Wei Zhanggui felt his blood boiling, fists clenched, as he stared intently at Zhang Fang. At forty years old, he resembled a youthful man in his twenties, shouting passionately, “Slash through thorns and cut a bloody path!”
The farmers kneeling on the ground looked at Zhang Fang in a daze, confused about market competition. They only knew that everyone was opting to buy foreign cloth instead of local fabric, leading to the closure of many textile stores. The raw materials they cultivated were only purchased by the Zhang family. As long as the Zhang family continued to operate, they would support whatever they chose to do!
Someone imitated Wei Zhanggui, raising their fist and shouting, “Slash through thorns and cut a bloody path!”
Master Zhang tried to persuade these distributors earnestly, even humbling himself to plead with them, but their minds remained unchanged. In the end, he had to agree to refund their goods. He directed them to count their inventory for settlement, and with a hunched back, Master Zhang headed outside, planning to visit the governor’s office of Liangjiang to discuss the resettlement of thousands of farmers.
Just as he reached the entrance of the store, he heard shouting outside.
“Slash through thorns and cut a bloody path!”
Hearing the words clearly made Master Zhang feel baffled, and he quickened his pace to go out.
A crowd was enthusiastically chanting slogans with their fists raised high. Among them was a figure shining like light. Wasn’t that his youngest son? Wasn’t this boy supposed to be learning in the store? How did he end up outside, mingling with these farmers, without fearing their reproach?
When he saw Wei Zhanggui, also raising his fist and chanting slogans like the farmers, Master Zhang felt even angrier. He had sent Wei Zhanggui to teach Zhang Fang, and yet Wei Zhanggui took Zhang Fang out to face this crowd! What did this mean?
Master Zhang, with a stern expression, instructed someone by his side to bring Zhang Fang and Wei Zhanggui over.
“Fifth Young Master, the master wants you to come back,” a servant whispered to Zhang Fang.
Zhang Fang turned and glanced at the entrance where Master Zhang stood, waving and shouting loudly, “Father!”
Master Zhang: …
That rebellious son! Did he want to ensure everyone saw him?
The farmers lowered their hands, stopping their chanting, their eyes fixed intently on Master Zhang.
Helpless, Master Zhang descended the steps with a straight face and approached Zhang Fang.
Wei Zhanggui was as excited as if he had been given a shot of adrenaline, eagerly telling Master Zhang, “Master, the Fifth Young Master just promised that as long as he is in the store, it will not close! And as long as the store stays open, we will keep purchasing raw materials! The Fifth Young Master also said that he will slash through thorns and carve a bloody path! Our millennia-old fabrics can resist time, and how can mere foreign cloth compare to our fabric!”
The corners of Master Zhang’s eyes twitched. He stared speechlessly at Wei Zhanggui and then shot a sidelong glance at Zhang Fang. How could this young man brag so boldly? Was he not afraid of blowing himself apart?
Observing Master Zhang’s displeasure, Zhang Fang fixed his gaze on him, resolutely declaring, “Father, from today onward, I will lead Zhang Family Cloth Store to contest against foreign fabrics!”
This was not merely a commercial war; it was a fight for national dignity.
Behind commerce lay the impact on the lives of millions. If the Zhang Family Cloth Store gave up and ceded the market to foreign merchants, what would become of those millions? If these farmers lost their livelihoods, they would be forced to take desperate measures and plant opium. Consequently, opium would shift from being imported to becoming a domestic drug. The entire nation would suffer from its toxic effects. The army would not function, the nation would be in peril, and the populace would be left as mere shells of their former selves! They would be at the mercy of foreign powers!
Master Zhang clenched his cane tightly, lips pressed together, with a profound gaze fixed on Zhang Fang.
After a moment, he slowly spoke, his voice powerful as he said, “Good. Fight for it!”
At that moment, Master Zhang had already accepted the reality that the Zhang family could face utter ruin and losing everything.
With Master Zhang’s support, a smile crept across Zhang Fang’s lips.
Master Zhang also revealed a faint smile. Facing the farmers, he introduced Zhang Fang, “This unworthy boy is my youngest son. He is ambitious and loves a challenge. Since the words have been spoken, let him be! I promise here and now that the Zhang family is willing to devote its entire fortune to support the cloth store, provided it remains open. We will continue to purchase raw materials as before! You all can rest assured to farm and labor!”
With Master Zhang’s assurance, the farmers finally felt relieved. Joy spread across their faces, and their previous concerns dissipated like smoke. They expressed their gratitude to Master Zhang: “Thank you, Master Zhang! Thank you, Zhang family! We will work hard to farm and raise silkworms, producing top-quality fabric for the Zhang Family Cloth Store!”
Master Zhang nodded lightly.
After the farmers left, Master Zhang’s expression instantly changed, and his mouth turned down as he coldly glared at Zhang Fang, scolding in a peculiar tone, “When did I hand over the family business to you? You’ve got some nerve! I’m still alive, and you want to usurp my position! You think it’s that easy to be the master of the cloth store?”
Seeing Master Zhang reproaching Zhang Fang, Wei Zhanggui hurriedly interjected, “Master, the Fifth Young Master is skilled and ambitious! Although he is young, he sees further than us old fellows! Over these years, the market has been tumultuous and ever-changing. To this day, we don’t know why foreign cloth has pushed us to this point, but the Fifth Young Master has hit the nail on the head, helping me understand.”
Master Zhang looked skeptical, sneering coldly.
Wei Zhanggui felt awkward, glancing at Zhang Fang, wondering if he hadn’t yet clearly conveyed things to Master Zhang?
Thus, Wei Zhanggui could only patiently explain, “Master, at first, foreign cloth was not popular when it entered the market. When did it start to gain popularity? It began after some merchants started selling foreign cloth. As more merchants sold foreign cloth, promoting it vigorously, it gradually gained acceptance. Later, these merchants started to sell our local fabric at lower prices, engaging in price competition until local fabric was deemed worthless. The market was quickly taken over by foreign cloth, while our local fabric went unacknowledged.”
“For thousands of years, our silk has always been cherished by the West. After the price drop on our cloth, foreign merchants seized the opportunity to purchase it in large quantities, shipping it back to the West for high prices. Foreign cloth has invaded our market, attempting to force us out while acquiring our fabric at low prices. The ones profiting handsomely are them! These despicable bastards are infuriating!”