Promotion and fortune in Song Dynasty

Although not as prosperous as the capital Kaifeng, Mizhou, as one of the important ports for waterway trade and transportation, is also a place of lights for thousands of families.

Mizhou City imitated Bianjing's practice. The streets and alleys are full of tables, chairs and benches, and there are many buildings, many of which are three or four stories high.

There are many citizens opening shops with broken walls. The curfew has been abolished early, and the smoke and fireworks are lingering.

The wooden tub with clean clothes was taken away by Zhong Yuan, and Lu Ci, who was empty-handed and lightly dressed, only had to lead Zhu Shuo, who couldn't catch his eye, to follow him leisurely, walking through the streets with ease.

For Zhu Shuo, who has made up his mind not to rely on his adoptive father's family resources after learning of his own life experience, but to be self-reliant and go out to study alone, the most amazing thing for him is neither the novelty of the market, nor the constant stream of people. It's not the amazing camel caravan, but Lu Ci's unimaginable popularity.

It is not an exaggeration to say that basically every three or five steps taken, there will be enthusiastic vendors or passers-by calling "Lu Lang" intimately and pleasantly, and some even leave customers behind just to stop Lu Ci. Say a few pleasantries.

Seeing that Lu Ci was about to leave, they grabbed something from their stall and forced it on Lu Ci.

Whenever Lu Ci was at this time, he would openly open his hands to them, expressing that even if his kindness was hard to give up, there was no room for him to pretend.

The other party looked him up and down unwillingly, confirming that this was the case, so he had no choice but to give up.

Although Zhong Yuan was a little impatient, he still waited quietly at a distance of ten steps away, watching that the bamboo horse who even went to the street was as beautiful as the prime minister on tour, dealt with others with ease.

Only when out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Zhu Shuo who was in a daze and was almost knocked away by the crowd, he took a few strides forward, frowned and grabbed Zhu Shuo's arm: "Hey, why are you running? Although you are so big I'm afraid the kidnapper will look down on him, but if he stays in a daze for a while, he might be squeezed out of the city."

This is the time when the market alternates between noon and evening, and the market couldn't be more busy. Zhu said that with his thin arms and legs, he naturally couldn't reassure Zhong Yuan.

Zhu said that he came back to his senses, and hurriedly thanked Zhong Yuan, who looked fierce but warm-hearted, and then looked at Lu Ci, who had only walked a few steps, but was held back by several people again, and said with emotion: "Brother Lu, every time Back on the street, is it always like this..." The stars are holding the moon?

When he was in the academy, he often saw Lu Ci being surrounded by his classmates coming in and out, but the students were more or less reserved, not as straightforward as this.

Zhu said that he was both emotional and puzzled in his heart, but Zhong Yuan, who had long been accustomed to this, raised the corners of his lips slightly, and said with a bit of schadenfreude: "That's not the case. It's just that he hasn't been on the street for a long time, so he guessed something bad." For a small battle, I usually choose other times to go to the perfume store. Today, I can only blame him for falling into the trap."

Although Zhong Yuan didn't say it directly, Zhu said it is not difficult to understand, the only variable is him.

When Lu Ci finally sent them away and caught up with the two of them again, Zhong Yuan said happily, "It's thanks to me holding this wooden basin for you, otherwise, within ten steps, this bathtub might become a fruit basin."

Regarding Zhong Yuan's ridicule, Lu Ci only smiled and cupped his hands: "Thank you, Brother Zhong. I just kept you two waiting for a long time, I am really sorry."

In the next half of the journey, I didn't know whether to say whether it was good luck or not. Finally, I didn't meet many people I knew, and soon I arrived at Yutang Lane, looking at the "perfume" of different sizes, old and new, hanging on the door. okay.

Lu Ci went straight to one of the shops, but he was not in a hurry to pay the fee to the shop owner, and he reached out to stop Zhu who was rushing to pay for the three of them, and said, "Wait a minute."

Zhu said in surprise, "Is there anyone else who wants to join us?"

Lu Ci: "That's not true."

As soon as he finished speaking, he smiled slightly at the entrance of the alley. Zhu Shuo couldn't help turning around to look, and saw a half-grown boy hurriedly running not far away, calling happily: "Lu Lang, I saw you!"

While speaking, he very naturally put the string of copper coins that he had been clutching in his hand into Lu Ci's hand, which made Zhu Shuo's eyes widen in surprise.

Along the way, Lu Ci was given anything, but no one gave coins directly.

What Zhu said was even more unbelievable was that Lu Ci, who declined everyone's gift, accepted it this time!

Lu Ci didn't count them in detail, he weighed them without any traces, and then lightly gathered the string of copper coins, which was hundreds of pieces at least, into his sleeve, and took them all.

Seeing the other party showing a slight look of embarrassment, Lu Ci smiled and asked, "Have you encountered any trouble recently? You can tell me."

The man breathed a sigh of relief, and said angrily: "To be honest, there is one problem. There are several bathhouses in the south of the city, led by Xiangxiangtang, and they recently joined forces to drive us out, just to take over the soap ball sellers. That little business."

Lu Ci pondered for a moment: "Leave this matter to me, and you don't need to worry about it. During this time, don't go south of the city, only in the east of the city."

The man was taken aback for a moment, he was still furious just now, but now he calmed down: "There are only a few houses in the south of the city making trouble, the others didn't participate, don't they go?"

Lu Ci nodded, only whispered a few more words, and finally said: "If there is no turning point within a month, you might as well come find me again."

That person went away in peace.

After watching him leave, Lu Ci returned to Zhu Shuo and Zhong Yuan: "Let's go too."

Zhu said he endured it and endured it, but finally asked, "That was just now?"

Lu Ci explained: "They are all the lords of the nearby shopkeepers, and they are usually wandering around, so I gave them a recipe for soap balls, and discussed with some people in the bathhouse, allowing them to sell them outside the bathhouse. However, they insisted on giving me [-]% of the profit, and it was settled every month, which happened to be this time."

Zhu said that he was completely at ease now: "So that's how it is."

That group of people didn't seem like a good person, Zhu said he wanted to persuade Lu Cimo to get in touch with them more, but he thought it was too easy to talk to them, so he held back for now.

And looking at Lu Ci's long-sleeved and good dancers in this place where fish and dragons are mixed, Zhu said that he more or less understood the reason why the other party was so popular.

Zhong Yuan folded his arms, leaning leisurely on the door frame, raised his eyebrows when he saw this, and didn't add anything to the outsiders who Zhu said he didn't know well——Lu Ci just said that those people were "loitering and doing nothing." ', in fact, is still a euphemism.It's just that some schools don't go to school at all, and they think that they are some kind of hero after tattooing some fangs and claws on their delicate skin and tender flesh. As a result, they cause troubles for their parents internally, and do harm to the surrounding shops externally. Just mess around.

The group of friends who made friends with Zhong Yuan, although there are many unlearned and incompetent, but with the ambition of serving the army and boosting the country's prestige, it is natural to look down on that group of people.

I don't know how Lu Ci handled it, so that those wicked young men would listen to him, and thus got a simple livelihood of making homemade soap balls and selling them around the streets. Of course, there is no need to be so angry by these hobs. The merchant is gone.

For Lu Ci, it not only opened up some small contacts, made the streets peaceful, but also protected Lu's mother from possible harassment, and he also had a small income. It's worth a little effort to preserve the status quo.

Lu Ci blocked Zhu's words with the phrase "Guess as you like", and handed over thirty copper coins enough for three people to take a bath. bath service.

The owner of the store, surnamed Lu, smiled and pushed five pieces back, jokingly said: "Lu Lang only came to my place for a wash in half a month, and he went to other places for the rest of the time. It's so rare, how can I accept it from you? Guaranteed." I hope you are not the only one here."

For this kindness, Lu Ci did not refuse, and said with a smile: "Thank you, Uncle Lu, then I will not be polite. The brother Zhu I brought this time has only come to Mizhou not long ago. He is shy and introverted, but he is kind. Yes, if Uncle Lu sees him in the city, please take care of him."

Uncle Lu agreed immediately.

Lu Ci had a good chat with him for a while, and then he went to Tangchi calmly.

And those scrubbers who were born five or three times and whose arms were full of tendons had already received the store manager's instructions, and specially gave Lu Langjun's two friends the preferential treatment of jumping in the line, and went straight to them.

When taking a bath, he was not lazy at all, and he really used [-]% ingenuity.

Lu Ci soaked comfortably in the hot water, and smiled to see Zhong Yuan, who is usually majestic and majestic, just like a frightened little chick, naked and rubbed by a strong man on a wooden board, his face turned red. Under the skin, it was painful, numb, and comfortable. I wanted to scream but was afraid of losing face, so I had to endure it with difficulty.

Zhu said to Lu Ci who had given extra instructions, the other back wiper was more polite, so as not to break the small arms and thin legs, and slowly slammed it again and again, but just like this, let me remember things Zhu, who had never been in a public bathhouse before, said that his face was red and he was very embarrassed.

In contrast, the person who rubbed Lu Ci's back was so gentle and careful that he was afraid that if he didn't pay attention, he would hurt the flesh and blood of this white jade carving.

When Zhong Yuan, who was so exhausted that he seemed to have peeled off his skin, and Zhu Yue, who was so ashamed that he was about to bleed, came out of the hot soup pool one after the other, and what they saw was sitting in the small teahouse set up in front of the perfume shop. While sipping tea refreshedly, holding a book to read at the same time, it was finally time to wait for their Lu Ci by the way.

They were all ordinary white robes, but they seemed to be a little different when they were worn on Lu Ci's body.

Others rely on their clothes, but his clothes are supported by others. Even if the house is very poor, with such a handsome and handsome young man with handsome eyes, it is as if the whole person is shining, and he is naturally attracted. It has attracted the admiring eyes of countless people in the past.

Zhu said that he accepted Lu Ci's half-soft and half-hard invitation temporarily. Even if he knew that he would stay overnight, he only planned to sleep with his clothes on and didn't plan to take a bath. Apart from bringing a small amount of money, of course he didn't plan to change clothes.

Fortunately, the size of the old clothes that Lu Ci wore two years ago is still suitable for his body, and because Lu's mother is diligent, she washed them clean and kept them, so they can be taken out for him to wear temporarily.

"Come out?"

Out of the corner of Lu Ci's eyes, he stayed at the entrance of the bathroom, and he noticed them as soon as they appeared.

Lu Ci said this in a lazily voice, and then he put down a few pages of miscellaneous books without haste, and pretended not to see Zhong Yuan's flaming eyes, and raised his delicate pointed jaw, motioning for Zhu to say Look towards the innermost and widest wall.

"There are poems on the wall here?"

Zhu said that he was aroused, and even forgot the little embarrassment just now, so he moved closer and looked at each of them one by one.

The author has something to say: Notes:

1. Since the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty, the closed market system has collapsed and been replaced by an open street market system. Merchants have set up shops and stalls along the street (Yi Zhongtian Chinese History, Great Song Innovation, p94-96).The curfew was also abolished in the Song Dynasty. The night market is generally open until the third shift, and the morning market is open at the fifth shift. There may be a ghost market (black market) during this period.

2. The Mohele mentioned in the previous chapter was the most popular clay doll in the Song Dynasty ("Mohele" was originally a corrupted pronunciation of the Sanskrit "Mahuluo", and was borrowed by the Song people to name the clay doll for some reason), just like A modern Barbie doll is pretty much the same.The well-made Mohele not only has a lifelike figure, hands, feet, face, and hair, but also comes with beautiful miniature costumes, and even has a built-in mechanical version (which can move by itself).Children in the Song Dynasty liked to imitate the appearance of "Mohele". When adults praised a child for being cute and charming, they would also say that "it looks like a 'Mohele'".Of course it's not cheap anymore. ("Song: The Dawn of Modern Times")

3. Regarding the composition of the Maritime Silk Road, it comes from the map in "The Flow of Chinese Thought and Religion" by Takeshi Kojima.Mainly Dengzhou, Mizhou, Haizhou, Xiuzhou, Yuezhou, Taizhou, Wenzhou, Fuzhou, Chaozhou, Hangzhou, Mingzhou, Quanzhou and Guangzhou.

4. The currency of the Song Dynasty was mainly copper coins, supplemented by iron coins, and Jiaozi (paper money) also appeared in large amounts.But please note that the coins between different states are not common and need to be exchanged (Yi Zhongtian Chinese History Great Song Innovation p114, and "Pretending to Live in the Song Dynasty")

5. Perfume store: Song people also called the bathhouse "perfume store".The hanging pot is the symbol of the public bathhouse in the Song Dynasty. "Where you are in the bath, you must hang the pot on the door" ("Neng Gaizhai Manlu")

6. Soap balls are soap.It is mainly made of saponins, spices, and medicinal materials. "Renzhai Zhizhi" by Yang Shiying of the Southern Song Dynasty also recorded a complete "soap recipe" ("Song: Modern Dawn")

7. Poetry on the wall in the Song Dynasty was very popular and existed in hotels, temples, restaurants, teahouses and other places.Similar to modern forums, the first comers are used to express their inner feelings, and the later comers can 'follow posts' to reply. This kind of speech is not controlled, and the government sometimes even selects opinions from it.For example, during the reign of Dazhong Xiangfu in the Northern Song Dynasty, a low-level military officer wrote a poem to complain because his salary was too low. Because of the resonance, the court raised the general's salary.