Chapter 204: Let’s Look at the Account Book
Pingjiang Prefecture, Changzhou County.
Hong Zhenye followed his father, Hong Shi’an, into the woodworking shop.
“Who are you looking for?”
The apprentice, who was learning to make Luban locks in the courtyard, quickly stood up and asked with a smile.
“Is your Head of the Guild here? I’d like to discuss some business with him,” Master Hong Shi’an said with a smile.
“He’s here! Please wait a moment.” The young apprentice replied with a smile and called out, “Master, a gentleman is here to see you about business.”
“Look at you, child, can’t you even ask for his surname!”
With a scolding voice, a slightly hunched elder emerged from the house.
“My surname is Hong,” Master Hong cupped his hands and said with a smile.
“The child is young and doesn’t know any better. Please forgive him, Master Hong.” The elder quickly returned the cupped hand salute and bowed, ushering Master Hong and his party into the house. “Please come inside to talk. My humble surname is Zhang.”
Master Hong entered the house, and the two exchanged greetings again. After some polite back-and-forth, they each took a seat, and the young apprentice brought tea.
“We are from Pingjiang City, and we’ve come to see Director Zhang to discuss business regarding the dobby loom,” Master Hong said, leaning forward slightly and getting straight to the point.
“Master Hong has dobby looms to sell?” Director Zhang asked.
“Not to sell, but to buy,” Master Hong replied with a smile.
Director Zhang was somewhat surprised.
In Linhai Town, almost everyone from the Jiangnan Silk Guild had been arrested. President Zhu’s home had already been confiscated, and two people from their Changzhou County Silk Guild had also been apprehended and were still being held in Linhai Town to this day.
This was the most troublesome matter in their Changzhou County recently. Everyone said that this incident was likely similar to the one forty to fifty years ago when tax rates were unified at fifty percent. More than half of the weaving workshops would probably be unable to continue operating. Many weaving workshops had already preemptively begun to transfer their looms, weavers, and next year’s cocoons and silk threads ordered from Yangzhou.
“New or old is fine. Three-harness or four-harness looms are best, but no more than six-harness. As long as the price is right, I’ll take as many as you have,” Master Hong said with a smile.
“Is Master Hong the owner of a weaving workshop?” Director Zhang couldn’t help but ask.
“My small business primarily deals in tea leaves, and we also do some timber business,” Master Hong said with a smile.
“So, Master Hong plans to open a weaving workshop?” Director Zhang asked again.
“You could say that,” Master Hong replied with a smile.
“Have you heard about the incident in Linhai Town, Master Hong?” Director Zhang looked at Master Hong, quite puzzled.
“I have heard. There are quite a few weaving workshops in our Changzhou County. Are they all doing alright?” Master Hong asked in return.
“How could they be alright! None of them are. Does Master Hong really intend to buy dobby looms?” Director Zhang was even more puzzled.
“Yes. I’ve brought the contracts. As long as the price is right, the more looms the better,” Master Hong indicated the steward standing beside him.
“Several weaving workshops are planning to sell their looms, and they’ve asked me to keep an eye out. I thought it would be difficult to sell them, so I didn’t inquire about prices. How about I send someone to invite them over now so we can discuss it face-to-face?” Although Director Zhang was puzzled, he knew he had to seize such an opportunity quickly.
“Excellent!” Master Hong readily agreed.
Director Zhang came out and told the young apprentice to find a few more people to quickly spread the word and invite others. He also instructed them to invite a few Senior Guild Members over.
Hong Zhenye stood by, absent-minded and dejected. He watched as his father and the old steward negotiated prices and quantities for old looms with several weaving workshops, then finalized prices and monthly delivery quantities for new looms with the woodworking shop, and signed the contracts.
The steward stayed behind to inventory and accept the old looms from each workshop. Hong Zhenye and his father got into the carriage and headed for Wujiang County.
Once in the carriage, Master Hong looked at Hong Zhenye and said, “Tell me about Director Zhang. I want to see your judgment.”
“Father, is Grandpa really not letting me study anymore?” Hong Zhenye didn’t answer his father’s question and asked with a heart full of grievance.
“Your Grandpa made it very clear to you. It’s not that he’s stopping you from studying, but that you can’t just study and ignore other matters. You need to learn to manage the family business,” Master Hong said.
“Studying requires undivided attention. That’s what Grandpa said, and you said it too! Now you want me to manage the business. How can I possibly focus then?” Hong Zhenye was about to shout.
“If you focus solely on studying, who will support you? Who will support the family? How old is your Grandpa? I can’t support you forever either. If you don’t quickly learn to manage the family’s business now, when your Grandpa is gone and I’m gone, what will you do?” Master Hong raised his hand and slapped Hong Zhenye on the head.
“What’s there to do? The family’s property is enough for me to live on for several lifetimes. Besides, there are my cousins and the stewards,” Hong Zhenye said, extremely dejected.
“Nonsense! If you can’t learn to manage the property and business from me, and you don’t know how, how will you teach your son? Won’t you just be living off your inheritance for your entire life, and your son will follow suit? Even a mountain of property can be consumed. How many years will our family’s modest assets last?
“You dare glare at me, you scoundrel!
“Let me tell you why you’ll live off your inheritance: because if you don’t manage the property and business, you won’t know how hard it is to earn silver, you won’t know the wickedness of people, and you’ll inevitably squander without restraint, being easily deceived. It’s not living off your inheritance, it’s being cheated out of it, squandered away through ignorant excess!
“Firstly, your cousin has his own parents and wife and children. Would they treat you the same way Grandpa and I do? They will only think of their own small families.
“Secondly, if you don’t understand management, the stewards will surely deceive you, finding ways to turn the industries they manage into their own. There are no truly loyal servants!
“If you don’t learn to manage the property and business from me now, when Grandpa and I are gone, in just a few years, you won’t even have enough to eat.
“You scoundrel!” Master Hong slapped Hong Zhenye again.
“Even so, you should let me study for a few more years. How old am I? And Grandpa said that my fate is good, that I sit with a noble person, and can at least achieve the rank of Xiucai Scholar,” Hong Zhenye, shrinking his neck under his father’s repeated slaps, lowered his voice considerably.
“Your Grandpa had someone look into it for you. That noble person is your wife. You only have this one noble person in your destiny. Don’t think about becoming a Xiucai Scholar anymore. Just focus on looking at the account books,” Master Hong said, shoving the account book into Hong Zhenye’s arms.
“Ah! When Grandpa told me to marry Yinzhu, he clearly said that Yinzhu was a good omen for my fortune and would bring me a Xiucai Scholar…”
“You can’t believe everything your Grandpa says,” Master Hong patted his son. “Just focus on the account books.”
