Chapter 113
When Xu He sent Zhang Fangyuan to the door of Qianchun Tower, he saw that the entrance of the restaurant was already crowded with people. He arrived at the right time as the guest he was supposed to meet had not arrived yet.
Zhang Fangyuan got off the carriage and hurried over, leaving the carriage for Xu He to ride back and come back to pick him up later.
Xu He lifted the carriage curtain and watched Zhang Fangyuan walk in. He was also planning to go home to cook for his two children. Before the carriage turned around, a carriage with a gorgeous roof, surrounded by dozens of strong men, stopped at the door of Qianchun Tower. Even the owner of the restaurant came out to greet them.
There were many wealthy people in Siyang City, but this was the first time Xu He had seen such a grand scene. He couldn't help but take a few more glances.
The tall and wide carriage was twice as wide as the one belonging to the village chief's rich family. When the carriage stopped, one of the servants immediately ran to the door of the carriage and knelt on the ground. He used his hands and feet to support his broad back as flat as a stool. After a while, the curtain of the carriage was finally opened by a pair of white and slender hands.
Immediately, a well-maintained face of a middle-aged man appeared. A pair of mink boots woven with gold thread were stepped on the servant's back. Two strong men supported him, and the master got off the carriage smoothly. Not to mention the gold-threaded belt with dazzling gold and jade buckles, the long robe inlaid with gold, silver and jade was shining in the sunlight, as if the God of Wealth had descended to earth.
Before he had time to marvel at the value of this outfit, the owner of the delicate hand that had been holding the curtain in the carriage earlier also got off the carriage with the master. Her skin was as white as snow, and she was dressed in thin brocade. She was dressed like a servant, but her clothes were better than many of the so-called wealthy families in the city, and she was more beautiful than the singing girls in the theaters. This made Xu He, who was already frugal and didn't spend much time on clothes, feel even more ashamed.
In just a few glances, the group went upstairs, giving passers-by who were watching from afar a new understanding of wealth.
Xu He thought he had gained a lot of knowledge in the past few years. He had seen many wealthy people in the city, some of whom had spacious mansions that looked like fairyland. But today, when he only caught a glimpse of the rich old man in the sedan chair, he felt that all he had seen before was nothing compared to what he had seen before.
No wonder Zhang Fangyuan was willing to go as a guest. He called the driver, "Go back."
When Zhang Fangyuan returns home, ask him to tell you what he saw and heard today.
When they returned to the house, the cook had already prepared the meal. The two little boys had also returned from the private school and were sitting in the dining room waiting for the meal to be served.
"Little daddy is back. I thought he and big daddy went out for a banquet and wouldn't be back for lunch today." Hearing the noise, little Li brother ran out first.
Not to mention Zhang Fangyuan's tall and strong figure, Xu He was also the tallest boy in the surrounding villages. Both the couple were tall, and their son was also tall and strong. At the age of six, his height had reached Xu He's waist, and he was already the tallest child in the neighborhood.
Xu He ruffled Little Carp's hair and said, "Big Daddy has gone to the banquet, and Little Daddy is going to the bookstore to get ink for you two."
"But we've arrived in Xinmo?"
Rui Jin, who had been watching the two of them talking without saying anything, only spoke when he heard Mo speak.
Little Li raised his eyes and said, "When I heard there was paper and ink, my eyes lit up."
Xu He laughed and asked the servant to take the ink he bought today to show Rui Jin.
The elder brother ignored Xiaoli's words and looked at the ink directly: "It is good ink. This kind of glossy material must be Lu ink. Both lampblack ink and pine soot ink are good. Thank you, Dad."
"Brother, since you like it so much, why not take my portion as well." Little Li leaned on the edge of the table and looked at Rui Jin: "The lunch box is my advance congratulations to brother."
Xu He was confused: "What's the happy event?"
"Dad, you don't know. Today, Master Luo said that men should not study only to recite poems and enjoy the moon. They should also have ambitions. The right way is to take the imperial examination and become an official. My brother is the only one in our private school who can take the imperial examination. Master Luo's hope is only on my brother. The master said that since my brother has reached the age to take the imperial examination this year, he might as well take the exam this year."
Xu He opened his eyes slightly and said, "Your brother will only be old enough in March, and he will take the exam in May. Isn't it too rushed? Daddy heard that most students who take the exam in the city are seven or eight years old, and many of them take it when they are ten."
"If you pass the Tongsheng exam before the age of ten, you are considered to have submitted it. Master Luo said that students in the capital are proud of passing the Tongsheng exam before the age of ten. Counting on my fingers, you can only pass it at the age of six, and ten years old is enough to be proud of it. There are only four years before and after, and the time is very tight." Little Li said with his face in his hands, "There are many people in the world who can't pass the Tongsheng exam at the age of forty or fifty. It is common sense that Master Luo wants to hurry up."
"You don't need to be tested, it's easy to talk without any pain in your waist." Xu He poked Xiaoli'er's forehead.
"How could I?" Little Li covered his head and said, "How about Daddy change my brother's clothes for me, and I can go too?"
"Don't be silly." Rui Jin interrupted Xiao Li's proposal in time. This little guy is always quick to make decisions, and who knows if he will actually do it. It is better to nip the problem in the bud as soon as possible. "I will take the exam anyway, so it is better to try a year earlier. If I fail, I will have experience and lessons, and it will be easier to take the exam next year. For this reason, I agreed to the teacher's words and will take the exam this year."
"Don't worry, Dad." Little Li brother tilted his head and blinked: "Is it possible that my brother will not pass the exam?"
Seeing his son was so motivated, Xu He naturally didn't have much to say. He was pleased and knocked on Xiaoli's head: "Don't put pressure on your brother."
"I don't have any!"
Little Li pouted and looked at Ruijin. Seeing that his stinky brother pursed his lips slightly without saying a word or defending himself, he narrowed his eyes and snorted: Okay, since his brother doesn't say anything, then he won't say anything either.
"Eat." The maid and the cook brought lunch up. Zhang Ruijin picked up a piece of mixed vegetables for Xiaoli and said, "I see you haven't written a single word of the poem the teacher gave you this morning. Why don't you go over and write it down earlier this afternoon?"
"I know."
In the afternoon, the two children had their meal and rested at home for an hour before returning to the school. As soon as one of them left, Zhang Fangyuan went home.
It was very hot at this hour. Zhang Fangyuan came back sweating all over and hurriedly took off his outer robe: "It's so hot in April that I can't wear an outer robe anymore. I'm afraid it will be even worse in summer."
"That's all right. At the end of last year, there was a lot of ice in the village cellar, which is enough for the hot summer this year."
Xu He took Zhang Fangyuan's outer robe and was about to hang it on the hanger when he smelled a faint fragrance on the robe. It was so fragrant that he couldn't help but smell it more.
"It's the smell of agarwood, used by the rich businessman today."
Xu He thought about the person he met in the sedan chair, put down his clothes and returned to the table, pouring a cup of tea for Zhang Fangyuan: "Tell me how you were today."
"I was very tired. The salt merchant was extremely wealthy. There were people fawning on him at the banquet. They toasted him and flattered him non-stop. I don't know how many new words of flattery I had never heard before came to my mind."
"Tell me what you have."
Zhang Fangyuan raised his lips and said, "I can tell you at night."
Xu He frowned and slapped away the hand on his shoulder: "You old pervert. I lifted the curtain today and took a look at the rich businessman. He is really rich."
"It's true that you can buy clothes if you are rich. Even if it's just one set of clothes, it's fine. But it takes time to build a group of followers." Zhang Fangyuan said, "I heard during the dinner that the rich businessman bought a row of shops in the northwest of the city. It's not just one or two shops, but half a street."
Xu He's eyes widened when he heard this. It was already more expensive for foreign businessmen to buy real estate and shops in the county town than local ones, but they actually bought so many. He sighed and said, "How can he use so many shops?"
"That is a newly built street market. The price of the shops is not high. You can keep some for your own use and rent out the rest to collect rent. That's why we held a banquet to invite merchants from Siyang. Otherwise, how can we meet with so many people?" Zhang Fangyuan said, "I know Mr. Huang who built the new street. I have reserved three or four shops there. When the business becomes popular, I can rent them out."
"Okay." Xu He held up his face, and his expression was somewhat similar to that of Xiao Li. He sighed slightly and said, "I originally felt that our family had bought a lot of shops a long time ago, but compared with that rich businessman, they pale in comparison. We are all merchants, how can he be so rich? You said he was a salt merchant, and this salt merchant makes so much money."
Zhang Fangyuan laughed when he heard this: "My silly little brother, not all merchants in the world are the same. There are many families like ours who have relied on hard work and chance to get rich, but there are only a handful of people who can really climb into the salt industry. Think about it, salt is indispensable for three meals a day. You can't go without rice for a few days, and you can't go without salt for a few days, and the price is high. Is there any business in the world that is more profitable than this?"
Xu He is good at cooking and knows that salt is the most important flavor. "It would be great if we could also do the salt business."
"If we can do this business, we won't have to worry about anything." Zhang Fangyuan slumped in his chair. "Not to mention that we are few merchants who have the opportunity to come into contact with the salt business, the salt industry is controlled by the court. It is harder than climbing to the sky to get a salt permit. I have heard some news that the court gives salt permits to merchants. In addition to collecting tributes, it also depends on the merchant's family background. It's a deep water."
Xu He said: "I was just gossiping. How could it be so good to get such a business?"
He stood up, squeezed Zhang Fangyuan's hand, and started a new conversation: "Rui Jin said he wants to take the exam this time."
"That's great!" Zhang Fangyuan straightened up again after hearing that. "It doesn't cost any money anyway. I'll take the exam when I'm old enough. It's good to have more experience. The ink we bought was not in vain. I'll go find two good pens in a couple of days."
Xu He smiled and nodded: "Yeah, okay."
"My eldest and second cousins will come in two days to discuss opening a trade route. We should put this matter on the agenda as soon as possible while we have free time."
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