The holidays in the Song Dynasty were generally very long. Some people have made statistics and found that the number of holidays in the Song Dynasty totaled nearly a hundred days a year. The longest holidays were the three major festivals in the Song Dynasty, the Spring Festival Cold Food Festival and the Winter Solstice, all of which were closed for seven days.

Other festivals, such as the Lantern Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Qingming Festival, Summer Solstice, Dragon Boat Festival, etc., are also holidays of three or two days. Officials enjoy paid holidays, eating, drinking and having fun. It is no wonder that there are too many people, redundant officials and excessive expenses, and they are not able to earn their salaries.

Officer, everyone who was invaded by the Northerners could only be dumbfounded and send the Tianling Gai.

After Jingkang, the imperial court that was more settled in the south of the Yangtze River seemed to have made some changes at the beginning, reforming the past situation. The festivals were not as numerous as they were in the Northern Song Dynasty. However, with the conclusion of the Shaoxing Peace Agreement, more than ten years of

After the prosperity and resurgence, everything seems to have returned to its original point. The court and even the people have become addicted to the habit of liking luxury and liveliness. The court also seems to believe that the more holidays there are, the more prosperous the country will be, the people will be prosperous, and the emperor's favor will be vast. So the actual situation is

More than ever.

Take the Spring Festival as an example. Originally, government affairs would be resumed on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year. The emperor would go to court and ministers would do their work, and all officials would return to business as usual. However, because there was the Shangyuan Festival after that, and there was a three-day holiday during the Shangyuan Festival, the spring break was simply extended to

After the Shangyuan Festival. As you can imagine, the entire first month and half of the month will be spent eating, drinking and having fun. After the Shangyuan Festival, it will take many days to adjust, so the real work may not be completed until the first month. In mid-December of the year

The entire first month of the year was consumed in this atmosphere of eating, drinking and having fun.

It would be fine if it was really a prosperous age, but now, the so-called prosperous age of the Southern Song Dynasty is based on reaching a peace agreement with the Jin people, and on the basis of having half of the country taken away by the Jin people. Carrying a great shame, and having a great country taken away by others

Under such circumstances, instead of working hard and working hard, the entire court did not think about how to seize the time to build troops and strengthen its strength, but indulged in false prosperity and extravagance. This is an extremely sad behavior.

It's a pity that those who know this truth can't speak or are squeezed out, while most of the people in high positions are unwilling to listen to such words. They cover up and down, make falsehoods come true, and live in peace and harmony. The New Year of the Song Dynasty was also lively and lively.

Noisy, booming.

Fang Zian's life was comfortable, but as the New Year passed, Fang Zian gradually began to feel uneasy. In the past few days of the New Year, Fang Zian and Qin Xiqing had discussed how to deal with the goods from foreign countries on the ship after returning from the sea.

Qin Xiqing gave Fang Zian reassurance. Qin Xiqing was familiar with several major firms in Lin'an, and there were many sales channels. Qin Xiqing even gave Fang Zian several options. One was to secretly hand over the goods to these firms for sale, and the other was to sell all the goods on his behalf.

The goods are cashed to a certain trading house for complete delivery. The former is more profitable, and the latter can be sold faster.

After thinking about it, Fang Zian chose the second option because it was smuggled goods. Fang Zian only wanted to make a fortune secretly and did not want to publicize it. Although the price could be higher if sold by several firms, the risk was too great. Even Qin Xiqing

It is said that merchants value profits, they will not talk nonsense, and they will also choose carefully. But Fang Zian still feels that it is not suitable for too many people to know. Although the second type is less profitable, it is safer. When choosing a business firm, Fang Zian chooses

Found a family called Wanlong

A large trading house. Not because it is big, but because a concubine beside Ma Xin, the owner of Bandung Trading Company, is a brothel girl trained by Wanchun Garden. Ma Xin's every move is actually closely monitored.

This obviously made Fang Zi feel more at ease.

Of course, Qin Xiqing respects Fang Zian's choice. This is a smuggling ship, and you really need to be careful. If the shipping department smells something unusual, it will be a serious crime. So she agreed with Fang Zian's idea, and began to contact Ma Xin privately to discuss the matter.

Ma Xin's feedback was very positive. Businessmen are big on profits, and at this time, when a large number of sea-going fleets still have several months to return, if a batch of foreign goods can be put on the market, it will be a huge profit. As for

He didn't care where the goods came from. As long as the Shipping Department didn't catch the smuggling ship, they would have nothing to do with the trading company, let alone a trading company of the size of Wanlong Trading Company, which had already been properly managed.

Ordinary people cannot easily touch them.

However, although everything is ready, the prerequisite is that Fang Zian's ship can return safely. And there is a big difference between coming back before the Shangyuan Festival and coming back after the Shangyuan Festival. As long as you come back before the Shangyuan Festival

, the goods will be very valuable, because the rich and powerful are still singing and dancing, and these luxury goods will be in large demand. Even ordinary people will be extravagant and generous during the festival. After the solar term, the opportunity has passed, and the profits will be large.

It’s discounted. Everyone understands this.

Of course, for Fang Zian, all he hopes is that the big ship can return safely. He no longer has high hopes for the Dream to come back before the holiday. After all, he has personally experienced the power of the winter monsoon and waves. He does not hope that everything will happen.

The sea waits for people to have trouble at sea.

After the tenth day of the first lunar month, Fang Zian started running to Wanjia Village. He set off early in the morning and came back after dark. He left early and came back late. He was exhausted. After arriving at Wanjia Village every day, he went to the beach to look up at the sea.

Just like the legendary Wangfu Stone. Wan Dahai's wife and two daughters-in-law are not as generous as Fang Zian. They have long been accustomed to men in the family going to sea, and they don't even take it seriously. Men always

They will come back, whether they go to the beach to wait, they will come back, just like they did in the past, there is no need to look around. However, this Fang Zian's behavior made them all feel a little ashamed, and they even felt as if they didn't go to the beach to look around and wait.

I'm all too embarrassed.

As a result, there were several women shivering with cold beside Fang Zian's figure standing on the sea cliff. Although they felt it was completely unnecessary, they had to do it, otherwise they would look a little awkward, as if they didn't care.

Their husbands live and die.

Day after day, day after day. The people at the beach did not turn into stone, but they were all bruised and swollen by the cold, and they were coughing all day long.

On the eleventh day of the first lunar month, the big ship disappeared without a trace. On the twelfth day of the first lunar month, there was nothing on the sea. On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, there was no news.

On the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, Fang Zian waited until the sun set to the west from the morning, but still did not see the ship on the sea. Fang Zian realized that the return of the ship before the Lantern Festival was probably in vain. This made Fang Zian feel even more uneasy.

What is surprising is that starting from the 13th day of the first lunar month, the north wind intensified, the waves on the sea were turbid, and the waves were undulating.

Like hell. In such sea conditions, it is actually not a question of whether they can come back before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, but whether they can sail safely on the sea.

The sun had already set in the west, and it was less than an hour before sunset. Fang Zian could only return to Wanjia's courtyard, lead the horse out and prepare to leave. But at this moment, Wan Dahai's five or six-year-old granddaughter Hai dragged Wan Dahai with a clear nose.

Ni quickly rushed into Wan Dahai's small courtyard.

"Grandma, grandma, there are ships on the sea. Are grandpa and daddy back?"

Fang Zian was already on horseback. Hearing this, he was shocked and said, "What? Is there a boat?"

Wan Dahai's wife smiled and said, "Don't listen to Xiao Nizi's nonsense. What does she know? Hainie, I told you not to go play on the cliff, why did you run away? Next time you go, you will have your butt spanked."

Heini shouted: "Grandma, I didn't lie to you. Can you see the white dots that are a ship? Grandpa, is that right? There are white dots on the sea."

This time, Wan Dahai's wife was also a little surprised, while Fang Zian had already dismounted and galloped to the heights of the coast. In the last rays of the setting sun, the whistling sea breeze blew on his face like a knife, deep and churning.

Among the waves, Fang Zian saw a small white dot in the waves. Yes, it was definitely a ship. It was the reflection of the sails under the sunlight. Although it was far away, it was definitely a ship.

In this season and in this weather, who would sail a boat on the sea? What else could it be but the Dream?

Fang Zian screamed in surprise. He stood on the sea cliff and jumped high, waving his hands and shouting. Although the people on the boat could not see or hear him, Fang Zian could not restrain his excitement.

Before it got completely dark, a ship's sails were in tatters, with only one main sail remaining. The ship was scarred and seemed to have emerged from hell. It returned from the sea and entered the estuary of the Qiantang River where the water was relatively calm. That was just the dream.

After three months of sailing, the Dream completed an incredible adventure and returned from France.

Fang Zian stood on the temporary pier at the estuary and almost cried with excitement when he looked at the group of people who came off the ship after it docked. What kind of people were they? Their beards and hair were messy, and their clothes were in tatters.

All of them were dark, thin, and without human color. They were like a group of ghosts coming from hell, and it was even impossible to tell who was who.

"Mr. Fang, hahaha, I knew you were here! We are back." The man with disheveled hair walking at the front shouted loudly.

Fang Zian rushed forward and laughed loudly: "Wan Dalongtou, you did it, you did it, it's incredible."

Wan Dahai laughed and coughed and shouted: "Yes, we are back. Everyone, we are home alive."

A group of people behind them who couldn't tell who was who shouted loudly: "Yes, we are back, we are finally back alive."

Amidst the shouting, someone burst into tears. Fang Zian felt moved and joyful intertwined. He didn't know what to do for a moment, and his eyes became wet. At this moment, a hoarse voice rang in his ears.

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Chapter completed!