During the Qing Dynasty, Shanxi people opened banks with ticket numbers all over the country, and wealthy Jin merchants were arrogant. Whoever dared to challenge them would be able to crush him by plucking his hair.
But there are still masters who really dare to compete with Jin merchants.
On the eighth day of April in the eighth year of Guangxu, Kang Dafa, a wealthy businessperson from Weixian County, Zhili Province, opened his "Kang Ji Maoyuan Bank" in Datong, Shanxi Province.
Kang Dafa invited famous local gentry and wealthy businesspeople to come and congratulate him.
The local big merchant Kang Youcai led a group of wealthy tycoons from Datong City to Kang Dafa and said with a smile, "Congratulations to Brother Kang for his prosperous opening, prosperous trading, and early fortune."
Kang Dafa hurriedly returned the salute and said, "Thank you, Brother Kang, for your auspicious words. I hope you will give me a lot of advice when I first come to ask for a bowl of rice in your precious land! Everyone gets rich, everyone gets rich."
After Kang Youcai and the others had a luncheon at the Kang family bank, they all went back home.
Kang Youcai had not yet sat down when he returned home, and those who went with him came to him like a swarm to discuss with him how to squeeze Kang Dafa out of Datong City.
Kang Dafa dared to open a bank in Datong, didn't he compete with Shanxi people?
It's really a big knife dancing in front of Guan Yun Changmen — too overkill.
Kang Youcai looked at everyone with a smile and said slowly, "We have to be kind and righteous in business, and we can't ruin the reputation of Shanxi people. If we want to invite the Kang family out of Datong City, I think we should give some money to help him, you know? Let him take off his apron and go with confidence, understand?"
When Kang Youcai said this, everyone understood and praised him one after another: "It's still Brother Kang who has his own opinion, brilliant, really brilliant."
Everyone split up.
Besides, on the side of Kangji Maoyuan Bank, in order to establish a foothold in Datong and continue the business for a long time, Kang Dafa adopted the method of small profits and more loans, which was lower than the interest rates of several banks opened by Shanxi people in the city. Therefore, the business was very prosperous, and sometimes he could put more than a dozen accounts a day, and the number was not small.
He sent people from Yuxian, Zhangjiakou and other stores to transfer three silver assets to prepare for a big fight.
Kang Dafa was very happy and thought to himself: I didn't expect to make money so easily among the shrewd Shanxi people.
However, the later he got, the more he felt that something was wrong.
After he sent people back to his hometown for the fifth time to collect and transfer a batch of silver assets, most of them were loaned out in a few days. Seeing that the silver in the bank was about to run out again, he realized that he had underestimated the Shanxi people.
Looking for Kang Youcai to help Zhou Ji a little?
On second thought, no!
People will have excuses not to help, needless to say, it is to help, how much can people help you? How long will you help?
It seems that there is only one way home.
But this will not only cost money, but also leave a laughing stock for Datong people.
What should be done?
Hurry up and discuss with the guys.
The front cabinet, accountant, housekeeper and others in the bank all came to the room of the owner Kang Dafa to discuss.
At this time, Ji Du Sheng, a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy who specialized in burning fires, chopping firewood, and carrying water, also followed the crowd into the house.
As soon as the accountant saw it, he said, "What do you know? Get out."
After saying that, he pushed Du Sheng out.
Kang Dafa gestured to the accountant to let Du Sheng in and said, "Come in, three stooges are on top of Zhuge Liang, more people have more ideas."
Du Sheng lowered his head and sat on a chair in the corner, quietly listening to everyone's discussion.
Kang Dafa said to everyone: "At this point, I don't think there is anything I can do. Let's admit the bad luck and pay a few money to withdraw to Yu County."
You look at me and I look at you, frowning, unable to think of a good idea, and the house is silent.
At this time, Du Sheng spoke: "I have a way, I wonder if the owner is willing to listen?"
"If you have a good idea, just say it, is the owner still unwilling?" Everyone shouted.
Du Sheng is ranked third at home, and his nickname is Xiao Sanzi.
"Little San, do you have any way to tell everyone?" Kang Dafa said.
Du Sheng glanced at everyone and said to Kang Dafa, "I can't tell you what to do yet. Owner, you have to allow me to go back to my hometown in Yuxian County, and this will be easy when I come back. But then everyone has to listen to me, or this will be messed up."
"How many days are you going back to Yu County?" Kang Da asked.
"Five days at most, five days to come back." Du Sheng said.
"Then go back quickly, and be more careful on the way." Kang Dafa instructed.
What good idea does Du Sheng have?
He refused to say, and no one asked.
Up to now, only a dead horse can be used as a live horse doctor, depending on what good medicine is in its gourd.
After Du Sheng left, there were still many people who came to buy silver to redeem the account. The silver in the warehouse was no longer available, so Kang Dawei had to put up a "Suspension of Business" sign.
The news reached Kang Youcai and the others' ears, and they all smiled gloatingly, waiting to see the good show that Kang Dafa had ended.
Time passed slowly day by day, and on the fifth day, when it was dark, Kang Dafa and his colleagues stood anxiously at the door of the bank, looking around.
Suddenly, I saw the official road dusty, obscured the sky, and out of the smoke a mule gang composed of more than a hundred mules entered Datong City Gate.
As they got closer, it was clear that each mule was carrying two wooden boxes three feet long, two feet wide, and two feet high.
Hundreds of mules were sweating like they had been pulled out of the water.
People thought the contents of the box were heavy.
A string of walnut-sized copper bells hung from the neck of each mule, and the front, middle and back of the mule gang were planted with the guise of the "Ulzhou Escort Bureau" tooth flag.
More than 20 escorts dressed in tight clothes and narrow pants guarded their left and right, swords, swords, halberds, axes, hooks and forks, all kinds of weapons were in hand or on their backs, all of them were heroic and powerful, making people daunting.
Weizhou Escort Bureau is famous for its people and strong horses. It is famous in the north of the Yellow River, Taiyuan in the west, Beijing in the east, Shanhaiguan in the east, Baoding in the south, and grasslands and deserts in the north. When commercial officials escort valuable goods, they are mostly bodyguards of the Weizhou Escort Bureau.
Datong people have long been familiar with the reputation of the Weizhou Escort Bureau.
While talking, the Mule Gang had arrived at gate of the bank, and the crowd watching the excitement on the street was bustling around, all wanting to know what the Mule Gang was carrying.
When Kang Dafa and the guys saw that Du Sheng had hired the Mule Gang, they all danced with joy.
Just as he was about to greet Du Sheng, he heard Du Sheng shout loudly: "Master, I'm back, let everyone pick up the goods."
Before he finished speaking, he saw one of the mules he was chasing suddenly scream, and his hind legs flew into the air. The two wooden boxes fell to the ground with a "plop." The boxes were thrown into flowers, and the white money immediately rolled to the ground.
Only then did the onlookers understand that the Mule Gang was carrying all the silver.
Du Sheng anxiously called the guys to pick up the silver scattered on the street, and hurried into door of the bank with the Mule Gang.
The sky was gradually getting dark, and in the yard and street there were still many people watching the fun.
Du Sheng said to the guys unloading: "Everyone, please be slow when unloading the pack. Don't break the box again."
The news that Kangjia Bank had brought more than a hundred loads of silver flew to the ears of Kang Youcai and others like wings.
The group of people shuddered at wealth of the Kang family.
Some said to Kang Youcai, "I'm afraid we won't be able to run on him."
"Alas, those who come are not good, and those who are good do not come. Why are you talking about running now? Peace is precious. Let us do good business with people in the future." Kang Youcai said helplessly.
Confused Kang Dafa wanted to ask Du Sheng what was going on several times, but was prevaricated by Du Sheng's answer.
When the night was deeper and the guys were all asleep, Kang Dafa asked suspiciously, "Little San, what's going on? Where did you get so much silver?"
Du Sheng smiled slightly and said quietly in a low voice, "Master, where can I get so much silver? This is a plan. Those more than 100 mules carry bricks, and only the broken boxes contain silver."
"Then why did you drop that pack of boxes?" Kang Dafa still didn't understand.
"It's not easy. When I saw a lot of people, I deliberately pricked the mule's butt with a needle. Isn't that mule scared?"
"Little San, don't look at you as a small person, you have quite a lot of ideas." Kang Dafa said with emotion.
"Alas, don't mention it. In fact, I was also terrified along the way. If that happened, we would be finished.
"Then why didn't you tell us when you left?"
"As soon as I say it, everyone will take it seriously. If there is any news, it will not be bad."
"Alas, how do you want me to thank you?" Kang Dafa sighed and patted Little San on the shoulder.
Kang Youcai and his group saw that the Kang family's wealth was so great, and they changed their minds and started a business with Kang Dafa the next day.
The business of Kangjia Bank suddenly became prosperous again, and it firmly established itself in Datong City.
In order to build Kang Dafa's wealth, Kang Youcai married the Kang family.
Therefore, to today, Shanxi Datong City and Hebei Weixian County have Kang Kang two surnames indistinguishable legend.
In order to repay Du Sheng for his relief from the siege, Kang Dafa saw that he was smart and clever, and he would definitely have a promising future in the future, so he betrothed his second daughter to him.