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Chapter 013 Qingshui Town

There are ships in the south and horses in the north. Transportation in the north is naturally dominated by carriages and horses. In fact, ox-carts have a larger load capacity, but the speed is too slow, so ox-carts are rarely used for long-distance transportation. There are not many horse-producing areas in the Song Dynasty, and there is a serious shortage of horses for military use.

, there are not that many horses among the people, so mules and donkeys are the main transport animals for long-distance trafficking.

In a hurry, the Ding family had to gather together two hundred carts of rice and grain, two hundred carts, mules and horses, and thousands of people to escort them, but they managed to do it overnight.

It can be seen how huge the Ding family's connections and influence are in Bazhou.

However, the hastily cobbled together cars are of course whatever model they were originally used for, as well as mules and horses. Xue Liang, the poor pig, was unlucky and drove a corner cart pulled by a donkey.

, but the car had been filled with excrement. Even though it was washed clean, it still had a bit of a peculiar smell, which made him sit on the shaft of the car, wrapping his face with a mouth towel, and pinching his face like a bun.

Especially when I saw Ding Hao driving a cart pulled by two big mules with shiny hair, walking in front of him with great splendor. Sometimes Miss Ding would even get off the horse and sit in his cart for a while, which made her feel embarrassed.

Zhu'er couldn't help but sigh secretly: "Most people in this world judge people by their appearance, and Miss Ding is no exception. In fact... my handlebar style is much older than Dumb, why can't Miss Ding get in my car?"

?”

Ding Hao is a member of the Ding family. This is an indisputable fact. Many servants of the Ding family know it, although they keep it secret in front of Mr. Ding. Naturally, Ding Yuluo also feels that this man who is related to him by blood is closer than others.

Much more, especially when the life and death of this kind of family is at stake, who is just a combination of pure interests, and it is clear at a glance whether they are close or distant.

Just like Liu Shiyi's distant nephew, Liu Shiyi also works as an errand in the Ding family because of his relationship. Usually when his uncle's family has big or small affairs, he spares no effort to help. During the holidays, he goes to give gifts and visit more often than his relatives.

His son was still diligent. Compared with Liu Shiyi, he always felt that his lazy son had no future and was not affectionate enough to me, so he couldn't help but complain.

His mother-in-law pointed a rolling pin at his nose and cursed: "You blind old man, your distant nephew is filial to you because he thinks you are useful to him. Do you think he really treats you as his father?"

?But your son is different. Even though they are married, he is not as diligent as your nephew when he comes to the house. But now you are in charge of the outer courtyard, he is your son; if you are not the outer courtyard manager, he is still your son; as long as you are him

Dad, can't he just ignore you and your nephew who can't be beaten with eight sticks?" So Liu Shiyi didn't even fart.

The same is true for Ding Yuluo. When she is tired, tired, and mentally exhausted, she doesn't want to expose her weakness in front of outsiders, but she has to take a break. The only place where she can relax without hiding it is Ding Haojia

That's a big truck.

When Ding Yuluo was riding on the horse, she looked like a heroic man. She rode the horse and circled the entire convoy, boosting morale, dealing with some problems that were not well prepared due to the hasty journey, and arranging scout horses to continuously explore the road ahead.

, discussing with the three stewards Liu Shiyi, Chen Feng, and Yang Ye at any time to revise the route, as if the energy was never exhausted.

But when she got off the horse and sat on Ding Hao's carriage, she was so tired that she didn't even want to lift her fingers. Only Ding Hao, who was sitting next to her, could see the worry, anxiety, and fatigue deep in her eyes.

An unbearable look. When Ding Hao parked the car and rested, he moved the grain piles and piled them up into a place half a person deep for people to lean on. It was windproof and easy to rest, and people's faces leaning there would not be visible.

Although these actions were subtle, Ding Yuluo knew that he was doing it for herself, and she became closer to him psychologically.

At this moment, she was sitting next to Ding Hao, leaning on the stack of grain and rice, her thighs spread apart, lazily slumped on the carriage board, like a vulgar man, with no trace of the ladylike qualities at all.

Look. Now only in front of Ding Hao can she be so relaxed.

"Miss, don't be too anxious. I heard Feng Dazhangbian say that if we rush at this speed, we will be delayed by at most three days when we reach Guangyuan. Fortunately, the young master set off so far in advance, which finally gave us some time.

.”

Feng Da Zhang Whip is a handlebar whip that the Ye Family Car Dealer lent to the Ding family when they heard that they were in trouble. The Ye Family Car Dealer is the largest car dealer in the northwest region. It transports people, sells goods, delivers letters, and does any kind of work. New Year's Day

During the festive season, most of the people in the Ye family car dealership were on holiday and would not come back until after the Lantern Festival. Feng Dazhangbian had no family, so he lived in the car dealership. He had rich experience in traveling all over the country, and he knew the way well when he went to Guangyuan.

Ma, so he was invited.

Ding Yuluo cheered up, slowly curled up his legs, which he felt was a bit inelegant, and sighed softly: "I know this. What I'm worried about is whether that group of thieves will come back and continue to beat us.

Idea. This is a long journey. If something happens to delay the trip for a long time, it will be too late for the food to arrive. Besides, I am now offering a huge reward to encourage everyone to take turns to rest and travel all night. Although the trip is fast, it is difficult to last.

, Feng Dazhangbian is used to walking long distances, and he can doze off and rest while driving. Regardless of his age, he can afford such hard work, but most of these civilian drivers and cart drivers are improvised.

It won’t be done in two days.”

Ding Hao knew that Ding Yuluo was telling the truth. Not only people but also animals could not bear to travel like this. It would not take long before the speed had to be slowed down. In that case, it would be difficult to determine the date of arrival in Guangyuan. Maybe

Five days late, maybe eight days late, or even ten days and a half, once the frontier army loses the battle with the Tatars due to food problems, the fate of the Ding family can be imagined. They will inevitably have to pay for the countless soldiers and civilians who died in Guangyuan.

.

Ding Hao has no feelings for the Ding family at all. Whether it is the sanctimonious Ding Tingxun, the Ding Chengzong whom he has never met, the dandy Ding Chengye, perhaps only this half-sister, the relationship between them is relatively mild. But his current fate is still with Ding.

His mother, who is closely related to the Ding family, and he has gradually accepted it in his heart, is in the Ding family. It is a family relationship that cannot be let go. Once the Ding family declines, what will the Yang family do as a person who has signed the contract of betrayal? There is no way in this world.

With no foundation and no social connections at all except Xue Liang, where should he go?

Building a business from scratch is by no means something you can do just by talking the talk. Modern society values ​​interpersonal relationships, and the ancient world valued interpersonal relationships even more. Without social relationships and unfamiliar with the customs and customs of this world, nothing will be accomplished.

During the Chinese New Year, the Ding family prepared a large number of gift lists, and officials, including the tax collectors and servants in the town, all participated. Ding Hao was touched when he saw it. He thought that his figure and appearance were not bad, although the traditional Chinese characters were not good enough.

How could I write, but I could still read most of them, and if I were to count, I could only be considered semi-literate. If I were to get a job as a servant in the government, I would probably be qualified.

But when I inquired about it, I found out that it was a no-brainer. Don’t look at tax collectors and police officers. When they appear in plays, they are small figures who can no longer be used as a minor role. But in real life, they are civil servants in ancient times.

The salary of civil servants in the Song Dynasty is quite good, and it is definitely more difficult to pass the exam than the civil servants more than a thousand years later. Even if his ancestors were clean for eight generations, he may not have the same connections and opportunities, let alone his current status.

He can't even work as a waiter, who is even better than a tax clerk. The waiter has to memorize the twenty-eight dishes ordered by seven tables of guests at one breath, and he has to report the names of the dishes to the kitchen in various melodious ballads.

When serving food, you have to be able to stack more than ten dishes from your shoulders to your fingertips without spilling a drop of vegetable soup. Can anyone, such as a shorthand expert, a folk singer and an acrobat, be able to do this?

So in order to have a place to live for the time being, or even use the Ding family to start his own life, now he has to do his best for the Ding family whenever possible.

After a long silence, Ding Hao said softly: "Miss, don't think so much. Having too many thoughts in your heart will not help. Instead, it will make you physically and mentally exhausted. Let's do our best. I think that group of robbers will not be here forever."

Staring at the Ding family. Besides, we have recruited more people this time than last time. I heard Feng Dazhangbian said that the world has been peaceful for more than ten years, and strong people in strong villages with many people are rare even in this northwest region.

If they really want to come, they will not be able to get away. The eldest lady should think more about it if the delay is too long, so as to clear the way for Guangyuan. As long as Guangyuan's surplus food is enough to eat, as long as Guangyuan's army does not suffer defeat,

The Ding family... should be fine."

Ding Yuluo smiled bitterly and said: "I hope so. Now I just think that dad should not have monopolized the Guangyuan grain and rice supply business. Although the profit is huge, the risk is also too great. Otherwise, the burden on our shoulders would not be so big."

Heavy."

She breathed a sigh of relief, crossed her legs, glanced at Ding Hao, and suddenly said curiously: "Everyone in the house said that you are stupid, but I see that your words and actions are really not like you..., I remember you.

I haven't left Ding Mansion since I was a child, so he seems to be quite experienced."

Ding Hao's heart skipped a beat and he was silent for a moment, then suddenly grinned: "Haha, I'm so dumb, it's just because I don't want to talk. What do I say about my identity, and who do I tell it to? I have never left the Ding family, but

You don’t have to travel all over the world to understand the worldly ways of many people. You see, this is a big world, and the Ding family is a small world. In the Ding family compound, you can still taste the worldly ways."

Ding Yuluo fell silent, and after a long while, he said softly: "Actually, many people in the Ding family know about your affairs, but dad... is still deceiving himself... I am not responsible for the affairs of the Ding family, but it is just a matter of change.

After looking at your situation, I can still handle it. If... the Ding family can escape this disaster, after returning to Bazhou, I will find a way to help you find a job, and it will be much better than now.

"

Ding Hao turned his head and glanced at her. A lock of black hair was exposed from under the brim of her hat, flying gently in the wind, revealing her fair and clean forehead. Her eyes were clear and very pure.

Ding Hao felt a little moved in his heart: "Miss, there's something I've never been able to figure out. Is there such a huge profit from growing grain? The Ding family has become the leading family in Bazhou in thirty years just by farming.

But selling military rations is too risky, why not switch to other businesses, such as opening more rice oil, silk and satin shops, or opening a restaurant?"

Ding Yuluo said: "Of course, there are wealthy families in the northwest who don't focus on land. In the Central Plains, business may have more financial resources, but in the northwest, farming is definitely the most profitable business. In the north,

The Tatars invade the border every year, and the nomadic peoples in the northwest often harass our borders whenever there are natural or man-made disasters. The imperial court has stationed a large number of troops in the border areas, and the biggest consumption of the troops stationed here is food..."

Ding Yuluo probably wanted to relieve his nervousness through chatting, so he patiently explained to Ding Hao.

As a person who lives under modern transportation conditions, Ding Hao really doesn't understand the difficulties of long-distance transportation in ancient times. Food may not be too expensive in the Central Plains, but transporting it from the Central Plains to the border is astronomical.

For example, if 100,000 troops are to be dispatched, one-third of the baggage is taken up, and only 70,000 soldiers can go into battle, then 300,000 civilians will be needed to transport food. How much is the value of this food transported to the front line?

If you use livestock to transport it, you can transport more, but once the animal dies, even the food it carries must be discarded. Moreover, many places do not allow animals, carriages and horses to enter or exit at all.

However, the situation is different when recruiting nearby. If we open up wasteland to collect grain in the northwest region, plant it on the spot, and then supply the grain produced to the military, then the cost of the court will be greatly reduced. Therefore, the court strongly encourages opening up wasteland to grow grain in the northwest region.

, they pay low taxes and high prices to these large households who are struggling to grow grain, to encourage them to plant. Farming in the northwest is definitely a huge source of wealth for large landowners with thousands of hectares of land.

Ding Yuluo was explaining to Ding Hao when Liu Shiyi rode a mule and rushed to the car: "Miss, we have been driving for two days. Qingshui Town is in front of us. We have to let the guys go in and rest for the night."

Otherwise, everyone will be unable to bear it.”

Ding Yuluo nodded. Although she had good riding skills, her body was almost falling apart, not to mention the many people riding poor horses or the drivers driving carts. Even though she wished she could fly with her wings.

When I went to Guangyuan, I knew I had to let everyone rest no matter what.

She nodded and ordered: "Manager Liu, go ahead and book all the restaurants and inn spare rooms in Qingshui Town. There are so many of us and so many cars. I'm afraid the inn alone won't be able to accommodate us.

It's so cold that we can't let everyone sleep outside. You take some people to visit, and whoever rents the house will pay double the price of the inn to make everyone's stay as comfortable as possible."

After hearing this, Liu Shiyi said happily: "The eldest lady is really considerate of the big guys. I'll do it now. I will make sure everyone has a good meal and a comfortable stay." After that, he drove the mule and ran away quickly.

Qingshui Town is not very big, but because it is located in the northwest transportation hub, it is quite prosperous. Just after the Chinese New Year, when I entered the town, there were broken red pieces all over the ground, which were the debris of burned firecrackers.

During the Chinese New Year, there were very few travelers going out, so most of the inns and restaurants in the town were empty. In addition, some people lent their vacant houses. After a lot of work, the food transporters and horses were all settled.

Feng Dazhangbian was about fifty years old. His face was covered with wrinkles, his eyes were sharp, and his long beard had turned slightly white. However, his body was always straight and his body was very strong. He ran

He was used to long distances, and he came to Qingshui Town often. After entering the town, he hurriedly helped Miss Ding, who had never commanded so many people, and Deacon Liu and others to settle everyone before arranging his accommodation.

Eat at Changfeng Tavern.

When Ding Hao reached this era, he realized that he had learned more formulas and theorems than the ancients, and knew more about social politics and economic trends. It was of no use when he was in such a humble situation. He had to endure more hardships if he wanted to get ahead.

Consciously following Feng Da Zhangbian, he learned some real skills to make a living. So he took the initiative to help Feng Da Zhangbian. Feng Da Zhangbian liked this diligent young man very much. At this time, Ding Hao and Xue Liang had also

Feeling hungry, the three of them entered the tavern chatting and laughing like old friends.

When the three of them walked into the tavern, most of the people in the convoy had already finished eating in a hurry and went back to their rooms to rest. As soon as they entered the tavern, Ding Hao noticed that there were still a few people dining in the restaurant. They were not members of his own convoy. They had not left yet.

In the first month of the year, there were not many people going out, so Ding Hao took a few glances attentively. These people were divided into three groups. One was a young man wearing a green cotton robe, who looked neither shabby nor rich. His face was full of dust. Just now

Sitting in the corner on the left was another young man with fine features, wearing a sheepskin coat half open, faintly revealing the brocade clothes underneath. He was sitting in the corner on the right, pouring himself a drink. Looking at the dishes on his table, they were all ordinary country dishes, but in

It's quite rich for such a small place.

The other two people, a middle-aged man and a young man, were sitting at a table in the middle of the hotel. The middle-aged man had a broad face, his eyebrows were painted with ink, and his eyes were bright and focused. Feng Dazhangbian, Ding Hao, and Xue Liang walked into the tavern.

At that moment, he raised his eyes and glanced at them up and down, his eyes were scrutinizing, and he was not angry and proud. After the three of them sat down, he withdrew his gaze. The young man sitting next to him only immersed himself in eating and drinking, no matter who

People come in and out without looking up.

Feng Dazhangbian and the others found a table and sat down, right next to the cotton-padded young man who had just entered the store. The young man was holding the table with both hands and complaining to the waiter: "You have dozens of dishes hanging here.

It’s famous, but nothing I order is the same, how can anyone do this kind of business?”

Because business was booming today, the waiter said with a smile: "I'm really sorry, sir. There are not many guests coming and going during the Chinese New Year, and the food prepared in the tavern is limited. As you can see, there is another motorcade passing by today."

, the ingredients for this dish are incomplete.”

"Okay, okay, I won't order any of these dishes. Give me a bowl of hot soup, four steamed buns, and half a pound of mutton."

"Haha, there are hot soup and steamed buns. The mutton is gone. There is still half a pork knuckle in the kitchen. Look..."

The man smiled bitterly and shook his head: "Chengchengcheng, you can get whatever you want, as long as you fill your stomach. By the way, you said that there are not many guests coming and going during the New Year. I think someone must have passed by. Do you still remember it?"

"Haha, our Changfeng Tavern is not the only one in this town. If people don't come to our tavern, they may not remember it. I wonder who the guest wants to ask?"

The young man said: "If they have been to the town, even if they have not stayed in your shop, you should have seen them. They...should have three or four large cars, all of which are relatively luxurious. They are accompanied by twenty or thirty guards. The owner

They are a man and a woman, the man is about forty, his surname is Li, the woman is only fifteen or sixteen years old, her surname is Tang, have you seen her?"

After Feng Dazhangbian, Ding Hao, and Xue Liang sat down, they didn't listen to what others said. They just smiled and said: "Looking at this situation, we have almost eaten everything we can eat. We don't need to order anything, waiter."

, if you have anything to eat, bring it to us men."

After Feng Dazhangbian finished speaking, he took out a purple-red gourd from under his robe and said: "Give me another gourd of wine. It should be good. If it is sour or mixed with water, I won't let you go."

At this time, the handsome man wearing a brocade coat and a sheepskin coat stood up, tightened the coat tightly, took out a bunch of copper coins from his sleeve, and stacked them on the table with a jingle. He seemed to just throw them away, but

The golden copper coins were piled up into a pillar, looking dignified and unrestrained: "Shopkeeper, thirty-five cents of meals have been piled here for you. I have eaten and drank, so I have to rest. After a while, I called

The waiter will bring a basin of hot water to my room."

"I understand. Sir, please go back to your room and rest. The water is boiling in the kitchen. The pot will be brought to you as soon as it is boiled."

The man chuckled, left his seat and walked past Ding Hao and the others. Ding Hao raised his head and glanced at him, thinking: "This man is quite handsome, with a pair of natural peach blossom eyes, which appear on a man's face."

It's so watery, it always makes people feel awkward..."


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