Longevity starts with learning

"How much does this kitchen knife cost?"

Chu Mu weighed a kitchen knife and looked at the vendor in front of him.

The vendor immediately smiled: "Master, you have good taste, this is..."

"Stop talking nonsense, how much does it cost!"

Chu Mu glanced at the vendor who was smiling flatteringly, and his voice became a little heavier.

"My lord, what are you talking about? If you want it, lord, take it. If you want any money, just treat it as a small act of filial piety, my lord..."

Although he said this, the distressed expression on the vendor's face was very clear.

"Say a price, don't worry, your knife won't be in vain."

Chu Mu looked at the kitchen knife in his hand and replied without raising his head.

"Four...no, sir, just give me two silvers."

"Two silvers?"

Chu Mu raised his eyebrows: "It means you sell it to others for four silver coins?"

"My lord, it's not because I sell it expensively. The price of iron on the market has risen to thirty coppers per catty now. There is still wear and tear when making knives. I have to hire someone. I really don't make much money. It's all hard-earned money." !”

"Is iron so expensive now?"

Chu Mu's eyes moved slightly, and he glanced at the billowing smoke still rising on the mountainside. He seemed to say casually: "The iron on the market is so expensive, is there no other way to get it?"

Hearing Chu Mu's words, the vendor's expression changed, he quickly looked around, then got a little closer to Chu Mu, and whispered: "Master, if you can get it, I'll give you this price!"

Chu Mu looked down and saw that the vendor's hand gestures were very clear, one one and five.

"Have eaten half of it, you are a bit evil!"

Chu Mu moved away and threw the kitchen knife on the vendor's table.

"My lord, it's not like you don't know that all the iron in the county is in the hands of a few gentlemen in the county. There is only so much on the market. Even if we take it, we don't dare to get it in our county. It all has to be transported." Go to the next county!”

"This time, people on the road eat horse chews and have to eat them up and down. It's really not profitable."

Chu Mu remained silent, just looking coldly at the chattering vendors.

"Well, sir, if the quantity is large, I will give you twenty. If the quantity is small, I will give you sixteen..."

"Okay, I will come to you if I have news."

Chu Mu patted his armor and didn't wait for the vendor to reply. He turned around and walked away, leaving the vendor alone in a daze, as if he still didn't react for a moment.

"Sure enough, I still have narrow cognition..."

Chu Mu pursed his lips. The conversation with the vendor just now had formed a clear thread in his heart.

There is no doubt that no one is willing to make a loss-making transaction, and no one will knowingly do so regardless of losing money. If so, there must be a reason.

In Qinghe County, the high-ranking men obviously did not lose money.

Even if the county and city take away the bulk, the leftovers will be enough for those gentlemen to eat a lot, and the county and city will take away the bulk, which will also bring about the effect of making things more valuable when they are scarce.

And the gentlemen in the county just paid the price of an order.

The people above eat meat, and the people below naturally drink soup.

What the vendor just said undoubtedly proves this point.

The mines and ironworks are all under inspection and supervision, and it is obvious that they have already had the courage to drink soup by taking advantage of their authority!

And what is certain is that this "drinking soup" is definitely not an exception. Otherwise, the vendor would never dare to say it so easily.

After thinking about it, Chu Mu seemed to understand.

Around the Nanshan Iron Mine, a large network of interests has already been formed in Qinghe County.

Those who eat meat eat meat, and those who drink soup drink soup. The collusion between the upper and lower levels is deeply ingrained.

Obviously, unless there is a big change from the bottom up, this big network is basically impossible to be shaken.

If he wants to slowly climb up in Qinghe County, it is impossible to avoid this big net.

While thinking wildly, it didn't take long for his own house to appear in Chu Mu's field of vision.

As expected, Xu Yuan was already waiting at the entrance of the courtyard.

"Brother Mu, what have you been doing and why did you come back?"

"Walked around the street for a while."

Chu Mu responded casually, took out the key, and opened the locked courtyard door.

"I bought a fish. Brother Mu, you can make braised fish to eat tonight."

"Okay, you go to the kitchen and go get some rice to cook. I'll be here later."

Chu Mu waved his hand, walked directly into the bedroom, put down the books in his arms, took off his armor and sword, and then walked into the kitchen to get busy.

Not long after, three dishes and one soup were placed on the table, and Xu Yuan devoured them as usual, as if he had never eaten in eight lifetimes.

But this time after the meal, Xu Yuan didn't hang around and refused to leave as usual. As soon as he put down his rice bowl, he wiped his mouth and said a few words before rushing out.

"Brother Mu, the corps leader told me to go to his house to help with the work after dinner. I'll go there first."

"Okay, slow down."

Before Chu Mu finished speaking, Xu Yuan rushed out of the door and disappeared.

"This kid..."

Chu Mu shook his head, put down the bowl and chopsticks in his hands, and sat on the chair for a while. Then Chu Mu slowly stood up and simply put away the bowl and chopsticks after the meal. When he left the kitchen again, the sky was completely dark. .

Chu Mu obviously didn't have time to relax yet, so he picked up his schoolbag containing pen, ink, paper and inkstones and went out again in the night.

Chu Mu was naturally familiar with the route to the private school, and did not delay anything on the way. After leaving home, Chu Mu went straight to the private school.

After dinner every night, Mr. Chang from the private school naturally didn't have the energy to accompany Chu Mu alone. Except for the first two days when Mr. Chang was the teacher, Chu Mu was taught by Mr. Chang. After that, he was a disciple of Mr. Chang and taught Chu Mu to read and write.

Although he was a disciple, he was also a student who studied poetry and books since childhood and was ambitious for fame. It was more than enough for him to teach Chu Mu to read and write.

After more than two hours of concentration in one night, Chu Mu got more than 30 new words.

The enlightenment book that Chu Mu had read stumblingly for countless times was obviously much smoother as the number of new words increased.

When Chu Mu walked out of the private school, it was almost curfew.

The alley was dark, and the lanterns of the houses next to it swayed in the wind. Although it added a little light, it also added a little inexplicable horror.

"Hurry up, move quickly!"

In the darkness, the faint voice made Chu Mu subconsciously slow down his pace.

The alley was narrow and connected in all directions. Although it was a little difficult to identify the direction in the darkness, Chu Mu was a person who often walked at night. Soon, Chu Mu locked the direction of the sound.

Chu Mu leaned against the corner of the alley, looking sideways at the frame parked at the door of a yard in the alley, and the figure carrying a wooden box and sack.

In the darkness, the sound of the iron blocks in the sacks colliding was very clear.

Coupled with the bright patrol uniforms...

What is the scene in front of me is undoubtedly very clear...

...