There is no bridge ten miles away from Xiaolian Bridge, and I don’t know why it was named this way. Anyway, it has continued like this.
But here there are paper figurines, wreaths, coffins... there are all kinds of shops related to funerals. It is a famous Baishi Street in Linzi City.
Lao Zhang's Coffin Shop is the fourth shop from the left in Xiaolian Bridge. The owner is said to have been passed down from generation to generation, and he has been working here for three generations, so he has quite a reputation.
The store is medium-sized. There is a black curtain hanging at the door, and there is no one outside to greet you.
There are taboos for those doing white business, especially coffins, which are not likely to see the sun.
Things like soliciting customers are not something that should be done, they all come and go. At most, it's just like Lao Zhang, with generations of craftsmanship and a reputation.
Xu Xiangqian opened the curtain and asked: "Boss! Are the longevity materials I want ready?"
There was a thin figure inside, sitting among several coffins eating rice. I guess he was the boss of this coffin shop, that old man from Baishijie.
Hearing the sound, he looked up, put down the bowls and chopsticks, and came forward and said, "Mr. Xu, everything is ready as you ordered."
His voice was very thin and cold, as if he had not seen the sun all year round.
The great scholar Xu thought that he was upright and had no taboos about this kind of place. He looked around and asked, "Where is it?"
Lao Zhang stretched out his hand and said, "Here, Mr. Xu, please come and take a look."
He hesitated for a moment, then added a reminder: "It's hard to look at other people's longevity for fear of getting into trouble."
Jiang Wang remained silent the whole time, letting Xu Xiangqian communicate from the front.
Xu Xiangqian remained polite and did not feel unhappy at all: "You reminded me."
In the outer room, there are two rows of coffins lined up, a total of eleven coffins, an odd number.
There are rooms in the back, but it’s not easy to go in and take a look.
The coffin ordered by Xu Xiangqian is in the third position in the second row. Just from the appearance and the craftsmanship, it is indeed good.
Xu Xiangqian stretched out his hand and touched it, feeling the texture: "Very good, not bad, good craftsmanship. The wood is also good."
Lao Zhang was not modest either. He only said in a low voice: "Don't dare to be vague about the work of eating."
Jiang Wang also stepped forward to take a look, and felt that it was quite good and not perfunctory.
"Okay!" Xu Xiangqian glanced at Jiang Wang's expression, clapped his hands and said, "Can you please boss, find two people to help me carry it all the way, and then pick up my poor boss, and then go directly to the burial."
"That's no problem. With this small bridge, there are many young people who are willing to use their strength." Lao Zhang responded, but did not move his feet.
Xu Xiangqian nodded: "I'll trouble you then."
"Ahem." Lao Zhang coughed and rubbed his hands in embarrassment: "This, longevity money..."
Xu Xiangqian said in surprise: "Hasn't it already been paid?"
"Mr. Xu, you only paid the deposit..."
"Oh, that's it." Xu Xiangqian then remembered it and continued: "It doesn't matter, I'll get back to you."
"Mr. Xu." Lao Zhang was very embarrassed: "This is longevity wood made by Jinsinnan. I have to pay more for the wood in advance, plus the laborer's wages..."
Golden nanmu is the best longevity wood, and its price is better than gold. For this coffin shop, it is indeed a huge cost that cannot be ignored. If Xu Xiangqian hadn't paid a large deposit and showed his wealth, this business would not have been so easy to succeed.
"Hey, what do I think is going on? Isn't it because I came out in a hurry and didn't bring any money?"
Xu Xiangqian spoke without hesitation and took off a seal from his waist: "Does the boss know about Qingya Villa?"
This branch of Qingya Academy in Linzi is quite famous.
Lao Zhang said: "That is the best college. I know it."
"I am the gentleman from Qingya Courtyard. If you go to the door with this seal, the dean of Yinqian behind you will replenish it for you, and he will never be short of you!"
"Oh, of course I can trust Qingya Courtyard. In fact, it doesn't matter if it's a little later." Lao Zhang apologized and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Xu!"
Even though he said this, he still took the private seal in his hand promptly.
And Jiang Wang also noticed that he had pinched the entire private seal in a very short period of time, probably in a unique way to identify the authenticity. Of course it was genuine, Xu Xiangqian was the real Mr. Qingya Villa. .Of course, whether President Liu is willing to pay for him is another matter.
Xu Xiangqian snorted from his nose: "Go find someone, my family should be in a hurry."
Lao Zhang hurriedly opened the curtain and went out. It seemed that he really trusted the gentleman in Qingya Villa and did not say that he would wait for any of the waiters to come back and check the shop before leaving.
Jiang Wang glanced at Xu Xiangqian, it was obvious that Dean Liu would help you with the money? Don't cheat these people who rely on their craftsmanship to make a living.
Xu Xiangqian responded with a reassuring look and said: "He doesn't care about my financial difficulties, but he will definitely take care of the reputation of the academy."
This is true.
It's just...in the academy at that time, Xu Xiangqian settled the money matter easily, but he didn't expect it to be settled like this!
He first tried to get credit, but when he couldn't get credit, he transferred it back to Qingya Villa. Now, for the next few decades of his cultivation, Mr. Liu would have to withdraw even if he didn't.
While Lao Zhang was looking for someone to carry the coffin, Xu Xiangqian walked outside again. To be precise, it was the paper man shop next door.
"Boss, here are two paper figures. I want them to be beautiful!"
This store is not covered with black curtains, probably the paper figures need to be illuminated to look better.
Sitting in the shop was a middle-aged man with a dull expression.
He was sitting on a bench, working skillfully with his hands. He didn't even raise his head when he heard the words, and just said: "They are all laid out here. If you see which one is beautiful, take it for yourself."
"Cough, cough!" Xu Xiangqian pretended to look at it for a while, coughed a few times, attracting the middle-aged man's attention, and then said: "I will take it myself, and I will give the money back to you."
Unexpectedly, the middle-aged man tied up the paper figurine and only replied: "Okay."
Jiang Wang stood at the door of the coffin shop and glanced over. He felt that this man did not look like he was doing business. Of course, his attention was more on the salesman who had been walking back and forth on the street six times.
He had seen this man no less than ten times when he came out of Xiashan Villa, to Qingya Villa, and then to Xiaolian Bridge. He changed into different outfits, but the pair of boots with a shallow slant cut remained the same. For those who are careful to observe, this is conspicuous enough.
At the door of the papermaker's shop, people didn't care whether he would default on his debt, but Xu Xiangqian became more enthusiastic: "If you don't ask me who I am and where I live, what will happen if I default on my debt? How will you ask me for money later?"
The middle-aged man's busy hands paused, and he raised his head and glanced at Xu Xiangqian, pausing for a few breaths especially on his unusually high forehead, and then said simply: "You are a decent person at first glance, you can't ignore me. money."
"That's right." Xu Xiangqian nodded with deep approval: "Then let's lend two more on credit and make up two pairs. My family has suffered a lot, so it will be more lively when we get there."
"This..." Even if the middle-aged man who made the paper figurine no longer knows how to do business, he should feel embarrassed.
"Oh An Xin, you see that I am a talented person, how could I deceive you?" Xu Xiangqian comforted: "I will come here often in the future and take care of your business more!"
The middle-aged man with a dull expression looked at him and hesitated to speak.