第十八章 南方共同市场(三)
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1633年11月的最后一天对于远道而至科洛尼亚的英国棉布或呢绒商人们来说是黑色的。更多小说ltxsba.com
在科洛尼亚明媚的春光中,英国商人聚集的商栈内,大大的黑木板上用粉笔写着:印度白棉布,售价4比索/匹;精纺宽呢45比索/匹、粗呢33比索/匹、绒面呢40比索/匹(此时1比索≈0.8元≈0.2英镑)。十几名英国商人的雇员正在费力地将成捆的棉布或呢绒从船上卸下来,然后按照商人冒险家公司①公司的规矩,每名商人将自己的货物同时展现在客户面前,而价格则是由公司统一制定的。
上午时分,前来看货的商人们络绎不绝。这些都是加入了罗德里格斯商会的拉普拉塔土生白人,他们有充足的资金和流畅的销售渠道,是英国商人们最喜欢的客户了。这些商人大多是一些中小商人,他们零零散散地买走了几百匹棉布和呢绒。而这,对于英国人庞大的库存来说不过是九牛一毛,英国人并不着急,他们知道那些大客户还没有出现呢,现在出售的还都只是开胃菜而已。
上午最后一个小时,前来看货的拉普拉塔商人陡然减少,到最后甚至一个都没有了。英国人此刻并没有意识到什么,加上时近中午,英国人干脆打烊休息。
几名来自伦敦商人冒险家公司的呢绒商人和来自东印度公司棉布商人在一起吃完午餐后,他们甚至还有兴趣坐下来一起喝酒聊天,从以往的经验来说,这只是一次轻松愉快的商务旅行而已。
“我不得不说,拉普拉塔的牛肉真的是不错。肥嫩、柔滑、多汁,上帝作证,东盎格利亚②的菜牛和它们比起来完全就和皮革一样嚼之无味。”来自诺维奇的呢绒商乔治·汉普顿做着夸张的手势说着。
一些商人善意地笑着,然后有人打趣道:“所以,乔治,这就是你把你牧场上的菜牛全部宰杀掉然后换成绵羊的原因么?”
“是的,约翰。”乔治·汉普顿抿了一口酒,然后说道:“你知道的,我最近买下了一处修道院的农场。我决定从明年开始把这片农场上那些种植大麦的愚笨农夫全部赶走,我只需要最聪明的几个留下给我放牧羊群。”
“乔治,那些农夫虽然愚蠢,但是他们还是能够胜任纺纱织布的工作的。”约翰说道,“马尔麦斯伯里的夏罗普先生最近租下了一片手工工场,然后将那些农夫都聚集到工场里当剪毛工、纺纱工、织工和漂洗工,只需要支付少许的报酬,就可以获得稳定的呢绒产出。等我这次生意做完,我回到布里斯托尔时也会效仿夏罗普先生的,因为这非常划算。不是吗,谢尔登先生?您的家族在萨福克郡拥有很大一片工场,您应该能体会到其中的好处。”
坐在酒桌一角的一名中年男子轻笑了下,随即用浑厚的声音说道:“乔治,约翰说的没错。时代不一样了,我们要摒弃那些乡村纺织的旧传统。一个农夫纺完毛线后甚至要走上大半天才能到达我的工场,将毛线交给我换取羊毛后再花大半天时间走回家接着纺线,我们浪费了太多时间在这上头,这导致我们的效率一直很低下。是时候做出改变了,先生们!我们需要将那些农夫从该死的庄稼地上赶出来,然后在庄稼地上种上苜蓿,放养上可爱的羊群。而那些农夫,通通集中到工场里去做工,这才是最有效率的做法,也最能为我们带来可爱的金币。”
中年男子一番话说得众人连连点头,接着有人提议为谢尔登先生的工场干一杯,气氛一时极为热烈。
突然,商栈的大门被人猛然推开了,一名雇员快步走了进来,沉声说道:“先生们,我们也许有麻烦了。刚才我在市场上听到一种传言,说东岸人运来了大批的棉布和呢绒,而且他们将这批纺织品以一个不可思议的低价出售给了垄断城内大部分贸易的罗德里格斯商会。而这个价格据消息人士传言只有我们售价的一半左右,也许这就是上午最后时刻再也没人来购买我们的货物的原因,因为这些西班牙人都得到了消息。”
房间内猛然一窒,但很快又被一阵哄笑声淹没。
“一半的价格!上帝,这怎么可能?他们还能赚到钱吗?”
“没有人能在纺织品上比英格兰人的价格还低!”
“他们难道打劫了哪艘运输纺织品的货船吗?这是处理赃物的价格,无耻的海盗!”
“这个笑话虽然不是很好笑,但是你终于开始变得幽默些了,尼克,来,干一杯!”
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