One day when he arrived in Luoyang, after meeting with the left-behind officials, Du Huangshang stayed in the eastern capital, and Li Mao went to Zhengzhou non-stop.

Before going to Zhengzhou, Li Mao had already sent someone to inform Hu Yuchun, whether he saw it or not, Li Mao felt that he should inform him. Hu Yuchun is not at home, it is said that he went to Taiyuan to discuss business, and left half a month ago.

Li Mao visited the Li family, and when he was talking to the old man, two small servants in the courtyard shouted: "The little shopkeeper is back." ”

The servants and maids who gathered under the corridor in the hall to see Li Mao's demeanor and actually came to ask for money dispersed when they heard the sound, Li Mao didn't know when the Hu family had such a ruthless person, and he had such an aura.

Li Shi lowered his voice and said: "She still refuses to marry at the age of sixteen, and she has been mixed with her brother for two years, and she is more murderous than a man." ”

As he was talking, he saw a petite girl in a bearded suit walking with a horsewhip, the person who came was Meng Yingchun, a little taller than before, still the black and thin face, love to laugh, when laughing, the teeth are smooth and snow-white, and there is a pair of shallow dimples, a pair of big eyes are shining, and they are bright.

After saluting the Li family, the Li family asked, "Is Da Lang back?" Meng Yingchun said: "I can't leave when I'm busy, send me to meet Brother Mao." Li smiled: "This is like my son, finally enlightened." Meng Yingchun said: "Godmother, what are you talking about." Li said, "Yo, am I wrong?" Regardless of Meng Yingchun's opposition, he said to Li Mao: "At the age of sixteen, he still refuses to marry, you know why, he has mixed up with his brother." Generally, the older one is two years older than her, she is young and young, and she can't look down on her, the older ones can hold her, which one is not a group of wives and concubines, and I can't bear to let her be small, but how is it good? ”

Meng Yingchun said angrily: "Godmother, what do you say." ”

Li smiled: "Look, I said that I was thinking about it, and I was anxious." ”

Li Mao said: "Sister Yingchun is still young, let's wait and see." Li said: "It's not big to say small, but it's not interesting to wait, it's just to find two skilled midwives when the time comes." ”

The old lady chattered, her thinking jumped too fast, and Li Mao couldn't keep up.

Meng Yingchun's face was red, and he was speechless with shame, Li said to himself: "Her body and bones are weak, but she has a lot of spirit, and her skin and flesh are rough, if this falls on a small family, it is difficult to say, but a family like ours, what is it, break a sum of money, and ask two clever and experienced mothers-in-law to ensure the safety of her mother and son." ”

Li Mao heard it, the old lady was worried that the skeleton of Yingchun was too small and not good for childbirth. The ancients said that a woman's large buttocks are a blessing, which makes sense, a wide pelvis is suitable for birth and raising, the mother and child are safe, and many children are blessed. On the contrary, if a woman with a too small pelvis gives birth, it is like breaking through the level, and if she can't get one corpse and two lives, she is naturally not blessed.

Yingchun is petite and has a narrow pelvis, in this country where caesarean section surgery has not yet been popularized, childbirth is similar to breaking through the ghost gate, belonging to the kind of blessed woman, generally speaking, people with spare power will not marry such a woman as a wife, the risk is too great.

Li Mao smiled and said, "Uh...... Does Sister Yingchun have a husband? ”

Li said: "I'm relieved, no, but I know what she thinks, she is in love with someone." ”

Li Mao said: "Who? ”

Meng Yingchun protested: "Godmother, I'm going to go first." ”

Li covered his ears and shouted, "What did you say? I can't hear you. ”

The old godmother pretended to be deaf and stunned, Meng Yingchun had nothing to do, turned around angrily and went to face the wall, Li looked at Meng Yingchun slyly, and said in a low voice: "What is a husband and wife, that is, to live together, if you want to live comfortably, you have to find someone who can still see the past to partner with, in my opinion, instead of making a continuation for others, it is better to find someone who is willing to cherish yourself as a concubine." ”

At first, the old lady spoke secretly in a suppressed voice, and then she almost shouted.

Meng Yingchun Huo Ran turned around and snorted: "Godmother, your old man has changed so fast, how can I remember that you said yesterday that you would rather raise me to be an old girl who can't marry than make someone small." Why have you changed it now, are you confused? ”

Li covered his ears and shouted: "Ah, what you say, I can't hear you." ”

Meng Yingchun blew her nose and glared, but she was helpless, she wanted to go out, but she was afraid that the Li family would betray her behind her back. So he continued to turn around and face the wall.

Li smiled proudly from Li Mao, took Li Mao's hand and asked, "Has the Su family gone back?" ”

Li Mao said: "I'm ashamed, I'm still in Yunzhou." ”

Li said: "Poor boy, you see a few people who are serving. ”

Li Mao said: "If you go back to your godmother, there is only one. ”

Li said: "There can be a man and half a woman. ”

Li Mao bowed his head and said ashamed, Li smiled and said: "Meng Yingchun, you are still stunned, hurry up and go to the door to occupy a position, hurry up and give birth to a boy and a girl, you will not worry about anything in the rest of your life." ”

The voice was very loud, and the screaming was sudden, which startled Li Mao.

Meng Yingchun's face was full of shame, but her heart seemed to have knocked over the honey pot, and she was about to laugh sweetly, she covered her ears and asked loudly like Li's: "Ah? Godmother, I can't hear anything you say. ”

Meng Yingchun's crush on Li Mao has long been an open secret in the Hu family, and since this has been provoked, everyone is relieved. Although Li Mao did not promise a word, he did not object, and everyone acquiesced to him.

Li saw the heat, yawned, and said that he was tired, so he hid.

When you go out, you are instructed to close the door left and right, leaving a lonely couple inside.

The door was closed, Meng Yingchun was not nervous, she smiled and said: "Look at this old lady, the older you get, the bigger your playfulness becomes." ”

The two of them glanced at each other, and each quickly slid his gaze away. Meng Yingchun pulled out and brought a plate of pastries and put them in front of Li Mao, sat down cross-legged opposite him generously, and said: "It is predicted that there will be heavy rain in the summer, the river will swell, and it will not be easy to sail. At the moment, they are all lying on their stomachs and not moving, and the big brother is so good that they can only loosen their mouths a little. ”

After Hu Yuchun received Li Mao's letter, he went to Bianzhou to meet the other thirteen leaders of the boat gang, so that he could persuade everyone to see Li Mao and sit down to talk about the conditions. Meng Yingchun is now his assistant, but he is not in the boat gang, first give Li Mao a breath, probe the wind, no matter success or failure, there is room for maneuver.

"What conditions did they prescribe."

Li Mao was worried about the grain road, all the way non-stop, when he arrived at Hu's house, it was not a meal, Li was busy pulling him to talk, and he didn't ask him if he had eaten, just tea, but no snacks.

Li Mao was hungry, and this plate of dim sum was put in front of him.

Meng Yingchun is delicate and slender, but her personality is very tough, and her status in the Hu family is increasing day by day. Her subordinates are now in charge of three merchants, fifty or sixty men, and their aura is overwhelming. But on the other hand, she has the gentleness and meticulousness of an ordinary woman, and she has not assimilated herself into a man because she often rolls in the pile of men.

"It's still a 'profit' word."

"Well, there are a lot of ways to say this, what kind of profit do they want, money, they don't have it, but there are a few official hats."

"Of course, the official hat is also required, in addition, I also hope that the imperial court can remove a few checkpoints, such as Yongsheng, Yongsheng, Yonghong three checkpoints, these three checkpoints are only thirty miles apart, and there is no river and water port in between, so it is completely unnecessary."

"Well, there's more."

"I also hope that the imperial court will come forward to mediate, so that the boat gang can also get a share of the land transportation."

Meng Yingchun said that land transportation refers to Luoyang Hanjiacang to Shaanzhou this period of land transportation, land transportation than water transportation is more expensive, high cost, and not economical, but for the contractor can do more hands and feet, profit is often better than water transportation.

The transportation of grain and rice on this dry road has always been controlled by the Four Seas Society, which is one of the important financial resources of the Four Seas Society.

It is not so easy to move the cheese of the Four Seas Society, Li Mao took a sip of the tea bowl, wiped his hands, and asked: "How easy is it to eat the fat meat in the mouth to make people spit it out, this road has been operated by the Four Seas Association for many years, and the investment is huge, how can it be easily given up?" ”

Meng Yingchun said: "In the end, they still have to point to the court to eat, and besides, we are just taking a piece of the pie, not smashing their bowls, sure enough, the court is sincere, I thought it was just blowing the ashes." ”

Li Mao said with a smile: "You are a strong man, even if the imperial court makes concessions this time, there will inevitably be twists and turns in the future." Besides, the Four Seas Society is easy to provoke, if you take him today, he will ask for it back in the future, and you will be the one who suffers in the end. If you change it, I can do it, and you can keep it. ”

A piece of the soup from the bowl of the Four Seas Club is just a temptation, if Li Mao agrees without thinking, which shows perfunctory, then the conditions he promised in the future are not credible.

Meng Yingchun glared at a pair of innocent big eyes and said, "Brother Mao, I'm just a messenger, how can I be the master." ”

Li Mao said: "Whoever can do it, I'll talk to him." ”

Meng Yingchun was silent for a while, and said, "The boat gang is a huge faction, and no one can be the master." ”

Li Mao said: "Then call up all those who can call the shots, and I will talk to them face to face one by one." ”

This time, Meng Yingchun replied very simply: "Okay, I'll come to Zhang Luo." ”

After discussing the matter, the two fell silent at the same time, and after a long time, Meng Yingchun raised his head, his eyes flickered, and his cheeks were red with shame.

Li Mao said: "Let's go out for a walk, otherwise the godmother will make fun of us again." ”

Meng Yingchun smiled and said, "I'll take you to a good place." ”

Meng Yingchun said that the good place is located in the northwest corner of the Hu house, is an independent courtyard, a row of willow trees are planted behind a rammed earth wall, the ground is still cold, and the willow trees have not yet sprouted.

There were bursts of shouts in the courtyard, and the voice was neat and majestic, Li Mao was stunned, this was obviously an army drilling.

He was shocked and asked, "Are you trying to gather troops to rebel?" ”

Meng Yingchun giggled, leaning back and forth in a smile.

A feathered arrow flew out of the courtyard wall and shot in front of the two of them impartially, less than three feet away from Li Mao's toes, and the feathers at the end of the arrow were painted red.