Back at Tianyi Inn, Xiao Chen called Duan Tianming into his upper room on the third floor.
"How much money did you get from the factory boss this time?" Xiao Chen was lying on the soft bed, holding his head in his hands and looking at Duan Tianming.
When he goes out to perform a mission, Duan Tianming takes care of all logistical matters. Whether it's eating or staying in a hotel, Xiao Chen is the kind of person who takes care of everything and never cares about the money.
"Two hundred taels of silver and five hundred taels of banknotes. There are more than ten of us. Including the fodder for the horses, the normal expenses will be enough for a while. Why did you suddenly ask about this today?" Xiao Chen asked as soon as he entered the door.
This matter was really beyond Duan Tianming's expectation.
"The two hundred taels of silver should be the normal expenses prepared by Mr. Factory Master for us. These five hundred taels of silver notes should be used for emergencies. These money are all squeezed out of Dongchang's working capital by Mr. Factory Master.
Come out." Xiao Chen put his left leg on his right leg and looked at the pitch black ceiling above his head.
Duan Tianming stepped forward, reached out and touched Xiao Chen's forehead, and then his own forehead: "You don't have a fever, why did you say something so incompatible with you today? You always mention money, what?
When did it become so tacky?”
Xiao Chen quickly got up from the bed: "It's tacky to talk about money? Then when you enter the city, if you don't pay money, can our horses come in?"
"That's true, but you never mentioned money before. You always let me take care of everything every time you go out. What's wrong today, are you suddenly so interested in money?"
In the upper room, not only is there tea, there are also cooked peanuts and some beautiful pastries placed on the table.
Duan Tianming was not polite, sat down next to the table, grabbed the pastries on it and started eating.
"You said, if we were a group of people and everyone lived in the upper room, would you still wolf down these pastries like this?" Xiao Chen winked at Duan Tianming.
"It's okay to live in a house, but I'm afraid these few hundred taels of silver won't last long." Duan Tianming rolled his eyes at Xiao Chen and continued to eat his pastries.
"Of course it won't last long with the money given by the factory owner. Aren't we going to find a way on our own?" Xiao Chen said seriously.
As if he was choking on the cake, Duan Tianming hurriedly picked up the kettle on the table, poured half a bowl into the tea bowl, picked it up and drank it in one gulp.
He stretched his neck again, kneaded his chest vigorously with his right hand a few times, and then let out a long breath.
"Are you kidding? Are you planning to benefit your brothers?" Duan Tianming said.
Xiao Chen nodded: "Brothers followed us, come and go in the wind and rain, even eating a pastry like you just did, almost choked to death, it's not an exaggeration to eat better and live better, right?"
"It's not an exaggeration, it's not an exaggeration. We are doing things for the court with our heads up. Only by eating well and living well can we have the energy to do the things well." Seeing Xiao Chen's awakening, Duan Tianming couldn't help but feel happy.
.
In the past, whenever there was a house raid, Duan Tianming would get some benefits for his brothers. This was also an unwritten tradition in Jinyiwei.
But when it comes to Xiao Chen, he always rejects it, saying that he is a single man and has no worries about food and clothing, so what is the use of the money.
Later, gradually I was infected by Xiao Chen's views and had no feeling for money. Anyway, in Dongchang or Jinyiwei, you don't have to spend money on food and clothing. With the little military pay every month, you can go out for a meal occasionally.
It's delicious and enough.
"We have a total of fifteen people coming out this time. This money can last for a while. If the entire Thirteenth Army comes, how many days can it last? Seeing these officials and businessmen colluding in corruption and perverting the law, I was thinking, what if
Using the money they embezzled as a fund for our East Factory activities can alleviate some of their sins." Xiao Chen had a straight face and a very serious expression.
"Sigh." Duan Tianming sighed and straightened his waist, with the remnants of pastry still stuck to the corner of his mouth, "Since I got to know Brother Xiao, I found that I have never really understood Brother Xiao. Not only is he worried about the country and the people, but also
I want to save those officials who have made mistakes from the fire and water. In order to alleviate their sins, I will follow your instructions from now on, Brother Xiao."
The two looked at each other, and Xiao Chen's eyes curved into crescent shapes.
"Captain Duan also impressed me. This ability to flatter others is innate, right?" Xiao Chen said with a smile.
Duan Tianming's eyes widened: "What do you mean by patting your beard and walking away from the horse? I speak from the bottom of my heart."
"Hahaha..."
"Hahaha..."
"Tomorrow, first find the waiter and take us to Ouyang's workshop to order a hundred Yishui inkstones?" Duan Tianming squeezed his eyes and lowered his voice.
"One hundred coins? Can you be more generous? We are from the capital. We will settle on five hundred coins." Xiao Chen said.
"Five hundred? Isn't it a bit much? According to the price of two taels of silver for a Yishui inkstone, it's also one thousand taels of silver. How can we have so much silver now?"
Xiao Chen raised his head, put his hand into his arms, groped for a long time, and pulled out a wrinkled banknote.
"Look, here are one thousand taels."
"Where did you get such a big banknote?" Duan Tianming was a little surprised. He took the banknote and carefully identified the authenticity.
In Duan Tianming's impression, Xiao Chen only had a few taels of military pay every month and had never been interested in money. Today, when he suddenly pulled out a thousand taels of silver like a magic trick, he really thought he was being deceived.
"Don't look at it, this is a real silver note." Rolling his eyes at Duan Tianming, Xiao Chen picked up the tea bowl on the table and took a sip. He also picked up a cooked peanut and threw it in his mouth.
"On the twenty-third of the twelfth lunar month, during the case in the suburbs of Beijing, Mr. Liu, who was given the poisonous tea by me, gave me this banknote. I slipped it into my arms at that time. This time, the fifteen of us came out and said it was too much.
Not much, not too much, so I brought the banknote with me just in case I need it in case of emergencies." Xiao Chen said.
"Hey Xiao Chen, you actually collected the banknote privately." Duan Tianming chuckled and took the banknote into his arms.
"Then Mr. Liu sincerely gave it to me. If I don't accept it, wouldn't I be betraying his good intentions?" Xiao Chen chewed the peanuts and laughed mischievously.
The next day, Xiao Chen opened his eyes early. Thinking about going to Ouyang's workshop today, he prepared to get out of bed.
"Bang bang bang" I remembered a rapid knock on the door, and then the voice of shopkeeper Xu came, "Mr. Xiao, Mr. Ouyang is here to play the piano."
Mr. Ouyang? He disappeared for several days and suddenly appeared again. What happened? I just don’t know if I can get the news about Ouyang Qianhu from his mouth.
"Okay, I understand. I'm going to get up and listen to Mr. Ouyang's music."
