Li Jin's classmate's surname is Cen, called Cen Zhuang, and his father-in-law's family is one of the largest households in Huichang County, and his family lives in a large courtyard with six entrances, which is right on the most prosperous street in Huichang County.

Gu Yanzhang followed Li Jin into the living room of Cen Zhuang's house, and sat for a while before the host walked in with a fan.

Cen Zhuang is a few years younger than Li Jin, and now he is more than Chinese New Year's Eve, with a very beautiful mustache on his chin and a square face, and he looks like a smart person.

Under Li Jin's recommendation, the two sides greeted each other and greeted each other.

Gu Yanzhang has been going out early and returning late in the past few months, exposed to the sun and rain, and has been playing with many people every day, not only is it darker, but the temperament of the whole person has also converged a lot, compared to the sharp edge in the past, it seems to be a sword that has been sheathed at this moment.

He first thanked Cen Zhuang with several courtesies, and then sent the ceremonial gifts he carried.

Cen Zhuang almost immediately noticed the difference in the person in front of him.

is neither arrogant nor humble, speaks appropriately, and the appearance and etiquette are impeccable.

Such a person, no matter what line he goes in the future, will not be an unknown person.

Cen Zhuang quickly and quietly adjusted his attitude and tone.

"Brother Gu is talented!" He praised, "It's hard to complain that everyone says that Liangshan Academy is full of dragons and phoenixes, and out of ten people, eight of them can be admitted to the Jinshi, it's really not a joke!" ”

Although Cen Zhuang tried and failed repeatedly, he did not regard this matter as a taboo, but often took it out and ridiculed himself.

He heard that Gu Yanzhang was living in the inn with his wife, and said busily: "Ah, I'm so busy!" It's long overdue for you to come to your home to rest, it's inconvenient to live outside! ”

Another call for people to move into the house to live.

Gu Yanzhang thanked him with a smile, and hurriedly changed the topic: "I heard Brother Li say that Cen Yuanwai has been in Ganzhou City for a while, and I have walked to the villages and towns in February and March, but I haven't stopped much in Ganzhou City, I don't know what happened, and I have been delayed for so long?" ”

Cen Zhuang frowned and said: "What kind of outsider, not to mention my small money, but in Huichang County, I won't be able to take it, where will I become an outsider!" Besides, you still call me such a raw point! ”

He called the maid who was waiting in a loud voice, and ordered, "Go and fetch the camellia I got from the last time!" ”

He said to Gu Yanzhang again: "The new tea I just got, I eat it privately, it's rare to get you like this, if you don't dislike it, I will call yourself a brother, and I will call you Yanzhang, and call each other brothers." ”

Gu Yanzhang naturally would not object.

Cen Zhuang looked at him, and saw that he was acting like this, although the other party sincerely thanked him, he was not moved at all, and he was a little disappointed in his heart.

However, he didn't show it, and only smiled and talked about the things in Ganzhou City.

It turns out that Ganzhou is rainy, between March and June every year, there is often a big flood, this water is not to drown many people, but often most of the state city is gone, the high place is close to the depth of the water, the shallow place is at least knee-high, for this reason, all the houses in Ganzhou City, except for the terrain is located high, the rest are two-storey buildings, ready to send a big flood, then move the home to the second floor.

Cen Zhuang said: "My family is now doing some tea trading in Ganzhou City, and there are also some houses and shops, my father-in-law is not at ease, so he asked me to keep an eye on the people to clean up, so as not to get damp in the tea, and then sell not at a price, and because of the big water every time, the people in the city are not allowed to go out, just to row a bamboo raft, go around to sell something, business is not bad." ”

Li Jin explained to Gu Yanzhang: "I have only been here for more than half a year, but I have also heard that this Ganzhou city sends water every year, often divided into big years and small years, the first year the rain is small, the next year will be big, this year in fact, the rain is small, there is no movement here in Huichang, if the rain is big, I heard that there are many people in these four towns and counties carrying grain and vegetables to sell." ”

The three of them talked for a while, and after a while, a little girl came over to say that the banquet was arranged.

Cen Zhuang hurriedly invited Gu Yanzhang to go to the banquet with him.

Naturally, there is no room for some wine during the banquet.

Gu Yanzhang rarely met a big local merchant like Cen Zhuang, and when he had a good meal, he talked to him.

He deliberately led to a few topics, Cen Zhuang intended to make friends, and Li Jin lowered his head and ate the vegetables violently, only raising his head from time to time and trying to insert two sentences, and the guests and hosts were also happy at the table.

Gu Yanzhang was already very eye-catching, and he had many experiences in the past, but he had been searching for two or three months for a while, and his words were even more hidden.

He poured a glass of wine for Cen Zhuang and said: "My husband told me to read 10,000 books, travel 10,000 miles, and told me to memorize the human geography everywhere before I could end up. ”

He said: "I calculated the price of Ganzhou tea and oranges, and calculated the journey from here to the capital, and felt that if the Ganzhou oranges were sold in the car to the capital, in addition to manpower, taxes, and the purchase price, not to mention 145,000 yuan, it would be doubled and earned!" ”

Cen Zhuang touched him with a wine glass, and said: "Where to earn ** million, if you can get ** million, I will also take out January or February a year to run this business." ”

Saying that, he calculated the expenses to Gu Yanzhang, how much manpower, how many cars and horses, how much taxes, how much money and rice to give to the Chinese people when they went to the capital, and now there are many buyers of Gan oranges, often in the middle of the year to visit the planters to order the deed, if it is shipped to the capital, the amount is small and it is not cost-effective, the amount is large, and it may not be able to find so many good oranges Beijing people are very picky, the taste is not good, and they do not buy it.

Calculate it, the risk is very big, maybe the income this year is not enough to lose last year!

Cen Zhuang said a little and complained: "Business is getting more and more difficult every year!" ”

Gu Yanzhang raised his glass and touched him once, and then gave examples of encounters along the way, all of which said that it is not easy to be a businessman, and then sighed once, and then turned to talk about the rest.

Cen Zhuang thought that what he said was irrelevant, he really didn't say anything detailed, all the mention was a large number, and occasionally inserted one or two decimal places in the day shop but didn't know, the people on the other side in the past ten days, from the farmers, coolies, short-term workers, vegetable farmers, planters and so on, early to the entire Huichang County of the price of various things to get a clear.

Moreover, Gu Yanzhang was born as a merchant, and he has been dealing with capital and profit since he was a child, and he can hear him say it roughly, and he doesn't even need abacus paper, and after a while, he almost immediately came up with the approximate income of merchants such as Huichang in a year.

So far, after months of arduous searching, among the large counties under the jurisdiction of Ganzhou, the expenses and incomes of poor peasants, ordinary families, rich households, and first-class families are like a picture scroll, and finally slowly unfold in front of Gu Yanzhang.