Chapter 13 Retaining People and Attention

  After dinner, Deng Zixuan took a stroll in the garden. The plants in the garden had already enjoyed the heavenly fragrance too early, and the pungent floral scent made one's heart flutter with joy and feel extremely comfortable. "Time flies, and before I knew it, more than a year has passed, time really passes quickly!" Deng Zixuan muttered to himself, walking with his hands behind his back. Next door, his younger brothers were studying hard, occasionally reciting aloud.

  "Sir, you were taking a stroll in the garden, no wonder I didn't see you when I went to the house!" Qin Fan walked over quickly. "Do you have something to ask me?" Deng Zixuan stopped and asked. "Sir, tomorrow the fellow who is going to Hangzhou to purchase silk will be leaving, do you have any instructions for him?" "As the ancients said: a gentleman's word is like a team of six horses, impossible to catch up with once spoken. I've told you before that I won't interfere with business matters, since I've given you full authority, you must have confidence, remember this is the last time!" Deng Zixuan said bluntly.

  Qin Fan was overjoyed in his heart, but he said, "Master Deng, you are the master and I am the servant. The rules cannot be broken. However, Master is so kind to me that I am a bit nervous. At present, there is no precedent for the actions between masters and servants in the Qing Dynasty, and it is difficult to adapt for the time being. Please understand me." "That's right! From now on, consider business as your own business, and I think you will be confident. The fact that there is no precedent doesn't mean anything. Can't we set a precedent from us? Just go ahead boldly!" Deng Zixuan said with a smile.

  Qin Fan seemed to have thought of something and said: "Mr. Deng, the matter you entrusted me with has made progress. The husband's sister-in-law lives in Xicheng, and there are two daughters named Daxiu and Erxiu. Daxiu is 18 years old and Erxiu is 28 years old. Both girls are clever and good-looking, and they grew up in a poor family, skilled in needlework and embroidery, meeting your standards."

  "Since that's the case, let's just get it over with and have a blind date tonight!" "Sir is really an impatient person, I'll go bring the second daughter over right away!" Qin Fan was overjoyed upon hearing this. Deng Zixuan walked into the brothers' room and saw some of them practicing calligraphy while others were saying: "Pei Gejin, Wang Xiao'er, you two prepare yourselves, we're going to have a blind date soon." Everyone looked at each other in confusion, some looking bewildered.

  "Deng Gongzi, are you saying that I should get married?" Pei Gejin was puzzled. "Pei Dage, Chen Dage has already told you, right!" "He has indeed!" Deng Zixuan laughed and said: "In the future, both of you will be based in Guangzhou, so you must settle down and start a family. Behind us is a three-section courtyard, the first section is where Qin Fan lives, the second section is where Wang Xia'er lives, and the third section is where Pei Gejin lives." Pei Gejin and Wang Xia'er immediately clasped their hands together in gratitude: "Thank you, Gongzi, for your kindness. We will definitely repay it with our loyalty!"

  "Deng Gongzi, you're being unfair! Why did you only arrange for them to get married and not us?" Wan Chuan said after coming back to his senses. "Gongzi, I also want a wife!" Zhang Man grumbled in a low voice. "Don't even mention it, I've been thinking about women for a long time!" Long-Legged Wu Bao said without hiding his feelings. "Damn it, you're the only one who thinks about women, are we all eunuchs?" Bai Biao glared at Long-Legged and said.

  Deng Zixuan smiled and said, "Everyone, please calm down. Pei Gejin and Wang Xia'er are going to stay in Guangzhou, so I have to settle their marriage first. Don't worry, you can all go back to Shanghai, I promise to find wives for everyone. Suzhou and Hangzhou are places where beautiful women come from, what's there to worry about?" Everyone cheered as soon as they heard this.

  "Look at you, Wang Xiao Er! You'd better go and tidy yourself up right away. If the young lady doesn't take a liking to you because of this, don't blame me!" Deng Zi Xuan teased, and upon hearing this, Wang Xiao Er immediately ran out. The crowd burst into laughter again. About two hours later, a carriage with a canopy stopped in front of the Renda Silk Store, Qin Fan jumped down first, then helped two women down from the carriage.

  Deng Zixuan led Pei Gejin and Wang Xia'er to greet them at the door, and the two women blushed and paid their respects separately. After entering the hall behind the shop, they took their seats. Deng Zixuan stared intently at the two women, who didn't dare lift their heads or meet his gaze. Deng Zixuan noticed that the sisters' eyes were neither too big nor too small, the elder sister had a melon-seed-shaped face, and the younger sister had a round face, with clear eyebrows and beautiful eyes. If they walked on the streets of Guangzhou, they could be considered beauties, but the key was that there were too few pretty women in Lingnan.

  Deng Zixuan has passed, Qin Fan asked: "Pei young brother, this is Daxiu, what do you think!" Daxiu stood up and took a look, saying: "Sir, please accept my bow!" "Miss, no need to be polite!" Pei Gejin was a bit flustered, no need to guess he was very pleased. "Wang young brother, this is Erxiu......" "I agree! I agree!" Before Qin Fan could finish speaking, Wang Xia'er hastily agreed.

  "Alright! It's settled then. Tomorrow, we'll send the betrothal gifts and hold the wedding ceremony 5 days later!" Deng Zixuan said with a firm tone. The next day, Deng Zixuan and Chen Jintang represented the bride's family and accompanied Qin Fan to the bride's home to present the betrothal gifts. Everything went smoothly, and 5 days later, several tables of wine and food were set up in the Renda shop. Apart from his brothers, most of the guests were relatives and neighbors who came to congratulate them.

  Time flies, and it's already May. The weather is fine today, with the warm sunshine. At the Mau Yuen shipyard by the Pearl River, a newly built sailing junk named Ren He has been completed, and today is its launch day. Deng Zi Xuan personally cut the ribbon, amidst cheers from his brothers, the shipyard workers cut the ropes, and the large wooden boat slowly entered the water along the slipway.

  A large wooden boat entered the Pearl River waters, and Captain Chen Fugui ordered the hired sailors to raise the wind sail. The large sailboat sailed in the direction of the sea entrance with the rising wind sail. Deng Zixuan gazed at the sailboat gradually disappearing into the distance, and on the spot, he slapped his thigh, requiring Muoyuan Shipyard to build another sailboat of the same tonnage, and demanding delivery by the end of the year. The shipyard owner was overjoyed, and both parties quickly signed a contract.

  That day, the sea trial was conducted and all indicators of the sailboat met the requirements. The day for Deng Zixuan's departure had arrived, and that night, Deng Zixuan and Chen Jintang, Pei Gejin discussed. "Brother Pei, I have decided to set off the day after tomorrow. Everything that needs to be said has been said to you, currently, houses are being built on the coast of Baisha Beach in Dongguan, so your task is temporarily to buy more land on the coast of Baisha Beach and expand along the coastline in both directions. Also, the dock must be built before the end of the year."

  "Deng Gongzi, I assure you that we will not disappoint the expectations of the people!" Pei Gejin guaranteed. Deng Zixuan continued: "This time when I return to Shanghai, I will buy another cargo ship and form a small fleet. By the end of the year, the sailboats from this shipyard will also be completed. Starting next year, every two months, the fleet will travel back and forth between Shanghai and Guangzhou, and the two places must maintain close contact."

  "Brother Pei, after I leave, you will give 100 gold bars to Qin Fan and use them as his capital to expand his business. The 5,000 taels of silver are left for you, mainly used for the development of Baisha Beach. Also, don't interfere with Qin Fan's business. And be careful, if you find any talented orphans, try to take them in. The orphans you take in must study, I have big plans for them later." "Young Master Deng, I remember!"

  Deng Zixuan added, "Brother Pei, I know you despise the government, but for our great cause, you must learn to interact with them. Remember, with the protection of officials, our business will be even more successful. Do I need to teach you how to fawn over officials?" "Deng Gongzi's strategy is unprecedented and unmatched by anyone before or after him, remember that!" Chen Jintang reminded. "Deng Gongzi, I swear on my descendants' behalf that we will never betray you."

  On the second day, under Qin Fan's arrangement, they purchased local specialties in Guangzhou. Deng Zixuan bought many toolbooks at a foreign store, especially books on industrial production. He decided to use his spare time during the trip to study them carefully. As for industrialized production, Deng Zixuan firmly believed that no one knew more about it than he did.

  On the Pearl River dock, Deng Zixuan bid farewell to Qin Fan and Pei Gejin. "Qin boss, from now on I will be setting up a factory in Guangzhou. You don't need to worry about the factory's affairs, but it is your responsibility to sell the products that the factory produces. As the saying goes, 'many people gathering firewood can make a high flame', some business deals cannot be done by oneself alone, so we must widely recruit talent to use for ourselves."

  "Sir! I will remember your words, to the death. At our parting, I give you a few words of advice: high-profile actions, low-key personal life. Wealth should not shock the neighbors, speech should not shock the audience. Especially in business competition, do not push the opponent into a dead end, strive for a win-win situation." Qin Fan was slightly surprised and solemnly nodded his head.

  Deng Zixuan and Pei Gejin bid farewell, then led his brothers to board the ship. The large wooden boat slowly started, everyone waved goodbye to each other, reluctant to part with each other, because fate had tied them together. "Master Deng, have a smooth journey!" Pei Gejin shouted loudly. "Master Deng, when can we see you again?" Wang Xia'er's voice was choked with sobs.

  The sailboat drifted downstream, gradually disappearing into the distance. The people who had come to see them off still stood on the dock, reluctant to leave. "Brother Pei, Master Deng is young and ambitious, with a bright future ahead of him! He will surely make a name for himself one day!" Qin Fan muttered to himself.

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