When Xiao Zhong returned to the handicraft street, several sisters rushed up and surrounded Xiao Zhong.

"Xiao Zhong, where did you go?"

Wu Qinghui was angry and reprimanded.

On the side, Su Qinqin was also anxious

"Yes, you ran away at night without a figure, and your master is dying."

Xiao Zhong bowed his head and said

"I'm sorry, sisters."

The shopkeeper Li behind him played a round road

"Okay, it's good to come back, let's go back and rest, Sister Wu, you have done a big business today, and you are so tired, why don't you go back to sleep quickly."

Wu Qinghui said

"What kind of big business, it's a drunkard who asks for twelve carts of wine, so that the old lady has to go to other streets to borrow wine."

Su Qinqin glanced at Xiao Zhong with disgust

"Anyway, it's okay if people are fine, and they are not allowed to run around in the future."

Xiao Zhong nodded repeatedly.

"Alright, let's all disperse."

Shopkeeper Li said.

When Xiao Zhong returned to the shop, he heard the coughing sound of Old Man Zhong coming from the back room.

"Ahem......"

Xiao Zhong's heart tightened, and when he walked to the back room, the old man Zhong in his coat turned around, and his old face showed a wrinkled smile.

"Ahem, Xiao Zhong, where did you run at night."

Xiao Zhong saw that the master's face was a little pale, so he hurriedly came forward and said

"Master, what's wrong with you?"

Old man Zhong shook his head and said with a wry smile

"It's okay, I just went out to look for you, I guess it was a cool breeze."

Xiao Zhong patted Master distressedly

"Master, I'm worried about you."

He suddenly remembered the man in black he had just met by the lake, his face was a little unnatural, and he said

"Master, who is the list we received today?"

Old man Zhong was a little surprised, and he didn't know why he suddenly cared about his employer, but he didn't think much about it and said

"It seems to be a scholar, but I really forgot who it is."

Then the old man seemed to remember something, and said again

"Oh, by the way, I just took stock of the goods, and there is not enough saltpeter at home, so you can go buy some tomorrow."

Xiao Zhong said

"In the past, Master personally went to the quarry outside the city to buy, and I am not familiar with the manager of the quarry, so I am afraid it will be difficult."

Old man Zhong gave him a hard blow on the back of the head

"You elm head, if you don't know it, you will have a good relationship, and when I am too old to get out of bed, do you still want me to do these things?"

Xiao Zhong nodded in embarrassment

"All right, Master."

Early the next morning

Xiao Zhong, dressed in rough clothes, went out early.

"Xiao Zhong went out so early."

Wu Qinghui rolled up his sleeves and pushed a cart of wine, his face was covered with beads of sweat.

"Sister Wu, I'll help you."

Seeing that Wu Qinghui was struggling, Xiao Zhong quickly ran to her side and helped her push the cart together.

"Xiao Zhong, my sister didn't hurt you in vain."

Wu Qinghui said with a smile.

Ahead, the willow shopkeeper of the willow dim sum shop happened to open the door.

"If you want to say that you still have to have a man, as soon as Xiao Zhong came, Sister Wu was much more relaxed."

Shopkeeper Liu said with a smile.

"You are not ashamed to call the little bell every day."

On the other side, holding a book in her hand, Su Qinqin, who was sitting outside the door, glanced at them.

Xiao Zhong wiped the sweat from his face and said innocently

"It's okay, the sisters are all good sisters of mine, and it's right to help you do something."

Su Qinqin didn't ramble anymore, looked at Xiao Zhong, and said softly

"Xiao Zhong, what are you doing so early?"

Little Jongdo

"The saltpeter in the shop is gone, and Master asked me to go to the quarry outside the city to buy some."

"Didn't your master do all this work before, why did you go this time?"

Wu Qinghui asked on the side.

Speaking of which, Xiao Zhong is one head and two big, and he is worried that he doesn't know how to have a relationship with the people in the quarry

"Master said that when I grew up, this shop always had to be handed over to me, and I had to do what he did before."

Su Qinqin said with a smile

"The old man is right, then you should be careful, there are no officers and soldiers patrolling outside the city than inside the city, and if you encounter those outlaws in the rivers and lakes, stay away."

Xiao Zhong nodded

"Well, I got Sister Su."

The quarry is about ten miles outside Taiyang City, and this quarry is the largest saltpeter production area in the Central Plains.

Above the construction site, the mining workers were naked and dark-skinned, and there was a large mine on the ground, and when you looked down from the mouth of the mine, it was pitch black and you could not see anything.

Xiao Zhong looked at the naked strong man coming and going, and was a little embarrassed, someone noticed this young man

"Hey! Where are you from, what are you doing here! ”

A big man said in a thick voice.

Xiao Zhong was taken aback, looked at the strong man's sturdy and dark muscle lines, and said tremblingly

"I'm from the Zhong family's fireworks shop, and I'm here to buy some saltpeter."

The strong man frowned

"Pyrotechnics? Hasn't it always been the old clock? ”

Xiao Zhong said

"Master suffered from the wind chill yesterday, and I can't get out of bed today, so I can only come."

The strong man asked with some suspicion

"It's only June, and it's not all purchased in August and September."

Xiao Zhong said

"I received a new big order, and the inventory is not enough."

The strong man became more and more unconvinced, and just wanted to ask, but heard a voice behind him

"Li Er, let him come over."

Pingchuan, who was wearing a hat, walked over, and next to him, a man dressed as a Jianghu man stood with him.

Xiao Zhong looked at the Jianghu man, although his eyes were calm, but somehow, his body was unconsciously a little afraid, the man was standing there like that, but he felt that the other party could break his neck at any time.

Just by his glance, he was already sweating.

The Jianghu man glanced at Xiao Zhong, but turned his head and said to Pingchuan

"Mr. Hirakawa, I'll leave first."

Hirakawa was silent for a moment, then nodded.

After the Jianghu man left, Pingchuan looked at the strong man Li Er and said

"Your Excellency has ordered this in advance, let him in."

When Li Er heard the word adult, his face changed instantly, and he grinned at Xiao Zhong

"Since it was ordered by the adults, then you can go in."

As he spoke, he patted the little bell, and the little bell was caught off guard, and he almost stumbled and fell forward.

Xiao Zhong's body was full of qi and blood, and after a while, he was afraid that the strong man's strength was too great.

He then followed Hirakawa into a wooden house in the quarry.

"Sit casually."

Xiao Zhong looked at everything in the room blankly, and his thoughts were still stuck in the words of the man in the hat just now.

Why did you say it was ordered by an adult?

"Hello, my name is Pingchuan, and I'm the new steward here."

Pingchuan spoke with a Jiangnan accent and said calmly.

Xiao Zhong nodded and introduced himself

"My name is Zhong Qin, everyone calls me Xiao Zhong, and I belong to the fireworks shop in the city."

Hirakawa's face was covered by a hat, and Xiao Zhong couldn't see him, but from his tone, Xiao Zhong knew that this was a very gentle person.

"Your master asked you to come here for him, naturally he is ready to let you take over his business, so I have to say hello to you in advance for some things."

Xiao Zhong was puzzled, what to say hello.

"It turns out that this is the jurisdiction of Lord Shangshu Fu of the Ministry of War, and the steward here is also the nephew of Lord Fu, after Lord Fu died, this place was taken over by Lord Shangshuxi of the Ministry of Industry, and the person in charge has also become me, but no matter who is in charge, some things will not change."

Speaking of this, Hirakawa glanced at the ignorant little clock.

"This quarry has no source of income on weekdays, and adults have to feed so many laborers, so they naturally have to find some way, and the large and small shops in the city have the most relationship with the quarry, and naturally your fireworks shop."

"You have also seen that there are two main kinds of stone mined here, one is ordinary stone, which is often used for construction, and the other is saltpeter, Lord Xi knows that you have a great demand for this saltpeter for fireworks, so I will probably frequent your shop in the future to make some fireworks."

Speaking of this, Xiao Zhong became more and more dazed, but he probably understood something, it should be this Lord Xi who gave him a list of fireworks for his shop yesterday, but he still didn't understand what Lord Xi wanted to do.

Hirakawa continued

"As long as Lord Xi patronizes your shop, you will naturally come to purchase saltpeter, for example, this time, I will raise some purchase prices, but when the account office makes accounts, it is still sold at the original price, and the extra silver taels are from your shop."

Hearing this, Xiao Zhong was a little unhappy

"What is the basis for this?"

Hirakawa said

"The adults give you business, you buy saltpeter, and return part of the profits to the adults, so that you make money, and the adults also make money, and this kind of business can not be for a long time."

Xiao Zhong suddenly realized, and finally understood why, no wonder this is not a festival, suddenly want so many fireworks, one of which comes and goes, is to make money.

At this moment, he finally understood why his master asked him to have a relationship, thinking about it, in the past few decades, their shop has dealt with nobles like this.

Xiao Zhong straightened his mind and said

"In that case, then just do what Hirakawa-sama wants."

Hirakawa smiled with relief

"Okay, so, Li Er!"

A moment later, Li Er walked in.

"Go and prepare saltpeter for Shopkeeper Zhong, you find a few brothers and deliver it to the door in person."

The corners of Li Er's mouth twitched, obviously he also knew the doorway here, and said

"Yes."

Then he looked at Xiao Zhong again and said with a smile

"Shopkeeper Zhong, you can deal with more in the future."

After about a cup of tea, Xiao Zhong said goodbye to Hirakawa and left the quarry.

But not long after Xiao Zhong left, in Pingchuan's house, a secret door suddenly opened, and Xi Shusi walked out slowly.

His face was delighted, and he patted Pingchuan violently

"Oh, Brother Pingchuan, you are really my lucky star, thanks to you for this idea, when the Chaotian Tower is completed, the celebration ceremony, and the fireworks are set off, this money is earned logically, in the future, there will be a share of mine, and you will have a share."

Hirakawa's eyes were calm and he didn't seem to be moved.

He just quietly looked at the busy laborers outside the room and said lightly

"Soaring Tower......

When Xiao Zhong returned to the city, it was already noon.

The scorching sun shines on Changming Lake.

Walking along the lakeside, Xiao Zhong couldn't help but think of the strange thing he saw last night, and stopped, looking at the other side of the shore that was almost out of reach in the distance.

After a long time, he withdrew his gaze and continued to walk towards the handicraft street.

About half an hour later, he returned to the street, and several sisters in the neighborhood greeted him warmly when they saw him.

"Xiao Zhong's business has been negotiated."

Shopkeeper Liu asked him with a smile.

Xiao Zhong nodded

"Well, it went well."

At this moment, a curse suddenly reached his ears on the street.

"The one who killed a thousand knives stole it from the old lady, and I don't want to live!"