Zhou Liru rummaged through and found a box, holding it and running to Man Bao, "Sister-in-law, this is what you are looking for."
Man Bao happily took it and opened it for them to see, "Look."
Neither Mingda nor Changyu could hold back their "wow" sounds, and looked at the gems in the box with bright eyes. They were two very large gems, much larger than what they had in the box.
Changyu picked up a red one and said in surprise: "It's time to wear a phoenix crown."
Man Bao nodded repeatedly, "That's right! That's what I thought when I saw them. You can put them in the phoenix crown when you get married."
Changyu: "You're giving it to us? Forget it, you love money so much and you're poorer than us, so why do you want something from you?"
She said generously: "How much did you pay for it? I bought it according to the price."
Man Bao smiled and said, "That's so valuable. I asked the merchants in the Western Regions, and they said that it would cost at least a hundred pieces of brocade to buy one like this."
Not to mention Chang Yu, even Ming Da opened his mouth wide.
Chang Yu reluctantly put it down and said regretfully: "Forget it, I can't buy it for the time being."
The princess is also poor.
Man Bao put the ruby in her hand, and gave the other blue one to Mingda, and said with a smile: "I give these two gems to you. I found these two gems from the bandits' den. They were in a mess at the time."
, Governor Duan is not familiar with these, so he just followed me and picked first."
Chang Yu took the gem and couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you going to get married too? Why don't you keep it for yourself?"
Man Bao said: "Such a big gem would require many luxurious crowns to match it. I can't wear it."
Mingda couldn't help but burst into laughter. After collecting the gems, he asked, "What else did you take from the den of thieves?"
"That's too much," Man Bao said excitedly: "On this trip, my assets have tripled? Not counting the fact that I brought some things to the Western Regions to make money."
Chang Yu sighed, "No wonder so many people like to run to the Western Regions? Even the thieves and bandits there can't stop them."
Man Bao thought for a while and said: "There aren't many people, right? We met a caravan along the way. Our surname was You. It was quite pitiful. We were robbed by horse thieves on the way. The things we got after suppressing the bandits were sent to Shazhou.
Sell it? It will only be enough for travel expenses and pensions for the comrades who died in the war, so we won’t lose anything.”
Mingda then whispered: "How can you survive such an accident? This is a great blessing."
"We also think he is very lucky. It's a pity that he was gone when we returned to Shazhou? Otherwise, we could still be blessed by him when we returned from the same journey."
Man Bao also took them to see her collection and the goods they brought back from the Western Regions. She took them to her room first and took out large boxes to open for them to see. "These are all selected by me and I think they like them."
I want to keep it to make jewelry for myself in the future? Or to keep it for my children and grandchildren, or to give it away in the future."
Ming Dale? "You have thought so far ahead?"
"Of course?" Manbao said happily: "This means that if you don't think far ahead, you will always have immediate worries. If you think further, you won't even have far-away worries."
Then he led them to the warehouse to see the boxes piled inside. Mingda and Changyu were speechless when they saw the contents inside. "So many gems and spices?"
Man Bao nodded, "Da Bolu and Xiao Bolu were at war, and there was widespread news in the Western Regions that our Jin Dynasty was in trouble? So the trade routes were cut off immediately, and there were many bandits on the road? Many merchants from the Western Regions were stranded.
I can’t go back to Xizhou, and I can’t leave it either.”
"We brought a lot of cloth with us and basically exchanged things with them," Man Bao said, "There are also jades and gems from the Qiuci area in Xizhou, which are even cheaper. As long as you have gold and silver, you can buy them, not to mention
We also brought some tea and cloth with us at that time. Only after this trip did I realize that in the Western Regions, tea and cloth are harder currencies than gold and silver."
She said: "You may not be able to buy things with gold and silver, but you can certainly buy things with tea leaves and beautiful silks and brocades."
Chang Yu's eyes sparkled when he heard this, and he asked, "Is your family really not planning to take the path of the Western Regions?"
Man Bao shook his head, "The Western Region is too far away. It takes a year to go back and forth. Even if the trade routes are open now, it is still very dangerous. Moreover, my fourth brother is not familiar with business on the grassland. How could he go to the Western Region?"
Chang Yu was suspicious, "You can go, why can't he, a grown man, go? Is it because he doesn't have enough money? It doesn't matter, I have it."
Mingda said: "Sister, it might have been a matter of money before, but now do you think Manbao is still short of money?"
Changyu followed her gaze and looked at the things in the warehouse. The things here were actually far less valuable than the things in their private treasury, but these were all commodities and could be cashed. It would be a big deal if they turned into gold and silver.
I have a pen, so Manbao and the others are really not short of money.
When it comes to gold and silver, Manbao might be richer than Changyu.
Chang Yu could only look at Man Bao quietly, with sadness in his eyes.
Manbao smiled and said: "You have to eat one bite at a time, and you have to walk step by step on the road. Your business is not like me going to the Western Regions on official business. Not only do I have Nie Canjun and the soldiers to protect me, but I also have government officials to take care of me along the way. I met
The bandits can still ask the governor to come out and suppress the bandits. The caravan is much more dangerous on the road. Even if you want to go to the Western Regions, you have to do it step by step and wait until my fourth brother is familiar with the road."
Chang Yu heard her tone soften and asked quickly: "You promised me to collude with your fourth brother. Bah, is it cooperation?"
Manbao and Mingda couldn't help but become happy. Manbao nodded and said, "I agreed, but when will you get married and start a house?"
Chang Yu calculated the time and said, "We have to celebrate the winter solstice at the earliest."
Always show filial piety.
After all, there are still ten months left.
However, it takes such a long time to get married, but you can discuss the marriage first and prepare things in private.
The three of them gathered together in the room and whispered, and at noon the kitchen prepared a particularly sumptuous banquet, which was placed directly in the open pavilion in the garden behind.
Four tables were set up, and Man Bao and the others invited the princess to sit at a table by herself, which was more comfortable.
Bai Shan ran to Mrs. Liu's table, muttered for a while, then ran back and said to Man Bao, "My grandmother, Uncle Zhou, and I have agreed to arrange the banquet at home in April."
"Huh?" Man Bao raised his head in confusion.
Bai Shan explained: "I'm going to take the exams for the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel. I won't be in a hurry to invite my relatives and friends to a banquet after passing the exams."
Only then did Man Bao understand and nodded without any objection.
Although having a banquet with relatives and friends is exciting, it is also very tiring, and the food at the banquet may not be as good as what she eats on weekdays, so she does not have much expectations for the banquet with relatives and friends.
But Bai Shan was even more excited, because Madam Liu said at the table just now, "Okay, after he passes the official examination, he will have to discuss the marriage of his two children with his in-laws."
, I’ll just tell my relatives and friends at that time and choose a good day to invite them to have a wedding banquet.”