Chapter 77: Aren't these just some trinkets?

The person in charge of this village is Gu San. When Chen Xie found himself with no one to rely on, he realized that he had developed too quickly. After this kiln started production, he would pause his development. The trade in time and space was profitable enough, and having too much wealth might not be a good thing. Focusing all his efforts on building the army was a waste of time.

Before leaving, Chen Xie needed to return to the modern era once more. He had to organize a batch of goods and return before the New Year.

Before his departure, Chen Xie specially visited the seaside. A dock was almost completed, and a new military camp was built nearby. All the wasteland within a twenty-mile radius had been purchased by the unscrupulous landlord Chen Xie for a small amount of silver. An expanding road connected the military camp to Zhangjia Village.

"Master, if this road is built with cement, it will cost a lot of silver," Wen Bajin said, despite owning shares in the engineering team and the brick kiln. He was even more respectful to Chen Xie. Previously, he called him "Master Doctor," but now he directly called him "Master," showing his mindset as a household slave.

"Stupid, Zhangjia Village is my stronghold. If the workshops are destroyed, I can rebuild them. Without Zhangjia Village, it's like being uprooted. With this road, if anything happens, the troops can reach Zhangjia Village in half an hour at most," Chen Xie emphasized the importance of his stronghold. Wen Bajin nodded repeatedly, flattery in his voice, "Master is wise!"

The saying "the richer you are, the more afraid of death you become" was something Chen Xie deeply understood. Especially in the chaotic Ming Dynasty, the more wealth one had, the more likely one was to attract envy. While deciding to slow down his development, Chen Xie also planned his next steps. How should he develop in the Ming Dynasty?

The Ming Dynasty was clearly beyond saving. If not for the rule that he had to stay in the Ming Dynasty for eight months each year, Chen Xie would have considered leaving. In a critical moment, he could send the Zhang family away. Because of this rule and the Zhang family, Chen Xie had to make long-term plans. The question was, could the Ming Dynasty be saved?

The answer was obvious! Chen Xie, who aspired to be a tycoon and live a life of luxury, had to formulate a long-term development plan to protect his assets and personal safety in the Ming Dynasty.

Wu Qi was unreliable, there was no doubt about that. A person who would activate a destruction program at the slightest provocation was the last person to entrust one's life and property to. Whether in the Ming Dynasty or the modern era, everything had to rely on himself. Chen Xie, who had no grand ambitions, could only conclude that he should take one step at a time, plan one step at a time.

Returning to the village, the four-wheeled carriage had just stopped at the gate when a small figure darted out from the side door. Chen Xie, with his keen eyesight, saw it immediately. "Stop! You're sneaking out to play again." A shout, and Xiao Xuan stopped in her tracks, then started again, rushing towards Chen Xie.

Chen Xie, getting off the carriage, quickly opened his arms, afraid that the little girl would fall if she ran too fast: "Brother, I don't want to have my feet bound!" Her childish voice was choked with tears, and Chen Xie was immediately furious. He picked up Xiao Xuan and roared, "Which bastard made Xiao Xuan bind her feet? Get out here!"

The "Master Doctor" usually had a kind face, but his roar was like a thunderclap. The well-prepared Xiao Xuan covered her ears first, her eyes darting around, a smug smile on her face, with not a trace of tears.

Two women came out from the side door, one of whom was Xiao Xuan's birth mother, Gu Linshi, and the other was an old woman from the Zhang family who used to teach etiquette to young ladies. Zhou Shi had sent her to teach Xiao Xuan.

The two women, hearing Chen Xie's roar, came out trembling. They had never seen Chen Xie angry before, and his roar made their legs weak and their hearts tremble.

Originally, Zhou Shi intended to keep Xiao Xuan in Dengzhou with the Zhang family, but Chen Xie insisted on bringing her to Zhangjia Village. Zhou Shi sent the old woman to help, and Chen Xie, while not taking it seriously, wanted to give Zhou Shi face.

"Master, I did it for the young lady's good. With big feet, she might not be able to find a husband in the future," the woman named Sun Shi explained, kneeling on the ground. She had no ill intentions; this was the reality of the times.

Seeing her kneeling, Chen Xie couldn't continue his anger. She was sent by Zhou Shi, so he had to give her face.

"Get up. Remember, Xiao Xuan is my sister. No one should force her to do anything she doesn't want to. What if she can't find a husband? I'll take care of her for life. Even if I die, she will have a share of the family's assets," Chen Xie's tone softened, and the two women dared to stand up.

Putting down Xiao Xuan, Chen Xie placed his hands on her shoulders and said, "Sister, remember what I say. To avoid being bullied by men in the future, you must study hard and learn to read and write. If you are illiterate, you will be bullied for life. Also, in the future, you will have a share in the family business, so you need to learn how to manage it. Lastly, in this family, you are the master. There is no reason for the servants to restrict the master."

Everyone in the village knew how much Chen Xie doted on Xiao Xuan. When he said this, Sun Shi knelt down again, terrified. As a household slave, if she overstepped her bounds, she could be punished severely, even killed on the spot without any legal repercussions.

Chen Xie walked to Sun Shi and said calmly, "I know you meant well, but you can only advise, not force. If she doesn't listen, you can come to me. You are sent by Auntie, and in the Chen family, you are also a half-master. Xiao Xuan is still young and will need your care in the future."

Sun Shi breathed a sigh of relief. Chen Xie wasn't blaming her, just thinking she had good intentions but made a mistake. This was because he doted on his sister and couldn't bear to see her suffer. After speaking to Sun Shi, Chen Xie held Xiao Xuan's hand and entered the house. In the entire Chen family, only Xiao Xuan had this treatment. The servants, seeing this, would remember it well. As for Xiao Xuan's mother, Chen Xie ignored her, treating her as if she didn't exist. The reason was simple: he didn't want to give her the chance to gain status through her daughter. Human desires are endless, and Chen Xie understood this well. The Gu couple's loyalty was not in question, but the woman showed signs of becoming increasingly arrogant. Chen Xie needed to discipline her.

...

Before dark, Liu Zhang's carriage entered the village, followed by a convoy carrying various antiques that Chen Xie had asked him to procure. Many of these items were not considered antiques in the Ming Dynasty.

Because he was part of a joint business and had donated for a commendation, Liu Zhang was now considered a high-ranking person. Servants had to call him "Master Liu." Despite his humble origins, Liu Zhang was very respectful to Chen Xie.

"Master! I have brought everything you asked for, a total of 336 items. They are all from the capital," Liu Zhang took out a catalog, clearly listing each item with a number as per Chen Xie's request. Small items were packed in boxes, and large items were labeled with white paper and numbers. Arabic numerals and double-entry bookkeeping were already being taught by Chen Xie to his accountants and staff. This small matter was handled very smoothly.

Chen Xie was secretly delighted; these were all red banknotes. He pretended to be calm and came out to inspect. Liu Zhang followed with the catalog, reporting continuously, "This is Box 1, a Yuan Dynasty blue-and-white cloud-dragon pattern plum vase. Such vases are rare now. Li Heng helped find it in Jiangnan, saying it cost over 5,000 taels of silver. We didn't take it seriously, but he refused the silver, so we gave him 2,000 sets of toiletries. He was almost overjoyed!"

Liu Zhang looked disdainful, but Chen Xie knew the truth. He sold each toiletry set for 15 taels wholesale, and Li Heng sold them for 150 taels in Jiangnan. Jiangnan was a wealthy region with many rich people. Each set included a toothbrush, toothpaste, face cream, a small round mirror, and a small woven bag. The current procurement cost was only 20 yuan, and selling it for 15 taels in the Ming Dynasty was already quite greedy. It turned out there was no limit to greed.

In Jiangnan, these items were initially popular among courtesans and then became a craze among noblewomen. Li Heng thought he was making a profit, but Chen Xie felt he was making a fortune. Yuan Dynasty blue-and-white porcelain!

Suppressing his excitement, Chen Xie pretended to be calm and waved his hand, "I like this item. Have him continue to look for more. We haven't lost any silver. If he can find authentic Yuan Dynasty blue-and-white porcelain next time, we'll give him the same reward."

"Item 2, two genuine calligraphy pieces by Su Dongpo, once owned by the powerful minister Yan Shifan during the Jiajing era, later passed to Xu Gong (Xu Jie), and collected by Zhang Taoyue during the Wanli era, with inscriptions and colophons from over a dozen famous people."

"Item 3..." There were too many items, and Chen Xie quickly became numb. In the past, a few ten thousand in savings seemed like a lot, and later, buying a wild ginseng root made him feel like a tycoon. Now, money was just a number.

Walking among these antiques, each worth hundreds of thousands, millions, or even tens of millions, the initial feeling of walking on clouds quickly faded. "Aren't these just some trinkets?" The saying "material foundation determines the superstructure" was indeed true.

Initially, Chen Xie only wanted to earn some money to improve his life. Now, he was thinking about how to protect his assets. Like some public intellectuals who fear the清算of their ill-gotten gains from corrupt officials and businessmen, Chen Xie was worried about the chaos in the Ming Dynasty. This was an era of bandits, and without some means to protect his home, he would eventually be robbed clean. This issue was not only important to Chen Xie but also to Zhang Yao, a loyalist of the Ming Dynasty, who supported and encouraged it.

Therefore, before returning, he had to arrange the recruitment for the second phase of the military academy and the official recruitment of the local militia.