Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 24: Pawnshops and Pawnshops

"Excuse me, sir, are you here today for pleasure and entertainment, or to buy and sell seasonal goods? The South Market has three gates on each side, leading to different residential areas. This gate faces the packhorse market, so it's a bit filthy..."

The name of this involuntarily employed traitor is Wei Lin, and his family is from Nanshi. After a brief self-introduction, he began to explain the different areas within Nanshi. Although his fees were low, he knew everything about Nanshi.

"Let's buy some seasonal goods first and then go shopping at the market later."

Zhang Luo really wanted to stroll around the bustling market, but when he thought about the risk of storing so much money and silk in Zhou Liang's house, he decided to focus on his business first. After thinking for a moment, he said to the broker, "I'm going to Shannan, Jingxiang, and I want to buy a thousand strings of cash to take me with me. Do you have any recommendations?"

"One thousand strings of cash..."

Wei Lin was immediately surprised when he heard this number. If he could make this deal, even without taking a profit, his reputation in the brokerage business would soar, which would be of great help in attracting business in the future.

He quickly composed himself and fell into deep thought. After a while, he added, "The land of Shannan is damp and humid, and the people are extravagant. Merchants from Jingxiang come to the capital to buy mostly Western spices, Hebei silk, bracelets, hairpins, and other valuables. If you want to sell goods in Shannan, you can choose from them. You can make a profit to cover your expenses and still make a considerable profit."

"Then let's go to the Herb Shop!"

Zhang Luo thought for a moment and then spoke again, immediately giving Aying a look. This young lady knew quite a bit about perfume and medicine, so buying this kind of goods first would also be a way to test whether the dealer was honest or not.

Ah Ying was smart and clever, and had developed a tacit understanding with Ah Lang by following him in and out these days. Upon seeing this, she nodded slightly, then opened her eyes wide and silently observed every move of the Ya Lang.

So the group went straight to the herb shop in the city. Herbs and spices have the properties of both spices and medicinal materials, so the profit is naturally very high. Therefore, the herb shop is located in the most conspicuous and convenient area in the city, which is an area east of the South City Office. There are hundreds of stores and shops of all sizes.

Wei Lin was indeed very responsible. He first led Zhang Luo to several large incense and medicine shops to determine the types of incense and medicine to buy, and then went to each shop one by one to distinguish the quality and compare the prices, including bargaining with the shopkeepers. He took care of everything and reported to Zhang Luo at any time.

Aying, who followed Zhang Luo, also had some talent and vision for incense and medicine. When Wei Lin led a group of people to compare and ask prices, Aying was watching carefully from the side, and she was sure that the dealer did not deceive Alang.

Zhang Luo was very satisfied with Wei Lin's diligent and conscientious attitude as a broker. In the end, he ordered spices and medicines worth more than 800 strings of cash from several spice and medicine shops through him. Because he was a rare wealthy customer, one of the spice and medicine shops even provided free door-to-door delivery and money collection services.

After watching Zhang Luo and the pharmacy agree on a time and place for the transaction, Wei Lin stepped forward and whispered, "Such a large amount of money is difficult to transport. Why don't you have your servants deposit the money with the pharmacy first? That way, you can withdraw it at will in the market, making your purchases much more convenient."

"Grocery store? Tell me about it."

Zhang Luo was surprised again after hearing this and looked at Wei Lin and asked.

Wei Lin quickly lowered his head and said, "Money and silk can be deposited in pawnshops or pawnshops, and can be spent with tokens. There are more than a dozen pawnshops in the city, the largest of which is the Changshou Temple Pawnshop. Even if the amount is tens of thousands of strings of cash, it can be used as soon as it is pawned. However, the commission is quite high. If you spend 100 strings of cash within ten days, you will be charged a commission of one string of cash."

There is now another Wang's shop, which was set up by Wang Yuanbao, a wealthy merchant from Chang'an, who has just entered the market. The commission is not high, and the goods are just as convenient."

Isn't this a bank?
After listening to Wei Lin's explanation, Zhang Luo became very interested and said, "Let's go to Wang's shop and take a look first."

Wang's shop is also located in the central area of ​​Nanshi, and is connected to the Nanshi Municipal Government. Zhang Luo and his party left the perfume and medicine shop, walked a few miles north, turned west, and arrived at the door of this shop.

"This was originally the city government building, and I was employed here last year. Last year, the Dongfeng and Dongdu offices all needed to pay tribute to complete their work, so I rented the building and thirty acres of vacant land nearby to Wang Yuanbao, earning him fifty thousand strings of cash to help with my daily expenses."

Wei Lin looked at the door of the shop, his eyes filled with reminiscence and self-mockery.

It turns out that he is an old employee who was optimized within the system!
Zhang Luo was not very interested in the life story of this broker. What he was curious about was the difference between the operating model of this counter and the banks of later generations. If it was really convenient to deposit and withdraw money, then he could save the trouble of buying and selling light goods and just deposit the money directly into this counter.

He also knew the name of Wang Yuanbao. Some of the deeds of this wealthy merchant in Chang'an were recorded in the notes of Tang people. In ancient times, agriculture was always emphasized and commerce was suppressed. The fact that he was so wealthy that his deeds were recorded in small notebooks by contemporary literati showed that this guy was really rich.

The facade of this shop is also very grand. Probably because it was built on the land of the city government's official residence, it can avoid being held accountable even if it exceeds the regulations slightly.

The wide gate alone exceeded the width of some shops, and the surrounding wall was built with blue bricks to a height of more than two meters, with the cracks in the wall decorated with gold powder, which looked ostentatious and showy. Inside and outside the gate stood many strong and powerful slaves wearing long robes and leather belts, and half-sleeves, respectfully welcoming and seeing off guests.

After entering the gate, the layout of this shop is quite spacious. First of all, there is a courtyard square of at least one or two acres. Unlike other shops in Nanshi, they do not make full use of every inch of land and thus appear cramped and crowded.

After walking a few dozen steps, there is a building several meters high. The building occupies an area of ​​several acres. It is decorated with carved beams and painted rafters, and is gorgeous and magnificent. There are some smaller attic buildings scattered around it, and there are sometimes suspended plank roads connecting them. The plank roads are decorated with colorful silk curtains, like stars surrounding the moon.

Dancers are dancing gracefully on the outer corridor of this building, and singing and music are heard one after another in the surrounding small buildings, together creating a dreamlike world of extravagance and decadence.

"Is this still the original city government building?"

Wei Lin, the arbitrator, hadn't been here since his transformation. Seeing this dreamlike scene, his eyes widened in disbelief. Zhang Luo, a seasoned veteran, had witnessed far more extravagant scenes before, so he wasn't particularly surprised. He simply sighed inwardly: The first step in playing finance is to not treat money as money.

Not to mention the exquisite architecture and wonderful performances of this shop, the idle and wasted land alone could probably be used to build a dozen more shops. If they were managed well in this prosperous area of ​​South City, they would be able to make a fortune every day. As long as this shop exists, it will just be burning money!

"Excuse me, sir, do you prefer music or theatrical performances? The theatrical performances in the central hall are enjoyable, but the noise is too loud. In the north tower, there are Silla maids and Goryeo music, and in the west tower, there is the Huxuan dance..."

The handsome servant at the door led Zhang Luo and his party to the front of the building. A servant in a long gown came forward to greet them and introduced the services in the building with a smile and a respectful voice.

"Avoid all noise and noise, and find a quiet place to do your business first."

Zhang Luo waved his hand to indicate that he didn't need to say more. If it were another time, he would be happy to appreciate these performances. After all, sensual pleasures are also an aspect of local customs and practices. However, he hadn't finished his business yet, and he was not in the mood to have an immersive experience.

The waiter bowed quickly upon hearing this and then asked respectfully, "How much money would you like to send, sir?"

"About ten thousand taels, it depends on how your family responds."

Since this shop didn't treat money as money, Zhang Luo followed suit. The difference was that they were actually burning money, while he was just bragging. In short, you can get as much money as you want. Whether you can attract business depends on your service and ability.

"Ten thousand, ten thousand taels? My dear guest, please wait a moment. I, I..."

The servant's vision was obviously not as broad as Zhang Luo's. After hearing the number, his face suddenly changed and he couldn't speak clearly. He subconsciously wanted to go back to the building to report, but he was afraid that the guest would disappear in a blink of an eye, so he turned back. He was a little at a loss for a moment.

Zhang Luo was amused by his reaction. After investing so much money into this shop, it wouldn't be so difficult to make no demands on the sales staff. Seeing how excited he was, it seemed that this shop, which had cost so much money to open, wasn't doing well. The business had reached its ceiling, and the huge amount of money had already been spent.

Even though Zhang Luo was just bragging, it did not prevent him from making his own judgment on the business conditions of the shop.

After a brief moment of loss of composure, the servant calmed himself down and led Zhang Luo and his party into the nearest small building.

There were a few sexy Hu girls in the building, singing and dancing on a small stage, but they were waved away by the servant, which made Ding Qing and others who followed them in look disappointed.

Zhang Luo suddenly felt that the servant's professional skills were really limited. Although he had just refused the sexual service, since he had met him, it would not hurt to take a few glances at him. Would he turn against him because of this?
After inviting Zhang Luo into the building and sitting down, the servant apologized and hurried out. While several people were still admiring the magnificent decorations and furnishings in the small building, a middle-aged man in a green round-necked robe hurried into the building under the guidance of the servant.

The middle-aged man was not dressed ostentatiously and had a rather thin appearance. His beard was probably nearly a foot long, groomed to a glossy black, quite eye-catching. After entering the building, he took a quick look around, then hurried over to Zhang Luo, raised his hand and bowed, saying, "My name is Wang Yuanbao, and I am the owner of this shop. May I ask what your name is, sir?"

Zhang Luo had never expected that his casual boasting would even alarm the boss of Renmin University. The image of Wang Yuanbao was different from the general impression of wealthy merchants. He seemed to deliberately try to resemble a Confucian businessman or a scholar-official.

"My husband's surname is Zhang."

Aying, who was standing beside Zhang Luo, spoke up. She and Alang now had a tacit understanding. She had just heard Alang bragging, so she gave a vague answer, only saying his surname but not his family background.

Wang Yuanbao didn't ask any more questions after hearing this. He had already gotten a brief glimpse of the young man on the way here, knowing that he was riding a horse from the Imperial Palace. Although the escort wasn't one of the well-known brokers in South City, he didn't dare underestimate him.

Now that the emperor is in the Eastern Capital and all the officials are accompanying him, it is normal for some young men with deep but unknown backgrounds to come into the city for a leisurely stroll.

"Master Zhang, please return to the table and take a seat. May I ask what your food preferences are? I will have my servants prepare them for you. If you have no preferences, I will serve you a few dishes of your favorite cuisine."

Wang Yuanbao raised his hand and asked Zhang Luo to take a seat, and he sat down in the seat opposite him, and asked with a smile.

"No need for that. Let's get down to business first. Mr. Wang's family is in Chang'an, so I'm sure he's quite wealthy. I've deposited some money in the Eastern Capital. Can I withdraw it in the Western Capital?"

Zhang Luo waved his hand and then asked the question that concerned him most.

Wang Yuanbao's face changed slightly when he heard this, and he quickly waved his hand and said, "Young Master, are you worried that the money stored here might be transferred elsewhere? Please rest assured about this. I, Wang, run a business based on honesty. Money brought in here will be locked up for withdrawal. If anyone dares to take even a little bit out, I will execute all the members of my family without complaint!"

There's no way to communicate!

Zhang Luo was also a little dumbfounded when he heard Wang Yuanbao's answer. He just wanted to ask if he could provide foreign exchange services, so why did he force the other party to swear an oath?

He soon realized that the two sides had different perceptions, especially in their understanding of financial operations, which was a huge gap, which led to such a huge cognitive difference on this issue.

(End of this chapter)