Achoo!
"Young master, stop looking, you'll catch a cold."
When Zhu Xi heard her young master sneeze loudly, her heart jumped into her throat.
After the New Year, it rained, and Lin Xiangzhi may have been suffering from diarrhea due to the change in environment.
Lin Xiangzhi put down his pen and turned his gaze back from the window. "The temperature here is very similar to that in Yannan. Look, the willows by the river are already sprouting green buds. Your young master is not a frail person; he can't possibly catch a cold."
"Young master, you've been sitting by the window all day. I see you're working too hard. Would you like to go out for a walk?"
Lin Xiangzhi waved his hand, "Don't shout, I'm keeping count. More boats left the dock today than yesterday."
Zhu Xi poured a cup of hot tea and said, "There have been many cargo ships lately, perhaps it's related to the warmer weather. Young master, that's enough. We can take the goods back here and report back."
"No, this is just the number of people entering and leaving the port. I need to do a full count after the Black and White Impermanence have found out the freight prices."
Lin Xiangzhi is always very organized, and this time the task requires him to speak with data.
He needs to calculate exactly how much the passenger ship docks and water transport companies collect, and how much the cargo ships pay to the docks and water transport companies.
Another crucial point to understand is how many ships Shuiyunshu controls; this is the secret to how Governor-General Guo Baoxian makes money.
The Emperor gave him a strict order: he must thoroughly investigate the resources of the Water Transport Commissioner before the flood season.
Every year during the flood season, the imperial court allocates a sum of money to repair the waterways along the banks of the rivers.
This is a considerable sum of money. If there is no strong evidence to show that water transport is profitable, the imperial court will have to continue to allocate huge sums of cash to water transport.
As the master and servant were talking, there was a knock on the door.
"This is so annoying. They've checked our records three times already. They must be bored out of their minds." Zhu Xi guessed from the rude knocking that the yamen lackeys were checking the yellow registers again.
Lin Xiangzhi made a shushing gesture and said in a low voice, "Go open the door and be as respectful to those people as possible."
"This servant understands."
Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake; Zhu Xi understands this principle.
They were businessmen, and the other party was the government. They could be thrown into jail and given free meals simply by being labeled.
Zhu Xi raised her hand and rubbed her cheeks, forcing a smile.
Before even seeing who it was, he bowed and scraped as he opened the door, saying, "Sir, would you like to see the Yellow Register today?"
Why have you been staying here for so long?
The voice sounded overhead. Zhu Xi looked up. The people who came this time were unfamiliar faces. Although they were all dressed as yamen runners, Zhu Xi had an excellent memory and would never forget someone he had met once.
Zhu Xi: "..."
Lin Xiangzhi had already put away the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table and came out with a smile on his face.
"Sir, I also want to go home as soon as possible. I have sold the goods I have, but I haven't been able to find suitable goods to take back. I'm afraid I will have to stay in this place for a while longer."
Lin Xiangzhi bowed respectfully, his attitude so humble that Zhu Xi couldn't bear to look at him.
The constable said coldly, "Buy your goods and leave as soon as possible. This is a stopover for merchants traveling between the north and south, not your backyard where you can stay as long as you want!"
"Sir, the price of goods has recently increased by 20%, making it really difficult to buy. I only dare to buy if there is a profit to be made, otherwise I will lose a lot of money!" Lin Xiangzhi had the perfect face of a businessman, and no one could see through his act.
The constable who came with him pointed to the next room, "Your people live in that room, why are they nowhere to be seen today?"
Lin Xiangzhi looked up and blinked, staring at the yamen runner as if he were a fool.
“Sir, they are my servants. They have naturally gone to the docks to find goods at this time.”
"Enough with the nonsense, get the goods done and leave as soon as possible." The head constable said this and turned to walk to the other end of the corridor.
Seeing the fierce-looking constables leave, Zhu Xi's heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled down.
After closing the door, Lin Xiangzhi spat, "What the hell is this? They're trying to force me to buy something. If I can't get a bargain, I'm not in a hurry to leave."
Zhu Xi looked completely bewildered.
Has the young master been driven to hysteria? Why is he talking nonsense?
"Young Master, they've gone far away." Zhu Xi tugged at Lin Xiangzhi's sleeve.
Lin Xiangzhi took Zhu Xi's hand in his own and tapped his palm a few times with his thumb.
Zhu Xi suddenly realized and quickly echoed, "Young Master is right. We must buy goods that are profitable before leaving, otherwise we'll be scolded to death by the Master when we get home."
"Hurry up and help me change. Today I have to go to the docks to find goods myself. Those two good-for-nothing lackeys are useless. Their monthly allowances must be deducted."
As he spoke, Lin Xiangzhi gave Zhu Xi a wink.
Zhu Xi understood and quickly went to the wardrobe and opened the wardrobe door.
After the wardrobe door creaked, the roof also made a soft sound, like a cat stepping on the tiles.
A moment later, Zhu Xi looked at the roof and asked in a low voice, somewhat frightened, "How did you know there was someone hiding on the roof, young master?"
Lin Xiangzhi walked to the window, leaned out, and looked around.
She turned and walked to the bed, undressing.
"Your young master has traveled all over the country for so many years, their tricks are too clumsy. I guessed it. Better safe than sorry."
He took off his outer robe, glanced at Zhu Xi who was standing there in a daze, and said, "Quickly grab your clothes, we really need to go out."
"Yes, young master is wise and powerful. This servant admires you to the point of prostration. If I had known that I could learn so much by traveling all over the country, I should have insisted on going with you back then."
As Zhu Xi spoke, she took the clothes and put them on her young master.
Lin Xiangzhi stretched out his arms and turned around to look at Zhu Xi, who was a head shorter than him.
“I did consider taking you out before. Running caravans is hard work. Sometimes we encounter extreme weather and can’t even find a place to eat. But you’re young, and I don’t want to put you through that.”
“Young Master, you treat Zhuxi too well. This servant will never go anywhere else in the rest of my life but will stay by your side.”
Zhu Xi was so moved that her eyes welled up with tears, and she even tied Lin Xiangzhi's belt crookedly.
Lin Xiangzhi smiled and lightly flicked his forehead, "Silly Zhuxi, if you don't stay by my side, do you think I'll marry you off?"
Zhu Xi wiped away her tears and smiled through them. "Zhu Xi will serve the young master for the rest of her life and take care of the future young master. If Zhu Xi were a girl, she would never get married."
“If you were a girl, it would be much easier. I’ll save you the money to find a wife and just give you a proper title.” Lin Xiangzhi said, adjusting his belt.
"Young Master is teasing me again. If others hear this, they'll think you're gay."
Zhu Xi was both amused and exasperated by Lin Xiangzhi's words.
"Regardless of what others think, your young master is straight, straighter than the bamboo in our courtyard."
Zhu Xi chuckled, "That's right, since Young Master has already sent Xue'er away, she has to be straight."
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