Chapter 1: The Lin Family of Yuyao

The steward spoke cautiously: "The personnel and goods from Wuxi and Changzhou have been safely withdrawn, but in Zhenjiang, the warehouses in Liyang and Lishui have all been raided by the bandits. Manager Shen, Manager Shi, and several others have already met with misfortune"

Upon hearing Lin Zhe's words, the others immediately said, "Then we must thank the young master for his generous gift!"

He had not finished speaking when he was interrupted by Lin Zhe, who raised his hand and said: "Everyone need not decline any longer!"

At this moment, Mrs. Lin was unconcerned: "The current situation is already quite rare; we have withdrawn early, and at least we have managed to pull out half of the warehouses. The other companies may not be so fortunate!"

Upon hearing Lin Zhe's words, the few individuals displayed expressions of fear, and the leading figure, Uncle De, further remarked: "Young Master, how can this be? We are all..."

Amidst his bitter smile, he felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness. Originally a person from the future, he never anticipated that after waking from a car accident, he would find himself over a hundred years in the past, inhabiting the body of Lin Zhe, the only son of the Lin family in Yuyao, Shaoxing, Zhejiang.

Lin Zhe knew that it was time for him to step down, but he still stood up and said, "I will return first!"

Lin Zhe nodded

What worries Lin Zhe even more is that he remembers the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom had once reached Zhejiang. Although he does not know the exact year or month, it does not matter when they came; the key point is that the Taiping army will come.

This is no exception for the Lin family; once the Taiping Army reaches Zhejiang, it would be a significant loss for the Lin family, if not a catastrophe.

Just as Lin Zhe was contemplating these matters, a hurried sound of footsteps came from outside. Soon, a middle-aged man entered; he was the third steward of the Lin residence, and he appeared flustered: "Young Master, something has happened at the estate in the eastern part of the city!"

While muttering to myself, I recalled the Taiping Army hundreds of miles away, as well as the goods lost and the employees who perished in places like Zhenjiang and Jinling. I couldn't help but let out a bitter smile

In addition, there was a young man, approximately twenty years old, dressed in a deep blue brocade robe, with a fair complexion and no beard. He was seated in a secondary position, listening with an expression of indifference to Butler An's words.

Lin Zhe also nodded: "What my mother said is true, but now the bandits are powerful. We should make early plans to retreat to Hangzhou or Shanghai from the warehouses in Suzhou and Huzhou, to avoid any unforeseen circumstances later!"

Lin Zhe nodded and said, "Leave the housekeeper here, you all go back to work!"

Thus, after diligently perusing the official gazettes and gathering various rumors, he concluded last month that the Qing army could absolutely not hold the important cities in the eastern part of Jinling, such as Zhenjiang and Yangzhou.

Uncle De, you still need to take charge of the acquisition of silkworm cocoons and raw silk, and do not let the subordinates get distracted!" As Lin Zhe spoke, he looked at the old man with white whiskers, then turned to Butler An: "Please arrange for the personnel being withdrawn to be sent to Shanghai as much as possible, and Butler An, you will need to put in extra effort for the follow-up work!

Lin Zhe nodded after listening: "It's good if we can purchase it. Please inquire further about the details, not only regarding the acquisition of the machine but also about hiring a technician who understands how to operate it. Once you have clarified everything, please hand me the regulations."

Madam Lin let out a soft hum, and then slightly closed her eyes

The young man named Lin Zhe sighed softly: "Our actions were ultimately a bit late. If we could have evacuated a few days earlier, it is likely that we would not have..."

An Guanjia responded in a low voice to https://m.hetushu.com, his expression somewhat worried, yet he said nothing and just went out

Looking around again, the several shopkeepers have been with our Lin family for decades. At such a critical moment, we need everyone to work a little harder, to go down below and take a walk, and to do our utmost to minimize the losses from this turmoil

At this point, Lin Zhe paused slightly, then continued: "You all will likely have a tough time over the next month. Later, you can go to the accounting office in the residence and request an additional month's salary for yourselves."

Lin Zhe spoke again: "How did you fare in inquiring about the purchase of the machine?"

As soon as these words were spoken, several people's expressions changed slightly. Immediately, an elderly man with a white beard, around sixty years old, spoke up: "Young Master, the silk warehouses in these several locations account for at least one-third of our annual procurement of raw silk. If we withdraw from this, it is likely to have a significant impact on this year's business"

Lin Zhe glanced at the few individuals, his expression unchanged and as calm as before, and spoke: "In the current situation, warehouses across various regions must scale back. The warehouses west of Suzhou will need to withdraw, and those in Huzhou, Jiaxing, Hangzhou, and other areas will also have to reduce their scale"

Madam Lin's already wrinkled face appeared even more creased as she asked, "What is the situation with the warehouses in Zhenjiang and the surrounding prefectures?"

Another person spoke up, saying: "We have substantial supply orders with several foreign firms. If we do not receive enough silkworm cocoons, it may lead to a breach of contract, and I fear that..."

The old lady's expression remained unchanged, and she simply said: "Understood, you may return and take care of the aftermath. The deceased will receive generous compensation, and those with eligible children can attend private schools at home for free. Since they followed my Lin family in their work and met with misfortune, I, as their matriarch, will certainly not neglect their families!"

Without discussing the various discomforts and uncertainties experienced upon arriving in this era, after arriving last year, he began to collect some contemporary news and rumors. He learned that Hong Xiuquan had already captured Nanjing on the tenth day of the second month, and the following day, he took the inner city of Nanjing. Ten days later, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom established its capital in Nanjing, renaming the city Tianjing.

The three stewards paused slightly before saying: "This morning, a group of bandits, numbering around one hundred, surrounded our estate, claiming to be the Taiping rebel army and attempting to breach the estate!"

March of the third year of Xianfeng, Yuyao, Zhejiang

As early as a month ago, he had warned his mother that the Taiping army was launching a fierce offensive and that the imperial troops would be unable to defend Zhenjiang and the surrounding prefectures and counties. However, his mother did not fully heed this warning and failed to timely evacuate the personnel and goods from Zhenjiang and the nearby counties, resulting in significant losses

Before long, he appeared in a side hall, where, apart from himself, a noblewoman dressed in bright red silk and adorned with a pearl hairpin sat in the main seat. She appeared to be around fifty years old.

After hearing this, the old lady's expression changed slightly, yet her dim and lifeless gaze remained unchanged. She let out a soft "oh" and said: "I remember that the current silver in Zhenjiang and the surrounding areas, as well as the goods in the warehouses, amount to at least 40,000 taels!"

An Guanjia responded: "Although there is no detailed figure yet, the total amount of silver and goods in these warehouses is at least 40,000 taels of silver!"

Lin Zhedao: "The procurement of silkworm cocoons must not be interrupted. However, places like Suzhou and Huzhou cannot hold inventory or cash reserves. We must transport each batch as soon as we receive it!"

An official said: "I inquired a few days ago, and currently there are no machine silk-reeling factories in the country. If we were to establish one, we would likely have to purchase all the machinery from foreign firms, and their prices are not low. Altogether, this could amount to several tens of thousands of taels of silver!"

Even the foreigners in the Shanghai concession were greatly alarmed, and on the first day of March, they decided to establish the "Shanghai Volunteer Army" to ensure the safety of Shanghai amidst the chaotic situation

The panic of the court and local officials need not be mentioned; however, for the gentry in the southern Jiangsu region, the war is undoubtedly a great disaster. The gentry in the war zone are already fleeing in a state of panic to places like Shanghai. As for the Lin family, although the flames of war have not yet reached northern Zhejiang, their business has already been significantly affected.

The steward did not pay him much attention, but merely nodded slightly before stepping through the side door and walking straight inside

Lin Zhe furrowed his brow and said, "Speak slowly, what happened?"

At that moment, the other individuals gradually left, leaving only Butler An behind

Mrs. Lin said: "This is the truth; these days are becoming increasingly chaotic. Although our Lin family is wealthy and influential, there is no reason to hand over our goods to the bandits for free. For the next few days, you will have to work hard and dismantle the warehouses in these several locations!"

After the housekeeper left, Lin Zhe stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the somewhat overcast sky outside. He then let out a deep sigh and muttered to himself, "If I don't establish a silk reeling factory soon, I fear that in a few years, the family workshop will be squeezed out by others!"

After the steward Dai An bent down and exited, Lady Lin turned her head to look at the young man present: "It seems that what you said, Zhe'er, was indeed correct; the bandit army has truly taken Zhenjiang!"

A figure hurriedly turned into a stone-paved alley, then approached the grand entrance of a residence. The entrance bore two large vermilion characters: 'Lin Residence.' He stepped aside and knocked on the brass knocker of the side door. Soon, the side door swung open, revealing a young servant wearing a melon-shaped cap. Upon seeing the visitor, the servant immediately broke into a flattering smile: 'Butler An, you have returned! The old lady and the young master have been waiting for you for quite some time!'

And now it has indeed been proven that his inference is correct: on February 22, the Taiping Army captured Zhenjiang, and just one day later, they took Yangzhou. Both the court and the local officials and gentry in southern Jiangsu and northern Jiangsu were greatly alarmed

The steward was momentarily taken aback, but quickly regained his composure: "Young Master, you are referring to the various machines for the silk reeling factory, aren't you"

It is important to note that before the arrival of the Taiping Army, Zhejiang, while not considered a wealthy region, was relatively peaceful and prosperous. Although the populace faced hardships, it was not a place where corpses lay scattered. However, after the Taiping Army advanced into Zhejiang, a protracted struggle ensued between the Taiping forces and the Qing army, particularly in northern Zhejiang. A significant number of civilians suffered casualties during the conflict, and while some fled, many more faced devastation as agricultural production was nearly completely destroyed due to the war, leading to countless individuals being starved to death.

The child understands! Lin Zhe responded

Having exited the side hall, Lin Zhe turned and went to the study in the front yard. Before long, Butler An and several other individuals, both young and old, had gathered in the study.

Perhaps due to the hurried journey, Steward An spoke with a somewhat urgent tone: "Madam, Young Master, I have already gathered information. The bandits from Guangdong captured Zhenjiang several days ago, and the imperial troops suffered a great defeat and retreated. Furthermore, traces of the bandit forces have been reported in various other regions. I have also heard outside that even Huzhou has discovered signs of the bandit army."