"Dr. Yang, why do you think Xu Youcai brought us to the banquet building? You can't really want us to eat!" The fat man who spoke had the flesh on his cheeks slumped down, his chins were stacked in several layers, and he sat side by side under his buttocks. Two chairs.
The person called Dongzhu Yang was a middle-aged man with a medium build and a mustache. He said, "You fat people don't even know this, and I, who just came back from Dongshan, don't even know it."
Fatty Xu snorted coldly and said: "That old guy from the Xu family is definitely going to be up to no good when he sticks his butt out. Just wait, we will find all the owners of ironworks in Dongshan, big and small, and make sure he is up to no good."
The second floor of the Yanbin Building was occupied by the Xu family. The owners of the large and small iron yards sat at different tables according to their respective strengths, and almost five tables were filled.
The one in the middle of the north side is the main table, and the people sitting on it are the owners of some of the largest ironworks in Dongshan. The main seat of this table is vacant, and the other seats are full.
Tread...
There was a noise on the wooden stairs of Yanbin Building. Not long after, Xu Youcai walked out of the stairs on the second floor, followed by Butler Xu.
"Everyone is here." Xu Youcai stood at the stairs on the second floor and raised his hands to the owners of the large and small iron yards on several tables.
The big and small iron pit owners on the table all stood up and returned the salute, shouting "Dongzhu Xu, Mr. Xu" in their mouths.
The several iron pit owners at the main table in the middle of the due north, seeing Xu Youcai coming, just cupped their hands while sitting, and did not stand up to greet him like the others.
"Everyone, please take a seat. I'm treating you at the banquet hall today. Let's have a good meal and drink." Xu Youcai said with a smile, and then said to Butler Xu next to him, "Inform the waiter downstairs that the food is ready to be served."
Butler Xu agreed and walked down the stairs on the second floor.
Fatty Xu, who was sitting at the main table, said, "Dr. Xu, you brought everyone here, are you just inviting everyone to dinner? Although I, Fatty Xu, don't have as big a business as your Xu family, I still don't lack for this meal."
As soon as Fatty Xu opened his mouth, the entire second floor of the Yanbin Building suddenly became quiet.
Xu Youcai said with a smile: "Don't worry, let's talk while eating when the food and wine are served."
The main seat at the main table was reserved for Xu Youcai, so he walked over and sat down.
Butler Xu returned to the second floor, and the waiters at the Yanbin Restaurant began to serve the dishes on the second floor. Plate after plate, all kinds of dishes were brought to the table. Two bottles of wine were placed on the table before they left.
As soon as the waiter from Yanbinlou left, Xu Youcai poured himself a glass, stood up, raised his glass and said, "Everyone is here because I, Mr. Xu, want to give face to Mr. Xu, and Mr. Xu would like to toast you all."
He picked up the wine glass and poured it down.
Putting down the wine glass, Butler Xu next to him picked up the wine flask and filled it up again.
An iron pit owner on the table near the staircase raised his glass and said, "Mr. Xu, you are so polite. Let's all raise a glass to Mr. Xu."
The other iron pit owners on the second floor raised their glasses in response, but the iron pit owners at the main table did not even touch their glasses.
Xu Youcai sat and drank the toasts from the iron farm owners.
"You guys are eating some food. Is this food not to your liking? It doesn't matter if you don't like it. I asked the waiter to remove it and replace it with a new one." Xu Youcai greeted the iron pit owners at the same table enthusiastically, as if he didn't notice their indifference.
Fatty Xu put his hands into his sleeves and said, "Dr. Xu, we are not short of food. If you have any questions, it's better to get straight to the point."
"Haha, Xu Dongzhu is still so impatient." Xu Youcai laughed twice and said, "Now that Xu Dongzhu has spoken, I will not hide it from you. It is hateful to say that when my Xu family's caravan passed by Hutou Village, we were attacked by bandits on the mountain. The goods were robbed, and the loss on this trip was almost six thousand taels."
"This is too strange. The bandits in Hutou Village have never robbed your Xu family's goods. Everyone in Lingqiu knows this." Fatty Xu sneered.
Anyone with some status in Lingqiu knows that the bandits from Hutou Village never robbed the Xu family or the caravan with the Xu family's flag. Many people suspected that the Xu family and Hutou Village colluded, but there was no evidence and the Xu family's background was unclear. Even if others knew about it, there was nothing they could do about it. Now that Xu Youcai said that the Xu family's goods were robbed by bandits from Hutou Village, Fatty Xu couldn't help but sneer at him.
Xu Youcai's face sank and he said: "Mr. Xu, if you say this, you need evidence. If our Xu family really colludes with the bandits in Hutou Village, our Xu family's goods will not be robbed by bandits on the mountain when passing by Hutou Village. "
Fatty Xu sneered and said, "Who knows if this is a cruel trick staged by your Xu family and Hutou Village."
Seeing that the two of them were about to quarrel, Dongzhu Yang, who was at the same table, hurriedly advised: "Dragon Master Xu, have a glass of wine and don't be so angry. If there is anything we need to let Dongzhu Xu finish."
While talking, Boss Yang filled the wine glass in Fatty Xu's hand with a glass of wine.
Putting down the flask, Dongzhu Yang said to Xu Youcai: "Dragon Master Xu, don't blame Dongzhu Xu for being angry. In May, Dongzhu Xu's goods were robbed by bandits from Hutou Village, and he lost almost two thousand taels of silver. You... He will naturally feel uncomfortable when mentioning Hutou Village later."
Dongzhu Xu nodded, giving face to Dongzhu Yang who persuaded him to make peace.
Moreover, he naturally knew that Fatty Xu's goods were robbed, and he had ordered Dwarf Tiger to do it, just because Fatty Xu did not follow his instructions and sold the iron to the Fan family, but instead sold it to another businessman in the Xuan Mansion.
"Dr. Xu, if you have anything to say, you'd better make it clear first. Everyone is very busy and we don't need a bite to eat." The speaker was another iron pit owner at the main table.
Xu Youcai stood up with the wine glass in hand and said loudly: "Everyone, I must have suffered enough in Hutou Village over the years. This time I have summoned all the ironworks owners in Dongshan. I hope that each family will contribute some money to form a What do you think of a rural army that protects the interests of various iron factories and is no longer oppressed by Hutou Village?"
When it came to raising money to form rural soldiers, a group of small iron farm owners became silent.
For them, spending such money is no different than wasting money. After the money is spent, it is only a few big ironworks owners who have the final say after the rural soldiers are formed. They, the small ironworks owners, are still the same as before, but instead they take advantage of them. A sum of money will take care of the food, drink and urination of these country soldiers.
Seeing that the scene had turned cold, Xu Youcai's face looked a little ugly.
Dongzhu Yang raised his head and asked: "May I ask Dongzhu Xu, who will the rural soldiers he formed listen to in the future?"
Butler Xu smiled and said: "Everyone contributes money to form the rural soldiers, so naturally we all discuss them."
"I won't pay for this money." Fatty Xu suddenly said.
Xu Youcai, who was standing in the main seat, had a look on his face and said: "Dr. Xu, could it be that you are afraid of the bandits in Hutou Village? Don't forget, the bandits in Hutou Village have robbed your goods."
Fatty Xu sneered and said: "There is no need to provoke the general. I, Fatty Xu, was robbed by the bandits from Hutou Village, but now the Ping An silver collected by Hutou Village is only one thirty draw, which is far less than before. I haven't shown up in the past two months." Regarding looting, instead of spending more money to raise some rural soldiers who don’t know which family they are from, it is better to give Ping An money to Hutou Village."
The fat man also had a bright voice, and he did not deliberately lower his voice. The iron farm owners at several tables around him could hear clearly.
These words speak to the hearts of those small iron farms.
These weak little iron pit owners were whispering among themselves and the people at the same table, and the sound on the second floor became chaotic for a while.
