Chapter Thirty-Four: The Dictatorship of the Early Summer Breeze

Two figures sat on the steps of the front hall—one resting his right hand against his cheek, the other shielding the corner of his eye, almost absentmindedly, with his left. At their feet lay a piece of silver, not of the finest quality, scattered and battered—judging by its shape, it was barely worth a tael.

“Young master, are we still going to Red Sleeves tonight for that charcoal-grilled double-skin milk?”

With a meaningful glance from the corner of his eye, Feng Jingzhe looked at Li Changsheng. For reasons he couldn’t explain, his nose tingled, and he felt an urge to weep.

“Ah Sheng, let’s not even think about charcoal-grilled double-skin milk for a while. With just this pitiful bit, I’m afraid we’ll even have to ration lamb soup from now on...”

“Young master, what do you mean by ration?”

“It’s simple. For example, today’s the fifth, an odd-numbered day. From now on, you eat glutinous rice balls on odd days, and I’ll take the lamb soup on even days...”

Li Changsheng nodded as if he understood, but then shook his head.

“Young master, if I eat glutinous rice balls on odd days, what will you eat? And on even days, does that mean I get the lamb soup...?”

“Hm... depends on the weather... When it rains, you can have some... There, it’s settled. No more discussion...”

With that, Feng Jingzhe matter-of-factly scooped the silver from the ground and tucked it into his pocket, thus sealing its fate.

Just then, shuffling footsteps sounded from the hall behind them. Led by Old Grayhead, a group of craftsmen emerged, all with faces as long as funeral banners. The moment they crossed the threshold, they spotted Feng Jingzhe’s familiar silhouette on the steps.

“Oh, Third Young Master Feng, I was just about to go looking for you... We agreed on the wages up front, but now you’ve cut two tenths off the total...”

“That’s right, Third Young Master Feng! You know how much effort it took to erect the water tower in the back garden! We agreed to settle material and labor separately, yet you’ve docked two taels from the thirty-two. Claiming we used white mud bricks instead of blue—who ever builds a water tank out of blue bricks here in town?”

“Third Young Master, who actually calls the shots in the Feng family mansion? Why should a woman’s word be law? We made our agreement with you, the head of the household...”

Rumbling and grumbling, the group hurried toward him. But as soon as Feng Jingzhe turned at the sound, the old men fell abruptly silent.

It was impossible not to notice the youth’s left eye, ringed in a deep bruise, moisture shimmering in its depths. Coupled with memories of that domineering woman in the hall, it was obvious what the young man had endured.

“Ah, Old Grayhead, is it? You’ve received your wages, haven’t you?”

Feng Jingzhe rubbed his hands together, his smile a little twisted from the pain in his face. “Pardon me, my hearing’s a bit off today. Did you need something?”

“N-no... No, nothing at all...”

“Third Young Master, don’t let us keep you. We’ve got other matters to attend to...”

“Yes, yes, so much to do...”

Old Grayhead forced a laugh and tried to slip away, but before he could step off the last stair, Li Changsheng blocked his path. Staring up at him, Old Grayhead saw that this fellow looked even worse—the poor lad’s face was swollen beyond recognition.

“Where are you rushing off to, Old Grayhead? We’d like to chat a bit longer...”

Feng Jingzhe slung an arm around the old man’s shoulders, making him shudder in terror.

“T-third Young Master... I really do have urgent business... Another day, I promise, let’s set a time and talk as much as you like...”

“No need for another day. I have something for you to help with right now...”

Feng Jingzhe extended his right hand, each finger wrapped several times in thread.

“T-third Young Master, what are you getting at?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m short on cash. I’d like to borrow a little silver to tide me over...”

“Oh heavens! Your sister’s in there docking my wages, and now you, the younger brother, come borrowing money... This meager sum is all I have to keep my family fed...”

Old Grayhead’s face crumpled as he poured out his woes.

“Don’t play the pauper with me! How many of my exclusive designs have you picked up on this job? Have I ever asked you for a penny in patent fees? Fifty taels, one price—take everything you’ve learned from me, and from now on I won’t quibble...”

“Fifty taels? You’d be better off robbing a bank...”

Old Grayhead shook his head furiously.

“If you won’t pay, tomorrow I’ll draw up blueprints for toilets, water towers, toothbrushes, and every odd thing and hand them out on the street... Let’s see how much profit you can squeeze out after that...”

“All right, all right! You win! This is the most I can manage. The money isn’t all mine; I have to pay suppliers...”

He held up three fingers, and without hesitation, Feng Jingzhe agreed.

Thus, his net worth shot up to thirty-one taels in an instant.

“Haha, young master, now can we go to Red Sleeves for double-skin milk?”

“Milk, milk, that’s all you ever think about! Don’t you know there’s a crackdown on? We’ll wait until things cool down...”

Feng Jingzhe gave Li Changsheng a light smack on the back of the head, then cast a resentful glance toward the hall behind them.

“Ah, Sheng, we can’t go on living like this! As the old saying goes, a man must strive for self-improvement! The great ones teach us: where there is oppression, there must be resistance! That mountain inside—if we are to stand tall as men, we must topple it!”

“You’re right, young master! But... how do we topple it?”

Li Changsheng was suddenly hopeful at the thought of fighting back against Feng Xiaoman, that fiend.

“The great ones also said: all hegemony is but a paper tiger. To defeat it, we must unite all possible forces!”

“Absolutely right! But... what are those forces?”

Li Changsheng’s excitement grew, his heart catching a glimmer of hope.

“The Feng household has suffered under Feng Xiaoman for too long. The great ones said: a single spark can start a prairie fire...”

Feng Jingzhe pointed to the servants bustling about the courtyard—they had only just arrived at the mansion. Feng Xiaoman, in her haste, had gone ahead to the city, leaving all the household goods and retainers waiting outside the gates.

“The great ones were right. We must unite everyone—stand together against the eldest miss’s autocratic rule!”

“Yes! Down with her! Overthrow her! Rebellion is justified! Revolution is no crime! Let us topple Feng Xiaoman’s dictatorship once and for all...”

“Feng Jingzhe! If you’re not in here by the count of three... One... Two...”

“Coming! I’m coming! Right away!”

The slogan had barely been shouted when Feng Jingzhe, like a cat whose tail had been trodden, scampered toward the hall.

As for Li Changsheng, who just moments before had glimpsed hope in the wisdom of the great ones, he now stood alone in the wind, watching his young master’s abject, groveling retreat, thoroughly disillusioned...