The most powerful patriarch in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 110

Eating skewers with cumin and drinking mellow wine, the more you eat, the more delicious you will be.

Yang Xuan didn't know how many strings she ate, how much wine she drank,

But Yang Xuan knew that she definitely drank too much. When she woke up the next day, the sun was already three poles high.
According to the usual habits, there is no need for the maid to call, Yang Xuan will get up reflexively when the rooster crows,
Wash, punch and practice sticks, have a simple breakfast, and then perform your duties as a guard,
It's obviously late today, Lu Changle has already gone out to the ancestral hall, and I heard that he went to a meeting.

As long as they are in Xingping Village, there is no problem with safety, and Yang Xuan is not in a hurry, so let's have breakfast first.

While having breakfast, Yang Xuan asked in a low voice: "Xiaohong, I. Didn't drink too much last night, didn't I do anything bad?"

After getting up, I felt that everyone was looking at me strangely, especially Lu Changle's maid Xiaoqing, who wanted to laugh but didn't dare to laugh.

Not to mention how obvious it is, the eyes of the cook, housekeeper, and handyman are also weird.

Xiao Hong said helplessly: "Miss, you were so embarrassing last night. You drank too much and you decided to drag Mr. Lu to a martial arts competition. If he refused to agree, he would not agree. He pushed him to the ground from behind while he was eating skewers. Riding on him and questioning him whether he accepts it or not, and saying something to make Miss Ben laugh, alas, the servant girl can't continue."

What, you did such a thing yourself?
No wonder those servants looked at him strangely, Yang Xuan's face was on fire on the spot,
Said with a face of complaint: "Xiaohong, you, why don't you hold me back."

"I pulled it, the servant girl and Miss Xiaoqing couldn't pull it together, the lady's strength was too great, she pushed us both to the ground in one fell swoop"

Yang Xuan covered her face with her hands, this was embarrassing.

Xiaohong comforted in a low voice: "Miss, don't worry, Mr. Lu has issued a closed password, and no one is allowed to mention it."

Yang Xuan covered her ears with her hands: "Don't say it, don't say it, I won't listen, don't talk nonsense, I didn't."

This time it was a big shame.

Eating skewers was just a small episode, and Lu Changle quickly got busy,
23 militia groups with a total of more than 15 people, involving the safety of nearly [-] people,

There are too many things to deal with every day, especially when people's hearts are not in harmony, many things need to be coordinated,

Lu Changle seems to be both a father and a mother, busy around.

Fortunately, the land is large, and the benefits are slowly manifesting.

The collection of materials is fast, and there are more talents of all kinds:

In Luolian Village, there is a Luo Dagui, who looks unattractive, but is actually a master pigeon breeder. Lu Changle immediately recruited him to train pigeons for news delivery;

There are several craftsmen who can build large ships in Min'an Town. Lu Changle found them an old shipyard discarded by the Fujian Navy without stopping. While recruiting people, he collected the wood needed for shipbuilding;

There are people in Lianjiang who can heal poultry and livestock, and are especially good at raising and smelting horses. Needless to say, take it;

The second uncle recommended Lin Hautou from Yongfu Lin's family, and he came to vote for it, and brought seven apprentices, which greatly strengthened the strength of the blacksmith shop;
Yutian Yang's has several grocery stores. Last year, they collected a large amount of sulfur and saltpeter and kept them in the warehouse. They just happened to be needed.
Thanks to Lu Changle's efforts regardless of cost, shipbuilding workshops, blacksmith shops, firearm workshops, pigeon lofts and other facilities that can be used in wars have been built one after another.

For safety, a hospital was set up,

Firstly, the training and combat injuries of members of the militia can be treated in time,
Second, epidemic prevention can also be strengthened so that the plague cannot take advantage of it.

Under the dual effects of blood pricking method and Qingwen prescription, the plague in Fujian was brought under control and gradually improved, but prevention is still very important.

There are thriving scenes everywhere, but Lu Changle can't laugh.

Money is like water.

The site is bigger, there are more people who can command, and various supporting facilities are gradually in place,

Income does not increase but decreases, but expenses are getting bigger and bigger.

The second uncle and Lu Changgeng, who are in charge of the accounts, show big faces every day,

Seeing everyone has a bad face, as if they owe them money.

Fujian is still in chaos, officials and bandits are not separated, trade routes have been destroyed by various separatist forces, and almost all ways to make money have been cut off.
Those who join the militia joint defense don't have to pay Lu Changle a penny or a grain of rice.

In order for him to actively participate in the training, Lu Changle also gave them money to improve their food and increase their rewards.
Facilities such as shipbuilding workshops, blacksmith shops, firearm workshops, and pigeon coops require continuous investment to produce output.
If Lu Changle hadn't made a fortune from Fan Sanbo by tying up the meat ticket, and seized a lot of property from Feitianhu, the Lu family in Fuzhou would have been unable to resist.

What made the second uncle and Lu Changgeng speechless was that under such circumstances, Lu Changle still refused to cut expenses,

Let the children participating in the training eat less meat, and the food of those craftsmen can also be reduced a little,
It is not bad to eat meat once every two or three days. Many rich people can’t eat meat like this now.
It is obvious that one sentence can save a lot of expenses, but Lu Changle just refuses to agree,
He always said that he has a solution.

Lu Changle selected dozens of reliable people from the clan, built a lot of sheds and wooden houses in the bamboo mountain of the back mountain, and asked Lu Siming to guard them to keep people from approaching. Lu Changle's solution.

I just don't know what he's going to do.

Lu Changgeng was a little displeased, but the clan elders and Fangtou had great trust in Lu Changle,
Not only did he ignore it, but he also obeyed him.

Fortunately, Lu Changgeng breathed a sigh of relief when he came alone. Cheng Liye, whom he met in Quanzhou, was invited.

Those who come by water, depart from Hangzhou by boat, disembark at the wharf of Min'an Town, and then take a carriage to Xingping Village.

After the simple politeness, Lu Changgeng immediately arranged for him to meet with Lu Changle.

Lu Changle arranged the meeting place in the side hall.

"Mr. Cheng, this is Lu Changle, the patriarch of the Lu clan in Fuzhou."

"Patriarch, this is Cheng Liye of Cheng's Commercial Firm in Shexian County, Huizhou, the owner of Cheng Shao."

After Lu Changgeng's introduction, Yang Xuan stood aside, guarding each other with the two guards brought by Cheng Liye.

Lu Changle looked at Cheng Liye who was smiling brightly, his heart moved, and he suddenly said: "No busy, no busy, I will arrive in Yuhang in three days."

The owner of Cheng Shao in front of me is about 27 years old, wearing a melon cap and a set of light blue straight embroidered clothes that are probably new. He looks smart and capable, but he is dressed a little casually.
At first glance, he looked like an ordinary shopkeeper, not at all like the young owner of a firm.

But he always has a smile on his face, giving people a sincere and approachable feeling.

Cheng Liye was obviously taken aback when he heard Lu Changle's words, but he quickly came back to his senses and said with a smile: "I arrived in Yuhang in three days, and the duck eggs are not yet yellow."

The two looked at each other and laughed in tacit understanding.

After laughing, Cheng Liye clasped his hands and said, "I didn't expect Mr. Lu to know this allusion. I'm ashamed, ashamed."

Lu Changle said with a serious face: "This is an excellent quality. Lu has always admired it. It is absolutely not meant to be ridiculed. Mr. Cheng, please don't misunderstand."

Huizhou merchants came from Huizhou, including the six counties of She, Xiuning, Wuyuan, Qimen, Yi, and Jixi, namely the ancient Xin'an County.

Huizhou is located in a poor mountainous area, with many people and little land, and it is difficult to make a living by farming. "Huizhou Fuzhi" contains: "Huizhou Baojie Valley, the mountains follow the original foothills, and the fields are barren. Tithe one. Small people often practice skills, or those who sell their burdens and eat other counties, often nineteen."

In order to survive, many people go out to earn a living at a young age.

Most Huizhou people go to Yuhang, where the economy is relatively developed, to make a living. From Jixi Linxi Wharf at the junction of Shexian County, walk along the ancient road along the Dengyuan River to Fuling, and then go to the first pass in the south of the Yangtze River, cross the blue sky, and connect with Hangzhou, Zhejiang , the whole journey is about 100 miles, the road width is 1.5-3 feet, mostly paved with stone slabs, it is the main road from Huizhou to Hangzhou in ancient times,
In order to save money, people in Huizhou, rich or poor, mostly choose to walk. It is rumored that some people bring salted duck eggs to eat on the road, but they have not eaten egg yolks in Yuhang.

In fact, Huizhou merchants are recognized as Confucian merchants, low-key, pragmatic, and do not like luxury.

Lu Changle saw that Cheng Liye was dressed very plain, not at all like the young owner of a big business firm, and suddenly remembered that famous allusion.

"I didn't expect Mr. Lu to be not only young and promising, but also so funny to talk. Cheng was taught," Cheng Liye said with a smile.

Lu Changle said curiously: "Mr. Cheng, wouldn't it be faster to disembark at Changle Wharf? Why did you choose to disembark at Min'an?"

"It's safer to disembark in Min'an, Mr. Lu, do you think so?"

Lu Changle nodded: "Mr. Cheng is a sensible person, so let's get straight to the point."

Huizhou merchants are closer to Fujian, so they have more advantages than Shanxi merchants, and they have a wider network of contacts.

Judging from the route Cheng Liye came from, he must have figured out the situation. For these smart people, it's useless to be polite, so they just get straight to the point.

(End of this chapter)