Casting Nets to Catch a Husband

Chapter 171: Mr. He

President Liu was about fifty years old. Lu Chengxiao had thought his second uncle must be at least in his fifties or sixties. However, when he actually met the man, both he and Liu Yanping were taken aback. This Second Master He, dressed in simple peasant clothes with dark skin, looked at least a generation younger than President Liu.

But at the time, it wasn’t uncommon for uncles to be younger than their nephews, so the two were only momentarily surprised.

President Liu greeted him warmly, calling him “Second Uncle,” but Second Master He seemed unimpressed. He glanced at the group coldly, showing no kindness, and carried on with his hoe toward his house.

President Liu, embarrassed, quietly explained to Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping, “It’s not you he’s upset with. He just doesn’t like me.”

Curious, Lu Chengxiao asked, “Why’s that?”

President Liu explained the reason, and the two learned that President Liu’s wife was his concubine, an external partner. Second Master He, being a straightforward man, felt ashamed that his niece had become someone’s concubine. Still, since it wasn’t his daughter, and his brother was willing to accept a son-in-law older than himself, there wasn’t much Second Master He could do. He just refused to acknowledge the familial bond. As he put it, concubines and mistresses weren’t considered proper family, so he didn’t feel deserving of being called “Second Uncle” by President Liu.

Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping hadn’t expected this backstory. However, since it was common for men to take concubines at the time, they felt it wasn’t their place to comment, even though they rarely encountered such situations.

President Liu, still explaining, said, “Forgive me for making you laugh. My home is far away in Qianhua, and it’s inconvenient to travel back and forth. Many businessmen like us set up homes in places where we spend the most time. You’ll understand once you’ve spent more time away from home.”

At this point, he remembered that Liu Yanping was Lu Chengxiao’s brother-in-law and stopped himself awkwardly, smiling as he invited them to follow him to Second Master He’s house.

Liu Yanping, smiling, remarked, “President Liu is truly fortunate!”

But as President Liu led the way, smiling, Liu Yanping cast a subtle glance at Lu Chengxiao—a watchful gaze from an older brother-in-law.

Lu Chengxiao: “…”

~

Second Master He’s home was a courtyard formed by three large, blue-brick, tiled houses. When President Liu led Liu Yanping and Lu Chengxiao inside, Second Master He’s wife was much more welcoming. She called out to “Shancai” (President Liu’s given name), smiling warmly as she invited everyone to sit in the main room, far more hospitable than her husband.

It was then that Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping learned that President Liu’s full name was Liu Shancai.

Lu Chengxiao discreetly observed the He family, noticing that there were quite a few people—some came out openly to look, while others peered from doorways or windows. From what he could tell, there were at least ten people in the household.

Second Master He’s wife called for her husband to help entertain the guests, while she and her daughters-in-law went to prepare tea.

Although Second Master He didn’t like the idea of Liu Shancai, who could have been his nephew, marrying into the family, he still listened to his wife. He sat down reluctantly. As the head of the household, it wouldn’t be proper to leave all the hosting to the women, so he grudgingly joined them. Finally, he took a closer look at the two young men, Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping.

The good thing about straightforward people is that they don’t beat around the bush. Seeing the two unfamiliar faces who had entered his home with Liu Shancai, and not knowing why they were there, he directly asked, though still disliking Liu Shancai, “Who are these two?”

Liu Shancai quickly explained their purpose. Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping greeted Second Master He and said, “We’ve come seeking talent.”

“Seeking talent?” Second Master He let out an ambiguous snort, his gaze shifting between Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping. He said, “Did Liu Shancai not tell you the full story about my situation?”

Just as Madam He arrived at the doorway with the tea, she overheard Liu Shancai explaining that the two young men were looking to hire a master for their upcoming weaving and dyeing workshop. Seeing her husband putting on his usual sour demeanor, she gritted her teeth in frustration. She quickly stepped over the threshold, hastening her steps and speaking with extra warmth to cut off Second Master He’s words: “Come, have some tea. We’re just country folk, and the tea is nothing special, but please don’t mind it. See if it suits your taste.”

She then called her daughters-in-law to bring some home-roasted sunflower seeds to serve the guests.

The two daughters-in-law didn’t need much prompting. As soon as they heard that the visitors were setting up a weaving and dyeing workshop and were looking to hire their father-in-law as the master, they knew these were important potential employers. They quickly and efficiently fetched the snacks.

The three men thanked Madam He for the tea, placing their cups on the table. Lu Chengxiao, adopting a serious tone, addressed Second Master He’s question, “If you’re referring to your high standards for quality, President Liu has indeed mentioned it. Master He, to be honest, we are outsiders in the weaving and dyeing trade. However, my family owns both a fabric store and an embroidery shop, and we plan to open more branches. A master like you, who insists on maintaining high quality, is exactly what we’ve been searching for. That’s why we asked President Liu to bring us here as quickly as possible.”

Liu Shancai, nodding repeatedly, added, “Though I haven’t known these two young men for long, they are of excellent character. And don’t let their youth fool you, Uncle. They have a solid business sense. They’re in the middle of a trading trip through the Zhejiang area and stopped by the trade association to see me. While here, they asked about dyeing masters, and I immediately thought of you. I told them everything honestly, Uncle, so you can rest easy.”

Second Master He listened to Liu Shancai’s words but didn’t respond immediately. He lowered his eyes, deep in thought about what Lu Chengxiao had said. Meanwhile, Madam He, sincerely grateful, offered Liu Shancai her thanks. After a while, when her husband still hadn’t spoken, she grew anxious and kicked him under the table.

Second Master He knew full well the situation. Including his six apprentices, his household had twenty mouths to feed. Since being dismissed by his last employer, he had been back home for a month without income. His wife had been so anxious that she’d developed mouth ulcers.

It wasn’t that no one had come to hire him. Two or three people had sought him out by reputation, but none of them could meet his stringent requirements.

Stubborn as he was, Second Master He also saw the worry in his family’s and apprentices’ eyes. After Madam He’s subtle kick, he glanced at his wife, sighed softly, and turned to look at Lu Chengxiao.

“Young man, don’t take offense at my fussiness. You seem sincere, but I’ve been working in this trade since I was a teenager, and I’ve already had seven employers. In my early years, my skills were mediocre, so I didn’t have much choice. But over the past few years, I believe the fabrics I’ve dyed have improved, and so I’ve become more demanding. In the last eight years, I’ve worked for three different employers—fabric merchants, fabric store owners, and textile companies. At first, they spoke just like you, very pleasantly. But as their businesses grew, none of them could bear to see money slip away.”

He let out a deep sigh. “Money is a good thing, everyone loves wealth. But I’ve spent my whole life focused on this one craft, and I want to do it well. It breaks my heart to see things ruined. Fabrics that should last seven or eight years, even ten, end up looking faded and worn after just one or two years. Isn’t that a shame?”

Lu Chengxiao nodded in agreement. He remembered how, in his childhood, his family had been poor, and cheaper fabrics would indeed fade and wear out after just a year or two, making them look old and shabby.

While those who wore expensive fabrics wouldn’t experience this, ordinary people treasured their clothes. They would make a new outfit every few years, and these clothes were their pride when meeting guests. But they couldn’t wear them often, because frequent washing would cause them to fade and lose their appearance.

Just as Second Master He was about to continue, Madam He, fearing he might talk too much and scare the potential clients away, interrupted, “Well, if you’re running fabric and embroidery shops, then quality fabric is a must. Everyone can tell when something’s good. While you might not make quick profits, you can earn steadily for a long time. Isn’t that the truth?”

Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping both smiled. Liu Yanping said, “Master He, President Liu has told us everything in detail about your situation. We also know that the indigo cloth you specialize in takes six months to dye. Madam He is absolutely right—quick money is easy to earn, but if we want our brand to last, quality is key. Since we’ve come to hire you, we’ve thought it through clearly. If you’re willing to join us, you’ll have full control over the dyeing process.”

Madam He was overjoyed, and even Master He’s expression softened slightly.

Lu Chengxiao added with a smile, “As for your concerns, I’d just like to say that artisans and their employers choose each other and grow together. You’ll only know if it’s a good fit if you give it a try, right?”

Madam He beamed, “Exactly! That’s the truth.”

She nudged her husband’s arm and said, “Those other people who came before only hesitated after hearing your conditions. But these two young gentlemen, at least, are sincere. They’ve agreed to all your terms—what more could you want? Just because you’ve encountered a few untrustworthy people before doesn’t mean you should stop trusting everyone!”

Lu Chengxiao chuckled, “Madam He, you’ve hit the nail on the head.”

Master He was clearly moved. He glanced up and realized that at some point, his apprentices had gathered at the door, craning their necks to listen.

Clearing his throat, Master He asked, “Are you really saying I’ll have full control over the dyeing operations?”

Lu Chengxiao nodded. “As long as your skills are as strong as we’ve heard, we’ll decide what fabrics to dye and how much. The craftsmanship and quality control will be entirely up to you.”

“Alright! You can test my skills. When I get to Yuanzhou, I’ll dye a few batches for you to inspect. If my work isn’t up to par, I’ll pack my bags and leave without you saying a word.”

Lu Chengxiao smiled, and Master He called out to the door, “You lot, come in.”

Seven people filed in—some in their twenties, others as young as fifteen or sixteen.

Master He stood up and said, “This is my eldest son and my six apprentices, all trained by me and skilled in dyeing. If you hire me, they’ll all come with me. And if we need to recruit more hands at the workshop, I’ll be the one to do it.”

“That’s fine,” Lu Chengxiao agreed. Both he and Liu Yanping understood that artisans were always wary of having outsiders steal their trade secrets, so it was common to refuse employers’ attempts to insert their own people. They readily agreed.

Master He’s apprentices were overjoyed when they heard the agreement, and Master He himself began to smile as well. Swallowing nervously, he asked, “As for wages, for the eight of us, we’ll need no less than sixty-six taels a year, plus food and lodging. Dyeing is hard physical work, so the meals can’t be too meager. Is that acceptable?”

This was the same wage Master He had earned with his previous employer. In the dyeing industry, this was considered quite high, and it was the highest wage Master He had ever received. Typically, most of the pay went to the master, with a couple of taels given to apprentices as a token gesture. However, Master He was generous with his disciples—he kept thirty taels for himself and divided the remaining thirty-six taels among his apprentices based on their skill level.

Lu Chengxiao smiled, exchanged a glance with Liu Yanping, and both nodded in agreement. “That’s no problem at all.”

Master He’s face finally broke into a genuine smile. Madam He and their daughters-in-law were also thrilled. From that moment, Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping were treated like proper employers, with even more gratitude directed toward Liu Shancai for introducing such good bosses. They killed a chicken and prepared a duck for the banquet without further mention.

With the wages agreed upon, Master He immediately switched into work mode. “Now, let’s sit down, and you can tell me more about your weaving and dyeing workshop.”

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