The shop door was wide open, but no customers came in.
Even if the neighbors support him, the government has identified the salt-eaters sold in the shop as bad people, and the news spread quickly, and even the food in the shop cannot be sold.
The orphans and widows stayed there for a long time without opening the door.
Zhu Niang is checking the accounts.
You won't know if you don't check.
It turned out that many of the payments did not match up with Zhu Niang's private accounts, and the accounts were short of a lot of money. Zhu Niang's guilt about Zhu Hao's slandering Shopkeeper Sun was greatly relieved.
At noon, four people came through the door.
The person at the head was Po Xia who was sent by Zhu Niang to invite people, followed by an old man with gray hair. Zhu Hao thought about it carefully and recalled that this person was Uncle Zhong. He was only forty-two years old this year, but he was sixty years old with the descendants.
There is no difference between a 20-year-old man, which shows how stressful life is.
Followed by two young men, one was named Yu San, who was thin and looked shrewd, and the other was simple and short, which made Zhu Hao feel very strange.
"Master, are you looking for us?"
Uncle Zhong came over to salute.
"Um."
Zhu Niang put away the account book and asked Aunt Li to close the door and put up a sign saying she was out of business. Then she said, "Let's talk in the backyard. I'm looking for you to come to work today and settle the day's wages."
…
…
The group walked through the corridor connecting the shop and the courtyard to the large backyard.
Xia Po came in with her.
In this era, there were many disputes in the house of widows, especially Zhu Niang, who was a chaste woman. If she invited a man to talk to the inner courtyard for no reason, it would definitely cause gossip. The elderly Xia Po must be there to bear witness.
As Ya Zi, Xia Po acted as both a messenger and a witness. She was also a neighbor, so she had a good relationship with Zhu Niang.
"This is a drawing. We want to modify the backyard according to it."
Zhu Hao took out the simple drawings he drew with charcoal.
It's just a general idea, the terrain's height and direction, and the specific processes, which need to be completed under his supervision.
Uncle Zhong did not look at it carefully. He glanced at the drawing and looked at Zhu Niang with puzzled eyes: "Master Zhu, I have heard about what happened before. I am deeply sorry for this. It's the Zhu family... I'm sorry for you. But you also
You can't destroy a good yard, I'm afraid...it will be bad for your reputation, right?"
Zhu Niang was startled.
As noble and pure as she is, I didn't understand why Uncle Zhong said that for a while.
Zhu Hao said: "Uncle Zhong misunderstood. We are not destroying the yard, but remodeling it for drying salt."
"Sun salt?"
Uncle Zhong looked confused.
Zhu Niang said distressedly: "In order to buy salt, the shop invested more than two hundred taels of silver at one time and owed a large amount of foreign debt. Now the salt has been poured into the pond, and we can only find a way to extract it. I heard Xiao Hao said that salt can be
Acquired through exposure to the sun.”
Uncle Zhong was relieved, but then he was puzzled: "The business of this shop is so good, and it should make a lot of money in normal times. For this purchase... why do we need to borrow foreign debts?"
Zhu Niang didn't want to say anything, but Xia Po beside her was full of anger: "She was taken away by my family? In fact, the Zhu family's daughter-in-law lived a very poor life..."
Uncle Zhong nodded to express his understanding, and then pointed behind him, "This is the apprentice I just accepted. His father died young and he has lived with his mother since he was a child. His name is He Qiang..."
The honest and stocky young man came forward and saluted: "I would like to say hello to Madam. My name is Gouzi. The name He Qiang was given by the master."
He looks silly, with a look of innocence in his eyes. He is about sixteen or seventeen years old, one or two years younger than Yu San.
Zhu Niang said: "The old rule is that if you work for 20 cents a day, Uncle Zhong will pay 10 cents a day for coordinating the project. He will be in charge of the meals at noon and you can bring the meals home in the evening... Is there any problem?"
Uncle Zhong and Yu San are old-timers, so there is no problem. He Qiang said with a naive smile: "You can also take the food home? It doesn't matter if you don't pay wages."
Zhu Hao reminded: "Mom, ask Uncle Zhong to hire two more people. We have to hurry up, otherwise... we won't be able to make it in time."
Uncle Zhong originally planned to finish all the work with three people, so that he could work for a few more days and get more wages. But Zhu Niang said that he had to meet the deadline, so he had to go back to the dock and call three more laborers over, and the six of them worked together.
Zhu Hao had already inspected the terrain and immediately instructed several people to start digging from the lowest point in the backyard.
…
…
After things were arranged properly, Zhu Hao could finally breathe a sigh of relief and prepared to leave the shop and go to Zhoucheng to take a closer look.
Naturally, what he wanted to visit most was Prince Xing’s Mansion.
"If I can establish a relationship with the young Zhu Houcong, I will become a close minister of the emperor in the future. How many more years of struggle can I save? It is not impossible to become a prince and become a prime minister! But accompanying the emperor is like accompanying a tiger, and problems can easily arise if you are not careful... Oh yes
Now, as well as Lu Bing, most of the people around Zhu Houcong have gone to heaven... But it’s not easy for me to get to know Zhu Houcong..."
Outside the door of the shop is the main street that runs from north to south in the city. The road that can accommodate four carriages is lined with rows of shops, with many signboards and many disguises.
"Fengfenxing, Dade Hall, Liubiju, Fumaoxing, Qingyu Hall, Taihe Village, Yueshengzhai, Zhibaolin..." Along the way, what Zhu Hao saw were all names with beautiful meanings, and doors.
A shop with a high-flying swastika.
These shops are tall buildings with blue bricks and blue tiles. The eaves are decorated with bird and animal patterns. The window lattice is also exquisitely carved and the materials are exquisite. The wooden door panels have been removed, so the door heads appear particularly wide.
There are all kinds of goods, the clerks and shopkeepers are busy, and the business seems to be pretty good.
"Comparing my own business with other people's businesses, ugh..."
The more Zhu Hao shopped, the less mood he felt, so he simply turned back and found Zhu Niang and Aunt Li at the counter looking unhappy, as if they were in trouble again.
"Mom, did something happen?"
Zhu Niang nodded: "While you were out, a creditor came to our door and asked us to pay back the money. In fact, the debt has not been due, but they heard that I destroyed the salt, and they were afraid that I would default on the debt, so they came to the door in advance to demand payment."
Aunt Li said with a bitter face: "They also said that if they don't return it tomorrow, they will bring people to the door to cause trouble, and there may be a lot of trouble by then."
Zhu Hao smiled lightly.
The collection of debts must be something dirty done by the Zhu family.
"Mom, listen to me and have a good talk with the creditor. Tell them that you can't pay back the money for the time being. If they want to make a fuss, they can make a fuss. It will be easier for them to insult the chaste women granted by the imperial court."
Zhu Hao then revealed his plan.
Zhu Niang's eyes widened as she listened, and finally said: "Xiaohao, we... really owe money to people, and it is only natural to pay back debts."
"It is only natural to pay back the money when it is due, but it is not allowed to happen in advance... Tell them, don't think that we don't know that these debts were actually owed by the Zhu family. Now the Zhu family needs them, encourage them to come to collect money, and when the shop returns to the Zhu family, they will definitely burn bridges.
.
"The Zhu family is so cruel to their own family, will they let go and cause trouble on the Zhu family's house? When the time comes, hum... I'm afraid that the benefits they get will not be enough to compensate for the loss of the Zhu family's reputation..."
Zhu Niang and Aunt Li looked at each other, and it was clear that what Zhu Hao said was very likely to happen.
But they didn't understand how Zhu Hao came up with this harmful idea.
"Mom, we are going to break up the relationship between the creditor and the Zhu family. You go now, lest the Zhu family block our way to make peace again. If it doesn't work, we will think about the next step."
…
…
Zhu Niang immediately went out to negotiate with her creditor.
The creditors were all serious businessmen in the city, and they had a good relationship with Zhu Niang. After hearing Zhu Niang's analysis, everyone broke out in a cold sweat, expressed their understanding, and agreed to pay back the debt when it was due.
Mipu escaped once again.
When Zhu Wanjian heard the news, he was furious and went to Zhu Jia to complain, but was blocked by Butler Liu.
"Step aside!"
Zhu Wanjian said angrily.
Butler Liu's attitude was firm: "The old lady is receiving the special envoy from the capital. No one can enter."
"you!"
Zhu Wanjian glared angrily.
This housekeeper Liu was brought by Zhu Jia from her natal family. He was a direct descendant of the direct line. He was responsible for managing the family's accounts. Zhu Wanjian hated him.
“A good dog stays out of the way!”
Zhu Wanjian pushed aside Butler Liu and rushed inside.
In the main hall, the old lady of the Zhu family, Zhu Jia, was meeting with a Jin Yiwei Baihu who was wearing a flying fish suit and an embroidered spring knife on his waist.
This man's surname is Lin, he is about thirty years old, tall and powerful, with an impressive heroic spirit.
"...Old Madam, I risked beheading my head to deliver this letter to Deputy Zhu Qianhu. You should recognize the handwriting on it. It must be burned immediately after reading it. No traces can be left. Otherwise, I and the Zhu family will be harmed."
No good."
Lin Baihu is very cautious.
After Zhu Jia finished reading the letter, he burned the letter paper by the candlelight on the altar table.
"My son... is it okay for him to be in the capital?"
"not too good."
Lin Baihu shook his head, "Zhu Fu Qianhu was assigned by Eunuch Zhang Yong to guard the imperial mausoleum in the first year. He suffered a lot. At the beginning of the year, he gave generous gifts and was transferred back to Fusi Yamen in Beizhen. However, he was still responsible for guarding the imperial prison.
Fortunately, even though I can't go back to my private residence every day, I still have a roof over my head. It says that the news sent back to the capital by the Zhu family in the past two years is not of sufficient weight and it is difficult to communicate, so... sigh!"
Zhu Jia's face was filled with sorrow: "My Zhu family has stayed in Huguang for twenty years under the orders of the late emperor. But since King Xing arrived in Anlu, he has followed the rules and never interacted with the courtiers. How much news can my Zhu family send back to the capital?"
Lin Baihu understood the situation of the Zhu family and smiled bitterly, "Back then, the eunuch Liang Fang and others conspired with Wan Fei to dethrone the late emperor and establish a royal throne. The late emperor was still brooding about himself before his death. Now that your majesty has been on the throne for a long time,
But there are no surviving heirs, so the Queen Mother is very concerned about Huguang affairs, and has issued edicts to inquire many times over the years."
"Queen Mother?"
"Yes, His Majesty has little to do with Prince Xing's affairs nowadays, but the Queen Mother knows the past thoroughly and often inquires about it. The superior has said that if you want to make Deputy Zhu Qianhu stay in Beijing, you must start from Prince Xing's palace."
Lin Baihu clasped his fists and said, "That's it for now."
Zhu Jia stood up and said, "Okay, I will send Lin Baihu back to Beijing now... The silver has been packed in a box, you can just send someone to take it away."
Just as he was about to go out, a sharp shout suddenly came from the door: "...How dare two little flags run wild in my Zhu family? My father is still a member of the Jinyi Guard Qianhu! If you don't get out of the way, you will look good!"
However, it was the Jinyi guards brought by Lin Baihu who blocked the door, making Zhu Wanjian furious who could not break in.
The main hall door opens.
Zhu Jia and Lin Baihu came out together.
Lin Baihu clasped his fists at Zhu Jiashi again, and without even saying goodbye, he had someone carry the box out.
"Put the box down!"
Zhu Wanjian shouted angrily again.
Zhu Jia was furious: "Unworthy son, what do you have to do here? If you don't get out of the way, the family will take care of you!"
Zhu Wanjian was used to being pampered by the old lady. He thought that since his father was in bed and his brother was in Beijing, he was the one in charge of the family.
But he didn't expect that his mother would scold him without any shame in front of outsiders.
After Lin Baihu took the people away, Zhu Wanjian and Zhu Jiashi entered the main hall and immediately asked: "Mother, who is that? Why does he come two or three times a year and give him so much money each time? We
The Zhu family is not a charity organization."
"This matter has nothing to do with you."
Zhu Jiashi looked indifferent.
"Is it possible that the eldest brother is living like his prodigal son in the capital? Our Zhu family's harvest is only one or two thousand taels a year. The third family's shop, after so much effort to take it back, is worth one thousand taels when sold? I don't want to think about it, mother.
As soon as the hand is changed, someone will bring it to Big Brother...Mom, your heart can't be like this, right?"
Zhu Wanjian was very emotional and felt that she was being treated poorly despite working hard to manage the family business.
Zhu Jia was furious: "How much hardship has your eldest brother suffered these years when he stayed in the capital? Your younger brother has no sympathy at all?"
"Bullshit, he is the deputy of a thousand households in Jinyiwei. He is very powerful in the capital. I don't think he can be a good person. Hardship? Humph, you will have to endure hardship if you spend one or two thousand taels of silver a year? Just be partial. Mother, don't find excuses for it.
...My son is gone."
Mother and son separated unhappy.
Mrs. Zhu Jia stood at the door and watched her son disappear behind the porch with a sullen face and said nothing.