Wu Sangui was boxing alone in the courtyard, hahaha kept making sounds.

At the age of twelve, he is very strong, if he does not look at the childishness on his face, just looking at his figure, he will think that he is a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy, like a wooden pier.

Wu Xiang, Wu Sanfeng, and Wu Xuexia were relatively silent in the hall.

Just now, Wu Xiang had received the news and knew that Wei Bao had gathered more than 200 township shareholders and opened a sales joint-stock company called Tiandi Firm.

Although these terms are new, Wu Xiang was born as an old businessman, and began to take care of the family business at a very young age, and his familiarity with shopping malls and officialdom far exceeded his understanding of the military.

This seems to be a common phenomenon, at the end of the Ming Dynasty, or the entire stage of the Ming Dynasty, more and more of these things were cultivated, both official and business, they were all very sleek, had business minds, and could prosper and settle down, but they did not have much benefit to the country and the imperial court.

"Didn't I get a special martial arts training ground for you, what do you like to practice here?" Wu Xiang was annoyed, and walked to the edge of the hall to scold Wu Sangui.

Wu Sangui was sweating profusely while practicing, and his face was flushed, and he said strangely: "I often practice here, the big tree in the yard here is big, so it is convenient to hang sandbags." Wu Sangui said, punching and kicking seven or eight sandbags hanging from the tree.

Wu Xiang knew that Wu Sangui didn't listen to what he said, so he snorted angrily, returned to the hall, and sat down again.

Wu Sanfeng and Wu Xuexia didn't say anything, knowing that their father was angry because of Wei Bao's matter, and it was not aimed at Wu Sangui.

"Dad, who knew that Wei Bao was so capable that he actually explained all the rich people in more than 200 townships? Not only did he continue to oppose him, but he also joined forces to do business. Wu Sanfeng said: "Things are already like this, don't be too angry, let's find another opportunity, in Liaoxi, no one can touch the business power of our Wu family." ”

"Still can't move? I heard that what kind of joint-stock company they have a joint stock in is claimed to have a capital of 500,000 taels! Wu Xiang said coldly: "The sum of our Wu family's business must be much larger than this number, but a single business name, none of which can catch up with Wei Bao's broken company!" A good business name is not called, what is the company, it is really a tongue twister. ”

"That's what they bragged about, how could it be 500,000 taels?" Wu Sanfeng said disapprerovingly: "Even if the net worth of these rich people is such a number, it is impossible for them to take out all the silver and do business with Wei Bao, right?" ”

"Who says it can't be? Nothing is impossible! You are careless every time, you don't care about anything, you always feel that our Wu family is a serious family, and you don't look down on these rich people in the countryside! Combined, it's possible for these people to come up with a million taels! Don't underestimate the strength of the rich people in the township. These people, take out half of their family property and do business with Wei Bao, what's impossible? It must be very optimistic about the goods that Wei Bao wants to sell! Wu Xiang asked, "Inquire, what is Wei Bao selling?" ”

"You know, what you sell is soap, matches, and kerosene lamps, which are not prohibited by the imperial court." Wu Sanfeng said depressedly: "I don't know who made the picture come to me, it's all over the Shanhaiguan Sea, I can't think about it." ”

Wu Xiang's head was full of questions: "Soap is a substitute for soap, right?" Matches are a substitute for fire folds, right? The kerosene lamp must be a substitute for the oil lamp, if these things are cheaper and easier to use than soaphorns, fire folds, and oil lamps, there must be many customers! This Wei Bao is really powerful. ”

"Who knows where he comes up with so many new ideas all day long? It seems that the price is not high, indeed, as my father said, it is used to replace soaphorns, fire folds and oil lamps, these things are usually used, and a large amount is needed. Wu Sanfeng answered.

"If he can figure it out, won't we be able to figure it out too?" Wu Xuexia opened her mouth and said: "Our Wu family's business name, the category is the most complete, we have the goods that other businesses have, we have the goods, and we also have the goods that other businesses don't have, and there is the Wu family's signboard, all the businesses and ordinary people know that it is the safest to buy things in the Wu family, and because of this, our Wu family's business can be in Liaoxi and Liaodong for a long time." ”

"Xuexia is right, Sanfeng, you have to copy Wei Bao's goods as soon as possible! Not only do we have to have, but we also have to be better than Weibao's goods! Wu Xiang said: "If there is really something that can replace soaphorns, fire folds and oil lamps, we can not only sell them in Liaoxi and Liaodong, but also sell them in Beizhili, and even sell them to the entire Ming Dynasty!" ”

Wu Xiang said and said, he was happy again, secretly thinking that no matter how smart Wei Bao is, there are not as many people he knows, and there are no connections in his official face, what is the use?

"Yes, not only do we have to sell it to the entire Ming Dynasty, but we also have to squeeze Wei Bao to death in western Liaoning! Dare not say hello to our Wu family, and make such a big move, it is too indifferent to take our Wu family in their eyes! Wu Sanfeng said fiercely.

"If people want to open a business, they are competing with us in the business field, so why do they still greet us? Do you want to tell you that the business name that my Wei Bao wants to set up is here to replace your Wu family? Wu Xiang waved his hand angrily: "Go down!" ”

Wu Sanfeng and Wu Xuexia hurriedly retreated.

"Brother, let's go take a look, shall we? Look at what Wei Bao's goods look like. Wu Xuexia proposed.

"Don't go! In Shanhaiguan, who doesn't recognize you and me? Do you still need to go yourself? I'll let someone buy it in a moment and I'll know. Wu Sanfeng said: "Even if Wei Bao's goods are a little clever, it is not difficult to imitate them!" As long as we have the same goods as him, we will sell them at the same price, and others will only recognize our Wu family's goods, but will not recognize his Wei Bao's goods! ”

Wu Xuexia was slightly disappointed when she saw that her eldest brother refused to go, but she still nodded obediently.

On that day, the business of the sales joint-stock company under Wei Bao's Tiandi firm was very hot, and the relatives and friends called by the two hundred shareholders alone bought all the goods out, so that Wu Sanfeng's people had to buy samples from people they knew.

After the sample was brought back, Wu Sanfeng couldn't see the clue for a long time, so he summoned Wu Xuexia and a group of shopkeepers of the Wu family's business to help see it.

"I don't know how this soap is made, it's really easy to use, if this thing is sold for the same price as soap, no one will use soap horn in the future." A senior shopkeeper of the Wu family's business, after washing his hands, smelled the fragrance on his hands, and said to Wu Sanfeng.

The other shopkeepers also nodded in unison, acknowledging that Wei Bao's things were good.

"I asked you to come, not to let you say good things about Wei Bao, his things are good, we have to make the same goods as him, or even better than his goods!" Wu Sanfeng said angrily.

As soon as Wu Sanfeng became angry, more than a dozen shopkeepers of the Wu family, including Wei Bao's old friend Wu Shien, were all frightened.

Wu Shien was originally just a distant relative of the Wu family, and did not enter the structural system of the Wu family's business, but because of his friendship with Wei Bao before, the relationship between helping Wu Sanfeng spread the word at both ends, and later dealing with Wei Bao with Jin Qiliang, Wu Shien entered Wu Sanfeng's eyes, and his small shop was also proudly attached to the big signboard of the Wu family's business!

To have the signboard of the Wu family business to protect from the wind and rain is something that all small shops can't ask for.

"Brother, don't worry." Wu Xuexia saw that a group of shopkeepers were too frightened to speak, so she hurriedly comforted her softly.

"You really can't see what this thing is made of?" Wu Sanfeng looked at these people suspiciously, "The youngest of you is also forty years away, people say that forty is not confused, they are all old businessmen, no one has seen it?" ”

"Childe, you really haven't seen Wei Bao's things, I'm afraid he didn't make it himself, maybe it was sold from outside, right?" Wu Shien said: "I know that Wei Bao has done business with Westerners before. ”

Wu Xuexia shook her head and said: "It won't be sold from outside, if it is bought from overseas, the price to Daming must be much more expensive, otherwise how can it return to the capital?" People don't always trade at a loss, do they? Such a delicate soap is only sold for the same price as the soap horn, isn't this throwing silver into the water? ”

Wu Xuexia's words caused all the shopkeepers to nod their heads, and they all felt that Miss Wu's words were reasonable, and no one would make a loss-making deal.

Wu Shien struck a match, and with a pop, a large spark ignited, startling a group of shopkeepers, as well as Wu Xuexia and Wu Sanfeng, all took a step back, and everyone was a little frightened.

"Have you seen it, such an exquisite ignition thing is not from overseas, where did Wei Bao make it himself?" Wu Shien said, knocked on the glass of the kerosene lamp again, and made a tinkling crisp sound, and the sound was very beautiful: "This thing, I recognize, this is called glass, we can't make it ourselves!" ”

Wu Xuexia shook her head and said: "No matter how delicate the thing is, anyway, I don't believe it, Wei Bao will lose money and make money?" ”

"It's impossible for others, this Wei Bao really can't say!" Wu Shien said: "Wei Bao's brain seems to look different from ordinary people, and we don't think about the things he thinks of!" Perhaps, he wanted everyone to be familiar with them, and they all knew that there were such things, and only after everyone was comfortable with them, and the merchants who used to make and sell soap horns, fire folds, and oil lamps were all defeated by him, he began to raise prices! When the time comes, it will be his family's unique business, and the price will increase slightly, and the silver that he lost before will not be able to recover his capital in a short time. ”

Wu Sanfeng nodded and said, "What Old Wu said makes sense. He got so many shareholders, more than 200 rich people, and he really has this financial resources! With a loss of 180,000 taels of silver, Wei Bao probably won't take it seriously. When the time comes, everyone will use his things, slowly raise the price and get the capital back, this is absolutely possible! Then we can't do anything about it? Just watching Wei Bao make money? ”

Wu Sanfeng's tone calmed down a bit, and he didn't lose his temper anymore.

A group of shopkeepers also fell into deep thought.

Everyone knows that the only way at the moment is to make goods with the same utility and quality as Weibao's goods, and the price must be the same. But how easy is that?

In fact, there were many scientific masterpieces and scientists in the Ming Dynasty, and at that time the thinking of the Chinese was progressing, and the Chinese began to see the world!

The group of people present are actually not backward in terms of concepts and knowledge.

Song Yingxing's "Heavenly Creations", Li Shizhen's "Compendium of Materia Medica", Chen Shigong's "Surgical Authenticity", Zhang Jingyue's "Class Classics", "Class Classics Diagram Wings", "Class Classics Attached Wings", and "Jingyue Quanshu".

Wang Wensu's "New Collection of Tokens Ancient and Modern Arithmetic Treasures".

Cheng Dawei's "Algorithm Unification".

The Travels of Xu Xiake, a geologist, traveler and explorer.

Xu Guangqi, a mathematician and scientist and agronomist, has written a lot of books.

Veterinary scientists Yu Ren and Yu Jie's "The Complete Works of Yuan Heng Healing Horses, Cows and Camels".

Botanist Zhu Hu's "Saving the Famine Materia Medica".

Botanist Yu Zongben's "Book of Planting Trees", botanist Ma Yilong's "Agricultural Theory", botanist Tu Benji's "Fujian Zhonghai Staggered".

In addition, there are thinkers, historians, and linguists such as Gu Yanwu, Wang Fuzhi, and Huang Zongxi.

There were too many scientists in the Ming Dynasty, and as the group of people present, they were all educated elite intellectuals, even if they had not delved into the knowledge of science and technology, they still probably knew what novelties the Ming Dynasty had.

The scientific discipline system of this period of the Ming Dynasty has taken shape, and compared with the West, it is not inferior.

Matteo Ricci, a Jesuit priest who came to China at the end of the 16th century, said in a letter: "The Chinese are very knowledgeable, and they are very proficient in medicine, natural sciences, mathematics, and astronomy. They correctly calculate solar and lunar eclipses in a different way than we Westerners. ”

The German scientist Leibniz said: "It is as if the greatest culture and the most developed civilization of all mankind are converging today at opposite ends of our continent, that is, in Europe and in the East, which is located on the other side of the world, the Ming Dynasty." ”

"The Ming Dynasty is an ancient civilization that is inseparable from Europe, and it is equal in terms of daily life and skills in coping with nature. We both have the skills to benefit each other by communicating with each other. In terms of careful thinking and rational reasoning, it is clear that we have a slight advantage."

But "we are dwarfed in practical philosophy, that is, in ethics and statecraft in the practical aspects of life and man." ”

"By historical coincidence, the rise of modern science in Europe coincided with the activities of the Jesuit missions in China, so that modern science almost immediately came into contact with traditional Chinese science."

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, it was the eve of the great development of Western science and technology and cultural theories, and the vast number of scholars and scholars in the Ming Dynasty had already generally studied Western studies, and China and the West had their own advantages in scientific development.

Many of the works on science and technology of the Ming Dynasty are quite bright compared to the West, where modern mathematics, chemistry, physics, and philosophy have not yet developed.

Before the collapse of the Ming Dynasty, the development of Western science and technology was still very uncertain, Newton and Leibniz were not yet born, Boyle and Pascal were still in their childhood, Galileo was sentenced to life imprisonment, and Descartes lived in seclusion in the Netherlands.

At the same time, the Ming Dynasty had entered the peak of Western learning, with an open academic environment, government support, and the general acceptance, research and translation of Western works by the scholar class, and a total of more than 7,000 Western books entered China.

This is also the reason why Wei Bao asked people to collect foreign translations, and let people step up the translation of the world's more advanced works into Chinese characters.

If you are strong, you must learn from others, so that the speed of building a knowledge system can be accelerated.

In fact, these works have been done by the Ming Dynasty, and many books are ready-made and have been translated into Chinese characters.

In Xu Guangqi, "If you want to win, you must be able to pass; Under the guidance of the ideological principle of "making the other three thousand years of gradual cultivation and gradual work, and the completion of my years in the years", as well as the organizational support of the Ming government, the Ming Dynasty carried out a large-scale translation of Western books such as mathematical engineering with a conscious and purposeful purpose.

Among them, Matteo Ricci and Xu Guangqi, 1607

"The Theory of Epidus", Xiong Sanba, 1611

"Taixi Water Law", Xiong Sanba and Xu Guangqi, 1612

Geometric Originals, Matteo Ricci and Xu Guangqi, 1613

"Tongwen Counting", Matteo Ricci and Li Zhizao, 1613

Matteo Ricci, 1614

"Roundness and Righteousness", Matteo Ricci and Li Zhizao, 1614

Tianwen Luo, Yang Mano, 1615

Julius, 1623

"Ten Books of Architecture" by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius

"Notes on Mathematics" by Simon Steffen, Dutch mathematician and military engineer

"The Complete Book of Mining and Metallurgy" by German miner and metallurgist Georg Bauer

"A Variety of Intricate Mechanisms" by Italian engineering and technical expert Lameri

Measuring the Whole Sense, by James

The Theory of the Motions of the Heavenly Bodies, Copernicus

Compendium of Copernican Astronomy, Kepler

Mediterranean Nautical

"Proportional Regulation" Luoya Valley

The Relationship between the Earth's Surface Circumference and Its Diameter

"Cosmosphere" Jacques Besson

"Pierre + Lecomte Invented the Manufacture and Usage of Geometric Astronomical Radiometer for Land and Sea"

"Magnet Measurement" Guillaume de Notonne

"Miraculous Emetic Drugs" by Sara Angelou

"The Salinity of the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and Other Oceans, the Ebb and Flow, the Tide and the Flow of the Currents, the Theory of Cause and Effect" by Claude Julei

These are ready-made and translated works.

At that time, he also created and translated more than 7,000 volumes, such as "Physics Knowledge", "Several Degrees of Yan", "Taixi Water Law Preface", "Kunyu Gezhi", "Rhyme Diagram", "Geometric Body Theory", "Geometric Usage", "Taixi Arithmetic", "Western Confucian Ears and Eyes", "Diagram of Far Western Strange Instruments", "Academic Qualifications", "Sun, Moon and Stardial Formula", "Hun Gai Tongxian Diagram", "Jingtiancai".

In Xu Guangqi's scientific thought, "translation" is the foundation and the only way to learn from the advanced science and culture of the West.

As a Christian converted to the missionary Matteo Ricci, Xu Guangqi did not choose religious texts, but first chose to translate the Geometric Originals. He said: "The original geometry is the sect of degrees, so the poor square is straight, and the rules and standards are also used. …… After the graduation and recovery, from the obvious to the subtle, from the doubt to the faith, do not use, the public use the basis, it can really be described as the shape of all things, the sea of learning of a hundred schools......"

Xu Guangqi explained the nature of geometry to China for the first time. He said: "Learn kung fu, be reasonable." This book is beneficial, which can make the scholar timid and prudent; Those who learn things have their own laws and ingenuity, so there is no one in the world who should not learn. ”

Although the historical background and cultural differences at that time made the feudal scholars not generally understand that "those who practice are widowed", Xu Guangqi believed that "after a hundred years, everyone must learn it, that is, it will be too late to learn" and "everyone will learn it after a hundred years", that is, "Geometric Original" is a book that everyone must read after a hundred years.

In later generations, when the Chinese nation re-established itself among the nations of the world, when people realized that 'innovation is the soul of national progress' and 'innovation is also the inexhaustible driving force for the country's prosperity', Xu Guangqi's scientific thought of 'being able to pass through super-victory' in the Ming Dynasty has begun to shine with brilliance.

Therefore, a group of people thought about it for a long time, and finally became convinced that Wei Bao's things must all come from overseas.

"You guys go down first, and think of ideas to see how to make imitations of these things." Wu Sanfeng said to everyone.

After everyone left, Wu Sanfeng immediately said to Wu Xuexia: "Tomorrow, I will tell my father that the waters of western Liaoning must be sealed, and the inventory of foreign ships must not be omitted!" ”

Wu Xuexia nodded and said, "Well, if Wei Bao's goods are really bought from overseas, they must have something to do with the Dongjiang Mao family!" There are not many foreign ships in our area, and if there are them, they are also those big southern businessmen who collude with the Mao family, just watch them die. ”

At this time, there were very few ports, and the main ports in the north were Dagukou and Beitang in Hejian Province, as well as Shuangdao and Lushunkou in Jinzhou.

The goods transported by the southern merchants to the north pass through Dengzhou, and then to Dagukou and Beitang for delivery, if they go to Liaodong, they will directly pass through Shuangdao and Lushunkou from Dangji Island and Huangcheng Island.

Although the sea area of Liaodong is mainly controlled by the Mao family of Dongjiang, the entire inland of Liaoxi is in the hands of Jiangmen and the old family of Liaoxi.

The goods landed at Dagukou and Beitang must come from the inland of Yongping Province, and Wei Bao has no chance of smuggling.

This can harm Wei Bao in disguise.

Wei Bao's goods were all made by himself, and he really didn't buy them from outside.

But Wei Bao was preparing to buy a large amount of grain from the smugglers in the south.

If Wei Bao knew Wu Sanfeng's thoughts, he would probably be angry.

Wu Sanfeng and Wu Xuexia underestimated Wei Bao's ability in science and technology.

The accident caused by the popularity of this new product, Wei Bao has a brain like Zhuge Liang, which is also unexpected.

Today's Wei Bao didn't want to think about this, he had already drunk seven meat and eight vegetables at this time.

The popularity of the new product listing made more than 200 shareholders immersed in ecstasy, and the banquet that was supposed to end in about an hour or so still did not mean to end when Leng drank the fast son.

There were more than 200 shareholders, everyone was drinking with red faces and thick necks, and many of them were already drunk, but everyone was happy, and they all felt that they saw a lot of silver flying towards them in front of them.

In the future, as long as the goods are sold steadily, I believe that the cost will be recovered in less than half a year.

"Master Wei, my old marquis is really convinced now." Hou Lixing was convinced: "Now I only hate to invest too little silver, and this time I am dying!" ”

Hou Lixing's words provoked Wei Bao to smile slightly.

"Old Hou, do you know that you are dead now? You just lost alone, you made me like you, and I only invested a thousand taels of silver, and I was the most wronged! "Bai Pengfu doesn't have a good airway.

Hou Lixing suddenly didn't distinguish: "Lao Bai, you are blind when you say this!" ”