The sound of firecrackers cracking the door shook the sky, alarming both inside and outside the Guo Mansion.

For a while, every household in Fushun Lane set off the first firecrackers of the new year, and the movement was as big as a landslide, breaking the tranquility of dawn.

Under the deafening sound of firecrackers, the people in Guo's mansion woke up from their sleep one after another.

A few subordinates came to the gate to join in the fun, and they happened to be arrested by Guo Ye, and they explained to a few people: "You go and find me the best carpenter and carver artist in Longxi City, I have a job for them to help me make it." ”

Several subordinates looked at each other, not knowing what Guo Ye was going to do, and one of them said in embarrassment: "My lord, it is a little inappropriate to find someone to work on the first day of the new year, right?" ”

Guo Ye smiled: "There's nothing inappropriate, as long as you tell them that the salary will be increased tenfold, I think people may be happy to do it." Don't be verbose, go get someone for me. ”

When several subordinates heard that the salary had increased tenfold, they naturally nodded their heads and said yes, of course, everyone will rush to come under this kind of salary, where does it matter if the first day of the new year is not the first day of the new year.

Guo Ye didn't forget to add: "Hurry up and find someone for me, and when I go back, Benhou will seal a big red envelope for each of you for the New Year." ”

As soon as the voice fell, in an instant, several subordinates rushed out of the door and rushed out of Fushun Lane.

At this time, Wu Xiuxiu was a little tired because of staying up all night, and Guo Ye hurriedly asked the maid to send her back to the bedroom to rest and make up for sleep.

And he held on for the time being, waiting for the carpenter and carver to come to the door.

After a while, several subordinates went and returned, followed by three ordinary people, an old carpenter, a middle-aged man, and a young man.

After some inquiry, Guo Ye learned that the old carpenter's surname was Lu, known as "Lu Yishou", and he had a good reputation in Longxi County. It is said that the ancestor is the ancestor of the carpenter industry, Lu Ban, the first master, and the craftsmanship is definitely a good one, and the young man is the apprentice of the old carpenter.

Guo Ye naturally couldn't believe that the old carpenter Lu Yishou was a descendant of Lu Ban, otherwise he wouldn't have nested in Longxi, Shuzhong. If it were true, he would have been recruited into the palace to become a royal craftsman.

Maybe it's just that the people in the city think that the carpenter's craftsmanship is awesome, and Lu Yishou happens to be surnamed Lu, so they gave him a gimmick of Lu Ban's first teacher and descendants.

As for the middle-aged man, his surname is Yan and his single name is a nine-character craftsman, who specializes in carving seals in the west of the city, and occasionally takes on some work to carve landscape patterns for furniture.

Guo Ye was very satisfied after hearing the origin of the three people, and it was he who wanted to find the right person to make mahjong for him.

Immediately, Guo Ye told the three of them about making mahjong, and the three of them were amazed after hearing it, especially the old carpenter raised his hand and shouted: "Could it be that this is a new thing that the big officials heard from Chang'an?" Or is this a new popular pastime for the nobles and lords of the imperial capital? Horse hanging, it's the first time the old man has heard of this thing. ”

The carver Yan Jiu also felt a little embarrassed: "Guo Daguan, it's not that we don't want to earn your salary, and it's not that we want to brush your mind." But this so-called horse crane is really unheard of and unseen. I'm afraid, I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint Guo Daguan's ......"

"Don't be too busy saying no!"

Guo Ye interrupted Yan Jiu's embarrassment and said, "You just need to follow my instructions to catch up with the system." I will explain to you in detail the method and process of making the horse crane, you only need to find wood for me, preferably the best mahogany wood, and then follow the process and method I give you, I believe you will be successful.

In this way, as long as you can drive the horse out for me, and it is in line with my heart, I will seal each of you a big red envelope on the basis of ten times the salary. I can't let you work hard for me during the Chinese New Year, can I? ”

"Not only tell us the process and method, but also take the red envelope?"

The first to squeak was the apprentice of the old carpenter Lu Yishou, and after this kid exclaimed, he hurriedly shouted at Lu Yiyi: "Master, you will respond to Guo Daguan." I took my salary and a red envelope, just in time to buy a pair of jewelry for Xiaocui, and then cut a leg of meat for their family. ”

Lu Yishou ignored his second apprentice, but glanced at Yan Jiu and the others, and secretly pondered in his heart, since Guo Daguan can announce the process and process of the horse crane, then this matter should not be difficult to do, and it will be done.

Immediately, the two nodded their heads one after another, and were willing to cooperate to take over the job of catching up with the horse crane.

Guo Ye smiled, and generously told how to use high-quality mahogany to build mahjong embryos, how many mahjong were created in total, and then what things were engraved on the mahjong embryos, one by one, without concealment.

In order to be sure, he also asked his subordinates to bring pen and paper, and specially asked the carving master Yan Jiu to write down the production method of mahjong.

After the explanation was completed, Guo Ye became a little sleepy, and before going to bed, he instructed: "You go according to my method, and if there is a place where you need to withdraw money, just talk to my family." Not...... Ben Hou stayed up all night last night, and he was too sleepy, so he went to make up for sleep first. If you can present the finished crane to me after I wake up, hehe, there will be a reward! ”

It is that there must be a brave man under the heavy reward, Yan Jiu and Lu were greatly encouraged after hearing this, and hurriedly ran out of Guo's mansion to find high-quality mahogany for Guo Ye early.

Guo Ye explained a few words to a few people next to him, and then returned to Xiuxiu's bedroom to catch up on sleep

Sleepiness came endlessly, lying on the bed with his eyes closed, he fell asleep in the dark, and slept until the old lady asked someone to knock on the door to wake him up for dinner, and he could not wake up.

And Xiuxiu had woken up long ago.

Woke up from the bed in a hurry, got up, got dressed and went out of the bedroom, and there were already people waiting outside, and reported: "Great official, Lu Yishou and Yan Jiu have joined forces to make the horse crane you asked for an hour ago. ”

"Oh? So fast? That's too efficient, isn't it? ”

Guo Ye was surprised: "Where are the three of them now?" Where is the crane now? ”

The next person said: "It is placed on the four corner tables in the flower hall, and the three of them are also waiting for you to inspect the goods in the flower hall!" ”

Guo Ye's face was happy, and he applauded again and again, and ordered: "You go and talk to the old lady and the three ladies, and say let them have dinner first, and I will come over later." ”

After explaining, he raised his legs and ran in the direction of the flower hall, in a hurry.

When they came to the flower hall, Lu Yishou and Yan Jiu were looking forward to the door, and when they saw Guo Ye appearing, they immediately stepped forward excitedly.

Now that the horse crane system is successful, as long as Guo Ye passes the inspection, it means ten times the salary and red envelopes will be paid, can the three of them not be excited?

Immediately, Lu led Guo Ye to the four-corner table with one hand and urged: "Big official, take a look, they are all alive, a total of one hundred and forty-four horse tags. According to your instructions, all horse tags are the same length, width and height, and the same fine mahogany. If you touch the back of this horse tag, it will be polished smooth and transparent, and it feels very good. ”

Lu Yishou's apprentice echoed again and again: "Well, Guo Daguan, I and my master are extremely careful and exquisite, and we will never be shoddy, and we are guaranteed to be first-class." ”

Yan Jiu stepped forward, pointed to the neatly stacked horse tags on the octagonal table, and said, "Guo Daguan, the one hundred and forty-four horse tags are all according to your orders, except for the four whiteboards, the others are carved with their own drawings. Spring, summer, autumn and winter, plum orchid, bamboo chrysanthemum, southeast, northwest and middle-haired ......"

"Alright, no need to say it!"

Guo Ye stopped Yan Jiu's detailed words, grabbed a mahjong tile made of mahogany from the table, tried the feel, and secretly said in his heart, although it is not as good as the mahjong tiles of later generations, but it is not very far behind.

The horse tags made by the three of them, whether from the feel, shape, or color, carving, are all ingenious things. Under the current conditions of pure handwork, it is already a great skill to be able to make such mahjong tiles.

He nestled the mahogany mahjong tiles in the palm of his hand, felt the delicacy and smoothness, nodded, and praised: "Very good, I am very satisfied." The next time I have a chance, I'll get some ivory from the merchants of Chang'an, and you can help me get a horse tag made of ivory. Then I dedicated it to the emperor, thinking that I could please the emperor. ”

The three of them were shocked for a moment, listening to the meaning of Guo Daguan, dare to love them, they still have the opportunity to make horse tags for the emperor?

For a while, the three of them had flushed cheeks, looked excited, their lips trembled, and they kept chanting the words of their ancestors to accumulate virtue and their ancestors to open their eyes.

Guo Ye can understand why the three of them are so excited, and it is a supreme honor to be able to create a horse tag for the emperor himself.

If the emperor likes this horse tag and spreads it all over the world, then the three of them will really double their value, and it may not be long before they become famous all over the world and become the leading figures in the craftsman circle.

When the time comes, they will come to the court like a cloud, in case of a fluke, the emperor will summon them into the palace, eat the emperor's grain and become a royal craftsman, it will be even more amazing.

The apprentice of the old carpenter Lu Yishou was already salivating and wanted to enter Feifei, wondering whether Xiao Cui of Zhang's butcher's family was a good match for him. In the future, he will become a royal craftsman, and Xiaocui's grade will inevitably be too low.

Guo Ye couldn't help but smile when he saw the strange appearance of the three of them, and then shouted outside the flower hall: "Someone! ”

As soon as the voice fell, a subordinate hurriedly ran in and asked, "Great official, what do you command?" ”

"Look!!"

After Guo Ye laughed and drank, he waved his hand and pointed at Lu Yishou and said, "You take the three masters to the account room to receive the salary, tell the account office, pay him ten times the salary, and then seal each of them a big red envelope." In addition, let the back kitchen give each of the three masters a piece of pork to carry home, so that they can have a good New Year. “

"Gotcha!"

The subordinate glanced at the three of them with envy, and led them out of the flower hall.

Lu Yishou's master and apprentice and Yan Jiu were naturally full of joy, and they did not forget to bow and thank Guo Ye again.

The three of them secretly praised in their hearts, and they believed in Lord Guo and acted generously to Brother Guo, which is really worthy of its reputation.

After the three of them left, Guo Ye looked at the horse tags on the table, smiled, and said to himself: "It seems that you can teach Xiuxiu, Zhenniang, and Zhiru tonight to play mahjong for a night." Fortunately, I married three women, otherwise it would not be enough to make a table of mahjong, and it would be too undesirable to lack one of the three. ”

I just muttered a little here, and suddenly there was another subordinate at the door of the flower hall, and his face should be the concierge in charge of the door.

Seeing this, Guo Ye asked, "What's the matter?" It's getting dark, could it be that someone has come to pay New Year's greetings? ”

The subordinate nodded and replied: "Back to the big official, it is someone who came to visit the mansion." The wife of Zhao Tingshi in Yizhou City came to visit the house with her daughter, saying that she was coming to pay New Year's greetings to the old lady in the first month, and she visited Mrs. Zhen by the way. ”

Mrs. Zhen is naturally Zhen Niang.

Guo Ye's face was slightly stunned, and he muttered: "Zhao Feixuan's wife and daughter, Huiniang and Yue'er? ”

Immediately, he read it and knew it, and suddenly seemed to remember something, and asked in an accentuated tone: "Zhao Tingshi's wife came with her daughter, then you mean that Zhao Tingshi himself did not come, only his wife and daughter came to visit the mansion?" ”

The subordinate nodded.

Guo Ye was happy for no reason, and the unintentional encounter in Zhao Mansion in Ruzhou City came to his mind again, when Hui Niang mistakenly took herself for her husband, and then changed her clothes in front of her.

The hot body is hot and beautiful, and the beautiful young woman actually sent it to the door by herself?

He couldn't help but secretly speculate, could it be that Zhao Feixuan was worried that I would change my mind afterwards and not write him the letter of recommendation. So I asked Hui Niang to visit my sister, but secretly I asked Hui Niang to knock on the side to remind me not to forget?