On August 15, the weather finally turned cool, but the hearts of the old and young masters in Suzhou City were fiery, because the 'Oiran Competition' they had been looking forward to for 360 days was finally coming.

Three days in advance, the Qinglou Guild in Suzhou City sent people to hang lanterns, set up color sheds, and set up high platforms, and carefully arranged the venue...... This is not only a contest between the top cards, but also a display of the strength of the Qinglou, but also a rare party for the citizens of Suzhou, if you can have a good performance here, the reputation of the Qinglou and the future income, are a great promotion, so the Qinglou is all doing their best, not to have this event, to make it better than the past.

When Shen Mo heard that this conference had been held for nearly 50 years, even after deducting the years when various national funerals were suspended, there were more than 30 sessions, and he couldn't help but sigh: "Its difficulty is no less than that of the Spring Festival Gala." ’

Everyone was very confused, they didn't know what this Spring Festival Gala was, so they had to say perfunctorily: "It's a similar party held by Beijing, the history is the same, and the purpose is the same......" People stopped asking, but they inevitably muttered in their hearts, I haven't heard that there is this show in Beijing?

Although it has suffered from the rigidity of the program, the monotony of the program, the decline in the quality of the name, the domination of the top few by old faces, and the blind pursuit of stage effects, so that people are dazzled and criticized for not distinguishing between priority and priority, but the Oiran Conference, which has lasted for half a century, has become an indispensable Mid-Autumn Festival feast for Suzhou people...... The red glow in the sky has not yet dissipated, and the venue by Jinji Lake is already crowded with people, and the black pressure is crowded, and there is no gap at all. Looking at this posture, there are 80,000 people if not 100,000, and I'm afraid that one-eighth of the people in Suzhou are crowded here.

Anyway, there is no big screen at this time, what can so many people see? The answer is two words, hilarious. Even if you can't see the name or hear the sound, everyone has at least been here and felt it, and when you look back and brag about it, you can still be confident and say which one has the best appearance, which one sings the best, and which one plays the piano the best.

As for whether you actually see something, it is not so important.

When the sky is a little dark, thousands of red lanterns that have been hung a few days ago are lit one after another, illuminating the night sky, especially the center of all attention, which is a two-storey high, heavy eaves mountain-like platform tied up on the side of the lake, which is as bright as day. Standing far away from the stage, you can clearly see the 'Yaotai' plaque hanging in the center of the stage...... It was inscribed by Tang Jieyuan after watching the Oiran Conference in Suzhou that year.

This 'Yaotai' is the place where the celebrities will perform later, it is not yet an hour at the moment, the celebrities are not there, but Yaotai is not idle, there is a large group of people playing and dancing, playing and playing, performing to warm up, the sound comes from far away, and it can be heard clearly two miles away...... It is said that because there are sixty-four copper water tanks buried under the stage, they are used to produce the effect of resonance and amplification, so that the beautiful sound on the stage can be heard by the VIPs in the audience.

But fortunately, the organizers thought carefully, and found more stumbling, rolling wood, rope walking, playing tiles, swallowing knives and fires, and meteors, so that people can't hear the sound and can have a good time.

Those who do small business will naturally not let go of this opportunity to make a fortune, holding the basket while squeezing around in the crowd, while screaming: "melons and fruits, snacks, wine, bacon, seafood, mazazi, sauce duck legs, sold out without ......" Many people have donated money, not only to satisfy their hunger, but also to show off.

The Jinji Lake in Suzhou Mansion is very lively and noisy at this time, the sound of copper drums, shouts, and the sound of selling are full of ears, but it also makes people really feel the vitality of the people of Suzhou!

If the shore is a playground for the common people, then the Jinji Lake behind Yaotai is a place for the rich. I saw the boats on the plain quiet and clear lake, and there were as many as clouds, and at first glance they were all rich and status-rich lords. Watching the excitement is naturally indispensable to them, but they don't want to squeeze a stinky sweat with the people, and they also have the heart to show off, so they either take their own boats, or rent a decent cruise ship, bring their families and mouths, call friends, and celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival while waiting for the conference to start under the rising full moon, and their enjoyment is naturally not something that the bustling crowd on the shore can experience.

Naturally, the merchants will not let go of these rich owners, who take light boats, carrying fresh fruits, delicate snacks, flowers and wine, and sell 'Tuyi on the lake' between the pleasure boats. If you see that you don't bring your wife, you will also take out valuables such as pearl and cui crown combs, gold color segments, and rhino lacquer kiln toys to sell, because those rich people, for the Pomeranians to smile, but also to show off their strength, often do not ask the price, and make generous shots.

There are also those who teach water tribe birds, water puppets, and tricks to 'catch people', while showing off their skills on small boats, while waiting for a rich man to call them up to perform a show.

Of course, there are thousands of charming, dressed up and show-off, and they are called 'water fairies'.

Although this national carnival is lively, it is obviously only a prelude, because the conference has not started yet, and none of the names have appeared!

So while people are having their own fun, they are also distracted by the distant middle of the lake...... In the middle of the lake, there seemed to be some shadowy flower boats, contrary to the bright lights on the shore of the lake, those flower boats were not lit, but on the mast of each boat hung two oversized lanterns, the lanterns were inscribed with the name of the green building, and the name of a certain girl. The girls who ran for the Oiran were on the boat with their own names, and they didn't see their names, which added to the mystery.

The spectators on the shore widened their eyes, pointed and pointed, distinguishing the lanterns one by one, so as to confirm that the girls who participated in the conference, each time they recognized one, they called out her name loudly, what 'Liu Hanyan', 'Little Cuixian', 'Yun Xian'er', 'Green Willow Qing', and the like were the highest, there was no doubt that they were all popular candidates for Oiran, and they didn't know how they looked or whether they could beat the crowd.

The reason why these flower boats are slow to approach is not to set up music, but to wait for those VIPs who are doing music...... Probably at the beginning of the year, painting boats came from the south bank, and docked at the edge of Yaotai in full view of everyone. When the boat was stable, the waiters sent by the Qinglou hurriedly followed the pedal and helped the VIPs down.

These VIPs holding red invitations are mainly composed of four kinds of people, one of which is the local big families in Suzhou, such as Peng Xi and Pan Tuo; The second is the local wealthy businessmen, such as Shen Hongchang and Gu Rundong, which are the main forces of the guests and the usual head of Jinhua. However, this year, their limelight is destined to be robbed by a third force, that is, merchants from all provinces who gathered in Suzhou City, and they came from all over the country with heavy money...... Certainly not for the Oiran Tournament...... I have been in Suzhou City for two or three months, so that Suzhou people can see what it means to spend money and make bold moves.

With a set of data, it can be intuitively illustrated that in May, the total tax payment of Suzhou's general service industry, such as restaurants, inns, teahouses, etc., was 2,000 taels of silver; For special service industries such as casinos and green buildings, the total tax payment is 7,800 taels of silver, which adds up to less than 10,000 taels; However, since the end of May, merchants from all over the world have poured into Suzhou City, and these two figures have begun to rise in a straight line, and the tax payment in the general service industry in June has reached 5,000 taels, and the special service industry has reached 12,000 taels; In July, the former was 8,000 taels and the latter was 22,000 taels, a tripling number compared to May.

According to the estimates of the Taxation Division, only the special service industry this month can be levied at a minimum of 40,000 taels, and it should stabilize at 35,000 taels per month in the future.

Eighty percent of such a dazzling figure is due to the rich businessmen who poured into Suzhou, so people are looking forward to seeing if the golden flowers sent today can break the highest record in history.

But these wealthy people who spent a lot of money were not the most honored guests today, and after they got off the ship, they also gathered in front of a three-story ship with the first two gangs, and respectfully greeted the lord of the mansion who came off the ship, and his subordinates, as the highest governor of Suzhou Prefecture, had the obligation to attend all kinds of large-scale civil activities, and of course Shen Mo was also willing to fulfill this obligation.

His subordinates also had the same idea, not only the big and small officials of Suzhou City, but also the county magistrates of Wujiang, Changshu, and Taicang, which were subordinate prefectures and counties, also came to see the grand occasion of the Suzhou Oiran Conference...... Of course, they will say that we are here to attend the opening ceremony of the city, and as for why we came five or six days in advance, eighty percent of them will say that we are afraid of being late...... As soon as the handsome and extraordinary Lord Fuzun appeared, he attracted everyone to salute and say: "Supply the Fuzun ......" This voice alarmed more and more people, and they all saluted to Shen Mo from a distance, and even the music and noisy sounds stopped abruptly.

As soon as he appeared, he could make the lively scene quiet, and he didn't know whether to be proud or self-deprecating, so he had to cough lightly and said with a smile: "Everyone, hurry up and be free of courtesy, today it is said that all the people are happy together, and there is no distinction between dignity and inferiority, so as not to spoil this good atmosphere." ”

Everyone was in praise and went to the VIP seat at the front desk around the lord...... Although Shen Mo has only been in office for more than half a year, he has gone through a series of severe tests, and each time he can overcome it convincingly, and he has also established a high prestige in the hearts of the people.

Of course, not everyone was convinced by silence, and in an inconspicuous painting boat, there was a pair of jealous eyes, staring at his back like a poisonous snake. It was a man wrapped in a black robe, he sat in a wooden wheelchair, looked at Shen Mo with resentment, and sneered and said, "See, how many people flatter him?" I'm afraid that even if he farts, he will still be powerful. Those who flatter him still have to put this fart on their heads, as a life-saving talisman, hold it in their noses, and only use it as a foreign soul incense. Suck it in your mouth, bite your lip and smack your tongue, and chew it out. I'm going to be very satisfied with this fart, and I'm afraid that someone will pick it up secretly......" Although it sounds like a mockery, there is jealousy in it that can't be hidden.

"Hey......" There was a faint sigh behind him, and he didn't see anyone at first, but he heard it. Just this gentle sigh can make thirty percent of the men in the world flutter. I saw a slender woman in white, standing quietly behind a wheelchair, with a slender figure, long hair in a shawl, and just one back, which could make the other seventy percent of men hot and hard as iron.

The man in black in the wheelchair was not among the ten percent, he tilted his head hard, glanced up at the woman, and hissed: "Why do you put on women's clothes?" Want to go up and compete with those bitches? ”

The face of the woman behind the wheelchair was slightly pale from anger, and her eyes showed a sad expression, but they were still extremely agile, and it did not hinder her unparalleled beauty at all. A pair of slender hands tightly grasped the back of the chair, her delicate body trembled slightly, she regained her composure, and said softly: "My two disguises have been seen, only this appearance is unfamiliar to them." He laughed at himself: "Actually...... I'm a little stranger myself. ”

Hearing her words, the black-robed man's gaze was not so terrifying, and he sighed and said, "Sister, how can I not know the sacrifice you made for me? I also know that you feel uncomfortable, but those guys in the second, third, and fifth rooms are all coveting the position of the head of our big house, taking the debts of the Xu family, and the defeat we ate under that guy to talk about things, if we slack off at this time and lose the right to speak, how can we explain to the father under Jiuquan? ”

"I'll talk about my father......" The woman took a deep breath and said with a high spirit: "That's it for my life, what else do you have to worry about?" ”

"Then why are you sighing?" The black-robed man breathed a sigh of relief.

"I watched the scene just now, and I felt that the person had become the climate," the woman's voice said in a low voice: "The opening of Suzhou is obviously the trend of the times, we can't stop it, why don't we take advantage of the situation and take the initiative to seek peace, I want to see that for my uncle's sake, he will also let us get a piece of the pie." ”

"Summation!" The emotions that the black-robed man had just suppressed suddenly burst out and hissed, "Did I hear me right? You asked me to make peace with that little deflated San? Why don't you let a male dog you? ”

The woman's expression was extremely ugly at once, she couldn't imagine that her brother would say such unbearable words about herself, she trembled with anger, and bit her lower lip tightly without saying a word.

"I'm sorry, I said it was heavy." The real Lu Ji pretended to beat himself and said: "Lu Xiu, you know that I have a bad temper, don't be like me......" His current virtue, his twin sister is his face, his mouth, his hands and legs, if he is completely offended, he will not be able to get along with himself.

Lu Xiu shook his head slowly, not knowing what it meant.

But in Lu Ji's opinion, this is to show understanding, so he said earnestly: "Silly girl, our Lu family, and even all the nine families, where is the material for legitimate business?" If we don't rely on smuggling and monopoly, we will definitely not be able to compete with those business gangs, and when the time comes, without this huge profit, our family will have to go to the northwest! So we and Shen Mo will never get together, we have to step down completely! ”

Lu Xiu listened to his heart-wrenching words, but he had another thought in his heart: "I see that the reason why you want to fight to the death with him is actually jealousy." She knew that Lu Ji was born with a golden spoon, and in every respect, he belonged to the proud son of the sky, and his eye-catching degree was no less than the silence of today.

But something happened that made him disfigured by self-inflicted blame, and he lost everything he was proud of, and he had to rely on his own pretense to continue to be in the world of self-esteem.

But he is better than him in every way...... Of course, it's the same one from the original...... 's silence came out of nowhere, and his last bit of illusory self-confidence was completely shattered, whether it was the huge debt owed to the Xu family; The haste of escaping from Suzhou City made Lu Ji, who seemed to be proud, but in fact extremely inferior, painful to the marrow. Especially when I was arrested and imprisoned...... In the eyes of the world, but Lu Ji, the head of his Lu family, was easily arrested by Shen Mo, and one pass was seven or eight days!

This shame has become a joke after tea and dinner of the nine families, and it is also a thorn in Lu Ji's heart, if he doesn't pull it out, he will never live!

Lu Xiu even felt that Lu Ji was completely paranoid, and there was only one thought in his mind, that is, to defeat Shen Mo, and the rest was not in his consideration at all...... "My good sister, don't worry." I only heard Lu Jijian smile and said: "As long as that Su Xue can win the championship tonight, Shen Mo will be our dog, and I will let him ride you as a horse when the time comes, okay?" ”

Lu Xiu sighed lightly and said quietly: "You are full of confidence ...... every time"

"This time it's foolproof!" Lu Ji cut the railway.

(To be continued)