Pianren and Qiu Wuke were accustomed to working together and were in cahoots. He hurried to Tongqing Lane and found Tao Ziyao. At this time, his new bride was sitting under the window in the living room combing her hair, while Tao Ziyao sat next to her eating tangyuan (sweet rice balls) and watching her. Just as he was engrossed in watching, a servant announced Mr. Tao's arrival. He was about to hide, but when he saw Wei Pianren, he relaxed. After a bit of small talk, Wei Pianren took Tao Ziyao to a room and talked to him about buying a machine. He said, "This machine deal's a pain. I heard Qiu Wuke say, 'The company's ship sails tomorrow. Get your blueprints there, and you'll get your machine in three months. Miss this boat, and you're waiting ages for the next one.' Qiu's a pal; he wouldn't charge you extra. Just tell him yourself, or I can pass the message." Tao Ziyao kept saying, "Thank you for your trouble..." and quickly asked, "Has my servant arrived?" A servant called out for Mr. Tao. When the servant arrived, Tao Ziyao gave him a key and told him to go back to the storeroom: "Open the box, there is a paper package inside with the letters from Futa. Bring me that paper package." And so the plot thickened...
Not long after, the guy returned and handed over the paperwork with the bill. Tao Ziyao opened it and saw that it was an invoice—just showing how many machines were used, no real details. He handed the bill to Wei Pianren, who asked, "Is this the account?" Tao Ziyao said, "There are some things in here that I'm not sure about. I was planning to ask Wu Ke. Let's go see him now." Wei Pianren said, "I'll go with you." The missus said, "What's so urgent about this? Can't Wei Laotou (the old man Wei) handle it? Do you have to go yourself?" Wei Pianren said, "Can't right now." The missus glanced at him, didn't say anything, and continued to comb his hair. Tao Ziyao originally wanted to go, but after hearing the missus's words, he didn't feel like going anymore. Wei Pianren said, "It's okay if you don't go. I'll go ask him for you and have him prepare a detailed account to send abroad. You'll have to pay the money later." Tao Ziyao said, "Of course, at a lower price." Wei Pianren said, "The price is set by the foreigners. We can't decide on the cost." He then started putting on his jacket. While he was getting ready, Tao Ziyao pulled Wei Pianren aside and whispered, "Listen, the money provided for this task is just for show, not enough at all. Besides, when we get to Shanghai, we'll have to socialize. You'll have to talk to Wu Ke about this and ask him to calculate more when making the account; consider it him taking care of me." Wei Pianren said, "Do you really need to say that? Looking at this bill, there are only a few items, with about 20,000 silver dollars in and out. Adding another 1,800 is acceptable. Tao, I heard you're here to buy a fortune in machines, right? We're good friends, don't try to deceive us with small amounts; use large amounts to take care of others." Tao Ziyao was stunned for a moment and said, "I still need to buy more machines. Let's see how this goes first before dealing with others." Seeing this, Wei Pianren understood and did not ask further. He said, "I'll have Wu Ke send the letter today; I'll take care of the cost for you, ensuring it's cheap. Tomorrow, you just need to sign in front of the foreigners." Then he took off.
Wei Pianren walked to Wuke's trading company. Wuke hurriedly asked, "How'd the deal go? Got the books ready?" Wei Pianren showed him the bill. After Wuke finished reading it, he said, "That's it?" He smiled and added, "This is a real mess of a bill. How are we gonna take this overseas? Plus, there's always a bunch of little parts that need to be listed." Wei Pianren said, "He wanted you to look it over. Wuke, I think this whole thing's only worth twenty grand. He wants you to fudge the numbers. He's being real shady about it. I bet he's using Lanfen's money." Wuke said, "He looks like he knows how to make a buck. But since he's put his trust in me, you go tell him I've got it covered. The accounts are done, the contract's ready, so tell him to come sign tomorrow." Wei Pianren said, "You really gonna help this guy? His money's in the bank. I just checked at Tongqing Bank—only twenty grand came from Shandong. He says he's pulled several thousand this week. And Lanfen's new sister-in-law's flashing diamonds and gold—the guy's throwing money around like it's nothing. We don't want to buy him the machine and then find out he's broke." Qiu Wuke said, "You're an idiot! Get him to sign first. What's he gonna do, run off? We're not gonna get burned." Wei Pianren understood after hearing this. That night, he raced over to Tongqing and told Tao Ziyao everything was set. Just tell him to be at the trading company at eleven tomorrow to sign.
The next day at ten o'clock, Wei Pianren rushed to wake up Tao Ziyao in Tongqing Lane, asking him to get up, wash his face, have breakfast, and go to Wukou together. The new bride, looking disheveled, insisted on braiding Tao Ziyao's hair personally before letting him leave. When the two arrived at the foreign firm, Qiu Wuke warmly welcomed them, asked them to sit down, and even offered each of them a cigar. He pulled out the invoice from his drawer, and the total was twenty-two thousand taels of silver. After signing, they paid half down and read the contract to Tao Ziyao. Since Tao Ziyao did not understand the contract's language, he asked Qiu Wuke to read it, and it sounded alright to him. He then asked Wei Pianren, "So, that's the bill settled? What about the matter I entrusted to you yesterday?" Wei Pianren asked Qiu Wuke again. Qiu Wuke told them, "This is the contract signed between Mr. Tao and our foreign firm, and once the money is paid in full, a new contract will be written." Only then did Tao Ziyao feel relieved. Qiu Wuke took him to meet the foreign owner, and they shook hands. The owner said a few words in English that Tao Ziyao did not understand, so Qiu Wuke translated for him, all of which were small talk. After signing in person, Wei Pianren followed to wire the money. Tao Ziyao thought, "We only had fourteen thousand taels left in the bank, and now that eleven thousand two hundred taels have been wired, there are only over three thousand taels left. In the future, when the machine arrives in Shanghai, another eleven thousand two hundred taels will have to be paid. Although there is a big shortfall now, fortunately, before leaving, the Governor said that if it is not enough, I can always telegraph for more." So he wrote a check at the bank, asking them to send a telegram explaining the situation and requesting another fifteen thousand taels. The bank clerk drafted the telegram, he checked it over, and it was fine. After bidding farewell and clarifying matters with Qiu Wuke, they retrieved the contract. That evening, they hosted a banquet in Tongqing Lane, and because Qiu Wuke and Wei Pianren had helped, they were given the best seats.
Time passes so quickly. Since the day he sent the telegram from the bank, he should have received a response in at most three days, but it has been seven or eight days now. He was so smitten with his new wife that he didn’t think much of it. Counting the days on his fingers, he started to panic. Given his official position, the telegram should have been answered. Maybe the Governor's just swamped with work, but he wouldn't just ignore it. He was a nervous wreck, feeling uneasy. His new wife, bless her heart, talked him down. After waiting for half a month, there was still no reply. He'd already spent over two thousand, and his new wife still wanted to marry him, saying she only wanted a wedding gift, no dowry, just a nice set of pearl jewelry. A decent set would cost over a thousand; anything less wouldn't do, and that didn't even include other clothing and accessories. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, tossing and turning all night.
After a few days, counting the days, it had been twenty days since the telegram was sent, but there was no news at all. He was beside himself with worry, so he sent another telegram urging for payment and also sent one asking his brother-in-law to pull some strings. On the third day, his brother-in-law replied, saying that the magistrate of Funing was on sick leave, and the deputy was acting on his behalf. The machine had already been arranged by foreigners at a very cheap price, and it even included after-sales service. He was told not to worry about it anymore and to come back quickly. When Tao Ziyao received this telegram, he felt crushed, and he didn't know what to do. Wei Pianren happened to come to see him, so he told him about the situation, hoping that Wei Pianren could discuss it with Qiu Wuke and return the machine to get the money back. Wei Pianren said, "You can't just back out of a contract. If the bill hadn't gone out yet, it would be easier, but it's been more than twenty days now, and it's probably already abroad. How can you get it back?" Tao Ziyao said, "Then send a telegram to ask them to stop!" Wei Pianren replied, "Yeah, right! They're not my family, and I can't exactly tell them what to do." Seeing that Wei Pianren was unwilling to help return the machine, Tao Ziyao became even more upset. From that day on, he wrote letters in the inn for two days and never went to Tongqing Lane. His new sister-in-law sent a little maid to guard him in the inn and asked him to come over, but he refused. The little maid got flustered and said, "It's not that I don't want to go; I just don't feel well these days. When my matters are settled, I will naturally go." The little maid went back and told his new sister-in-law about this. Realizing things weren't right, his new sister-in-law was happy to tease him a bit. Since the little maid couldn't persuade him, she had to go to the inn herself to invite him. Although Tao Ziyao went with her to the theater, he was still listless. Unable to resist his new sister-in-law's sweet words, he had to take out the remaining money from his account to be nice to her. Later, he only had a few hundred taels of silver left in his hand. Those theater people were real sharks; they calculated the remaining money, wrote a promissory note, and had a student deliver it to Tao Ziyao, taking back the theater's account book. From then on, they no longer had any contact, and Tao Ziyao was completely out of luck.
Wei Pianren heard that this was going to be a problem. Although he didn't advise him to return the machine, he figured he'd be out of luck finding help. So he went to talk to Qiu Wuke. Qiu Wuke said, "Is he really broke? You go and tell him, if the machine arrives and he doesn't come to pick it up, even though we’re friends, foreigners don’t play that way; there could be a lawsuit down the line. He'd better sort it out." Wei Pianren went to find Tao Ziyao again, checking in and chasing the money. Now Tao Ziyao was really up the creek, so he had to send another telegram to his brother-in-law, telling him the foreigners wouldn't take the machine back and asking for help. But the reply blew Tao Ziyao away! Want to know what was said in the telegram? Find out next time!
