Outside the window, the sky was completely dark, and the stars and moon hung on the sky, but although the sun had set, the temperature had not dropped much.

After sitting in the study for a while, they couldn't feel the wind blowing in, and Han Gang and Feng Congyi felt that they couldn't sit still. Come out of the house and sit down in the courtyard.

Ordered someone to bring a fragrant drink chilled with well water, and drank two sips of a cup with Feng Congyi, Han Gang asked: "When you were still in Tokyo the day before yesterday, did you have an eyebrow for the charter of the guild?" ”

Feng Congyi nodded hurriedly, took out a few pieces of paper from his sleeve, he knew that Han Gang was bound to ask, and he took it with him in advance, "It has been drafted, but it still needs to be discussed and revised." In addition, Cheng Xuan, the big shopkeeper of the Jardine Matheson, he has another opinion. ”

Han Gang took the draft charter and didn't look at it, and asked, "What is his opinion?" ”

"With Cheng Xuan's idea, the production of cotton must be covered by a guild, and since it will not be left to outsiders, it is better to set it at the beginning. That is, a deposit is paid at the time of planting, and the yield of the cotton field is determined, rather than picking it and then buying it. If you can get the money one step earlier, the landlord should not be unwilling, and the commercial bank can rest assured that the cotton will be given. ”

Feng Congyi said, looking at Han Gang's reaction, I don't know if he can understand the key to it.

And Han Gang understands this.

Isn't it a deposit advance payment system? There have been in later generations, and there are still today.

For example, the citrus of Fujian is world-famous. In order to compete for the right to purchase citrus, traders often come to the citrus orchards in the spring to set this year's production. It is not a simple order agreement, but it is determined directly to the individual fruit trees, and after the selection, a mark is tied to the trunk of the tree, and a deposit is paid - the number of fruit trees is paid

Basically, in March and April, a citrus orchard is subcontracted by a few traders. When it was harvest time, the merchants brought their own people to pick them. The money paid is paid in accordance with the agreement signed in advance. If you are lucky, you will have a good harvest of fruit trees, and if you are unlucky, you will lose a lot of money.

Of course, if the harvest is lost, the orchard owner will also refund part of the deposit. If the harvest is much higher than expected, the merchant will also make up the balance - this is for the sake of long-term cooperation, which has become a common practice.

Ye Tao's hometown is in Longquan, and there is a citrus orchard in his home, which occupies two hills - Longquan is a lot of mountains and rivers, few fields, and nine mountains are half water and half fields, so fruit tree planting is the main livelihood of Longquan - when Han Gang heard about this when he chatted with Ye Tao from Longquan, he immediately reacted, this is basically the prototype of the futures system.

Not only citrus, but also lychee, longan and other expensive fruits in the south, in fact, are produced and sold. So as soon as Feng Congyi said it, Han Gang immediately understood.

"This can be considered." He nodded, "Let them discuss it with the landlord, it's okay on my side." ”

Several trading houses had cotton fields in Longxi, but they never accounted for the majority. With the development of the cotton spinning industry, the people of Longxi will plant more and more cotton, so in order to control the production of cotton cloth, such means must be adopted. Otherwise, he would not be able to compete with Feng Congyi and Han Gang behind him. If you can make a decision in advance, you can allocate resources within the guild.

Cheng Xuan's careful thinking is there, not only Han Gang, but Feng Congyi can also see it. But Feng Congyi understood better that Han Gang's purpose was to promote cotton cloth as soon as possible, and he didn't care about these benefits that were divided.

On the other hand, if the cotton field can be sold before sowing, the landlord can ensure stable production. For farmers, the most difficult time is when the green and yellow are not harvested, if there is a deposit in advance, you can ensure that you can plant with peace of mind, and you don't have to worry about running out of money in the future. Compared with borrowing a convenient loan, it is actually more secure to use a deposit.

There may be people who refuse to honor the agreements they have made in advance after the harvest, but the self-discipline within the guild ensures that individual frauds do not affect the whole - even the leaders of the guilds in Tokyo will maintain the interests of the guild members below as a whole, rather than fishing in the water.

"How did he decide on the specific agreement?" Han Gang asked again. After taking two sips, he shook his fan.

"Bids are determined based on the average yield per mu in the previous three years. Pay a 10% deposit in advance. Even if it is a failure, only half of the deposit will be recovered, and if there is production, as long as it can exceed eighty percent of the previous year, no matter how much is produced, it will be paid according to the initial agreement. If it is less than eighty percent, how much is paid proportionally. ”

"The conditions given are too harsh, only one percent of the deposit, half of the collection will be refunded, and the full amount will be paid after eighty percent, I have never heard such a harsh agreement. Or according to the contract of Zhejiang citrus, otherwise there is no need to talk! "Han Gang has no room for determination.

"What's not to talk about?"

Feng Congyi was about to say more, when a question came from behind him. Han Gang and Feng Congyi hurriedly turned around, and saw that Han Qianliu had come over at some point.

Han Gang and the others hurriedly got up and let Han Qianliu sit down.

After his son and nephew talked about the topic they had just discussed, Han Qianliu shook his head: "This is not good." It's just me, I don't do it. ”

"That's what my son meant." Han Gang said to his cousin: "Everything must be on the side of the landlord, we are not all the way with those merchants." Don't understand? ”

Feng Congyi nodded heavily: "The junior brother understands, and he will tell Cheng Xuan." ”

Han Qianliu was very satisfied with his son's attitude. Although SF Bank belongs to his Han family, if it is according to Fang Cai's terms, even if the Han family loses a little bit on the field, it will be able to earn back from the commercial bank. But Han Qianliu's thoughts are still on the side of the farmer, "It's not easy to farm, as a businessman, you will swallow all the hard work of the year when you open your mouth, and you are not willing to take risks, how can there be such a good thing." ”

"That's what Daddy (Uncle) said." Han Gang and Feng Congyi spoke in unison.

However, Han Qianliu sighed again: "Just about to say harsh, that's still for cotton." If only the food could be decided in advance like this. ”

Han Gang and Feng Congyi shook their heads at the same time.

"Impossible." Han Gang explained to his father, "Only crops like citrus, lychee, or cotton, which can guarantee enough profits, can people feel comfortable with a down payment." Unless it is a bad harvest, even if only half of the harvest is harvested at the end, there is still a profit. Otherwise, what else would the merchants do with the struggle to pay the deposit? It's not that I'm afraid that the money will be earned by others. However, the price gap between the seedling stage and the harvest period is too large, and the profit is too small, and if the method of pre-ordering is used, the grain merchants will all go bankrupt within three to five years. ”

Feng Congyi echoed: "What the third cousin said is right, it is exactly this truth. As he spoke, he suddenly raised his hand and slapped it heavily on the neck, "There are mosquitoes." ”

"Mosquitoes?" Han Qianliu immediately said, "Third brother go get flower water." ”

"Flower water?" Feng Congyi asked suspiciously.

Han Gang got up as he said and said, "It's the external medicinal wine that was brewed with spirits a few days ago. It can escape the heat and repel mosquitoes, and it is extremely boring, so it is given a nice name. ”

When he went to the study, Han Gang brought a palm-sized small porcelain bottle, which was normally used to hold wound medicine, and handed it to his cousin. "A few days ago, your sister-in-law had someone send six bottles to your family, and my brother and sister came over and said it was easy to use."

Then I opened the stopper, and suddenly a mint fragrance wafted out. Feng Congyi poured a little flower water from the bottle on his hand, and when he spread it, there was a strong mint fragrance, and then there was a burst of coolness.

"How can it be so cool?" Feng Congyi was surprised

"The drinks are all average, and they absorb heat after dissolving gas." Han Gang explained.

"This little brother knows the truth." Feng Congyi didn't use spirits to clean the wound, and when he applied it externally, it was a cool feeling. However, the effect of this toilet water is much stronger.

Soak mint and add borneol, although borneol is expensive among the two herbs, it is still affordable. He remembered that the toilet water seemed to have borneol and mint, but he couldn't find the ingredients in his memory.

Feng Congyi didn't really care about the principle, and his economic acumen made him understand the value of flower water almost instantly.

The cost of spirits is higher than that of ordinary light wine, and the price is five or six times higher, but the people still buy it in large quantities. Although Han Gang uses the theory of yin and yang to scare people, in the army, there are still people who like it and desperately want to drink. Drinking liquor is a fire, and the name of burning knives is no more apt. In the winter, take a sip outside, the cold will not invade the body, and the whole body can be warmed up.

It's just that no matter how high the price of spirits is, it can't compare to the fragrant flower water that can avoid the heat and repel mosquitoes. And with mint there is a mint fragrance, to use roses, gardenias, osmanthus? Feng Congyi's eyes were shining with gold, holding the small porcelain bottle in the palm of his hand, and said as if in a dream, "Cousin, why do you still bother to grow cotton?" This toilet water is a mountain of gold! ”

"Not yet." Han Gang shook his head calmly, "The raw material is spirits!" ”

It takes a lot of spirits to make toilet water, and the raw materials alone are very troublesome. If there was no liquor system, Han Gang would have found a way to make it a long time ago, and it was because the liquor was sold by the official monopoly that he did not go to the workshop where the dew was made.

It doesn't matter if the official brews some of the alcohol privately - it can be drunk at home or given to relatives and friends - but selling it in large quantities is a crime. It's okay if you don't check it, once someone is looking for trouble, no one can get out of it.

"There are thousands of ways to make money, but doesn't cotton make money? Why use a means that will leave a handle for others? ”

"Then ......" Feng Congyi looked at the small porcelain vase in his hand, which was white and radiant with pure silver light, and his heart of regret rose spontaneously, "It's a pity." ”

Han Gang smiled: "It's better to give it as a gift." In the future, it is more useful to do personal favors than to make money. ”

The special product of the disciple of the medicine king's family, the flower water that relieves fever and escapes the heat, should be worth a thousand gold, and it is naturally expensive to give gifts.

"Don't talk about that. Do what is in front of you first. ”