The next day, the land auction in Hejiacun was held in the lobby of the Hospitable Restaurant. At four o'clock, the hall was filled with merchants from all over the world. Two to three hundred merchants came to the auction.

The auction was completely operated according to He Zhiyuan's idea, and the first merchant representatives to participate in the auction registered and made a register, and each merchant representative was issued with a number plate, as well as a booklet, which introduced the location, area and use of the land to be auctioned.

At one end of the hall was a platform about one foot high, two feet wide, and one foot deep, and a table was placed on the platform, on which there was a wooden plate, and on the wooden plate was a mallet. All the merchants were curious about this kind of decoration, and the audience was whispering, guessing how the auction would work.

After a while, Boss Xu came to the stage, settled down and began to say: "Fellow merchants, fellow travelers. Hello everyone! I am Xu Jinchang, the shopkeeper of Zhouji Department Store, and today's auction will be presided over by a contemptible person. ”

"First of all, I would like to report to you a good news, with the approval of the Ministry of Households, Hejia Village will be officially renamed Hejia Town from today. The next step of Juzhou Yamen will be to send a branch to Hejia Town to work on site, and general matters can be solved in the town. In order to ensure the safety of the people in the town, with the approval of the Ministry of Households, a city wall will be built around the town, with a circumference of 16 miles and an area of about 6,500 acres......"

Next, the shopkeeper Xu gave a detailed introduction to the city construction plan and the city plan. As soon as the words fell, someone in the audience asked: "Shopkeeper Xu, I heard that Hejia Town is very close to Ma Qi Mountain, and there are bandits in Ma Qi Mountain, how to ensure the safety of this town in the future?" ”

"This boss may not know that the bandits on Ma Qi Mountain have all been wiped out a month ago, and now the bandits' nests on the mountain have been demolished. The surrounding area of Hejia Town is very safe, and there will be no bandits in the future. Now there are 200 people in the village, and the number of people will be increased in the future, and the inspection department will also send 500 soldiers to garrison, and the future Hejia Town will be impregnable. Shopkeeper Xu replied with a smile.

Someone in the audience asked: "Shopkeeper Xu, as a new town, what are the attractive characteristics of Hejia Town?" ”

For this question, the shopkeeper Xu had already replied to the plan, and he replied slowly: "Compared with other towns in the future, Hejia Town has the following characteristics: First, the roads in the town are all cement roads, flat and wide, the main road in the city is five zhang wide, and the branch road is three zhang wide. Second, within three years, all buildings in the city will have access to running water, and there will be no need to dig wells. Thirdly, all the doors and windows of the houses built in the town are made of transparent glass. ”

Hearing this, the merchants in the audience were amazed, glass is used on doors and windows, this is too luxurious, right? At this time, someone asked: "Shopkeeper Xu, what is tap water?" Does it mean that the water will flow to your house on its own? ”

Shopkeeper Xu asked the men present to bring a wooden shelf, on which was pasted a huge drawing, on which were drawings of the entire city's buildings. Shopkeeper Xu pointed to a place on the map and said: "In the future, a waterworks will be built here, which is the easternmost and highest terrain in the town. There is a water tower in the waterworks, and the water from the reservoir is filtered and sucked into the water tower, and pipes are laid underground in the city, and the pipes of each house are connected to the water tower, so that as long as the switch is turned on at home, the water will flow out in a loud noise. ”

Everyone in the audience praised it and said that it was really a wonderful idea. Why haven't they thought of such a good way for thousands of years, they are all full of expectations for the future of Hejiazhen.

Next, the shopkeeper Xu explained the bidding rules of the auction, the bidding rules and so on. After that, the shopkeeper Xu announced: "Now the auction of land in Hejia Town has officially begun, and the auction of land totals 1,000 mu, divided into 120 pieces, each land area ranges from 5 acres to 20 acres, and the nature of the land is all shop land facing the street. The first piece of Guizi No. 15, with an area of ten acres, has a starting price of 15,000 taels of silver, and each quotation cannot be less than 500 taels. Now start making an offer. ”

As soon as the words fell, someone in the audience held up a sign and offered: "16,000 taels." ”

"Seventeen thousand taels."

"Eighteen thousand taels!"

The quotations came and went, and the merchants did not give in to each other, and soon the price rose to 20,000 taels, but the fierceness of the competition did not weaken at all.

He Zhiyuan sat in the audience, listening to the merchant's quotation soaring, and his heart was naturally very happy. He said to Zhou Fuliu next to him: "If it is auctioned off this time, it seems that only more than 2,000 acres of land need to be sold to complete the construction of the city wall, and the two of us will make a lot of money this time." ”

Zhou Fuliu didn't answer He Zhiyuan's words, but said: "That person from yesterday is here again today?" ”

"Who?"

"Lu Shaowen of the Lu family in Yangzhou. I inquired with someone, and the Lu family is a big salt merchant in Yangzhou, with assets of more than five million taels. This man is arrogant and empty-eyed, and I don't know how his family is eyeing us here. I feel very bad about him, and I always feel that he will be our opponent in the future. ”

"In that case, we must not let him get the land and find a way to stop him."

"Thankfully, we made arrangements in advance, and now there are three of our own people. Adapt when the time comes. Zhou Fuliu said.

At the same time, the fifteenth land had risen to twenty-eight thousand five hundred taels.

The shopkeeper Xu said on the stage: "Twenty-eight thousand five hundred taels, is there any bidding?" ”

This price is almost double the reserve price, and there is no one in the audience to quote anymore.

"Twenty-eight thousand five hundred taels for the first time."

"The second time."

"The third time, deal!" Shopkeeper Xu smashed down the gavel and said loudly: "Boss Du Ji Du of Laizhou auctioned the land of No. 15 of Guizi for 28,500 taels, congratulations to Boss Du!" ”

The first lot of land was auctioned off smoothly, followed by the second and third lots, each of which was sold at a price of one to two times the reserve price.

Over the course of two hours, more than 60 pieces of land were auctioned. Some merchants compete fiercely for two consecutive pieces of land, and the final transaction price is less than double the auction price.

After noon, the auction continues.

Yangzhou Lujia has not made a move, and many merchants, including the shopkeeper Xu, are also very puzzled. Since I came to the auction and didn't raise my card once, it's a bit abnormal.

Zhou Fuliu, who was sitting in the audience, understood a little in his heart. She said to He Zhiyuan: "The Lu family must be the king of the twenty acres of land in the center." His target is that land, and he has to find a way to stop him, and it is estimated that the land will be very popular, and many merchants are staring at it. ”

"I've already arranged it, and I promise not to let him succeed this time."

"How much silver do you think that piece of land will be sold for?" Zhou Fuliu asked him.

"According to the current situation, seventy or eighty thousand taels is about the same, and I have already asked people to prepare one hundred thousand taels." He Zhiyuan said very confidently.

"I estimate that Lu Shaowen also brought 100,000 taels of silver, this amount is not insured, at least 30,000 taels can be insured." Zhou Fuliu said.

"How can you estimate that the Lu family brought 100,000 taels of silver?"

"Yesterday, when the price of the mirror was 35,000 taels, he gave up the offer. If he had brought enough silver, he would never give up with his proud character. If he bought the mirror for 40,000 taels and still had 60,000 taels of silver in his hand, he would not be safe if he wanted to eat that piece of land, so he could only give up. ”

"Your analysis makes sense, I'll follow the arrangement." He Zhiyuan was reminded by her, and immediately arranged for someone to prepare the silver.

It should be noted here that in the early and middle Ming Dynasty, there were no financial service institutions such as ticket numbers and money banks. Bulk transactions are generally to pull cash to the local money shop or money store for deposit, and then trade with bills. At this time, money shops and money stores did not have the functions of depositing money, lending money, and circulation. These shops generally provide recasting and slicing services for silver ingots to make a profit.

The afternoon auction went well, and soon only the last plot of land remained. I heard the shopkeeper Xu say on the stage: "The last piece of land is numbered No. 1, with an area of 20 acres, located in the center of the town, at the intersection of the cross road. It is the best piece of land in this auction, which can be called the king of the land, with a starting price of 30,000 taels of silver, and the bidding is now open. ”

As soon as the words fell, Lu Shaowen immediately raised his card and shouted: "Forty thousand taels." ”

He raised the price by 10,000 taels at once, and he was arrogant!

However, this arrogance did not frighten the merchants, and someone immediately quoted: "Forty-five thousand taels." ”

Then someone quoted: "Fifty thousand taels!" ”

After only three quotations, the price rose by 20,000 taels, and it entered a white-hot state at the beginning.

"Sixty thousand taels!" Lu Shaowen raised his card again to offer.

But immediately after this offer, a merchant quoted a price of 65,000 taels. After a while, the price rose to 80,000 taels. At this time, most of the merchants have withdrawn, and the remaining three or two are still competing.

Lu Shaowen raised his card again and offered: "Ninety thousand taels." ”

After the offer, two more gave up and withdrew. At present, only the Lu family and the Liu Ji firm in Jinan are still competing.

Many merchants who watched the excitement were whispering: "Three times, this is simply sky-high." ”

"This price is about to catch up with the land price in Nanjing, is it worth it?" Questions were raised.

"The Lu family is a big salt merchant, and they don't care about this money at all."

"Then there must be cash, too."

At this time, I heard the shopkeeper Xu shouting on the stage: "Ninety thousand taels, is there anything more than ninety thousand taels?" Yangzhou Lujia quoted 90,000 taels, 90,000 taels for the first time. ”

Lu Shaowen in the audience showed a contemptuous smile between the corners of his mouth. The servant next to him said happily: "Young master, it's done!" The old man is really like a god. ”

At this time, the Liu family in Jinan raised a card: "Ninety-five thousand taels." ”

Lu Shaowen was surprised, this time he brought a total of 100,000 taels of silver, all of which were stored in Rongchang Money Store. If the Liu family is determined to take this land, it will be difficult for them to compete with him. He no longer had the calmness and composure he had just now. After a little thought, he raised the card again: "Ninety-seven thousand taels!" ”

Zhou Fuliu and He Zhiyuan in the audience looked at each other and smiled, and He Zhiyuan whispered to her: "You guessed right, he will be 100,000 taels of silver." ”

Shopkeeper Xu shouted on the stage: "The Lu family quoted 97,000 taels, is there any offer?" ”

There was silence again. This is already sky-high, and it is impossible for anyone to bid again.

"Ninety-seven thousand taels for the first time"

"The second time."

At this time, Lu Shaowen let out a long breath of turbidity, thinking that there should be no problem this time.

"Third ......"

"One hundred thousand taels!" Liu Ji raised his card again to offer.

There was an uproar in the audience, 100,000 taels! This is higher than the price of land in Nanjing!