Chapter 5

In the secluded back yard of the shop, under a jujube tree that had lost all its leaves, three managers stood in a circle.

Li Yuchun looked at Zhou Fengji and said, "Old Zhou, what’s the plan? Have you made up your mind?"

Zhou Fengji replied, "I still say the same thing: we can’t do this for now. If you want to act, go ahead, but I won’t be involved."

Li Yuchun sneered, "I didn’t expect you, Old Zhou, to be so loyal, making me the villain. Actually, my way would be good for the ‘Madam’ and for Han Ge."

"An owner is an owner," Zhou Fengji just shook his head and said, "Everyone has their own aspirations; further talk is futile." He glanced at Liang Hong, who had been smiling silently, and left with his hands behind his back.

Li Yuchun snorted, also glanced at Liang Hong, and said, "Do as I say."

"Sure," Liang Hong smiled, "Whatever you say."

Zhang Han had only been in the shop for five or six days, but he had already grasped the general situation.

In terms of business, Zhang Han’s grandfather, Zhang Yun, was talented. A few thousand taels of silver was not much in Xinping Fort, where the horse market was divided into official and private markets, and large and small markets. A large market could have a transaction value of over a hundred thousand taels, and the garrison commander of Xinping Fort would lead troops to guard the market, while the Mongols would send their leaders to maintain order.

The large market was a national-level event, held once a year, while the small markets, held monthly, were the paradise of merchants.

All kinds of goods, especially oil, tea, grain, and cloth, were the most important. At the time, merchants often mentioned how poor the Tartars were, trading a sheep for a few bushels of rice, a horse for one or two bushels of grain. The nomads would bring out whatever they had, as they did not have a clear understanding of the value of goods. In the early years of the market, the merchants of the Ming Dynasty made a huge profit from these Tartars.

Besides the main goods, the Mongols wanted all kinds of items, even fresh vegetables, various cured meats, and pickled vegetables. Anything produced in the Ming Dynasty, the nomads on the grasslands would take.

Can you believe that a jar of pickled vegetables could be traded for a horse?

The border trade at that time was like the gold rush in the American West, where the bold and adventurous could easily make their first fortune.

Zhang Yun was one of them. He left his hometown of Puzhou with a few thousand taels of silver and a few assistants, and opened Heyusheng on North Street. Over several decades, he built a fortune of forty thousand taels of silver.

To later generations, a few thousand taels of silver might not seem like much, and there were indeed some families with millions or even tens of millions of taels. But that was just a minority. In the early years of the Wanli era, a few thousand taels of silver was roughly equivalent to a millionaire in modern times.

Three taels of silver for a cow, seven taels for a horse, and five or six taels for an acre of irrigated land, while dry land was worth only three taels.

What did a few thousand taels mean?

Enough to eat the finest eight delicacies in a restaurant every day for several decades.

The old man had seized the opportunity and increased his fortune by more than ten times, a remarkable achievement. By the time it came to Zhang Han’s father, Zhang Cheng, they could only maintain the business. The big players in Xinping Fort were growing, and Heyusheng was becoming less noticeable, making business increasingly difficult.

Over the past few days, Zhang Han had observed that the shop’s business was quite ordinary. Grain was the main product, but it was sold at a loss. Other small goods were rarely traded, and they would only sell more when the small market opened next month. The profit from selling other goods was used to offset the loss from the grain business.

If they didn’t sell grain, most of the shop assistants would have to be laid off, and the business would become even more desolate, reducing the sales of other goods.

After a few days of observation, Zhang Han realized that the situation of Heyusheng was indeed not optimistic.

Zhang Chun accompanied Zhang Han every day. His status was different, and he had gathered more information than Zhang Han.

"Manager Zhou is an old hand, very dedicated, and doesn’t like to talk about business matters outside of work."

"Manager Li has a bad temper, but he helps us collect rent in Tiancheng and Zhenlu, and also manages the grain and accounts. The store’s accountant and warehouse manager, Mr. Li, are relatives of Manager Li, and they usually eat lunch together."

"Manager Liang manages the store’s daily affairs, including purchasing and shipping, and the monthly small market. He is a generous person, and most of the shop assistants have a good relationship with him. I heard that Manager Liang has a nephew who is a lasha, a well-known figure in our fort."

Zhang Han sat behind the counter, and Zhang Chun stood on one side, speaking softly.

Zhang Chun was young and unremarkable, and in the past few days, he had wandered around the store, and probably few people took him seriously. Despite this, he had gathered quite a bit of information.

"How much do each of you get paid monthly?"

"The young assistants don’t get a monthly salary, only a small reward at the end of the year, up to a few hundred coins. The senior assistants get 200 to 300 coins a month, and the managers get the most, with Manager Zhou getting three taels a month, and the second and third managers getting two taels. The accountant and warehouse manager each get one tael."

"That’s not much..."

"It’s not much..." Zhang Chun whispered, "I’ve been to other businesses, and the assistants there get 30% to 40% more, and there’s a year-end bonus. The managers get less than in other businesses, and there hasn’t been a year-end bonus for the past few years. Everyone is unhappy and lacks motivation."

Zhang Han tapped his fingers on the counter, pondering, "I can see that."

Indeed, the store was somewhat depressed, lacking vitality and laughter. The cohesion and drive of a store can be seen in the appearance of the assistants and managers.

Zhang Han thought for a moment and instructed, "Please invite the three managers over."

Zhang Chun nodded and prepared to go inside, but Zhang Han waved his hand, "Forget it, I’ll go in."

For the past few days, Zhang Han had been sitting in the outer room, while the managers stayed in the inner courtyard or the quiet room, rarely coming out. Only Zhou Fengji had given Zhang Han a few pointers, seeing that Zhang Han was not causing trouble and just observing the store, Zhou Fengji felt at ease and didn’t come out much.

But this situation was not right. No one had heard of an owner who just sat around and did nothing. Zhang Han didn’t want to wait any longer. Time was not on his side, and he had plenty of time, but if Heyusheng continued to stagnate, it might go bankrupt.

The three managers were sitting in the inner room, a small room with account books on the shelves and several abacuses. There was only one table, but many chairs. This was where Zhang Yun used to do his accounts and manage the business.

Seeing Zhang Han enter, the three managers stood up. Liang Hong hurriedly smiled, "Young Master, if you have any instructions, just call us."

Zhang Han smiled, "Not instructions, just a matter to discuss with the three of you."

Zhou Fengji frowned, gave up his seat, and gestured, "Young Master, please sit."

"Thank you, Uncle Zhou."

Unconsciously, Zhang Han changed his address, speaking more warmly.

Zhou Fengji had been brought out by the old master from Puzhou when he was a teenager, making him a junior to the old master and a contemporary of Zhang Han’s father, Zhang Cheng. Calling him Uncle Zhou was appropriate.

Zhou Fengji’s face softened, having served the Zhang family for thirty years, he felt he deserved the title.

Li Yuchun and Liang Hong exchanged glances, their expressions complex.

Zhang Han sat down, no longer being polite, and said straightforwardly, "The monthly salaries of the managers and the assistants haven’t increased for at least ten years, right?"

"It has been many years," Zhou Fengji was surprised, thinking for a moment before answering, "Since the old master passed away, the eldest master left early, and the ‘Madam’ took charge. The business has been declining year by year, and we, as managers, feel guilty. How can we ask for a raise?"

"Originally, there was a year-end bonus, but there hasn’t been one for the past few years, right?"

"Yes, we’ve been losing money, so there’s no talk of a bonus."

"The bonus will have to wait... But from Uncle Zhou and the accountants to the senior and junior assistants, the monthly salaries should be increased. We can’t compare with the big businesses, but we shouldn’t shortchange anyone. From top to bottom, everyone’s salary will be increased by 30%. This should bring us in line with other businesses. What do you think, Uncle Zhou?"

Zhang Han’s expression was calm and composed, as if he were discussing a trivial matter.

Zhang Han was calm, but the three managers were not.

Zhou Fengji was first surprised, then his face showed little emotion, his brows furrowed in thought.

Li Yuchun couldn’t help but cough, seemingly at a loss for words.

Liang Hong looked at everyone, his eyes darting, but didn’t speak for a while.

Finally, Zhou Fengji said, "Though the business is the owner’s, it’s not going well. It would be hard on the owner to keep losing money. Has the Young Master discussed this with the ‘Madam’? This is a big decision, and it’s hard to back out once it’s said..."

"Uncle Zhou, don’t worry. I’m in charge, and this is what I’ve decided. Don’t make it difficult." Zhang Han understood the old man’s concern. Though his words were harsh, his intentions were good.

"Alright, as the Young Master says." Zhou Fengji sighed, though his salary was increased, he didn’t look particularly happy.

"Uncle Zhou, you should announce this," Zhang Han said, "I’m new here and young, so it’s better if Uncle Zhou handles it."

"Sure, I’ll do it."

After all, an increase in salary was good news. Everyone filed out, and when the store’s staff gathered, Zhou Fengji announced the salary increase, and everyone cheered.

"Thank the Young Master for this decision," Zhou Fengji said.

Many people looked enlightened, no wonder the salary hadn’t increased for years, but the Young Master had made it happen in just a few days.

Regardless, it was a big piece of good news. Everyone’s faces were filled with joy, and they walked faster. Many chose to go home for lunch to share the good news with their families.

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