“Today’s meal was really worth it!”
After leaving Zuixian Tower, Zhu Gaoxu felt refreshed:
"As expected of my brother-in-law, he immediately met the famous chef Ba Dasha and got the recipes for the remaining seven dishes. I heard that this recipe was obtained through continuous research and improvement by Ba Dasha's ancestors for generations, and this is what happened. Eight dishes from Zuixianlou.”
Having just won the competition, the eight shovels were also happy. They accepted their bet and wrote down the recipes for the remaining seven dishes and gave them to Li Xiao.
However, when handing over the formula, the shopkeeper of Zuixianlou and Bada Shoun also added two conditions.
First, if they open a restaurant, they cannot do so in Yangzhou.
Second, their recipes cannot be passed on to anyone else.
Li Xiao naturally agreed to such conditions.
It was impossible for them to stay in Yangzhou.
As for whether to sell it or not, he is the son-in-law of King Yan. Even if he sells it, what can they do?
Li Xiao didn't believe that the other party's backstage could be bigger than King Yan.
So, the recipe was obtained.
Zhu Gaosui said displeased: "Second brother, wasn't it me who won the Eighth Shovel?"
Zhu Gaoxu said angrily: "How about you have some self-awareness? You are just a follower."
Zhu Gaosui: "."
Wei Jiangxue held Zhu Gaoxu's arm and said, "Gaoxu, if my brother-in-law opens a restaurant, we should take a share in it."
Wei Jiangxue has not yet started, but she has already begun to think about her little family.
Hearing this, Zhu Gaoxu was very happy. This trip was not in vain. The person he liked already regarded her as his wife.
Moreover, this is also very family-oriented, and I have already started planning for the small family.
After saying that, Wei Jiangxue looked at Li Xiao and said, "Master Xiao, can you let Gao Xu join in? After all, he is your brother."
Zhu Gaoxu also looked at Li Xiao expectantly, "Brother-in-law will definitely not treat me badly."
After the experience of Yanshan last time, Zhu Gaoxu wants to get involved in whatever his main brother-in-law does now, because he will definitely make a profit without losing anything.
Li Xiao smiled and said: "No problem, we can make money together. I am not a solitary person. Besides, what is the relationship between Gao Xu and me?"
Hearing this, Zhu Gaosui also hurriedly said: "There is also me, I also want to join."
Li Xiao nodded: "Okay, okay, the third child will also participate."
Zhu Ningyun covered her mouth and chuckled: "You two are really smart. Don't worry, your brother-in-law will not treat you badly."
Along the way, various strange experiences opened up Zhu Ningyun's heart and completely restored her state of mind before her disfigurement.
Zhu Ningyun would still be slightly excited when encountering something like a competition.
Li Xiao was very pleased with the changes along the way, and finally allowed his wife to get out of her psychological shadow.
The group of people talked and laughed and walked towards the inn.
"It seems like someone is following us?"
Zhu Gaosui looked around with his peripheral vision and found that many people were following them.
"They should be those wealthy businessmen just now. They wanted to see us, but we refused when we went out. Now they want to secretly follow our residence so that we can make some friends."
Li Xiao pondered: "They should have come up with the idea of the Eight Big Shovel formula. After all, they usually can't get such a formula, but now they have a chance."
Zhu Gaosui said: "Get rid of them?"
Li Xiao nodded: "Okay, Gao Sui, you have experience in this field, please lead the way."
in this way.
Under the leadership of Zhu Gaosui, everyone turned left and right, constantly weaving through the streets and alleys, and soon left behind the people who were following them.
But after all, he is a foreigner and is not very familiar with Yangzhou City.
Walking in a remote alley, a wealthy businessman finally followed him.
This wealthy businessman's name is Lu Cong. He is young, almost thirty years old. He must have practiced some martial arts on weekdays to be able to barely keep up with Li Xiao and others.
His family is a big family with many businesses, such as a cloth shop, selling salt, dyes, etc. The family background is very strong.
However, he is the second son in the family, not the head of the family.
But the family immediately began to choose the head of the family.
Naturally, the test for a family is their business ability.
Originally, he was a little behind his eldest brother and had no idea about competing for the position of head of the family.
But this time when I saw Li Xiao and others, I had a calculation in my mind.
If he gets the recipe for the Eight Great Shovels and finds a place to open something like Zuixian Tower, it will definitely add points to his performance.
"Everyone, please go slowly."
Lu Cong followed him out of breath, and said with a flattering smile: "You guys are leaving in such a hurry, Shen almost couldn't catch up, so please stay."
Li Xiao turned around to this relatively young wealthy businessman and asked, "Who are you?"
Lu Cong then stood up straight, smoothed his sleeves and cupped his hands and said, "I am Lu Cong of the Suzhou Lu family. I have met you all."
The Suzhou Lu family is one of the four major families in Suzhou, with a strong family background.
Zhu Ningyun had heard about it and whispered in Li Xiao's ear: "Xiaolang, the Suzhou Lu family is a famous family in Suzhou. The family business is very big, and there are many Lu family members who hold important positions in the government."
Hearing this, Li Xiao probably understood the origin of this person.
Li Xiao smiled and said, "I wonder what your lord is doing?"
When Lu Cong heard that the other party was willing to pay attention to him, he was overjoyed. As expected, his trip was not in vain, so he raised his hand and said: "I saw that the young master just won eight big spatulas, and I admire him. Your apprentice has such superb cooking skills, I guess you must His cooking skills will definitely reach the pinnacle.”
Li Xiao smiled and waved his hand: "I don't dare to take it. I don't take it. It's all my own imagination."
"You can win eight shovels even if you just think about it, I admire you!"
Lu Cong said his intention: "I want to do a business with you. Are you interested?"
Li Xiao smiled and said, "Do you want to buy the formula for the Eight Big Shovels?"
Lu Cong nodded and said: "You are really a smart man. I really want these eight shovels and your Dongpo Pork recipe. If you are willing to sell it, I, Lu, promise not to compete with the young master's restaurant in the same place. You What do you think? I wonder where you are a businessman?"
It turns out that he regarded me as a businessman. Li Xiaodao: "I am from Peiping."
I have been to Peiping myself. Lu Cong thought to himself, there seems to be no big businessman named Li in Peiping.
But since it is Peking, there will be no conflict in business.
Businessmen are all profit-seeking, and they know that as long as their price is right, they will definitely be able to buy the formula.
Thinking like this, Lu Cong bowed again and said: "Your Excellency is from Peiping, so even if you open a restaurant, there will be no conflict with you. Thirty thousand taels of silver, okay?"
Li Xiao was shocked, he was really rich.
Zhu Gaoxu frowned slightly: "Just now we agreed to the Eight Great Shovels that this formula will not be sold to outsiders. If we sell it to you, we will bear the consequences of offending Zuixianlou."
Lu Cong gritted his teeth: "Forty thousand taels."
Li Xiao scratched his head: "Let Li break his promise."
Lu Cong gritted his teeth again: "Fifty thousand taels, no more, I can't afford any more. You know, although opening a restaurant can make money, it is only a trickle. It will take at least five years to get back the money of 50,000 taels."
Seeing that he had almost reached the limit, Li Xiao said: "Deal!"
Isn't it just a broken formula? Li Xiao doesn't care about it.
"Cash transaction."
Li Xiao took out the formula: "Pay with one hand and deliver the goods with the other."
"no problem."
Lu Cong was also a cheerful person. He took out a pile of silver notes from his chest, then picked out a fifty thousand tael of silver notes and handed it over: "This is fifty thousand taels. Please order some."
Li Xiao gave Zhu Gaoxu a look and signaled him to click.
Zhu Gaoxu took the banknote and counted it. It was indeed fifty thousand taels, thinking that this guy was really rich.
"Okay, I dare to carry 50,000 taels with me. I'm not afraid of being robbed."
Zhu Gaoxu smiled and stuffed the banknote into his chest.
With this bodyguard here, Li Xiao is not worried at all that the bank note will be lost.
"Hey, how come there are robbers in this Ming Dynasty?"
Lu Cong chuckled and said, "In fact, there are more than a dozen of his nursing homes outside, how could they be robbed by someone casually?"
Li Xiao noticed that Lu Cong had more than 50,000 taels of silver in his possession.
Is this guy so rich?
Li Xiao handed the formula to Zhu Gaosui and asked him to copy it, and then handed it to Lu Cong, who stuffed it into his chest with joy.
"By the way, what's your business?"
Li Xiao asked curiously.
Lu Cong laughed and said: "To be honest with you, my family is engaged in a lot of business, mainly selling salt. Recently, the China-France Opening in Peking University, I went there with food as soon as possible, and I made a lot of money from this business. We bought almost 150,000 taels of silver. It’s a pity that the snowflakes and white salt in Peiping have stopped now. If I had known better, I would have shipped more food.”
Lu Cong was also an astute businessman. He tasted the benefits and made a fortune.
Li Xiao and others were secretly surprised. Damn it, even the founder of Xuehua Baiyan himself had not made so much. What a loss.
"Ahem. For the sake of our fate, I don't mind giving you a hint."
Li Xiao coughed twice and acted like a master.
Zhu Gaosui immediately understood. He looked at Lu Cong, then pointed at Li Xiao and said, "The person standing in front of you is Li Xiaoyao, the founder of Xuehua Baiyan."
Founder of Snowflake White Salt, Li Xiaoyao?
Lu Cong looked at Li Xiao, stunned for a moment, and then gasped.
He walked towards Li Xiao excitedly and said, "Are you the founder of Snowflake White Salt? The one who created Snowflake White Salt using poisonous salt mines?"
Li Xiao nodded: "That's right!"
Hearing this, Lu Cong was extremely excited and held Li Xiao's hand: "Lu is really honored to meet you today. I can make so much money on this trip. It's all thanks to you. No wonder, no wonder you can win the Eight Big Shovels. Master, master!"
After saying that, he added: "Can you sell me the formula of snowflake white salt? I am willing to pay a big price! Make a price!"
Lu Cong thought to himself that even if the other party offered a sky-high price, he would buy it no matter what.
Even if you don’t have enough money, just ask the family for it.
As long as he buys the formula of snowflake white salt, he is really bound to win the position of the owner of this family!
With Xuehua Baiyan, the Suzhou Lu family can definitely surpass the other three major families under his leadership.
But Li Xiao shook his head: "It's not that I won't sell it to you, but that the formula has been requisitioned by the imperial court. I can't even profit from it. Selling it to you? I don't want my head anymore?"
Requisitioned by the imperial court.
Upon hearing the news, Lu Cong seemed to be struck by a bolt from the blue.
Then, he thought that his family's business might be greatly damaged in the future!
The family owns many salt fields, and the main source of income comes from these salt fields.
If the imperial court controls the snowflake white salt in the future, the salt produced by his family's salt farm will not be able to sell at a high price.
Thinking of this, his body was shaking and he murmured: "This is impossible. It's over, it's over."
Although I made a lot of money this time by using snowflakes and white salt, I didn’t expect that I would lose more in the future!
Lu Cong has obviously figured out the reason.
Li Xiao said with a smile: "You should also want to quit. It will be difficult for you salt merchants in the future, so you should find a way out as soon as possible."
Lu Cong nodded and said gratefully: "Thank you for the tip. This is really breaking news. If you hadn't mentioned it, I would still have been in the dark about the 50,000 taels. It's really worth the money."
Li Xiaodao: "So, transform as soon as possible."
Lu Cong smiled bitterly: "Transformation is not easy. Besides, I am not the only one who has the final say in the family. I am not the head of the family, and other people probably won't believe the news."
Lu Cong looked at Li Xiao. This group of people were not ordinary people. The news seemed to be true, but he did not dare to confirm it.
However, snowflake white salt appeared on the market, and the imperial court always controlled the salt and iron business.
Such news is by no means groundless.
It is better to believe that it exists than to believe that it does not exist!
Li Xiao added: "I have a business here. I wonder if you are interested?"
Lu Cong asked: "What business?"
Li Xiao said: "Tea."
Lu Cong frowned: "My family does have a tea industry, but it's not big."
Zhu Gaosui on the side smiled and said: "Have you forgotten that he is the founder of Xuehua Baiyan, and the tea he develops will be ordinary tea?"
Hearing this, Lu Cong suddenly understood and bowed directly: "I am willing to do this business. I wonder what kind of tea it is?"
No matter what kind of business it is, take a look first and you will know it at a glance.
Lu Cong felt that he could do business with the founder of Xuehua Baiyan.
Maybe it's another business opportunity.
Li Xiao gave it a try: "In a few days, go to Fulai Inn to find me, and you will know."
Lu Cong said excitedly: "Being respectful is worse than obeying orders."
When they met for the first time, Lu Cong knew how to measure things.
After everyone exchanged pleasantries and got to know each other, they were about to leave.
It was at this time.
A thin woman rushed out of the alley.
On the right side of the alley, there is a large house with a huge area.
The woman should have climbed out of the side wall of the house.
The woman has a fair face and excellent appearance. She should be in her twenties.
She was also wearing an emerald green skirt. She looked like a lady, but her hair was disheveled and she was running wildly and stumbling along the way.
"Stop, don't run, I'll break your legs if you run again!"
Behind the woman were four men in black clothes with fierce looks, chasing after her with sticks.
The woman felt that she couldn't run away, but when she saw someone else in the alley, they were dressed in noble clothes and were not ordinary people, so she gritted her teeth and ran over.
She knelt down in front of Lu Cong, who was nearest, and kowtowed to Lu Cong: "Uncle, please buy me. I can play the piano and draw, and I'm still perfect."
Lu Cong could tell at a glance that this was a skinny horse from Yangzhou. He frowned and waved his hand, "No, I just bought some skinny horses a few days ago. I don't need it."
Seeing that the chasing evil slave was getting closer and closer, the woman turned to Li Xiao, hugged Li Xiao's thigh, and cried: "Master, you bought me, please, please, please."
As she said this, Liu Yemei shed tears, feeling very pitiful.
This woman is extremely good-looking.
Although she is much different from her daughter-in-law Zhu Ningyun.
But in later generations, she is still a pretty girl with an oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, slender figure, protruding front and back, enough to make big brothers go crazy on the charts.
According to her, you can also play the piano and draw?
But such a beautiful woman is now so humble, kowtowing in front of Li Xiao.
This made Li Xiao confused for a while. What is going on?
Could it be that the courtyard next to it is a kiln?
Is this a prostitute from a brothel?
But according to what the woman just said, he is still in perfect condition?
However, Li Xiao didn't dare to talk nonsense, after all, his wife was still beside him.
But Zhu Ningyun saw how pitiful the girl was and helped her up: "Girl, what's wrong with you?"
"I don't want to be a concubine in the Zhang family. Sister, please buy me. I am willing to work as a cow or a horse for you."
When the woman saw hope, she was just helped up by Zhu Ningyun and knelt down to her again.
"Xiao Lang."
Zhu Ningyun had lived a wealthy life. When he saw such a pitiful person, he felt pity. He looked at Li Xiao and said, "This girl looks so pitiful. Buy her."
At this time, those evil slaves came over, grabbed the woman's hair, dragged her up, and cursed: "Run away, I don't want to live anymore, do you?"
Li Xiaogang wanted to speak.
Lu Cong rolled his eyes.
After discovering Li Xiao's identity.
He wanted to make friends with Li Xiao, but Zhengchou had no choice.
This is just the right thing to do as a favor.
He looked at the slaves: "Wait a minute."
The leader of the servants raised his head and recognized Lu Cong. Then his expression immediately changed and he said with a flattering smile: "It turns out to be Mr. Lu. I have met Mr. Lu before."
Lu Cong nodded and asked, "How much does this skinny horse cost?"
The servant looked troubled: "I'm sorry, Mr. Lu, this horse was given to me by the old man of the Zhang family, and it will be delivered tomorrow."
Lu Cong frowned, Mr. Zhang was convinced, no wonder this girl wanted to run away
That old man is famous for being a troublemaker.
Lu Cong said: "How much does the old man of the Zhang family pay?"
The servant said: "One thousand taels of silver."
Lu Cong took out the banknote from his sleeve and said: "I will pay you two thousand taels, and this skinny horse will be mine. In addition, I will also visit the old man of the Zhang family to apologize, and I will not embarrass you."
This Lu Cong's strength is much greater than that of the so-called old man of the Zhang family. Seeing this, the servant smiled and said: "Master Lu, it will be no problem if he speaks, but I have to inform you."
The servant quickly ran towards the yard, and after a while, a man who looked like a housekeeper came over, holding the woman's deed in his hand.
"Master Lu, we will definitely agree to your request. This skinny horse belongs to you."
The housekeeper took the banknote and handed the deed to Lu Cong: "Here is the deed. Please take it."
This is a dental shop that specializes in raising "Yangzhou thin horses". They only recognize money and not people. Since Lu Cong offers a higher price, they are naturally willing.
"Master Lu, let me know if you need anything next time."
After collecting the money, the butler waved his hand and said goodbye.
Lu Cong handed the deed to Li Xiao and said with a smile: "Mr. Xiao, I will give you this skinny horse."
"this"
Li Xiao took the deed and was speechless.
This guy is really good at dealing with people. When Ningyun opened his mouth, he immediately bought it and gave it to himself.
"Thank you, Master, thank you, Master"
The woman was relieved and knelt on the ground, crying softly and kowtow.
"Girl, please get up."
Zhu Ningyun helped him up.
Li Xiao looked at Lu Cong and said, "What do you mean by the Yangzhou thin horse? Is this woman a horse?"
Lu Cong explained: "Yangzhou Shou Ma is the business of our generation in the Huaihe River. It is to buy good-looking girls and then train them, teach them singing and dancing, playing music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and then sell them to the rich as concubines or concubines when they grow up. Enter the Qin Tower and Chu Pavilion to make profits from it."
Upon hearing this, Li Xiao was shocked.
This is a business that treats women as livestock, which is shocking.
"I won't bother you. I'll visit you later."
After Lu Cong finished the favor, he handed it over and left.
in this way.
Li Xiao and his party took the woman back to the inn.
After everyone took a rest, Li Xiao asked Zhu Gaosui to go out and inquire about the news.
Everyone felt very sympathetic to this woman.
After questioning, I learned that the woman's name was He Xiaoqian, and that she was sold to a dental shop that specialized in raising thin horses when she was five years old.
They stay in the room every day, being raised like animals, learning music, chess, calligraphy and painting. In order to keep their skin white, they don't see the sun all day long.
Yangzhou thin horses regard thinness as their beauty, and they eat specific foods to keep their bodies thin.
And they also know their future. If they are good-looking, they have a chance to be bought back by a wealthy family and become concubines. This is the best destination.
If there is no buyer, it will be sold to a brothel.
Zhu Gaoxu was also curious about this Yangzhou thin horse and asked: "You said you were destined by the Zhang family. Isn't this the best ending? Why are you running away?"
He Xiaoqian wiped away tears: "My biological sister He Xiaoqin was also selected by the Zhang family before. She secretly sent me a message, telling me not to be bought by the Zhang family, otherwise. Otherwise."
Zhu Gaoxu said: "Otherwise what?"
He Xiaoqian cried: "Otherwise, I will be regarded as a beauty. Later I learned that my sister had died a few days ago. I don't want to be reduced to that situation."
Zhu Gaoxu asked curiously: "What is beauty paper?"
At this time, Zhu Gaosui, who was inquiring about information outside, returned to the inn.
His face was not pretty, he came over and said angrily:
"Let me tell you, beauty paper is to select a beautiful woman, or the kind of woman who is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and treat her as the daughter of a wealthy family, and then let the woman use her tongue as toilet paper. After the owner relieves herself, she will clean it. To satisfy some beast’s dirty heart.”
When Zhu Gaosui heard the news, he was extremely angry because there were such disgusting things in the world.
Everyone was extremely surprised.
Li Xiao came through time, although he never emphasized that everyone is equal or resisted the distinction between superiority and inferiority.
But this kind of animal behavior, treating people as if they were not human beings, is completely unacceptable to him!
"brute!"
Li Xiao slammed the table: "It's so heartbreaking!"
Zhu Gaosui said angrily: "Not only are there beauty papers, I also found out that there are also beauty bowls, which use women as spittoons, catch thick phlegm with their mouths, and then swallow them. These women must be beautiful to satisfy those perverted curiosity Therefore, most Yangzhou thin horses become these two types. Rich businessmen will also compete with each other to see whose beauty paper and beauty bowl are more beautiful."
"Pigs are worse than dogs!"
Li Xiao said angrily: "I will definitely harvest these wealthy businessmen!"
No wonder the woman named He Xiaoqian escaped, and no wonder her sister died soon after. She must have been infected with bacteria.
This is to ignore human life and rub dignity on the ground!
"There are still such cruel things in this world"
Unconsciously.
Zhu Ningyun's eyes were already wet, and her voice was extremely choked.
Li Xiao hurriedly held her hand gently and comforted: "Ningyun, don't feel bad. Didn't we save someone?"
As he said that, he looked at He Xiaoqian and said, "Little girl, you are lucky to have met us."
"Xiaoqian is willing to be a cow or a horse in her next life." He Xiaoqian kowtowed.
Alas, the servility is too strong. Li Xiao sighed in his heart, but this is not something he can solve. This is a problem of social structure.
Zhu Ningyun wiped away her tears and said, "But there are still so many poor women in dire straits."
Zhu Gaoxu was filled with indignation: "Brother-in-law, should we do something?"
Li Xiao thought for a while: "Finish the tea business first and harvest the wealthy businessmen."
Zhu Gaoxu said: "Then you made money and bought all the thin horses in Yangzhou?"
Li Xiao said angrily: "Buy shit, just grab it!"
(End of chapter)
