Chapter 183 Master Xue

After coming out of the Lin Mansion, Chen Heng went straight to the Xue family. Today's Qiupu Street is in a situation where time is tight and tasks are heavy. Workers in the workshop will be paid wages at the end of this month, and the impact will be immeasurable every night.

If you really can't pay out the money in the end, borrowing money from the government's treasury to move things around is the worst of the worst.

Chen Heng was aware of this situation and did not bother to go to the academy to greet Xue Biao. He went directly to visit the head of the Xue family. There are classes in the academy today, but my young master is not at home. The servants of the Xue family were a little surprised by the visit of the young master of the Chen family, so they quickly informed the family master for him.

Xue Ai was also strangely tight, so when she saw Chen Heng in the study, she led him to sit down and asked directly: "Sit down first, what trouble has happened to my nephew?"

Chen Heng came all the way but his mouth was dry. When the servant came up with tea, he took a sip and finally regained his composure.

Today, the Xue family’s tea is a rare local famous tea in Yangzhou - Green Yangchun. Although this tea is not as famous as West Lake Longjing and Suzhou Biluochun, it is very popular among the local people in Yangzhou. During his previous visits, Chen Heng drank famous teas such as Jinling’s Yuhua and Jintan Quetan at Xue’s house.

Close the tea lid to cover up the pure and lasting chestnut aroma. Chen Heng put down the tea cup, cupped his hands towards Xue Ai and said, "I came to see my uncle today because there is indeed some trouble."

Hearing this, Xue Ai showed a friendly smile and signaled this junior to calm down and speak slowly. Although under the pressure of Li Bian recently, life at home has not been easy. But he admired his son's best friend very much and was willing to help the child solve some troublesome problems.

"It's okay. If you have any difficulties, just tell your uncle." Xue Ai said immediately. Whether it was money or strength, he thought he could still be of some help.

With Uncle Xue's words, Chen Heng could not help but feel more confident. He also recounted what happened on Qiupu Street and what he said in the Lin Mansion.

However, it is different when communicating with Uncle Lin. Uncle Lin is a parent official, and when he talks, he cannot help but focus on describing the future prospects of Qiupu Street. Faced with a senior shopping mall veteran like Uncle Xue, Chen Heng focused more on practical aspects.

When it became clear that Chen Heng was going to open a store on Qiupu Street, he would go to negotiate with the weaving bureaus in Suzhou and Hangzhou in a private name. Xue Ai already knew it in his mind. He had traveled all over the country for so many years, and he could easily grasp the key points.

"My nephew, do you want to use the help of the Weaving Bureau to first solve the labor shortage in Qiupu Street?"

Recently there have been rumors in the city that the government office cannot afford to pay wages. Xue Ai also heard about it and could better understand the importance of Chen Heng's matter.

"That's right." Chen Heng nodded. When chatting with people like Uncle Xue, he was straightforward and straightforward. He continued, "In the first month, I want to sell a batch of cloth in the warehouse at a low price and only collect a small amount of leftovers. Goods. Once you have enough wages for your subordinates, you can slowly increase your trading volume.”

This was a mature and prudent judgment, and Xue Ai admired it very much. At such a young age, this kid can act in such a steady and steady manner, which suits him very well.

At present, Qiupu Street's wages are a problem. If we start to make changes to technology and products, we will only make too big a step and stumble ourselves. After Xue Ai laughed, he invited Chen Hengtong to drink a cup of tea, and asked curiously: "Now that you have planned everything, what else can I do to help? You might as well say it boldly, and my uncle can help you. "

Chen Heng showed a slightly embarrassed smile, and after pondering for a moment, he said, "I want to borrow someone from my uncle."

"Who to borrow?"

"My nephew wants to borrow Brother Xue's help." Chen Heng named someone who was also very surprised by Xue Ai.

Xue Ai has been managing the Xue family's royal merchant business for many years. Most of the people who came and went were the father-in-law of the inner court. The stewards of the Weaving Bureau were none other than these inner court father-in-laws. That is to say, Uncle Xue is currently being held up by the newspaper guild, otherwise it would be great to get him involved.

Hearing Chen Heng's words, Xue Ai frowned for the first time and remained silent for a long time.

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"Miss, miss."

When Chunyan ran into the house, Baoqin was working as a female worker. Seeing the maid snoring, Bao Qin glanced at her and then looked at the handkerchief on the shelf. What she embroidered today was "Spring River Plumbing Duck Prophet". On the white cloth, there are flowers, trees, spring water, and two or three leisurely wild ducks.

"What good things are happening outside? It makes you so happy." Baoqin's expression was as usual, the battle line in his hand did not stop, and he only asked lightly.

Xue's mother felt that as her daughter grew older, she needed to do some work on cultivating her character and calming her Qi. She could no longer be as free and carefree as before, so she often ordered Baoqin to stay in the boudoir and do embroidery all day long to pass the time.

Since the young lady cannot go out, Chunyan has to take on the task of asking for fun. She walked to Bao Qin and exclaimed: "Miss, you don't know, the young master of the Chen family came to visit today."

What's strange about this, the Chen family's brother comes to visit not once or twice. Bao Qin shook his head with a smile and said strangely: "Is this what you want to say?"

"That's right." Chun Yan saw that Bao Qin didn't take it seriously and said quickly, "In the past, when Mr. Chen came to visit, he always picked our uncle when he was at home. Today, the uncle is still studying in the academy. It's not strange for him to come to the door like this. "

With this reminder from the maid, Bao Qin also remembered where her brother was. She frowned slightly and listened as Chun Yan continued: "He asked the uncle to ask the young lady to accompany him on a trip to Qiupu Street, but there was no news at all afterwards. I thought it was just a normal outing, but I didn't expect that until today, I saw him coming to the door. I thought it was him doing something, so I had some clues.”

Liu Yemei slightly spread her eyebrows to both sides. Baoqin connected the events before and after, remembering Chen Heng's expression that day. He involuntarily stopped his sewing and seemed to be in a trance.

Wait until Chunyan shakes the lady's sleeves, calling back Baoqin's thoughts. The other party had already adjusted his expression, thought about it, stood up and said: "Yan'er, come with me to have a look."

In her own home, Chun Yan was more courageous than outside, and she immediately said happily: "Miss, when the master asks me later, what reason should we use to explain?"

"Just think about it slowly on the way." Baoqin pointed at Chunyan's forehead, who wanted to watch the excitement, and said with a smile: "I know you are restless."

Miss, why are you just talking about me? You couldn't sit still as soon as you heard the news. Chunyan murmured in her heart and accompanied Baoqin out of the boudoir.

Two girls in underskirts rushed to the door of the study one after another. Their steps were light and they walked quietly, not disturbing the people inside.

When the two of them arrived, the room was silent. To the point that Baoqin almost thought that her father and Chen brother had changed the place of conversation.

The two eavesdropping masters and servants waited for a while before hearing a word from inside the house.

"What worries does uncle have?"

Baoqin immediately raised his index finger to cover his lips. He signaled to the excited Chun Yan not to disturb the conversation inside.

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Xue Ai is indeed a little worried. He has a talent for business and has been an imperial merchant for more than 20 years. Just listening to Chen Heng's description, I felt that this matter had great potential, and I also knew that it was a way to make money.

But is the Xue family short of money now? There is no shortage at all. After Jing'an Daily got on the right track, it has become a golden mountain that everyone can understand. As long as the second wife of the Xue family keeps it safe, it will be enough to bless generations of descendants.

What Xue Ai is worried about is the word 'shou'.

After their family moved to Yangzhou, although they did not formally leave the Xue family in Jinling, they did have less contact with Dafang. Outsiders don't know these things, but he himself knows them in his heart.

Anyone who does business knows some dirty tricks. The jealous people outside did not attack the second wife of the Xue family because they were more or less concerned about the Xue family's reputation.

This fragile connection will collapse on its own as long as Xue Biao gets married. He was just holding a bare flagpole and bluffing. It's okay to bluff outsiders. When a few relatives come to Jinling's hometown and let some air out at the banquet, others will immediately be able to figure out the awkward relationship between the second room of the Xue family and the eldest room.

If a person has no long-term worries, he must have immediate worries. First, Li Bian took the initiative and repeatedly forced the Jing'an Daily News. Later, the big names in Yangzhou City secretly united to fight against Qiupu Street. These two incidents, especially the latter, made Xue Ai pay attention to his own problems.

The big families in Yangzhou are taboo about the name of the Xue family in Jinling. But for them to truly accept the second wife of the Xue family and accept that the Xue family has completely established a foothold in Yangzhou, they still have some resistance in private.

The doorway here cannot be settled by a grand scholar's banquet. Forging iron requires one's own hard work. Xue Ai hopes that Xue Biao can seize the opportunity to pass the exam and even become a Jinshi. Make a name for yourself and support the Xue family in Yangzhou.

Only by achieving this step can their family have the ability to defend Jinshan. Unlike Chen Heng who was barefoot and wearing shoes, the Xue family now behaves in a low-key and conservative manner. The former still needs to fight hard for opportunities, while the latter has already begun to consider the issue of maintaining success.

Xue Biao will be fifteen soon, and there won't be much time left for him to study peacefully. After getting married, what kind of virtue is a man who is new to human affairs? Xue Ai knew very well, and he didn't want Xue Biao to be distracted from secular affairs at this stage.

He hesitated for a long time, and finally said to Chen Heng: "My nephew, look, uncle will support you with five thousand taels of silver, and then send a capable steward to help you, okay?"

Xue Ai is not boasting. The stewards he teaches will only help Xue Biao in business, or even much more.

Chen Heng was a little dumbfounded when he heard this. I didn't expect that I would overturn the Xue family, which was the most reliable one. I couldn't help but asked in confusion: "Uncle, do you think this matter is too risky?"

Xue Ai shook his head, put his hands on the table and crossed each other, and said frankly: "In business, it is normal to have losses and profits. I think my nephew's method is very safe. Even if you can't make money for a while, you will never lose money. It’s only a matter of time before Qiupu Street comes back to life.”

But what the Xue family lacks now is not money, but people who can keep the family business. Xue Ai couldn't express his pain, so he had to say, "It's just that Zhu'er has just passed the scholar examination, and my uncle still wants him to continue to work hard. My nephew, I know that your matter is very important, so I will add another three thousand taels." , what do you think about sending an extra manager to help you?"

Chen Heng heard what Xue Ai meant, and he was not bad at thinking. As soon as he related the recent events of the Xue family, he could vaguely guess the reason. The boy who woke up sighed slightly in his heart.

It was a coincidence that what he was short of now was not money. When it was difficult for the Yangzhou government to come forward, the reputation of the Xue family was the biggest card in his hand. The industry under the Xue family's name and the industry run by the Xue eldest son have different influence and persuasiveness on the Weaving Bureau.

Just imagine the father-in-law in charge of the Weaving Bureau. When he meets the Xue family, can he have the same attitude as the Xue family manager? The weaving bureau is the key to the overall situation, and it is also the point that Chen Heng cares about the most. Naturally, it must be foolproof and there must be no risk at all.

Xue Ai is now taking advantage of the shadow of the Xue family in Jinling to develop quickly. He can use this name to go out and show off his power.

What should I do? Chen Heng was also in a dilemma. If it was a coincidence, Xue Zhen would have entered the market with his family without hesitation if it was before Jing'an Daily. If Li Bian hadn't been holding on to Jing'an Daily, maybe Uncle Xue could have done two things at the same time and accompanied Chen Heng to work.

But it was a different time. The Xue family now had the capital to stand firm. It was even more impossible to abandon the newspaper shop and concentrate on accompanying him to work on Qiupu Street. Chen Heng didn't want to be a bad guest who wanted to repay a favor, which would ruin his relationship with Xue Ke.

As for the favor that if it weren't for his wonderful writing, the second branch of the Xue family would be ruined and fall into decline like the original book. This kind of thing that didn't happen, don't even mention it.

Chen Heng helped the Xue family to create the newspaper, and the Xue family also returned the favor. Not only did they not ask Chen Heng to continue to invest money over the years, but they still got the dividends they deserved. After all, it's really hard to say who still owes whom a favor.

Seeing the plight of the younger generation, Xue Zhen was also a little embarrassed. He knew that Lord Lin and the government office were behind this matter. But Lord Lin did not come forward to help him solve the problem of Jing'an Daily and Jiangnan Daily.

The Xue family is still struggling now. Just waiting for Lord Lin, who has recovered from his illness, to show his power and send Li Bian away in one go.

It's just that officialdom matters are troublesome to deal with. After Li Bian left, the opponent opened up and slapped Zhang Bian and Wang Bian. The most fundamental solution is that Xue Ke passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi.

Both of them wanted to understand this point, so they fell into the dilemma of not knowing how to speak.

"Nephew..."

Seeing that Uncle Xue was also in a dilemma, Chen Heng hurriedly spoke to stop him and said, "Uncle, don't worry. I will think of other ways after I go back."

After saying this, Chen Heng had sorted out his mood. He just looked relaxed, and comforted Xue Zhen, saying, "It's my nephew who didn't think carefully and didn't consider my uncle's difficulties."

Things from ancient times to the present are like this. Everyone has ideas, but to really make it happen, we have to consider the actual situation and position of the people involved.

Chen Heng was afraid that Xue Zhen would feel bad, so he smiled and said, "Thank you for the eight thousand taels of silver, uncle. With this money, my nephew's matter will be much easier to handle."

This was just empty words, to make each other look better. To be honest, these thousands of taels of silver sprinkled on Qiupu Street can't even stir up a splash. There are tens of thousands of female workers in the workshop alone, not to mention Sang Nong and others.

The wages of these people range from one tael of silver to several taels. Adding up, it is also a terrifying figure of more than 100,000 taels. The only people in Yangzhou who can take out so much money at one time are salt merchants.

"Ah." Xue Zhen sighed. He wanted to help Chen Heng, but he couldn't think of a second son. It was really a headache.

Chen Heng was speechless. He knew that staying would embarrass his uncle, so he was about to get up and say goodbye. The door of the study was pushed open from the outside. A familiar young man came in wearing purple clothes, a white jade crown, and a paper fan.

"Dad, since my eldest brother is busy, why don't I help my eldest brother Chen?"

Xue Baoqin, who was dressed as a man, led Chunyan, who had changed her clothes at some point, and stood in front of Chen Heng and Xue Zhen. There was a bit of youthful spirit between her eyebrows.

"Ah?!" Chen Heng opened his mouth immediately.

"Qin'er, what are you wearing?!" Xue Zhen was also shocked and angry. He didn't understand when his daughter sneaked over.

Baoqin ignored Xue Zhen's shock, closed the paper fan, fiddled with the ring with her index finger, and smiled at Chen Heng, who was dumbfounded, "Brother Chen, from now on, I will have to ask you to call me second brother."

"This..." Chen Heng was speechless for a moment, and subconsciously turned his head to look at Xue Zhen.

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That night, Chen Heng sat at home, and when he thought about the scene at Xue's house in the afternoon, he still felt incredible. Xue Baoqin was finally decided by Xue Zhen.

For Chen Heng, as long as someone from the Xue family came forward, it didn't matter whether it was Baoqin or Xue Ke. Baoqin was not considered before, just because she was a girl, who could think of her at once.

"Second brother, why are you grinning?" Xinda pushed the door in, and saw Chen Heng sitting in his seat, holding back his laughter, and was a little confused.

Chen Heng shook his head, how could he tell others about such a sudden turn of events. Besides, when he goes to Qiupu Street to buy a store tomorrow, Xinda will run into Baoqin and the others, so there is no need to say too much now.

Seeing that his second brother was unwilling to say more, Xinda ignored him and turned to make the bed and prepare for a rest. Suddenly, his second uncle called downstairs, "Heng'er, come down quickly, the Xue family's young man is looking for you!!"

Hearing this shout suddenly, Chen Heng couldn't help but be stunned. He thought strangely in his heart: Is this young man Xue Ke or Xue Baoqin?

Considering that the night was getting darker, he thought about it carefully and knew that the person who came must be Xue Ke who got the message. He simply put on a single coat, held up an oil lamp and went downstairs. Xue Ke was indeed waiting in the courtyard under the night. When he saw Chen Heng, the anger on his face disappeared in an instant.

"Brother Heng." Before Chen Heng could stand firm, Xue Ke had already raised his hands to salute, saying guiltily, "I heard from my sister about what happened during the day. Really..."

"Don't say stupid things." Chen Heng even guessed his purpose. He directly lifted up his friend with his hands and persuaded him, "Uncle has his own difficulties. If you really feel embarrassed, just study hard in the future."

"Hey, I know." Xue Ke was blocked from talking, and he began to scratch his head anxiously. He took a few steps and said, "Can I be counted as one of the people in this matter?"

Baoqin, who had been eavesdropping, only gave him a rough idea that night, and Xue Ke himself only half understood it, so he had to ask Chen Heng's meaning with an apologetic look.

"Hahaha." In order to comfort his friend, Chen Heng deliberately laughed, "To be honest, your sister may be more useful than you. Don't worry, if I need you in the future, I promise I won't be polite to you."

Xue Ke nodded with relief after hearing this. He had just come in a hurry, and now he had time to tidy up his clothes, and his expression gradually relaxed.

"Next time something like this happens, you can tell me first."

There were a few small stools in the courtyard. Chen Heng asked his friend to sit down, and hurriedly explained to Xue Ke with a smile: "I was doing things at home a few days ago, and I didn't expect you to still be studying in the academy." Rather than saying that he didn't expect it, it's better to say that Chen Heng didn't even think about the possibility that the Xue family would refuse.

At that time, he made an empirical mistake. He just thought that everyone would be interested in getting involved when they saw a reliable way to make money, and didn't consider the current situation of the Xue family at all.

With this little lesson, Chen Heng can see things more clearly. After returning home today, he took out the original plan, combined with the information given by Uncle Lin, and made minor changes again.

The two chatted until late at night, and Xue Ke was finally coaxed by Chen Heng to say goodbye and leave.

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The next day, Chen Heng arrived at Qiupu Street before Baoqin, and took the sleepy Zhao Zhushi to choose a suitable store from the remaining shops on the street.

After all, Xue's sister is a woman dressed as a man. He can do things outside by himself, so it is naturally not easy to hand them over to the other party. Baoqin only needs to stand in front of him and act as a storefront that can be taken out at any time.

Chen Heng is already busy, and Baoqin is still washing and dressing up with Chunyan's service. Although there is no vulgar thing like a chest wrap, the necessary covering is still indispensable. The two picked and picked, and then they saw the right clothes.

"Miss, Miss. Should we still take this bellyband?"

"This... let's take it."

"Hahaha, I can go out and play again."

"Stop talking, hurry up. Be careful that Madam Xue will come and stop us. Then no one can leave."

"Ah? Miss, why are you calling Madam - 'Madam Xue'? Madam will be angry if she hears it."

"If you keep talking, I will change your name to Chunsun. Come on, help me put on the hair crown."

"I don't want to be called Chunsun, it's so ugly."

The master and servant finished talking, and finally tidied each other's clothes. There are more clothes in autumn than in summer. Baoqin put on some clothes, and her body has not yet developed, so she can be regarded as a fair and white nobleman.

The Xue couple were very angry with their daughter. Fan had a fight with Xue Zhen last night, and the latter was also frowning. However, in the situation at that time, Xue Zhen could not find a better way except to bite the bullet and agree. I can only say that if I had known this would happen, I would definitely not refuse Chen Heng's request to invite Xue Ke if I gave Uncle Xue another chance.

Fan Shi had no choice but to come here today to persuade her daughter. Whose daughter would go out like this? But when she arrived at her daughter's boudoir, Baoqin had already taken Chunyan out, leaving her empty-handed, and she could only stamp her feet in anger.

On the carriage to Qiupu Street, the eager master and servant had been flirting with each other. Although Chunyan was older than Baoqin, she was much more playful. At this moment, she was pretending to be facing her second master and said, "Second Master, have you thought about what kind of shop to buy later?"

"Let's see." Baoqin deliberately lowered her voice and was very frugal with words, so it was hard to hear for a while. Being taciturn is exactly how the second master of the Xue family will behave in the future.

The two fake boys laughed and made a mess. The laughter reached outside the carriage, and the steward who followed him heard it, and he was extremely anxious. Last night, the master repeatedly told him to take good care of the young lady. How could he, a small steward, dare to ignore it.

Alas, after all, why is my luck so bad that I have to take this unlucky job.

After Baoqin and her group met up with Chen Heng, they came to the store that Chen Heng had chosen in the morning, accompanied by Zhao Zhushi. The location of the store can't be said to be good or bad, it can only be considered average.

After all, they entered late, and the good locations on the street had been bought up, and what good places were left. Such a location is not that expensive, and it uses the 8,000 taels funded by Uncle Xue. Chen Heng didn't feel bad about spending it, anyway, this store and business were under Baoqin's name, and Chen Heng didn't intend to get involved and take advantage of this little advantage.

He spent 150 taels to buy the store, and Zhao Zhushi took care of the paperwork and other trivial matters on the spot. He had already received the notice from the government office, and now he only followed Chen Heng's lead. He just hoped that the other party would have some tricks to turn stone into gold and quickly correct the mistake he made.

After deciding on a place, the remaining things were decoration and storefront. The former was not urgent and could be done slowly. The latter was more important. Otherwise, if we didn't hang a store name archway to make it more conspicuous, who would know what this shop sold.

The store name was the easiest to come up with. According to the current style, it could be called Xue's Clothing Shop. Chen Heng wrote these words on a piece of paper and gave it to Xue's servants to make a plaque.

The remaining trivial matters needed Baoqin to make the final decision herself. There was a steward standing next to her. When the steward asked a question, Baoqin nodded or shook her head, all according to her thoughts. After a while, piles of wood were moved into the store.

Seeing that he didn't need to worry about the things in the store, Chen Heng took Zhao Zhushi to the workshop. On this side, many craftsmen in the workshop had already begun to count the various stocks in the warehouse.

Three days later, Chen Heng, who got the detailed data, immediately took Xinda, Liu Xianglian, and Baoqin to board the passenger ship to Suzhou.

Ah, the update is early today. Hahahaha, I started writing at one o'clock in the afternoon.