Chapter 292 Extra: Jiang Xie 2
"Jingyuan..."
Xie Boyu hurried over from afar, and her eyes suddenly stung when she saw Xie Jingyuan in front of her.
He took two steps forward, put his arm around Xie Jingyuan's shoulder, and patted him silently.
The words of longing that were in his mouth were choked up and stuck in his throat, unable to be spoken.
"Big brother."
Xie Jingyuan's eyes also reddened, and he hugged Xie Boyu back.
Xie Boyu said, "I thought you... had died out there. I didn't dare to mention it or ask about it all these years. It's good that you're back now."
After he finished speaking, he leaned back so that he could get a clearer look at his younger brother who had been gone for eight years.
Xie Jingyuan has changed a lot. Although he is now more robust and his hands are full of firm, powerful muscles under his clothes, Xie Boyu can still tell that Xie Jingyuan has not been doing well these years.
He has gotten much tanned, and now his exposed wrists and face are a wheat color.
Before they left Suzhou, his younger brother was the most handsome. He also possessed the gentle and refined features unique to men from Jiangnan. But now, his face is lined with fine wrinkles, and his jaw is taut. Where is there any trace of his former jade-like gentlemanly appearance?
His brows and eyes were sharp, and his gaze, honed by time and hardship, held a hint of incisiveness and melancholy.
Xie Boyu squeezed Xie Jingyuan's shoulder, pressing down from his shoulder to his palm, until he touched a long and deep scar on Xie Jingyuan's palm. At that moment, Xie Boyu could no longer hold back his tears.
"You must have suffered a lot out there, right?"
Xie Jingyuan stared at the scars on his palms, remaining silent for a long time.
Old memories surged like a tide, leaving him with no choice but to force a fake smile to deflect them.
Seeing that he didn't want to talk, Xie Boyu couldn't bear to ask any more questions and pulled him into the courtyard.
"I'll have the kitchen prepare some food for you. You must be missing home-cooked meals since you haven't been back for so long."
"Boil some more hot water, and I'll give you a back rub, just like when you were a kid."
Xie Jingyuan laughed and said, "No need, brother, I'm already a grown man."
"no."
Xie Boyu insisted on refusing.
"I want to see...to see your body..."
As he spoke, he choked up, "Let me see if you have any more injuries."
Xie Jingyuan fell silent upon hearing this and did not speak again.
The cook at home prepared a table full of food for him, and Xie Jingyuan ate until he could barely stand up straight. Over the years, he had indeed missed the dishes at home very much, and now even the water from the well tasted incredibly sweet.
After the meal, Xie Boyu took Xie Jingyuan to his Zhiyunxuan restaurant.
After the water was boiled, Xie Boyu helped him scrub his back.
Xie Jingyuan's body indeed had many scars, large and small.
"We told you not to go to the West, but you insisted on going. When you were at home, your family never let you get hurt in the slightest. Look at you now..."
Looking at the hideous wound, Xie Boyu felt heartbroken.
"How did this happen?"
Xie Jingyuan was silent for a moment, then said gently, "It was injured by a Western loom."
"nonsense."
Where can you find such a dangerous machine? This is not for human use.
Xie Jingyuan smiled faintly upon hearing this and said nothing more.
In fact, he did not lie to Xie Boyu; his injuries were caused by both natural disasters and man-made calamities.
"Jingyuan..."
Xie Boyu said, "You're not leaving this time, are you? You can stay in Suzhou and live a good life, and let your elder brother watch you get married and have children, right?"
Xie Jingyuan remained silent for a moment, without answering.
Xie Boyu held back for a moment, but couldn't help it.
"You're still leaving? What's so great about the West? Look at yourself now. Your body and hair are gifts from your parents, but what do you look like with that short, curly hair?"
"And the clothes you wore back, where is the gentle demeanor of a man from Jiangnan?"
"You've been gone for eight years, how did you get assimilated by these barbarians? If you kill me, how will I face the ancestors of the Xie family?"
"Big brother..."
Xie Jingyuan said, "I'm going out to find a way out for the Xie family."
"The Xie family doesn't need you to find a way out; the Xie family is doing very well now."
"Big brother..."
Xie Boyu's eyes reddened, and tears welled up as he said, "Jingyuan, listen to your elder brother. The Xie family is doing very well now, lacking nothing. Just come back and help your elder brother."
"You stay by your elder brother's side and let him watch you get married and have children. Even if he dies, he can give an account to our ancestors."
Xie Jingyuan said, "Brother, please don't..."
Seeing that he wouldn't listen to reason, Xie Boyu suddenly got angry, threw down the handkerchief in her hand, and walked out.
Xie Jingyuan looked at the rippling water before him and sighed softly.
But after a while, Xie Boyu came back.
He silently retrieved the towel from the water and continued to wipe Xie Jingyuan's back.
After a long silence, Xie Jingyuan said, "Brother, I'm not coming back alone this time. I've also brought two Western friends with me."
“They also come from a background in weaving and dyeing. I came back this time because I wanted the Xie family to learn Western weaving and embroidery techniques.”
Why learn those barbarian things?
Xie Jingyuan shook his head: "Brother, I only found out after I went out that Westerners use gear looms to weave cloth."
"Do you know that a gear loom only needs one worker to turn the handle to weave a white and fine cloth?"
"Even a young child can weave several bolts of cloth a day."
Xie Jingyuan sighed, "But we can only weave a tiny bit each day."
"Jingyuan!"
Xie Boyu said, "What good things can be made from something woven like this? What kind of spiritual essence can it possess?"
"What good are ten thousand bolts of that kind of craftsman's work if it's so utterly useless?"
"Brother, increased efficiency translates to increased income! Just think, if we could also use a gear loom, wouldn't the Xie family's income increase several times over?"
"Moreover, no secret recipe is needed. For at least a hundred years, only my Xie family will be able to possess this kind of Western loom."
"And this will allow the Xie family to remain invincible and live in peace for generations."
Xie Jingyuan got up and put on his clothes.
"Big brother, I need your support."
What kind of support?
Xie Jingyuan said, "Brother, I plan to hold a weaving and embroidery competition in Suzhou Prefecture, so that the weaving and dyeing shops in Suzhou Prefecture can compete with the Westerners."
"The stakes are Western gear looms and various secret techniques."
"What?"
Xie Boyu was shocked, and Xie Jingyuan quickly said, "I have already discussed it with them. Regardless of the outcome, these two Western gear looms brought to Suzhou Prefecture will be given to my Xie family."
"But Western gear looms will not lose."
"What do you mean? You mean you're going to help those barbarians and harm my fellow merchants in Suzhou Prefecture?"
"Brother, how can you talk about harming someone in this kind of situation?"
Xie Jingyuan said, "It's just a matter of each getting what they need."
“I disagree. If you want to be a lackey of the barbarians, I will pretend that you, my brother, have never existed. Get out of the Xie family.”
Xie Boyu, his eyes bloodshot, pointed to the door and said, "Get out now, and I'll pretend you never came back."
"Big brother!"
Xie Boyu: "Get out! Get out of here!"
Xie Jingyuan sighed and had no choice but to get dressed and leave.
"Xie, so you were kicked out by your family?"
Hoffmann was a foreign craftsman whom Xie Jingyuan had known since Suzhou. The two had known each other for many years and had left Suzhou together.
Xie Jingyuan only learned that Hoffman's family owned a large factory when he returned to Hoffman's hometown.
Hoffman learned a great deal of skills in Suzhou Prefecture over the years.
Although Xie Jingyuan had his help, he still faced countless difficulties while living in a foreign country...
"I know your older brother; he's very old-fashioned."
Xie Jingyuan did not reply, but another person beside him said in broken Mandarin, "You people are ignorant, stupid, inflexible, a bunch of idiots..."
Hoffman frowned slightly upon hearing this, but dared not say anything. Xie Jingyuan's face tightened and he clenched his fists.
The man who spoke was Martin, a partner in the Hoffman family factory. His family was quite influential in the area and was said to have some noble lineage.
Xie Jingyuan lowered his eyelids slightly and remained silent.
Hoffman quickly changed the subject, saying, "I've been sending people around these past few days to issue challenges, and it won't be long before we win over the recipes from these shops in Suzhou."
Martin sneered, "What if they don't dare to accept?"
"Won't."
Xie Jingyuan said coldly, "We are not cowards like you. If someone comes knocking on our door, there's no reason not to accept it."
Martin didn't understand what a coward was, and could only understand the last half of the sentence, so he nodded in satisfaction.
"I've already instructed your officials to handle this matter for me. In ten days, I want to see them trembling with fear and humiliation..."
Xie Jingyuan pursed his lips and remained silent.
The first to receive the challenge was Hoffman's old employer. At first, the old owner of the shop didn't take it seriously, but when a group of foreign devils came to mock him, he realized that these guys were serious.
When Xie Qi received the message, he was at home with Shen Yuanzhu teaching Bao Zhen.
Upon hearing this, he ignored Bao Zhen and the couple went to the Suzhou Chamber of Commerce together.
The current president of the Suzhou Weaving and Dyeing Association is Shen Yuanzhu.
"What do you suggest we do now? Losing the secret recipe is a small matter, but losing to those foreign devils is a much bigger one."
The former employer, who had accepted the challenge, looked worried.
Shen Yuanzhu said, "Since they have come all the way across the ocean to challenge us, they must have some chance of winning. In that case, instead of letting them go around harassing their competitors, it would be better for the Chamber of Commerce to take over this matter."
"This isn't just a matter between two families."
"President Shen, it's wonderful that you say that. With you and Manager Xie here, I can rest assured."
The old man got up and, before leaving, slapped himself twice hard across the face.
"It's all my fault. I took in that scourge from the barbarians back then. If I had known, I should have starved him to death and then skinned him to feed the pigs. That way, I wouldn't be in this mess today."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yuanzhu couldn't help but laugh: "It's just a friendly exchange of skills, you don't need to worry so much."
"I'm relieved to hear that."
After the old man left, Shen Yuanzhu's face darkened.
That being said, if she really lost to those foreigners, how could she face the profession of weaving and dyeing?
Xie Qi entered the room and saw Shen Yuanzhu with a solemn expression.
Xie Qi said, "I've inquired. Guess who the matchmaker is?"
"I know him?"
Xie Qi's statement meant she knew this person. Shen Yuanzhu thought for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise, "It's Xie Jingyuan?"
Of all the people she knew, no one else besides Xie Jingyuan could be associated with foreign artisans.
"It's him."
"He's back?"
Xie Qi said, "I've been back for a few days now, and for some reason I'm dressed like a ghost and am mixed up with a bunch of barbarians from foreign lands."
Shen Yuanzhu frowned slightly. "What does he want to do?"
"This group of people went around sending challenge letters to the textile and dyeing shops in Suzhou Prefecture, using their quack gear looms as bait to get their counterparts in the prefecture to offer their own secret recipes and patterns as stakes to compete with them..."
Shen Yuanzhu asked, "Have you ever seen a foreign loom? What does it look like?"
Xie Qi's expression darkened slightly: "I've seen it. They moved the machine to the street corner of Wanbao Street and demonstrated it right there."
"how?"
Xie Qi's eyes darkened slightly. "Their looms can be woven by one person lying down, and at several times the speed of ours. Xie Chengzhi..."
Mentioning Xie Chengzhi, Shen Yuanzhu was taken aback: "Hasn't he been paralyzed on one side for many years and bedridden for a long time? How come he's involved in this?"
Xie Qi glanced at her: "The one weaving cloth on Wanbao Street is Xie Chengzhi."
"What?"
Shen Yuanzhu exclaimed in surprise, "Their looms are so easy that even a cripple can operate them?"
"yes."
Xie Qi said, "I've seen it. That thing is extremely sophisticated. I heard from the people watching the excitement on Wanbao Street that several foreigners brought a lot of iron boxes last night."
“They assembled that iron lump little by little on the street. After the wire was placed in the spool, the iron lump could rotate by itself whenever someone turned the handle.”
"The woven cloth is fine, crisp, and snow-white. Those foreigners even said that they could weave a bolt of cloth in less than half an hour."
“Yuanzhu…”
Xie Qi looked up and said, "We can't lose this time."
Both Xie Qi and Shen Yuanzhu have participated in several major competitions, such as the Dyeing Competition and the Imperial Merchant Selection.
They never took winning or losing too seriously.
But this time is different. If we lose this time, all the businesses in the Suzhou Prefecture will never be able to hold their heads up again.
This situation is absolutely unacceptable for agarwood pearls.
She stood up and said, "I'll go outside and take a look. You go and talk to Xie Jingyuan to see what he really means."
After saying that, the two parted ways and went about their own business.
When Shen Yuanzhu first saw the "iron lump" Xie Qi had mentioned, she was momentarily surprised.
She completely understood Xie Qi's concerns.
Especially after seeing the speed at which this "iron lump" wove cloth, her heart sank.
It wasn't just the fear of losing; it was that if she had this, the embroiderers would have so much less to worry about. And they wouldn't have to worry about damaging so many of their eyes.
After looking around for a while, she pushed through the crowd and walked over.
"Who...are you?"
Martin pointed at Shen Yuanzhu, who was leaning forward, and asked.
Xie Chengzhi shook the joystick in his hand, speaking indistinctly, "Red-haired devil...that's our...merchant guild leader..."
After saying that, he turned to look at Shen Yuanzhu: "Yuanzhu... you have to win this foreign stuff back, so these... bastards... can't keep it..."
As Xie Chengzhi spoke, saliva dripped from his mouth. He raised his hand to wipe it and turned to see Xie Jingyuan.
He snorted coldly, then pointed at Xie Jingyuan again, trembling, and said, "I'll...I'll beat you to death..."
Zheng Shu silently stepped forward, took out a handkerchief from her hand to wipe Xie Chengzhi's mouth, and after wiping it clean, she lifted him up and dragged him silently to the Xie family home.
The wall that Xie Chengzhi built at the Xie family home was eventually smashed down.
Even though he was in such a state, Xie Boyu didn't want to argue with him and was willing to take care of him.
Xie Chengzhi was dragged quite a distance, but he still turned back to Shen Yuanzhu and said, "This... is a good thing, we... have to have it."
"President Shen."
Xie Jingyuan looked at Shen Yuanzhu, took two steps forward, and nodded in acknowledgment.
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