After the New Year, several families who went to sea together began to look for ways to start selling goods.
Shen Qianzhong also took Yang Fu to the guard station, and was introduced by He Feng and Yan Qianhu to meet Commander Ning.
Commander Ning was overjoyed when he saw the goods in their hands. He did not lower the price and bought them all according to the market price.
He also asked Yan Qianhu's Qianhu Office to sign a five-year contract with Guangfeng Water, and give Guangfeng Water the military uniforms and quilts business for the next five years.
He also asked another health clinic under his command to sign a five-year contract with Guangfeng Water.
Shen Qianzhong and Yang Fu were very excited. They reported to Huo Xi and sent generous gifts to thousands of households in the two guard stations. He Feng, Yan Qianhu, and Commander Ning were not left behind. Many of the treasures brought back from Japan were given away.
Both parties were very happy. Everyone in the guard house felt that Guangfeng Shui was a good man.
As soon as Ma Xiang's New Year was over, he took the goods he bought into the city on a boat. With Yang Fu's advice, he sold them for a few hundred taels of silver.
In addition to the 150 taels of wages he earned from this trip, it was quite a lot. He was so happy that he immediately bought a small house in the outer city and bought 20 acres of land in his hometown.
After he bought the land and house, many people came to him to tell him about the girl.
When his brother Ma Ji saw that he had returned safely and had gained a lot of money, he immediately proposed to marry him, fearing that he would become ambitious and run away to sea again, leaving no trace of his flesh and blood.
After a winter and a year of preparation, more and more people, including civil and military officials and ordinary people, are getting married. The red cloth from Guangfeng Water Store and various wedding items have begun to sell like hot cakes.
Since last year, some familiar boatmen went to sea with them and made a lot of money. The familiar boatmen came to Yang Fu and Huo Erhuai one after another to find out when they would go to sea again and to apply for boat jobs.
Longxing, Wanjiamulinxing, and Xinjiutong also took Langguangge and Guangfengshui to discuss and asked when they would go to sea again.
"Sister, you made a lot of money on this trip, right? I heard that the silver brought back from your family filled the cabin." Pei Youjing teased Huo Xi.
"How can I earn as much as your family? Your family has not only taken a trip to the East, but the ship to the West will be coming back soon. Why don't you make a lot of money?"
"Hahaha," Pei Youjing laughed, "How about I leave a place for my sister before my family comes back from the Western ship?"
"I won't do such a hateful thing."
Now that someone has the ability to go to sea, why don't you go and get a share of the pie and cut off a big piece of someone else's cake? Just be polite and don't take it seriously.
"Have your father-in-law's family handled the matter well?"
Because of Wanjia's sloppy appearance, several partners had strong objections to him.
The Wan family allowed the people in the capital to see the excitement. Even the several businesses that went out to sea with them, others thought that they had capsized and that they could no longer sell their goods.
Pei Youjing leaned back on the chair and sighed: "Hey, every family has its own scriptures that are difficult to recite. Wan's family is engaged in the timber business and goes to the deep mountains and forests to cut trees. They have to send people to follow them from the mountains, and they go through mountain roads and waterways. When the waterway turns to land, people must be sent to keep an eye on each road crossing. If the woodcutter is not able to get out of the mountain, he will have to pay a large sum of money. When the wood is delivered, someone is jealous and hides it, and his hard work is in vain. How many people are there in the Wan family? How can we not rely on the help of a group of clan members to keep an eye on everything?"
His father also felt that his father-in-law was too soft and lacked courage in doing things, but nowadays, which family with a big business does not rely on the protection of the clan power?
If you try to blaze a trail alone, you will be devoured long ago.
Otherwise, why would we put "big family" in front of "big business"?
If you don't have the power of your clan, you have to give people shares, find various ways to support them, and seek protection. I'm afraid there are people behind Guangfeng Shui. I just don't know which force it is.
His father-in-law was surrounded by people, and he paid for the money and bought all the tribesmen's goods according to the price. As a result, the ship returned safely, and the tribesmen regretted it again.
His father-in-law was so angry that his beard was almost bald.
"This time, the Wan family members have made everyone unhappy, which has affected everyone's business. My father-in-law said that we can use our connections to find a ship and we can go to sea together."
"Are you still going?"
"Little Huo Xi, don't say you don't want to go?"
Huo Xi raised her eyebrows at him. Pei Youjing nodded at her with her hand and laughed a few times.
"Your family is very wealthy, why are you tied to a small business like mine? When your family's big ship to the West comes back, your family can't go anywhere. Is it not good to do exclusive business?"
"Don't put your eggs in one basket, that's what you said. Brother, I think it makes sense. If the Wan family finds another boat to come back, our business will not be small. Little Huo Xi, what do you think, if we have two
For all the ships, do they all run along the Eastern route, or do they run separately?"
"What do you think?"
"Everyone has their support. Brother wants to hear your thoughts."
Pei Youjing didn't know why, but sometimes when she talked to Huo Xi, she seemed to know a lot, and she didn't think she was a little girl with little knowledge.
Huo Xi buried his head in thought.
If there are two big ships, she will of course want to run different routes.
Moreover, although the distance between the Western and Southern Ocean lines is long, there are many countries, many products, many spices, and many precious treasures there. The Eastern Ocean has insufficient products and cannot buy more spices.
Moreover, as the Wei Dynasty sent eunuch Zheng He to various countries in the Western and Southern Oceans, the diplomatic relations between the countries there and the Wei Dynasty are now more friendly. It is more reassuring than the Japanese pirates who are constantly causing trouble.
But the East also has its own advantages.
The place is close. It's only 1,600 miles from Ningbo, which is closer than the port of Guangzhou. The ships that set off to the West are halfway there, and the East-Yang Line can make a round trip.
A trip to the West will take at least one and a half to two years. So who should Guangfeng Shui send? My uncle is not married yet, and his family will never let him go that far.
"Of course I think it's better to run two lines. Each has its own advantages. And several companies can share the risk by pooling goods. I think it's good. Even if the ship doesn't come back, it won't hurt."
"Does the sister want to run away from both ends?"
"That's what I think. But I don't have a bigger business than your Longxing family. If my family wants to travel to the West and Southeast Asia, I don't know who to look for."
She always needs to have a reliable steward to keep the cargo on board, so that she can rest assured.
After discussion, several parties decided to go sailing together this year and buy one more boat. As for whether to run two lines or both the East and West lines, it has not yet been decided. But if you add another boat, you will have to find another sailor and boatman.
So while selling goods, I quietly started making preparations.
In the first month and in the middle of February, Emperor Yongkang visited the north.
He ordered the prince to supervise the country, took the emperor's eldest grandson, and a group of military generals to the north by boat. Zhang Fu, as a military general, also followed, and Mu Yan was also named to follow.
Before leaving, he heard that Huo Nian had made great progress in martial arts, so Zhang Fute took a whole day off and came to check on Huo Nian's skills.
I was very pleased to see that he had made great progress as the martial arts master said. I didn't know that someone behind Huo Nian was teaching him diligently at home. I just thought that after laying the foundation, the child made rapid progress due to his own talent.
"My uncle can't come to teach you this year. You have to study hard with the martial arts master and practice for him when he comes back. Learning martial arts is like sailing against the current. If you don't advance, you will retreat. Do you understand?"
Huo Nian nodded, a little reluctantly: "Uncle, where are you going?"
Zhang Fu really liked this child who was sensible, obedient, and willing to work hard. He stroked his little head and said, "Uncle is going to the north. Foreign races in the north are frequently invading the border. Uncle is going to drive them away."
Huo Nian understood that his uncle was going to fight in the north.
With sore eyes, she stepped forward and hugged him, raised her head and asked him: "Uncle, are you in danger?"
