Chapter 223: Knocking on the door in the middle of the night
Chapter 223: Knocking on the door in the middle of the night
Chapter 223: Knocking on the door in the middle of the night
Su Zhongfan took Chen Mengsheng and the others and walked dozens of steps south with smiles, and stopped in front of the rice shop where a red pennant was hung. He saw the word "Longwang" written neatly on the pennant.
, below the flag, there is a brave man about one person tall on each side, with a big mouth and a majestic appearance. Su Zhongfan laughed loudly and said: "Shopkeeper Hong, you have a lot of money. Most of the people in Jiangzhou Prefecture are relying on you.
It’s for dinner!”
A big white fat man who looked like Maitreya Buddha came out of the Longwang Rice Shop and laughed loudly at Su Zhongfan. "Oh, I'm telling you! The magpies were chirping this morning. It turned out that there were many distinguished guests. What kind of wind blew Su's way?
Did the master come to Jiangzhou?" A big white fat man who looked like Maitreya Buddha came out of the Longwang rice shop, and he bowed and laughed at Su Zhongfan. Chen Mengsheng saw that there were all kinds of grains in the rice shop, with clearly marked inserts in each bamboo basket.
.In addition to selling grain, it also sells dried fish and dried meat. A rice shop like this can make a huge profit in the peaceful and prosperous times. In the spring, you sell rice seeds, and in the autumn, you go to Jiangsu and Zhejiang to buy rice. You can make a lot of money in a small bucket.
It's like making money just like running water.
Everyone in the world has to eat, and the price of rice shops is always 10% lower than what is sold in the government granary. But in troubled times, the most difficult thing to do is to sell rice. In disaster years, floods and droughts, the court can make a fortune.
The food and salary for disaster relief is just fine, but if there is a war, the local government will replenish the grain store of Mipu. Therefore, the shopkeeper of Mipu must have inextricably connected with the government, and he is not an ordinary person.
Everyone can eat this meal. The shopkeeper of Longwang Rice Shop, Hong Chendong, is the nephew of Hong Jingchou, the newly appointed Minister of Household Affairs. The officials of Jiangzhou Prefecture always flatter Longwang Rice.
Naturally, the shop's business was particularly prosperous.
Su Zhongfan smiled and said: "Brother Hong has gained a lot of weight. You said it's not a problem for us to bask in the sun in front of your rice shop, right?"
Shopkeeper Hong hurriedly patted his head and said: "Damn it, I was so happy to see you patronizing that I forgot to invite you in. These guys are very unfamiliar. Boss Su, what are you going to do?"
Su Zhongfan smiled and said: "Of course I came here today to see your brother." Shopkeeper Hong greeted Su Zhongfan and Chen Mengsheng with a smile and invited them into the rice shop.
The six-foot-three-inch long counter has a groove in the middle. It's hard for a short person to see the two waiters behind the counter who are loading rice for people. The wooden bucket fills the rice basket with the tailor's hand.
He used a small wooden ruler to scrape the wooden bucket, and when the rice buyer saw it clearly, he poured it into the wooden trough. The boy outside had already put it in a cloth bag. When the money and goods were collected, the boy gave the cloth bag to the buyer.
The waiter who got the money put the coins in his hand into a thigh-thick bamboo tube behind him. There was a small copper lock under the bamboo tube. Only when he came across loose silver, the waiter would ask the shopkeeper to come and unlock it.
Money. Every time after the rice shop closes, the shopkeeper will sort out the money in the tube himself. This is also for the sake of prosperity.
Shopkeeper Hong walked into the rice shop and said to the two waiters with a smile: "I have a distinguished guest today. When you are done with your work, you can close the door and go home to rest." The waiters heard from the shopkeeper that they could get off work early, so they were all quick.
Who wouldn’t want to go back and rest early while doing the work at hand?
After passing the rice shop, there was a large courtyard surrounded by green bricks and black tiles, giving the impression of wealth and wealth. Shopkeeper Hong shouted loudly into the room: "Mother Juanzi, hurry up and buy a jar of Laojing from Yanzhifang."
Chilled green plum wine, go and buy me some more good food." As soon as shopkeeper Hong shouted, a young woman with impatiens juice smeared on her fingertips walked out of the house.
In my early teens, I was holding a two or three-year-old child in my arms.
Su Zhongfan frowned and asked, "Brother Hong, who is this?"
Shopkeeper Hong smiled and said: "Boss Su, business is booming and he hasn't been to Jiangzhou Mansion for a long time. This is my new fourth concubine, Mei Niang. She looks pretty decent. It's a pity that she gave birth to me.
He made a movie about a girl, and it’s money-losing stuff.”
The young woman twisted her slim waist and handed the baby boy in her arms to the maid behind her. She said with a flirtatious smile: "You two beautiful girls, if I hadn't seen you today, I would have thought that Chang'e Sifan of the Moon Palace had descended to the lower realm.
Here!" Shangguan Yanran and Qi Ying listened to her charming words and frowned and ignored her. The woman actually came over and raised her tender green-white hand to hook Qi Ying's chin.
Shopkeeper Hong angrily scolded: "You bastard, do you still think you are in Shuiyun Pavilion? How many times have I told you, but you just can't change the frivolity in the brothel. Get out of here and tell the grandmothers that I don't want to be with you."
We went to eat, just eat by yourself!"
After being scolded by Shopkeeper Hong, the young woman looked at Shangguan Yanran and Qi Ying and said, "What can a woman, no matter how beautiful she is, be occupied by a man?"
Xiang Xiaotian stared. If she hadn't seen that she was a prostitute, she would have been beaten before she could speak. Shopkeeper Hong kicked the young woman's buttocks and cursed: "A dog can't change its habit of eating shit! Get out, get out! Su
Brothers, please don't get along with her, let's go into the flower hall." Su Zhongfan had to ask Shopkeeper Hong about something, so he had to apologize to Chen Mengsheng and the others, and followed Shopkeeper Hong into the flower hall.
Shopkeeper Hong poured herbal tea for everyone and said, "Brother Su, are you coming to Jiangzhou Mansion to do some big business this time, or are you here to see your father-in-law?"
Su Zhongfan took a sip of herbal tea and chuckled: "To be honest, I came to Jiangzhou Mansion because of my Qing'er, brother Hong. Although Qing'er is not Su'e's biological child, Su'e has doted on Qing'er since she was a child. I also hope Hong.
For Su'e's sake, I don't hesitate to tell you, so Su Zhongfan is very grateful."
"Brother Su, I can't bear what you say. I've seen Qing'er girl too. As long as Hong Chendong knows about it, he will definitely tell you and never hide it from you." Shopkeeper Hong said with assurance, his chest slapping loudly.
.
Su Zhongfan shouted loudly: "Brother Hong is indeed quick to talk, so I won't hide it. These four are all capable people. I want to ask you about Mu Shiguang, the Mu family's master.
how?"
Hong Chendong looked at Su Zhongfan in astonishment and hesitated before saying: "If Brother Su just asks Mu Shiguang, there is nothing to say. I have watched this child grow up since he was a child. He is a talented man who is capable of both literature and martial arts."
.He lost his father when he was young and was raised by the daughter of Wu Xuexue in Jiangzhou. Later he was sent to Wu Xuexue to learn literature and martial arts. It's a pity that he really did something he shouldn't have done. He should never have picked up that child.
Come back and adopt!”
Su Zhongfan asked curiously: "Why shouldn't we adopt a child? What happened?"
Hong Chendong said in a frightened voice: "Brother Su, maybe I am the only one who knows about this matter. I have also asked several business friends, but they all... Hey! I am scared to think about it now after so many years."
Chen Mengsheng asked in confusion: "I just adopted a child. Is it that exaggerated?"
Hong Chendong stared and trembled: "You...what did you say? Exaggerated? Haha...Brother, you have never encountered anything like that. You said I exaggerated! I have also seen wind and waves."
But I will never forget that incident in my life. It was so scary. I remember it was in the early spring five or six years ago..."
The shopkeeper of Longwang Rice Shop has only had the fourth concubine for two or three days. They say that marrying a wife is a virtue, and marrying a concubine with a beautiful wife is not as good as a concubine. This fourth concubine is an extraordinary person. Nian
Fang is only fourteen years old, but she is already the top girl at Shuiyun Pavilion, the most famous brothel in Jiangzhou Prefecture. Her charming eyes are enough to draw out the souls of most of the men in Jiangzhou Prefecture, so they call her Mei Niang. Every day.
The young master Wen Sheng who came to listen to her singing all spent money but may not be able to get a place in the queue. If anyone wants to kiss her, it will be worth a thousand dollars.
Later, Meiniang's reputation grew bigger and bigger, and more and more people joined the secretariat. Hong Chendong also fell under her skirt. Meiniang was a very scheming woman. She knew that Hong Chendong was Jiang's wife.
Although Hong Chendong, a big rice shop merchant in the state capital, was not the richest, he had an uncle who was the Minister of Household Affairs, so Mei Niang asked Hong Chendong to redeem her body and become his concubine.
It was early spring when Hong Chendong married Mei Niang. It was surprisingly cold and there was no one on the street. Just after midnight, Hong Chendong sent the waiter to close the door and rest in the shop. Hong Chendong returned to the back hall to eat with several ladies and children.
After dinner, it was already dark that day. Hong Chendong was sitting on the chair of the Taishi and having fun with a few children when he heard the sound of copper buttons on the rice shop. Hong Chendong was puzzled by this situation.
Who is knocking on the door? Hong Chendong handed the child to his wife, took the lantern from the maid and went to the front yard. When he came to the rice shop, he opened the small hole in the door and looked out.
Look, it's dark outside the door and there's no one there.
"Hey, I thought some family had cut off the rice, but I didn't expect that someone was tricking me like a monkey. It must be some naughty kid on the street who didn't keep enough money. I'll teach you a lesson tomorrow.
Teach him a lesson." Hong Chendong cursed and was about to turn around and go back, but at this moment, the copper buckle of the door panel made a "pop" sound again. Hong Chendong poked half of his head out of the small hole in the door panel, but there was still no one outside.
I felt like a bit of cold air rushing towards my face...
"Who? Who? Is there someone there?" Hong Chendong bravely shouted at the door, but no one answered for a long time. Hong Chendong became a little angry, slammed the door and prepared to go back.
"Pop!" The clear sound of the copper buckle stopped Hong Chendong in his tracks. "Little bastard, you are still making trouble! If I don't catch you, I have to clean you up." Hong Chendong twisted his fat body and stepped forward.
I opened the door, held a lantern and swayed outside for a while, but there was no one there. The children on the street were so naughty. Hong Chendong walked down the bluestone steps with his stubby fat legs, but there was still no one there...
"This...this...who is so full that he is teasing me when he has nothing to do. I, Hong Chendong, am also a respectable person in Jiangzhou Prefecture. Who is it? If you have the guts, stand up for me!" On the empty street
There was no sound except Hong Chendong's shouting, and the wind was blowing like a knife on his face, causing pain. Hong Chendong shouted several times but no one made a sound, so he turned around and prepared to go back while holding a lantern.
"Oh my God, who are you?" Hong Chendong just turned around and saw a woman wearing black clothes and black pants and holding a black umbrella, standing at the door of his rice shop. At first glance, Hong Chendong was frightened.
With a big jump, the lantern in his hand fell to the ground and was blown out by the wind...