Republic of China small businessman

"The first business is the machine, which is the same as that used by the Baijia winery. If there is any problem, it can be returned to Bai within three years without taking a cent."

After Master Jiu finished the first sentence, many people were shaken and their eyes were glued to the machine.

Master Jiu paused for a moment, then said again: "This second business is an order of [-] shochu—"

This sentence was so shocking that everyone's eyes fell on Bai Jiuye for a moment. Some gasped in shock, some couldn't believe it, and some people asked directly: "Jiuye is serious, isn't that the Bai family?" Your own order? Why did you suddenly take out such a large sum?"

There were also people who were skeptical but there was really no way out. They gritted their teeth and said, "Master Bai, just say what conditions are there. Our old man has said that he would rather take advantage of his own people than do business with the Japanese! As long as we The wine shop can afford it, and we are willing to do this business!"

"We can trust the Bai family business. As long as we can get through this difficulty, we can put up [-]% of the shares in Qinglin's house!"

"It's the same with my Wang family, please tell Master Bai!"

"The north is connected with each other, and Heihe is suddenly hit by an epidemic. The foundation of the Bai family business is here to help each other." Bai Jiuye opened his mouth for a moment, and the people around him became quiet. He looked around and said: "There is no condition, just Bai was entrusted by the elders in the family, and there are a few words to bring."

The young officer standing behind Master Jiu took a step forward, raised his hand and slightly lifted his military cap, swept his sharp eyes across the crowd, and shouted: "This is a bit disrespectful, and Dong Mou is the one to speak for it, and it's clear Some! I followed General Bai to quell the chaos twice. The old general is clean but it doesn’t mean he has a good temper. The old general asked me to bring a few words. You are not allowed to bow down to Lao Tzu, but anyone who betrays the country will be shot!"

The merchants may dare to argue a few words in front of the Bai family, but they dare not say a word in front of the officers and soldiers. The other party has a gun in his hand and someone who is in charge of the house. What the old general Bai said is unreasonable. Not rough, but with a wave of anger that made everyone dare not speak.

"The second sentence is that after listening to Shopkeeper Bai, he decided to follow the example of Beiping. The merchants in the Northland can save themselves and set up a chamber of commerce." Officer Dong paced back and forth a few times, his tone slightly slower, "The purpose of the establishment of the chamber of commerce in the three provinces of the Northland is to Once you come to support the local area and allocate food and resources, you come here just to put up a sign. Everyone, the world is unstable and doing business is difficult, but the more this is the case, the more we should help each other. The actions of the Bai family today should be set as an example."

Bai Mingzhe also came out to smooth things over, smiled and cupped his hands and said: "My shopkeepers, our Bai family intends to set up a chamber of commerce, but we don't have to join in order to buy machines and discuss cooperation. We sincerely offer the business of [-] altars of shochu. I want to get through this difficult time with the shopkeepers here. We are rich in the North, and everyone has obstacles to overcome, but the situation will definitely get better in a few years, but now that the epidemic has just passed, a lot of waste is waiting to be done. If you are interested in one thing, you can participate in one or two, thank you, thank you!"

One of the two sang the red face and the other sang the bad face, and they cooperated seamlessly.

After listening to the surrounding merchants, they all thought about it, and after all, they felt that it was much better. Many people immediately stood up and expressed their willingness to jointly invest in the establishment of the chamber of commerce.

"Mr. Bai's old man is upright, we can trust him, this matter counts as a part of our Lin family!"

"There is also our Wang family, we have studied for generations, we will never be traitors, and we are willing to make amends together!"

"Someone is a rough person. There are more than a hundred people in the winery waiting to open their mouths to eat. Bai Jiuye is benevolent and righteous. If you say a word, our winery will fuck you!"

Everyone spoke one after another. There were still machines in the backyard, so they couldn't move their feet. After asking Master Jiu, Bai Mingzhe took them to the front hall to discuss the details.

The Baijia firm is a century-old brand in the north, with a strong signboard, and there is no falsehood in what it says.

Bai Jiuye's machines were transported under strict protection as military supplies, without any mistakes along the way, and the orders he said he would send out were distributed to each merchant for supervision after measuring their asset capabilities. Let the real money go out, look at this posture, really want to rescue the big and small wineries in Beidi by himself.

Some people also saw some clues.

It is impossible for the Bai family to manufacture these machines within a month or two. Just looking at the continuous registration and sale of the Bai family, I am afraid that they have a factory in the provincial government to manufacture machines.

Someone who was acquainted with Bai Mingzhe approached and asked a few words, Bai Mingzhe nodded and said: "That's true, Master Jiu has made this idea from the very beginning."

The other party was stunned for a moment, and then asked: "That's the idea from the beginning, you mean, this machine has been prepared from the beginning? Didn't your Bai family want to sell wine?"

"Of course it's selling wine, but Master Jiu values ​​you all more."

"Why is this?"

Bai Mingzhe said with a smile: "Master Jiu just used our Heihe Winery as a test. To tell you the truth, these machines were prepared early in the morning. Come out, he knows how much wine we can eat in the Northland, where is the big head!"

Bai Mingzhe raised his finger and pointed to the people who were queuing up for registration. They were all shopkeepers of big and small wine shops who wanted to order Russian shochu.

"Our ninth master never utters a word of wild words. If he dared to give up 20 jars of shochu today, then he must have an order of [-] or [-]." Bai Mingzhe said confidently.

After the other party heard it, his Adam's apple rolled and he swallowed hard. For some reason, his eyes suddenly burst into heat.

The ninth master of the Bai family didn't pay attention to the small troubles of Beidi Winery at all.

He wanted to sell machines from the start.

This one wants to earn money from foreigners.

At this moment, he has connected all the key points. The other party counted all their wineries in one place and became his pawns in a game of chess, but there was a surge in their hearts, like a wave gathered in one place. Slowly condense into a new force, just to be one of these forces is moved and excited.

——to make money from foreigners

——Yes, to make money from foreigners!

……

Several merchants were registered one after another, but not all of them were able to stay in the chamber, and two or three people were stopped by the guarding soldiers, and after checking their names, they were taken to the door.

The military officer surnamed Dong came over, took a look at the list in his hand, and said: "These two are driven out, and they are not allowed to set foot in the chamber of commerce in the future. The other one is sent to the police station for investigation."

Before the two merchants who were driven away shouted to refute, the shopkeeper of the other merchant who was dragged away yelled repeatedly, his face turned pale with fright, and he said while struggling: "Why are you doing this? I followed the rules and procedures. Is there any law to do business?"

For a while, the rest of the merchants queuing up to sign also stopped, looking at this place, at a loss as to what happened, but no one commented.

Officer Dong stopped the two soldiers and asked in front of everyone, "Are you called Qiu Zhimin?"

"Yes."

"Let me ask you, on August 23, your son went to work as an interpreter for a Japanese businessman. Knowing that the broken machines on the cargo ship were unusable, he still helped to sell them to other businesses and got 3000 silver dollars from the Japanese. Yes or no?!"

"Well, I don't know about this! That scoundrel has been on the run for a while, living and dying, and I can't even contact him, sir..."

"You don't know?" Officer Dong slapped the list on his face, and he didn't give him face like others because of his age. He was used to life and death in the army, and he especially despised this kind of person. "Then why do you still have money to buy the machine today? The full set of machines here costs [-] silver dollars. Let me ask you, your wine shop has been unable to turn over before. Where did the tens of thousands of dollars come from?"

The man opened his mouth, trembling for a long time, unable to speak.

A shopkeeper who was waiting in line to sign stood up, spat at the man, and scolded: "Of course he is rich. Our old shopkeeper took [-] cash to buy the machine because of his friendship with him for many years. It was good, but when I turned around, I broke a worker's hand. The machines are now in tatters, piled up in our winery, and the old shopkeeper got seriously ill. Just in time for the epidemic, people... people are gone !" He couldn't help but kicked the opponent hard, and he started to cry loudly regardless of the opponent's reaction.

The man who was caught was disheartened, buried his head in silence, and was quickly taken away by the soldiers.

From this day on, the Baijia firm purchased a yard next to it, and also set up chambers of commerce in the three northern provinces.

Officer Dong led a team of soldiers to guard them personally. He seemed to have a list in his mind, but none of the Japanese businessmen who had previously linked up with those Japanese businessmen could escape his eyes, and all of them were caught and sent to the police station for interrogation.Some relied on their relationship with the police station, and they were released on the same day after they went there. But soon, within two or three days, the investigators of the patrol station were also removed, and new ones came up. This time, no one took this matter lightly. , conscientious, serious interrogation.

Several people were arrested and sentenced to prison for several years. In addition, some silver dollars were confiscated and returned to some damaged merchants. Although the money was less, it was somewhat compensated.

It's the twelfth lunar month of the year again.

Master Jiu has been here for a year, during which time he went back and forth to the provincial government several times, and finally completed the installation of the machine factory with the help of old general Bai Xiliang.

The first ones in the Northland Chamber of Commerce were the wine shop merchants. They first set the industry standards, and then under the leadership of Bai and Fang, they made a unified selection of wine grades, and made an overall plan for the total amount of exported shochu. Also clearer.Secondly, it drove some unexpected businesses, such as cloth and tea bricks, which also saw a corresponding increase. The originally difficult winter, under the order of [-] shochu, was actually better than before. , so that the border merchants in the Heihe area had a fat year.

The director of the Heihe Chamber of Commerce wrote Jiuye's name, but still left it to Bai Mingzhe to take care of it. The Qinghe Bai family has grown a lot.

At the end of the same year, the Qinghe Bai family selected five young men with outstanding talents and sent them to Peiping to study foreign languages. The public funded them and sent them to study abroad.

Among the five people, there are three children from the Bai family, and two young people from the other family. One is a young man surnamed Du who worked hard and later caught up with his grades, and the other is Wang Jingqiu, who is the top of the list.

Xie Jing took the list to them, and seeing those people cheering and exhilarating in the school, she was also happy for them, and when they finished their fun, she said, "Let's go, Mr. Huang is still waiting in the study room of the east courtyard." You guys, he has something to tell you."

Several people followed out excitedly. A child from the Bai family accidentally had the same hands and feet. When he went out, he bumped into the door frame, which caused everyone in the classroom to laugh. He also touched his head and couldn't help laughing. .

Wang Jingqiu was considered calm among them, but his hands and feet were also numb at the moment, and he felt unsteady even walking on the ground, so he only clenched his palms and sweated, trying to make himself look calmer.

East courtyard study.

Huang Mingyou is short, and at this moment, he is pacing in front of a group of teenagers with his hands behind his back. These teenagers are all from the Northland. They are already tall at the age of fourteen or fifteen. Even Wang Jingqiu, who is thinner and thinner, has grown taller in the past year After a while, everyone's eyes followed the husband back and forth seriously.

Huang Mingyou stopped, stood in front of them and nodded, "You are very good. I have seen all your hard work this year. Learning is a lifetime job. You must remember where you came from and abide by the creed. Seek nothing to be ashamed of."

The students saluted and said yes.

Huang Mingyou said: "I studied Chinese and English for a year at the Bureau of Going Abroad. In the same year, I selected 31 students who went abroad for further study. Because I was still young, I ranked [-]st. There are a lot of them, and what my brother told me the most was the words of an old gentleman who sent them on board, and now I recite them for you." Mr. Huang paused for a moment, his voice was slow, and said word by word: "'This is going to the West, Knowing the strategy of self-improvement of Huaguo, there is nothing else to do. Bear the future of the country, learn all the science of foreigners, and travel [-] miles to leave the country of the motherland and parents, and have no regrets'... You also have to go on the road Our journey back then, regardless of whether we were elected or not, should be the same as we were back then, self-restraint and ritual, no matter how big or small, we should do our best."

After finishing speaking, he gave a deep salute to the five students in front of him.

A few students returned the salute, bowed their waists for a long time, their voices were youthful but louder than usual: "Students, I would like to follow the teacher's instruction——!"

Xie Jing was holding five envelopes of silver dollars, which were their tuition fees, and they were handed out to them one by one.

On the other side, in the courtyard of the big house of the White Mansion.

Fang Jiwu also came to bid farewell to his cousin Fang Yurou.

Fang Yurou couldn't help sighing when she saw him. Not long after the Japanese businessman arrived, Jiwu wrote a letter and handed it to her, stating his interests repeatedly, but before she handed the letter to Master Jiu, an epidemic broke out in Heihe. After that, they lost contact for two months, and when they got in touch again, Fang Ji'an was already dead.No matter what, Fang Jiwu was able to write this letter, but she felt that it was not easy for this child, and she was caught between the cracks and did not know how to write it with blood.

She hesitated again and again, but still persuaded: "Jiwu, you don't have to do this, what your father did has nothing to do with you..."

Fang Jiwu said: "Cousin, I have already thought about it before. I want to study medicine with Dr. Lin. He wrote back to me in the provincial government and hoped that I would be his assistant."

Fang Yurou asked: "Is there any arrangement at home after you leave?"

Fang Jiwu nodded and said: "Everything has been arranged. At that time, I thought that my father... would be in prison for several years, so I had already made up my mind. Now that the house in my family has been mortgaged, Dr. Lin also paid me half a year's salary in advance. I bought a small yard facing the street, and my mother and younger siblings live in one room, and the rest can be rented out to passing merchants, and it can still be used for a few years." He paused, and then said: "Wait until At that time, I can also be on my own, and my cousin doesn't have to worry too much, I can support the family."

Fang Yurou sighed, agreed, and only said to him: "Your eldest sister can still come to the Bai family to study, free of charge, and provide a meal for lunch, just like you, and the rest of the younger siblings will follow this example."

Fang Jiwu gave her a big gift and thanked her again and again.

After leaving the courtyard and walking to the gate of the Baifu, they happened to run into the five people who had just come out of the east courtyard.

Fang Jiwu stopped, smiled and waited for them to pass, saying congratulations.

Wang Jingqiu walked last, he stopped in front of Fang Jiwu, but he didn't know how to speak.

The list in the hands of an officer surnamed Dong in Heihe was written by his father.

His family has been studying for generations and has a good reputation. His father is often a middleman. Only his family has enmity with the Japanese, but he has never said a word for the Japanese. Not only that, when General Bai Xiliang arrived, he was also his father. He took the lead in writing what happened, and wrote a list, got everyone to sign it, and submitted it - Fang Jiwu's late father Fang Ji'an was included in the list.

Wang Jingqiu stood there, struggling in his heart.

Fang Jiwu came over, and gently hugged him: "When you go to Beiping, you must work hard. I will work hard in Beidi, so don't let me down."

"Ok!"

Wang Jingqiu hugged him back hard, his eyes turned red, "You, don't let me down!"

Fang Jiwu smiled and nodded in response.

The author has something to say: Mr. Huang's words came from the mouth of Liu Buchan, a navy general in the late Qing Dynasty and the right-wing commander of the Beiyang Navy.

②A corner of Master Jiu's chessboard is revealed, and the next chapter will bring Xiao Xie back to the provincial capital.