"What, Jiangnan Trading Company, you want to see me?" Huo Xi was a little confused.
Yang Fu nodded: "Yes. Shopkeeper Shen said that in three days, Jiangnan Trading Company will summon the manager of a well-known business owner. Shopkeeper Shen said that it would be best for you to come with me this time."
"I'll always go too?"
"Yes. Shopkeeper Shen asked about it. It seems that the firm has something important to discuss this time. He is afraid that he can't make the decision. Anyway, our boss in Guangfengshui is mysterious. This time, the boss still didn't show up. Shopkeeper Shen will go there. You Just pretend to be a young man and follow him. If there is something that needs to be decided, you can give him a reminder."
Huo Xi frowned.
Guangfeng Shui is not a good name in the eyes of the trading house, but they were specially invited this time?
The wealthy merchants in the south of the Yangtze River, with many business names and an annual income of one million taels, are just called middle-class merchants. Above them are the big merchants, the extremely wealthy merchants.
A person with an annual income of two to three hundred thousand taels is only worthy of being called a small businessman. People like Guangfeng Shui, who only have two shops in the capital, are not looked upon by others.
Normally, just by paying the membership fee, Shopkeeper Shen could enter the guild hall once. When discussing important matters, how could Guang Fengshui have a seat? Shopkeeper Shen had never even crossed the threshold of the guild hall hall.
Guangfeng Shui was invited this time? Tsk, that’s strange.
This guild originated from the Tang and Song dynasties, when vendors selling the same goods gathered in one place to do business, and there were such things as cloth shops, jewelry shops, silk brocade shops, etc., just like the food street in Huo Xin's time. Electronic Street.
In order to facilitate management and tax collection, various guilds were organized spontaneously.
It is said that there were 120 guilds in Luoyang during the Song Dynasty. This guild was originally a non-governmental organization, but later it had an official background because the government collected taxes through the guild.
This guild is different from the merchant gang.
Guilds are limited to one place and are non-governmental organizations organized voluntarily by local business houses.
In ancient times, transportation was inconvenient, and merchants did not do business on a large scale. It was not until the middle and late Ming Dynasty that the seeds of capitalism began to appear, and many famous business gangs emerged, such as Shanxi merchants, Hui merchants, Fujian merchants, and Chao merchants. Zhejiang merchants, Lu merchants, etc.
Because these merchants carried out trading activities everywhere, from their hometowns to other people's territories, they were afraid of being oppressed by local snakes, so they united with merchants in their hometowns, spontaneously organized chambers of commerce, built guild halls in certain places, and gradually became business gangs.
For example, in Huo Xi's life, there was a chamber of commerce in this province and that chamber of commerce in that province. In some countries, there are still this guild hall and that guild hall. Overseas guild halls have a positive significance in uniting Chinese businessmen.
Going to chambers of commerce and guild halls to seek shelter and share resources is naturally the original intention of the establishment.
In today's Wei Dynasty, these large business gangs have not yet reached a large scale, but there are trading houses in various places, and there are different guilds in the trading houses according to different businesses, such as jewelry shops, silk shops, lumber shops, etc.
Huo Xi, the type who picks up the slack and makes a fortune in silence, had no intention of joining any trading firm.
This trading company was originally established because merchants had a low status. In order to avoid suppression, merchants in the industry were united to help each other, cope with difficulties, and coordinate conflicts.
But in the end, fewer and fewer people adhere to the original intention of founding.
People are selfish, and it is normal for those with high status to look down on those with low status.
Those with big businesses will naturally look down on small ones. Isn’t it normal for big businesses to look down on small businesses and bully small businesses when things go up and down, and resources are tilted towards large businesses?
Gradually, the guilds formed a monopoly and took over 70% to 80% of the business. The system and rules were formulated by the guilds. Even when opening a shop, you had to report to the guilds, and only with the permission of the guilds could you enter a certain bank to carry out business activities. .
Not only do you have to pay membership fees every year, but you also have to look at the guild's attitude.
Small businesses are struggling to survive in the cracks.
The guild was originally used to solve problems and coordinate difficulties, but gradually it became a service for the top few big companies.
Huo Xi doesn't like to join this kind of guild. Her free soul is used to being free, and she doesn't like to be restricted by others and look at others' faces.
I have to report to you whatever goods I buy, at what percentage, and at what price I sell them. I catch my fish, plant my land, and collect my rent. Isn’t that nice?
But shopkeeper Shen insisted on going in and talked to her a lot. Their shop was small and they had to pay a membership fee of one hundred taels every year.
But when the guild discusses important matters, Guangfengshui never has a seat. Huo Xi never goes there either.
She just went about her business in a muffled voice. Over the years, she insisted on finding someone to hug her, and she also gave a lot of gifts during the New Year. She was so distressed that she couldn't help but feel sad.
She doesn't like to stand out. She has maintained the mystery of the Guangfeng Shuidong family over the years and never stands out.
You must know that Guangfeng Shui’s boss is her. She is so big, so she will probably be suppressed by many people. Fortunately, it is kept a secret, and everyone has some scruples about suppressing her.
The shop she opened has never been big in appearance. It maintains the style of small mouth and big belly. It has a small front and a big warehouse. 70% of it is sold in batches and 30% of it is sold in bulk. It does not attract attention and develops quietly. It does not show its prominence or stand out, so it only picks up the slack. .
It's been pretty stable these years.
I have never had any dealings with the guild. I have paid protection fees, and I have never seen the guild do anything to small businesses like them.
No one cared whether Guangfeng Shui went to the meeting organized by the guild.
What's going on? The guild specifically asked for Guangfeng water?
Huo Xi couldn't help but think about it for a while. She didn't come up with any results, so she had to press the matter. Anyway, there were still three days left, so she would be busy with her sugar training business first.
The wooden yellow mud shed is ventilated on all sides and the technical difficulty is ridiculously low.
Zhuangzi had all the dozen or so young men at his disposal, and Zhuangzi's tenants called on twenty or thirty people to chop down trees, knead clay, build and build stoves. It only took a day for them all to survive.
Even the drying racks Huo Xi asked for were ready, and a hundred wooden molds were made.
Ji Laozhuang came to report to her: "Your Excellency, let this stove dry at night, and the big pot can be set up tomorrow afternoon."
"Thank you very much, Mr. Zhuang, for taking the trouble. Based on the previous salary, each person will receive an additional twenty cash reward." Huo Xi was very satisfied with Ji Lao Zhuang's ability to do things.
Ji Laozhuang was a little surprised: "I would like to thank you for everyone."
"You did a good job, there was no delay at all. I'm very satisfied."
Ji Laozhuang smiled and said: "If you have anything to do, noble man, just give me your orders. Everyone in the village is the master's servant and they are all loyal. If you need it, just give me your orders."
Huo Xi nodded, and Ji Laozhuang saw that she had no other instructions and left.
Thinking about the ten large pots, she had to boil them, shower them, move them to dry, cut the sugar, and put them in the jar, and she was afraid that she would be too busy. Huo Xi wondered whether she should ask the Ji Laozhuang family for help.
When I told my parents and uncle, everyone disagreed.
"We don't need to boil sugar cane juice now, we just dissolve the sugar. We don't need help from others. The four of us can do this. We don't need anyone else."
Yang Fu also disagreed: "This matter is of great importance. Can we do it without others or not?"
"But I'm afraid I'll be too busy."
"We'll talk about it later if we're too busy."
Huo Xi could only nod in agreement.
That night, after dinner, the family changed the pot again, put the sugar that was not white in color yesterday into the pot again, melted it, and rinsed again.
