(2-in-1) Bright candlelight was shining in the front hall. After Lin Ke was buried, the mourning hall had long been dismantled and the hall had been restored to its original state. But after sweeping and cleaning, there was still a strange smell in the air in the hall.
The smell. It was a mixture of incense burned before the funeral and soot from paper money. It was also mixed with a lingering weird smell of decaying corpses. Although the corpse had been resting for three days, there were ice blocks to suppress it, but on the day of the funeral,
Lin Ke's body already had a smell. Everyone could smell it, but no one dared to say it.
There was no sound in the hall, as if no one was here at all. However, in fact, the hall was full of people. Dozens of people were sitting or standing in the dark, all with solemn expressions. A few people beside the table
On the chair, Lin Song and Lin Run were sitting awkwardly. Next to them sat Lin Quan, the eldest son of the third room, who had rushed back from Shaoxing for the funeral. This time, after Lin Ke passed away, he was allowed to come back for the funeral. On both sides of the lower head
, except for a few stewards in the Lin family's house, the rest of the people, tall, short, fat, thin, old, strong and handsome, were all unfamiliar faces. These people were the main figures in the Lin family's business, shopkeepers in various shops and shipyards and docks.
The big and small stewards.
Lin Jue sat quietly in the corner, looking thoughtful.
Not long ago, the head of the family ordered everyone to gather here, saying that there was something important to announce. Not only did he notify everyone in the house, but he also ordered people to invite the shopkeepers and stewards. Those who were interested can naturally guess what will be discussed tonight.
What is it? The eldest son has passed away, and the chief manager of the Lin family's business has died. Who will succeed him and who will take charge of the business will naturally need to be discussed.
Many people speculate that one of the two young masters of the eldest family must be in charge, but some people think that the head of the family is coming back. After all, except for the eldest son, the two of the three young masters of the eldest family are not very capable. It is difficult for them to do this.
However, they heard that the head of the family was ill and it would be difficult to go out to work at this moment. Therefore, although everyone sat quietly, their hearts were full of confusion and uncertainty.
There was the sound of footsteps at the back of the hall, and the light of the lantern shone through the bamboo curtain, dazzling the eyes of a few people. But everyone in the hall knew that the head of the family must have arrived. Sure enough, the bamboo curtain opened, and the Lin family housekeepers Huang Changqing and Zhao Liancheng were on the left.
One person supported Lin Boyong, the head of the family, and appeared at the back door. Behind them was Lin Bonian, the second master of the Lin family.
Everyone stood up one after another and bowed to salute Lin Boyong and Lin Bonian. Several old shopkeepers asked with concern: "How is the master of the family? You must take care of yourself and accept the change."
"Yes, Dong Weng must take care of himself. You are the backbone of everyone. You cannot fall."
Lin Boyong's face was haggard, with a pale sick look on his face, but he managed to squeeze out a smile and waved his hands: "Okay, you don't have to be polite, everyone, sit down, sit down."
Of course, a group of people refused to sit down. They saluted Lin Boyong and then Lin Bonian, making a fuss. After Lin Boyong and Lin Bonian sat down one after another, everyone returned to their seats.
"It's so late to call you all here, but it's hard work for you. Everyone has been very tired for Ke'er's funeral in the past few days. The funeral was very well done, I am very satisfied, and I believe Ke'er's spirit in heaven will also be satisfied. I
On behalf of the entire Lin family, I would like to express my gratitude to you all." Lin Boyong slowly raised his hands.
Many people here are involved in the funeral affairs. Indeed, as Lin Boyong said, they helped a lot. Although Lin Jue is in charge of the affairs, he is a novice after all, so many things still rely on these experienced old shopkeepers and stewards.
It was decided with their help. So there wasn't any trouble.
"Ke'er was unlucky and died young, leaving me, an old man, and the orphans and widows in his house. But with him gone, my Lin family's business has no one to take care of it." Lin Boyong's face
Sad, he suddenly covered his mouth and coughed. This cough lasted for a long time, until Huang Changqing brought a cup of hot tea to him, and Lin Boyong stopped coughing after taking two sips.
"Master, I'm sorry, my health is very important." Everyone said with concern.
Lin Boyong waved his hand and said: "Don't worry, my old bones will not be buried for the time being. But I do have low energy, and I can't take care of my family's business. I can give you advice on big things, but business matters are too complicated.
I am afraid that I will die in a few days. Therefore, the matter that I have urgently summoned you to discuss today is who will take on the position of chief steward after Ke'er's death, and who will take charge of the Lin family's business.
.This matter is of great importance. I know that due to the funeral in the past few days, the boat dock has been very chaotic. Therefore, we cannot delay it any longer."
Everyone had already made such speculations, so they were not surprised when they heard these words. Lin Song and Lin Run looked a little excited. In their opinion, did the position of the chief manager still need to be discussed? Naturally, it started with them.
It's time to choose one of them. Although the death of the eldest brother is sad, it also brings opportunities to the two of them. They have long envied the majesty and style of the eldest brother in the position of the chief steward.
"About this matter, I have discussed this matter carefully with Bonianzai, and now we have a choice. So I have called you here to announce this matter. I hope you can help me a lot. Once the chief executive is appointed, he will be my Lin family member."
As the general manager of the business, you all have to listen to his orders. Second brother, you can tell me, I am not strong enough and can't say much." Lin Boyong said in a deep voice.
Lin Bonian stood up after hearing this, cupped his hands towards Lin Boyong and said: "As ordered, brother, take a rest and drink some hot tea."
Lin Boyong nodded, and Lin Bonian turned to everyone and said in a deep voice: "After careful discussion with the family leader, we need to be extremely cautious about this candidate. Logically speaking, when the eldest son of the eldest son passes away, one of the two eldest sons should be chosen.
In charge of the Lin family's business. However, the head of the family believes that this position is extremely important and it is necessary to choose someone who is worthy of it. Therefore, we broke the rules and chose someone other than the eldest son instead of choosing one from the two young masters."
As soon as these words came out, Lin Song and Lin Run's expressions suddenly changed. They were originally full of expectations, but they didn't expect that their hopes were dashed as soon as their second uncle spoke. They both thought: Is daddy an old fool? He is in charge of the family business.
What's wrong with the chief executive actually not using the person who heads the house?
Lin Bonian's words also shocked everyone present. The head of the family has not left the mountain, and the two eldest sons have been excluded. Could it be that the second master personally presided over it? But the second master is an official of the imperial court, and he cannot stay for more than a few days when he returns to his hometown.
It is absolutely impossible not to get involved in business. So who will be the big boss? Who has the qualifications and abilities? Everyone is confused.
But I heard Lin Bonian continue: "My Lin family has always respected the elders and the direct descendants. This is naturally the rule of the ancestors and is understandable. But there are always exceptions in everything. Especially at this time, when the Lin family is in crisis, some
Things can no longer be done according to common sense. There are many talented people among the children of my Lin family, but many times they are unable to display their abilities because of such rules. I have discussed with the family leader for a long time, and I feel that this is an opportunity, and it is time to change things.
The rules have been changed. So we have decided that from now on, the Lin family will employ people regardless of direct or direct descendants, inside or outside. As long as I, the Lin family's descendants, have the ability, they will be used as appropriate, so as not to bury the talents. This big event
During the funeral of the young master, when the head of the house fell ill and everyone was at a loss, someone stepped forward to preside over the funeral, making the funeral of the eldest son go smoothly and received praise from everyone above and below. The head of the house and I were very satisfied. Both the head of the house and I felt that
, this person is a talent that can be used. Managing the Lin family's business is nothing more than managing people and affairs. Although he has no contact with the Lin family's business, we believe that he will be qualified. I'm afraid you can guess this person even if I don't say it.
It’s Lin Jue from Sanfang.”
As soon as Lin Bonian said this, everyone in the hall was stunned at first, and then seemed to explode. This choice really surprised them.
"What's going on? Why is it Mr. Lin Jue?"
"I really didn't expect that Young Master Lin Jue of the Third Bedroom would be able to take this position?"
"What's wrong with the head of the family? Lin Jue has never been involved in business. How can he be a big manager? Isn't this nonsense?"
"That's not necessarily the case. Mr. Lin Jue has been very organized these days. Funeral matters are intricate and complicated, and ordinary people are not capable of doing them. However, he did it in an orderly manner and received unanimous praise from everyone. Isn't this his ability? It's your turn.
, can it be done?”
"That's it, you said Mr. Lin Jue has no business? Don't you know that the Jiangnan Grand Theater is a business run by Mr. Lin Jue? The two major theaters are making money every day, so this is not a business?"
"..."
Everyone had their own ideas and were buzzing about it. Lin Song and Lin Run were gnashing their teeth with angry faces. After the incident a few days ago, the two brothers ran to file a complaint regardless of Lin Boyong's sadness and illness. They
They didn't dare to say anything wrong with Lin Bonian, and blamed Lin Jue entirely for what happened that day, which was very slanderous. Although Lin Boyong scolded them a few times and warned them, they didn't care.
Because judging from past experience, dad would eventually protect them. They believed that dad would deal with Lin Jue severely afterwards. However, now it seems that dad not only has no intention of dealing with Lin Jue, but also let Lin Jue be punished.
Jue Dang was in charge, which made the two brothers stunned.
"I object. Dad, second uncle, even if I don't have the ability to take over the eldest brother's position, there are Lin Run, Lin Quan and others behind me, so it's not Lin Jue's turn. He is just a third-bedroom concubine..."
"Shut up!" Lin Boyong interrupted angrily and coughed again because of excitement. Huang Changqing hurriedly brought the tea and handed it over. Lin Boyong waved his hand and pushed it over to stop the coughing.
"Sicai Bonian has already said that from now on, our Lin family will select talents regardless of their masters, regardless of their direct descendants, but only based on their virtues and talents. And among virtues and talents, virtue is more important. The descendants of the descendants must have good moral character.
You can also take charge of the family property. I have discussed it with the second master. After Ke'er passed away, Lin Jue is the only person in the family who can be said to have both ability and political integrity, so he is entrusted with an important task. This is a joint decision between me and Bonian."
"Dad! This... this is too outrageous. Lin Jue has no experience or prestige, how can he convince the public? Even if he has talent, he may not be qualified. If something goes wrong, won't it be a loss for my Lin family?" Lin Run shouted
.
"Don't worry, with Lin Jue's intelligence, it won't take long for him to get started. There are masters, old shopkeepers, and stewards who can help him. Don't you two have some experience? You can also help him. Doing business is not about studying for exams. If you can
How difficult is it?" Lin Boyong said solemnly.
Lin Run rolled his eyes and said, "Should we help him? Don't even think about that. He is so capable, he should be self-taught. We are all capable of it, why should we choose someone who doesn't understand business? What happened to dad and second uncle?
Are you thinking? Are you being coerced?"
"Shut up, are you qualified? You are not as good as Lin Juezhi. I am most worried about the business being handed over to you. Third child, if you continue to talk nonsense, you will be dealt with according to the family law." Lin Boyong scolded angrily.
Lin Run was still about to say something, but Lin Song reached out and pulled his sleeve to stop him. Lin Song said: "Dad, don't be angry, we are also thinking about the Lin family. Since dad and second uncle have already made a decision, we won't say anything.
I hope dad and second uncle are right. We are afraid that we will ruin the Lin family's business and it will be out of control."
Lin Boyong said: "Just do your own thing well, you don't need to worry about these things."
Lin Kelinrun sneered and said nothing.
Lin Boyong stopped paying attention to them and looked at Lin Jue in the corner: "Lin Jue, did you hear that? From today on, you have to shoulder the heavy burden and contribute to my Lin family."
Lin Jue kept a stunned expression after hearing his name being announced. He didn't care about business matters, which had nothing to do with him at all. Lin Jue would never think that he would be the candidate. However, the reality is
, Lin Boyong and Lin Bonian actually chose themselves, what does this mean? Lin Jue was a little confused.
After hearing Lin Boyong's words, Lin Jue woke up, quickly stood up and cupped his hands and said: "Master, my nephew cannot take on such a big managerial position. I don't want to screw up the family business. I am loved by the master and my second uncle, but please
Choose Gaoming instead.”
Lin Boyong frowned and said, "What? Are you unwilling to contribute to the family?"
Lin Jue hurriedly said: "It's not that I don't want to, it's that I can't. I have never done business and have never participated in management. How can I take on such a big responsibility? What the two brothers just said is right. I have neither experience nor prestige.
How to make decisions? How to convince the public?”
Lin Boyong said in a deep voice: "If you don't know, just ask, if you don't understand, then learn. People are not born with knowledge, even me. Didn't you learn to manage things from your father fifty years ago? You also made a lot of mistakes. Besides, you have it all.
You have the ability to hold this position. Didn’t you build the Jiangnan Grand Theater? I heard that you are the owner and the business is booming. How can you say that you don’t understand how to run a business?"
Lin Jue smiled bitterly and said: "That's just my nephew's shareholding in the business. My nephew has no hand in the actual business affairs and can't be counted. Please think twice about it. This is not a joke. It is related to the Lin family's business. It has to do with it."
I cannot afford to screw up the livelihood of tens of thousands of people inside and outside the Lin family. This is absolutely unacceptable."
Lin Boyong didn't expect Lin Jue to refuse. He didn't have any idea, so he turned to Lin Bonian and cast a questioning look.
Lin Bonian said in a deep voice: "Lin Jue, now the Lin family needs you to take charge. As a descendant of the Lin family, you should be brave enough to take the responsibility. The head of the family fell ill and the eldest son passed away. Now the Lin family's business needs someone to stabilize it.
You must control the situation, otherwise you will fall into chaos. At this time, the family leader and I chose you because we think you can take this responsibility. Why are you so reluctant to take over? This is not a question of whether you are willing or not, but a question of whether you are willing or not.
The question is whether you are willing to work for the Lin family. Every Lin family member has a responsibility to the Lin family. If everyone shirks the responsibility and is unwilling to contribute, what prospects and hope will the Lin family have?"
Lin Jue scratched his head and pondered. If the Lin family really needs to do things by themselves, it is of course obligatory under the current situation. However, if he agrees, it will definitely attract a lot of rumors. Besides, Lin Jue also
Consider your ability to take on this important responsibility.
"It would be great if Ke'er were alive. Once Ke'er dies, there will be no one to take care of the Lin family's business. Well, Lin Jue, if you really don't agree, I'll just go with this old bone. At worst, go with Ke'er. Quan
May you have a happy birthday." Lin Boyong patted his knees and sighed.
Although Lin Boyong sighed sadly, this was also a way to provoke the general. He thought that Lin Jue would happily agree, but he did not expect that Lin Jue would refuse. Although Lin Boyong actually did not want Lin Jue to be the big boss, now that it has been agreed upon,
Naturally, we cannot give up halfway. Besides, it is not known that Lin Jue is pretending to refuse.
Sure enough, when these words came out, Lin Jue cupped his hands and said: "Master, second uncle, since you value your nephew, I cannot help but appreciate him. Let me give it a try."
"That's right. We all believe that you have this ability, but you don't believe in yourself." Lin Bonian sneered in his heart. It was indeed hypocritical.
Lin Jue said: "However, my nephew has a few things to say clearly, so as not to cause trouble in the future. I hope the head of the family and my second uncle can agree to it."
Lin Boyong frowned, feeling very unhappy. This Lin Jue was too pretentious, so what conditions did he have to ask for? Yes, he was afraid that everyone would be dissatisfied, so he deliberately made this gesture so that others could see that he was
I was forced to have no choice. This kid really acted and played tricks everywhere, which was really annoying.
"Hypocritical!" Lin Run muttered in a low voice. Although his voice was low, everyone in the seats could hear it clearly, and the scene was a little awkward for a moment.
Lin Bonian coughed and said, "Lin Jue, this is for the family, what conditions do you impose?"
Lin Jue said quietly: "Second uncle, I am not being pretentious, but there are some things that must be kept in mind, lest they cannot be explained clearly later."
Lin Bonian looked at Lin Boyong, who was frowning, and saw that Lin Boyong seemed to have no intention of expressing his stance, so he made the decision himself: "Forget it, just say it."
Lin Jue bowed to apologize, cupped his hands and said: "The second uncle of the family, Lin Jue, has been studying for more than ten years. Last year, he became a disciple of Fang Daru of Songshan Academy and entered Songshan Academy to study. He aimed to become an official in the imperial examination, not a merchant. I
Although the Lin family is a family of merchants, the head of the family has always encouraged his children to join the officialdom, so I naturally responded to the call of the head of the family. Autumn is in mid-September, and it is only more than two months ago. I have wasted a lot of time before, and it is also a temporary thing.
Therefore, I cannot hold on to this great stewardship for a long time. I will have to concentrate on preparing for the exam for at most one month. By then the head of the house will have recovered, and the head of the house will either go out to take care of it himself, or delegate it to someone else. In short
, I will definitely make time to study and prepare for the exam. Please also let the head of the family and the second uncle know that this position of chief steward is only temporary."
The look on Lin Boyong's face relaxed, and there was some surprise in his eyes. He thought it was some other harsh conditions, but he didn't expect that the conditions Lin Jue said were actually this. Before, he was a little worried about what would happen if Lin Jue became the chief executive.
If he really achieved some results, it would be difficult to drive him out. Although what the second brother said was reasonable, Lin Jue had never done anything in the family property, so he must be incompetent, but things are unpredictable.
The bastard gave him too many surprises. With his intelligence, it does not necessarily mean that he will be incompetent. If he succeeds in the position of chief executive, although it will be a good thing for the Lin family, wouldn't it be a good thing for the Lin family?
Self-defeating?
Therefore, if it is only a temporary replacement, one month later, Lin Jue will give up his position as the chief manager no matter what he does. Wouldn't this avoid a lot of embarrassment. For a moment, Lin Boyong even felt that Lin Jue was a little considerate and seemed to see through it.
As he understood his own thoughts, he also felt a little more favorable toward him.
"Well... Qiu Wei is a top priority, how can your future be delayed because of the family business. Lin Jue, don't worry, I will take over as soon as my health improves. I naturally promise you this." Lin Boyong said solemnly.
road.
"Thank you for your understanding, head of the house. A month later, the head of the house recovered from his illness and came back, so I handed over the errand. The second thing on my mind is that since the head of the house and the second uncle trust my nephew, let him take charge of the affairs.
How can I not do my best? Although my nephew is only a temporary substitute, even if it is only for a day, my nephew will not just muddle along. Therefore, I would like to ask the head of the family and my second uncle to make a promise to me.
During the period of management, all the shopkeepers, old and young, in the business must respect my orders. I don’t want to be lax and slack on me just because I have been in office for a short time. I have kept the ugly words in my head. If anyone thinks that I can’t be this big manager, now
I have to raise it. If I continue to complain after taking office, then don’t blame me for not being tolerant."
Lin Boyong quickly summarized Lin Jue's words in his mind and extracted two words: "Ask for power!". Lin Jue wanted to promise to give him authority in public and not to hold him back. Obviously, Lin Jue was wary.
of.
"Lin Jue, don't worry, but within the power of the general manager, your second uncle and I will fully support you. As for the other people, you don't have to worry. The Lin family shopkeepers are all old people for many years, so they will naturally
You do your best. As long as you don't mess around, how can they not listen?"
Everyone at the table nodded and said, "What the head of the family said is absolutely true. How can we go against it? We will never do that. Don't worry, Mr. Lin Jue."
Lin Jue's eyes swept over Lin Run and Lin Song. The two young masters seemed to want to say something, but under Lin Boyong's stern gaze, they finally held back and did not speak.
"Lin Jue, the head of the family has agreed to your conditions, can you feel at ease this time?" Lin Bonian asked.
Lin Jue cupped his hands and said, "Thank you so much, my master, and my second uncle. But, do I have a small request?"
"What else?" Lin Bonian also frowned, with a look of blame in his eyes.
"What else do you want? Just say it all." Lin Boyong frowned, with a look of displeasure on his face.
