The night is cold, there is no wave in the stars, and the crescent moon hangs on the horizon.
On the twenty-ninth lunar month, there is one day left before the New Year. Tonight, many people are destined to not fall asleep. The people of Luzhou are waiting for the last day of the new year, with anticipation in their hearts and a little nervousness. It can be said that this year is really different from before.
The people have a new home and a new life. They hope to celebrate the New Year soon, say goodbye to some things, and greet some things.
People on the Yellow River boat trip have not seen Zhang Zhong’s face until now. They are not in a hurry anymore. Everything will be discussed after the New Year. This year also has a different feeling for them. , Especially some of the boatmen on the ship, they have never spent the New Year in other places.
Some people are homesick, and some people have a special mood. Those proprietors may be used to wandering outside, especially those who develop their family business a little bit. When they were young, they wanted to be able to Make more money, even if it’s the Chinese New Year, it is also running business.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan really don’t care where to celebrate the New Year. They used to be unable to spend the New Year with their family members. Naturally, Wang Juan had to work overtime when it was time to work overtime. However, Zhang Xiaobao just wanted to spend the New Year with his family. family.
Many things during the New Year were arranged early, and now it is the last time to take a look at the arrangements in Wulei County, other places can no longer be managed.
"It's another year of spring coming. We are also one year older. Well, I don’t know what the farmers in Sanshui County are going to do this year. Thirty, when it’s dark, maybe they will order. Brighten up a lot of torches, right?"
Wang Juan glanced at the plan for the New Year’s decoration, and suddenly remembered Sanshui County. The two people already had a deep affection for that place. Fortunately, this year they still spent time with their family, otherwise the two of them would really be true. Feel lonely.
"It doesn't matter how they spend their lives. From the news sent last time, their development is pretty good, and there is no shortage of New Year's stuff at all. No matter what, don't think about it."
When Wang Juan mentioned it, Zhang Xiaobao also thought of the things over there. He said not to think about it, but his eyes were looking at the crescent moon in the sky. It seemed to be a mirror, and he wanted to see the figures of the villagers.
Wang Juan knew that Zhang Xiaobao didn’t want to give a happy year to him. He nodded and said, “Well, I don’t want to. I don’t know how the people in the surrounding prefectures lived this time. A lot of things are missing. Forget it, I don’t want to think about it anymore. The day will continue."
"Why mention others again? Think about it for the better. After the New Year, the people can continue to work hard again. This is the home they built by themselves. The new year will have a new atmosphere. Maybe We will still be here at this time next year, maybe we have left here and moved elsewhere."
Zhang Xiaobao really didn’t know how the court would arrange his father’s place. When everything was about the same, it was the moment his father should leave. Thinking of leaving, Zhang Xiaobao said to Wang Juan:
"After the end of the year, what we have arranged for the people here must shift the focus to the future development of chambers of commerce and shipyards. Infrastructure construction still needs to be done, but the focus must be focused, otherwise the infrastructure here will be completed. When the imperial court is preparing to change people, our things are not ready yet, it will be uncomfortable."
"Yes, we need to do the things on our side first. The seawall business will continue, and other aspects can be slowed down." Wang Juan also thought of this. Up to now, there is a lot of backlog of goods, but there is no With the money sold, those goods cannot be regarded as recovering the investment these days.
The people's wages are paid by themselves, the food is paid by themselves, and the house repairs are also taken by themselves. Although the goods are actually earned back, they are not sold after all.
As soon as the two of them thought about the money, they began to plan for next year's things. First, let the people help themselves to get things done well. Fortunately, they were affected by the disaster and will not continue until the second half of next year. Collecting rent tax, before this, as long as the court did not see the new rent tax for them, it would not rush to take Zhang Zhong away.
…
The people in these states around Luzhou are actually very good now. Who told their state officials to learn from Zhang Zhong to do things, one by one, through various means, to exploit the officials of the state once? As a result, these businessmen had to compromise with the various chambers of commerce on Luzhou's side.
This really worked. As long as the businessmen use the Chamber of Commerce here in Luzhou to speak, the local officials really have nothing to do with them. They all know who is behind the Chamber of Commerce in Luzhou. .
Fortunately, their previous hands-on has already brought them a lot of benefits. Even if it’s not easy to get money from the merchants in the future, they can make enough money at one time. In the name of doing things for the people, they really do it. A small part of the money obtained was sent to the people, but most of the money was left by themselves.
A small part of it is for what they left behind. This small part of the people is no longer small. At least it can make them live comfortably for a month, and the year will make them look forward to the arrival even more, so as to save the old. Forget about the things of the year and start a new life.
The ones who are really not so happy are Cao Herui. After Cao Herui’s introduction, the other two will also be responsible for next year’s fertilizer. It’s not that they can’t stand the smell. They can’t bear it. They are the main ones. The purpose was not achieved.
I only hope that after the fertilizer is done, Zhang Zhong will reuse them, and then they can get a little bit of the cement prescription. Although they say they don’t owe Zhang Zhong’s money, they still owe the Qinzhou Ning family. The money, that is always a matter.
Most of the people on the Yellow River boat trip have left the boat, leaving only a few guards staying on the boat. Others have arrived at the state capital. It is not too prosperous when working at ordinary times. People come and go on the streets. It will be less, but now most of the people don't have to do anything anymore, they are all busy preparing for the New Year.
In this way, the twenty-ninth night of the twelfth lunar month has become lively. Those who do business are not going to sleep at night. If they want to sell things well, let alone, there are really people living nearby. People come out for a stroll at night.
It is winter anyway, and the temperature at night is low. The people who come out wear more clothes. With the wages earned these days, they want to buy something that the official government hasn’t sent out. Fan.
There are also a lot of people sitting in the small restaurant, one by one, waiting for the arrival of the New Year, they can't sleep at all, so they have to find a few people who are acquainted to come out to drink, this is naturally the man in the family, around a table , Drank the wine that I usually reluctant to buy, and talked about the things of this year.
The owners of the Yellow River Boat Cruise were also unable to sleep. They chose the Haiyunjian restaurant to live in. Said it is a restaurant, it is actually a comprehensive place.
At this time, the water and clouds are very quiet. It seems that there are no other guests except the people on the Yellow River boat trip. It is not the main traffic artery of the capital, and it is not the center of politics, economy and culture. The businessmen who can usually come return early. Home is ready for the New Year, who will stay in this place until next year
It seemed deserted just before the sea and the clouds. The owners of the Yellow River Boat Company couldn’t openly chat with the boatmen, and they knew each other personally. There was nothing more to say. Seeing the bright lights on the street below, one Unable to hold back, he proposed to take a look on the street.
The group of people walked out of the sea and wandered on the night thirty years ago. They listened to the noisy sounds in the tavern and looked at the local people who were also excited and could not sleep on the street. Suddenly they had It feels like visiting the night market in Chang'an.
From time to time, they would hear a sound of praise of Zhang Zhong from somewhere, which they have become accustomed to.
"Sun Dong's house, what are you looking at?" As the group of people walked slowly, a boss saw that Sun Dong's house was stopping there from time to time to watch, and asked from the side.
"I'm looking at whether they usually use those fur or other things. If they use a lot, it means that they don't lack fur here. Then the scraps we bring can be sold at a slightly lower price. They don’t need fur at all, so it’s hard to say."
Sun Dong’s family watched and answered this person’s words, and everyone around him heard them. They were stunned, and the clever ones understood immediately. If the former situation is the case, then it proves that people in this place are still using fur. Although the price of those leftovers will be much lower, some people use them after all.
If it’s the latter, there are only two possibilities. One is that people here like to use fur, but they don’t, so the goods they and others bring are valuable. The other is that no one wants to use fur here. This is also the thing they are most afraid of encountering. It is true that the goods they bring are not sold, even if they are for nothing, they will not want them.
Thinking of this, the group of people began to learn the appearance of Sun Dong's house, staring at the place next to it carefully, wanting to know whether the local people like to use fur.
As they watched and walked, a group of people stopped. The reason was that they saw a shop and the door of the shop was open. Occasionally someone came in and went around. They might not buy things. There was a counter at the door, and there was someone who was supposed to be a buddy.
At this time, the man put his chin in his hands, his eyes squinted, and he looked like he might fall asleep at any time.
"Go, go in and take a look." A boss saw the shop that specializes in selling fur and greeted the other people. He walked inside first, and the other people followed behind.
Waiting to come to the store, the guy who didn't imagine that he would be happily greeted by things appeared, the guy still squinted his eyes, but after scanning them a few times, he stopped paying attention.
A group of people watched in the shop, and the owners of the two shipping lines saw a complete wolf skin at the same time. They looked at each other, and one person asked the dude: "How can this skin be sold?"
"Twenty texts." The guy raised his head slightly, saw the wolf skin pointed by the questioner, and replied without energy.
"Twenty wen? How could it be so cheap?" The questioner said in disbelief. If they collect it in the capital, how can this complete leather cost 30 ren to buy, but the current one The price is a bit too much for them.
This price will be very depressing for merchants like them. Either it will be cheaper so that it can be sold back to the capital, or it will be more expensive and the fur leftovers on the ship can be sold at a good price. Now that the price is not high or low, they can't ship back, and they earn too little.
At the same time, the fur on their boats can't be sold at a good price.
"Man, I want to ask you something, are there many people who buy fur in your shop?" At this time, the other owner had no choice but to pin his hopes on the people who were interested in fur.
"It's okay, it's not too much or too little. Some people sell them home and make something. After all, there are many tool bags with a layer of leather and a little handy." The guy didn't care why these individuals asked such things. Dozed off there and replied.
The hosts nodded one after another, saying that they knew it. At this time, Dong Sun suddenly asked: "Man, how do you sell the fish gelatine here?"
"Isinglass is not sold here. If you want to buy it, you can continue walking eastward. After a hundred steps out, you can see the grocery store where there is isinglass for sale."
Seeing that they only asked if they wanted to buy, they didn’t just stare at him. I thought that these few people with good clothes could not steal the fur from the store. After saying a word, they buried their heads in their hands. He put his head on his arm on the counter and turned his head to the side, looking only at the door.
When everyone saw the guy's appearance, they couldn't continue to ask questions. One by one, they walked out of the store and walked towards the place that International just said.
"How to sell isinglass?" Finally found a place, a group of people went in, looked around, and saw a jar next to it with a piece of paper on it with the word isinglass written on it, and a person asked Came out.
"That's it? That big jar is always three hundred dollars. It's cheaper to buy more." There are also guys here, two, one more person than the place just now. I want to come here because the shop is too busy, so Only one more buddy was found.
Hearing the dude's answer, these owners were all stunned, buying such a jar of isinglass for 1,300 words? It’s too expensive. My buddy said it’s a big jar, but if you want to hold isinglass, this jar can only hold about ten catties. Doesn’t it mean that one catty of isinglass will cost one hundred and thirty liters
Expensive, not ordinary expensive. Expensive makes people unable to bear. The person who asked just now continued to ask: "Didn’t it mean that it’s close to here and it’s very convenient to fish? Isinglass naturally cheaper? That's right, otherwise, who would buy it?"
The dude obviously did not expect that these individuals would have such a question when they came in. When someone asked, he had to answer, "It’s not fake to be able to fish, but this isinglass is not so easy to cook, and the stuff on a fish can be boiled hard. How much glue? The price is not expensive anymore. If you don’t believe me, you can go to other places to see how much they sell."
When it comes to this, all the owners know that this is going to be troublesome, and the fur is cheaper. It’s really nothing, but this isinglass is really too expensive and it’s unbearable for them. If you follow the original plan, do it. , Not only can't make money, but also lose a lot.
All the owners are confused at this moment, including Sun Dong's. They came with the dream of getting rich when they came. They only heard that the fish here are so good, that there are too many to count, but they never thought of it. , The isinglass here will be so expensive.
The good mood of waiting for the New Year disappeared in an instant, and the rest was just at a loss.
"What to do? What to do? Are those fur leftovers going back again? No one will buy them even if they want to." An owner mumbled while looking at the jar with isinglass.
His mutter made the hearts of those who didn't know how to do it well, and the feeling that the sky had fallen appeared in their hearts.
"Go back and talk about it, go out and walk elsewhere first." Sun Dong's is the owner of the largest family. At this time, he was calmer. Seeing other people's eyes were wrong, he quickly slapped them one by one to wake them up.
The group of people also knew that it was useless to sigh now, and only hoped that this guy was lying to them, and it would be clear after looking elsewhere.
With the expectation in their hearts, everyone left the grocery store and continued to stroll on the street. It was actually incorrect to say that the stroll was actually wrong. A few people wanted to find another grocery store to ask questions. On both sides, I also glanced at the grocery store and immediately swayed over.
When a group of people returned to the sea cloud after midnight, their faces were very ugly. They entered a room, looked at each other, and no one spoke.
"What are you afraid of? Isn't it that things are a bit different from the plan? The big deal is to change the method, think about it, don't worry." Sun Dongjia saw the listlessness of the people, there was comfort.
"How? Is there any other way? The plan is clearly written, and there are some ways to deal with it, but all of those methods need to be lowered before the price of isinglass can be used. Who made the way? Can't use it? Ah? Who actually came up with it?"
An owner is about to collapse at this time. There is no way. Who told him to collect a lot of fur scraps at a high price before he came this time? I can't believe that he can't do it according to the plan.
"Hey..." Sun Dongjia also sighed. He was also attracted by the plan. The problem was that the most important thing was missing from it, and that was the price of isinglass.