Chapter 18: Joint Business

The Zhang family was undoubtedly a local power in the area. Not counting the lands that had been donated, they owned over 5,000 acres of private land. Zhangjia Village, their stronghold, had nearly 2,000 acres. During peaceful times, with the family's jinshi (imperial scholar) status, who would dare to scheme against the Zhangs?

Dengzhou was a military town with a large army stationed there. Therefore, although Chen Xie's words sounded a bit absurd, Zhang Yao found them quite reasonable. During the Tianqi era, the Fragrant Sect caused chaos, spreading across half of Shandong, and it took great effort to quell the disturbance. Zhang Yao, who had served as a tuiyuan (magistrate), knew very well the state of the Ming Dynasty. Most of the land was controlled by the gentry, and in normal years, things were manageable. However, once a natural disaster struck, the Ming Dynasty would be like a pile of dry grass, ready to catch fire at the slightest spark.

"Si Hua, what exactly do you plan to do?" Zhang Yao, finding Chen Xie's words reasonable, decided to listen to his plan.

Chen Xie smiled and said, "Of course, we will start by doing business and making money, then buy land and property. However, the business I want to do requires a dock and a sturdy manor. With so many pirates and bandits, we also need a group of guards."

"The guards can handle ordinary thieves, but they might not be enough to deal with bandits in the mountains or pirates," Zhang Yao said. He didn't know why Chen Xie needed a dock for his business, but he didn't oppose it. Instead, he offered constructive advice. He knew the state of the Ming Dynasty, and if the army was in such a state, what could be said about ordinary civilians?

"This can't be rushed. For now, we can only start this way. Uncle Zhang, we are family, so let's not speak in formalities. This time out, a shipment has already quietly landed and is hidden in a secret place. If you are willing, we can cooperate and establish a new business, specializing in unique trades." As he spoke, Chen Xie took out a makeup box and a paper box from his backpack.

Zhang Yao didn't rush to respond but called out to Shuigen at the door, "Go, please Madam to come over." Then he turned to Chen Xie and said, "The family business is managed by your aunt. I'm just a figurehead."

Chen Xie said, "Don't underestimate yourself. Without you, the Zhang family's assets would have been devoured to the bone long ago." Zhang Yao knew this was the truth. He was all too familiar with the conduct of the gentry in the Ming Dynasty.

"Let's keep this talk within the family and not spread it around." Zhang Yao wasn't angry but rather pleased with Chen Xie's clear understanding of society, smiling. Indeed, if Zhang Yao hadn't had a jinshi degree and a background in government, the Zhang family's assets wouldn't have grown so rapidly. In just a few decades, they had expanded from a few hundred acres to thousands, with shops in the city and even ships trading with Japan, Korea, and the Dongjiang region.

Zhou Shi arrived quickly and, upon seeing Chen Xie, smiled, "You've been gone for over half a month, and your uncle has been worried sick. This time, don't run around anymore. Stay at home and we can arrange a match for you."

Hearing the word "match," Chen Xie's scalp tingled. He quickly pushed the makeup box and paper box forward, smiling, "Take a look at these. If we sell them in the Ming Dynasty, how well do you think they will sell?"

Zhou Shi glanced at them and said, "What are these? They look very exquisite." She opened the paper box first and her eyes widened when she saw the small paper boxes inside. In the modern world, these would be ordinary packaging, but in this era, they could only be described as magical. The colorful printing and bright colors were something the people of the Ming Dynasty could not imagine. There were words on them: "Hongyun" soap, "Hongyun" toothpaste, "Hualu" perfume, "Hualu" shampoo... She opened each one, and the items inside looked similar to what Chen Xie had previously given her, but the brands were different.

Having seen modern cosmetics before, Zhou Shi wasn't too shocked this time. She nodded in approval, "Good, good, very clever." She then picked up the makeup box and quickly found that it wouldn't open. She turned to Chen Xie, "Si Hua, how do you open it?"

Chen Xie smiled and pointed to a protruding point on the box, "Just gently push this." With a click, the makeup box popped open. He lifted the lid, revealing a mirror inside that showed every detail clearly. The mirror wasn't very large, about the size of an A4 paper, with elegant maid patterns carved on both sides. Since this was a sample, it also contained a bottle of Yashuang cream and a tube of lipstick, without any brand labels.

"Aunt, this box is for you. The other boxes don't contain these two items. In the future, they will be sold separately. This time, I came back in a hurry and didn't bring these two items. In the Ming Dynasty, you are the only one with these."

After teaching Zhou Shi how to use these two items, she was no longer calm. She stared at the items on the table for a long time, then sighed, "Si Hua, with these items, no one in the Ming Dynasty can outdo you in business. The only concern is that these items will be so profitable that they will attract the envy of others. Without mentioning the distant, even in Dengzhou City, there is a eunuch in charge. Do you remember the perfume? The eunuch sent a message through his concubine, asking for a bottle to present to the emperor as a tribute."

"This isn't a bad thing. What's the harm in giving him a little? But not now. Wait a few months until the dust settles in the court, then we can discuss this. At that time, we won't need to go through the eunuchs. We can have Uncle Zhang make the trip and go through the governor of Dengzhou and Lai." Chen Xie's words made Zhang Yao laugh, pointing at him and scolding, "You sly little fellow. But Si Hua, are you really that confident? The new emperor has been on the throne for some time, but there has been no movement."

"Wei Yan has controlled the court for many years, and his followers are everywhere. The emperor will be very cautious in dealing with him. But I think it will happen soon. As long as there is a trigger, Wei Yan's days are numbered, and he probably won't make it through the year." This was the advantage of knowing history. Chen Xie spoke with great confidence, and Zhang Yao was influenced by him, thinking that this guy had some divine wisdom.

"Si Hua, how should we cooperate in this business? Let's be clear, even though we are family, we need to be clear about the terms." Zhou Shi, rarely speaking so seriously, showed that she took this matter seriously. Family members could fight over property, let alone recognized relatives.

"It's simple. I provide the goods, and the Zhang family business sells them. The profits are split equally. However, the purchasing must be done according to my instructions. I also need a dock for shipping and a manor, preferably not too far from the dock." Chen Xie calmly stated his conditions. Before Zhou Shi could respond, Zhang Yao spoke up.

"Zhangjia Village is only thirty miles from the sea. The dock can be easily arranged. Just buy the land you like. The manor and the dock will be the Zhang family's capital in this venture. From now on, you will be in charge, and the Zhang family will wait for the profits."

Chen Xie waved his hands, "I can be in charge, but I can't be the public face. All the public matters must be handled by the Zhang family. There is one thing that needs to be done now, and I need Aunt to send people to help."

Zhou Shi asked curiously, "What is it?" Chen Xie smiled, "I brought back some of these goods from the coast. There's quite a bit, and we need carts and horses to transport them."

Zhou Shi laughed, "Is that all? Do you think this is a big deal? Ten large carts and thirty people should be enough, right?"

Chen Xie quickly calculated that this shipment was about ten tons. Each large cart could carry 400 catties, so ten carts were far from enough. He said to Zhou Shi, "There are about 20,000 catties of goods. You decide."

At this point, Zhang Yao interjected, "You two find a quiet place to discuss the details. I won't get involved." True to his nature as a figurehead, Zhou Shi smiled and rolled her eyes at him, then called Chen Xie out of the study.

At dinner, Zhang Yao didn't see Chen Xie or Zhou Shi. Accustomed to eating with the family, he asked his concubine Zheng Shi, "Where are they? Still discussing the terms?" Mentioning the terms, Zhang Yao's face darkened. He felt that doing business with Chen Xie would surely be very profitable, so why be so meticulous?

"They stopped discussing a long time ago. Young Master Chen went to Huichun Hall, and Miss is in her room looking at some contracts," Zheng Shi explained, smiling. Zhang Yao became interested and got up, "Let's go see."

In her room, Zhou Shi was propping her chin with one hand and flipping through the pages with the other, reading very attentively. In fact, this wasn't a contract but a business plan for the new joint venture. The plan, written by Chen Xie and printed, was bound into a booklet. Although it was read horizontally, the steps were clearly listed, making it easy for Zhou Shi to read.

In fact, Chen Xie had initially presented this plan and then excused himself to go to Huichun Hall. Many things needed time for Zhou Shi to adapt. This plan was just the beginning. In the Ming Dynasty, business was entirely managed by the shopkeeper, and personal ability played a significant role. Chen Xie, being a modern person, trusted systems. Everything needed to be meticulously planned in advance, and all possibilities considered.

Actually, there was no need for such a grand plan. This business was almost impossible to fail. Chen Xie wanted to instill his modern business philosophy.

Seeing Zhang Yao enter, Zhou Shi quickly stood up, "Master, you're here. I lost track of time. Tell me, how is it that this young man does things so differently from others? This thick stack of paper is filled with all sorts of regulations for the new business. Every detail is explained. At first, it seems excessive, but upon closer inspection, every point makes sense."

"Hmm, let me see." Zhang Yao picked up the plan and sat down, not moving. Zhou Shi had to bring the food into the room and let Zhang Yao read while eating.

"Preparation is key. Without preparation, things will fail. This plan may seem excessive, but it aligns with the wisdom of the sages. Si Hua's approach is just more straightforward."

As he turned the pages, the advertisement began and ended.