Hong Yanwu's father, Hong Lucheng, had outstanding temperament when he was young and was a standard handsome man. But now he has been bedridden for half a year, his hair has turned mostly white, and he is no longer so good-looking. Especially his yellow and thin cheeks, the corners of his eyes and cheeks.
Wrinkles all prove one thing - sick people age very easily. In addition, he was originally a tall man, and it was because of a leg disease that he developed the habit of hunching over. Now, no matter who he knows,
When I see him huddled together on the bed like a giant shrimp with a golden hook, I always feel that he has become much shorter out of thin air, as if he is twitching.
Speaking of Hong Lucheng's disease, he contracted it entirely because his work unit supervised his labor reform during the "Ten Years' Movement" and placed him in a cold and damp air-raid shelter to manage a sundry warehouse for a long time. Since the end of last year,
In just half a year, his legs from the knees down went from numbness and soreness to pain and erosion, so that now the two calves hidden under the quilt have turned black and turned into blood stains.
piece.
As we all know, patients who have been sick in bed for a long time are prone to bed sores. Therefore, in order to suffer less pain, Hong Lucheng insisted on moving his body several times a day despite the pain. Just now, just as he was supporting his upper body with his elbows as usual,
When he was struggling to move, he suddenly felt weak. As a result, he lost control of his strength, which suddenly affected the sore on his calf, causing a particularly heartbreaking pain.
However, even though Hong Lucheng fell on the bed and had big beads of sweat on his head, he still bit his lip and stubbornly clenched his fists, refusing to make a sound. His daughter Hong Yanru was boiling medicine in the main room.
, he was afraid that his daughter would hear it.
After a while, the pain seemed to subside slightly. Hong Lucheng gasped for a few times, then he held the head of the bed and sat up again. How can I describe this feeling? It was like thousands of fine needles pricking his legs at the same time.
. He was undoubtedly sweating more, but he still stood up after all. Just like that, he resisted until the excruciating pain subsided a little, and then he gritted his teeth again and moved a little bit. After a long, long time,
While trembling, he finally completed the planned action and leaned against the bedside with a cold sweat all over his body.
After Hong Lucheng breathed a long sigh of relief, he closed his eyes. After moving, his legs often hurt the most. In order to feel better, he often closed his eyes like this and thought about things. At this time, he would often
When reviewing the stories about the Hong family's ancestors and the path he has taken in his life, some indescribable sadness and confusion will always arise...
Hong Lucheng was born on January 27, 1917, which is the fifth day of the first lunar month in the sixth year of the Republic of China according to the lunar calendar. Calculated, he was exactly sixty years old in 1977. He and his wife Wang Yunlin got married in 1937 and have always respected and loved each other.
, together they have given birth to three sons and one daughter. Most of his life is very ordinary, especially after the founding of the Republic. But if there is any special symbol found in him, it probably comes from his family background. Because he is not
He was born into an ordinary family, but into the top wealthy family in Beijing before liberation - the Hong family, known as one of the eight great families.
In our country, when talking about aristocratic families and rich people, they need to be classified into categories, and they cannot be lumped together. Before 1949, the wealthy class in the capital was very complex. There were both new rulers who came to the political stage alternately, and former Qing Dynasty officials.
They are descendants of old people, families of Beiyang deposed officials, and even Russian princes and nobles who fled to Beijing. Even wealthy businessmen and wealthy businessmen have differences between "bureaucratic capital" and "private capital" due to different sources of funds or business content.
There is a difference between "new industrialists" and "traditional businessmen".
The Hong family has always been praised by the people of the capital for its prosperous business and good management, and is the most typical representative of traditional merchants. Before liberation, a jingle about time-honored shops was circulated in the capital - "The horse Juyuan is on the head, the Neilian is on the foot, and the clothes are on. Ruifuxiang, with four big things around his waist, drank tea with Wu Yutai, sat down with Long Shuncheng, held a grand Hongmen banquet, and extended his life to Qirentang." The phrase "a grand Hongmen banquet" refers to restaurants and restaurants. Hongjia, a pastry shop based in Beijing, uses the homophones of the word "yan" - "yan" and "yan" - as the shop name.
The family history of the Hong family is recorded. The ancestor of the Hong family, Hong Xiangqi, came to Beijing from his hometown in Fushan, Shandong during the Yongzheng period. Counting down to the generation of Hong Lucheng's father, Hong Xiaoru, the Hong family has been in the capital for nine generations. In the past two hundred years, Business accumulation and personal connections provided the foundation for the Hong family to get involved in other more profitable industries. Therefore, when Hong Xiaoru took charge of the family, the Hong family's business territory had become extremely large.
At that time, various properties under the Hong family's name included: restaurants Yanqingtang, Yanxitang, restaurants Yanmeilou, Yanxingju, pastry shop Yanmeizhai, Jinlanzhai, Yanyingzhai, Yanxiangzhai, Yanfuzhai , Yanhuazhai, Yandezhai, Yanningzhai. These restaurants and pastry shops span Beijing and Tianjin, with a total of 18 joints and semicolons. Among them, Yanqingtang and Yanxitang are among the top 18 restaurants in Beijing. Among the ten main halls, Yanmei Building is one of the eight buildings in the capital, Yanxing Ju is one of the eight major residences in the capital, and Yanmei Zhai and Yongxing Zhai were the leaders of the oven bureau in the north of the capital at that time, even surpassing Zhengming in the limelight. Zhai and Ruifang Zhai. Let’s put it this way, the Hong family accounts for 20-30% of the catering industry in Beijing alone.
In addition, the Hong family also operates Tianbao Gold Store, Sanyang Gold Store, Wanqing Pawnshop, and Jubaozhai, an antique store, and jointly established Shenrongzhuang Yanshou Tang with Taiyuan Hospital Shoujia. Branches spread across Beijing, Tianjin, and There are 16 stores in Shanghai, Nanjing, Xi'an, Qingdao, Yantai, Luda, Shenyang and other places.
In the capital, everyone knows that the Hong family is rich. But when it comes to how the Hong family lives, most ordinary people can only rely on imagination except for some superficial understanding. For example, when people talk about being rich, they must It means "wearing gold and silver, fine clothes and fine food." However, a truly wealthy family only says "the music returns to the courtyard, and the lights come down to the balcony." The difference can be judged in one word. Moreover, in addition to superior material conditions, among the wealthy businessmen Real life still contains a lot of unspeakable bitterness.
This is by no means an unfounded remark. The rulers in the history of our country have always believed that it is extremely immoral for businessmen to make profits by selling things produced by others. Moreover, they fundamentally believe that businessmen's pursuit of profit is disruptive to society. The hidden dangers are very unreliable. Therefore, the "merchant" class has always been strictly guarded against and implemented a "suppression policy", that is, "emphasis on agriculture and suppression of business". Therefore, merchants are rich, but their social status has always been humble.
Take the Qing Dynasty as an example. Businessmen were supposed to wear blue cloth coats, so they had to wear blue cloth coats, even if they were rich. Moreover, the sons of businessmen were not allowed to be officials. This is probably what is now called feudal oppression.
Speaking of which, Hong Lucheng's father admired Emperor Yongzheng very much throughout his life. The reason was somewhat of a different approach. According to Hong Xiaoru, in a feudal society based on agriculture, the rulers were most afraid of people leaving their household registration and becoming The refugees lost the objects of exploitation, so they often tried every means to control their personal freedom. However, in the past dynasties, only the Yongzheng Dynasty's policy of "dividing a small family into an old family" was implemented correctly and actually provided real personal freedom for the people of the country. People now have the possibility to choose a career without living on the land. Otherwise, according to the old restraint system, the Hong family would have no chance to leave their hometown. And even after arriving in the capital, it would be impossible to recruit enough manpower and assistants. What's more, , if the Qing royal family did not despise business to the point of disdain, and stipulated that bannermen would be stripped of their flag status if they were doing business, then Han merchants like the Hong family would not have any chance of success even if they were in the capital. Yes. Hong Lucheng also deeply believed in his father's view.
But even if the basic conditions for doing business are in place, it is still very difficult for an ordinary businessman to expand his business or enter the field of national monopoly. Unless you rely on the powerful and become a so-called
"official businessmen".
In that special historical era, the Hong family was not exempt from customs. However, the Hong family also verified a truth through personal experience - being an "official businessman", although the social status is more respectable and there will be a lot of convenience in doing business, but
The vice president's use was equally serious, and even the gain outweighed the loss.
The logic is not difficult to understand. Just because the patron is an "official", the businessmen who seek refuge not only have to accept the unfair distribution of rights and interests, but also bear many sacrifices and risks because of the special needs brought about by the patron's status.
For example, the "official-business joint venture" in the late Qing Dynasty was a black hole that swallowed money. I don't know how many "official-businessmen" were trapped in the quagmire because their owners catered to the "highest" and became victims.
After that, the subsequent abdication of the Qing emperors was an unprecedented disaster that almost caused the entire shopping mall of the capital to be buried with the officialdom of the capital.
During the Qing Dynasty, the main consumers in the capital were Manchu and Mongolian bannermen and officials and dignitaries. Therefore, the Revolution of 1911 brought about the collapse of the Qing government. Not only did the consumer market shrink sharply, but even many old debts were difficult to recover.
This has led to the direct bankruptcy of a large number of small and medium-sized industrial and commercial businesses. And the more "official and commercial" they are, the greater their losses will be in this case, because the biggest customer of these large businesses is the Forbidden City.
Take the Hong family as an example. The "Yan" pastry shop has always replaced the pastry rooms inside and outside the palace in making offerings, and the Yanshou Hall of the Ginseng Rongzhuang has long been specialized in selling ginseng and deer antler from the East and West imperial pharmacies. After all, a total of
The payment of 160,000 taels was wasted. Another example is the Yue family of Qirentang. Because they have the honor of supplying other royal medicinal materials to the palace, they have to grit their teeth and endure a deficit of nearly 200,000 taels. In all the relationships with the Qing Palace,
Among the merchants with economic contacts, the biggest loss was probably the Xinglong Wood Factory Ma's House, which was built specifically for the royal family. It is said that the royal family owed 220,000 taels for the construction of the Dongling Tomb of Guangxu and more than 30,000 taels for the construction of Beihai.
Not a penny has been paid, and the note left for the Ma family has become a piece of paper that can never be paid with the advent of the Beiyang government.
During the Beiyang period, the government began to advocate "Western wind spreading eastward" and "Industry saving the country". On the surface, the status of merchants improved somewhat. But in fact, not only did the treatment of merchants not improve, but it was far worse than in the late Qing Dynasty.
Not to mention that the warlords' disputes caused an extreme shortage of goods on the market, nor that the government secretly opened the door for foreign capital's economic plunder. The most important thing is that the Beiyang government imposed exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes much more harshly than the Qing government. Moreover, the warlords
During the chaotic war, every general who led troops to Beijing treated the merchants as meat in a bowl and extorted them at will. Under such circumstances, one can imagine the "hemorrhaging" of the merchants.
What's more, those soldiers are not easy to deal with. As soon as these guys are released from the military camp, they all come to the market to take advantage of it. And the Hong family's shop, because it has good food and drink, naturally becomes a popular place.
The primary target of the infringement. The most obvious characteristic of the soldiers is that they are "bastards" and do whatever they do. They eat and drink for free without saying anything, calling them "mama bastards", and some even openly rob them with the gun in their hand.
, if you resist, it will definitely damage the store and hurt people.
Ever since he was a child, Hong Lucheng had been accustomed to seeing his father suffer from headaches and troubles caused by the war and gangsters. The days that made the Hong family both troubled and heartbroken would not come to an end until the change of flag in Northeast China in 1928.
However, the end of the feudal system still played a positive role in the change of social customs. A special point to mention is that starting from 1919, due to the influence of the "May Fourth" ideological trend, a group of emerging business representatives began to emerge in society. This
A group of people are very young, including many high-level intellectuals and even "returnees". They do not have the sophistication and restraint of the old businessmen, but they show abundant enthusiasm, take it as their own duty to enrich the country and strengthen the people, and pursue industry
line of saving the country. Although they also have the flaws of paranoia and idealism, they are the most vengeful and country-loving businessmen in the history of our country. And the various new factories and companies they established are also based on their powerful
The ability to create wealth and a new business model have quickly become the most dazzling focus in the business world.
Whenever this past event is brought up, Hong Lucheng cannot help but feel sincere admiration for his father. In this era of alternation between the old and the new, it is precisely because of his father's shrewdness that the Hong family does not stick to the rules and is bound by the old traditions.
Although Hong Xiaoru does not have the vision and experience of studying abroad like the industrialists, he knows how to take advantage of the situation and make profits by investing. Although he does not understand the management methods and industrial technology of new industries, he understands the most fundamental principle in the market-any business is always based on
Money is the basis. Therefore, he decisively seized the opportunity and invested heavily in Yue Qianzhai's Salt Bank and Huang Yizhu's Zhongnan Bank, as well as the Juno Hotel founded by the German James, and soon gained from these foreign industries.
Shared the sweetness.
When Hong Lucheng became his father's assistant, out of his personal respect for these industrial elites, he lobbied his father to continue investing in the Danfeng Match Factory in Beijing, as well as the joint-stock Jinmen Northern Steamship Company and Jinmen Lizhong Acid Factory.
.In this way, while sharing profits, the Hong family's wealth also indirectly contributed to the country, achieving a win-win result.
In fact, the period from 1927 when "Bald Chiang" established Nanjing to the period when the Nanjing government came to power in 1937 was a rare golden period of "ten years of construction" for my country's industrial and commercial circles. Although foreign capital and government capital were extremely strong during this period, the private industrial and commercial class The achievements achieved in a short period of time are still impressive, and even the concepts of "saving the country through industry" and "saving the country through science" have evolved into a trend of the times.
It is a pity that these local bourgeois industrialists are really unlucky. Their feathers have just grown and before they are full, they are invaded by foreign enemies. And the superstructure that is supposed to represent their interests and protect their growth is not at this time
He showed his true face as both a softie and a bastard. After the outbreak of the Japanese invasion of China, the Nanjing government only asked businessmen to donate wages and food, but the army could not do its duty to defend the territory. As a result, the industrialists had to pay most of their hard work for several years.
They fled eastward, either hid in the concession, or were forced to flee thousands of miles.
With all the people in the family, how can the eggs be completed? The Hong family was not immune to the national crisis. After the fall of Beijing and Tianjin, under the Japanese "food restriction policy", the Hong family's shop could not make ends meet, but the Japanese were not allowed to go out of business, so
They had no choice but to make a living at a loss. Especially Hong Xiaoru refused to use counterfeit coins and refused to do business with Japanese merchants. Therefore, the Hong family's shop was being blackmailed by traitors and spies who visited every day. The most unfortunate thing was that as the war spread,
The Hong family's shops in other places were also destroyed by the war, and only a few of them were lucky enough to survive.
Fortunately, Hong Xiaoru, as the head of the Hong family, was still wise. When the Marco Polo Bridge Incident just broke out, he secretly made arrangements for Hong Lucheng and his newlywed wife Wang Yunlin to escape together and take a boat from Tianjin to Shanghai. And
Before leaving, he handed his son a deposit receipt. Only then did Hong Lucheng learn that his father had always deposited 600,000 silver dollars in Citibank in the United States just in case.
After arriving in Shanghai, Hong Lucheng did not live up to his father's expectations. He lived in a dream in the concession, or worked mediocrely to wait for the war to subside. Instead, he was always looking for ways to help the Hong family preserve their strength and reduce losses.
When Hong Lucheng discovered that under the footsteps of the Japanese invasion of China, the Shanghai Concession was experiencing abnormal prosperity due to the increase in the refugee population, he immediately cooperated with the Jewish real estate developer Hartung, who was the director of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Bureau at the time, and used Citibank to
With the money, he opened Western restaurants, cafes, dance halls and nightclubs in the concession, and quickly made a lot of money. Therefore, after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, when he returned to the capital, Hong Lucheng had accumulated enough financial resources to
Saving the Hong family's ancestral business and reputation, which was in danger and on the verge of bankruptcy, finally made the critically ill father let go of his worries, and passed away peacefully while holding his hand with a smile. However, this period of prosperity of the Hong family cannot escape the shackles of history, and it will eventually end.
Just a flash in the pan.
In the next three years, due to the government's extremely improper handling of the post-war economy, "capitalists" were everywhere, enriching their own pockets in the name of confiscating "enemy property." my country's industrial and commercial class was always in a state of "orphans". At that time, , if you want to maintain an industry, it can be said that you have to operate cautiously and bleakly. Not only do you have to bear the losses caused by the invasion of the Japanese chieftains on your own, but you also face the squeeze of bureaucratic capital from the "four major families" of Chiang, Song, Kong, and Chen. Threats of oppression and annexation.
After the civil war broke out, prices in Chiang Kai-shek's area soared, and the authorities forced people to hand over silver dollars and gold, which were exchanged for worthless "gold yuan coupons." As a result, the entire economy was on the verge of collapse, and even the gods could not save it. No wonder some people gritted their teeth and called the Chairman a
"Chiang Kai-shek deserves to die", and privately declared that "there is no natural justice if the Three Parties are not destroyed." Therefore, during the civil war, most of our country's business class did not advance or retreat with the Three Parties, but only waited and watched, hoping that the dust would settle soon.
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In this context, even if Hong Lucheng has business talent, he can't do anything. He can barely maintain the operation of many industries and make a living for the old guys of the Hong family, which is really good.
Seeing that private capital had no idea of a way out, Hong Lucheng only felt miserable.
In 1949, the army swept across the country. As the Kuomintang defeated Taiwan, the world easily turned red.
In the early stage of establishing the country, because the private economy plays an important role in the national economy, and the newly-ruling Red Party is facing some practical problems, it also needs the help of national capital. Therefore, as long as it is not bureaucratic capital or foreign companies and compradors, the industrial and commercial class is still defined.
"People" are the so-called enlightened "democrats". They even occupy the position of a star in the national flag.
At this time, the top leaders of the Red Party were very courteous to well-known businessmen and gave them very generous treatment. For example, Yue Songsheng, the 13th generation descendant of Qirentang, was a representative figure in the business community who actively supported the Red Party. Not only did he receive
He was promoted and reused, and even became the deputy mayor of the capital in the future.
With the reputation of the Hong family in the business circles of the capital, Hong Lucheng is naturally also a key target of the united front. The government has assigned him titles and positions. However, Hong Lucheng has always adhered to the ancestral precepts and is used to acting in a low-key manner. He instinctively does not want to be this person.
He was a man who stood out, so he eventually politely declined the positions of deputy to the Municipal People's Congress and member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and only wanted to be known as an "industrial and business person."
In addition, the economic policy at the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China was also very stable. In terms of economic control, in addition to cracking down on speculative businesses such as gold, silver and foreign exchange, the new regime's forced confiscations only targeted bureaucratic capital and enemy and puppet property. As for the attitude towards the private and individual economy,
In addition to resuming production and rectifying new labor-capital relations, it is just "utilization, restriction, and transformation."
This economic state of mutual support lasted until 1952. During this period, the entire world was almost reshaped. Everything had to be started again, and even the language had to be learned from scratch. Therefore, not only
The stubborn social ills before 1949 have been wiped out, and social development has also advanced by leaps and bounds, as far away as a dream.
It was indeed a heroic era, but while Victory was marching, if you looked carefully, you would find some cracks, which were very incongruous with the light of the gold letters on the red background.
Since 1950, "mass movements" from all walks of life have been continuously launched. For example, the "ideological reform movement" of intellectuals, "land reform", "suppression of counterrevolutionaries", "purging of reactionary guilds", etc. This series of cleansing up old
The remnants of the political power, the creation of new social norms and other measures, the justice of which could not be questioned at the time, also gave the Red Party a sense of salvation. However, because its methods transcended the legal system and had no policy constraints, its excessive behavior violated
There have been a lot of policy changes. In short, although these movements have not affected the business class, they have had the effect of killing chickens and scaring monkeys.
From this moment on, Hong Lucheng's spirit was always suppressed and he began to worry about his own situation. He had to become careless and cautious. He did not get involved in politics and did not dare to make more money. He only wanted to work under the new regime.
Next, be an obedient citizen and go about your business peacefully.
Not long after, the government organized Hong Lucheng to participate in a mass movement to "study national policies and actively educate himself". He began to realize that he had "original sin". Feeling guilty, in order to "atone", he first actively responded to the "Resist U.S. Aggression, Aid Korea and Security Council".
For the "Home, Defend the Country" movement, they did not hesitate to sell their property to raise funds, and donated several aircraft and several anti-aircraft guns. Then, they also took the initiative to hand over more than a dozen idle properties for rent to the government to deal with the growing population of citizens in the capital.
Resettlement issue. Sure enough, his efforts to perform well were recognized by the government, and the encouragement from the newspaper and the red certificate were like talismans, temporarily calming his uneasy heart.
If history is fair, then Hong Lucheng's move can be described as a wise move, and he will bring great blessings to the sky. However, if the wind and rain all come according to the weather forecast, there will be no such thing as violent storms. If the difficulties can be overcome
If you are well prepared, you won't drive people crazy.
How could Hong Lucheng have imagined that just two years later, an investigation sweeping across the entire industrial and commercial world would come out of nowhere. And when he took out the certificate of award at the mass struggle meeting and mentioned everything he had done at that time, no one was there at all.
I believe that history is so pathetic. The sneer from others, "Can a capitalist still be patriotic?" completely wiped out his hopes of proving his innocence.
Especially on February 16, 1952, as news was published in major newspapers that day, it was revealed that some unscrupulous businessmen, led by Wang Kangnian, the manager of Shanghai Dakang Pharmacy, had committed various crimes of stealing state property and harming volunteers. People's hearts were most primitive.
Their sense of justice was touched, and thousands of simple people wrote letters to newspapers and newspapers, calling the "five poisonous" capitalists "the most hateful people."
To be honest, an honest businessman like Hong Lucheng actually hated the scum that ruined the reputation of businessmen. But at that time, the overall image of the industrial and commercial class had plummeted. As long as the businessman was a businessman, no matter whether he was poisonous or not, almost everyone wanted to beat him up.
.Every capitalist or owner must pass through the sieve.
There is no need to mention the specific details at that time. In short, when he was isolated and examined, Hong Lucheng completely collapsed. He had to confess to the "tiger team" and even automatically increased the number. When he, the "tiger", was
When he was released, he had been beaten to pieces and was like a "dead cat". He couldn't even recognize the way home. The tiger hunting team members found a car to send him back. Fortunately, he had a good attitude.
, a few days later, the workers' meeting announced that he had "completely confessed" and as a subject of leniency, he was downgraded from the original first-level "completely illegal household" to the third-level "half-conforming and semi-illegal household"
.(If you are a completely illegal household, you will at least be sentenced to jail)
In May of the same year, the "movement" was victorious and ended. The merchants who had experienced the disaster also returned to their factories and shops. However, this inspection has made many people afraid to do business, and some people even shouted in private
They said, "If you continue to do business, you will be your grandson!" But before they could decide whether they really wanted to close their doors, the huge penalties that followed forced these people to continue to take on the responsibilities they had just sworn.
"grandson".
The notice the Hong family received was no exception. It clearly stated that the total amount of back taxes and fines was 500 million yuan. (Before the currency system was changed, 500 million yuan was equal to 50,000 yuan.)
For a period of time in the future, tax collectors came to Hong's house every day to collect money and take away money. In order to pay the huge refund, Hong Lucheng had to collect valuable things at home and sell them to raise funds. Previously, some
Cultural relics, calligraphy and paintings, and then my wife’s clothing and jewelry.
After liberation, pawn shops have completely disappeared. Cultural relics, calligraphy and paintings have to be sent to Liulichang. Spring silk cotton robes and mink coats can be consigned to trust houses, but gold rings and gold jewelry can only be taken to banks due to government regulations.
Hong Lucheng's wife Wang Yunlin only went to the bank once and refused to go again, saying that she couldn't bear to part with the old things. After packing her things, she asked Hong Lucheng to take them there. Hong Lucheng didn't wait until he saw the bank's manual inspection.
Only when the fineness of the gold twisted the exquisite jewelry into a mess did I realize how my wife was feeling. This lasted for two years, and more than half of the Hong family's belongings were lost before they gradually paid off this huge debt.
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1954 was another critical year for the industrial and commercial circles. As Qirentang, under the leadership of Yue Songsheng, took the lead in announcing the implementation of public-private partnership, various industries in the capital had a strong response to this. Soon after, the silk and satin shop Ruifuxiang, the catering shop
Huifengtang, Cuihua Building and Senlong Restaurant in the world also announced the implementation. Faced with this situation, Hong Lucheng couldn't help but feel anxious.
This is the tenth generation of the Hong family. In terms of his true nature, he really does not want to be the last criminal to "break the family". Not to mention that he himself has a strong interest in business, not to mention his father.
At the last moment of his death, he was still solemnly asking him to pass on the Hong family's legacy. If he gave up his ancestral legacy just like that, would he not only be sorry for himself, but also sorry for his father who had high hopes for him? But in terms of the actual situation, I think
It is really difficult to maintain it.
First of all, the social situation does not allow it. In fact, a single public-private partnership in the catering industry began as early as 1950. I think it was Tongheju that took the first step. In 1952, Fengzeyuan and Judequan successively
Follow the implementation. Hong Lucheng has already seen that this road is probably the general trend, and the country's determination will not be reversed. In addition, he has deeply understood that kind of power, and he knows that it is simply a fool's dream to resist.
Secondly, let’s talk about operational difficulties. Due to the impact of the investigation of the industrial and commercial class, the social atmosphere has become more advocating frugality, leading to the continuous shrinking of the high-end consumer market. The final result is that the catering industry has been reduced to a social welfare industry due to long-term low-price supply, and has basically become a social welfare industry.
Unprofitable. In addition, in recent years, the state has begun to implement a unified supply and marketing system for agricultural products, requiring vouchers for everything purchased, making it particularly difficult for private enterprises to purchase raw materials.
The current actual situation of the Hong family is that most of the restaurants and restaurants have closed due to low business, and only one Yanmei restaurant is barely surviving. The menu has also been discontinued, and it can only be determined according to the situation every day, and some home-cooked dishes that do not follow the season are provided.
.In addition, even the situation of the pastry shop is not much better. Due to the lack of a large amount of sugar, oil, preserved fruits, eggs and cream, it can only bake some crude oven food, and it is almost turning into a sesame cake shop. Again
If this continues, there will naturally be fewer and fewer customers visiting the store, and the store's losses will be certain. Even if it is not a joint venture, it is probably not far from closing down.
To sum up, the answer is obvious as to how to choose. However, Hong Lucheng could not let go of his inner knot, so he was unable to take this step. At the critical moment, an unexpected incident helped him make the decision.
Made a decision.
After New Year's Day in 1955, the Hong family's old house in Sanjin Courtyard was spotted by the street office at that time, and wanted to expropriate it and turn it into a nursing home. Naturally, the two old shops on the street, Yanmei Building and Yanmei Zhai, were included. For this reason,
, the street director specially invited the district cadres in charge of public-private joint ventures in the catering industry to come to the door to talk about the project. Coincidentally, this person was the "tiger fighting team leader" during the "inspection".
When we met again, the captain of the year had become the full-time director of the department. Although this time he had changed into a kind-faced and open-mouthed "comrade." However, Hong Lucheng could not forget the old pain and was still frightened. How could he dare to say anything?
The word "no"? So, after the Spring Festival in 1955, the two old shops of the Hong family that had been operating in Meishi Street for nearly two hundred years closed down, and the door of the Hong family's old house was also hung with the sign of a nursing home.
However, these houses are not completely unrelated to the Hong family. Because the street funds are limited, the properties have not been transferred and are only regarded as temporary rentals, with an initial term of fifteen years. In addition, in order to express their gratitude, the street also helped contact the new house.
The residence is No. 2 Courtyard in Furuli.
The Hong family moved to a new address. The place was much smaller, and there was no screen wall, no hanging flower door, no fish tank, no ceiling and no pomegranate tree. Hong Lu Chengman stayed at home in his new home in the east courtyard of Guanyin Yuan, holding only his arms.
The two wooden plaques of the old shop have been depressed for many days.
He was really sad, but he couldn't say anything. He had agreed to the requisition. He showed enthusiasm and progress in front of others, but he sighed when he turned away from others. What kind of thing was this?
It was his wife who understood Hong Lucheng best and knew that the two old shops he hated to part with the most, but she took a different approach and said, "Just move away. Although this place is not big, it is not as big as it used to be. The servants have all left.
There are only a few people in the family, which is enough to live in. If you think about it on the bright side, the old house’s huge yard can’t accommodate it, the house will get older and older, and we won’t have the energy to clean it up in the future. Sooner or later, it will be wasted if it is left in our hands.”
Wang Yunlin was right. The Hong family's house and courtyard had indeed shown a decadent appearance. Hong Lucheng was moved and found that his wife understood the cause and effect logic of the world better. Nothing is eternal, everything is originally the same.
It's imaginary. Once you see through it, that's what it is.
Hong Lucheng's depression gradually eased. Once he changed his mind, the public-private partnership became a matter of course. Originally, since the old shop and the old house were gone, there was nothing left that he couldn't bear to part with.
Soon, Hong Lucheng went to the captain to discuss the specific matters of the public-private partnership. The captain did not expect to be able to kill two birds with one stone. He was so happy that he praised and encouraged him, and the conditions given were also very favorable, except for some policies that were stipulated by the country.
Except for
Regarding the placement of Guan Honglucheng's personal work, the scope and treatment set out were relatively loose and he could choose. However, after pondering for a while, the conditions proposed by Honglucheng were only to place the guys well, and nothing else.
There was nothing else to ask for. The captain was even more happy and readily agreed.
This request is really not difficult to handle, because all the restaurants under the Hong family's name no longer exist. Except for the old Yanmei Building restaurant that just closed, most of the restaurant employees have long been paid by the Hong family. Those who have returned to their hometowns,
Those who have changed careers have changed careers. The focus of resettlement is actually only on the pastry shops.
After several discussions, an agreement was quickly reached. The chefs in Yanmei Building were relocated to other state-owned restaurants by the Municipal Sanshang Bureau Catering Company, and more than a hundred employees from the eight pastry shops became workers in the state-owned pastry factory.
As for those pastry shops, due to their business methods,
Maintaining the manual production model of the front store and the back factory, it was directly eliminated. Several stores were eventually placed under the Municipal Second Commercial Bureau and became non-staple food stores that had a sales agency relationship with the state-owned pastry factory. And Hong Lucheng himself
, then became an accountant working at the Beijing Sugar and Pastry Corporation.
Perhaps it was because of some past extraordinary situations that served as a warning. This time the country was relatively gentle and the conditions offered were quite generous. During the capital verification process, self-assessment, self-reporting, and worker supervision were adopted, and the private equity capital of 68,000 yuan was finally determined.
According to the provisions of the "redemption policy", there was a fixed interest rate of 280 yuan, so the Hong family did not suffer any loss.
In terms of work arrangements, the captain also allowed Hong Lucheng to choose a work location closer to home and gave him special preferential treatment. Hong Lucheng enjoys administrative level 15 director-level treatment, and his salary is accordingly set at 100
Eight yuan. As for the food industry, at that time
The highest-level technician only earns more than seventy yuan at the top, which is probably among the top salaries in the entire company. From this point of view, Hong Lucheng's income is enough to ensure that the Hong family has enough food and clothing, and can provide for their family.
Everyone in the generation can live a "high life".
However, when Hong Lucheng first received the letter from the People's Bank of China in a kraft paper envelope stamped "Postage Paid", he was still in a depressed mood. He knew very well that in the future, apart from this cold letter, he would
Apart from fixed interest rates, all the achievements of the Hong family's ancestors' efforts for generations will probably be buried by time.
Hong Lucheng felt really depressed after going to work.
In the factory, along with the conveyor belt of the machine, all kinds of pastries are flowing forward like water. The workers are wearing white aprons and white sleeves. They are clean and neat, just like foreign doctors. At a glance, you would think
It's in a foreign country. In comparison, the Hong's Pastry Shop's method of making by hand is not only outdated and outdated, but the output is also ridiculously low.
This scene of a state-owned pastry factory using machines to produce pastries made Hong Lucheng's eyes darken and he felt bitterness in his heart.
Why are machines used everywhere nowadays? Yes, this will be done once and for all, fewer people will use them, and there will be no need for smoke and fire. But if they are all improved like this, then all the craftsmen in the future will be in vain.
Perhaps, there is no object in the world that lasts forever. Just like his old house, the demise of the Hong family's time-honored brand is irreversible, right?
Perhaps Hong's shop is indeed old.
Maybe, he is also old...
In 1956, the transformation of private capital reached its climax. On January 15, as Yue Songsheng, on behalf of the Beijing Federation of Industry and Commerce, presented the good news of the capital to the great leader at Tiananmen Square, Beijing's industry and commerce had taken the lead in realizing the "public-private partnership" of the entire industry.
Subsequently, all parts of the country quickly followed suit. Since then, all traders across the country have peacefully disappeared and blended into the general population.
Logically speaking, since the coffin has been sealed, there is no longer a "movement" directed at the industrial and commercial classes. Everyone can breathe a sigh of relief and start a new life with peace of mind. But in fact, this is not the case. The curse is still there, and the "original sin" is not
Maybe it can be completely wiped clean.
Starting from 1963, a large number of pamphlets recalling the bitter and thinking of the sweet were proliferated, re-accusing the sins of the sinister landlords in the old society. What followed was a widespread and long-lasting "Remember the bitter and think of the sweet" movement. At that time, although there was no
The policy requires that capital be "lost dogs", but due to the impact of the vilification of the industrial and commercial class, the old businessmen have been pulled out one by one and become a group of sidelines.
To be honest, Hong Lucheng’s experience was a bit unjust. As far as the Hong family is concerned, they have always paid great attention to the income and life of grassroots employees. According to the ancestral motto of the Hong family, in addition to taking care of the birth, old age, illness and death of the store clerks, they should try their best to recruit middle-level cadres.
In addition to these requirements for ordinary employees, there are also special provisions on many matters such as "No employees are allowed to be dismissed without reason (people are fired), no specialization is allowed, they must eat together with the store employees, and they must be united by the concept of sharing weal and woe". How can they be like a rich man?
How about using "chicken crows in the middle of the night" to squeeze subordinates like "Zhou Bapi"?
But facing the reality, Hong Lucheng had no choice but to use the old method, trying his best to keep his head down and act low-key to protect himself and his family.
In addition, he would never dare to show any grudges about the lost wealth. Thinking about it, he understood that in the society as a whole, "wealth" has become a shame, and no one will miss the wealthy life of living and drinking. Although he is diligent and thrifty, his essence is
It is a painful thing, and it is something that cannot be done because of poverty, but once it becomes the mainstream trend of the whole society, it is something to be proud of.
In that era, not only Hong Lucheng, but also the last emperor was transformed into a pure person. Puyi once wrote a very sincere letter of determination in 1958, saying that he would "strive to be a red flag bearer". Therefore, Hong
Lu Cheng also worked very hard to learn simplicity. They lived how the people lived. They tried their best to integrate in order to become a member of the "people" as soon as possible.
Even if Hong Lucheng still retains a little bit of the past in his life and refuses to be careless about food, he can only enjoy it secretly behind closed doors. Even if he can't stand it, like some workers and peasants who eat without washing their hands, eating anywhere.
He spits, swears, and behaves barbarically. It can be seen that when he sees these "red five categories", he has to nod and bow, pretending to be affectionate and say hello.
You can't blame him for being hypocritical, it's all due to the environment. The changes of the year are not something that a person can resist. If you can't twist your arms and thighs, you are just asking for trouble with the old man. Otherwise, if you still maintain the "built-in-stone" mentality,
If the sadness is still there, then it goes without saying that more will be lost.
Gray people like Hong Lucheng and their relatives have always lived like this. But what is unexpected is that even though they have reached this point, there is still a disaster that cannot be avoided that involves the people of the whole country.
In August 1966, the social situation changed suddenly again. The Red Guards held high the banner and set off a craze with overwhelming red. But this time the movement was a hundred times more intense than the previous ones, and it did not make people feel relieved at all.
Once it changes, it seems that it will change to the end.
No, this is not a movement at all, but a tornado. It was this unprecedented storm that tore the remaining property, self-esteem, and personality of the Hong family into pieces...
Thinking of this, Hong Lucheng opened his misty eyes, and his chest was filled with the emotion of having once overcome all difficulties.
In our country, the so-called wealthy families really have nothing to boast about.
Thinking back then, I don’t know how many people envied his family background, imagining how luxurious and refreshing his life was with a golden cup, a jade cup, a BMW and a fancy car. But he couldn’t help himself in the changing times, and his hair turned gray overnight, causing trouble for his descendants and other hundreds of years of pain.
, who can appreciate it?
All his life, he seemed to be walking down a very steep downhill road with the heavy word "capitalist" on his back. He couldn't hold his feet back at all. The more he looked forward to peaceful days, the further down he went.
If we talk about the feeling in detail, it is just a feeling that "cannot bear many sorrows".