On July 15, the sky was bright.

Crunch crunch ......

The thick, huge, and solid gates slowly opened, driven by the joint efforts of the ten defenders. There was a shout, and with the sound of chains clashing, the drawbridge over the moat was slowly lowered.

The officers and soldiers of the city gate gave an order, and those who carried the burden, the burden, and the basket on their backs...... All kinds of men, women, and children, entered the city, or went out of the city. In the same way, sumptuous chariots crowded by groups of servants, or ordinary chariots with only coachmen, entered the city or went out of the city.

An ordinary-looking carriage with a lame groom holding the reins, and another carriage without a canopy tied to it. On the carriage without a canopy sat an old man, two women, and three children dressed in coarse cloth, and a cart full of boxes, baskets, and baggage.

The guards at the city gate glanced at it a few times and asked routinely, "What are you doing?" ”

The lame coachman replied respectfully, "The little one is trying to earn a few more copper plates for pulling feet, and there is a lady in the car in front of him, as well as his wife's grandmother and maid." Behind this, you can also see, it was yesterday to go into the city to visit relatives, last night they didn't have time to go out of the city, and they got some old things from relatives, and it was difficult to walk back. This is cheaper for the small ones, and if they are pulled out of the city, they can get some copper plates. ”

Every day, many poor people come to Beijing to seek refuge with their relatives, and even more relatives do not want to take them in, or are unable to take them in. As a result, those who came to take refuge received some old things or a little money from relatives and were sent back to the village. These soldiers, who guard the city gate all day long, naturally know this kind of thing, so they are not embarrassed, "Let's go!" ”

The lame coachman grinned, said "Master Xie", and then took the reins of the horse out of the city, and the carriage behind naturally did not need to be driven, and the carriage in front moved, and the horse in the back set of carriages followed.

Behind them was a carriage that looked good, but was not luxurious. The coachman looked dumbfounded, followed by a small servant and a big man carrying a burden.

Ancient Mansion, Wenhua Temple. Qing Shu sat on the stone pier under the tree in the courtyard, closing his eyes and resting his mind. Xiaojuan shuttled between the hall and the east and west wings, did the final inspection, and closed all the doors and windows.

After a while, Xiaojuan stepped forward and replied, "Miss, you can lock it." ”

Qing Shu opened his eyes, "Hmm." ”

Xiao Juan immediately locked the doors of the hall, the east and west wings, the small warehouse room, and the snack hall one by one, chained the keys together, and held them in her hand.

Qing Shu got up and walked out, "Let's go!" ”

Xiaojuan agreed, followed out, closed the courtyard door with her backhand, and locked it.

Qing Shu had nothing to do, walked to Wenlan Courtyard, saw the lock on the courtyard door, turned around and went to Wenzhuo Courtyard, and greeted her with the still deeply locked courtyard door. She turned her direction and walked out of the inner courtyard, just as she was meeting Gu Qiang.

Gu Qiang had sweat on his forehead, and reported: "Miss, the carriage and ox cart have been loaded, and they are ready to stop." ”

"What time is it?"

"A quarter of an hour to go."

"Seal the door of the inner courtyard, and you're almost ready to go."

Gu Qiang hurriedly shouted at a few people, and took a pair of tools to seal the door of the inner courtyard. The planks and wedges they used were quickly sealed. After that, Gu Qiang personally inspected the Second Dao Courtyard and the Outer Courtyard again, recruited a male Ding to the open space of the Outer Courtyard, and reported that Qing Shu was ready.

Suddenly, a group of people walked out of the corner gate of the ancient mansion, and Qingshu, who was at the forefront, got into the soft sedan that was already waiting outside.

The sedan curtain was lowered, Xiaojuan said "go", the soft sedan car got up, Xiaojuan followed closely beside the soft sedan car, and all the men in the ancient mansion surrounded the soft sedan chair before and after, and went in the direction of Dongshi.

At this time, the East Market was still lively before the time for the lords of the powerful and wealthy families to visit. The managers in charge of purchasing in the mansions of the powerful and wealthy have not yet finished purchasing, and the rice shops, grocery stores, mountain goods shops, vegetable shops and other shops have opened their doors to welcome visitors from all directions, and the shouts of small merchants and hawkers who carry the burden and sell have come and gone, and the people around the capital have not dispersed since they got up early and entered the city to set up stalls.

With Xiaojuan's "sedan chair", the sedan chair driver put down the soft sedan car steadily. Xiaojuan lifted the sedan curtain, and Qingshu, who had just been covered with a veil, got out of the sedan chair.

Guji rice shop, here is the Guji rice shop, its left is a small silk village. Qing Shu narrowed his eyes, "Has the buyer arrived?" ”

Gu Qiang said softly: "When I arrived, I was talking to my buddy in the shop." ”

Hearing this, Qing Shu raised his feet and walked in.

Gu Qiang glanced at Butcher Zhang and Ding Jiabao, and the two of them understood and blocked the door like a door god, and the other thirteen people all followed.

The guy from the rice shop was just about to greet him warmly, but he was stunned when he saw a young woman entering with a dozen men.

The shopkeeper was steady, and he knew that there was a difference, but he still wanted to greet him with a smile, "I don't know if Miss is buying rice or noodles?" ”

Qing Shu didn't say anything, just waved his hand lightly, and the thirteen people who followed up suddenly became difficult, or twisted the shopkeeper, or twisted the guy, or rushed to the back door of the rice shop and broke into the backyard.

Gu Qiang was standing at the end, and the shopkeeper who was unable to move his arm was pressed to the ground. Only then did he see Gu Qiang, "It's you, what are you going to do?" What are you going to do in this blue sky and white day? Is there any royal law left? ”

Qing Shu took out a piece of deed paper from his sleeve and shook it open, "I want to ask you?" Miss Ben's shop, when did you invite you to be the shopkeeper? On this blue day, you stand in Miss Ben's shop, sell the food in Miss Ben's shop, and put Miss Ben's money into your own pocket, and you deserve death. ”

At the moment when he saw the deed clearly, the shopkeeper's face changed greatly, and he said without knowing whether he was alive or dead: "The little one only knows that this is the big master's shop, and the deed in your hand must be fake." ”

Qing Shu didn't say anything, just put the deed away unhurriedly, then smiled and suddenly raised his foot and kicked it.

With a snort, I saw the shopkeeper's head tilted back, and a faint embroidered shoe print was printed on his chin and mouth. He screamed in pain, but the man who twisted his arm did not let go, he struggled a few times, and finally gave up, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Qing Shu said casually: "Those who can't speak are useless to talk." In the future, you must take care of your mouth, so as not to offend the nobles and lose your tongue one day. ”

In the store, a middle-aged man in silk and satin, who had been standing there with cold eyes, unconsciously trembled a few times at the corners of his mouth. A young man standing behind the left side of the man opened his mouth wide in shock.

Not to mention outsiders, even Gu Qiang and they were all stunned for a moment.

Qing Shu took Xiaojuan and glanced at it after turning to the counter, "Let's start!" ”

Gu Qiang walked over and talked to a middle-aged man dressed in silk and satin. Soon, the middle-aged guy went out and brought back four people. Gu Qiang took them into the backyard to count all kinds of rice and grain in stock.

Qing Shu stood at the counter, flipped through the account book casually, and then looked at the box containing the silver coins, locked it, and said to Xiaojuan: "Key." ”

Xiaojuan answered, said to the person who twisted the shopkeeper, and quickly got a bunch of keys from the shopkeeper. Xiao Juan used the key to open the box containing the silver coins and let Qing Shu look at it.

Qing Shu took a general look, closed the box, let Xiao Juan hug it, and turned out of the counter by himself. She stopped and looked at the rice, noodles, miscellaneous grains and other items that were being sold in the shop, and instructed Xiaojuan as she walked, "This, take two bags." "This, take two bags." "This, take a bag. Move outside and take it with you. ”

She walked into an inconspicuous corner, "What is this?" ”

Xiao Juan hurriedly stepped forward to break open the mouth of the cloth bag, and the contents came into view.

It turned out to be half a bag of red beans, a bag of soybeans, and a small half bag of kidney beans. These things, in the eyes of the people of this era, are neither tasty, nor can they be filled, and they are not worth anything at all, and they are used to feed livestock. There are only famine and disaster years, and when the people have no food to eat, they use it to satisfy their hunger. Therefore, there are very few people who plant, and when they are put out in the shop, they can't sell a pound in ten days and half a month. However, a good rice shop naturally has to do everything, so it will buy some and put it in the shop, but do not expect it to make money.

Qing Shu grabbed it and looked at it, although it was old goods, there were no insect eyes, it should be well preserved, and there were no insects. She groaned slightly, "Take all three." ”

Xiaojuan agreed in a daze, she didn't understand what the young lady wanted these things for, did she want to use them to feed the horses on the road?

The people on both sides of the seller and the buyer piled up the inventory in the warehouse, and it was completed quickly, in less than two quarters of an hour. The middle-aged man returned to the shop from the backyard and instructed his men to count the food on the shop.

Gu Qiang stopped: "Miss has spoken, what is being sold in this shop does not need to be counted." Your host is benevolent, easy to talk to, and does not embarrass Miss, Miss is very grateful, and in order to express her gratitude, she decided to give these rice grains to your host. ”

The middle-aged man smiled, "That being the case, Zhang thanked Miss Guifu for the kindness of the owner." The rice grain being sold in the shop was worth fifty or sixty taels of silver, and as a merchant, he was naturally happy to receive this benefit.

At this time, Ding Jiabao came in, "Housekeeper, someone is here." ”

Gu Qiang looked at Qing Shu.

Qing Shu was not nervous at all, "You draw up a contract first, and Miss Ben will go out and meet Uncle for a while." With that, the man walked out of the shop.

Gu Yunfu came in a soft sedan chair, and the sedan chair driver may have run too quickly, sweating profusely and panting. He's coming because a guy has escaped from the backyard of the shop, and the guy has run to inform him. But he must not have imagined that the guy who escaped was deliberately let go by Qing Shu early in the morning. The purpose is to lure Gu Yunfu here, so that he can see this shop change hands with his own eyes.

Qing Shu stood in front of the shop, watching with a smile as Gu Yunfu hurriedly got out of the soft sedan chair, "Uncle, don't come unharmed." ”

The guy found Gu Yunfu and only said that there was someone making trouble in the shop, but he couldn't tell who the troublemaker was. At this moment, although Qing Shu's face was covered with a light veil, he called his uncle again, and he naturally recognized it. "You, what are you doing here? Hurry back and make trouble again, Uncle is not polite to you. ”

Qing Shu put his hands behind his back, "Uncle's words are really funny, this shop is Qing Shu's, why can't Qing Shu come?" By the way, uncle, this shop, you have occupied it for a long time, and the money you earn from the shop must be five or six thousand taels, but you have all put it into your pocket, and you have never given Qingshu a copper plate. This tenant shop has to have rent, and you don't give this copper plate, but you will scavenge the valuable things in Qingshu's house. My good uncle, what is your heart made of? ”

Someone next to him pointed and pointed and exchanged ears. The shopkeepers of the nearby shops also craned their necks, paying attention to the qiē that happened in front of the ancient record.

Gu Yunfu is a thick-skinned man, his face is stiff, but he doesn't have any shame, "How do you talk to your uncle?" A girl's family, standing here with her head in front of her, talking nonsense. Hurry back to embroider, it's a loss of face for the ancient family. ”

Qing Shu's face was cold, "My good uncle, people are doing it, the sky is watching!" You must take care of your health, burn incense and bow in front of the Bodhisattva, and chant many sutras to ensure your health. ”

Gu Yunfu listened, and jumped to his feet at that time, "You girl full of nonsense, see if the uncle doesn't kill you." As he spoke, he stepped forward to make a move.

What are Ding Jiabao and Butcher Zhang doing, they didn't come here to be a decoration, I saw the two of them greet Gu Yunfu, clamp one of Gu Yunfu's arms on the left and right, and don't let him move a single hair.

Gu Yunfu's face changed greatly, "What are you doing?" What do you want to do? ”

Qing Shu said, "What are you waiting for? Quickly helped the uncle into the soft sedan chair and sat firmly, saving the uncle from doing anything angry and resentful, and suffered retribution, so that the younger generations were accused of unfilial piety. ”

When Gu Yunfu, who was struggling, heard this, his face turned pale, and he scolded Qing Shu, but he couldn't stop being stuffed back into the soft sedan chair.

"Uncle, in order to save you from retribution, in order not to let you continue to bear the notorious reputation of bullying your brother's widow and orphan, and in order to prevent you from continuing to bear the charge of stealing the property of your brother's orphan, Qingshu decided to sell this shop today." As he spoke, he shook out the deed of this shop again, and faced Gu Yunfu, who had drilled his head out but couldn't get out of his body, "Uncle, you go slowly." ”

Gu Yunfu was in a hurry, but no matter how he fluttered to get out of the soft sedan chair, he was always stuffed back into the sedan chair by Ding Jiabao or Zhang Butcher at the last moment, so he scolded again.

Qing Shu turned around and entered the shop, pressed his handprint on the sales contract, handed out the deed of the shop, and collected the eight hundred taels of silver bills from the sale of the shop and the two hundred and thirty-one taels of silver from the sale of grain from the warehouse.

The group came out of the rice shop that changed its name and surname, Wei Tiehammer just hired a carriage, and the big guys moved red beans, soybeans, flower kidney beans, as well as white rice, white flour, coarse grain rice and millet all onto the cart in the blink of an eye, ready to pull away.

At this time, no one cared about Gu Yunfu, he came out of the soft sedan and cried and scolded Qingshu's road and refused to let him go.

The deal has been completed, and the men and shopkeepers hired by Gu Yunfu have been kicked out of the shop, and they are all standing behind Gu Yunfu, seeing that the two parties are about to start fighting.

Qingshu can't do anything to Gu Yunfu's uncle, but that doesn't mean that others can't. The new shopkeeper of this shop, the middle-aged man dressed in silk and satin shouted, "Who is not long-sighted, dares to make trouble in front of my owner's shop, affect the business of the shop, come and ask the official to take him down." ”

Gu Yunfu was not afraid, and shouted, "My brother is a meritorious man of Da'an, who dares to arrest me?" ”

The new shopkeeper glared, "Which green onion are you?" Come and drive them away, and if you don't leave, call the officials to arrest them. ”

So four or five guys dressed up and squeezed between the two sides of the confrontation, unceremoniously pushing Gu Yunfu and a few of them away. Gu Yunfu shouted angrily, but he couldn't push the other party, and retreated in front of the crowd gathered around to watch the excitement.

At this time, someone next to him shouted, "The official messenger is here", Gu Yunfu was startled, and he was distracted to see if there was really an official messenger coming. It's just that he was so distracted, he didn't know who hit him, and he didn't know if it was his own person or an outsider's collision, he couldn't stabilize his body and fell. He fell to the ground, and with an ouch, the unemployed lady got up, and several more oops, oops. It turned out that in the confusion, he was trampled on no less than ten feet, and even worse, a big foot was trampled on his face impartially. He was so angry and angry that he cursed.

The official messenger came, and the four or five guys who pushed Gu Yunfu and a few people retreated to the door of the shop. The people who watched the excitement quickly dispersed, and Gu Yunfu was helped up from the ground by his own guys, and wanted to leave, but the official did not allow it.

Qingshu and his party have already gone away.

The new shopkeeper didn't know what to say to the little boss of the official errand, and the little boss of the official errand waved his hand, "At the foot of the world, dare to gather people to make trouble and take it away." ”

The people who watched the excitement pointed at Gu Yunfu of the wolf bèi and dispersed. Not far away, two men in ordinary clothes looked at each other, both grinning, and one said, "Hehe...... Lao Tzu stepped on one more foot than you. The other person was not convinced, "It was Lao Tzu who stepped on one more foot than you, and Lao Tzu saw it most clearly." Let's go to the West Market to see the excitement. ”

Behind them, guards dressed as civilians pretended not to hear anything.

West Market, Guji Grocery Store. Qing Shu walked in with someone.

A young man who was about to greet them, when he saw Gu Qiang, he immediately put away the smile on his face and drove people away impatiently, "Why are you so thick-skinned?" Go, go, you're not welcome here. ”

Gu Qiang was silent.

The shopkeeper behind the counter heard the movement and looked over, "What are you still rubbing, hurry up." If the master knows, he will lose his temper again. ”

Qing Shu looked at the shopkeeper with a smile, and was about to walk over with his feet, but saw Xiaojuan rushing to the counter in a few arrows, picked up his feet, grabbed the front placket of the shopkeeper who had not yet figured out the situation across the counter, and pulled it hard, so that the shopkeeper lowered his head and looked at him, glared angrily and scolded, "Blind things, looking for death!" Dare to offend Miss. Whose shop is this? It's the shop of the ancient family, and it is the shop of my young lady. ”

The shopkeeper was blindfolded, and quickly reacted. "Where did you come from, stinky girl, let go." "What are you doing standing stupidly? Hurry up and coax them out. The latter sentence is naturally said to the guys in the shop.

Those stunned guys were just about to step forward, but someone made a move on them first.

Xiaojuan is naturally not easy to get along with. She felt that she had lost Miss's face in the rice shop, and she had not rectified the damn shopkeeper in time, but had made Miss dirty her feet, and she was very sad and remorseful. At this time, she would not make the same mistake, so she didn't let go of the hand holding the front of the person, raised her other hand quickly and cleanly "snapped", slapped the shopkeeper's head, and said, "Shut up, dare to talk nonsense, my aunt and grandmother will beat you to death." ”

Being hit in the head by a girl is a great insult to a man, the shopkeeper is embarrassed and angry, while trying to break the hand holding the placket, he glared at Xiaojuan with a cannibalistic gaze, "You ......"

With a snap, Xiaojuan gave him another pot sticker on the head.

"You ......"

Smack, another potsticker.

"I ......"

Smack, smack, this time it's two potstickers.

The shopkeeper cried, "Grandma, don't fight." Can't I shut up? ”

Xiao Juan raised her hand and retracted it, and said with a look of regret: "You know each other." ”

On the other side, the women who were selecting the things they needed in the shop were already frightened, and they didn't dare to leave if they wanted to, because the faces of Ding Jiabao and Zhang Butcher, who were guarding the door, were very scary. So the women retreated into the corner tremblingly, not daring to move.

Qing Shu saw that the guests were frightened, so he took a few steps forward, "A few aunts don't need to panic, this shop belongs to the father, although I don't know if it will be robbed by the uncle tomorrow, but today, Miss Ben is the master." Miss Ben came today to teach a few disobedient minions, so naturally she would not embarrass the guests who came to the door. In this way, you can choose the things in the shop at will, and you will be free of ten copper plates per person at the time of checkout. If you buy more than a tael of silver...... "she paused, and looked around, "I'll give you fifty copper plates for nothing." ”

Several of the women's eyes widened when they heard this, and one of them was more daring, "Really, don't you seduce people?" ”

Qing Shu glanced at the few bags of things in the hands of the woman who asked the question, "If the things are chosen, go and settle the money, if it exceeds one or two pieces of silver, you will not be exempted from fifty copper plates or you can choose fifty copper plates yourself, without adding silver money." ”

The woman said tentatively, "The woman bought caramel and red dates, and they weighed it for one hundred and eighteen dollars." ”

Qing Shu said to Gu Qiang: "Ten free texts." ”

Gu Qiang agreed, then turned into the counter, and squeezed the shopkeeper who was cleaned up by Xiaojuan to a corner inside, ready to collect the cashier.

The woman shrunk down to the counter and counted eighty-eight copper plates and handed them to Gu Qiang.

Gu Qiang put away the copper plate, "Go slowly." ”

Only then did the woman dare to believe that it was true, smiled from ear to ear, left Qing Shu with an auspicious word, and twisted her waist and walked out of the shop. At this time, she only cared about being happy, and actually felt that Ding Jiabao and Butcher Zhang were not afraid of people at all, but felt kind.

The remaining three women seemed to know each other, bit each other's ears, nodded, and hurriedly chose the things that needed to be bought, and finally put the things of the three people together to settle the money, which was actually one tael of silver and one hundred and fifty-seven wen. Gu Qiang was not dissatisfied with the behavior of the three of them to make up the money together, and only collected one hundred and seven yuan, waived fifty yuan, and said "go slowly".

There were no guests in the shop, Qingshu was satisfied, "Hurry up and go out to shout, within half an hour, if you buy more than one or two silver, you will be free of ten cents; if it exceeds ten taels of silver, it will be exempted from two hundred dollars; and if it exceeds a hundred taels of silver, four taels of silver shall be exempted. ”

So, it was lively, and I saw two high-pitched voices standing outside, and they began to shout desperately. Two others shouted along the street. Is there such a good thing? For the common people, a copper plate has to be used carefully, let alone ten wen. So, the people in front of the Guji grocery store gathered more and more, and most of the people who watched before, when they saw a few people who went in with a smile on their faces, and said that they were really free of copper plates, the big guys believed it, and from time to time someone went in, and then left with a smile on their faces.

Opposite the Koo Kee Grocery Store is the Luo Kee Grocery Store. Luo Ji's shopkeeper squinted his eyes and thought about it, and finally summoned two trustworthy men and gave him a hundred taels of silver, and explained a few words like this.

The two fellows got their errands, changed their clothes, went out the back door, and ended up in the Guji grocery store. After a while, one of them stood at the door of Gu Ji and nodded in the direction of Luo Ji while no one was paying attention.

Soon, a trolley came from the ancient gate, and it was a young man who pushed the cart. The two guys who entered the store and the people of Gu Ji carried things in and out five or six times, and filled the cart to the brim.

Qing Shu was sitting in the small room at the back of the shop and eating melon seeds, and Xiao Juan came in with a happy face, "Miss, it's about to be sold out." ”

Qing Shu listened, and threw the melon seeds back into the plate, "Let everyone who shouts come back, prepare to prepare, we should go." ”

"Hey." Xiaojuan agreed and went out to deliver the letter.

After a while, Xiaojuan raised the curtain again, "Miss, the housekeeper said you can go." ”

Qing Shu got up, threw a small cloth bag to Xiao Juan, and put on a veil.

Xiao Juan touched the contents of the small cloth bag and grinned, "Thank you, Miss for the melon seeds." ”

Qing Shu glanced at her, "I know you're greedy and gone." ”

Xiaojuan agreed, put away the melon seeds, picked up the box brought out from the rice shop, and followed behind Qingshu.

A group of people came out of the Guji grocery store, Qingshu got into the soft sedan car, Xiaojuan put the box in her hand, together with a heavy burden handed over by Gu Qiang, into the soft sedan car Qingshu's feet, and then put down the sedan curtain, "Get up the sedan chair." ”

Gu Qiang, Ding Jiabao and Zhang Butcher opened the way in front, then the soft sedan chair carrying Qingshu, and then the group of people carrying the basket. This line of people, walking from the West Market, formed a unique scenery, attracting the attention of countless passers-by.

On the small teahouse opposite the Guji grocery store, Vice General Xu suddenly sighed, "This kid is too good at tossing." If it's a boy......" At this point, he closed his voice.

Lu Xuanfang was also gloomy, but he quickly regained his smile, "What a child who loves to hold grudges." It's also smart, knowing that you can't hit or smash, so you think of such a way to get angry. In this way, the person who has not pulled out a dime will be able to lie down for a few days. ”

When Vice General Xu heard this, he also smiled. "Let's go, let's go and see, I heard that someone is looking for that child's bad luck today."

Lu Xuanfang said with a smile: "With you here, I can naturally protect her." I won't go, I asked a friend to leave Beijing before noon, and I need to prepare a few things. ”

Vice General Xu wanted to speak and stopped, and finally dipped his fingers in tea and wrote a Xiao character on the table.

Lu Xuanfang frowned, waited for the water to be completely dry, and stood up, "Don't worry, it's okay." ”