After so many years of doing business wherever he went, Mr. Zhang had encountered quite a few bandits. However, those bandits were only after money and did not harm lives. Since the rebellion in the western frontier, it was a different story: both robbery and murder were rampant, creating a hellish environment.
Recalling those bloody days, Mr. Zhang felt queasy, and a headache throbbed in his temples. He put a hand over his head to ease the discomfort and changed the subject, asking, “Those rebellious sons haven’t caused me any more troubles, have they?”
Old Zhao hesitated for a moment before reporting the truth: “The fifth young master took the eldest young master and others to the Qing Shan Temple for cultivation, vowing to give up indulgences in food, drink, gambling, and promiscuity to turn over a new leaf!”
Lowering his hand, Mr. Zhang wore a disbelieving expression and incredulously asked, “You’re not trying to pull a fast one on me, are you?”
Old Zhao shook his head and quietly added, “There’s one more thing, the fifth young master seems to have gotten into big trouble…”
Mr. Zhang: …
Taking a deep breath, he gripped the chair’s armrest and said to Old Zhao, “Speak up! What crime has that rebellious son committed now!”
“Ever since the Governor of Liangjiang ordered a ban on opium at the end of last year, the officials have been cracking down hard on it. Originally, this matter had nothing to do with the fifth young master…”
Before Old Zhao could finish, Mr. Zhang interrupted him in an agitated tone, “That rebellious son dares to smoke opium! I’ll beat him to death!”
After saying this, Mr. Zhang stood up, ready to rush out to teach someone a lesson.
Old Zhao hurriedly reached out to restrain Mr. Zhang and quickly completed his report. “Not so! My lord, the fifth young master has done a commendable deed! He somehow befriended a drug dealer, lured the person out, and reported them to the authorities. Using this lead, the officials uncovered some collusion between a few officials and foreign traders who were secretly selling opium.”
The previously furious Mr. Zhang immediately calmed down, slowly sitting back down and gripping the armrest, understanding the implications of this matter.
Though Zhang Fang had offended officials, Mr. Zhang did not believe his son had done anything wrong.
“Where is the fifth young master now?” Mr. Zhang asked Old Zhao.
Old Zhao reminded him, “The fifth young master is at Qing Shan Temple practicing cultivation. He isn’t in the residence.”
Mr. Zhang snorted with disdain, “What a clever way to hide! That kid must know he’s caused trouble and is trying to escape! All this talk of cultivation and turning over a new leaf is nonsense!”
“My lord, I once went to find Lord Lin, the governor of Liangjiang. However, Lord Lin is not in Jiangnan, as he has been summoned to the capital,” Old Zhao informed Mr. Zhang.
“Hmm. I’ll write a letter right away and immediately send someone to deliver it to Lord Lin!” Mr. Zhang rose to go to his study and thoughtfully penned a letter.
“Having returned from travels, my lord must be weary. I’ve had someone prepare meals; wouldn’t it be better to refresh yourself before dining?” Old Zhao noticed how much Mr. Zhang had been affected by this experience. He needed to relax and relieve his emotions.
Mr. Zhang absentmindedly responded. He picked up his pen to write another letter.
However, after finishing this letter, he took it to the candlelight and burned it.
News of the chaos in the western frontier should not be spread by him. Even if he needed to inform the Governor of Liangjiang, it would have to wait until Lord Lin returned for a face-to-face discussion. Writing it down was inappropriate.
Even when returning to the Zhang family, Mr. Zhang did not feel at ease. He needed to comfort the relatives of the soldiers who had sacrificed their lives. He also had to think about how to sell off the surplus fabric sitting in the warehouse.
Currently, foreign fabric occupied seventy percent of the market, with only the poor buying local cloth, but they could not afford the most expensive fabrics. If he couldn’t figure out a way to sell them, all that stock would end up weighing down Mr. Zhang.
Many fabric stores went bankrupt this way. First, they couldn’t sell their stock, leading to an accumulation of unsold goods, and even at a steep discount, no one wanted them. When these stores went under, it was the farmers who raised silkworms and wove fabric who would feel the impact. These people had lost their livelihoods, becoming increasingly impoverished. They had used their land for mulberry cultivation, relying on purchasing grain entirely. Once their livelihood was cut off, without income, these people couldn’t afford food, making it hard for them to survive.
Mr. Zhang had held on for so many years, but now foreign fabrics were squeezing local fabrics into an ever-narrowing market. This path only grew more stressful, making it even difficult to breathe.
The Zhang family possessed immense wealth; even if the fabric store went bankrupt, the Zhang family would remain prosperous. Yet those common folks who worked for the Zhang family’s fabric store were the ones suffering!
For the sake of these people behind him, even though the road ahead was filled with obstacles and stones, Mr. Zhang, even if he had to walk barefoot and bloody, would grit his teeth and press on!
It is often said that merchants prioritize profit and that businesspeople are lowly. However, well-read Mr. Zhang always upheld the principle of “benefiting the world once he achieves success.” Even as a merchant, he could provide value to his country and its people!
Old Zhao had been busy with Mr. Zhang for half a month and finally remembered to go to Qing Shan Temple to inform Zhang Fang.
“Second, Second Young Master?”
Seeing the person who opened the door, Old Zhao hardly recognized him. This person looked like Second Young Master Zhang, but he was rounder than Zhang Er and skinnier than Zhang San! For a moment, Old Zhao couldn’t distinguish whether the person at the door was Second Young Master or Third Young Master Zhang.
Upon seeing Old Zhao, Third Young Master Zhang’s eyes went red as if he had seen a savior. He excitedly grabbed Old Zhao’s hand and said, “Uncle Zhao! Hurry and take us home! It’s too hard here! This is no place for people to live! I want to go home!”
Hearing the commotion, Zhang Dazhao and the rest quickly set aside what they were doing, rushing to the entrance.
They eagerly pulled at Old Zhao’s hand, pleading with him to take them back to the Zhang family.
Old Zhao noticed their appearances had changed drastically. Although Zhang Dazhao had tanned, he looked much more energetic! The hollowed-out appearance had given way to a vigorous young man!
As for Zhang Er, who had always stooped, looking even more hunched than Old Zhao; now he stood tall like a young pine!
The changes in Third Young Master Zhang were the most apparent! He had lost a lot of weight! Now he looked pleasantly plump! Old Zhao had almost failed to recognize him when he opened the door!
Fourth Young Master Zhang had also changed significantly! He had previously indulged in drinking, developing a beer belly. Now, he was bare-chested, the belly gone! His abdomen was flat, and he was clearly sweating, evidently having just exercised. If he continued to train for a while longer, achieving six-pack abs would not be an issue!