At the pearl meeting, the second young master of the Bai family, Bai Dexi's sentence of "100,000 taels" really helped Cao Hao a lot, and many pearl merchants around his seat were shocked when they heard it, not only afraid that he would deceive him, but also afraid that other families would believe his words and write a high price tag, so many people gritted their teeth and wrote a price tag higher than their own psychological price.

As a result, in this bidding, the lowest one in the top ten also came out of 110,000.

When Wei Xin announced the lowest price of the winning bid, the reactions were mixed. The sixteen companies that did not win the bid were naturally a little annoyed, because of speculation, there were also many people who wrote 100,000 with a fraction; And the pearl merchants who won the bid but were higher than the lowest price also had some chagrin.

The most angry was Yang Mingchang, he looked at the words on the tray, he wanted to write 150,000, but he was afraid that he would not be able to rely on it, so he added another 10,000 taels and wrote 160,000, and the result was 50,000 taels higher than the lowest price! While his flesh hurts, he curses the Zheng family brothers and sisters for not helping him, the old father, and the secret recipe of the pearl in his heart is also in hand, and he has to teach this pair of unfilial sons a lesson!

Because all of them are made by secret labels, the secret recipe is presented in front of the winning pearl merchants, and there is only one copy of the original recipe, and everyone has copied a copy by themselves. If you want to be safe, you will naturally carry the prescription firmly and tear it up that night, so as to save the chance of leakage.

Whether or not to win the bid, everyone only knows that they don't know other families, and the winning bid is even more traceless. In the next two days, Wei Xin, according to Cao Hao's idea, arranged for the pearl merchants to play and feast in Jiangning. The pearl merchants left in a hurry, and most of them still had the mentality of hoping for long-term cooperation in the future, and stayed with Wei Xintao for two days.

On the eighth day of the fifth month, the last batch of pearl merchants was sent away, and Wei Xin was also free to report to Cao Hao. After deducting the expenses of 7788, the income of the entire Pearl Society is 1,437,000 taels of silver.

This also greatly surprised Cao Hao, he originally thought that seven or eight hundred thousand taels of silver would be a big deal, and his own pearl farm and tea garden could be repaid after a few years of operation, but now it seems that the debt will be paid off in a blink of an eye.

Debt-free and light, Cao Hao looked at the account book from Wei Xinbao, let out a long breath, and had a little smile on his face. The sword hanging over his head was finally removed, and in the next few years, if he saved some money, he would have nothing to worry about.

Wei Xinli was also very proud, and he was calculating more: "Childe, do you know how much silver did the [***] money bank borrow to the pearl merchant in this pearl meeting?" ”

Cao Hao smiled: "Don't sell it, just say it!" ”

Wei Xin leaned over, stretched out his hand and measured the eight characters: "A full 800,000 taels." ”

Cao Hao was a little surprised, in fact, Jiangnan is rich, and there are millions of rich families abounding, but those family properties are usually composed of many uncertain properties such as real estate, fields, antique objects, etc., and there are not too many families with hundreds of thousands of taels of cash at home. Although [***] Qianzhuang is known as the No. 1 Qianzhuang in Jiangning, from the information collected by Cao Hao and them, it seems that the capital of [***] Qianzhuang is not particularly strong, otherwise these officials around him would have already begun to fight the Jiang family's idea. Although there are some officialdom relationships on the side of the Han Jiang clan's mother, if the family background is really strong, those relationships may not be able to stop the greed of others? Not to mention that she is still a young widow in charge!

"Looks like we're underestimating her." Cao Hao shook his head.

At the beginning, Cao Hao promised to let the Jiang family take 30,000 taels of "entrance fees" to take over the business of lending money to pearl merchants, but it was just a smooth sailing, but it was not without the intention of trying the Jiang family's background. The terms and conditions signed before are all guarantees and risks for the Pearl Society. Unexpectedly, their female owner was really a little bold, and she happily accepted the seemingly unequal terms. At that time, Cao Hao and Wei Xin thought that the Jiang family would be able to come up with five or six hundred thousand taels of silver at most.

"Eight hundred thousand taels." Wei Xin smacked his tongue: "The little one sent someone to inquire, the Jiang family's other businesses were not affected at all, and the 800,000 taels were easily taken out!" It turned out that his family had millions of properties outside, but now that they are small, there are more than one million dollars in silver alone. Without 1.5 or 6 million silver, a money bank dares to take out 800,000 taels of loan like this?! ”

Cao Hao saw that his eyes were flickering, full of calculations, and he couldn't help joking: "What idea did you play?" Are you going to rob his house? ”

Wei Xin shook his head and said: "Childe said that he laughed, the little one has the heart of a thief and has no courage to be a thief." However, there is a specific way, or the meaning that I mentioned to my son a few times ago, and I want to use their family's money to plate our business. ”

Speaking of this, he paused and explained to Cao Hao in detail: "After a while, it will be said that the sea ships outside should arrive in Guangdong to unload their goods one after another, and the thirteen lines also pay attention to hoarding goods." It's not a big trick, it's just a hoarding when the goods are more and the price is low, and selling them when the goods are less and the price is high, making a profit. Of course, this is looking at eyesight, but it is also fighting for the family. Whoever has the silver will make more money if he hoards more, and he must not be afraid of pressing the silver. In the past three or four years, our trading capital is not much, this hoarding business did not dare to do it by itself, but relying on some big households to make a little bit of money, if we can move the Jiang family's silver now, the small one is guaranteed to make you a lot of money! ”

Cao Hao thought for a moment and asked, "Will it be too risky to stock up?" Not to mention that the cost is suppressed, once the market is not good, how many goods will be lost in it. ”

Wei Xin said: "What Childe said is true. However, the hoarding of goods in Guangdong is different from other places, they are all foreign goods, and those clever things are not mentioned, and a lot of gold and silver forgings are turned into casting some others, which are also valuable. And as long as it is not food and clothing, it will not rot or be damaged, if the local market is not good, it will be transferred to other places to sell, but it will not be lost in the hands if it takes more freight. It's just a short of pressing the cost, or how to think about the Jiang family's silver money! ”

Cao Hao thinks about it, the number of foreign goods shipped to Guangdong in a year is limited, and there will be no run on the market if there is not so much supply. Moreover, even if there is more local supply in Guangdong, demand is still far greater than supply in China as a whole. When the time comes, it will just be less profitable to transfer out, and the possibility of losing money is indeed very small.

Now, although the Cao family got a million taels of silver in one fell swoop, they have to pay off their debts. If you want to do this business, you have to find someone like the Jiang family. Whether in terms of the number of assets or from the family background, the Jiang family is a suitable partner, in fact, there is no need to bully them, just let [***] Qianzhuang provide them with low-interest loans.

Cao Hao also made calculations in his heart. Now that there is a silver money from this pearl club, the Cao family's foreign debts are basically profitable, and the profits of the pearl garden and tea garden within three years are still the Cao family's, is there any need to get involved in the hoarding industry? Do you make money safely, or do you take some risks to make a lot of money? However, he quickly thought of Li Xu's side, and according to Li Xu's current approach, maybe the Li family would collapse first in a few years. Although Cao Hao is not interested in planning for the Li family, and has no intention of paying for the Li family, but after all, they are close relatives, what does the Li family really have, and the Cao family is also unlucky, this is not easy to take out.

Cao Hao rubbed his temples: "It's a good road." But there are always some risks, and you have to think about it in the long run. This pearl meeting ended smoothly, and there should be a celebration banquet, so it will be set in tomorrow, and everyone will have a good time. The Jiang family is cooperating with us, so please invite them to come too, and then we can discuss this matter. ”

Wei Xin nodded yes, and the two discussed how to make this table and how to negotiate a loan with the Jiang family. Until the discussion was settled, Fang dispersed.

* Back in the mansion, Cao Hao divided those silver tickets into several points, and the Yang family's 150,000 taels were taken out separately, which was intended to be kept by the Zheng family brothers and sisters. The others were left with 1,287,000 taels, leaving an integer of 1.2 million, and the other 87,000 taels were also taken out alone, which was left to Wei Xin's side. This time, Wei Xin returned to Jiangning and got back a lot of the capital and profits of the business in Guangdong, and he should still make up for it. For the rest, Cao Hao still packed it in a box and went to Kaiyang Courtyard.

In the main room of Kaiyang Courtyard, only Cao Yin was there, and the Li family went to Xifu to visit the Zhao Jia family, who claimed to be sick.

Cao Yin sat on the kang with his clothes draped, although he was still very thin, his face was much rudder. Looking at the small box handed over by his son, he couldn't believe that it was a box full of silver tickets. If he takes a cursory look, it is by no means something that hundreds of thousands can stop.

"How can there be so many?" Cao Yin put down the small box and asked in surprise.

Cao Hao replied: "Merchants seek profits, if we don't want to use money, and then pull them, there is more than that." Here is 1,200,000 taels, father, is it enough to settle the deficit? The son asked Cao Fang, this year's spring tea has been on the market, and there are more than 200,000 silver left, and there are more than 1.1 million left over the deficit! ”

Cao Yin nodded, let out a long breath, and looked at his son, with a lot of relief on his face. If it weren't for his son's early planning, the deficit of three million taels of silver would be difficult to pay off even if the family went bankrupt. However, he also faintly felt guilty that he failed to save money for his son, but he was tired of trying to make the Cao family lose money.

Cao Hao remembered Zhuang Chang who went to Suzhou, remembered something, and raised his head and asked, "Father, what do you think of Uncle Suzhou?" ”

Cao Hao also wants to be safe, and his family's deficit will be closed immediately, but don't be affected by others. The Li family is now married to the Governor's Palace, and the limelight is becoming more and more popular, so it is inevitable that there will be trouble if this continues. Not to mention that Nagari and Brother Jiu are in-laws, and there is also an unclean connection with the prince; Speaking of Li Xu's current duties, how could Kangxi be willing for him to get too close to the governor and others. He originally acted as the eyes and ears of the above, supervising the officialdom in Jiangnan, and if he mixed himself up like this, he would only end up being a person inside and out.

Cao Yin heard his son mention Li Xu, his brows furrowed slightly, and he remembered Li Xu's visit a few days ago.

That said, Li Xu came to Jiangning, and before attending the birthday banquet of the Governor's Palace, he had visited Cao Yin in the Weaving Mansion. In the conversation, there was a bit of self-satisfaction. Cao Yin took his own house as an example and once again reminded Li Xu to pay attention to the shortfall.

Li Xu didn't have the slightest worry, it was the shortfall pulled down by the southern tour of the Long Live Lord, and now there is the silver from the salt class to make up for it, isn't it just right? Anyway, it's all a royal errand, will Long Live Lord be held accountable? Besides, the reason why he and Cao Yin were arranged to take turns in charge of the Jiangnan Salt Class was not precisely so that they would be able to pay off the deficit as soon as possible.

In fact, in Li Xu's heart, he was somewhat dissatisfied with Cao Yin's use of his own money to repay the shortfall. always thinks that such a pretentious will only make others embarrassed and end up complaining. This really shows the loyalty of the Cao family, but it makes it difficult for other families to do! Do others sell their own property? How many families have a family like the Cao family, can it be said that they will pay it back?

In this Jiangnan realm, Cao Yin is not the only one who is loyal to the Long Live Lord. thinks of him Li Xu, who is also a young man's companion, and has been loyal all his life, but he has always been pressed by Cao Yin. Speaking of age, he is a few years older than Cao Yin, and he will be in Suzhou for 20 years. The Cao family has an iron hat king Fujin, and he has to marry a county lord, where do the children of the Li family have such grace? Thinking of this, Li Xu listened to Cao Yin's advice again, and felt more and more harsh. ——The Cao family guards several tea gardens, like mountains of gold and silver, so naturally they don't have a backache when they stand and talk.

Li Xu said a few negative words in the end, and in the end, the two broke up unhappily.

Cao Yin told Cao Hao about the plot of the meeting between the two, and the father and son had no other way. Although their surnames are not publicized, others may not be willing to do so.

Cao Hao carefully recalled what later generations knew, and it seemed that one of the reasons why the Cao family was convicted in the Yongzheng Dynasty was that when the Li family raided the house, he helped hide his belongings. If the Li family really has that day in the future, someone comes over to beg the mother, then how can the mother refuse? No, it's a hidden danger! Even if he can't escape the fate of early death, it's better to plan in advance for the rest of his mother's life.

After thinking about it for a while, Cao Hao put forward his own suggestion: "Father, my grandmother only has one mother under her knees, and she has no other flesh and blood, should she also be brought to our house and let us do our filial piety!" ”

Cao Yin glanced at his son and understood his intentions, he couldn't help frowning a little, and shouted loudly: "The Li family, in the end, is your mother's family!" "Looking at the son's arrangement, it seems that he has made the worst plan to prevent the Li family from implicating the Cao family because of the Gao family's Taijun. Although it is to protect the family, the human affection is so weak, which really makes Cao Yin feel a little cold.

Cao Hao was a little annoyed in his heart, but because Cao Yin was not in good health, he was unwilling to collide with him, so he still looked at his father very calmly and said, "Where in this world is there a family that will never decay?" Even the Suo Etu and Mingzhu, who were said to be in power in the past, could not ensure the longevity of their family. Jiangnan officialdom, the power is rampant, like my father, it is inevitable that someone will dump it; And what kind of fate can happen to an uncle who mixes like this, can't my father think of it? If the Cao family is kept, even if the Li family declines, we can give money and land to settle their families. If we are implicated, then who can help us? ”

These words are true, Cao Yin understands it in his heart, but his face is a little uneasy. Could it be that he has lived for half his life, and he still uses him as a son to mention something? Just frowned, wanting to reprimand him a few more words, when his eyes swept over the box of silver tickets, Cao Yin finally didn't say anything.

Seeing that his son was young, but he seemed to be more thorough than his father, Cao Yin couldn't help but feel a little stunned.

For a moment, neither father nor son spoke, and there was some silence in the room. Coincidentally, the Li family came back from visiting Zhaojia's family in Xifu, and they were very happy to see that their son was also there. Because the silver ticket had not yet been put away, Li couldn't help but be shocked when he saw so much. Although Cao Hao said that it was earned at the Pearl Club, she was still a little worried. Cao Yin opened his mouth and told her not to follow her heart, naturally their father and son would take care of it here.

Li knew that his son was busy during this time, so he couldn't help but take his hand, and after looking carefully, he really didn't see him too tired, so he breathed a sigh of relief. Thinking that he was preparing the Bergamot Sea to participate in the canned quail at night, Li left Cao Hao to eat here.

Although Cao Hao and Cao Yin were a little awkward, they were unwilling to go against their mother's wishes, so they nodded and agreed. The Li family sent someone to Chunnuan Pavilion to invite Cao Yi, a family of four, and had dinner together.

* The next time, Linjiang Building closed for internal celebrations. There are more than a dozen tables in the lobby, and the Cao family, the Wei family, and the Jiang family are invited to contribute to the Pearl Society's stewards and servants and the people of Linjiang Building, and there are two tables in the private room on the second floor, separated by a screen, and in the screen are Han Jiang and Zheng Woxue, Cao Hao, Wei Xin, Zheng Hai, Cao Fang and several big stewards of the Jiang family sit at the outer table.

After a few polite opening remarks, everyone began to push the cups and change the lamps. After three rounds of drinking, Cao Hao glanced at Cao Fang, Cao Yi and Zheng Hai got up, and asked a few stewards of the Jiang family to go downstairs to drink with the guys. Zheng Woxue in the screen also confessed to Han Jiang's family, saying that he would go out to relieve himself.

Han Jiang knew that the Cao family must have something to discuss, so he immediately asked his maid to go out with him. Outside, Cheng Wenkui, the old Chaofeng of Qianzhuang and Han Jiang's uncle, saw it and knew what it meant, so he sent those stewards out and stayed by himself.

Only Cao Hao, Wei Xin, Cheng Wenkui and Han Jiang were left in the box.

Cao Hao and Wei Xin glanced at each other, and were about to speak, but the Han Jiang clan in the screen preemptively spoke: "This time, Meng Cao Gongzi and Wei Wuye will not give up, let us [***] Qian Zhuang participate in this big business, the little woman is grateful, and the great favor will be repaid!" This wine is dried first as a respect, and I hope that the two of you will take care of us more in the future. ”

(To be continued)