Li Siwen came down from the high platform and went straight to Li Mu, grabbed his arm and said: "Brother, come to the Yamen, let's have a drink together! It's time for me to practice my drinking ability."
"Forget it, all you drank was my wine. My wine has to be sold for money. If you drink a jar, you will pay for it." Li Mu said, and was about to leave Li Siwen and get on his horse to go home, but he
Holding on tightly, Li Mu said helplessly: "My lord, the sun has set. The emperor still has hungry soldiers. Please let me take a rest!"
"Oh, isn't there something else?" Over the past few days, the two of them have become familiar with each other. Li Siwen has no airs about him. When he asks for help, Li Mu is more like a county magistrate, and he is the county magistrate.
"Didn't I send out three jars of wine a few days ago? My father and Duke Wei both responded to their letters. When my father learned about our partnership in business, he rarely praised me. Duke Wei sent a
I bought five silver cakes, which is a total of fifty taels of silver, and I want to buy twenty jars of wine. What do you think? Can this business be done?"
"Fifty taels, twenty altars, two taels and five cents per altar..." Li Mu calculated and found that it was five times more expensive than his original price of five cents. This was a good deal. He glanced at Li Siwen and said: "
I accepted the deal, but it’s up front and we haven’t officially cooperated yet. I sourced the materials and work for this wine myself, and I can’t share the money with you.”
"I'm sending you these few small coins! I'll give it all to you!" Li Siwen said cheerfully, paused, and then said: "My father also wants ten altars, and these ten altars..."
Li Mu also said cheerfully: "Just treat me as a filial piety to the younger generation, no money required."
"That's embarrassing." Li Siwen chuckled. Suddenly his expression calmed down and he said seriously: "Brother, don't talk about these useless things. I left you here because I want to tell you something."
Seeing Li Siwen's rare seriousness, Li Mu couldn't help but become serious and asked: "What's the matter?"
Li Siwen sighed and said, "You still remember the day you first made wine, I went to your house to find you, and you got drunk later, right?"
"It's only been a few days, of course I remember it!"
"Oh! I got drunk that day and passed away. Actually, I went to see you because I had something to tell you." Li Siwen said with a sad face, "My father wrote a letter to reprimand me, saying that I wanted to be the magistrate of Dingxiang County, which was nonsense.
How can I, a humble kid like me, be used to guard the important border town? He cannot refute His Majesty's decree, but he can take care of his own son. When his army returns, he will ask me to write a letter of resignation."
Li Siwen squatted down, looked at the sunset in the west with dull eyes, and sighed: "I just can't understand why my father refused to believe me even once. Today he wrote a letter to praise me. I was quite happy at first, but just now
It suddenly occurred to me that maybe he praised me not because of the wine, but because I finally found a job. If I am willing to return to Chang'an and start the wine business with you, that would really be his wish."
What could Li Mu say about this kind of housework? He didn't know how to comfort him, so he had to pat Li Siwen on the shoulder and said, "What can I help you with?"
Li Siwen smiled and said: "You are already helping me. Look, the city wall is almost finished, the refugees are being resettled, and everything is in order. I believe that when my father's army returns, if you look
In such a situation, he will be able to recognize me. If he still insists on taking me back to Chang'an, I have nothing to do. A son cannot disobey his father's orders. When that time comes, I will live happily in Chang'an with you and be a dandy young master.
, I won’t be bored hanging out with you.”
Li Mu nodded and said, "That's right. Do your best in everything. Even if you fail, you won't regret it. I haven't returned to Chang'an yet. If you do your daily tasks well, even if you go back, it will be a good memory.
"After Li Mu finished speaking, he looked up at the sky and said, "I have to go home. The sun will be gone soon. Qiaoqiao should be waiting at home in a hurry."
"Go ahead, people with wives are just different!" Li Siwen also stood up and waved to Li Mu.
Just as the two were saying goodbye, the sound of an argument suddenly came from the small square. Both Li Mu and Li Siwen heard it. They looked at each other and walked side by side. When the policemen next to them saw what happened, they also followed.
"What's the fuss about? Everyone, shut up and stand on both sides. The county magistrate is here to make your own decision!" The policemen stepped forward and separated the two parties in the dispute. Li Siwen and Li Mu came closer and saw that both parties to the dispute were actually
Women and children, on the left side is an old woman and a child, on the right side is a woman who is responsible for cooking at the construction site. Looking at the ground, there is half a wotou, and the child on the left is still holding half in his hand. Li Siwen scratches
He scratched his head and asked: "But this child stole the food?"
The cook on the right knelt on the ground and said: "Reporting to your lord, this child is ten years old this year. According to the rules set by the lord, if he does not cry or make trouble, he can receive food. According to the rules, I will give him a steamed bun. But this
After the child had eaten one steamed bun, he had to get another steamed bun. Asked him why, he wouldn't say anything. I was responsible for serving food, and was in charge of the government's food. I couldn't give it to him casually, so I didn't give it to the child. I didn't expect that the child
He grabbed it and ran away, so we had to chase after him. Only when we got here did we realize that the child was going to be fed to this old woman. As you said, free food will not feed lazy people. I think this old woman is old even though
She had eaten a little, but she was not sick and looked good. She didn't look like someone who couldn't work. If she helped pick vegetables, this steamed bun would be given to her, but she didn't do anything, so this steamed bun wouldn't work.
Feed her, this is the rule set by you, my lord!"
"Well...that makes sense." Li Siwen nodded and looked at the old woman on the left. This old woman had white hair like snow and looked like she was sixty years old, but her overall complexion did not look like that.
She is such an old person, and from her appearance, the charm of the past can be vaguely seen. She must have been a gorgeous beauty when she was young. Li Siwen couldn't help but wonder, where could such a noble person come from in this remote place?
How do people like this get to the point where they can’t even eat?
"Old woman, didn't you hear what I said? You have hands and feet, and you are not sick or in trouble. Why don't you participate in labor? I know that you are not young and may not be able to work as expected. I don't ask you to do it.
Work more and less, but you must have a good attitude. People are right, this free food and rice will not feed lazy people. How can you be embarrassed to eat if you don't do anything?"
When Li Siwen said this, the old woman's face turned red with embarrassment. She didn't dare to face everyone's eyes. She mooted for a long time and said in a voice like a mosquito: "I...I, I don't know how to work."
"Ben?" Although the first word was spoken softly, Li Siwen was so close that he still heard it. He couldn't help but feel something in his heart. This person who calls himself "Ben" doesn't know how to work? What kind of identity can he have? I am the king? Ben?
Handsome? Bengong?
My Majesty?! Li Siwen suddenly remembered something mentioned in his father's letter. When he looked at the old woman again, his eyes suddenly changed.