Ji Qingling has not dealt with the Li family much, and she has only met Li Chengwei only twice, but it does not prevent her from being very impressed by this person.

The first time was with Zhang Bi and the two in the Li family's treasure pavilion, Li Chengwei can speak well, advance and retreat appropriately, and is a typical businessman; The second time was to go to Zhangjiayuan for a banquet, during which the other party mentioned Ji's father's life-saving grace to him in the past, he was very embarrassed, and he was nostalgic for the past, and he was planning for the future, and he took his wife and daughter to Ji Qingling in every way to be considerate and take care of him.

That performance of insisting on repaying the favor and regretting it is really a trick to sing nine songs and eighteen turns, as long as you take off your clothes, you can go on stage, and play the "guilty of guilt" with a shy stomach.

Li Chengwei is a smart person, although he wants to use Ji Qingling's hand to make friends with the Zhang family and get in touch with Gu Yanzhang, no matter whether it is on the surface or inside, he will not reveal it.

However, Li Pingniang is different.

Although she is also a merchant girl, she has also married and had children, which can be regarded as some experience, but compared with her father, it is really 108,000 miles behind.

The more Ji Qingling looked at it, the more suspicious she became.

The Gu family's industry in Yanzhou has already been declared to be fully dedicated, even if there are some sacrificial fields and old mansions, but they are not eye-catching, besides, even if they still hide monstrous wealth, what does it have to do with the Li family?

Although the Li family is a giant, they also have some foundations, but if they want to forcibly seize the family business of a seven-rank court official, it is simply a fool's dream.

Besides, the Li family itself has money, whether it is the wine business, the horse, tea, or cloth business, Li Chengwei can make a lot of money, and at this moment he wants to stick to it, in fact, most of it is to put a long line and catch big fish, one is to value the Zhang family's line, and the other is to take care of Yanzhang's future development.

Now that Gu Yanzhang's dispatch is far away in Guangnan, it will take half a year to return to Beijing, it stands to reason that Li Chengwei should be bent on chasing Ji Qingling to cling to Zhang Zhi's family, but he shouldn't put his mind on the Gu family.

What happened to make the Li family feel that the Gu family was actually more valuable than the Zhang family?

Ji Qingling became suspicious, so she went against the norm, not only did she not find an excuse to serve tea to the guests, but instead chatted with Li Pingniang.

Speaking of the Gu family's industry in Yanzhou, she was very calm, and said: "It has been fully dedicated to the army, and the northern barbarians have gone, and there are only some sacrificial fields and ancestral properties left at the moment." ”

Li Pingniang let out an "ah", said "admiration", and asked: "Now those sacrificial fields and ancestral properties are being taken care of by relatives in the Gu official clan?" ”

This is not something worth concealing, as long as you have the heart and feel free to inquire in Yanzhou, you can get the result.

Ji Qingling heard Li Pingniang's question, and half-guessed what the other party wanted to know, she followed the words down, and did not detour, and replied directly: "In the past, Yanzhou was slaughtered, and there was no one left in the Gu family, and now a few stewards in the house are watching the property - just a few acres of land and a few houses, and it is not worth anything." ”

Li Pingniang sighed, pinched the handkerchief in her hand, raised her head and looked at Ji Qingling, her face was full of concern, she hesitated for a long time, and then she made a look of embarrassment, and said: "Sister of the Ji family, I don't hide it, I also married someone once before, because my father and mother cherished it, and gave a lot of dowry, including some land, when I was pregnant, all the dowry industry was handed over to the next person to help take care of it, and when I turned my head, I didn't want to be made a means, and I was greedy a lot. ”

He also persuaded: "Every penny is also silver, if it is someone else, I don't talk much, only the relationship between our two families, but it is different from ordinary people, I can't see you being deceived by such a villain with a ghostly mind, because you are young, I want to rarely see those bad things and bad people, I don't know their means." ”

She said this, paused, and then said: "You know that my family has been a merchant for many years, and there are many capable shopkeepers and account offices, if you are willing, I will tell my father to transfer a few from the shop to you, and go to Yanzhou to help sort out those industrial accounts, as long as I hear that it is to give you this force, my father will have no words, but I don't know what you think." ”

Ji Qingling said: "Although I have never been in business, I also know how difficult it is to find a competent shopkeeper and account room, if this place is given to me, how can I do business there?" I have to say thank you, don't mention this matter again. ”

Li Pingniang saw her resolute attitude, and persuaded again, but to no avail, she had to say: "It's too early to say this, although you and I have a deep friendship, we haven't seen each other for many years, and after a month or two, the two families have more contacts, so that you know the character and temperament of me and my father, and then the family should not talk about it, and then talk about it." ”

Ji Qingling patiently watched her try her best to "dig out her heart and lungs" here.

Li Pingniang replied: "There is one thing...... You also know that my younger brother is bent on the end, the whole heart is full of scriptures and righteousness, he has to read stupidly, he doesn't pay attention to anything else, others are diligent, and his brain is not like others who always think about some mess, just clean, he is studying day and night, waiting for the end of the next year - my sister can't help the rest, I just want to ask, what is the secret sect of Gu Guanren that day? ”

Ji Qingling replied a few words casually, all of which were clichés without oil and salt.

Li Pingniang made a look like she had obtained a treasure, and hurriedly said: "I'll remember it first, and wait until I go back and tell the third brother again, if he doesn't know anything, I have to trouble you to help explain it carefully." ”

Ji Qingling was noncommittal, and only chatted with her a few more words, and then asked as if unintentionally: "I heard that selling wine from the capital to Guizhou and Yongzhou has made a lot of profits, but I don't know if there is such a thing?" ”

Li Pingniang shook her head and said: "I'm afraid it's nonsense, Guizhou's own Sanhua wine is easy to sell, if the wine is transported from the capital, the commercial tax on the road will have to be collected several times, no matter how you mix water, it can't compare to its local cost...... As for Yongzhou, in the past, it was possible to walk twice with tea and cloth, but now in such a situation, where can I still go, the trading in that place has been completely stopped. ”

also talked about the business done by the Li family, and praised her third brother for his noble character every day, and he was dedicated to learning.

Li Pingniang said unintentionally, but Ji Qingling listened intentionally.

She originally thought that the Li family saw Gu Yanzhang suppressing the rebellion in Yongzhou, and had the right to transfer in his hands, and wanted to use his hand to do some business with the counterinsurgency, and secondly, to set up a business in the local area.

The Guangxin rebels in Jizhou and Fuzhou went to Guangyuan Prefecture, which is still so far away from Yongzhou, no matter how hard they fight, they will never be affected, and where will they use the phrase "such a situation", let alone "stop everything" in all transactions.

She knew that it must be difficult to get anything accurate from Li Pingniang's mouth, and after sending the person away, she turned her head and specially found Qiu Lu, instructed her for a long time, and sent her out.

Only an hour later, Qiu Lu had already turned back, she didn't wait for the little girl at the door to pass the word, trotted all the way into the house, and arrived at Ji Qingling, and said with a panicked face: "Madam, I heard the rumors in Beijing, Jiaozhi has connected Qinzhou and Lianzhou, and now the army of 300,000 is besieging Yongzhou......"