Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 37 How about you trust me this once?
Liu Xiyu said, "After I set up Hongtai, I wanted to join the local chamber of commerce, but those people in the chamber of commerce bullied me because I was a woman and used all sorts of reasons to prevent me from joining. It was the old man of the Zhang family who overruled everyone's objections and let me join."

She paused for a moment, then sighed, "To be honest, if it weren't for Grandpa Zhang, I don't know if my Hongtai ship would have reached its current scale, or if our business would have remained stable after the ships and merchants from Tonghuomen Wharf came here."

Over the years, various industries at Shawan Wharf have grown significantly, and even neighboring provincial capitals have built guild halls near the wharf.

Although local businesses enjoy the convenience of having a large following, they also established various chambers of commerce in order to exchange goods and services.

The chamber of commerce is headed by the most qualified person in the local industry, with three to five people under him who take turns handling affairs. When Mr. Zhang was alive, he also served as a rotating member of the chamber of commerce because of his successful business.

When merchant ships from other places arrived at the dock, whether they were newcomers or not, they would go to the Chamber of Commerce to obtain trade information from local grain merchants in order to more easily achieve their trading objectives.

In this way, the Chamber of Commerce naturally also has first-hand information about current affairs. Grain merchants that join the Chamber must pay a certain amount of money every year in order to obtain this valuable information.

When Liu Xiyu took over Hongtai, it was so difficult, so joining the Chamber of Commerce would naturally be more advantageous for her.

After hearing this anecdote, Lu Jia said, "The head of the family hasn't had much contact with the Zhang family these past few years."

"The Zhang family? You mean Zhang Qi and his wife?" Liu Xiyu, who was reminiscing about the past, suddenly sneered. "Look around, apart from those unknown businesses, who among those who have done business with Zhang Qi or worked with him is willing to have a close relationship with them?"

"Look at the things they've done?"
"They're even trying to steal my business! If it weren't for the old man's favor, I wouldn't have let Yufeng go that day!"

It would have been better if we hadn't mentioned those two bastards. Just mentioning them stirred up Liu Xiyu's anger and hatred again!

Not only did the He family use despicable means to steal business, but the key point is that their actions have put Hongtaihao's original business at risk of failure!
This isn't just about missing out on one order; it's about her not being able to pay the grain and having to lose money! And that loss is several thousand taels of silver!
Those shameless things!

There are rules in the marketplace. People compete for business, and there is open and covert rivalry. But to fight so openly and blatantly for business is tantamount to riding on someone's head and acting wildly.

This is a recipe for enmity!

Liu Xiyu angrily downed her tea in one gulp. When she saw Lu Jia, she remembered the girl's relationship with the Zhang family and asked, "Why are you suddenly asking about these things?"

Lu Jia laughed and said, "We're on the same side. You must know about the recent scramble among grain merchants for warehouses at the docks, right?"

Liu Xiyu asked suspiciously, "So what if I know?"

"Zhang Qi plotted to sell me to that bastard Li Er in order to buy a warehouse, and almost got me killed in the process."

These things were no secret, and Liu Xiyu had naturally heard about them.

Having built such a large business over the years, she had long since developed a shrewd and calculating mind. If it weren't for her lingering concerns about how the Zhang family had bullied Lu Jia's family over the years, she would never have agreed to let Lu Jia be an apprentice in the shop, much less have trusted her to follow Chen Quan around collecting grain.

“These past few days, the brothers have been arguing about dividing the family business. If the Zhang family business is split up, who knows how many big customers will run away. Since they are so unrighteous, even trying to steal food from the boss's mouth, doesn't the boss want to take this opportunity to recoup some of his losses?”

Lu Jia handed her a water chestnut, saying, "It would be such a waste if someone else picked up this big customer who ran away."

Liu Xiyu looked at the snow-white and plump water chestnut in her palm, then at Lu Jia opposite her: "Are you trying to take advantage of my misfortune?"

Lu Jia said, "No. I just want to cooperate with the boss."

Liu Xiyu raised an eyebrow.

Liu Xiyu certainly didn't think this was taking advantage of someone's misfortune.

This was Zhang's own doing. After the shop was split up, the original large grain store became a trading company. They couldn't collect enough grain, nor could they retain their big customers. It was certain that the business would collapse. In other words, as long as they could raise enough grain to satisfy these grain merchants, each ship could easily bring in several thousand taels of silver.

Who wouldn't want such a piece of fatty meat?
The news about their business had spread throughout the docks overnight, and now countless people were eyeing their clients.

This is not like the He family, who used despicable means to obtain it.

Liu Xiyu has always been defiant towards those self-righteous men, and of course he wanted such an opportunity as well.

But the most important point is that while she has secured these customers, she also needs to purchase enough grain.

She was currently in a predicament because of the He family's poaching of their business, so even if she had the will, she didn't have the power to do so.

Besides, Lu Jia is just a young girl. Although she is smarter and more mature than most women her age, she is still young. What can she possibly do?

Maybe it's just kids acting impulsively and trying to vent their anger.

Liu Xiyu is almost forty years old; how can she not be cautious in her actions?

"This is an adult matter, you shouldn't get involved," she said. "Have the accountant check how much silver is in the treasury and see if it's enough to cover this shortfall."

At this point, she put down the cup and stood up.

Lu Jia remained seated and didn't move: "If I replenish this batch of grain for the chief, can the chief trust me just this once?"

Liu Xiyu stopped in her tracks: "You?"

Lu Jia stood up: "Yes, it's me."

"If I can deliver enough grain before the deadline, the boss will cooperate with me this time. And we'll split the profits with the Zhang family's big customers in half, how about that?"

……

After discussing the news of bringing He Qu and Tang Yu back with Guo Yi, Shen Qingzhou decided to personally go to Luokou. He also planned to take a trip to the surrounding towns and villages of Shawan.

Although the grain merchants at the docks manipulated the rice market and increased their profits by hoarding large quantities of grain, they would not dare to do so easily without guidance from others.

Then they learned from Magistrate Fang Wei that there was a powerful rice market association in Shawan.

This chamber of commerce is the leader of all the grain shops at the dock, and the person in charge of the chamber of commerce is Su Mingxing, the head of Guangtai, the largest grain shop in Shawan.

The Su family was not only a well-known merchant family in Tanzhou Prefecture, but also a prominent local gentry family because one of their ancestors became an official.

Shen Qingzhou spent two days digging into the Chamber of Commerce and also found out the Su family's background.

As luck would have it, Su Mingxing's uncle, who was an official, was also a classmate of one of Yan Song's students.

He sealed the letter he had written that night and entrusted it to a guard to be personally delivered back to the capital. He Qu had returned.

"Young master, Zhang Laosan has been inquiring about you in Fuxingfang for the past two days."

(End of this chapter)