Little husband's market life

A few days later, Qiao Zhishu invited someone to build a loess kiln for Ganger. The earthen kiln has a short heat resistance time, but it is enough for Ganger to burn tiles and build a small house for play. Specify enough.

At the end of this month, many tea merchants in Jiangzhou had their homes ransacked, not only in Jiangzhou, but almost all the four major prefectures that are rich in tea were run.At the same time, the emperor decreed that tea farmers across the country would be exempted from land tax and tea tax for three years.

Emperor Qinglong was determined to put an end to the unhealthy trend of tea smuggling. Dali Temple only listened to the emperor's words, starting from the "Ruzhou tea farmer case" and followed the vines. The Minister of the Ministry of Punishments personally went to capture the son-in-law and escorted him to Beijing.

The emperor was furious and wanted to interrogate himself.

Not only did he not read the princess's letter, but he also said, "The princess also benefits from the covetousness of the son-in-law." The emperor's daughter was so frightened that he dared not say anything, for fear that her father would also arrest her.

Four months later, in November, Emperor Qinglong beheaded his son-in-law.Two imperial merchants and an official were also implicated in the nine clans. All the men were chopped off, and the women were escorted to the frontier military camp.As of now, thousands of people have died in this case!

However, this "Jiangnan tea smuggling case" is not over yet. Maybe someday something will be discovered in Dali Temple. The emperor sent Jiangnan officials to Shengjing with an edict, and after a few days, they would be copied or chopped up up.

At this time, Qiao Zhishu had already set off for Bingzhou with a hundred catties of tea bricks from the Sun family.

After a month's journey, in December, Qiao Zhishu's caravan entered the border of Bingzhou and welcomed the first snowfall in Bingzhou.

On Bingji Official Road, there is an inspection office.

"Everyone in the carriage got off, what's behind them?"

Qiao Zhishu pushed open the carriage door, a gust of snow wind entered his throat, he coughed violently, "cough cough..."

The leader of the caravan came forward with tea guides and silver, "My lord, we came from Jiangzhou, and all the tea in the back was transported. We have paid taxes at the Jiangzhou Tea Horse Department."

Qiao Zhishu coughed so much that the corners of his eyes turned red. After getting off the carriage, the wind and snow fell on him wantonly, making his teeth chatter from the cold.

"Who is that? It can't be your caravan runner, right?" The officers and soldiers pointed to Qiao Zhishu, who was wearing a brocade jacket, with smooth black hair and handsome eyes.

Mao Jian, who was accompanying him, quickly took their ID badges and handed them to the officers and soldiers.

"We belong to the Sun Family Tea Merchant in Nanxian County, Jiangzhou. This is our dental plaque. Please take a look."

"Why did you come to Bingzhou?"

Mao Jian: "The cousin of our Sun family is running a business in Bingzhou, and he is running the Wanli Tea Road. This is his husband who has never been married. He is here to visit relatives."

"Oh yes, our cousin's name is Sheng Yao."

The leader of the officers and soldiers and the two people behind him immediately looked at Qiao Zhishu, glanced up and down, and then returned the tooth card to Mao Jian, "Go."

Then he shouted at the officers and soldiers who were still checking: "Let go!"

Mao Jian put away the tooth card, went back to help Qiao Zhishu into the carriage, heard that Qiao Zhishu was still coughing, went to discuss with the leader, got off the pipeline and found an inn to rest for a day, eat some warm food to warm up.

……

On the second day, on the second floor of Bingzhou No. [-] Post Station.

"Cough cough cough..."

Qiao Zhishu's heart-piercing cough could be heard in the room. Although he drank ginger soup and slept all night, he woke up this morning and was still top-heavy. Qiao Zhishu was suffering from cold.

Hearing his cough, Mao Jian's heart was in his throat, and he stepped forward to test the weak Qiao Zhishu with the back of his hand.

"It's over, it's over, it's hot."

Qiao Zhishu covered his heart, and he coughed so badly that his heart ached, and he ordered softly, "Bring me a bowl of rice soup first, and then go get a bowl of snow, and I will calm down by myself."

After Mao Jianzhao finished, he told the caravan about his master's situation.

"This, this is troublesome. I have just left the official road. It takes two hours to travel to the nearest county seat. I will send someone to ride a horse to the county seat to find the doctor. In your young master's situation, you can't continue on your way!"

Mao Jian agreed, "Okay, then let's delay for another two days, and let the brothers rest for two days."

Qiao Zhishu slept in a daze all day, and woke up at night coughing and coughing.

Mao Jian made a bedding in his room, and after being woken up by his cough, he put the medicine jar prepared beside him on the brazier and burned it.

Qiao Zhishu couldn't get out the mouthful of snow and ice he sucked in, and his nose had already started to runny. He sat up, coughed and bent over again, and asked softly, "Uncle Mao, what time is it?"

"It's three o'clock. The caravan went to the county to invite a doctor. They said that it was a snowy day, so they asked for five taels of silver, along with the money for the medicine. You burned too badly. Those who went didn't dare to delay, so they agreed."

Qiao Zhishu nodded, "It's okay... cough cough... five taels, cough... just five taels."

"Yes." Seeing that he started to cough again, Mao Jian poured him a cup of hot water.

"Uncle Mao, sleep for a while...cough cough...we will set off at dawn."

Mao Jian's honest face was full of entanglement and disapproval, "No, you can't hurry anymore, if ice and snow invade on the road, you may become ill!"

"When the time comes to see Master Biao, how can I explain? You can't hurry, let's get sick first, and when you stop coughing, we will set off."

After Qiao Zhishu finished drinking the medicine, she retracted into the quilt, with her small face facing the wall in grievance.I was too disappointing, I fell ill the first time I went out, so how could my brother take him to run a business?

Qiao Zhishu thought about his brother half asleep and half awake all night, and he was still not well the next day, and even at noon, he started to vomit.

Just when his lungs were about to be coughed out and his stomach was about to be emptied, he heard Mao Jian shout: "Master Biao!"

Then there were several quick and powerful footsteps, Qiao Zhishu concentrated on looking at the closed door, and forgot to cough.

Sheng Yao pushed open the door, the air in the room was stuffy and hot, he frowned slightly, and when he saw the little boy sitting up on the bed, he frowned in distress.

Qiao Zhishu was still wearing a thick jacket, her hair was disheveled, and her drooping eyes were still filled with coughed up tears. She looked really fragile and pitiful.

"Who told you to come? You don't even pick a spring or summer when you come. You run out in heavy snow and I'm not at home. My uncle is used to lawlessness, right?" Sheng Yao's cold voice was still panting.

Sheng Yao took off the fur cloak on his shoulders, walked to the edge of the bed and sat down, helped Qiao Zhishu to make his back against his chest, and pulled the quilt to cover Qiao Zhishu tightly from the neck down.

He reprimanded him heartbrokenly: "In previous years, you had cold hands and feet when it was only autumn, and you dared to run outside in the winter. The day before yesterday, an official came to ask for a reward. As soon as I heard his description, I knew it was you. You are getting more and more courageous." Already!"

That day when he heard people say that his husband came to visit relatives, he was stunned for a moment. After confirming that it was Qiao Zhishu, he felt unclear emotions in his heart. Did Zhishu himself say that it was his husband?But after he realized it, he immediately became angry. Qiao Zhishu's small body, whose hands and feet were cold when it was cold that day, dared to rush in the winter? !

He immediately threw down the ledger, put on a fur cloak, and hurried out of the state capital with three bodyguards.

……

Qiao Zhishu was still dazed at first, after all, he hadn't seen Sheng Yao for four years, and his brother just entered the door with a frown...

Sheng Yao was still talking, when he heard the person in his arms suck his nose.

"Woooo..." Qiao Zhishu raised his face and looked at Sheng Yao's chin, weeping in grievance.

Thinking back to before the separation, when Sheng Yao persuaded Qiao Zhishu to accept his decision to leave home, Qiao Zhishu was sitting, he was lying down, and the little thing was condescending and breaking his eyelids... Now, it was him condescending.

And Qiao Zhishu was crying, but he was happy in his heart. After four years of separation, when they met again, his brother was the same as before leaving. He trained him and pampered him, and his attitude didn't change at all!

As soon as Qiao Zhishu cried, Sheng Yao's terribly worried mood dissipated almost like the anger he felt after hearing Mao Jian say that the little thing was cold.Only then did he remember that the two hadn't seen each other for four years, and when Pu met, he would be cruel to others, which seemed too much!

"Cry if you are angry, but if you are obedient, I will not attack you." Sheng Yao's tone was helpless and distressed, he could only hug the little thing in his arms to warm him.

"Ahem..." Qiao Zhishu cried twice before he started coughing again.

Sheng Yao shouted: "Mao Jian, bring the medicine when it's fried!"

Qiao Zhishu took Sheng Yao's hand and drank a bowl of medicine. Miraculously, the medicine he drank this time did not cough up.After drinking the medicine, he retracted into Sheng Yao's arms, sniffed, raised his neck to stare at Sheng Yao, and asked in a low voice, "Why do you still come to report to ask for a reward? How much money did my brother give him?"

Sheng Yao fell silent because of his light and soft voice.

"Bingzhou is in chaos. Since the second half of this year, the prefect of Bingzhou attaches great importance to anyone who comes to Bingzhou for the first time from other places. At first, these officers and soldiers only reported those who came down from Shengjing. After getting more and more rewards, anyone who came to Bingzhou to find someone, They will all come to report, just to ask for three or four taels of reward, not much."

Qiao Zhi Shu was tired with his head raised, so he lowered his head and coughed a few times, and when he was no longer tired after a while, he raised his head to look at Sheng Yao again.

"Oh, it starts snowing in Bingzhou in December? So early, how many months will it snow?"

"I won't leave after the Chinese New Year." Sheng Yao raised his hand and touched Qiao Zhishu's forehead, not burning his hands, and then coaxed: "After taking the medicine, sleep for a while and get well soon. Brother will take you back to the state capital for the New Year."

Qiao Zhishun pursed his lips, coughed twice, and said reluctantly, "But I haven't had dinner yet..."

It's just past lunch time, what kind of dinner are you having?

"Heh..." Sheng Yao chuckled, knowing that Shu was still the same as when he was a child, not changed at all.He knew Qiao Zhishu too well, he didn't want to have dinner, he obviously didn't act coquettishly enough.

So Sheng Yao went straight to help Qiao Zhishu take off the jacket, and stuffed him into the bed. He also put on his underwear and got into the bed to hug him, "Sleep, when you wake up hungry, someone will bring you something to eat."

Sleeping in heavy clothes is uncomfortable, but Qiao Zhishu is cold without wearing them. Now that there is a human-shaped stove, Qiao Zhishu rambled a few times, and finally fell asleep comfortably and warmly.

The first reunion after the separation happened so plainly.

On the way, Qiao Zhishu wondered if the two of them would feel alienated because of time?Will there be a sense of strangeness because of the separation for too long?Could it be that my brother thinks that he doesn't need to love him when he grows up?Now, these assumptions are all turned into snow foam outside the window and sun-dried.

Unexpectedly, Qiao Zhishu slept from noon on the first day until the morning of the second day.

Sheng Yao couldn't lie down anymore, but he wanted to warm Qiao Zhi's bed, so he could only sit and lean on the bedside, and read the account book sent by the caravan. Zhishu is not stupid, and the caravan is also a conscience, not fooling young employers.

Qiao Zhishu was lying on his side, with one hand on his leg and the other across his ankle. He didn't finally open his eyes until Mao Jian brought breakfast.

During breakfast, Sheng Yao stood at the door and ordered his bodyguards. Qiao Zhishu, who was much better, got out of bed and ate breakfast under the quilt, and listened to his brother's deep and powerful voice.

"Take them back to the state capital to settle down first, check whether the tea bricks are damp at the first time, and, after the matter is over, lead them brothers to have a good meal, get the money from the accountant, and put it in a private account, and wait for me to go back fill."

"Yes, Master."

"Go ahead and tell the brothers about the situation on my side. It is estimated that I will return to the state capital in about ten days and let them make up their minds. If they are not sure, they will drag it back until I go back."

"Okay, then let's pack up and set off after breakfast."

Sheng Yao responded, sent three subordinates away, went back to the room and sat beside Qiao Zhishu, and touched Qiao Zhishu's hand.

The porcelain spoon in Qiao Zhishu's hand slammed into the bowl with a 'jingle'.

"I just left for a while, and my hands were cold, so I went back to bed and lay down."

Qiao Zhishu is very obedient, "Oh."

He was wearing a quilt, and after he stood up, he had to drag it to prevent the quilt from dragging the floor dirty.

Seeing this, Sheng Yao directly picked him up and put him on the bed, so Qiao Zhishu finished his breakfast on the bed again.

Qiao Zhishu's mental state has recovered, and the two huddled in the room to chat about each other's situation.

Qiao Zhishu: "Your younger brother is making a fuss about starting a kiln now, and he almost followed me. Why do you keep buying Jianzhan for him? He just has a set, and now the tricks he tells you to play are getting more and more expensive!"

"Okay, I finally gave you a chance to teach me a lesson." Sheng Yao justified his mistakes, and after teasing him, he said indifferently, "If he still wants to build a kiln this time, then build him a kiln for about a hundred taels of silver. thing."

"it is good."

"There is also Wolong Temple. Tell me about the situation of the temple. I plan to repair it when I go back next year."

Qiao Zhishu slowly described the Wolong Temple. Wherever he thought of it, Sheng Yao frowned more and more. Such a famous Beitian courtyard was too dilapidated.

While chatting, it was mentioned that Fang He gave birth to another son, Sheng Yan became a scholar, Sheng Xue established a female household, and got married at the end of the year, and the groom was Su Yi.

After hearing this, Sheng Yao commented on Su Yi a little, he said: "Su Yi is a man, Ya Mu Shi Shu Jing Mu Feng, I have been classmates with him for many years, and I seldom hear him talk about love affairs, he is not interested in women, if Without a virtuous wife who fully understands him, I'm afraid it will be difficult for him to live in peace in the future."

Su Yi is also a childhood friend, he doesn't accept his choice, but he understands it.

Qiao Zhishu just listened quietly to Sheng Yao's words. He asked him everything, including how much money his brother made.

Sheng Yao didn't hide it either, "In previous years, I was able to run ten votes, and next year I plan to raise it to thirty."

Thirty tickets are three thousand catties of tea, which can almost cover the total weight of all the tea produced in the four counties including Nan County.

"So much?" Qiao Zhishu exclaimed.

Sheng Yao nodded, "In less than two years, the tea merchant's profit will only be [-]% of what it is now."

Sheng Yao analyzed the current situation for Qiao Zhishu, "In the tea smuggling case, the imperial merchant and the concubine colluded. He also felt that the loss was too great, so he tried to squeeze the tea growers. The tea growers had no sales outlets, so they could only lower the price. Regarding this case, the Holy One commented on the merchants——If you don’t do production, you shouldn’t be rich and honored.”

Qiao Zhishu thought of Master Yuantong, the last time the Holy Master criticized 'no production' was monks, priests and prostitutes.

"So, before the person behind the son-in-law comes to the surface, the next thing the Holy Majesty wants to rectify is the ethos of profit-seeking businessmen. The only way at present is to fix the price of tea."

Qiao Zhishu answered: "So, the profit is controlled, we must win by quantity."

"That's right. Since the second half of this year, many big tea merchants in Bingzhou have fallen one after another. I also took this opportunity to buy a few caravans with a lot of money. They all ran the tea ceremony for several years, and they can do it after the new year. We're leaving for Northern Xinjiang."

Qiao Zhishu admired it very much. In the past years, the letters from Bingzhou were controlled by the son-in-law, so he could only learn about Sheng Yao's business from a few words. The team is so big.

Is there anything in this world that my brother can't do?

If Sheng Shaoyuan knew that Sheng Yao was in Bingzhou now, and that the soldiers stationed on the official road heard the word "Sheng Yao", they would go to report the letter despite the wind and snow. He was so famous, and it only took four short years. How do the father and daughter feel?

After Sheng Yao came, he only stayed in the field station for two nights, then wrapped Qiao Zhishu in his fur cloak, and started on his way in a carriage.

As soon as he got into the carriage, Qiao Zhishu poked his head out of the fur cloak. He was wearing no boots, but he was wearing socks, and he stepped on a heater, lying in Sheng Yao's arms.

"How long will it take to get home?"

Sheng Yao lazily leaned on the back of his seat, "I'll stay in Qin'an County tonight, I'll find a doctor and show you, and I'll see the situation tomorrow before I go on my way."

Qiao Zhishu covered her mouth and coughed in a muffled voice, opened her eyes and said nonsense, "I'm fine."

He wanted to quickly take a look at his brother's residence in Bingzhou, see who his brother had friends around in Bingzhou, and see what his brother ate in Bingzhou?

Sheng Yao looked down at Qiao Zhishu when he heard the words, because Qiao Zhishu's throat was itchy in the cold, and whenever he coughed, Sheng Yao would feed him water. Because of drinking too much water, Qiao Zhishu's lips were moist and plump, not only the lips , the whole face is plump and smooth, making people want to squeeze it.

Sheng Yao raised his hand to pinch his face, pinched it by the way, and said seriously: "What's good? Starting today, I will completely cure your body cold problem, you are used to it."

Qiao Zhishu pouted under the force, he was extremely embarrassed, his expression must be ugly now!He wanted to save face when he grew up, so he got out his hands from the fur cloak to grab Sheng Yao's hands.

His hands were cold, so cold that Sheng Yao let go of them, grabbing his hands and putting them in his lapel in distress.

When they were young, they stayed at Sun's house, and every winter night, Qiao Zhishu's hands would get under Sheng Yao's underwear and stick to his brother's abdomen or chest to warm his hands.After four years of separation, he shrank to the bed in winter and had to keep his eyes open, and it took a full hour to fall asleep in the cold.

Qiao Zhishu felt like he was a child again, he calmed down, and gently pressed his forehead against Sheng Yao's shoulder, it's great, nothing has changed.

"It's just a tickle in the throat."

Sheng Yao gave a soft 'hmm', and didn't bother to talk to Qiao Zhishu. Anyway, he said that he should treat it properly, so it must be to eradicate the root cause of the body cold.

"Qin'an County is near the sea. There is a pier. The night market there is famous for its delicious food. If you stay for a few more days, I will take you there. Are you satisfied?"

"Ah?" Qiao Zhishu's little head immediately stood up, and his upper body distanced himself from Sheng Yao. After seeing Sheng Yao's expression, he cheered, "Satisfied!"

The road was slippery in the snow, and the carriage slowly entered Qin'an County at dusk.

Living in the best inn in Qin'an County, Qiao Zhishu was finally able to take a good hot bath, and Sheng Yao kept him warm for another night. The next day, he was more than half healed. He didn't cough anymore, and only his nose still had clear water from time to time. .

After he was completely free of cold symptoms, Sheng Yao led him and Mao Jian to the night market at Qin'an Wharf.

Sure enough, there are many thatched huts on the shore of the pier, and the heat from the winter food floats into the sky. The sight of such human fireworks makes the index finger wide open.The snacks sold at the stalls are not expensive, and they are incomparable with restaurants and restaurants, but they are varied, and they sell everything they have eaten or not.

The three of them booked a room on the second floor of a tavern, and called the tavern buddy to buy food from a stall.

Sheng Yao asked Qiao Zhishu what he wanted to eat.

Qiao Zhishu looked directly at the food stand by the window, "Why don't you go down and eat?"

The little guy was afraid that the guests would run away and he wouldn't be able to earn the reward, so he went over to Qiao Zhishu and explained, "It's the same when eating here, if you want to eat, just tell me to buy it, and everyone who knows the way here eats like this. "

Most of the stalls are merchants, pawns, boatmen and sailors, and other people who do hard work. They don’t have much time to clean themselves up. There are many people who don’t take a bath all winter. The smell from their bodies will inevitably affect their appetite.

Know the way?Qiao Zhishu, who wanted to save face, immediately agreed, "Then tell me, what's delicious? I have a light mouth recently, and I want to eat meat."

"Then let me tell you, if you like seafood, you must have a bowl of clam powder, and bad shrimp and crab. If you don't like seafood, let's have a bowl of kidney noodle soup, fried pork intestines, and roasted leg of lamb. Vegetarian is the best." There are fried leek pancakes, noodles mixed with locust leaves, fried tofu, roasted eggplant..."

Qiao Zhishu ordered all of them out of curiosity, and the money he spent was not worth the price of a pot of wine in this tavern.

Because most of the meat food sold at the stalls is pig offal, pig intestines, lungs and sheep intestines, which are not eaten by the rich, have become the main meat food of the poor.So there is a saying that goes like this - rich people dislike dirty intestines, but poor people eat well.

And what Qiao Zhishu was most proud of this meal was the fried meat.

The pig's large intestine was cut into small pieces, and the fried oil was moist and tender. The stall owner sprinkled some spicy noodles, and it was fat but not greasy after one bite. The more you chew, the more delicious it becomes.

Sheng Yao saw that he was sweating profusely from eating, there was no one on the table who could not use his chopsticks, and at the moment he was hugging the roast leg of lamb and eating happily.

"Are you still in a hurry now?"

Qiao Zhishu bit the leg of lamb and tore off a piece of meat. He concentrated on chewing, but shook his head in perfunctory Sheng Yao.

After swallowing, he said: "Brother, we will come back tomorrow night!"