Taohuaxi

Chapter 61

At the ferry at dusk, the setting sun turned into a deep red.

Everyone's face was covered with a soft blush.

The clouds lay slantingly against the evening breeze, suddenly feeling a little sad.

In the dry season, the canal flows dully, the winter wind blows across the water surface reluctantly, and the river water reluctantly emits microwaves, hiding the infinite annoyance at the bottom of the water, making a whimpering sound.

Qin Mingxu just held me in his arms and forgot to let go.The scent of him slowly flowed into my nose one by one.Not preemptively, but strike later.

There are tens of thousands of rows on the qutai, and there are many flowers and weeping poplars among the leaves.The sun in the north forest shines brightly in the mirror, and the breeze in the south is fragrant with styrax.

Su Hexiang.

Similar to hematoxylin.As elegant as clouds.

Uncle Zheng Guo came to me at some unknown time.He coughed and raised his voice: "I wish you good luck, boss. If you are drunk, you will be drunk. What? Master Qin is reluctant to let go?"

Hearing this, I quickly supported myself and stood up.

Qin Mingxu was also a little embarrassed and said, "Uncle Guo is joking."

Uncle Zheng Guo drank another large bowl of wine under the afterglow of the sunset and heaved a sigh of relief.

He looked at Qin Mingxu with a look of confusion, then looked at me, and said: "My Lord, I missed it last time. You and Boss Zhu are not husband and wife. My Lord has never drank such wine before, nor did I." I have never seen such a person. Sometimes I think about it, maybe I should have a good relationship with this wine and this person."

He laughed and left.

I ignored him and finished two carts full of wine with Hua Lian and the other guys before returning.

Qin Mingxu was a little worried and said to me: "Sang Yu, could this country uncle..."

I said: "Just stay away from these dandy boys. Anyway, I have the title of 'Yi De Xiangjun' personally appointed by the Queen Mother, so I forgive him for not daring to act recklessly."

After the incident of delivering wine at the ferry, Zhujia Winery became famous in Yangzhou.

The craftsmen went around talking about how good the wine tasted that day, and how loyal the owner of Zhujia Winery was.

The government office was worried about public resentment because of the canal repairs and the sharing of hard labor. Seeing Zhu's family serving wine and getting a round of applause from the people, they were happy to divert their resentment towards the government.

Master Geng, the prefect of Yangzhou, specially brought up a plaque with "Taibai Legacy" and sent it over with drums and gongs.I ordered Hua Lian to hang the plaque in the most conspicuous place in the hall.

The master who presented the plaque drank until he was seventy or eighty percent drunk on the counter and wrote a couplet with a pen on the spot:
Liu Ling asked which house was better, and Li Bai said that this place was the best.

This couplet and the magistrate's plaque are in perfect harmony with each other.

In this way, Zhujia Winery has gained a reputation among the people and also received official recognition.

For a time, there was an endless stream of people coming to Zhujia Winery to buy wine, ranging from wealthy families to traders.

The guys were busy collecting money and shipping goods, with smiles on their faces.

The wine stored in the backyard was quickly sold out.The brewmasters stayed up late to make new brews.I stared at it until midnight for several nights in a row before going home to rest.

Hua Lian meticulously kept track of the incoming and outgoing accounts, and after several days, he did not make any mistakes.

When opening a shop and doing business, one thing that is particularly difficult to deal with is debt collection.When I was in charge of the Cheng family, there were some old debts that had accumulated for more than ten years and turned into bad debts and dead debts.Wu Bi tried his best, but could not take back all of them.

Hua Lian is a serious person, he does everything strictly and follows the rules.

It was agreed upon when it would be returned, and she went to ask for it on time.If she didn't pay it back, she would sit in his house.She followed them when they were eating and sleeping. She couldn't even drive them away, so she just stared at them blankly until they became panicked.She doesn't care about feelings, and she doesn't show kindness.The rules are as big as the sky.

Zhujia Winery, thanks to Hua Lian's sincerity, has not had any outstanding debts.

At the end of the month, I did some calculations and found that the profit was greater than I imagined.

Before Feng Gao sent me to Wuling Mountain, he gave me the banknote and the money from selling the mansion in the capital, which I used as capital for my business.These capitals have already been doubled.

I sorted out half of it and gave it back to Qin Mingxu.

"This is the money you spent for the Zhu family. I will pay it back to you now."

How much money is there?

He didn't refuse, he accepted it, tucked it into his sleeve, and said with a smile: "Sang Yu, I knew you were capable."

If he doesn't accept it, I will inevitably have a problem in my heart.He accepted it, and I felt much more relaxed.

He knows me.

I smiled and said, "I still have ten thousand taels of gold, but I owe it first. I remember it all."

He said: "Taking profits for the sake of justice, big businessmen have no calculation. Sang Yu, don't worry."

I leaned on the counter and ordered Hua Lian to bring two glasses of new wine. One cup was handed to Qin Mingxu, and the other cup was drunk by myself. I said: "It's not good to owe others after all. I have had ups and downs in my short life, and all I want to do is... You don’t owe anyone.”

He held the wine cup and felt lost for a moment: "Sang Yu, I wish you could stop being so clear with me."

I laugh while saying nothing.

The New Year flies through my fingers.

The waiter at the counter, the brewer, and all the servants in the Zhu Mansion were each given three times the monthly silver.

Up and down, there was joy.

Even Zhu Xifeng was overjoyed and bought many Western gadgets from the foreigners in Jiaofang to make my father happy.My father's illness is getting better.He didn't rush off as he expected.After surviving the new year, I took a lot of medicine and was able to walk around.

I sat in the back garden of Zhu Mansion, looking up at the fireworks all over the sky during the first month of the year, feeling filled with loneliness for no reason.After Cheng Huaishi left, I was as lonely as a beast, waiting for an opportunity to bite me from time to time.

On the quilt between the pillows, there was desolation.

Huaishi, have I become what you hoped for?
I made a lot of money, I had a new life, I was busy, I supported a family, I stood on the counter and smiled at everyone.I forgot your temperature and brushed off your last name.Soon, there may be no trace of your presence in my life at all.

soon.Yeah?

The news of Master Qin's death came in the evening of early February.

The spring in the south of the Yangtze River is extremely cold.

Winter plum blossoms climb the window.

The clerk at the counter came back from delivering goods outside and said, "Something big happened in the city! Boss Qin from Tiansheng Building is dead!"

My hand moving the abacus stopped, I raised my head and said, "Don't talk nonsense."

The waiter said: "Really. This matter has been spread all over the streets and alleys. Boss Qin died in a very dishonorable manner. In the end, it was a good debt—"

The waiter smiled ambiguously, and the other people on the counter all came over: "Tell me, how did you die?"

"He died in Baihua Tower. It is said that he was having sex with Zhuhong, the top oiran. He was old and couldn't withstand the temptation of many flowers. He died, scaring Zhuhong half to death. A man in the Qin Mansion Dui’s concubine had a huge quarrel and wanted to go to Baihua House to settle the score! Fortunately, Mr. Qin, the head of the Qin Mansion, calmed down the situation, took Boss Qin’s body back and paid a funeral.”

I handed the account book to Hua Lian, told the driver to prepare the horse, and headed to Qingyue Pavilion.

After Cai Qingyao returned to Yangzhou, he made peace with Qin Ke, so he would not return to the Qin family.I wanted to keep her living in Zhu Mansion, but she refused.Qin Mingxu bought a small courtyard not far from Zhu Mansion for Cai Qingyao to live alone.She named the small courtyard "Qingyue Pavilion".Cai Qingyao's Qing, Zhang Taiyue's Yue.She was growing flowers and feeding birds in the small courtyard, playing chess and playing the harp, and she felt at ease.

It's quite close to me, so I can take care of it all the time.

I entered the Qingyue Pavilion and heard the music of "Jing Guan Yin" from a distance.

When he walked in, he saw Cai Qingyuan stroking the piano and Qin Mingxu standing aside.

Suddenly, the string breaks.

Cai Qing raised his head and said, "He brought the blame on himself, and no one else is to blame."

Qin Mingxu leaned over and said, "My father is gone, and I'm here to take my mother back to my home. I plan to send all the aunts away so that my mother can't see her."

Cai Qingyao waved his hand and said: "Come on, come on, those people are going to have a fight with your father. Don't treat them poorly. Even if they are sent away, they must be given enough money. Those who are willing to keep their integrity, let them guard them. Those who want to remarry, Let them remarry. I am no longer a member of the Qin family, so why should I go back? "

Qin Mingxu leaned down, put his face on Cai Qingyao's lap, and suddenly cried.

I have never seen him cry so sadly.

Master Qin is his biological father after all.

He made all his efforts to keep Mr. Qin alive.In the end, Master Qin died in this way.His death was so popular that the whole city was filled with rumors.Lost all face and dignity.

For Qin Mingxu, this is a ridiculous and sad joke.

"Mother..." he called softly.

Cai Qingyao touched his face gently: "Xu'er, as a human being, you have done your best."

Qin Mingxu raised his head, hesitated for a while, and said, "Could it be...that he arranged it?"

Cai Qingyao understood who this "he" was, and she shook her head desperately: "No. Impossible. Since he let people go, he doesn't care. It's so easy to kill people in Dongchang, why do you need to be so roundabout?"

Qin Mingxu lowered his head and said: "Yes, it is so easy for Dongchang to kill people. But killing people and killing their hearts is the best way for him to relieve his hatred, isn't it?"

Hearing this, I hurriedly said: "Master Qin, you have mistaken him! Mr. Factory Lord, I promise you a thousand pieces of gold!"

I don’t know why, but my first reaction was to believe in Feng Gao.

I don't want Qin Mingxu to doubt him.

Qin Mingxu looked at me, then at Cai Qingyao, and after a long while, he said: "Mother and Sang Yu are right. It was my fault. The funeral is not over yet, so I will go."

After Qin Mingxu left, Cai Qingyao was lost in the courtyard for a long time.

I helped her sit on the couch in the back room.

"I'll stew you a cup of the blood swallow that the factory master ordered us to bring back last month."

She nodded and said: "Sang Yu, I miss him..."

Although Feng Gao came to Yangzhou, he often brought things back.

I don't know how he is doing now.

Trapped by something.

Whether you are safe or not.

Like Cai Qingyao, I miss him very much.

At midnight, Cai Qingyao fell asleep and we came out of Qingyue Pavilion.

Hua Lian silently waited for me outside the door.

"My boss, someone from the Cheng Mansion put the letter on the counter at that moment."

"Oh? What's the matter?"

"On the eighth day of February, the third young lady of the Cheng Mansion is getting married. Mrs. Cheng asks you to officiate the wedding."

"Oh, I see."

I nodded.

I was supposed to go to the wedding with Lu Gui in the Qing Dynasty.

I don't know, but at this moment, someone is secretly brewing a conspiracy and opening a big net, waiting for me...

(End of this chapter)