Chapter 9 Objectives

  Deng Zixuan patted his chest and said, "Brother Chen will lead the Long Legs Wu Bao, Bai Sheng, and Leng Yifei to investigate the situation at Shaoguan. They need to identify any suspicious points within a month and lock down their target. Brother Pei will lead Wang Xia'er to purchase a piece of land outside the city within a month, preferably near the coast. Gu Jilian will assist Chen Fugui and Chen Gensheng in negotiating business at the shipyard. They need to quickly order a 200-ton sailboat and supervise its construction throughout. I'll be working with Zhang Man Cang to rent a commercial property in the city. We can't always stay in inns, it will arouse suspicion if we stay too long. Does anyone have any questions?"

  "No problem!" The crowd was very excited. The next day, early in the morning, Deng Zixuan and Wan Chuan walked into the room where the uncle and nephew lived. Chen Fugui saw Deng Zixuan walk into the room and immediately stood up, his purple-red face shining with respect, saying: "Young master, I'm paying my respects to you!" "Chen Lao, no need for such courtesy, from now on we're just brothers, understand?" "Young master is so kind, it's a blessing for me!" Chen Fugui still nodded.

  The gap is too big, it's unrealistic to ask Chen Fugui to change his usual way of thinking now. Deng Zixuan said straightforwardly: "Old Chen, you were born by the sea and grew up by the sea, not only are you very familiar with the ocean, but also especially with ships. I've decided to order a 200-ton sailboat from the shipyard, can you take care of this?" "Master Deng, I've never handled such things before. It's no problem for me to navigate at sea, but it's hard for me to negotiate with the shipyard!" Chen Fugui was somewhat flustered.

  Deng Zixuan smiled and said, "Brother Chen, don't worry, Brother Wan will help you!" "Brother Chen! What's there to be afraid of when we spend money to buy a boat? With me around, no one dares to bully you." Wan Chuan patted his chest in guarantee. "Since the young master trusts me so much, I'll go try it out!" "Brother Chen! After negotiating the purchase of the ship, I require that the shipyard must install a sandwich layer on both sides of the ship. This is especially important!" Chen Fugui rubbed his thick, calloused hands and nodded solemnly.

  After finishing breakfast, everyone went their separate ways. Before departing, Chen Jintang said: "Shaoguan is over 200 kilometers away from here, and communication will be inconvenient once we leave. How should we contact each other if something happens?" Deng Zixuan understood his meaning and thought for a moment before saying: "I think it would be best if you send someone back to make contact, and have them leave a mark on the inside of the north gate of Weiyuan City - draw an 'X' shape. If we discover anything, we'll also leave an 'X' mark, and after confirming with each other, we can meet at the city gate the next morning." "Farewell, Master Deng!" "May you have a smooth journey!"

  After everyone left, Deng Zixuan led Zhang Man Cang out the door. Strolling on the ancient streets, Deng Zixuan felt a sense of ease and freedom. The robust Zhang Man Cang followed closely behind, his eyes darting back and forth like a iron tower. The relatively short Cantonese people couldn't help but focus their gaze on this northern giant. Although it was December in Guangzhou, which is winter, the place still felt warm and cozy, with the sun high up and the temperature gradually rising.

  The way people dress in Guangzhou is distinctly different from Shanghai. On the streets, most people wear gray or white long or short jackets, all with cloth shoes and some even go barefoot, wearing wooden clogs. Another striking feature is that shops along the street have no windows. The size of a shop's storefront is equal to the size of its open door curtain, and everything inside the shop, including merchandise and layout, is visible at a glance. Shops do not have doors but use long wooden boards as doors instead. To open or close for business, they simply remove or put up these boards. This unique scene in Guangzhou shops is closely related to the city's warm climate year-round.

  The old business street, with a strong and warm commercial atmosphere. Deng Zixuan carefully searched for shops to rent in the bustling area, but was extremely disappointed to find none. He listened to the passersby on the road, chattering in Cantonese, which he couldn't understand at all. Zhang Man Cang was even more clueless. Luckily, Deng Zixuan could still make out some of it. The four characters "Four Seasons Tea House" appeared before his eyes, and after a moment's consideration, he walked in.

  "Would you like to buy some tea, sir?" Deng Zixuan nodded and saw a young man with a smiling face welcoming him. He then began to browse the shelves on both sides, where there were ceramic bottles with floral patterns filled with tea leaves, and small wooden boxes filled with tea leaves, apparently to prevent the tea from losing its flavor. The merchant had to welcome guests from all directions, so his Mandarin was very fluent. "Sir, we have Yunnan Pu'er tea, Tieguanyin, top-grade flower tea, and Hangzhou's Longjing tea. Which one do you prefer?" The shop assistant introduced enthusiastically.

  "I want the best Tieguanyin!" Deng Zixuan said without hesitation, he liked the clear and fragrant flavor of Tieguanyin. The shopkeeper was overjoyed and immediately brought out a can of Tieguanyin, opening it with a flourish to release a unique fragrance that refreshed the mind and spirit.

  "This is top-grade Tieguanyin from Anxi in Quanzhou, Fujian," he said. "It was named Tieguanyin by Emperor Qianlong himself after he drank this tea. This tea has the wonderful effects of freshness, fragrance, rhyme, and delight. Its aroma is strong and lasting, with a sweet and refreshing floral scent, a mellow and smooth aftertaste, and a golden-green color that is clear and bright. It also has...".

  "That's enough, are you going to use up all the praising words!" Deng Zixuan said with a smile. "Sir! Absolutely no exaggeration!" "Alright! How much is it per liang?" "This is top-grade Tieguanyin, 100 wen per liang!" The shop assistant was somewhat nervous. "Thanks to your eloquent speech and enthusiastic introduction, I'll take one jin!" After finishing speaking, he signaled Zhang Man Cang to pay the silver. The shop assistant was overjoyed, as it was a rare big deal for him to sell tea leaves by the liang at ordinary times. The shop assistant packed and gave away a free tea leaf box.

  Deng Zixuan didn't seem to be leaving, looking around everywhere, "Sir, would you like to purchase other teas?" The shop assistant's face lit up with joy again. I am a peddler from Shanghai. I'd like to ask if there are any shops for sale in this area? The shop assistant was taken aback, but since the customer had already bought tea, he couldn't refuse and said: "Sir, please wait a moment, I'll go ask the boss." Before long, an old man with a thin build came out from inside, probably over 50 years old. "It's this sir, he purchased two taels of Tieguanyin!"

  The old man's eyes were deep and revealed a bright and wise look. "Sir, you are being rude, but you don't seem like a businessman, more like a scholar?" The old man asked. Deng Zixuan smiled: "Boss, your eyes are sharp, what you said is right. I failed the imperial examination this year and became disheartened, so I turned to business. I heard that Guangzhou is a good place to do business, so I came here to develop." "I see! May I ask for your honorable surname and name?" "My humble name is Deng Zixuan!" "I am Lin Qingxiang, and this Four Seas Tea House is mine."

  "Mr. Lin is so polite!" Deng Zixuan bowed with his hands clasped together. "Mr. Deng, you are still young and it's a pity that you didn't take the imperial examination to gain an official title. It's not easy for someone as talented as you to give up on taking the exam and instead engage in business. As the saying goes, 'all within the four seas are brothers', and it's not easy to be away from home and traveling abroad, so it's only natural that I lend a helping hand. Mr. Deng is very honest, so I'll do my best to make some inquiries for you. You can come back tomorrow to hear the news." "Thank you, Mr. Lin, for your help! I bid you farewell! Please stay, Mr. Lin!" "Farewell, young master Deng!"

  "Deng Gongzi, you want to buy a commercial building, don't you plan to stay in Guangzhou?" Zhang Man Cang asked in confusion after coming out. "I won't be staying in Guangzhou, but I must establish myself in Guangzhou. After leaving, someone will stay here to stabilize the foothold, this is for future development!" Zhang Man Cang didn't understand what he meant at all, but it wasn't good to ask again either.

  Said Pei Gejin and Wang Xia'er, arrived at the seaside of Dongguan, opposite was Linglingding Yang. The two searched for a short while on the beach, and soon it got dark, not far away there was a fishing village. "Second brother! It's getting dark, let's go to the village to stay overnight!" Wang Xia'er called Pei Gejin second brother according to their ranking. "Deng Gongzi asked to buy a piece of land on the beach, but this place is all uneven terrain, I don't understand why he chose to buy land here?" Pei Gejin was puzzled.

  "Second brother! Master Deng is so thoughtful, even you can't guess what he's thinking. It's clear that he's not an ordinary person. Master Deng is still young, but I feel like there's something profound and mysterious about him!" Wang Xiao'er muttered. "It's not just profound and mysterious, the key is that his mind is very clever. Master Deng entrusted me with the task of buying land, I must do my best." "Big brother met Master Deng, it's our good fortune. Following Master Deng in the future will not be wrong!" The two brothers chatted as they walked into the fishing village.

  During the day, Clever Ghost led the uncle and nephew to a shipyard by the Pearl River and chose the largest one. The negotiation went very smoothly. That night at the Four Seas Inn, Clever Ghost reported: "Master Deng, this shipyard is called Mao Yuan Shipyard, it's the largest in Guangzhou! They're asking for 800 taels of silver, if we agree to pay half as a deposit tomorrow. The shipyard promised to deliver according to our requirements within three months, that's about it."

  "Chen, do you think this price is suitable?" Deng Zixuan asked. "Sir! I've checked the shipyard's lumber, it's all top-grade material and the price is also reasonable." "Very well! Let's choose this shipyard, tomorrow you'll send them the deposit. Also, starting from tomorrow, the three of you will live at the shipyard, supervising the construction with all your might." The night passed without incident, and the next day they began to take action again.

  Early in the morning, Siji Tea House had just opened for business. The shop assistant opened the door and was slightly startled to see Deng Zixuan: "Mr. Deng, you're here really early! I'll go tell the boss." The assistant was very enthusiastic and welcomed Deng Zixuan into the store. Before long, Lin, the boss, came out with a smile: "Mr. Deng, sorry to keep you waiting!" "I'm so sorry to disturb you so early in the morning, I'm still young and a bit impatient, please forgive me." "Mr. Deng's straightforward and vigorous style is something I appreciate, please sit down! Please sit down!"

  The shop assistant brought tea, and Lin said: "Let's skip the pleasantries. Yesterday I inquired from various sources that there is a Zhejiang merchant on Yuexiu Street who wants to sell his store. This man runs a silk business. He fled here from Hangzhou during the Taiping Rebellion. Now that Shanghai is prospering, he has decided to return home to do business. I've known this man for over ten years since he came to Guangzhou."

  "Great, please introduce me to Lin!" Deng Zixuan was overjoyed. "However, his shop has additional conditions for sale, so after a month, many people have inquired, but many interested parties have retreated due to the difficulty!" "What are the additional conditions?" "This Ma shopkeeper requires that the house behind the shop be sold together with it, so the price is very expensive." "How big is the house behind Lin's shop?" "A three-section courtyard, plus a small garden!" "No problem! Please lead the way, Lin!" Deng Zixuan was overjoyed.

  A few people got on a small boat with an awning and traveled a distance in the winding ditch, then disembarked and walked to Yuexiu Street. This street is basically a commercial street that operates silk and cloth, and its layout is almost identical to that of tea leaves. Soon after, the buyer and seller met, Ma Zhanggui was about 40 years old, and at first glance, he was a very shrewd businessman, otherwise, he would not have been able to set up a rich family in Guangzhou.

  After viewing the store and house, Deng Zixuan didn't say a word, and let Ma Zhanggui quote a price. Ma Zhanggui stretched out his finger, and Deng Zixuan smiled and said: "No need, if your quoted price is reasonable, I won't haggle!" "Master Deng is really straightforward, I also can't be hypocritical, how about 600 taels of silver?" "Deal! I want to know how much stock Ma Zhanggui still has?" "About 100 taels worth of stock." "Good! I'll add another 100 taels, and take all the stock!" The deal was made, and the friendship grew stronger. At noon, Deng Zixuan treated Lin Zhanggui and brought Ma Zhanggui along to drink wine. During the banquet, Lin Zhanggui and Ma Zhanggui couldn't stop sighing in admiration, praising Master Deng for being so generous at such a young age, and saying that he must have a bright future ahead of him.

  Deng Zixuan knew that in the initial stage, especially when he was trying to gain a foothold in Guangzhou, he had to take some losses. At least through Lin Zhanggui's mouth, he could get some reputation, which was crucial for his future plans. Deng Zixuan brought 4,000 taels of silver and gave half of it away. As for the next step in getting rich, to be honest, Deng Zixuan had no idea what would happen, so he couldn't put all his hopes on getting rich.

  On the same day, Deng Zixuan moved from the inn to Yuexiu Street Renda Silk Store, and left the address of Renda Silk Store at the inn in case Pei Gejian came back and couldn't find it.

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