It is said that after the curtain call of the Baietanan Merchants Association on the same day, most of the guests dispersed and returned home in the discussion. However, there are also some eager minds, but after the meeting, they stayed at their own expense. The purpose of these people is simple: to get in touch with the conference organizers and gather as much information as possible.

Zongben is one of them.

Zongben is an authentic native of Guangzhou City, born in a large family. He is thirty-five or sixteen years old, not tall or fat, with a mediocre appearance, short hair under his chin, wearing an ordinary southern silk robe, speaking gently and politely, and often with a professional smile on his face, he looks very inconspicuous at first glance.

Although he is the seventh young master from the Nancheng clan of Guangzhou, Zong Ben can only be regarded as a younger brother-level figure among the wealthy businessmen and magnates from all walks of life who attended the meeting this time. Although Guy Zongben has a bit of a background, he is only a big shopkeeper in charge of the family business, so he can't actually represent the family.

In fact, even this time he came to Baietan, which was Zongben's private move. He visited the conference organizer many times before, and asked for a relationship to get an invitation - the target of this invitation was a "powerful" person in Guangdong, Zongben's net worth was not enough, and the social resources he could mobilize were not enough, so he was not on the conference list.

After the meeting, Zongben stayed at the White Goose Pond Hotel for one more day. During this period, in addition to communicating with his peers, he participated in every small event of the organizer as much as possible and did his best to collect information.

It was not until the early morning of the second day after the meeting ended that the shopkeeper of Zong Benzong walked out of the hotel with a full stomach after "harassing" the organizer's clerk for the last time.

Standing on the transparent and reflective marble steps that can reflect the human figure, Zongben first glanced at the Pearl River and the city of Guangzhou in the distance, and then looked back at the strange architecture that brought him endless ambition and opportunity, and finally sighed, he said to his companion, "Let's go." ”

After walking down the hotel steps, Somoto didn't take the taxi parked on the side of the road. The drivers of these carriages wore bright red cardigans, and the carriages were equipped with two horses and had glass windows...... In fact, it is the kind that people often see in British film and television dramas in later generations.

Zongben, who deliberately didn't take the car, took two companions and walked on the riverside road under construction for a short time.

Binjiang Road, which was built very early, is now slowly but surely extending in the direction of Guangzhou. The paved road is paved with machine-made green bricks, with exquisite stone railings on one side and long green flower beds on the other. Except for the difference in building materials, everything was built in a style that was familiar to later generations.

Somoto walked down the riverside road in the morning. Almost half an hour later, Binjiang Road came to an end. Ahead is a construction site, the ground is piled with green bricks and stones, and many workers in orange vests are working.

Stopping, Zongben sat down on the wooden benches that must be found every other section of Binjiang Road. Facing Oe, he folded his hands on his lower abdomen and fell into silence.

On the surface of the Pearl River, there is an endless stream of civilian boats going down the river. During this period, there will occasionally be a black smoke, white sails of the fast ship from the center of the river quickly passed, along the way after the civilian ships saw from afar, they have to get out of the way.

As if looking at the scenery and contemplating, Somoto sat silently in the warm breeze of March in the southern country, and the face of the shopkeeper, who was usually full of smiles, was now full of solemnity, until he was interrupted by a burst of laughter.

After suddenly waking up, Somoto turned his head to look and found that the loud laughter was coming from the mouth of a road builder far away.

Although there are many places in the new districts that have been built according to the standard urban specifications of later generations, they have already changed in all the places that can be changed by the people.

This also includes road builders.

Yellow-orange vests, dyed and woven with plant pigments, and protective gloves, shoes, and trousers made of cheap homespun cloth, these workers did everything possible to get closer to the era they remembered in the first place.

More than a dozen workers had smiles on their faces. Each of them was holding a large porcelain bowl, and next to them was a man who looked like a man, scooping out the bucket full of food with a large iron spoon and pouring it into the bowl one by one. At this time, I don't know who said something, and the crowd burst into laughter again.

Somoto's gaze fell on the food in the worker's bowl.

As a successful businessman who always pays attention to the market, Zongben is naturally no stranger to potatoes, a new ration that is related to the national economy and people's livelihood.

Legend has it that the new grain species brought back from overseas by the Cao family soon spread in a large area in Fujian and Guangdong, and the speed was staggering...... The yield is high and the taste is good, not only the rich will try it, but more importantly, the poor can satisfy their stomachs (high in calories). The name of the image of the potato has long been known to the majority of lower-class people.

And in the porcelain bowls that Fang Cai Zongben saw, half a bowl of golden potato wedges was first spread, and then the man covered it with a large spoonful of miscellaneous vegetables and minced fish and shrimp.

Here in the new area, all the people who work for the Cao family have three full meals a day, which is very clear. In fact, like potatoes and a lot of the news about the new district, no one believed it at first, but soon the natives knew it was true.

"It's a good bowl of rice."

Zongben nodded secretly. Today, he not only saw with his own eyes the food situation of the people at the bottom of the new district, but also felt a vitality that had never been seen before the Ming Dynasty from the joyful faces and powerful movements of these people.

"Master Cao's words are good, rich and strong, first rich can be strong!"

Thinking of this, Zong Ben stood up, no longer hesitated, and said behind his hands: "Go home." ”

"Ah, sir, don't you go back to the firm first?"

"No, go back to the house with me first, I want to see my eldest brother."

"Yes!"

In this way, Zongben took the servants to embark on the road to Guangzhou City. He made up his mind, this time he no longer dragged mud and water, and soon stopped a high-end taxi on the street, all the way to the dock, and then took a boat to cross the river.

After getting out of the slow sedan chair, Zongben felt more and more the slow rhythm of the old city and the new district of Guangzhou.

But he didn't have time to think about these esoteric social issues anymore - painted in black lacquer with shiny brass door nails, the majestic gate of the sect was right in front of him.

After taking a deep breath, Zongben, the concubine of the sect, said no more, and without hesitation, he stepped into this mansion that gave birth to him and brought him endless tribulations.