Chapter 95: Eating the Rich (Part 9)
The purpose of this group of Zhejiang businessmen headed by Chen Jialuo coming to Shandong was certainly not to specifically ask about the essence of Christianity. Even if they had expectations in this regard, it was only because these people gathered together because they believed in Christianity.
Huo Chong's most famous products include glass fire, liquor, rabbit skin lining, leather boots, and belts. When Chen Jialuo reached into his arms, Huo Chong and Feng Yukuan thought that this group of people would buy a large number of these products. Chen Jialuo took out a piece of paper and a small bag. He opened the bag and poured out some small things.
Feng Yukuan leaned over to take a look and was a little stunned. This was not a valuable thing, but just some flat brown things. Feng Yukuan had seen it before. This was a button made by Huo Chong.
Huo Chong quietly waited for Chen Jialuo to speak, but it was Du Siming who spoke, "Master Huo, we want to buy more buttons you made."
"Do you need needle and thread?" Huo Chong couldn't help but smile when he asked. The buttons of this era were very complicated, even a bit like handicrafts. First, two strips of cloth were sewn separately, one strip of cloth was sewn into a ring shape at one end, and the other strip of cloth was made into a big head shape, which looked like bean sprouts.
When using it, sew the two strips of cloth to the sides of the front of the clothes. Put the big end of the strip of cloth with a big end into the loop. Because the strip of cloth is soft and can change shape, it can be inserted. Then hang it like this.
Compared with buttons like this, buttons are much more economical in terms of materials. More importantly, coconut shells are elastic, wear-resistant, corrosion-resistant, and cheap. After being punched, they will not break as easily as wood.
Huo Chong admired the vision of these Jiangsu and Zhejiang merchants. Du Siming seemed to have done his homework. He asked, "Master Huo, can your needlework be cheaper than ours in Jiangsu and Zhejiang?"
Hearing such doubts, Huo Chong stood up and went out, and quickly called in a subordinate. He asked the subordinate to come closer to everyone and let everyone look at the buttons on Huo Chong's double-breasted clothes. Huo Chong explained: "This time I am here to see the government, and I dare not wear such buttons. Look at the buttonholes. If you don't sew them carefully with thread, they will easily wear out."
Although traditional buttons have various problems, they also have their own advantages, that is, the cloth tapes of the two buttons can be sewn longer, so that they can better withstand the tension and also play the role of strengthening the buttons.
Although Huo Chong's buttons look good, the collar part needs to be strengthened, especially the buttonhole part needs to be carefully sewn with needle and thread. This way it will be more wear-resistant.
Businessmen all know that it is better to compare and discard goods. In the face of practicality, any argument will most likely appear pale and powerless. Everyone carefully studied the collar and buttonholes that Huo Chong had improved for buttons, and their attention was focused on the needlework that Huo Chong mentioned.
Huo Chong took out a few rolls of thread and a small box of steel needles. After reading them, the merchants didn't pay much attention to them, and some even tended to evaluate similar products from Jiangsu and Zhejiang. It wasn't until Huo Chong gave a price that the merchants changed their expressions.
The price of needles and thread is not important to merchants. What they care about is the "premium" after the goods reach their hands. Huo Chong's price is 40% of the price of needles and thread in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Even if these merchants sell it at 80% of the price of local needles and thread, they can still make 100% profit.
After discussing for a while, the merchants from Jiangsu and Zhejiang began to evaluate the quality of the goods. Huo Chong listened quietly, and finally laughed out loud. The merchants from Jiangsu and Zhejiang did not know what Huo Chong meant, so they temporarily stopped criticizing. Huo Chong then said, "Ladies and gentlemen, you may think that this kind of clothes is not easy to promote."
"Promotion?" Du Siming asked puzzledly.
"Oh... you mean that people don't dare to use clothes made according to the new style. I don't think so. The key is how to compare. How much fabric can be saved by using buttons on clothes with only different lapels, and how much less wind can be let in. You can just give everyone a demonstration. Everyone is not stupid. Don't you know whether you really save a lot of money?"
Chen Jialuo frowned slightly, "Master Huo, this will take quite some time."
Huo Chong waved his hand, "Master Chen, you are right. This does take time. But what I see is very different. Although it will take some time, people who use buttons will not go back to using cloth buttons. The reason is very clear, using buttons is more economical than using cloth buttons!"
After saying that, Huo Chong looked at the merchants from Jiangsu and Zhejiang again. The merchants exchanged glances with each other, and finally began to argue about the price again. Huo Chong simply told them his pricing standards, "I don't set this price randomly, it's based on the remaining fabric after using the new buttons and give you 20% off. This price is 50% off for you, so my buttons are sold at a low price. If you continue to ask me to lower the price, I can't lose money."
After hearing this, the merchants from Jiangsu and Zhejiang finally gave up their hesitation and reluctantly agreed to accept Huo Chong's price.
The group first ordered 10,000 buttons, and then discussed the products that Huo Chong had made earlier. The long and difficult negotiations forced Feng Yukuan, a professional maritime smuggler, to go out for a breath five or six times before the negotiations came to a temporary end.
After the meal, the merchants from Jiangsu and Zhejiang went to their rooms to continue the discussion. Feng Yukuan asked Huo Chong to drink tea with him. The smuggler sighed, "Mr. Huo, you are really patient. If it were me, I would have been impatient a long time ago."
Huo Chong smiled but did not answer immediately. The profit of smuggling is of course high. For example, Huo Chong sold a hand gun for two taels of silver, and a dozen bullets, that is, a dozen bullets with paper shells, sold for one tael of silver. The copper shell mercury fulminate primer bullets sold for two taels. He did not bargain. If you want to buy, buy. If not, get out.
But the Spanish captain Bai Siwen knew the value of this hand gun very well. When Bai Siwen recommended the flintlock hand gun to Huo Chong before, he proudly used the firing speed of the flintlock hand gun as a gimmick. But the reality is so cruel. Even an inexperienced shooter can reach a firing speed five times that of a skilled flintlock shooter using the new model of mercury fulminate fixed bullet hand gun. For captains who have experienced life-and-death struggles, they fully understand what this means.
Captain Bai Siwen ordered 200 pistols and 3,600 rounds of ammunition right away. Huo Chong even suspected that he was planning a rebellion. 3,600 rounds of ammunition would probably be enough to fight a medium-sized battle in this era.
Compared with such profits, the profits from needlework and buttons are too meager, so meager that they are just enough to make a living. Huo Chong can understand why Feng Yukuan is so indifferent.
"Mr. Huo, do you really take this little money seriously?" Feng Yukuan continued to ask.
"Yes." Huo Chong nodded in agreement.
"Why? Could it be that Mr. Huo doesn't want people to know..." Feng Yukuan guessed.
Huo Chong shook his head. "Master Feng, which business do you think can make more people earn money?"
"Ah?" Feng Yukuan was confused.
Huo Chong was also used to the characteristics of people in this era. They never went online, and they would not have heated discussions about the world, industry, industrial chain, technology tree, productivity, etc. Therefore, people in this era generally have two views on money.
The first type is naturally "wealth and honor are like walking in the night in brocade clothes". These brothers are afraid that their efforts will not be seen by others, so they show off when they have money. Of course, the result of showing off is not just showing off. The reputation they gain through showing off can also help them be valued in a larger field.
The second type is the kind of rich people who hide their money.
But Huo Chong is now somewhat skeptical. Do such landlords really exist? In the Qing Dynasty, if you want to make money, you have to be an official, a high-ranking official. The biggest benefit of being a high-ranking official is various kinds of filial piety. A Qing prefect can earn 100,000 silver coins in three years. This is no joke. The corruption of the Qing Dynasty lies in the institutionalization of corruption. There are rules for the amount of filial piety that each official must give to his superiors. Giving more or less is not acceptable.
The income depends on the position you hold. The result of this institutionalized corruption is that the people at the top of the mountain of power actually know how much the people below can give out, which facilitates institutionalized wealth accumulation.
Therefore, Huo Chong actually had doubts about the landlords' ability to make money.
However, this was too far away from Huo Chong. What Huo Chong had to do now was to try his best to convince Feng Yukuan, his partner. The only way he could do now was to be as straightforward as possible.
"Master Feng, making buttons can employ at least a hundred people, plus mining iron and coal, iron smelting, and steelmaking. At least a few hundred people can have food to eat. In addition to these people, there are also people who run goods, cook, and various livelihoods that rely on these, which can at least support thousands of people, or even thousands of families."
Hearing what Huo Chong said, Feng Yukuan still frowned, and after thinking for a long time, he said: "Master Huo, I didn't expect your business to be so big!"
This statement is really in line with the characteristics of this era. Huo Chong could only laugh and said, "It sounds like I'm bragging. In fact, I just want to say that in such a big business, it is not difficult to smuggle some things. If we only do a business that makes a little money, do you think others really can't see it?"
Feng Yukuan frowned and thought for a long time, and finally relaxed his brows and sighed: "Master Huo, you are so brave. There are so many people and so many eyes!"
Huo Chong did not want to make any further comments on this. If Huo Chong told Feng Yukuan that he was preparing for a possible rebellion, Feng Yukuan would probably dare to report him.
But Huo Chong really had no choice, as Kangxi's sixtieth year was approaching. This Qing dynasty dog emperor reigned for sixty-one years, and if history repeated itself, Kangxi would probably only live another year or two.
Of course, if the butterfly effect is included in this, the appearance of Huo Chong is the butterfly. Maybe Kangxi could live a few more years?
No matter how you look at it, in this era when people rarely live to be seventy, Kangxi is over sixty-five, and death is only a matter of a few years. So Huo Chong must prepare for what will happen next. The matter of making firearms must be hidden among many businesses so that it will not be discovered.
With Yongzheng's temperament, Huo Chong really didn't believe that Yongzheng would let him go. After all, a guy like Yongzheng didn't even let the Cao family in Jiangnan go. Among the many corrupt officials in the Qing Dynasty who were institutionally corrupt, the Cao family might be the most likely to be forgiven. Kangxi went to Jiangnan several times, and the Cao family paid for it.
However, Yongzheng did not hesitate to wipe out the Cao family, leaving other corrupt officials with no reason to complain. The emperor who confiscated property was not just a name, but had a plan and means.
Thinking about his future, Huo Chong felt upset. Unexpectedly, Feng Yukuan spoke again, "Master Huo. Recently I heard that some of the brothers on the official road want to get you. You have to be careful."
"Why?" Huo Chong couldn't figure it out for a moment.
"Some of them are just not happy with your axle. I just heard that someone wants to mess with you, but I don't really understand why."
"Who is it?"
"Well... Mr. Huo, if someone told you who wanted to mess with you, would you believe it?"
Huo Chong admired Feng Yukuan's words. This is the real caution. If you believe what others say, you will be led by the nose.
The next day, the Jiangsu and Zhejiang merchants continued to argue with Huo Chong. Seeing that this group of people were completely entangled, Huo Chong really lost his patience and asked directly: "I won't lower the price anymore. If you think this price is not good, then find someone else."
I thought this group of people would continue to pester me, but unexpectedly Chen Jialuo laughed, "Master Huo, why do you have to say such harsh words? Let's try this price."
The group eventually bought a large batch of goods, but the price of these goods was not as much as what Huo Chong earned from selling arms. In the end, Huo Chong recommended a sulfur ointment to the group. The group's attention was obviously attracted by this translucent ointment.
Plasters of this era were completely opaque, and would even solidify into lumps as the water dried up. Therefore, it was said that plasters should be applied while they were still warm.
Chen Jialuo looked at it for a long time and asked in confusion: "Master Huo, what exactly is this plaster..."
"My secret recipe." Huo Chong smiled. This is indeed a secret recipe. Agar is just a common name. In fact, the agar extracted from the horn of the cow is divided into many different types. Each type has a different viscosity, and making solid alcohol is only a very small part of it. One of them is in a paste state, not a solid state. Because it can retain moisture for a longer time, the ointment made with agar, sulfur and several other herbs can maintain a paste state for a much longer time.
Huo Chong had only thought of giving it a try, but he didn't expect that these merchants from Jiangsu and Zhejiang would buy a lot of them. The profit was even greater than that from selling buttons.
The transaction was over, and this normal profit did not excite Huo Chong at all. However, when they set out along the official road, Huo Chong was somewhat concerned. He kept observing the vehicles on the official road.
At least 70% of these vehicles used traditional wooden wheels, so the vehicles with new wheels could run faster. Huo Chong observed carefully and found that the drivers who used new wheels were relatively young, mostly in their thirties. Only a few old men in their forties who looked very energetic would drive vehicles with new wheels on the official road.
It seems that young people are the ones who can accept new things in any era. The destination of this trip is Muping County. Since many things have happened, Huo Chong can only stay here temporarily. In addition, the autumn harvest has begun, and it is time to harvest the horn vegetable on a large scale.
After staying here for a few days, Huo Chong did not see the local scholars do anything, and even the "Sea Dragon King" did not send anyone to harass Huo Chong to harvest the ox-horn vegetable. This made Huo Chong feel that something was wrong. The enemy was definitely not expressing goodwill. If it was to express goodwill, they would definitely treat him to a meal and resolve the conflict openly.
After waiting for another two days, County Magistrate Dong returned to Muping County from Jinan. Half a month had passed, and there was still no change. Huo Chong felt that there was no possibility for him and the local gentry to get rid of the hostility. Just when he was thinking about how to deal with the gentry, Huo Chong received an invitation from County Magistrate Dong, saying that he was invited to have a meal with a group of gentry.
Unexpectedly, Magistrate Dong was able to bring two opposing groups together. Huo Chong felt that he should look up to Magistrate Dong. This ability is not something that everyone has. At least this courage is worthy of praise.
Huo Chong wanted to say that he would be the host, but County Magistrate Dong actually wanted to go to Mr. Chen's house. When he got there, he found that this was not Mr. Chen's house, but another house of Mr. Chen.
Everyone sat down, and the cooks began to cook. Everyone sat on both sides, with Magistrate Dong in the main seat, Chen Juren and other gentry sitting in one row, and Huo Chong sitting alone in the other row. Such clear-cut seats represent the current situation.
Chen Juren and the others looked confident, which made Huo Chong feel something was wrong. If they came to make peace, they would not be sincere. Since they were confident and eager to try, did they mean to make trouble for Huo Chong?
Huo Chong looked at County Magistrate Dong and saw that this Jinshi had a dark face and it was obvious that he had made up his mind.
Huo Chong could sense the hostility from all sides. Before Huo Chong could say anything, County Magistrate Dong spoke up, "Huo Chong, you have disturbed many gentry since you arrived in the county."
Huo Chong had seen people call him by his first name. This was the attitude used by Magistrate Lu of Zichuan County to express his dissatisfaction and hostility. Huo Chong wanted to ask Magistrate Dong directly what he wanted, but he felt that if he asked this, the other party would only pretend to be deep, so he remained silent.
County Magistrate Dong continued, "Huo Chong, your business is too disturbing to the people."
Hearing the words "disturbing the people" coming from the mouth of an official, Huo Chong felt somewhat enlightened. The "people" mentioned by the official always had a specific meaning, referring to the gentry. Competing with the people for profit always meant that the interests of the gentry had been damaged.
As for the common people who have no capital, they are not considered human beings in the eyes of officials. Not to mention disturbing the common people, even killing them is not a big deal.
Now that he had an idea, Huo Chong pretended to be surprised and asked, "Oh? I wonder how I can avoid disturbing others."
Before Magistrate Dong could speak, Mr. Chen on the other side immediately shouted, "Huo Chong, is your business something that only you can do by yourself? Why don't you bring it out and let everyone do it together?"
Huo Chong felt relieved. It was interesting to say that Huo Chong realized that what he was worried about was not the business being taken away, but that these people would suddenly smash the cup as a signal and rush over to kill him. As for the business, Huo Chong really didn't care much. Since the other party was so straightforward, Huo Chong also cooperated, "Oh, what business do you want to take over?"
