Promotion and fortune in Song Dynasty

The guarantee Lu Ci was looking for was none other than the Zeng Yaren Lu's mother usually relied on. His family had three or five people, so he was naturally qualified.

After all, under the circumstances of non-kinship and non-casualty, taking such a big insurance for others, the hard work must be paid for once or twice. In this case, it is better to be familiar with it, so that Zeng Yaren will remember the benefits of this smooth flow.

Anyway, she knew Lu Zhong's family very well, so she was not afraid of any accidents, so when Lu Ci mentioned it, she couldn't wait to respond.

When the appointed day came, he even waited early at the house where the transaction was about to be made.

Zhu said that when he saw the man who was smiling so hard that his teeth could not see his eyes, he couldn't help tugging at Lu Ci's sleeve, and asked in a low voice, "Brother Lu needs a guarantor, why don't you ask the teacher? They are used to Brother Lu." I am willing to be a guarantor for my love, and I will not take a penny."

Lu Ci laughed and said, "Don't waste favors on trivial things that can be solved with a little money. Besides, I don't want to make a public noise about the house purchase."

What's more, mother Lu is afraid that she will not stop working, so she will have to use Zeng Yaren as an intermediary to find small jobs.

Lu Ci took advantage of this incident to hook up with Zeng Yaren, and in the future, he would give small gifts during the festivals, and the relationship was maintained.

Even if it's not a big deal, please let Zeng Yaren only do light work for Lu's mother, it's still no problem.

Zhong Li was also deeply convinced: "That's true. It's easy to pay back money, but it's hard to pay back favors."

Moreover, although the masters in the academy are qualified, most of them are noble people who do not touch vulgar things, unlike Zeng Ya who is adept at contracting.

As a trader, Lu Ci had already purchased eight official deeds from the government, enough for the two to fill out the contract.

"Lu Langjun is really a thoughtful person, I thought you might have forgotten, and you have prepared a few copies."

Zeng Yaren smiled and patted his rucksack, revealing a corner of the book.

Zhong Li's expression turned pale—it's not that he didn't know that he needed to buy the official deed in advance, but after the excitement of buying a house and real estate, he completely forgot about it.

Fortunately, Lu Ci was meticulous, thought of this in advance, and thoughtfully prepared enough for the two families, and said with a smile at this time: "Uncle Zhong, have you forgotten what I said, you just need to bring your family here today , leave everything else to me.”

Zhong Li smiled wryly and let out a breath: "It's lucky that Lu Lang is here... I really forgot, alas, it's a shame today. If the dog is half as smart as you, why should I worry so much?"

Zhu said that he nodded silently.

Lu Ci smiled: "Uncle Zhong is busy with many things, so he is easy to forget. This is a rare holiday for me. I just thought about it. It's not surprising that I remember more."

While the two were talking, Zeng Yaren quickly took over the official copy and filled it out as required.

Even though she was not very literate, practice made perfect when making the deed. She quickly wrote the deed and handed it over to Lu Ci and Zhong Li to type.

Lu Ci naturally browsed through all eight copies, and after confirming that there were no omissions, he drew the monogram at once.

Seeing that the buyer had finished the job quickly, Zeng Yaren hurriedly knocked on the door of the house, called out the two sellers, and asked them to come and write.

Once the signing is completed, one of the four copies of the deed will be left to the buyer, one to the seller, one to the Commercial and Taxation Court, and the last one to stay in the county.

On the spot, Lu Ci took out the two Jiaozi with a face value of 45 taels that had been exchanged for the two families in advance, and handed them to the heads of the two households respectively.

The heads of the two households carefully inspected the shop monogram on the handover, and handed over the house deed and the key to the big lock with confidence.

Because the price was negotiated a long time ago, and there was no twists and turns in the transaction process, they were naturally happy, and they didn't bother to deal with the remaining pieces of furniture. After giving them to Lu Ci, they rented a horse and prepared to go out of the city to be with their family. Will and went.

After bidding farewell to Zeng Yaren who had won hard work, Zhong Li couldn't hold back the joy on his face, he also rented a horse, and went back to pick up his family with a warm contract, and promised to bring Lu's mother along with him.

Lu Ci didn't refuse this kindness, lest Zhong Li keep thinking about the little money for buying the official deed, and then took Zhu Shuo's hand, and said with a smile: "Now, please brother Zhu accompany me in."

Zhu said that he was stunned to see the smooth and smooth transaction process just now, and now he came back to his senses, nodded quickly, and looked around seriously.

The house was newly built in recent years. It is not big, but it is not small. There is a small hall, a kitchen, a palm-sized courtyard that has been used as a vegetable plot, a study room, and a small donkey stable that is used as a warehouse. There are also four full bedrooms, enough for a family of eight to live comfortably.

The structure of Zhong's house is basically the same as his, only the courtyard is twice as large, one bedroom is missing, and there is no study.But for a family of three, the extra room can be used as a study, it depends on whether Zhong Yuan is interested or not.

From the details, it can be seen that the former owner cherishes the house very much, and there is no need to redecorate it at all, just fine-tune a few places, move the furniture in, and use it directly.

When Lu Ci was looking for a suitable property, he had actually looked at it many times, but now he appreciates it from the perspective of the head of the household, and he feels very satisfied.

Zhu said that after visiting the four bedrooms, he couldn't help but be a little speechless: "There are so many bedrooms, brother Lu, why don't we rent them out?"

Lu Ci said, "That's not too much. Every room has to be used. I have already made plans for the specific use."

Zhu said curiously: "Could it be reserved for Brother Zhong? Who else?"

It can't be that Lu Ci has nothing to do by himself and sleeps in turns like the three caves of the cunning rabbit.

"Zhong Lang's own house is next door, and he can come here as soon as he climbs over the wall. Why waste a room for him? And don't let him hear your words, otherwise he will definitely beg you to spare his life."

Zhu said he was at a loss.

Lu Ci laughed and said: "I caught him by chance, and I urged him to study for a few hours, and he was already in pain. If he lost half his life, if he was asked to live here and spend time with me day and night, he would probably be the second They will be forced to pack their bags and join the army."

Zhu said that he understood, but he couldn't understand.

In his opinion, being able to study with a Zhilan Yushu like brother Lu is a rare and beautiful thing that makes people linger and forget to return. How could someone regard it as a sex and avoid it for fear of it?

After a few words of jokes, Lu Ci said seriously: "One is naturally my mother's; the other is naturally mine; and the other one is going to hire a maid to stay at home for a long time when I have more time. Take care of mother and kiss her; as for the last room..."

Zhu said that he listened intently, but Lu Ci stopped talking, but changed the subject and asked, "Now you live in the cave next to the temple, and you don't use their rice, you don't borrow their stove, and you don't know what to do. If you have nothing to do to read their scriptures, how much should you pay them every month?"

Zhu said he didn't understand why this topic came to him, but he still replied: "The host needs to pay [-] articles per month."

In fact, the price is not much different from renting a low-rent house. After seeing the environment of the Lu family, Zhu Yue couldn't help being envious.

It can be seen that the life in the cave cannot be compared with the comfort in a decent room, and there is no need to feel the sense of loss under the fence all the time.

Just put it on Zhu Shuo, no matter how much you yearn for it, it still can't be realized.

Naturally, not everyone can live in the low-rent housing built by the government, and they must meet certain standards.

Zhu said that he was poor and white, and although the Zhu family could not be called rich and powerful, they were quite wealthy.

Although he has completely broken with the Zhu family and no longer receives aid from there, he is still a son of the Zhu family in name. He studied here. At first, it was Zhu's father who greeted his old friends before being admitted to the academy. Naturally, he couldn't I went to live in low-rent housing.

Now Zhu Shuo's situation is very embarrassing, and the only way to get out of this predicament is to put one's heart and soul into studying hard and win the exam earlier.

Lu Ci frowned: "Why so many?"

If you live in a temple, you can barely justify it.But Zhu said that they were all squeezed into the cave, and the host did not come forward, but turned a blind eye to it.

That would be worthless.

To be honest, although the cave is next to Liquan Temple, Lu Ci has heard that that area is not the property of the temple, and it is not their turn to collect the rent that Zhu said.

Lu Ciyuan was still a little hesitant, but after hearing this, he put his hand on Zhu Shuo's shoulder and said firmly, "Give me three hundred cash per month, and I will rent the remaining vacant room to you."

Zhu said that he was caught off guard, and it took him a long time to realize what Lu Ci said. He shook his head desperately on the spot, almost bouncing, but was firmly held down by Lu Ci.

Relying on his slender and tall stature, Lu Ci held Zhu Shuo down, leaned over slightly, and got closer. The two looked at each other, and saw Lu Ci's eyebrows and eyes crooked with a smile: "Don't be so busy objecting, I It’s not for you to live in vain. You’re doing me a favor, after all, I’m not good at rejecting the students from the academy who want to visit my house for a while, and I don’t want to let some strange tenants who don’t know the character to come to the house, just like this It would be a pity to leave it empty. If you are short of money, you can temporarily owe the money, and at worst, you can issue an IOU, and I am not afraid of you running away anyway."

"Brother Lu is joking!" Zhu said how could he agree to take advantage of Lu Ci again, his face flushed with anxiety: "Don't say it is three hundred Wen, even if it is one thousand Wen a month, as long as it is Brother Lu, you can let the word out , there must be someone willing to live in this room, Brother Lu, I—”

"Besides, please help me take care of my mother at your convenience." Lu Ci didn't give him the slightest chance to object, and went on straight: "If I go to Yaren's to find a maid , you have to pay her one hundred yuan a day, even though you only need to take a look when you have time, it shouldn't make you suffer too much."

"How about," Lu Ci raised his eyebrows: "Just a helpful senior, and the benefit of letting you read all the books in my room?"

Being able to live with Lu Ci, even if there were no benefits that Lu Ci insisted on promising, Zhu said it was his wish.

But he knew that he couldn't afford the rent of [-] yuan a month, but he couldn't let Lu Ci suffer anymore.

Lu Ci saw the entanglement in his eyes, and he could see his thoughts clearly, but he said deliberately: "Could it be that Brother Zhu doesn't like me and doesn't want to live with me?"

Zhu said he vehemently denied it.

Lu Ci said again: "So I think the money is too little?"

Zhu nodded.

"What's wrong with you." Lu Ci sighed for a long time: "Then I'll charge you 350 Wen. Is this the head office?"

Zhu said and shook his head: "I live in Liquan Temple, and I have to pay four hundred—"

Lu Ci waved his hand and frowned deeply, as if he had made a great determination to make this great concession: "Then four hundred and one months, plus the pot I bought for you, will also be sold by the Lu family stove." House expropriation, you have to bet on the words on the IOU! Add up these items, you should have nothing to say!"

"..."

There is nothing to say, there is obviously a lot to say!

Zhu Shuo wanted to say more, just happened to hear Zhong's mother's unbearably joyful voice from outside, Lu Ci casually patted Zhu Shuo on the shoulder again, and while half-pushing the person out to meet him, he sighed pretendingly sad He said: "Brother Zhu, brother Zhu, you should stop arguing. Do you want to make things difficult for your brother Lu by arguing again, so you don't want him to earn such easy money?"

Several big hats were firmly buckled down one after another, and Zhu said that his head was covered with smashes, but for the first time he experienced what it was like to be unable to argue.

...Finally, he moved in in a daze and became the first client of the Lu family.

The author has something to say: Notes:

1. The requirements of the guarantor: The Song government stipulated: "If there is a large amount of licensed goods that must be sold to others on credit, that is, the buyer's quantity of licensed goods, and more than three or five people from households with living and material resources. Return the text within the time limit. ("Song: The Dawn of Modern Times")

2. Official contracts: Contracts in the Song Dynasty were very mature and developed, and standardized contracts had appeared.The Song government required that the conclusion of the land and house transaction contract need to be "rushi", that is, standardized.The format standard of the contract is formulated by the government, and the trader needs to purchase an official deed from the government to fill out the contract.This unified sample is to prevent tax evasion and transaction disputes in land transactions (many traders in the Song Dynasty often only "private draft deeds" when conducting land transactions in order to evade taxes. Due to the flaws and omissions in the contract terms, the strong one can take advantage of the loopholes Infringe on the interests of the weaker party, the two sides have disputes, and the government cannot adjudicate, and as a result, the rights and interests of the weaker party cannot be protected by law) ("Song: The Dawn of Modern Times")

3. Donkeys: Horses were rare in the Song Dynasty (because the natural pastures in Northwest China, North China, Northeast China and Hetao areas were lost), donkeys were much more common, and just like taxis in modern times, people in Song Dynasty like to rent horses and donkeys when traveling Come instead.

Song Qi’s "Ode to the Donkey" said, "I see the slang in Kyoto, and most of the donkeys are self-sufficient." The Song Dynasty Wang Dechen's "History of the Stag" also said: "The capital rents donkeys, and people who meet on the way are nothing but donkeys. Since Xining , all on horses.”

In the past, there were many people who rented donkeys, but after the reign of Song Shenzong Xining, more people rented horses.

"Tokyo Menghualu" said: "Usually going out to do business in the market is a bit like walking a long way and getting tired, going to the lanes and bridges, and those who have their own fake pommel horses are only a hundred dollars.

Song Wei Tai's "Dongxuan Records" also said: "Many people in the capital rent horses to go in and out. The driver first promises to be straight, and he must ask: 'Is it going? Come?' If you ride in the past, the price is twice that of Just go away. Good children are poor and don’t raise horses, and they must rent them every time they go out.”

4. The price of renting horses: Monk Cheng Xun’s "Story of Mount Wutai and Mount Tiantai" said: "I borrowed nine horses today, and the money is equivalent to 160 Wen." Calculated, it costs about [-] Wen to rent a horse a day.

5. Rent of low-rent housing

"Songhuiyao Collection" records the income and the number of rented houses in the first year of Tianxi and the third year of Tiansheng: the total income in the first year of Tianxi was 140093 houses, and the number of houses was 23300, so one house in the first year of Tianxi The average rent of a house is around 500 Wen per month.The total income of Tiansheng for three years was 134639 yuan, and the number of houses was 26100. Therefore, the average rent of a room in Tiansheng for three years was about 430 yuan per month. ("Pretending to Live in the Song Dynasty")