At the beginning of the new year, unlike the joy and expectation of Tianjin people, the biggest feeling of Beijing people is that Beijing is suddenly not as convenient as before. 【】

Although it has not yet reached the level of the big cities of later generations, the proportion of the agricultural population in the capital is still relatively low. Farmers who farm generally do not choose to live in the city, first, because the consumption is too high to live; Moreover, the capital is so big, and it is really unbearable to go in and out of the city every day to go outside to farm.

Therefore, most of the peasants and tenant farmers lived in the villages outside the city, and most of the people who lived in the city were engaged in other livelihoods. What's more, even if you farm your own land, you can't be completely self-sufficient, not to mention that those who live in the capital mostly cost money for food, clothing, housing and transportation.

Such a large consumer group, of course, there will be corresponding businesses come into being, and the eyes of businessmen are bright, and they will naturally not give up such a large market.

However, the merchants of the Ming Dynasty are also divided into three, six, nine and so on, and generally speaking, they can at least be clearly divided into official businessmen and private businessmen.

The former is attached to a family of bureaucrats, and although he is a slave at home, when he goes outside, Hugh says that ordinary officials, even some low-grade officials, they don't pay attention to them. With such confidence, of course, their business will be relatively large, and it will be relatively easy to make money.

The latter are all private small trades, and they can fully reflect how low the social status of the real merchants of the Ming Dynasty is, just as the innkeeper in Tianjin said, not to mention the officials in the yamen, even if they are ruffians and scoundrels on the street, they must also flatter, otherwise the business will not want to continue.

Such a group of people with low status, of course, will not do any big business, the former operates those lucrative and monopolistic industries, and the latter dare not dream of it, they can only pick up those low-profit industries that the former does not look down on, make some hard money, and barely make a living.

In addition to salt and rice, which are government-run products, other supplies related to people's livelihood belong to the low-end market, and it is these small businessmen who are running them. Officials and businessmen prefer Qinglou Restaurant, Rice Store and Salt Shop, which are said to be high-end markets, which can better demonstrate their status and status.

The customer base of the high-end market is limited, and most of them are still poor after all, and most of their usual needs belong to the low-end market, so when those small businessmen suddenly disappear en masse, the people of Beijing will of course feel that life has become inconvenient.

Nowhere is this more evident than on the West Street of the Imperial City.

Unlike the bustling Qianmen and Bada Hutongs, the West Street side of the Imperial City suddenly emerged, and it is very nouveau riche. And the people in the Jingying shop here are also small merchants, because in the beginning, it was the guards who came here to consume nearby, and with the degree of opposition between the emperor and the foreign dynasty, of course the officials and businessmen could not intervene.

Of course, the officials and businessmen did not look down on the business here, except for the guards, most of the people who came here to consume were ordinary people, who came to watch the football games. After watching the game, the excitement is often difficult to calm down, find a tavern or tea shop, order two side dishes, and have a drink, and share some experience with the fans, it has become the best choice for fans.

Big restaurants or high-end teahouses, these people can't afford to go, and most of the businesses operating here also pay attention to small profits and quick turnover, even if they can't make money, they have to earn popularity and shouting.

Therefore, although there are many complaints, such as the insufficient portion of side dishes, the inflated price, and the fact that there is more water in the wine, people still like to come here, not only fans, but also ordinary people who live in Xicheng, as well as scholars who come to the capital to take the exam.

There is a way that flaws are not hidden, and no amount of shortcomings can hide the only advantage here, that is, cheap.

As a result, on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, after another exhibition match was held at the Xiyuan Football Stadium, the fans who left the stadium were stunned to find that most of the shops in Xiyuan were still closed, and some even took off their signboards, obviously not because they were closed for the Chinese New Year, but for another reason.

Fortunately, there are still a few open doors, and these are all taverns and restaurants, including the most delicious and popular Youfu Building.

"Boss lady, where is the boss Bao? Usually even if he is busy, he will go to watch the game, why don't you see him today, is it because he doesn't like football? "There are many people and there are few shops, so every store is also packed, and even the aisles between tables and chairs are full of people, and when it warms up, fans start gossiping.

"Don't be stupid, football is much more interesting than baseball, baseball is too small, you can't see the action clearly when you are far away, or football is more interesting, you can see it clearly, and it also makes people's blood boil, Boss Bao may be in trouble again, and he is being punished, haha."

"Boss, it's almost enough, except for the occasional gamble, Boss Bao has nothing else wrong, never goes out to drink flower wine, the meaning is it, you look at this room of people, how can you be busy without help? The two boys in your family are too, and the old lady is busy like this, so she doesn't say that she came to help. ”

"What kind of virtue is that dead ghost in my family, can the old lady not know? I still need to say it. ”

The fat man's mother-in-law is also very plump, and put the wine and food in her hand on the table, the proprietress spat lightly, and scolded with a smile: "You people who chew your tongue don't have a good word, my two boys are practicing in Xiyuan, how can I have time to go home, and how can I have time to do these trivial things when I go home?" ”

"Huh? Doesn't the Guards have to keep people when they recruit soldiers? Why did both of your family enlist in the army? The recruitment rules of the Guards are known to the whole city, and there are people who are familiar with the Bao family who are immediately surprised.

"Hmph, who said we only have two children? The old lady has another one in her belly, why can't she enlist both? Although she was scolding people, the proprietress was full of smiles between her eyebrows, and she was obviously more proud in her heart.

"Yo, the old bag is really capable, it's really there! Congratulations to my sister-in-law, by the way, I am happy, Lao Bao doesn't say that he is distressed and distressed, why is he willing to let his sister-in-law go outside, but he doesn't know where to hide? Instead, come out and let us congratulate you in person. ”

"But isn't it, sister-in-law, let Lao Bao come out, it's not that we are picky, but sister-in-law, your craftsmanship is really not as good as Brother Bao." The crowd began to make all sorts of noise.

Although I used to complain about all kinds of things when I came to drink, in fact, it wasn't until I lost it that everyone realized how much they had to be cherished.

Although the portion of the dish is smaller, it is full of flavor; The environment of the tavern is very average, but the wine and food are very clean; As for the wine mixed with water, cough cough, a pot of wine for more than a dozen yuan, can you still expect it to be aged?

"That's not the case, my old bag went out, originally he asked me to close the store, if I didn't stay idle, I'm afraid that everyone won't have a place to stay after watching the ball, Youfulou will also be closed in the next few months." Like the few people who spoke, the proprietress shook her apron and said with a smile.

"Gone out? Where did it go? Is this the case with other stores? "The store on a street is closed for more than ninety percent, which is a bit weird, after mentioning this stubble, almost everyone is interested, and they don't even care about the topic of the football game, and they ask the proprietress about it.

"Well, it's all the same, it's all going to Tianjin." The proprietress nodded, then looked up in surprise and asked, "Don't you know?" Didn't the Ordnance Division post a notice a while ago? Tianjin investment and recruitment is the emperor's will, and it is also the idea of the Hou Ye, what a good opportunity, why can't you go? ”

Everyone looked at each other in amazement, and it took a long time for someone to mutter: "I saw it, but if you work and become a businessman, wouldn't that be ......?"

The hierarchy of the Ming Dynasty has been set since the founding of the country, and it has been nearly one hundred and fifty years; In the Song Dynasty, although there was no such a clear division, the status of craftsmen and private merchants was still very low, and even if they went back further, there would not be much difference.

The prevalence of official and commercial capital will inevitably require the suppression of private capital, and Confucianism's compliance will inevitably suppress craftsmen.

Therefore, Boss Bao and others followed Xie Hong, although the businessmen who followed closely were moved after seeing the notice, but ordinary households would not be easily shaken, not to mention ordinary households, even many businessmen were hesitating.

"Moreover, it is to go to other places to do business, it doesn't matter where Tianjin, Hou Ye Jinkou Yuyan, presumably he will not deceive us, but if you go out of the boundary of Tianjin and go to the Central Plains or the south, it will be difficult to say......" The person who spoke was obviously a businessman, and he was very clear about all aspects involved in business.

"Think about it, Tianjin has to pay a penny, and then when the goods are loaded, you have to toss out a lot of ...... on the road" He smiled bitterly: "There are cards on the waterway, and you have to enter the city by taking the official road, and you will be pulled out of a layer of skin when you cross a card or city, and the farther you go, the more you will be exploited. It's good not to lose money. ”

"Yes, although the emperor and the Hou Ye are benevolent, but the local ......" The situation in the court, at least for the people of the capital, is not a secret, I want to know the Hou Ye's sphere of influence is very simple, look at where the local officials are appointed later, and whether they have been scolded before and after taking office.

Hou Defang and the roadside club also scolded people, but they were all scolding in a sarcastic way, and they rarely named names, once they were named, then this person would not be far from being dismissed or losing his head.

Shilin is scolded by name, and the more people are scolded, the faster the official will be promoted, for example, the champion Hou is the most scolded, followed by Wang Shilang of the Ministry of Rites. Therefore, the residents of the capital could easily determine Xie Hong's sphere of influence, and many of them nodded in agreement with the merchant's words.

"You people, you usually shout happily, but in the end, you can't see as much as I am a woman."

As soon as she heard this, the proprietress stopped doing it, she dropped the wipe step in her hand, crossed her waist, and said in a loud voice: "Think about it yourself, how many people have suffered losses when they went with Master Hou?" Even the dealers who went to Jiangnan in the year before last, didn't they all get compensation afterwards? also got a place to participate in the sea trade, you said yourself, which one has suffered, and the Hou Ye has watched it? ”

"But it's ......different to do business in a foreign country," retorted the merchant who spoke first.

"What's the difference? Since Hou Ye has an arrangement, let's just follow it, there is still the emperor behind Hou Ye, what are you afraid of? The proprietress said: "But this kind of thing also depends on personal vision, and when our family makes money and comes back, you will know that it is good, hum, it is closed today, let's go to another house." ”

Saying that, she began to drive people away, but she didn't even want the wine money, everyone couldn't cry and laugh, and their hearts were also a little shaken, maybe this is the case, is it really that she thinks badly?

But there are also those who came back from other places a few years ago, and they haven't found any changes in other places, even if they are Hebei and Henan, which are the closest to the capital, this matter is really uncertain and dilemma.

(To be continued)