章節 252: Chapter 252: The World's Richest Chinese
Upon reaching the second floor, they entered a spacious office. Following Wu Hongyi's invitation, Xia Yu and the others sat around the sofa near the tea table.
Soon, two young women in qipao came in, carrying some pastries and peanuts. They placed the snacks in front of everyone and then, with practiced ease, began preparing tea.
"Everyone, enjoy the tea and don't be polite!" Wu Hongyi said with a smile after the tea was served.
"Yes, yes, we're all fellow countrymen here. Just treat this place like your own home and feel free!" Uncle Chang, who was sitting nearby, added enthusiastically.
Their warm hospitality put Xia Yu in a good mood. He nodded and said, "We won't be polite then. Don't be surprised if we get a bit too comfortable."
"Haha, there's no way I'd be surprised, only happy!" Wu Hongyi responded quickly with a smile.
"The pastries are indeed very good; they melt in your mouth. Come, everyone, have some." Xia Yu picked up a piece of mung bean cake and took a bite. The soft, melting texture made him pleasantly surprised, and he couldn't help but show his enjoyment on his face. After swallowing, he praised, "These are really delicious."
Hearing Xia Yu's praise, Uncle Chang beamed with delight.
Li Qian also took a piece of mung bean cake, gently biting into it, her eyes shining as she said, "It's really tasty."
"If it's good, then eat more," Uncle Chang said, his eyes full of kindness as he looked at the charming Li Qian.
"Mm-hmm!" Li Qian nodded with a smile, making Xia Yu smile as well. Li Qian was indeed very likable.
While they were enjoying the food and tea, Xia Yu and Wu Hongyi began to chat.
"Hongyi, when did your family come to the UK?" Xia Yu leaned forward slightly and asked.
"Our family has been here for over a hundred years. Our ancestors came to the UK in 1828," Wu Hongyi replied thoughtfully, sounding quite sentimental.
It was now 1978, exactly 150 years since 1828. Not only was Xia Yu surprised, but Li Qian and the others also looked at Wu Hongyi in amazement.
"So long ago! Your family came to the UK during the Qing Dynasty's Daoguang era!"
"Yes, that's what the family records say," Wu Hongyi said calmly, as if accustomed to others' astonishment.
Suddenly, Xia Yu's mind sparked with a thought.
Why would Wu Hongyi's ancestors come to the UK from the Qing Dynasty and remain settled here for so long? To endure in the UK for 160 years without disappearing was a feat. But considering the era, it was not an easy task to go abroad and build a career!
Wu family? The surname Wu?
Xia Yu's mind raced, and soon he had a flash of realization. He looked directly at Wu Hongyi and asked, "Is your Wu family the one from the Thirteen Hongs?"
Wu Hongyi looked surprised, not expecting Xia Yu to guess so quickly. However, it was not something that needed to be hidden. Many Chinese in the UK knew about it; it was quite public, and Xia Yu would find out eventually.
So he nodded with a smile and said, "Yes, that's the one. Our lineage comes from the third son of Dun Yuan Gong."
Hearing Wu Hongyi confirm it, Xia Yu's expression turned serious. He clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and said, "I am honored!"
Seeing Xia Yu's serious demeanor, Wu Hongyi smiled wryly and said, "That's the glory of our ancestors. We, their descendants, have failed to live up to it, and the family has fallen into this state."
"No, to have persisted in the UK is a testament to your strength!" Xia Yu immediately shook his head.
"Xia Yu, is Dun Yuan Gong very famous?" Li Qian tugged at Xia Yu's sleeve and asked softly.
Xia Yu nodded solemnly and said, "Yes, Hongyi's ancestor was the world's richest person at that time, and foreigners highly recognized him!"
"Wow! The world's richest? That's incredible!" Li Qian covered her mouth in surprise and looked at Wu Hongyi, who was smiling wryly, clearly acknowledging it.
"This name you should have heard of—it's Wu Bingjian, the founder of the Yihe Company, one of the Thirteen Hongs of Guangdong. Also known as Wu Dun Yuan," Xia Yu explained.
Li Qian, being highly educated, naturally knew about the Thirteen Hongs of Guangdong. Knowing this, she was even more astonished.
Hong Kong and Guangdong are separated by only a sea. Many Hong Kong people are from Fujian or Guangdong, so the legend of the Thirteen Hongs of Guangdong has been passed down. The saying goes, "Foreign ships compete for official merchants, and the cross-gate opens to the two oceans. Five and eight silks, broad satin, silver money piles up in the Thirteen Hongs."
She had learned about it during her history studies, discovering that the customs duties paid by the Thirteen Hongs to the Qing government accounted for 40% of the national revenue at that time.
It was recorded that in 1822, there was a great fire in the Thirteen Hongs, burning fiercely for several days. A large amount of valuables and cash amounting to forty million taels was destroyed. After the fire, a peculiar phenomenon appeared: "Foreign silver flowed into the ditches, reaching one or two miles long."
She also knew that the Thirteen Hongs was just a general term, not necessarily thirteen businesses. Sometimes there were dozens, and at other times, only four. Among them were several wealthy individuals like Pan Zhencheng, Pan Youdu, Lu Wenjin, Wu Bingjian, and Ye Shanglin.
What Li Qian didn't know was that Wu Bingjian was actually the world's richest person at that time.
In fact, it was not an exaggeration to say that Wu Bingjian was the world's richest person. Xia Yu had learned about him in his previous life.
In 1834, the Wu family's assets were estimated at 26 million silver dollars, while the richest person in the United States at that time had assets equivalent to only 8 million silver dollars, less than a third of Wu Bingjian's wealth!
Wu Bingjian was indeed a commercial genius who built a major financial empire.
At that time, Wu Bingjian was the "banker" and largest creditor of the British East India Company.
In terms of business operations, Wu Bingjian not only owned real estate, property, tea plantations, and shops domestically but also boldly invested in railroads, securities, and even insurance in the United States across the ocean, making Yihe Company a true multinational conglomerate.
Unfortunately, due to the nature of the country at that time, merchants were like sheep, with power being supreme, unlike abroad where capital controlled the government.
Thus, the Wu family suffered heavy losses due to repeated cuts by the Qing government.
However, Wu Bingjian foresaw the danger and took precautions by sending many of his children overseas early, managing the family's overseas businesses while increasing the family's risk resistance.
A cautious approach indeed saved him, or the Wu family might have faced extinction!
What Xia Yu found remarkable was that the first person he met upon arriving in the UK was a member of the Wu family, and he also learned for the first time that after 150 years of ups and downs, the Wu family still stood firm in the UK. He would need to delve deeper to understand the current status of the Wu family.
However, Xia Yu speculated that the Wu family had likely declined as Wu Hongyi said. Otherwise, although Hong Kong was far from the UK, he would have heard of the Wu family's prominence.
Of course, there were other possibilities, such as the Wu family's business in Hong Kong not intersecting with Xia Yu's, or the Wu family simply not having any business in Hong Kong.
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