Chapter 118

After the house was bought, the Song family invited craftsmen to repair the house, level the site, paint and decorate, fill the omissions and remove the impurities, and a few days later, the house was completely new; The mother and son of the original owner were also virtuous, and the next day they found a place to live and moved out.

The large jujube tree outside the door was uprooted, and the large stone mill in the outer yard was also moved to the corner, and new furniture and utensils were added to remove most of the things left by the original owner.

The two peonies survived and were preserved, but Ye Fanggu, who had a heart, still cut a red cloth and tied it on the branch to ward off evil spirits.

After having this big mansion, Song Nan was in a good mood like everyone in the family, and when he had a house in the capital, he felt a sense of belonging, and he lived in the courtyard, not to mention, there was a landlord to collect the rent every month, and he was always a little worried and couldn't feel at ease.

But in a few strokes, almost all the savings of the Song family were used up, although the business of the four shops was good, there were about five or six hundred taels of net profits per day, but they had only been open for four or five months, and some of the profits were invested, and the cost and taxes of the store were all calculated, and they only saved 16,000 taels of silver, which was spent on this mansion and nearly 6,000 taels, and rented a deserted courtyard in a remote place in the south, bought more than a dozen ovens, and gave the little grandfather 8,000 taels of principal, and then gave Jiang Bin a congratulatory gift of 1,000 taels. On weekdays, Song Nan spends money and doesn't spare his hands; This more than 10,000 taels of silver is as clean as flowing water.

When Lu Qingli showed Song Nan the empty silver ticket box, Song Nan laughed.

Lu Qingli said: "Brother Song, are you still laughing, the money has been spent, there are only a few hundred taels left, and there are still a thousand taels in the shop and we can't move, we have no money to spend." ”

Song Nan smiled: "What is the purpose of making money?" Isn't it for the pleasure of flowers? spent more than 10,000 taels of silver in a few months, is our family considered a big family this time? ”

Lu Qingli pouted and said: "I have no money, there are still many places in the house that I am not satisfied with, and soon Brother Niu will bring people from Ulzhou to ask for a settlement fee, and I have to hire people, but what should I do?" ”

Song Nan smiled: "What are you worried about, how much money can you ask for?" The shop gets a few hundred taels a day, isn't it enough to spend? Don't worry, there is money to earn, as long as people don't lie down. ”

Lu Qingli was speechless, since Brother Song was not worried, what else was he worried about? It's just that more than 10,000 taels of silver are gone all of a sudden, and my heart is really painful. Compared with before, I and my sister couldn't spend two taels of silver a month, I really don't know how Lu Dao lived at that time; Now a jade bracelet in the hands of himself and his sister is enough to live for a year.

In the blink of an eye, after the ten-day vacation, Song Nan returned to the Jinyi Wei Yamen to do things, and when the hundreds of households saw Song Nan, they naturally asked about the east and the west, and touted Song Nan's fearless behavior that day There are few in the sky and nothing in the ground.

Peng Wanli also took care of Song Nan a few words, but Song Nan had nothing to say to him, this time even the thousands of other households in the market sent condolences gifts, as a thousand households in Zhengnanfang, Peng Wanli, his top boss, did not say anything at all.

Song Nan didn't believe that he couldn't come up with dozens of taels of silver, and he didn't lack his gift money of dozens of taels of silver, but he felt that this person's scheming was too profound, or that he was too cautious; Deliberately keep a distance from yourself, as if you are stained with yourself, and there will be some bad luck in the future. Since this is the case, Song Nan naturally will not force it, this kind of person is wise to protect himself, and he thinks that he is left and right, but he doesn't know that no matter what kind of conflict, the most hated thing is the grass on the wall without a position, in his life, I am afraid that the position of a thousand households is at the end, but it is difficult to make an inch.

In the past few days of 'recuperation' leave, the market is also idle, Song Nan wants to know the reaction of the Dongchang fans the most, but when he asked, he was shocked, and the Dongchang fans and secret agents in the market seemed to have disappeared, and they didn't take the lead, let alone cause trouble, they seemed to be much more obedient.

Although Song Nan felt strange, he didn't think much about it; Returning to the Yamen, he took people to walk around the east and west every day, but he was also leisurely, running to the station of the chengguan brigade from time to time, and restraining these guys from doing things well, after all, he had to spend hundreds of taels of silver on these people every month.

The only thing that makes Song Nan feel a little embarrassed is that every time he goes to the station of the Chengguan Brigade, he can always see the figure of the little county lord, and this Nizi doesn't know what's wrong, she doesn't wait for the good grandfather's mansion, but likes to spend time in the station of the Chengguan Brigade, practicing and whipping these guys every day, making a lot of complaints, and also getting a separate house, going out early and returning late, and treating this place as the grandfather's mansion.

The first time Song Nan saw her, she also said a few good words to her about the events of the day, but the little county lord didn't say anything, only said that the matter had passed, and she was also impulsive that day, both sides were at fault, and the two were even.

The little county lord's insipid attitude made Song Nan feel quite uncomfortable, and there was an indescribable feeling of emptiness, as if the little county lord was no longer clinging to himself, but seemed to have lost something; However, Song Nan was quickly relieved, laughing at himself for becoming too sensitive, so he put the matter behind him.

On October 18, Li Daniu finally arrived in the capital with a large group of Ulzhou fathers and elders, in addition to the two elders of the Li family, there were also seven or eight neighboring couples in Xiaoshiqiao, plus several honest descendants who were related to each other; Song Nan was overjoyed, settled everyone down, invited the villagers to have a big meal in the restaurant that night, and invited the villagers to visit their own house, which immediately stunned everyone.

"Brother Song, you have made a fortune, such a big house, I'm afraid you can't take a few hundred taels of silver." Uncle Fang, the neighbor, asked with his mouth open.

Song Nan smiled: "Five thousand taels." ”

"Oh my God." Everyone almost fainted, five thousand taels of silver, and they couldn't earn so much money in this life.

Many people said in their hearts: It is a pity that the Song family brother actually spent so much money to buy this house, but did not go to usury! If you put money into it, you can eat money for a lifetime, and you can eat chicken, duck and fish, although the little brother has money, this account can be regarded as not fine.

Everyone talked about it and was envious, and at the same time thought that the little brother's house must have been blinded, at most eight hundred taels in a house like Ulzhou, Song Xiaoge'er suffered a five-fold loss, and since he was working in the Song family in the future, he would have to help Song Xiaoge check in this regard.

Mother Song couldn't close her mouth with a smile throughout the whole process, she was a villager in the village, she lived together for five or six years, and all families were very familiar with each other.

"Nan'er, the uncles, aunts, uncles and aunts of the neighbors have come to the capital, in addition to taking care of food and clothing, the salary must not be missing, otherwise I will not follow."

Song Nan hurriedly said: "Don't worry, mother, how can you treat them badly, not only is they not badly treated, but the salary is higher than that of the people hired in the capital, others are two taels a month, and our Ulzhou folks are three taels a month, with all food and accommodation." ”

The neighbors were stunned at first, and then applauded and celebrated, and even called the Song family's brother righteous, a woman laughed and shed tears, pulled Song Nan's arm and said: "Good brother, it's not in vain that my aunt secretly stuffed you eggs to eat, my dog can't eat them, you were as thin as a chicken when you were a child, and your aunt is distressed." ”

Another woman also said: "Yes, brother, do you remember, when you were ten years old, you lay on my kang every day, and you wet a few quilts." ”

Song Nan was embarrassed to death, and looked at Ye Fanggu, Ping'er and the others as if she was asking for help while agreeing, but when she saw these unrighteous people covering their mouths and snickering, they were full of schadenfreude.

Still Da Niu couldn't stand it anymore, so he stepped forward to relieve Song Nan and said: "Aunts and uncles, Brother Nan is now a big official in the capital, what did he do in the past?" Before we come, we can talk about it, we can talk about the food, drink and wages, we are all our own families, but everyone should be responsible for Brother Nan'er in business; Brother Nan is busy with official business, don't let Brother Nan be distracted. ”

Only then did everyone rein in and said, "Then you don't need to say, look at it." ”

At the moment, Song Nan struck while the iron was hot, and more than a dozen men naturally went to the oven room to do things, and sent two women to cook food, and the remaining five or six women stayed in the house to do things, cooking, cleaning, planting flowers and trees are all light jobs, and the most important thing is that Song's mother can have the original neighbors as companions, and there is a lot less emptiness and depression.

After everyone was sent back to their residences to rest, Song Nan had the opportunity to ask about the situation in Ulzhou, and Li Daniu told Song Nan in detail about the experience of going to Ulzhou.

After Song Nan left Ulzhou, soon a new commander of the Ulzhou Wei arrived, this person was a civil official from the imperial examination, did not know military equipment, although he was a little sour, but he was not stupid, and Jiang Bin was also politely discussed in military affairs, and Jiang Bin actually became the actual ruler of Ulzhou Wei; The reconstruction of more than a dozen walled forts in the north of Ulzhou began soon after the victory, and by May this year, all of them had been rebuilt, and Jiang Bin was also promoted to the commander of Ulzhou, so he naturally borrowed the power of Mu Bin.

At the beginning, Song Nan was forcibly pulled into Jinyiwei by Mu Bin, Jiang Bin thought clearly about the relationship between Mu Bin, not only did not object, but strongly supported it, I have to say that this move was clever and quickly rewarded.

"Brother Nan, Lord Jiang brought you a reply letter, and also brought back a lot of gifts, this time the neighbors went to Beijing with me to help Zhang Luo, and he was also extremely polite to me."

Li Daniu took out a reply letter from his close-fitting pocket and handed it to Song Nan, as well as two silver tickets, Song Nan saw that it was two for one thousand taels.

"What's going on?" Song Nan pointed to the silver ticket.

"Master Jiang said, if he is promoted, you will give a gift, and if you are promoted to a deputy thousand households, he will naturally give a gift, you will give a thousand taels, and he will return two thousand taels, he said that this trick was still learned from you in Ulzhou."

Song Nan was speechless, Jiang Bin's dark face appeared in front of him, if there was still an element of mutual use between him and Jiang Bin before, after experiencing Dou Wang Dan and the Tartar soldiers, there was already a quite sincere brotherhood between the two.

Song Nan tore open the envelope and took out Jiang Bin's letter and unfolded it, with a few lines of big characters written horizontally and vertically, like Jiang Bin's style: "Brother Song, my brother received your letter, and I heard that you were promoted to a deputy thousand households, my brother was very happy, and he even drank a few bowls of wine, and almost got drunk." When the elder brother was stupid and couldn't write anything, he sent a congratulatory gift of two thousand taels, plus a captured Tartar horse to congratulate his brother on his ascension. Brother Song do a good job, we both have to work hard, brother can remember what you said before leaving, when will we meet in the capital and drink for three days and three nights. ”

Song Nan put down the letter with a smile, and looked at the candle flame in a daze.