Chapter 1: Seongnam (8)

Early the next morning, two teenagers with dreams in their arms came to the dock again to beg for a living. The news that someone was rewarded by the Zhou family yesterday had already spread, and the eyes that looked at the two of them were full of envy and jealousy. Fortunately, Cheng Xiaojiu had already established his authority yesterday, and the people knew that the young man who was less than half his age was a practitioner, and he couldn't be provoked. So jealousy is jealousy, but they don't dare to take the initiative to find the bad luck of the two, but the words that come out of their mouths are weird, with the taste of rice bran.

Regardless of whether everyone's jokes were out of kindness or malice, Cheng Xiaojiu and Wang Ermao turned a deaf ear and buried themselves in their work. After a busy journey from early morning to mid-afternoon, all the big ships were finally emptied. When settling wages, the two followed closely behind Liu and Shi according to the established strategy, preparing to fish in troubled waters. Unexpectedly, Cheng Bo, the housekeeper of the Zhou Mansion, suddenly changed his temper when he was drenched in the rain, not only did he not talk to the batons more, but took the initiative to convert yesterday's half-day's wages according to most of the day, and gave more than 20 unloading batons to each of them a really extra bucket of rice.

"You're such a good man!" The batons who have benefited have no way to thank them.

"Don't thank me, it's our host's order!" Cheng Bo stroked his beard and responded proudly. "If you want to thank us, thank our host. In the future, if the owner has something to ask for you, don't shirk it! ”

"How can it, look at what you say! If you have something to say, you can always say hello, we don't have anything else, and we have the strength! In a series of chest-beating sounds, everyone's assurances sounded extraordinarily sincere.

Cheng Bo smiled silently, turned around and supervised the family members to convert the bamboo chips in the hands of the food bearers. It is still settled according to the agreed quantity yesterday, but the measuring instruments are replaced by special buckets when the government collects rent from the people. It's a real bucket, and it's not a debt at all. The overjoyed batons were grateful, and the family members around the Zhou Mansion cheered. For a while, the entire wharf began to recite the good name of the Tao Zhou family, covering up the past many bad deeds such as swallowing people's fields, seeking people's houses, borrowing money from small buckets, collecting rents from big buckets, and so on, and no one remembered them.

Cheng Xiaojiu stood on the periphery of the crowd and watched the excitement for a while, and seeing that no one paid attention to him, he made an appointment with two cents, and walked to his house with his salary on his back. He couldn't understand what the Zhou Mansion housekeeper deliberately showed favor to everyone for, but he felt a little disappointed in his heart. According to his assumption, Cheng Bo should continue to play close to himself today. Unexpectedly, people simply forgot about giving themselves five buckets of rice yesterday, and didn't say a word about wooing themselves to work for the Zhou family.

Since they can't take the road of Zhou's family, the plan of the two to "make a fortune and transfer" is imminent again. After eating the only meal of the day, the two teenagers each wrapped a few hundred dollars in a blanket and went to the bazaar in high spirits to see what business could be done to get rich quickly. While walking, the two teenagers cheered themselves up, thinking that with Cheng Xiaojiu's ability to write and calculate, Wang Ermao's shrewdness and cleverness, even if he couldn't make money every day, it should be a matter of being able to capture a place in the Pavilion Tao Market within a few months. Who expected to enter the bazaar to understand that this trading house still has a doorway for buying and selling houses, and it is not something that can be done by casual people. Local merchants, merchants, tooth traders, and patchwork have their own rules. Rice shops, taverns, silk shops, iron halls, the threshold of a home. Even if you set up a stall in the market, you must first pay enough money to the messengers in the city office, otherwise an iron chain will be put on your head, and you will be punished for the crime of disturbing the market, and you will want to walk out of the yamen without a ransom of five or ten times. (Notes 1, 2, 3)

From the most prosperous rice shops, noodle shops, and pawn shops, to the boot shops, pen shops, and juggling stalls that are full of people, the two teenagers are sweating profusely from the sun, but the feeling in their hearts is getting colder and colder like eating ice cubes. What they saw was that even the most sluggish shops were renting more than 500 dollars a month. Combined with the taxes paid to the city office and the sprinkling money paid to the servants (Note 4), it is impossible to support it without a single penny of money every month. And the official photo of Master Hu Cao to open a shop, the rules are 2,000 yuan, which does not include the guarantee of Master Lizheng, and the pen fee of the master of Qingshu and Xiaoshu! Calculate carefully, if you want to open a shop in the museum pottery market, you don't have to think about it without fifteen hanging capital!

"I was so happy yesterday that I barely slept all night!" Wang Ermao hung his head and murmured. Half an hour ago, he thought that the four hanging money in his and Cheng Xiaojiu's hands was a big fortune. Now I understand that the little capital in the hands of the two can only be dreamed in their arms. really took it out to do business, but it couldn't even cross the most basic threshold.

"Why don't we push the cart and go down the streets?" Cheng Xiaojiu was still unwilling, patted his companion's shoulder, and asked tentatively. To be a grocer who walks the streets, you don't need to rent a store, and you don't need to go to the city office to get an official license. The only threshold is that the legs and feet should be neat, and when you see the errand officers, archers, helpers, and managers in the yamen, you can run with a white book and push the cart, as long as you are not caught red-handed, the goods on the car can be safe. (Note 5)

Wang Ermao was so frightened that he shrank his neck, and refused repeatedly, "Come on, the little garlic next door will do this, and after a busy summer, there is not much left for me to carry a big bag." Two days ago, Jia Zhutou and Guo Zhutou in the yamen were blocked in the crotch alley, and a truckload of goods was confiscated, not counting the three hundred rings, so that he was not caught standing in the flail at the entrance of the county yamen! ”

Thinking about the black bloodstains around the flail at the entrance of the yamen, Cheng Xiaojiu could only smile bitterly. This thief really refuses to leave a way out! After turning half a street boringly, he smiled bitterly, turned back to Wang Ermao and said, "Then you go back first." I went to the pharmacy and got my mother's medicine. The prescription that Lang Zhong gave a month ago is estimated to be still usable now! ”

"I'll help you carry the medicine!" Wang Ermao volunteered. Although the dream of doing business together is about to be shattered, he still cherishes Cheng Xiaojiu as a friend.

Cheng Xiaojiu smiled and nodded, "It's okay, maybe I don't have enough money on me." Lang Zhong said that this medicine is definitely spiritual, but it is very expensive! ”

"How expensive can it be!" Wang Ermao instantly regained some confidence, and slapped the blanket on his body and shouted. The copper coin inside rang a few times very cooperatively, and it sounded indescribably pleasant.

The best pharmacy in Taoguan City is located in the deepest part of the market, and the shop is not large, but the business is very prosperous. A bookkeeper sat behind the counter, crunching the chips. A few well-dressed young men did not touch the ground, and wrapped the prepared medicinal dried lotus leaves, and placed them on the tall counter. The bookkeeper called people to pay in the order of the customer, took the medicine, left in and right out, and the movements were crisp and neat, and they were not bad.

Cheng Xiaojiu looked around, and was at the end of the line in an orderly manner. As soon as his legs were firmly established, he suddenly heard a rush of footsteps behind him. Before he could turn around, a domineering aura had already rushed straight to him, rushing over his shoulders and "blowing" the people waiting for the medicine in the front row. After the wind passed, a man with a short figure and a long brown beard patted the counter of the pharmacy vigorously, and shouted at the top of his voice, "Shopkeeper, quickly press this recipe with a bone!" Master Jia of the Yamen is in a hurry to use it, and he can't delay for a moment! ”

"Ahh What kind of wind blew you Master Jiang here! Couldn't you send an apprentice for this little thing? On a hot day, hurry, come on, pour herbal tea for Master Jiang! Mr. Ledger, who had not looked up to look at people, jumped up suddenly and greeted him with a smiling face. A guy who was quick with his hands and feet had already moved a stool, asked the man surnamed Jiang to sit down at the counter, and then brought out the teapot, tea cup, pu fan, and pear paste like a meteor, and waited for the person to enjoy it slowly.

"Fix this, I'm so anxious that my heart is smoking. Quick, Master Jia was injured, take good medicine! The old man surnamed Jiang pushed away the pu fan in the man's hand and shouted loudly.

"Hurry, hurry, it's going to be right away!" The bookkeeper was half-hunched and whispered a promise.

"Grandma's, thief, so bad that Lao Tzu didn't even sleep at noon!" The surnamed Jiang scolded again, reached out and grabbed the teapot, and poured a pot of herbal tea into his stomach from mouth to mouth. After drinking the tea, he grabbed another piece of pear paste, shook it cleanly into his mouth, and then asked vaguely while chewing, "Have any suspicious people come to buy medicine recently?" Treat knife wounds? If there is, immediately send it to the yamen, and you must not cover it up! ”

"How, how?" The shopkeeper continued to smile, "Our old Zhou family's pharmacy can still let thieves in?" You can rest assured! If you find a stranger, send it to you immediately! ”

"Hmm!" The surnamed Jiang raised his eyelids and looked at the plaque hanging directly above the counter of the pharmacy, and the king's aura eased slightly. There is no need for Mr. Accounts to remind him, he also knows that this is the transaction of the Zhou family of Guantao, and he will never touch it. It's just that I'm used to being arrogant, and I forgot to restrain myself for a while. After tasting two more pieces of pear paste, he slowly stood up from the stool, looked into the counter, and asked with a smile: "Is it all available for the dog's day, but the county lord has instructed me that this medicine must be dispensed at your house." The medicinal materials in other people's pharmacies, the yamen don't believe it at all! ”

"That's it, it's good! Thank you Linxian for taking care of you! The bookkeeper walked into the pharmacy with a smile, took out two purses from the inside, and handed them to the surnamed Jiang with both hands. The package that was crushed into loose pieces was applied externally, and the other package was a tonic given to Master Jia by the shop. ”

"Here?" The man surnamed Jiang grinned, revealing a mouth full of yellow teeth, "Lord County didn't buy me money for tonics!" ”

"Where did this go, if it weren't for a few masters who maintained local order regardless of the wind and sun, how could the small shop do business with peace of mind. Some ginseng and deer antler velvet are just worth a few dollars, so Master Jiang can use them. If it's not enough, ask someone to come and give a few more masters to the shop! ”

"So, thank you for the shopkeeper's righteousness." The man surnamed Jiang hugged his fists, and the wind went away. The bookkeeper watched him walk away, put away his smile, and sat down behind the high counter again, without raising his head, and put his calculations on a crackling sound, "Next, first come, first come, first come, queue, queue!" Don't mess with the rules here! ”

Cheng Xiaojiu has been moving to Guantao for a short time, and he has never seen a similar battle, so he secretly wonders. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to him, he lowered his voice and asked Wang Ermao beside him: "Who was that just now, why is it such a big score." Don't even dare to offend him in the pharmacy bookkeeper? ”

"Master Jiang in the yamen, you don't even know him?!" Wang Ermao frowned, putting on a rare and strange appearance of laughing people. "In terms of seniority, he is still my cousin. A close relative of no five suits! ”

"He's an errand officer in the county office?" Cheng Xiaojiu didn't want to inquire about what kind of relationship Wang Ermao and the man surnamed Jiang were, so he asked himself.

"No, but it's pretty much the same. He is a disciple of Guo Zhutou and the first archer of our pavilion pottery! Wang Ermao looked back at the back of the man surnamed Jiang and said with envy on his face.

"Oh!" Cheng Xiaojiu nodded and responded in a low voice. He probably had a little impression of the affairs of the government, and knew that the lowest establishment in a county government was an errand officer. And the archers are only the helpers of the errand soldiers, and they have no salary at all, and they can only earn a living by scavenging among the people. This kind of lowly and shameless person has always been despised by scholars, so no matter how arrogant he behaves, he can't arouse half of his envy.

Wang Ermao waited for a while, couldn't hear Cheng Xiaojiu's flattery, guessed that his good friend must have started pretending to be Sven again, leaned into the other party's ear, and whispered, "Don't look down on my cousin, according to my mother, since he spent money to go through the door and enter the yamen as a helper, my cousin's annual income is this amount!" ”

He stretched out five fingers and shook them in front of Cheng Xiaojiu's eyes, and then lest the other party misunderstand, he swore and added, "Fifty hangings, it's still less." Guo Zhutou and Jia Zhutou above him, although the annual salary is only 30 buckets of rice, the people at home wear gold and silver, and they can buy more than 30 live pigs every year! ”

"Hmm!" Cheng Xiaojiu was stunned again when he heard this, and there seemed to be countless golden lights in front of him. More than 30 ** pigs, this is just the food and clothing of an errand who does not enter the stream. What if you can survive a ...... in the future? But when Grandpa was alive, the official was much higher than the errand service, and he didn't see so much money moving to his family? Could it be that there was a lot of money in the family at that time, and it was hidden in a place that his mother and himself didn't know?

Thinking groggily about the old things at home, groggy and moving forward in order. It wasn't until he was tapped on the head with a finger that he woke up from his musings. I looked up in amazement, and saw that the bookkeeper of the pharmacy, which had always been high, suddenly felt in a mood for some reason, and pointed to the prescription he handed over in a daze with his finger and asked, "Born cub, are you sure you want to catch this medicine?" ”

"Ah, well, of course!" Cheng Xiaojiu was stunned by the question, quickly glanced at the prescription, and then gave a positive answer.

"Do you have enough money?" The bookkeeper looked at Cheng Xiaojiu several times from head to toe, slowly put down the prescription, and set up the calculation.

"Bring it, I'm sure I've brought enough!" Cheng Xiaojiu straightened his chest and replied loudly. He knew that this medicine was worth a lot, so when he went out, he brought three hundred dollars in his pocket. Wang Ermao's blanket was also wrapped in more than 200 pieces of meat. The two of them put together the meat on hand, and it was enough to pay for a soup and medicine.

The shopkeeper glanced at Cheng Xiaojiu and Wang Ermao again, and quoted slowly, "Three coins of ginseng, two coins of atractylodes, two coins of Poria cocos, one corice coin, three coins of angelica, three coins of Chuanxiong, rehmannia, two coins of white peony, three and a half coins of astragalus, one coin of cinnamon, two coins of deer antler, three dried dates, ginseng and deer antler blood soup, three hundred and fifty pieces of one piece, a total of three pieces, a total of one thousand and fifty pieces." Pay first and then administer, don't owe! ”

"How much?" Cheng Xiaojiu dodged backwards and couldn't help but exclaim.

"One thousand and fifty neat, this little boy, don't believe it yourself!" The bookkeeper pushed the calculation chip in front of Cheng Xiaojiu's eyes, and responded in a long voice.

"But you old man, you old man said that ginseng and deer antler velvet are not worth a few dollars?" Cheng Xiaojiu didn't have to look at the calculations, and he knew that he couldn't find fault with the accounts, so he had to accompany the smiling face and try to bargain with the bookkeeper.

"That is, for Master Jia in the yamen, this small amount is of course not a few dollars." Mr. Bookkeeper tilted his head to look at Cheng Xiaojiu and sneered slightly, "But what kind of net worth is that?" This market is full of business, which one doesn't rely on his old man to take care of it?! ”

Cheng Xiaojiu was so red from laughter that he was speechless. After hesitating for a while, he discussed in a low voice, "Uncle, I didn't bring that much money today." You see, I'll grab one piece of medicine first, and I'll take the other two another day, okay? ”

"What is the use of a piece of medicine!" Without waiting for Mr. Bookkeeper to answer, the other people waiting in line to get the medicine responded with a smile. Just now I was suffocated by Master Jiang's domineering spirit, and everyone was extremely unhappy in their stomachs. It's rare to meet an ignorant half-grown boy, so I'm scrambling to vent on him. "Haven't you heard of the offspring, a piece of medicine is equal to drinking water. What is a good ginseng deer antler velvet to eat? Why don't you buy some meat to cook and eat seriously, it's cheap and palatable! ”

"Three mates are three mates, just like who can't afford it!" Wang Ermao accompanied Cheng Xiaojiu to laugh loudly, ripped off the blanket on his shoulder, and threw it heavily on the counter. "There are two hundred and fifty Wen foot meat here, and this one, Xiao Jiu, you tell him how much!"

couldn't help but say, he ripped off Cheng Xiaojiu's purse and threw it on the counter. "Let's see if it's enough, if it's not enough, I'll go home and get it for you! Isn't it just one thousand and fifty Wen, don't look down on people! ”

"Ermao, Ermao!" Cheng Xiaojiu hurriedly grabbed his companion and nodded around with a smiling face, "Don't mind, everyone, this brother of mine is in a hurry." Shopkeeper, I have a full 300 wen in my blanket, and my friend's blanket has 250 wen, can you see if you can give a discount, first grab two pairs of decoction and come out! We're done with these two, and we're going to grab a third! ”

"This boy will settle accounts!" Mr. Ledger replied without yin or yang. According to common sense, he can indeed give a discount on such an expensive medicine, but today he is not angry, and he wants to step on it a few more feet when he looks at the coward. "We're giving you a discount, who's going to give us a discount? This ginseng, deer antler velvet and licorice are all from Liaodong, and now the beacon is in full swing, and the trade route has long been cut off, and ginseng and deer antler velvet are priced at one price a day! I'm already losing money to do your business today, and if you discount it again, if you discount it again, the old and young masters in this pharmacy will have to drink the northwest wind! ”

"How can you be, you are such a big pharmacy!" Cheng Xiaojiu was full of smiles, and blood surged down his forehead to his chest. He could feel the contempt in the eyes of the bookkeeper and the mockery in the eyes of the idlers around him, but he forcibly ordered himself to bear with it. "Or, I'll add another fifty wen, six hundred, six hundred wen, and you can sell me two pairs of medicine stores? If I don't have that fifty wen, I immediately ask my friend to go home and get it? ”

"I've never seen you so good at bargaining!" The bookkeeper pushed the two blankets away and responded with a sneer, "Childe, the little old man doesn't dare to take the medicinal materials of the proprietor's house as a favor, if you don't buy it, forget it, don't tease me." With that, he threw Cheng Xiaojiu aside and shouted outside the counter, "Next, Fang Zi will bring it to me first, don't owe it, come back when you're ready for money!" ”

"I've never seen you do this!" Wang Ermao couldn't bear it anymore, jumped forward, pointed at the nose of the bookkeeper and scolded. "The straight lady thief dog looks down on people, you remember, feng shui takes turns, in the future, you must not ask for the day of Lao Tzu's head!"

Cheng Xiaojiu pulled it but didn't hold it, so he simply stopped pulling it, grabbed the two blankets and carried them well, clenched his fists lightly, and waited to see how the other party reacted. There is more than one pharmacy in the market, and if there is a fight here, the next pharmacy can continue to negotiate discounts with the other party. If you don't say a word and leave without saying a word, you will definitely be bullied by the guys in various pharmacies in the future.

The guy in the pharmacy is not good at stubble, and when he saw Wang Ermao's furiousness, he immediately grabbed the medicine gas and the weighing stone, and rushed out. Seeing that a vicious fight was inevitable, suddenly, a crisp voice came from the depths of the pharmacy, "Lao Liu, the eldest lady asked you what you are doing, why is there so much fuss in front of you?" This is a medicine hall, should you be a big restaurant in the city? ”

As soon as the words fell, the arrogance of the bookkeeper and the others immediately decreased. glared at Cheng and Wang stupidly, and responded loudly to the counter, "It's okay." It was Master Jiang of the Yamen who was making a fuss just now. Now there are two little brothers who want to take the medicine without enough cash, and we are persuading him to go home first! ”

"You talk nonsense!" Wang Ermao deliberately made trouble for the other party, and retorted loudly, "It is clear that you are taking advantage of the fire to rob and indiscriminately open high prices." We brought in nearly 600 dollars, but we couldn't even buy a pair of medicines. Where is this pharmacy, smashing open flames is not as vicious as you! ”

When Mr. Bookkeeper and a few guys heard this, they remembered that green tendons jumped on their heads, but they didn't dare to come forward to stir up trouble. Suppressing the evil fire in his heart, he retorted, "This little brother, you can't talk nonsense, ginseng and deer antler velvet are in short supply." We're going to have to pay a premium to get in, too! ”

"Bring it, I'll show the prescription to the eldest lady!" Although the female voice in the depths of the pharmacy is immature, it exudes a majesty that cannot be refused. When Mr. Bookkeeper heard this, his face turned pale, and he picked up the prescription and explained in a low voice, "Miss Xiaochun, why bother the eldest lady to ask about this little matter herself. Can't I deal with it right away? On a hot day, you don't have to run around and sweat! ”

As soon as these words were spoken, the other medicine grabbers in the shop immediately understood that Mr. Bookkeeper must have made trouble with Cheng Xiaojiu's drug price. Thinking of their own vital interests, everyone's position immediately took a big turn. Approaching the counter, he shouted nonsense: "Miss Xiaochun, this piece of medicine is worth 1,000 and 50 pieces of meat." Do you always understand? ”

The gauze curtain on the inside of the pharmacy was gently lifted, and a little maid wearing a light green shoulder walked out quickly. first gave a salute to everyone, and then replied with a smile: "If there are ginseng and deer antler velvet in it, one thousand and fifty wen a piece, it is not expensive." After all, Liaodong is at war, and the trade route has been cut off for a long time. However, my young lady happens to be there, show her, and she may give a discount on the total price. It's all from the villagers, and you can't let everyone even afford to take medicine, don't you say? ”

After saying a word, he took care of everything inside and out, so that people who were interested in watching the excitement could no longer find any fault. Everyone laughed and dispersed, and continued to wait in line to catch the medicine. The maid named Xiaochun nodded to Cheng Xiaojiu and Wang Ermao, and then walked back to the inner hall quickly. After a while, there were a few rings from behind the door curtain, and the maid named Xiaochun walked out quickly, took the prescription, and instructed the bookkeeper, "Uncle Liu, the eldest lady said that this medicine is calculated at the price of half a year ago." Don't be embarrassed for two customers! ”

"Alas! Alas! The bookkeeper who escaped agreed repeatedly, and cold sweat was dripping down his forehead. He bullied Cheng Xiaojiu before with a fresh face, there was no trickster on the general ledger, but he played a lot of tricks on the price of single medicine. This is the usual way for the guys in the medicine hall to make money, but I didn't expect to be caught by the eldest lady of the proprietor's house who came to inspect today.

And now the words that Koharu brought were, 'Calculated at the price of four months ago', which is equivalent to saying that the eldest lady of the proprietor's house is not ready to debunk her ghost tricks, and she let herself go in a daze. If you don't know how to be interested, once you are taken on business by the proprietor's family, I am afraid that you will at least break your arms and legs, and a few of your men will have to cut off their fingers and beat them out of the door with a big stick.

Note 1: Dental dealers, middlemen. Mainly engaged in business contact, human trafficking, introduction of domestic helpers, etc.

Note 2: Municipal Administration, an ancient business administration. Similar to the current industrial and commercial bureau and local taxation bureau.

Note 3: Bazaar. In the cities of the Central Plains in the Sui and Tang dynasties, there was a special market area for painting. The big city is divided into the east market and the west market according to the difference in the trading goods. For details, please refer to the restoration map of ancient Chang'an.

Note 4: Sprinkle money, i.e. market management fees.

Note 5: Archer, ancient supernumerary assistant police. Help, ancient city management. Clerk, the personal assistant of the ancient tax collector. White Sho, assistant to the tax collector's personal assistant.

Note 6: For the salaries of the helpers and other idlers in the yamen in this article, as well as their additional income, see Mr. Wu Si's collection of historical essays, "The Hidden Order". There is a special analysis inside, which is very incisive.

Drinker's note: Why don't you see the flowers, today is a big chapter of 7,000 words?