Chapter 17 New media and old friends

After calling Ah Fu to ask, I found out that Ah Xiang was "White Xiang" in a small grocery store nearby.There were two old couples in that grocery store, and there was only one seventeen-year-old daughter. Hu Xueyan had also seen her before.Ah Xiang fell in love with him, and as soon as Hu Xueyan went out, he went to the grocery store for a while. He was his family's unpaid meal clerk and street walker. "Master wants to call him, I'll call him back." "No need!" Hu Xueyan felt better after hearing this piece of "news", and simply left sister Aqiao to take care of Axiang's business, "That's pretty interesting! What's the name of the daughter of that family?"

"And—" Ah Fu said with difficulty, "it's the same as grandma's nickname." It turned out to be Aqiao, "That's really a coincidence!" Hu Xueyan smiled with interest. "I told Ah Xiang, when you call someone, don't call them by their name directly. That's against grandma's taboo. It's not good to be a servant. It's unruly." This is the opinion of those who are knowledgeable about books and etiquette. He didn't want to appear on the sedan chair with two muddy legs. Hu Xueyan was both surprised and happy, but it was Ah Xiang who asked the question.

"Why doesn't he call people by their nicknames?" Hu Xueyan asked, "Could it be called elder sister, younger sister? Isn't that too nasty." "Yeah! That's too nasty. Ah Xiang told me that he and others don't call each other's names at all, and both of them are 'hello'. When mentioning it in front of her parents, Ah Xiang said' Your eldest lady'." "That's wonderful!" Hu Xueyan thought to himself that a man and a woman would address each other with the word "Hi" and know each other by voice, so it is by no means a general relationship, and asked, "How does her parents treat Ah Xiang?"

"Her parents are very fond of Ah Xiang." "How do you call it quite satisfactory?" Hu Xueyan asked, "Could it be that he is treated as a 'hair-legged son-in-law'?" "It's almost that interesting." "Since that's the case, you should come out to meddle in business and have him a glass of wedding wine!" "Ah Xiang was bought by the master, and everything must be decided by the master. How dare we take care of this nosy matter, and besides, we can't do this nosy matter." "how?" "For a happy event -"

Hu Xueyan understood, nodded and said, "I see. You call Ah Xiang back for me." In less than a cup of tea, Ah Xiang was found.His face was embarrassing, a little embarrassed.Obviously, he had heard what Ah Fu said on the way, and he knew what was going on. "Are you ten years old?" "Seventeen." "Seventeen!" Hu Xueyan hesitated, "It's too early." He paused and asked again, "How old is 'their eldest lady'?" This address to Aqiao was imitated by Axiang. It was a joke, but it sounded like a sneer. Yes, her birthday is March 3rd."

"I even know people's time!" Hu Xueyan couldn't help laughing, but in order to maintain his dignity, he couldn't help but ask with a smile, "What's the family name of that family?" "My surname is Wei." "How does Boss Wei treat you?" Hu Xueyan said, "Isn't he going to give you his daughter? Don't be embarrassed, tell me the truth." "Of course I'm telling the truth to the master." Ah Xiang replied, "Boss Wei didn't say anything, but the lady boss revealed it. She said: The old couple only have one daughter, and they are reluctant to separate. If they want to marry her daughter, they must marry her."

"What do you say?" "I'm pretending to be confused." "Why?" Hu Xueyan asked, "Is it because you don't want to marry into the Wei family?" "It's useless for me. I changed my surname to that of the master's family. Why should I change my surname to Wei?" "You have a conscience." Hu Xueyan nodded with satisfaction, "I have my own reasons." This is of course a good thing!Ah Xiang was full of joy, but he was still thin-skinned. He knew it was an excellent opportunity, but he didn't dare to ask for it.

He didn't speak but felt stiff and uncomfortable.So he accosted and asked, "I'm afraid the master hasn't eaten yet? I'll take care of them!" Then he shouted, "Suxiang, Suxiang!" Su Xiang flashed out from the lower room, without looking at Ah Xiang, walked in front of him, muttered in a low voice: "Screaming like a soul!" Then she went to Hu Xueyan and asked, "Master called me?" Seeing it in the eyes of the host, he suddenly realized, no wonder she was a bit lazy to answer when asked her where Ah Xiang was!It turned out that Ah Xiang and Wei Ah happened to be on good terms, and she was jealous.From this point of view, Luohua has intentions and flowing water is ruthless, so Ah Xiang has failed her.

Thinking of this, she feels aggrieved for Suxiang.But until now, there is no reason to intervene indiscriminately and disturb the situation that has already been done. The only way is to pretend to be puzzled and find something to send Su Xiang to do it. "I won't be eating at home anymore." He told Ah Xiang, "Go to Boss Zhang right away and tell him that I'll treat him to a drink. What's the name of the hotel at the entrance of the alley?" "It's called Wang Baohe." "I'm waiting for him at Wang Baohe. Go quickly and ask him to come right away."

"Yes!" Ah Xiang agreed loudly as if he had obeyed the general's order, and hurried downstairs. As soon as he left, Hu Xueyan finished drinking a cup of Suxiang's tea and went out.Walking to Wang Baohe and looking in, Boss Wang has sharp eyes and hurried out to greet him, bowing his back and saying hello: "Why is Mr. Hu free? Are you looking for someone?" "No! Come to your place for a drink." Boss Wang suddenly felt flattered: "Please! Please! It happens that the private seat is free. It's a coincidence that Mr. Hu came." The so-called elegant seat is a protruding abbot. A table is matched with a table of eight immortals. There is also a shrine on the table, and in it is a god card of "the seat of the clan of Wang Shizhaomu".When Hu Xueyan looked at this display, he became more nostalgic, as if he was in a small hotel near Yanqiao, Hangzhou, remembering those days when he and Fatty Zhang went to get drunk.

"Master Hu, I will open a pot of authentic Shaoxing Huadiao, you old man have a try." "It's up to you." Hu Xueyan asked, "What appetizers do you have?" "The razor clams are just on the market. There are whip bamboo shoots, which are very tender. Then there are sauced duck and bad chicken." "It's all ready. I want two other things, 'Single Crab' and fried stinky tofu." "Single-legged crab" is germinated beans, a must for hotels of all sizes.Deep-fried stinky tofu is difficult. "At this time, the burden is over." Boss Wang said, "I don't know if there is any." "Must!" Hu Xueyan said stubbornly, "You call someone, go two more steps to find it, you must buy it!" "Yes, yes! I will definitely buy it, I will definitely buy it!" Boss Wang promised repeatedly, and asked a young apprentice to look for it everywhere, and specially said, "Go and come back soon." So, Hu Xueyan drank alone first.For a table of wine and dishes, he took only one sprouted bean, and what he chewed was not the bean, but the taste of Han Weichenguang's bitter pleasure.There is an indescribable feeling of longing that is both bitter and comforting in my heart. When he raised his eyes, he suddenly realized that Fatty Zhang was standing in front of him with a smile, and then he realized that he was lost in thought, so he asked with concentration, "Have you eaten yet?" "I'm eating wine, Ah Xiang came." Fatty Zhang sat down and asked, "I'm having a free day today, so I thought of coming here for a drink?" "It's not leisure, it's boring." Fatty Zhang had never heard such discouraging words from him, so he couldn't help but open his eyes and wanted to ask, but the hot wine smelled bad, so he didn't care about talking and wanted to drink first. "Good wine!" He took a sip and said, smacking his lips, "I'm on my way to Shaoxing Huadiao." "No matter how good the wine is, it's not as good as the soju we ate in Yanqiao." "Ouch!" Fatty Zhang looked up, "It's a bit like the 'pure number' hotel we used to patronize." "I don't know what's going on now?" Hu Xueyan sighed slightly, raised his face, and drank a bowl. "You can't drink this wine like this! You'll get drunk." Fatty Zhang stopped drinking and said with a sad face, "Why are you unhappy?" "Nothing! I kind of miss Hangzhou, and I kind of miss the old days. Lao Zhang, 'Don't forget the friends of the poor and the poor, and the wives of the poor don't go to court', come, I respect you!" Fatty Zhang didn't know how he felt, so he looked at him anxiously and said, "Eat less, eat less! Take your time." Fortunately, Hu Xueyan is an open-minded person with a very good wine ethics. After two bowls of wine, he only wants to be happy.Thinking of Ah Xiang, he immediately asked, "Old Zhang, there is a grocery store in front, the owner's surname is Wei, do you recognize him?" "We are colleagues, why don't we know each other? You ask him, there must be a reason?" "He has a daughter, also named Aqiao, with a round face, which looks like a man. You always know her well?" Hearing this, Fatty Zhang became very excited, sat up straight with vigor, opened his eyes and looked at Hu Xueyan, nodded, and replied slowly: "I know you very well, and I will be here every ten days or eight days." Come to my store." "Why?" "Her old man buys goods and comes to me to open positions. She always comes." "In that case, his grocery store is also pitiful." "That's right, it was originally a small business." Fatty Zhang said, "It's just what he does. If it's rich, you don't care about copper and silver, and parents may not agree." "What are you willing to do?" Hu Xueyan didn't understand what he said. "Ask you! Didn't you say she looks like a man?" Hu Xueyan was stunned for a moment, and suddenly realized, he spurted out a mouthful of wine, and quickly turned his face away, choking and laughing at the same time.Make a fat man Zhang Er King Kong confused. "Ah! Old Zhang, you've always liked to think you're smart all your life. Where did you think you were?" "You," Fatty Zhang murmured, "don't you want a young man who can raise a son?" "So, you are pretending to be smart. How can this happen? However, the talk is a happy event, and the matchmaker still wants to invite you to do it." Then, Hu Xueyan told the story of the relationship between Ah Xiang and Ah Qiao. Fatty Zhang listened. "Okay!" Fatty Zhang said happily, "This matchmaker will definitely not 'pound plum pulp'!" "Chung plum pulp" is a common saying in Hangzhou. A matchmaker makes a pair of resentful couples. Both men and women resent the matchmaker. When there is a dispute, the matchmaker is ordered to negotiate.When Lao Zhang said this, it meant that he was also very satisfied with this marriage, which made Hu Xueyan feel more comfortable and satisfied with the matter.Happily, the conditions were relaxed again. "Talk to Boss Wei that it's okay to be married, but not to change the surname. Since his daughter is suitable for a man, I'm not afraid that he doesn't have many sons. In the future, he can choose a cigarette that can match their Wei family. As for Ah Xiang, I'll call him He is also in the grocery business, and I will lend him a thousand silver dollars as capital." "Since this is the case, there is no need to talk about the dowry. The dowry, the banquet, everything is arranged by the man's family. After worship, the two families will become a family. Boss Wei does not spend a penny, and there is a son-in-law who takes care of them. He should be satisfied with such a cheap good thing. Look at me, it will be a success as soon as I talk about it tomorrow, and I will pick a day to hold a happy event immediately." "Then please. I will seal the red envelope of Xie Mei, and wait for you to come and get it." "Thank you for the matchmaker! Can't you help me less?" Speaking of this, the little apprentice brought a large plate of fried stinky tofu.Hu Xueyan didn't have time to say more, and after eating three yuan in a row, he looked like he was gobbling it, which made the talkative Fatty Zhang want to speak again. "See if you don't eat other dishes, but germinated beans and stinky tofu are really good!" Hu Xueyan nodded, paused and replied: "My old brother Ji Heling told me a story: Once upon a time, there was a poor scholar who went to live in a temple and became friends with an old monk. The old monk often dug some Taro, simmered in hot ashes, poor scholars ate it with relish. Later, the poor scholar became famous all over the world in one fell swoop and became a high-ranking official. Thinking of the taste of simmering taro, the poor scholar came to visit the old man. Monk, you have to taste it. After you taste it, you will say it’s not good. The old monk replied: The taro has not changed, but you have changed! Today I want to eat germinated beans and dried stinky tofu, which seems to be such a kind mean." "I see! You still remember that when we 'set a bowl' in Chunhao, we always served these two things with wine." Fatty Zhang then asked, "Now that you have tasted it, is it the same as before?" "yes." "That's rare!" Fatty Zhang laughed at his insincere words, "Did the shark fin and sea cucumber take advantage of your mouth?" "You're mistaken. I'm not saying they're good! They weren't good before, and they're not good now." "I don't understand this! Why eat it if it doesn't taste good?" Fatty Zhang said, "I don't know how many times I have eaten it before, and I have never heard you say that sprouted beans and stinky tofu are not delicious." "It's not delicious, needless to say, try to find something delicious to eat. Empty talk is useless at all, and it will make people refuse to suffer!" Fatty Zhang was stunned by these few words. He stared blankly at him for a long time before he said: "Old Hu, we have known each other for not three or five years. I didn't know your true nature until today. It's no wonder! It makes sense for me to climb up to the position of big boss today, from a big guy in a bank to opening a small grocery store.” Fatty Zhang, who was always smiling, suddenly felt a great deal of emotion, and his face turned depressed.Hu Xueyan understood his dissatisfaction from his complaints, and naturally felt very sad after years of adversity and poverty. He really wanted to comfort him, so he thought of the plan he had discussed with Liu Bucai and Gu Yingchun, and soon contacted Xiao Zhang from Hangzhou and Sun Xiangtai from Jiaxing, and planned to sell Yangguang groceries on a large scale. share?Of course, the stock capital is paid for him by himself. As long as he helps, it will be more promising than keeping a small grocery store. The words were already about to be spoken, but it was wrong to think about it, Fatty Zhang couldn't keep his mouth shut, and this plan to sell Yangguang groceries was effective, so it was not appropriate for him to hear about it.To help him, it is better to think of another way. After thinking about it for a while, I had an idea, "Old Zhang," he said, "I also know that you are wronged now. But the times are not right, so I have to guard it for a while. My bank, you know, the old roots in Hangzhou are broken. , there will be no source of running water! It is also a situation where we are struggling. There must be hope, and we must work hard. Will you come and help me?" "You and I can't talk about whether we are willing or not. But, Lao Hu, I'm really sorry. I'm so disappointed in the Qianzhuang meal. Think about it, my former boss, I worked hard for him like that. When it came to the end, If you didn't do me a big favor, I would have been involved in the lawsuit. Since then, I have been punished and will never eat money! I run a small business, no matter what, I am still a boss." Speaking of here , Fatty Zhang felt that he had lost his word, and quickly added, "As for you, the situation is of course different. But I have punished you with a curse, and I will not help others to run a bank. This curse is punished by kneeling in front of Guandi Bodhisattva, so it is not good to play. Hu, thousands of words and one sentence: I'm sorry!" After speaking, he raised his glass to express his apology. "I can't eat this glass of wine. I have a few words to ask you. If you punish the curse, do you want to help others run a bank?" "yes." "That is to say, not to be a buddy for others?" "Yes!" Fatty Zhang replied heavily. "Then, Lao Zhang, you have to figure it out first, I didn't ask you to be Fukang's buddy." "What are you doing?" Fatty Zhang asked in amazement. "Being a shareholder is equivalent to being your own boss! In this way, you won't be able to answer any curse you want to punish." "Be a shareholder!" Fatty Zhang was moved, "However, I have no capital." "I'll lend you the capital. I'll transfer 10,000 silver and count it as your share. You will manage the affairs, and you will get another salary." Hu Xueyan said, "I have also figured out a way out for you for your small grocery store, and I will give it to you. Ah Xiang, he naturally went to his father-in-law's place. Look, isn't this a matter of course?" Such a condition, such a friendship, normally speaking, Fatty Zhang should keep his promise, but he is still hesitating, because first, he has been hit in the bank business, and he is indeed a bit chilled; second, making friends is a change of heart In my heart, only because Hu Xueyan is so loving, I have to think about it even more, if after taking over, I am not sure to open up the situation, rectify the internal situation, let my good friends down, it is better to say goodbye now, and keep the friendship. Of course, he couldn't say no to it, and he was reluctant to say no. After thinking about it, he said, "Let me have a look first." "Look? You don't need to read it!" Hu Xueyan said, "The situation in Fukang is not as lively as it was when Wang Xuegong was alive, so it naturally looks worse. Compared with his counterparts in Shanghai, to be honest, the situation is worse than that. It’s really more than enough. Fukang has never been short-lived, and the accounts that have been lent out are all reliable, and the few big depositors are also very rich, so I don’t want to withdraw money all at once. The problem is that I can’t put all my energy on it. The guy I invited was honest and not in good health, so he was lifeless and did not improve. Of course it will be different if you go. When I come to come up with two ideas, please do it with one hand and work together to win Fukang. This signboard is painted so that it shines golden." According to this, it is possible to do it, but, "What is my identity in Fukang?" He said, "You know the rules of the bank." According to the rules of the bank, the power is in everyone's hands, and shareholders are not allowed to intervene. Hu Xueyan had planned, and replied without hesitation: "For me, you are a shareholder, and for Fukang, you are a group. You don't work for others, you work for yourself." This explanation was satisfactory. Fatty Zhang expressed his satisfaction, and resolutely replied: "Then it's a deal. You come up with the idea, and I will take care of the matter. It is you who come out on the outside, and I am responsible for the inside." "Excellent! That's exactly what I meant—" "Slow down." Fatty Zhang suddenly thought of it, and asked impatiently, "Where's the original old man?" "You don't have to worry about that. He is not in good health, and his son has already made his debut. He is working as a 'combado' in an American foreign firm. I have long advised him to go home and enjoy the blessings. He has resigned several times because I treated him well. , I don’t let him go, so I’m embarrassed to leave. Now that you can take over, he really wishes for it.” Fatty Zhang felt relieved, "I'm afraid I'll lose his job!" He sighed again, "My boss is not good, so I can't let him scold him behind his back." "Do you think I'm that kind of person?" Hu Xueyan asked, "Old Zhang, a gentleman's word is hard to follow. From now on, we are considered a partnership! Let's talk about business experience, you see, what should we do? ?” This time, Fatty Zhang was stopped.He was born as an apprentice in a bank, and he worked step by step as a member of the group. When talking about internal management, it depends on the actual situation. When talking about external development, he must first understand the market.If he wanted to come up with an idea out of thin air, he would be blinded. After thinking for a while, he said: "The price of silver fluctuates a lot now. If you are well informed, the interest rate will not be small between the exchange in and out and the transfer of hands." "Of course. It's up to you to do it yourself. There's no need to discuss it." Hu Xueyan said, "What we need to discuss is that we should go far in the long run and see that after three to five years, the overall situation will be certain. .” "This—" Fatty Zhang laughed, "I don't have this ability anymore." When talking about business, Hu Xueyan was always the most active, and when he was slightly drunk, his interest became even better. "It's rare to be free today, so let's make a good plan." He asked, "Old Zhang, you are always familiar with the rules of Shanxi bank. right?" "The lines are like mountains. Banks and ticket offices seem to be in the same industry, and they do things differently." Fatty Zhang dared not tell the truth in front of Hu Xueyan. .” "We are a bank, and the only strong enemy is the Shanxi Bank. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle, so I usually pay attention to this aspect. Now, I might as well tell you something first." According to Hu Xueyan's understanding, the Shanxi bank was originally mainly engaged in exchange operations, and the capital was the center.In the past few years, the roads have been turbulent, the roads have been difficult, and it has been inconvenient to transfer public funds to Beijing. Therefore, the ticket office has invisibly acted as an agent for some of the tasks of the Ministry and Provincial Treasury.There are also giant businessmen and officials in various provinces who think that the most stable place in the world is the capital, so they remit more cash to the capital, which is actually a deposit.The purpose of these deposits is not to make profits, but to preserve capital, so the interest is extremely light. "If you have a deposit, you have to find a way out. The position is bad, and the big ingot will not make a small ingot." Hu Xueyan said, "Shanxi bank in recent years has been popular in lending money to Beijing officials, which is called 'Lending Beijing Loans'. Listen Said IOU of 10,000 taels, actually paid 7,000—” "What?" Fatty Zhang interrupted loudly, "What kind of debt is this? It's worse than loan sharks!" "You say it's worse than loan sharks, but the borrowers are willing to borrow it. Anyway, the wool comes from the sheep, and the common people are unlucky!" "how?" "Think about it, what do you get to repay the debts of an official? Naturally, the common people will pay for him. For example, if someone releases your Zhejiang feudal lord, the capital will pay for your appointment fee. After you take office, you will buy a mansion, buy sedan chairs and horses, and employ subordinates. Which one doesn't cost money? So I borrowed a Beijing debt first, and then I tried to transfer a sum of money to pay it back, and then slowly make up for it. If I don't use my brains on the common people, wouldn't I be in a deficit?" "Isn't there any risk in this way of doing things! For example, when the time comes, you won't admit it?" "No. First, there is a guarantor. The guarantor must also be a Beijing official; second, there is an IOU. If you default on the debt, submit a letter to the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and the censor will intervene. The defaulter will lose his official position; Third, since there are people helping the bank, no one is allowed to renege on their debts. Why? A group of poor Hanlin usually rely on debts to survive, so they hope to be released as examiners, as academic officials, and accept the respect of students "Come to repay the debt, and borrow again after repaying, and life can still go on. If someone defaults on the debt, the bank will unite, saying that the official has no credit, and will not borrow from then on. Of course, the poor Hanlin will panic and will help the bank to collect the debt. Hu Xueyan paused for a while and said, "In terms of risks, there is only one thing. If a new official takes office, something happens halfway, or he dies, or loses the official position. But it also depends on the situation. shoulders." "No wonder!" Fatty Zhang said, "In the past few years, Qi, Tai, and Ping have established branch offices in various provinces. It turns out that there are such benefits!" He said eagerly, "Why don't we learn from others?" "Here!" Hu Xueyan drank a glass of wine, "That's exactly what I mean." What Hu Xueyan meant was to make two loans in the same way as the ticket number.The first one is for officials.Due to the difficult roads between the north and the south, and the different times, in recent years, officials have been transferred and promoted, and most of them have not followed the routine. Although the so-called "referral to the ministry" system has not been abolished, it has been handled in many ways.In particular, civil and military officials whose military merits are guaranteed to be promoted, all of them will serve as vassals and standard divisions, and be in charge of a province's money valley and judicial officials.For those who have never been to Beijing, they will be released from Beijing to fill in the vacancies, and they can naturally borrow debts from Beijing. If they are promoted in the south of the Yangtze River, for example, the county magistrate of Jiangsu is promoted to the magistrate of Hubei.Hu Xueyan intends to follow the example of Beijing Debt and help these people. "Of course there are risks. But you have to make up your mind to make up for the shortage. Since the establishment of Lijin, I don't know how many people have made a fortune. Those who get tax differentials like this, one day earlier, one day more benefits, No matter how high the interest rate is, he will still borrow it, and he will not suffer default. Our approach is to earn more from these accounts to make up for the default. Let’s make it clear first, we are 'robbing the rich and helping the poor' practice." "Stealing from the rich and helping the poor!" Fatty Zhang read it twice, nodded and said, "I understand the truth. What about the second item?" "The second item of loan is to the inland gentry families who fled to Shanghai. Most of these families lived on rent collection in their original places. They carried a birdcage to make tea in the morning, slept in the bath pond in the afternoon, and set up a tea shop in the evening. A bowl of', and go home drunk. Three hundred and sixty days a year, at least three hundred days. This kind of person, compliment him, say he is a young master. To put it bluntly, he is a vagrant. If It's not that the ancestors accumulated virtues and left behind a lot of furniture, so they must be "reaching out to the general". When fleeing from disaster, there was always some cash in hand, and it would not be "in trouble" for a while. As time goes on, sitting and eating, it is here again In the wild barbarian field, so in the past few years, there are quite a few famous young masters who are about to beg for food!" This is not an exaggeration, Fatty Zhang has encountered a few, and the situation is the most miserable, even making a living off his wife and daughter.Therefore, what Hu Xueyan said deeply sympathized with him, but he didn’t take it seriously when he just lent money to these people. "No." Hu Xueyan said, "We have to open our eyes to look at it. Changmao's life is almost exhausted! Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces were liberated, and those who fled returned to their hometowns. Large fields and longmao couldn't be taken away. They suffered a little bit. Years, still the young master. How could you repay the debt?" "Ah!" Fatty Zhang took a deep breath, "I haven't thought of this level yet. According to what you said, I have a way." "you say!" "Tell them to take the land deed as a mortgage. If there is no land deed, write an IOU, stating that if the debt is not repaid, they are willing to pay the price of a certain field." "Yes! This way, it will be more reliable." "Also!" Fatty Zhang had a long talk with Hu Xueyan, which inspired a lot and made him smarter. He said, "Since it is to save the poor, we must look farther. Those who come from the class of young masters have ten thousand and one Wan, who is desperate, so the first time you come to mortgage, you can't make a full bet, and prepare for him to increase the bet when he is not allowed to pass the door." This is exactly the right way to talk about it. The more we talk about it, the more we talk about it, and the deeper we talk about it.However, only talking about lending, where can the money come from?Fatty Zhang has always had such a question in his heart, but he is unwilling to ask it out, because in his expectation, Hu Xueyan, who is thoughtful and meticulous, will definitely mention it first, without asking. But Hu Xueyan never mentioned this aspect, which forced him to ask: "Old Hu, the terms of these two loans are long, especially for those who have land. There is a certain period of recovery, I am afraid it will not be a matter of three or two years. This position is not rare, have you planned it?" "Of course I've thought about it. What should I do for a business that only lends money and has no deposits? I have a way to attract deposits. I'm afraid you don't agree." "Why do you think I don't agree? For business, if you have deposits coming in, don't you want to push them out?" Hu Xueyan answered immediately, smiled, took a sip of wine, and looked very secretive, which made Fatty Zhang elusive again.He had complicated feelings in his heart, admiration and a little wariness. He felt that Hu Xueyan had so many tricks, and he couldn't take it lightly when getting along with such a person. Finally he opened his mouth, and Hu Xueyan asked something unexpected: "Old Zhang, for example: I am Changmao, and a sum of money is deposited with you under a pseudonym, do you dare to accept it?" "This—" Fatty Zhang replied, "Why don't you dare?" "What if there are conditions?" "What conditions?" "He doesn't want interest, and it's not a demand term. Three or five years, it's due to withdraw. There is only one condition. No matter what, it must be paid in full." "Of course I pay as much as I want, what else can I do?" "Old Zhang, you don't understand what I mean, and you don't understand the pros and cons of it. You always know that the house is ransacked. If the person who is ransacked has private property elsewhere, he will be pursued as usual. Now that is to say, Even if the government chases after you for this deposit in the future, you will still have to pay it. May I ask if you dare to take this risk?" When Fatty Zhang said this, he suddenly realized, "I don't dare!" He shook his head, "If there is such a situation, and the government comes to pursue it, I dare not report it, otherwise it will be a serious crime of concealing adverse birth. Wait a minute After chasing it, how do you deal with it when someone comes to withdraw money when the time limit is reached?" "I know you don't dare!" Hu Xueyan said, "I dare! Why? I don't expect to chase after him in the future." "Oh, why do you see that? Tell me a reason and let me hear." "What's the point of reasoning? We've been beating Changmao for several years, and we've captured quite a few Changmao leaders alive. When will the government chase them down?" Hu Xueyan lowered his voice and said, "Look again, the officers and soldiers captured Changmao. Mao, of course the raids are all gone, and they will not be reported at all. If you want to chase them, start with the raiding officers and soldiers first. Isn’t that asking for trouble? As I said, Chang Mao’s life is almost exhausted! Many people are in the dark Thinking, they still have another catastrophe, as long as they escape this catastrophe, they will be able to live comfortably for the rest of their lives." "What kind of catastrophe was it?" "This catastrophe is the collapse of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Once it collapses, Changmao will naturally become a 'rat crossing the street'. Everyone shouts and beats it. It is the most dangerous time in that chaotic period. As long as the situation is stable, the imperial court will naturally issue an order: the first evil must be punished, and the subordinates will be punished." Don't ask, let alone pursue their private property. So, as long as you escape this disaster, you can live comfortably in the rest of your life." Speaking of this, Fatty Zhang suddenly realized.There is a way to escape the catastrophe that is full of long hair, one is to save life, and the other is to save birth.When catastrophe comes, even if you can escape with your life, you cannot escape with your property.In other words, it is easier to preserve life than to preserve labor, so early arrangements should be made. After I figured it out, I couldn't help calling it "wonderful" again and again!But Fatty Zhang shook his head instead of nodding, "Old Hu," he said with a sense of unreasonable worry, "you will be forbidden by heaven if you use such a brain!" "It's not surprising! I don't have any intention of harming others, why am I being tabooed by heaven?" "So, does it break the law?" Fatty Zhang felt that what he said was too straightforward, and quickly explained, "Old Hu, I'm really because this method is so good. As the saying goes: all good things take time! I'm afraid that there will be something that won't work , a little worried." "You're asking a good question. We can't do things that break the law. However, the court's royal law is a well-defined thing. What he says, we do, this is law-abiding. He didn't say it, we can do it ourselves Concealing the criminal’s property is certainly a crime, but when discussing the law, we also have a saying: When someone comes to deposit money, there is no word written on his forehead: I am Changmao. Who knows his identity if he deposits under a pseudonym? " "Actually, we know it, but we can't justify it in conscience!" "Old Zhang, old Zhang!" Hu Xueyan drank a sip of wine, sighed and said joyfully, "I didn't misunderstand the person, you are kind and honest, which is really good. But when it comes to conscience, the conscience of a businessman can only be treated by customers. Speaking. Fair trade, no bullying, old or young, is our conscience. As for the imperial court, those who want to be an official should have a conscience. This is actually the same as doing business with customers. , the imperial court is the patrons of civil and military officials, and their parents, so they have to talk about their conscience. We don’t have to talk about it.” "What are you talking about if you don't talk about your conscience?" "Teaching the law and obeying the law to the court is to speak conscience to the court." Fatty Zhang nodded, drank his wine and pondered for a while before he opened his mouth happily: "Old Hu, I have figured it out. For many years, I can't figure out why there are no traitors, traitors, traitors, traitors, farmers, businessmen, etc. Only profiteers? It can be seen that the conscience of a businessman is special. But I don’t understand how to be particular about it. Now I understand! To abide by the law of the court and be fair to customers is to be conscientious and not a profiteer!” "That's right! Let me be honest: businessmen abide by the court's laws, and officials have a conscience towards the court, and the world will surely be peaceful. Let me say one more thing: as long as officials show their conscience to the court, businessmen will not dare to disobey the law. If Officials have no conscience towards the court, so it would be pedantic to ask us to show our conscience to the court.” "Well, well, let me think about your words again." Fatty Zhang said while thinking, "For example, a long-haired boss was caught, ransacked his house, an official wiped his conscience, and embezzled this person Property, that is to say no to conscience. What if we talk about conscience? Changmao deposits money under an alias, saying that it should be confiscated, but we can’t accept it. The result? The corrupt officials are still embezzled by him for nothing. Yes!” He slapped the table and said loudly, "It's no use just doing business to show conscience to the court. We just need to abide by the law!" "Old Zhang!" Hu Xueyan also happily offered a cup, "This is the only way to truly figure it out." This meal of wine was very enjoyable, and Fatty Zhang rushed to do it in the end.When they broke up, Hu Xueyan took special care of him. He wanted to take advantage of the two days before his family came to Shanghai to make arrangements for Qianzhuang and Ah Xiang. Because the whole family reunited after the robbery, he planned to spend time with his mother. What mattered at that time? All important things have to be put on hold. Fatty Zhang made no noise.As soon as I got home, I discussed with my wife how to close the small grocery store.His wife was quite knowledgeable, and after hearing what her husband said, she was both happy and sad.Walking into the bedroom, he opened the box and took out a tissue package, and opened it to Fatty Zhang to see, it was a silver inlaid wind rattan bracelet that was not very valuable. The husband is baffled, what does this bracelet have to do with the matter in question?But Mrs. Zhang wants to talk about a past event from this, "This bracelet belongs to Xueyan! Just on this bracelet, I can see that he is going to be prosperous." She said, "It's because he didn't meet Wang Fu. At that time, his job in the bank was broken, and life was very difficult. One day, he came to tell me that a good friend of his came from Jinhua to Hangzhou to find a job. He was sick in the inn and owed the room and board For half a month, I still need to ask a doctor to see a doctor, and I can’t go through the door without five taels of silver. I asked if I could do him a favor. I think that although Xueyan is down and out, he doesn’t look like he is unlucky. A bamboo cloth gown, although faded It was stained, and it was patched, and it was still clean and starched, so it can be seen that his family is also virtuous and able to help men. Just for this, I didn't hit a single one, and lent him five taels of silver." “咦！”张胖子大感兴趣，“还有这么一段故事，倒没听你说过。钱，后来还你没有？” “你不要打岔，听我说！”张太太说，“当时雪岩对我说：'现在我境况不好。这五两银子不知道啥时候能还，不过我一定会还。'说老实话，我肯借给他，自然也不打算他一时会还，所以我说：'不要紧！等你有了还我。'他就从膀子上勒下这只风藤镯子，交到我手里：'镯子连一两银子都不值，不能算押头，不过这只镯子是我娘的东西，我看得很贵重。这样子做，是提醒我自己，不要忘记掉还人家的钱。'我不肯要，他一定不肯收回，就摆了下来。” “这不像雪岩的为人，他说了话一定算数的。” “你以为镯子摆在我这里，就是他没有还我那五两银子？不是的！老早就还了。” "when?" “就在他脱运交运，王抚台放到浙江来做官，没有多少时候的事。” “那么镯子怎么还在你手里呢？” “这就是雪岩做人，不能不服他的道理。当时他送来一个红封套，里头五两银子银票，另外送了四色水礼。我拿镯子还他，他不肯收。他说，现在的五两银子绝不是当时的五两银子，他欠我的情，还没有报。这只镯子留在我这里，要我有啥为难的时候去找他，等帮过我一个忙，镯子才肯收回。我想，他娘现在戴金佩玉，也不在乎一只风藤镯子，无所谓的事了，所以我就留了下来。那次他帮你一个大忙，我带了四样礼去看他，特为去送镯子。他又不肯收。” “这是啥道理？”张胖子越感兴味，“我倒要听听他又是怎么一套说法？” “他说，他帮你的忙，是为了同行的义气，再说男人在外头的生意，不关太太的事。所以他欠我的情，不能'划账'，镯子叫我仍旧收着，他将来总要替我做件称心满意的事，才算补报了我的情。” “话倒也有道理。雪岩这个人够味道就在这种地方，明明帮你的忙，还要教你心里舒坦。闲话少说，我们倒商量商量看，这爿杂货店怎么样交出去？”张胖子皱着眉说，“麻雀虽小，五脏俱全，人欠欠人的账目，鸡零狗碎的，清理起来，着实好有几天头痛。” “头痛，为啥要头痛？人欠欠人都有账目的，连店址带货色'一脚踢'。我们'推位让国'都交给了人家，拍拍身子走路，还不轻松？” 张胖子大喜，“对！还是你有决断。”他说，“明天雪岩问我盘这爿店要多少钱，我就说，我是一千六百块洋钱下本，仍旧算一千六百块好了。” 这套说法完全符合张太太的想法。三四年的经营，就这片刻间决定割舍，夫妇俩都无留恋之意，因为对“老本行”毕竟有根深蒂固的感情在，而且又是跟胡雪岩在一起。相形之下，这爿小杂货店就不是“鸡肋”而是“敝屣”了。