After agreeing on a time to go see the horses together, in the evening, the Zhen family, the Tao family, and the fake Huns went to bed early, waiting to set off tomorrow morning as agreed. Everyone had their own things in mind, so they just waited.
Show your trump card the next day.
The pottery merchant had already sent Pegasus to notify Guo Jia in Linzi City and told him about the situation here. He and Guo Jia had a tacit understanding. He believed that with Guo Jia's wisdom, he would know what to do next.
.
Therefore, the potter slept well that night.
But compared to the carefreeness of the pottery merchant, there was one person who felt very uncomfortable, and that person was Zhen Mi.
Miss Zhen's family tossed and turned on the bed, staying awake for almost half the night.
What stirred up in her heart was turmoil and deep self-blame.
Although they didn't get along for a long time, Zhen Mi could see and feel that the pottery merchant was a good person. Although the good person was not so pure, compared with Yuan Shao who could sacrifice others at will for personal gain.
, the sentiments of pottery merchants are far more noble.
The Zhen family's shops are not only spread all over the country, but every state and county has at least some properties that belong to them. Over the years, for the Zhen family, outside of Jizhou, Hebei Province, the southeastern pottery business is the most profitable.
The resources are the richest, the people's livelihood is the richest, and the people live and work in peace and contentment.
These are not passed down from the gossips of others, but are summarized by the store managers in the southeast of the Zhen family, including Zhen Mi, when they sort out the profits and losses of the accounts every year.
"Alas~"
When she thought of this, Zhen Mi got up, went to the table, lit the oil lamp in the dark room, and stared blankly at the lamp in trance.
Under the bright light, the slips that the pottery merchant taught Zhen Mi the day before about new accounting methods were reflected. Zhen Mi saw the neat forms, and the scene seemed to be vivid in her mind.
Zhen Mi bit her lips and finally made up her mind.
She got dressed and walked out of the room hesitantly.
When I was young, I saw her arriving outside the courtyard where the pottery merchant was. I wanted to step in, but as soon as I took the step, I hesitated a little.
Just when Zhen Mi was hesitating, a voice suddenly sounded from the side, startling him.
"who?"
Zhen Mi hurriedly turned around to look, only to see Ah Fei sneaking behind her at some point and staring at her with a wary expression.
But when Ah Fei saw clearly that it was Zhen Mi, he was stunned for a moment, then put away his fierce expression and revealed a playful smile.
"Who do I think it is? It turns out to be Miss Zhen."
Zhen Mi covered her chest and said in surprise: "I was scared to death...you, who are you?"
"Oh, Miss Zhen has no impression of me. I am Tao Cheng... the nurse under Mr. Tao."
"Guyuan?" Zhen Mi looked him up and down doubtfully: "You, a nursing homekeeper, stay up most of the night, why are you here to scare people?"
"Girl, I misunderstood. I'm just protecting my husband's safety and keeping watch all night."
Zhen Mi breathed a sigh of relief and said: "Then please go and inform your husband. I have something important to see him. It's very important. I'd like to trouble him..."
Ah Fei laughed, waved his hand and said, "Miss Zhen, you don't have to be so polite. You and my husband are both members of the same family, so why don't you bother with so much work?"
Zhen Mi was stunned when she heard this: "Your husband and I...when did we become a family?"
Ah Fei's habit of talking nonsense happened again: "You have been taken advantage of by my husband and you have become his woman. What is this if not a family?"
Zhen Mi's expression suddenly stiffened.
…
When he was young, Tao Shang was awakened by A Fei. He came to the side hall with sleepy eyes, sat down with Zhen Mi, and yawned: "Miss Zhen stayed up most of the night? What do you want from Tao..."
Before he finished speaking, the pottery merchant suddenly felt that something was wrong in the atmosphere.
Zhen Mi looked at her with extremely resentful eyes, faintly revealing a huge feeling of grievance. That expression...how should I describe it?
It's like having your innocence ruined by a potter.
"I, I don't seem to have asked you to borrow money recently, right? Is that right? Have you borrowed it?" The pottery merchant asked Zhen Mi doubtfully.
He really felt a little unsure.
Zhen Mi took a deep breath and kept in her heart what A Fei said to her just now.
This prodigal son did one thing to his face and another behind his back. He said she was his woman behind his back, but he dared not admit it to his face!
Zhen Mi shook her head and suddenly said: "Mr. Tao comes from the southeast and is a member of the same clan as the Prime Minister. I heard that the southeast is rich and the Han people are rushing to move to the south. May I ask why this is so?"
The potter didn't expect that Zhen Mi would run to him in the middle of the night and ask this question?
While looking at Zhen Mi in confusion, he said: "The main reason is that since Prince Taiping took charge of the southeast, he has gone through reforms, developed the economy, restructured the law, raised the people, and cultivated land and implemented policies, so that we have achieved today's results."
Zhen Mi nodded after hearing this and said: "Sir, he is a relative of the Prime Minister. May I ask, sir, what kind of person do you think the Prime Minister is? Good or bad?"
The pottery merchant couldn't help but smile bitterly when he heard this: "I can't say he's a good person, but he's not a particularly bad person... The prime minister is also a human being. He has his relatives, his enemies, his ideals, and things he must do.
The principles and bottom line he must adhere to."
Speaking of this, Tao Shang suddenly looked at Zhen Mi seriously and said seriously: "At least, he definitely didn't kill people who were not his enemies without any reason."
Zhen Mi suddenly shed tears when she faced the serious look in the pottery merchant's eyes.
"You, have you known this for a long time?"
The potter smiled and said: "Although I have known it for a long time, I have never exposed you because I think you are a kind person. There must be some hidden worries behind this matter, so I have been waiting for you, girl, to take the initiative to talk to you.
be honest."
Speaking of this, Tao Shang said calmly: "Who has no faults? If you know your mistakes and can correct them, there is no greater good."
Zhen Mi gently wiped away her tears and whispered: "Little girl, I understand... I came here tonight just to let you know that I am not that kind of person..."
After saying that, he saw her standing up Yingying and asked An to salute: "Zhen Mi, the daughter of the people, has met the prime minister."
"Sit down." Tao Shang waved his hand and said, "You are a woman and a white merchant. Why do you want to get involved in the fight between Yuan Shao and me?"
Zhen Mi sobbed while telling the story.
In fact, the reason is very simple and crude. After Zhen Yan died, the head of the Zhen family was Zhen Mi's brother Zhen Yao. But now the main male member of the Zhen family was transferred to serve by Yuan Shao and used as a hostage.
Although Yuan Shao didn't make his words so clear, Zhen Mi was not stupid either and naturally knew Yuan Shao's true intention.
On the one hand, it was her biological brother's life, and on the other hand, she was allowed to harm someone she had never met. Zhen Mi's conscience was tortured during this period of time, and others could not imagine it.
After all, she is just a weak woman.
The potter sighed and said: "To me, you are guilty, but you are not wrong."
Zhen Mi wiped her red eyes and nodded.
"Girl, if you tell me the truth today, what will you do if Yuan Shao comes to settle the score with you in the future?"
Zhen Mi smiled sadly and said: "We will talk about the future in the future. After all, the little girl's conscience can live with it now... Some things are destined by God and cannot be forced. If Mr. Yuan wants to blame, then the little girl will shoulder the responsibility.
At least……"
Speaking of this, Zhen Mi paused and said: "At least, the little girl didn't harm anyone."
The potter blinked and looked at her for a while, then suddenly smiled.
"As for what you just said, don't worry, I will help you with this matter, so that your Zhen family will be safe this time. This can be regarded as a reward for your frankness and kindness."