Xiao Qiao enters the farm gate

Qi Yun glanced at Lin Zheng, and answered Qiao Mo's doubts by the way.

"Our Qi family's poems and books for generations, because most of the clan members are in the Hanlin Academy, our family is also called the Hanlin Family Family outside. In my generation, Meng Delong was an official to the Minister of the Ministry of Households and also led the Bachelor of the Imperial Academy. I am honored to teach the prince to read."

Qiao Mo couldn't help being surprised, and understood why the name "Qi Yun" sounded familiar.

The Qi family was originally a family of books and rituals in the world, even small farmers knew it.What's more, now that Qi Yun has achieved the position of a minister at the age of less than forty, and concurrently serves as a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, he is already very famous, and was appointed as the prince and tutor a few years ago.If there is no prince in the court, then the prince's tutor is just an honor, but the emperor has made the prince the prince, so one can imagine the importance of being a teacher to the prince.

From these three official positions alone, it can be seen that Qi Yun is a lot of people, and it is not enough to be talented.

"Ah, you are my eldest brother, the eldest son of the Qi family. Back then, your grandpa made the decision, and the proud student who married him was also the later champion Mo Wenxuan, so your real name should be Mo Cheng. That year the late emperor appointed you My father is the county magistrate of Qingyuan County. The local banditry is rampant and the people's livelihood is difficult. If you manage it well, you will have great achievements. Your father is an official. After two years of hard work, the local people's livelihood and banditry have greatly improved. Bad news came in [-]. A large group of bandits rushed into the county office, burning, killing and looting as if in revenge. When the nearby garrison rushed over, your father and Ah Mo had died tragically in the fire, but your bones were not found. Woheng bandits were wiped out, and no clues were found during interrogation. They all said they didn't see any children. I thought they weren't lying. If they saw you, how could they let you go? Although you don't know your whereabouts, at least you may still be alive. It’s a comfort too.”

After all, the original body was young at that time, except for the memory fragments left by the panic, he didn't remember anything else, so he didn't know how he escaped.

Qi Yun said again: "It's really a blessing to find you now. I plan to take you back to the capital."

Faced with Qi Yun's verbal temptation, Qiao Mo did not hesitate: "Thank you for your kindness, Uncle, you have been looking for me for so many years, I should go back. It's just that it may be difficult to travel far now, so I can only wait until next year."

Qi Yun knew that he was referring to the matter of pregnancy, and at the same time heard what he meant.Saying "go back for a while" instead of going back, obviously doesn't plan to live in the capital for a long time. This answer seems not surprising, but it's just not reconciled.

For this nephew who disappeared in the early years, even if he just met, but after so many years of searching, it has become an inseparable concern.What's more, he is the only flesh and blood of the eldest brother, and his father has no close relatives, so how can he not be worried as an uncle.

"This time I have the exact news about you, so I asked the imperial court for leave, so I don't know if I'll bother you." Qi Yun didn't try to persuade her, she just wanted to get along with each other for a while, and at that time, it might not be possible to return to the capital to settle down. Can't get a good answer.

Qiao Mo is considerate of the other party's feelings. After all, they are the original relatives, not to mention from the perspective of interests, there are still many benefits to recognizing relatives.Then he said: "It's not easy for my uncle to come here outside of his official business. If you say nothing, don't disturb me. If I came a few days ago, I was afraid that it would be difficult to entertain. Fortunately, a new house was built at home. As long as my uncle doesn't dislike the shabby place, I can stay here for as long as I want." OK."

"Then I won't be polite." Seeing that he didn't force himself, Qi Yun felt a little relieved.

Although it was different from the scene he had imagined, it was a little too calm, but the words and deeds of this nephew exceeded his expectations, which undoubtedly made him very happy.

He attributed this to the kind old squire, if he hadn't adopted him to teach him, let alone be able to read and write, he would have enough food and clothing, and he probably wouldn't know where he is now.But he also paid back, his son is not filial, but he still has a little grandson who can be brought up.This year, it happened that one of his students went to work in the local area, and he asked him to take care of him so that the family business left by the old squire would not be ruined by his son.

He didn't mention this to Qiao Mo, mainly because he was afraid of bringing up the past again, after all, he had too many bad memories.

When they met for the first time, even though they had a good sense of each other, after telling their life stories, the two of them didn't know what to say for a while.

Qi Yun didn't seem to have that embarrassment, looked at the newly opened shop, and finally stood in front of the candy counter, seeming very interested in brightly colored candies.

"Uncle, try it?" It probably feels good about it. Qiao Mo didn't have to open his mouth when he called "Uncle". It's like calling someone "Uncle" in modern times. There is respect, but not much affection. in it.

Qi Yun picked out a red round candy, put it in his mouth and tasted it: "Watermelon taste." Then he tasted several other candies, pondered for a moment and asked: "You came up with these Are you interested in making it bigger?"

Qiao Mo was puzzled at first, but then he had a flash of inspiration and realized that he was the Minister of the Household Department.Where is the Ministry of Households?What does the household department care about, even if they don't know everything, they have a general understanding, so they can guess what he means by saying this.

"Uncle means..." Qiao Mo couldn't be sure for a while, after all, in his opinion, even if the candy market has a good prospect, he wouldn't be able to cooperate with the country, right?Perhaps, this is the convenience of the uncle opening the back door for the nephew?

Qi Yun smiled and said: "It is not easy to manage such a large country. Money is spent everywhere. There is never too much money in the treasury, and it is never enough. The emperor often worries about money. In order to fill the treasury, your uncle and I also I didn’t have a leisure time. Your candy is fresh and good, and if you can support it, it’s easy to make money. If you cooperate with the Ministry of Accounts, at least no one will dare to think badly about you.”

Qiao Mo knew this very well.

He originally planned to start a small business in the shop first, and then find Fang Jinnian to cooperate with him when the influence is greater. Fang Jinnian has a backer.But now that I have an uncle with a prominent status and can cooperate with the country, it doesn't matter even if the share is less, after all, it is worry-free and safe.

So Qiao Mo asked, "I don't know how to cooperate with the household department?"

As soon as Qi Yun heard it, he knew that he had thought it through, and praised him for his determination in his heart, and said in his mouth: "The household department accounts for [-]%, and is responsible for paying the cost to make candy; find a royal merchant to manage it, and give it [-]% of the profit; you as the candy party Subscriber holders, share [-]%. Or, you can sell the prescription, and the Ministry of Accounts will pay the buyer's fee in one lump sum."

As soon as Qiao Mo heard it, he knew that it was Qi Yun who took care of him, otherwise, how could he get [-]% of it. As the middle operator, Huangshang not only has to work hard to manage the business, but also has to open a shop, so he gets [-]% of it.As for the [-]% for the household department... there must be some considerations, he thought that this uncle would never harm him, and besides, too much money is useless, [-]% is enough.

only……

"Is it appropriate for the emperor to give [-]%?"

It's not that Qiao Mo is guessing randomly, businessmen are after profit, this is the principle since ancient times.Although the Ministry of Household Affairs can provide money, the shops are all in the capital, and they mainly deal with the property of criminal officials. It is not easy to find someone who is good at management, let alone a shop that will spread across the country. cooperate.But the big merchants have a big business, even if they are afraid of the power of the Ministry of Accounts, they are unwilling to accept "small profit" business.

"I already have a candidate. There are many imperial merchants who send gifts to my door every year, and one of them is the most special. I think he is good. Besides, you also know this person."

"People I know?" Qiao Mo knew very few people, and he didn't need to think about it before uttering a name: "Fang Jinnian?!"

"It's him." Qi Yun nodded. "This Fang family is an imperial merchant. The big family has a large population and there are constant disputes. Although Fang Jinnian is a son-in-law, he is also very talented in business, but he is a member of the third house. According to the rules, the big house should be in power. However, there are exceptions to everything. , the ability of the big house is mediocre, which made the old man of the Fang family dissatisfied, and saw that the old man allocated the store business to the other two houses, and felt a crisis in his heart. He was afraid that in the future, the old man would help the second or third house to be the head of the family in a foolish way, so there would be a lot of trouble in secret. Fang Jinnian It is also his ability to secretly arrange his own business and send gifts to my family."

Qiao Mo understands that these days, you can't just give gifts if you want, especially if you have a prominent family.Fang Jinnian did not rely on the Fang family, and was able to send gifts to the Qi family in his own name alone, which shows his skill.

Thinking of this, Qiao Mo asked again: "Has Fang Jinnian worked with uncle?"

"Yeah." Qi Yun paused, glanced at him, raised his eyebrows and said, "Why, is that coal machine also your idea?"

Qi Yun had sent someone to investigate Qiao Mo, but it didn't mean that it was in every detail, especially the burning of coal in his home, but it was just a mention.He also only thought it was for the convenience of making pastries, and he didn't think of anything else.

"It's just a random thought, I didn't expect it to be very useful after making it." Qiao Mo smiled.

"It's easy to use, and now it's even used in the palace. At the beginning, it was made of iron, and the cost was too high. Besides, it required too much iron. If it didn't work out, a hat for making private soldiers was taken off. Later, it was replaced by wood. It also saves a lot of expenses." Qi Yun added: "This is the business of the Ministry of Household Affairs. The emperor was happy about it for a few days, and finally settled the disaster relief fund in the north."

... At first, Qiao Mo only thought of the briquette machine he had used before, and he didn't invent it himself, so he didn't think about it so much.

Because of his body, he was tired for another day. After a while, Qiao Mo's spirit couldn't hold on anymore, and he began to hiccup frequently.Seeing this, Qi Yun stopped talking, said goodbye to him, and explained that he would meet with friends early, and come back to Shanglin Village with him in the afternoon.

Before leaving, Qi Yun said again: "Let Zhao Lang stay, and just tell him if you have anything to do."

Qiao Mo's eyes showed doubts, what does it mean to leave someone for him all of a sudden?What's more, this person is obviously his bodyguard.

"With him here, I feel relieved." Qi Yun only said so.

Waiting for Qi Yun to leave, Lin Zheng arranged for Zhao Lang, while Qiao Mo was thinking about the intention of his uncle's move.

First of all, surveillance must be ruled out. Don't say that the other party has no heart, his identity alone is nothing to watch.Besides, it is impossible to leave it to him to order, a small family, even if the servant is really a servant who can do chores, Zhao Lang is obviously a guard of the family.So, the intention to keep Zhao Lang has something to do with his identity?Keep it to protect him?What danger could he be in?

Inexplicably, he remembered the death of the original parents that Qi Yun had mentioned at the beginning. Could there be something else in it?

If what happened back then was not simply bandit revenge, it meant that the real culprit was still in the dark. Once he, a survivor, was exposed, how could the other party remain indifferent?Although Qi Yun didn't mention this conjecture, he kept Zhao Lang, obviously because he had doubts and guesses about what happened back then, and he did it just in case.

Qiao Mo was a little annoyed by this incident, it is really not good for the enemy to be in the dark.

Just as he was getting annoyed, Lin Zheng came back and fetched water for him to freshen up without saying a word.

Although Lin Zheng usually talked less, it was obviously different now, and Qiao Mo also understood where the crux of his heart was at this time.He didn't say anything, and didn't reach out to shake hands with him until he was lying on the bed.

Almost immediately, Lin Zheng's big hands wrapped tightly around him, and in the night, his deep voice was exceptionally clear: "Ah Mo, will you stay?"

"Ah."

A simple word made Lin Zheng's floating heart calm down.

The moment he guessed Qiao Mo's identity, his head was filled with shock, his identity suddenly changed, and they were suddenly like a moat between them.He wasn't afraid of anything, but rather dazed. He only knew how to farm, and already thought Qiao Mo was exceptionally dazzling, and now he felt that he was not good enough for Qiao Mo.

In the past, it was only between the villages, and he could ignore the little gap between them, but now he knows that he has to do something.The previous conversation with Zhao Lang just cleared the fog and pointed the way.

Some words rolled in his throat, but he didn't say it after all.

Now is not a good time, Ah Mo is pregnant and really needs someone to take care of her.

Qiao Mo didn't know Lin Zheng's thoughts, he only felt that the other party's mood was light at first, and then heavy again.Because Qi Yun was indeed from an extraordinary background, with a high position and authority, and Lin Zheng had worked in the Qi family before, so it was inevitable that he had some thoughts.Qiao Mo thought it was normal, he believed that Lin Zheng would always be relieved, so he didn't pay much attention to it.

The next day, Qiao Mo got up late, and when he woke up, Li Liang and the others were already busy in the shop.

After a simple breakfast, he and Lin Zheng drove to the market.Qi Yun was going to live in Shanglin Village for a while, even if there were no delicious treats, there must be a few simple meals.First, buy some stewed meat, go to the wine shop to buy two jars of good wine, and buy a few vegetables that are not available at home, and prepare a new washbasin and other things.

I bought bits and pieces and pulled a cart, and when I got back to the shop for lunch, I asked about the business situation in the shop while waiting for others.

Li Xi said sharply, "Shopkeeper, today's business is not as good as yesterday, but it's not bad. There are a lot of people buying candy, all of which are prepared for the Mid-Autumn Festival, and some customers know that those lanterns can only be bought on the Mid-Autumn Festival. I'll give it away, so I'll come back after the Mid-Autumn Festival. I guess these candies are not enough to sell on the Mid-Autumn Festival, especially the fruit-flavored hard candies, which are better than the soft candies, and the other kinds are not as good, and they are almost out of stock. Dessert Here, dipping sugar, brown sugar muffins and twists are all sold out, and some customers said that our shop has too few types of dim sum, not even mung bean cake and red bean cake, should we make up some more?"

Everything else was expected, only the candy had an accident, Qiao Mo did not expect that the milk candy could not sell the fruit candy.He priced both at 150 renminbi per catty, but apparently children prefer hard fruit candies that are bright in color, durable and have a variety of sweet flavors.

"Let's not add more for the time being. Let's talk about the same things as other shops. The taste is not comparable." Qiao Mo is very self-aware. Although he can make a lot of things, many of them are attractive because they are unique. , how can he make traditional snacks such as mung bean cakes compared to those masters who have learned their skills from family.

Then he asked Yu Wen for the account book.

Yu Wen is a meticulous person. Although his family is poor, he is caring. He works in a shop in the town during the slack season and is determined to study. After a few years, although he doesn't know many words, he has learned the ability to use an abacus to keep accounts.A shop must have a counting room to keep accounts, and Qiao Mo can't guard the shop every day, which is one of the reasons why Lin Zheng chose Yu Wen.

Qiao Mo tried it before. Yu Wen may not be able to read all the other characters, but he can remember the numbers very clearly.And the names of those snacks and candies, as long as you practice in advance, it will not be a problem.

Although it's just an account less than two days old, it's a small business, but I remember everything clearly, and the money is accurate to the centimeter.Qiao Mo knew how to calculate in his head, he didn't need an abacus, and after a rough calculation, excluding the approximate cost, the net profit in two days was about ten taels, which was quite a lot.

Among them, the big head was yesterday, and it will decrease in the next two days, and there will be a big profit in the Mid-Autumn Festival.Although the shipment of candy is small, it is the most profitable. One catty of candy can be worth two or three catties of dipping sugar.

Qiao Mo was in a good mood after reading the bill, and said, "When the Mid-Autumn Festival is over, I'll give everyone a red envelope. You will have to work hard for these two days."

"The shopkeeper is too polite." Because Qiao Mo is a little brother and the boss after all, even Li Xi, who loves to joke the most, dare not joke casually, but after hearing Qiao Mo's words, several people were very happy and all Thinking about getting a red envelope to buy something to go home for the holidays.

Qiao Mo suddenly turned his head to look at Lin Zheng, and met the pair of eyes that he couldn't hide in time, and he could clearly see the chaotic emotions inside.

Qiao Mo dragged Lin Zheng to the backyard, and asked, "Ah Zheng, what are you thinking? Could it be because of what happened last night?"

"No, I'm just worried that you're too tired." When Lin Zheng spoke, he unconsciously rolled his eyes, obviously trying to cover up.

"It's just like that?" Qiao Mo saw that he was lying, and wanted to ask, but he didn't want to be too hasty.

Lin Zheng didn't answer right away this time, he was silent for a while, and said, "Ah Mo, I'm thinking about something."

"You haven't thought about it yet? Can you tell me about it?" Qiao Mo vaguely felt that it was not what he thought before, and he didn't understand why he was troubled.

"Ah Mo, you can read, read, do business, run the house and take care of everything, but I have no other skills except farming."

"...You are the one who is taking care of me, otherwise I wouldn't be able to do everything I am doing now." Qiao Mo realized after hearing his words that he had always thought that he had ignored the feelings of the other party. This is like the strong women and weak men in modern life. If you don't communicate well, sooner or later you will have problems.

In terms of doing business, it wasn't that Lin Zheng was ignored on purpose, but that Lin Zheng was not interested in these things, and everything he did was only to lighten his burden.In fact, each other has already broken the balance in the family, but the two parties have been ignoring it intentionally or unintentionally, until the uncle who appeared this time made the hidden problems explode.

"But others don't think that way. What's more, I do too little." Lin Zheng knew that one day he would definitely go to the capital. The Qi family is also a big family with so many relatives and old friends. What would be the reaction of a farmer who only knows how to cultivate the land?

He wanted to do something, he didn't want Qiao Mo to lose face in front of those people, and he didn't want him to be ridiculed by others.