The four of them talked for a while, and then went home, Li Yanqing still lives in Li Wen Village, and his life does not seem to have changed much from five years ago. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 ｉｎfo

But no one could have imagined that Li Yanqing was already a huge rich man in the countryside at this time, and the Li Ji Grain Store they founded five years ago has now developed into the largest grain merchant in Xiangzhou, and the firm is no longer in Tangyin, and the year before last it moved to Anyang County, the state capital, and its business is all over Hebei West Road, and its assets have increased from the initial 1,000 to 10,000 yuan, and it also has a fleet composed of ten large ships.

However, in the capital, they only belong to small and medium-sized grain merchants, and there are hundreds of grain merchants in the capital, large and small, and they are not yet ranked, which is not surprising, and the eight major grain merchants who control the grain supply in the capital have the background of the emperor's relatives and relatives, and they have a history of hundreds of years.

It was not easy for a small grain merchant like them, who had only been established for five years, to gain a foothold in the capital, but with the help of Li Wenyou's brother Li Wensi, they were able to avoid two catastrophes.

However, although the assets of Li Ji Grain Bank have increased tenfold, under Li Yanqing's strong advocacy, Li Wenyou and his father did not disperse the profits, but continued to accumulate and prepared to buy land in the Ezhou area, and began to prepare for the southward migration of the Li family.

Although he did not share the profits from the commercial house, Li Yanqing had thousands of taels of silver in his hands, which was the income he earned from writing books for five years, and this money was enough to make him one of the top ten squires in Xiaohe Township.

Li Yanqing's home has doubled in size compared to before, because Uncle Hu quietly came back four years ago to find out if Fang La continued to send people to look for him, and when he left, he sold the foundations of several old houses to Li Daqi.

Since Li Daqi stayed in Anyang County for most of the year, he hired an old family servant to take care of Li Yanqing and hired a cook to cook, so that Li Yanqing did not have to go to Li Zhen's house to eat.

Li Yanqing walked into the yard, Da Hei, who was lying in the yard basking in the sun, stood up, staggered to Li Yanqing, and rubbed his head affectionately against the little master, Da Hei was one year older than Li Yanqing, and he had reached his twilight years, and he couldn't catch weasels anymore, and he spent most of his time basking in the sun in the yard.

Li Yanqing touched its head, took out a syrup cookcake and stuffed it into it, which was Da Hei's favorite food, and Da Hei took the cookcake back to its nest.

"The petty official is back?" Sister-in-law Aju, the cook, came out of the kitchen and smiled.

A Ju's sister-in-law's surname is Wu, a native of Tangbei Township, is the niece of Gu San's aunt in the village, her husband died in the Western Xia expedition last year, she became a widow, living with a two-year-old daughter, the house and pension were robbed by her in-laws and brother-in-law, and the mother and daughter were desperate, so they came to their aunt.

Aunt Gu saw that her niece's life was difficult, and it happened that Li Daqi's family needed a cook, so Aunt Gu introduced her to Li Yanqing to cook full-time, earning four yuan a month, including food and housing, and the mother and daughter settled down.

"Hello sister-in-law, what about Ding Ding?"

"She's sleeping in the room, does the little official want something to eat? I stewed an old winter melon with some brown sugar, which was quite sweet. ”

"Hmmm! Bring me a bowl. ”

Li Yanqing walked towards his room, and after taking a few steps, he asked again, "Where is Uncle Zhong?" ”

Uncle Zhong is their old family servant, a native of Anyang, also surnamed Li, but has nothing to do with their Li family, very honest and responsible, Li Daqi was bullied when he fed horses in Li Mansion, only he sympathized with Li Daqi, and Li Daqi asked the patriarch to take care of Li Yanqing.

"Uncle Zhong went to Qianshan Village, there seems to be something, I didn't ask."

"I see!"

Li Yanqing went back to his room, sat down and began to write, he had a lot of homework today, I am afraid that he will have to sleep very late.

After a while, Sister-in-law A Ju brought him a bowl of candied winter melon soup, and then retreated, not long after writing, there was a sound of talking at the door, as if a guest came to the door.

Li Yanqing had to put down his pen and walked to the outer courtyard, only to see a few people standing in the courtyard, one was Uncle Zhong, and the other was a middle-aged man, followed by a little lady, thin and small, wearing a white-washed coarse cloth short coat, timidly bowing his head, carrying a small burden in his hand.

Uncle Zhong smiled: "This is Zhang Ping from Qianshan Village, he said that he had met with a junior official before. ”

Li Yanqing remembered that he was Li Dongdong's brother-in-law, a scoundrel second-rate son, Li Dongdong also took care of him and often helped their family, but every time the money arrived, Zhang Ping entered Yichun Courtyard, and he was a good gambler, and he owed a lot of debts outside, if he wasn't afraid of Li Dongdong, he would even have to pawn his wife to others.

Zhang Ping stepped forward and nodded and said with a smile: "Little official, I heard Dayan say, you need a little maid here, it just so happens that I have a little daughter, see if the little official can accept it?" ”

Dayan is Zhang Ping's eldest daughter, who was sold to Li Wenyou for seven years, and will be married in two years, but the patriarch's wife likes her very much and is ready to continue to use her.

Li Daqi wrote a letter to the patriarch in Anyang County, asking him to pay attention to finding a little maid for his son, Li Wenyou handed over the matter to his wife, and when the wild goose detective heard the news, he immediately told his father.

How could Zhang Ping let go of this opportunity to make money, he immediately took his little daughter to the door.

Li Yanqing recognized the little lady behind Zhang Ping, who seemed to be the magpie he had seen back then, he was very impressed by this little girl, and he also had a good impression, so he glanced back at Uncle Zhong, and Uncle Zhong smiled: "I went to Qianshan Village just now, and I asked Baozheng, there should be no problem." ”

In these years, the biggest worry about buying a maid is that one girl and two are sold, and it will be unclear when the time comes, so Uncle Zhong has to go to Baozheng to confirm.

Li Yanqing asked Zhang Ping, "I can accept it, how much do you want?" How many years is the term? ”

Zhang Ping was excited, a pair of thin eyes flashed with a cunning light, he rubbed his hands and said: "Last year, someone fell in love with the magpie, paid seventy taels of silver to buy it for ten years, I think that the family is not good, worried that the magpie will be wronged, so I did not agree, if the little official fancy the magpie, I hope to be able to sell seventy taels of silver for ten years, plus thirty taels of silver for pawn sale, the magpie is well-behaved and obedient, hard work, and looks handsome, the little official will not suffer a loss when he buys her." ”

There is a difference between pawn sales and hired sales, which is how much wages are paid every month, and then the contract period is calculated, and the wages are given to the other party's parents in one lump sum, and when the contract is completed, people are free.

The pawn sale is to give an extra sum of money on the basis of the agreed salary, which is equivalent to a personal deposit, and after the expiration of the period, the deposit needs to be returned to the ransom, if not redeemed, it is difficult for the seller to be free.

Zhang Ping didn't have the idea of redeeming his daughter at all, he pawned the wild goose to Li Wenyou, of course he wouldn't sell the magpie cheaply, and Uncle Zhong next to him coughed heavily, meaning that the price was too expensive, and fifty taels of silver was enough.

Li Yanqing saw that the magpie looked pitiful, and saw Zhang Ping selling women so ruthlessly, he was also a little unbearable in his heart, so he said to Zhang Ping: "Then say a hundred taels of silver, you can bring it back first, and after finding Baozheng to establish a contract tomorrow, I will give you the silver." ”

Zhang Ping's heart was full of joy, his youngest daughter couldn't sell it for forty yuan, because her body was too thin, many people thought she couldn't do anything, and it was a burden to buy it, so they refused to buy her, and hated Zhang Ping so much that he scolded his daughter every day for eating white rice at home.

Unexpectedly, he came to run from time to time, and actually got a hundred taels of silver from Li Yanqing, Zhang Pingsheng was afraid that Li Yanqing would regret it, so he hurriedly said: "No need!" The people will stay here, and tomorrow I will come to Uncle Zhong to go through the formalities. ”

Zhang Ping turned around and reprimanded his daughter fiercely, asking her to be obedient and absolutely obey the master, and if she was returned, he would kill her, the magpie was so frightened that his legs trembled, and he kept wiping his tears.

Seeing Zhang Ping running away, Li Yanqing said hatefully: "There is still such a father in the world, I have opened my eyes today." ”

Li Yanqing saw that the magpie was still cramped and lowered his head uneasily, so he instructed Sister-in-law Ah Ju next to her, "Let her eat first, and then clean up the west wing of the back room and give her a place to live!" ”

Sister-in-law A Ju and Uncle Zhong glanced at each other meaningfully, and both of them understood that since the little official arranged for the little lady to live in the inner room, it meant that the little official was ready to treat her as a personal maid.

In fact, the two of them thought too much, Li Yanqing only let her live because the magpie was young and the west wing was empty, but she didn't have any thoughts of being a personal maid.

Li Yanqing immediately arranged for Uncle Zhong to go through the formalities with Zhang Ping tomorrow, and he went back to the room to continue his homework.

When he was engrossed in writing, Li Yanqing suddenly felt that there was someone behind him, and he was shocked, and turned back suddenly, only to find that the little girl was standing behind him with a bowl of tea, and he could see that she was also startled, and her face was full of panic.

Li Yanqing remembered that he had a little maid, and hurriedly comforted her: "Don't be afraid, I forgot about you, so I was startled." ”

The magpie said in a low voice: "The little slave knows, and he will not stand behind the little official in the future." ”

Li Yanqing heard it awkwardly, so he scratched his head and said: "Don't call it a little slave in the future, how good it is to call a magpie, it is auspicious and smooth." ”

"Yes! The magpie remembered. ”

She put the tea on the table, wringed her hands, and asked a little nervously, "Does the little official have any other orders?" ”

Li Yanqing looked at her and asked with a smile, "Do you remember me?" ”

"Remember!" The magpie whispered.

"Time flies! You were a little bit tall then, and now you're so big, are you nine or ten years old this year? ”

"Nine!"

She lowered her head, looking even more cramped, Li Yanqing wanted to make a joke with her and let her call herself Uncle Qing again, but it was obvious that she was timid, so she put away her joke and asked her, "Have you packed up everything?" There was a bed over there, but no bedding and pillows. ”

"Sister-in-law Aju sent it to me."

"Alright, go to sleep! I'm going to be late today, don't wait for me. ”

The magpie didn't say anything, but still stood aside, Li Yanqing knew that she was timid, so he stopped urging her, and continued to write at the desk, writing three thousand words in one breath, Li Yanqing suddenly felt something, so he glanced at the magpie out of the corner of his eye, and saw that she was so sleepy that her eyes were almost open, and she secretly yawned with the back of her hand to cover her mouth.

Although the homework has not been completed, Li Yanqing doesn't want to write anymore, he puts down his pen and smiles: "It's over, you go to get a basin of hot water, I'll wash my feet and go to sleep." ”

"Wait a minute, little official, I'll go."

Li Yanqing saw her thin body run out, and she felt a little pity in her heart, she came out to be a maid at the age of nine, in his time, which nine-year-old girl was not pampered by her parents, and the children of poor families were in charge early, which was not wrong at all, but when she thought about it, she felt that her family was not because she was poor, but because she had a father who did not study well.