The Qing soldiers entered the customs, and Cao Sanxi developed into the customs. He first set up a number in Taigu, his hometown, and then set up numbers in commercial ports in North China and Northwest China. After Cao Sanxi became rich, he divided his assets into seven parts and gave them to his seven sons, but he was still a joint venture in business. The seven families each contributed 65,438+2 million yuan to form the general management office, which was called "Cao Qihe" in history. Later, because a son went out to inherit, he changed "Cao Qihe" to "Liu Degong". Six churches have their own names, namely, Huaiyitang, Tang Xinyi, Liuqingtang, Sanduotang and Wuguitang, and another one is unknown. Their joint venture reached its peak in Qingdaoguang and Xianfeng. At that time, Cao Shi firms were all over the country, including Jinan, Xuzhou, Lanzhou, Taiyuan, Tianjin, Beijing, Shenyang, Jinzhou, Siping, Zhangjiakou, Licheng, Tunliu, Taigu, the eldest son and Yuci, as well as Cao Shi firms in Xinjiang, Cullen, Moscow and Irkutsk. Its business scope is very wide, such as: satin, cloth, woolen cloth, pigments, medicinal materials, leather goods, groceries, foreign goods, tea, tents, pawns, banks, money houses and so on. Cao Shi is a joint venture in enterprise management, but it is independent in family economy. Sanduotang is the most prosperous of all departments. In the Cao era, the family assets were 3 million taels, and the annual expenditure was more than 3,000 taels. When Cao Zhongmei arrived, his family assets were 6 million taels, and he spent 22,000 taels every year.
At first, Cao Shi was the majority employer of Cao Shi Company. Later, with the development of business, the scope of employment was expanded, but it was only used by people in Shanxi Province. There are two ways to employ people: one is recommended by big shopkeepers; The second is to promote it from friends. The recommended person must have considerable business experience; Those who are promoted must have some experience. Cao Shi also hired some scholars with good writing style, such as Gao and Yang Jipu. Cao Shi company has many rules in employing people. For example, a new shopkeeper or a group friend who has just joined the company will not be paid for three years, but only pay for food, which is the probation period. After three years, if the probation period is not good and the number of people is violated, if the store thinks it is "unbearable", it will generally notify the dismissal before the fifteenth day of the first month. If they continue to be appointed, they will be paid according to their status and responsibilities. The wages of shopkeepers are generally 100- 120 A Liang year. Ten years later, he will give the top business according to the performance, that is, participate in the share profit dividend with the top human shares. In addition to the big shopkeeper, the second shopkeeper and the third shopkeeper, each firm also manages accounts, sits in cabinets, sits at counters and runs away from outsiders.
Cao Shi Company has strict numbering rules that all employees must abide by. For example, it is stipulated that the staff of the firm are not allowed to smoke, play cards or go whoring. When entertaining guests, there are designated stores (usually two or three stores) responsible for entertaining. Generally, we don't talk about trading during the banquet, but look at the goods, negotiate and trade after the meal. Shopkeepers and friends must wear long coats on weekdays and mandarin jackets when going out or negotiating business with visitors to show respect. Friends can be divided into sitting in the cupboard and standing in the cupboard. All the apprentices who have just joined the cabinet often need to join the cabinet for seven or eight years before they can be promoted to the cabinet; Even if it becomes a cabinet, you should stand up when you see the shopkeeper. No pockets are allowed in the clothes worn by friends who live in the cell. Copper coins were used in Qing dynasty, and each group member had a penny to hang in the cupboard for shaving and bathing. In case of legal holidays, when you are allowed to go home, you must pack your luggage and put it on the counter, indicating that you want to check it, and there is no property in the cupboard. When eating on weekdays, all friends sit down in turn according to the amount of work, and are not allowed to mess around.
Cao Shi's commerce is a feudal capital management mode. With the development of society and the change of political situation at home and abroad, Cao Shi's commerce declined in the late Qing Dynasty. After the Revolution of 1911, silver was changed to silver dollar, and silver dollar was changed to paper money several times. As a result, Cao Shi Commercial Bank changed its capital and debt, losing hundreds of thousands of taels of silver. 19 19, the foreign debts of Cao Shi's firms in Moscow, Chatu, Irkutsk and Kulun (Ulaanbaatar) were more than 802,000 yuan. Every paper money in the pre-Russian empire was worth one or two pieces of silver. After the success of the Soviet revolution, each banknote was only worth five cents, and Cao Shi lost 372,000 pieces of silver. Cao Shi's commerce is dominated by major cities in Northeast China. During the melee of Beiyang warlords, Fengzhi warlords held a large number of "tickets" in Zhangfa. 1922 in the first direct war, the Feng warlord failed, and the "ticket worship" plummeted, and Cao Shi firms lost more than one million yuan. 193 1 "September 18th Incident", the Japanese invaded the three northeastern provinces, and later the puppet Manchukuo was established. According to the Japanese colonial economic control law, five banks in Caoshi Liaoning merged into Yucheng Bank owned by the puppet Manchukuo government, and all the firms in Caoshi Northeast vanished. Northeast China is the birthplace of Cao Shi, and the collapse of its northeast firms has affected the firms in Shanhaiguan. Before the firm closed down, the store owner took the opportunity to enrich himself. Cao Shi's descendants smoked opium and could do nothing. All Cao Shi's businesses finally closed down.
Cao Shi began in Cao Sanxi and declined in Cao Kerang and his childhood, * * * to 24. Cao Sanxi is illiterate, illiterate. Cao Shi attached great importance to the education of children's reading after the rise of family business. The Cao family has a "study courtyard" and employs famous teachers to teach. Teachers are well paid, with a salary of 120 yuan a year. In addition to donating officials, Cao Shi's children also had candidates in the late Qing Dynasty. For example:
Cao Peide, whose real name is Runtang, is smart and capable. He used to be the alternate magistrate of Zhili, proficient in the six laws, fond of writing poems, especially poems. He is the author of Mu Shi 'an's Poems, Mu Shi 'an's An Wen Record, Mu Shi 'an's Prose Collection and Mr. Fu Wenzhen's Chronicle. Rich in economic talent, he abandoned Confucianism and went into business. All Cao Shi "Golden" firms, such as Jinfengtai, Jinshengrun, Jinfenghuan, Jinfengdian, Jin, Jin Quanxing, Jin Quanhe, Jin Quanyong, Jin, Jin Longde and Kim Tae Hyung, were founded by Cao Peide. This is stated in Cao Peide's epitaph; "Cao of Taigu, with endowment between male and jin, and extension temples jun with fame and virtue. Jun taboo PeiDe, word RunTang, word line, don't word trust. ..... Guangxu Yiyou, to pay tribute to Beijing for selection, enter an examination and donate cabinet books. ..... You donate the Chinese book to the magistrate first, indicating that Zhili will try it out. ..... Ren Yinqiu, Minister of Reclamation Department, instructed General Gu's role in reclamation ... Jun ran to the Great Wall for many months, founded Ximen Company, and returned to collect money to more than 100,000 yuan, making a big fight. ..... Since the opening of Zheng Tai Railway, the number of businessmen in the valley has been greatly reduced. If the Tongpu line does not pass through the valley, it is especially advisable to build Yutai branch as soon as possible to get through the business situation. It is a pity that people can't use it. "
According to legend, Cao Zhongyu and Shaanxi Governor Hu Pin were "in the same year" and served as the manager of Jinbao Company during Guangxu period. After Hu went to work, Zhongyu also left.
Cao Kerang, a juren, loves painting and calligraphy, and has a large collection of famous poems and paintings worth more than one million yuan. 1937 after the Japanese invaded Shanxi, some famous paintings were looted by the Japanese. It was also stolen and sold by drug addicts among Cao Shizi girls, resulting in the loss of all the precious paintings and calligraphy collected.