Early the next morning, Xiao Fan asked people to notify Xiao Wen and Xiao Wu brothers to come.

This time I went back to Suzhou with Zhao Paner, in addition to representing the Qian family to participate in the polo meeting organized by Mrs. Sun, another purpose was to let Zhao Paner thoroughly understand the industry in Suzhou.

Moreover, after the polo club, he had to go to various granges and salt farms to inspect them, and his cousin, who had previously managed the Nanyang merchant ships for him, wanted to expand the scale and wanted to buy two more boats to run the Nanyang business.

It's just that buying a ship is not a trivial matter, after all, even a medium-sized merchant ship with 3,000 materials costs tens of thousands, and what his cousin Qian Lang wants to buy is a large merchant ship with 5,000 materials, and that thing costs 25,000 yuan.

However, for the money made from ocean trade, the cost of buying a ship is nothing.

His previous merchant ships sailed to and from the South Seas once a year, carrying silk, tea and porcelain, and returning with coral, spices, pearls and other specialties from the South Seas.

Excluding the city tax and the crew's wages, a round trip can probably earn 30,000 or 40,000 yuan, which can be regarded as a real windfall profit.

It's just that although the profits are large, the risks are not small, once they encounter accidental shipwrecks or murderous and looted pirates, they will lose all their money, and many small maritime merchants will be ruined because of this.

It didn't take long for the two brothers Xiao Wen and Xiao Wu to rush over as soon as they received the summons.

"I don't know what Childe ordered to summon my two brothers?"

Xiao Wen is in his thirties, with a calm temperament, and has been in charge of the salt village and shops for Xiao Fan before. Knowing that with Xiao Fan's temperament and trust in them, he would definitely not be in such a hurry to come over to them.

Therefore, the first time he saw Xiao Fan, he asked Xiao Fan why he called their brother here.

As for Xiao Wu, he stood behind his brother and looked indifferent, for him, he just came to listen to orders, and he just did whatever the son told him to do.

The two brothers with very different personalities in front of him are the sons of the Xiao family, who have grown up with Xiao Fan since he was a child, and are his right-hand men.

"Brother Wen, don't be so restrained, calling the two of you brothers here today is to let you and Pan'er meet, after all, she will take care of the family property in the future, you will explain the specific situation to her later." Xiao Fan patted Xiao Wen's shoulder and said.

"Madame!" Xiao Wen and Xiao Wu hurriedly greeted respectfully.

"Brother Wen, Brother Wu, it's okay for me to call you that like an official, right? You don't have to be polite, in the future, the business of the salt village and the shops will depend on the two of you. Zhao Paner said with a smile.

"Madame has tormented us, since Childe has asked you to take over these properties, no matter what happens in the future, it will be up to Madame's orders." Xiao Wen said respectfully.

Xiao Wu looked at it and clenched his fists and said, "Me too." ”

"Since you two are the confidants of my family officials, I naturally trust you as well. You sit down first," Zhao Pan'er and Xiao Fan sat down and motioned for Xiao Wen and Xiao Wu to sit down, and then instructed Xiao Zhao: "Xiao Zhao, go and serve tea." ”

"More ma'am!" Xiao Wen and Xiao Wu didn't say a word after seeing Xiao Fan greet the two of them, knowing that Xiao Fan was letting Zhao Paner be fully responsible, they sat down after glancing at each other, waiting for Zhao Paner's next orders.

"By the way, when Brother Wu went to Qiantang before, he said that Brother Wen wanted to expand the business of our Yanzhuang, and then the official asked him to go back to Suzhou to assist Brother Wen, I don't know what the situation is now?" Zhao Paner asked.

"Madame, we have recruited a lot of salt workers and guards during this time, and we have temporarily returned to the previous level." Xiao Wen replied.

"Then tell me about the specific situation of the shops in the salt village you manage."

"Our family's five salt farms are all on the Xiuzhou side, although we lost a lot of guards before, but because our reputation is still there, it will not have much impact in a short time, and after recruiting guards again, we will settle down again."

"As for the shops, our shops are mainly salt shops and grain shops along the canal, and there are several shops in Suzhou, Hangzhou, Yuezhou and Xiuzhou that sell the spices and jewelry we brought back."

"What about the earnings?" Zhao Paner asked again.

"The grain and salt shops together earned more than 35,000 yuan last year, and the spice and jewelry shops also earned 20,000 yuan last year. However, the money earned before was used to expand the business, and now the cash in the treasury is less than 100,000 yuan. ”

"One hundred thousand? Then you remember to prepare 50,000 yuan for standby at any time, and we will buy two more large merchant ships that can run the South Seas this time. ”

Xiao Fan had mentioned to Zhao Paner before the idea that Qian Lang wanted to buy two more ships, but the money for the goods behind the boats was not enough.

Qian Lang sent someone to Qiantang to ask Xiao Fan before, so Zhao Paner asked Xiao Wen to prepare the money, planning to see if he would buy a boat after understanding the situation.

"Buying a boat? Did my uncle tell his wife? ”

"Yes, I think it's very profitable to go to the South Seas, and my cousin said that he would buy two more boats, recruit more people, and wait for two years to form his own fleet and go to sea." Zhao Paner, like Xiao Fan, is quite optimistic about the trade to Nanyang.

"Madam, don't look at the high profits of Nanyang, but the risks are also big, there are a lot of people in Xiuzhou who lose their money every year because of shipwrecks. It's better to continue to expand the business on land, it's really not possible to buy a few more granges, although you make less, but you won't lose money! Xiao Wen didn't agree to make money through sea trade, so he argued with Zhao Paner.

"How can this business be done without risk? Our ship went to sea with the Qian family's fleet, and we were not afraid of pirates at all, and we took familiar routes, which were not comparable to those small maritime merchants. Zhao Paner said disapprerovitically.

"Moreover, we are not going to continue to do our business on land, and we can use the rest of the money to continue to expand these stable businesses of grain and salt farms."

"Yes, as Madame instructs." Although Xiao Wen was still not very happy with Zhao Paner's reduction of investment in land business and instead strengthened maritime trade, he still decided to honestly follow Zhao Paner's instructions, anyway, he had done his due diligence.

"Okay, don't be bitter, stay and eat later, I mean to increase investment in maritime trade." Xiao Fan walked up to Xiao Wen and patted him on the shoulder, and said with a little melancholy: "My father was demoted out of Beijing this time after all, so let's keep a low profile, the business at sea is not as conspicuous as on land." ”

"Don't worry, Childe, I will do what Madame tells me."

"Childe, then let's go practice now?" As soon as Xiao Wu saw that the business was over, he began to make an appointment with Xiao Fan.

"Let's go, practice, let me see if you've grown these days?"

The result was obvious, Xiao Wu was not an opponent at all, and he couldn't parry it after a few moves, and waved his hand to indicate that he would not fight.

……………

Ladies and gentlemen, the new book is seeking to be read, and it is not recommended to read enough. Ask for recommended tickets and commuter passes