Lin Gao Qiming

Chapter 193 Zi Zhen Zhai

Although the year was not good, with the resignation of Zheng Zhilong in the giant canal on the Fujian-Guangdong Sea, although there were still pirate activities outside the Pearl River Estuary, the situation in Guangzhou eased a lot.At the end of the year and the end of the year, Guangzhou, the largest city in the southeast, is bustling again.

Guangdong has always had warm soil and warm air. Although China is in the Little Ice Age at this time, and even Leizhou has experienced snow, the coldness is not normal in the south of the Five Ridges.Once the cold wave is over, the earth's atmosphere will warm up again, and the earth is already a scene of early spring with luxuriant flowers.From the proud family to the well-off family, this year's New Year is still spent in joy.Starting on New Year's Eve, the city is full of firecrackers, and it becomes more dense at the fifth hour of New Year's Day.

However, last year, the famine in Fujian has been famine year after year, and Guangdong has also been greatly affected. Foreign famine victims and local hungry people gathered on the wasteland near several temples with porridge factories. Every day, hungry people flocked to the streets and alleys, crying The sound of hunger is endless.Fortunately, the weather was mild and there were no bones frozen to death. However, due to the warm weather, all kinds of diseases in places where the extremely poor population was concentrated also became a lifeline.But this situation is not unique to this year, everyone is used to it, so it does not hinder the prosperity of the city, let alone the new happiness of high officials, eunuchs and wealthy families.

After Xinzheng, it is the annual lantern market.From Chengxuan Street to the Great South Gate, it is about three or four miles long, and several streets along the road are full of lanterns.As usual, the lantern market starts on the [-]th day of the first lunar month and ends on the [-]th day. It is a market during the day and lights at night.In the lamp market, merchants from all over the world gathered, taking the opportunity to sell various commodities.Day and night, there is a constant flow of people shouting and shouting, like a pot rolling.Many nearby streets and alleys become lively during the Lantern Festival. At night, all kinds of lanterns are hung in front of the shops, including those made of burning beads, those made of silk with ink, and those made of five-color gauze. Bright corner, paper, wheat orange and through grass.There are even extremely rare Western glass lamps and Australian film lamps. This kind of Australian film lamps only appeared on the market last year. The material is slightly transparent, light and soft, and the colors are bright and eye-catching. It has become the new favorite of local dignitaries and wealthy businessmen.

The particularly precious lamps are hung on the colorful buildings on the street for people to watch from a distance.The colorful buildings on these streets face north and south, with Zhumen embroidered households, painted pillars and carved beams.Most of the people with curtains on the upper floors are local dignitaries and family members of the gentry, and the rental price of each colorful building is tens of taels of silver a night.

The colorful lights are not extinguished all night, and you can enjoy the lights and set off fireworks all night.The fireworks are also varied and amazing.All kinds of bands, all kinds of juggling, playing all night.In addition, here and there, the dragon dance team and the lion dancers are crowded with men and women all night from night to dawn, and there are huge crowds of people.

The [-]th day of the first lunar month is the second day when the Lantern City enters its climax.This morning, there was a good-looking middle-aged man who was almost old, with a sparse three-strand beard, wearing a half-worn round-necked silk robe and a square scarf, with a smile on his face. In a state of depression, he rode a donkey from the west city to the east city, entered Huifu Street, got off the donkey in front of the gate of Zizhenzhai, developed a foot money, and walked in slowly.

This middle-aged businessman, whose real name is Shen Fan, has been an apprentice in a well-known jewelry store in Guangzhou since he was 12 years old, and worked hard to become a big shopkeeper for more than [-] years.I have been working in this business all my life, and I just resigned from my employer last year, and went back to the countryside to buy some fields-it's time to enjoy some family happiness when I'm over half a century old.Unexpectedly, there was an unexpected situation, and the only beloved grandson under his knee did not know what disease he had. He spent all his savings to hire famous doctors and got only one sentence: the cold and malaria are in the bones, and there is no cure.

To Old Shopkeeper Shen, this was like a bolt from the blue.He is very difficult in terms of heirs. He has only one son under his knees, and he has passed away long ago. This grandson is all his sustenance and hope, but now his life is hanging by a thread.It just made him lose all hope.

However, somehow, the news of his grandson's illness was found out by Sun Kecheng, the shopkeeper.Shopkeeper Sun is quite familiar with the jewelry and game industry because of his business relationship with the Escort Bureau. At that time, a young man who claimed to be Guo Yi appeared in front of him through his introduction, claiming that he could save Ai Sun's life, on the condition that he be the chief shopkeeper of the Zizhenzhai that was about to be established.For a well-known Shen Fan, it is a big taboo in the industry to join another court, but he has already retired and has nothing to do with the original employer. .Although this young man looks weird, but he looks good and behaves well, so he shouldn't be some kind of thieves.Although I felt a little strange, I still agreed at that time.After all, compared to the life of his grandson, what is his false fame worth?So with the feeling of treating a dead horse like a living horse, Guo Yi allowed Guo Yi to use medicine on his grandson.However, a miracle did happen. After several days of swallowing some mysterious white pills with water according to the method given by Guo Yi, his grandson's condition improved significantly.Surprised and pleasantly surprised, he invited the doctor to take his grandson's pulse, but was told that there was no serious problem and he just needed to rest.According to the agreement, as soon as the lantern market fell, Shen Fan would fulfill the contract and formally join Zizhen Zhai.

But this Zizhenzhai is also very weird. The old shopkeeper Shen heard some news from his colleagues, saying that this shop has been open for less than a month, and it seems to specialize in the business of house doors. It's too late.Some colleagues persuaded him that the owner of this store has a close relationship with the Gao family, and he might not have a serious background, and it is unknown which sea hero is behind the trouble.

Saying that, it made shopkeeper Shen murmur in his heart.But thinking about it, Sun Kecheng has always been known as a mature and reliable person, and he would never introduce his boss to him indiscriminately.So he decided to go to Qiwei Escort to have a look first-by the way, get a feel for the new owner.

Sun Kecheng didn't shy away from it, he told all about Guo Yi's background, he was nothing more than an Australian maritime merchant with some exotic goods in his hands, and he wanted to seek development and make money in Ming Dynasty.As for the exotic goods, Shen Fan knows without asking: the various Australian exotic goods sold in Gao's shop are probably from Guo Yi's hands.This was really beyond his expectation, he thought he was a rich man from other provinces, but when he thought of Guangzhou, a land of good geomantic omens, to earn a ticket, it turned out that he really had some good things in his hands.Shopkeeper Shen knows that the so-called Australian goods are not only extremely exquisite, but also almost impossible for outsiders to imitate—his former employer once invited him back to study all kinds of Australian exotic goods on the market. Just imitating the appearance and structure, but it can be made almost the same, but some of the materials are unknown.

Shen Fan originally had nothing to do with being the shopkeeper of Zizhenzhai. Knowing that they are the place where Australian goods flow out, he became curious after he had been making rare treasures all his life, so he decided to be the shopkeeper.These days, he is busy visiting peers and customers, and initially establishing Zizhenzhai's business relationship.

The two young men in front of the door, seeing the shopkeeper coming, hurriedly lost their brooms, came to greet them, and gave them a hand to support them.

"Is the proprietor there?"

"Talk to the mighty shopkeeper Sun in the account room at the back." A young man inside replied respectfully.This is Gaodi, the son of Guo Dong's family, and he is very smart.Shen Fan knew that Brother Gao's family were all working in the mansion, they were so-called caring family members, even though he was just a boy, he was highly valued by Dong Guo's family in private, and he was the one who managed the contact with Qiwei Escort Bureau.

In fact, Gaodi is more than just being reused right now.Shen Fan never dreamed that this boy who was still like a child was now one of Guo Yi's main eyes and ears.

During the time when Wen Desi left, apart from practicing martial arts in the bodyguard bureau and collecting market information of various goods as usual, he also continued to collect materials about the Gaoju family through Fa Xiao, who he met when he was playing in Gao's house in the past.He is quite scheming, knowing that the shopkeeper Wen and the Gao family seem to be in harmony with each other, and they are on guard against each other.Later shopkeeper Xiao came and read the materials he had collected.Shopkeeper Xiao smiled without saying a word, noncommittal, but he rewarded him with money—it made him happy for several days, not because of money, but because his work was recognized.

After shopkeeper Xiao left, shopkeeper Guo came—Gao Qing and Gao Xian were very puzzled by the frequent turnover of Australian maritime merchants, and they were not used to it, but Gao Di understood to some extent that shopkeeper Wen, this Australian is not One or two, but a group of people, Wen shopkeeper Xiao shopkeeper is just the leader of it.Their family is not someone's servants, but the minions of the Australians.

For this reason, he has become more active recently. Under Guo Yi's instruction, apart from being a clerk and learning how to do the work in the shop, Gao Di continued to conduct intelligence activities every day.He has now developed three or four subordinates from his childhood playmates, and each of them can get two hundred coins from him every month-this money is from the one tael of silver that Wen Desi stipulated to give him every month. expenses in the activity funds.Guo Yi believes that an intelligence leader must not only be good at collecting intelligence, but also have good management skills, including the management of subordinates and finances.So I didn't give Gaodi more fees.

Facts have proved that Gaodi, who is only fifteen in the Chinese New Year, is quite talented in certain things. Now not only the actions of the Gao family are clear to Guo Yi, but also in Haopan Street, and even in the streets of Guangzhou, Guo Yi can timely know.

Guo Yi's next goal is to establish a primary intelligence and trade network throughout Guangdong Province, and right now he is relying on Qiwei Escort.Under his planning and financial support, shopkeeper Sun expanded the scale of Qiwei Escort's external cabinets, and placed various industries in the province's main water and land piers, major roads, and commodity distribution centers, acquired farms, opened inns, and car dealers. .Sun Kecheng is both happy and worried. He is happy that the countryside is now dilapidated and dilapidated, and his disciples, grandchildren, and fellow villagers can no longer get along in the countryside. There are many people who defect to him. The shopkeeper Guo asked him to open a large foreign cabinet, which just solved the food for these people. The problem, worryingly, was that he had never seen anyone do this kind of business.The first store didn't know if it could make money, but the second and third ones opened one after another, and with this momentum, the whole of Guangdong would have to spread the store. The money spent made him terrified -- only for Leizhou. For the layout, 1000 taels of silver were spent before and after, and the shopkeeper Guo repeatedly ordered: buy more land, farms and mills, and buy as much as you can buy—such a toss, even if the shopkeeper Wen’s family has gold and silver mountains, it is not enough.

He has been muttering in his heart for several days, and he hurried to discuss with Guo Yi as soon as the New Year is over, whether to reduce the pace of expansion

Shen Fan walked through the front yard and the main hall, and passed through a moon cave gate guarded by bodyguards.Inside is a fresh and clean courtyard with three main rooms, which are Zizhenzhai's counting rooms.The long windows were all open, and Dongzhu Guo and shopkeeper Sun were talking in it. Sun Kecheng was full of sorrow, but he nodded again and again.Shen Fan, who has been a clerk for more than 20 years, slowed down and coughed lightly.

Seeing him coming, Dongzhu Guo hurriedly greeted him, and when shopkeeper Sun saw him coming back, he also got up and left.

Shen Fan reported to him one by one the status of visiting customers and colleagues in the past few days.It is reasonable to say that such a business problem does not need to be reported to the proprietor, but Zizhenzhai is quite different from other stores. First, Shen Fan still does not know what the store is going to sell.The only thing he can do is to visit the big households in the city with the famous posters and brochures in the store.

"Proprietor, this is the directory I went to visit Qizhe." Shen Fan took out a zipbook from his sleeve and handed it to Guo Yi.Guo Yi has now completely dressed like a person from the Ming Dynasty, even keeping his hair in a bun.

Open the booklet casually, on the plum red paper, there are many names written in correct lowercase column by column, and there are notes in small characters beside it, such as the proprietor of Baixianlou, the staff of the governor's office, the shopkeeper of Chen Jiliang store, The owner of Gong Xingdian, Zhao Jinshi from Panyu, Ma Xianghuan from Nanhai... Either rich or noble, or someone like the housekeeper of a wealthy family, the concubine of a high official, and the like.A cursory look shows that there are as many as eighty or ninety.

"So many?" Guo Yi was a little surprised, because Shen Fan had told him that most of the people he was going to post with were the top or second big families in the city.The money spent on jewelry and game devices every year ranges from tens of thousands to 10,000+ to hundreds of thousands.

"Back to the proprietor, these are the biggest households, and some of the smaller ones have not been visited." Here Colgate brought tea and hand towels.Shen Fan took off his hat and wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, "That's what happened in the past few days, but there is one thing that needs to be instructed by the boss."

"Go ahead."

"The owner's sales are all priceless treasures and games. Is there any problem with capital turnover?"

Since Zizhenzhai is doing the house business.It is necessary to follow the practice of home business.According to the rules, this kind of rich family does not pay cash when they buy jewelry, they just make a booklet in the jewelry store, register and stamp on the booklet to pick up what they fancy.Checkout is done every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and New Year's Eve.

As a result, the cost requirements for the store are very high. Jewelry and playthings cost tens of thousands of silver at every turn. Even with a large capital, it is difficult to do so many customers at the same time.Shen Fan was afraid that the people from overseas would not understand the key points, and would blindly seek more and more, and he would suffer a catastrophic failure in the future.

(End of this chapter)