The Rise of the Writers of the Republic of China

Chapter 716 715 [Family Matters]

Tianjin, Sanletang.

Zhang Leyi directed the servants to sort out the items box by box and temporarily place them in the warehouse.

The most troublesome thing about collecting books, antiques, calligraphy and paintings is that it has been ten years since Zhou Hexuan traveled to the Republic of China. The antiques he missed or bought at high prices are enough to fill several large boxes, and he even has to spend money every month to hire professional masters to maintain and dry them.

Not to mention anything else, there are more than 2,000 unique ancient books from the Tang and Song Dynasties to the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In addition, there are various precious local and institutional documents, which may seem worthless now, but decades later, they will be able to grab the heads of scholars doing relevant research.

"I can't finish it." Zhang Leyi looked at several large bookcases speechlessly.

"If you can't finish loading it, you have to move it. I would like to donate it to Tsinghua University and Peking University, but when Little Japan comes over, they will have to move south." Zhou Hexuan thought for a while and said, "I'll contact the railway and get a carriage directly. Anyway, we can't Leave it to little Japan."

Zhang Leyi walked to the balcony, looked at the familiar garden, and said with reluctance: "I really don't want to leave."

"If you don't want to leave, then don't sell this house and come back after we defeat the Japanese." Zhou Hexuan consoled him.

Real estate in Tianjin is actually very easy to sell.

As soon as Zhou Hexuan's several stores and villas were listed, people immediately rushed to buy them because of their good locations.

This is strange to say. The situation in North China is so serious and Japan may invade at any time. However, the real estate business in Tianjin is even more prosperous.

The reason is actually very simple. There are now four major forces entrenched in North China, and political chaos has caused abnormal economic prosperity. As the largest port city in the north, Tianjin has ushered in an era of rampant smuggling, and other businesses have also followed suit.

Businessmen also saw the danger of Japanese invasion, but they inevitably took a chance that they might be able to survive another ten or twenty years. In the eyes of the businessmen, even if Tianjin is really occupied by the Japanese, they still need to develop the local economy. It is impossible to kill all the people, right? Then the business will be followed?

It is understandable to have this kind of thinking. The four northeastern provinces are now occupied by Japan, but businessmen in the northeast are still doing business. It's just that the most profitable industries have been robbed by Japanese businessmen, and ordinary business can still continue.

As for Sanletang, after all, it is Zhou Hexuan's nest, and he will not sell it if he can. When the Japanese invaders are driven away, he can come back to live there, or at worst, donate it to New China for free.

On the other hand, things are a bit more difficult in Shanghai. The Sassoon family half-sold and half-gifted 30 garden houses to Zhou Hexuan, and now they can't get rid of them at all. Only when the legal currency is completely stabilized and Shanghai's real estate industry recovers can Zhou Hexuan make a fortune, which will have to wait until at least early next year.

But it doesn’t matter if you can’t sell it, just rent it out first and pick it up after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War.

The professional master hired from the antique shop personally directed the clerk to pack the boxes, and he was amazed by some of the gadgets.

"Mr. Zhou, you are really a great collector," Liu Jingsheng pulled out the Qianlong Imperial Sword and said with admiration, "I have made so many of Qianlong's Imperial Swords. I heard that some of them were taken to the Manchukuo Palace in the Northeast by Pu Yi. The rest are collected in the Forbidden City. Yours is the only genuine one that has been passed down to the public."

"Liu Chaofeng, you're too polite," Zhou Hexuan said with a smile, "I'm not a big collector, I just buy them casually."

Liu Jingsheng shook his head and laughed: "Qianlong's Royal Sword and "Han Xizai's Night Banquet" were also bought casually, so wouldn't the other treasures become cabbage?"

It took Zhou Hexuan three days to pack up his personal belongings before finally packing them all.

No one at China Radio was willing to buy it for the time being, so Zhou Hexuan just left it alone. When the Japanese invaders really come to Peiping City, it will not be too late to move south. At that time, the employees and machines of the radio station and newspaper office will be moved together.

On the fourth day, Mrs. Liu Wu finally couldn't help but ask: "Sir, do you and your ladies really want to leave?"

"Let's go." Zhou Hexuan nodded.

"Aren't you going back to Tianjin?" Liu Wu asked again.

Zhou Hexuan said: "I won't come back for the time being."

Liu Wu had come to Zhou's house to work since Zhou Hexuan was still following Chu Yupu. At that time, Zhou Hexuan was still renting a house. Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye, and Liu Wu's gray hair has turned to snow-white, and she rarely works by herself anymore. She is equivalent to the head of the Zhou family's servants, in charge of the kitchen and cleaning work.

Not only that, Liu Wu's two sons were also recommended by Zhou Hexuan to work as workers in newspapers and printing factories. Although the wages were not high, they were rarely decent and stable. Her two granddaughters and one grandson are still studying at Hope Primary School. The younger granddaughter's grades are particularly good, and she might even be able to become a college student in the future.

Mrs. Liu Wu is grateful to the Zhou family for her family to be able to live a good life now. She was originally just a peasant woman in the suburbs of Tianjin. When she thought of the Zhou family's kindness to her and the future, Mrs. Liu Wu suddenly burst into tears and said, "Sir, you and your wives are good people. God will bless you with a long life and a full house of children and grandchildren. I give you this, my wife." It’s time to kowtow, and you’re on your way!”

"Plop!"

Mrs. Liu Wu simply knelt down and hit her forehead directly on the ground.

"Oh, don't!" Zhou Hexuan quickly supported him.

Mrs. Liu Wu said: "Sir, don't stop me. If I don't finish kowtow, I will feel uneasy."

Mr. Liu Wu has never studied, let alone any management ability. But her advantage is that she is sincere and meticulous. She has to watch all the meals in the house being cooked. She has to check the cleanliness of every room. If she is not satisfied at all, she will have it redone.

By the way, Mrs. Liu Wu also arranged the meals at home. Mrs. Liu clearly remembered which flavor her wife liked, and which snacks the young master and lady liked.

Zhou Hexuan really couldn't bear to leave such a servant leader, because it was too worry-free. He asked: "Mother Liu, how about you move out with us?"

Mrs. Liu Wu was confused: "I also want to follow my husband and wife all my life, but the old man in my family is still farming in the countryside, my son and daughter-in-law are also working in Tianjin, and my grandchildren are still studying in Tianjin..."

"Let them go together," Zhou Hexuan interrupted directly, "I will arrange the work."

"Then... then I'll think about it again and discuss it with the old man when I go home." Mrs. Liu Wu was a little undecided.

Suddenly, a shout came from outside the door: "Sir!"

Zhou Hexuan opened the door and saw all the servants in the house standing outside the door, with expressions of reluctance on their faces.

The Zhou family's servants are treated very well, and their wages are at least a quarter higher than elsewhere. Moreover, the husband, wife, young master, and young lady are all well-educated and sensible, and there has never been any abuse of servants. Even Wanrong, who didn't take the servants seriously, would often get angry and scold her.

Moreover, working in the Zhou family is particularly honorable. When I go home during the Chinese New Year and say that I serve Mr. Zhou, relatives and neighbors will inevitably look at me with envy and respect.

Who would want to leave such a good employer?

"Sir," a maid asked boldly, "I fled from Shandong. My family members are all dead. Can I go with my husband and his wife?"

Liu Wu immediately introduced the situation: "Sir, her name is Han Chunhua, she is a widow, and she is usually responsible for washing clothes. She is very nimble with her hands and feet, and the clothes she washes are clean, and she is very honest and diligent."

"Okay, you come with us," Zhou Hexuan asked the other servants, "Who else is willing to go with us?"

Another servant asked: "Can I bring my family?"

Zhou Hexuan thought for a while and said: "For families of less than two people, I am responsible for arranging work for the family members. For families of more than two people, I provide travel expenses, but the family members can only find work by themselves."

This request instantly caused most of the servants to back down. The Chinese people had to relocate, and no one knew whether they would be able to stabilize after the move.

Zhou Hexuan added: "If you don't want to go with me, I will write a letter for each of you and sign my name. In the letter, I will write that you are honest and hard-working, and you will not have to worry about finding a job if you take the letter."

This is equivalent to Zhou Hexuan's work recommendation letter. With his current fame and influence, the servants who hold the letter will definitely receive preferential treatment. Whether you join a factory as a worker or continue to work as a servant, you must be given priority.

"Thank you, sir!"

"Sir, you are a good man."

"Sir, live a long life!"

The servants were so happy that they all knelt down and kowtowed.

Zhou Hexuan was filled with emotion when he saw the servants kneeling on the ground. These servants stay at Zhou's house for a long time, and sometimes they can see them several times a day. They are completely different from the employees of the company, and they already feel a bit like family members emotionally.

Zhou Hexuan thought for a while and said to Liu Wu: "You choose two reliable people, one to stay to clean the room, and the other to stay to take care of the garden. I won't sell this house for the time being, let them help maintain it, don't let it be abandoned. . I will remit my monthly wages on time."

"Me! Sir, I am willing to stay and look at the house!"

"Choose me."

"Mother Liu, I am the most diligent!"

"..."

There are so many people signing up this time, what a great job.

Zhou Hexuan was too lazy to take care of it anymore, letting Liu Wu handle it by herself, and returned to his study in an inexplicable mood.

Cui Huifu brought a cup of tea and asked, "Are the Japanese really going to attack?"

"Soon." Zhou Hexuan nodded.

"well!"

Cui Huifu sighed: "Why can't this world be settled?"

"How is your sister doing with her studies?" Zhou Hexuan asked casually.

"I'm about to graduate from college," Cui Huifu said. "My only hope now is to see her marry a good man, have children, and take care of her children. There is nothing else I want in this life."

Cui Huimei was obviously not as smart as her sister. She barely managed to get into a university in the south, where she majored in teacher training. Her career achievements were enough to make her a primary school principal.

Zhou Hexuan smiled and said: "You are still young, so you say you have nothing else to do in this life? You should quickly find a man to marry. If you find the right one, bring him and let me take care of him."

"I have sworn not to marry in this life." Cui Huifu shook her head and said.

"What a pity." Zhou Hexuan said.

Cui Huifu wanted to say something else, but suddenly there was a knock on the door, and Yu Peichen shouted outside: "Sir, there's a telegram from Suzhou!"

"What's wrong?" Zhou Hexuan asked her to come in.

Yu Peichen took the telegram and said: "Mr. Zhang Taiyan has passed away."

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The Rise of the Writers of the Republic of ChinaCh.716/1066 [67.17%]