Not long after, Chunjiao appeared behind Xia Shang. Although it was winter, she was still well-dressed and not afraid of the wind and cold.
"Sir, do you finally have some free time today?"
Xia Shang nodded: "Have you notified the person I want to see?"
"I have been notified that I will meet the young master at the gate of Changlexian at noon today."
"In that case, you should go back and change your clothes."
"Change clothes? Why?"
"Of course, come with us for a day of gaming."
Chunjiao was stunned, but she didn't expect that the young master was still thinking about her today. She felt a little warm in her heart, but she shook her head: "Suzhou is not peaceful recently. My subordinates often walk around outside, so it is not appropriate to expose them. Today, the young master is still playing by himself, and his subordinates are protecting him secretly.
."
"You really don't want to go?"
"Not going."
After a while, the carriage departed from Heroes Village and headed towards the most prosperous place in the city.
He had been in Suzhou for a long time, and Xia and Shang had never had the pleasure of appreciating the beautiful scenery of Suzhou. They are both famous places in the south of the Yangtze River. Perhaps Suzhou and Yangzhou have many similarities, but seeing the ancient winter scenery for the first time also gave Xia and Shang a lot of excitement.
Fewer unexpected surprises.
The old locust trees that grew out of the wall in someone’s courtyard had their branches dried up by the winter snow, and the piles of dead leaves on the ground were left unswept, making it look a bit miserable. However, the winter plum blossoms growing on the branches were competing with each other, full of vitality.
Vigorous, poetic and picturesque.
It is true to say that you can visit one garden in one street. Suzhou gardens with different styles but the same fragrance are another kind of scenery, but they are all hidden in the private courtyards of wealthy families, which seems a bit pity.
And how can this treasure land known as the Jiangnan Water Town be without streams and lakes?
As I walked and looked all the way, what I saw and heard was just the most insignificant silhouette of Suzhou. The small bridges and flowing water where people complement each other attracted not only Xia Shang, but also the pretty girls who shared the ride.
The carriage was quiet, and several people were looking out of the carriage, seemingly intoxicated by the lightness and antiquity of Suzhou's early winter.
"Why haven't we seen Suzhou so quiet and elegant in the past?" Ruo Ruo said this for the first time. This girl who should have been living in a flower house and selling jokes for a living has rarely lived a peaceful life. At the same time, she is also the person who talks the least.
Today she broke the silence first, which shows that the scenery along the way really intoxicated her.
Xia Xinyi: "It's true. I've walked through this street before. It's not that good-looking. It's really different in the car today!"
"Good times come only because of people. Today you are following me, a young boy, so you naturally think it looks good." Xia Shang joked.
When everyone heard this, they couldn't help but smile. All they thought in their minds was that this person was so shameless, but only Xia Xinyi dared to give Xia Shang a look.
Liu Ruyan answered: "In recent days, the imperial court has sent heavy troops to station outside the city of Suzhou. People are walking around and hiding in the rivers and lakes of Suzhou. The streets are not as mixed as before, and the situation has been restored.
The original appearance of Suzhou is really much better."
As soon as Liu Ruyan finished speaking, the carriage stopped, and the driver in front shouted: "The essence of the grains has arrived."
There is only one Wugujingjing in Suzhou. Xia Shang looked around and found that there were still many problems. The location was not a prime location, the store was too small, and the store was out of stock for a long time.
Xia Shang didn't stay in his store for too long. After seeing it, he only told Ruyan that he would open ten branches in Suzhou within two months, and there must be no shortage of goods. Suzhou must be opened as soon as possible.
The revenue is about the same as the consumption in Suzhou, and profitability will be achieved by next summer at the latest.
Ruyan is a smart person, Xia Shang believes that she will not be able to defeat her.
After leaving the store, the carriage started heading towards the most prosperous Lianli Bridge in Suzhou.
The Lianli Bridge is a place where talents and beauties in Suzhou meet and play. According to legend, a pair of young lovers once made a wish on the bridge. When the man was in high school, they were going to get married. As a result, the man became the number one scholar in high school and returned to Suzhou to get married.
girl.
After that, all the scholars from around Suzhou who were going to Beijing to take the exams, without exception, had to make a wish at Lianli Bridge. Therefore, there were many tourists on Lianli Bridge, which also gave rise to a long bustling street scene on both sides of the bridge.
Opposite Lianli Bridge is Suzhou's most famous restaurant, Changlexian, which is famous throughout the city for its fine wines and delicious food.
Today is the first good weather since winter officially started. Young ladies from every household rushed out of their homes and rushed to Lianli Bridge to watch the excitement.
Therefore, the entrance to Changlexian was overcrowded and crowded.
It was noon and there were more pedestrians.
Xia Shang walked in front, holding on to Ruyan tightly, while Ruyan pulled the two women behind him and struggled to move in the crowd.
"Husband, why don't you change places?"
Ruyan shouted from behind, she really couldn't stand such a crowd.
Xia Shang was very stubborn and ignored him. He still pulled Ruyan and squeezed forward. After finally squeezing to the door of Chang Lexian, several people breathed a sigh of relief.
With all this commotion, no matter how beautiful the scenery was, no one had the time to appreciate it. Everyone just wanted to get away from the crowd and find a quiet place.
Chang Lexian spends a lot of money, and non-rich people dare not enter, so there are crowds of people outside the building, but the inside is orderly.
The top-level restaurants have the tackiness of top-level restaurants, and their decorations are undoubtedly the same as those of other restaurants in Yangzhou. They are nothing more than inlaid with gold, silver, and red brocade, showing luxury everywhere. But Chang Lexian is a seven-story tower, the first in Suzhou and Hangzhou.
The small room on the top floor is located near the window overlooking the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal and has a panoramic view of Suzhou.
Xia Shang asked for the best seat, and first asked the three girls to go upstairs with the waiter to sit for a while, but he went back outside the building to look for the person he wanted to see.
During the few months of seclusion and study, Chunjiao was a busy person, constantly traveling back and forth between Suzhou and Yangzhou, firstly to convey news between the two places, and secondly to send "gu" to the people of Chunfang Division every month.
Antidote for insects."
Xia Shang had long thought that he would encounter difficulties in developing in Suzhou, and he would need to use some external forces to change the status quo, so he asked Chunjiao to invite someone from Yangzhou.
This man's name is Zhang Kui, a notorious beggar who used to be the leader of Zhazi Street in Yangzhou City, and is now the leader of beggars in Yangzhou City.
At the beginning, Xia Shang gave Zhang Kui one hundred thousand taels of silver notes and asked him to integrate the beggars in Yangzhou so that he could become Xia Shang's spy.
Xia Shang in Yangzhou has realized the benefits brought to them by these humble beggars.
In Suzhou, Xia Shang did not have any connections, and beggars were the cheapest labor force, so Zhang Kui came to mind.
The purpose of Xia Shang's asking Zhang Kui to come to Yangzhou was very simple. It should be easy for him to do the same things as in Yangzhou since he was an expert.
It was rare to come out today, so Xia Shang always wanted to meet him first.
It was Chunjiao who sent the message before, saying that they agreed to meet at Chang Lexian's door.
But now there are no beggars at the door of Chang Lexian...
Xia Shang watched for a long time without seeing Zhang Kui's shadow. Suddenly, someone behind him patted his shoulder and called: "Sir."
Xia Shang turned around, and in front of him was a young man with a rosy complexion and splendid clothes. His appearance was somewhat similar to Zhang Kui from Yangzhou. (To be continued)