As they chatted, Mi Fang unconsciously displayed her businesswoman skills. Zhang Feng's background was covered up in a seemingly messy but actually orderly topic. Thus, this "Brother Zifang" who was a few years older than him relied on the unique insight of a businessman to sell half of the huge Mei Mansion to Zhang Feng.
"May I know why Brother Mi is leaving Puyang? There are many people here and the people are rich. It should be a good place to do business.”Ever since Zhang Feng came out to play, he started to talk about serious matters.
"Brother, you might not know this, but my brother has transferred most of his family business to Xuzhou. Moreover, he has already been appointed as the chief clerk by the prefect, Lord Xu, so…"
"Then this little brother will congratulate you first. I heard that Xu Prefecture is extremely rich and has a vast land and abundant population.”Zhang Feng quickly stood up and said with a smile.
Mi Fang also stood up and returned the greeting before kneeling down.
"I wonder what kind of profession Brother Zifang is in?"
"Hehe, to use a common saying,'whatever makes money, does it'.”
"In that case, I have a few ideas. First, I want to open a paper workshop, and second, I want to open a wine workshop. However, I'm young and my father doesn't support it.”
When Mei Fang heard this, her eyes lit up."Oh? He didn't expect that as the son of a Grand Marshal, he would be interested in such a lowly profession.”
Zhang Feng laughed loudly and rose to his feet." This is the judgment of the secular world. How can you deceive me, Brother Zifang?" Ever since Shang Yang's reform, Qin had risen from the weakest to the strongest of the seven countries, destroying the six countries in one fell swoop and unifying the world. In the past, since Gaozu built the Han Dynasty, why did Zhang Qian go west? But for the sake of the corn? Shang is to exchange things for things, to exchange something for nothing, to help the world. If there was no Shang Dynasty, how could Shu brocade be popular in the world? How can the sea rocks spread all over the world? Feng believes that the prosperity of the people is the foundation of the country. If there is no business, the country will perish.”
Mi Fang was greatly comforted when she heard this. Although the Mi family was a wealthy family, they had always been despised by the world. Even if Mi Zhu had obtained the position of chief registrar in Xu Prefecture, he was still looked down upon by others, especially some of the elders in Xu Prefecture, such as the Cao family and the Chen family. They were all looked down upon. Today, when he heard the ten-year-old child speak out his grievances, he really felt heroic and indomitable.
"Brother is truly extraordinary! Let my brother have a feeling of enlightenment, let's go slowly, I let people prepare wine and food again, let's eat and chat.”Mi Fang did not pretend to be polite anymore. She rolled up her sleeves and shouted,"Men, prepare the wine and dishes! Quickly call Third Miss over!"
The first time she met Mei Huan was because she didn't know that there was a guest coming. The rules at that time were not convenient to meet outsiders. At this moment, Mei Fang took the initiative to call Mei Huan over, treating Zhang Feng as a confidant.
Of course, Zhang Feng was also happy to see this future wife of his. Not long after, Xiao Mi Huan hopped out of the inner room, followed by a long line of maids and servants.
At the banquet, Zhang Feng used what he had seen and heard in his previous life to tell some jokes that the Mei Clan siblings had never heard before. His witty words made them laugh non-stop. Little Mei Huan's body was weak, so she laughed until her stomach hurt.
"Good-looking brother, Huan 'er can't stand your jokes anymore, so I'll go rest.”Mi Huan's pink face was flushed red as she retreated after apologizing.
Mi Fang raised her wine cup and staggered to Zhang Feng's side. She patted his shoulder and said,""Virtuous brother, I am very happy today. I am very happy to make friends with you…little brother. I am very happy…very happy.”
Zhang Feng's face was only red, but he was not drunk at all. Hearing this, he clinked his glass with Mi Fang and drank it in one gulp.
"Today, I will give you a high-five. No matter what your brother does for a living, my Mi Clan will have a share. Brother, you don't have to worry about Qian Zi. My Mi Clan doesn't have anything else, but we have a lot of yellow and white.”
Just as they were speaking in high spirits, they heard a ruckus outside the door. Mei Fang shouted in dissatisfaction,"What's the commotion?"
A servant rushed in and said to Mi Fang,"" Second Master, Young Master Zhang's family members have said that they must meet Young Master, otherwise..." As he spoke, he lowered his head and glanced at Zhang Feng.
Zhang Feng came to a sudden realization. It turned out that Huang Xu and the others were waiting impatiently outside. They were afraid that something would happen to Zhang Feng, so they quarreled with the servants of the Mei Residence.
"Brother Zifang, it's fine, but a few family members have been waiting for a long time. It's getting late, so I'll take my leave and come back tomorrow.”
The next morning, Mi Fang took the initiative to look for Zhang Feng, but the latter was still sleeping on the bed.
"Boss, that pretty boy surnamed Mi asked to see you yesterday.”Huang Xu shouted at the top of his lungs outside the door.
"Bullsh * t, ask him to wait and let me change! Also, don't talk nonsense. Is he half as white as me?”When Zhang Feng heard the word " Mi ", he immediately got up and changed his clothes. He had to do these things that he originally had someone to serve at home. It was time to buy a few servant girls.
" My brother-in-law is here." Zhang Feng looked at the blurry shadow in the copper mirror. He really cleaned himself up like a pretty boy. He then took eight steps forward and walked out with a fan in his hand.
"Thank you for waiting, Brother Zifang." The two of them bowed to each other and sat down.
"This foolish brother is here for the matter discussed yesterday. I wonder if you…"
"I want to set up a paper workshop and a wine workshop, and I'm willing to form a partnership with Brother Zifang…Uh, that is, we'll each fork out money and split the profits according to the ratio. Brother Zifang has a wide network of friends and business connections all over the world. Brother Mi cannot decline the matter of finding a shop to sell goods.”
Mei Fang patted her thin chest and said,"Leave this matter to me."
"With Governor Qiao's approval, I have settled all the refugees in Pu Yang City. I chose the strong ones to make paper and wine. There are many in this Mi Mansion, it is more than enough. The younger brother wants to use remote places as four places, one place to live, two places to practice medicine, and one place to manage accounts and store goods.”
Mi Fang listened to this and kept bowing. This makes this foolish brother sweat profusely."
"This little brother is only doing a little bit, but I can't deserve Brother Zifang's praise.”
The two of them discussed some specific matters and went to do their own things.
Once Mi Fang returned to the residence, she packed up a few things in the residence and rented a courtyard in an inn. She did not leave. She then sent a letter to her elder brother, Mi Zhu, in Xuzhou. Within half a day, Mi Zhu, who had a keen eye for investment, decided to cooperate with Zhang Feng based on just a letter from Mi Fang. Around a month later, the money that the Mi Family had promised to invest arrived from Xu Prefecture.
Zhang Feng was even busier. According to the agreement he had with Qiao Mao, the Mei Residence was divided into four parts, with two being divided into a clinic and a hospital. Zhang Ji began to take in disciples to teach and treat illnesses.
Then, outside Puyang City, he used extremely low funds to buy a large amount of barren land, built villages, and settled all the refugees he took in. After that, he ordered the old and young to reclaim the land. Zhang Feng invested in buying cattle, seeds and other farming tools. The yield was split 50 - 50. Five years later, it was 10% lower, Zhang Feng 40%, and the remaining 60% belonged to the tiller. (Note: Usually, the cultivators at that time did not have any farming tools. If they had cattle and seeds, they would usually have a 70 - 30 ratio, or even a higher ratio. Therefore, this was a great thing for the people at that time.)
Next, he built two workshops near the reclaimed land and recruited strong men from the refugees to teach them the method of making wine and paper. However, they could not spread it out, otherwise their land and houses would be confiscated. Zhang Feng equipped his servants with weapons and strictly prevented outsiders from approaching the two workshops.
In fact, Zhang Feng only knew a rough idea of the method of making paper and wine. The cloth or net was first torn or cut, then soaked in water for a long time and pounded before it could be made into pulp. Using tree bark to make paper was more difficult. In addition to the initial chopping and pounding at the back, cooking and adding rotting agents such as lime paste were also needed in the middle.
As for the method of brewing wine, he chose high-quality fruits or grains and washed them with clean water. Then, he used a clean cloth to dry the water on the outer layer of the fruit. He picked a larger container and placed the grapes that had been wiped dry into it. Add appropriate rock sugar, the amount of sugar can be determined according to the individual's mouth position. Then, he covered the container with grapes and rock sugar and made sure to seal it. Store at room temperature, best in a dark place. A week later, when there was fruit juice, he could drink it.
It was easy to say, but it was another thing to do. It was not bad to brew wine. Besides brewing a few jars of vinegar, it only took Zhang Feng one month to succeed. However, Zhang Feng was not satisfied with the taste. At that time, it was the best wine. Good wine was not produced in a hurry. Zhang Feng's subordinates who had just started to brew wine could slowly explore it. If the direction was right, would the success day be far away?
Paper making gave Zhang Feng the biggest headache. There were some refugees who knew how to make paper. The paper they started to make was no different from the toilet paper of the 1980s except for some small straw. However, Zhang Feng wanted paper that could be used for writing, so he took the lead and soaked it in the workshop from morning to night. After half a year, they finally produced high-quality paper that could be used for writing and would not be stained with ink. After everyone agreed, This kind of paper was called "sharp paper".
At first, Zhang Feng did not understand what was going on, but after thinking about it, he realized that something was wrong. Wasn't this the same as a " madman "? Her joy was instantly halved.
In addition, Zhang Feng had also set up a hotel. He finally fulfilled his predecessor's dream and became the chairman of the largest hotel in Puyang that gathered living, dining, and entertainment. This was what he had always dreamed of when he was working as a receptionist at Shangri-La and the holiday inn. In addition to the necessary waiters, the hotel also recruited a group of young girls around the age of 15 or 16. They wore thin shirts and short skirts and were gorgeously dressed. Other than pulling customers at the door, serving tea and water, they did not do anything else. However, just her smile and swaying posture attracted a large group of stable customers in their 30s and 40s. She had a sweet mouth and a pretty face, but it was not a big deal at that time.
There was even a group of professional Qing Guan people who performed zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, playing the zither, playing the piano, and singing. Zhang Feng even personally performed two short pieces. After some slight modifications, he taught two clever servants to perform in public, winning the audience even more.
According to the later generation's VIP type, Zhang Feng introduced a level membership system. Anyone who spent a certain amount of money or directly paid the money to the account of the Carefree Station opened by Zhang Feng could get a VIP card with some small discounts, free accommodation, free listening to music, and so on. Different levels of members could go up to different floors. Ordinary members could only go up to the second floor at most, followed by the third and fourth floors. Only high-ranking officials or wealthy people were qualified to go up to the fifth floor. Of course, some people with investment purposes could also go up, such as the two brothers of the Mei family.
For a time, Zhang Feng's reputation was skyrocketed. Not only Puyang, but even people from nearby Chenliu, Pingyuan, Ye, and other places came to enjoy the so-called immortal life in Carefree Station. The officials and wealthy merchants used the number of floors they could access to the Carefree Station as a symbol of their status. Even as far as Luoyang, Jing Zhou, and Yang Zhou, this little merchant's reputation had spread.
The refugees who were given land even regarded Zhang Feng as their parents. Every family offered sacrifices and incense. Even the Yellow Turban Cult, which had always had a booming business, could not find a place to eat here. The people here simply believed in Zhang Feng. A word from Zhang Feng was more useful than their gold, silver, or talisman water. If he was sick, there was still Zhang Feng's own clinic. The consultation fee was one coin, and the disease was cured with medicine.
The Mi Family's business network had made Zhang Feng famous all over the country. The wines that Zhang Feng brewed were called " Immortal's Wine " and " No More Wine ". If any wine shop didn't have it, no one would be willing to patronize it. Of course, the supply couldn't meet the demand, which was the basis for ensuring profits. Pu Yang's winery had long since expanded into a winery. Every day, merchants who requested for supplies could only line up and circle around the entrance of the Mei Residence or the Zhang Residence. Zhang An had become a noble now. If you served him well, you could easily sell one or two hundred items to him. Otherwise…
Because Zhang Feng's paper was easy to write on, it would not be stained. It would sneak into the homes of scholars, officials, and even the emperor's imperial table. Every day, some indispensable "sharp paper" would be provided. Those scholar-bureaucrats who knew Zhang Feng's background sighed as to why such a person would run to such a lowly profession. While using the toilet, they would read books printed on " Feng paper " and wipe their butts with the toilet paper made by Zhang Feng's paper factory…However, they were no longer willing to touch the bamboo toilet chips that had been washed hundreds of times until they were white and as sharp as blades.
As for the letter that Zhang Wen had to write to his family every month, other than talking about his daily life and hoping that his son would return early, he would also ask for some wine, paper, and so on to deal with the endless requests from his relatives and friends.
The Mei Clan brothers would take turns to visit Pu Yang once every three months or so. Those who were on good terms with him were like glue. With Zhang Feng's methods, how could they not try to curry favor with him? Moreover, in this business, they had only paid the initial capital once. Then, they did not have to waste their breath at all. As long as they said that it was Zhang Feng's thing, it would be snatched up wherever it was shipped. They only had to cross their legs and count the money. They even had the idea of betrothing Mi Huan to Zhang Feng. If it wasn't for the fact that Zhang Feng had an even bigger backer, the two brothers would probably have tied him up and forced him to marry.
On this day, Zhang Feng was hosting a banquet for Fatty Qiao on the fifth floor of Carefree Station. Because of Zhang Feng, the prosperous scene that the Yellow Gate saw when they came to inspect, coupled with the large amount of gold and silver that Qiao Mao had secretly sent, this prefect with outstanding achievements was about to be promoted.
"Brother, come, this foolish brother will toast you again!”Qiao Mao smiled so much that even his nose was about to squeeze into that fat face. He stretched out his hand from afar and raised the wine cup high, as if he was filial to his own grandfather.
If Zhang Feng agreed, he would dig his own mother, daughter, and grandmother out of the grave and give them to Zhang Feng. Unfortunately, Zhang Feng was too young.
"I don't dare, I don't dare!" Although Zhang Feng looked down on him, Qiao Mao had at least used his position to help him a lot.
Qiao Mao was thinking of some nice words to flatter this little God of Wealth in his belly full of fat intestines when he heard a " dong dong " sound from the stairs. A person ran up panting. It was Zhang An.
Zhang An was dressed in silk and satin. Now, he did not need to do small things himself. With a move of his mouth, a large group of people who treated him like a father would run errands for him. What made him so anxious?
" Eunuch, Eunuch, Eunuch…" Zhang An was so anxious that he stuttered.
"Calm down. What's the matter?" Zhang Feng leisurely lay on the pearwood armchair and drank the wine in the cup.
"Are there those ball-less fellows asking for money again? Such a small matter, do you still need to trouble your brother? I'll go and get rid of him." At this moment, Qiao Mao seemed to be the most loyal person in the world. He stood up and put down the wine cup heavily, spilling some of the fine wine in the cup. It was unknown how many people would feel heartache when they saw this.
" It's not father-in-law…It's father-in-law…" Zhang An's expression was 70% anxious and 30% surprised.
"Is it father-in-law? Make it clear." Qiao Mao was also impatient.
Zhang An calmed his excitement and pointed outside the door."A eunuch has come to Young Master's residence to announce an imperial edict.”
Imperial decree?
——
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。