The husband's son-in-law

Self-made canned food has a shelf life of half a year, which is no problem.Theoretically, it can be stored for a year, but the difference between local earthen jars and modern glass jars is still safe.But now that the weather is cold, it is no problem to keep it for an extra month or two.It's just that the things are heavy, and it's impossible to go by land. Not to mention the high transportation costs, and the time spent on the road, I'm afraid it will take a month to go to Tangzhou.

It's definitely not going to work.

Only by water.

At the moment, there are four large ships parked in Haiwan Village under Jiting Prefecture, two of which were managed by Rong next door.The workers in the Jiting factory began to move goods onto the ship. If the coconut factory recruited more female workers, then the cannery factory also recruited more male workers.

The female workers do the washing and cutting, and the male workers do the handling.

At this time, there are many people around the coast, all of them are far away, chatting in low voices, nothing more than whether it will be successful, whether it can be sold for money, how can it not be sold, this is the business of the Li family, Not all of them belonged to Li's family, anyway, Mr. Gu's designation can be sold for money.

Merchants from Zhaozhou City came here after hearing the news. Some of these merchants had cooperation with Boss Li, and some of them were familiar with each other. They could come forward and say a few words politely.

"Boss Li's business is doing big."

"I wish Boss Li a smooth journey and a big profit in the business."

Li Zhouzhou cupped his hands and smiled to thank the other party for his kindness. He also wanted to ask if this canned food could be sent to Zhaozhou City in batches?Naturally.

"There are not many cans this time. Fruits and seafood are different. Five hundred cans are reserved for Zhaozhou City."

In fact, what do people in Zhaozhou eat if they want to eat fruits from various prefectures and counties in Zhaozhou?They are still fresh, especially now that the concrete road has been repaired, and it is easy to walk.But everyone eats too much fresh fruit and gets tired of it. I haven't seen the taste of this can, so I naturally want to try something new.

While Li Zhouzhou was chatting with the merchants, Wang Jian came over, holding a pamphlet in his hand, and said neatly, "Boss, the goods are all ready."

"Then let's go, get on the boat." Li Zhouzhou spoke.

The merchants all bowed their hands and bowed to salute, asking Boss Li to set off without talking too much, and if there is anything to talk about, it will be a safe journey.When Boss Li's figure is far away, the person standing on the pier next to him seems to be Mr. Gu?

That is to say, Boss Li accidentally ran out of the business to do business, and every time Mr. Gu, Mrs. Li and Young Master Fubao came to give it to him, how could he not this time?It turned out to be waiting at the pier.

Boss Li's family over there were talking affectionately.

Master Wang looked at the figure in the distance - a dark quilted robe, tight cuffs, and combed hair. He looked like a man, how could he look like a brother in the mansion?

But he searched in his memory for a long time, and his impression of this brother was also that summer, when he sent the fourth brother to serve Boss Li, the fourth brother was dressed in the same clothes as the girls at home, clanging There was a noise, and the others were gone.

Thinking about it now, in less than two years, the fourth brother and Wang Jian seem to be two people.

Master Wang sighed in his heart, this child, it would be great if he was a boy, he is courageous and courageous, he is much better at doing business than his elder brothers, he is born to eat this bowl of food, what a pity, he is a brother.

The business of the Wang family cannot be handed over to outsiders, let alone the fourth brother is still a concubine.

Forget it.

Master Wang didn't think about it anymore, and looked away.

That boat is a big boat in the eyes of the common people today, but not too big in the eyes of Gu Zhao.Fu Bao pesters Dad, saying that he will be eight years old soon, can Li Zhaoxi go out to sea with Dad when he is eight years old?

Li Zhouzhou thought for a while and said: "Then try it on land first, if you go by water, at least wait until Li Zhaoxi is ten years old."

"Ah? It's still ten years old." Li Zhaoxi's puppy drooped its head.

Eight years old is so far away, why do you still have to be ten years old!It was too difficult for Li Zhaoxi.

Gu Zhao said to Meng Jianyun, Su Shiyi and the other two: "The sailors on board are all good sailors. Except for the safety of Boss Li, we should follow the captain's arrangement at all other times. Don't be foolish."

The two knew it.

Gu Zhao also made a portable compass. Of course, there is also a compass calendar called Sinan. This thing is rather rare. Fishermen along the coast of Zhaozhou don’t have this when they go to sea. Sorry, I judge the time based on experience.

Coastal people rely on experience to go to sea, depending on the weather and the waves, and they can’t go far when going to sea—these experiences are summed up by their ancestors.

For the safety of going to sea this time, Gu Zhaosu, the compass, came out, and there was one more item--powder kit and detonator.This is the time of last resort.

The captain of the Li family said that he had never encountered any pirates.

However, Gu Zhao was prepared, and he also trained more than a dozen guards under Meng Jianyun and Su Shiyi. Some time ago, Ji Ting was in charge of this sea area, and there was a bang bang bang every day.

The captain said that if there were no pirates, the salvage was in the vicinity, and he did not go far to the two Zhejiang provinces. Gu Zhao thought that there were Japanese pirates in history—the sea area of ​​the two Zhejiang provinces is a place for Japanese pirates. up.

Still be careful.

The more Gu Zhao thought about it, the more he couldn't do it, and finally told Zhou Zhou that he would not go this time, and let Su Shiyi and Meng Jianyun lead the team.Still, Li Zhouzhou was worried, saying that he would go and have a look first. It was his first canned food business, so there was always something to do, especially in Liangzhou City, not Tangzhou...

Then go ahead.

After doing so much preliminary work, how could Li Zhouzhou give up on the finishing touches?He likes to do business. He liked to make money and save money when he was in the prefecture and county. He was happy when he saw a penny and copper plate accumulating in a box. Well, let me praise Zhaozhou for its good products, and the people of Zhaozhou also have work to do and money to earn.

It's time to set off. Gu Zhaoyou's mother-in-law and mother-in-law possessed him and said a lot of advice. Li Zhouzhou answered them one by one. Finally, Li Da couldn't stand it anymore and said: "It's getting late, don't delay, get on the boat Let's go." We've been married for so many years, why can't we finish talking.

Li Da didn't understand.

Mr. Gu can only watch his wife board the boat in person.Oh, by the way, life buoys have also been released—there is rubber, and the rubber rings and tires are generally made, but they are made by hand. They are not comparable to modern life buoys, but they can float, and people can get in and save effort.

In short, Mr. Gu has tried his best to make everything safe and perfect.

This time I went to Liangzhe, Brother Lin also boarded the boat. He is good at water, and he didn’t get dizzy when he took the boat. When he heard that he was going by boat this time, he first worried about Brother Wang Jian and asked Wang Jian if he would go.

"Of course I'm going." After Wang Jian finished speaking, he knew what Brother Lin wanted to say, and said first, "I'm fine. I came back to practice for a long time in the summer. I knew I was going to go, so I specially took a boat to practice again. , is much better now, and can swim.”

Brother Lin was worried, so Brother Lin followed. If Brother Wang Jian got seasick, he would still have a cabin to take care of his daily life.

Naturally, traveling by water is fast. Four ships of cargo depart from Zhaozhou, go straight up the coast, and arrive at the wharf of Liangzhezhou City. It takes only about [-] or [-] days, less than half a month. That would take at least a month and a half.

The four ships were not small, and they waved their flags far away—the flags of Zhaozhou merchants.

The people in the two Zhejiang cities didn't know it yet, so they looked carefully, and finally saw the word "Zhaozhou", and then remembered the notice on the hair, and then the team leader sent his hands to the pier, and those who built ladders built ladders, ready to stop the ship and dock. up.

This is a toss, Wang Jian paid the hard-earned money, arranged for the unloading and ordering of the goods, Su Shiyi was on the sidelines, and Meng Jianyun just followed the boss.Seeing that it was getting dark, it was certain that he would not be able to enter the city today. A man hurried over from afar, and he signed himself up, surnamed Liang.

He is the housekeeper of Brother Liang's uncle's house.

Li Zhouzhou naturally thanked them. The other party arranged for them to go to Zhuangzi's other garden not far outside the city. After they arrived, Zhuangzi's servants did not interfere with their goods. I didn't dare to sleep to death, so I went to bed early and went to the city the next day.

Out of emotion and reason, it is natural to pay a visit to Mr. Liang first.

According to Li Zhou Zhou Li's status as a businessman, it is impossible to meet Mr. Liang even if he personally delivered the post to the door.But the relationship with Brother Liang is different.

Liang Zizhi's uncle was named Liang Rui, a salt transport envoy from the third rank, and his house was in the city of Liangzhe.Li Zhouzhou got up early the next day, leaving Su Shiyi to watch the goods, and took Meng Jianyun and Wang Jian into the city, posted greeting cards, and rented a yard to settle down.

When the goods were transported from outside the city to Liangzhe City, Boss Hu got wind of it for some reason, so he first touched the temporarily rented house. There was a flag with the word Zhaozhou Shang three characters on it outside the door. Boss Hu came from afar, When I saw the flag, I felt relieved, knowing that I was right.

The door was open, and people walked in, and there were people inside, all of whom were young and strong men.

Boss Hu was not afraid, and immediately smiled warmly when he saw a person, "Brother Su, it's me, remember? Old Hu." Boss Hu went up and shook Su Shiyi's hand.

"Remember, how did Boss Hu know we're here?" Su Shiyi was still curious, and chatted with him with a smile.

The two of them talked one by one.

"It's because our Zhaozhou merchants have become very famous. I opened a grocery store. Yesterday someone said that they seemed to see goods delivered by Zhaozhou merchants on the wharf outside the city. There were four ships. They came from outside. I thought it must be ours. It's Zhaozhou..." Boss Hu also spoke intimately, saying 'our Zhaozhou' to make connections.

Su Shiyi knew that Boss Hu wanted to find out what goods Zhaozhou had this time, so he didn't hide them. They came here to sell goods, and said, "It's canned food."

"What cans, cans? I know the cans." But how could Boss Li from Zhaozhou pull four boats of cans from thousands of miles?Boss Hu thought and knew it was impossible.

Su Shiyi led the people to the main hall where he was doing business and talking.

The main hall is neat, with all four doors open, and it is not too cold. There are only two tables and a few chairs empty inside. When Boss Hu saw it, he knew it was a bit of a rush to rent this house, but he also agreed with Boss Li's style of doing things. Simple and clear.

After we met, we exchanged a few pleasantries, and we got to the point.

"Open a can each, please taste Boss Hu." Li Zhouzhou ordered.

Su Shiyi went there, and after a while, two cans of canned food were placed on the table with their arms around them. They were the same fruit and seafood. "It should be pineapple and fish."

Boss Hu stared at the jar on the table, and then listened to Brother Xiao Su talking. It contained pineapples and fish. He had never heard of this pineapple, but it should be eaten, and fish is nothing rare.

Now that I have moved to Liangzhezhou City, all the fish are fresh, and here is close to the sea, so I can eat all kinds of fish.Boss Hu thought of this, and felt that there was nothing unusual about this can.

But things in Zhaozhou——

Boss Hu thinks it won't be that simple.He thought about it here and guessed that Su Shiyi had already opened the lid, only to hear a slight squeak, and the lid of the jar was opened. The squeak seemed to come from inside. Boss Hu was surprised and took the jar that fell on the table. Guy, I haven't seen it before. Why is there a layer of white inside? What is this?

In the past, it was sealed with oiled paper and wiped with mud. I have never seen such a cover.

"Boss Hu, don't just look at the lid." Su Shiyi said with a smile.

Wang Jian came over with the bowls and chopsticks. Boss Hu couldn't eat them with his hands, could he?When Su Shiyi saw it, he felt that he was careless, and he didn't expect to be so careful.Wang Jian picked up a piece of pineapple with his chopsticks, and scooped up the canned water with a spoon.

"Boss Hu, try it." Li Zhouzhou asked for a gesture.

Boss Hu is not too polite. He and Boss Li are old acquaintances. Let’s look at the contents of the small bowl first. The golden yellow is as big as half a palm. When the sweetness came, I picked it up and took a bite.

"Hmm~"

Boss Hu let out a gasp, didn’t say anything, took another big mouthful, chewed and swallowed slowly, and immediately burst into a smile, “It’s delicious, isn’t this a fruit from Zhaozhou? What’s it called? Spinach, spinach -"

"Pineapple." Wang Jian answered.

Boss Hu took a sip of the fruit soup, which was sweet and slightly sour. The taste was something he had never tasted or seen before. The fruit I have never seen before is in sugar water, and it tastes better than the usual homemade sugar water.

This jar is not cheap, is it?

But Boss Hu thinks he can make money, it's just a matter of earning more and earning less. In his grocery store, all the goods in Zhaozhou are in high demand, and there is nothing they can't sell.

"That's good, what price does Boss Li want?"

Li Zhouzhou didn't talk about the price, but asked Su Shiyi to order other ones, saying, "We'll talk after we've tried them one by one. There's no rush."

Boss Hu was curious about the price, but Boss Li didn't say anything, so he waited until the meal was over.It’s just that the canned fish, he doesn’t think there’s anything curious about it, if he buys Zhaozhou goods, there are more canned fruits, and fish can’t be bought——

Wang Jian used another bowl and another pair of clean chopsticks to fish.

The fish in the bowl was pink and tender, and it was a little heavy. It was cold and the soup was a little sticky. When Boss Hu took a look, he felt that the appearance was not good, but he could save face for Boss Li. Find reasons to be less important, or not.

He took a piece of fish meat with chopsticks and put it in his mouth - it was quite strange that the fish meat was not rotten after adding up the chopsticks.Boss Hu put it in his mouth, his tongue got the taste, he gasped, and then he tasted it.

"It's not fishy at all." Boss Hu was amazed. It was cold and the gravy was congealed, but there was no fishy smell. The fish was soft and tasted better than his freshly steamed fish.

"Canned seafood may be a novelty if it is stored in the two Zhejiang provinces, but it is not afraid to be stored in the Central Plains." Li Zhouzhou said.It's just one more procedure to go through, what's the point.

If you want profit in the world, how can you not pay?

Boss Hu said sincerely: "I don't think the fish is fresh, but the canned fish in Zhaozhou tastes better than freshly steamed fish."

Eat a novelty.

Su Shiyi carried another two jars over, followed by shrimp meat. Compared with fish, Boss Hu was full of praise for this shrimp. Fish meat is common. Although the fish in Zhaozhou is rarer than the local fish in Liangzhe, but The difference is not too big. Boss Hu has never seen this shrimp.

The meat tastes a bit firm, not so soft, and the shell is removed, the meat does not stick to any ingredients, and the taste is delicious.

"The last jar is the fruit from Zhaozhou. The quantity is a little less. This year, the ones made in a hurry are less. It's litchi."

Boss Hu was having a good time, but when he heard the lychees, he almost dropped his chopsticks on the table, "What? Lychee, lychee?!"

He has never eaten or seen this lychee, but he has heard of it, the famous lychee.

The Hunjun who destroyed the country in the previous dynasty loved a concubine at that time, and the concubine loved to eat lychees, but the lychees were expensive and only grew in the far south. The Hunjun sent soldiers and horses to deliver lychees to his concubine regardless of the battle ahead. Many horses were exhausted on the road, and it was only a box in the palace, which was more valuable than that gold.

At that time, literati wrote lychee songs, and children sang them in the streets and alleys. Later, Dali Taizu killed him in Beijing and entered the palace. The world changed his name and surname, and the whole Dali people praised it. prosperity.

It has been more than 200 years now, but who knows this lychee?

The common people know it, but they have never seen or tasted it.

Boss Hu was so shocked that he didn't close his mouth for a long time, he couldn't believe it at all, he confirmed again and again that this lychee was that lychee, a lychee that was more expensive than gold, and he muttered to himself: "...I never dreamed in my life that I would eat such a lychee. Precious stuff."

Another thought, isn't the southernmost state city, Zhaozhou?

Li Zhouzhou explained: "If it is really difficult to transport fresh lychees, the lychees are ripe in June and July, and they are kept in ice and sent all the way to Beijing. They will not last for more than a month. This canned lychees are not fresh. Litchi, we have a unique technology to keep it fresh, and compared with fresh lychees, each has its own taste, Boss Hu, try it."

Wang Jian was very curious, this time he served it with a spoon and scooped up a bowl for Boss Hu.

Boss Hu was very happy, and said: "Thank you, little brother Wang Jian, this food is expensive, it's the first time I eat it, let me have a good taste."

The lychees in Zhaozhou are round and plump, which are better than those in Mozhou.The lychees that are put into the jar at the moment are all selected big ones. The lychees have their pits taken out, the flesh is white and crystal clear, stained with juice, bite half of it, and the taste bursts out in the mouth.

It's delicious. Boss Hu didn't expect that he could eat this in his life.

"In the past, only the empress could eat it."

"Nowadays, only the nobles can eat it."

Boss Hu took a bite of the lychees, and then he muttered a sentence. After eating four or five lychees, he still couldn't get enough.It's not good to eat anymore, this one is here to discuss business.Boss Hu's eyes were bright, almost begging Boss Li for a price, even if it was two or three taels of silver for a jar, he would still buy it.

This is definitely a big hit.

When we were in Zhaozhou before, Gu Zhao and Zhou Zhou talked about the price of canned fruit. In Gu Zhao’s eyes, they were all the same canned fruit.

Now, seeing Boss Hu's discriminating treatment, Li Zhouzhou thought to himself, this fruit is still like a human being, and it is really divided into three or six or nine classes.

Then... let's raise the price of lychees.

"Canned pineapple costs 150 Wen a can, fish and shrimp costs [-] Wen a can, and lychees cost [-] Wen a can."

Boss Hu frowned when he heard the price, and said, "Boss Li, your price is too low. How can such a rare thing be sold so cheaply?"

The jar is so big and there are so many things, why is it so cheap.

"It's not low. It's because Boss Hu has seen more wealth, and he has more money in his hands." Li Zhouzhou lived in Fu County, and also lived in Beijing. The houses in the alleys of Fu County, Fang Liulan in Beijing Mom's house, these are the homes of ordinary people.

He quoted this price, and most of the people in Dali would not buy it, as it was too expensive.

"I still cooperate with old and regular customers for this can, and I can't drive up the price, and the boss of the can has also met, big, the lid is opened, and now it is cold in autumn and winter, and it can be stored for a day or two. If the lid is opened in summer, it can't last long. Let it go, it will break overnight."

"So I want to cooperate with restaurants and restaurants, and sell the jars to these places."

Ordinary people must not be able to digest a jar of canned food at home-they don't want to buy it at all.Ningping prefecture is considered lively and prosperous. In the past, if I saw canned fruit, I would not bite my teeth and spend two hundred yuan to buy this food.

It can be disassembled and distributed, and a bowl of fruit syrup that has never been seen before sells for more than 20 yuan, and there are still people who are willing to try it.There are a lot of fruits in Zhaozhou, and these things are in a steady stream. If they are so expensive, they are the same as Liuguang silk, and there are fewer customers to buy them.

Boss Hu heard this, and solemnly bowed to Boss Li.

Nothing more than that, if he is like Boss Li, if his business grows bigger and he earns more money, his heart will already be blocked by money, and he only wants to make money, the more the better, why would he care about the food and drink of ordinary people What?

Naturally, it is highly praised, and it only sells to the rich and wealthy.

The cost of the can is four fen a piece, and the gasket in the rubber factory is two fen a piece, which adds up to six fen.You can buy six or seven pineapples for ten renminbi, and this canned food costs three, plus cane sugar, firewood, labor, and shipping costs. After all, the cost is less than [-] renminbi.

Li Zhouzhou made a lot of money selling a can of [-] Wen.Seafood is more expensive, because the fishermen who go out to sea to salvage take some risks. The waves come as they say, and people nowadays think that meat is naturally more expensive than fruit, so it is normal to ask for more than [-] yuan.

As for the expensive price of lychees——

Li Zhouzhou is also a businessman in business, some are expensive and some are cheap, if the price is low in other places, then the same price will be more expensive, and you will always earn more.

Boss Hu asked for canned food, signed a contract, and introduced some restaurants.

Afterwards, Li Zhouzhou let go of the distribution in two Zhejiang cities and handed it over to Wang Jian and Su Shiyi. He received a post from the Liang Mansion, inviting him to visit the mansion. The butler of the Liang Mansion picked him up from the dock Up to now, it is extraordinarily respectful to invite him to the mansion.

Li Zhouzhou felt that Brother Liang might have told Master Liang about his identity.

But since Senior Brother Liang can say it, it makes sense.

Li Zhouzhou changed into new clothes, took the gifts the next day, got into the carriage and went to Liang Mansion.Liang Mansion's house in Liangzhe City is very noble, the location is good and the scenery is good, it occupies a few alleys, there must be a few or eight people.

Gu Zhao also told Zhou Zhou about Mr. Liang's family situation, but he didn't know much, because he was defeated in the war, and his brother was in a bad mood. He didn't say clearly in the letter, which caused Gu Zhao Zhao told Zhou Zhou that he also knew from the past, and even guessed.

One, Senior Brother Liang's father died young. In terms of the enlightenment of reading and future arrangements, Master Liang can be said to be half a father, so on the surface, Master Liang comes to write letters from time to time and scolds this nephew for not doing his job properly. Hanlin actually cared about his nephew's future very much.

For reference, Senior Brother Liang started from the fifth rank as soon as he had the desire to make progress.Gu Zhao wouldn't have believed it if Mr. Liang hadn't acted on this.

Second, Mr. Liang's family has a large population, and Zhou Zhou went there without mentioning anything else. After all, the relationship is circumvented. When the time comes, it will be like an ordinary visit, giving gifts, asking what to say, and that's it.

But Gu Zhao never expected that Brother Liang would directly explain the relationship to Mr. Liang.

Liang Rui was a salt transport envoy from Sanpin, and he sat in the seat for more than 20 years. He was over 50 years old, with a beard, medium height, and good looks. If Gu Zhao was there, he would definitely be called the middle-aged version of Second Brother Yan.

It's so similar, this serious and dignified official taste.

However, in terms of appearance and size, it is naturally not as rigorous as Xinxin.

At this moment, he entered the gate of the Liang Mansion—yes, Li Zhouzhou entered through the main entrance, and he knew when he stepped into the gate that Master Liang must know his identity, and he felt a little uneasy, but thought, if Master Liang criticized and taught him a lesson Whatever he does, he just listens.

Mr. Liang is an elder, and he deserved it for helping Zhaozhou so much.

In the end, Li Zhouzhou didn't expect it, and went directly to the backyard, where Mrs. Liang received him.

Li Zhouzhou: ...

In the main hall, there are also the daughters-in-law of the Liang family, seated in sequence.Li Zhouzhou naturally saw Miss Fifth from Tangzhou, Miss Fifth was wearing a woman's bun, her complexion was ruddy, and her face was slightly rounded, when he came in, Miss Fifth was talking to a woman next to her.

Now that his identity has been clarified, Li Zhouzhou thought about it for a while, and took the identity of a junior to say hello and socialize.

Sure enough, Mrs. Liang treated him the same way. When she saw him, she said enthusiastically, "I'm here to let you sit and talk. There is also a guest here. This is Junior Brother Ze'er's wife."

The direct daughters-in-law of the Liang family all knew that their mother-in-law valued her nephew in Beijing more than her own son, and naturally that was also valued by her father-in-law.I didn't expect such a relationship, but when my mother-in-law introduced her, why didn't she make it clear?

Miss Wu, who was talking with her sister-in-law in the hall, stopped talking after the visitor came in, but when she saw the visitor clearly, she hiccupped in shock and quickly covered her mouth with a handkerchief, while the sister-in-law next to her handed over hot tea.

"Now that you are healthy, don't choke."

Miss Wu was thinking in a mess, but she still pretended to be calm and said, "I know, thank you, sister-in-law San." It was useless to drink tea.

She was young, and she couldn't hide anything on her face—even if she tried to hide it, it was still exposed.But in this way, it made people even more confused. If the guest was not a husband, everyone would be suspicious.

"I went to Tangzhou to do business before, and it happened that the Fourth Madam was engaged to the Liang family and took over the dowry business, so I met the Fourth Madam twice." Li Zhouzhou said with a smile.

Leaving aside the other things, the sister-in-law came to her senses, "The dowry for the fourth sibling? Could it be Liuli?"

The female family members of the Liang family in the lobby were surprised, but then they were overjoyed.