"These are the accounts for the first month and February. Please take a look at them."
In the accounting room at the southwest corner of Baishun Hall, Pang Yu took the account book handed over by Liu Ruogu and looked through it briefly. Liu Ruogu was still using the entry and exit accounting method. Pang Yu seemed to have a headache and wanted to teach them something new.
Accounting method, but never found the time.
Every time he faced this kind of ledger that looked like a running account, Pang Yu just wanted to look at the last record.
In the twelfth lunar month, Baishuntang's profit reached 700 taels, and in the first month, the profit was 500 taels. These two months of the year should be the best time for business, because everyone is celebrating the festival, and there are many people going to the city to buy new year's goods.
Some gamblers want to play a few games along the way, especially Baishuntang, which is already very famous in Tongcheng. Gamblers from several nearby counties even make a special trip to Baishuntang to gamble. Now some casinos in Anqing have also begun to learn how to play roulette.
and horse trump card.
In February, the ledger showed a loss of one hundred and thirty-seven taels. After the rogues besieged the city, there was basically no business. After the rogues retreated, all businesses were depressed, and all kinds of consumption plummeted. The same was true for Baishuntang. Every day, the doors were deserted, and only a few old gamblers came to play.
If you play Pai Gow for a while, you won’t be able to stay for long because of the lack of atmosphere.
But the cost is still there. Pang Yu bought the Baishuntang property. That section is the best area in the south of Tongcheng. It cost more than 2,000 taels in total to buy the house and renovate it. The rent does not need to be paid separately. The operating costs are mainly
It's labor cost.
Liu Ruogu said cautiously, "Master, do you think you should close Baishun Hall for a few days? I'll look at the situation. It won't get better in March or April. We'll close it for a few days and then reopen it depending on the situation. In this way, we can send the servants home."
These days the boss doesn’t have to pay them monthly silver.”
"The card dealers, accountants, and shift leaders will all be retained, and the monthly credits will be distributed according to the amount."
Pang Yu put the account book back on the table, "The unskilled servants, servants, cooks, and sweepers have all been dismissed. These people are easy to recruit. When they are needed, put a notice on the splayed wall and the city gate, and there will be a lot of them."
People."
"But those who are left behind are all those with the highest Yueyin.
Baishuntang has no business, and other casinos in Tongcheng have no business even more. The team leader dismissed them. These people can't find jobs in Tongcheng, so they have to wait for us."
Pang Yu shook his head and said, "Anqing Fucheng wants to come here to poach people. Fucheng was not hit by the military this time, and it is not far from Tongcheng.
These people always need to eat, and once they go to Fucheng, it will be difficult to recruit them when we reopen."
Liu Ruogu did not insist anymore. He recruited all the card dealers in Baishuntang. He had worked in the casino of the slaves of the Wu family before, and they were all experienced hands, so Baishuntang could open smoothly.
"Then the owner wants to see if he can sell some of the land and houses mortgaged by the pawn shop, so that he can subsidize some of the casino's losses. Most of the monthly profit comes from converted real estate. You can't use the house to make temporary money."
Pang Yu smiled and said, "What the casino makes in the first few months can always be worth several months.
After the bandits passed, all the vacillating gentry in the past were going to Nanjing, and everyone was selling land and houses. Yesterday, the price of an acre of farmland was seven taels. If you go to sell land and houses at this time, even if someone buys it, you will still lose money.
Business.
This is not the time to sell land, nor is it the time to buy land."
"Then what the boss means..." Pang Yu knocked on the table and thought for a moment, "I have money now, but I can't buy field soil. The liquidity of the field soil is too poor. It has uses, but the price is not at its lowest yet. War
All assets under threat are high-risk, and prices will remain low for a long time. Let's wait until I have enough money and need land again.
Last time, I said that the properties near Congyangshui Pier can be mortgaged. How many mortgages have been mortgaged at Baishuntang in the past two months?"
“There are three places close to the pier, three are not adjacent to each other, and they are a little further away from the pier.
Yesterday, the grain store came back from purchasing goods from Songyang. It was said that people from Songyang are returning to their hometowns one after another, and the wealthy gentry have also begun to sell their houses and acres, but there are far less people than in the county town."
Pang Yu hummed and said, "I won't bet on it for the time being. We'll wait until the house price in Songyang drops."
"I understand, little man. There is one more thing. The grain store brought back a batch of grain from Songyang today. The price of grain in the city is now two or two or three yuan per stone. Should we increase it again?"
"It doesn't need to increase, just sell it at the market price. Now there is a price difference in grain. There are people from Huaining and Songyang delivering goods to Tongcheng. He Xianya sent a message back from Songyang. All the warehouses in Songyang have lent grain to grain merchants. Every stone is worth one stone."
Those grain dealers dare to buy it for two or seven cents, and those in Fucheng will probably sell grain to Tongcheng soon. The price will drop soon, so we should sell it as soon as possible according to the market price."
After Pang Yu finished speaking and thought about it, he asked, "Was the grain you bought in Songyang also misappropriated privately by each warehouse?"
Liu Ruogu bowed and responded, "I bought it from Xiazongyangcang this time. I used to buy it from the Wu family's grain store there. I know a few people from the Caocang Department."
"Xiacongyangcang is the warehouse of Caocang Department."
Pang Yu said in surprise, "You dare to misappropriate grain from the state?"
Liu Ruogu lowered his voice, "There is nothing that cannot be misappropriated. The Xiazongyang warehouse in the Caocang Department is a secondary water warehouse. Counties along the river have a secondary water warehouse. Every year after Tongcheng's grain harvest is sufficient, it will be stored here first.
The water warehouse will not be sent to Anqing Wanyicang until before the slotting festival. During this period, the warehouse will loan out the grain when the price is high. They charge interest, and when the price of grain drops, they will take the grain back.
"
Pang Yu said with a smile, "They won't delay. As long as they can pay everything in the end, the court will not suffer any loss, and Cangzi will sell high and buy low."
"Actually, I don't have much knowledge. It's that time of year when the grain is ripe. Idiots also know how the price of grain changes. Not only grain, but also the money for households' houses before it is shipped. The officials also dare to lend it out and collect interest until it is about to be shipped.
When it is recovered at that time, the interest will be the private property of the household. The clerks and administrators of the household will get far more than the regular amount of money from the warehouse every year."
"They are all smart people."
Pang Yu recalled that Tang Weimin had never told him about this matter. The last time he went to inspect Congyangcang, Tang Weimin did not let Pang Yu interfere. It seemed that there were far more than one scholar in the Caoliang and the warehouse.
Yuan Cangzi is so simple.
"Shopkeeper Liu, please get ready and go out with me tomorrow."
Liu Ruogu responded, "My boss's arrangement is that Baishuntang happens to be out of business, and I want to go out for a walk. I just don't know what to do in Anqing. Do I need to prepare anything in particular?"
Pang Yu waved his hands and said, "No need, I'm going to the government office to settle the matter of the military exploits. The government office went to the Bingbei Road. The application details from the governor's office have not been sent out yet. This matter cannot be ignored lightly. Mr. Ruan also happened to be sent to the government office."
Back to Fucheng, besides, since you travel to Anqing a lot, take me to see the docks and warehouses in Anqing, and also look at suitable places in Anqing Fucheng. We also need to open some business in Anqing."
...Two days later, in the south of Anqing Prefecture, Pang Yu and his party had just walked out of the south gate. The market outside the south gate was a little deserted, but compared to Tongcheng, it was still very lively.
Four of the six counties in Anqing suffered from banditry this time. In addition to Nanjing, Anqing is also a direction where the gentry flows. After all, it is close to hometown and relatively safe.
Pang Yu set off from Tongcheng early yesterday morning and went to Anqing with Ruan Dacheng. He was accompanied by Liu Ruogu, Pang Ding, Xu Lengzi and others, and a small team of strong soldiers were sent to Liantan before returning.
After the bandits passed, the road was not very peaceful. Ruan Dacheng felt relieved because Pang Yu was with him. This time, he took all the troupe and servants with him, and also took away many valuables from the Tongcheng residence. It seemed that he was really not planning to return to Tongcheng.
His belongings filled five carts, which caused a slow speed.
They stayed in a shop on the road for one night and hurried slowly, finally completing the 140 miles in two days.
When he arrived in Fucheng, Ruan Dacheng invited Pang Yu to stay at his house, but Pang Yu declined. He came to the government office to do business this time, and he didn't know if he would have any entertainment in the evening. It was not convenient to stay in someone else's house.
Ruan Dacheng took his servants back to his mansion first, saying that he would entertain Pang Yu and his party at a banquet outside the south gate in the evening. Pang Yu took a rest at an inn near the mansion, and then went out of the south gate to attend the appointment.
After Pang Yu walked out of the south gate, he turned back and looked at the city gate. The city wall seemed to be not as high as Tongcheng, and the words "Prosperous Tang Dynasty" were engraved on the door opening.
There are five gates in the Anqing City Wall, the east gate is named Songyang, the southeast gate is named Kangji Gate, the west gate is named Zhengguan, the north gate is named Jixian, and the south gate is called Shengtang Gate.
Anqing Fucheng is the seat of Huaining County. It is surrounded by the dragon in the north, the lake in the east and the river in the west, and overlooks the river in the south. It is an important town on the Yangtze River.
The city wall was built with a perimeter of nine miles and thirteen steps. The city was two feet six feet high and the trench was one foot deep. Water from the Yangtze River was diverted into the trench.
The Anqing city wall was only repaired in the second year of Tianqi, but more than ten years had passed. When Pang Yu just entered the city from the north gate, he saw some people working on it, as if they wanted to raise the north wall. There were two more walls on the right side of Jixian Gate.
There are bulges here and there, as if an enemy tower or something like that is to be built.
After the invasion of rogue bandits, the gentry in Tongcheng also made a statement to Yang Erming, listing some of the methods they had come up with to fend off the bandits, including building additional enemy towers.
But at this time, there were no signs of maintenance outside the Shengtang Gate. Perhaps Pi Yingju believed that the north wall was the greatest threat, while the south side was safe.
Pang Yu came to Anqing twice, both times in a hurry, and was only familiar with the vicinity of the government office. Although he had some things to do when he came here this time, he had plenty of time, which could be used for inspection.
With Ruan Dacheng, an old Huaining, receiving him, Pang Yu could also get more information. After all, Ruan Dacheng's social circle was not comparable to that of ordinary people.
After waiting outside the Shengtang Gate for a long time, Ruan Dacheng's sedan arrived at dusk, followed by several servants and seemingly another housekeeper. Pang Yu didn't know how much real estate Ruan Dacheng owned and needed so many housekeepers.
Ruan Dacheng got off the sedan and walked with Pang Yu. After walking for a while, they arrived at the foot of a wooden building.
Ruan Dacheng stopped and extended his hand to Pang Yu and said, "I will entertain Pang Xiaoyou on the top floor of this building tonight."
Pang Yu looked up and saw that this wooden building was quite elegant. There was a plaque reading "Zhongjiang Tower" hanging on the door. Wind chimes were hung under the corners of each floor, making melodious ringing sounds in the river breeze.
As Ruan Dacheng walked upstairs, each floor was decorated with gorgeous decorations. Landscape paintings were hung everywhere, and flowers and plants were planted on the corner window sills. The level of sophistication could not be compared with even the highest-end restaurants that Pang Yu had eaten at.
When they reached the top floor, Ruan Dacheng left all his servants on the lower floor, and Pang Yu had to let a few of his followers stay.
There was only a square table placed on the top floor. Ruan Dacheng skillfully opened the surrounding windows and had a panoramic view of Anqing. The mountains in the northwest were covered with shadows, and the sky and water in the south were all the same color.
It was just that the sky was getting dark at this time and his vision was a little blurry. Pang Yu felt that if he came during the day, the scenery might be better.
Ruan Dacheng stretched out his hand to invite Pang Yu to sit down and said, "Today there are only me and Pang Xiaoyou. I will fulfill my friendship as a landlord."
Pang Yu thanked him and sat down and asked, "Mr. Ruan is very righteous, but if the city gate is closed, how will you get back to the city soon?"
"It doesn't matter, it's not difficult for me to ask for a city gate to be opened in Huaining. Even if it doesn't open, I still have a riverside property not far from Zhongjiang Tower, so I can always have a place to stay."
When he talked about his place of residence, his expression felt a little lonely for a moment, and then returned to normal.
At this time, servants came upstairs one after another and placed dishes one after another. After a while, the table was filled.
Ruan Dacheng didn't even leave the servant behind. After pouring the wine himself, he raised his glass and said to Pang Yu, "I came back in a hurry today. The cook at home has also gone to Jinling. I had to ask the servant to go to Anqingtou noodle shop and order various specialties.
, it’s still a bit vulgar, Xiaoyou Pang, don’t dislike it.”
Pang Yu raised his glass and dared not say it. In fact, Ruan Dacheng's life was something he had envied in the past. Ruan Dacheng was rich and talented, and his life was full of fun. The only thing that worried him was probably his lingering addiction to officialdom.
Already.
Ruan Dacheng recommended a dish, "This is the bream from Durbanfang. There are many bream restaurants in Anqing, but this is the only one that can get such delicious food."
Pang Yu was busy eating chopsticks, and Ruan Dacheng kept introducing Anqing specialties to Pang Yu. The two of them went back and forth to toast. By the time it got dark, Ruan Dacheng had already drank seven or eight glasses.
After he drank another drink, his face turned a little red. This time he did not pour the wine. He touched the empty wine glass for a while and then said, "This is Huaining. Actually, I am not from my hometown.
I grew up in Songyang, and when I was older I followed my father to Huaining, and I lived back and forth in both places. Sometimes I can’t figure out whether it’s Huaining or Tongcheng.”
Seeing that Ruan Dacheng looked a little depressed, Pang Yu persuaded in a low voice, "It's not all Anqing. The two places are connected by mountains and rivers. The so-called Huaining Tongcheng is just a name for nothingness that people have divided. It doesn't matter."
Ruan Dacheng looked up at Pang Yu and suddenly smiled and said, "Pang Xiaoyou often has very different opinions from ordinary people. Indeed, they are no different. He and I have left their hometowns. Tongcheng and Huaining are all thousands of miles away. Although
I always say I can come back and have a look, but in fact it’s not easy.”
Pang Yu can also understand that Ruan Dacheng's family has already gone to Nanjing. If it weren't for the female consort he arranged, they should have arrived in Nanjing.
At this time, I am about to leave my hometown for a long journey, and it is human nature to be a little reluctant to leave.
Ruan Dacheng looked around and said, "This building is called Zhongjiang Tower. It was built with funds raised by my ancestors. The Haimen Poetry Society was established here, which was a great scene in Huaining's literary world. The past has passed. My ancestors have passed away in the capital for many years."
Already."
Pang Yu suddenly understood, no wonder Ruan Dacheng was so familiar with this place, and this place was obviously not a place open to the public. Only people close to the owner could hold private receptions here.
Ruan Dacheng specially brought Pang Yu here to meet him. In fact, it was more like saying goodbye to his past with Huaining.
"My ancestor must have been a man of literary talents. It turns out that Mr. Ruan has a family background."
Ruan Dacheng burst out laughing, clapped his hands on the table and said, "Pang Xiaoyou hit the mark right away. I have always followed my ancestral taboo from China. I was indeed called a romantic prefect back then, and I was really talented and learned during the imperial examination."
In the Wuxu year of Emperor Shen Zong, there was a great story about the Capital Examination. A family of uncles and nephews were both Jinshi, and the ‘uncle’ among them was the ancestor Ruan Zihua.”
Ruan Dacheng stood up after saying that, walked directly to the east-facing window, waved to Pang Yu and said, "Pang Xiaoyou, come here to take a look at another romantic thing that my ancestor did."
Pang Yu came to the window curiously and saw a brightly lit pagoda standing on the riverside not far to the east, shining like a gem in the dark night.