Compared with merchants who hoard silver after making money, and compared with wealthy merchants who usually only have demand for luxury goods, Li Zhi's manufacturing industry has great economic stimulating ability. Li Zhi's soap and fine cotton cloth are continuously sold all over the country.
Money was earned from all over the country and then spread to Tianjin through industrial investment and employees’ monthly consumption, which directly increased Tianjin’s prosperity.
By June, the number of beggars in Tianjinwei had decreased a lot, and even the pedestrians walking on the road were walking a little faster.
As a time traveler, Li Zhi has observed the changes in Tianjin in the past few months and knows that his industry has brought considerable benefits to the people of Tianjin Wei. Unfortunately, he is not the chief of Tianjin Wei and can only watch the spillover effects of the industry.
Let others benefit. Seeing this, Li Zhi wanted to get an official position in this era and directly manage a land.
However, the reality is harsh. Not only did Li Zhi fail to enjoy the spillover effects of his industry, he was also troubled by the expansion of the industry.
On the morning of June 13, Li Zhi was about to go to the textile factory after breakfast when he saw Lu Huarong, one of the eight largest businessmen in Tianjin, walking to his door with a large group of people. Lu Huarong was dressed in black, and behind him
The dozen or so helpers and servants, all wearing black shorts, looked menacing.
Seeing so many people coming to the door, the two servants standing guard at the door of Li Zhi's house felt like they were facing a formidable enemy, and they blocked Lu Huarong's people from breaking into the yard.
But how could two servants stop a dozen people? Lu Huarong's men took action directly. Four or five of them rushed up and took advantage of the number of people to push Li Zhi's servant against the wall, regardless of Li Zhi's servant's anger.
The scolding meant that Li Zhi's servants were not allowed to move. Then Lu Huarong snorted coldly and led his men into the Li family's courtyard.
Hearing the movement at the door, the other eight servants guarding Li Zhi's house ran out with sticks and confronted Lu Huarong's people in the yard.
Li Zhi's brother Li Xing and his mother Zheng looked at the visitor with astonishment on their faces. They didn't know what was going on and only looked at Li Zhi in panic.
Standing in the yard, Lu Huarong looked at Li Zhi's servants and shouted loudly: "Li Zhi, come out!"
Li Zhi secretly thought that trouble had come to his door. After pondering for a moment, he walked out of the main room and said to Lu Huarong, "Are you looking for me?"
"Of course I'm looking for you!" Lu Huarong stared at Li Zhi with his small eyes and said loudly: "Li Zhi, I told you last time that you would bid to sell me the soap formula. How do you think about it?
"
Lu Huarong has been dormant for several months, but today he takes action for some unknown reason! Looking at this posture, he is preparing to buy and sell by force.
Li Zhi replied calmly: "Is this why you rushed into my house?"
Lu Huarong snorted coldly and said loudly: "Today is different from the past. Today I not only want to buy the formula of your soap, but also the method of your new loom and new spinning machine! Please set a price!"
In the past few months, the fine cloth woven by Li Zhi has become famous all over the world. Lu Huarong not only covets the formula of soap, but now also sets his sights on Li Zhi's textile machinery, wanting to swallow up all of Li Zhi's secret skills.
It’s really a shame that people’s hearts are not enough.
Li Zhi replied loudly: "What if I don't sell it?"
Lu Huarong narrowed his eyes and said loudly: "If you don't bid, I will help you set a price. The soap formula plus the two machine methods will cost five hundred taels!" With an arrogant laugh, Lu Huarong said: "
Five hundred taels is enough to buy five yards like yours. The price I gave is not low, right?"
Li Zhi sneered and said: "I said that my formula has been shared with Mr. Xu. Whether I can sell it to you depends on Mr. Xu's consent. Now I have asked it for you, and Mr. Xu is not willing to sell it to you. I
There is no other way."
Li Zhi knew that Lu Huarong was afraid of Xu Mince, so he repeated his old trick and used Xu Mince to block him.
However, Li Zhi did not expect that Lu Huarong had already investigated the relationship between Xu Mince and Li Zhi clearly.
Lu Huarong snorted coldly and cursed loudly: "How dare you lie to me, even though you are not even a hairy boy? I went to Xu Mansion specifically to ask about it five days ago, and Xu Mince told me personally that he didn't even know about you.
formula!"
With his eyes widened, Lu Huarong said: "Boy, let me tell you straight, my brother is the Tongzhi of the Qing Military Department! I will give you five hundred taels, and you have to sell those formula machines of yours, whether you want to or not.
Gotta sell it!”
Unexpectedly, Lu Huarong actually went to Xu Mince's office to inquire. No wonder he dared to rush into his yard today.
But even if Li Zhi's lie was exposed, he still couldn't give in. Lu Huarong wanted to swallow all Li Zhi's secrets in one bite, and Li Zhi couldn't retreat.
Li Zhi looked into Lu Huarong's eyes and said loudly: "Sorry, we don't sell soap formulas and textile machinery!"
Hearing Li Zhi's words, Lu Huarong's face darkened. He snorted coldly, and Lu Huarong said: "Li Zhi, I will give you five hundred taels now. If you don't want to toast or eat, you will be fined. I will give you three days, and you will be fined in three days."
If you still can't think clearly, don't blame me, Lu Huarong, for taking it by force!"
Li Zhi shouted loudly: "Lu Huarong, do you dare to fight against my servants?"
Lu Huarong laughed loudly and said loudly: "I beat your servant team, but the beating is in vain! If your servant dares to resist, Master Tongzhi will put you in jail. No matter how many servants you have, Li Zhi, how dare you rebel?
Can’t do it?”
Hearing this, Li Zhi's servants were all dumbfounded. Family members who have been officials since ancient times have been arrogant, but they are rarely as arrogant as Lu Huarong. These are not businessmen, they are clearly a group of bandits.
After Lu Huarong said the harsh words, he looked at Li Zhi triumphantly, trying to see a look of fear on Li Zhi's face.
However, he watched for a long time and did not see Li Zhi flinch. Lu Huarong saw Li Zhi frowning, as if he was thinking about something, and seemed not afraid of Lu Huarong's threat at all. Lu Huarong cursed in his heart, secretly thinking that Li Zhi was scared by him
Silly.
The trump card had been played, and Lu Huarong had nothing more to say harshly. He flicked his sleeves and left the Li family yard with his men, leaving behind the stunned Li family servants and the three members of the Li family.
Seeing Lu Huarong's men leaving, Li Zhi's mother, Zheng, couldn't help but sit on a chair and murmured: "Zhi'er, we are in big trouble this time. How can our family stop people like this?"
Can we live here? Our family's wealth may come to an end, I'm afraid."
Li Xing looked at Li Zhi and said: "Brother, he has the support of his colleagues, we can't resist him at all."
Li Zhi looked at his mother and brother, shook his head and said, "That's not entirely true."
When Mrs. Zheng heard this, her eyes lit up, she looked at Li Zhi and said, "Zhi'er, do you have any idea? Can we defeat the Qing Army?"
Li Zhi said: "Mother, if nothing happens, we can fight this Lu Huarong."
After hearing Li Zhi's words, Li Xing and Zheng looked at each other and were speechless.
Li Zhi shook his head and said: "Li Xing, I'm going to the bank to deposit a thousand taels of silver to make banknotes. You can go with me."
