"A woman's opinion!" Luo Tianqiu cursed in his heart, but he didn't say it out loud. The eldest grandmother's natal family also has a powerful squire. And usually she is virtuous in running the house, but now that the situation outside is chaotic, the first priority is to "home"
"It's better to make peace." He only shook his head and said: "Now is the time to win people's hearts. Even if you say you are trying to seal the door, you are not afraid of being a spy for these thieves!"
The eldest grandma thought the same thing, so she had no choice but to sigh angrily. She asked the girl to put the food on the table and ate with him. A box contained eight dishes to go with the wine, and there were six plates of rice. The eldest grandma poured a cup for Luo Tianqiu.
A cup of wine. The wine was bought by the trustee from Guangzhou. Luo Tianqiu liked this kind of pure and sweet shochu very much. It had no odor, and the wine was mellow. It was put in a clear and transparent crystal bottle and looked at it.
It's very comfortable. Grandma also uses this wine to soak medicinal materials.
"There isn't much wine left. I asked the manager to buy it. He said that the wine shop in Guangzhou was closed down by the government. It's getting more and more chaotic these days." When the eldest grandma saw him drinking, she complained again.
Luo Tianqiu smiled: "That wine shop belongs to the thieves, so of course it must be sealed."
"Is it from Kun Thief? Isn't it from an Australian?"
"The thieves are Australians, and the Australians are thieves."
"Oh my God! Isn't the famous Pei Xiuli in Guangzhou just a bitch? But everyone says she is pretty..."
"Well, Australians can be considered a type of Chinese." Luo Tianqiu has been socializing in the county these days. He has heard a lot about the origin of the Kun thieves or the Australians. "They claim to be descendants of the Yashan Mountains of the Song Dynasty. I heard that they start with
A person named Wen is a descendant of Prime Minister Wen."
"Isn't that the Queen of Loyal Ministers?" Grandma said in surprise.
"If they are really descendants of the Yashan Song Dynasty, of course they are all loyal ministers. Following the little emperor who left his family and career across the ocean to go to wild overseas lands, how can he not be a loyal minister?" Luo Tianqiu has listened to many Australians.
After hearing the news about the origin, after a glass of wine, the conversation became more interesting, "It's just that he is a loyal minister of the Song Dynasty and has nothing to do with this dynasty."
"Loyal ministers are always good people..." Grandma didn't read much, she only got the concepts from watching plays and reading novels.
Luo Tianqiu sighed heavily: "The Australians occupied Lingao and are now surrounding Qiongzhou. They have also broken Humen. They will probably attack Guangzhou in a few days! It's best not to come here...
"
Grandma was a bit confused about the fact that the Australians who could make many good things turned out to be the legendary thieves who killed people like hemp and used cannons like thunder to destroy half-demon. She was a little confused about the various things made by the Australians.
I have a great fondness for things, but now I hear that Australians have become thieves who do all kinds of evil again, and I feel very sorry.
"It would be great if the Australians were willing to recruit people. I think the imperial court would just give them the small place in Linhe. The people from Folangji are staying in Haojing."
Luo Tianqiu thought that this was actually an ideal method, but unfortunately the people in power in the court would not agree. He said vaguely: "The thieves came with bad intentions. I'm afraid things are not that simple."
After lunch, the eldest grandma originally asked the concubine to wait for him to rest and take a nap. Luo Tianqiu couldn't sleep: the thief's invasion was imminent, and he had to be fully prepared. Moreover, the autumn harvest had begun, and rent collection and collection were imminent.
Things will be put on the agenda soon. Housework will also have to be dealt with.
"I'd better go to the outer courtyard and take a look first." Luo Tianqiu wiped his face and went to the outer courtyard.
The place where he specializes in handling housekeeping affairs is called "Zhangmao Hall". The doors of the three-bay hall are all open, and there is a bluestone courtyard outside. Several of his housekeepers, stewards and accountants are standing in the hall waiting for his instructions.
Luo Tianqiu, however, did not look at the prepared account books, nor did he ask any questions. He just said: "Go to the rental hospital and have a look!"
The Luo family's rental courtyard is very large. The walls are made of bricks and stones like other courtyards. The walls and gatehouse are very high - this is to prevent enemies from setting fire. The rental courtyard is full of rice, chaff, rice bran and straw.
Things like this can easily be set on fire. A high wall is a necessary precaution. The gatehouse is very thick, with two thick iron gates, which are topped with poles as thick as a bowl. Use an axe, wooden
Sticks cannot be broken open, and there is a small attic above the door. When necessary, servants can climb up and shoot through the perforations. In times of famine, when farmers riot to resist rent or bandits enter the town, the gate is closed on the courtyard wall.
Bows, arrows, and three-eyed guns were on guard, and hundreds of people couldn't rush in.
Not only the rental courtyard, but all the courtyards of the Luo family are built according to this standard. After the gates are closed, the Luo family courtyard is like a city within a city. The various courtyards of the Luo family are connected by passages.
At dawn, when the inner doors in the corridor are opened, they form a whole. After dark, each door is locked, forming a world of its own.
Luo Tianqiu walked through the alley and came to the rental yard. The door of the rental yard was open, and there was a large open space of bricks and stones in the middle, but it was empty at the moment - it was not time to pay the rent yet. There were rows of houses around the yard.
, this is the place where the accountants of the rented courtyard work and live. In the middle is the place where the rent is inspected. There are three open halls with canopies. There are several large scales in front of the door. Various baskets, brooms, and straw bags are piled up.
They are all the same height, and they are all prepared for rent collection.
Luo Tianqiu looked at it and felt that he was quite satisfied. The person doing the work was attentive to his work. He nodded to express his satisfaction and went to the backyard again.
The backyard of the rented courtyard is a warehouse where grain and straw are piled. Each warehouse is very clean. Luo Tianqiu asked how much grain was left in storage last year. He had other accounts in his mind, so he should listen to the manager's report.
He was satisfied when the numbers were roughly consistent with his memory. Luo Tianqiu asked someone to open a warehouse at random, check the numbers to see if the accounts were clear, and see if there were any differences in the type and quality of the grains stored.
He found obvious problems in several of the warehouses. The total amount of grain was correct, but the grain was very aged - he remembered that this batch of grain was not too seriously aged when he inspected it last year. Luo Tianqiu sneered, no need
He said that he was playing Li Daitao's trick again. He glanced at the few people who were following behind him. "A dog can't change its habit of eating shit" suddenly came to his mind. Among these people, who was not?
Some of the people who received his great kindness also had a "love relationship" with him - Sun Yulin, the steward in charge of these warehouses, was originally his bookboy and prostitute. At that time, he doted on this "little Yu'er" very much, and the two of them
They were more intimate than husband and wife. Later, when "Xiao Yu'er" got older, she came out to be a good boy in the grain depot. In less than five years, the originally handsome young man became fat and thick, and he also learned the skills of guarding and stealing.
It’s almost there!
Luo Tianqiu didn't get angry on the spot. He was a vicious and ruthless person, but he never revealed his true thoughts easily. In the past two years, he didn't watch his subordinates as closely as he did in the past - when the water is clear, there are no fish. What's more, the world is gradually changing.
In order to avoid chaos, being too harsh on the servants will only attract the hatred of the villain. If someone has evil intentions and seduce the bandits to act as internal agents, the consequences will be very serious.
He had to settle this matter quietly separately. He made up his mind but just kept silent. Then he went to the west wing of the rented courtyard.
"Master, where are you going and what are you doing? It's dirty and smelly..." the housekeeper asked in surprise.
"Go and have a look." Luo Tianqiu said simply.
The West Branch Courtyard is known as the "Interrogation Center" to the outside world, but it is actually a prison court set up privately by the Luo family. Tenants who cannot pay their rent and those who are in debt will be caught here and tortured and imprisoned.
The gate of the west courtyard was very small and locked. There were several servants sitting at the door holding swords and whistles. When the owner of the house arrived, he quickly opened the closed door. The stewards inside also rushed out to greet him.
The yard was very large, and in the surrounding group rooms there were more than a hundred people who were in debt and were imprisoned. Some were mourning and crying, while others were wailing in pain.
In the middle of the yard, a man with blood dripping from his buttocks and thighs was tied to a torture stool and he was screaming loudly. There were a few cracked bamboo boards on the ground. Two or three shirtless servants were sitting nearby drinking water.
.
Luo Tianqiu originally didn't care about this kind of thing, but now the situation is different. The thief is close at hand, and there are so many people imprisoned in his house. If any family members have bad ideas, they will seduce the thief to attack.
Sanliang City is not easy to deal with.
"What's wrong with this guy?"
"Reply to the master! This is Hao Shengke. He didn't pay the full rent last year. He wrote a "Ganjie" letter, but he still hasn't handed it over this year. He was asked to take his wife to work in the house for a few years to pay off the debt. He said that he had already paid the rent.
My wife is divorced - this is not an obvious deception..." The manager said while cursing fiercely, "Hit me a few times and then pretend to be dead!"
"Sir, I don't dare..." When Hao Sheng saw that it was Mr. Luo who was coming, he was immediately frightened out of his wits. People in the West Branch Courtyard had beaten people to death on the spot with boards, so maybe this Mr. Luo was
His face changed and he wanted to do something cruel. Even if he wasn't beaten to death, he would still be half disabled. Regardless of the pain, he kept whining and begging for mercy: "I didn't mean to resist, it was actually because I got seriously ill last year and was taken away."
It’s a shortfall! I hope I can give you a few more months of grace, and I will definitely pay up the principal with interest..."
"Is it Hao Sheng? Forget it, he has also been an old tenant for several generations." Luo Tianqiu said slowly, "You are treating my mother's illness, which can be regarded as an act of filial piety! Master, I'm just being generous, this meal is considered a filial piety.
I've paid off your old debt." As he spoke, he nuzzled towards the steward, "Take care of him and let him go!"
The steward was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses and quickly called for someone to come over and release the person from the torture bench.
"You're so lucky! I've been very kind today!"
Hao Shengke was stunned until he was put on the ground and kicked by the steward before he came to his senses. He quickly lay on the ground and kowtowed a few times before being taken down.
"All the people in charge of the West Branch Courtyard should be cleared out." Luo Tianqiu ordered the manager, "Let go of all those who are not serious."