Chapter 4

Master and servant walked slowly, and the Zhang family's residence was located on the west alley of the north street. The alley was nearly a li long, and after exiting the alley, they reached the north street. The street, less than two li long, was filled with merchant families and their businesses, with numerous signs and banners.

Xinping Fort was one of the several horse markets for foreign trade in Datong Town and Shanxi Town. Especially Xinping Fort, due to its geographical importance, was one of the most critical military forts on the eastern route of Datong Town. It was economically and militarily significant, and was very close to Zhangjiakou, a key town for border trade. In later times, it was at the intersection of Hebei, Shanxi, and Inner Mongolia, and there was a saying, "Rooster crows in three provinces," which best described the geographical location of Xinping Fort.

Due to its important geographical location and the presence of the horse market, a large number of merchants had come to participate in trade for a long time. Gradually, many merchants chose to settle in Xinping Fort, turning this military fort, which spanned several miles, into a commercial center with a thriving business on the eastern route of Datong Town.

"Prosperous Abundance, Great Prosperity, Abundance House, Smooth House, Changyusheng, Great Virtue, Great Virtue Constant, Great Rise, Great Beauty..."

Walking down the north street, Zhang Han saw only these businesses with auspicious names, their signs and banners fluttering high.

These businesses were all grand, with blue-tiled roofs and green brick walls. The eaves were adorned with bird and beast patterns, and the window frames were intricately carved. The wooden door panels were removed, making the entrances particularly wide. Inside, various goods were displayed, and the clerks and managers were busy. Behind the storefronts, there were usually ten to twenty storage rooms, where more goods were stored.

The bustling crowds came from all over the border towns. It had been nearly half a year since the major market in the west, and the small market this month had already opened. There were no Mongolians on the street, and the traders were mainly from Zhili, Shanxi, and Shaanxi, with a variety of accents. Fortunately, the Northern Mandarin was gradually forming, and when people encountered something they couldn't understand, they would speak Mandarin, which usually worked. If not, they would use hand gestures to bargain, which was sufficient.

All these scenes were new and interesting to Zhang Han.

He had been doing business since childhood, and the merchant's blood ran deep in his bones. For a person with a calm disposition, this situation would be a torment, but for him, it was as comfortable as a fish in water.

"And Yusheng... Yes, we're here."

Zhang Han stood still, squinting at the sign hanging high above the shop door.

A grand entrance, a house built with green bricks, the storefront in front, and about twenty to thirty storage rooms at the back. Some young clerks were moving grain bags from the storage rooms and loading them onto donkey carts. The buyers were in the shop, and after settling the payment, the managers personally escorted the big buyers out. They bowed to each other, and the donkey cart convoy gradually set off towards the north gate.

"How much did this shipment lose?"

The three managers did not immediately see Zhang Han. The one speaking was the head manager, Zhou Fengji, who was about fifty years old, with gray hair, a plump figure, and a smiling face. However, his expression turned sour when he spoke.

The second manager, Li Yuchun, was short and thin, with a sharp and cunning look. He sneered but did not answer.

The third manager, Liang Hong, was tall and robust, with a somewhat rugged appearance. He rubbed his hands and replied, "We bought the grain for four coins, not counting the commission, labor costs, rental fees for mules and horses, fodder, and losses. We sold it for four coins. The head manager can calculate how much we lost."

"Ah? The young master is here!" Zhou Fengji's face turned bitter, and he turned to see Zhang Han listening intently to their conversation.

"Yes, the three managers have worked hard."

Zhang Han nodded to the three managers, a smile on his face.

Zhang Han's arrival was already announced by the matriarch, Chang Shi. The three managers were busy, and they had visited Zhang Han when he was seriously ill. After Zhang Han recovered, the news spread that the young master would no longer study and would manage the business.

For the three managers, this was not good news.

The young master was too young.

In general, Shanxi merchant families placed great emphasis on the education and training of their children. They had private tutors and invited famous teachers to teach. If the children were capable, they would be trained to take the imperial exams. Zhang Han's ancestor, Fengpan Gong, who was the famous prime minister Zhang Siwei, was trained in this way.

If they could not take the exams, after learning to read and write, they would learn business, starting with basic skills like speaking and arithmetic, working as young clerks, learning to use the abacus, and then going out to do business to gain experience. This process took at least ten to eight years.

If Zhang Han's father or grandfather were still alive, the three managers would have arranged for Zhang Han to work as a young clerk and start from the beginning. However, with no other family members, only this one master, such an arrangement would be inappropriate, as it might be seen as overstepping.

The three managers came to greet him. Zhou Fengji was somewhat reserved, as he was one of the old hands who had started the business with the old master, Zhang Yun. Even Zhang Han's father, Zhang Cheng, was a junior to him.

Li Yuchun looked even colder, seemingly dissatisfied with Zhang Han.

Only Liang Hong, the youngest and most straightforward, who was just thirty, had worked his way up from a young clerk to a manager. He smiled at Zhang Han and said, "The young master's arrival is a good thing. The sooner you start, the less responsibility we will have."

After the greetings, there was some awkwardness.

Zhou Fengji thought for a moment and gestured, "Young master, please come inside. It's too cold outside."

Zhang Han nodded and walked in.

The three managers exchanged glances, somewhat surprised.

The previous Zhang Han was a typical bookworm, only reading at home, and his speech was often pedantic. He was also somewhat timid and would retreat when faced with difficult situations.

Perhaps because he knew his shortcomings and the hidden dangers in the Zhang family, the original Zhang Han chose to study for the exams... He was already a scholar, and if he passed the examination to become a scholar, his status would be different. If he passed the provincial examination, even if he did not pass the imperial examination, the Zhang family's position in Xinping Fort would be secure.

Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. Zhang Han had taken the exam several times but failed each time. In a fit of anger, he studied hard in the cold winter, which led to his illness.

Zhang Han entered the shop and began to observe the interior.

The shop was quite large, with a five-bay entrance and five rooms. The five rooms were much larger than those in later times, probably over a thousand square meters. In such a large space, the most common items were grain, tea, and oil. Along the south wall were some fabrics and paper, and a few expensive items like silk. In the corner of the north wall were some iron pots, which were not prominently displayed... Iron pots were only sold in the official market, used by the military towns to exchange for horses with the Tartars. Private markets and small markets were not allowed to sell iron items to prevent the Tartars from using them to make armor and weapons.

The Mongol tribes were severely lacking in iron, with insufficient iron for daily use, let alone for weapons and armor. Due to this restriction, the fighting power of the Tartars had continuously declined, and there had been no large-scale wars in the Xuan and Da regions for a long time.

He looked around and then went to the storage rooms, where there were over ten thousand silver taels worth of grain and tea, and the storerooms were fully stocked. There were also silk and satin, but in small quantities. These expensive items were mostly wanted by the Tartar chieftains and nobles, and ordinary herders could not afford them, nor could they even dream of them. The sales volume would not be large.

At this time, the shop was full of people, with the three managers and about twenty clerks standing in the hall. When Zhang Han finished inspecting the storerooms and returned, everyone bowed to him, the master.

If it were the original Zhang Han, he would have been at a loss, not knowing what to do. However, Zhang Han was now composed and returned the bows. After standing up, he said loudly, "Everyone has worked hard. I have been studying at home and have not come here often. From now on, I will come every day. We must all work together to do well in the business. When we make a profit, everyone will benefit."

Zhou Fengji and Li Yuchun nodded slightly, with Li Yuchun showing some surprise but still a hint of disdain. Liang Hong laughed and said, "The young master has never come to the shop before, but today, his words are heartwarming and truly admirable."

Zhou Fengji said, "Since that's the case, everyone go back to your tasks, and don't be in a hurry."

Everyone agreed and dispersed, each returning to their tasks, while the three managers and Zhang Han looked at each other.

If Zhang Han were a young clerk, it would be easy to arrange. If he were an adult master, it would also be manageable. There was a quiet room behind the shop where the old master and Zhang Cheng used to sit. However, for Zhang Han, who was young and inexperienced, sitting in the quiet room would not help him understand the business for ten to eight years.

Zhou Fengji said, "The young master can sit at the counter outside. Sit on the south side and observe for a few days."

"Let's do as the head manager suggests."

Zhang Han understood that on his first day, it was impossible and unnecessary to have anything to do. There would be no urgent matters for him to decide. If there were any important matters, they would still report to his mother, Chang Shi, as before. Zhang Han did not expect this situation to change in a few days.

What he needed to do now was to sit on the high chair by the south wall, watching the customers come and go, the managers receive them, negotiate prices, and the clerks busily move around. Zhang Han was not in a hurry. In this time and place, in the 45th year of the Wanli era, he was still a teenager under sixteen, and he was not in a hurry.