In the West Flower Hall of the main hall of the Ningyuan Regiment Training Headquarters, Wu Sangui held a cigarette in his hand and puffed on it. He closed his eyes and savored the scent of the tobacco.
After a while, he opened his eyes and said to Zhang Cheng: "General Zhang really wants to join forces with Wu to make cigarettes?"
Zhang Cheng smiled brightly and said, "Mr. Chen is still treating Zhang as an outsider."
Wu Sangui smiled sheepishly and said: "Haha. Brother, Brother Zhang. My good brother, how do you think our group is legal?"
"Brother Zhang Bo, I have long said that there is endless money in the world, and it is impossible for one person to earn it all."
Zhang Cheng continued with a smile: "Brother, I have long been interested in setting up workshops in Gyeonggi and other places to make cigarettes for sale, but I am busy with military affairs and have never found a suitable partner."
When he said this, he raised his hand and gently tapped the box of Yunzhou brand cigarettes on the table, and said: "My workshop only produces three kinds of cigarettes, and only this 'Yunzhou brand' is the best." Best-selling. Brother Chang Bo knows how it tastes."
Wu Sangui nodded and said: "It is indeed a good product. It is more delicate than other tobacco, and the taste is not so choking."
He was eager to know the specific content of the partnership mentioned by Zhang Cheng, but he couldn't keep asking questions, so he could only listen patiently and listen to Zhang Cheng's explanation.
But I heard Zhang Cheng say again: "Brother Chang Bo, what I mean is that I will be the craftsman and responsible for the procurement of raw materials and cigarette processing. I will be responsible for the safety of the workshop and the sale of these cigarettes in Liao Town and Gyeonggi." .”
Wu Sangui sighed secretly and cursed in his heart: "You old and cunning little man, after all, he still hides the method of making this cigarette and refuses to tell anyone."
Zhang Cheng added: "As for the cost of this workshop, how about my brother and my eldest brother each contribute 50%?"
Wu Sangui had no objection to the investment. He only cared about how the profits would be distributed. He immediately asked: "I don't know how to distribute the dividends!"
Zhang Cheng remained silent. He picked up the cigarette box, took out a cigarette, pinched it in his hand, and gently tapped one end on the table to make the tobacco inside more compact.
He looked at Wu Sangui with a smile and said, "What do you mean, Brother Zhang?"
Wu Sangui was stunned for a moment and thought to himself: "Little fox, you are so cunning, and you blame this on me again!"
Zhang Cheng kept rolling a cigarette in his hand and tapping the table. Wu Sangui was also a little anxious. After thinking about it for a moment, he stood up, filled the tea cup in front of Zhang Cheng, and asked: "If not, it's 30 to 70 points. Zhongchen, What do you think?"
"hey-hey."
Zhang Cheng laughed, which made Wu Sangui's heart tremble. Just when Wu Sangui was about to lose control, Zhang Cheng said, "Sanqi, isn't it a loss to the eldest uncle?"
He took out the huozhezi, lit the cigarette slowly, took a deep breath, and then said: "From my brother's point of view, it's 50-50. What do you think, brother eldest brother?"
Who would be unhappy if there is money to be made?
Wu Sangui was overjoyed at this time. He stepped forward and patted Zhang Cheng heavily on the shoulder, saying happily: "Good brother, really a good brother."
Zhang Cheng stood up, smiled and walked to the railing of the flower hall. He blew out a wisp of smoke and suddenly recited a poem:
"Leaning on the railing, swallowing the clouds and smoke,
Half into the breeze, half into the throat,
The breeze also dyes the world with sorrow! "
Wu Sangui also walked over, and happened to hear Zhang Cheng's chanting. He slapped his palm on the railing and praised: "Good. What a breeze that can also bring sorrow to the world!"
Zhang Cheng accidentally remembered that he had read this sentence somewhere, and recited it out of emotion. Unexpectedly, it caused Wu Sangui to misunderstand, but he couldn't explain it.
He could only reply sarcastically: "Brother Chang Bo is so complimentary."
…………
After Zhang Cheng said this, an idea suddenly flashed in his mind, and he suddenly thought:
There are currently three types of cigarettes, "Dading brand" is a civilian product, "Beizhaguan brand" is a military product, and only "Yunzhou brand" is a high-end cigarette.
However, Yunzhou brand cigarettes are now only popular among military generals and wealthy businessmen everywhere, but they are not very popular among civil servants everywhere, especially among officials in the capital.
The reason is that Zhang Cheng still feels that the quality is enough, but the taste is not enough. Those real dignitaries all use snuff bottles. No matter what the taste is, the taste comes first.
At the same time, this snuff bottle is becoming more and more exquisite. It is not used at ordinary times, but can be played with in the hand to pass some time.
But now he has a novel idea in his mind, which is to develop another cigarette.
Lined with oil paper, the outside is decorated with exquisite wooden boxes, iron boxes, or even silver boxes, gold boxes, or jade boxes. However, cardboard boxes are still used in the workshop, and the others will be put into the market separately.
Draw a mountain peak on the front of the cigarette box, surrounded by clouds and mist. Find a calligrapher in the blank space and write the song "Leaning on the Railing" just now on it.
The taste seems to have improved. At the same time, this cigarette was renamed "Yunyan". This cigarette name is accompanied by the phrase "leaning on the railing and swallowing clouds of smoke".
Zhang Cheng thinks he can give it a try!
…………
There is no moon in the sky and it is pitch black, but the candlelight surrounding the West Flower Hall is still as bright as day. There is a round table in the middle with exquisite wine and food.
Because Wu Sangui finally negotiated a joint venture to make cigarettes today and received Zhang Cheng's promise of a 50-50 split, he felt happy and began to talk more and more.
The two raised glasses and drank together, chatting from cigarettes to the Liaodong military training in various towns. Wu Sangui suddenly asked: "Ma Shaoyu, the head of the Ministry of War, has been ordered to be the counselor of military affairs. He will come to Ningyuan in the next few days. It is said that he has the reports of his own soldiers." What do you think of Zhongchen’s good strategy for advancing the army?”
Zhang Cheng was stunned when he heard this. He only knew that Chen Xinjia blindly pushed for a rapid advance, which eventually led to the collapse of the Liao Dynasty. Decades of hard work were all ruined. As for what kind of good strategy he came up with to advance the army, he didn't know, but he certainly didn't think it was a brilliant plan. .
At that moment he said: "Good strategy! What does the eldest uncle think?"
After Zhang Cheng asked this question, he couldn't help but laugh. Fortunately, he didn't laugh out loud, otherwise it would have been embarrassing.
He remembered seeing this sentence on a certain platform before: When you don’t know how to answer someone else’s question, just ask him back!
I didn't expect that what I saw accidentally at that time would be used repeatedly by myself today, and it just feels very useful. You think it's funny or not.
How could Wu Sangui know what Zhang Cheng was thinking?
He was happy in his heart and did not doubt that he was there, so he replied: "Well, I still agree with Governor Hong and Marshal Zu that 'prudence is the best'!"
Zhang Cheng also nodded, and said: "It is of course good to be cautious. I am afraid that if the horse joins the army and talks about the constitution, it will only press hard and not allow us to explain, then it will be difficult to handle."
Wu Sangui was also dejected. He poured a full glass of wine and served it to Zhang Cheng, saying, "Let's see what happens at the military meeting tomorrow. If we can decide on a strategy to advance the army, I'm not afraid of him urging him to do so."
Zhang Cheng looked up at the dark night sky and thought to himself, "It's time. Can we really march in?"
