The Age of Discovery: Chinese cuisine swept across Europe

The shopkeeper laughed and said nothing more. Yun Ji roughly understood what was going on.

After visiting several stores, Yun Ji returned to Yun Xiang Hao. Shopkeeper Xu was already in the store. Shopkeeper Xu did not notice them, but the clerk saw them coming back and was obviously stunned for a moment, then he put his face back on: "How is it, after comparing several stores, our products are still the best, right?"

Yun Ji ignored him and walked to the counter: "Boss, how much is your nutmeg?"

Shopkeeper Xu looked up, was stunned for a moment, and his face changed: "Dong, Dong?!" He had only met Yun Ji once in Quanzhou that year, but who could forget Yun Ji's appearance?

He never thought that he would meet Yun Ji in the shop. He quickly came out from behind the counter and bowed respectfully: "Boss, when did you arrive at Yuegang? Where are you from?"

Yun Ji said: "I just arrived in Quanzhou. I came from Quanzhou."

"From the capital to Quanzhou?" Shopkeeper Xu swallowed.

Yun Ji did not deny it. He said, "For so many years, Manager Xu has been working hard for our Yunxiang Company in this wild southern land. My father and I will always remember this. Thank you for your efforts over the years."

Shopkeeper Xu was trembling with fear, but he didn't dare to guess what Yun Ji was going to do. He nodded repeatedly: "Of course, of course! This is my job."

Yun Ji said with a pleasant face, "I have been in Europe for the past few years and have not taken care of the store. Now that I am back, I want to sort it out. After all, this is the family business accumulated by the ancestors of the Yun family. I can't let it go to waste in my hands. So, Manager Xu, please give me all the account books of the Yuegang branch in the past few years. I want to understand the basic situation of the Yuegang branch."

Shopkeeper Xu was panicking inside, but he remained calm on the surface: "There are quite a few account books in the past few years. I have moved some of them to my residence. When I find them all, I will show them to you, shopkeeper."

"No need to look back. Just take as many as you can. When you have collected all the previous ones, just show them to me." Yun Ji said.

Shopkeeper Xu had no choice but to go back to the counter and look for it. Then he told the clerk, "Sun Er, go get the accountant."

Yun Ji said, "I don't need the account office for the time being. I can check the accounts myself. I'll ask you when I see something I don't understand."

The waiter Sun Er tried his best to shrink into a corner at this moment, because he found out that the customer he despised turned out to be his boss. What should he do? He hoped that his boss would not mind his impoliteness.

Yun Ji looked at Sun Er: "Your name is Sun Er? When did you enter the shop?"

Sun Er swallowed his saliva and said, "To answer the boss, I came here three years ago."

"You are considered an old hand in the shop. We at Yunxiang have always treated our customers with sincerity, and business is voluntary, with no deception for everyone. But you are obviously not qualified. Who hired you in?" Yun Ji asked.

Shopkeeper Xu was suddenly overwhelmed. He didn't know that Sun Er had already caused trouble for him, so he shouted angrily, "Sun Er, what did you do to the boss?"

Sun Er didn't dare to say what he had done.

Yun Ji snorted coldly, "You are just blind and look down on others. We sell imported foreign goods on Yunxiang, and they are very expensive. The difference between many goods is very small, and the price is very different. If you don't have good eyesight, you'd better not work in Yunxiang."

Shopkeeper Xu probably knew what had happened. He did not plead for Sun Er, but quickly apologized: "Boss, it was because I didn't discipline him strictly that such a mistake occurred. Please punish me."

"Then let's change the waiter first. A waiter like this working in the store will only drive away customers." Yun Ji said.

"Yes! Did you hear me? Go pack up your things and get out!" Shopkeeper Xu shouted at Sun Er.

Sun Er looked at Manager Xu with an aggrieved face. He didn't know why his uncle didn't ask for him at all. If he left Yunxianghao, he would never have the chance to be the manager of the Yunxiang branch.

Sun Er was able to bend and stretch. He knelt down with a plop: "Master, please have mercy on me. I know I was wrong. Please give me another chance. I will never make the same mistake again!"

Yun Ji ignored him and said, "Manager Xu, give him his wages and the travel expenses to his hometown. Don't say that we, Yun Xiang, are just killing him."

Sun Er looked at Shopkeeper Xu and said, "Uncle! Please help me beg for mercy! How can I go back to Tianjin alone?"

When Manager Xu heard this, his face turned green. This nephew was really stupid. The boss was still complaining that he couldn't get any evidence against him, but he took the initiative to hand over the evidence, hired people based on personal connections, and condoned evil. He really couldn't explain it even if he opened his mouth.

Yun Ji snorted when he heard this. As expected, he said, "Manager Xu, where is the account book?"

Manager Xu had no choice but to use the key to open a cabinet drawer and take out the account books one by one. Yun Ji looked at the dates on the pages and said, "This is this year's, and what about last year's?"

Shopkeeper Xu fumbled around for a long time and slowly pulled out a few account books. "These are last year's and this year's account books. They are all here. The account books from previous years have been kept at my residence. I'll get them back for the boss."

"No rush. I can go back with you to get it after closing time." Yun Ji found a chair, sat down, and slowly checked the account book.

Shopkeeper Xu was trembling with fear, his palms and soles were sweating, but he didn't have the courage to say anything to Yun Ji. Yun Ji came too suddenly, and he didn't even expect that Yun Ji would come to Yuegang in person and check the accounts as soon as he arrived. He didn't even have time to make false accounts.

Although he knew that this day would come sooner or later, at this moment he could only grit his teeth and endure the storm that was about to happen.

When the shop closed, Manager Xu did not leave the shop. He said, "Sun Er was fired today. There is no one to look after the shop. I will not go back today and will stay in the shop."

"Sun Er usually lives in the store?" Yun Ji asked.

"Yes, the boss. He was in charge of the store. Now that he has been fired, I will have to run the store by myself from now on."

"Tell Sun Er to pack his luggage and stay at the inn. The items in the store are valuable and outsiders are not allowed to stay in the store. Xiao Li will guard the store tonight. Manager Xu and I will go home to get the account book." Yun Ji had already seen through Manager Xu's little thoughts.

Xiao Li went into the yard behind the shop and took a look. Sun Er was still hesitating and refused to leave. Finally, Yun Ji ordered him to move out, leaving Xiao Li to stay there.

Yun Ji followed Shopkeeper Xu back home. Shopkeeper Xu's wife and children followed them. The family was very lively. The shopkeeper's wife was particularly enthusiastic. She said that she wanted to treat the guests to a meal and asked the children to go out and get some wine.

Shopkeeper Xu did not say anything to his wife. He led Yun Ji into the study, closed the door, bolted it, and knelt down in front of Yun Ji: "Boss, I was wrong!"

This kneeling scared Yun Ji: "Manager Xu, what are you doing!" Because his wife and children were outside the door, he did not dare to speak loudly.

Shopkeeper Xu was filled with shame. "Boss, I have been bewitched for many years. I sold the goods in the store to others at a price lower than the market price without your knowledge and made some profit from it. I have received a total of 12,300 taels of silver."

There are both zeros and whole numbers here, and I remember them quite clearly.

Yun Ji didn't even pull him up: "You remember this number very well. If you are afraid of being investigated, why do you dare to do it? Do you think I will never come to Yuegang in my lifetime?"

Shopkeeper Xu hung his head, "No, I know the boss will come. The boss is young and enterprising, and he will definitely not let this account go unresolved. When I was in the hands of Er Yunxiao, he arranged this way for me. Yunxiang's goods were sold at a low price to the person he introduced, and then the other party gave me kickbacks. When Yunxiao's affair was exposed, I wanted to stop, but the man threatened me, saying that he had kept evidence of bribing me, and if I didn't sell it to him at a low price, he would expose me. I had no choice but to continue selling to him, but I didn't touch the silver I gave him after that, and I still have 10,200 taels. Boss, I will return the silver in full, sell the house and land, and collect the 12,300 taels of silver. Please forgive me."

Yun Ji said seriously, "Manager Xu, this is only the money you received as bribes. In fact, the losses caused to Yunxiang over the years are far more than this amount! The shops in Quanzhou and Yuegang deal with large quantities of Southeast Asian goods every day, and the prices are extremely expensive. My father trusted you so much that he put you here as the manager."

Shopkeeper Xu nodded his head vigorously: "I know, I know, I have failed the trust of my old boss. I am guilty! Please punish me!"

"You are the person promoted and respected by my father. As a junior, I should call you Uncle Xu, but what you have done is really unworthy of you! If my father knew about this, he would be so disappointed!" Yun Ji sighed heavily.

Shopkeeper Xu shrank his neck and dared not look up at him.

Yun Ji sat down and asked, "Manager Xu, if you commit embezzlement and are reported to the authorities, how will you be punished? I'm afraid it will not be as simple as confiscating your property, you may also be exiled."

Shopkeeper Xu knelt down a few steps and said, "Master, spare my life! I will never dare to do that again."

Seeing this, Yun Ji was silent for a long time, and then said, "I still have a chance to redeem myself. It depends on whether you are willing to go."

"Boss, please tell me, I will definitely make amends!" When Manager Xu heard him say this, he quickly agreed.

Yun Ji said, "I plan to open a Yun Xiang branch in Macau to do business with the merchant ships of Fulangji. I need an expert to identify the quality and price of the goods. Are you willing to go?"

Shopkeeper Xu felt bitter, as this was tantamount to exile to Lingnan, but he did not dare to refuse: "I am willing to work for the boss!"