Among the vast and wealthy families in Guangzhou City, Zongfu undoubtedly belongs to the second-grade mansion.

The first head of the Zong family, as early as the Jiajing period, was selected as a poor talent to become a jinshi, and it was logical to change the lintel. Since then, the clan has become more and more prosperous, and the children and grandchildren have been immersed in the way of scientific research for generations. For more than 100 years, although the Zong family has not produced any famous ministers and Confucians, it has never been interrupted in the supply of talents, and it is a scholarly family in the standard sense, the house of Confucius and Mencius.

In the Chongzhen period, the sect that specialized in the study of saints still stood in the city of Guangzhou. There are the current Jiangxi Taoist members in his house, as well as the current Gansu county magistrate, and there are also people who sit in the hall at home.

Coming from such a place of Confucius and Mencius, I also know that there is no fame on my body, and I can't do martial arts, but I am the seventh young master of the sect who is a concubine, and my life is a little bit stressful. This is probably the reason why Zong Ben stood in front of the gate of the mansion today, took a deep breath, and did enough psychological construction before entering the door.

Stepping up, Zongben stepped into the house from the side gate in the greeting of Menzi.

Covering an area of the vast courtyard and heavy courtyard, the inside of the sect is naturally full of people coming and going. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the economy collapsed, the population swelled, and a large number of unemployed people had nowhere to stay, so they had to devote themselves to the wealthy families as servants in search of food and clothing. In this way, the wealthy will naturally form a culture of slave storage, because the cost of slave storage is greatly reduced.

As the seventh-ranked young master of the sect, even if he is a concubine, Zongben will meet people who salute him along the way. At this time, Young Master Zong naturally acted in his true colors, and he gave a gentle smile, which seemed to be peaceful.

However, things cannot be looked at the surface, but must be seen in the details. When a person who looks like a steward salutes Zongben, and then straightens up and swaggers away without waiting for him to respond, Zongben's true status in Zongfu is also faintly visible.

Since the feudal society, the program of the slave bully has been staged all the time, and it is the same in ancient and modern times, in the Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. is as strong as Zhang Pu, the leader of the first opposition party in the late Ming Dynasty and the leader of the Restoration Society, also because he was a concubine, so when he was young, he was still ridiculed by the slaves at home.

Young Master Zong turned a blind eye to the scene just now, because he had long been used to it since he was a child.

In this way, he came all the way to the atrium of the Fuzhong Council and met his brother Zong Han in the hall.

The existing core clan of the sect is divided into two branches. Among them, Zong Han is not only the oldest, but also the eldest son of the eldest family who is in charge of the affairs of the clan, and he wears a talent hat on his head, which is far from being comparable to Zongben, a second-room concubine who has no merit.

Entering the door of the hall, Zong Ben waited until the two subordinates of the ceremony left, then got up from the chair below, stepped forward respectfully, and bowed deeply to Zong Han who was sitting at the top: "I've seen the eldest brother."

"The seventh brother is here. Well, no need to be polite, sit. ”

He wears a square flat-topped scarf and a cyan robe. Zong Han was over fifty years old, with a thin face and a white goatee on his chin. Probably because of the perennial scolding of all kinds of people, this clan brother of Zongben has cold and hard lines on his face, and he belongs to the kind that does not smile.

"I haven't seen you for many days, but my eldest brother is fine."

Although the two people here are of the same generation, in terms of age, Zong Han is more than twelve years older than Zong Ben, so he looks much older.

"Well, there's always been nothing going on at home. It's you, I haven't seen you in October, but what happened to Hao Jingao? ”

...............................

As mentioned earlier, Zongben's job is to be the shopkeeper of a trading house. So where is his trading house? Not in Guangzhou City, not at the pier outside the city, just on Macau Island.

Haojing Ao, a trading house, can be said to be the fundamental place for Zongben to settle down. As early as ten years ago, Zongben, who was excluded by the clansmen at that time, resolutely took the little capital he had raised from various sources and opened a trading house on the small island where the Tibetan people were entrenched.

However, although Zongben can't be eaten in the clan, once he goes out of the mansion, then the Zong's brand can still be used for a purpose. So he used the family banner to set up a Daming source of goods to open up smuggling channels, and at the same time operated carefully in Macau, which also allowed him to create a world over the years.

"Hehe, it's good to teach the eldest brother to know that there is no trouble in Haojing, not only was there no trouble in the last year, but there was more hair growth."

Zongben's current status is roughly equivalent to the independent manager of the family in a public-private partnership. He spends most of the year traveling between Macau and Guangzhou, returning to his hometown every once in a while to settle accounts.

The reason why Zongben returned home today, on the bright side, is also to make a year-end report: due to the maritime shipping schedule in Macao, Zongben usually does not make accounts until after the New Year.

While reporting the good news, Zongben took out a few yellow paper slips from his sleeve pocket and handed them to the eldest brother with both hands.

"Last year, there were a lot of merchants in the port, and most of the goods on the cabinet were cleared. Hehe, there are also 40,000 taels of silver, which is a lot more than in previous years, and it is a prosperous year. ”

"Well, that's good."

After reading the accounts on the yellow paper, Rao is Zong Han's original face was unpretentious, and he also showed a slight smile at the moment.

"Hehe, the eldest brother has won the award." After Zongben's Chinese modest sentence, he took a step forward, pointed to the next slip from the side and said, "The remaining southern goods on the cabinet have also found their next home." Now, after only a few days, the people will be able to write off the account. At that time, in addition to the payment of more than seventy percent of the goods this year, according to the old rules, the rest can be sent home. ”

"Well, yes, really good!"

When Zong Han's gaze finally swept over the cash income figures below, his smile finally increased a lot.

Zong Ben saw that the eldest brother nodded again and again, so he struck while the iron was hot and said another good thing: "It is also thanks to the eldest brother who has taken care of him all these years, and the younger brother has today's situation." After a few days of payment, the eldest brother can send Zongfu to the counter, and the younger brother also left a body for the eldest brother here, and some rare things in Yizhou, let Zongfu bring it back. ”

Speaking of this, Zongben stretched out his finger and drew a hidden number.

"Good, good!"

At this moment, Zong Han Zong Xiucai, who was originally cold, finally put down the shelf completely and patted the back of Zong Ben's hand: "Sit down, sit down, watch tea." ”

When Zong Ben finally took a sip of tea, Zong Han first praised his brother with a smile: "Old Seven, if the clan talks about the way of businessmen, you should be the leader." ”

"Where, big brother, praise."

After the business exchanged two sentences, Zong Han probably felt that he had given Xiao Qi enough face this time, so his Taoist attributes occupied his body and mind again...... After thinking about it, Zong Han said another thing: "However, this Yizhou goods are useful, Yizhou people, you are not good to deal with." ”

Zong Ben was a little puzzled when he heard this: "Oh, how do you say this?" ”

"Alas, you don't have much knowledge and don't know what to do, and I don't blame you."

Zong Han put on the appearance of Chunchun's eldest brother teaching his younger brother: "That gang of traitors in Yizhou, taking advantage of the frustration of my Ming Dynasty's national fortunes, opened the way with clever playthings, colluded with the scum of the court, occupied the heart of my city outside Guangzhou, and entered the house. The bandit leader Cao Clan, stealing authority, not only held an important position in the general army, but also privately occupied Yizhou, which was the domain town of the Tang Dynasty! ”

"Now the thief is powerful, and he is allowed to run rampant for a while. However, since ancient times, the Han and the thieves have not stood apart, and when the court frees up his hands one day, this feudal town will eventually be removed. At that time, as soon as the heavenly soldiers arrive, they will all be gray and gray! ”

"Ahh When Zongben heard this, he opened his mouth.

Zong Han was very satisfied with the expression of the scumbag brother, so he continued: "My Zong's lineage is Shilin Qingyao, and the children are favored by the emperor in the world. In the past, you read less about the sages, and you became a day to mix with those merchants, I am afraid that you don't know where the righteousness lies. ”

Zong Han's tone became cold at this time: "I am carrying you today, just because I am afraid that you will not be able to see the general trend clearly and collude with those thieves too much...... You need to know that the sky is magnificent, if you don't know the overall situation and are dumbfounded, and when the day comes to set things right, hum, the Zong family can't save you! ”

When Zong Han said the last sentence, he was already full of emotion.

"Brother is taught." Zongben stood up and made a move. Of course, he had to put on a well-behaved and teachable posture at this time...... Could it be that he wanted to tell his eldest brother that he had a few intimate chats with Cao Thief at the meeting before?

Seeing that the scumbag brother had a good attitude, Zong Han also put his mind at ease. Next, probably feeling that Fang Cai's own hard work made the scene a little embarrassing, so Zong Han twisted his beard with one hand, looked at the atrium outside the door, and recalled the past with a gentle face: "If you want to say that you went to Haojing back then, there must be a lot of people in the clan who are martyred. After all, the house is a scholarly family, and the sons and nephews of the clan go to the place of the Fan people to mingle, what does it look like? Do you want the teachings of the saints? ”

"The seventh knows, knows." Zong Ben looked grateful at this moment: "If it wasn't for the eldest brother's permission back then, and he allocated a little money from the public to make the capital, my brother would definitely not have what he is today." ”

"Well, just remember." Zong Han asked others to remember, but he had long forgotten how he sat back and watched Zong Ben run away from home with the mentality of sending the mourning dog: "Uncle died early, you were uneducated and lacked discipline when you were young, you always have to reflect on yourself from time to time, so as to avoid mistakes." ”

"Brother should introspect." Zongben doesn't know how many times he bowed his head and confessed today.

This is the end of Zong Han's "caring discipline", and it seems that this is his unique way of "thanking" the unsuccessful people.

If it is a weekday, even if Zong Ben returns to the house to report on his work, it will be a quick decision on official business, who is impatient to listen to his eldest brother/old master Zong Han's preaching. Not to mention the accounts that Zong Ben took out this year, not only left enough income for the mansion, but also promised Zong Han a sum of money and Yizhou goods to himself.

Zongben is low and small today, and there is certainly a reason for enduring all this.

The next moment, feeling the harmonious atmosphere of the scene, Zongben, who noticed that his eldest brother was in a good mood, first lowered his head and took a long breath, showing a resolute expression on his face, and then he raised his head, with a smile on his face, resolute in his eyes, and said to Zong Han: "There is still one thing to ask the eldest brother to promise." ”

"Oh, that's fine, let's hear it."

"My mother's tomb, I wonder if I can move into the ancestral grave of the clan?"