[Pride and Prejudice] Rich Lady

Mr. Anthony is a wealthy businessman who is willing to take risks and loves to ride the wind and waves by nature. This can be seen by sailing himself after he already has a huge fleet and a high status.

However, Mr. Anthony has dozens of stewards who cooperate with him to handle daily affairs, which makes it possible that even if he drifts away from the sea for several months, his other fleet and business on land in various countries will not be affected.

"Miss Elizabeth, you should hire some reliable managers." Mr. Anthony Xue sincerely suggested to Elizabeth, "Look, there are many jobs in the pastry shop, jam workshop, restaurant that will open soon, and some small businesses you invest in. It's all up to you to do it—sometimes you have to wait until Sunday, when you come out of college." It's an inconvenience and a waste of time.

Elizabeth accepted the suggestion. In fact, she is also planning this matter. Mr. William has long reminded her in the letter: the bigger the investment and business stall is, the more you have to separate yourself from the specific and detailed work. .Otherwise, not only will there be more and more affairs to deal with, but it may also have a negative effect. In the words of Mr. William, "it is extremely dangerous for a property owner and investor to fail to grasp the overall situation."

Mr. William shared his experience in managing the property with Elizabeth, and told her how and when she could find reliable managers, such as some unemployed housekeepers, bankrupt factory owners, and educated workers. Under the circumstances, in order to protect the honor of Miss, Mr. William believes that Miss can also hire some educated women who live in poverty. There are some charitable boarding schools, which require careful selection of character and ability.

Mr Anthony interrupted her contemplation: "Green tea has taken off in London and some places around it, but it's not enough."

Elizabeth pondered for a while, and said cautiously: "The dessert shop will inevitably expand, such as Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire, but we have no intention of other places for the time being. This is the heart of England, and almost all wealthy people gather here every year. Mr. Anthony should know that only these people can afford the expensive green tea you transport and sell."

“If possible, we would like to open a Ming-style pastry shop in Paris, but it’s not easy there now. These shops favored by the aristocrats and rich people are not popular.” Elizabeth said.But even if the business of the pastry shop in Paris is very good, the effect on the promotion of green tea will not be very good. Except for the United Kingdom, France, Italy and the Americas where the Boston Tea Party happened, people love coffee, the "black gold", more than tea.

"In addition to customers and sources, the tea business depends on the local tea merchants." Elizabeth answered pertinently, "Thanks to your help, the dessert shop has improved, and green tea with refreshments has improved. This has almost been realized before Mr. Anthony. purpose, isn't it?"

Anthony whispered such unnutritious words as "unlovely lady" and "real cruel lady".Elizabeth was noncommittal, she was very busy, if Mr. Xue hadn't left England soon, and she wouldn't be back for at least a few months, she would not have allowed him to step on the third floor - a rare rest day, Elizabeth wanted to go back to the apartment and be with Jane, Lydia stayed together.

But even if no one cheers, Mr. Anthony can say he is happy.The renovation work of the Ming-style restaurant has come to the end, Elizabeth reminded herself: Mr. Anthony is already a partner who cannot be changed, and he must maintain his demeanor and not speak out.At this point, Elizabeth missed working with her dear Laura terribly.

"Why do you British people like black tea more than green tea? You must know that in Daming, green tea is more popular." Mr. Anthony was very puzzled, "Green tea is more difficult to preserve than black tea, and it is much more difficult to transport. It shouldn't be a matter of rarity." Is it expensive?" When he first got involved in maritime trade, Mr. Anthony had excitedly spent a lot of money to buy a batch of high-quality Emei Xueya and West Lake Longjing, but he almost lost half of his family fortune. It was sold at a good price and barely saved its capital.

"Mr. Anthony also said that green tea is difficult to store and transport. After a few months in the hot and humid cabin, green tea is easy to deteriorate, while black tea sometimes has a fermented mellow aroma." Elizabeth's dessert shop recently needs to pack a lot every day Green tea, she has seen moldy and spoiled tea with her own eyes.

"And we like to add sugar and milk to our tea. Many types of black tea can be blended into these flavors, but green tea?" Elizabeth laughed: "When the dessert shop by the Thames River just welcomed customers, some ladies used green tea habitually. With half a cup of milk and a spoonful of sugar, Mr Anthony can imagine the taste."

That was before the store found any problems and redecorated, there were no recommended combinations of refreshments and tea, and the shop assistants didn't know how to introduce them to customers.The patrons asked them to bring milk and powdered sugar, and the clerks stupidly brought up milk cups and sugar bowls, and the result can be imagined.The ladies tried their best to maintain their demeanor, but they still couldn't help wasting a pot of good tea, and left immediately when they were unhappy.

"Also, the issue of adulteration."

Anthony became serious. He looked at the lady, waiting for her next words.

"The problem of smuggling and adulteration is almost endless. But the counterfeiting of black tea is different from the counterfeiting of green tea. Counterfeit green tea is more harmful, isn't it?"

Anthony applauded lightly, and Miss Elizabeth was so perceptive.Half a month ago, a Ming fleet stopped four tea ships that were about to enter the port near the English Channel. Not only did they detain the ships and people, but they also dumped all the tea boxes into the sea.This aroused even more sensational repercussions in England than the Boston Tea Party in America 30 years ago. People talked about it, and even the king and officials asked about it.The newspaper only said that this matter was a private matter between the merchants of the Ming Dynasty and the fleet. Anthony did not expect that the lady would guess the truth.

"In fact, the Times said that 'countless green tea leaves were swept by the sea, just like the sound of throwing gold into the water', and it is said that the ships were old and worn out, unlike the lucky ships of the Ming Dynasty - the green tea on Mr. Anthony's ship would still be whole. The box has deteriorated due to damp, not to mention such a crude sailing ship. Obviously, this is not a tea ship sailing from the distant Ming Dynasty, let alone serious tea, no one would put such a precious thing on a broken ship."

The fashionable businessman from the Ming Dynasty laughed, "That's right! In fact, the cost of counterfeiting green tea is much lower than that of black tea, and it is also easier. In our Daming, there was a case where young locust locust leaves were faked to make tea, and it was almost difficult to distinguish the real one. False, but the risk and cost of doing this kind of thing in the Ming Dynasty is too high, gradually, more and more accidents happened on the European side."

"Dry the leaves and grass leaves, and then mix them with some real tea, which is a whole box of well-preserved green tea. On the ships half a month ago, there was not a single real tea leaf in the hundreds of boxes of 'green tea'. It’s a fake. There’s a French perfumer on board, he made some solution, the fake tea leaves are soaked and then dried, not only the color and shape are more similar, but also has a little fragrance.” Anthony turned the finger on the finger and said flatly : "Now he has gone to sea with his greatest achievement. The owner of the Deming fleet is my old friend, and his temper is not as good as mine."

"He's a savage, and I'm a gentleman," muttered Mr. Gentleman, before turning to his partner, "Oh, cunning lady, these things are the work of sea merchants, not of land business—Miss Elizabeth , I need a certificate to determine the proportion of my fleet’s cargo, whether this business is worth it.”

Anthony nodded at the table, "Green tea is indeed more popular than before, but you see, the sea merchants of Daming haven't tasted the sweetness yet, and someone has rushed to grab this piece of meat before us, dear Miss Elizabeth, if you can't persuade Me, I can't risk a ship's worth of cargo."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes in her heart, obviously he wanted to open up the green tea trade, but now she seemed to be begging him.From the standpoint of a businessman, Elizabeth would not be so stupid as to promise to buy goods of uncertain quality, not to mention that the dessert shop can't eat that much, Anthony's biggest customers should be businessmen engaged in the tea business.

The lady smirked and said: "Mr. Anthony is absolutely right. Adulteration is the business of the sea merchants. Of course, how to eat this piece of meat is also the business of the sea merchants themselves. You have said that green tea is in demand in England, then It takes an insignificant young lady to prove something."

Elizabeth quickly said: "There is one more good news, I think it is enough to help Mr. Anthony!" The lady was eager to end this small talk that could not bring actual profits, and she said quickly: "Mr. One of the best forms of flattery these days. There is a saying in England that is loathed by the clergy, but people think it is true - 'Caries is fairer than God'. Many people have now heard of a wonderful way that green tea can Prevent tooth decay. Whether it is true or not, as long as Mr. Anthony is willing, he can completely turn this rumor into truth..."

"Well, my dear sir, I must go away. My sisters are waiting for me. Mr. Anthony is very busy. Please take care of yourself."

Mr. Anthony looked at the back of the lady who disappeared quickly without any regrets, shrugged his shoulders, and spread his hands to his close assistant: "Grandpa sent a letter to urge me to visit this lady, and I must show my courtesy—but you see , Miss is completely lazy to pay attention to me."

As he said that, the gentleman who thought he was very handsome rubbed his face, and couldn't understand Miss Elizabeth's unkind attitude. You must know that he has always been very popular.

The assistant twitched his lips, and ignored the incomprehensible host: A gentleman chatted with a lady, not only did he not compliment and praise her, but he always wanted to dig a hole for others, trying to trick her into laying the groundwork for his business.Unmarried men and women don't talk about art, poetry, or philosophy of life, but talk about the boring business of green tea?Mr. Assistant felt that Miss Elizabeth was tolerant and funny enough that she had endured it for so long.

Elizabeth took Lakasa back to her apartment about a mile from the dessert shop.

"Lakasha, do you feel that someone is watching us?" Elizabeth stopped, looked around, and asked the maid.

Lakasha's chubby body blocked Elizabeth, vigilantly glanced at the people nearby, and said doubtfully, "No, miss."

Elizabeth always felt a little weird, but Jane and Lydia had already greeted her warmly, so she had no choice but to keep this doubt in her heart for the time being.

"Dear Lizzie, Pa has sent word that, while doing Netherfield, a large patch of madder was found behind a nearby hedge that is at least several years old, probably more than seven years old!"

Ever since that terrible incident, Mr. Bennet has been planning to clean up and renovate the neighborhood of Netherfield Hall.The hill and a large piece of land under the hill belong to the manor. Mr. Bennet wants to widen the road, clean up all the messy hedges on both sides, and divide it into pieces to plant flower seedlings and fruit trees.

"Madder?" Elizabeth didn't quite understand.

Lydia also nodded excitedly, and she gradually came out of that matter: "The madder root can be dyed bright red, and Mary said in the letter that the longer the madder grows, the better the quality of the dye will be! "

Jane added: "Meridon's farm has grown madder before, and this kind of grass can be done with a few workers, and the price is very high. But the madder takes at least two years to harvest, the gentleman in Meryton The farms we own are not too big, and gradually there are no madder plants in the local area. Dad guessed that the two small farms in Netherfield might have sown madder seeds, so a large area grew under the hill. "

"Most of the madder roots in the UK only produce two years, and only three years in the south of France. The older the madder is, the more valuable it is. It takes seven years to harvest, and the color of this dye is so intense!" Needless to say, this is also Mary wrote it in this little study letter.

Lydia showed Mary's letter to Elizabeth, "Mary said that about 16 hundredweight of the harvest has been harvested, and the income from these madder roots can fully cover the cost of father's hiring workers to organize the manor and buy flower seedlings and fruit trees, and there may be some leftovers." ——Several merchants have sent people to talk to Dad about the deal."

Jane was like a dream, she hugged Elizabeth's arm: "Lizzie, since last year, it seems that good luck has suddenly come to the Bennet family..."

The little sister, Lydia, also joined her sisters and said cheerfully, "I want to go back to Longbourne for two days and see what madder root looks like with my own eyes! Jane? Lizzie?"

The sisters petted her puffed up little face lovingly, willing to promise her anything.

"Please ask the coachman from Jared's dealership to drive, and I will ask Lakasha to accompany you." Elizabeth said.

The new car dealership near Chipside Desserts is the business of Mr. Jared, who is such a lazy man, that he names all his businesses directly Jared, Jared's Kite Shop, Jared's Sewing Machine Factory Car ride with Jared.But this business was all due to Elizabeth's proposal. Elizabeth invested another sum of money and became the owner of one-third of the carriage and horse dealership.The horse-drawn carriages from the nearby cities stopped every day, so they were well informed, and Meryton's public carriages would also change horses here, which made the Bennet family's communication extremely convenient.

Elizabeth had also purchased a light carriage, but she kept no horses, for Jared's horses could have been rented, and reliable coachmen were readily available.The Bennet sisters simply left the buggy in the carriage house.

Elizabeth was going back to Taurice before the dinner, and she felt a little uneasy, so she urged the sisters to go back to Longbourn early tomorrow morning, and wrote another note asking her uncle to borrow a servant to watch the night.

Both Jane and Lydia said she was a little too sensitive and worried, but Elizabeth always felt that uncomfortable look was not an illusion.

The author has something to say: The old doctor Xue fell in love with Lizzie as his grandson-in-law, but it's a pity that the young lady is devoted to her career.

One hundred small red envelopes for comments in this chapter.

The old friend of the month is here, the fish will go to bed