I

Huang's ancestral home.

"Master, master!"

The domestic slave rushed in and said happily: "Xiangong Zhao has sent money!"

"Really?" Huang Zundao stood up instantly and ordered his servants, "Quickly serve tea and invite Mr. Zhao into the hall."

Huang Zundao changed into a new set of clothes and felt much more respectable. He would no longer be looked down upon by the people in the city.

He stepped into the hall and saw Zhao Han drinking tea. He immediately smiled and handed over his hand: "Wan Sheng specially prepared the good tea. Can senior drink it smoothly?"

"I can barely eat it," Zhao Han put down the tea bowl and praised, "My little friend is interested."

Scholars and above can call each other friends.

Scholars and below, even if they are half dead in old age, they only deserve to be called "little friend".

Among scholars, when talking about seniors and juniors, they must be calculated according to the time when they passed the examination to become a scholar, a scholar, or a scholar.

Huang Zundao asked: "Senior, have you ever chosen the beach?"

"The choice has been made," Zhao Han shook off the folding fan and said, "Maosheng, give me some money."

Chen Maosheng held a cloth bag, slammed it on the table, opened the bag and said: "You can weigh it yourself for five hundred taels of silver."

Huang Zundao's eyes widened and he hurriedly said: "Get the scale quickly!"

For a wealthy country man, if he does not engage in business and only relies on making profits from the land, five hundred taels is definitely a huge sum of money.

An elderly domestic slave was called to verify the fineness of the silver, and then put it on a scale to weigh it.

Soon, the house slave nodded slightly, indicating that there was no problem with the money.

Huang Zundao quickly flattered him and said, "Senior is worthy of being born into a wealthy family, and he is really generous in his work!"

"Five hundred taels of silver, what does it mean?" Zhao Han shook his folding fan, "Have you ever been to Suzhou, little friend?"

Huang Zundao said: "There is heaven above, and Suzhou and Hangzhou below. The younger generation has long admired the name of Suzhou."

"Suzhou not only has skilled craftsmen, but also the best cooks in the world," Zhao Han boasted blindly. "If you want to eat shark fins, let people go to the sea to fish them. If you want to eat monkey brains, let people go up to the mountains to catch them. I studied in Suzhou At that time, five hundred taels of silver was just the price of a meal."

These words were all told by Fei Ruyi.

Except that five hundred taels of silver for a meal is ridiculous, everything else is true. In Suzhou at the end of the Ming Dynasty, people liked to hunt for novelties, eat shark fins, and eat monkey brains, which were all used by merchants to fight for wealth.

Huang Zundao took a sharp breath: "Five hundred taels for a meal?"

"What a country boy, so ignorant," Zhao Han said with a sneer, "What is five hundred taels of silver? There is a meal worth a thousand taels. In Nanjing and Beijing, at the Lantern Festival, a lantern is worth tens of thousands!"

Huang Zundao had heard of the Ao lantern and knew that it cost money. Unfortunately, he never had the chance to see it with his own eyes.

The more fierce Zhao Han brags, the more Huang Zundao feels inferior.

He originally planned to raise the price after the land was leveled and the warehouse was halfway built. But at this moment, he quickly gave up this idea, for fear of offending the family behind Zhao Han.

Huang Zundao smiled and complimented: "Senior is well-informed, I really admire him."

Zhao Han suddenly licked his lips with his tongue and smiled frivolously: "Although the Xiao Cui you sent is just a country maid, she is quite pretty. To be honest, I have many maids in my family, but I haven't used them yet. This is a mountain girl. She really has a unique flavor. Can you send her body deed? I plan to take it home and enjoy it slowly."

"That's easy to say," Huang Zundao became very straightforward, "Since senior likes it, I will give another one as a gift. If a few rough maids can win the love of senior, their ancestral graves will be smoked!"

You have already taken out five hundred taels of silver, how many maids do you still care about?

The cost of the servants in Huang Zundao's family, whether they are male or female servants, can be ignored.

Every year there are always tenants who are in arrears with rent. No matter how hard you force them, it is useless. How can you beat them all to death?

Whenever there is a shortage of people at home, the tenants who owe rent can just send boys and girls to pay the rent.

Xiaocui and her brother paid a total of five dan in rent and eight taels of silver in loan sharking.

It only adds up to a few taels of silver.

Under Huang Zundao's urging, not only did he quickly get Xiao Cui's body deed, but he also bought one and got one free, and also sent a maid, Xiao Hong.

Mr. Huang was still a little reluctant to let go. Xiaocui and Xiaohong were both handsome and had been trained to be very obedient.

In order to make a lot of money, I can only reluctantly give up my love.

I'll ask around later to see which tenant has a beautiful daughter, and just bring her over and train her slowly.

Zhao Han showed his lust and soul, rubbed Xiaohong's tender hands and said: "Little friend Huang, although the maid in your family is shabby and has not been raised with any manners, she is very original and has a rural atmosphere. "

Xiaohong was so touched that she didn't dare to move, and her whole body was frozen in place.

Huang Zundao flattered him: "Senior is indeed a master of flowers, Wan Sheng admires him!"

Zhao Han said with a smile: "I want to stay in Huangjia Town for a while. If you still have such good things in the future, just send them to me. Talking about money hurts your feelings, I won't buy them, you can exchange them. The ones I have at home The maidservants are all carefully trained and have learned music, chess, calligraphy and painting since they were young. I won’t talk about their appearance, but only in etiquette and talent, they are hundreds of times better than those wealthy ladies from small places."

After hearing this, Huang Zundao longed for a maid who was more knowledgeable and sensible than all other ladies!

Huang Zundao swallowed his saliva and declined: "Since she is a maid trained by seniors for many years, I would never dare to accept it if she is born late."

"What's the point? No matter how good a maid is, she's just a lowly servant," Zhao Han said casually, "Wait until I go home, and I'll give you one to warm your bed and fold your quilt next time I come back!"

Huang Zundao felt his whole body heat up after hearing this. He tried hard to restrain his impulse and cupped his hands and said, "Thank you very much, senior."

Zhao Han continued to brag: "Do you know about Yangzhou's thin horse?"

"I have heard a little bit, please give me some advice from my seniors." Huang Zundao became like a diligent and studious primary school student.

Zhao Han said with a smile: "The thin horses in Yangzhou are people rather than horses. There are many wealthy salt merchants in Yangzhou, so extravagance is a common practice. There is also the Yapo who selects beautiful women and starts training them from a young age. Play chess, calligraphy and painting, that's it. They are all the most fundamental. She must also be able to dance and sing, and she must be able to serve a man. Make her dignified like a sober woman, and make her enchanting like a slut. Even which foot to step out first is all very particular. .”

"Is there really such a thing in the world?" Huang Zundao seemed to be opened to a new world.

Zhao Han sarcastically said: "You can't afford it."

Huang Zundao asked quickly: "How much is the price?"

Zhao Han explained: "Yangzhou's thin horses are also divided into grades. Even the lowest grade, a thin horse costs several hundred taels."

"What about the advanced ones?" Huang Zundao couldn't imagine it.

Zhao Han opened up and boasted: "Three years ago, there was a skinny horse that had been raised for seven years. It was beautiful and talented. It was bought by a salt merchant for fifty thousand taels of silver."

"Five...fifty thousand taels? Just buy a woman?" Huang Zundao was dumbfounded, thinking he heard wrongly.

Zhao Han smiled and said: "The salt merchant is not short of money. Buy a skinny horse for fifty thousand taels and send it to the Duke immediately. You will make more money in the future!"

"That's it, that's it." Huang Zundao finally believed it. Even the wealthy salt merchants didn't dare to ride these 50,000-horse skinny horses, fearing that only the Duke of the country could use them.

Zhao Han sighed and said, "Well, my family can't do that. I only bought a skinny horse worth three thousand taels, and my father imprisoned me for three days because of it, which made me think about my mistakes. Do you think this is irritating?"

Yes, it's so irritating. It would be nice if it were mine.

A skinny horse worth three thousand taels is not riding a woman, it is simply riding silver.

Huang Zundao quickly apologized and said, "Your father is very strict in his upbringing. He deserves to be from a wealthy family."

"A skinny horse of three thousand taels, do you want to see it?" Zhao Han winked, "Bring it to you next time so that you can see it. But, I can only play lyrics and sing songs for you. This skinny horse is my favorite thing. , no one else is allowed to touch it.”

"It should be so, it should be so," Huang Zundao said repeatedly. "Being able to listen to this song is a blessing for being born late."

Huang Zundao was so upset by the nonsense that he wanted to sell his property immediately and go to Yangzhou to buy a skinny horse.

But considering the price, I might as well forget it.

Zhao Han saw that this old guy had been confused by all kinds of things, so he immediately returned to the topic: "Of these five hundred taels of silver, three hundred taels will be used to level the beach. I have given you enough money, and you are responsible for recruiting workers to do the work. You must It will be leveled within half a month. There are still two hundred taels left. You can buy stones and wood first. I guess they won’t be enough. I will make up for you when they are used up."

Three hundred taels for leveling the river beach?

This money is so profitable, he is simply a prodigal!

Huang Zundao then thought about it, three hundred taels was nothing, as someone could buy a skinny horse for only three thousand taels.

Huang Zundao immediately patted his chest and said, "Put it on me, and the beach will be leveled in ten days in less than half a month!"

Although the ten-day construction period is a bit short, and it is difficult to recruit people during the spring plowing period, we have no choice but to fight for money. Anyone who dares to disobey will be beaten to death!

"Okay, no more talking!"

Zhao Han picked up the body bond between Xiaohong and Xiaocui, then took Xiaohong's hand and stroked it back and forth. He didn't bother to look at Mr. Huang again: "I'll leave the construction site to you. I want to go back and enjoy the beauty of the mountains and fields. Hehe, One of them is already useful, but if the two are put together, wouldn’t they look like a fairy?”

"I'll see you off, senior." Huang Zundao said, standing half short.

"No, you can go back." Zhao Han put his arm around Xiaohong's waist and went out.

Huang Zundao still sent him out of the hall, watched Zhao Han leave, and couldn't help shouting: "Senior, go slowly. If two are not enough, Wansheng still has some here, just come and get them."

The house slave stood there stupidly, still thinking, and his mind was filled with what Zhao Han had just said.

"Ahem!"

Huang Zundao coughed twice and scolded: "Why are you still standing there?"

The servant came to his senses and asked hurriedly: "Master, what Mr. Zhao said are all true?"

"Can there be any lies?" Huang Zundao looked disdainful, "Yangzhou and Suzhou are both rich counties. A top-notch thin horse is worth our whole town. If Mr. Zhao doesn't tell you, you will never know it all your life. Never dreamed of it.”

"My master taught me a lesson." The slave quickly apologized and smiled.

Huang Zundao ignored the slave, picked up the white money, and touched it again and again.

Before, he was thinking about how to get money from Zhao Han.

But they were generous and gave me five hundred taels as soon as they asked. This was only the preliminary project cost, and there would be thousands or tens of thousands of taels in the future.

Is it worth cheating money?

Just drink soup with Mr. Zhao. If a few of them slip through Mr. Zhao’s fingers, Mr. Huang can make enough money.

Suddenly, Huang Zundao said to his slave: "Go to the inn quickly and tell Xianggong Zhao that I will give him all the deserted beaches by the river and ask him if he wants to level them out. The money is not much, so I will give him another five hundred." Two is enough.”

"Okay, I'll get it done right away, little one." The slave left happily. He liked dealing with Mr. Zhao because there was always reward money to take.

Huang Zundao held the silver in his arms, but what he was thinking about was the Yangzhou thin horse.

What kind of beautiful woman must be to be worth fifty thousand taels of silver? If I could let him touch her, it would be worth my life, but it's a pity that he can't even see her.

Huang Zundao took everything that Zhao Han boasted seriously.

The key point is that Zhao Han just handed over 500 taels of silver without agreeing to anything.

How could such a rich man deceive a rich country man?