Red Mansion Taoist

Chapter 78 Giving Gifts
  After leaving Huafang, Xue Pan made an appointment with Jia Qiang and agreed to meet at Lin Mansion three days later.

Huang Zhiyuan, Zhang Ximing and Xi Jinge all made appointments with Jia Qiang for future gatherings, and this meeting made them friends.

Jia Qiang is naturally willing, especially with Huang Zhiyuan, he wants to have more contact.

He also discovered that Huang Zhiyuan was also interested in getting along with him.

With Huang Zhiyuan's well-informed knowledge, the information he wanted to obtain about the salt merchants could be obtained from Huang Zhiyuan.

Of course, this inquiry must be done skillfully and Huang Zhiyuan cannot be suspected.

Jia Qiang returned to Lin Mansion. Lin Ruhai had already returned, and he went to see Li.

Later, Lin Ruhai called him to have a meal with the whole family. During this period, he checked Jia Min's condition and found that he was not poisoned again.

After dinner, Jia Qiang and Lin Ruhai came to the study, and Jia Qiang poured tea for Lin Ruhai.

"Did you make friends with Huang Zhiyuan today?" Lin Ruhai took a sip of tea and asked lightly.

"Yes, Huang Zhiyuan also intends to make friends with me!" Jia Qiang replied.

"Don't underestimate Huang Zhiyuan. He is the next generation leader of the Huang family trained by Huang Quanyi. This man likes to make friends. He can talk to everyone from ordinary people in the city to the princes of big families. He also has information all over Yangzhou. Net!" Lin Ruhai continued.

Jia Qiang nodded. Huang Zhiyuan's appearance was indeed confusing, but he also discovered something special.

"Zhang Zhizhou and I are from the same line. He has thousands of soldiers in his hands. Added to the salt pods in my hand, we have almost half of the soldiers in Yangzhou!" Lin Ruhai continued to explain.

Jia Qiang finally knew why Lin Ruhai was able to survive in Yangzhou. Zhang Zhizhou was a member of Emperor Jingwen and had thousands of soldiers in his hands.

Lin Ruhai, the salt patrol censor, has hundreds of salt soldiers in his hands. Although the salt soldiers' combat power is very weak, they are an army after all and have a strong deterrent effect.

It was with military power that Lin Ruhai was able to fight against the salt merchants.

Of course, there is also Lin Ruhai's conspiracy, such as today's invitation to Huang Quanyi, one of the eight major salt merchants, who can be regarded as the salt merchant that Lin Ruhai has attracted.

To win over a group of people, divide a group of people, and suppress a group of people, although this method is old-fashioned, it is extremely practical.

"There is no need to rush about the salt affairs. Your Majesty has given you plenty of time. Please contact Xi Jinge more when you are free. Meihua Academy has an extremely rich collection of books and has trained countless Jinshi!" Lin Ruhai added.

Jia Qiang nodded. Emperor Jing Wen's mission was a long-term one, and Emperor Jing Wen would not think that Jia Qiang could easily solve the chaotic salt affairs problem by coming alone.

Emperor Jingwen really had no one to use. In addition, Jia Qiang's genius and most importantly his force, in cooperation with Lin Ruhai, might be able to change the current situation of Yangzhou Salt Affairs.

"Teacher, Xue Tong will come to visit me in three days and will use the teacher's house to receive guests!" Jia Qiang thought of the Xue family and said to Lin Ruhai.

"The Xue family and my Lin family are also family friends. I will meet him with you then!" Lin Ruhai said with a smile when he learned about Jia Qiang's treatment of Xue Tong.

"Teacher, please rest!" Jia Qiang stood up and said after seeing the tired look on Lin Ruhai's face.

Shortly after Jia Qiang left, Jia Min walked into the study.

"Min'er, why are you here?" Lin Ruhai asked with a smile when he saw his wife.

"Since Brother Qiang came, I have been thinking about one thing and want to discuss it with my husband!" Jia Min hesitated for a moment and then said.

"It's about Brother Qiang, but I want to hear it!" Lin Ruhai said as he moved Jia Min to a chair aside and poured a glass of water with his own hands.

Seeing Lin Ruhai's caring behavior, Jia Min couldn't help but laugh.

"How about Brother Qiang and Daiyu?" Jia Min asked softly.

"How old is Daiyu? That's all you need to consider!" Lin Ruhai said with some dissatisfaction.

Jia Min also knew that Lin Ruhai cherished Daiyu very much. Daiyu was only seven years old. It was indeed very early to talk about getting married, which made Lin Ruhai feel a little uncomfortable.

"Brother Qiang isn't old either. I'm not talking about now. I'm just saying that with Brother Qiang's conditions, no other young master can compare to him. Do you want to find a worse husband for Daiyu than Brother Qiang? I don't agree. !" Jia Min stretched out his fingers and said while counting.

The reason why Jia Min had this idea was because he knew about Jia Qiang's abilities.

At a young age, he has received the title of Zhengyipin, and his literary talents have become a scholar at the age of twelve. He studies with his husband, and he will not be too bad in the literary field in the future.

Jia Min also learned from Lin Ruhai that the reason why Jia Qiang's title was not spread was because the title was awarded directly by the Supreme Emperor and the Emperor in the palace, without going through the Ministry of Rites.

"Jia Qiang is one generation lower than Daiyu." Lin Ruhai was silent for a moment and then said.

"Haha, my husband has forgotten that you accepted Brother Qiang as your disciple. Seniority is not a problem. Besides, even if Brother Qiang has not left Ningguo Mansion, he and I are still outside the fifth server!" Jia Min Said with a chuckle.

"Just wait, Daiyu is still young, it will take another two years." Lin Ruhai was decisive in other matters, but she was reluctant to give up on her daughter's matter, insisting.

Jia Min rolled her eyes at Lin Ruhai. She didn't try to persuade her. She thought that she should keep an eye on Jia Qiang and not let others take the lead.

Three days later, a servant of the Xue family sent a greeting card early in the morning and made an appointment to visit in the afternoon. This was an extremely formal visit ceremony, treating Jia Qiang as a person of equal status.

Of course, there is also a reason for this, Lin Ruhai's relationship with the Xue family is also very close.

Lin Ruhai specially took leave at home. Due to the special features of Lin Mansion, he waited at the back door for the arrival of the Xue family.

There is no way. The front door is the Yanyun Envoy Yamen, so we can't open the Yamen wide.

Since there were not many servants in the Lin Mansion, the old housekeeper watched from the door. Lin Ruhai and Jia Qiang sat in the pavilion next to the back door, drinking tea and waiting.

"Master, Master Qiang, the guests of the Xue family have arrived!" A young boy came running to report.

Jia Qiang and Lin Ruhai stood up. At this moment, the back door opened wide and they walked out.

"How many gifts are Xue Tong going to give?" Even Lin Ruhai, who had seen a lot of things in the world, couldn't help but take a breath and said to himself when he saw the Xue family's pomp.

I saw a row of carriages entering the alley. Seven carriages had already turned into the alley, but the following carriages were still turning into the alley.

The carriages that come with this kind of visit are all loaded with gifts, but this time there are a lot of carriages.

Xue Tong and Xue Pan got off the first carriage. Xue Tong was very strong and not as weak as before.

He strode to Jia Qiang and Lin Ruhai, laughing before they arrived.

"Hahaha, Xue Tong has met Mr. Lin and Brother Jia Xian. They haven't seen each other for a few days, and they are even more impressive!" Xue Tong said with a smile.

Jia Qiang and Lin Ruhai met every day, and Lin Ruhai didn't feel anything yet. However, Xue Tong and Jia Qiang hadn't seen each other for many days, and the last time they met had a deep impression, they could tell something was different at a glance this time.

This is the reason why Jia Qiang practiced the 'Taixu Sutra'. Although he did not break away from the world like a real immortal by practicing the 'Taixu Sutra', the 'Taixu Sutra' exerted a subtle influence on him and continuously improved his spirit. The manifestation of the 'Tai Xu Jing' itself on him, coupled with the activity of his magic power, caused changes in his temperament.

"Master Xue, I haven't seen you for a long time. You seem to be in good health. Congratulations!" Lin Ruhai said with a smile.

"I still want to thank Brother Jia Xian..." Xue Tong said this and stopped quickly. He remembered his promise to Jia Qiang not to tell anyone about Jia Qiang's treatment.

Although there were only a few servants not far away except Lin Ruhai, Jia Qiang and Xue Pan, he still took his words back.

"Pan'er, send me the gift list!" He turned to his son Xue Pan and ordered.

Xue Pan took out a gift list and handed it to Jia Qiang in his hand.

"I know that Jia Xiandi likes to read, so I sent over my collection of 2,345 books. In addition, knowing that Jia Xiandi is alone outside, I also gave him fifty pieces of Jinling Yunjin, fifty pieces of Zhuanghua Brocade, and five pieces of Shandong silk. Ten pieces, fifty pieces of cotton yarn and silk, plus pens, inks, paper, inkstones and other items, a total of twelve carts!" Xue Tong introduced with a smile.

"There is also a gift from me, which is in that carriage!" Xue Pan winked at Jia Qiang and said with a weird look on his face.

When Xue Tong heard Xue Pan's words, he couldn't help but shook his head. He didn't think that Jia Qiang liked the gift, but Xue Pan had already done it when he came over.

Even a wealthy person like Jia Qiang was shocked by the gift of twelve carts.

The luxury of the Xue family had only been heard before, but now it was truly seen.

Lin Ruhai asked the old housekeeper to help deliver the gifts to the mansion. The gift from Xue Pan was a separate carriage, which went directly into the mansion.

Jia Qiang didn't have the nerve to step forward to check, so he greeted Xue Tong and Xue Pan to enter.

Xue Tong was in a very good mood, and he started preparing gifts within a few days of being separated from Jia Qiang.

Jia Qiang not only saved him, but also saved the entire Xue family. As soon as he got home, he started preparing gifts and delivered them immediately, which shows how sincere this gratitude is.

Lin Ruhai and Xue Tong had known each other for a long time. After they sat down, they started chatting about past events.

Xue Pan was more polite because his father was here, and he sat honestly, but his eyes kept blinking, making Jia Qiang confused as to what he wanted to express.

"Brother Jia Xian, my son is a bit confused. I hope your uncle will take more care of him in the future!" Xue Tong made a final request to Jia Qiang when he left the Lin Mansion.

He has been a businessman for many years and has such sharp eyes.

The most important reason why he was able to send such a heavy gift this time was that Jia Qiang saved his life. Besides, he had no intention of making friends with Jia Qiang.

A scholar who can worship Lin Ruhai as a disciple, and a strong man who can use a treasure bow to block the canal. These all show that Jia Qiang is not simple.

"I will pay attention to Xue Pan's temperament. You need to have some mature people around you. You can't just follow his temper and mess around!" Jia Qiang nodded and replied.

It was because he was recognized as Xue Pan's uncle that he could utter such words of persuasion.

He remembered that the reason why Xue Pan beat people to death was because the servants around him did not do it lightly. It was not Xue Pan's own actions, but Xue Pan took all the blame for the servants' actions.

"What Brother Jia Xian said, I will do it when I get back." Xue Tong said with a smile. Jia Qiang was willing to say this because he was concerned about Xue Pan's performance. How could he not hear it.

When Xue Pan heard Jia Qiang's words, his face was full of bitterness, and he looked at Jia Qiang angrily, with an expression that said he was not interested enough.

In the end, Xue Tong pulled him away. Xue Pan did not forget to signal when he left. Unfortunately, Jia Qiang did not understand what Xue Pan meant.

When they returned to the house, they saw Jia Min and Daiyu there.

Lin Ruhai, Jia Min and Daiyu are all book lovers. The gift of 2,345 books at once would attract everyone.

But Jia Qiang felt that there was a trace of inquiry in Jia Min's eyes when she looked at him.

"Mother, your look makes me feel scared!" Jia Qiang and Jia Min have a very close relationship, so they naturally said what they wanted to say directly.

"Brother Qiang, you are still young, there are some things that should not be done too early!" Jia Min shook his head and reminded.

Jia Qiang was even more confused. What had he done that deserved Jia Min's reminder?

Could it be the last time I went to Slender West Lake for boat painting? But that time there was something serious to do. If you don’t participate in youth activities, how can you integrate into them?

"What did Brother Qiang do?" Before Jia Qiang could ask again, the teacher Lin Ruhai asked impatiently.

As a teacher, Lin Ruhai didn't feel much sense of accomplishment in accepting Jia Qiang as a disciple. The main reason was that Jia Qiang was too good.

Even if Jia Qiang fails the exam, the impact on Jia Qiang will be minimal. Jia Qiang already has a first-class title. This starting point alone is an end point that most officials cannot reach in their lifetime.

Besides, Jia Qiang saved Jia Min's life, which made Lin Ruhai even more grateful.

In terms of teaching, Lin Ruhai had too many official duties and too little time for actual guidance, which made him always feel sorry for Jia Qiang.

At this time, he heard that Jia Qiang might have done something bad. He felt that he must fulfill his duties as a teacher, not let Jia Qiang take detours, and guide Jia Qiang's behavior correctly.

"Don't you know? Among the gifts sent by the Xue family, there is also a pair of master and servant. I heard that they were named Yun Fei!" Jia Min pointed at Jia Qiang and said with some dissatisfaction.

Because Daiyu was aside, Jia Min had some words that were difficult to say.

This Yunfei was the number one courtesan in Jiangnan. This status was of no benefit to Jia Qiang. Taking the courtesan into her house at the age of fourteen was detrimental to her reputation.

Jia Qiang has the idea of ​​​​taking a literary career. At best, this is a good story about a talented and beautiful woman. At worst, it means misbehaving and being young and frivolous.

"Why was Yun Fei sent here?" Jia Qiang was shocked and asked.

He thought of Xue Pan's various performances, and it seemed that this was Xue Pan's handiwork.

But he didn't understand how Xue Pan got Yun Fei to agree.

You must know that Yun Fei fled to Yangzhou to avoid the trouble of the Zhen family in Jinling.

How did he know that Xue Pan himself could not persuade Yun Fei.

But Xue Pan made it clear to Yun Fei that Jia Qiang had taken a fancy to her, and Xue Pan was willing to pay Yun Fei's redemption money.

Yun Fei's selling contract is very loose, and she must agree to redeem herself.

Many famous prostitutes are like this. Some famous prostitutes redeemed themselves after saving up enough money to redeem themselves.

(End of this chapter)