The Honest Man of the Red Chamber

The weather has been good for a few days before Laba, not to mention those people who saw that Mrs. Chief Secretary is generous, even the small view building is surrounded by boats, and even eight feet away from the stage, shrewd Shanxi people tied red ropes with branches The flags were all circled up, seeing what they were doing, it was better for Manager Xu to sit on the boat and ask them to leave the road for the boats to pass, otherwise there would be no place to set foot.

During Laqi, the city of Taiyuan was full of excitement. Not to mention the big and small officials and squires, even the traffickers and pawns knew that ten famous prostitutes would be selected on the stage in front of everyone. When the announcement came out, some people had long said that they would join in the fun, even if they couldn't see clearly, it would be good to listen to the music.

When we arrived at Laba, the city was almost in full swing, the music pipes whistled, the lights were brightly lit, and there were bursts of cheers and applause from time to time with the various performances on the stage.

Jia Zhen hid on the third floor of the Xiaoguan Building, watching Zhen Zhen being ruthlessly dismissed by other girls who were praised by all the dandies, and had to pretend to cheer up and greet her with a smile, she couldn't help laughing and drank another glass liquor.

He also wanted to plot against him. Uncle Zhen had suffered ten times more from women in his life than ordinary men. She was not worthy of Pei Feng's shoes.

Besides, the second uncle sent someone to investigate. The brothel where Zhenzhen was in was newly opened not long ago. It was announced at the beginning that it would definitely win one out of ten... Jia Zhen blinked her eyes, unwilling After thinking about it, he just wanted to join in the fun as he wanted, and if he really got involved, it wouldn't be a big deal.

As soon as the day was over, he took the things his aunt gave him and set off to return to the capital.Jia Zhen ate wine and had fun watching the novelty show on the stage, but it was a pity that the old ladies and the old ladies couldn't see it, and the performance was really good.

As soon as the Laba Festival was over, Taiyuan City gradually returned to calm. Although it still talked about Laba from time to time, it started to talk more about Juan's murder of his wife.

"Although killing people should pay for their lives, but after all, it was the wife who cheated first. Which man worked so hard to make money, but when he looked back at his wife stealing someone, wouldn't he become angry?"

"Yeah, leave the old ones, the young ones, poor ones."

"I heard that it was planned to be cut at the end of the autumn. That old mother Hu is almost blind from crying."

"Who wouldn't cry about such a ruined family at the stall! It's all due to the Liu family's disobedience!"

"That's right, if she didn't steal people, maybe Juan wouldn't kill people."

"How do you know that someone's wife stole someone? You saw it, and there are other witnesses? You can talk about such things without a trace. There are many businessmen in Shanxi, and their wives are working hard at home to take care of the young and old. , you are better off, just spray a mouthful of dirty water on it for no reason, so that the innocent person can’t live anymore! When the government arrests people, what they talk about is evidence, the murder weapon, the corpse, the informant, and Juan’s own confession. It was judged according to the criminal law of the current court, so it was clear, hey, you are good, just say something casually to blame his wife for stealing, and lightly erase Juan's crimes, fortunately you are not officials, If it were you, would the three lives of the Liu family and the Hu family be lost in vain?" Just as they were chatting lively, a woman suddenly said.

What she said was more reasonable and convincing, and many people followed her.

"What you said makes sense. It is right to kill people for their lives."

"That's right, who knows if Mrs. Liu was wronged, she's all dead."

"I heard that it was cut to a bloody mess, tsk tsk tsk, that's why the Liu family insisted on suing, even ignoring their grandchildren."

"Really, it's so miserable!"

"Yeah, everyone's family is dead, but there are still people who deliberately want to pour dirty water on the dead. I don't know what kind of heart they have?"

"I am also a woman, so I have to make trouble with women."

"There must be an evil mother-in-law in her family..."

Seeing that the conversation gradually turned around again, and it was so easy to attract the conversation in this direction, it didn't know where it went, two women casually scrubbed and washed the two clothes in their basin, and then went home together .

Seeing no one behind them, the two sighed, "It's really hard to earn money, why don't we just forget about it, we've been changing places around these few days, and even our mouths are almost worn out, so there is only a little wind direction, and someone will break it right away." , can't fan it at all."

"Isn't it? The public notice board of the government this time clearly hangs up several people who are about to be executed. It is very clear why they have to be beheaded and what crime they committed! Except for Juan's mother who still insists on that I begged for it under the sign, and now there are no people who even ask."

"Five taels of silver! What about five taels of silver when things are done? Anyway, Mrs. Liu is dead, so it won't do much to help his mother Juan to say a few words. Otherwise, I understand that we can go to Zhenbaofang to try it out. ? Occasionally, there will be some limited-edition stewed pork, which is delicious, and there are many people there.”

"Well, there's nothing to do in winter anyway."

Ever since the Bowei Building was opened on the Taojiang River on the west bank of the river, and the Shanxi College in Baishan was further up the river, the buildings were newly built every day, and gradually became prosperous. But Dongxianglou is no longer the vaguely No. [-] restaurant in Taiyuan.

In the inner room of the highest floor, there are still many businessmen gathering together.

"Master Huang, it seems that in Taiyuan, this fire can't be started." The man has small eyes but is very energetic, and he won't give people a sense of obscenity.

Hearing what he said, some people agreed, "When Jia Zheng came to Shanxi, he first opened the Bowei Building to show his sense of family, and then he used huge profits to seduce officials of all sizes in Shanxi. Now let alone in Taiyuan, it is in Shanxi. , and no one wants to refute his words. He is a person who values ​​reputation more than anything else, and he can make money by following him. He is a guy who feels that there is nothing to be done and wants to quit.

Huang Jie put the wine glass on the table heavily, the wine splashed and wet the brocade tablecloth, but made no sound.

"Jia Zheng is an official, and he is also a very powerful official! But he used our interests to deceive those officials and the court! Although he did not prohibit us from continuing to run businesses on our own, it took more than half a year to measure Our land counts as our heads! Yes, he hasn't done right with us yet, but he has already put a knife on our necks! Don't you think of this, and you want to get him down. Seeing that they all looked at him, Huang Jie said, "He, Jia Zheng, is an official. Don't we Shanxi people have any officials? They are still in front of the emperor in the capital. If Jia Zheng manages this way, those officials have the same opinion! Why Jia Zheng In Jinling, it’s fine to get some old sacrificial fields, but they can’t do it in Shanxi, they really restrict the sacrificial fields according to the grade regulations, so that the elders have to pay the land rent, and they can’t live with it at home.”

Seeing that everyone finally started to nod again, he smiled slightly, "Don't worry, of course no one will believe you if you spread the word to those ignorant and stupid women, but what if it comes from someone with high morals?"

"What kind of respected person? Juan's killing his wife is indeed a certainty? If they talk nonsense, wouldn't it be a waste of their own..."

"So we can't say that Juan killed his wife was wrong, but that Juan killed his wife for a reason!" Huang Jie's eyes were full of incitement and viciousness, "Why did Juan kill his wife? It's not that he failed in business, but that the Liu family stole people. The Liu family must steal people, and just like what we taught Juan's mother, it was the Liu family who stole people and was discovered by the servant Hu Huo, who had an affair with Hu Huo and asked him to kill the adulterer! She is guilty of stealing and killing first, that's why Juan killed his wife, but he was right! It was just a moment of righteous indignation, and there was a reason for it!" Huang Jie said with joy, as if everything he said was based on what he saw with his own eyes Generally speaking, "As for the Hu Huo couple, they are just a pair of servants. If they are beaten to death, they will be killed. It doesn't matter."

"That's right, if the Liu family steals someone, they should be soaked in a pig cage, and those who kill their wives for a reason don't need to be sentenced to death!"

"But everyone knows that this is not the case! They have reasons and evidence, and there are physical and personal witnesses..."

Huang Jie glared at the man, and interrupted rudely, "That's why people who make people think that they will never tell lies say this."

Small-eyed Tong Yin blinked, "Could it be the person of high morals that Master Huang said."

"Exactly!" Huang Ye stood up and said vigorously, it seemed that he knew that the person would definitely make his wish come true, "I won't keep it secret, that is Mrs. Jing Yin."

"Taiqingguan's Jingyin Guantai?"

"She, how could she stand up and say such a thing."

"The monks are all empty, and the Liu family is dead."

"Hey, don't worry about why she said it, as long as she says it, Mrs. Liu will die! Master Jingyin said she committed adultery, so she must have committed adultery, hahaha, didn't Jia Zheng send all the verdicts to the third division? , Let him have a good year this year, once the emperor opens the imperial pen, our fire should be heated enough, and he will definitely drink a pot of it!"

Everyone clapped the table to celebrate and toasted each other. In fact, most of them were not Shanxi merchants, but merchants from other places.

Why Shanxi merchants develop so big and so fast, and they are able to make money and grow, not only their own hard work, regardless of life and death, but also the support of the local government. He vigorously supported and helped within the scope of his ability, followed Jia Zheng to take office, and he took the top ten Shanxi merchants into his hands as soon as he came, and tamed them so much that they were more obedient than hunting dogs.

He said he wanted to build Shanxi College, so he desperately donated money to process people to build it, he said he wanted to build it here, he had to change it there, he had to pay the land tax and the head tax, and everything was obedient, but Jia Zheng didn't lose them, and let the top ten Shanxi merchants buy shares to do it together What a mastery of logistics, first to open up business routes, it is said that the business has gone to Bashu!

There is also the Chamber of Commerce of Everything, and the Jinling-Taiyuan Friendship and Trade Alliance, where items can be purchased through friendly bidding. Occasionally, there will be shortages or mistakes. As long as the reputation in the Chamber of Commerce is reliable, someone will guarantee it. , You can even spend money from it to make a comeback!

The news is exchanged, everyone has the same price, fair and reasonable management, and everyone adds up to be a huge fortune. Doing business is like gambling, but with the Chamber of Commerce, you can start all over again at the worst. Which businessman has no ambition? Listen! It is said that the Qiao family even sold the fur goods to that country of Great Britain. It was Jia Zheng's wife's natal Wang's family who took the lead. They have greeted Shengjia before, and they know people from any country!

Seeing that Shanxi Merchants, the top names in China, have to wear their hats really securely. How can they be reconciled to those who can't even get a bite of soup? When shooting people, shoot horses first, and kill enemies first, kill generals. As long as Jia Zheng is down, these Everything from the beginning will come to naught, their land rent will still only pay one-third, and those Shanxi officials and lords in Beijing can set up unlimited land for sacrifices, allowing their relatives to depend on them without paying taxes. Logistics and the Chamber of Commerce of All Things should be taken over by their Ningbo and Dongting Guilds.

The author has something to say: this time my aunt is very uncomfortable, she asked for a leave of absence yesterday, and I wish you all little angels.

If all goes well, Jia Zheng and Mrs. Wang will return to the capital immediately. Alas, why do I want to spoil things so much today? I have to hold back...

Goodnight everybody.