Shuinan New Street, where Zhang Yue lives, leads to Songxi and Ouning Counties. There are frequent business trips on weekdays, and it is also the only way for pilgrims who go up the mountain to offer incense to Huanghua Temple.
Both sides of the new street are lined with tiled or thatched two-story houses.
When walking on the street, when you look up, you will see that the eaves and verandas are close to each other, and there is no space. Under your feet are dirty water and garbage from the vegetable vendors and fish vendors. The street is full of stench. On weekdays, people who defecate only come to the toilet once every two or three days, and people on the street often empty the toilet in all directions.
Zhang Yue remembered that his brother Zhang Xu didn't like the quarrels and disputes among ordinary people in the streets, the gossip between parents, and even the cries of vendors would disturb his mood of studying. After Zhang Xu entered school, he would rather live and eat in the county school. Even Zhang Yue, his younger brother, could not see his brother except during holidays.
The Zhang family lived on the mountain side of Shuinan New Street, with two firewood doors outside and a grassy bamboo fence surrounding the house. The front of the house faced south. There were some sundries in the house and a large urn under the eaves.
Buildings that encroach on the street and have eaves are built like this are most likely to catch fire, and they are all covered in pieces once burned. Therefore, every household has a large urn in front of the eaves to collect rainwater on weekdays. Jianzhou has a rainy season, and the rainwater flows through the eaves and pours into the large urn for self-sufficiency. The live fish you usually buy can also be raised in the urn.
When Zhang Yue arrived at the door, he couldn't help but be surprised. This house was not like this yesterday.
The Zhang family had been evacuated yesterday, but today I saw that the door that had been kicked in by Zhao Yasi had been repaired. Baozheng and the neighbors came over to help. People inside and outside the house were busy, some added some household items, and some Also clean the house.
These are the philistine neighbors that the second brother usually despises the most, but they are warm and considerate when the Zhang family is in trouble. Neighbors came forward as soon as they saw Zhang Yue coming back.
"Sanlang, look at how tight this quilt is."
Zhang Yue took a look, but saw a hole in the corner of the quilt and the cotton wool exposed. He quickly said: "Ms. Lin family, we already have this quilt. We don't need too much."
But the other party was reluctant: "Let Da Lang San Lang build an extra layer, it's cold at night. Don't refuse."
"Sister-in-law of the Yu family, I also have clothes." Zhang Yue declined quickly.
"Sanlang, I'm making a suit of clothes. You can change them first. Why are you being polite to me?"
Zhang Yue really didn't like this look, but the other party chased him and said, "You're welcome, Sanlang will just accept it."
The neighbors on the side all laughed and said: "Don't refuse, we have been neighbors for so many years."
Zhang Yue remembered that his second brother once told him that after he was admitted to the county school and was appreciated by the county magistrate Chen Xiang, all the neighbors and relatives who had been close relatives in the past came forward.
Sesame Da Nian Renqing repeatedly mentioned that if he was a little impatient, it would be regarded as disrespectful. The other party's tone immediately became sour, and then he made up his words in the public, such as, "If you appreciate it, you will be arrogant." If you don't make a living, you can be ungrateful'.
After these words reached the ears of his family and second brother, even Zhang's father and Zhang Shi said a few words about him, so he watched his second brother become an unkind person in the eyes of his neighbors day by day. Come. But the more Zhang thought about it, the so-called warmth and warmth of human relationships were like this. If he thought about it carefully, it was just a reason for his second brother to escape from marriage, and running away from home was the real reason.
Zhang Yue did not dare to go home that night and decided to eat and sleep at Baozheng's home. Zhang Yue's eyelids started to twitch after eating, so he stopped reading and went to bed immediately.
Zhang Yue entered the space where he was last night again. He originally planned to review the two articles of Mencius he had memorized yesterday.
But after falling asleep, the scenes of the day played backwards in his mind like a movie.
Zhang Yue suddenly saw a person following him as he was leaving from Chema Street.
Then when he and Peng Jingyi went to the teahouse, the man looked at the door again. Zhang Yue searched through his memory and found that yes, wasn't this person a clerk in his Yanli shop before?
Why was he following me so secretly?
After breakfast the next day, Baozheng discussed with Zhang Yue: "Back then, Zhao Yasi was pressing hard, and your brother had planned to mortgage this house to Zhao Yasi. Now that he has a month's allowance, no matter who is looking for someone to pawn it off, the mortgage will be the same." Everything sells well.”
Even though there is a single word difference between "forfeiture" and "pawn sale", there is a huge difference.
Mortgage is a mortgage. The other party buys the right to use the house with a sum of money, and then uses the same money to buy it back when the owner becomes richer. During this period, the buyer is using the house for nothing.
In this way, the buyer does not have to pay rent and can live in vain except for the loss of interest. The seller can raise a sum of money to turn around while still owning the house. Zhang Yue heard something in his heart, and still asked: "Didn't the eldest brother go to Jianyang to ask his father-in-law for help?"
"Although Zhao Yasi promised you to pay off the money within a month. But if Dalang goes to Jianyang and cannot raise the money, we will sell the house first so that the price will not be too low."
"In Baozheng's opinion, what is the sale value? How much is the pawn value?"
At the beginning, Zhang Yue never understood why the Zhang family was crowded into this small building outside the city. The Zhang family had shops in the city and hundreds of acres of farmland in the countryside. They had to live in a big house of a few square feet or move to the city. But when he heard about the price others paid for this building, he still couldn't help but be stunned.
Such a two-story building actually cost me 150 yuan when I bought it, and it wasn't even a river house near the river. No wonder the house prices in the Song Dynasty were so high that even the dignified prime minister Kou Zhun could not afford a house in Bianjingdu, so he was known as "the gentleman who built a building without land".
Baozheng smiled and said, "How can I speak casually?"
Zhang Yue asked with some doubts in his heart: "What does Yi Baozheng mean?"
Baozheng said: "Let's find a buyer first and see the price. As for whether it will be sold as a penny or not, we still have to wait until your eldest brother comes back from Jianyang."
Zhang Yue thought to himself that Baozheng had good intentions, and then he remembered the forum knowledge he had read in his previous life, and said: "According to our laws in the Song Dynasty, it's like asking relatives and neighbors before selling a house, first asking relatives, and then asking left. Neighbors."
Baozheng said with a smile: "That's how it is with a mortgage sale, but you don't have to ask all your relatives and neighbors if you want a mortgage sale."
Zhang Yue finally understood.
Selling out is very troublesome. Whether the house will be sold or not is not the landlord's decision alone. You have to ask all your relatives and ask them to sign and pledge their approval for the sale. If even one person disagrees, you cannot sell it. Even if all relatives agree, you still have to ask your neighbors before you can finally sell it to someone else. Therefore, in the Song Dynasty, there are far more houses to buy than to sell.
"It's better to rent a house."
Baozheng smiled and said: "That's right! After all, most of our neighbors live here on rent."
"Oh?" Zhang Yue didn't understand.
Baozheng explained: "Most of the houses in our street are the property of Huanghua Temple on the mountain."
"The monks of Huanghua Temple are so compassionate that they not only charge very low rents for the shops at the foot of the mountain, but also do not press for rent, and even lend them capital to do business."
Zhang Yue nodded. The imperial court exempted temples from taxes, and temples also served as social relief in this era.
Of course, people who live here must also abide by the rules of the temple and provide conveniences. For example, when a monk comes to rest and drink tea, he must provide help, and shopkeepers on the street are not allowed to sell wine and meat to the monks on the mountain, otherwise they will take back their houses and recover their capital.
"You can contact Huanghua Temple first, and then go to Fang Ya to sell it. However, the monks of Huanghua Temple always like to rush people into trouble. Besides, I am familiar with the supervisor and deputy temple of Huanghua Temple. I guarantee that you will eat No loss."
Zhang Yue thought for a while and said: "Brother, go to Jianyang and tell me to obey Baozheng's instructions in everything. That's Baozheng's arrangement."
Having said that, Zhang Yue borrowed a piece of Korean paper and wrote a house-selling title on the door post in front of the house.
The next day, a deputy temple supervisor of Huanghua Temple came down to ask for an estimate of the Zhang family's building.
He didn't lower the price, but offered 120 guan to sell the house, but he could only offer 50 guan for the pawn sale. Regardless of the mortgage sale, the Zhang brothers can continue to live here, as long as they pay two hundred yuan per month for rent.
Zhang Yue was still very satisfied with the price, but he still haggled out of habit. He said that when his family bought it for 150 yuan, Shuinan New Street was not so prosperous.
Nowadays, in addition to living in this house, half of the front yard has been renovated and expanded to serve as a store. Shuinan New Street belongs to Jinguocao City. Merchants can trade here without entering the city and are exempt from residence tax.
After hearing Zhang Yue's words, the deputy temple didn't say much, but approved and increased the sale price to one hundred and fifty guan. Zhang Yue was overjoyed, but still told the deputy temple that he would have to wait until Zhang Shi came back from Jianyang.
Then Baozheng entertained the deputy monastery, and the supervisor ate vegetarian food in Shuinan New Street.
The restaurants in the Song Dynasty are very interesting. The first floor is called the hall and the second floor is called the mountain. Everyone sat in front of the pavilion and could see the scenery of Nanpu River.
In the distance, the green stream gurgled like a mirror, reflecting the mountains. There were more than a dozen bamboo rafts downstream of the stream, and the boats were swimming upstream.
The boatman held the bamboo pen and tapped it left and right, and parked it at Shuici Wharf. There was a collapsed house here, which could be used to rent shops and houses in the city walls and goods for travelers to store in the warehouse. Before the house collapsed, a few men with bare arms pushed several flat cars back and forth to transport goods.
The deputy monastery said to Zhang Yue: "Erlang is extremely talented. He can tell ten things after hearing one thing. He is the most intelligent person that the old monk has ever seen in his life. At first, the old monk had intended to send him to Buddhism, but it was a pity that Erlang did not agree. The old monk was very What a pity!”
Is this the second brother who deceives his younger brother?
Zhang Yue asked: "Master, my second brother is also unlucky! May I ask, master, if a silk merchant surnamed Wu from Huzhou has come to the temple to offer incense recently?"
There are large monk rooms in Huanghua Temple to accommodate pilgrims from far away and sometimes to accommodate homeless believers.
Seeing him asking, the deputy temple said truthfully: "It is true, this Wu Tanyue has suffered many disasters. He has lost a lot of money in business in the past few years. He was going to Fuzhou to sell silk a few days ago. When passing by, the silk goods were sold again. Burning fire disaster. Since there is no place to stay, I stayed in the monk's room of our temple for a few days."
"Oh, does this Wu Tanyue still live in the temple?"
"We still have to stay for two days, waiting for a friend to return to Huzhou. How come Zhang Tanyue and this Wu Tanyue have an old relationship?"
It's more than just old.
Zhang Yue nodded and said with a smile: "My second brother has an old relationship with him. I felt very sad when I heard about this. I wanted to give up the visit. It would be better not to see each other than to fight."
"That's right, it's better not to see each other than to argue with each other."
After the deputy temple left, Baozheng asked: "Sanlang, why are you asking this Wu silk dealer? The Yamen has already sentenced him, do you still want to go to his house to get the money back? Don't cause trouble again, otherwise Zhao Yasi Then I’ll have another excuse to deal with you.”
Zhang Yue nodded when he heard this and said: "Thank you Baozheng for the tip. Yes, there seems to be a man in our store who is in his twenties and has a birthmark as big as a copper coin on his right cheek. Does Baozheng have any impressions?"
This person was exactly what Zhang Yue had seen in his dream. He remembered that he was his clerk, but he didn't know his name.
Baozheng smiled and said: "Isn't this Qiao San who lives in Pingbuzhou? Remember, when his parents gave birth to him, they were very lustful. Later, your grandfather felt sorry for him and took a thousand yuan to support him, so that he could live. Come down. Later, when he grew up and had no livelihood, it was your uncle who did good deeds and took care of him as a waiter and kept him in the shop."
Zhang Yue suddenly realized that there was still such affection.
Baozheng said: "Yes, it just so happened that Qiao San was there the night the accident happened."
Zhang Yue stood up and said, "Bao Zheng, I'm going out."
"Didn't your brother tell you before going out to study at home and find a scholar in the future? Why are you running out all day?"
Zhang Yue sighed: "With the situation our family is in, how can we afford to hire a scholar to teach me how to read? I want to go out and see what kind of work I can find."
Cao Baozheng was stunned when he heard this, then nodded and said: "You are more sensible. If you share more with your elder brother, this obstacle will pass sooner or later. I am happy for you if you have such ambition!"
Zhang Yue smiled, but Baozheng still didn't understand him.
He has a principle in his life. It's okay to offend me on weekdays, but you dare to do this to someone who has been favored by me. I will use all means to kill you.
Zhang Yue went out immediately, then crossed Shuinan Bridge and entered the city. First, he followed Baozheng's instructions and went to Qiao San's house.
When he walked to Qiao San's house, Zhang Yue knew that his family's situation was not good, but he still didn't expect it to be this bad. His wife and children were so hungry that they couldn't walk by the door. From her, she learned that Qiao San's family had no food for a long time. Yesterday, Qiao San managed to borrow some money to buy food on the street, but she didn't come back today.
Zhang Yue knew that there must be something fishy about this matter, so he took some money to buy some food for Qiao San, his wife and children, and then, with their gratitude, he hurried to the teahouse where he met Peng Jingyi yesterday to get the file.
"At the beginning of Guisi in the fifth month, silk merchant Wu Ping and his assistants, porters Zhang Ma, Zhang Yu brothers, and Chen Dang entered the city from the north gate on Tuesday. After inspection by Xu Youding, the city gate officer, a total of six loads of raw silk were levied, and the actual tax was 500 For twelve coins, after entering the city, Wu Ping and his porter Guo Wu stayed in Room A on Tuesday, while the other three porters stayed in Tongbu."
Zhang Yue paused for a moment when he saw this. The Song Dynasty taxed 20 yuan for a thousand yuan. This five hundred and twelve money, which means that six loads of raw silk is worth more than two hundred strings, is calculated in this way.
"A fire suddenly broke out in the kitchen stove in the south of the night inn. Wu Ping and his waiter only escaped, but all their belongings and six loads of lake silk were destroyed by the fire."
The dossier is very simple and there seems to be nothing suspicious about it.
Peng Jingyi said: "Just finish reading, so that you can give up."
Zhang Yue repeatedly tapped the tea table with his fingers and said decisively: "No, the key to overturning the case must fall on Qiao San."
"What?"
Before Peng Jingyi could understand, Zhang Yue had already said: "I already have this case in mind."
Peng Jingyi laughed loudly, and then said: "I have been classmates with you for many years, but I have never seen that you are capable of this, brother. I turned over and over last night and didn't realize it."
Zhang Yue couldn't tell that what Peng Jingyi said was ironic: "As long as we find Qiao San, we can get to the bottom of things. But once Wu Sishang leaves, it will be too late to regret it."
Peng Jingyi said as if he was helping others to the end: "Well, if you don't give up if I don't help you once, then I'll ask my second uncle to help you find Qiao San."
Peng Jingyi immediately took Zhang Yue not to the Yamen, but to the county market.
The market was crowded with people, but the government couldn't help it.
The imperial law only allows the world to be shut down for three days on New Year's Day, Winter Solstice, and Cold Food, but not on weekdays. However, this market is openly closed, and it is still built in the most prosperous part of the county. A discerning person can tell something.
When Zhang Yue came to the city, he saw floating sheds erected on both sides of the street, and people gathered in groups in the east and west in front of the stalls.
Zhang Yue took a closer look at the things he had bought, including oils, clothes, tea, wine, porcelain, and even children's toys, fructose, etc. There were even fish and vegetables for sale. Anyway, there was everything to buy.
Peng Jingyi and Zhang Yue came to buy an official wine shop in the market.
The wine grapes were placed in front of the eaves and the reed curtains were opened, but the wine shop was bustling with people.
Several people on the left and right sides of the wall were busy cutting meat and steaming rice. In front of the large wine vat half buried on the ground, one person was busy sifting wine and pouring it into bowls.
Zhang Yue knew that all the waiters in the official wine shop were from Changming Yaqian. These long-named yamen are all children of good families from first- and second-class households. Any surplus from the official wine shop run by the government belongs to the government. If there is any loss, they must pay for it out of their own pockets.
As for the wine table, there was a large group of people having a drinking game, and several low-class prostitutes were meditating and sitting nearby.
Zhang Yue remembers Wang Anshi's reform and the release of young crops money. The local government took note of this and tempted the people to go to the government-run restaurant Guanpu when they gave money to young people. As a result, many people lost all their money and returned home empty-handed, and also incurred government debts. This is not a forced sale, but from ancient times to the present, rich people have always had the hardest time making money, while money for poor people is easy to make.
Peng Jingyi asked Zhang Yue to wait outside and went into the inner room. There were a lot of copper coins and broken silver tablets on the big table in the inner room. One of the two writers was counting them, and the other was taking notes.
Peng Jingyi knew that at this time every ten days, his second uncle would come to this house next to the market to check the accounts and sit on the ground to divide the money.
"Second uncle!" Peng Jingyi called.
Pucheng County Lieutenant Peng Cheng asked: "Who did you bring here?"
"Second uncle, this is my classmate Zhang Sanlang. He asked me to ask him to find a guy named Qiao San from his family. Do you want to help me with this?"
Peng Cheng turned around and said, "You brought him here, why are you talking about this?"
Peng Jingyi said: "My nephew thinks that this matter involves Zhao Yasi, and my second uncle has always been at odds with him?"
Peng Cheng said: "How dare you interfere with the matter between my second uncle and Zhao Yasi?"
Peng Jingyi lowered his head and said: "Zhang Sanlang promised to take half of the money recovered as filial piety. This is a small effort for you, my second uncle. Isn't it nice to earn this hundred dollars for nothing?"
Peng Cheng took a sip of wine and asked, "Just a few bucks."
Peng Jingyi asked: "What does the second uncle mean?"
Peng Cheng shook his head and said, "There is one most important thing you didn't say."
"Second uncle, my nephew is stupid."
Peng Cheng sneered: "The more you are a classmate and friend in this chapter, shouldn't you help your friends?"
Peng Jingyi.
Peng Chengdao: "I often tell you that as a person, you should not climb into the relationship, but you should cherish it. Zhao Asi wants to marry the Zhang family because of the friendship. No matter how nice he says on the surface, he has a small and broad mind in it. "
"But Zhang Sanlang is different. We must help those who need help. This is cherishing fate. Taking a step back and saying that when people are in trouble, we take action. Firstly, outsiders think that we are righteous. Secondly, it is better to provide help in times of need than to add icing on the cake. If Zhang Erlang will be the icing on the cake in the future, If you succeed, Zhang Erlang will look down on you at that time, but Zhang Sanlang will definitely remember you."
Hearing this, Peng Jingyi nodded repeatedly and said: "My second uncle said that he still values Zhang Erlang. I really don't know what he deserves to value as a person who can even escape from marriage."
Peng Cheng held his beard and said: "What do you know? Second uncle, I believe in Chen Lingjun's judgment of people. Besides, in the past, Erlang was too arrogant to rely on his talent. How can I lower my stature?"
"A few days ago, Zhao Yasi sent his confidants to Fuzhou for a secret investigation, but so far there has been no news. Zhang Sanlang is right. I am Zhang Erlang. I will never go to Fuzhou at this time. If I want to go, I will go to Bianjing to join Chen Lingjun. Zhao Yasi So what if my hands and eyes can reach the sky?"
Ps: Thank you book friend Shi Shi for becoming the second leader of this book.
