my grandmother

Chapter 121 Opportunity
The darkness before dawn always seems extraordinarily dark.

Outside Kunshan City, in a dilapidated wind and rain pavilion, Gu Yan was dressed in black, standing with his hands behind his back.

Huang Xianzhou was pushed in and his headgear was ripped off.

A tiny spot of light on the ground blinded Huang Xianzhou's eyes. He quickly raised his hand, rubbed his eyes vigorously, raised his head cautiously, and was stunned to see Gu Yan with an expressionless face.

"Master?"

Gu Yan walked over two steps, sat down on the chair placed in front of Huang Xianzhou, took a thick file from Wang Gui, and opened it.

"Huang Xianzhou, Jinshi of the Renzi Division, sixth in the second class, a young talent, was elected to the household department. Three years later, he was selected to be transferred to Qingchi County, Cangzhou, Shen County, Luzhou, and then to this small county of Kunshan, step by step. You this year how old are you?"

"47." Huang Xianzhou swallowed.

At this moment, the fifteen buckets in his heart were up and down, full of anticipation and excitement, mixed with a little bit of fear and anxiety.

"These are all your articles, memorials, and three secret copies." Gu Yan flicked through the pages, "They were all written three years ago. In these three years, there are only official documents, and this official document does not seem to be yours either. Handwriting, have you thought about it?"

"I've been an official for 13 years, I'm getting old."

A burst of sadness rushed up, and Huang Xianzhou burst into tears.

"You are only 47 years old. From Qingchi County to Shen County, and then to this small county in Kunshan, have you thought about it all the way?" Gu Yan handed the file to Wang Gui.

"To be an official is to be a man first, and a low-ranking official will not be a man." Huang Xianzhou's words were quite bleak.

I went back to the county office the day before yesterday, thinking that he would open up this time, he didn't even intend to take his face, and wanted to curry favor with the elder son, but he unexpectedly came out with the word "choke", he drank alone and was so drunk One time, I completely gave up my heart. I originally planned to return to my hometown after this appointment, and I will die in the countryside...

"You are very good at being a man. The people of Qingchi county government are full of praise for you, and the people of Shen county county government are always thinking about you. Auna, that girl, also tried her best to speak for you. You just have bad luck. I have never met a Shangfeng who can see your strengths, is broad-minded, and can tolerate you." Gu Yan said indifferently.

Huang Xianzhou stared blankly at Gu Yan and forgot to speak.

"Let me change the place for you." Gu Yan looked at him.

Huang Xianzhou's eyes burst into light, "It is my honor to be appreciated by my son, and I will never hesitate to die!"

"Never die." Gu Yan repeated slowly, "Is this a polite remark, or do you have something in mind? Tell me."

"My lord arrived in Pingjiang in August last year, and he has lingered so far. Pingjiang mansion, and even Liangzhe Road, the only one worth spending nearly a year for my lord is the Sea Taxation Department."

Huang Xianzhou carefully raised his head and glanced at Gu Yan.

Gu Yan looked directly at Huang Xianzhou, with a blank expression on his face, without saying a word.

"When the lower official was in the Ministry of Accounts, he was in charge of the accounts of the Jiangnan Sea Taxation Department. The amount of silver that the Jiangnan Sea Taxation Department turned over to the Household Department every year was only [-]% of what it was in its heyday. In these years, I heard that a year is not as good as a year. year."

Huang Xianzhou paused, his voice slightly lowered.

"After arriving in Kunshan, Xiaguan has quietly visited Linhai Town a few times and inspected it on the spot. The busy docks in Linhai Town far exceeded Xiaguan's expectations. Xiaguan has checked the land occupation of Linhai Town over the years, and every year Expansion, not contraction.

"Sea taxes and taxes have been reduced, the empire's military expenditure is insufficient, and the empire's northern defense has not advanced northward for 30 to [-] years. The officials wrote carefully to the imperial court when the son was in the army. I think it is true.

"If the imperial army wants to advance northward and eliminate the hidden dangers in the north of the empire, it is necessary to reorganize the Sea Taxation Department and restore the harvest of the Sea Taxation Department at its peak.

"Reviving the Customs Department is not an easy task."

"Well, revitalizing the Customs Department, where do you think we should start?" Gu Yan couldn't see any expression on his face.

"Wharf. No matter whether you are entering or leaving, you must go through the dock for loading and unloading. No matter who it is or how you operate, it will eventually fall into the dock and land on the cargo of each ship. Besides, it is better to go from bottom to top than to go from top to bottom." It's safer to go down." Huang Xianzhou thought for a while.

"Well, then do as you think, I will give you a chance, you go and try." Gu Yan stood up, and ordered while walking out, "Send him back."

....................................

In the evening of the next day, Li Yinzhu went to Cailian Lane again.

Li Yinzhu was still dressed in yesterday's clothes, empty-handed, followed by the woman from yesterday, who carried a suitcase in each hand, sent it into the yard, left with lowered hands, and went back first.

Li Xiaonan stretched her head over to look carefully at Li Yinzhu's expression.

"I'm fine, and it's not that I haven't been taught by Eldest Sister." Li Yinzhu was still somewhat dejected.

"Big Sister is for your own good." Li Xiaonan smiled.

"I know, you are also doing it for my own good." Li Yinzhu slapped Li Xiaonan hard on the back twice.

"Sister San has to eat at home this time, right?" Sister Mei asked.

"That's all this time. According to the rules of their Hong family, they didn't take a single thread." Li Yinzhu nodded two suitcases.

"It's your Hong family." Sister Mei corrected her sentence.

"Okay! Our Hong family!" Li Yinzhu sighed.

"Sister Mei stir fry a few more dishes and kill a chicken!" Li Xiaonan happily ordered.

"Elder Sister told me that the hens should keep their eggs and not kill them. The chicks are too small, so they will eat them in two months. Scramble more eggs." Sister Mei rejected Li Xiaonan's suggestion.

"Come over tomorrow, and I'll kill a chicken for you. I'll eat alone at noon, and your second brother is not at home." Li Yinzhu and Li Xiaonan muttered.

"I have something to do at noon tomorrow, business matters, I'll talk to you later. My brother is back!" Li Xiaonan raised her voice at the last sentence.

"Sister San is back." Li Xuedong looked at Li Yinzhu carefully, and heaved a long sigh of relief, "You look fine.

"Second brother Hong complained to me all day long, saying that you went back yesterday and cried for half a night, that elder sister was too much, and that he would come over to talk to elder sister about reasoning. I asked him to come over after school, and he Said no time again."

"I didn't cry all night, don't listen to his nonsense. Has he gone home?" Li Yinzhu asked.

"He said to go to Er Weng Weng's house, and said that you are coming over today, and you will definitely not go back early." Li Xuedong said, stretching his head to look around.

"Just two boxes." Li Xiaonan gestured to Li Xuedong.

"It was too much yesterday." Li Xuedong didn't finish a sentence, met Li Yinzhu's slanting gaze, and hurriedly smiled and said: "I'll go and see what delicious food Sister Mei makes."

"Have you started your business?" Li Yinzhu watched Li Xuedong go out, and immediately grabbed Li Xiaonan and asked.

"Shh! Let's talk later, Elder Sister is back!" Li Xiaonan was about to speak when she saw Li Jinzhu and Li Yuzhu entering the gate one after the other, she hurriedly shut up.

(End of this chapter)