Shopkeeper Liu led Zhou Wen and his party out of the station and saw a row of carriages parked on the roadside, as well as a dozen horses with complete saddles.
In the motorcade, a little old man wearing a sheepskin coat and a melon-skin hat greeted Zhou Wen and others when they saw them coming out: "Hurry up and give a gift to the young master's family."
A dozen young men who looked like waiters on the cart immediately jumped out, came to the front of the crowd, and saluted respectfully: "Hello, young master!"
Judging from the direction of their salutes, I guess they haven't figured out who the young master is yet. Anyway, if they salute in the direction of everyone, they can't go wrong.
Shopkeeper Liu quickly introduced to Zhou Wen: "Young Master, this is Lao Jiangtou. Although he is old, he has been specializing in the oral and external business since his ancestors. The situation in the oral and external affairs is always clear. This time, he will take charge of it." Team."
Zhou Wen looked at Old Jiangtou, who had an old bark face, nodded slightly and said, "I'm going to trouble Uncle Jiang this time."
When he heard Zhou Wen call him "uncle", Lao Jiangtou's old tree-bark face added countless grooves. He couldn't see his eyes when he was smiling. He bowed and said repeatedly: "You don't dare to call me like my young boss, call me old." Just ginger head.”
Lao Jiangtou was extremely happy in his heart. He just felt that this young master was amiable and he could tell at a glance that he was a fastidious person.
Zhou Wen knew that old Jianghu, who was doing business all year round, was a treasure. He needed such a person to deal with black and white when he went out this time, so he exchanged a few words with him.
At this time, shopkeeper Liu pointed to the seven or eight carriages covered with oilcloth and said: "These large carriages are filled with some daily necessities from Tianjin, including soy, vinegar, oil and salt, as well as some silk scarves and cloth. It is something that country people like. We also have friends from Fuyuan Company in Jianchangying. If we go outside, we have to rely on Lao Jiangtou’s connections."
After that, he pointed to a dozen young clerks and said: "These clerks were all transferred from several shops around Peking and Tianjin in accordance with the requirements of General Manager Lin. They are not amateurs in driving business, so they will serve the young master along the way. "
Several of the waiters also quickly leaned over and nodded: "Young master, I just give you orders."
Zhou Wen smiled and nodded to them, but he felt warm in his heart. Brother Lin Dongping originally insisted on accompanying Zhou Wen personally, but Zhou Wen declined. He was not a child, and he had many secrets and it was inconvenient to let him go. The family knows.
But Lin Dongping still arranged everything in detail. Zhou Wen believed that these guys and the old ginger must have been carefully selected by Shanxi, and Zhou Wen felt more at ease.
Zhou Wen looked at the time and saw that it was 8 o'clock in the morning. At this time, there were already passengers coming to the station in twos and threes to catch the train. He looked at Miaohua and nodded. Miaohua waved her hand, and Zhang Xiaoping and other team members walked up and put their hands on their backs. Packages, long and short, and several boxes were placed on several half-empty carts.
Old Jiangtou also had a keen eye. Looking at the tall and burly figure, he said in his heart, "What a big man." This kind of burly man is rare even outside the customs. Then he looked at a dozen others. The team members were all strong young men, and they praised in their hearts: "As expected of the young boss of Fuyuan Company, you can tell at a glance that these guards you bring with you are not easy to deal with."
You must know that the caravans of large-scale merchants usually have several escorts. This time, Fuyuan merchants selected guys who are more skilled in business and driving. They did not bring any escorts. Lao Jiangtou had discussed this with Shopkeeper Liu before. Should we bring a few guards that we are used to? But shopkeeper Liu said that Shanxi should not send guards here. He said that the guards from Shaodong's family would be enough.
Now that he saw these live guards who could tell at a glance, Old Jiang Tou's previously worried heart returned to its true place.
At this time, Lao Jiangtou brought over a black horse and said to Zhou Wen: "Young Master, this is a two-year-old mare with good endurance and docility. It is suitable for Young Master to ride it outside the mouth."
Zhou Wen was happy when he heard this. He regarded himself as a good baby who had never been out, but he also wanted to appreciate it. He took the reins of the horse with a smile, turned over and got on the horse. The other guys cheered inwardly. You can tell from one look that this young master is an expert.
Of course, the horses prepared by Fuyuan Company are not tall horses, but Mongolian horses raised by ordinary people in the north.
The Mongolian horse is not big, with a shoulder height of about 1.3 meters, and its absolute sprinting speed is not fast. However, it is hardworking and suitable for long distances. It is also easy to feed, as long as there is grass. It followed Genghis Khan and swept across Europe without any rivals. Those European-bred tall and strong war horses are no match for it.
However, with the evolution of warfare, the requirements for modern war horses are relatively high. The short Mongolian horses have gradually withdrawn from the ranks of military horses. They are not tall and strong enough for cavalry and their sprinting speed is not fast enough. They are not strong enough for transportation. Not enough, the dragging power is not good.
However, Mongolian horses are loved by many people in the north. They are enough for ordinary people to ride and pull carts. The key is that they are easy to feed, are not picky about food, and are not prone to illness.
Seeing Zhou Wen get on the horse, Miaohua also took a horse and rode on it. Only Xu Dacheng had to pick and choose before he found a red horse and rode on it.
Everyone knew that Xu Dacheng understood horses and loved them, so they all let him choose first. Lao Jiangtou gave a thumbs up and praised: "This little brother has a vision. This stallion is the most temperamental of the group of horses." , but also the fastest.”
Only Ti Jing consciously did not choose a horse, but directly got into a half-empty carriage. It was not that he did not know how to ride a horse, but that these horses were too short. With his body, he would probably sit down on the horse if he rode on it. What's more, when he rides on a horse, his long legs have to be dragged on the ground. It's not pretty, isn't it?
After Zhou Wen and Shopkeeper Liu said goodbye, they set off with Lao Jiangtou, the leader of the caravan.
A caravan of dozens of people, plus seven or eight horse-drawn carriages and numerous cyclists, formed a scene on the streets of Luanhe Town, attracting the attention of pedestrians on both sides of the street. You must know that caravans of this size are rare. .
Many of them knew that this was the caravan of Fuyuan Company, and even those who knew Lao Jiangtou greeted him from afar. Lao Jiangtou also responded with a smile, and explained in a low voice to Zhou Wen who was riding with him: "Young Master, our Fuyuan Company has caravans going out every year. I am familiar with these folks from Luanhe Town, and I have acquaintances in Jianchang Camp, so don't worry."
Zhou Wen smiled and nodded, just signaling to the brothers riding behind him to keep up.
…
After leaving Luanhe Town, the road was basically flat. Although everyone did not let the horses run, they approached Lulong County in less than three hours. Zhou Wen looked around and said to Old Jiangtou: "Uncle Old Jiang , let’s turn the caravan into that open space, I have something to say.”
