"That's impossible!" Li Mao jumped forward, grabbed the silver beans, and forced them back into Sun Jiu's hands. "I've already caused you trouble, how can Xuzi accept your money again? Besides, you, Sun
If you are not a wealthy boss, why should you be so polite to your children?"
Even though the world is peaceful and the price of silver has dropped, one tael of silver on the market is still worth two cents. That thing is heavy, and a small bean is more than two taels. If you ask for help without giving a gift, you have already extorted four hundred yuan from someone.
Even the county governor's family has no reason to do this.
"Brother Damu, this is something you have seen. I am older and he is younger. We are all running this business route. It is not certain who will look after whom in the future!" Sun Jiu reluctantly stuffed the silver beans into Li Xu's arms again.
"Take it, don't make Uncle Jiu angry!"
"How dare my nephew ask Uncle Jiu for a reward!" Li Xu quickly returned the silver beans with body temperature to Sun Jiu. When packing his bag last night, his mother told him that there were also a few silver beans sewn on the corners of his clothes, which were almost
It is all the savings of the Li family. This thing is universal for all ethnic groups. Whether it is Hu or Han, if it is presented to any official in the family, he will take care of it for the sake of Marshal Zhao Gong. (Note 14)
"Brother Damu, just let Xu Guan take it. When have you ever seen Lao Sun give a gift and then take it back?" Seeing that the two sides couldn't stand it, someone from another table came over to help.
This man was slightly younger than Sun Jiu. He had a sparse beard and relatively clean clothes. He seemed to be a well-spoken person in the caravan. However, Sun Jiu refused to accept his favor. He opened his eyes wide and pretended to be angry.
: "Well, you little Zhang, I was planning to take the money back after a few refusals, but you insist on causing me to lose money. We can't just let it go. The silver beans are a meeting gift from me to my eldest nephew, you all."
Even if you are an elder, you should also get some luck!"
"Brother Ninth, Brother Ninth, aren't you scolding me! Brothers, please don't do this, otherwise I, Li Damu, will have no shame in running this way anymore!" Old Li Mao was so frightened that he bowed. Although hosting a banquet is expensive,
Yes, but that was to maintain a good reputation for his son. After Sun Jiu interfered like this, the cost of food and drinks must have been recovered, but his son's favor also declined.
He refused to accept it, but everyone refused to agree. Those who were generous just drained the meat directly, but some were unwilling and cursed Sun Jiu's ancestors in their stomachs, and had to take out two white coins from their waists.
Jiu took Li Xu and introduced him to the caravan partners one by one. Every time he introduced someone, Li Xu poured a bowl of wine for the other person. The man was bored after a gulp, and then he put the money for the meeting gift into Li Xu's hand.
After pouring a round of wine, Li Xu's arms were so tired that Li Xu's arms were sore. The meat was good, he collected nearly a hundred pieces of miscellaneous money, and he almost recognized everyone's face. The person who spoke to Sun Jiu was named Zhang, and he belonged to Sun Jiu.
Old partner, the temporary deputy leader of this group of caravans. The one with the scarred face who was given only a piece of free money was named Du, and was a distant relative of the Du family in Hejian. The one with the sinister face was named Wang and wore open-toe cloth boots.
The businessman's surname is Li, and he is considered to be Li Xu's family. The big-eyed young man sitting far away by the window, who is out of tune with everyone, is surnamed Xu. His family is a wealthy man in Jun County, with properties and countless shops in his name. But he does not know what he has committed.
He made a huge mistake and offended his parents, so his father was so cruel that he sent him to a caravan to learn more.
Everyone gave Li Xu a meeting gift, and he started to eat and drink more freely. There were also those who were narrow-minded, thinking about how to get the gift money back into their stomachs, and opened their cheeks and chewed hard. For a while, there was a loud roar of orders in the inn, and they actually recovered.
It was a lively time back then. Li Xu was so noisy that he couldn't leave the table, so he could only drink wine slowly to accompany them. Thinking that in the next three years he would have to be with these rough people, he felt sad.
.
"Are you really going to go outside the Great Wall to deliver goods?" A low voice asked from behind.
Li Xu turned around when he heard the sound and saw the clear big eyes of the Xu family boy. He smiled helplessly and said: "My father is old and it's very cold outside the Great Wall. If I don't go and work for him, what else can I do? Where's Brother Xu?
There are so many shops in your home. If you want to understand the affairs of the world, there is no place to stay. Why did you leave outside the Great Wall?"
"Oh, forget it! My father has newly married the seventh aunt, who is younger than me. I can't stand it, so I ran out to relax." Xu Dayan smiled and explained the reason why he joined the caravan, "Besides, this season it is said that
I can receive good leather goods. Leather goods from the Central Plains are very expensive right now? What do you think?"
The word "fur goods" was pronounced very hard by him. Li Xu's heart jumped suddenly, as if all the secrets were instantly seen through those big eyes. Considering that the other party was only fifteen or six years old, there was no way he could
Old Master Yang was so knowledgeable that he managed to calm down and replied with a smile: "Just for the leather goods, the price of raw hides in Shanggu County has almost doubled recently. If we go back quickly, maybe we can make a fortune
Pen!"
"I don't want to go back so early!" Xu Dayan's eyes flashed, always with a fierceness that was not consistent with his age, "It's rare to come out once, I'll have all the sex before talking!".
Li Xu smiled and picked up the wine cup in front of him. Just as he refused to tell the other person directly the purpose of traveling north, what Xu Dayan said may not be the truth. A young man with such a good family background would have Yangzhou and Luoyang when traveling.
These beautiful places are so beautiful that even if I was angry with my father, I would not go to a bitter and cold place to suffer.
Xu Da saw him lifting the wine cup and also raised the wine cup in his hand. He drank two cups of wine with Li Xu for some reason, and asked with a hint of drunkenness: "My surname is Xu, my name is Shiji, and my courtesy name is Maogong. Is this a good brother?"
Do you have a surname?"
"My name is Li Xu, and my courtesy name is Zhongjian!" Li Xu straightened his chest and said, fearing that others would look down on his age.
"Then you and I will take care of each other on the road and walk side by side outside the Great Wall. What do you think, brother Zhong Jian?" Xu Dayan patted Li Xu on the shoulder, with a somewhat mysterious smile.
"I wish to obey brother Mao Gong!" Li Xu raised his feet and reached out to pat him back. Both of them were growing teenagers. They both had big frames and were about the same height when they stood. After comparing their heights for a long time, they couldn't compare.
After deciding the winner, each held a wine glass and giggled like "hehehehe".
Li Xu drank so sadly and happily that he unconsciously fell drunk on his seat. When he woke up the next day, the morning star had shone through the papyrus paper covering the window. Father, mother and uncle Zhong,
Aunt Zhong had already gotten up and packed all his luggage for him. He had a lot of precious bows and protective knives. Even the little wolf Ganluo was put into a linen bag made by his mother and hung on the
The blue and white mule's back.
The big blue and white mule couldn't stand the smell of wild beasts on the little wolf and ran away in fright. It wasn't until Li Mao raised his whip that he had to lower his head and go out in despair to join the waiting caravan.
The gathering of more than a hundred animals was quite spectacular. Sun Jiu gave an order, and the merchants lined up in a long queue and moved slowly. The jingle, jingle of bells broke the silence of the morning light.
"Xu Zi, be careful on the road!" Lao Li Mao greeted Sun Jiu and others again. After getting the other party's sworn guarantee, he walked to his son and warned him.
"Well, father, mother, you two should also be careful about your health! Uncle Zhong and Aunt Zhong should also be careful!" Li Xu agreed, always feeling like something was rolling out in his eyes.
"If, if, then" Mrs. Li Zhang wanted to give some advice, but was afraid of spoiling her words, so she hesitated, hesitated, and was reluctant to let go of the reins.
"What your mother means is that when in trouble, it's important to escape, and anything else is nonsense!" Li Mao whispered in his son's ear, speaking in a voice that could only be heard by his own family. After saying that, he grabbed the reins and put them into Li Xu's hands.
, "Follow up, don't fall behind. Try to walk in the middle. Eat more meat and vegetables when eating, spend what you need on the way, don't save money..."
The horse snorted and slowly followed the caravan. Li Xu turned around and saw his father and mother supporting each other with tears in his eyes. Behind them, the crow of chickens awakened the village at dawn.
Until many years later, those two figures supporting each other still often lingered in Li Xu's dreams.
Note 1,
Jianli is a special utensil for fishing rice in the north. One end of the wooden handle has a net made of thin bamboo strips. In the countryside of Hebei, this thing is hung outside the wall as a sign of a restaurant. The custom lasted until the 1980s.
Note 2,
The meat is good. Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty recast the five-branch coin and banned the bad coins issued in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. This coin has "good meat on the back, with Zhou Guo on both sides. Each coin weighs four kilograms and two taels per thousand," so the people call it meat.
Good. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, silk cloth and silk cloth were used as currency throughout the country.
Note 3,
In the Sui Dynasty, there were Hucao and military bureaus in the county, and their status was equivalent to that of the county magistrate. The Hucao was responsible for tax collection, population statistics and other tasks. His subordinates could recruit helpers (assistant managers). The state did not issue salary for helpers, and the Hucai paid from the local government.
Tax deductions gradually became a shortcut for officials to plunder places.
Note 4,
Tying up one's hair generally refers to a time when a man is around 15 years old, when he should learn various skills. "Book of Rites of Da Dai·Bao Fu": "Tie one's hair and go to university, learn great skills, and perform well."
Note 5,
In the Han ruler, one foot is about 23.1 centimeters today.
Note 6,
Rural tribute refers to the examination of people. In the Sui Dynasty, the imperial examination system was created, which stipulated that localities recommended talents to the central government, and the central government hired them based on the examination results. In the fifth year of Emperor Yang's reign (609), he issued an edict to all counties, "Education should be passed and talents should be matched;
He is physically strong and strong, surpassing all other ethics; he is diligent and prudent in office, and is worthy of handling political affairs; he is upright and does not shy away from coercion and control of those who have passed the imperial exams."
Note 7,
Ming Jing, Jin Shi. The imperial examination initially had many subjects, including Ming Jing, Jin Shi, Ming Fa, Ming Zi, etc. The most popular ones in the Sui Dynasty were Ming Jing and Jin Shi, which were recorded in official documents.
Note 8,
Crowning. In ancient times, a man's 20th birthday represented his adulthood.
Note 9,
Spit at the mouth and hit a hole, a northern dialect, which refers to a person who keeps his word, and what he promises is like a stone hitting the ground, which can never be taken back.
Note 10,
White money. Not long after Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty succeeded to the throne, the treasury was empty due to large-scale construction projects. He immediately mixed a large amount of base metals such as tin and lead into the newly minted copper coins, which caused the copper coins to turn white and depreciate significantly. Therefore, the people called it white money.
The bad money is different from the standard five-baht money cast by Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty.
Note 11,
Dou, here is the Sui Dou, and its weight is close to that of the Tang Dou. In the Han Dynasty, one dou weighed about 4 jins today, and half a dou was equivalent to 2 jins. According to research, each dou of millet weighed 3.6 jins, and each dou of wheat weighed 4 jins.
.The Tang Dou was three times that of the Han Dou, and each Dou was about 12 jins today.
Note 12,
The structure of the Chinese bow during the Han and Tang Dynasties. The two ends of the bow arm are called Ce, and the ends of the bow are equipped with ears. The ears are used for hanging strings. They are mostly made of bone and horn, and are also made of copper. Ruyin Marquis of Han Dynasty, Fuyang County, Anhui Province
The tomb was also unearthed with copper bow lugs inlaid with gold and silver, and hollow strings hanging from the ears. Both the strings and the lugs are required to have smooth surfaces to avoid scratching the bow strings. However, there are also cases where the strings are tied directly to the bow arms.
This method is called "Yuan". The bow string is sometimes made of leather strips or twisted silk, most of which use hanging strings. The bow handle in the center of the bow arm is named C (bow + bow). The bow handle and
The two arc-shaped parts between the bow tips are called abyss and shoulder.
Note 13,
Artemisia. There is superstition in northern rural areas. It is believed that the growth of artemisia on the ancestral graves indicates that the descendants will achieve great success. So the elders will say: "Xuzi is the artemisia on my ancestral graves."
Note 14,
During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, silver had not yet become the mainstream currency, and there was no fixed exchange price with copper coins. It was only used as heavy gifts for the government. There was a small amount of circulation in Yunnan and outside the Great Wall. This book refers to the prices of the Jin Kingdom in the Song Dynasty, and one tael of silver was equivalent to two thousand copper coins. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties,
, if there is too much silver flowing in from the outside world, a thousand coins will be converted into one tael of silver. (To be continued)
