After rebirth, I became a great master

Chapter 254 Old Friends in the Dream of the Red Chamber
The sudden appearance of a nephew left Zhou Haoran somewhat bewildered.

Who is this?
It's important to know that Zhou Haoran currently has many identities, many of which are unknown even to his closest confidants.

For example, Jono.

As her apprentice, she had no idea that her master was actually a junior four years her junior.

In addition to his real identities, Zhou Haoran travels all over the country and mingles in society, and from time to time he also adds some fictitious identities to himself, such as a reporter, a returnee from overseas, a coordinator, and so on.

This requires Zhou Haoran to be sufficiently low-key in his daily life.

To avoid being exposed.

Unexpectedly, when I arrived at a small garment factory, I was recognized.

It shouldn't be...

Zhou Haoran was completely baffled.

I felt like I'd never seen this Director Tang before, so how could he have slipped up?
"You are……"

Zhou Haoran could no longer impersonate Sister Yang's driver at this moment.

Tang Youzhi's demeanor was much warmer and more humble than when he had received Ji Yingyang earlier. He said excitedly, "Uncle, I recognized you earlier, but I didn't dare to believe it. I never expected it to really be you!"

Being called "little uncle" by a man in his forties is something most people would find hard to handle.

Fortunately, Zhou Haoran was experienced.

Sheng Wenwan, who was ten years older than him, called him "Dad"; Hu Xiaochen, who was seven years older than him, clung to him and called him "Master".

That's why life experience is so important.

"Director Tang, you've mistaken me for someone else."

Zhou Haoran remained calm, while Ji Yingyang and Qiao Nuo beside him seemed somewhat flustered.

Tang Youzhi laughed and said, "Uncle, you're a big shot! My dad's name is Tang Taihua!"

"Ok?"

Zhou Haoran raised his eyebrows.

Tang Taihua?
never heard of that!

Tang Youzhi continued, "Dream of the Red Chamber!"

"Huh?" Zhou Haoran suddenly realized, "Tang Taihua? Mr. Tang?"

Tang Youzhi laughed and said, "Uncle, you finally remembered! Yes, my dad is Mr. Tang from the Dream of the Red Chamber!"

There were once thirteen gentlemen in the Red Mansion Teahouse.

They were known as the "Thirteen Righteous Followers".

However, with the changing times, most of them have been lost.

Now only a few remain.

As Mr. Liu Zhengyue mentioned, there are only Mr. Zhang, Mr. Wei, Mr. Sun, Mr. Chen, and Mr. Tang left.

Zhou Haoran inherited Mr. Zhang's mantle.

So the gentleman currently "on duty" is Mr. Zhou, along with Mr. Wei, Mr. Sun, Mr. Chen, and Mr. Tang.

As for its name and appearance, Zhou Haoran had no idea.

Although they are all still employed, they have mostly retired.

The teahouses weren't doing well, so they stopped going there.

Unexpectedly, I met an old friend here.

It's one of our own!

Zhou Haoran was relieved and shook hands with him, readily admitting, "Yes, it's me, I'm Zhou Haoran. Director Tang, what a coincidence to run into you here."

Tang Youzhi quickly said, "No, no, according to seniority, you are my uncle. According to the order, you are the eldest master. If you call me 'Youzhi,' I'm already doing you a favor."

Zhou Haoran, thick-skinned as ever, asked, "Youzhi, how come... we've never met before, have we? How do you know me?"

Tang Youzhi laughed and said, "We've never met, but I have your photo!"

"Huh?" Zhou Haoran was slightly taken aback. "A photo?"

Tang Youzhi said, "Your formal attire photo from the Dream of the Red Chamber."

"what?"

Zhou Haoran was a little surprised.

He did indeed have his picture taken at the Red Mansion Teahouse before; it was taken by Mr. Liu Zhengyue with a camera.

So-called formal attire is not a suit.

Instead, he wore a long robe and mandarin jacket in the style of the Republic of China era, and was also holding a Xiangfei fan in his hand.

Looks very stylish!
The clothes weren't his, so they didn't fit him very well.

Tang Youzhi explained, "You want to be elected as the Grand Master? The old man sent your photo to my house and also talked about the business cases you managed. If you want to become the Grand Master, you need the joint recommendation of the gentlemen in the Red Mansion."

"That's it!"

Zhou Haoran then realized that there were other things behind the scenes.

He thought he could appoint the "Master" himself.

Tang Youzhi sighed and said, "Times have changed, it's not the same as the old society. I thought the Red Mansion was doomed and the teahouse would close down. But I never expected that you, Uncle, would suddenly step in and take charge. Who could disagree? When my father heard about it, he almost got out of his sickbed to thank you."

Zhou Haoran asked in surprise, "How is your father's health?"

“He’s in the hospital.” Tang Youzhi shook his head. “He’s had uremia for seven or eight years. His health is getting worse and worse, and he has to rely on dialysis. It’s only because I’m still running a small business that he’s able to survive. If it were an ordinary family, he would have been…”

Zhou Haoran said solemnly, "Then I definitely have to go and see!"

Tang Youzhi nodded. "Yes, you should go see him. Although you have inherited Zhang Lao's mantle and are the seventh generation, Zhang Lao is not a great master; he is just an ordinary master at the Red Mansion."

Zhou Haoran sensed a hidden meaning in his words, "Then who is the Great Master?"

Tang Youzhi said, "The Red Mansion closed down after Liberation. The previous generation of great scholars dates back to the Republican era, named Tang Jishan. Uncle, you should have heard of him, right?"

"Ok?"

Zhou Haoran wasn't quite sure.

Qiao Nuo, standing nearby, blurted out, "Tang Jishan was a big figure in Huangpu Beach during the Republic of China era. He was a tea tycoon and also involved in the film and television industry. He was the man behind Ruan Lingyu."

Zhou Haoran then remembered.

Depend on!
Tang Jishan, could it be that scumbag who caused Ruan Lingyu's death because of his philandering ways?
However, judging from Director Tang's tone, this seems to be an elder in his family!
Zhou Haoran felt it inappropriate to say anything harsh, so he tentatively asked, "Tang Jishan... is he your grandfather?"

Tang Youzhi shook his head. "Second Grandfather was my grandfather's second brother. He was a womanizer who made and spent a lot of money. He died of starvation in his later years. In those special times, it was not easy for my family to survive. We couldn't save him."

"Ugh!"

Zhou Haoran sighed, expressing his sympathy.

Tang Youzhi said, "He passed on his mantle to my father. However, in those days, the Red Mansion's signboard was gone, and teahouses dared not operate. There was no longer any talk of recommending a 'great master.' It wasn't until you, Uncle, appeared that our Red Mansion had a new great master."

"I see!"

Zhou Haoran then understood his meaning; it turned out that the mantle of the great master lay with the Tang family branch.

That's normal.

The "Master" must be the person with the greatest social prestige and the most influence.

Tang Jishan was a very famous tycoon during the Republic of China era!
No less capable than Du Yuesheng!

Tang Youzhi invited, "Uncle, when you have time, go see my dad. His health isn't very good, but he cares a lot about you. Knowing that my letters were sent by the 'Master,' he reads each one many times. By the way, the 'Master' also has a heirloom, which is with my dad. It belongs to you."

"I will definitely go!"

Zhou Haoran had come to understand the style of this well-established "aristocratic" family.

Frank, sincere, and trustworthy.

I don't know what the heirloom is.

But at least it's an antique. It can sell for a lot of money!
The fact that they gave it away so readily shows how much the Tang family valued the Dream of the Red Chamber.

Tang Youzhi explained with a hint of self-deprecation, "My dad developed uremia a few years ago and his health has deteriorated, so he stopped going to the Red Mansion. He said he wanted to pass on his mantle to me, but I have to run a factory and earn money to pay for his treatment, so I don't have the time!"

Zhou Haoran naturally understood. "The Red Mansion is practically defunct now. We haven't seen a single customer at the teahouse for days, and it's going to be relocated. If we don't want to go, we won't go. There's really nothing to do there anyway."

“Things are different now.” Tang Youzhi said expectantly, “Uncle, you’re really capable! You’re a great scholar of our time. With Dream of the Red Chamber in your hands, it will surely be carried forward and made even more brilliant!”

Zhou Haoran laughed and said, "Alright, we can catch up later. I came here with a friend to look at clothes... His name is Dongfang Lang, and he studies at Fudan University. In his spare time, he wants to help college students with some part-time jobs."

Tang Youzhi understood immediately and praised, "Are you going to sell secondhand clothes to college students?"

Dongfang Lang then had a chance to speak and said very politely, "Please help me out, Director Tang."

"Of course!"

Tang Youzhi no longer acted humbly and obsequiously; he stood up straight.

After all, to him, the visitors were not clients.

Instead, they were old friends I'd never met!
"Let's take a look around first..." Tang Youzhi seemed a little hesitant, sighed, and said in a low voice, "The second-hand clothing business may not be as lucrative as you imagine."

Zhou Haoran asked, "Is the income not high?"

Tang Youzhi shook his head. "It's not about money."

Then, everyone began their tour.

With this connection to the Red Mansion Teahouse, the rest of the visit was very relaxed. You could walk around, look at things, touch things, and ask questions as you pleased, and Director Tang would answer all your questions without reservation.

The factory was divided into several sections.

There are washing workshops, ironing workshops, repair workshops, packing workshops... and separate warehouses.

"This is the packaging workshop."

When Tang Youzhi saw that Dongfang Lang had stopped there, he explained with a smile.

Dongfang Lang looked at a set of sportswear hanging on the wall, still in its plastic packaging, and asked in surprise, "Is this second-hand clothing?"

Tang Youzhi laughed and said, "These are all second-hand clothes."

Dongfang Lang reached out and stroked it, exclaiming, "It looks brand new!"

Tang Youzhi said, "Some clothes are of good quality and, after processing, are indeed almost indistinguishable from new ones. This kind of condition is considered 90% new, so it can be sold for a high price. If we ship this set, it will cost at least 40 yuan."

"40 yuan?" Dongfang Lang frowned. "I think that's about the price of a new tracksuit I buy at the store?"

Tang Youzhi said, "Clothes in this condition would be sold as new at the retail level. This set would sell for 200 yuan and many people would buy it. It's a big foreign brand, Nike, and many young people like it."

Dongfang Lang didn't like this model. "Isn't this just deceiving people?"

Tang Youzhi readily admitted, "It does have elements of fraud, but that's the choice of the downstream. On my side, I ship second-hand clothes. As for how the distributors and retailers sell the clothes after they get them, that's beyond my control."

Dongfang Lang quickly said, "Director Tang, don't misunderstand, I wasn't talking about you."

Tang Youzhi smiled and said nonchalantly, "It's the secondhand business. Whether it's clothes, cars, pagers, or computers, it's all about passing off old items as new and fakes as genuine. That's just how society is."

Dongfang Lang nodded. "That's true! A classmate of mine built a computer, and it was discovered that it was assembled from second-hand equipment."

"If you want to sell clothes at the university, it's best to get these that are 90% new," Tang Youzhi suggested. "I'll find a few people to help you select the merchandise and guarantee the quality of the goods."

"Thank you! Thank you!"

Dongfang Lang felt that the deal was done.

Qiao Nuo was also a curious child, looking around the workshop. She saw several packed bundles and asked, "Director Tang, what are these? Why are these clothes loosely packed in bundles?"

Zhou Haoran turned his head to look.

The area was divided into three sections.

The categories are marked on it.

They are the 100 yuan zone, the 200 yuan zone, and the 300 yuan zone.

Tang Youzhi said, "Some clothes are of really poor quality. Some have loose threads, missing buttons, or have faded or been stained. These kinds of clothes don't sell for much. So they are packed into these bundles. This bundle in the 300 yuan section is just one bundle worth 300 yuan. It can't be opened or sold separately."

"Are you selling to rural areas?"

Qiao Nuo didn't unpack the bag, but reached out and touched the fabric; it was indeed not very good.

Tang Youzhi said with a smile, "Where to sell them is not up to me. These goods are usually picked up by small vendors from all over the country. They take a few packages each time, take the train back to their hometowns, and sell them on the streets. They sell a piece of clothing for 10 or 20 yuan, and can earn a hundred or two yuan in one trip."

Qiao Nuo exclaimed in sudden realization, "So that's what clothes sold on the street are like!"

Tang Youzhi nodded and said, "There are very few here in the harbor. They mainly come from small places and sell on the roadside or in the market. However, if you see them selling clothes on the street, it's best not to be tempted by cheap prices and stay far away."

I won't wear clothes that other people have worn; I always wear new clothes.

Qiao Nuo comes from a well-off family and doesn't have such worries.

"Hmm..." Tang Youzhi hesitated for a moment, then decided to reveal some industry secrets, "Now that Mr. Da is here, I can't keep this a secret. It's not a matter of new clothes versus old clothes."

"That is?"

Not only Qiao Nuo, but Zhou Haoran, Dongfang Lang and Ji Yingyang were also very curious.

"Let's go to the warehouse."

Tang Youzhi led the group toward the warehouse.

There are two warehouses.

One is a receiving warehouse, and the other is a shipping warehouse.

We went to a compartment in the receiving warehouse.

As soon as the door opened, Qiao Nuo frowned and covered her mouth and nose.

It has a strange smell!

Tang Youzhi took out gloves and a mask from the table next to him.

Ji Yingyang stood at the door without going in.

Zhou Haoran stayed with her.

Qiao Nuo and Dongfang Lang were very curious, so they put on masks and gloves and went into the warehouse compartment.

"what!"

A moment later, Qiao Nuo screamed and ran out with a pale face, throwing herself into Zhou Haoran's arms.

Zhou Haoran asked: "What's wrong?"

Qiao Nuo said in a trembling voice, "Blood! Master, the clothes are covered in blood! A whole lot of it!"

Zhou Haoran hummed in agreement, put one arm around her slender waist, and gently patted her back.

Soon, Dongfang Lang also came out.

He couldn't take it anymore either.

After taking off her mask, her face turned ashen. "These clothes weren't donated; they look like they were picked out of a garbage dump. These imported 'waste clothes' are truly garbage!"

Tang Youzhi added an even more chilling point: "The clothes that are of good quality aren't here. The clothes here are basically scavenged from garbage dumps abroad, and some are even taken from piles of clothes in hospital morgues."

Qiao Nuo clung tightly to Zhou Haoran's chest.

Ji Yingyang's face also paled slightly, and he moved closer to Zhou Haoran.

Zhou Haoran naturally took her soft little hand and comforted her.

Tang Youzhi discovered this scene.

stunned.

He blinked, then rubbed his eyes.

I have very mixed feelings!
Indeed, it is the legacy of the great master!

This young, newly minted gentleman, with women on his left and right, really does resemble his great-uncle Tang Jishan's dashing demeanor back in the day!

(End of this chapter)