Emperor Ming Dynasty

In the end, Gao He still didn't stay overnight and he refused with difficulty.

It's not that they look down on this group of women, after all, they are well-trained in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, they are sensible and obedient, and they have many postures, much better than those ladies.

But he will be engaged to the Zeng family, and he went to the brothel with his brother-in-law the day before, so what's the news?
You must know that among some nobles, Gao Xi's reputation is excellent.

After rejecting it several times, in the end, the eldest brother Zeng Yucheng seemed to say casually: "Gao Dalang might as well go to Liulichang to have a look, I heard there are some new things there..."

Gao Yun's heart moved, he immediately went out of the building and boarded the carriage.

"Go to Liulichang for a stroll!"

The busiest place in Beijing is Chongwenmen, which is not only the water gate, but also the station, and it is also a place where all kinds of people come and go.

Therefore, Liulichang, which is more elegant, has become a suitable place.

At the same time, it is also the place with the most novelties.

Like a chime bell, the variety here is the most complete.

There are also all kinds of strange things, from Tianzhu, Japan, Korea, Xiyi, everything inclusive.

In fact, nobles are also willing to visit Liulichang.

Because Shaowu's meritorious officials are a bit worse than those former nobles, both in terms of etiquette and background.

So when I have spare money in hand, I like to come to Liulichang to buy some famous antique paintings, firstly to be more elegant, and secondly to supplement family wealth.

Whether it's welcoming guests or giving gifts, it looks generous.

After all, it's impossible to send money when you meet someone, right?
For these powerful nobles, Liulichang didn't dare to mess around at all, most of them were genuine goods at a fair price.

After arriving at Liulichang, even at night, it is crowded with people. All kinds of glass have become common here, which makes Liulichang worthy of its name.

With the increase of exchanges, the goods coming from Europe to Daming also increased, especially the existence of the East India Company, which has been acting as a transit point.

Silk, herbs, aloe vera, musk, garcinia, white rattan, sandalwood, Olmi red clay, Bengal saltpeter, etc.

It is basically a novelty, a small category of products, and there are very few products that are widely popular like silk porcelain.

Even the relatively cheap Indian cotton cloth is despised by ordinary middle-class people, and only the poor have to buy it for heating.

After all, cheap.

Gao He didn't hang out on the street, but came to the foreign goods street.

Known for its novelty, it is the favorite place for many young people to come and play.

Sure enough, as soon as he entered the street, he heard the sound of selling.

"Do not miss passing through."

"Fine gems, rubies, sapphires, these are much more beautiful than emeralds!"

"Young masters and ladies, don't miss it!"

After a few shouts, it really attracted a lot of people.

The door was open, and several huge gemstones were placed in the lobby, while the guards at the door stopped the crowd, their eyes rolled around, and they were screening customers.

People rely on clothes and horses rely on saddles. Without a suit of bright and decent clothes, there is no way to get in.

The shopkeeper is also a human being, standing aside and smiling, when he meets someone he knows, he immediately greets him and invites him in.

After a while, 20 people entered the second floor.

Obviously, this has already been agreed upon.

Gao Yun's heart moved, and he also stepped in.

The first floor is just fake antiques, while the second floor is full of collections, and those gems are covered in glass cabinets for people to watch.

At a glance, there are no less than a dozen of them, but they are all small.

"Everyone, this gem was collected from the Xiyi people. If you are interested, please enter the house and discuss it in detail."

Obviously the real good stuff is still hidden!
Gao Yun wanted to scold and use his status to suppress others, but suddenly remembered that this was the shop of the Imperial Merchant, no wonder he had such a big gesture.

Among this group of men and women, there are some little nobles or officials' children who are not familiar with him, after all, they are not on the same level.

Suddenly, there was a crisp laughter from the stairs.

"Miss, the ruby ​​here is very festive. I heard that it is the size of an egg. The shopkeeper specially came to contact me. Ordinary people can't get it..."

The maid's voice was crisp.

"Hmm!" A little excited voice sounded immediately, and the words were full of expectation: "Is it really that big?"

There is a trace of clarity in the childishness, and she is a lively woman.

Sure enough, one master and one servant went up to the second floor.

"Miss Zeng, it's been prepared for you a long time ago, just take a look!"

The job of the shopkeeper requires an invitation letter to invite the master and servants inside.

Gao He fixed his eyes and his eyes lit up.

The woman in front of her was twenty-eight years old, wearing gold hairpins on her head, oval face, almond eyes, a small face that was extremely delicate, and the corners of her mouth were slightly pursed, revealing a bit of liveliness.

Whether it's body shape or appearance, they are all first-class candidates.

Especially the very different and ordinary lady's personality made him feel novel.

After entering the pavilion, the maid said in a low voice: "Miss, that young man outside just now was so rude, he was staring at you!"

"I must have been dazzled by you."

"Hee hee, of course." Zeng Silan didn't think so, instead she covered her mouth with a smirk and said, "However, she looks pretty good and has a good manner, so she must be a son of everyone."

"Miss, he can't be Mr. Gao?"

"Which Mr. Gao?"

"He is the eldest son of Duke Jing's mansion!"

"Ah?" Zeng Silan was taken aback for a moment, then frowned: "It should be him, but it didn't disappoint."

After saying that, he packed up his mood and looked at the ruby ​​wholeheartedly.

After a while, after spending three to five thousand silver dollars to buy a rare ruby, Zeng Silan's master and servant went downstairs directly without seeing Gao He again.

However, both of them have a bottom line in their hearts, so they won't marry blindly.

After Gao He knew that Zeng's daughter liked gems, he didn't hesitate and bought a big sapphire directly.

"Send it to Duke Jing's mansion later."

After leaving a word, he left happily.

Excitedly, I accidentally bumped into two scholars.

"I'm sorry!" Gao Yun bowed his hands, and left quickly after the other party returned the salute.

"So arrogant."

Brothers Zhu Li and Zhu Fang were bumped, seeing such a noble son, younger brother Zhu Fang couldn't help but said: "It must be that noble son, relying on the power of his father and brother, to act recklessly in Beijing."

"Okay." Zhu Li passed the Juren examination, and his mentality has matured a lot. He said indifferently: "I must have something urgent, and he didn't get hurt, that's all."

With that said, the two came to a place where red coral was bought and sold.

The red coral, about five feet high, is pleasing to the eye.

Five hundred silver dollars, he paid in the blink of an eye.

"Brother, what are you doing with such an expensive gift? Isn't it the Imperial College? Who would bully us with our father around?"

Zhu Fang couldn't help muttering.

"Bullshit." Zhu Li couldn't help but want to knock his brother's head open, wondering what was inside.

"Is this something you can yell at will?"

"You are a scholar who enters the Imperial College, so you have to follow the rules and give gifts to be safe."

"Remember, study hard, and you must pass the provincial examination next year!"

Although Zhu Li was talking about the provincial examination, thoughts about the examination next year emerged in his mind.

Can he hit it?

The emperor will definitely not interfere, and he can only breathe a sigh of relief when he arrives at the palace examination.

……

Zhao Xiaowu plugged the door panel wearily, it was already dark, and the moon in the sky was about to slant to the west.

"Come on, hurry up."

He glanced at the chime clock and couldn't help muttering.

"what is this."

The shopkeeper smiled brightly: "Only the inner city has a curfew. We are in the outer city. We should keep to ourselves and nothing will happen."

"Uncle, then I'm leaving."

Zhao Xiaowu rubbed his eyes, exhausted.

"Go back and rest!"

The shopkeeper took out a penny from his pocket: "Take it for supper, don't talk nonsense."

"Yes!" His eyes lit up.

You know, his monthly money is only five cents, which is enough for him to eat supper for ten days.

At the end of the alley, there is a small shop with three or five tables. The mutton soup is boiled on the street, and the fragrance is overflowing.

"A bowl of mutton soup and two pancakes."

Feeling the penny in his arms, he resolutely said: "Two taels of beef sauce."

"okay!"

The female shopkeeper quickly responded, wearing a cloth skirt and wooden hairpin, her round buttocks are eye-catching, and the back full of style is something that many diners would not let go.

The other man was cooking soup, making cakes and vegetables, and the sound of chopping meat with a kitchen knife made many diners shiver.

Some of the people who eat here in the middle of the night are guys who just got off work, some are domestic servants of wealthy families, and some are busy unloading goods and doing manual labor.

They all belong to the point where they have a little money and can indulge in luxury occasionally.

Yes, it is luxury.

A bowl of mutton soup costs five renminbi, and a flatbread costs two renminbi. Ordinary people can’t get enough for every two or three flatbreads.

In other words, ten pennies is a must to come here.

Although an ordinary Lifu can earn fifty yuan a day, but with the heavy responsibility of supporting his family, he can only spend a little extravagance when he fills his stomach.

By the way, pass the eye addiction.

Zhao Xiaowu is not the case. Although he is tempted by the proprietress, he prefers the little girl to be his mother-in-law.

"Little Fifth Brother, thirty Wen."

The 15-year-old girl, wearing an apron, has a rather delicate face without makeup. The slapped face, round ears, and bulging breasts make people feel hot.

"Give!"

Zhao Xiaowu took out thirty Wen coins from his pocket, full of reluctance.

But when I thought about earning a hundred coins today, I felt nothing.

"Little Fifth Brother, how can you save money if you eat like this every day!"

The little girl muttered, counting the money and giving a lesson.

Zhao Xiaowu didn't dare to talk back, he just agreed with a smirk.

At this time, the diners next to him couldn't help laughing and said: "Xiao He, why are you worried that Xiao Wu won't be able to get the bride price?"

"Don't worry, my uncle is a shopkeeper, so there is still money to marry a wife."

Xiao He blushed in embarrassment, but she was a girl from the market, so she couldn't help but retorted: "That's right, if you want to marry this girl, you don't have to spend a lot of money."

"Okay!" The proprietress came over, watched Xiao Wu order the sauced beef, brushed her hair, and said with a smile, "I heard that Yixin Pavilion has attracted a lot of customers today, so it must be rich."

"I don't know." Zhao Xiaowu said with a silly smile, "I'm just a buddy."

At this moment, two stinking men came over.

"Miss Boss, serve me two bowls of mutton soup, six sheets of cakes, and a pound of cooked mutton."

The leader was so proud that he took out a piece of silver from his pocket and put it on the table.

Other diners covered their noses with disgust on their faces.

The landlady came over and quickly put away the money: "Sheep soup is five cents, cake is two cents, and beef is fifty cents per catty, totaling 72 cents."

"Come on, our brothers are starving to death."

Zhao Xiaowu also covered his nose, but he didn't dare to say anything.

Because they take care of Ye Xiang.

Often in the middle of the night, when the sky is about to dawn, Yexiang is poured away, so the whole body is full of stench and foul smell.

As time soaks, this smell gets stronger and stronger, and it can't be washed off at all.

Even the scented soap on the market is useless, it can still be smelled, it seems that it has penetrated into the bone marrow.

Although many despise their people, no one dares to bully them.

Although the existence of the Yexiang Guild will exploit their money, it also safeguards their interests and safety.

There are millions of people in Beijing, and more than [-] people clean up Yexiang every day.

"Hey, everyone hates us, but they can't leave us."

The leading man sneered and said, "Without us, this city of Beijing is just a cesspool!"

"Yes." The other person looked displeased: "Poor laborers, earning less money than us, working hard every day, will die early."

Here, Zhao Wu was eating mutton soup, then called Xiao He over, stuffed a piece of mutton into her small mouth, and then took out a piece.

"What is this? Why is it so fragrant?"

Xiao He chewed the meat, her eyes widened, looking at the fragrant thing in front of her, she was very curious.

"This is fragrant pancake, and it costs a dime a piece."

Zhao Xiaowu swallowed his saliva, and said nervously: "Use this to wash your hands, it smells very fragrant and can last a whole day..."

"Hmm!" Xiao He lowered her head, took the incense sticks, and then threw a sachet to him: "There are spices in it, which can kill mosquitoes."

Zhao Xiaowu smirked.

Here, watching the woman come back with something, the woman wondered, "What is this?"

"Scented pancakes are very expensive, and they smell delicious."

The boss chopped the bones and said with a smile: "I've heard people say that this thing is really expensive, and those dignitaries like to use it."

"Zhao Xiaowu has a conscience."

The couple smiled knowingly.

The two of them were originally canal boatmen. With the rise of sea transportation and the bigger and bigger boats, these small boatmen couldn't compete at all, so they could only open a mutton restaurant with their skills.

In this way, it was An Sheng.

Saved a lot of money.

"Zhao Xiaowu's family is not bad. Your father and I have saved a lot of dowry, so I won't embarrass you."

The man smiled: "I will marry you in a good manner."

"Father, what are you talking about!"

At this time, Xiao He was really shy.

The next day, at dawn, the mutton restaurant had just closed.

There are also many people who drink mutton soup in the morning.

Zhao Xiaowu held the sachet and was absent-minded all day long.

When the shopkeeper saw it, he immediately knew that his nephew was Sichun.

"Is it the Zhang Mutton Restaurant? That girl looks pretty."

"At that time, I'll give you a chime bell with dragon and phoenix in harmony, so that you can have a good time!"

"Thank you uncle!" Zhao Xiaowu smiled happily.

At that time, you can come home to get married on an iron horse, or let your parents come to the capital as iron horses.

very fast.

What a happy day!
It's just that I don't know when I can buy a house in Beijing...

(End of this chapter)