Zhu An always sleeps in the courtyard of the study. It's not that he hates seeing his wife - his wife has been dead for many years - but because he wants to deal with things more conveniently, he stays in the study until late every day. Look.
His main daily job is to write letters to out-of-town customers and clerks, especially the accounts sent by shopkeepers who have to calculate them personally - to see if anyone has made any omissions or worse embezzlement.
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Mr. Zhu is hardly a generous boss when it comes to his subordinates. He just provides them with food to eat, money to buy clothes, and money to take a shower. Therefore, most of his employees come from the poorest areas in Guangdong.
People there almost don't need to be paid, and they only need food to eat. As for what the workers' families will live on, and how they will support their wives and children, he has never considered it.
As a result, things like mischief by the guys in the shop often happened. Unfortunately, no one could compare with Mr. Zhu’s shrewdness. No matter how good he was at making fake accounts, he could still see the clues, let alone
It is said that he has an extremely accurate eye for reading people. If any waiter or shopkeeper's eyes suddenly make him suspicious, he will pack up and get out. So for decades, no one has been able to take advantage of him.
This morning, Mr. Zhu woke up very early as usual. It was his old habit to get up at dawn, not to mention that the recent battle with Huanan was in full swing, and he was not very restful in his sleep. In order to prevent Huanan from using extreme measures to deal with him, he
The number of watchmen and servants keeping watch around the house has doubled.
His body moved together, and the concubine sleeping next to him also woke up. The woman sleeping next to him was not just for pleasure, but purely for convenience when sleeping at night and getting up in the morning. Zhu Sanye is not like other people
Rich people covet women so much that they keep many maids and concubines at home. He often says: Women are a burden - not only physically but also financially.
Qiu Han is still serving him today. Because of Gu Dachun's relationship, Qiu Han's value in Zhu Sanye's house has increased. The good thing about serving the master this time is more likely to fall on her.
Qiu Han quickly got up and put on her clothes, hurriedly washed up in the outer room, and returned to the bedroom, already dressed neatly, and said softly: "Master, won't you sleep for a while?"
"No more sleep!"
This conversation happens every day as usual.
Qiu Han took a thin jacket and put it on him, pushed him to sit on the edge of the bed, helped him put on his socks, overalls, and shoes, and then pulled him to stand up, tie his trousers, and put on his robe.
Then she combed her hair and put it into a bun.
Suddenly, there was a scream outside, followed by the sound of a copper basin falling to the ground. Mr. Zhu frowned. Qiu Han quickly put down his comb and went out to take a look.
After a while, Qiu Han came back in a panic.
"Sir! There are many boxes under the eaves of the study room!"
"Box?" Mr. Zhu didn't understand for a moment, but there was something fishy for sure. He walked out of the bedroom and saw eleven wooden boxes neatly placed under the eaves in front of his study room.
His heart suddenly tightened. Zhu Sanye clearly remembered that there were no such things last night. Where did they come from?
"Open!" he ordered, and the servant who had already arrived stepped forward and opened a box. The servant suddenly trembled all over and almost threw the box out. He quickly put it down and said in a trembling voice:
"Master, it's a human head!"
A woman's scream immediately sounded in the yard.
"What are you calling? Let them all go out!" Mr. Zhu waved his hand impatiently and walked over.
In the box, there was a complete human head preserved with lime. The blood was still very fresh, so it should have been cut off not long ago. Mr. Zhu had never seen this person before. What did it mean? He didn't understand.
The boxes were opened one by one, and they were all full of heads. Suddenly his heart almost stopped beating. He clearly recognized the half-burnt head of Qiu Han's brother Gu Dachun, with half-closed eyes.
He turned back to Qiu Han who was huddled behind and said, "Come and take a look!"
"I dare not look at this slave—"
"Come here quickly!" he yelled impatiently.
Qiu Han fainted when she first saw her brother's head. After she regained consciousness, she cried loudly and crawled to Mr. Zhu's feet, asking him to avenge her brother.
As for the other heads, Qiu Han also recognized them one by one. These were the backbones of the Gu family's pirate gang, and they were all related to each other.
Qiu Han cried until she fainted again, and Mr. Zhu had no intention of taking care of her anymore. He was shrouded in a chill, slumped down in the chair in the study, and could not stand up for a long time.
With all these heads appearing here, you can tell what happened: the Gu family pirates have all been wiped out. The second thing is, who can escape the night watchman and watchman overnight without being noticed?
, and neatly placed eleven wooden boxes containing heads under the eaves of his study room?
This kind of cold and precise behavior shows how confident the masterminds behind the scenes are. They don't pay attention to his servants at all. And they know his every move very clearly. They operate in the middle of the night and sneak away quietly.
He overcame all the guards and accurately found one of the many courtyards in the darkness. This reality alone was enough to make his whole body shiver.
This is a cold and realistic threat, but also a warning - South China has no way to deal with him. But he is already at the end of his rope.
On the same day that Bei Wei took people to "give gifts" to Zhu An, Wen Tong began to attack various shops in Haiyitang. Liao Daxing took gifts and entourage to Hai'an Street and visited each candy shop one by one.
, send a six-color water gift.
This is the first time that South China Sugar Store has made a public appearance on Hai'an Street. Although Liao Daxing's greeting cards were delivered, most of them politely said that the owner was out of the way, but no one refused to accept the gift. There were also a few who accepted it.
They exchanged a few polite words with each other before sending them out the door.
This test confirmed the inference of Chen Tianxiong and others - the attitude of most merchants in Haiyitang has relaxed. As soon as the news of Gu Dachun's annihilation at sea came out, Zhu Sanye's reputation in Hai'an Street was greatly reduced.
It will plummet. These sugar shops in Haiyi Sugar have changed their stance in the past few days.
The anecdote about the eleven heads in Zhuzhai is being spread in every teahouse in Xuwen, and the people who tell it are lively and embellished, and they are listened to with gusto. Although Haiyitang came forward to announce that every teahouse on Hai'an Street needs the shopkeepers to stop it.
The guests continued to tell these things, but after all, Haiyi Tang was not a government official, so people listened to what they said and listened to.
A dull and tense atmosphere pervades Hai'an Street. What is incompatible with this atmosphere is that the proprietors, shopkeepers and managers of various sugar shops are actually inviting each other to watch plays, banquets and wine every day. Everyone is here.
On such occasions, they discussed each other nervously in private and exchanged opinions.
It is rare to see Mr. Zhu Sanye, the backbone of Haiyi Hall, on such occasions. Because he is "sick". As for what the illness is, Zhu Di is very tight-lipped. Even if he is not "sick", it will be difficult for him to get over it.
The persuasiveness is gone. People's hearts are broken! This is something everyone in Haiyitang knows: nearly two-thirds of the crushing season has passed, but his sugar warehouse is empty, and South China does not look like it will collapse at all.
, their ships are still entering and exiting Hai'an Port, transporting sugar continuously. Seeing that the number of sugarcane farmers selling sugar is decreasing, everyone is inevitably panicking. The consensus reached by everyone is that this stalemate cannot continue.
"Master," Wen Qing greeted Chen Tianxiong and Wen Tong, who were "playing a game of chess after dinner," saying, "There is someone outside asking to see you. It was Boss Zhu from Dachang Rice Shop who brought him. May I ask for your permission? Do you want to see me or not?"
"Chen Tianxiong was thinking hard about how to play the game, and he hesitated to let go of a "horse" in his hand.
"Who? Didn't you ask clearly?"
"It's because I came from Hai Yi Tang——"
"Do you want to meet?" Wen Tong asked.
"There is no reason. Just ask him to come in."
Zhou Shizhai, who was "watching the chess without saying a word", said: "Be careful, it's already dark, just in case..."
"Don't worry," Chen Tianxiong said, "Master Zhu doesn't have the guts to do this." He smiled, "Besides, with your brother here, what should we be afraid of!"
The visitor was wearing traveling clothes and a bamboo hat, seemingly deliberately hiding his face. When he took off the bamboo hat, Chen Tianxiong nodded.
"Boss Feng, I'm here late at night. What do you have to say?"
"Don't dare!" The person who came was none other than Feng Guangfeng, the owner of "Richang Ji". Hearing the stranger in front of him call out his name, he couldn't help but be shocked, "Yes, the young one is Feng Guangfeng." He cupped his hands and bowed, "
Is this Shopkeeper Wen?"
"This is the shopkeeper, I'm just a small copywriter below." Chen Tianxiong said.
They met twice. Chen Tianxiong didn't want the other party to remember him too clearly, so he didn't even say his name and deliberately sat in a place with dim lighting.
"Two shopkeepers!" Feng Guangfeng spoke very sincerely, "This time there was a misunderstanding between Huanan and Haiyitang. Haiyitang has offended many times. This time, I came here specifically to apologize."
Comrade Wen said, "Our sugar industry is one family, and we are not divided into north, south, west and east. From now on, I will ask my brother to give you guidance and care everywhere."
"It's easy to talk," Feng Guangfeng said, "I'm here this time..."
"Wait a minute," Chen Tianxiong said, "Does Boss Feng come here to represent 'Richang Ji' or 'Hai Yi Tang'?"
There was such a big deal in these words that Feng Guangfeng did not dare to answer casually. He said after a moment of delay, "Of course it's Hai Yi Tang!"
"So, Hai Yitang knows you are here?"
"I don't know everything -" Feng Guangfeng quickly explained, "but everyone in Haiyi Hall is probably happy to see me here."