In the end, Gao He still refused without staying overnight.
It's not that I look down upon these women. After all, they are well-educated in playing, playing, chess, calligraphy, and painting. They are sensible, obedient, and have many gestures. They are much better than those ladies from the upper class.
But he was getting engaged to the Zeng family, and he went to a brothel with his brother-in-law the day before. What was the point of spreading this news?
You must know that among some nobles, his reputation is excellent.
After refusing several times, my uncle Zeng Yucheng finally said casually, "Gao Dalang might as well go to Liulichang and have a look. I heard there are some new things there..."
Gao He's heart moved, and he immediately went out of the building and boarded the carriage.
“Go shopping in Liulichang!”
The most lively place in Beijing is Chongwenmen. It is not only the water gate, but also a station. It is also a place where all kinds of people come and go.
Therefore, the more elegant Liulichang became a suitable place.
At the same time, this is also the place with the most novelties.
Like self-ringing bells, the variety here is the most complete.
There are also all kinds of strange things, from Tianzhu, Japan, Korea, and Xiyi, everything is included.
Honorable fellows are actually happy to visit Liulichang.
This is because the Shaowu heroes were a little behind in terms of etiquette and knowledge compared to those nobles from the previous dynasties.
So when I have some spare money, I like to come to Liulichang to buy some antiques and famous paintings, firstly to make them more elegant, and secondly to supplement my family wealth.
Whether it is welcoming guests or giving gifts, it always looks generous.
After all, you can’t just give money to someone you meet, right?
Regarding these powerful nobles, Liulichang did not dare to mess around at all, and most of them were genuine.
After arriving at Liulichang, the place is crowded even at night. All kinds of glass have become common here, which makes Liulichang worthy of its name.
With the increase in exchanges, the number of goods coming from Europe to the Ming Dynasty also increased, especially the existence of the East India Company, which has always acted as a transit point.
Silon, medicinal materials, aloe vera, musk, garcinia cambogia, white vine, sandalwood, Olmi red clay, Bengal saltpeter, etc.
They are basically novel and small categories of products, and there are still very few widely popular products like silk porcelain.
Even the relatively cheap Indian cotton cloth is not valued by the ordinary middle class, and only poor people have to buy it for warmth.
It's cheap after all.
Gao He did not wander around on the street, but came to the foreign goods street.
It is famous for its novelty and is a favorite place for many young people to play.
Sure enough, as soon as we entered the street, we heard the sound of hawking.
"Do not miss passing through."
"Fine gems, rubies, sapphires, these are much more beautiful than jade!"
"Young ladies, don't miss it!"
After a few shouts, it really attracted a lot of people.
The door is open, and there are several large gems placed in the lobby. The guards at the door are blocking the crowd, and their eyes are spinning, screening customers.
A man relies on his clothes and a horse relies on his saddle. Without a pair of bright and decent clothes, it is impossible to get in.
The shopkeeper is also a man, standing aside with a smile. If he meets anyone he knows, he will immediately greet him and invite him in.
In a short time, ten or twenty people entered the second floor.
Obviously, this was already agreed upon.
Gao He's heart moved and he stepped in.
The first floor is just some fake antiques, while the second floor is full of various collections. The gems are covered in glass cabinets for people to admire.
At a glance, there are no less than a dozen, but they are all small.
"Everyone, this gem was collected from the Xiyi people. If you are interested, please go into the house and discuss it in detail."
Apparently the real good stuff is still hidden!
Gao He wanted to scold him and use his status to pressure others, but he suddenly remembered that this was the shop of Huang Merchant. No wonder the gesture was so big.
Among this group of men and women, there were more or less nobles or officials' children who were not familiar with him. After all, they were not on the same level.
Suddenly, a crisp laughter came from the stairs.
"Miss, the rubies here are very tight. I heard they are about the size of an egg. The shopkeeper came here to contact me. Ordinary people can't get them..."
The maid's voice was clear and crisp.
"Well!" A small excited voice sounded immediately, and the words were full of expectation: "Is it really that big?"
There is a hint of clarity in her tenderness, and she is a lively woman.
Sure enough, a master and a servant went up to the second floor.
"Miss Zeng, I have prepared it for you a long time ago. Take a look!"
The shopkeeper was busy making invitations and inviting the master and servants in.
Gao He took a closer look and his eyes lit up.
The woman in front of her was in her 28s, with a gold hairpin on her head, an oval face, and almond-shaped eyes. She had an extremely delicate little face, and the corners of her mouth were slightly raised, revealing a bit of liveliness.
Regardless of his figure or appearance, he is a first-class candidate.
Especially the character that was so different from the ordinary lady made him feel novel.
After entering the pavilion, the maid whispered: "Miss, the young man outside just now was so rude and stared at you!"
"I must be confused by you."
"Hehe, of course." Zeng Silan didn't take it seriously. Instead, she covered her mouth and snickered: "However, he looks good and has good manners. He must be a member of the family."
"Miss, isn't he Mr. Gao?"
"Which Mr. Gao?"
"He is the eldest son of Duke Jing's mansion!"
"Ah?" Zeng Silan was stunned, and then raised her eyebrows: "It should be him, but it didn't disappoint."
After saying that, he gathered his mood and looked at Ruby with all his heart.
A moment later, after spending three to five thousand silver dollars to buy a rare ruby, Master Zeng Silan went downstairs without seeing Gao He again.
However, the two of them were confident that they would not marry blindly.
After Gao He knew that Zeng's daughter liked gems, he didn't hesitate and bought a large sapphire.
"Send it to Duke Jing's mansion later."
After leaving a few words, he left happily.
In excitement, I accidentally bumped into two scholars.
"I'm sorry!" Gao He bowed his hands and bowed, and after the other party returned the gift, he left quickly.
"So arrogant."
Brothers Zhu Yue and Zhu Fan were hit. Seeing such a noble son, his younger brother Zhu Fan couldn't help but said: "It must be that noble son who is acting recklessly in the capital relying on the power of his father and brother."
"Okay." Zhu Yue passed the exam, and his mentality became much more mature. He said indifferently: "I must be in an emergency, and I'm not hurt, that's all."
With that said, the two came to a place where red corals were bought and sold.
The red coral, which is about five feet high, is a feast for the eyes.
Five hundred silver dollars, he paid in the blink of an eye.
"Brother, why did you buy such an expensive gift? Isn't it the Imperial College? Who would bully us if we have a father?"
Zhu Fan couldn't help but muttered.
"Bullshit." Zhu Li couldn't help but want to knock his brother's head open and wanted to know what was inside.
"Is it okay to yell casually?"
"When you enter the Imperial Academy as a scholar, you have to follow the rules and give gifts to be stable."
"Remember, study hard and pass the provincial examination next year!"
Although Zhu Yue was talking about the provincial examination, thoughts about next year's general examination came to mind.
Can he hit it?
My father will definitely not interfere. He can only breathe a sigh of relief after the palace examination.
…
Zhao Xiaowu tiredly inserted the door panel. It was already dark and the moon in the sky was about to set in the west.
"Good boy, it's almost time."
He glanced at the chime clock and couldn't help muttering.
"what is this."
The shopkeeper smiled brightly: "Only the inner city has a curfew. We are in the outer city. We should keep to ourselves and nothing will happen."
"Uncle, then I'm leaving."
Zhao Xiaowu rubbed his eyes, exhausted.
"Go back and rest quickly!"
The shopkeeper took out a penny from his pocket and said, "Take it for supper. Don't talk nonsense."
"Yes!" His eyes lit up.
You know, his monthly income is only five cents, which is enough for him to eat late-night snacks for ten days.
When we arrived at the end of the alley, there was a small shop with three or five tables, and mutton soup was cooked on the street, and the fragrance was overflowing.
"A bowl of mutton soup and two pancakes."
Feeling the penny in his arms, he said resolutely: "Another two ounces of soy sauce beef."
"okay!"
The female shopkeeper responded with a smile, wearing a sarong and wooden hairpin, her round buttocks were eye-catching, and her charming back was something that many diners would not let go of.
The man was simmering soup, making cakes and vegetables, and the sound of chopping meat with a kitchen knife made many diners shiver.
Some of the people eating here in the middle of the night are workers who have just gotten off work, some are servants of wealthy families, and some are busy unloading goods and doing manual labor.
They all belong to the point where they have a little money and can indulge in luxury occasionally.
Yes, it is luxury.
A bowl of mutton soup costs five cents, and a large cake costs two cents. For ordinary people, two or three large cakes are not enough.
In other words, ten cents is necessary to come here.
Although an ordinary Lifu can earn fifty yuan a day, he has the heavy responsibility of supporting his family, so he can only indulge in a little luxury when filling his stomach.
Enjoy your eyesight.
Zhao Xiaowu is not the case. Although he is attracted to the proprietress, he prefers the little girl and makes her his mother-in-law.
"Little Fifth Brother, thirty coins."
The fifteen-year-old girl, wearing an apron, has a rather delicate face without any makeup. Her slap-shaped face, round ears, and bulging breasts make people feel warm.
"Give!"
Zhao Xiaowu took out thirty coins from his pocket, feeling full of reluctance.
But when I thought about making a hundred cents today, I felt like it was nothing.
"Brother Xiaowu, how can you save money if you eat like this every day?"
The little girl muttered, counting the money and giving a lesson.
Zhao Xiaowu didn't dare to reply, so he agreed with a silly smile.
At this time, the diner next to him couldn't help but joked: "Xiao He, why are you worried that Xiao Wu can't get the gift?"
"Don't worry, my uncle is a shopkeeper and he still has enough money to marry a wife."
Xiao He blushed in embarrassment, but she was a market girl after all, so she couldn't help but retort: "That's right, if you want to marry this girl, you don't have to spend a lot of money."
"Okay!" The landlady came over and watched Xiao Wu order the soy sauce beef. She flipped her hair and said with a smile, "I heard that Yixin Pavilion attracted a lot of customers today, so she must have made a fortune."
"How would I know." Zhao Xiaowu said with a naive smile, "I'm just a buddy."
At this time, two smelly men came over.
"Lady boss, please bring two bowls of mutton soup, six pancakes, and a pound of cooked mutton."
The leader was so proud that he took out a piece of silver and placed it on the table.
Other diners held their noses with disgust on their faces.
The proprietress came over and quickly put away the money: "Sheep soup is five cents, cake is two cents, and beef is fifty cents per catty, totaling seventy-two cents."
"Come up quickly, our brothers are starving to death."
Zhao Xiaowu also covered his nose, but did not dare to say anything.
Because people are picking up night fragrance.
Often late at night, just before dawn, the night fragrance is drained away, so the whole body is full of stench and odor.
As time passes, the smell becomes stronger and stronger, making it impossible to wash off.
Even the fragrant soap on the market is useless. You can still smell it, and it seems to have entered the bone marrow.
Although many people despise them, no one dares to bully them.
Although the existence of the Ye Xiang Guild would exploit their money, it also safeguarded their interests and safety.
There are millions of people in Beijing, and more than 2,000 people collect night incense every day.
"Hey, everyone dislikes us, but they can't live without us."
The leading man sneered: "Without us, this city of Beijing would be a cesspit!"
"That's right." The other person looked unhappy: "Poor people don't make as much money as us. They work hard every day and will die early."
Here Zhao Wu was eating mutton soup, then called Xiao He over, stuffed a piece of mutton into her little mouth, and then took out a piece of something.
"What is this? Why does it smell so good?"
Xiaohe chewed the meat, his eyes widened, and he was particularly curious about the fragrant thing in front of him.
"This is Xiangyizi. One piece costs a penny."
Zhao Xiaowu swallowed his saliva and said nervously: "Use this to wash your hands and stuff. It's very fragrant and can last all day..."
"Yeah!" Xiao He lowered his head, took the scented soap, and then threw a sachet to him: "It has spices added to it, which can kill mosquitoes."
Zhao Xiaowu giggled.
Here, watching the woman come back with something, the woman asked curiously: "What is this?"
"Xiangyazi is very expensive and smells delicious."
The boss chopped the bones and said with a smile: "I heard people say that this thing is really expensive, and those high-ranking officials like to use it."
"Zhao Xiaowu is quite a conscientious guy."
The couple smiled knowingly.
The couple were originally canal boatmen. With the rise of maritime shipping and the ships getting bigger and bigger, small boatmen like them simply couldn't compete, so they had to rely on their craftsmanship to open a mutton restaurant.
In this way, it is peaceful.
I have saved a lot of money.
"Zhao Xiaowu's family is pretty good. Your father and I have saved a lot of dowry, and I will never embarrass you."
The man smiled and said, "I will marry you with all my glory."
"Dad, what did you say!"
At this time, Xiao He felt shy.
The next day, at dawn, the mutton restaurant had just closed its stall.
There are also many people who drink mutton soup in the morning.
Zhao Xiaowu held the sachet and was distracted all day long.
When the shopkeeper saw it, he immediately knew that his nephew was Sichun.
"Is it the one at Zhang's Mutton Restaurant? That girl is quite pretty."
"When the time comes, I will give you a chiming bell with a dragon and a phoenix in it, so that you can enjoy yourself!"
"Thank you, uncle!" Zhao Xiaowu smiled happily.
When the time comes, you can take an iron horse to go home to get married, or you can ask your parents to come to the capital as an iron horse.
Very fast.
What a happy day it is!
But, I don’t know when I can buy a house in Beijing...
(End of chapter)
