Wang Kefu said: "That is the case, then this small shop is really too simple, how can a few people eat well here? ”

Ban Xiaowei spoke German to Riddle again, and then replied to Wang Ke: "Lord Yang said, even if the road is not smooth, and we will not stay here for a long time, we will be exempted today, at most three or five days, we will come here to investigate, and at that time, I will trouble you again." And let's not be busy this time, since your brother has died, we should also prepare some sacrifices. After a pause, he said: "In the future, if we really want to mine here, there is still a place where we need your help, in addition to accommodation, there are also manpower and material resources needed for mining, and we must ask you to help." ”

Seeing Ban Xiaowei say this, Wang Kefu didn't dare to force him to stay, and what others said was reasonable, if he knew that there were boxers in this area, he would definitely not dare to stay outside for a long time, not to mention that others had already said that they would come back in three or five days at most, and there would be many places where Wangjiazhai could be used in the future, so this line was basically connected. Honestly, it is indeed not a day to entertain guests now, because Wang Kefu really didn't lie just now, and the third elder of the Wang family, Wang Ketong, really died in that battle, so now there is still a mourning hall at home, and if there are really foreigners to pay tribute to his younger brother, then this face is not small, and then treat foreigners well.

So Wang Kefu also nodded and said, "Well, since that's the case, the villain won't bother you, and wait for you to come at home." After saying that, he gave another salute and left.

Before leaving, Wang Kefu also called the shopkeeper of the restaurant and instructed him to record the money for this meal in the Wang family's account, and then go into the village to settle the knot, and not ask for the two tables of guests. And the shopkeeper secretly complained in his heart, he dared to go into the village to ask the Wang family for money, which was finally looking forward to opening, but he didn't expect it to be a loss-making transaction, and the loss was not light, because the dishes on it were all good dishes in this restaurant. But he didn't dare to say a word, so he had to smile and nod his head in agreement.

After Wang Kefu left, the crossing soldier who had just talked to the shopkeeper came over and reported to Ban Xiaowei and others the information he had just heard, according to the shopkeeper, the group of people who were arrested just now were tenants of Wangjiazhai, and the person who died was called Wang Dingliu, and they all called him Wang Laoliu in the village, and there was a wife at home, a young brother, and three children. And the shopkeepers didn't think they had colluded with the Boxers, but fled to avoid debts.

Although it rained a lot in June, the drought was alleviated, and the government also tried its best to suppress the Boxers, but it still had a great impact on agricultural production, so this year's agriculture in Shandong was generally poor, and compared with normal years, the harvest was reduced by at least 30 percent, and in some places the harvest was even reduced by more than 50 percent. The Wang family has arrested more than 20 tenants and hired farmers who could not pay the rent, and there are more than a dozen tenants and hired farmers who fled with their families, and Wang Dingliu's family actually couldn't pay off their debts, so they had to run away with the whole family, but they were still arrested by the Wang family, and even Wang Lao Liu was killed.

After hearing the information, Riddle was a little surprised and said, "They actually have a cell at home. ”

Qi Wei said: "What's strange about this, in the countryside of China in this era, families with a little bit of power generally have prison cells at home, and I remember that many European nobles also have prison cells in their estates." ”

"This kind of thing only happened in the Middle Ages, and now there are basically no private cells." ”

Ban Xiaowei said: "Today's China is actually similar to the European Middle Ages, both of which can be regarded as feudal societies. ”

A few people were talking, and the soldiers who went to other shops to inquire about the news also came back, and the information collected was basically the bad things done by the Wang family's father and son in this area, and according to these information, there were four or five human lives alone.

At this moment, only listening to the sound of footsteps, four family members came in, carrying two large food boxes, saying that they were ordered by the second young master Wang to send them a few snacks and snacks, and also sent a bronze medal, so that the next time they came, they could go directly to the village with this bronze medal. Wang Kefu sent a total of eight dishes, although it was not a delicacies from the mountains and seas, but it was also full of chicken, duck and fish, and he also sent two jars of wine. In addition, the person who came also told 60 Ban Xiaowei that there were three horses tied to the door of the store, which were given to them for the journey.

When Ban Xiaowei heard this, he was also a little surprised, these dishes are nothing, but three horses are worth a lot of money, at least one hundred and eighty taels of silver, so Wang Kefu's capital is not small.

Qi Wei chuckled in a low voice: "I want to know, if he knows that we are actually here to reconnoiter their family, and are ready to destroy their family, I don't know what kind of mood he will have." ”

Ban Xiaowei snorted and said, "As far as the information we have collected today, the Wang family is innocent, and he is so affectionate to us, what do you think it is for? It's not that we are foreigners in the future, and we want to take the line of foreigners, so we have to add a collusion with foreign countries." ”

Qi Wei said: "Then what should I do with this wine and food?"

Ban Xiaowei smiled and said: "Of course I ate it, since he gave it to us, we won't eat it if we don't eat it, but don't drink the wine." ”

I have to say that the dishes sent by Wang Kefu are indeed much more sumptuous than those in this restaurant. Since the beginning of the Shandong Campaign, although the basic rations of the soldiers are guaranteed, they are certainly not as good as the food at the Tianjin base, and everyone has not eaten such a hearty meal for a long time, so they have all eaten a full meal, and the two bottles of wine have to be taken away.

After eating, Ban Xiaowei called the shopkeeper and asked him to settle the account. The shopkeeper dared to collect money, and said that this meal had been recorded in the account of the second young master Wang, and there was no need to give money.

Ban Xiaowei said with a smile: "Shopkeeper, I think that Second Young Master Wang also said that, most of the money for this meal will not be given, and your restaurant is also a small business, I'm afraid I can't afford to lose money, so even if it is how much it should be, we won't say to Second Young Master Wang, if he really gives money, even if you make a profit." ”

After listening to Ban Xiaowei's words, the shopkeeper couldn't help but be moved, he couldn't see that this fake foreign ghost was a good person, and he lost this meal, and his loss was indeed not small, so after thinking about it, he finally decided to collect the money.

When settling accounts, Ban Xiaowei asked casually: "Do several young masters of the Wang family often come to your store to eat and drink for nothing?"

At this time, the shopkeeper had a good impression of Ban Xiaowei, and his vigilance was greatly reduced, and he said: "The young masters of the Wang family who can afford a small shop like us almost don't come, but a few distant relatives of the Wang family, as well as the master and the account man, often come, but whether they give money or not, it all depends on their preferences, they give a little if they are happy, and if they are not happy, they not only don't give money, but also take some things with them." ”

Ban Xiaowei said: "So the business of your restaurant is not very good." ”

When the shopkeeper heard this, he couldn't help but vomit bitterness, and said: "Isn't it? In the past, my shop was just doing some business with the villagers nearby, so as not to maintain it, but this year's harvest is not good, and the villagers are coming less, so this business is really impossible to do, and I just look forward to not making any more trouble in the coming year. ”

Ban Xiaowei nodded, thought about it again, and said, "We will come again in a few days, and it will not be us at that time, I am afraid that there are hundreds of people, and these hundreds of people eat and drink, I don't know if your store can do it." ”

Listening to Ban Xiaowei's words, the shopkeeper couldn't help but perk up, and said: "Don't worry, although our store can't be done, but the store opposite is also opened by a relative of the villain. ”

Ban Xiaowei tasted quite interestingly: "That's good, as long as you work hard and work with us, there will definitely be a time for development." ”

The shopkeeper couldn't hear Ban Xiaowei's intentions, and said, "I don't know what this uncle is called?"

Ban Xiaowei smiled: "My surname is Ban, what about you?"

The shopkeeper hurriedly said: "The villain's surname is Liu, may I ask the class master, when did you start, the meals of these 180 people are not a small amount, and the small shop should prepare vegetables, rice, oil and salt a few days in advance." ”

Ban Xiaowei understood what he meant, and said with a smile: "Shopkeeper Liu, do you want to collect some deposits?" ”

Shopkeeper Liu admired the flexibility of this class master in his heart, and hurriedly said: "The villain can not trust the class master and collect your deposit, but the villain's store is really a small business, and he doesn't have so much capital to prepare these ......."

Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Ban Xiaowei: "Needless to say, the deposit should also be collected, how much it costs, you can tell the number." ”

Shopkeeper Liu thought for a while before saying, "You can give one or two pieces of silver first." ”

When the reconnaissance team came out, they brought some silver, so Ban Xiaowei took out a silver ingot with five taels of stamps from his pocket, and said: "How much food can you prepare for one tael of silver, I will give you five taels of silver first, and you will start preparing immediately, and even if you go and prepare more oil, salt, vegetables, flour, and other meat, we can also buy some meat such as live chickens and ducks, we don't just eat one day or two days." ”

Shopkeeper Liu almost didn't believe his eyes, five taels of silver was not a small amount in this era, and when his restaurant was doing good business, he couldn't earn five taels of silver in a year. And the foreigner has been sitting on the side without squeaking, in the past few years I have heard a lot of news of foreigners doing evil, it seems that their luck is good, to meet a good foreigner, their affairs really can't be delayed, in case the matter is messed up, as long as the foreigner blows the wind in the ears of the second young master Wang, his shop is not opened, and the life of this family cannot be saved.

After accepting the money, the reconnaissance team got up and left the small restaurant, untied the horses given to them by Wang Kefu, and turned back to Yinghai Town.