Chapter 81

This time, the Chang family came to Xinping Fort to open a store. Apart from Chang Jinquan, the other gentleman with a refined demeanor is his brother, Chang Jinyou, who is average in business but has a keen interest in miscellaneous studies. Although he did not pursue formal education, he still exudes a scholarly air.

Additionally, there are the brothers Chang Wei and Chang Ning. Apart from a few cousins who stayed behind to manage the business at home, the core members of the Chang family have all come. A few managers and accountants have also accompanied them. At the Chang family, the account office of Heyusheng has not yet set up a branch, so Chang Jinquan brought over more than ten thousand silver taels, and the journey was fraught with anxiety. However, now that they have entered Xinping Fort, his heart has finally settled.

"Uncle, you may not know," Zhou Fengji said with a smile, "there are no other mule and cart businesses or porter services in our fort. All of these are our own businesses. We have the necessary manpower, so there's no need to trouble your household's manager to find them, and they wouldn't find them anyway."

As he spoke, Zhou Fengji called someone to inform Old Cai. The mule and cart business would send people over to help Uncle's family move their belongings.

They were standing in the street, not avoiding others. At this moment, the people on the street knew that this group of outsiders was actually Uncle's family of Zhang Han. Seizing the opportunity, many owners and managers came over to greet the brothers Chang Jinquan, exchanging pleasantries. In no time, the street was filled with people, all smiling and even fawning over Chang Jinquan.

Chang Jinquan and Chang Jinyou were both surprised, but they had to respond to the others. Chang Wei's jaw dropped even more, and Chang Ning, who had been sitting in the carriage, also showed a look of surprise.

Zhang Han is her cousin, and Chang Wei often talks about how impressive this cousin from Xinping Fort is. But she never imagined that this cousin, whom she had never met, could create such a scene.

Old Cai and Wang Changfu from the mule and cart store were also joining in the fun. Hearing that Uncle had arrived, Wang Changfu personally led a team of fifty fully armed guards, running over to provide security. Then Old Cai led several dozen porters to help, personally leading the carts to Zhang's residence.

Only then did Chang Jinquan have a chance to leave, apologizing to those present. Zhou Fengji said he was too busy to leave but would visit the residence at noon to have a drink with Uncle.

"My goodness,"

In the alley, with fewer people around, Chang Jinquan wiped the sweat from his forehead and whispered, "What's going on here?"

Chang Jinyou, with a hint of sarcasm, shook his head and smiled, "Since we're here, we might as well settle in. I see you're always thinking about making money. Your nephew is truly outdoing you. It's not like he's passed the imperial exams. Why are you so worked up?"

"Uncle," Chang Wei laughed, "my cousin is much more impressive than a top scholar!"

...

Upon hearing that her family had arrived, Lady Chang was overjoyed. She dismissed the matchmaker surnamed Shen and instructed her to come back in a few days to continue the discussion.

Lady Chang usually had a lot of free time, but there were many ways for women to pass the time. She could chat with the old ladies, manage the household, watch the chicks in the backyard, walk around the courtyard, do some needlework, and offer incense to the family's deities. These activities could fill up most of her day. If not, she could visit the flower sellers, cosmetic vendors, and jewelry sellers, look at their goods, and listen to their gossip, which would also pass the time. Recently, Lady Chang was not fond of seeing the matchmakers, as the last incident with Jinyan had left her dissatisfied with them. She had seen many matchmakers recently, and each one had several candidates, some even bringing miniature portraits of the girls. The eight characters (birth dates and times) had already been matched, and then they would look at the family background, appearance, and personality. Lady Chang found it difficult to inquire about personality, as proper girls rarely went out, and their personalities were hard to gauge. She mainly focused on the girl's family background and the character of her parents. The most important thing was to check if the eight characters matched and if the girl was suitable for bearing children. The Zhang family had only one male descendant for three generations, and the issue of offspring was a major concern for Lady Chang.

Every few days, Lady Chang would meet with a matchmaker, continuously screening candidates, but she could never make a final decision.

Zhang Han was aware of this issue. He knew that not only in Xinping Fort but also in the nearby garrison towns and even in Wuzhou, many prominent families had sent matchmakers. Zhang Han's reputation was already well-established, and Heyusheng had successfully resolved several crises, firmly establishing its roots. With Ma Cheng'en resolving the troubles with Zhang Quanchang and Zheng Guochang's successful rise to power, Heyusheng would remain unshakable for at least ten to eight years. With Heyusheng's current influence, if it continued to develop for ten years, its financial and social connections would rival those of the Fan family, making it one of the top merchants in Shanxi and even the entire northern region.

Although the status of merchants is somewhat low, a major merchant is not comparable to ordinary officials or gentry. Moreover, Zhang Han is a legitimate descendant of Fengpan Gong, so his family background is not inferior to anyone else's.

There were many candidates, but from family background to age and other aspects, there were not many suitable choices. Furthermore, Zhang Han was very busy, and Lady Chang had a few candidates she liked, but Zhang Han was not very interested. As a result, some of the girls' families could not wait for a decision, and this made Lady Chang very anxious.

Choosing a daughter-in-law was important, but the arrival of her family made Lady Chang genuinely happy.

Being far from home was a disadvantage, as she could only see her family every few years. She was not by her parents' side when they passed away, and now, with her in-laws and husband also gone, she had only Zhang Han as her son. The daily activities were just to pass the time and alleviate her loneliness. The arrival of her brother was a truly joyful event for her.

When Chang Jinquan and the others entered the courtyard, the guards spread out to provide security. The Zhang family's managers quickly designated a room for the items, and the porters began to move them. Lady Chang had already come to greet them. Seeing the mistress, Wang Changfu and Old Cai quickly bowed and greeted her. Lady Chang acknowledged them and, when she looked at Chang Jinquan, her eyes were slightly red.

Even at over forty, a woman could still show a childlike demeanor when seeing her brother.

"Little sister, seeing the prosperity of Heyusheng and your household, I am very happy," Chang Jinquan said, not showing the same emotional波动 as his sister, but with a look of deep emotion. "Third sister, you have a good son."

Lady Chang smiled, "The past few years were tough for Heyusheng, and I mentioned this to Second Brother in my letters. Fortunately, Han has been very diligent, and everything you see now is his doing."

Regarding Heyusheng, it was already a top-tier business. On the Zhang family's side, although the courtyard was still the same, Zhang Han had had it renovated. The floors were paved with high-quality Suzhou golden bricks, and the courtyard was covered with blue bricks. The entire place was repainted, and all the furniture was replaced with high-quality rosewood or huanghuali wood, crafted by skilled carpenters in the latest Suzhou styles. Chang Jinquan glanced around and knew that just the furniture he saw was enough to buy another courtyard like this. The Zhang family had not moved, probably due to Lady Chang's preference, otherwise, they could have moved to a grander residence.

The number of servants in the courtyard was also considerable. When Lady Chang came out, she was accompanied by several managers and five or six young maids, all dressed in fine silk, showing the wealth and prosperity of the household. Lady Chang looked well and had a rounder face. Chang Jinquan, being a perceptive person, knew that his sister's life was comfortable. Since she was living well, there was no need to be melancholic.

Men's thoughts are straightforward. Lady Chang wished she could grab her brother's face, just like when they played as children, but this thought could only remain in her mind. If her mother were still alive, she could have cried in her mother's arms and expressed her longing for home, but she could not do so with her brother.

Lady Chang sighed and greeted Chang Jinyou, who was looking around, "I greet you, Big Brother."

Chang Jinyou, the eldest brother, was always an oddity in the Chang family. He was not interested in business and preferred miscellaneous studies. In his youth and young adulthood, he was often beaten by the elders for his behavior. Lady Chang had pleaded for him many times. After her marriage, she could no longer take care of him, but she heard that his habits had not changed. The elders had no choice but to let him be. Now that the elders were all gone, the only person who could discipline Chang Jinyou was Chang Jinquan.

"Hmm, Third Sister, what is that thing making a ticking sound in the side room?" Chang Jinyou casually returned the greeting and immediately asked about the object in the side room.

Lady Chang, somewhat amused and exasperated, replied, "That is called a self-sounding clock, used for telling time."

"Oh?" Chang Jinyou's eyes lit up. "How does it work? How much did it cost, and where did you buy it?"

"This is said to be a Western invention. Each letter represents half an hour, and two letters represent one hour. There are also minutes and quarters, but I don't remember the details. I heard from the servants that it is very accurate, matching the time reported by the drum tower. With this, you can tell the time just by looking at it, for convenience. It was bought in the capital, where Han sent people to buy many books and these curious items. The book manager brought it back, and it was quite expensive, costing over a hundred silver taels."

"So expensive!" Chang Jinyou was startled, and his eyes dimmed.

The Chang family was wealthy, but their total assets were only around ten thousand taels, with less than two thousand used for circulation. This time, Chang Jinquan brought all of it. Each branch of the family had a fixed budget, with only a few hundred taels per year. Chang Jinyou, with his interest in miscellaneous studies, spent a lot on books, and buying this self-sounding clock would strain his finances.

"Big Brother, if you want to study it, just go ahead," Lady Chang said, knowing her brother's nature, and then turned her attention to others.

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