"My dear brother, the journey is long and steep, the wind is strong and the cold is heavy. I don't have anything good to give you, so I'll just give you a new set of clothes."
Outside the Ten-Li Pavilion, Lu Chen handed a cashmere coat to Li Chixiang, which came with a hat, scarf, and mask. He was armed to the teeth.
Originally, Li Chixiang had no plans to go back in person. Winter was approaching, and he preferred to stay in the Central Plains where the climate was relatively mild.
In fact, he came here in early summer. The changes in Da Qi in the past year were really huge, and there were too many new things. He hadn't had enough fun yet.
But the things Lu Chen told him to do were too important, especially the national loan. As long as it was done, it would not be a question of how much money he could make, but rather a question of promotion and rank, and the ability to make his presence felt in front of the King of Western Xia.
This branch of their family was on the verge of decline, and he had gritted his teeth and asked for an envoyship to the Great Qi. At that time, he thought that by doing some business in the Great Qi, he could at least have a way to make a living and barely allow his family to maintain the dignity of an aristocrat.
Who could have imagined that he would run into Lu Chen, who would take him off directly.
Because of the perfume and liquor trade, their family has gained considerable say among the nobles of Western Xia. Now, if this matter can be accomplished, Li Chixiang feels that everyone in Western Xia will be polite to him when they see him in the future!
"Brother, please rest assured. I will live up to your expectations this time!"
Li Chixiang took the cashmere coat in his own hands. Touching the delicate material, he couldn't help but sigh, "This is the woolen coat that's been very popular on the commercial street lately. It really is a good thing."
"My dear brother, you are wrong. This is a cashmere coat, which is of a higher quality than a wool coat. I prepared wool coats and some sweaters of a rougher texture for your entourage."
"Brother, you are so thoughtful. Even after sending me a thousand miles, we must say goodbye. Let's stop here and see you next year."
"Okay, then I'll wait for news of your triumphant return!"
Some people wonder why old friends always have all kinds of unique feelings about farewell. Lu Chen thinks it is probably because of the inconvenient transportation in this era, coupled with the bad external environment. Sometimes a simple farewell may very well be a farewell forever.
"When I think of my brother braving the wind and snow to work for our cause, my heart aches. What if I never see him again? No, I have to get the train out as soon as possible. Whether it's used to transport mines or soldiers won't matter to me for now. As long as my brother can suffer less, that's all I need."
"What? Who's going to pay? Since it's being built for my brother, naturally he's going to pay. Of course, the cost will be huge, and I understand that, so money isn't necessarily required. Minerals, cattle, sheep, and railway operating rights are all fine."
Lu Chen turned around and looked at Mou Ping beside him and said, "Old Mou, are you moved?"
Mouping: ...
Li Chixiang did not encounter much trouble along the way. He and Lu Chen now have a very big business, and the officials and troops along the route have long been fed by them.
Li Chixiang stopped and walked along the way. When he reached some important checkpoints, he would definitely stop to have a cordial and friendly exchange with local officials. Social activities such as drinking some wine and listening to music were indispensable.
It was a month later when he came out of confinement.
That morning, Li Chixiang was woken up by the cold. He opened his eyes, sniffed, and said, "Butler! Butler?"
The butler reached out and lifted the curtain of the carriage, and said with a flattering smile, "Master, what are your instructions?"
Li Chixiang stretched and said, "What's going on? Why is it so cold all of a sudden? By the way, what are you wearing?"
"This? This is what the Imperial Master gave us before he left. It's called a woolen coat. You know what, it's really warm, much warmer than those tattered sheepskin coats we used to wear. And you might not know, it snowed last night, a heavy snow!"
Upon hearing this, Li Chixiang's heart sank. He hurriedly ran out of the carriage. The first thing that caught his eyes was the vast expanse of white snow around him.
Seeing this scene, Li Chixiang's heart skipped a beat and he said, "What should we do in such heavy snow? Turn around! Turn around now! Let's go back!"
Li Chixiang didn't expect that it would snow so heavily just after the Mid-Autumn Festival. This year is indeed not a good year.
"Master, please calm down. It won't happen. We are well prepared. Even if we have to walk against the wind and snow, we can still reach the capital safely. It's cold outside, so you should change your clothes first."
After being comforted by the housekeeper, Li Chixiang calmed down. While changing his clothes with the housekeeper's help, he asked, "Have all our people changed into winter clothes?"
"Everything has been replaced. The Imperial Master prepared all of this for us. He's a caring person."
"Of course. My brother is a very smart man, so he's naturally aware of everything. And you know what, this clothing is really warm. Is it really made of wool? It feels very soft, and it doesn't feel scratchy at all like wool I'm used to wearing."
"I heard it's a new craft, and these are the best. The ones the people down there use are just average, but they're better than what we've been using. As long as they have a lining inside, they're very warm. Don't look at the heavy snow now. I just went downstairs and took a walk around, and those bastards downstairs were sweating profusely. A few of them even took off their clothes without knowing how to live. I went up to them and gave them a few good lashes. They don't know how to be frugal at all."
Li Chixiang nodded and said, "If you take off your clothes in this weather, you'll catch a cold if you're not careful. Let them be more careful."
"That's what I said. They're all so ignorant of their own danger. Catching a cold in this situation could be fatal. But what do you and your gang say? They said they have the Imperial Master's Holy Grace Pills in the car. Even if you catch a cold, you can just take a few pills and get some sleep and you'll be fine."
"You bastards! Although the Sheng'en Dan made by my brother is very effective, don't they know that medicine is poisonous? Besides, how much money can be made by transporting this stuff from Da Qi to our country? Letting them bring some back, just thinking that they can exchange it for money to marry a wife or something, these little bastards are really getting more and more outrageous."
"Master, don't be angry. You don't need to get so anxious about this kind of thing. I'll go teach them a lesson later. What are you planning to eat tonight?"
"What are you eating? Let's have the copper pot hot pot. I had it at my brother's place last time and it was really delicious! Remember to add more sesame sauce!"
Looking at the housekeeper who hurried away and got busy, and then looking at the other people in the convoy who were chatting and laughing and didn't take the heavy snow seriously at all, Li Chixiang suddenly felt that this winter might not be so difficult to endure.
"No, I need to write a letter to my brother right away and ask him to prepare more sweaters. The market demand for these sweaters is huge, whether in Xixia or Liaojin!"
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