But those who are in high positions must have their strengths, no matter which aspect they are, this is an eternal law. But the so-called high positions are all relative, and compared with the two, it is only who is in a higher position.

On the morning of the second day, the gatekeeper of Wu Youwei came to the dormitory and invited us to the castle guard's house. It's not a big island, so it wasn't long before I saw Shiyao, who had been known for a long time.

This old brother looks like he is about forty years old, but his face is full of deep wrinkles, especially the two nasolabial folds that stretch down, which makes people feel his inner scheming and calculation. The eyes are bright, but they are too small to make people feel a little funny.

It was the height of summer, he was wearing a black and green kimono, beige bloomers, a hexagonal hat, and a military fan painted with Mount Fuji in his hand.

When he saw us come in, he put his hands on his knees and bowed slightly to me. And I imitated him, sat down cross-legged, and also sat down to give a salute, while Arashi, who came in next to me, was sitting and bowed.

In fact, as Party A and Party B in the trade, our confrontation has already begun from this moment - the reason is his sitting posture.

It stands to reason that when receiving foreign guests, the host should adopt a "sitting" posture. The so-called orthodoxy is the posture of kneeling. This posture originated in ancient China, and the specific time is not known, but at least before the Han Dynasty.

Sitting is about the integration of the connotation of the mind and the appearance, through the sitting posture self-cultivation, internal and external harmony, and harmony protection, so as to achieve the purpose of both form and spirit. In ancient China, there were many masters who struggled to seek the harmony and unity of the heart and body, which was reflected in the sitting posture, and this is a kind of philosophical sublimation.

Sitting on the ground in a straight posture can feel a kind of closeness and pursuit of the spirit of nature. Therefore, some people say that sitting upright is the best external manifestation that can better reflect the Chinese culture and spiritual realm. Some foreigners also said that when I sat down in this way, I felt the fragrance of the grass so close to me for the first time.

And the way we sit on a stool now, with our feet vertically down, was actually introduced from the Western Regions countries after the Northern and Southern Dynasties, also called "Hu Sitting", and the appliance is a kind of Dongdong similar to a small Maza, but this sitting posture is mostly used in informal occasions.

On formal occasions, in the formal etiquette of the Tang Dynasty, "sitting upright" was still the mainstay, but "sitting up" had begun to become popular in society. In the Song Dynasty, the main seat was replaced by Hu Zao, but it was still used on major ceremonial occasions.

Dongying likes to emulate the Tang Dynasty, so to this day, Dongying people still take sitting as the basic etiquette on traditional formal occasions.

However, when we entered the door, Tanegashima Shiyao took a "cross-sitting" posture, sitting relatively upright, which is also called loose sitting, which is an informal sitting posture. And to sit and salute in this informal sitting posture is to express a kind of contempt that the owner does not care too much.

At this time, if I stand and bow and return the salute, then there is a kind of meaning that the subordinate will meet the superior person in person, and the momentum will naturally be weak; If I'm sitting down and bowing back, it's the same as looking up, and it's the same as what I just said.

But if, like I am now, I sit down and return the salute casually, although the momentum is not inferior or even better, it will be very discordant in terms of the atmosphere of the negotiation.

It's like, as soon as I entered the door, you slapped me head-on, I came back to my senses and "snapped" a series of slaps, this atmosphere will not be good! If you go down any further, you can only "pop and pop"...... Well, this one is more serious.

Sure enough, Tanegashima Shiyao saw me return the salute in this way, his face immediately sank, his right hand shook hard, and he put away the iron fan that had just been opened, and wanted to say a few words with a majestic scene, but he couldn't say anything about it when he was sitting cross-legged.

Imagine, it's like a person with Erlang's legs crossed and hanging, and his mouth is scientific development, harmonious society, science and technology and humanities, what a discordant thing.

At this time, in fact, it is completely up to me to greet him first, so that the conversation box will be opened, which is equivalent to giving him a step, so that he can get off the donkey and relieve the atmosphere.

But why would I do it? so why？ Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing? I am clear about these questions, but he may not be clear about Tanegashima Shiyao. If you come up and give me a horse, why should I give you steps? Isn't that right?

Therefore, under my refusal to give an inch, the atmosphere in the side hall froze for a while, and I was trapped there.

At this time, the most uncomfortable thing is probably not Tanegashima Shiyao, but Wu Youweimen, who invited me to come. He reported my situation to Tanegashima Shiyao overnight yesterday, and of course, he also said some conflicts I had with Tanegashima Yaogui in the hotel.

Actually, if you want me to say, I can understand that Tanegashima Shiyao took such a meeting with me.

Yu Gong, he is a local lord, I am a businessman, driven by the idea of East Asian officials, he always thinks that "officials" are more advanced than "white clothes", and it is logical to be condescending.

Yu privately, Tanegashima Yaogui is no longer a thing, it is also something he worked hard to come out of, if you want to fight, you have to fight yourself, an outsider, when he comes up, he pokes and pokes his unsuccessful son into a pig's head, and no one will be happy if he changes.

But I don't buy it, and he can't help it. How can you be unhappy? After all, he is not a bandit, and he must be reasonable in everything, unless he is not afraid of the words of the world.

After being embarrassed for a while, Wu Youweimen couldn't bear it anymore, and with the help of the people coming in to serve tea, he recommended to me: "Mr. Suzuki, this is the new spring tip this year, do you have a habit of drinking it first?" "That means, just give me the steps, and let me be pretty much done.

But I know that in this business, my purpose is not to make money peacefully, but to slaughter him, the Tanegashima family is a subordinate of the Shimazu family, and to beat a dog is to beat the master, and I am here to fight today.

So I said with a cold face and a look of disgust: "I'm sorry, I'm not used to drinking this tea." Filial piety! ”

The Nine Ghosts Masataka walked behind me in small steps from behind, knelt down, and then fine-tuned his knees behind me.

This is very normal in formal etiquette, but in this situation where both parties are not mainstream, it is quite unbearable to suddenly come so formally. Imagine what it's like to be in a group of young people in suspender hot pants who suddenly get into a guy in a suit and leather shoes?

The Nine Ghosts Zhengxiao was sitting behind me with his head bowed slightly, his expression was very humble, and he looked like he was listening to me. I laughed secretly in my heart, these guys' acting skills are getting better and better, but their faces are still light and light: "Let's take the British black tea I drink on weekdays!" ”

After speaking, I rubbed my right hand against the thumb and index finger of the Nine Ghosts Zhengxiao, and when the Nine Ghosts Zhengxiao saw this, he nodded his head heavily, and waved his hand to the back.

The kite understood what he meant, and in a more respectful posture came to his knees, handed me a Havana cigar, took out a hyacinth and lit it for me, and bowed back again.

I took a cigar, took a hard puff, and while exhaling a smoke ring, I took a sip of black tea, put down the tea bowl, and then squinted at Tanegashima Shiyao and asked with a smile: "Tanegashima Hall, smoking is not prohibited here!" ”

Tanegashima Shiyao was so angry that he was about to explode at this time! Smoking is not prohibited here, and that's because no one has ever dared to smoke like this here! Besides, you are a white cloth, dare to call me Tanegashima? Why are you my equal?

From his flushed face, I could clearly feel his anger. But for the sake of food, he endured and endured, and finally pressed it down. At this time, Tanegashima Shiyao said in his heart, his pretentiousness is also very good, the other party is rude, and he uses the topic to play and take the opportunity to reduce the price, which is also excellent.

So he opened his mouth and said straight to the point: "Yesterday, I learned that the Guisuzuki Chamber of Commerce has channels to introduce grain, which is excellent. But the price is half higher than the parity, which is very unreasonable! ”

Before he could finish speaking, I interrupted, "Then according to the meaning of Tanegashima Temple, how can it be reasonable?" ”

Tanegashima Shiyao was angry again, but he still said: "Large-scale transactions, naturally, are lower than parity, how can they be disposed of as retail?" ”

I smiled and said, "What do you mean?" ”

Tanegashima Shiyao stretched out two fingers and said, "The price should be two percent lower than the parity!" ”

I shook my head with a smile, took a puff of my cigar, and said nonchalantly, "I'm afraid that Tanegashima Hall has some misunderstanding about our trade!" As I spoke, I waved my hand, and without regret brought in a box, which was a hardcover ebony box, and I asked him to open it, but inside was a gold seal.

I pointed to the golden seal and said to Tanegashima Shiyao: "First of all, I want to clarify one point, because I have been trading with the Ming Dynasty for many years, and I have made meritorious contributions to both sides, and the Ming Dynasty has awarded me the honor of the third grade!" I don't know what kind of grade Tanegashima Hall is? When I call you that, I'm already lifting you up, don't you know the depth? ”

The gold seal I took out was the gold seal when I was the deputy commander of the Ming Dynasty, and there was no cottage in that era, and no one dared to pretend to be an official to deceive, so when I took it out, Tanegashima Shiyao suddenly weakened by three points.

How many products does he have? It is already the limit from the seventh grade, and according to the convention, he is going to make a big gift when he sees me! So I took him in this way, which is tantamount to a head-on kick and a kick in the face! Suddenly his face turned pale!

I waved my hand and didn't regret it. Before he could regain his breath, I continued, "I think the Tanegashima garrison is still a little unclear about this trade. This sentence is already the tone of the superior to the inferior!

I didn't care about it, and continued: "The parity I said yesterday is half a percent, that's the cost price, and it doesn't take into account the transportation price and the cost of the risk guarantee. If you count it all......"

I turned my head and asked, "Zhengxiao!" ”

Nine Ghost Zhengxiao immediately took out a small notebook from his arms, and said: "Counting the road freight and risk compensation, as well as customs clearance costs, the price needs to be added to the original price by 20%!" But Lord, if it is calculated according to the price, then we will not make any money, and we can not do this business! ”

I waved my hand and motioned for him not to say more, and the Nine Ghosts immediately kept silent with a reverent face. But I went on to say, "I'm not a philanthropist, I'm not a monk who gives alms. In this grain trade, I want to add 30% to the price above the parity! No counteroffers! ”

After speaking, I took the black tea and drank it all, threw down the tea bowl, and I continued to laugh and said: "I might as well tell you that the Tanegashima garrison - last time the grain in the region, the blade sea grabbed seventy percent, and I grabbed thirty percent!" But I grabbed 80% of Hokkaido's abundant grain! ”

As soon as this sentence came out, Tanegashima Shiyao's face suddenly turned even pale, but I didn't care about it, and continued to grab Bai and said: "What I want is this price!" If the Tanegashima garrison thinks it's unreasonable, you can go and talk to the Blade Sea Merchants! See how much they add you? Let's guess! Probably? Ten percent? Did they sell it to you? ”

As I spoke, I bowed slightly, stood up, turned my head and left! When he walked to the door, he stopped, and said without looking back: "Today is to add three percent, and from tomorrow, every day that passes, add another three percent!" If there is another way for the Tanegashima garrison, I'll take my leave! Don't forget, it's a seller's market these days! ”

Tanegashima Shiyao couldn't hold back his anger anymore, stood up and shouted, "You stop me!" ”

I turned my head and shouted, "What's the matter?" If the trade fails, you, a sesame official from the seventh grade, are going to take people? Come on! Come get me! Look at who of us can't get off the stage, who forces who is seppuku! ”

Arashi stood aside, stood up and saluted, and said aloud in the posture of a third party, "I didn't expect the so-called Tanegashima-sama to be so hospitable!" It's such a trade again! Our Osaka Chamber of Commerce operates on a small budget, and we can't afford to play such a big business, so we quit! In the future, I don't have to come again! ”

This sentence is tantamount to giving me a divine assist! The meaning is clear, how do you? If you can't do business, you have to play hooligan? Believe it or not, it will make you discredited, and you will have to face all kinds of comments and criticisms that follow!

For a moment, there was no sound in the room, only the heavy gasping of Tanegashima Shiyao......