Breeding Mermaid Cubs

Mian Shu goes straight to the yard where Jing Zhi is after returning home.

"His Highness came back so soon? Is there any gain?"

"We hunted two pheasants, and Wang Qingye has already roasted them."

Jing Zhi nodded, closed the book of poetry in her hand, and said, "Where is Lord Hou?"

"He came back before us all."

Mian Shu sat down on the chair, took a sip of tea, and pretended to be impatient: "Don't ask him yet, I have one thing that bothers me right now. You've been in the city for a long time, so let me ask you. You might as well give me some advice."

Jing Zhi showed seriousness, and walked from the window to Mian Shu's: "What's the problem, Your Highness?"

"It's like this. Wang Qingye and I have been together for quite a long time. Under the same roof, we look up and down every day. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that we miss and care about each other, but we have never clearly expressed our intentions.

"Although the current state is quite good, no different from ordinary couples, but some things are not clear, it is always unclear. Think about it, Wang Qingye is not bad. After playing polo today, there are still many Young ladies from the capital went to inquire about him. Others didn’t know about our relationship. Due to the atmosphere in the city, they shouldn’t be too ostentatious. I can understand that, but it can’t be because the atmosphere doesn’t allow us to explain ourselves to each other. Bar."

Jing Zhi frowned and was silent for a moment, he always felt that these words were not completely talking about Wang Qingye and His Highness, but they were always talking about the two of them.

He was doubtful: "Your Highness and Wang Langjun haven't made it clear yet?"

"He used to be like a monk, telling people everywhere that I was his son, and he could tell what to say." Mian Shu has always been good at telling lies with his eyes open: "Maybe he figured it out after I left for a few years, and he came back naturally. We got together. Do you think we should confess for once?"

Jing Zhi twitched his eyebrows: "Your Highness is considerate. Although His Highness and Mr. Lang are in love with each other, it's really not the best policy to be so ambiguous. It's better to be frank."

Mian Shu nodded in agreement: "Yes, I think so too. I'm busy with business on weekdays, so I always feel that it's not the best time to talk about these things, but now is a good time."

"Since your Highness has an idea in mind, why worry?"

Mian Shu said: "I can't speak directly, that would be embarrassing, but I should be more tactful. What do you think should be done?"

Jing Zhi was a little embarrassed, but she still came up with a serious idea: "Jing Zhi will convey it on your behalf? Or, write a letter like a scholar?"

"Letter, good letter!" Mian Shu's eyes lit up, but then she said dejectedly: "My handwriting is the same as that of the little chicken, that is, no matter how sentimental the writing is, it will be less sentimental~"

Mian Shu pursed her lips and looked at Jing Zhi with a smile.

"Your Highness wants me to write for you?" Jing Zhi laughed dryly, "Your Highness may recognize His Highness's handwriting, right?"

"It's okay, he knows that my handwriting is not good, and he will understand."

Jing Zhi couldn't resist Mian Shu, and seeing His Highness's determined appearance after eating the weight, he sighed lightly, took out the rice paper and rubbed the ink, held the pen, and after a while he turned his head to look at the expectant Mian Shu: "Your Highness read ah."

"I read?"

Jing Zhi put down her pen: "How can Your Highness write without Jing Zhi?"

Mian Shu slumped down like a fool, and picked two grapes into his mouth: "I can't think of it. Since you represent everything, you might as well think of the content for me. Make sure to write something explicit and lingering, too. I'm afraid he won't understand."

"Your Highness, if you let Lang Jun find out about this, I'm afraid the loss will not be worth the gain, and he will lose his mind."

"No, he won't know. I'll take a look after you've finished writing, and I'll recite it fluently. How could he know. He should take the initiative to tell me about this kind of thing, and I have to bother. It's time to let him eat suffering."

"Your Highness..."

Mian Shu put on a serious face, and said intimidatingly: "You said before that you would stand by me no matter what, did you go back on your word so soon!"

"Jing Zhi didn't."

"Then write quickly."

Jing Zhi sighed again, originally he thought that Mian Shu was not as self-willed as he was when he was a child after leaving the Mermaid Palace, but now he saw that it was not so, Wang Langjun was really suffering, he had no choice but to pick up the pen and start writing.

He didn't know how the two met and knew each other, so he just wrote a few poems vertically, so even if he knew it wasn't written by Mianshu, it wouldn't be too impolite.

Mian Shu saw the ink flowers blooming on the rice paper, and said with satisfaction: "That's right, after Wang Qingye's chicken is roasted, I will ask him to give you the chicken legs. We picked some small green oranges in the forest and came back. The grilled pheasant marinated in sour sauce is fragrant but not greasy, hot and sour and appetizing.”

Jing Zhi smiled wryly and said: "His Royal Highness, I will write a love poem for you today, so don't ask Wang Langjun to give me chicken legs, I feel panicked."

Mian Shu said very generously: "You are too far-fetched, we are all one family."

Nan Ping Hou brought some cakes and was about to go to see Jing Zhi, when he passed by the door, he heard a soft voice in the room, he stood at the door for a while, but he still didn't push the door, and let the attendant bring the things in.

Just as Mian Shu sealed the letter, he saw the attendant bringing in some food. He took a piece of chestnut cake from the plate and ate it. He couldn't wait to do something important, so he refused Jing Zhi and asked him to stay and eat: "I Eating roast chicken with a free stomach."

As soon as Mianshu came out of the corridor, he saw Nanpinghou who was walking back, and he went forward a few steps to stop him.

"What's the matter?"

"Why didn't you go in to deliver something to Jing Zhi just now?"

Nanping Hou lowered his eyes slightly: "Suddenly something happened."

Mian Shu took out the envelope from his sleeve: "Jing Zhi asked me to give it to you."

Nan Pinghou's brows tightened, but he finally took the envelope and was about to tear it open, when Mian Shu stopped him and said, "He asked you to read it in the room."

"Is that what he said?"

"I have nothing to lie to you about."

Nanping Hou pinched the letter and stopped moving.

Mian Shu nodded: "The letter is in your hands, I'm going to find Wang Qingye first."

Nanping Hou responded, clutching the letter tightly in his hand, until Mianshu went far away and disappeared, then picked up the envelope and looked at it again, why would the well-behaved Jing Zhi write to him?

He felt uneasy, and his brows were furrowed, maybe it was telling him something he didn't want to see.

Returning to the study in a hurry, he took a sip of the tea brought by the attendant, and immediately opened the envelope, shaking off the letter paper. There were only a few lines of poetry on it, and what he saw was mountains and trees, trees and branches... .. Nanping Hou almost spit out a mouthful of tea, scaring the waiter who was waiting.

"Master Hou, is the tea hot? Damn it, I'll refill a cup for Master Hou."

Nan Pinghou raised his hand to signal the attendant to go down, unfolded the letter paper again in disbelief, and looked at it again. After confirming that the contents of the letter were correct, he couldn't help laughing at first, but felt something was wrong for a while, so he refolded the letter paper and hurriedly Go to Jing Zhi's residence.

"I'll just say he will come. If you still don't believe me, you have to go to his yard to eavesdrop."

"I just wanted to see his first reaction when he opened the envelope."

The two people squatting at the base of the wall watched Nan Pinghou enter the room, and quickly slipped under the window.

Jing Zhi was changing clothes in the room and was about to go to the bonfire. Seeing Nan Ping Hou who suddenly pushed the door in, he was startled, and hurriedly straightened his clothes again: "Master Hou, why..."

Before he finished speaking, he was pulled into his arms by Hou Nanping first.

Jing Zhi's face was full of surprise in her broad embrace: "Master Hou?"

Nanping Hou hugged the person in his arms tightly: "I should have known your intentions earlier, but I kept you waiting for so long."

"Why did Lord Hou suddenly talk about this?"

Nanping Hou let go of the person slowly, raised the letter in his hand: "Didn't you write this?"

Jing Zhi looked at the familiar envelope and his pupils were shocked. He opened his mouth and closed it again: "This..."

"The handwriting is undoubtedly yours." Nanping Hou's heart suddenly became colder by inch: "Didn't it be for me?"

Mian Shu, who was squatting in the corner, opened her eyes wide and looked at Wang Qingye, don't be self-defeating.

Wang Qingye also felt that the situation was going to a very dangerous place. If Hou Nanping knew that the letter was for him later, he would be the one who was unlucky.

He hugged Mianshu, ready to take him back and teach him a lesson.

"No, this is what Jing Zhi wanted to say to Lord Hou. These words have been hidden in my heart for a long time."

Nan Pinghou's back stiffened: "Jing Zhi...you know that I love you, why didn't you tell me earlier, why bother to torture each other?"

"Master Hou is a dragon and a phoenix. I have felt guilty for not marrying a wife and concubine Jing Zhi all these years. What if I express my affection for Master Hou? Master Hou, I cannot harm you."

"Even if you don't show your heart to me, I won't be marrying a wife or taking a concubine."

"Master Hou... um..."

"Why is there no sound?"

Mian Shu stood up and was dragged back by Wang Qingye, and was dragged out blindfolded.

The two of them walked out of the yard and only talked loudly in the garden outside.

"Why did you leave in such a hurry without looking around?"

Wang Qingye said: "Let's give them some time to be alone, and avoid being entangled with Jing Zhi in the future."

After thinking about it, I felt that this remark was inappropriate: "Forget it, if you can find him, go to him. It's almost August now, and we will return to Xiacheng in the spring of next year. The mountains are high and the road is far away. It will not be easy to see him once in the future."

"Earlier, Jing Zhi also said that he would go back to Xia City with me."

"Don't, the two of them managed to keep the clouds open to see the moon, so don't beat the mandarin ducks."

Mian Shu pursed her lips and said, "I did this matchmaking. If Nanping Hou seals me a big red envelope, I won't let them separate the two places."

"Come on you." Wang Qingye rubbed Mianshu's head, and led the people back: "Just now when I was roasting chicken at the bonfire, I met the little princess Hegui who brought you ice today. Asked where you went, I gave her half of the roast chicken and sent her away. The rest of the roast chicken was sent to the house by the servant, go back and eat it while it is hot."

"Ah."

Two days later, Wang Qingye and Mianshu returned to the capital, and went back to the house, while Zeng Yan brought a gift to the house to apologize. Otherwise, he would not condescend to go to the merchant's house.

He didn't want to see this person again, so Wang Qingye didn't make things difficult, and the matter has come to an end.

The peaceful and smooth days passed very quickly, two and three months passed in the blink of an eye, autumn and winter came, the contrast between winter and summer in the capital was sharp, November was very cold, let alone this month at the end of the year.

Wang Qingye Shangbuzhuang made some thick winter clothes for Mianshu, and the people below bought some batches of charcoal fires for storage. Charcoal in winter is as indispensable as ice in summer, and it rains after winter It will come in handy.

Mian Shu was carrying a small water stove to warm his hands. Originally, he wasn't very afraid of the cold, but perhaps he had grown up a bit after being a human being for too long, and had to warm himself up when the weather was cold.

He stayed in the study and counted the accounts, and the accounts for the new quarter came up again. There were many shops, and there were many accounts to look at. He shared some with Wang Qingye, and collected the accounts of the two shops in the capital for his own reading. Responsible for looking at the account on the other side of Xiacheng.

After autumn, the restaurant has changed its dishes for the off-season, and the business is pretty good, but after winter, the restaurant also needs to add some charcoal pots and fire cages, otherwise it will be too cold for guests to come in, and it will be difficult to see the charcoal fire in the daytime. It's not expensive, you can buy three or four catties for fifteen or sixty cents, and some of them cost only twenty or so yuan without smoking. expenses.

On the accounts, August and September would look better without this expense, but looking at it another way, the business of restaurants that provide charcoal fire is better than those that do not, and it can be regarded as equalizing the merits and demerits.

It was raining lightly outside, and the wind was blowing. The charcoal fire was lit and incense in the house, and the steam was so comfortable and drowsy.

"How's the account going?"

Wang Qingye pushed the door open and came in, even with the cold wind outside, Mianshu became more refreshed: "It's almost ready."

He went over to hug Wang Qingye and rubbed against him: "It's so cold outside, why did you go out?"

Wang Qingye took off the cloak on his body: "I'm cold, don't rub against me."

"I'm warm now, you can hug me."

"What are you acting like in broad daylight?"

Wang Qingye always disliked being upright, but he put his arms around Mianshu while talking, and the two sat on the chair in front of the window.

"Last quarter, the restaurant earned more than [-] taels." Mianshu handed the account book to Wang Qingye: "Guess how much Qiyitao earned?"

"The cost of Qiyi Taobao is low. Apart from the monthly wages for the staff, there is almost no other expenses. Moreover, the price of food is set high. No matter how you earn it, it will not be less than the restaurant. It is about 700 taels. "

Mian Shu smiled and said, "More than eight hundred taels."

"really?"

"If you don't believe me, see for yourself."

Wang Qingye was overjoyed, he actually made all the money from the shop back, not only that, he also made a fortune.

"The clerks in Qiyitao are capable, and the errands to be done in the shop are different from those in other shops, so it's hard for them. The income in the lower berth is good now, and their wages can be raised before the Chinese New Year."

Mian Shu nodded, and asked again: "What about the business at the other end of Xia City? How is it?"

"It's all pretty good. All the businesses of the shops add up to a total of more than 6000 taels."

"It's almost the same as last quarter." Mian Shu thought for a while: "I remember you told me earlier that panning for gold in the sand is no longer easy to do, and the income is getting less and less. Now it seems that the shop made a lot of money in the last quarter. .”

"Not only our original shop, I actually opened a new shop in the past two months."

"Ok?"

Wang Qingye embraced Mianshu's shoulders, and said with a broken smile, "You forgot the joke you said before, let Lord Hou give you a big red envelope for the matchmaker."

"Did he really pay?"

Wang Qingye smiled: "Do you know Yuanheng Dabuzhuang?"

Mian Shu nodded, Yuanheng Cloth Shop is the largest cloth shop in the capital, silk and satin, Su and Shu brocade, whatever you want, what's new in the cloth all over the capital, and the styles of ready-made clothes change, almost all are from Yuanheng Cloth Shop After all, I heard that there are nearly a hundred dexterous embroiderers in the cloth village.

Almost all of his clothes are made from Yuanheng cloth shop.

"Actually, Lord Hou is the owner of Yuanheng Cloth Shop. When we had wine together a month ago, he asked me if I wanted to do a cloth business. I could get cloth at a low price. Naturally, I would not do it for nothing if I had such a good business. Do."

In the past two years, with the development of sea transportation, the development of Xiacheng has become better and better. Several new streets have been built, and there are many cloth shops in the city, but how can those styles of materials compare with those in the capital? As for the source of goods, he naturally agreed.

He had already let Zhou Zhu see that there were suitable and good shops and received them. There were four or five empty shops of his own on Xinjie Street, and he rented a few out. Come out, the goods here can be opened as soon as they are shipped, which is very convenient.

Only transportation is a bit more troublesome. The distance from Beijing to Xiacheng is long, and more capable manpower must be dispatched to transport it, which will cost more silver. It can be sold for 30 to [-] taels, and you have to compete for bids, which can be described as huge profits.

In the last quarter, the silver on the sandy land was filled by the cloth shop. It was cold after winter, and Wang Qingye didn’t plan to continue panning for gold. The income was not good, and it was almost impossible to enter the accounts. Besides, it was freezing cold. It's not a problem to soak in the water during the gold rush days.

Since the opening of the sandy land, these gold diggers have been doing things honestly and dutifully. Now that the sandy land is closed all of a sudden, the gold diggers will definitely lose their livelihood. He has also carefully calculated and is willing to continue to work under him. You can sign a long-term contract to do things, and when the time comes, you can be assigned to work in the courtyard, or go out to sea with the boat of the restaurant, in short, there is a place where you can live in peace.

Mian Shu said: "Then he really sealed a big red envelope, but he is also cunning, he does not forget to do business."

"The Hou Mansion's huge family business, if it is not managed properly, it will be a bad debt."

Wang Qingye rubbed Mianshu's head, he didn't like to tie his hair up at home, so he only tied it with a hair tie in Xunri, which felt very comfortable to the touch: "It's cold today, it's suitable to eat some warm food, what do you want to eat?"

"I want some mutton soup."

"Okay, how about I make you a lychee white kidney?"

"Yeah. I also want to eat some lo-mei."

The mutton bones and mutton are blanched in water and put into a pot for stewing.

The fresh kidney is sliced ​​from the middle, and the white oil in the middle is removed to remove the fishy smell. Then the plane and vertical strips are not cut. Very nice.

Sauté the onion, ginger, and garlic until fragrant, add a spoonful of bean paste, and stir-fry the kidneys in the pan. When the swelling is broken and the blood is clean, it can be cooked. Do not leave more, so that the kidneys are crispy and tender.

Put it on the plate after the pot, peel the lychees and surround the plate, which is not only beautiful but also can be used as after-dinner fruit. This is a common best-selling dish in Jingzhong restaurants.

The mutton soup is stewed well, the soup is thick and fragrant and clear, sprinkled with a handful of coriander, the taste is excellent.

The two nestled in the house, drinking mutton soup, while watching the rain outside the house, thinking about whether to take a nap at home after the meal or go to the theater to listen to the music and watch the show. The years of eating a meal are quiet.

After a while, Mian Shu heard the sound of swish swish in the roof yard, he swallowed the mutton in his mouth, and asked in surprise, "what's the matter?"

Ah Zhong came into the room with the marinated duck head in his hand: "Mr., it's snowing marbles outside."

Mian Shu stood up in surprise: "Is it snowing?"

"Xiao Langjun, it's not all snow, it's like ice marbles, but it's cold, the wind is blowing hard, and the rain has gradually stopped. I'm afraid there will be snowflakes later. It's colder than usual this year, The snow came earlier than in previous years, so it should be a heavy snowfall."

Mianshu has never seen snow, and the deep sea never snows. If it wasn't for staying in the capital to watch the snow, they would have returned to Xiacheng long ago.

"Let's go out and see the snow!"

Wang Qingye said with a smile: "This ice marble is almost transparent, and it melts when it hits the ground. What's the point? It won't be too late to see it later when the snowflakes fall. Come quickly and drink the mutton soup. Be careful." freezing."

Mian Shuxin was outside, but obediently sat back beside Wang Qingye, staring straight at the window, and opened the window wide despite the cold wind.

"Hurry up and eat the stewed meat while it's hot. The duck head is marinated for a long time, and the skin and flesh will come off. Eat it quickly, and I'll take you out when you're full."

Wang Qingye looked at Ah Zhong again: "You guys go and get some to taste, eat it while it's hot, and go and prepare the chariots and horses so you don't have to serve them."

"Yes, they are all at your beck and call."

作者有话要说：感谢在2021-09-0618：04：25～2021-09-0718：58：40期间为我投出霸王票或灌溉营养液的小天使哦～

Thanks to the little angel of irrigation nutrient solution: heok10 bottles;

Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!