Chapter 23 Liu San’s Love Affair
At the gate of the county town, the leader of the county express team and his people were waiting. [Full text reading] Lingao County is not yet a green zone, so if he wants to move in permanently, he must be equipped with guards according to the rules. Liu San considers that Runshitang itself is relatively closed and it is difficult for outsiders to enter and exit. There is safety. Guaranteed, there is no need to deploy too many personnel to cause inconvenience, so he declined the personal guard sent by the General Administration of Political Security for him, and only agreed to have the police station place a secret sentry at the entrance of Runshitang to keep watch.
The residence that Yang Shixiang arranged for him was a courtyard between Runshi Hall and his residence. The courtyard was small and remote, and could not be easily accessed by ordinary people. There is a passage that leads directly to a small door at the back of the mansion, making it easy to enter and exit.
The steward took him around the yard. The house was old, but it had been renovated recently by the office. The walls were painted white, the windows were all inlaid with glass, the floor was laid in the house, and it was clean and bright. .
Liu San circled around the rosewood desk in front of the window, which was wiped spotless. Bookshelves, museum shelves, and pen holders are all of the best quality.
The most eye-catching thing is that there is a telephone on the table. This gray-green hand-cranked military magnet telephone may seem old-fashioned, but it is a symbol of status and power in the time-traveling group. Liu San shook the phone three times and picked up the phone.
"County transfer station, where do you want to call?" A charming female voice came from the microphone.
Lingao Telecom has recently set up a telephone transfer station in the county, and the number of places with telephones in the county has expanded from the county office to the grain collection bureau, county express station (county police station and various city gate duty rooms).
"Runshitang office phone test." Liu San muttered.
"Hello, sir, everything is normal on the phone."
"Thank you." Liu San hung up the phone. Looking at the stunned Fu Wuben - he didn't understand what the master was doing. Liu San smiled and said, "If you have something to do, I will accept your help. Just unpack your luggage and pack it."
"Yes, Master." Fu Wuben was looking around enthusiastically, and now he asked, "Master, where should I sleep?"
"Just sleep in the east wing." A female voice came from outside the door. Liu San raised his eyes and saw that it was Xuan Chun.
Xuanchun is still wearing a half-worn blue sarong. She was clean, but her upper body was in a red satin double-breasted jacket. The two maids were tied with red ribbons - this kind of ribbon was actually popular from Chuanzhong, or to be precise, it was a new fashion that became popular from Li Chiqi's sister Zhang Yu.
The appearance is neater than the last time I saw it. Liu San felt something in his heart, smiled and waved.
Xuan Chun smiled brightly, put her hands on her left waist, and said, "Bless me, third master."
"Haosan has been in the Yang family for a long time, and he knows a little bit about the rules of big families. At this time, he has to give out rewards as usual, and he naturally has the money. A reward of three to five yuan in circulation coupons is enough. But Liu San treats Xuanchun in a different light. Prepared rewards.
"It's better to let the slaves pack and arrange the luggage. He is only half a grown-up, so he still has to be taken care of by my mother." Xuanchun said.
Fu Wuben's face turned red. He was a country boy, and he couldn't help but feel ashamed when he saw such a beautiful and generous maid from a wealthy family.
"He is my apprentice and he is very capable." Liu San said, "Since I have you doing the work for me, I will exempt him from his duties."
Fu Wuben followed Liu San for a long time, and after getting a wink, he hurriedly exited. Xuanchun smiled and retreated.
After a while, she appeared again, fetching a basin of water. She first took off the towel from his bag and washed it. Then she fetched hot water and came over to twist the towel for him. She served him tea and water. Her service was still attentive and meticulous. reduce. Liu San originally planned to focus on work and put aside matters between men and women. When I saw Xuan Chun, I couldn't help but feel distraught again.
"Third Master, first wash your face and take off your clothes. What dishes are you going to have for dinner?"
"Are you making dinner?"
"Of course, the one under the stove will do it." Xuan Chun smiled, "If the master doesn't mind, the servants can do it, but no one is good at it."
"Then I want to try it." Liu San said.
Chun didn't shirk, "Anyway, you are half the master of this family, so you can be the master."
I thought she was going to refuse, but I didn't expect that she agreed neatly. Liu San was a little surprised. Her expression today was much richer than last time.
"Looking at you, are you happy?" he asked tentatively.
"There's nothing unhappy about me, slave." Xuan Chun said as she unbuttoned and took off his coat, half-snuggling next to him, and making that kind of infinitely resentful voice, Liu San had a different feeling.
When she lowered her head to unbuckle the belt on his waist, he couldn't help but reach out to touch her dark head. Xuanchun lowered her head further, avoiding his hand: "Third Master, the sky is clear and the sun is shining brightly——"
"Well, I was abrupt." Liu San was a little disappointed.
"It's not good for people to see it in broad daylight." Xuanchun whispered. She took a loose cotton silk gown and helped him put it on. Although the words were brief, there was an element of intimacy in them that made Liu San's heart sway.
He took out a small box from his satchel. Inside is a silver powder box. This is a mass-produced glass mirror powder box produced by Zizhenzhai, specifically for the middle market. In fact, it is not made by hand, but is stamped and formed in batches with a machine in Lingao and then sent to Guangzhou for simple manual modification and finally a small mirror. Because it is not labor-intensive, the cost is extremely low.
But this thing is extremely rare in Lingao. Xuanchun was more surprised than happy. She looked at it again and again, opening and closing it. I was speechless for a long time. Finally put it down:
"The reward from the Third Master is too heavy." Xuanchun shook her head with regret, "I am a girl and I cannot afford it."
"What's wrong with you?" Liu San said, "I've been serving you all this time, and I don't have anything to thank you for. This is just a thank you gift."
Xuanchun still refused to take it. It's not that she doesn't want it, but she has seen this kind of small compact with glass mirror. It is a fashionable foreign product in the last two years and the price is very high. There is neither a wife nor a young lady in my family, and only the wife in the Yang family has it. If a maid took it, wouldn't she become a target of public criticism?
But it would not be good for Liu San to lose face by blindly refusing. After much hesitation, he accepted it, knelt down and kowtowed again.
"Hey, hey, no need, no need." Liu San thought that the feeling of having to be "fucked" at every turn was actually not that good.
Taking the opportunity to pull her up, Xuanchun squeezed her hand again. Xuanchun did not shake her hand, but whispered: "My hands are thick."
"It doesn't matter." Liu San couldn't think of anything else to say to praise him, "Labor is the most glorious."
"What?"
"Nothing." Liu San quickly changed the topic, "Mr. Yang has taken concubines recently?"
"No, but it's coming soon." Xuan Chun whispered, "Mr. Yang sent two geishas to Mr. Yang, and Mr. Yang liked them very much. The Suo Chunxuan in the garden was built for this."
"Send a singer?" Liu San couldn't help but think about it. Suddenly he became alarmed that there had been more and more strangers in the Yang family recently. This must be investigated. Question: "The Yang family has added a lot of people. Where did they come from?"
"Most of them come in by themselves, and some come through recommendations from relatives and friends." Xuan Chun didn't take it seriously. "Now that Mr. Yang has arrived, there will naturally be more people who want to come and make a living. There have been a lot of people recently."
As a key enterprise, Runshitang currently recruits employees who have passed the political review in the quarantine camp. Only this servant of the Yang family has not monitored its origin. It would be bad if a few spies sneak in. This should be written into a report to remind the General Administration of Political Security.
Moreover, the characteristic of traditional enterprises is that they often do not distinguish between family and enterprise. In the traditional employment model, one's own people occupy a large position: not to mention family members and relatives, apprentices and slaves are also considered "one's own people" even though they are not related by blood. If we expand the number later, the new slaves in the house will have a lot of potential. Runshitang has expanded rapidly, and the old clerks in the store have all been promoted to take on more responsibilities. Yang Shixiang has said several times that there are not enough people now. .
In the past, Liu San had always been complacent about the joint venture between himself and Runshitang, thinking it was a stroke of genius - a typical "win-win" pattern. Now it seems that this joint venture has left a lot of sequelae.
He made up his mind that Yang Shixiang must not get involved in the personnel affairs of the pharmaceutical factory and the semicolon. Just as she was thinking about what to do about this matter, Xuanchun came back with a tray in her hand, with a covered bowl inside. She opened the bowl cover to see:
In the bowl is mixed fruit sugar water: papaya, coconut meat, lychee, mango, sago and konjac, with many pearl balls floating in it. It looks rich and bright, and after adding crushed ice, it becomes even more refreshing and sweet. This snack, like the band on Xuan Chun's head, is also a new fashion brought by the traveling public. Products such as sago, konjac and pearl dumplings are produced by food factories. The practice was spread from the cooperative’s restaurants.
Liu San was a little too hot after leaving, so this bowl of sugar water came just in time. After eating a few mouthfuls, I sat by the window alone, eating the bowl of sugar water. Looking out the window, I saw the green shade and the swaying shadows of flowers. My mood was indescribably open and relaxed. I really felt like the hard-won joy of the south.
"I cooked the sugar water, it's not as good as the ones cooked in restaurants." Xuanchun said, "Does the Third Master have any taboos?"
"No, two legs won't eat people, four legs won't eat the table." Liu San joked, "But the more meat, the better. The less fish and shrimp, the better."
The supplies in the canteen are getting better and better. Not only are eggs available every day, but pork is also available once a week. Occasionally there is also beef. However, the protagonists of protein are still fish, shrimp, seafood and soy products. Therefore, the elders are particularly greedy for meat.
Chun agreed.
"Are you coming again tonight?"
"No one will come to bring you food."
"What about after delivery?"
Xuanchun hesitated for a moment: "If the master wants me to come, I will come."
Her face was slightly red, looking both shy and angry, like a shy little daughter. This kind of coquettish tenderness is something that modern men rarely have access to. Liu San is often accompanied by the lion from the east of the river, and it is even rarer to experience such a feeling, and he can't help but be fascinated. He grabbed her waist and pulled her directly to his side.
Liu San couldn't help but feel his soft and warm body pressing against him. Xuan Chun remained silent, feeling a little uneasy. She had always had the feeling that Mr. Liu San had a different kind of emotion for her, and was not just lusting after a moment of physical pleasure.
Since you have feelings, you are not a callous person. Now that I have reached the age of youth and loneliness, will I just go on to become a servant girl? There has to be a place to stay. As soon as his mind moved, his attitude changed. He leaned closer to Liu San and said "um, um" in disgust. Liu San moved between her waist and hips, making her ears feel hot and her heart beat.
Liu San touched her face and said: "It's so hot."
Xuanchun averted her face, but leaned closer to her. It seemed that only by letting him hold his heart tightly could he feel at ease.
…
Liu San let go of his hand: "Pour me some tea."
Xuanchun quickly stood up, buttoned her waistcoat behind his back, and patted her head.
"The tea is cold. I'll go and change the tea."
"Just use something cold." Liu San felt hot all over, but it was broad daylight and someone might come in, not to mention there was a Fu Wuben outside, so he had to let go first.
Xuan Chun poured out a bowl of cool tea from the teapot, and Liu San took a big sip, which refreshed his spleen and stomach and made him feel refreshed. Thinking about the scene just now, it actually felt a bit like the first time I sneaked around with a girl under the stairs in high school. Both excited and frightened.
After Xuan Chun left, Liu San made a few calls to make arrangements for tomorrow's dinner party and reception. Banquets in merchant houses are indispensable, but they are not the main point - you cannot build a strong country by eating. You are the best cook in the world, but you are useless. Most people think you are all just cooks.
The focus is how to show one's own strength - military exercises? Cannon shot? Watching a movie or visiting a factory, do you want to see the Holy Ship? Or show him the unfinished 854 project again?
This is a very troublesome question. It would be too showy to show off nakedness, so it is best to let him take the initiative to bring it up.
Li Luoyou and his party packed up and settled down. The newly renovated bathroom was an eye-opener for Li Luoyou - the whole house was decorated with porcelain, and the bathtub and toilet were made of porcelain. He was amazed by this novelty alone. Moreover, it is so convenient to use and the environment is so clean.
This bathroom is even more sensational than a full glass window. Not only Gu Baocheng, Quark and others went to visit, but even the servants took the opportunity to take a look. Everyone is puzzled by the hot and cold water that comes as soon as it is turned on. Where is the water boiled?
But Quark has some ideas. He said that there should be a water pipe leading to a certain reservoir. As for the hot water, there should be a heater or something, and people would be constantly sent to light the fire.
However, he expressed great shock at the fact that there were porcelain toilets and bathtubs. The value of porcelain in Europe is overestimated, and at first it was worth gold. Kua Kejiu knew from his time in China that porcelain was not particularly precious in the Ming Dynasty, but when used to make such large sanitary ware, the luxury was unimaginable.
Everyone sincerely admired the Australians' skills.
Li Luoyou happily took a hot bath in the blue and white porcelain bathtub, washed away the hustle and bustle, put on a pair of Chenzhou straw slippers, put on a loose robe and went out for a walk.
Many new flowers and trees were planted in the yard. The climate here is warmer and more humid than in Guangzhou. It's already February, and the courtyard is already lush with flowers and trees. The flowers and leaves are dancing in the wind, which is very elegant and leisurely.
There is a perennial gourd in the courtyard. Li Luoyou specially found and transplanted it from outside the city. It is already alive and full of shade.
The servants had already set up a rattan couch and table under the gourd stand. Sitting on the rattan couch, Li Luoyou felt the cool breeze blowing, and the hustle and bustle along the way was swept away.
The leaf sweeper and several servants were waiting under the eaves of the corridor with their hands down. Gu Baocheng was a nephew and was not allowed to sit. Only Master Han and Quark had their own seats. Master Han didn't dare to indulge, so he just sat on a rattan stool. Quark, on the other hand, was leaning on the rattan chair and drinking kvass.
"This stuff is delicious, sour, sweet and thirst-quenching." Quark said, pouring a few more ounces of rum into the glass. "I didn't expect there was rum here. Would you like a drink too?"
"Drinking without eating is something I can't do." Li Luoyou said with a smile. Sao Ye has already brewed a pot of good new tea using his usual teapot.
"Baocheng." He ignored Quark. "How do you feel about this trip?"
"Master, firstly, this place is luxurious, and secondly, the place is not peaceful." Gu Baocheng replied cautiously.
"Well," Li Luoyou nodded, "How do you say "luxury"?
"Yes," Gu Baocheng responded, "It's just this road from Bopu to the county seat, and there's also river construction. If we don't have hundreds of thousands of dollars, I'm afraid we won't be able to do it."
"What about the instability on the ground?"
"There are strict watchtowers along the road, and there are men on guard duty everywhere. Even the drivers on the oxcarts are carrying blunderbuss and swords."
"You have a good idea and are very considerate." Li Luoyou agreed, "But whether the public security is good or not cannot be judged by vigilance. With the power of Australians, are we still afraid of a few petty thieves and bandits?"
"so--"
"It's hard to say right now." Li Luoyu closed his fan, "We won't know until it goes on the market tomorrow."
Where the ground is unstable, the market will surely be in decline. This cannot be faked. The county town is very deserted, which seems to confirm Gu Baocheng's statement, but I heard from the servants of the Yang family that the most prosperous place in the local area is not in the county town, but in Dongmen City outside Bairen City - where Australians live.
Li Luoyu knew that the Australians would treat him well. From the way they put so much effort into arranging their residence so thoughtfully, you can tell that this group of people takes them very seriously.
He has now seen part of the Australian's strength, but there is obviously more that he has not seen. Li Luoyou prides himself on being sophisticated and thoughtful. The strengths and weaknesses of Australians can never be hidden from themselves.
As they were talking, they saw Sao Ye coming in and announcing: Tonight, Mr. Yang, the owner of Runshitang, is hosting a banquet for the group of people. There is also an invitation from Liu San, inviting them to a banquet at the Dongmen City Commercial Hall tomorrow night.
"Who is this Liu San?"
"The second owner of Runshitang, the foster brother of Shopkeeper Yang of Runshitang. He was also in Foshan last time." Master Han reported back.
"Oh, it's him. This Liu San is probably an Australian, right?" Li Luoyou said, "I thought this guy was a little strange last time in Foshan, and it's true!~!
