serious man in the red chamber

Chapter 395 Iron Rooster’s Treat

The weather finally cleared up, and the New Year's Eve was getting closer and closer. The rich and poor were buying and selling New Year's goods. At this time, the street was crowded, and both sides were filled with various stalls, hawking, and selling. Bargaining, bustling with activity.

Jia Hu, who was wearing casual clothes, led Lin San and Yang Dayong down a stone bridge, followed closely behind them were the leading officer dressed as an entourage and eight soldiers who were watching all the way.

When he reached a wonton stall, Jia Hu stopped.

Lin San looked at Yang Dayong with a smile.

Yang Dayong understood, and quickly stepped forward to wipe the bench next to the small table in front of the stall with his sleeves, and then looked at Jia Hu with a flattering smile.

Jia Hu ignored him, walked forward and sat down.

Lin San and Yang Dayong also sat down on the bench next to him.

The stall owner seemed to see Jia Hu's extraordinary origins from his angular and calm face. He smiled compensatingly and said, "Your Majesty, are you going to eat wontons?"

Yang Dayong waved his hand: "Here are three bowls of wontons."

The stall owner was about to make wontons, but Jia Hu stopped him: "No hurry, let's talk first."

The stall owner was startled for a moment, then Lin San took out a piece of silver from his sleeve and placed it on the table: "I'm not delaying you in vain."

"I can't make it, I can't make it"

The stall owner hurriedly picked up the silver on the table and sent it back: "This is five taels of silver ingots with half of it sandwiched. There are at least two taels left in this piece!"

Jia Hu waved his hand: "Sit down, sit down."

The stall owner: "Hey, hey." He replied, moved the stool and sat down.

Jia Hu: "Is business good?"

The stall owner smiled and said: "What's good? I can barely make a living."

Jia Hu: "It's so lively here, how can it not make money?"

The stall owner shook his head and smiled bitterly: "I did make money in the first half of the year, but now I can't."

Jia Hu understood: "Is it because the price of food has increased?"

The stall owner: "Yes. My wontons cost two copper coins a bowl half a year ago, and now they cost four copper coins. However, the price of food has risen to one, two, four, and one stone. The price has almost doubled."

Lin San smiled and said: "Then you should also increase the price!"

The stall owner replied with a grimace: "With four copper coins, many people will stop eating. If the price goes up if the price goes up, there will be no business."

Jia Hu looked around and asked, "I see that some of the stalls are piled with goods. Why haven't they been empty in the past half day?"

The stall owner immediately gave a thumbs up: "You have great eyesight! To be honest, these people are just here to join in the fun, and not many of them actually spend money!"

At this point, he sighed, "Food prices have been rising again and again in the past six months. Almost all the people's money has been used to buy food. How can there be spare money to buy these things! If this continues, people will really starve to death." "

Jia Hu smiled: "No one will starve to death. Food from Nanyang will come to Beijing after the new year."

The stall owner was startled and asked urgently: "Really?"

Jia Hu nodded.

The stall owner clasped his hands together: "Amitabha, Buddha bless me, I can finally live a peaceful life!"

Yang Dayong's face sank: "What kind of Buddha's blessing?! It was the imperial navy that defeated the Xiyi people in Nanyang, so you can eat Nanyang's grain and rice!"

The stall owner asked: "Are these military masters?"

Jia Hu said calmly: "Don't you know about the bloody battle between the imperial navy and the Western Yi people in Nanyang?"

The stall owner said: "I heard that, but what does a war in Nanyang have to do with our capital?"

Jia Hu was startled for a moment, then said seriously: "If the imperial court does not fight this war in Nanyang, it will not be able to transport rice from Nanyang, and the price of food will not drop."

The stall owner: "What you said is wrong. When there was no Nanyang grain in the past, the price of grain in the capital was only four to five hundred copper coins. In addition, I heard people say that the reason why there was a grain shortage in the capital was because the imperial court was in the northwest and southern Xinjiang. During the war, all the food from the south was transported to the front line.”

As he spoke, he raised his voice: "We won't get any benefits if the imperial court wins the war, but we will have to endure undue suffering."

Jia Hu and Lin San glanced at each other and fell silent.

But Yang Dayong became anxious and blushed: "Without us fighting at the front, how can you do business safely here?!" The stall owner immediately became a little relieved: "Jun, Junye, calm down, you are talking so freely! Nonsense! Nonsense!" He said, raising his hand and slapping himself in the mouth.

Jia Hu waved his hand: "Let's make wontons."

The stall owner said: "Yes." He replied and hurried over to make wontons.

Jia Hu sighed. In order to unify the country and ensure the long-term peace and stability of the border areas, the imperial court sent 30 million troops to expedition to the northwest and southern Xinjiang. However, the result was not recognized by the people, and they even felt conflicted and disgusted.

This contains the common people's thoughts of being content with poverty and being happy with their fate, which in the vernacular means accepting their fate.But more often than not, the people at the bottom lacked a sense of identity with the imperial court and felt that it was all the imperial court's business and had nothing to do with them.

Perhaps this can be changed by taking control of public opinion.

Thinking of this, Jia Hu's eyes lit up. Isn't this the public sentiment that has been bothering him!
A bowl of piping hot wontons was brought to Jia Hu.

At this time, Lin San took out a pair of ivory-inlaid silver chopsticks wrapped in a handkerchief from his sleeves and Jia Hu.

Jia Hu saw it and smiled: "Don't take yourself too seriously, no one knows us. Besides, you can't test the poison in this thing."

Lin San didn't answer and gave the chopsticks to Jia Hu.

Jia Hu had no choice but to take the chopsticks.

Two more bowls of piping hot wontons were brought to the table.

Jia Hu picked up the bowl of steaming wontons, and a scent hit his nostrils: "It smells so good!" He took a sip and said, "Well, it tastes good." Then he started eating.

Lin San also started to eat: "Well, it's really good. Thanks to Yang Dayong. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be able to eat such delicious food today." As he said this, he glanced at Yang Dayong.

Yang Dayong understood, his face turned red, and he hesitated and said: "I have something to ask the commander for help. I have prepared the wedding matters, but I don't have any parents or brothers who want to ask for help."

Lin San rolled his eyes, "He wants to ask the commander to accept the gift as his elder brother instead of his parents."

Jia Hu put down the bowl and looked at him: "No need for a memorial tablet?"

Yang Dayong: "No need."

Jia Hu didn't ask any more questions, picked up the bowl and started eating again: "It's a day late. Yesterday I promised the old man to marry me. So, you go to Xuanzhen Temple to find our old man. He happens to be older than you. My parents are older." After saying that, he drank the soup.

Yang Dayong was so shocked that his eyes widened.

Jia Hu looked at him: "What? Did you feel wronged?"

"No grievances, no grievances"

After saying that, Yang Dayong came back to his senses, "The commander's words are killing me. I will go to Xuanzhen Temple to kowtow to the old man now." After saying that, he stood up and prepared to leave.

"Wait a moment."

Jia Hu stopped him and pointed at the wontons, "Eat first. Also, pay the money before leaving."

Lin San put down the bowl and said with a smile: "You don't have any money, do you?"

Yang Dayong blushed: "Forgot."

Lin San was startled for a moment and looked at him: "You really didn't bring it with you?"

Yang Dayong replied: "Yes."

Lin San was very happy: "You are really good! You keep saying that you want to treat the commander to breakfast, but you forgot to bring money!"

After a pause, "You didn't do it on the spur of the moment, did you?"

Yang Dayong lowered his head to eat wontons, but said: "Don't slander me, I sincerely want to treat the commander to breakfast. You pay the money for me first, and I will pay you back tomorrow."

Lin San wanted to tease. The leading officer came over with a letter and saluted Jia Hu: "Your Majesty, this is a letter from the palace. It is said to be of great importance. Please open it immediately." " Then he handed the letter to Jia Hu.

Jia Hu took the letter and opened it. He was startled for a moment and then couldn't help but frowned. What on earth did Zhao Zixun want to do?
Even if you don't discuss such a big matter with yourself, at least you should tell it in advance.

To cause such a big thing quietly makes me too passive.

No, the Jia family must not miss this power feast!

It is definitely not appropriate for him to end up. The official positions of Li Hao, Yang Jian and others are too low, and Jia Lian is just a dough to be kneaded and furnished.
Maybe I should have a good chat with Jia She!

Thinking of this, Jia Hu slowly stood up.
(End of this chapter)