In May of the fourth year of Baoyou, the rainy season begins, and the rain does not stop. Even when the rain stopped, the dark clouds in the sky were low on the treetops. Whenever a cool breeze blows, a shower of raindrops falls.

The room was dim, Qi Ye sat on the bamboo chair, bored and looked at the rain outside. Suddenly, there was a murmuring sound of mosquitoes. Qi Ye's hand is quick and fast, and he accurately pats it in his ear. Unfolded his palm, a mosquito with a belly full of blood broke and collapsed, and was beaten into slices of flesh mixed with blood.

"It's finally settled!" Qi Ye sighed. In the past few days, a mosquito has always survived in the house, and almost killed it several times, but the mosquito has escaped in a moment. Standing up and rubbing the mosquito off the palm of his hand, Qi Ye lay back on the bamboo chair comfortably and enjoyed the tranquility, Qi Ye suddenly smiled bitterly. Before the appearance of Zhao Jiaren's mosquito coils, he was endlessly harassed by mosquitoes in spring, summer and autumn every year. Don't talk about killing one mosquito a day, even killing dozens of mosquitoes won't be better. Every night before going to bed, the mosquitoes inside the mosquito net must be carefully killed to sleep soundly, and the mosquitoes outside the mosquito net can only go with them.

It wasn't until Zhao Jiaren's mosquito coil appeared that Qi Ye was able to choose between a completely mosquito-proof mosquito net and a well-ventilated sleep. Looking back on these days, Qi Ye felt that it seemed to be a long time, but after thinking about it carefully, it has only been three years since Zhao Jiaren began to be a county lieutenant in Putian in the first year of Baoyou and borrowed money to buy gunpowder. In three years, this young jinshi opened up the Mulan Pi Beiyang and made the medicinal powder from a few hundred catties to 100,000 catties. made tens of thousands of dollars cleanly. also soared from the county lieutenant to the sky and became a prison on Fujian Road.

Qi Ye also made thousands of dollars from it, and there were quite a lot of benefits. However, such good days seem to be coming to an end.

First of all, there is news from Qingyuan Mansion that Zhao Jiaren's eldest brother Zhao Jiaxin planted 100,000 catties of medicinal powder in Qingyuan Mansion. The Fujian incense store based in Qingyuan Province used these medicinal powders to promote its business on Jiangnan East Road and Jiangnan West Road. even went upriver to Jinghu South Road. This promotion did not use a penny of Jianxian Qianzhuang, if there is no problem, Qi Ye and Zhao Jiaren's cooperation in medicinal powder will come to an end.

In addition, the Quanzhou headquarters of Jianxian Qianzhuang ordered Qi Ye to return to Quanzhou and let his cousin Qi Rong come to Fuzhou. It was clear that Qi Rong wanted to contact Zhao Jiaren and get the most valuable collaborator in Qi Ye's hands into Qi Rong's hands......

was thinking about his future, the family came to Tongyu, and Xie Wuhuan came to visit. Qi Ye was stunned, how could Xie Wuhuan come here? However, Qi Ye also felt that he had nothing to do at this time, so he invited Xie Wuhuan in. It's not so boring to have someone to talk about.

Xie Wuhuan brought a few paper bags and a jar of wine. After seeing Qi Ye, he smiled and said, "Shopkeeper Qi." It's okay today, how many drinks do we have brothers? ”

"Good!" Qi Ye saw that there were many people, and he also felt that he had an appetite for food.

Set up the table and chairs, and put Xie Wuhuan's paper bag on the table. When I opened it, it turned out to be two roast ducks that had been sliced with a knife. The duck skin is golden brown and hot. The roast duck is served with a pancake with a dead dough and a salt and pepper flavor. I opened the last big paper bag, and inside were seven or eight crisp raw cucumbers.

asked the next person to wash the cucumbers, Qi Ye poured wine for the two of them, and said, "Brother Xie, do it!" ”

After drying up the wine in one gulp and taking a long breath, Xie Wuhuan wrapped the roast duck meat in dead dough and sprinkled salt and pepper on the meat. Roll up the dough and put it in your mouth to start chewing. It was the first time Qi Ye had seen such a way of eating, and he also imitated it. One bite down, the dead dough skin is strong, the duck skin is fat and fragrant, the duck meat is delicate and tender, and then eat the salt and pepper flavor, salty and fragrant. After chewing a few bites and swallowing the delicious food in his mouth, Qi Ye poured a sip of wine, and then shouted: "Refreshing!" ”

Seeing that Qi Ye was eating happily, Xie Wuhuan pointed to the two duck racks in a paper bag, "Brother Qi, boiling this duck rack into soup is said to be delicious." ”

At this time, the subordinate came in with the washed cucumber, and Qi Ye pointed to the duck frame and said, "Take it and boil it!" Then I picked up the cucumber and took a bite, and it was full of fragrant, and at this time, I felt refreshed when I ate the cucumber that was originally a little tasteless. Remove all the fatty flavors. Qi Ye smiled: "I didn't know that cucumbers were eaten like this before!" I really didn't see that Brother Xie was still a person who would enjoy it. ”

Xie Wuhuan also picked up a cucumber and took a bite, and said while chewing: "I'm a rough person, where do I know what to enjoy." This is a newly opened shop called Quanjude in Fuzhou, which sells roast duck. The day before yesterday, the ship was repaired, and Zhao Ti brought roast duck to me. After I ate it, I thought it was good, so I dared to bring it to Brother Qi. ”

"Why haven't I heard of this store?" Qi Ye asked in surprise.

"It is said that Zhao Ti ordered it. Zhao Tidian is a clan relative, and the food he cooks must be delicious. Xie Wuhuan explained.

Qi Ye nodded again and again, his hands were not idle, he continued to wrap the duck meat with dough, sprinkled with pepper and salt, and rolled it up to eat. The more he ate, the happier he became, and a smile appeared on his face.

The roast duck was greasy and fragrant, and each of them felt full after eating most of the duck. Under Xie Wuhuan's reminder, Qi Ye asked if the duck soup had been stewed. The servant replied: "The water has just boiled. ”

"The ducks are cooked in the first place, as long as you put the duck rack in it from the beginning. When the water is boiling, you can drink it. Xie Wuhuan explained.

Sure enough, when the duck soup came up, there was already a layer of oil on it. The color of the soup is also a little whitish, and it doesn't look like it has just been boiled at all. The two of them were already full, and they felt even more refreshed after drinking a few sips of slightly salty duck soup.

After eating and drinking, Qi Ye opened his mouth and asked, "Brother Xie, you must not have just invited me to a meal when you came to me. ”

Because he was full, Xie Wuhuan's voice also seemed lazy. "Brother Qi, the day before yesterday, the boat that Zhao Ti ordered was launched. I rode around the sea in that boat, and I felt that ordinary ships could not be compared. Zhao Tidian talked about the time when the shipyard was opened. I didn't really know what to say at the time. ”

"Why?" Qi Ye was very curious. The conditions proposed by Zhao Jiaren were very generous, and Qi Ye felt that it was really strange that it could not be negotiated until now. If those people refuse to agree, they simply refuse, so why drag it out like this?

"Don't hide it from Brother Qi, those people just want to get Zhao Tidian's means. I used to do the same. However, after this new ship was built, I realized one thing, Zhao Tidian really has the means. This is because Zhao Tidian really understands shipbuilding. The owner of the shipyard knows how to build ships, but he doesn't know how to build ships. Speaking of this, Xie Wuhuan's face showed some dissatisfaction and even pain, he frowned and thought for a long time before he said stupidly: "I don't know if Brother Qi can understand what I mean." ”

"I understand." Qi Ye nodded vigorously. He sat back in his chair and repeated Xie Wuhuan's words in his heart. I know how to build a ship, but I don't know how to build a ship. These words made Qi Ye feel like an initiation, and he suddenly realized. He never understood why he thought Zhao Jiaren was 'interesting' and willing to have a relationship with Zhao Jiaren. If it was just because of money, Qi Ye wouldn't have been blinded by the little money-making opportunity provided by Zhao Jiaren.

Now that I think about it, the reason why Qi Ye is willing to deal with Zhao Jiaren is that Zhao Jiaren may or may not love money. Unlike those who are bent on getting rich, Zhao Jiaren knows how to get rich.

Xie Wuhuan was full of his own affairs, and he didn't notice Qi Ye's movement at all, he said in a sullen voice: "Brother Qi, I kind of want to follow Zhao Tidian to open a shipyard." But if I follow Zhao Tidian to open a shipyard, I have to go from the current shipyard. I have been working in this shipyard for seven or eight years, and although I have a lot of grievances, I panic at the thought of leaving. Brother Qi, you are so familiar with Zhao Tidian, I don't know if Brother Qi thinks I should go? ”

"You have to ask yourself if you really want to go. If you really want to go, you know better than anyone else. Qi Ye said to Xie Wuhuan.

Looking at Xie Wuhuan's thoughtful appearance, Qi Ye smiled slightly. He wasn't laughing at Xie Wuhuan, at this moment, Qi Ye also understood his choice. It is indeed a very good thing to cooperate with Zhao Jiaren, but Qi Ye is a member of the Qi family, and he must be loyal to the Qi family. If you want to go or stay, it is no longer a problem for Qi Ye.