After everyone had lunch, they decided to go shopping in the afternoon.
In the Qing Dynasty, women's status meant that they could not go out alone on the streets, so Director Liu could not go out during the day and could only stay in the yard. Fortunately, the house was large enough and there were two gardens.
, but she wasn’t feeling depressed. Because of her body shape, Liu Sheng decided to stay at home with her.
Since we were going to board the painting boat in the evening, and we were going to see the Shou Ma from the day after tomorrow, everyone could no longer dress like a housekeeper. So Zhao Xin, Wang Yuanfang, Wu Siyu, and Ding Guofeng took the
Lu Shoushan and Guisheng went out to buy clothes together.
The five people went out to the east and walked to Tianning Temple. After crossing the bridge, they arrived at Buying Street. There are businesses on the roadside here, some are shops, and some are directly set up mat sheds or stalls. There are purse sheds, hat sheds,
Shoe sheds, cloth stores, clothing stores, restaurants, noodle shops, etc.
Guisheng, who was accompanying him, said that the shops on the shopping street were all modeled after the shops outside the Qianmen of the capital. However, the places with the most complete range of shoes and hats were still the "Duozi Street" outside the Xiaodongmen and the Cai Cai Street in the north.
Clothing Street. To buy fabrics to make clothes, go to Duozi Street. To buy ready-made clothes or find a tailor, go to Caiyi Street.
"Oh? Duozijie, what's the point of this?" Wang Yuanfang asked casually.
Guisheng scratched the back of his head and couldn't explain why.
Wu Siyu explained: "I heard from my family that it used to be called 'Danzi Street'. Isn't the homophonic pronunciation of 'Datin' 'death of descendants'? Later it was changed to 'Duozi Street'."
After Guisheng heard this, he looked at Wu Siyu strangely. He didn't understand why this man from a foreign country actually knew the secrets of Yangzhou. When Zhao Xin saw Guisheng staring at Wu Siyu, he thought he was going to be evil; he rolled his eyes and looked at Gui with a smile.
The student asked: "Guisheng, are there many antique shops in this city?"
Guisheng thought for a while and said: "Sir, are you talking about antique shops? There are stalls selling antiques on the shopping street, both small stalls and hanging goods stalls, and there are also two antique shops. But the old shop on Dongguan Street
If there are many, there will definitely be no fakes, but the price is more expensive than here.”
Zhao Xin planned to check out the clothes after buying them. Even if there were fakes in an antique store in the 18th century, they were fakes from the Qianlong period!
A few people looked around and found that there were mostly greenhouse stalls here, so they planned to go to Caiyi Street to have a look. Fortunately, Caiyi Street was not far from Tianning Temple, and it was less than a mile away to the south.
Along the way, Guisheng kept talking and told Zhao Xin and others about the commercial streets in various places in Yangzhou. For example, Caiyi Street sells clothes, as well as Pishi Street, Qihuo Lane, Lime Lane, and Dengcao Street.
Row, steamer alley, bird cage alley, chicken and duck alley, vat alley, iron lock alley, cantaloupe alley, dumpling meat alley, lantern alley, bellows alley. In addition, what else are Luodian alley, tiehuo alley, Qihuo alley?
Goods Alley, Datong Alley, Sesame Oil Alley, Pifang Street, Tangfang Alley, Charcoal Jizuo, Milk Fang Alley, etc. are all named according to different markets and commercial workshops.
Zhao Xin saw that Guisheng's speech was clear and coherent, so he asked: "Guisheng, have you read any books?"
"Study for three years."
"Hey, your father is quite discerning and is willing to spend money to send you to study. Why don't you get a merit degree?"
"You are not that kind of guy, and the money for the private school was not paid for by my father, but by my master. The master said that after the Chinese New Year, he would let me help in the shop and learn some skills."
During the conversation, a few people arrived at Caiyi Street. Zhao Xin and others took a look and found that it was indeed very lively. The alley less than 300 meters long was almost full of shops selling clothes, one next to the other. The Qing government was here
There is a clothing bureau here, which mainly contributes clothing materials and ready-made clothes to the palace. It is a government-run high-end ready-made clothes shop.
Zhao Xin and others planned to enter the Garment Bureau's store to have a look. Who knew that when the clerk at the door saw Wang Yuanfang and Wu Siyu dressed in short-sleeved servants' clothes, they immediately stepped forward to stop them and said arrogantly that servants can't go in. Zhao
Xin had no choice but to go inside and take a look around. He found that a mandarin jacket sold inside actually cost 1,800 yuan, which was almost two taels of silver. As for the robe, the price was as high as 2,500 yuan a piece.
"It's so expensive, you're cheating!" Zhao Xin cursed in his heart, turned around and left.
A few people walked around for a long time, and finally bought the required gown, trousers and mandarin jacket in a very elegant-looking tailor shop. Then they bought a hat, belt, satin shoes, purse and socks. In order to make it easier to go out, Zhao Xin gave Liu Siting
He also bought a set of men's clothes. Anyway, he is still rich with fake braids, so women can go out in disguise, as long as the idea comes to mind. Then, he went to a store and bought a fan cover and a finger set.
It is said that in later generations, there were more than 2,000 garment shops and more than 40,000 garment craftsmen in old Shanghai, and about 200,000 people relied on them to make a living, accounting for almost one-tenth of the population of Shanghai at that time. Those who were called Shanghai's "original gang"
Among the tailors and craftsmen in Shanghai, there are actually very few locals in Shanghai, and most of them are Yangzhou people who immigrated to Shanghai in the early days. Therefore, some people think that the so-called "original gang" tailors in Shanghai are "Yang gang" tailors.
Zhao Xin didn't want people to know where he lived, so he declined the store clerk's door-to-door delivery service and asked Lu Shoushan and Wang Yuanfang to go back with two large bags of clothes.
After buying clothes, Guisheng reminded Zhao Xin whether he should buy some jade pendants so that he would look more elegant. So he and Wu Siyu, led by Guisheng, returned the same way and went to the thirteenth room on the east side of Tianning Temple.
Business district.
When they found a jade shop to choose jade pendants, Zhao Xin and Wu Siyu realized that each person had to buy two pieces of jade pendants. It is said that in ancient times, men's jade pendants were divided into two groups, the left and right, and the emphasis was that "the jade must be paired".
In addition to buying a jade pendant, Zhao Xin also bought a white jade bracelet for Director Liu Da to make up for the regret of not being able to go shopping.
Fortunately, Wu Siyu brought a few extra pieces of silver, otherwise Zhao Xin would not have had enough money with him. When paying the bill, Zhao Xin almost said, "Scan the QR code, there is not enough cash!"
What caught Zhao Xin's attention the most in the jade shop was a mutton-fat jade sculpture of Guanyin and a jade ring, but the shop owner asked for a price of seven hundred and thirty taels. Zhao Xin didn't dare to take out the thousand-foot silver bars from Beihai Town, so he had to wait until the evening to tell Shen Jingdan.
Just exchange some money and come back to buy it tomorrow.
After carrying large and small bags home, it was already past four in the afternoon. A group of people took their things and went back to the house to change. Director Liu was quite satisfied with the bracelet. As for the two jade pendants given to her, etc.
I will give it to Hong Tao when I return to Beihai.
At six o'clock in the evening, Shen Jingdan and Lao Huang arrived as promised. Guisheng went out and hired a few carriages, and everyone took the carriages to Liuxiang in the city.
When riding in the car, Zhao Xin specially shared a car with Shen Jingdan, and on the way they talked about wanting to buy a "thin horse". Shen Jingdan knew that most of the people in Beihai Town were Japanese women, and he understood what Zhao Xin and others were doing. He said that tomorrow
Then I went to find a matchmaker. If it was the fastest, I could go see "Shou Ma" to choose a match the day after tomorrow.
"Ah? We have to wait until the day after tomorrow!" Zhao Xin thought he could go see it just by telling him.
Shen Jingdan twirled his beard and said with a smile: "This matter cannot be rushed. I know that Zhao Dong's family does not want to reveal their whereabouts and whereabouts, but you don't know that there are so many families in Yangzhou who raise thin horses. Once this matter spreads, those who I'm afraid Yapo's agent is going to break through the threshold, and you can't even blast him away."
Zhao Xinxin said that I wish they could all come, so that the choice would be wider. His only problem now is that the high-speed official boat he asked his cousin to buy is approved for 24 passengers; considering that the girls are petite, it is estimated that 40 people can sit there Personally, I have no problem. Bringing 40 literate girls back at once, plus a few teachers recruited from another time and space, most of the basic education problems in Beihai Town have been solved.
Thinking of this, he thought about it and told Shen Jingdan his plan.
Shen Jingdan was still smiling at first, but the more he listened, the more outrageous it became, and the more he listened, the more frightened he became. By the end, he was shocked and sweating profusely.
He didn't expect that people like Zhao Xin came to Yangzhou to rob people and take them to Beihai, and the person they robbed was the famous Yangzhou Shou Ma!
"Dong Zhao, you can't do this!" Shen Jingdan had changed from a sitting position to a kneeling position, lying in the carriage car, and begged in a low voice with runny nose and tears: "I am the eighty-year-old member of the Shen family. The whole family of seven has lived in Yangzhou for many years. If you do this, I will be finished!"
Zhao Xin helped Shen Jingdan sit up and explained in a low voice: "This matter will not affect the Shen family. You listen to me first and then decide whether it is okay or not. This is my plan."
The carriage stopped at the entrance of a brothel called "Yuli Pavilion" in Liuxiang. As soon as the carriage stopped, several waiters who had been waiting at the door for a long time came up to them, helped lift the curtains, and waited for the carriage to get off. A waiter had just put the carriage down. The curtain opened, and a handsome young man came out with his head lowered.
"What a handsome young man!" The waiter was admiring in his heart. Unexpectedly, when the man passed by him, a faint scent of a woman wafted through his nose. Looking carefully at the man's walking pace, the waiter suddenly became stupid. This is a woman!
Zhao Xin and others stood at the entrance of Yuli Pavilion, looking around. They saw strings of red lanterns hanging high at the door of every house in Liuxiang, and an endless stream of guests. The sound of singing strings and silk pipes, the tenderness of young women Laughter, the sound of brothel guests drinking and fist-fighting, and laughter coming and going one after another, it's like being in a dreamland.
Liu Sheng, who was on the side, walked over and said with a low smile: "How's it going? I think you're going to cry out."
"Nonsense! How could it be true?" Zhao Xin said, while subconsciously wiping the corners of his mouth with his hand. When he turned to look at Wu Siyu, he saw that the guy was also stunned, with an expression of "It's actually like this".
After Lao Huang got off the car, he saw Shen Jingdan standing in front of the car with a sad look on his face. He quickly walked over and asked in a low voice: "Brother Shen, what's wrong with you? When you got in the car just now, you looked so happy. Yes. Did Mr. Zhao tell you something?"
Shen Jingdan sighed and said in a low voice: "Let's talk about this when we go back tonight." After saying that, he forced a smile and called everyone into the Yuli Pavilion.
As soon as he entered the door, the madam came over and greeted Shen Jingdan with a smile: "Boss Shen, I was just talking to you, and you are here."
While she glanced at Zhao Xin and others, she kept saying: "These old ladies are the distinguished guests from the North you mentioned, right? Oh, they are all so heroic! This old lady is really majestic!"
Liu Sheng curled his lips and said dissatisfied: "I have just turned thirty, how old am I? There is an old man on the left and an old man on the right."
Lao Huang on the side smiled and explained to Liu Sheng: "Yangzhou people are polite. As the saying goes, 'people get old when they go to Yangzhou, but they get young when the boat goes to Guazhou.' Anyone over thirty years old is called an old man."
After hearing this, the madam covered her mouth with a handkerchief and laughed for a while. Then she walked up to Liu Siting, who was disguised as a man, and praised: "This man is really handsome." But then her expression changed and she looked away. Shen Jingdan. Shen Jingdan shook his head gently, signaling to keep quiet.
The madam didn't say anything anymore, and called the waiter beside him to lead Shen Jingdan and others through the house, to the riverside at the back door, and boarded a boat.
Wang Yuanfang was a little cautious. He had never been to Fengyue. Looking at the gorgeous furnishings and furniture in the cabin, he couldn't help but ask: "Dinner on the boat?"
Shen Jingdan smiled and explained: "The food and wine will be prepared in the restaurant and brought over."
"A restaurant?"
Lao Huang smiled and pointed at a sand flying boat behind the painting boat. Zhao Xin and others saw lanterns hung on the boat, seven or eight people were busy on it, and smoke was everywhere. "There was no stove on the painting boat, so the sand flying boat was used instead of the wine boat. There are chefs and firemen on the ship who can cook all kinds of dishes. This sand ship will go with us today. The food and wine will be delivered as soon as they are ready."
"Oh, there's another thing to pay attention to."
Everyone returned to the round table to sit down. Lao Huang and Shen Jingdan took advantage of the absence of the female performer and the accompanying girl to chat with everyone about the story of Yangzhou Fengyue.
Speaking of which, the brothel tradition in Yangzhou mainly comes from Suzhou and Jiangning. Since the Ming Dynasty, the Qinhuai Waterside Pavilion in Jiangning has been the most popular in the world. The name "Little Qinhuai" has been around since the Kangxi period. Since the Qianlong period, this area has become a Qingke It is a place where three kinds of teachings and nine streams, such as Pinghua, female conjuring troupes and painting painters, live together. In some apartments along both sides of the river, there are also many current masters of piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, and famous chefs. Those famous concubines with special skills have since When he was young, he learned pipa, drum board, Kunqu opera, and minor tunes, and was very proficient in it. In addition, he also had to master poetry, painting, piano, chess and other skills, so that he could attract the literati nowadays.
As for the tradition of thin horses, we have to talk about Huizhou merchants. There is a local proverb in Huizhou that "it lasts three and a half years for a couple", which means that Huizhou people will go out to do business when they are sixteen years old. So when a man is twelve years old, three At the age of 10, they had to get married; then they went out to do business, and sometimes it took several years, ten years or even decades before they could return home. In order to meet the physiological needs of a long-term single life, Huizhou merchants spent a lot of money on concubines and prostitutes.
After many local salt merchants in Yangzhou made a fortune, they had to marry seven or eight concubines every year. In order to adapt to this situation, Yangzhou prostitutes ingeniously trained young concubines so that they could grasp the propriety in dealing with others and serve their concubines. Giving in to peers (pronounced Tongchai, meaning peers.) will avoid causing disputes and ensure the peace of the family in the future. After hundreds of years of practice, Yangzhou concubines have become ideal candidates for favors to compete for. The so-called " If you want to marry a younger one, ask for it in Yangzhou." Everyone from north to south knows this.
Having said this, Liu Siting asked curiously: "Boss Shen, how much does this skinny girl cost?"
Shen Jingdan said: "A first-class woman will not cost less than 1,500 taels, and some of the most beautiful women will cost more than 1,000 taels. A second-class woman will cost around 500 taels. As for a third-class woman, it will cost only 1,200 taels." Can. "
After saying that, he glanced at Zhao Xin, the meaning of which was self-evident.
Master Zhao, Mrs. Zhao, if you kidnap all first-class women, Yangzhou city will explode!
Zhao Xinxiao asked: "I don't know what's so special about this class of women, but they actually cost one thousand five hundred taels?"
Just as Old Huang was about to speak, he saw the Madam leading several women with musical instruments into the boat. The first woman stood tall and graceful, wearing light makeup and holding a pair of sandalwood boards in her hands.
"Greetings, gentlemen."
The old bustard led the girls to bow down. For a while, the people in the boat were singing and singing, and the flowers were blooming. Everyone except Shen Huang and Zhao Xin were stunned.
"Everyone, get up." Zhao Xin smiled and raised his hand to signal.
Shen Jingdan saw that Zhao Xin was the only one among the crowd who was very calm, smiling, and showing no stage fright. He couldn't help but secretly sighed: "This man really has the demeanor of a general!"
Little did he know that Zhao Xin used to hang out with a bunch of directors in the entertainment industry and saw too many beauties during dinner. Not to mention the few beauties in front of him, he had also seen ten times more talent shows than this. Besides, after he sold the gold coins and returned to China, he went completely crazy for two weeks.
So, it’s a small scene~~~
Shen Jingdan smiled and said to the woman in plain clothes: "This is Miss Chen Yin'er, right? I heard that Miss Yin'er has learned singing since she was a child, and her voice is as loud as a phoenix. She once worked in several dramas overnight, and even the old performer sighed that she was not like this. "I have heard about his name for a long time, but today I can see his true face." Shen Jingdan met Chen Yin'er when he attended a gathering of literati at Ma's Linglong Mountain Pavilion.
Chen Yin'er bowed slightly and said, "Mr. Shen is too complimentary."
Shen Jingdan smiled and pointed at Zhao Xin and others at the table, and introduced: "These are all wealthy businessmen from the North. I have heard about Miss Yin'er for a long time, so I brought her here to meet her."
Liu Siting curiously looked at Chen Yin'er in front of her eyes, and saw that she was wearing a light green silk shirt, lined with a light willow-yellow dyed light pink bijia. A snow-white pearlescent plain skirt was tied around her waist, diagonally The skirt reflected the delicate green brocade. I couldn't help but praise it: "Your clothes are so beautiful! Where did you buy them?"
Finish the bird! Now everyone can tell that this man with a beautiful face is actually a woman!
During the quiet period, the sandship behind brought the prepared wine and cold fruits. The madam smiled and stepped back, leaving behind the girls and a boatload of guests.
At this time, the boat slowly left the shore, and Shen Jingdan took the opportunity to say: "Please ask Miss Yin'er to sing a song."
The women then found their seats and sat down, forming a half circle around them. The pipa played, Chen Yin'er tapped the sandalwood board, and opened her red lips:
"A glass of wine, people are in the east of the painting hall. Secret appointments are made, whispers are whispered, and the oath of alliance is profound. The clouds and rain are stagnant, and the joy is strong. The sound of Maodian chickens greets each other. In the moment of separation, the people with thrush eyebrows go to the empty mirror. Fragrant dream, when I wake up, the sun in the east is already red."
Zhao Xin and other northerners could not understand much, but they only felt that the singing was clear and melodious and the melody was beautiful. Wu Siyu, Shen and Huang were smiling and tapping their fingers on the table in time with the rhythm.
Chen Yin'er sings the most popular song "Ten Cups of Wine", which has ten arias. It tells the story of a woman who longs for her lover, and the two pledge each other to each other, until Xiao Lang is far away, and her husband never returns; in the end, the woman sees through the world of mortals, and chants yellow songs day and night. court.
That night, the boat sailed all the way to Slender West Lake, allowing Zhao Xin and others to thoroughly appreciate the nightlife of Yangzhou. However, because Director Liu was present, everyone did not dare to be too presumptuous. They just drank, ate and chatted, mainly listening to Shen and Huang talked about Yangzhou's allusions to romance and romance. Following them, the sand flying boat kept delivering the prepared dishes to the painting boat, filling a large table with a dazzling array of dishes.
After everyone had eaten and drank enough, they chatted with the female dancers and watched the night view. It was almost nine o'clock in the evening before they returned to Xiao Qinhuai. Zhao Xin made an appointment with Shen Jingdan and Lao Huang to exchange money to buy antiques tomorrow. Then he said goodbye and went home. From tomorrow on, Zhao Xin and the others will start looking for Yapa to look at the thin horse.