The first thousand one hundred and seventy-three chapters have a strict mother
Zhang Lei looked a lot darker and a little thinner, but he was in good spirits. He talked endlessly about what he saw along the way and didn't even bother to drink.
"People there are generally short and dark-skinned, but the food there is great! There are an amazing variety of spices, the quality is excellent, and the price is unbelievably low. I even got a large piece of it that weighs more than a hundred kilograms."
Ambergris, do you know how much it costs? You can never imagine it!"
Zhang Lei took a sip of wine and couldn't hold back the excitement in his heart and said: "I exchanged it for a large vat filled with water. That vat is only three hundred cents in the market, and one hundred kilograms of ambergris."
!It can be used as a family heirloom.”
Guo Song held the wine cup and said calmly: "So instead of dedicating ambergris to me, you used a piece of coral to fool me!"
Hearing these words, Zhang Lei almost spit out a mouthful of wine, and Li applauded and laughed, "Don't show off your wealth, you deserve it!"
Zhang Lei said bitterly: "Junior brother, I went to Linyi State just for you to buy rice seeds. It's the kind of high-quality early rice you mentioned. It can mature in fifty days. I bought the best rice for thirty shi."
Plant it back."
Li An was surprised and said: "There is still this kind of rice?"
"I couldn't believe it at first, but everyone said so and I believed it."
"Where are the rice seeds?" Guo Song didn't pursue the ambergris for the time being. He was more interested in the rice seeds.
"I gave it to the governor of Quanzhou. I think the climate there is somewhat similar to that of Linyi State, so I asked Quanzhou to sow the seeds and then promote it to the Jiangnan area."
Zhang Lei has been working in the shopping mall for twenty years. He has become very proficient in watching dishes, ordering dishes, and talking to people. It is obvious that he gave the rice seeds to Cai Yong, the governor of Quanzhou, as a favor to get more attention for his business, but he didn't
He said the climate is similar.
Although Guo Song asked him to give rice seeds to Jiangnan states for trial planting, Guo Song did not blame him. Historically, Champa rice was first planted in Quanzhou during the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, and it was later promoted on a large scale decades later.
In the Jiangnan region, grain production increased sharply, which led to an increase in population in the Northern Song Dynasty and the gradual emergence of a commodity economy.
Guo Song nodded and asked again: "Tell me about Silla! How is their navy and army?"
Zhang Lei shook his head, "There is no navy. I asked specifically. They can't build big ships, they only have some small boats. They have been at war with Zhu Tao these years. The country is poor and the people are poor. I guess their envoys will come after the spring.
.”
"How did you know that the Silla envoy was coming?"
"I still have a ship left in Hanzhou! When I left, they begged me to take my ship to Datang next year. I agreed. I don't know when they plan to come next year, but my ship will return after spring.
, if they want to take a boat, they must come in spring."
Hearing that Silla envoys might come next year, Guo Song couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
.........
After Bai Juyi joined the Secretariat Province, he enjoyed the benefits of a capital official. The imperial court gave him a small courtyard covering an area of about one acre. This was the smallest courtyard in the official courtyard and was generally used by officials below the eighth rank.
Although the area of One Mu Guanyuan is not large compared with other official courtyards, the actual living area is not small. The layout is two fronts and two entrances, with an atrium in the middle and a small yard in front with a well, all with
There are fourteen rooms, eight in the front and six in the back. Such a courtyard would cost at least 10,000 yuan in the old city of Chang'an.
Bai Juyi was very satisfied. He immediately brought his mother, Chen, to live with him and hired two maids. In addition, Bai Juyi also had an elder brother in Runzhou. His legs were disabled and he was bedridden. He also had a wife and two maids at home.
The child's life was difficult, so Bai Juyi used the reward from being admitted as a Jinshi to pay off his brother's foreign debts, and gave his brother two ounces of money every month, so that their family's life could be improved a little.
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At present, Bai Juyi's monthly basic salary is five guan, plus various subsidies and benefits. The welfare subsidies for officials mainly include official subsidies, ice money in summer, charcoal cotton money in winter, Chinese New Year's rice, mutton, and ten
If you divide the land between mothers and fathers, you can get an average of about seven guan of money per month. When you reach the seventh rank and sit in the position of a small leader, you can get 20 guan of money every month.
Because the housing problem of officials has been solved, the income is actually good. However, Bai Juyi has to hire two maids to support his old mother. The price of hiring a maid in Chang'an is fifty cents per day. Two maids are one hundred cents per day, one month.
It's three pieces of money.
Speaking of maids and maids, I need to say a few more words here. Guo Song learned from the Song Dynasty and first abolished the untouchability system and secondly reformed the slavery system.
The reason why the slavery system was not abolished immediately but called reform mainly involves a compromise issue. From the date of promulgation, slaves are no longer allowed to be bought and sold. The only way to hire servants is to sign an agreement. There is no personal sale.
After the meal is over, the servant wants to leave, but the master cannot stop him.
Then, for the previously existing slaves, although the government recognizes them as legal, they must pay wages. After the slave has worked in the master's house for twenty years, the master must restore the slave's freedom. The slave can leave or continue to contract and hire. In fact, it is
A transitional period of twenty years was given.
So after Bai Juyi hired two maids, he had to spend three guan of money a month, and then he had to support his brother with two guan of money. Bai Juyi's salary of five guan of money was gone. Fortunately, he worked part-time in the newspaper office for half a day, and he could still make money every month.
Earning 5 guan of money, he could barely support his family's life, but it was impossible for him to hire a cook.
That night, when Bai Juyi returned home from the newspaper office, a maid came up to him, saluted and said: "Madam, please come to me."
Bai Juyi hurriedly came to his mother's room. His mother, Chen, was a Buddhist and spent most of her time chanting sutras and chanting Buddha's name. Bai Juyi was extremely filial to his mother. He knelt down and saluted and asked, "My child, please give my mother a greeting!"
Mrs. Chen smiled and said: "Get up, you fool!"
Bai Juyi stood up and lowered his hands. Chen asked, "Does Yu'er usually socialize outside a lot?"
Bai Juyi shook his head, "I don't have much social activities. I can only go out to drink two glasses of wine with my colleagues and friends."
"You are not too young. Sooner or later, you will face marriage. If you have a girl you like, my mother will not object, but the prerequisite is that she is from a clean background and is from the right family. This is my only requirement. You can do it.
?"
Bai Juyi was confused when he heard this, "Mom, why did you think of talking about this?"
Mrs. Chen's face became a little gloomy, "This afternoon, a young lady came to see you. Her owner is Shi Hongxiu, asking you to go to Tianlai Music Studio when you have time. My mother is very unhappy. How can you have fun with these women?
Hanging out together?"
Bai Juyi was shocked. How did Shi Hongxiu know where he lived?
He quickly explained: "Mom, Tianlai Music Studio is not that kind of unworthy place. It is a very high-level girls' school. There are no boys from top to bottom. It was opened by His Royal Highness the King of Jin. It specializes in teaching music and dance.
I heard that the concubines of the King of Jin sometimes taught students there, and even the granddaughters of Pan Xiangguo and Du Xiangguo studied there, and Shi Hongxiu was also a teaching assistant there."
"No! Mom also reads the newspaper. This Shi Hongxiu is a very famous singer in Chang'an."
In fact, Bai Juyi has nothing to do with Shi Hongxiu, but he is a die-hard fan of Shi Hongxiu. He does not want Shi Hongxiu's image to be very unsavory in his mother's mind.
He hurriedly defended: "That's not the case. Shi Hongxiu is a famous talented woman in Chang'an. She is very famous for writing poems and composing music. She is very famous because she participates in officially organized activities, namely the colorful boat parade and sings specifically. She is actually
A female teacher who specializes in teaching music at Tianlai Music Studio.”
Mrs. Chen didn't want to follow her son's example, and said coldly: "Mother, no matter what the relationship between you and her is, whether you are a lover or a concubine, or whether you are making fun of me, I will say ugly things in front of you. Mother will not allow you to marry like this."
As a wife, you must be a well-matched woman. Your wife must be the daughter of a famous family or an official family. This is for the sake of your future."
Bai Juyi was helpless. He had nothing to do with Shi Hongxiu, but his mother had drawn a red line for him.
.........
Bai Juyi returned to his room depressed. This was not the first time that his mother had interfered with his marriage. His uncle was a businessman, and his uncle's daughter Zhuer and he had been childhood sweethearts. Three years ago, they were in love with each other, and his uncle and aunt also wanted to help them.
, but the mother firmly opposed it, and her words were harsh. A son of the Bai family would never marry a merchant's daughter.
Because of this matter, the relationship between his mother and his aunt was also very tense. Last year, his cousin got engaged to the son of a big businessman in Yangzhou, which made Bai Juyi feel very painful. This was the main reason why he left Runzhou early and went to Beijing to take the exam.
At this time, the maid A Bao came in and bowed, and whispered: "Master, here is a letter from you."
Bai Juyi was startled, "What letter?"
"Miss Shi's maid brought it to you. I didn't give it to Madam."
Abao put the letter on the table, turned around and ran away. The two little maids were both elves and ghosts. They knew that if the lady got the letter, it would definitely be burned, so they secretly concealed it and gave it to the young master.
Shi Hongxiu actually wrote a letter to himself. Bai Juyi couldn't help being surprised and happy, and quickly took the letter and read it carefully.
'Hongxiu heard that the young master was working as the editor of the newspaper, and felt extremely ashamed. It was Hongxiu who had misunderstood the young master. Hongxiu specially prepared plain paper and a long qin, and invited the young master to play the qin and appreciate poems as an apology. She hoped that the young master would come to listen to the qin in the small building tomorrow afternoon. Hongxiu
Sweep the path and wait.'
The following inscription was made today, and the calligraphy was very graceful and smooth. For a moment, Bai Juyi's heart was filled with infinite yearning.
But he still didn't understand. How did Shi Hongxiu know that he was working part-time in a newspaper? How did he know where his home was?
Bai Juyi slapped his forehead hard, and he suddenly understood that except Xue Qing, there would be no one else.