Shen Zhongming grinned at Tigerhead. “With that little bit of New Year money you have, you’ve already managed to make a fuss, run a business, and even drum up customers for others.”
Tigerhead gave an indignant snort and turned his neck away. “We don’t have much money, so we only dared order a bowl of rice-noodle wontons and a steamed bun. Grandfather, you’re loaded. Why don’t you treat us? We’ll provide the crowd, and you can provide the cash!”
The cluster of small bodies that had been shoving and squeezing around the table a moment earlier suddenly froze. One after another, their little heads turned toward Shen Zhongming.
Qi Lang was the first to react. “Grandfather Shen is treating us to rice-noodle wontons!”
The other children immediately joined in, their voices tangling into a noisy chorus.
“Grandfather Shen, I want a lotus-pink jade bun.”
“I want crisp crackers and dried meat!”
“I want a rice pouch!”
…
The racket made Shen Zhongming’s scalp prickle. He coughed and said sternly, “Didn’t you already pay at the counter? If Grandfather treats you as well, will you even have room left to eat? Wasting food will get you thrown out by Shopkeeper Lin.”
The children fell silent and looked at one another. They had to admit that made sense.
“Then Grandfather can treat us to crisp crackers and dried meat. Those don’t take up much room!” Tigerhead’s eyes rolled mischievously as he continued to pester him. “They won’t fill us up, and if we can’t finish them, we can take them home!”
Amused by his shameless reasoning, Shen Zhongming shook his head and pulled out his money pouch. “All right, all right. Three bags of crisp crackers and three bags of dried meat. Not a morsel more. Unlike you children, Grandfather doesn’t have any New Year money to spare.”
The moment he finished speaking, he looked up to find that Lin Jing had somehow appeared in front of him. His bright eyes were fixed on the money pouch.
“Thank you for your patronage, Grandfather Shen,” he said crisply.
Shen Zhongming, both amused and exasperated, handed him a short string of copper coins. “You’re quite the clever one. Already poking your nose into the money jar.”
Lin Jing did not take offense. He carefully counted the coins before placing them in the cash box on the counter. Then he turned, lifted the curtain, and slipped behind it. Before long, he came back carrying several oiled-paper bags, which he set down with a clatter on Tigerhead’s table. Drawing out his voice, he said with perfect seriousness, “Honored guests, please enjoy.”
“Thank you, Brother Jing!” the children cried chaotically. Then they all turned toward Shen Zhongming. “Thank you, Grandfather Shen!”
Lord Han set down his pottery cup. Watching this group of clever, mischievous children, he could not help shaking his head with a quiet laugh.
Shen Zhongming laughed as well and sighed. “Not one of them is easy to handle.”
“What fun would there be in children who never caused any trouble? Master Shen, you’re enjoying the blessings of grandchildren—a happiness others can only envy.”
Inside the shop, crisp crackers broke with a steady crunch, punctuated now and then by muffled cries of “Delicious!”
Seeing that no one was at the counter for the moment, Liang Peilan turned and brought out several pottery cups, setting them on the children’s table. She counted the heads, then went back for a few more. Carrying over a pottery jug, she poured them barley water. “Have some boiled water first while you wait. The wontons will be ready soon.”
The children thanked her in unison, cradling their cups and taking small sips. The water had a faint, roasted fragrance, though they could not say it tasted particularly good. As far as they were concerned, sweet thirst-quenching drinks were much better. Still, a bite of crisp cracker followed by a sip of barley water was a pleasant combination.
When Mrs. Sun brought out the rice-noodle wontons, she could not help laughing at the scene. “Look at this. Our shop no longer resembles an eating house. It’s more like a tea party in a schoolroom.”
The children burst into giggles.
Mrs. Sun set the bowls of rice-noodle wontons on the table and reminded them, “Careful, they’re hot. Eat slowly.”
The first three bowls arrived, one of them belonging to Tigerhead. Under the eager gazes of his classmates, he immediately picked up his chopsticks and slurped down a large mouthful of noodles.
“Delicious!”
He fished out a wonton, blew on it repeatedly, and popped it into his mouth. The children beside him swallowed hard.
The remaining bowls soon followed, and the table grew lively at once. Chopsticks clinked against bowl rims, while the sounds of noodles being slurped rose and fell in a continuous chorus.
After a noisy meal, the bottoms of the bowls gradually came into view. The children wiped their mouths in satisfaction and only then remembered that it was time to go home. Those who had been able to come after school lived close to the main street, so they rose, said their farewells, slung their book satchels over their shoulders, and bounced out of the shop.
Tigerhead naturally stayed behind, since his own grandfather had not yet left. Qi Lang stayed too, as their families lived nearby.
Tigerhead took out his crooked-eared little tiger and placed it on the table.
Shen Zhongming had seen him showing it off countless times. Deliberately, he asked, “Do you really think that crooked-eared civet cat of yours can sell?”
“It’s a tiger! A mountain lord!” Tigerhead raised his voice in protest and pushed the cloth toy forward. “Of course it can sell. My classmates all placed orders today.”
Shen Zhongming lifted his pottery cup and took a sip. “So your cloth-toy business depends entirely on your classmates. You’re building your fortune by relying on people you know.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Tigerhead lifted his chin, entirely unashamed. “They like them, so they’re customers. They’re willing to buy them of their own accord!”
Lord Han laughed. “You certainly know how to borrow strength.”
Shen Zhongming laughed along. “Indeed. Your customers’ books are borrowed from the academy, your cloth is borrowed from your families, and once the toys are finished, you put them in your family’s shop to sell. That is a wonderfully easy business you’ve got there.”
Tigerhead blinked, then answered with complete justification, “If there’s something to borrow, why not borrow it? As long as we can get the business off the ground, that’s enough. Plenty of people want to start a business and can’t!”
At that, Lord Han’s expression turned serious. “Borrowing is all well and good, but have you thought about how much strength you’ve borrowed and how many favors you owe? Will you repay them someday? If you want to do business, you must keep the accounts straight—and remember the favors as well. If one day there is nothing left to borrow, will you still be able to carry on?”
Tigerhead planted both hands on his waist, his voice not growing any quieter. “Of course we can. We sell them for sixty copper coins each. We’ve already included the cost of materials!”
Lin Jing also came out from behind the counter and hurried over to the table. With a solemn expression, he began, “Grandfathers Han and Shen, we have the Twelve Hour Animals here. They’re very handsome. Would either of you like to buy one?”
Qi Lang took advantage of the opening and pulled a small booklet from his schoolbag. He flipped it open and held it out to them. Beside each adorable little animal was its price.
“Twelve hours, twelve animals—one for each hour. Choose whichever one you like.”
Lord Han waved a hand, utterly decisive. “No.”
Shen Zhongming pondered for a moment, then shook his head as well. “You two are going about this business all wrong. Asking your classmates is one thing, but why are you asking the two of us old men? How could we possibly be your customers?”
Lin Jing retorted, “But both of you have grandchildren.”
Shen Zhongming smiled and pointed at Tigerhead. “Isn’t my grandson right here in front of me? Sparrow is also one of the proprietors of your Afu Workshop. As for the other one who isn’t here, he’s in the capital now.”
At that, he turned to Lin Jing and changed the subject. “By the way, are you still practicing the martial arts Guanting told you to learn before he left? I looked into the courtyard this morning, and it was deathly quiet. Could it be that now your business has grown, you’ve decided those fist-and-foot skills are beneath you?”
Tigerhead guiltily shifted his gaze away and fixed his eyes on the flowers on the windowsill.
Lin Jing was perfectly composed. He began counting off his responsibilities on his fingers. “I have so many things to do. I have to attend lessons every day, manage the cloth-doll business, and come to the shop to serve as the little shopkeeper. I’m far too busy to keep up with everything.”
Shen Zhongming set down his teacup and looked at the child, who was only as tall as his waist. “You’re still so young, yet you’ve already taken on so many responsibilities.”
Lord Han shook his head and continued, “With your attention divided among too many things, you’ll never be able to keep at any of them for long. When you’re studying, you’re thinking about doing business; when you’re doing business, you’re thinking about studying. You have one foot in each camp, and you’ll end up doing neither properly. You can’t have both fish and bear’s paw. Go home and ask your teacher about it. See what he has to say.”
Shen Zhongming added, “You need to figure out what matters most right now. Reading, practicing martial arts, doing business—you want to hold on to everything, but in the end, you may not hold on to any of it securely. If you let something fall by the wayside, it’ll be difficult to make up for it later.”
Lin Jing blurted out, “Doing business is the most important! I study so that I can run my business well.”
Tigerhead hurriedly nodded as well. He also thought doing business was the most important thing.
Shen Zhongming did not answer immediately. He lifted his earthenware cup and took a sip before replying slowly, “Grandfather Shen knows that you’re studying so that doing business will be easier for you in the future. But let me ask you this: doing business is something for the future. What about right now?”
He set down the cup. “You just said that you’re studying and practicing martial arts for the sake of doing business in the future. Since you’ll need them later, they are your foundation. If the foundation isn’t solid, nothing you build afterward will stand. It’s like building a house: if the foundation isn’t laid properly, no matter how well the house is built, a gust of wind will bring it down.”
Lin Jing froze. He lowered his head and stared at the toes of his shoes, thinking quietly for a moment. Then he slowly nodded his little head.
“Then studying and practicing martial arts are the most important things right now.”
Hearing this, Lord Han patted his small shoulder. “When you think about it, studying and practicing martial arts are much the same as running your business.”
Lin Jing tilted his little head curiously.
Lord Han’s expression remained calm. “Being a little shopkeeper is much like being a great general leading an army into battle.”
Tigerhead had been playing with his little tiger cloth doll, but the moment he heard that, he looked over.
Behind the curtain, Lin Wu was adding hot water to a clay pot. Her hand paused when she heard this, and she shook her head with a laugh. People always used simple analogies to explain profound principles. Lord Han, on the other hand, had chosen something as uncommon as warfare to explain the ordinary business of running a shop.
Lord Han continued, “Do you think fighting a war is simply a matter of going onto the battlefield and clashing with the enemy? It isn’t. Take your cloth dolls, for example. There are plenty of things to deal with behind the scenes. Do you need to keep an eye on the account books? The cost of your fabric, thread, needles, and labor—don’t you have to record every one of them clearly? If you don’t know how to read or keep the books, you could lose money without even knowing where it went.”
He lightly tapped his finger against the table. “A great general is the same when leading an army. There are accounts for grain and provisions, accounts for weapons and armor, and rolls of soldiers. If the numbers don’t match reality, something terrible can happen.”
Lin Jing listened attentively and nodded lightly.
Lord Han asked again, “As the little shopkeeper, will you need to hire people to work for you?”
Tigerhead eagerly answered, “Yes! We’ll hire seamstresses to sew the cloth dolls!”
“Then they’ll be the soldiers under your command. A general has to make sure his soldiers have enough to eat and clothes to wear, and that their wages are paid on time. What will you do if there isn’t enough grain? If you delay their pay, will the soldiers still be willing to risk their lives for you? And there’s more…”
He paused and looked at Lin Jing. “Have you ever considered what would happen if the seamstresses learned the designs and stitching techniques for your cloth dolls, then turned around and made them for someone else?”
Tigerhead immediately grew worried. “That won’t do! We haven’t even sold all our cloth dolls yet.”
Lord Han continued, “A great general will lose a battle if his provisions run short, if the army loses confidence, or if military intelligence leaks. Isn’t it the same for you as a little shopkeeper?”
Shen Zhongming glanced at the former military inspector of the Censorate, then turned to the two children. “Look at that. I’ve benefited today and learned quite a few principles from the two of you. There are many tricks to this business, and you have plenty to learn. Otherwise, no matter how lively and successful the business seems, if the foundation isn’t stable, you’ll suffer for it sooner or later.”
Lord Han paid no mind to his teasing and replied in his usual calm voice, “I’m merely talking about warfare from behind a desk. When it comes to truly learning how to maneuver troops and arrange battle formations—or how to manage a business—we’ll still have to rely on Master Shen.”
Shen Zhongming let out a hearty laugh and did not pursue that line of conversation. “Did you hear that? When you run your business in the future, don’t forget what was said today.”
Lin Jing clenched his little fists and raised his head. “Then I’ll continue practicing martial arts tomorrow and go to my lessons afterward.”
Tigerhead hurriedly added, “We still have to keep up the cloth-doll business, but we’ll do it after school!”
Qi Lang sat at the table, his head lowered as he flipped through his little notebook without even lifting his eyelids. He certainly wasn’t going to neglect his studies. As for practicing martial arts, Tigerhead and Jing could suffer through that hardship themselves. They’d better not count him in.
Shen Zhongming slowly nodded. “It’s good that you understand what matters most.”
Lord Han turned to Shen Zhongming. “I’ve heard that the Shen household’s retainers are highly skilled in martial arts. I wonder whether I might have the honor of observing them and learning a move or two. Then I could return home and teach the younger members of my family.”
Shen Zhongming nodded. “It would be our pleasure to have Lord Han offer his guidance. It’s just that…”
He glanced at Tigerhead. “Please don’t imitate this little monkey’s form. It’s crooked in every direction. Otherwise, you may end up leading your grandchildren astray as well.”
Tigerhead immediately protested, “Where am I crooked?”
Shen Zhongming assumed a serious expression. “Everywhere. Your hands have no control, and you can’t keep your feet planted. That is what it means to have an unstable foundation. If Little Jing learns from you, then by the time he reaches your age, he’ll still be nothing more than a showy poseur.”
Tigerhead was rendered speechless. He stiffened his neck, wanting to argue, but for a moment he could not think of anything to say. All he could do was stomp his feet hard against the floor.
Lin Jing’s little brows drew together as well. He tilted his head and thought about the way Tigerhead usually practiced martial arts. It was true—his movements were crooked and wobbly. Then he thought about himself. He didn’t seem to be much better. The realization filled him with concern, both for himself and for Tigerhead.
Hearing the commotion outside once more, Lin Wu came out carrying the freshly brewed boiled water and refilled everyone’s cups.
She also heard Lin Jing solemnly muttering to Tigerhead about how they had to make sure they mastered the horse stance first thing tomorrow. She couldn’t help thinking that when it came to fooling children, these people were truly the best.
Still, it was a good thing that someone was willing to teach them. These children certainly had minds of their own, and one mischievous idea after another was always springing from them. It was just that… They had gone from leading troops to managing provisions. Wasn’t this all getting a little grand? She wondered whether they were teaching the children how to run a business—or how to wage war.
