Chapter Nine, by the Huangpu River

The word "hope" seems to have disappeared from the dictionary of the Chinese people at some point in time

In 1852, Shanghai was far less prosperous than it would be several decades later. Within the concessions of Shanghai, one could not see the towering skyscrapers that would later dominate the skyline, nor the bustling traffic that would come to characterize the city. Along the sides of the streets, which were not particularly wide, there were only a few English-style buildings, typically two to three stories high. These Western-style buildings, with their red walls and black tiles, mostly faced the Huangpu River. Along the banks of the Huangpu River, what would later become the world-renowned Bund was predominantly occupied by warehouses, with one warehouse after another lining the riverside, including the warehouse belonging to the Zhu family.

While Thompson was introducing the clipper ship, the American technician from the Berwick Shipbuilding Company was inspecting the merchant vessel.

Oh? Why do you say that

Mr. Zhu, according to the records on board, this ship collided with a reef when it entered the port two years ago, and during the thorough repairs, its timber was replaced with Australian eucalyptus.

After a long sigh, Zhu Yifeng withdrew his gaze. Just then, the carriage came to a stop. After disembarking, Zhu Yifeng saw that a carriage had long been waiting at the dock, beside which stood a foreigner dressed in a suit and wearing a top hat. He was Thompson, the American who owed him nearly 20,000 yuan.

However, for Zhu Yifeng, who was stepping out of the door for the first time after his journey through time, his attention was not focused on the numerous foreign firms lining the roadside. At most, he would occasionally cast his gaze towards the sailboats on the Huangpu River; those antique sailboats always piqued his interest. Yet, what truly left a profound impression on him were the raggedly dressed compatriots he saw along the road to the concession. Many of them were beggars, and there were makeshift shanties constructed from broken wooden planks, alongside beautiful English-style foreign firms. The streets were filled with beggars, yet everywhere he looked, there were wealthy individuals who were exceedingly well-fed.

Staring at Thompson, he had already studied this person repeatedly in his mind before coming to see Thompson today. Eighteen years ago, Thompson founded the China-U.S. Trading Company, and for many years, he has been engaged in re-export trade based in Hong Kong. His company is involved not only in the tea, raw silk, fur, and opium trades, but also in some other businesses.

Awang, in this day and age, being able to receive even one cent back is already a cent!

Although somewhat curious, seeing that the other party was not prepared to explain, Thompson shrugged his shoulders and then pointed with his civilized staff at a wooden sailing ship docked at the berth

Upon boarding the ship and looking from the stern to the bow, what caught the eye were the wooden pillars and ropes. Most striking were the tall masts and the bundled sails. At the edge of the ship, Zhu Yifeng even spotted 8 mounted cannons, a common feature of merchant ships in this era, as the cannons were used for defending against pirates

Oh? Is that so

That is because what you see is not the true Chinese people! Where is the ship?

As the cart entered the dock, Zhu Yifeng could see the laborers on the dock carrying heavy goods, their bent waists completely burdened. Large beads of sweat dripped from the foreheads of the laborers. After neatly stacking the goods, even when receiving the payment tokens for their work, their expressionless faces still showed no sign of vitality.

This ship was built in 1844 at Smith & Dimon in New York, with the hull made of the finest North American red oak. It was designed and supervised by the most renowned ship designer and builder in America, Donald McKay, as a clipper ship, known for its remarkable speed. In the past, it was used to transport tea, making the journey from Shanghai to New York in just 120 days, and at most 130 days. It was indeed the fastest ship in the world, even faster than steamships. Throughout its operational period, it never encountered any issues.

After directly exposing Thompson's lies without any hesitation, Zhu Yifeng stared intently at the American man in front of him, who was over fifty years old

Young master, are you truly prepared to board that ship

In response, Zhu Yifeng answered directly.

Ah!

Mr. Thompson, if I remember correctly, with the interest added, your debt has already exceeded 20,000 yuan, which is equivalent to 20,000 US dollars

Mr. Zhu, as you know, ships inevitably require maintenance while in operation. My friend, believe me, ten years ago, the cost of this ship exceeded twenty thousand dollars

Almost simultaneously with the opening of Shanghai as a treaty port, the conference of land leaseholders in the concessions established a plan—rooted in re-export trade, which determined the fundamental development of Shanghai. This is a city that thrives on its port. After nearly a decade of development, the concessions along the riverbank have begun to take shape as a city, and along the riverfront, there are numerous docks and piers. More than a dozen wooden or stone piers extend into the river, with various foreign merchant ships moored on both sides of the piers. After nearly a decade of development, the concessions along the riverbank have begun to take shape as a city, and along the riverfront, there are numerous docks and piers, with more than a dozen wooden or stone piers extending into the river, and various foreign merchant ships moored on both sides of the piers.

Therefore, in addition to this ship, I also require other forms of compensation

Port

When Zhu Yifeng got out of the car, Thompson couldn't help but be taken aback, for he saw that Zhu Yifeng was actually wearing a suit, which completely exceeded his expectations. Even in Hong Kong under British rule, only a few compradors would wear suits; most people here still dressed in traditional Chinese robes.

For example, some products from abroad

This is the Pacific Number!

That amount of money is sufficient for me to purchase a brand new ship of the same kind! And this is merely an old ship that is ten years old! I believe, based on the current agreement, it would be very difficult for me to agree to settle the debt you owe with just this old ship, especially since this ship also has substantial outstanding docking fees

Looking at these people, the only word that emerged in Zhu Yifeng's mind was numbness. Perhaps this is the greatest characteristic of the people in this era; almost everyone wears the same expression, the same numbness, and the same lack of any aspirations for the future

Zhu

It is possible to extract a little from him, just a little

Having been in China for nearly ten years, Thompson has interacted with many Chinese people. However, he remains somewhat curious as to why Zhu Yifeng has changed so significantly after a serious illness. He has witnessed Zhu's anger and humility in the past, but he has never seen him like this before. Is it confidence, or something else? No, that’s not quite right. How should one describe it? What kind of attitude is this? Is it confidence? It is not merely confidence; there are other emotions involved as well. He has seen Zhu's anger and humility before, but he has never seen him like this. Is it confidence, or something else? No, that’s not quite right. How should one describe it? What kind of attitude is this? Is it confidence? It is not merely confidence; there are other emotions involved as well.

However, the reason Zhu Yifeng stepped out of his home this time was not to admire the streets of Shanghai in 1852, but rather to attend to important matters. He almost immediately headed straight for the dock upon leaving, and the purpose of going to the dock was to resolve some debt issues

Upon arriving at the dock, Zhu Yifeng had a more direct view of the Chinese laborers—those dockworkers. Despite it being the depths of winter, with the damp sea breeze feeling particularly cold, the laborers, dressed in thin clothing, merely sat numbly at the edge of the dock. Their dark faces showed no expression whatsoever; only their slightly bluish lips and trembling bodies indicated that they were struggling against the cold. The eyes of these workers revealed nothing but a numbness devoid of any spark.

Looking into the Huangpu River, what catches the eye are the numerous white sails, along with many ships belching coal smoke. Merchant vessels from various countries transport goods to China or load raw silk and tea here to return to Europe and America.

Zhu, do you know? You are naturally suited to wear a suit

What is a true Chinese person

Mr. Thompson

Despite the exposure of the lies, Thompson showed no signs of embarrassment and even continued to speak with a sense of justification

Although somewhat surprised, Thompson still praised.

Zhu Wang, who closely followed the young master, appeared somewhat nervous while speaking, seemingly unable to understand why the young master insisted on engaging in such a losing business deal. It is important to note that in the past, the young master would never have accepted such harsh conditions. However, this was not merely a matter of settling debts; it was akin to being unreasonable.

Moreover, if it were not for the issue of age and my intention to return to the United States, my friend, I would not sell this ship under any circumstances. It is precisely because we are friends that I considered you first. Please believe me, companies like Qichang are very willing to purchase this ship

Despite the fact that the Treaty of Nanking opened the era of the five treaty ports, no city among them could compare to Shanghai. The silk from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the tea from Anhui, and the porcelain from Jingdezhen, among other goods, could all be transported to Shanghai and then shipped to various parts of the world. For Europeans, Shanghai's greatest advantage lay in its strategic geographical location. It was precisely because of its position as the head of the Yangtze River that Shanghai, or more accurately, the Shanghai concession, developed into the "most modernized" port in East Asia within just a few years, attracting merchant ships from various countries. Of course, decades later, this city would earn another title, "The Paris of the East"

Without waiting for the other party to object, Zhu Yifeng, who had already made plans, shifted the conversation.

This suit is the only one in Zhu Yifeng's wardrobe. Compared to the robes of the Qing Dynasty, he prefers this suit, as it is at least more aligned with the clothing habits of later generations.

The Chinese individuals I have encountered are either arrogant or obsequious, yet you stand upright, just like an American. A suit only reveals its elegance when worn by you; on others, it appears somewhat out of place.

Sitting in the small boat, watching the increasingly approaching "Pacific", although Zhu Yifeng tried to calm himself down, the tall mast on the ship still made his mood appear somewhat excited. As long as he signed the agreement today, this ship would take on the surname Zhu and become his own vessel

Moreover, it is of greater importance that I indeed need to obtain some special goods from him

The technician's words made Zhu Yifeng turn towards Thompson, his face wearing an expression that was almost a smile but not quite.