On the morning of May 16, Jin Langzhi, Weng Yuansheng, and Jiang Shiqiao's master and servant ten people left Qingpu by boat to return to Huating, and Zhang Yuan, Lu Tao and others went to the dock to see each other. ”

Jin Langzhi said: "I'll take care of it, when will Brother Jie Zi come to Huating?" ”

Zhang Yuan said: "It will come within seven days." ”

Jinlang said: "Okay, I will sweep the couch to greet you." ”

Sent away the three of Jin Langzhi, Lu Tao led Zhang Dai, Zhang Yuan, and Zhang Cao to Sheshan to inspect Lu's mulberry forest and cotton fields, which Zhang Yuan proposed to see, Zhang Ruoxi also followed, Zhang Ruoxi was ready to help her husband Lu Tao manage the Lu family's mulberry field silkworm weaving - Sheshan is fifteen miles south of Qingpu County, where the 600 acres of mulberry forest is the main mulberry production land of the Lu family, and there are 500 acres of cotton fields, Lu has 70 cotton households, 80 silkworm households, and 220 weaving households at the northern foot of Sheshan. Silk machine these looms a total of 260 sheets, the number of looms ranked first in Qingpu, selling cotton cloth and silk tens of thousands of horses every year, one-third of the silk produced by Lu's is a fine silk using jacquard technology, this jacquard silk can be sold for two or three taels of silver, Lu's silkworm weaving industry has a net profit of no less than 10,000 taels of silver - but since the second half of last year, Huating Dong's house slaves and thugs have continued to come to Sheshan Lu's manor to disturb, Lu's manor silkworm households, cotton farmers have also organized a young defense, but these green hands more or less have some martial arts, And ruthless, when you see more people, you run, and when you see fewer people, you rush to fight, the silkworm farmers and cotton farmers in the manor are not united, and they dare not come forward in case of trouble, which causes Lu's autumn silkworms last year and this year's spring silkworm breeding to be greatly affected, and now there is not enough silk to supply looms - this Sheshan is the southeast of Huating County, and the Huating Dong family hired a single person who may come to commit evil at any time, and the women and children of the cotton farmers and silkworm farmers in the manor are even frightened when they go out of the gate of the manor, and there are already silkworm households ready to leave Lu's family and go to other families in Qingpu. This is also the intention of the Dong family, the Dong family is to stir up the Lu manor is not peaceful, forcing the Lu family to give up the 600 acres of mulberry forest - Zhang Yuan, Lu Tao and his party came to the Lu manor at the northern foot of Sheshan, Zhang Ruoxi and a few servants, maids into the garden to instruct the cotton farmers to prepare lunch, Lu Tao guided Zhang Yuan and others to visit around the manor, Lu has more than 2,000 acres of fertile land, more than half of which is used to plant mulberry and cotton, silkworm planting cotton is more profitable than simply planting rice and wheat, Songjiang Mansion is the cotton capital of the Ming Dynasty, known as "the world is clothed", The cultivation of high-yield crops is very popular, which is also an important reason why although Jiangnan is rich but will have insufficient food supply in the event of a famine - the fields in midsummer are verdant, the northwest side of Sheshan is gentle, the mulberry forest and tea plantations of the Lu family are here, and the top of the mountain is a large bamboo forest, and the sun shines down near noon, the mountains and forests are verdant, like jade and jasper.

Lu Tao said: "The orchid bamboo shoots in the bamboo forest on this mountain are very flavorful, so Sheshan is also known as Orchid Bamboo Shoot Mountain." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "This is a good place, of course the insatiable Huating Dong clan wants to try to occupy it." ”

Lu Tao said: "My Lu family's family business is basically here, if the 600 acres of mulberry forest are not guaranteed, then the silkworm households and weavers in the manor will be dispersed, and the Lu family business will be lost, which is also the reason why my father is unwilling to use the 600 acres of mulberry forest in exchange for my second brother's release from prison, if it is only 6,000 taels of silver, my father will still give it painfully." ”

As he was talking, he saw a group of mulberry picking girls running out of the mulberry forest at the foot of the mountain, one by one, their faces were bluffed, they ran in a hurry, their hair buns were scattered, their shoes ran off, and the bamboo basket they were carrying was discarded, shouting "Help-help-"

Lu Tao exclaimed: "What's the matter! "Hurriedly strode over, Lu Dayou and a few other Lu slaves hurriedly followed, Zhang Dai, Zhang Cao, Zhang Yuan brothers, and Nengzhu and other four Jian servants, as well as Mu Jingyan and Mu Zhenzhen's father and daughter also ran over together-I saw the group of mulberry picking girls stumbling out of the mulberry forest, and when they saw Lu Tao and the others, they screamed: "Young Master, that group of singles is here again, chasing us-"

Another mulberry picking girl saw Young Master Lu Tao coming to answer, her heart was a little relieved, and she hurriedly looked for her companions around her, and said anxiously: "Young Master, Xiaoping of the Fugui family and A Xia of the Lian Rong family failed to escape, I am afraid that they were intercepted by that group of singles, the eldest young master should go and save her two, those gangs of singles are all brutes, and they can do everything." ”

Lu Tao hurriedly ordered Lu Dayou to return to the manor as soon as possible to gather people to bring sticks and come over, those singles have clubs and sharp knives, and the general bankers are no match for them empty-handed Mu Jingyan said to Zhang Yuan: "Young master, it's important to save people, the villain rushes to see first." He jumped up, broke a sangan with the thickness of an arm, and strode towards the mulberry forest with a mulberry in his hand.

Mu Zhenzhen leaned over and took out her small dragon stick from under her skirt, and said to Zhang Yuan: "Young master, go and help my father." "Run and follow.

Nengzhu and Feng Hu, the four servants of the Zhang family, also followed Zhang Dai, Zhang Cao, and Zhang Yuan to the mulberry forest to find the two mulberry picking girls.

Lu Tao asked where did the mulberry pickers who ran out meet the singles? The woman said, "I met it in the tea plantation." ”

Lu Tao chased after Zhang Yuan and the others, and shouted: "Jiezi, keep to the left, more than a mile away from here, over there in the tea garden." ”

Mu Zhenzhen heard it, and called her father sharply: "Daddy, daddy, there is a tea garden on the left, and it's there." ”

Mu Jingyan ran like a leopard in the forest, and when he ran dozens of feet, he heard the exclamation of a woman in front of him: "Help, let go of me, let go of me-" and the man's man's laughter: "Brothers, I have fun today-"

Mu Jingyan quickened his pace, followed the sound and rushed over, and saw a small clearing in the forest, seven or eight horns surrounded two mulberry picking girls, one of the mulberry picking girls had been pressed on the grass by two horns, the girl's green cloth skirt was lifted, the bare legs kicked and kicked, desperately struggling, a bluff slapped the mulberry picking girl, and shouted: "If you dare to move, you will be killed, and you will be dismantled!" ”

"Whew", the mulberry trunk with branches and leaves swept down a lama, Mu Jingyan strode over, straw shoes stepped on the calf of the fallen lama, "bang", the right calf bone of the lama was broken, and one was wasted - the other lamas reacted, each holding a stick and a sharp knife, and two lamas strangled the necks of the two mulberry picking girls, dragged them back, and asked: "Who are you, dare to do something to my Songjiang people, do you want to die!" ”

Mu Jingyan didn't say a word, he pressed up steadily with Sang Gan, three lamas with Qi Mei sticks rushed up angrily, the tip of the stick screamed, the three sticks fell towards Mu Jingyan from three directions, Mu Jingyan flashed to the left, avoiding the two on the left, Sangan opened the stick on the right, the front end of Sangan turned abruptly, and suddenly stood out, the face door of the lama in the middle of the middle, pierced the lama face and broke the blood, if Mu Jingyan was a whistle stick in his hand, then the nose bone of this lama had been broken - Mu Zhenzhen then ran to see that his father had fought with several lamas, Mu Zhenzhen is very smart, seeing that the two mulberry picking girls were held hostage, he quietly went around from the forest to the two lamas behind them, jumped out suddenly, swept out the small panlong stick, and hit the left calf bone of the horn on the left with a "snap", the pain of the calf bone was the most unbearable, the horn screamed in pain, squatted, stroked the calf with his hand, Mu Zhenzhen's wrist rotated, followed by another stick split, right in the middle of the horn bluff braincase, and the holding mulberry girl fell to the ground together - another lama turned his head in shock, the stick shadow flashed, and the face door had already been hit by a stick, The bridge of the nose was shattered, the nosebleed sprayed wildly, and when he reached out to cover his nose, the girl who was holding the mulberry was pulled aside by Mu Zhenzhen, and the small dragon stick in Mu Zhenzhen's hand was thrown out again, sweeping the right knee of the lama, and the bluff also fell, covering his face with both hands and wailing.

The girl who was pressed under her by the lama screamed and pushed the heavy body on her body, she was too frightened, her hands were soft and numb, and she couldn't push it away for a while, Mu Zhenzhen kicked the lama away, stretched out her hand to pull up the girl who picked up the mulberry, and comforted: "Sister, don't be afraid, it's okay, it's okay." ”

Mu Zhenzhen went around here to save these two mulberry picking girls At this time, Nengzhu and Feng Hu had also arrived, broke the trunk of a tree along the road to make weapons, and together with Mu Jingyan, in a moment's time, knocked all the six lamas to the ground.

One of the female Caisang women, surnamed Zi Lie, picked up a Qimei stick, had no head and no brains to beat those horns, and two of the beating horns also said some threatening and intimidating words, Nengzhu and Feng Hu came over and stabbed the trunk in their mouths, stabbing their mouths full of blood - the three Zhang Yuan brothers arrived, and Zhang Cao said: "So without beating, they all lie down!" "Snatch Sang Gan from Feng Hu's hand and whip those lamas violently.

Lu Tao came panting with a few slaves, and the two mulberry picking girls finally saw someone they knew, and hurriedly stepped forward and cried: "Young Master, these bachelors, woo woo-"

Lu Tao asked, "You-you're not hurt, are you?" "I'm worried that these two mulberry picking girls will be defiled.

Mu Jingyan said: "Young Master Lu, they are not injured, we came in time." ”

There was a loud shout, and the silkworm farmers and cotton farmers in the Lu manor rushed over with sticks and hoes, and two men shouted anxiously while running: "Xiaoping——"

"Axia—"

Xiaoping and Ah Xia, the two mulberry picking girls, shouted: "Daddy, daddy." "Ran to the two men and told them about Fang Cai.

Dozens of Zhuang guests surrounded the eight beating lamas and beat them severely, if it weren't for Lu Tao and Zhang Yuan to stop, the angry Zhuang Ke would have beaten these eight lamas to death on the spot.

The villagers tied up the eight lamas with ropes, dragged the dead dogs back to the manor, these bulls did not know that yesterday said that Bu Shicheng and others were responsible for the cane in Qingpu County, but today they were bored and panicked, so they went to Sheshan to bully the Lu Zhuangke, and when they met the mulberry girl, they chased and flirted, and it was okay to annihilate it - Lu Tao did not have time for lunch, led the slaves and villagers, and escorted the eight lamas to the county office, Zhang Cao took Nengzhu and Feng Hu to see the excitement.

Zhang Yuan stayed, he also wanted to visit the Lu family weaver and the loom, the purpose of coming to the Lu manor was to see the loom, but he didn't expect to meet the lama to do evil, according to the manor silkworm household, Huating Dong's hired these bachelor lamas or every three days, or every five days, often come to the manor around the harassment, beating, robbing, molesting women, all evil - Zhang Ruoxi was so angry that his body trembled, and said: "Huating Dong is despicable and shameless, and he actually used this kind of subordinate means to invade my Lu family's property!" ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Sister is not angry, it is time for the Huating Dong family to be full of evil, and there will be no single lama bluffing here to do evil in the future." ”

With lunch, Zhang Dai and Zhang Yuan went to visit the weaver with Zhang Ruoxi, Zhang Yuan didn't know anything about the loom, but saw that the loom made by the Lu weaver was quite complicated, a loom had four or five people to work, first there were painters to draw floral patterns on the paper, and then the weavers on the complex loom would interact with thousands of warp threads up and down regularly, dozens of knots were arranged in an orderly manner, making a complete set of pattern memory devices, the flower book was knotted, the weaving on the machine, the weaver and the flower worker cooperated with each other, according to the change of the flower book, A weft thread is woven forward one by one, and the magnificent pattern appears, this is the jacquard technology, Zhang Yuan is dazzling - the late Ming Dynasty technology is quite developed, which can be understood from Xu Guangqi's "Complete Book of Agricultural Administration" and Song Yingxing's "Tiangong Kaiwu", Xu Guangqi is a native of Shanghai County, Songjiang Prefecture, Jiao Hong is his house master when he is in the township test, and now he should be in the Hanlin Academy. Zhang Yuan once asked Huang Molei about Song Yingxing and his person, but Huang Molei said that he had never heard of it, and he must be just a showman, Zhang Yuanxin said: "The book "Heavenly Creation" represents the highest peak of ancient Chinese science and technology, but in the Qing Dynasty, it became a banned book, and the great regression of civilization caused by the Manchu Qing Dynasty in the Central Plains is shocking. ”

There are different looms for weaving cotton silk of different textures, some weavers specialize in using silk machines, some are silk machines, and they are extremely skilled, the scale of the textile industry in Lu's manor is not small, Zhang Yuan does not understand loom technology, and can not put forward suggestions for improving looms, but he has the business vision of later generations, he asked his sister Zhang Ruoxi: "How were Lu's cotton and silk sold in previous years?" ”

Zhang Ruoxi said: "There are cloth merchants who come to buy. ”

Zhang Yuan said: "That's a lot different from the retail price in the bazaar, right?" ”

Zhang Ruoxi had never heard of the word "retail", but she could understand the meaning, and said: "It's almost half of the retail price." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Wouldn't it be good for us to earn this money ourselves." ”

Zhang Ruoxi said: "Lu's has a few cotton and satin shops in Qingpu and Suzhou, but they don't sell many in a year, mainly relying on bulk purchases by cloth merchants. ”

Zhang Yuan said: "I have a way to make Lu's cotton cloth and silk in short supply. ”

Zhang Ruoxi knew that this younger brother was very intelligent, so he hurriedly asked, "What method?" ”

Zhang Yuan said with a smile: "My clever plan is worth ten thousand gold, how can I say it easily." ”

Zhang Ruoxi glanced at her younger brother and said in a threatening tone: "Say it quickly!" ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Sister, I'm not joking, Qingpu Lu uses my method, within ten years, he will be rich in Songjiang, and my brother is not for personal gain, but maybe when I can use a lot of money in the future, my sister and brother-in-law should not be stingy." ”

Zhang Feixi saw Zhang Yuan's serious expression, so she became serious and said: "Then when I go back to the city in the evening, I will come with your brother-in-law to listen to your clever plan, in fact, if you want to use money, my sister can give it to you." ”

Zhang Yuan said with a smile: "I'm not so easy to deal with, I haven't seen my sister's private money yet." ”

(To be continued)