Chapter 3, Selling Watches

Qin Guangcheng is indeed correct in this regard; cutting off one's braid is no longer a capital offense at this time

As soon as he went out, Qin Guangcheng was already waiting there. Upon seeing Wang Hengyue, he smiled and said, "Brother, did you sleep well?"

After speaking for a while, he changed the subject: "The Shuzhi family is a prominent household overseas, managing their affairs adeptly, with business dealings spread across the United States and the United Kingdom. This time, Shuzhi returned from abroad on a family mission to expand their business, but the remittance has not arrived, and the funds are tight..."

This sleep was exceptionally deep, and by the time I woke up, the sun was already high in the sky

Qin Guangcheng was already prepared. Before the two could refuse, he smiled slightly and said, "You two need not worry. I certainly do not intend to ask you for a loan. If it comes to money, I can still produce over ten thousand taels of silver. What is my life worth if not more than ten thousand taels of silver?"

Luo Taiwu was dressed as a proper Chinese businessman, having exchanged polite greetings. However, Du Charlie presented a completely Western demeanor, not sporting a queue, dressed in Western attire, wearing a top hat, and holding a civilized cane. Upon seeing Wang Hengyue's similar attire, he immediately felt a sense of familiarity and said, "Hello, I'm Charlie Du, glad to meet you here"

After thinking for a while in the guest room, I took out three imitation gold watches from my bag to keep for future needs, and then returned to the living room with a full bag of counterfeit goods

Therefore, across the country, especially in the southern provinces, there are many students and soldiers who have cut their braids. As long as they do not openly declare themselves as "revolutionaries," the authorities generally do not interfere

As he accompanied Wang Hengyue towards the dining hall, he inquired, "Brother, although it is no harm to have cut your braid, it does appear somewhat conspicuous. Should we prepare a false braid for you to conceal it from others?"

"Good, very good." Wang Hengyue also smiled and cupped his hands.

Du Charlie took the box and exclaimed repeatedly, "Good stuff, good stuff, things brought from abroad are indeed different. Such goods are rare even when my brother was in America!"

The Boxer Rebellion of 1900 was a highly significant event in Chinese history. Thereafter, the Qing government's authority was severely diminished, and its control over various regions weakened, allowing local powers to grow stronger. In 1903, the "Hubei Student Community" proposed suggestions for cutting queues and changing clothing styles.

Upon hearing it is a Swiss watch, both Luo and Du's eyes lit up.

The old saying goes, "Swiss watches, German clocks." Swiss watches and German clocks are the most renowned in China. Luo and Du were originally in the business of jewelry and foreign goods; upon hearing that there was a batch of Swiss watches, how could they not be interested?

"Long time no see, long time no see." Wang Hengyue smiled as he placed the bag on the table. Luo Fuzhi and Du Charlie, who had long been unable to contain their excitement, quickly stood up and gathered around. Qin Guangcheng also curiously walked over

This is yet another standard pretender, Wang Hengyue thought to himself with a smile

Qin Guangcheng is a person who values loyalty above all else, and he is deeply grateful for Wang Hengyue's life-saving grace, so he immediately patted his chest and agreed.

Open the package and take out several exquisitely crafted boxes. As soon as the boxes are opened, Luo Fuzhi and Du Chali's eyes light up with excitement

Qin Guangcheng gave Wang Hengyue a glance, and Wang Hengyue responded, "I, your younger brother, have just returned from the United States, taking a detour through Switzerland, where I procured a batch of Swiss gold watches. Since my father’s remittance and the documents have not yet arrived, I would like to sell this batch of gold watches. I wonder if you two might be interested"

Wang Hengyue nodded, stood up, acknowledged his guilt, asked a few people to wait, and turned back to the guest room he had arranged in Qin Guang.

Wang Hengyue nearly spat it out; Qin Guangcheng, such a sincere person, can spin a tall tale without batting an eye. When dealing with these business people, one truly needs to be more vigilant.

He then pointed to the two guests and said: "This is Mr. Luo Taiwu, the manager of Hengtong Jewelry Pawnshop, and this is Mr. Du Charlie, the manager of Baojiayang Trading Company"

Du Charlie steadied himself and said: "Since these were brought by Brother Shuzhi from Switzerland, they must be of good quality. May I boldly request Brother Shuzhi to take out this batch of watches for us to examine?"

A maid had long been waiting there, and upon seeing Wang Hengyue awaken, she hurriedly brought forth the washing utensils

Under the helplessness of the Qing government, it could only adopt a stance of tacit acceptance

Upon further assessing Luo Taiwu and Du Chali, upon hearing that a position adjustment was required, their expressions immediately revealed difficulty

Seeing that Wang Hengyue was so determined, Qin Guangcheng no longer insisted. He accompanied Wang Hengyue for a meal, led him to the living room, chatted for a few moments, and then family members reported that there were guests arriving

"Ah, this is how someone who has truly spent time abroad greets others." Du Charlie was overjoyed, seeing that Qin Guangcheng and Luo Taiwu were both puzzled. He began to show off and boast: "This is the genuine way foreigners greet each other. If one has not spent time abroad, they would not know this. Back in the day, my father sent me to the United States, and I managed to see a bit of the world. Upon returning to Sichuan, there was no one among my fellow countrymen who could converse with me. Today, seeing Brother Shuzhi, I feel a deep sense of familiarity."

Once everyone was seated and tea was served, Qin Guangcheng recounted in detail how he encountered danger and how Wang Hengyue came to his rescue, to which Luo Fuzhi and Du Chali expressed their admiration repeatedly.

Wang Hengyue pondered for a moment and said, "Elder brother, when I was overseas, I had already cut my braid. It is quite unusual for me to be dragging around such a tail now."

Luo and Du finally felt relieved, but they were puzzled by the meaning behind Qin Guang's words

He first introduced Wang Hengyue, simply stating that he had returned from overseas, with the surname Wang and the given name Hengyue, and the courtesy name Shuzhi. The two characters "Shuzhi" were originally given by Wang Hengyue's grandfather. During yesterday's banquet, it was mentioned, and Wang Hengyue decided to adopt this as his courtesy name for his website hetushu.com.

Having consumed enough to be about seventy to eighty percent intoxicated, Qin Guangcheng staggered to his feet and had his family assist Wang Hengyue to the guest room to rest

With a mouthful of foreign language, Wang Hengyue finally recalled the bird-like speech he had learned and smiled as he said: "Hello, I am Wang Hengyue, glad to see you here"

Two guests were brought in, and Qin Guangcheng greeted them with a smile: "Brother Luo, Brother Du"

Indeed, the wealthy are different; they need not lift a finger. Wang Hengyue couldn't help but sigh. Although he was not quite accustomed to rinsing his mouth with tooth powder, he ultimately found it acceptable. After a hurried wash, he was led away from the house by a maid.

After 1903, with the return of overseas students, a small number of young students began to cut their queues in the southern provinces where the Qing government had weaker control. After the establishment of the new army, some soldiers also cut their queues to facilitate wearing military caps. Consequently, on May 6, 1907, the Qing government issued an order prohibiting students and soldiers from cutting their queues. Those found in violation would be punished. However, by this time, the Qing government's control had significantly diminished, and this order was not strictly enforced in various regions.