PS: During the recommendation period, I think it's still kind, two changes a day, otherwise I'm sorry everyone, I'm sorry for the editor. Embarrassment

Xu Xin turned around in astonishment.

His French wasn't very good, but he understood it. The interviewer was a spirited old man dressed in a dark woolen gown with a burqa made of the finest dyed Indian cloth. On the top of his head is a wide-brimmed top hat made of precious fur, and below the top hat is a white wig. Ever since the king of France lost his hair two years ago due to a strange illness, the strange gadget of wigs has suddenly become popular overnight.

The old man went into the house, took off his top hat, and the servant behind him came up to catch him. When the staff in the store saw the old man come in, they also greeted one after another: "Good day, sir." ”

"Michelle, what did old Pasquier send you for?" The old man glanced coldly at Michelle, who was standing aside, "My store will never sell the Pasquier family's goods. I think you understood this 10 years ago. So, tell me, what is the purpose of bringing these two Orientals to my shop? ”

"Dear Mr. David Ludwig, as you can see, the two 'Oriental Guests' are the guests of my host, and they are just curious to come and have a look at your shop. Of course, if you don't mind, we'll leave immediately. Michelle bowed slightly and said.

Ludwig didn't speak, but walked to the counter on his own, picked up the ledger and glanced at it, and the servant brought over a pot of coffee, which was rare at this time. Ludwig took a sip, and the rich aroma of coffee filled the small space of the store.

"Orientals, if you don't do a good tea business, why do you want to do the cotton cloth business that you are not good at?" Ludwig put down the ledger and said suddenly.

Xu Xin and the others looked at each other, their French skills were really poor, and they didn't understand what the old man in front of them was saying.

Ludwig frowned, then changed to Spanish and asked, "Young man, tell Ludwig why you want to stir up the cotton market?" This market has been in place for more than 100 years, and Ludwig assures that it will continue to do so. I don't care where you got your cotton, England, India, or Italy, no one can go on free after disobeying Ludwig's will, no one! ”

"Cotton it doesn't have the surname Ludwig!" Xu Xin replied without being hard or soft.

"The price of cotton cloth in Italy is not low, and since the interruption of cotton exports from Turkey, Italians have only been able to import a pitiful amount of cotton from Cyprus. Their costs are high, and if you were dealing in Italian cotton, you would lose more than you gained. Ludwig continued to speak to himself as if he hadn't heard Xu Xin's words.

"The market will give us a fair answer." Xu Xin said calmly.

"Maybe you have a way to import a lot of cheap calico from India, but after the import price of 6 Su a horse is crossed the ocean and customs duties are paid, how much profit margin can your agent leave you?" Ludwig looked down at the ledger, but his mouth was still saying something that didn't make sense.

Rub, this old man is deceiving me, he doesn't know anything, but he pretends to talk a lot of nonsense. Xu Xin smiled secretly, he didn't talk nonsense, and said directly to Michelle next to him: "It's not early, let's go back." Then he nodded to Ludwig and said, "Mr. Ludwig, see you again, I hope you can always have the good mood of enjoying sweet coffee at this moment." With that, he walked out of Ludwig's shop.

Ludwig raised his eyelids, didn't speak, and continued to enjoy the aromatic coffee.

The rain outside the door seemed to be getting heavier.

Xu Xin held an oilcloth umbrella and slowed down, waiting for the others to follow. From time to time, hurried figures flashed through the streets, holding a thick stack of cotton cloth in their arms and carrying large tarpaulin umbrellas, and walked down towards the side door of the Ludwig store, which seemed to lead to the warehouse behind the store.

"That's some urban weavers." Michel came up with an umbrella and said, "Ludwig gives the yarn to these weavers on credit, and they weave it into cloth and sell it to Ludwig at a low price, and each cotton cloth makes some hard-earned money, maybe less than 1 sous." If you are lucky, you can weave 10 pieces of cloth and earn half a franc every month. ”

Xu Xin nodded: "What is half a franc enough to buy?" A small slice of bread? A small spoonful of brandy? ”

"Of course it's not the kind of bread you usually eat, honorable Mr. Xu, and they can't afford to enjoy delicious brandy." Michelle smiled, and there was a lot of complication in his smile, "In fact, they can only buy some cheap cereals from the market that are adulterated with a lot of impurities, as well as some peas. Women and children can eat little or no breakfast in the morning, and only men who need to maintain physical labor can eat food in the morning. In the past few years, there has been a famine, and the price of food has risen several times, and they have not even eaten much for dinner. As for extravagant foods such as fish, meat, and chocolate, you can only taste a little bit of it when the church gives alms, provided that you are lucky. ”

Xu Xin silently did not speak.

"It's just the life of a weaver. Compared to them, the life of those spinners may be a little more difficult. Michelle continued, "They usually rent land, but they often don't have enough to eat, and sometimes they have to take out loans from Jewish vampires like Ludwig. Then, through the hardly sleepless work on the farm, they earned a small spinning income to pay off the loans they owed. But many of them were not able to repay their loans in time, and as a result, they went bankrupt and became slaves to debt, became miserable serfs, or were resold to the New World. They ate coarser and less food, which was ubiquitous in the countryside of Gascogne. Many people have more children born in their families, but they can't support them, so they can only send them to the homes of rich people as free maids who don't need money. ”

"I've seen a lot of emaciated kids wandering the streets." Xu Xin sighed, "So that's why you hate Jews?" ”

"They're all vampires!" Michelle said angrily, but soon he calmed down again, and then bowed slightly and apologized: "I'm sorry, honored guest, I lost my temper." ”

"It's nothing, Michelle." Xu Xin said, "Do all those children wandering in the wilderness have parents? ”

"Some don't, some do, but it's about the same as nothing, and their parents can't afford to live on them." Michelle raised her head and asked suspiciously, "Why are you asking this?" ”

"I want to do something for them." Xu Xin pondered his words and said, "As you know, I am the Minister of Trade of the wealthy East Coast Republic of China, and I can provide these children with sufficient food, a stable living environment, and the best education they need to grow up, provided that these children settle on the East Coast." Can you help me? ”

"Of course, I'd love to." Michelle looked into Xu Xin's eyes and said, "The premise is that you can treat these children well." Although you are not a believer in the Lord, I believe in your sincerity, noble promise. Maybe you're trying to atone for your sins, because once the East Coast cloth goes on sale, the number of children wandering in the wilderness will multiply and dozens of times because their parents are bankrupt. ”

"Michelle, you're so direct." Xu Xin shook his head and smiled, "It's also very personal." You are also very knowledgeable, at least you are fluent in Spanish, which surprises me. I guess maybe you came from a merchant or a wealthy burgher family? ”

"You guessed it, honored guest." Michelle said calmly, "I am indeed the second son of a merchant family, and unfortunately, I have no inheritance and have been kicked out of the house. ”

"I apologize for reminding you of an unpleasant past." Xu Xin bowed slightly and said, "Let's get down to business, the land of the East Bank Republic is fertile and rich, and even if you raise tens of thousands of children, there is no problem. If these children are allowed to wander in the wilderness, they may one day die a tragic death under the double blow of hunger and disease. In that case, why don't they go to the East Coast? At least there, they can be fed and educated. ”

"Yes, it's a very good choice for them, at least to eat. Moreover, they have zero chances of getting an education here. Michelle nodded, "Rather than that, then it is better to let them go to the East Coast." Rest assured, their parents will agree, after all, no one wants to see their children live miserably like that. Of course, if you don't mind giving them a small amount of compensation, they'll be even more grateful. ”

"Compensation? How much compensation is required? What kind of compensation? ”

"Maybe a piece of black bread, maybe two pieces of multigrain pea cake, maybe a little money to compensate. Anyway, I don't think it will cost you much money. Michelle said.

"Of course, we don't mind paying a little for it." "Maybe we should act now, so that the lives of these children can improve more quickly." It is likely that the ship from Port Oriente will arrive in Bordeaux next month, and we had better get everything done before then, because we will probably be quite busy after that. That way, we don't have a lot of time. Michelle, we need to hurry, now we'll go back to the trading station. You hire a few people for me, and then I'm going to make a hundred pieces of brown bread. Of course, I'll explain the situation to Julian, and I'll pay you a certain amount. ”

"As you wish, honorable promise." Michelle bowed slightly and said.

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