There is a dirt road outside Xuyang Town. On sunny days, the road is covered with dirt, and on rainy days, the feet are muddy. Although it is full of potholes, it can barely be used for carriages and horses. Early the next morning, Gu Boyang wiped his face carelessly, went to the donkey and horse shop in the town on an empty stomach, hired two dilapidated donkey carts, negotiated the price, and asked the driver to wait outside the inn.
Although it is a donkey and horse business, in a small place like Xuyang, there are always only donkeys and no horses. Horses are luxurious animals and will lose fat if they are not fed with refined food. Donkeys are different. They eat rough food and do much more work. When not pulling carts, they can also be used to pull mills, making them easy to fool around with.
Gu Boyang asked the waiter to find out. After leaving Xuyang and walking for dozens of miles along the dirt road, there was an ancient ferry called Qingjin. Many small businesses hired boats to cross the river from there.
The donkey cart moves slowly and bumps violently, but it saves energy compared to trekking on foot. The pursuers will appear at any time, and they all have injuries and wounds on their bodies. Save what you can. Xia Yun estimates that she will arrive at Qingqing before dusk. Jindu, if everything goes well, we can still catch the last ferry.
Facing the dazzling morning light, the group set out on their way home.
Xia Qian sat on the donkey cart with her hands and knees clasped, swaying from side to side like a roly-poly, looking around curiously. Others closed their eyes to meditate, but she was the only one who was full of energy. Although she witnessed the naked killing, her simple thoughts were not affected in any way. The wind is light and the clouds are light, not lingering in my mind.
Bai Kou was envious and thought to herself: "Miss, she is young and carefree. But then again, Zhao Yanzhi led the crowd to attack the medicine refining hall, causing countless deaths. It was so tragic. Is she really not contaminated by external things, or is she? Deliberately pretending to be indifferent? No matter which way, it is not the attitude she should have at her age. Miss is really unpredictable!"
She glanced at Yang Hu again and said, "This man, I heard, is a dandy of the Yang family in Heshuo. He has suffered a lot and seems to be a changed person. He has neither become depressed nor is he tense like a bow string all the time. The young lady seems a bit hypocritical in front of him..."
Recalling the absurd night in the Medicine Refining Hall and the absurd night in Xuyang Town, Bai Kou felt a little dazed. The old gang leader was good to her, and Hall Master Du was also good to her, but as soon as Xia Yun thought of it, she had to rush to Fengwei Tower and learn to be a housekeeper from those housekeepers, and she couldn't help but send her to the pillow of a stranger. Do your best to please him. She felt aggrieved, but also a little lucky. It was a rare happiness to be able to lie quietly next to a young man, count his breathing carefully, and know that he was neither addicted nor looking down on her.
His breath smells like garlic though!
Xia Qian also smelled the smell of garlic from the leeward side of the car. There are several elders in Tongling's headquarters who are from the north. They like to eat pasta and crunch garlic cloves for three meals a day. Every time Xia Qian passes by their courtyard, she has to hide her nose and run away to avoid them. But in order to satisfy her curiosity, she had to endure the breath of the sheep guard.
She tilted her head and took the initiative to chat with Yang Hu: "Mr. Yang, your family's business in the three towns of Hebei is very big, right?"
Xia Yun immediately became vigilant. He knew that his sister had been very alert since she was a child and was best at figuring out other people's thoughts. When she tried to test her heart, every word she said had a profound meaning. He touched Xia Qian intentionally or unintentionally, implying that she should be quiet and offend Yang Hu.
Wei Shiqi said: "Back then, there was a saying from Beiyang and South Korea that the Yang family in Heshuo and the Han family in Yangzhou were both world-famous wealthy merchants. Of course, their business was not small. It is not an exaggeration to say that they could provide food and clothing for thousands of people."
Xia Qian said enthusiastically: "I don't understand business. What kind of business do you do?"
"Businessmen pursue profits, and businesses all over the world are similar, such as restaurants, pawn shops, tea horses, silks, and jewelry. The most profitable ones are just these, and they are mostly related to food, clothing, housing, and transportation."
" Food, clothing, housing and transportation are indispensable. Who is running these businesses now?"
This question hits the mark, and even Xia Yun couldn't help but prick up her ears, but she heard the sheep guard say lightly: "Who knows, the centipede insect will die but not freeze, there will always be someone to take over the business, the government, gangs, merchants, powerful They can take a few more points and enjoy the profits while running errands for others and earning some hard-earned money. The Hu people are going south, and the war is in chaos. Businesses such as silk and jewelry are probably not going to be able to continue. Restaurants, pawn shops, and tea horses are probably more prosperous."
"Mr. Sheep didn't mention casinos and brothels!"
"Those are all unreasonable transactions, and the Yang family's ancestral teachings cannot get involved. No matter how big the business is, there must be some fat left for the Jiedushi of the three towns. You can't let them just drink soup. And this kind of business, there is no With the military's backing, no one dares to do it." Wei Shiqi didn't know any of the Yang family's ancestral teachings, so he took it for granted and explained it in a decent way, and couldn't fault it.
Xia Qian immediately realized that the three towns in Hebei were different from those in the Central Plains. The Jieduzhi controlled the sky with one hand, and it was impossible for the Yang family to take over all the business. It was a good way to avoid disaster and protect oneself by getting advice from an expert and only doing business of "clothing, food, housing and transportation". War disasters are everywhere, and no matter how chaotic the world is, it cannot shake the foundation of the Yang family. But who would have thought that someone would pull the plug and take down the Yang family!
She thought for a while and continued to test: "The profits of iron-making and forging weapons are also very high..."
Xia Yun coughed heavily and blushed at the girl's ignorance.
Wei Shiqi said slowly: "Miss Xia, this dynasty has implemented a salt and iron monopoly since the founding of the country. Forging weapons privately without government permission is a felony equivalent to treason. According to the law, the nine tribes will be punished. Of course we People who practice martial arts don't pay much attention to it, the world is so chaotic, and chivalrous people use martial arts to break the rules, and many times the government can only turn a blind eye, but it seems not feasible to do it as an honest business."
"Nonsense, of course I know about the salt and iron specialty!" Xia Qian muttered in her stomach, rolled her eyes, and asked: "What about making glass?"
"Glass is turbid and fragile, difficult to transport, and expensive to make. It cannot be compared with ceramics. Most of the glassware is manufactured by the imperial court and is exclusively for the royal family. Only ceramics are used among the people, and no business makes money by selling glass. As for the private sector, Why use ceramics? Cheap and high-quality is only one reason. What’s more important is that even if the ceramic is broken, it can still be used, and it can be glued back again. If the glass is broken, it will scratch people.”
Xia Yun suddenly realized that this was the reason, and it was as if they were separated by mountains. He couldn't help interrupting the girl and interjected: "Mr. Yang is indeed a big businessman in Heshuo. He knows everything about business. If I have the opportunity in the future, I will ask you for more advice." He carried the sheep on his back to protect Chao Xia. Qian flicked her sleeves and told her to be careful with her words and deeds, not to talk nonsense, and not to rush in even if she wanted to inquire about Heshuo Yangshi's business.
"Young master, you're welcome."
Xia Qian was so disappointed. She originally wanted to mention gunpowder, movable type, poetry, etc., but it seemed that Xia Yun didn't appreciate her. She thought she was too impatient and ugly. The second brother had wronged her. How could she have thought so far ahead? She had already prepared for the profit from the 37. In fact, she just wanted to test whether Yang Hu was the kind of person she thought she was.
Yes or no? She was a little unsure.
