Chapter 6: Large Yellow Croaker

【6】Large Yellow Croaker

To tell the truth, Xiao Qiang had a truly comfortable meal last night. That authentic old hen soup left a lingering fragrance in his mouth; it was pure, natural deliciousness without a single grain of MSG, and it was truly satisfying. He drove the minivan to the side of the road on Qianmen Street, reclined the seat, wrapped himself tightly in his down coat, and fell asleep curled up in the driver's seat.

He opened his eyes in a daze. Pure white sunlight shone down from above, making the parts of Xiao Qiang’s body exposed to the light feel slightly hot. The driver's cabin was warm, and he could hear voices in his ears. He sat up and took a look—well, well, a dozen adults and children were surrounding the car, peering in and chattering. A few of the bolder ones were pressed directly against the glass around the car, looking inside with faces full of curiosity. Xiao Qiang, this big loser, felt quite smug. "Heh heh, never seen this before, huh? High-class. Alright, you guys keep looking, I’ve got real business to attend to." Xiao Qiang pushed the door open and stepped out, stretched, and straightened his clothes, which had become twisted from sleeping. At this, most of the onlookers politely dispersed, leaving only a few children curiously circling the car. Minivans hadn't been invented in this era, and this thing, which looked like a significantly shrunken version of a streetcar, was truly a novelty in the eyes of the people of the time.

Xiao Qiang looked down at his watch; it was past nine o'clock. His "blood-replenishing" sleep had been quite something—nearly twelve hours in total. The clanging sound of a streetcar approached, and a red streetcar drove by. The driver didn't even look at the road ahead, staring straight at Xiao Qiang’s FAW Haima. Xiao Qiang muttered to himself, "You idiot, watch where you're going! If you hit someone, are you going to take responsibility?" Looking closer, he saw all the passengers on the streetcar pointing at him. Xiao Qiang felt so comfortable that every bone in his body felt light. After asking a passerby for the location of the Henry Clock Shop, Xiao Qiang got into his car and drove straight there with a press of the gas pedal.

Parking the car in front of the Henry Clock Shop, he took off his down coat and left it on the back seat before walking into the store. This Henry’s was much, much more spacious than the Delong Firm from before. A dozen counters were arranged in a concave shape facing the wide entrance. The counters were all glass-topped, displaying various wristwatches: Omega, Longines, Titoni, Roma, Rolex—they were all there, along with some watches Xiao Qiang couldn't even name. The entire shop was decorated in a European style, with carved wooden panels on the walls, patterned wooden floors underfoot, and crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. There was a VIP reception room off to the side, and the sales clerks were dressed in Western style, their hair slicked back and shining. A waiter in a suit and leather shoes saw Xiao Qiang enter, stepped forward, and bowed slightly. "Welcome. Are you here to buy a watch, sir?"

"I'm here to talk business. Please, have your boss come out," Xiao Qiang said boldly.

This waiter was a sharp one. From afar, he had seen Xiao Qiang driving that unknown silver "luxury car," and the suit he wore, made of silk-like fabric (synthetic fiber), was crisp and stylish. To say nothing else, this was the first time he had ever seen a satin suit without a single wrinkle. He immediately invited Xiao Qiang into the VIP room and went to fetch the manager. A clerk brought over a cup of green tea, and Xiao Qiang sat on the sofa, crossed his legs, and tried his best to look experienced.

Before long, a middle-aged, portly man in a long gown came out, cupped his hands, and said, "Sir, your arrival is an honor. I apologize for not welcoming you sooner. May I ask what business you wish to discuss with me?"

Xiao Qiang stood up and returned the gesture. After the host and guest were seated, he said, "I am Cao Xiaoqiang. May I ask the boss's surname?"

"I am surnamed Qian, given name Shulin."

"Manager Qian, I am in the watch trade. I’ve come today because I want to sell the watches I’ve imported to your shop."

"Have you brought samples, sir?" Qian Shulin asked.

"The samples are in the car outside. Please send a clerk to help me bring them in."

Qian Shulin sent the waiter to help Xiao Qiang bring in the cardboard box he had prepared, which contained all the different styles. Xiao Qiang opened the box and took out one of each of the fifteen styles, placing them on the mahogany coffee table. "Please take a look, Boss Qian."

Qian Shulin opened each watch box one by one, becoming more and more amazed. He had been in the clock and watch business his whole life and had seen every style imaginable, but these designs left him speechless. Each one had its own unique features: some had hollowed-out cases revealing the metal gear movements inside, others had black, red, or even green-plated dials, and even the watch straps were unique, with endless variations. Qian Shulin said to the waiter standing nearby, who was equally amazed, "Go and invite Master Cheng." He then turned to Xiao Qiang and said, "Master Cheng is the watchmaker in my shop. I’ve asked him to come and take a look for me."

"By all means," Xiao Qiang smiled slightly.

"Excellent watches. The craftsmanship is truly exquisite, and the styles are unprecedented." Master Cheng, who arrived shortly after, was a smart man. After marveling at them for a long time, this was all he said.

Hearing Master Cheng’s words, Qian Shulin felt confident. "Master Cheng, you may return to your work."

After a moment of silence, Qian Shulin asked, "May I ask what the price of these watches is?"

"I sell these by the package. Each package contains 150 watches, including ten of each of these fifteen styles. The price is non-negotiable: 30,000 yuan per package, paid in gold at a rate of 4.5 yuan per gram."

Qian Shulin thought, "Given this style and workmanship, the price isn't high. By paying in gold at 4.5 yuan per gram, I’m actually lowering the price by another twenty percent." (In reality, gold could be obtained on the market at a price slightly higher than the state purchase price, especially for merchants with wide connections; this was not a problem at all. Xiao Qiang had suffered a hidden loss here.)

"May I ask how many packages you have, Mr. Cao?"

"Twenty packages in total."

"Is there a discount if I take them all?"

"Boss Qian, you know that import trade, especially in watches, falls under luxury goods. The state is about to increase tariffs. If you want to import at this price later, it will be absolutely impossible." Relying on his foresight, Cao Xiaoqiang gave Qian Shulin a hint.

Qian Shulin was startled. He thought to himself that this Cao Xiaoqiang was quite formidable, and what he said made perfect sense. The Republic of China’s customs had been controlled by foreigners for 70 years until the New China took them back. Back then, luxury tariffs were low because they concerned the interests of the Great Powers, and with official corruption, big merchants had their own ways of getting things done; the real tariffs were pitifully low. Now, news had come from the main store in Puhai that the New China’s government was very clean, and there were no loopholes to exploit. New tariffs were paid in full, and the main store judged that, based on policy, they might even rise in the future.

"Mr. Cao, please wait a moment. The amount is huge, and I need to make a call to the main store."

"Please do, Boss Qian." Xiao Qiang smiled slightly and picked up his teacup.

Before long, Qian Shulin returned to the room with a smile, cupped his hands to Xiao Qiang, and said, "Boss Cao, the main store has agreed to the deal."

Cao Xiaoqiang said excitedly and smugly, "Then it’s cash on delivery."

"Please wait a moment, Mr. Cao. You want gold, so I need to go to the money shop to make an exchange. Please enjoy your tea here. Lunch is on me at Quanjude today; we can talk while we eat." With that, Qian Shulin walked into the back of the shop with a smile. (Note: During this period, most shops in Beijing were structured with the store in front and the workshop or warehouse in the back; staff usually used the back door.)

While waiting, Cao Xiaoqiang pondered. Historically, the public-private partnership would begin in 1952, meaning his business of earning gold freely from the private sector would come to an end. By then, shops would be merged, and money shops would be incorporated into banks. If he wanted to continue profiting from reselling, he would have to deal directly with the government. For now, he could only take it one step at a time. Based on his current rate of capital accumulation, he could soon earn enough funds to become a government supplier by trading advanced equipment and technology, realizing his ideal of both enriching himself and strengthening the country.

After he finished his tea, the waiter refilled it. Just as he was about to finish that cup, Qian Shulin walked out from the back of the shop with a look of satisfaction. "Mr. Cao, the matter is settled. Please come to the back hall."

Counting the gold with Qian Shulin in the back hall was quite a shock for Xiao Qiang. He saw four unlocked small wooden boxes filled with "Large Yellow Croakers." One had to know that in the Republic of China, the ten-tael "Large Yellow Croaker" (312.5 grams) was the standard currency, and wealthy families usually kept a few of these gold bars as a nest egg. But later, as gold became expensive and silver cheap (the Republic’s legal tender was silver-based, and originally one yuan was pegged to one silver dollar), ordinary people also wanted to buy gold, but the "Large Yellow Croaker" was clearly too expensive. Thus, gold shops minted small one-tael gold bars (equivalent to 31.25 grams today), commonly known as "Small Yellow Croakers."

Today was the first time in his life that Cao Xiaoqiang had seen a real Large Yellow Croaker. He also marveled at the amount of gold held by the public in this era. This Boss Qian was truly capable; in the time it took to drink two cups of tea, he had managed to scrape together a whole box from his own stock and the money shop.

"Boss Cao, this is 426 Large Yellow Croakers, plus 6 Small Yellow Croakers. The remainder is 93 yuan and 75 cents."

It took quite a while to finish counting. Cao Xiaoqiang said, "Alright, that’s the amount. Henry’s is a well-deserved, reputable old brand. Come out with me to move the goods."

Xiao Qiang led Boss Qian and directed the staff to move the remaining three large boxes of watches into the back hall of the shop. He then put the change into his pocket, locked the four wooden boxes, and with the help of Boss Qian and a trusted clerk he had called from the back, carried the boxes full of gold and stuffed them one by one under the first row of seats behind the driver's seat. He politely declined Boss Qian’s invitation to dinner; Qian Shulin understood, as no one would feel comfortable leaving a car full of gold bars unattended, so he didn't insist. He only repeatedly expressed that the next time Cao Xiaoqiang had goods, he must sell them to Henry’s, and that next time he would definitely be allowed to play the host.

Xiao Qiang bid farewell to Qian Shulin and drove toward the crossing point in the southern suburbs of the capital.

As Xiao Qiang drove, his whole body felt hot, and he was almost dizzy with happiness. In his mind, he calculated how much he had earned this time—a rough estimate put it at over 40 million! Fortunately, the roads in old Beijing were neither congested nor difficult to navigate, and he arrived at his destination smoothly. He followed the tire tracks from last night and drove back into the field. Although it was daytime, the field was far from the village, and the wheat had already been harvested, so there was no farm work to be done and not a soul in sight. Seeing this, Xiao Qiang immediately pricked his finger and pressed it against the car, blood-sacrificing for the crossing.