Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Shen Xuan and Xue Fenglin came here for a banquet...
Shen Xuan and Xue Fenglin did not come here for nothing, but for the joint development of coastal economy which had not been agreed upon before.
Last time, Xue Fenglin had some disagreements with Lord Tang over the issue of taking a concubine, and they parted on bad terms. Lord Tang ignored Xue Fenglin for a long time and thought he would come again. Unexpectedly, not long after, I heard a rumor that Xue Fenglin bought the land in Sarawak with his own money and started something on it.
Lord Tang was also shocked when he heard this. He didn't expect Xue Fenglin to act so quickly and be willing to spend money. He should not be underestimated.
But in his heart, he always felt that Xue Fenglin was a playboy from the capital, young and mostly did things on paper. The money has been spent, but it remains to be seen whether the project will succeed.
Therefore, he just watched from the side, waiting to see Xue Fenglin make a fool of himself.
After all, Sarawak is a place that has been poor for decades. It is just a piece of sand and there are frequent typhoons. What kind of industry can it develop?
Lord Tang was not optimistic about what Xue Fenglin could come up with, but he was wary of his background in a marquisate, so he did not openly break up with him. I still sent him a message when I was planning to hold the banquet this time.
Unexpectedly, Xue Fenglin came in person and brought his husband with him. He looked amiable and smiling, as if the disagreement with Lord Tang that day had never happened. He looked like an old fox.
You have to know that Xue Fenglin has been around a lot in Beijing and is best at this kind of pretentious socializing.
He could pretend to be caring towards his enemies, the Bai family and the eldest prince, so how much more so towards Lord Tang, with whom he had only a minor disagreement?
Xue Fenglin went back that day and discussed the matter with Shen Xuan, and he calmed down after they decided on the follow-up development strategy. After a night's sleep, he forgot all about Lord Tang.
On the contrary, Lord Tang had been a local tyrant in Pengzhou for a long time. It was rare that he was confronted by someone, so he was angry for a long time when he returned home. For the next month, whenever I thought about this matter, I would say a few words angrily. It was only in recent days that I gradually let it go.
This time when he came to the Tang family for the banquet, Xue Fenglin did not aim to persuade Lord Tang directly, but instead targeted Li Yuran, the prefect of Jianzhou who was also attending the banquet.
Li Yuran is over 30 years old. His ancestral home is Huadu. It has been more than five years since he was appointed as the prefect of Jianzhou.
Jianzhou is located under Sarawak and is located on the same coastal area as Sarawak. Its geographical environment and natural resources are also quite similar.
Unlike Sarawak, Jianzhou has a long-standing custom of planting coconuts and selling seafood.
After Li Yuran became the governor of Jianzhou, he encouraged farmers to plant more coconut trees, fishermen to make seafood, and merchants to buy coconut oil and seafood for sale. After so many years, we have achieved some results.
In particular, Huadu, south of Jianzhou, is also a famous commercial destination. The coconut oil soap produced there is very famous and is even exported to Southeast Asia.
Li Yuran was originally from Huadu. He made a good living by arranging for the transportation of coconut oil from Jianzhou to Huadu for making soap. Therefore, although the people of Jianzhou are close to Sarawak, they live much better than the people of Sarawak.
Xue Fenglin and Shen Xuan had previously personally visited Jianzhou. After observing the livelihoods of the local people, they had a good impression of Li Zhizhou.
Lord Tang has been immersed in officialdom for so long that the only things on his mind are forming cliques and getting promoted. This Li Yuran seems like someone who wants to do practical things.
Since Pahang is unwilling to form an alliance with Sarawak to build a coastal economic belt, it is worth a try to establish a state. That was why Xue Fenglin came to the Tang family for a banquet specifically, just to have a good meeting with Li Yuran and then find a chance to discuss the alliance.
Since his purpose was to win over Li Yuran, Xue Fenglin could not just talk nonsense, but had to show something to prove himself.
The Xuan Ji Cloud Candy shop has been opened and business is very good. The sugar factory issue is obviously bright and can be used as evidence for negotiations.
Shen Xuan specially prepared Xuanji's special gift box, one is to give it to the Tang family as a gift, and the other is to promote his own shop and sugar factory.
Unexpectedly, when the gift box was just delivered to Miss Tang San, she was slightly startled, then covered her mouth and laughed: "I didn't expect that you, Mr. Xue, who is in Sarawak, also know about our Pengzhou's famous cloud candy? What a coincidence!"
"This cloud candy is very famous in Pengzhou these days. There is a long line in front of the shop every day. For this banquet, my mother even asked me to buy some, saying that she wanted to make some snacks for the guests."
As the third girl spoke, she took Shen Xuan to the back garden. From a distance, they could see the cakes and fruits on the table of the pavilion in the center of the lake. Among them, there was one served on a pastel porcelain plate that was particularly bright and beautiful. It was Xuan Ji’s cloud candy!
Chen Xuan was delighted, thinking to himself, isn't this just a pillow for me when I feel sleepy? Xue Fenglin must have some cloud candies in his front yard, which would make it easier for him to talk to Li Yuran!
He concealed his secret joy and said, "Miss San can call me Brother Chen. To be honest, I originally wanted to bring some fresh specialties, but I didn't expect that they were the ones that are often eaten in the mansion. I am really ashamed."
The third lady didn't think much about it, thinking that they just happened to bump into each other, so she took Shen Xuan into the pavilion in the middle of the lake and introduced them to the other officials and their wives who had already arrived.
Chen Xuan was also a good talker. Once he got into the crowd, he immediately took control of the conversation and began to talk about the customs and practices of various places.
Most of these officials' families never left their houses, and the farthest place they had been to was probably Pengzhou.
Listening to Shen Xuan talking about everything at this time, I couldn't help but feel a yearning in my heart. She also urged Shen Xuan to tell them more about the things happening in the capital so that they could broaden their horizons.
Shen Xuan smiled slightly, and after speaking briefly for a while, he changed the subject and said, "Although the wealth in the capital is fascinating, the customs of Nanyang are also unique."
"A few days ago, Lord Xue and I went to Southeast Asia for a tour. The customs and practices there are completely different from those in Dajin. There were elephants as mounts to clear the way, and snacks such as bananas, pineapples and dried coconuts were also sold, which was very interesting."
Most of the officials and their wives present had never been to Southeast Asia, but many of them had tasted the dried fruit specialty. A heated discussion immediately broke out, and people argued about which one was more delicious, dried bananas or dried pineapples?
At this point, someone looked at the Third Miss and started to flatter her, "I think these dried bananas and pineapples are not as delicious as the snacks we had at Lord Tang's house this time."
"Take the candy on the colorful plate, for example. I wonder what kind of candy it is? It melts in your mouth and has fruit puree inside. It tastes really amazing!"
"This is cloud candy, a new thing that has just come out recently." The third girl said quickly.
As the prefect, Lord Tang always has many guests who come to flatter him at every banquet he holds. But I specifically talked about this cloud candy because it is delicious and unique.
This matter was handled by the Third Miss. When she heard this, she felt proud and personally brought the plate over, asking all the officials and their wives present to try the cloud candy!
This dessert is placed on the table, but not everyone will try it, except those who love sugar. But since the third lady personally invited them, all the officials' wives would of course try the salty and savory dishes.
After eating the cloud candy, everyone was surprised. Even if you don’t like sugar, you have to admit that this cloud candy has a unique texture and taste.
When the third girl saw it, she started talking about the newly opened Xuanji Cloud Candy, and how exquisite the shop was and how the interior decoration was. The price of candy is also very expensive, costing one tael of silver per pound!
When everyone heard the price, they all praised the cloud candy and the Tang family's dignified banquet.
Some people who love sweets, having heard that these candies are sold outside, have already decided to buy some to take home as souvenirs.
Shen Xuan watched the third girl promoting her own candy shop and was secretly delighted.
The recommendation from the prefect's daughter herself is even more effective than advertising and is comparable to celebrity endorsements in the modern world!
When the third lady had almost finished speaking, Shen Xuan suddenly said, "In fact, the sugar factory of Yunduo Sugar is in our Sarawak. The candies are made in Sarawak and then shipped to Pengzhou. The ingredients used are all of the best, and the workmanship is quite complicated."
"Although it's a bit more expensive, you get what you pay for. Miss San likes this cloud candy so much, it shows that she is a connoisseur of value."
The third girl was stunned when she heard this. She didn't expect that this cloud candy was actually produced in Sarawak. Shen Xuan's words sounded like he knew everything.
Seeing her confused face, Shen Xuan spoke again: "I was too embarrassed to speak after listening to the third lady's praise for so long. In fact, this Xuanji Cloud Candy is owned by me. It was named after the word Xuan in my name, and I opened the first shop in Pengzhou last month."
After Shen Xuan finished speaking, everyone was in an uproar.
The third girl opened her eyes wide, thinking of the Xuanji gift box that Shen Xuan had just brought over, and then she connected this matter with the words from his mouth!
Declare it! Shen Xuan! Why didn't she realize just now that this Xuanji Cloud Candy Shop was opened by Brother Chen?
The third girl felt a little embarrassed for a moment. She had been bragging for so long, but the owner of the shop turned out to be the guest at the table.
Chen Xuan saw the look on the Third Lady's face and quickly praised her for her keen eye for talent, which calmed her down. At this point, I had no choice but to follow Shen Xuan’s words and said, “I didn’t expect that this shop was opened by you, Brother Shen. It’s really a coincidence.”
"We only thought you were the husband of the prefect, but we didn't know you had such a talent for business. With such a prosperous shop, I think you will make a lot of money in a year. With such a good housekeeper, it's no wonder that Lord Xue treats you with such respect."
Seeing that everyone had some envy on their faces, Shen Xuan deliberately said, "Miss San is right. We are just like girls. We can only stand upright in our husband's family if we have property in our hands."
"The Xuanji Yunduotang store has just opened. There is only one store in Pengzhou. Now we can earn 20 taels of silver a day, which means we can earn more than 3,000 taels a year."
"When the sugar factory's output increases next year, I will open shops in other prosperous cities such as Lezhou and Beijing. There are more customers there, and the income will definitely not be less than that in Pengzhou. The total profit will be even higher."
Shen Xuan suddenly revealed his own profits in order to prove the future of the sugar factory and pave the way for Xue Fenglin to do things more conveniently in the future.
But his remarks made the officials and their wives standing beside him drop their jaws in shock. You know, a place like Pengzhou is only considered average in the entire Jin Dynasty and is far from being a prosperous place.
The income of local officials is naturally limited. Even if they manage to acquire property, they would be considered a lot if they could earn a few hundred taels a year.
Shen Xuan said calmly that a shop only earned more than three thousand taels, and seemed to look down on three thousand taels, which made all the officials and their wives almost spit blood in their hearts!
Three thousand taels isn’t enough? They counted the family assets and were afraid that the total amount was less than three thousand taels of silver!
Even though the third girl was considered experienced, her heart was in turmoil after hearing Shen Xuan's words!
At this time, Mrs. Tang just walked in with the last guest. When everyone was present, the banquet officially began.
The third girl sat back down next to Madam Tang, still looking a little dazed. Until the banquet was over, many officials and their wives gathered around Shen Xuan, surrounded him, and flattered him left and right.
Mrs. Tang, who noticed something, found the third girl, took her aside and asked her what had happened just now.
The third lady told Madam Tang what Shen Xuan had just said, and Madam Tang was also shocked when she heard it. After thinking for a long time, he said, "This Brother Chen and Lord Xue are extraordinary people. They are indeed worth making friends with. No wonder those officials and their wives have gathered around them!"
"Although your father is Mr. Xue's superior and still a bit arrogant, money talks. There will inevitably be a day in the future when we will need him to do something for us."
"You might as well be more humble and interact more with Brother Chen. Even if you learn his financial management skills, it will be of some benefit."
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