Chapter 9: Do Some Business

Zhang Xin stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly held the letter containing secrets that his mother had given him.

As the elder brother, Zhang Xin could not keep the food to himself, so it was not surprising that his two younger brothers were also there. Instant noodles, even for modern people, were still delicious the first time they tasted them. People in the Ming Dynasty could hardly resist the flavor.

They did not even lick the bowls clean, but the Zhang family children were well-mannered. After finishing, they stood up and bowed respectfully to Chen Xie, saying, "Thank you, Elder Brother, for the food!"

Chen Xie frowned and said, "We are all brothers, so why are you still so formal? I have plenty of good things to eat, and you don't need to thank me every time. Here, you are all brothers. Eat and drink with peace of mind. This is our home!"

As he spoke, Chen Xie held a large bottle of Pepsi. The label had been torn off, and even the label on the cap was covered with tape. These things were hard to promote in this era, but they could be used on a small scale. If the scale was too large, people would definitely become suspicious. In the past few days, Chen Xie had thought a lot about what could be sold as a commodity in the Ming Dynasty without causing unnecessary trouble.

Each of them had a cup of Pepsi, and Chen Xie added, "Drink up, there's not much of this drink left in the Ming Dynasty. Once it's gone, it will be hard to get again." He was laying the groundwork, as he did not plan to bring more Pepsi to the Ming Dynasty in the future.

Zhou Shi quietly retreated, feeling indescribably happy to see the harmonious and friendly relationship between the brothers. As an elder, what more could she want?

Zhang Xin led his two younger brothers to take their leave, and Chen Xie did not make too much of a fuss, sending them to the door and then returning. He leaned on the table, biting the carbon pen, frowning, and writing down item after item, then crossing them out. Cosmetics and mirrors were a promising market, and the best business he could think of at the moment. As long as he had money, he could find a small cosmetics factory online, order some products with no labels, and package them in ordinary glass bottles. In the Ming Dynasty, they would look very high-end. Mirrors were even easier; he could find a store selling glass mirrors to solve the problem. Even if he wanted a trademark, he might not be able to get one.

Greed might not be good, so he decided to start with these two items. Next, he needed to think about what to bring back from the Ming Dynasty that could make money. This question really stumped Chen Xie. He initially thought about trading calligraphy and paintings, but the problem was that he did not know if these items still existed in the modern world or who owned them. Suddenly appearing with a certain calligraphy or painting could cause a lot of trouble.

So, he decided to put the antique business on hold and find out what was valuable and could be brought back without causing trouble.

Chen Xie studied medicine, so he naturally thought about things related to medicine first. He quickly came up with an idea and stood up eagerly, calling out, "Changsheng!"

Yu Huan had taken Xiao Xuan to get new clothes, so Changsheng was waiting at the door. Hearing the call, he darted in. A bowl of instant noodles had completely won him over. This delicious food would stay with him for a lifetime. With such a kind young master, he was willing to work to the death.

"Master, what do you need?"

"Changsheng, do you know where to buy wild ginseng?"

"Master, I don't know about that. You should ask Uncle Shuigen. Shall I call him for you?"

Chen Xie stood up and said, "No, I'll go myself. Uncle Shuigen is Uncle Zhang's attendant, so I shouldn't neglect him."

As if on cue, Shuigen entered the courtyard gate, calling out from a distance, "Master Sihua!"

Chen Xie came out to greet him, but Shuigen had already said, "Master Zhang has asked Master Sihua to go to the study. He says there is something important."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go quickly." Chen Xie was straightforward and did not ask about the wild ginseng. He walked quickly, and Shuigen had to run to keep up.

He politely knocked on the door, and when Zhang Yao said to come in, Chen Xie entered. He saw Zhang Yao holding a government bulletin, frowning deeply and lost in thought.

"Uncle Zhang, you called me?" Chen Xie asked cautiously. Zhang Yao handed him the bulletin and said, "The emperor has passed away, and the Prince of Xian has ascended the throne." Chen Xie was a bit dazed. What did this have to do with him? But then he realized that Zhang Yao was treating him like family, which was why he was the first to be informed.

Thanks to the historical information provided by the irresponsible 9527, Chen Xie knew a bit about what would happen in the future. Even so, he could not just blurt it out. As someone who had returned from overseas, knowing too much about court affairs would be suspicious.

"Uncle Zhang, I'm not very familiar with these matters. Why don't you tell me more about this emperor?" Chen Xie prompted. Zhang Yao, as expected, began to recount the history, shaking his head and sighing, "He was a昏君 (tyrannical ruler), reigning for more than seven years, neglecting state affairs, and allowing the eunuch Wei Zhongxian to dominate..."

Chen Xie quickly concluded that this carpenter emperor was a tyrannical ruler, a very tyrannical one. However, Chen Xie had read a few Ming Dynasty穿越小说 (time-travel novels) and knew that while the carpenter emperor was indeed negligent, were the Donglin Party really good people? According to some novels, the Donglin Party were masters of rhetoric, a group of public intellectuals who controlled the discourse. Their most prominent characteristic was their tendency to engage in factional struggles, known as "party strife," which was very fitting for the Donglin Party.

From Chen Xie's current standpoint, the emperor and the ministers had little to do with him. But since he was now related to the Zhang family, things were different. Some matters needed to be addressed.

Zhang Yao spoke at length for an hour, and Zhou Shi came in several times to serve tea. In Zhang Yao's view, the misdeeds of the Tianqi Emperor were countless.

The history of the Ming Dynasty was too complex for Chen Xie to fully understand. His principle was simple: help family, not strangers! Whether it was the emperor or the ministers, they had nothing to do with him. In the Ming Dynasty, he only recognized Zhang Yao.

When Zhang Yao was finally out of breath and took a sip of tea, Chen Xie said, "The fall of the eunuch faction is not far off."

Zhang Yao was taken aback and asked, "Why do you think so?" Chen Xie smiled and said, "Isn't it obvious? A new emperor means new ministers. The eunuchs are just the emperor's servants, and their lives are in the hands of the emperor. Wei Zhongxian is arrogant and powerful, and the new emperor will naturally be wary of him. The best way is to remove him and replace him with trusted people."

Zhang Yao pondered for a moment and nodded, "That makes sense! We can only hope that a wise and enlightened emperor will appear in the Ming Dynasty."

The idea of a nation's fate resting on the emergence of a wise and enlightened emperor was normal for people in the Ming Dynasty. From Chen Xie's perspective, this view was absurd. However, he did not intend to correct it, as his role was that of a time-traveling merchant.

Chen Xie did not elaborate further; one sentence was enough. Being too clever might not be a good thing.

"By the way, Sihua, do you have any plans?" Zhang Yao put down the bulletin and brought up what he considered a major topic.

"Not yet, I'll see how things go. I've been at sea for years, and I just want to rest for a while after settling down. I haven't thought about what to do," Chen Xie's response was normal and faultless. He had thought it through and was confident it was a safe answer.

"That's not right. Sihua, you are twenty-three and have not yet married. This is a matter of great importance and cannot be delayed. Your aunt and I have discussed it, and she will take charge of finding you a suitable wife from a good family."

Chen Xie inwardly groaned as Zhang Yao spoke enthusiastically. He had not planned to settle down in the Ming Dynasty, but he could not refuse. He had to listen with a stiff upper lip. When Zhang Yao finished, Chen Xie said, "Uncle Zhang, if you allow me one thing, I will have no objections."

If it were his own son, Zhang Yao would have given him a ruler for daring to bargain. But with Chen Xie, he was more lenient and nodded, "Speak!"

"Regarding the marriage, no matter which family's daughter is proposed, I must meet her first," Chen Xie deliberated carefully, thinking that he could just say he was unsatisfied or do something to make her dislike him.

"Is that all you want?" Zhang Yao was surprised, expecting the young man to make a fuss, but this was a simple request. He laughed, "That's not a big deal! It's only natural! I agree!" Zhang Yao's paternalistic style was severe, but in the Ming Dynasty, this was the norm. The social order was based on the principles of the Three Bonds and Five Constants, which could not be shaken.

"By the way, Sihua, there's one more thing. You are a divine doctor; you can't just stay at home, can you?" Zhang Yao brought up another matter. Chen Xie thought for a moment and said casually, "Medicine is just a personal hobby. My main business is maritime trade. Speaking of which, I want to find a place to set up a workshop, earn some silver, and buy land. This is my family's wish."

By mentioning a fictional ancestor, Chen Xie left Zhang Yao speechless. This was filial piety, and in the Ming Dynasty, it was a noble goal to establish a family and prosper. There was no arguing with it.

"Very well. In the future, I will help you obtain a title. With a title, it will be easier to conduct business in the region." Zhang Yao had initially planned to have Chen Xie practice medicine and study at the same time. With his influence, obtaining a formal title, such as a student of the Imperial Academy, would not be a problem.

As for being a merchant, it was a lowly profession in the Ming Dynasty. Despite their wealth, merchants had low social status. However, if Chen Xie were a famous doctor, he could easily become a low-ranking official. But since Chen Xie did not plan to continue practicing medicine, this was not mentioned. Zhang Yao secretly thought that this matter could not be left alone. If Chen Xie did not want to do it, he would help him gain fame and force him to do it.

Setting up a workshop could be managed by others, and as a famous doctor, Chen Xie did not necessarily have to manage the workshop himself.