The Zhao family is a high-gate compound, and the gate towers are built more grandly than other homes.
Zhang Guangkun got on the back of his horse, turned to the other two people and said, "It's a bit too cold today. You'll all come to my place to drink a few glasses of wine to warm up."
"Then I'll bother Brother Zhang." Wang Jinyu cupped his hands on horseback.
Several people have lived on the grassland for many years. Horseback riding has become a part of life for them, and they rely on horseback riding for daily travel.
Unless you are an old man like the old man of the Zhao family, you will use a carriage to travel when you go out. Ordinary Han merchant families use carriages to load goods and are reluctant to sit on them.
"Brother Huang, you come too, don't look so sad." Zhang Guangkun said to Huang Mingcheng.
Huang Mingcheng said in a low mood: "I won't go. There are still things at home waiting for me to go back to solve, so I won't disturb Brother Zhang and Brother Wang's enjoyment."
"Okay, don't refuse. If you have anything else to do at home at this time, go to Brother Zhang's house for a drink first, and then wait until you finish drinking to solve the problem." Wang Jinyu invited Huang Mingcheng on Zhang Guangkun's behalf, not giving Huang Mingcheng any excuses. Opportunity.
Zhang Guangkun on horseback said: "I know what you are worried about. Don't worry, there are no obstacles that you can't overcome. Let's go have a drink first. We can discuss and resolve the Huang family's affairs together."
Huang Mingcheng saw that the two people were trying their best to invite him, and if he refused, it would be a disgrace to them, which would easily offend them, so he had no choice but to say, "I'm just bothering Brother Zhang."
"That's right, we are all Han merchants from Bansheng City. We usually don't look up or down, so we should interact more often." Zhang Guangkun took the reins in his hands, knocked the horse's belly with his feet, and said softly, " drive!"
The horse beneath him began to move forward.
Wang Jinyu and Huang Mingcheng followed on horseback.
There were servants from three families around the three people, walking behind the horses.
The three of them just walked slowly down the street on horseback. They did not gallop. They only walked slightly faster than normal people.
Although Han merchants also had horses to travel, they never rode fast in the city.
It’s not that their equestrian skills are not good. After all, they have lived on the grasslands for decades. Some people have grown up on the grasslands since childhood, and their equestrian skills are no worse than those of the Mongols.
After all, the grassland is a place for the Mongols. Even if some Han merchants live a better life than ordinary Mongolian herdsmen, their status is far inferior to that of ordinary Mongolian herdsmen.
Once a Han rode into a Mongolian on the street, he or she would either spend a large sum of money to satisfy the Mongolian appetite, or work as a slave for the Mongolian and give the Mongolian his life. Either way was not something that the Han could easily bear.
If the Mongolians hit the Han people on horseback, the collision would be in vain. If the Mongolians were injured because they hit the Han people on horseback, the Han people would also have to pay compensation to the Mongolians.
The grassland outside the city is better, the space is large, and it is difficult to hit people on horseback, but the space in the city is limited and the streets are narrow, so bumping into people is not a new thing.
The Han merchants living in Bansheng City maintained the caution of the Han people and were unwilling to cause trouble. When riding horses on the streets, they just let the horses walk forward. Only Mongolians were qualified to gallop in Bansheng City.
Although Bansheng City is more prosperous than Qingcheng, it is not much better. After all, Qingcheng is the political center of right-wing Mongolia, and Bansheng City is richer than Qingcheng only because it relies on several Bansheng lands.
Not long after Zhang Guangkun and others rode away, they arrived outside a courtyard gate.
Compared with the courtyard gate in front of me and the Zhao family, there is a huge difference.
Although there are large vermilion wooden doors, the main door of the Zhao family is higher than the wooden door in the yard in front of them. Even the walls on both sides of the main door of the Zhao family are higher than the walls of the yard in front of them.
The courtyard in front of me is Zhang Guangkun's residence. iBookstore
Zhang Guangkun dismounted and handed the reins to his servant. He stood in front of the wooden door that had been pushed open by his servant and said to Wang Jinyu and Huang Mingcheng: "Brother Wang, Brother Huang, please."
Wang Jinyu and Huang Mingcheng also dismounted at this moment.
The two people walked into the courtyard from the courtyard gate one after another.
The horses that the three men rode were taken away and taken care of by the servants.
Both were Han merchants from Bansheng City and lived here. Neither Wang Jinyu nor Huang Mingcheng came to Zhang Guangkun's home for the first time.
Zhang Guangkun accompanied the two people to the side hall in the backyard where guests were entertained.
This is the grassland, and Han merchants are not so particular about it, and there is no such thing as saying that outsiders are not allowed to enter the back house. Usually when guests come to the home, the hostess of each family will accompany the men to receive the guests.
Zhang Guangkun is a well-known Han merchant in Bansheng City, but in fact his home is just a simple house, which cannot be compared with the Han merchants who have accumulated wealth for decades in the Zhao family, let alone the Shanxi merchants from the Ming Dynasty. Compared with these businessmen.
With the wealth of the Zhang family, he would at best be considered a wealthy family in the Ming Dynasty.
Arriving at the side hall, several people sat down separately.
There was a charcoal fire burning in the room, and there was a charcoal brazier in the middle of the room. Although it was not as good as the three charcoal braziers used in the Zhao family's room, this one charcoal brazier was enough for them to keep warm.
The brazier was burning cow dung, which exuded a faint scent of grass and was more durable than charcoal.
The servant brought three cups of brewed hot tea and placed them in the hands of three people.
The three of them had just come back from outside and were all covered in air-conditioning. At this moment, they didn't care about the hot tea scalding their mouths. Everyone got up and put it to their mouths to sip it to keep their bodies warm.
The door was suddenly pushed open, and a woman walked in from outside.
"I've met Mrs. Sister-in-law."
When Wang Jinyu and Huang Mingcheng saw the visitor, they hurriedly put down the bowls in their hands, stood up and greeted the woman in the house.
The woman returned the gesture.
Zhang Guangkun said to Wang Jinyu and Huang Mingcheng: "You two, please sit down quickly. Your sister-in-law is not an outsider, so there is no need to be so indifferent."
Only then did the two people sit back in their seats.
Although Zhang Guangkun is a Han merchant in Bansheng City, his wife does not have any maids to serve her, unlike Mr. Zhao of the Zhao family, who always has at least two maids by his side.
The servants of the Zhang family also do some work, and they are all Han people.
The Mongolians would not work for the Han people. Even if the Han people were rich, the Mongolians would not work for the Han people. Moreover, even if the Mongolians were willing to work for the Han merchants, the Han merchants would not dare to use them.
The status of different identities on the grassland is clearly defined. Mongolians are always superior to Han people. Even Han businessmen like the Zhao family dare not ask Mongolians to do things.
"You go and prepare a few dishes, and then take out the sorghum wine that I have collected. I will have a few drinks with Brother Wang and Brother Huang today." Zhang Guangkun told his wife.
His wife usually does all the cooking at home.
After the woman heard this, she confessed to Wang Jinyu and Huang Mingcheng respectively, and went out to prepare meals.
