Chapter Four: When the Little Ghost Takes Charge

Three days later.

The backyard of the salt shop had been mostly excavated, and at present, a layer of cement was being laid at the bottom of the large and small pools. Zhu Hao had yet to reveal how to extract the salt.

Zhu Hao understood that he could not disclose the details of the salt production method to Zhong Shu, Yu San, and the others.

At noon, after supervising the work in the backyard and waiting for the laborers to go eat, he came to the main hall and saw Madam Zhu speaking briefly with a mysterious, scruffy man. After their conversation, the man left cautiously, looking guilty as if caught in wrongdoing.

Since the accountant Sun was taken by the authorities, the Zhu family was certain the shop was at its end and had not sent anyone to manage the accounts. For the past three days, Madam Zhu had been personally handling the counter affairs.

“Mother, was there any business this morning?” Zhu Hao asked.

Madam Zhu nodded. “Aunt Wang next door came by and bought three jin of red beans...”

Zhu Hao then asked, “Who was that man just now?”

“He...” Madam Zhu hesitated, then, sensing her son’s maturity, spoke frankly, “He sells smuggled salt. He said he could supply the shop with salt at a low price, that we wouldn’t need to buy too much at once, and could even settle payment after selling the salt.”

Compared to official salt, smuggled salt was of inferior quality but accepted by the common people due to its cheapness.

Without salt, one’s health weakens, and premature graying follows...

“Mother, don’t buy smuggled salt. We are being watched now. Selling illegal salt risks denunciation, and it would be hard to explain,” Zhu Hao warned.

Madam Zhu smiled, gently stroking his head with a look of pride. “You’ve grown up, Hao. I understand now. Even if we are at our lowest, we cannot do anything to damage your father’s reputation or the Zhu family’s name... When I have money, I will find a way to let you study, so you can broaden your horizons and have a bright future...”

That afternoon, the shop remained deserted.

At night, after the laborers had left and the shop’s doors were barred, Zhu Hao called Madam Zhu and Aunt Li over.

“Hao, what are you planning to do?” Madam Zhu asked, puzzled.

Zhu Hao lit a tung oil lamp and took out a bundle from the side.

When he opened it, Madam Zhu and Aunt Li were astonished to find salt inside.

“Where did you get this?” Madam Zhu asked curiously.

Zhu Hao explained, “This is a sample I produced myself—from the brine scooped from the pools. Using the salt-drying method we plan to implement on a large scale in the backyard, I conducted a small-scale trial in the abandoned west wing pools... Mother, look at the quality of this salt.”

Madam Zhu picked up some grains, rubbing them between her thumb and forefinger. The salt was snow-white and fine; even in the dim tung oil lamp light, it was clear this was premium salt.

Aunt Li exclaimed, “Madam, could this be the legendary snowflake salt?”

Madam Zhu said nothing but gently loosened her grip, letting the salt fall back into the bundle. She leaned in and whispered, “Hao, is this really salt made by drying?”

“Yes, Mother. If we can produce salt of this quality, I wonder if there will be demand?” Though Zhu Hao understood the drying method, he was still uncertain about the salt market.

Aunt Li nearly wept with joy. “Madam, isn’t snowflake salt said to be a tribute reserved for officials and nobles, rarely seen by anyone else? How could this be possible?”

Madam Zhu’s face was serious. “If we can truly produce salt of this quality, the market should be good. But Hao... is this really salt we made?”

She still found it hard to believe.

It was like a dream.

Before today, their future seemed bleak; now, suddenly, there was light.

“Yes,” Zhu Hao nodded firmly again. “Mother, if our salt sells well and we finish this batch, where will we get salt next?”

“You...” Madam Zhu was surprised that her son was already planning for the future despite the current crisis.

Aunt Li smiled and said, “If the salt sells well, buying more won’t be a problem. There’s plenty of salt transported from the Yangtze River to Anlu; the suppliers are well-known salt merchants.”

Madam Zhu nodded in agreement.

Zhu Hao suggested, “If we buy official salt in the future, we shouldn’t seek the highest quality but rather the rougher yet cheapest salt from suppliers with strong backgrounds—those whom even the county and prefectural governments cannot influence, and who won’t be controlled by the Zhu family. Only then can we ensure a steady supply of brine.”

“Where did you learn this method? Why did I never know?” Madam Zhu asked.

“Mother, don’t ask now. I’ll explain everything later. For now, we must keep this secret, especially how we purify the salt. Not even Zhong Shu and the others can know... I’ll keep some key steps of the drying process to ourselves.”

Never harbor ill intent, but always guard against others.

Aunt Li wiped tears of joy from her eyes, smiling warmly. “Madam, thankfully we have young Master Hao. Otherwise, I’d go buy some pork to improve our meals. It’s been a long time since we had any meat.”

Madam Zhu nodded. “Then I’ll trouble you, sister.”

She took out a small purse of copper coins and handed it to Aunt Li to arrange dinner.

...

Pork and mustard greens dumplings.

About a jin of pork was minced and mixed with three to four jin of mustard greens—Chinese cabbage—an egg was cracked in, then salt, Sichuan pepper powder, and thirteen-spice powder were added. The mixture was stirred evenly, wrapped in dough skins, and boiled in a large pot. Each bowl had thirty to forty dumplings, dipped in a sauce of soy sauce and vinegar mixed together. It was the most delicious meal Zhu Hao had ever had since coming into this world, awakening every craving in his belly.

The dumplings were made by Aunt Li and little Zhu Ting, who at five years old was already a skilled kitchen helper.

That night, the family ate harmoniously and then discussed their plans under the tung oil lamp.

“Mother, tomorrow we start selling salt,” Zhu Hao began.

“We can’t sell to neighbors now. Even if we sell snowflake salt, the old bad reputation remains; no one will come. For now, we can only sell to inns and restaurants in the city.”

“From what I’ve learned these past two days, official salt sales in the city are monopolized by a few merchants. These inns and restaurants won’t buy hundreds of shi at once like us; they only buy salt in small amounts at high prices. We can offer better official salt at lower prices. Even if the government investigates, we have salt permits and won’t face trouble.”

“This is a win-win, Mother.”

Zhu Hao had conducted market research.

The recent troubles with the shop were due to collusion among several official salt merchants in the city to monopolize the market and raise wholesale price thresholds. Otherwise, Madam Zhu wouldn’t have spent two or three hundred taels buying stock and fallen into the trap.

Before, shops and eateries could wholesale official salt in units of one da yin—four hundred jin.

Madam Zhu found it hard to decide.

Aunt Li advised, “Madam, why not listen to young Master Hao and try?”

Madam Zhu said nothing but nodded.

...

The next day.

The shop opened as usual but remained deserted, under Aunt Li’s care.

Zhu Hao accompanied Madam Zhu to tea houses, taverns, and inns in the city that might be interested in buying official salt.

But when the shopkeepers learned of Madam Zhu’s identity and purpose, none welcomed them; some even rudely turned them away.

By noon, not only had they failed to close any deals, no one was willing to even talk.

Back at the shop, Madam Zhu looked discouraged.

Zhu Hao smiled encouragingly. “Mother, don’t lose heart. Let’s visit the north part of town this afternoon—Wangfu Street. There are many wealthy people there; perhaps shops there will buy our premium salt.”

Aunt Li suddenly remembered something and looked at Madam Zhu. “Madam, Song, the owner of the Yuelai Pavilion restaurant in the west city, was an old friend of your late husband. His business is large. Why not ask him?”

Madam Zhu was wary. “That man is unscrupulous in business, passing off inferior goods as fine. His reputation isn’t good, and after my husband’s death, we lost contact.”

“Mother, regardless of his character, the important thing is to sell the salt. If it doesn’t work out, we don’t have to cooperate later. For now, we just need to get a foot in the door.”

When life and death hang in the balance, who cares how business is done?

...

Indeed, the late husband’s old friend showed some respect, the first person willing to sit and talk after their long search.

As Madam Zhu described, Song Yu, the owner of Yuelai Pavilion, looked like no good. Short and stocky, with slanting eyes, a hooked nose, thin lips, and a cold aloofness that kept people at arm’s length. Though not yet thirty, he looked like a decrepit old man.

“Madam, please don’t take it personally, but since brother Zhongyan’s passing, he surely would not want you, a widow, to come out and show your face. And now you bring your child to talk business—what is this?”

Madam Zhu did not want to linger with Song Yu.

Hearing this, she tried to leave.

Zhu Hao tugged her sleeve, smiling. “Uncle Song, I heard you were close to my late father. We’re actually here to bring you a great bargain.”

“Nephew, this isn’t a place for a kid like you to speak,” Song Yu scolded, taking himself for an elder.

Zhu Hao took out a small bundle from his bosom and opened it, revealing fine salt. “We’re not here to borrow money or cause trouble. We have premium official salt—see? It’s as white as snowflake salt, selling for only sixteen wen per jin, cheaper than the market price... Don’t you think it would be a shame not to buy a batch and stock it?”

At first, Song Yu resisted, assuming the widowed mother and son came to beg.

Seeing the salt, he frowned.

“Madam, where did this salt come from?”

“We...” Madam Zhu was about to explain.

Zhu Hao interrupted, standing up. “Uncle Song, this is official salt we purchased. Surely you don’t think smuggled salt is this good? Or do you suspect our salt’s origin is shady? We have salt permits. Now, city salt merchants only wholesale, no retail. Do you really want to pay over twenty wen for inferior official salt from others?”

Zhu Hao knew he had to appeal to profit to close the deal.

“You run a restaurant unscrupulously, don’t you? We offer you good salt at low prices. You wouldn’t be foolish to refuse.”

Song Yu immediately put on a smile. “Since this is business, it’s easy to talk. Brother Zhongyan and I were close friends since childhood. But your shop just had troubles—who would dare buy your salt? Sixteen wen a jin...”

Madam Zhu saw a chance to negotiate and was about to speak.

Zhu Hao stepped in firmly. “Uncle Song, if you bargain on such a good salt at sixteen wen, that’s unfair. Then we’ll have to ask others. Several places showed interest this morning.”

“Impossible,” Song Yu doubted a trick.

Zhu Hao grinned. “The shopkeepers of inns and restaurants in the city are clever. They know our salt is good and cheap, plus we retail and deliver. Such salt on their shelves attracts customers like a live advertisement... Who would be foolish not to buy it?”

Song Yu’s confident expression froze.

Zhu Hao helped his mother up. “Good wine needs no bush. We sell at this price only because of recent troubles. Later, if you want to buy at this price, we might refuse. Mother, let’s go see others.”

“Hao...” Madam Zhu was surprised at his decisiveness after finally finding a potential buyer.

“Madam, nephew, why be so formal? We’re old friends. If you’re in trouble, I won’t stand by. How about a flat price of fifteen wen... pay at the end of the month?”

“Mother, let’s go. This morning, even shopkeepers asking seventeen wen wanted cash on delivery. Though their orders are small, we can sell to many places.”

“No, no, sixteen wen, cash on delivery, minimum one hundred jin. Deal?”

Their first retail order was struck.

Madam Zhu discussed supply details with Song Yu and left with her son. Sunlight shone on her face, adding a touch of brightness.