Under the archway, an incense table was set up, with He Yifan at the head, Zuo Bai, Mu Lian, and Meng Dechang in the second row. They first worshipped heaven and earth, and then kowtowed to thank the emperor for his grace.
He Zeng and Guo Tongyi, one on each side, pulled down the red silk on the archway, revealing the four large characters "Heshun Wharf".
Zuo Bai stepped forward and lit the first string of firecrackers, and then the merchants also lit firecrackers in front of their shops.
Everyone in Anzhou came to congratulate them. Because there were so many people, the man in charge of calling out the names had to speak faster, which sounded very funny.
Lu Kai found Kang Yueran and asked, "I'm going out to sea again. Let's partner up this time."
"Of course. I've prepared porcelain, tea, and silk for you. I'll take you to the warehouse later."
"Okay! Sister Yueran, I'm a straightforward person, so please don't be offended if I say something wrong. Also, I heard you bought ten ships from Uncle He."
Kang Yueran nodded and said, "I plan to start a canal transport business, transporting goods between the north and the south."
Shipping goods between the north and the south was far less profitable than shipping by sea. "Sea shipping is more profitable. Get a group of people together and I can teach them." He wasn't a petty person.
"Everyone knows that shipping is profitable. In recent years, more and more people have participated in shipping. As too many things are shipped, they become worthless, and profits will definitely decline.
Furthermore, by enabling north-south trade, not only will merchants benefit, but also the people of both regions. In the long run, I don't think it will necessarily lose to maritime transport."
Lu Kai stood in awe, "Sister Yueran, you are able to sympathize with the suffering of the people. You are a true hero and a real man!"
Kang Yueran rolled her eyes at him and said, "Do you know how to speak? How do I look like a real man?"
Lu Kai didn't dare to look any longer and used laughter to hide his embarrassment.
Led by He Yifan, He Zeng, Guo Fang and others went to Mu Lian's restaurant. The restaurant only entertained people who came to congratulate today.
The wharf opened and many people came to join in the fun.
Wang Dali's wife, Mrs. Wu, also came with her three children. She had little money and didn't dare go to the big shops, so she went to the market at the dock.
The market was huge, with stalls neatly arranged. Wang Erqiang said, "It's really lively here, and they sell a wide variety of things."
He walked to a stall selling wooden hairpins, picked up a hairpin with a Ganoderma lucidum pattern, and said, "Mom, you and your sister can each pick one. I'll pay!"
Mrs. Wu quickly said, "I don't need it. Buy one for your sister."
"Mom, don't worry about money all the time. My monthly allowance has increased this year, so I can afford it."
Wu's monthly allowance has also increased! Mao Qiang built several large houses and a garment workshop between Xiangshan and Yangshan villages. "Even if you can afford it, you can't spend it recklessly."
The stall owner smiled and said, "My son is filial to me, how can I say that he's wasting money? Sister-in-law, you are so lucky!"
Mrs. Wu was still reluctant to do so. "I'm not used to using these. It's more convenient to tie it up with a hairband." Using a hairpin to fix the hair looks good, but it is easy to fall apart. She usually has to work, so she never uses a hairpin.
Wang Erqiang directly inserted the Ganoderma lucidum-patterned wooden hairpin in his hand into Wu's hair, "Mom, it looks really good on you!"
The stall owner also praised, "Sister-in-law, your son has really good taste. This wooden hairpin suits you very well.
This is carved from fragrant nanmu wood. If you smell it carefully, it still has a fragrance. It won't wear out no matter how long you wear it. One is 35 wen. If you buy two, I will only charge 65 wen. How about that?
Wang Erqiang took out his purse from his pocket and grabbed a handful of copper coins to count.
The stall owner was very happy with the deal. She handed Wang Xiaomei a peony pattern flower and said, "Girls like flowers and plants. Take a look at this one. Do you like it?"
Mrs. Wu touched the wooden hairpin on her head but didn't take it off. It was a gift from her son. "Little sister, pick one!"
Wang Xiaomei then took the wooden hairpin handed to her by the stall owner and said, "Then I'll take this one!"
Wang Erqiang paid the money and the four of them continued walking forward.
Wang Sanqiang stepped forward and whispered to Wang Erqiang, "Brother, what are you buying for me?"
Before Wang Erqiang could ask him what he wanted, he said it first, "I want a meat bun. Can you buy me one?"
Wang Erqiang sniffed his nose vigorously, "Yes, I can smell the aroma of meat buns."
There were four people in the family, and each of them had a big meat bun. Wang Sanqiang didn’t have a wooden hairpin, so he ate one extra.
After eating the buns, Wang Erqiang wanted to buy a piece of flowered cloth for Wang Xiaomei to make clothes.
Three members of the Wang family worked and earned money, and they had saved a few taels of silver. But Wu was used to being frugal, saying, "Don't buy any more. You'll need money a lot later, so you have to save it."
Wang Erqiang persuaded Wu, "Mom, it's a rare opportunity for you to go out and play for a day today." They usually have to go to work, so it is indeed rare for them to go out.
There were five people in the family, three of whom had to work, and the housework was done by the daughter and the youngest son, which was indeed hard work. Mrs. Wu couldn't bring herself to refuse. "Then go buy it!"
The three children cheered and ran forward.
She bought cloth and two pounds of snacks, and Mrs. Wu bought two jars and two bamboo baskets.
At noon, we went to a noodle stall and each had a bowl of noodles. Then we happily carried our things back home.
Over there, Kang Yueran took Lu Kai to the warehouse and pointed out each item to him. "The porcelain items are mainly bowls, plates, and tea sets. There are two types of tea: green tea and Zhengshan black tea. The silk is what my master brought back from the south. It's 10% cheaper than what you paid for it."
The silk was the batch she stole from Baiyi Silk Shop in the capital, so she didn't mind the low price.
The price is 10% lower, and he doesn't have to worry about it. "Thank you very much, Master. You've prepared a lot of things. I can leave early and make two more trips this year."
Sailing on inland rivers also requires extensive sailing experience. "Didn't you say you would help me teach people? I'll pick twenty people, and you can take them with you. Let the old master on your boat teach me."
Lu Kai said without hesitation, "No problem. I need to prepare things for the journey. We will leave in about ten days. You can just send the people over in advance."
"Okay, I'm going to Shengzhou tomorrow and will be back in five days at the latest. I won't miss anything."
The two of them left the warehouse while talking.
Lu Kai went to the restaurant to drink, but Kang Yueran didn't go. She was an unmarried girl and couldn't sit among a group of men, laughing and drinking.
She took Hu Xiaocheng to Dayuan Carriage Company.
The carriage house was not as lively as the restaurant or the market. Niu Dayan came out to greet them, "The girl is here!"
Kang Yueran pointed at the gifts placed in the lobby and said jokingly, "Wow, there are quite a lot of gifts!"
"They were all sent by old customers who helped transport goods before, and they did it for the lady's sake. Oh, and thank you for the gift too." Niu Dayan spoke modestly, but his expression was very confident.
Kang Yueran sent gifts to He Yifan and the others' shops. "How could I have any face? You earned your good relationships. Where's Brother Yuan Chen?"
"A merchant ship has arrived at the dock. It's the goods that the Sanqing Pen and Ink Shop ordered from the south. Yuan Chen went to deliver them."
"Business is good! You go ahead and do your work, I'm leaving first!"
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