Going to the provincial capital to pay birthdays to Yan Wenjie, the Zhang family paid great attention to it. Mr. Zhang knew that he was not welcome by the Yan family and had no intention of showing up. However, he was worried about the three children traveling alone. After thinking about it, he decided to take care of it himself.

The three of them were sent to the provincial capital.

"After arriving in the provincial capital, my father will not go into the city. He will find an inn to stay outside the city. After you have celebrated your birthday, we will go home together."

On the way, Mr. Zhang carefully gave instructions to his eldest son...

The uncle of the Zhang family hesitated to speak. They were related to the Yan family by marriage, but his father did not even dare to enter the Yan family, which made him feel very uncomfortable.

Mr. Zhang was silent for a while and then said: "When you get to the Yan family, ask your fifth sister's opinion on everything you do. She...is a Zhang family member after all."

"This time she was able to persuade your mother to allow you and the eldest girl to go to the Yan family together. It shows that she still has the Zhang family in her heart. Brothers and sisters should get along and support each other. If you do well, it will also be helpful to her."<

/p>

The uncle of the Zhang family nodded: "Don't worry, father, my son will discuss it with his fifth sister if anything happens."

Mr. Zhang didn't say anything after that, and soon the group arrived at the pier.

Huai'an has a well-developed water system, and there are many ships going to the provincial capital. Usually, even if you want to go to the provincial capital temporarily, you can take a ship. But this time, Mr. Zhang clearly chartered a passenger ship in advance. When he arrived at the dock, he was told that the passenger ship was reserved.

Someone else.

Mr. Zhang was very angry and went straight to the boat owner to argue. Mr. Zhang returned to the carriage and looked at his two sisters.

"Eldest sister, fifth sister, we may have to wait a while before we can board the ship."

Miss Zhang opened the corner of the car curtain and asked: "Brother, what happened?"

The uncle of the Zhang family was a little depressed: "The boat we ordered was intercepted by someone, so my father went to negotiate with the boat owner."

Miss Zhang immediately frowned: "What's going on with the ship owner? Does he do this kind of business?"

Zhang Huahan also frowned slightly, but she didn't say anything and sat in the carriage waiting quietly.

This wait lasted for half an hour.

Seeing that it was almost noon and Mr. Zhang hadn't come back yet, Mr. Zhang glanced at the tea shop next to the pier and said, "Sister, fifth sister, there is a tea shop in front of you. Why don't you get off the car and sit inside?"

,Want to have something to eat by the way?"

Miss Zhang had long wanted to get out of the car and move around, but she didn't say anything, but looked at Zhang Huahan.

After riding in a carriage for a long time, Zhang Huahan naturally wanted to get out of the carriage and breathe some fresh air, especially since this was her first time traveling far away.

Listening to the various noises on the pier, Zhang Huahan also wanted to see something, so he nodded and said to An Ran who was waiting outside the car: "Aunt An Ran, my eldest sister and I want to go to a tea shop."
p>

An Ran listened, looked at the tea shop, and then replied: "The girl will wait for a while, wait for the servants to arrange the tea shop, and then get off the car."

After saying that, he took a few ladies to the tea shop first, talked to the boss, picked a corner, hung bamboo curtains around it, and soon a small private room was set up.

This movement immediately attracted the attention of people around.

"I wonder if the female family member of a wealthy family is going out?"

"People from rich families are very particular."

Even the uncle of the Zhang family looked at him with some suspicion. His father had taken him and his eldest sister out to play in the past. The eldest sister could only wear a curtain hat, so she would not pay attention to this.

After arranging everything, An Ran returned to the carriage and said, "Girl, the servant in the carriage has prepared a curtain and hat. You can get out of the carriage after putting on the curtain and hat."

Zhang Huahan put on the curtain hat, got out of the carriage with the help of the maid, and quickly walked into the small private room surrounded by bamboo curtains.

"This bamboo curtain is so special!"

Uncle Zhang and Miss Zhang were amazed. Looking from the outside of the bamboo curtain, they couldn't see anything at all, but looking from the inside, they could clearly see what was happening outside.

The things in my mother’s hands are indeed extraordinary.

Just when the Zhang family uncle was about to ask the waiter to bring some food, he was surprised to find that An Ran was orderly directing the maid to unload the tea stove, food boxes, tea sets, plates and other items from the carriage.

Even Zhang Huahan was a little surprised.

An Ran saw it and explained: "Most things outside are not very clean, especially at this pier, where there is a mixture of good and bad. When you go out, you'd better be careful about what you eat. If possible, it's best not to eat it."

Uncle Zhang and Miss Zhang smiled, and did not say anything about ordering something to eat.

After An Ran placed the refreshments, Zhang Huahan didn't want to eat alone, so he invited the two of them to eat together.

At this moment, a group of servants came from the opposite position. The noise was even louder than what An Ran and the others had done before, and they used a screen to isolate the surrounding area.

The bamboo curtain only needs to be hung high, it does not occupy a large area, and An Ran only surrounds one table, so it does not disturb other people.

But the screen occupies a large area, and it is a valuable object. When people around see it, they can't help but avoid it, for fear that they will touch it and then sell it and they will not be able to afford the compensation.

For a moment, the tea shop was filled with the sound of stools being pulled. After a while, a vacuum was vacated by the three tables next to it.

Immediately afterwards, several women in brocade clothes with curtains walked into the tea shop.

When Miss Zhang saw it, she murmured in a low voice: "What a grand display! As soon as they arrived, most of the teahouses could not seat anyone."

An Ran glanced at her lightly: "She should be a female official's family member." As she said that, she looked at Zhang Huahan, "It is most taboo to act in a public way outside. There is a saying that there are people outside the world. One person who doesn't do it well may bring trouble to the family. A girl can't do it.

Don’t follow this example.”

Zhang Huahan nodded, and Mr. Zhang and Miss Zhang also took it seriously in their hearts.

After the three brothers and sisters drank a cup of tea, Mr. Zhang came to the tea shop with an ugly expression.

The uncle of the Zhang family quickly opened the bamboo curtain and stood up to greet him: "Father, but the boat has not been negotiated?"

Mr. Zhang said coldly: "The boat chartered for my father was transferred directly by Boss Lu to Dong Zhizhou's family from Xuzhou next door."

Uncle Zhang frowned, was silent for a moment, and then said: "Boss Lu has a lot of ships. He misappropriated the ship we ordered. He should arrange a new one for us. There won't be no ships left."

Right?"

Mr. Zhang was just about to say something when he saw a few people walking outside the tea shop.

Among them is Boss Lu.

Boss Lu, who was smiling apologetically at the middle-aged man at the head, noticed that someone was looking at him. He looked up and found that it was the Zhang family and his son, looking slightly embarrassed.

The Zhang family also has a store in the provincial capital, and they travel to the provincial capital a lot every year, so they have to rent Boss Lu's boat. There are quite a lot of opportunities to deal with each other.

This time he misappropriated Zhang Jiading's boat. Boss Lu knew that what he did was not honest. When the middle-aged man entered the tea shop, he quickly came to the Zhang family.

As soon as you come, make amends directly.

"Brother Zhang, this time it's my fault. I'll apologize to you, but please understand me. I don't dare not give it to Lord Zhizhou if he wants a boat."

As he said that, he glanced at the screen next door.

In an instant, Mr. Zhang understood that the people who occupied more than half of the inn were the Xuzhou Dong Zhizhou family.

Mr. Zhang took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in his heart. When a businessman meets an official, he is naturally at a lower level. At this time, he can only admit that he is unlucky.

After a moment of silence, Mr. Zhang said: "Brother Lu, I am really anxious to go to the provincial capital. Please help me think of a way to get a boat out for me. I will keep your kindness in mind."

Hearing what Mr. Zhang said, Boss Lu looked embarrassed, sighed, and whispered: "Brother Zhang, let me tell you a little tidbit because of our relationship."

"It will be the birthday of the new Chief Envoy in two days. The prefects and prefects of all the prefectures in Huai'an are going to attend his birthday banquet. Our pier happens to be the only one to go to the provincial capital, so the ships these days

Especially in demand."

"It's not that I'm not busy with you, it's my brother that I can't do anything about it. All the boats under my control have been rented out."

Mr. Zhang and the three men were standing outside the bamboo curtain, so Zhang Huahan and others sitting inside also heard their conversation.

Zhang Huahan frowned. They came to the provincial capital this time because they were tight on time. If they couldn't rent a boat, they might miss the time to pay their uncle a birthday.

Mr. Zhang also knew that time was running out, so he immediately said: "It's okay to sit in the same boat with other people. Brother Lu, I really have something important to do for you. I'd like to ask you to tell me about it. I'll thank you very much afterwards."

When Boss Lu saw Mr. Zhang like this, he also saw that he was really in a hurry. He hesitated and looked at the person behind the screen next door: "Then let me try. Dong Zhizhou is pretty easy to talk to. I'll go ask and see if they are willing."

Don’t want to take you with me?”

Mr. Zhang quickly cupped his fists to say thank you.

Boss Lu went to the screen. After a while, a slightly arrogant male voice came from there.

"Boss Lu, you really dare to open your mouth. You dare to ask anyone to get it from us. My uncle is the governor of a state, and you let a businessman sit on the same boat with him. Are you looking down on my uncle?"

After that, Boss Lu continued to apologize.

After hearing this, the Zhang family behind the bamboo curtain could not help but look angry.

Miss Zhang snorted: "They robbed our boat and insulted us. How could they..."

"Shut up!"

Mr. Zhang scolded him in a low voice, and quickly looked at the other side of the screen. When he saw that there was no movement there, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhang Huahan on the side looked at the forbearance on Mr. Zhang's face, his eyes flickered, and he had a deep understanding of the reason why the Zhang family desperately wanted to cling to the Yan family.

Zhang Huahan was silent for a moment and looked at Mr. Zhang: "Father, if you can't take the boat, why not take the land route? Let's hurry up and we should be able to make it in time."

Mr. Zhang frowned: "It takes one day to get to the provincial capital by boat, but it takes three days to travel by land. The journey is too fast, and your sisters' bodies can't bear it. You go to see your uncle and aunt with a haggard look. Doesn't that make them worried?

."

"If I ask my father to think of another solution, I won't believe it. In such a big pier, I can't even find a ship."
To be continued...