Chapter 72: A Scene of Devastation

In the midst of the chaos, someone brought a thick stack of calling cards and gift lists. Guo Yi took them and flipped through them casually, unable to help but feel emotional. It seemed that “might makes right” and “strength is friendship” were true in any time and place. Compared to the scene of deserted doors and a hasty escape last year, it was truly a poignant contrast.

The calling cards were of all sorts: some were just to inquire after his well-being, others were invitations to be a guest, and of course, some were eager requests for a meeting. Yi Liu categorized and registered them in the guest book according to the status, relationship, and purpose of the sender. Some required a return card, some required a meeting, and others could be ignored with the simple excuse, “The master is not at home.” As for the gifts, some were accepted, some were not, and some were half-accepted and half-returned. All these decisions were left to Zheng Shangjie. Although she rarely appeared in the Guangzhou Station’s external affairs, she actually played the role of the “housewife.” She not only managed all the general affairs but was also responsible for all matters of courtesy and exchange.

Yi Liu flipped through the cards, set aside a few important ones that Guo Yi had specifically mentioned, and took the rest to Zheng Shangjie to handle.

The first card was from Gao Ju, with an invitation to a banquet enclosed. He certainly had to attend the banquet. The Guangzhou Station not only had some accounts to settle with him but also had to thank him in person for taking care of their interests over the past half-year. Of course, this also included future cooperation plans for the Foreign Intelligence Bureau and the Colonial and Trade Department’s entry into the capital.

The second card was from Liang Cunhou, also an invitation to a banquet. Although the Liang family hadn’t been of great help during the turmoil, it was thanks to their name that the Cihuitang, which the Guangzhou Station used to absorb and shelter refugees, had been preserved. At the time, many people coveted the Cihuitang because it held a considerable amount of property and land. The Liang family had also stepped in to protect some of the Zi-brand enterprise’s clerks who were arrested because they couldn’t escape in time. This favor had to be repaid.

The third card, however, was from Li Xijue. He was currently the designated liaison for the Guangdong officialdom, appointed by Li Fengjie.

Apart from these three, the other cards were not important. As for the young masters who swarmed around Pei Lixiu, she could entertain them once Ziminglou was tidied up a bit.

Mei Lin and Li Xiaolü, architects from the Lingao Construction Company who had accompanied the team, walked in. They had just completed a detailed survey of the damage to the entire Huifu Street building complex to formulate a repair and renovation plan.

Both of them were dressed in incongruous Ming-style clothing. Mei Lin wore a “six-in-one” hat, and Li Xiaolü wore a crooked wig with a topknot. They looked very uncomfortable.

This was the core part of the residence, and there were political security personnel guarding the courtyard entrance. Except for transmigrators and their secretaries and confidential clerks, neither naturalized citizens nor local clerks were allowed to enter without being summoned. It was a place where they could talk relatively freely.

Guo Yi greeted them and motioned for Yi Liu to pour tea.

“How’s the situation? Will the repairs take a long time?”

Mei Lin took a sip of tea, stretched out his legs, and tugged at his clothes. “Not necessarily. The buildings themselves aren’t damaged much, but the architectural fittings are severely damaged. There’s not much masonry work, but a lot of carpentry. As for how long it will take, it depends on how quickly you can provide the parts. I’ve looked at the remaining fragments, and many are very exquisitely made. I’m afraid it will take a month or two to get them all.”

“Yes,” Guo Yi nodded. “We’ll just have to hire more local carpenters and urge them to work faster. As for the timber, we can check Gao Ju’s warehouse. He has high-quality wood that has been stored for many years and can be used immediately.”

“Looking at this, we haven’t brought enough interior fittings. I’m afraid we’ll have to place an additional order with Lingao,” Li Xiaolü said, looking at her notebook. “We still don’t know the situation at Ziminglou…”

“It won’t be any better,” Zheng Shangjie interjected with a sigh.

“Here’s what I’m thinking,” Mei Lin said. “First, we’ll focus on repairing the access control facilities, inspecting the walls and roofs. Then, we’ll restore the storefronts of Zizhenzhai and Zichengji to resume business as soon as possible. As for the residence…”

“First, repair the front areas used for receiving guests and entertaining. The garden should also be restored as soon as possible. This is where we entertain and socialize. We’ve just returned to Guangzhou, and there will be many social events and banquets, so we need a place.”

“Alright,” Mei Lin noted his request in his notebook. “I’ll also arrange for people to repair the inner residence first. At the very least, we’ll restore the water supply and drainage and the bathroom facilities so you can use them.”

“I want to go see the situation at Ziminglou tomorrow,” Li Xiaolü said, “to estimate the construction period and materials.”

The next day, Zheng Shangjie and Pei Lixiu accompanied Li Xiaolü and the others to Ziminglou to inspect the situation. When they unlocked the main door, they found a scene of devastation, even though it had been cleaned once.

As Guo Yi had estimated, the damage to Ziminglou was no less severe. The carpets had been cut in half, all the glass on the windows was shattered, and the window sashes and carved screens had been removed. The glass chandeliers were gone. Although the large bathhouse had been cleaned, many of the statues, plumbing fixtures, and tiles were missing. It was clear that someone had tried to dismantle the plumbing and sanitary ware in the private rooms, causing great damage. The toilets, bathtubs, and various pipes were almost all destroyed or missing. Due to the damaged pipes, water from the water tanks had leaked out, leaving water damage everywhere. The furniture and furnishings in the building were almost all gone, and even the animal-powered machine used to pump water to the water tower had been dismantled.

A pile of things lay in the main hall—these were the items “returned” by the government, a miscellaneous heap of junk. Zheng Shangjie looked at them; many were just junk to make up the numbers. Some were indeed items from Ziminglou, but they were in a terrible state. A few large sofas that were originally in Pei Lixiu’s “salon” had their brocade upholstery torn open, exposing the kapok filling. Zheng Shangjie checked; the springs were gone.

Pei Lixiu’s full-length dressing mirror and grandfather clock from her boudoir were missing. These two items had been taken by someone and their whereabouts were now unknown. Her dressing table and Zheng Shangjie’s desk were still there, fine rosewood furniture, but for some unknown reason, they had been carefully chopped into pieces with an axe.

“They were looking for secret drawers,” Zheng Shangjie sighed with regret. “What a pity, this desk was very useful.”

Pei Lixiu was too angry to speak. Seeing her once-meticulously decorated boudoir and salon in such a state, she was on the verge of tears. Zheng Shangjie was also very angry. This was simply a wanton destruction of property!

After inspecting the damage, Mei Lin and Li Xiaolü also came up with a restoration plan. The repairs here were not urgent. Moreover, they needed far more building materials from Lingao than Huifu Street. So, the work had to be scheduled for later. Although Pei Lixiu was not satisfied, she had to accept it.

“I don’t think you need to be in such a hurry,” Zheng Shangjie said, sharing a sedan chair with her and trying to console her. “Once Huifu Street is repaired, you can stay there for now. Here, we can first invite all our old patrons. Then we’ll go around and pay some visits. It doesn’t matter if the building isn’t repaired yet. We need to mend our relationships.”

“I suppose that’s the only way,” Pei Lixiu said gloomily.

“It’s alright. It’s only a matter of time before we reopen. Besides, didn’t the Planning Institute approve our plan for the flagship store? The second store will be much larger. Let’s focus on planning that for now.”

Guo Yi went out every day to visit guests or host banquets at the residences of famous local courtesans. He first met with Gao Ju, who was full of enthusiasm. Their relationship seemed to have become much warmer than before. Gao Ju said, “We have shared hardships this time, so the bond between us brothers is stronger than before.” But Guo Yi knew this was the result of them fully demonstrating their strength. Gao Ju’s life and fortune were all in Guangzhou, and his source of wealth was on the high seas. Of course, he had to maintain a more friendly relationship with this rising maritime power.

Besides words of thanks, the two sides discussed the settlement of outstanding accounts. They also had a deep discussion about future cooperation. When Gao Ju heard that the Australians would be importing a large amount of spices through Xiangshan Ao, he knew that a new opportunity to get rich had arrived.

Spices were a major consumer good in China at the time and one of the few goods that China was willing to import in large quantities. In addition to edible spices, other Southeast Asian incense materials such as benzoin and ambergris also had a large market in China. If the Australians could supply them in large quantities, this source of income would be no less than his current business of selling Australian goods.

“Good, good,” Gao Ju nodded repeatedly. “To be honest with you, brother, I have a lot of goods that I can sell here. If you have ships that can sail overseas, I have a full range of goods, as much as you want.”

“That would be for the best.” Guo Yi thought, “This immediately brings a big business deal to Hong Kong.” Gao Ju was both a major importer and a major exporter. With him as the base, both the goods brought by the Dutch and the goods they took away would have a market. The transmigrators only needed to handle the transfer in Hong Kong.

Guo Yi said, “There is another matter I would like to ask for your guidance on, brother.”

“Whatever it is, brother, just say it.”

“Shopkeeper Wen wants to send some people to the capital to do business,” Guo Yi said, watching Gao Ju’s face. “He would like to ask for your help.”

Gao Ju’s face tensed for a moment, then relaxed. He didn’t answer immediately. After thinking for a moment, he asked, “Let’s not speak like outsiders between us brothers. You have now established a firm foothold in Qiongzhou, and now you want to go to the capital. What is your ultimate goal?”

“To make money, of course.”

Gao Ju smiled faintly, leaned back in his chair, and shook his head. “Brother, you are being too distant. Although I am not one to pry, there are some things I need to know the bottom of to feel at ease.”

Guo Yi said, “We have traveled far across the seas to reach the Great Ming, all for the sake of doing business and making money. When we go to the capital, it is, of course, still for the sake of making money. We will inevitably have to gauge the court’s mood, test the waters, and ask you, brother, to introduce us to some ‘friends,’ so that we don’t one day incur the wrath of the court…”

“Hehe,” Gao Ju laughed and nodded repeatedly. “Shopkeeper Wen is truly extraordinary.”