Chapter 28: Heading to Zhang's Residence - Chen Junbo Invites Li Yang to Go Along and Get Scolded...
The two returned to their room and had a simple meal. Li Yang then recounted in detail his research on the Records of Chariots and Horses.
“According to the records of carriages and horses entering and leaving, this year’s shipments are 30% higher than those of the same month last year. However, the ledgers record that production was reduced by 30% due to less spring rain. Look, here and here, take a look.” As she spoke, she spread out the ledgers, logs and carriage and horse records that she had marked on in front of Chen Junbai.
The tea plantation under the Chen family's name mainly produces green tea. It was originally the business of a small merchant, who later lost his family business due to gambling and then mortgaged the tea plantation to the Chen family.
In recent years, the imperial court has expanded tea trade routes, and merchant ships sailing overseas are laden with tea, hence the strict management of tea affairs.
Fortunately, the Chen family's tea shop wasn't very large, and all the employees there were old men who had been formally contracted to the emperor and were well-known to them.
Chen Junbo only checks the accounts once a year, and usually it is handed over to Bi Fang to check. This year, because of the Southern Tour, Bi Fang has been unable to travel far and wide, so he thought of Liyang.
Unexpectedly, she actually noticed the problem.
After carefully reading Li Yang's annotations, Chen Junbo called Bi Fang, and the three of them compared the previous year's accounts with the records of carriages and horses one by one in the room.
For three consecutive years, the deficit has increased year by year, and this year, the deficit accounts for half of the revenue.
The room was eerily quiet, the flickering candlelight casting shadows on Bi Fang's lowered face. He dared not look up, only listening to Chen Junbo's fingers tapping idly on the armrest of the chair.
Tap...tap...
Bi Fang's forehead was covered in cold sweat. He raised his eyes slightly and saw Chen Junbo giving him a cold look. He quickly lowered his eyelashes and pursed his lips without saying a word.
Judging from the young master's appearance, he is truly angry. Based on past experience, it would be fine if the young master were to scold him, but if he remains silent, it means he is extremely angry. What should we do?
Cold sweat trickled down his neck, soaking his inner shirt.
"Chen Junbo." Hearing Li Yang call him softly, Young Master Chen frowned and came back to his senses. His eyes were cold as he looked at Bi Fang and said indifferently, "Tomorrow at dawn, I need to know exactly how much that manor owner swallowed and whose pockets it went into. If you can't find out, you don't need to come back."
Having received the verdict, Bi Fang repeatedly said "thank you," and, holding the account books, cast a grateful glance at Li Yang before leaving the main house.
The room was completely silent. Li Yang felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. He licked his lower lip and got up to go to bed, when he heard the man say in a deep voice, "Get some rest."
Li Yang turned around in a daze, "Yeah, you too."
"Come with me to see Grandpa tomorrow." After saying that, Chen Junbo got up.
Li Yang: "Huh??"
Chen Junbo: "Go to sleep."
Huh? She's going to the Zhang residence too? To see the old master tomorrow? Li Yang was alarmed. Hearing that the old master Zhang was decisive and efficient, and thinking of Madam Chen's usual style, her heart sank.
What she didn't know was that tea taxation was a major part of the imperial court's revenue. Due to the enormous profits involved, the court prohibited private tea sales, yet private tea dealers were repeatedly banned but never stopped. Furthermore, because tea was involved in exports and border trade, the government's control over it was never relaxed.
The Chen family's business is a major target. If someone uses this as leverage to their advantage, the entire business could collapse.
Chen Junbo's invitation today was because he knew he couldn't escape a scolding tomorrow and hoped to take her along to share some of the criticism.
Completely unaware of the man's 'malicious intentions,' she lay on the bed, anxiously reciting her greetings for their meeting the next day.
"Grandpa, I am Li Yang."
"Grandpa, Madam Li greets you."
"Grandpa, I've come to pay my respects..."
...
In the soft couch in the cubicle, Chen Junbo listened to the faint sounds of greetings coming from behind, his brows relaxed, and he sighed softly.
Then he thought of the parasites in the tea shop and frowned.
This group of people, operating under his very nose, are becoming increasingly greedy, as if they really think he knows nothing.
He heard the young woman's intermittent murmurs from the other side, and then he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Chen Junbai's maternal grandfather, known as Old Master Zhang, was named Maolin. His story of how he made his fortune is a legend in Songshan Town, admired by everyone.
Throughout history, merchants have been categorized into ten major merchant groups, with the Shanxi merchants and Huizhou merchants being the most prominent.
The Zhang family ancestors were merchants in Huizhou, but unfortunately, their ancestors were either born at the wrong time or lacked wisdom. By the time of Old Master Zhang, the family business was already in dire straits.
The old man decisively sold off all his family's property, keeping only the ancestral home, and fled to Songshan Town with the money. After some investigation, he set his sights on the salt industry.
In this dynasty, salt tax accounts for half of the national tax burden.
The old man's decision was perfectly timed, advantageous, and supported by all the right people at the time.
At that time, the imperial court had abolished the previous dynasty's salt commission system, reorganized the salt merchant register, and compiled the salt commission system, which gradually formed the Salt Commission System.
Merchants enjoyed a certain amount of salt trading rights based on their respective territories (similar to authorized agents), and then exchanged annual donations for salt permits (order confirmations) to collect salt from the salt fields and were responsible for marketing it to various regions.
This transformation was a devastating blow to Shanxi merchants.
During the period of the salt-exchange system, Shanxi merchants, taking advantage of their geographical location, easily transported grain to the border regions in exchange for salt permits, which were then sold throughout the country.
The current salt administration only recognizes local salt merchants, so there is no longer a need for them to transport military rations. As a result, Shanxi merchants have lost their advantage, and over the years, their positions have been gradually replaced by Anhui merchants who live near the salt fields.
When Old Master Zhang entered the salt industry, it was precisely at a time when the old policies were abolished and the new system was gradually taking shape. A moment earlier, and he would have lost the advantage of location and been unable to compete with the Shanxi merchants; a moment later, and he would have missed the opportune moment and been unable to establish a foothold.
Moreover, the old man had extraordinary courage, daring to invest his entire fortune and take out huge loans to join the ranks of those who had acquired businesses. In the following years, he continued to acquire other businesses, eventually becoming the leading merchant in the Huai River region.
Now, the old man is frail and lives alone in the Zhang residence.
The Zhang residence is not large, and compared to the Chen residence's nine courtyards, it can be described as shabby.
Li Yang followed Chen Junbo through the gate, past the stone wall, to a small courtyard. In the courtyard, the old man lay on a rocking chair, covered with a thin blanket, leisurely enjoying the sunlight.
Chen Junbo stood before the old man, head bowed, and recounted the tea shop matter in detail.
Li Yang looked around. The small courtyard connected to the main hall, a standard Hui-style building. Inside the main hall was a plaque that read "Contentment Brings Happiness". She pouted and then noticed the table below the plaque with Buddha's Hand citron and roses, their petals dripping with dew and emitting a sweet fragrance.
As they were talking, a servant brought over two bamboo chairs, low chairs with backrests, woven from bamboo strips. Chen Junbai was still reporting on matters and did not sit down, so Li Yang obediently stood behind him.
The old man lay in a rocking chair, his eyes half-open, his body swaying with the chair. Beside him, a Pekingese dog wearing a pine-green silk vest lay on a low table, its four little paws tied with embroidered shoes. It licked the white fur on its legs a few times, then changed its position and lay down, squinting and looking ahead with its owner, occasionally yawning.
Chen Junbo: "Grandpa, this is why the tea shop is in debt."
"Ziheng," the old man said slowly, "over the years, I have repeatedly reminded you to carefully manage the tea shop's accounts. Have you followed my instructions?"
Chen Junbai replied in a deep voice, "I have never forgotten my grandfather's teachings. The tea shop's accounts are audited every year..."
"Annual inspection?" The old man raised his eyes, his gaze sharp. "Do you conduct the inspection annually, or is it done by written prescription?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Junbo's expression changed drastically, and he fell silent.
He focused most of his energy on salt affairs, and after Bi Fang reviewed the tea shop's accounts, he would then report them to his maternal grandfather. Little did he expect that his grandfather would hit the nail on the head today.
Old Master Zhang's tone grew increasingly low and slow: "Ziheng, you have been learning from me since you were six years old, and you have been shrewd and capable since childhood. However, as the head of the family and the one who steers the ship, you must see the storms of the world and also check the smallest gaps in the planks."
As he spoke, he coughed violently twice. Chen Junbo quickly stepped forward to pat him on the back, but the old man raised his hand to stop him and said, "The matter of the tea shop is not just about money. You should know the seriousness of the matter."
Chen Junbo: "Grandson knows he was wrong."
The old man raised his hand: "Sit down."
Only then did the two dare to sit on the bamboo chairs. As soon as they sat down, they made creaking noises. Li Yang quickly straightened up, afraid that any movement would cause more creaking.
Zhang Maolin asked in a deep voice, "Where is Bi Fangren?"
Chen Junbo got up again. "Grandpa, he's waiting outside the door."
As soon as the pen was brought inside, the old man turned his head and scolded the Pekingese dog on the low table: "You think you're a human now that you're dressed up? Have you forgotten who feeds you? Get out of here! If you keep acting like this, I'll skin you alive!"
The little Pekingese licked its nose, sneezed, jumped off the low table, moved into the threshold of the main room, found a spot to lie down, and panted with its tongue hanging out.
Upon seeing this, Bi Fang cleared his throat and said in a trembling voice, "Grandpa, Bi Fang has come to apologize."
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