Chapter 475: The Guild Begins to Stand

Although the Mao family's timber shop is also ranked first in Luoyang City, it can be regarded as one of the top ten shops in Luoyang City. However, compared to the large shops that specialize in timber business, such as the timber shop run by a foreign merchant called Ruifeng Timber Company, the scale is much smaller. The Ruifeng timber store occupies almost 60% of the Luoyang timber market. Almost all of the big caravans got their goods there. The Mao family's timber shop mostly takes care of local customers, and the caravan only has one or two medium-sized caravans to pick up goods from him.

The head of the Mao family's timber shop is called Mao Shou, who is a side child of the Mao family. He has been in charge of this timber business for more than 10 years. The Mao family's main industries were farmland and woodland outside the city, while their achievements in the commercial sector were relatively small. In addition to this timber shop, there is also a cloth shop and a ready-to-wear store.

Gently plucking the abacus. The beads hit each other, making a crisp sound.

Mao Shou put down the account book, sighed lightly, grabbed the abacus with one hand, and shook it up gently. Suddenly, there was a crackling and crisp sound. The calculated abacus was suddenly beaten back to its original shape.

This month's income is a lot less than last month! Those foreign merchants are really dark, and the price of selling wood is even less than a penny. In doing so, many customers were pulled away.

Looking at the coolies who were busy pushing logs to the open space next to the store, this Mao Shou closed the account book and stopped thinking about anything else. He shouted at the coolies, "Everyone, do your best! If the timber is moved in an hour, each person will receive an extra ten cents in wages! The old man also let people stew a pot of fat meat, and after moving, everyone let go of their stomachs and eat! My Mao family has never treated everyone badly! ”

The coolie who carried the wood echoed: "Yes, yes, the merchants in this vicinity, Boss Mao is the most generous!" ”

"That's it, Boss Mao has nothing to say!"

"That's why Boss Mao will make a lot of money!"

……

The coolies thanked the man with the most simple words of gratitude, and at the same time picked up the log and ran faster.

Just when Mao Shou greeted the coolie and was about to return to the store, he heard a voice calling: "Steward Mao, please stay!" ”

Mao Shou looked back, but a young man in a dark green robe walked over. He recognized this young man, he was one of the three staff members in the Eastern Capital Pastoral Mansion, and his name seemed to be Zhang Khan Zhi.

Although the Eastern Governor's Government imposed this business license in Luoyang, many merchants were dissatisfied. But there are also many who are in favor of it. Moreover, Dongdu Mu is a second-class official, because of this official status, even if those businessmen are angry, they have to vent secretly.

Seeing this Cambodian appear in front of him, Mao Shou hurriedly greeted him: "Oh, what kind of wind is Lord Zhang blowing!" Come on, please inside, please inside! ”

Zhang Cambodia was also not polite, and also made a "please" gesture, signaling this Mao Shou to enter the house together.

When he came to the back hall, after Mao Shou beckoned Zhang Cambodia to sit down, he called someone to bring tea, and talked with Zhang Cambodia while drinking tea.

"Hehe, it's a beautiful day today, it's really a good weather!"

"Yes, yes, walking on the street, the sun is sweating for a long time!"

"Well, I don't know if under such a strong sun, Lord Zhang is not staying in the house, why do you come to the store?"

After a perfunctory while, this Mao Shou finally asked directly.

Zhang Cambodia smiled: "I came to Boss Mao, but I came to do a business with Boss Mao!" ”

Mao Shou became interested: "Hmm, what business is worth a visit by Lord Zhang in person?" Wouldn't it be long before you just find someone to come over? ”

Zhang Khan Zhizhi: "My family is going to set up a commercial guild in Luoyang, and when the official comes to Boss Mao, he will invite Boss Mao to join the guild!" ”

When Mao Shou heard this, he couldn't help but be stunned, and after a while, he asked, "Well, that Lord Zhang, what's the use of this commercial guild?" ”

Zhang Cambodia immediately took out a note from his body and told Mao Shou about the functions of the guild written on it one by one. When he said that, he used this example of the behavior of the Mao family to illustrate what kind of benefits and restrictions there would be after joining the guild.

Listening to Zhang Cambodia say these terms, this Mao Shou sometimes smiled slightly, sometimes fell into deep thought, and sometimes frowned. Some of these terms are beneficial to one's firm, and some of them will weaken one's control over the firm. But on the whole, it is quite beneficial for commercial banks.

"Uh, Lord Zhang, according to what you said, this commercial guild needs a large number of shops to join it, and its functions can be fully effective, I wonder how many merchants in the current chamber of commerce have joined it?" After a moment of silence, Mao Shou asked.

Zhang Cambodia said with a smile: "No one has joined yet!" ”

Hearing this, Mao Shou couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed, what is the use of a guild that doesn't even have a member, so he has to join by himself.

Seeing the hesitation flashing in Mao Shou's eyes, Zhang Cambodia immediately knew the reason for Mao Shou's hesitation, and said with a smile: "I don't know if Boss Mao dares to gamble?" ”

Mao Shou heard this, thought about it for a while, and knew the meaning of these words. Although it seems that there are no people in the business guild now, it does not mean that no one will join in the future. If you are the first to join it, you will get much more benefits than the merchants who join later! But if no one joins this guild, then if you add it yourself, I am afraid that you will be isolated by Luoyang merchants and families.

How to choose? It depends on whether he Mao Shou dares to gamble!

After a moment of silence, Mao Shou still said: "Lord Zhang, I can't be the master of this matter, it is better for the old man to inform the patriarch, and then the patriarch will decide!" ”

Hearing Mao Shou say this, Zhang Cambodia had no choice but to get up and say to him: "Since this is the case, then the official will retire first!" If your family patriarch agrees, please come to the Eastern Capital Pastoral Mansion as soon as possible to register! As he spoke, he walked out without looking back.

After taking two steps, Zhang Cambodia suddenly remembered something, turned his head to Mao Shou and said: "By the way, I forgot to tell Boss Mao that this business guild is handled by Luoyang Mansion, and it will be recorded under Cangcao, and its president is directly under the jurisdiction of Luoyang Mansion Yin." In other words, the commercial guilds have the shadow of the imperial court and will not be allowed to be held privately! ”

Mao Shou was stunned for a moment, then sighed lightly, and waved to Zhang Khan Yi: "Thank you for your warning!" ”

Zhang Cambodia's words undoubtedly broke the idea of those families who wanted to run their own business guilds.

Like the Mao family's timber store, the larger shops in Luoyang City received an invitation from the Eastern Capital Mufu to join the merchant guild.

The response to this invitation was mixed. But most have taken one approach - dragging. Only one hat shop and carpentry shop agreed to join the Chamber of Commerce on the spot. And nearly 10 said to go back and think about it.

Faced with such a result, Wang Fangyi and the three of them all felt a sense of loss. Zhang Yunwen said confidently: "Look, it won't take long, they will come to the door by themselves!" ”

In the days that followed, the merchants who said they would go back and think about it gradually got back to their hearts, and most of them were willing to join the guild. This includes the Mao family's timber shop.

At this time, the entire guild already had nearly ten shops, and the initial scale could be fulfilled, which could enable some of the guild's functions to be fulfilled.

As time went on, the benefits of joining the guild became apparent. For example, when trading inside the guild, the transaction price is much cheaper than outside, so it is better to unite these similar types of shops under the coordination of the guild when dealing with out-of-town merchants.

In this way, those merchants who joined the guild were not only more convenient in trading, but also had huge profits to be gained, which made these merchants who joined the guild excited, and spread the benefits of the chamber of commerce.

As a result, many merchants have asked to join the guild. However, at this time, Zhang Yunwen proposed that anyone who wanted to join the guild must pay an entrance fee of 200 yuan, and all members of the chamber of commerce must pay 30 yuan per household as a membership fee every year. The fees they pay are used to fund the day-to-day operations of the commercial guilds.

As soon as this remark came out, it immediately caused dissatisfaction among the merchants. Why didn't the first merchants to join the guild pay their initiation fees?

Zhang Yunwen sneered at that time: "Hmph, when people joined the guild, they were very active, and as soon as the official sent someone to say it, within two days, they enthusiastically joined the guild." But you have eyes and don't know gold and jade, and of course you have to pay the entrance fee! If you agreed on the spot, how could you talk about the entrance fee? ”

As soon as these words came out, those merchants who did not join the guild in the first place were immediately annoyed. Some of them eventually paid 200 yuan for the entrance fee and joined the chamber of commerce. Others saw that the cost of joining the guild was so high that they gave up the idea of entering the guild.

A guild divided the entire Luoyang merchants into two parts, and nearly one-third of the merchants were influenced by Zhang Yunwen through the guild organization.