Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

129st charter home
Guo Si'er lay down at the foot of the grassy slope, and waited until the sound of the horse's hooves was gone, before climbing up tremblingly.The first thought was to go back to Yangzhou City to report to the officials, but after he had walked for a long time, when he arrived outside Yangzhou City, he remembered what the robber said. Under the croton.

It was a matter of master's life and death, so Guo Si'er was naturally extremely careful, thinking that even if the gangsters didn't find him running away, they came to block the yamen; he was just a servant, and he only had a few gold coins that the master gave him. How can melon seeds and star points and broken silver be able to persuade the government to come forward to save the master?Because he was full of scruples, he picked up the old business, exchanged clothes with a beggar with a few copper coins, went around the yamen, and found some sneaky people asking for a servant.He was so terrified that he couldn't do anything, so he thought of Wei Xin, the host of the Pearl Fair.Immediately, he did not stop in Yangzhou, and hired a car overnight to return to Jiangning.

After telling this story, Guo Si'er burst into tears again.

Cao Yong kept staring at Guo Si'er's expression. This narration did not seem to be fake, but it still made people feel suspicious. He asked: "You said that you are a beggar, not a child of the Wang family, so why do you still act like this?" ? If an ordinary person encountered such a calamity, he would have fled far away!"

Guo Si'er was crying sadly, but when he heard these words, he immediately raised eyebrows and glared, because he saw Cao Yong sitting next to Wei Xin, well dressed, he didn't know who he was, and he didn't dare to offend him if he was afraid of offending Wei Xin He retorted, just wiped his tears with his sleeve, and said to Wei Dao: "Wei Wuye, my father has both died since I was a child. I used to be a beggar on the streets of Jinan. One winter, I almost froze to death on the street. It was my boss who rescued my little one." Yes. My boss is the most kind-hearted. In this Yizhou generation, no one knows that our boss is a kind person. The little one has been saved by the boss, how dare he lose his conscience and run away!"

Wei Xin nodded, and casually asked a few more details that he mentioned just now.Most of them are upside down, left and right, Guo Si'er all answered, it is no different from what I just described.

Cao Yong knew in his heart that it seemed that what Guo Sier said was telling the truth, so he motioned Cao Fang to take him down first.

"My lord, if it's as this young man said, it means that the other party has planned ahead and planned every step of the way. He came here and bribed bandits. I'm afraid the lives of Dong Wang's family are in danger!" Wei Xin said.

"Bandits in Yangzhou?" Cao Yong was very strange: "I haven't heard of any deep mountains and old forests near Yangzhou. How can there be bandits raging? Do the local officials in Yangzhou care?" Maybe it's not bandits from Yangzhou, or maybe it's not bandits at all!"

"Young Master is right. Yangzhou is a place where fireworks are flourishing, and there are salt merchants everywhere. There is a mixed bag of fish and dragons. Maybe some gang or faction came out under the guise of bandits to do some business without capital." Wei Xin nodded and said. .

"Don't worry about this matter for the time being. Go home and spend a few days with the old man and the old lady. When the money from Liuhe Bank arrives, you can go south again!" Cao Yong had an idea in his heart and explained to Wei Xin.

"How can it be done? Anyway, the money from Liuhe Bank is scheduled to be paid on the [-]th, and there are still several days left. If the young master plans to go to Yangzhou to check, the younger one will naturally follow him! I have also made many good friends in Guangdong over the years. , there are also two in Yangzhou! The young one knows that the young master is considerate, and wants the young one to fulfill his filial piety in front of his parents. But the young master doesn’t know about our old man and old lady? If the young one really lives at home for a few days, I’m afraid I'm going to tell the little one to be tied up by a daughter-in-law, and then weep and wipe away tears to prevent the little one from going south! If that's the case, the little one will blame the young master!" Wei Xin shook his head hurriedly.

Seeing Wei Xin's bitter face, Cao Yong knew that he really didn't like to stay at home, so he nodded his head in agreement.

Cao Yong thought of the mansion, and he had returned to Jiangning for more than two months, and he had never stayed outside, nor had he gone out of Jiangning.Always think of an excuse to make parents feel at ease.

*
Liuhe bank, the internal accounting room.

After checking the last account, Han Jiangshi pushed away the abacus, took out a piece of light red Xuetao paper from the jade box beside him, and while writing with a pen, he said to Cheng Wenkui: "There is not enough money here, so I have to trouble uncle to run for a while." Go to Yangzhou and transfer some money from Xinyunzhuang."

Cheng Wenkui took the note and saw that it said 100 million taels, frowned and said: "Miss has just raised a million from Xinyunzhuang, and now she has to raise another million. This is not safe. Although Mr. Wei here is in a hurry Well, our 50 taels of silver have gone, and there are still about [-] taels. According to the old man, it is enough to make a living here. Besides, the silver from the jeweler can be recovered within three or four months at most. , Benjali also has more than one million taels, why go to Yangzhou to raise money? After all, the money here is not as safe as it is in Yangzhou."

Han Jiang said: "Well, I know that. My one million taels are for Wei Wu to borrow again."

Cheng Wenkui asked curiously, "Borrow again?"

Han Jiangshi nodded: "They just collected millions of dollars, why are they still borrowing money from us now? It's undoubtedly a big deal that suppresses capital, but it may not necessarily be money that only needs turnover. I It is expected that they are not willing to press their own money, but want to borrow money at high interest rates. I am afraid they cannot afford it, so they approached us to save interest. I am afraid that 50 is just throwing stones to ask for directions! After eating the sweetness, they still have to come .In the business of suppressing capital, the more you suppress, the more you earn. They want to earn more, so naturally they have to suppress more. Let's make some money along with it."

After hearing these words, Cheng Wenkui still did not raise his eyebrows: "Although that's the case, miss, alas, it's not the old man talking, you are really impatient today. Now that they want money, why don't you give them some interest? Even if we don’t expect the Cao family to protect us, we shouldn’t offend them. On the border of Jiangning, offending them is a dead end. At that time, we really can only return to Yangzhou.”

Han Jiangshi didn't take it seriously, and said with a faint smile, "Then go back to Yangzhou. After all, the uncles only want some money, but the Jiang family here wants all my belongings! If the Cao family can help clean up the Jiang family." , I'd rather give them 50 taels! But you didn't see what Mr. Cao meant? He didn't even touch the slightest trouble. He is not an ordinary person, and I can't figure him out. Look, 50 taels won't get him In my eyes, even if I give him a million, he is afraid that he will not help half of it. Right now, since they want to ask for money unkindly, no one in Jiangning can afford it except ours. Come on. Unless they don't want to do that business anymore, they can only come to us. He doesn't want to take favors, so why should we lose money to support them?"

Cheng Wenkui looked at the stubbornness in the corners of Han Jiang's eyes and eyebrows, and couldn't help shaking his head: "How can it be that simple?"

Han Jiang said with a smile: "But it's not as troublesome as uncle thought. Uncle thought, if the Cao family wants to swallow our family property, will the uncles in Yangzhou agree? At that time, they will be more anxious than me. ! No matter how powerful the Cao family is, the Cheng family is not at the mercy of others!"

Cheng Wenkui couldn't persuade her, and he didn't bother with this matter anymore, but he still persuaded: "It's just that your frizzy temper has to be tempered. You, I don't know who to follow. You are different from your parents, but a bit like Our grand old man."

Han Jiangshi sighed, and said sadly: "It's a pity that I'm not from the old man's branch, otherwise why should I be afraid of them? Anyway, there is still money in the capital, if they force me again, I will go to the capital to find my third uncle." .”

Cheng Wenkui also remained silent.

Han Jiang was silent for a moment, and said: "Let's bring some money over here. There is no money-making business in Yangzhou now. The [-]% bonus here is not much, but if they do well, they can turn over the money." It’s more than a million taels, so you might as well take a gamble.”

Cheng Wenkui nodded and said: "Since Miss said so, I will go to Yangzhou to pick up money tomorrow."

*
When Cao Yong returned to Zhizao Mansion, he asked Jiju to change his clothes, rinsed his mouth with salt water to cover up the smell of alcohol, and then went to Kaiyangyuan to greet his parents.

In the side hall of the upper room, Mrs. Li was sitting in the main seat, and Cao Yi was sitting next to him, listening to the two daughters-in-law's reply.Seeing Cao Yong coming, the two daughters-in-law hurriedly bowed down to greet him.

Cao Yong saw that the leading daughter-in-law belonged to Cao Yuan's family who followed her man to Beijing to give gifts last month, so he asked, "When did you come back, where is Brother Yuan?"

Cao Yuan's family replied: "Going back to the uncle, the servants are the wharf where Shen Zheng arrived, and they returned to the mansion in Youshi. The man from the slave family just went to pay his respects to the uncle. Because the uncle was not there, he went to the warehouse first and brought the capital back. Gift storage!"

Cao Yong nodded, because they were all household chores, he didn't ask much, so he went into the inner room to see his father.

Cao Yin was sitting on a chair in the inner room, wearing a coat, and was reading the volume "Poetry Collection of Du Gongbu".

Yesterday, Cao Yong proposed to accept Mr. Gao's proposal to come to Jiangning. Cao Yin thought about it all night, but he couldn't think of a better way than this.

Cao Yong greeted his father, and asked a few words about diet.

Cao Yin thought that his son came because of the Li family's affairs, so he frowned and said, "I have thought about what you said yesterday for my father. Although I haven't discussed it with your mother, she must be happy. Now think about it. , it’s because of my father’s negligence, you think it right!”

Cao Yong didn't expect Cao Yin to compromise so quickly, he thought he would have to persuade him a few more times, but he was slightly surprised to see him agree.The last time he saw his grandmother was when he was seven years old.Unlike her grandmother's old age, her grandmother Gao Taijun was not very old, only a few years older than Cao Yin.And because her husband died early, Gao Taijun only lived with his sister-in-law Wen Shi, so it was really hard to say whether he would like to come to Cao's house.If the elderly don't want to come, I'm afraid they still have to encourage the mother.Cao Yong thought in his heart, glanced at his father, and saw that he was also thinking, wondering if he also thought of this.

"Father, my son plans to go to Yangzhou tomorrow!" Cao Yong remembered the business, and said to Cao Yin: "There is a pearl merchant from Shandong who has encountered some troubles there. My son and Wei Xin want to go and have a look!" Originally he was He wanted to make up a lie casually, but for some reason, the words were spoken truthfully.

Cao Yin thought of the box full of banknotes yesterday, frowned and said, "Is it the idea of ​​making a prescription? Could it be that some officials intervene?"

"This son doesn't know, but it's just a little strange. According to the boy who came back to report the letter, the other party seems to have invited bandits to come forward and tie up the jewel merchant and his entourage and guards!" The general situation was told again.

Cao Yin thought for a moment, then said: "Although there are no mountain bandits near Yangzhou, there are a few groups of bandits on the nearby river. Two years ago, we sent troops to suppress them once. I don't know what went wrong. Only some small fish and small ones were caught. Shrimp, most of the heads are gone, I don’t know if it’s them!”

Cao Yong felt that something was wrong. If it was a Jiang bandit, would it be taboo to go to the shore to pick up the business?Where did the horses those people rode come from?If they already existed, then the scale of their water village must not be too small, otherwise where would there be a place for horses?
Cao Yong pondered for a while, and then said: "The major salt merchant families in Yangzhou also have guards and bodyguards. It is not difficult to pull out a team of 80 or [-] people every day! It's just that the salt merchants are rich, so they shouldn't take outsiders for money. Jobs. Let’s go to the inn and the pier carefully and inquire about those who are trying to get out of the way!”

This is indeed some earnest teaching, Cao Yong nodded.Cao Yin originally wanted to persuade his son to be careful, and send people to investigate carefully before going there, but then he thought, this Yangzhou is still on the border of Jiangsu, and it is close to Jiangning, if he is not at ease, when will his son succeed?He didn't say any more, just took a pen and paper from the cabinet, wrote a letter in his own hand, and handed it to his son: "Yangzhou salt merchants are headed by the Cheng family in She County. He has made great contributions to the imperial court! Over the years, his family is also a big leader in public donations. After careful calculation, his family and my family have been friends for several lifetimes. This is a letter I wrote to their family members. If they arrive in Yangzhou, If you need people, you can go to their house!"

The Cheng family in Shexian County has long admired Cao Yong's name in recent days.The reason why he and Wei Xin came up with Liuhe Bank is also related to the relationship between the Han Jiang family and the Cheng family.Han Jiang's family is the granddaughter of the Cheng family branch, and the Cheng family is behind it.The Cheng family is a family of salt merchants, which has been passed down for several generations. There are many descendants of the family who have become officials, and their family resources are unusually strong.Even if she doesn't have enough money, it's good to use her to get a relationship with the Cheng family.It's just that he didn't expect that this Cheng family was also one of the Cao family's family friends.Over the years, I have not seen how they traveled to and from Jiangning.No wonder they wear the hat of the No. [-] salt merchant in the south of the Yangtze River, but no one has made up their minds. It turns out that they spent money to register in front of Kangxi, and they are really rich and powerful.

(End of this chapter)