After continuous heavy rains, the temperature is getting higher and higher day by day, and the hot summer is coming.
Sand and dust are rolling on the construction site beside the Kunming Pool. Countless craftsmen and workers are busy working there. Horse-drawn carriages and mule carts are carrying bricks, cement, wood and other building materials back and forth. The sun is shining brightly, and the sultry weather makes the entire construction site like a sealed iron can.
People can't breathe.
Even the cool breeze blowing over the wide Kunming Pond is warmed by the steam...
The Wu brothers were sitting around in a work shed in the middle of the construction site, covered in hot sweat, with their mouths open and tongues hanging out, like two dogs that were out of breath due to the sun...
"Mom! What the hell kind of weather is this? It might be too hot to kill some of you!"
Wu Yuanshuang tugged hard on his collar, exposing his entire neck, but he still felt as if a stone was pressed against his chest, and every breath of air he breathed in made his chest feel tight.
In order to block the dust flying everywhere, there is a curtain around the shed. The dust is kept out, but the fresh air cannot come in. Sitting here is like being thrown into a steamer like a steamed bun...
Wu Yuanqing reached out and took the handkerchief that the servant fished out from the bucket and wiped it on his face. The cool water stains flowed down his neck and into his clothes, which finally relieved the stuffy feeling and allowed him to breathe clearly.
Some.
Hearing this, he said impatiently: "Who says it's not the case? It's so hot this season, how many people will die from the heat in the dog days of summer?"
The two brothers sighed and were depressed.
They have been pampered since childhood and have not suffered at all. Even though their family fell into decline later, the two of them were notoriously spendthrifts. Even if they sold off their property, they only wanted to enjoy themselves. How have they ever suffered from this crime?
Wu Yuanshuang lamented: "In this damn weather, I just sit in the house and drink ice-cold sour plum soup, or like last night, I was blowing the breeze and listening to the tunes on the upper floor of Pingkangfang Brothel, talking about the new guy in Zuixian Tower."
My sister is really stunning, that waistline, tsk tsk... this place is really not for people."
Wu Yuanqing didn't even want to say anything more. Thinking about his mistress in Zuixian Tower, he became even more irritated.
Through Wu Meiniang's connections, the two took out their family property and borrowed a large amount of money from the Hejian County Prince's Mansion, and quickly joined the construction of the Kunming Poolside Temporary Market under the banner of Fang Jun's brother-in-law. Although they had never been exposed to the construction industry before
, but this thing does not have much technical content. In addition, his father, the samurai, had served as Minister of Industry in the Wude Dynasty during his lifetime. Many elderly people in the family had worked with the samurai and were very familiar with this industry. They gathered in his hometown in Bingzhou.
Hundreds of young men started work in the contracted area.
At the beginning, the two brothers were very ambitious and heroic, determined to take advantage of Wu Meiniang's help to make a big difference, and let those who slander and laugh at their brothers all day long take a look, we are not prodigal, we can spend money, but we
You can make money too!
However, it is said that it is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality. The Wu brothers, who were used to being lazy and lazy uncles, couldn't hold on for a few days.
After three minutes of cooling down, staying in this smoky construction site for a moment longer was like being tortured in a frying pan, and my patience was already on the verge of collapse...
A corner of the curtain was opened, and a puff of smoke came in along the gap, and then two figures walked in hurriedly.
Wu Yuanshuang hurriedly covered his nose and said: "Get it done quickly, don't let the dust come in."
The visitor surrounded the curtain, and a young man with fine features in front walked to the bucket, picked up a gourd, scooped out a ladle of water, and poured it on his head. The cool water flowed from his hair and flowed down his face and neck.
My clothes were all wet, so I let out a sigh of relief.
"Mom! It feels so comfortable!"
The man behind him was shorter, stronger, and not too old. He pulled a handkerchief and wiped his face hard.
Wu Yuanqing said displeasedly: "Don't you need to keep an eye on the outside? Those civilians are the most cunning, and they will cheat when they find an opportunity. If you delay for a moment, it will be money! It's just a little cooler. Go out and keep an eye on it and urge them.
Folks, please work hard!"
These two people are cousins of the Wu brothers and the sons of the eldest warrior brother. One is named Wu Weiliang and the other is named Wu Huaiyun.
Wu Weiliang, who had poured water on him, was not afraid of Wu Yuanqing and yelled: "It's so hot outside that you can kill me. Do you want to kill me? What's the big deal if you rest for a while!"
These two guys are also playboys. Although the Wu family's current property is basically accumulated while the samurai was alive, they are cousins after all. Growing up, they have no fear of Wu Yuanqing and Wu Yuanshuang.
They are all prodigal sons, let alone the second eldest brother...
Wu Yuanshuang said angrily: "Fart! When is this? It is the critical moment for our brothers to revive our family business! As long as we endure it a little longer and get through this difficulty, money will flow into the house like running water. By then
How to be happy is not entirely up to you?"
Wu Weiliang curled his lips and did not refute.
He was not very convinced by the two brothers, but after all, the project was obtained through Wu Meiniang's connections, and so was the money, so his momentum was inevitably reduced by three points.
Wu Huaiyun was more dull-tempered. Hearing this, he said: "It's not that we are lazy. In fact, the person in charge just now said that the green bricks are about to be used up. We need to make up for it quickly. Otherwise, if there is not enough material tomorrow, we will have to stop work."
Wu Yuanshuang was stunned for a moment and asked curiously: "Ten thousand bricks were delivered yesterday, and they were used up so quickly?"
Wu Huaiyun said in a muffled voice: "There are only less than three thousand yuan left. It's just past noon. I think I will use it up in the afternoon."
Brothers Wu Yuanqing and Wu Yuanshuang looked at each other with sad expressions on their faces.
It stands to reason that if materials are used quickly, it means that the project is progressing quickly, and they will naturally make more money, which is a happy thing. If materials are used quickly, they must be replenished quickly, otherwise the construction will be delayed due to insufficient materials.
, the final loss is their money.
But the problem is... they don't have much money left.
The money borrowed from the Hejian County Prince's Mansion was piled up in the palace's warehouse like a mountain. How could the Wu brothers remain indifferent? So, they began to spend lavishly before construction started. When they heard that they had money, their former creditors came to their door one after another.
, as soon as the good words were said, the two brothers immediately repaid the debt. Then the best singer was hired in the last brothel for several days in a row, and with a group of friends and friends, the delicacies were kept at a constant price, and the fine wines and delicacies were freely available...
No amount of money can withstand such torture.
As a result, the construction site had not been started for more than a month, and the funds were somewhat exhausted...
Wu Weiliang was very shrewd and was very familiar with these two brothers. When he saw the expressions on their faces, he was immediately shocked and asked: "I said...could he be out of money?"
Wu Yuanshuang looked embarrassed, but he was his brother and had nothing to hide, so he nodded.
Wu Weiliang took a breath of cold air and glared: "That's three hundred thousand! Three hundred thousand! It's only been a few days and you've spent it all?"
Wu Yuanqing coughed dryly and said awkwardly: "How can you talk? What do you mean we have all spent the money? Didn't you spend it? Didn't you spend the money to get pregnant? Of course, the wages of the laborers have not been paid, but the bricks, cement, stones... what?
No money at all? Besides, there’s still some left, I’m just afraid it’s not enough…”
Wu Weiliang touched his forehead with his hand and was speechless.
The atmosphere in the studio was a little heavy for a while.
Mom, I finally borrowed a lot of money and got a project through Fang Jun's connections. I was just waiting to make a lot of money and live happily for a few years. Now I have been working for a few days but I have no capital...
This is simply a big joke!
Wu Huaiyun babbled: "How about... borrowing some from Mei Niang?"
Wu Yuanshuang said angrily: "If we could have borrowed it, we would have borrowed it long ago. Why did they try to match up with us and let us borrow the loan?"
If you can't borrow money from Mei Niang, let alone other places. These brothers are more honest when they go out to do martial arts. They are all detestable things, and their credibility is almost zero...
Wu Yuanqing said angrily: "If you had listened to me and bought cheap materials, why would you have spent all the money so early?"
There are naturally good and bad materials on the market, such as blue bricks. The best green bricks are strong and strong, and the price is naturally much higher than the inferior green bricks fired with sand in small brick kilns in the mountains. The price difference of a blue brick can sometimes even reach
Several times, the total amount of hundreds of thousands of green bricks, the cost is simply different.
Therefore, Wu Yuanqing's first reaction was not how much money he would have left if he went to Zuixian Tower less often, but how much money he could get cheaper if he bought inferior materials...
Wu Yuanshuang said: "Didn't you think that His Highness King Wu would be responsible for inspection and random inspection? If there was a quality problem, we would not be sent to prison by His Highness?"
Wu Weiliang spread his hands: "Now we can either buy inferior materials and significantly reduce the cost. If we can stick to the project, we can make greater profits; or the project is suspended. Not only will we make the whole Chang'an laugh, but we will also have to worry about what to do."
Go and settle your wages with the peasants..."
Several cousins stared at each other, but there was really no other way.
Wu Yuanshuang sighed and said: "As of now, this is the only way it can be. I hope that God will bless you, or that His Highness King Wu can be lenient..."
Wu Yuanqing said disapprovingly: "It's not that serious. His Royal Highness King Wu has a good relationship with Fang Jun, and Jingzhao Yin and Ma Zhou have a close relationship. We are all members of the same family, so we have to give some face, right? Besides, this Kunming Lake District
The projects in the east and west cities are so huge, I can’t believe that no one is cutting corners like us. If the law doesn’t hold everyone accountable, is it possible that His Highness King Wu can still be arrested and sent to prison?”
Wu Yuanshuang thought for a while, it was really like this...
Anyone who can undertake a project either has connections or sufficient funds, and is not an ordinary person. These people are accustomed to taking advantage of the imperial court, and there must be many instances of cutting corners. No matter how upright and selfless His Highness King Wu is,
Is it really possible to arrest everyone one by one and offend everyone?
Wu Yuanshuang slapped his hands: "That's it!"
I secretly regretted it in my heart. If I had thought of this joint earlier and had shoddy products and cut corners from the beginning, wouldn't I have saved more money?