The furnishings in the elegant tea room are in a small, fresh and elegant style.
While waiting for the waiter, Shen Tang played with the tea cups on the tea table. As a child with mild ADHD, she was not used to a quiet environment. Seeing that the shopkeeper was also passing the time in a daze, she couldn't help but ask questions that had puzzled her for a while. .
"Shopkeeper, I have a question and I don't know if I can answer it."
When the shopkeeper heard her words, his thoughts that had not yet drifted far away were immediately pulled back to his physical body. He joked: "Is there anything I can answer, as long as the young lady doesn't ask about the old man and Zhuo Jing."
Shen Tang: "..."
She didn't want to understand it immediately.
(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
Who wants to know the interesting things going on between you and your wife?
When the shopkeeper saw Shen Tang's weird and complicated expression, he suddenly realized that the painter in front of him was still a girl from the 11th and 2nd. No matter how exquisite the painter was and how skilled he was in secret play drawings, he should not make such a colorful joke. He I had to quickly skip this topic and ask instead: "What did the young lady just say? You have questions, right? Just ask, I will definitely tell you everything."
Shen Tang asked: "How can the county government encourage this kind of business? It stands to reason that public officials should not avoid suspicion?"
To actually take the lead in developing this kind of industry is unheard of.
The shopkeeper thought there was some problem.
When he heard that it was a common sense issue, he was a little surprised by Shen Tang's "simpleness". This was common sense to everyone. Then he thought about it, this young lady is beautiful, has a good temperament, and she doesn't do any rough work. She also has good painting skills, so she must have been born in a wealthy family before she fell into poverty. It is normal for her relatives to protect her from knowing these scandalous things.
Thinking of this, I looked at Shen Tang with a little pity in her eyes - this young lady must have had a difficult life, so she ran out to find work in secret dramas. If this business cooperation goes well, there will be other books in the bookstore in the future. You can also leave her a list of drawings.
He took a sip of tea and sighed: "Well, it's a long story. There have been many natural disasters and wars in recent years, and the people's lives have been difficult. Those who have fields at home dare not plant them because they are afraid of being robbed by bandits. Those in the fields are even more likely to starve to death. You say, if the adults don’t have enough to eat or wear, how can they afford to raise more children?”
Shen Tang shook his head: "Of course I can't afford it."
The shopkeeper said: "So, if we can't afford it, we will either throw it away or sell it. When the county government saw that this was not possible, they said that they would build more houses with hooks and tiles, and they would sing, dance and laugh, which would attract more people. Foreign merchants make money, and secondly, they can settle these children well. Thirdly, the taxes are so heavy, so they can fill the gaps. Otherwise, the superiors will force them to ask for tax money, and the county government can't come up with it, so why can't they explain it?. Let's do it like this, say What is it... Achieve multiple things with one stone."
Shen Tang's expression changed when he heard this.
I endured it again and again, but I just felt sick.
She asked: "Is this really what the county government means?"
The shopkeeper pointed towards the center of Xiaocheng.
He lowered his voice and leaned closer and said: "Of course it is. The notices are all posted like this. What do these nobles think? What can we common people say? To be honest - if there is no war, it will be nothing! Now that there is such a mess, we will sell our sons and daughters. Entering Goulan House is a gift from these noble people."
Due to the special current situation and the strong encouragement from the county government, other businesses in Xiaocheng were not easy to do. Only the business of Goulan Washe made a lot of money, and business was booming every day.
Those people who couldn't survive were forced to sell their children and girls. The money from the sales was not enough for the family's monthly expenses, but instead made enough money for the traffickers and Goulanwashe. As there were more children to sell, these people had a choice. The range of things that can be criticized has also become larger, so they join forces to lower the price, and the parents of the children can only sell at low prices with tears in their eyes.
A decent-looking child can be lured away with at most one or two hundred yuan. What happens to him in the future depends entirely on fate.
After the shopkeeper finished speaking, he was extremely angry and sighed. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Shen Tang, who was lost in thought. He suddenly realized that he had said something to a child that he shouldn't have said, and immediately made up for it: "Oh, these are all in the past. It's very difficult to survive in this world now." It's easy."
As for whether to starve and be homeless, or to stay in a Goulan tile house and be transported to and from people, the choice is not in the hands of the poor. Life is worth less than grass, so there is no choice.
After all, there is a life in Goulan Washe - if God favors me and gives me a beautiful face, and I become a top celebrity, I will be considered "enjoyed" even if I die young - I am afraid of being killed by thugs. They were dragged to the battlefield to be used as cannon fodder and given away heads, or they worked cautiously to tend a few acres of barren farmland. They were busy all year long depending on the weather, but in the end the family still starved to death.
Shen Tang only felt that it was too heavy.
Seeing her sad expression, the shopkeeper thought about changing the topic and asked her: "Guess, how many men's and women's restaurants are there in these five long streets of hook-and-mortar houses?"
How could Shen Tang know?
He said casually: "Half and half?"
The shopkeeper shook his head: "The men's hall accounts for this number!"
He made a sign of "seven".
It means seventy percent.
Shen Tang: "..."
The shopkeeper turns on the self-question and answer mode.
"You must be curious why this is so? The answer is not difficult. Do you know that the person above your head was once the 'favorite concubine' of the King of Xin? He has a nickname called 'Nvjiao', and he just turned out to be He has attracted countless envy since he was born. There are more and more private men's houses, and his business is getting better and better. Look, he is now the leader of a country." He slapped his thigh and shouted, "How awesome!"
The only thing left was to award the "Most Inspiring Male Concubine Award in History" to Zheng Qiao.
When a man spoils a man like this, who wouldn’t say something awesome about it?
Zheng Qiao has also become the male idol of the male hostess.
Shen Tang: "..."
Not long after, there was a rhythmic knock on the door outside the private room.
The shopkeeper stood up and opened the door. There were three strangers standing outside the door, two tall and one short. The one in the middle wore a curtain and a black gauze covering his face, and there were two tall guards with fierce faces on the left and right.
Needless to say, the man in the middle is the real owner.
After entering the private room, he took off the curtain, revealing a fair and delicate face that was a bit mean-looking. He was more like a slightly green boy than a man. His eyes swept over Shen Tang, and he saw no one else. The three of them asked the shopkeeper: "Where is the painter?"
Shen Tang raised his hand: "Here!"
Without even looking at Shen Tang, he directed his anger at the shopkeeper: "Did you give me too little money? Why would you send me a picture of such a young girl? Do you know how important that picture is?"
The shopkeeper didn't expect this butler to have such a bad temper, but for the sake of business, he could only bend down to please him and guaranteed Shen Tang: "Even though he is young, his painting skills are no worse than those of the previous painters."
Shen Tang nodded in agreement.
After all, she once relied on this craft to make a living.
Believe in her professional ability!
Hearing this, the man looked at Shen Tang carefully.
At this time, Shen Tang had already stood up, and the inscription hanging on her waist hung down with her movements. The transparent painting had a vaguely colorful color under the light. The young man was startled, and suddenly changed his tone: "Okay, then. Let this person give it a try. If he doesn’t satisfy me, I’ll replace him! However, I have a request!”
Shen Tang was full of confidence: "Just say it."
Young man: "You have to use the pen, ink, paper and inkstone I provided to draw."
When Shen Tang heard this, he thought it was a good thing and immediately agreed.
The sky is dark and the stars are boiling.
On this day of praying for good things, I always felt like something was missing.
Hearing the sound of footsteps again next door, he knew that Shen Xiaolangjun was back. He took a look at the new books collected on the desk, thought about it, and knocked on Shen Tang's door with them in his arms.
Shen Tang had just finished typing the draft and was about to write some ink.
"Wait a moment, it's coming."
Shen Tang got up and opened the door.
"Is something wrong with Yuanliang?"
As he spoke, he turned sideways to let Qi Shan in.
"I borrowed a few manuscripts from my friends. See if there are any you need..." Before he finished speaking or put down the book, he saw the works spread out on Shen Tang's table and said in surprise, "Shen Xiaolangjun, this Which 'master' taught the 'painting' in chess, calligraphy and painting?"
There is a person drawn on the paper, with a big round black head, and a body drawn in a few twisted strokes, like a twisted twist, lying on a device that may be a "recliner".
There is a bump on the head, I don't know if it is a bun or a flower on the temples. The "right hand" is holding a round fan, and the left hand is hanging down... It should be a person lying on the chaise longue and trying to look concave. The convex ones are convex and the concave ones are concave.
The scrawling is weird, and there is an inexplicable irritation in the face.
The key is that there is more than one "person" on the white paper. When viewed in series, the characters' movements range from undressing to climbing onto the bed and making concave shapes. The unfinished scene should be the arrival of a second strange "person"... He I can see the inexplicable "anxious" atmosphere.
Pray for good…
It is really difficult for him to call it a "painting" without conscience.
