Chapter Eight: Crafting the Chart

After arriving at the rear courtyard, He Ziqi paid his respects to Madam He and said, "Madam, I would like to request some funds."

Madam He furrowed her brows tightly. "Seventh Brother, you know the state of affairs in the household. Everything is tight right now. The family’s savings have almost been exhausted. We must save wherever we can."

"I understand, but if this matter succeeds, it will save us a great deal of money," He Ziqi replied.

At the mention of money, Madam He’s interest was piqued. "What matter?"

He Ziqi explained about He Chong’an making watches in the front yard.

Madam He frowned. "Seventh Brother, that’s where you’re wrong. We don’t really know what kind of person that child is, having just come from outside. You’re entrusting such an important task to him so casually."

"I'm not doing it casually," He Ziqi said, "I have no other choice. A pocket watch costs a thousand taels each; there’s no fixed price on the market."

"The Marquis wants thirty to fifty of them. That’s thirty to fifty thousand taels. Do we even have that much silver in the household?"

"Moreover, even if we had the money, there’s nowhere to buy them, let alone if we don’t have the funds."

"Since the boy says he’s confident, let him try. Maybe he really can do it."

"Besides, Madam, you haven’t seen He Chong’an—he’s no ordinary person; he’s a talent. You know the family’s craftsmen have been with us for generations. People say their craftsmanship is excellent, which might be exaggerated, but to say it’s poor is also wrong. If they were truly incompetent, they would have been dismissed long ago."

"But those craftsmen act like students before a master when facing Third Young Master. I’ve never seen such respect."

Madam He noticed that He Ziqi referred to He Chong’an as "Third Young Master."

Indeed, by age, He Chong’an was the third son, but his status was unsettled. Apart from Xiong Dali, no one in the household called him Third Young Master. He Ziqi, as the steward and an elder relative, could have chosen not to use that title even if He Chong’an’s status were confirmed. That he did so now meant he recognized He Chong’an from the heart.

Madam He was very surprised. "Is that child really that impressive?"

"Madam, let’s put it this way: let’s see if the mule can pull the cart. If he truly has the skill, he will be a great asset to the Marquis’s household. Besides, it won’t cost much."

Madam He hesitated for a long moment before finally agreeing. "Then let’s see if the Third can really do it."

He Ziqi originally wanted five hundred taels but was pressed down to one hundred and fifty by Madam He. It wasn’t stinginess but the household’s dire financial straits.

The Marquis of Wuning mainly relied on the court’s stipend and spoils from war.

It was well known that there was always some profit in warfare, as long as victories were not excessive. Even if complaints reached the emperor, he would turn a blind eye.

Most of the He family’s savings came from this source.

However, with the endless pacification campaigns at the Western Sea, the Marquis’s household not only failed to gain extra income but had to cover expenses themselves.

With the New Year approaching, expenses were mounting, making the year-end especially difficult.

---

He Chong’an was unaware of all this background.

Under repeated guidance, he directed the craftsmen to begin making parts.

One had to admit, these craftsmen might have flaws, but their skills were decent.

Thanks to He Chong’an’s efforts, results came quickly.

A pocket watch the size of a human face was produced.

This was a compromise.

Most of the Marquis’s craftsmen specialized in weaponry—swords, spears, firearms—they handled those well. But watchmaking was far too delicate for them. He Chong’an had to settle for enlarging the scale.

In the end, this was as big as it could get.

He Chong’an sighed, "Even the best housewife can’t cook without rice."

"Take it over and let Seventh Uncle have a look."

He Ziqi took the watch and went to the rear courtyard to see Madam He.

On the rosewood table lay a watch without a casing, ticking crisply. A long second hand moved slowly across a paper dial.

He Chong’an didn’t care much for the watch, never intending to make it a proper casing.

Madam He’s first impression was, "What is this thing?"

But on closer inspection, the time matched the Western clock in the room exactly. Without a casing, the intricate gears behind the dial were clearly visible, giving the watch a mysterious mechanical beauty.

Madam He asked, "Can this be sold?"

He Ziqi answered, "Probably not. Western clocks and all Western goods are exclusively controlled by Prince Zheng’s family."

Prince Zheng was the lineage descending from Zheng Chenggong.

During the chaotic late Ming, the Zheng family ruled a region and eventually surrendered to the Great Xia dynasty, receiving a princely title. As an outsider prince, the Zheng family had once been cut off after Zheng Chenggong’s death.

Now, during the southern campaign, the Zheng family was reinstated. Zheng Wannian emerged as a naval commander, decisively defeating Western powers and was titled Prince of Nanhai, stationed at Lingya Gate, a pillar of the southern seas.

The Zheng family controlled all East-West trade.

Moreover, during the southern campaign, the Marquis of Wuning served under Zheng Wannian, and the He family belonged to the Zheng family’s old retainers. This relationship made it difficult to compete with the Zheng family’s business.

Madam He sighed. He Ziqi was clearly obsessed with money.

---

He Ziqi said, "Shall we invite that boy in to discuss the pocket watch?"

Madam He pondered briefly. "It’s getting late. Tell the kitchen to prepare a banquet tonight to entertain the Third."

Her mind was sharp and calculating. If He Chong’an lacked talent, he would be granted a few hundred acres of land on an estate and serve as a servant for generations to come. She felt that was already a fair compensation to that old man. She did not want to meet him at all—out of sight, out of mind.

But now that he seemed capable, her thoughts changed.

Not to mention, if this pocket watch project succeeded, it would save the He household a great deal of money.

For someone useful, Madam He naturally would not treat him lightly.

After all, this was their first formal meeting as mother and son.

At dusk, He Chong’an, freshly dressed, arrived at the rear courtyard.

It was his first time seeing Madam He.

He secretly studied her. She appeared to be in her mid-fifties, wrinkles etched on her face, yet an unyielding spirit shone through, undiminished and striking.

"Greetings, Madam," he said.

Madam He observed him in turn.

After several days of care, the frostbite and cracks on He Chong’an’s face had healed. His previously disheveled appearance was gone, though his bulky winter clothes somewhat diminished his presence.

Yet there was something about his modern aura that caught Madam He’s attention.

Considering the commotion he had caused within only a few days of entering the household, she thought to herself, "This boy is no ordinary one."

Her opinion of He Chong’an immediately shifted.

"You called me the wrong thing. You should call me mother."