As the saying goes: "There is heaven above, and there are Suzhou and Hangzhou below."
Hangzhou not only has the gentle and pleasant scenery of West Lake, but also the surging Qiantang River. It is also the political capital of the coastal areas of Zhejiang and Zhejiang.
I have been married to Shen Wenjun for so long, and I have never gone out for a walk. It would be beautiful to go back to my parents' home to visit her and enjoy their world together.
In the afternoon of that day, Shen Wenjun brought a cart of silk, some clothes and a private room from Yunshuifang as gifts to his mother's family.
Early next morning.
Because he was going on a long trip, Shen Wenjun became a "young man with a jade face" again. After a hasty breakfast, he loaded the silk into the carriage and headed to the west dock of the city to take a boat to Hangzhou.
"Wenjun, I heard that there are rogue bandits near Hangzhou. You'd better stay in the city and don't go to the coastal areas. Also, the Zhou family is a big family, so we must be humble and courteous at all times. Also, remember to go Pay homage to Guanyin at Ciyin Temple..."
Before leaving, my mother-in-law warned me again and again.
"I know, I know."
Shen Wenjun responded repeatedly, got into the carriage with Song Che, and left the Shen Mansion.
After the Feiyun Gang was destroyed, water transport logistics was booming, and the flow of businessmen and passengers on the dock was obviously much higher than before.
"Uncle Song, here it is, here it is!"
As soon as the carriage arrived at the pier, Liu San'er and several servants came forward to greet them, jumping and shouting.
Since Liu San'er became the owner of a gambling house, he has lived more and more like a human being.
Liu San'er led the carriage to the ferry and pointed to a large passenger ship anchored at the pier with a huge sail, "Uncle, madam, this is the passenger ship I have prepared for you. It starts from the pier and follows the canal. If it flows southward, it will reach Qiantang Bay in a short time."
"Is it such a big ship? Just the two of us?" Shen Wenjun looked up and sighed.
Song Che was also a little surprised. He just asked Liu San'er to prepare casually, but he didn't expect to rent such a big boat. "In this world of two, naturally no one else can disturb us."
The couple got on the boat hand in hand, and Liu Saner immediately ordered his men to move the silk aboard.
The sailor untied the anchor, raised the white cloth sail, and the passenger ship gradually sailed out of the port.
Shen Wenjun stood on the bow of the boat, closed his eyes and raised his head to enjoy the morning light, opened his arms to embrace the river breeze, his sleeves and clothes were swaying slightly, his earrings and hair were swaying, motionless, and he looked stunning.
Song Che gently hugged his sweet wife's slim waist from behind, took a sip of the woman's fragrance on his pillow, and said in her ear: "I'll show you a baby, you must like it."
Shen Wenjun twisted her waist and found something pinching her back. She quickly blushed: "I hate it, there are other people on the boat..."
Song Che raised his eyebrows, took off the telescope from his waist, and handed it to Shen Wenjun: "This is what I'm talking about. What are you thinking about?"
Shen Wenjun was a little disappointed and asked curiously, "What is this?"
"This is called a telescope. You can use it to see places thirty times farther away," Song Che taught step by step, placing the mouth of the mirror on Shen Wenjun's eyes. "Close your right eye and only look with your left eye."
Shen Wenjun looked around for a moment and said in surprise: "The pier! It's the pier! I can see the pier! I can even see the faces clearly!"
Song Che smiled and said, "Don't look at it for too long, your eyes will get sore."
With this thing, Shen Wenjun almost immersed himself in it, looking at it as he walked, completely enjoying it.
Song Che sat on the bow of the boat and admired the scenery along the canal. In a thousand years, the canal will still be the same canal, but the village shops on both sides will be transformed into high-rise buildings, and the singing of birds and the fragrance of flowers will be replaced by the roar of engines one after another.
People who have not spanned two eras really cannot feel this huge difference.
"By the way, madam, my grandma's business is so big, why don't we see a Zhou branch in Suzhou?" Song Che asked casually.
Shen Wenjun said: "The Zhou family is mainly 'business' and only has shops in Hangzhou. However, they have a lot of goods in Suzhou. For example, most of the pearls, agate and jade in the White Jade Tower are purchased from the Zhou family, and Hangzhou Along the coast, there are shipping ports, and goods are sold abroad through the 'Maritime Silk Road'."
"Recently, bandits have been rampant. Is the Zhou family's business probably affected?" Song Che asked.
Shen Wenjun said: "Of course there is some influence, but my grandma's family has a big business. There are 18 trading houses in Hangzhou alone, which is enough for several generations."
"Then what kind of person is grandma?" Song Che asked again.
"Old lady? She is my idol," Shen Wenjun said proudly: "Old lady and old lady were married at the fingertips. She married into the Zhou family at the age of thirteen. She traveled with her grandpa at the age of fifteen. She was married at the age of eighteen. She has been in charge of three commercial firms and has been in the market for decades. She has two children and is rich in wealth. She is also fasting and vegetarian, and is willing to do charity... I can't praise her enough in one day. In short, my wish is to inspire her to be like her. Admired businesswoman!”
In ancient times, there was a deep-rooted prejudice against women's public appearance. The old lady was able to break through the feudal barriers and stand out in the patriarchal society. She was indeed a rare woman of her generation.
But if such an old man with high moral standing and financial power dies, the Zhou family will definitely be affected by it - if it is a big family, and the children only think about how to fight for property, and there are intrigues among relatives, it will definitely not be rich for more than three generations.
Song Che suddenly had a hunch that this trip to Hangzhou would not be that simple.
"Suppose grandma really dies, do we still have to put mourning on her and send her to the coffin?"
"That's natural. She is our mother's biological mother. Even if grandma can survive this test, we will go and live in Hangzhou for ten days and a half." Shen Wenjun asked: "What? Husband? Have any concerns?"
Song Che shook his head slightly, "It's nothing, but I've heard recently that there are frequent bandits in Zhejiang and Zhejiang, and Hangzhou is a city by the sea. I was wondering if I could avoid putting myself in a dangerous situation."
Not to mention Hangzhou, the Japanese ninjas encountered in Xiangming Mountain some time ago have even appeared outside Suzhou.
Rogues may be pirates who rob homes, but ninjas must come from government organizations. Generally speaking, ninjas are agents of the National Intelligence Agency.
Rogue bandits will cause trouble along the coast, perhaps hiding a deeper conspiracy.
Shen Wenjun said: "Oh, you don't have to worry about this at all. Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang and Zhejiang. There are tens of thousands of city guards. No matter how courageous the bandits are, they will never be stupid enough to loot Hangzhou City."
City defense soldiers? Its combat effectiveness is really unflattering.
"I hope so."
