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The garden where the banquet was held was owned by the Zhou family and was built outside the city. Now it was spring and peach blossoms were blooming all over the garden. Compared with those secluded houses with winding paths, the garden looked much more spacious and refreshing.
Such a place naturally offered no formality. A desk had been set up in the corridor, brocade spread on the floor, and there were beautiful women and music to entertain. Besides Zhou Zhenglun, the host, there were also scions from the Gu, Wu, Lu, and Tao families, totaling twenty or thirty people, representing all the prominent families in the city.
It was so lively that naturally some people were trying their best to get in. There were also many unfamiliar faces who came with the children of other families, but none of them could be as eye-catching as Master Fang.
It wasn't because he was young and good-looking, but rather because his wheat-colored face was too striking. Aristocratic families considered white beauty, and in Jiangdong, there was even a fashion for wearing flowers and powder in hairpins. Attending such a banquet, everyone had to dress up, so among the fair-skinned crowd, someone with such a less elegant complexion would have been incredibly conspicuous.
But this guy is a teenager, looks very energetic, and quite curious. He doesn't think there is anything wrong with himself, so some people laugh to themselves, and many people come forward to talk to him.
"Brother Zhou, who is this?" Gu Yunkai, the third son of the Gu family who was familiar with Zhou Zhenglun, asked with a smile.
"Brother Fang, this is Gu Sanlang, a close friend of mine," Zhou Zhenglun said with a smile as he introduced the two. He had only agreed to introduce Lu Jian, but he had no intention of acting as a guarantor, so that he could distance himself from any potential trouble.
The young Master Fang immediately bowed and said, "I am Fang Ling, the fifth child in my family. This time, I would like to borrow Brother Zhou's face to see the world."
Gu Yunkai smiled and looked him up and down: "Mr. Fang is not from Jiangdong, right?"
The boy grinned and said, "I'm not from Jiangdong. My family is from Panyu, and I'm in the silk and satin business."
"Panyu, I heard that the sun there is very scorching and hot." Gu Yunkai smiled elegantly, but the meaning of his words was very clear. If it wasn't so hot, how could the skin be tanned like this?
This ambiguous remark made Fang Ling smile even brighter. "That's right. If I were in Panyu, I'd probably end up with a mess if I put powder on my face."
That one sentence made the faces of the people behind Gu Yunkai change. If they weren't so many people watching, they would have stepped forward to scold him. Zhou Zhenglun also glanced at the boy in surprise. It turned out that he had noticed everyone's gaze and dared to say it to their face. This offended more than just one person.
Gu Yunkai was also very well-mannered. He laughed heartily, "My dear brother, you are so straightforward."
After that, he no longer paid attention to the boy and said directly to Zhou Zhenglun: "Shenxing, we are going to have a Qushui Liushang, do you want to come with us?"
Qushui Liushang is a banquet that values the status of the attendees. Even at this level, only high-ranking families like the Four Great Families can participate. Zhou Zhenglun glanced at Fang Ling hesitantly, but nodded: "Of course I will go."
Gu Yunkai immediately said, "Hurry up, don't keep others waiting."
The group had no intention of calling Fang Ling, and they simply walked off to the distance. Fang Ling, left behind, was inevitably a bit embarrassed. If he hadn't known what was good for him and had a bit of a thick skin, he could have followed the others and been a part of the fun. But if he had the decency to stay put, he would be helpless, without even a single referral.
Fang Ling was a really brave boy. He had no intention of following and just sat down where he was, looking like he was going to enjoy the flowers.
This attitude became interesting in the eyes of others. Many people had just heard him talk nonsense, and they also noticed that Zhou Zhenglun had no intention of defending him. Gu Sanlang also disliked him. It would be a shame not to play with such a stranger.
Not long after, someone came up and said, "It's such a nice day, it's so boring to stay here alone. Mr. Fang, we're having a drink over there, would you like to come over and join us?"
Fang Ling looked at the other person's "kind" smile, then nodded and said with a smile: "Then I'm sorry to bother you."
…
"Liu Lang, where does that Fang guy come from? I've never heard of him before." At the banquet on the other side, Gu Yunkai was sitting next to Zhou Zhenglun and asked softly.
Zhou Zhenglun was a cautious man, so getting his introduction must have involved some connections. But after much thought, he couldn't think of any wealthy silk merchant named Fang. Besides, that guy had no manners at all, and he probably wasn't from a prominent family. If he was from a small family, why would Zhou Zhenglun bother with that?
Zhou Zhenglun also lowered his voice: "In the Panyu area, there will definitely be someone who will come to prominence in the next two years."
Gu Yun's heart trembled. Once a region's structure was established, it could easily last for a hundred or eighty years. How could it change so easily? Unless something major happened that could shake the foundation...
Was something major happening in Panyu? Of course it was. A powerful tycoon who could rule the South China Sea would inevitably cause a bloodbath, and someone would take advantage of the situation. If so, then the origins of the surname Fang were worth investigating.
He didn't hide it in his heart and asked directly: "Could it be related to the weaving factory?"
Zhou Zhenglun nodded slightly but did not answer.
No wonder. Knowing he was the Gu family's nephew, he refused to suffer even a small loss. It seemed he was also from the grassroots. After finding out his origins, it was not difficult to guess his purpose. He chuckled and said, "Could it be for this season's raw silk?"
The situation has changed dramatically this year, and raw silk production is in jeopardy. For large merchants who can open a business in Panyu and focus on exporting, maintaining the supply of raw materials has become a top priority. However, sending such a small person here, either the Fang family is not clear-headed, or their recklessness is just pretending, which is really interesting.
Zhou Zhenglun glanced at him and asked, "Why, are you interested?"
The Gu family is also a big silk dealer, so it's not surprising that they have some ideas.
Unexpectedly, Gu Yunkai smiled and said, "Why worry so much? A new person emerging is better than a stagnant pool of water."
For the originally stable market, the sudden appearance of an outsider is an eye-catching presence. His family has no worries about selling raw silk, so naturally he wants to show off his value. It would be even better if he can raise the price.
This lighthearted remark made Zhou Zhenglun unable to help but glance at his old friend. Gu Yunkai raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why, are you really planning to make friends with that guy from the South Sea?"
Despite the distance, the sudden rise of the Red Flag Gang had an impact on Jiangnan, particularly the prices and shipping routes for southern goods, which were now subject to control. However, not many aristocratic families actually engaged in this route; they mostly traded with Japan to manipulate domestic market prices. In any case, the Gu family didn't take this newly emerged maritime tycoon seriously.
Seeing him ask this, Zhou Zhenglun just shook his head and said, "No, you know I don't really care about the family business."
Gu Yunkai knew that his old friend had intended to take the imperial examination, but had been put off by the recent turmoil. He had focused on farming and studying at home, and hadn't really been concerned with the business world. Hearing him say this, he felt relieved and said with a smile, "Indeed, there's no need to worry about such mundane things."
The two put the matter behind them and continued to have fun. After three rounds of drinks, they suddenly heard a noise nearby.
The poems were all pretty much in sync, and the conversation was quite lively. Hearing the excitement, everyone naturally looked over. Zhou Zhenglun immediately asked, "Let's go see what's going on over there."
The servant boy beside him immediately ran over and came back a few moments later, saying, "Sir, they're playing dominoes over there, and there are a lot of people there."
Dominoes were used for gambling, a common occurrence at gardens, with stakes ranging from large to small, and the atmosphere was extremely lively with so many people. However, this was a banquet he was hosting, so who would dare gamble here?
Zhou Zhenglun stood up with a sudden thought in his mind: "Why don't we go and take a look together?"
The master has spoken, so why shouldn't others join in the fun? A group of people walked towards that direction in a mighty procession, and from a distance, they could hear shouting.
"It's open! We'll definitely win this time!"
"Oh! What kind of cards are they dealing? No, no, I lose again!"
"No, let me do it!"
“Don’t push, don’t push…”
It was so noisy, just like those street thugs. Zhou Zhenglun's face darkened. He pushed through the crowd and walked straight in. He saw two people sitting opposite each other in the middle, both with rosy faces and high spirits. The one who was smugly waving his folding fan, who else could it be but Fang Ling?
"Mr. Zhou!"
Someone noticed Zhou Zhenglun and the others' arrival and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, and the shouting suddenly subsided. This was a poetry gathering for flower viewing and a garden tour, and playing dominoes so noisily was somewhat beneath their dignity.
However, when Fang Ling saw the newcomer, he smiled and said hello: "Brother Zhou is here. These friends invited me to play cards. Isn't this a lucky draw?"
Judging by the piles of silver, jade pendants, and purses in front of him, he certainly had good luck, and he must have been playing quite a bit. Before Zhou Zhenglun could even say anything, someone beside him said shamefacedly, "He was drinking with Master Fang earlier, but he wasn't good at flying flower orders, so he just made a small bet..."
Fang Ling didn't think anything was wrong at all. He gathered the things in front of him and handed them to the little maid standing beside him. He stood up and said with a smile to everyone, "Thank you for your kindness. I'll treat you all to a drink another day."
Seeing him like this, Gu Yunkai laughed and whispered in Zhou Zhenglun's ear, "I didn't expect he was such a gambler."
It's true that they have a gambling nature, and most of the time there are wins and losses, which is why so many people gather together. Zhou Zhenglun looked at the young man's bright eyes and chuckled, "Isn't it easy to drink? There's a banquet over there, let's all get drunk."
Fang Ling immediately smiled: "Then I have to try Brother Zhou's good wine!"
His words immediately drew some veiled and subtle ridicule from the crowd. His love of gambling and drinking, his unbridled outspokenness, made him seem like an outlier among a group of aristocratic children.
However, Zhou Zhenglun didn't think it was that simple. Young and impulsive, he acted recklessly, and had a gambling habit. Wasn't everything this kid did all about tempting people to make friends, or even to deceive them? It was true in a casino, and even more so in a shopping mall. Moreover, even without him around, he could still gather so many people to watch the fun. It seemed likely that this young master Fang's reputation and character would soon spread throughout Yuhang.
Lu Jian is really good at choosing the people.
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