Brother Rong said slowly: "Brother Yu's family doesn't need to be afraid of him. It's a pity that my Jia family has no father to shadow me, and no brothers to support me. How can I compete with the powerful Governor of Water Transport? This is a loss of nature. The river project has been delayed again, so we can only swallow our anger."
"Swallow your anger."
Duan Yu sideways glanced at him and said in a strange voice: "Who in the court doesn't know that you are four princes and eight princes, and you have the Wang family and the Zhen family to complement you, and you are just a governor of water transportation. Several families are attacking at the same time, and you are still afraid that you will not be able to kill him? Brother Rong, Mo Mo If we want to ruin the reputation of Second Duke Ning Rong, we will call the brothers who are staying in Yangzhou and write a letter to our family together. Tang Fufang, a bastard, wants to hinder our achievements, and we cannot spare him no matter what."
When Jia Rong saw Duan Yu's expression, it didn't look like he was faking it. Unavoidably, I was shocked. I just complained a few words to blame the Governor of Water Transport for not being able to deliver the cement on time, but I didn't want to ask everyone to mess with Tang Fufang.
He quickly grabbed Duan Yu and said, "This matter should not be too public. We just submitted a letter to the Jinyi Division before, and now we are suing the Governor of Water Transport. I am afraid the palace may have other ideas."
When Duan Yu heard this, he immediately calmed down. Party formation is the most taboo thing in the palace. If there is another quarrel, it will make the present person's impression of the family bad. He snorted unwillingly, "This time he got an advantage."
Jia Rong said: "He can't get any bargains. It's just a gift from Ping'an Prefecture Kiln Factory. It will probably take a month to be delivered."
"It takes so long?"
Brother Rong chuckled and said: "There was an error, so naturally we have to be more careful. One month is a conservative estimate. If I can't find a suitable ship in Ping'an Prefecture, I will have to go to the Xue family in Jinling to find it." Borrow a boat.”
Duan Yu's eyes widened after hearing this. Lian took Brother Rong to ask, "Why do we still need to borrow a boat from Jinling? There are still two months until the end of the year, how can we afford to delay it?"
Jia Rong said: "Don't worry, I will send it to you before the end of the year. The magistrate of Xuyi County is related to my Jia family, can I still trick him?"
"That's the only way it can be." Duan Yu responded in a muffled voice, but in his heart he hated the Governor of Water Transport. Although he had not liked Tang Fufang for a long time, this time things hindered his achievements, and the feud was finally settled. But he didn't know that if Jia Rong hadn't asked the Holy Cult to set a fire, cement would have been delivered in the past few days.
But Duan Yu will never know the truth of this matter.
Because Jia Rong had to rush to the Xue family to borrow a sea ship, he did not stay long in Fengyang and Yangzhou. He only hurried to Xuyi to meet Duan Lang to explain the project matters, and to Duan Yu to explain the situation, and then took the boat. Go south to Jinling.
Xue family.
This was Jia Rong's first time here, and it was also her first time to see the glory of the Xue family. Although there are no extremely gorgeous and luxurious decorations, the furnishings in the Xue family's mansion are also extraordinary. But there are still traces of sadness in the courtyard and the mansion.
After asking, he found out that Xue Biao's father died of illness last year. Now only Baochai lives in the first courtyard of the Xue family's house, and only Xue Biao's sister and mother live in the second courtyard. Since Xue Pan had already returned to Beijing, the only male member of the Xue family in Jinling was now mourning in front of his ancestral grave.
"It's only been about twenty months. Brothers have to stay in their ancestral land for a few more months." Baochai said: "Our Xue family is different from your Jia family. It takes three years for a child to be born, and twenty-seven months for a child." You cannot miss a day of mourning. Brother Rong wants to join Brother Xue Biao, but it is not an easy matter."
Brother Rong secretly curled his lips when Baochai teased him. I was not lazy. At that time, Emperor Xiande said that he should be regarded as a military attache and had already exceeded the period of mourning. Even if there is no past, it is the emperor's decree that seizes love, and he is not to blame.
He asked: "So what should we do? Maybe introduce my aunt and wife to discuss borrowing a boat? The river project of Hongze Lake is still waiting for the cement from Ping'an Prefecture. If it continues to be delayed, we will not be able to explain it to the people of Jiangnan and the river government."
Xue Baochai glanced at him lightly and said: "How can we see foreigners during this time? You are not from our Xue family, let alone think of going to see aunt."
"Here" Brother Rong saw the secret smile on Baochai's face, secretly took the little girl's hand, and whispered: "It seems that we can only trouble our dear Bao'er. Just one ship is enough, how much does it cost?" The shipping fee will definitely not be short.”
Xue Baochai smiled and glanced at him with a strange expression. "There are always no rules. You stay in the other courtyard of the mansion for now while I go talk to my aunt. This business should not be a problem."
When Jia Rong heard this, her palms became hotter and she even felt that the little hand she was holding became softer.
"Excuse me, Bao'er."
Baochai became ashamed after hearing this, called the maid outside, and led Brother Rong to the secluded courtyard outside. She took Ying'er to the yard of Xue Biao's house and told her about the Ningguo Mansion.
Jia Rong didn't know how much time passed, but when the sky turned gray and dark, someone else came outside.
Xue Baochai just entered the yard and saw Jia Rong, a bastard who was teasing their little maid. He smiled strangely and said: "The characters from the sky are indeed different. Just by looking at the hand lines on the palms, you can see a lot of things. They are extraordinary after all. It's better to find out their bones. No matter how bad they are, they can still have a aunt. Life."
Got caught. Brother Rong's face was not embarrassed and he pretended to be nonchalant. Hehe smiled and said: "It's all a trick to trick people, how can it be taken seriously."
Several maids in the courtyard couldn't help but feel disappointed after hearing this. It turned out that it was a trick that could not be taken seriously. Youyuan glared at Uncle Rong and left angrily.
When Xue Baochai saw that the maids had finished leaving, she snorted: "Fortunately, they are our maids. If they are replaced by the maids in aunt's house, I don't know what trouble will happen. They are all shameless and skinless snobbery. Sooner or later they will all be sent out of the house." go."
"Send them away. Bao'er has no one to serve him in the house." Jia Rong eagerly pulled Baochai's round and white wrist, sat down next to him, and asked, "What did my aunt and wife say?"
"By coincidence, many businesses have been neglected in the past two years, but two boats have been freed up." Xue Baochai said softly with a smile: "Brother Rong can use these two boats, but the crew and boatmen It’s up to you Ningguo Mansion to recruit them yourself.”
Um? Only boats, no boatmen?
What Jia Rong wanted most when he came to borrow a boat was the crew, especially reliable old crew members with sailing experience. If Ningguo Mansion really only needs a ship, it can just buy a seagoing ship in Ping'an Prefecture for hundreds or thousands of taels, but it may not be possible to recruit old crew members.
Seeing his embarrassment, Xue Baochai said with a hidden look: "There is nothing we can do about it. Because the second uncle died of illness, many businesses have stopped. Now there are only two empty ships at home. According to aunt's wishes, there should be an old captain on each ship. The other people all dispersed. I planned to sell the boat at a discount next year after the funeral. Brother Qiarong needs it, so it’s okay to lend it to you first."
Hearing this, both houses of the Xue family are about to decline. Business has declined, and even seagoing ships have to be sold at a discount. As the saying goes, it is difficult for an orphan and a widowed mother to run a family, and both houses of the Xue family have no man in charge.
Jia Rong sighed secretly, this situation was even worse than Ningguo Mansion.
"Can we still contact the original crew and invite them back?" Brother Rong asked, but suddenly saw a mysterious smile on Xue Baochai's face. My heart was inexplicably shaken, this girl also learned to bluff people. He reached out and took the person into his arms, as if he wanted to educate him well.
Baochai groaned and said with a smile: "How can you not behave yourself? When you come to my house, you still molest the little maid in the theater."
"Are you still justified in lying?" Jia Rong snorted softly and moved his hands to tickle her.
Baochai, who had always been dignified, was now smiling broadly, her face flushed with embarrassment and anger. She held Brother Rong's arms tightly with both hands, fearing that she would fall off his lap. While playing around, I felt a surge of heat in my heart, and I felt half-dry and numb.
Baochai twisted her waist and arms and begged for mercy: "Brother Rong, please stop making trouble. I will explain, I will explain."
Ying'er, who had seen the whole process next to her, had already lowered her head in shame, but did not dare to leave. He just closed the door and stood with his eyes empty, not knowing what to think.
"You haven't told me the truth yet." Brother Rong also stopped making trouble, hugged Baochai's slightly wider waist, and gently tapped the plump spot underneath with his fingers.
Xue Baochai took two breaths and exhaled a warm breath. A faint smile appeared on his still blushing face, and he said proudly: "My uncle's family does have two seagoing ships resting, and the crew members are familiar and reliable. It used to be that these two seagoing ships often went to sea with my uncle to operate, but now because of family affairs, I With no one in charge, overseas operations in the Southeast Sea were suspended."
"That's it." Brother Rong chuckled, gave Baochai a gentle kiss, and asked with a smile: "If I borrow one of the ships, and the Xue Biao family wants to do business overseas, what should I do? ?”
"It's not like we only have two ships at home. In addition, we were under the assignment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the past, so we had so much business. In the future, we will no longer be listed with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Xue Biao is still young, so the overseas business will naturally be reduced." Xue Baochai He said softly, "The aunt I mentioned earlier wanted to sell the ship at a discount, which is not a lie. My uncle's business is huge, and now that he is gone, the family can no longer take care of it."
Now that he has borrowed the boat, Jia Rong is relieved.
"With sea-going ships, cement from Ping'an Prefecture and Jinling will not only be supplied to the local areas in the future. Many new ports have been opened along the southern coast. In the future, it will not only be sold to Hangzhou Prefecture, Fuzhou Prefecture and other places, but also to Lingnan Prefecture. The area, Jilongshan and Leizhou Islands can also be sold."
Xue Baochai smiled and said: "But we have agreed that your cement kiln will only be purchased by the imperial court, and private sales can be managed by the Xue family shop. If it really needs to be sold to Jilong Mountain and Leizhou, it is the Xue family who will take the heavenly goods and transport them there."
"Remember, remember. How can I let your Xue family suffer a loss? Your Xue family is the general foreign sales agent of the cement kiln factory. If I really make your Xue family suffer a loss, my aunt will not allow me to see the best baby in the future. ”
"Bah. Business is business, how can it be counted with other things." Xue Baochai snorted, but suddenly felt something strange. He raised his body slightly, but it couldn't stop the blush on his head. Youyou rolled your eyes at Brother Rong and said calmly: "It's still early."
"Good baby, it smells so good."
Brother Rong chuckled twice and felt the strange fragrance of De Baochai in his nose. This fragrance was delicate and long-lasting, and it could also attract people's soul. It actually made his heart beat faster.
Again!
He also felt that the person in his arms was extremely soft, and everything was softer and softer. Brother Rong's slight abnormality is definitely a normal reaction. He dares to do it in the name of Uncle Rong. It is absolutely normal and there is no abnormal reaction.
When Baochai heard these frivolous words, he felt the strange movements became even worse, and the fire in his heart gradually became hotter and hotter. He took a breath of hot breath, pursed his thin pink lips, and his expression gradually softened. She twisted her waist, as if a woman who didn't know how to act coquettishly acted like a coquettish girl for the first time, a little artificial but extremely cute.
Baochai suddenly remembered something and looked back, only to see that Ying'er was still in the room. He ordered Ying'er to boil more hot water for later use.
When the two of them met and the door closed again, the world returned to peace.
Xue Baochai could only hear the heartbeats of herself and Brother Rong in the dim room. It was beating chaotically and more urgently, and she could even feel the blood in her veins surging with the rhythm of her heart. There was another strange movement, which actually matched Brother Rong's heartbeat.
This sound made her even more embarrassed, angrier, and her mouth became dry again.
Brother Rong saw her appearance and gently helped moisturize her lips. This is definitely a great way to deal with dry lips in cold weather. At least that's what Jia Rong thought. Gently lifting Xue Baochai's chin, he could feel that Baochai was extremely satisfied with this help.
He said: "It gets colder at night, let's go to a warmer place."
When Xue Baochai heard this, the blush on his face spread down his neck and extended to an invisible position.
Waves of hot and turbid air were exhaled, and the temperature in the room rose rapidly.
Xue Baochai lowered his head and exclaimed, his fingers gently sliding over Brother Rong's barely delicate skin. Brother Le Rong took a deep breath of cool air, as if relying on this air-conditioning to suppress the scorching heat in his heart.
At night, it's too urgent. No, it's the smell of oppression.
Brother Rong rubbed his fingers on the delicate foreign silk. This pink silk was so smooth and soft.
It must be filled with cotton, otherwise it can't be like this. With this thought in mind, Jia Rong gently unloaded it for Xue Baochai, but when she took a closer look, she thought she was wrong.
Big, wrong.
There is no cotton in it, not at all.
Gently attach the foreign silk clothes. He couldn't help but sigh that the clothes actually had a heartbeat, rising and falling slowly like breathing. This feeling is really wonderful and mysterious.
He made up his mind that in the past, if he had a chance, he would go to the West to see and trace it. Ask clearly, see thoroughly, study clearly, Bai.
Xue Baochai lowered her head and saw his expression, and couldn't help but laugh. A slight smile, just look at the corners of the mouth raised to show a faint smile, like a famous painting.
Gently removing Brother Rong's clothes with her round hands, the smile on her face turned into surprise. The thoughts in my heart are even more complicated and difficult to describe.
After a small burst of sound, the love becomes stronger. I just heard the noise outside, it should be Ying'er coming.
Brother Rong took a long breath and felt it was really tight.
