Republic of China small businessman

A few days later, Bai Rongjiu led a team to pick up a batch of goods, leaving Zhang Huwei and Xie Jing at the winery.

Xie Jing was still young, and he followed his master Zhang Huwei in everything - he formally became a teacher a while ago and became Zhang Huwei's closed disciple, learning guns seriously.

The area around Heihe is sparsely populated, and not far away on horseback is the birch forest. Zhang Huwei assigned a team of ten people to patrol in three shifts. He took Xie Jing to practice guns when he had time. He is good at both long and short guns, and is especially good at fighting on horseback.

Xie Jing learned a lot from him, and lived a fulfilling life for a few days, dreaming about how to fight.

Heihe is not big, and shopkeeper Sun invited many people to visit his factory. Using the imported word he learned, he called it "visiting".

There were many visitors, and the news that Japanese merchants could buy machines quickly spread. It is said that the Japanese merchant visited several companies one after another, and many merchants were very popular.

It was only after the Bai family bought the machine that it became so prosperous. Everyone heard the rumbling sound of the machine every day, and they were envious.

Bai Mingzhe was also invited to visit the Changshan Winery, but when he came back, he frowned.

Someone in the Fang family had a good relationship with him. When he came to inquire about the news, Bai Mingzhe persuaded him for the first time: "If you will listen to me, don't buy this batch of machines. My family has used these machines for several months. , The provincial government even specially invited someone to debug it, and until now I dare not say that I have completely mastered it. The Japanese businessman's machine is too easy to operate, and I always feel uneasy in my heart."

After hearing Bai Mingzhe's words, although he was envious, the man was a little more cautious and did not place an order.

Some people heard what Bai Mingzhe said, but they didn't take it seriously. They laughed and said, "It's because we are afraid that we will block his way. Don't pay attention to him. Didn't the Japanese also say that, although they can't send technicians over, they can Let the workers in our factory go to study for a period of time, the price is also good, according to me, their Bai family has a lot of heart, so they deliberately let it go."

Two of them ordered Japanese machines on the same day, but something went wrong during installation, which almost twisted a worker's hand.

This made other people feel rather scrupulous, and someone mentioned what Bai Mingzhe said earlier, and vaguely felt that there was something wrong with the machines of the Japanese businessman.

But soon, the Japanese businessman sent a few people from Shopkeeper Sun's side to help assemble it, and even stated that he had bought shares in Changshan Winery, with Shopkeeper Sun as his guarantor, and the other party's service. Thoughtful, he came to the door to apologize and was responsible for the whole process of maintenance. Gradually, the two companies did not have such a big complaint at the beginning, and accepted the batch of machines.

A machine worth [-] to [-] silver dollars can be doubled after two or three years of production. Although this business is a bit risky, the profit is also large, and it is worth the risk.

They have heard that the Bai family's winery has invested nearly a million silver dollars!

Bai Mingzhe has been operating in Heihe for many years. He sells not only shochu, but also many other north-south goods. He also knows many people. He asked for an invitation letter from elsewhere and plans to visit shopkeeper Sun again. This time he has an extra Xinyan brought Xie Jing and the German engineer in the factory with him.

Xie Jing didn't understand their business, but he could barely communicate a few words in German, so Bai Mingzhe asked him to be an interpreter.

Xie Jing said: "I only know a few sentences, I'm afraid I can't translate them well."

Bai Mingzhe said: "It's okay, it's not for outsiders to listen to. I can rest assured that I can take our people to take a look." He lowered his voice and said, "Be smarter when the time comes, and take a look when you find a chance."

Xie Jing agreed.

After the agreement, the group set off to Changshan Winery.

When Xie Jing saw the plaque at the door, she had no impression of this brand of wine.If it is said that in the early years, he studied hard in the theater troupe and had no time to drink, but after he became famous, he was taken to many banquets, and he also saw a lot of wine in those years when he was with Master Jiu. Never heard of the brand "Changshan".

Just as he was thinking about it, he saw a rich middle-aged man walking over with a buddy. The man was wearing a satin gown and mandarin jacket. He raised his hand and raised his hand to say hello: "Treasurer Bai, long time no see. How have you been?"

Xie Jing's eyes fell on him, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

Sun Dajiang, why is this person here?

If the person in front of him is really Sun Dajiang, then he will seek refuge with the Japanese in Manchuria in a few years and make a lot of troubles, and after that, he will make money and go all the way south to defect to one of Jiuye's enemies.Xie Jing will remember him because he is a very difficult person. He looks loyal on the face, but greedy in the bottom of his heart. He is famous for only recognizing money but not people. He sold his wife, daughter and ancestors. .

Bai Mingzhe said some polite words to shopkeeper Sun, and they went in hand in hand.Changshan Distillery has now become a pilot site for exhibitions. Many people come every day, but not many machines are sold. Firstly, the asking price is expensive, and secondly, shopkeeper Sun and the Japanese have extra Additional conditions, not all businesses can afford.

Bai Mingzhe brought the German engineer with him. Shopkeeper Sun just glanced at it, smiled and said nothing.

Bai Mingzhe has persuaded many merchants recently, but no one listens to him—or the more he persuades, the more suspicious others become.

Shopkeeper Sun knew it well and did not hinder them from looking at the machine.

After the German engineer walked around the workshop, he bowed his head and said a few words to Xie Jing, making big gestures, nodding and shaking his head for a while.

Bai Mingzhe coughed and asked, "Xiao Xie, what did Mr. John say?"

Shopkeeper Sun looked sideways at them, and also pricked up his ears to hear something.

The German engineer continued to say a few sentences, the sentences were extremely long, and there was another long series of chatter.

Xie Jing closed his eyes and made up nonsense: "He said he didn't understand it yet, and wanted to read it again."

Shopkeeper Sun: "..."

Shopkeeper Sun: "Did he say more than one sentence?"

Xie Jing: "Yes, they are all special terms for machines." Relying on his good memory, he recited out of thin air a sentence that the German engineer just said, and the pronunciation is the same, "I'm afraid that shopkeeper Sun will not understand after translating it. .”

Shopkeeper Sun believed what he said about the foreign language, but he always felt that this honest half-boy was swearing, but Xie Jing looked serious, and he couldn't get angry for a while.

The German engineer on the side was a little excited when he heard Xie Jing's words, and continued to look for allies in German: "Isn't it? Xiao Xie, you think so too, right? The machines in their factory are just samples. Is there no way to produce it? Is this a processing workshop or a showroom? If it’s just a demonstration, can you ask them to take us to the next place, I want to see the real machine.”

Xie Jing repeated: "I want to see a real machine."

Mr. John: "??"

Xie Jing nodded to the German engineer, and then raised her head to translate to the two people around her: "Mr. John ate some cold food this morning, and his stomach is not feeling well. I would like to ask Shopkeeper Sun for a convenience. He will come as soon as he goes."

Shopkeeper Sun didn't suspect him, so he asked someone to take them there.

Xie Jing called John and said "go" the most fluently. The other party thought he was going to see the machine and happily left with Xie Jing.

This time, I didn't return for a long time.

Shopkeeper Sun stood up twice, and still couldn't help calling the other two guys around him to look for him. He was found, but the German engineer looked angry and gestured to leave.

Shopkeeper Sun said: "What's the matter?"

The guy who followed hurriedly stepped forward and whispered something in his ear, his eyes looked at Xie Jing and the German engineer, and he quickly lowered his eyes.

Shopkeeper Sun snorted heavily, looked at Xie Jing and then at Bai Mingzhe who was sitting beside him, and said with a sneer, "Shopkeeper Bai, isn't that interesting? You asked your staff to bring a foreigner to mess around in my factory." What does turn mean?"

Bai Mingzhe sat on the side drinking tea, with a look of surprise on his face, he turned his head and asked, "Xiao Xie, what's going on?"

Xie Jing said: "Mr. John wants to leave by himself, I can't stop him."

When the German engineer heard his name being mentioned, he yelled angrily.

Shopkeeper Sun was suspicious, "Why are you angry again?"

Xie Jing said: "Foreigners have different habits, and I don't understand. Maybe it's because shopkeeper Sun's feng shui is not easy to collide with."

Shopkeeper Sun: "You!"

Bai Mingzhe first said, "Xiao Xie, what are you talking about, hurry up and accompany Shopkeeper Sun." He said this, but he stood up first, and before giving Xie Jing a chance to speak, he cupped his hands apologetically and said: " Brother Sun, you see that this time I came here to cause such an accident, but you also know that this foreigner was sent by the provincial government, I really can't control him for a while, alas, I am causing you trouble , let's take our leave first, Brother Sun is busy, so there is no need to send him far away."

Coming out of Changshan Winery, as soon as he got into the carriage, Bai Mingzhe immediately asked in a low voice: "Xiao Xie, how is the investigation going?"

Xie Jing said: "Mr. John said that the machine is a sample and cannot be put into production."

Bai Mingzhe was puzzled: "That's not right, I saw with my own eyes a lot of wine..."

"I'm not sure, so I found an excuse to take Mr. John around the outside of Changshan Winery. I don't know anything else, but I know that there must be food in the warehouse for winemaking. Changshan Winery Little, I found their granary after wandering around for a while, and it was empty." Xie Jing paused for a moment, and said, "The wine shopkeeper Sun is not brewed by these machines, I'm afraid it was shipped from other places."

Bai Mingzhe's face was serious and his brows were tightly wrinkled.

After Bai Mingzhe went back, he found a few acquainted merchants, and after asking, he found out that the batch of Japanese machines charged a high price, and they also asked for exclusive recipes from other breweries openly and secretly.

Bai Mingzhe wrote a letter overnight, stating what he had found out, and asked someone to send it to Lord Jiu as soon as possible.

On the other side, a rumor suddenly spread in Heihe.

It is said that the previous business done by the Bai family in the provincial capital used foreigners' money, and together with foreigners they transferred a lot of money in the country. Now that they have come back to enjoy the sweetness, they want to use foreigners' machines to make a lot of money in the Northland; Some people also said that more than half of the million silver dollars brought by Bai Jiuye from the provincial government belonged to foreigners, and they were doing things for foreigners to make money.

Since Gengzi, Chinese people have feared and hated foreigners. Things like earning Chinese money with foreigners aroused a lot of resentment. For a while, bricks were thrown at Heihe Winery, but fortunately no one was hurt.

Heihe Distillery has stepped up patrols, and there are people on duty day and night.

On this day, someone came to visit and asked to see Fang Yurou by name.

When the subordinate came to report, Bai Mingzhe frowned, and someone else rushed out earlier, but this person can't do it——Fang Ji'an, this cousin, is a generous master, every time he comes, he will fight the autumn wind, this time I'm afraid I ran out of money again, so I wanted to come and ask for some flowers.

"Master Fang just left in the morning, and he may have arrived in Qinghe County by now, do you want me to go back and pass it on?" the clerk asked.

Bai Mingzhe shook his head and said, "No, I'll go and have a look."

Fang Ji'an was sitting in the living room, holding a cup of tea and drinking. He was wearing clothes and changed back to the old half-worn robes. He was yawning now, and he looked not energetic.