Daming Yinghua

"Sister Azhu, are you Fujianese so hardworking? You start working on the seventh day of the first lunar month. Over there in Songjiang, you must still be visiting for New Year's greetings."

In the morning light, Fan Polu, who climbed up the hillside behind the official post with great interest, looked at Yiyuegang wharf full of boats and bustling merchants, with a look of astonishment, and asked Zheng Haizhu who followed her to climb up.

Zheng Haizhu took a deep breath of the salty air, and said with a faint smile: "Fujian is mountainous, so we can't grow as much food as the Suhu area. It doesn't depend on fishing and hunting and selling goods at sea, but on drinking the northwest wind." survived?"

Fan Polu sighed softly, as if imitating an adult, lamenting how difficult people's lives are.

After she became Sister Azhu's little follower, her greatest experience was that this maid from a rich family and master from a poor family was not at all snobbish about bullying the poor and flattering the rich, but there was always a trace of compassion in her calm conversation. meaning.

The father and mother told their daughter that this is a kind-hearted person after the first few encounters.A self-made girl who has no husband to rely on can actually spend her own money to run a school, you can go to the world with her at ease, as long as she can have a bite to eat, you will not be hungry .

In front of Zheng Haizhu, who was stamped by his parents as a benevolent person, Fan Polu soon lost his nervousness and fear, and developed the habit of asking Zheng Haizhu for advice at any time.

"Sister Azhu, look, there are Thais on the wharf at the foot of our mountain called Xingguan! Hey, Thais either have yellow hair or black hair like us. Why are those Thais red-haired? "

Zheng Haizhu said: "They are from the Netherlands. They were controlled by the Frankies in the past. Later, they rebelled against the Frankies. They elected a general by themselves and began to go to sea to do business freely. We, Ming, are called These people are red because most of them have red hair."

Fan Polu stuck out his tongue: "Like the red-haired ghost in the storytelling."

Zheng Haizhu pursed her lips: "It doesn't matter if they look like ghosts or what color hair they have, as long as they can afford the money to buy our goods from Daming. If they hadn't brought the money here, how could Yuegang be called Nanku, the Son of Heaven. Alright, go and check the stitching of the dress and fake collar that you want to show Fanshang today. I'll go to the pier to check the market."

Fan Polu obediently went back to the official post.

Zheng Haizhu slid down the not-so-steep slope, and walked northward from the wharf where foreign ships entered the ship, and walked less than a mile to the wharf at the end of the road.

Passing through the stone bridge, a tailor's shop at the entrance of the alley is in front of you.

The woman who was repairing Fuzi's bamboo curtain at the door stopped her work and asked with a smile, "But Shi Yuelan's sister?"

"Well, come and see the people from my hometown." Zheng Haizhu also replied in Hokkien.

"Tea inside."

The woman hurriedly got up and let Zheng Haizhu into the house.

A young man came out from inside.

"Brother Guozhu."

Zheng Haizhu saluted the other party.

When he was still in Songjiang a month ago, Zheng Haizhu went to Tang Bo in Nanhui to ask about Yan Siqi's recent situation, and told him that he would go south to Yuegang with the Suzhou weaving eunuch, and whether it was possible to meet Yan Dangjia.Tang Bo immediately said it was a coincidence that Yan Dadang's family originally sent a message saying that the business trip to Luzon was very smooth, but due to the winter wind direction, they did not go back to the vicinity of Zhoushan. The Yuegang shop is staffed as a contact point on land.

Tang Bo is indeed Yan Siqi's capable officer. Before departure, he came to inform Zheng Haizhu that everything had been arranged and asked her to go to Lutouwei Wharf, one of the seven major wharves, to contact Qi's Tailor Shop. Can.

But Zheng Haizhu didn't expect that the person in the tailor shop was actually Li Dan's eldest son, Li Guozhu.

Li Dan, as the leader of the maritime merchants entrenched in Hirado, Japan, and Megatron throughout the southeast coast, did not treat Yan Siqi well, but when he was on Daishan Island, the details of Li Guozhu, a rich second generation, left Zheng Haizhu with arrogance, superficiality and carelessness. impression.

Therefore, seeing that the contact person was him today, Zheng Haizhu didn't show it on the surface, but there was a slight reaction in his heart.

Unexpectedly, Li Guozhu changed his previous style with his nostrils upturned, cupped his hands at Zheng Haizhu and said, "Sister God of Wealth, after saying goodbye to Daishan, my sister has become more energetic. We have heard from Old Tang that my sister is doing well in Songjiang, otherwise And I won’t get the favor of the Weaving Bureau. My little brother is so impressed!”

Zheng Haizhu listened to what he said, held back his discomfort, and said with a faint smile: "You are welcome, Guozhu. I am just smashing some small things in the south of the Yangtze River. How about the spices in the southern islands of Borneo?"

The southern part of Borneo and Luzon (now the Philippines) is a place known as the Spice Islands.In today's world in 1617, whether it is the Portuguese and Spaniards called Frankie, the Dutch, or the Chinese maritime merchants, they often land transactions of that generation, but the Chinese maritime merchants are called "there is no empire" "Businessmen", completely unable to get support and protection from the Ming government, relying entirely on the merchants to buy weapons and hire Japanese people to fight across the vast ocean with their swords.

Zheng Haizhu directly asked about business matters, because she didn't want to be too wordy with the boy in front of her, but Li Guozhu felt that this woman didn't even ask about Yan Siqi's words on the scene, and only cared about whether the capital she invested in the man was discounted or not, and whether she made it or not. It's as cool as the Japanese people in Hirado.

However, no matter how hot she and Yan Siqi are, they will soon be cold.

It is cool in the true sense.

Thinking of this, Li Guozhu restrained the sinister excitement in his heart, restrained the greasy face, lowered his voice, and said earnestly: "Brother Yan has collected a lot of high-quality goods this trip. Thanks to the accurate information given by my sister, we are here The Yuegangya people who caught up near Penghu Island really said that after the fire in the palace, the incense medicine storehouses were all gone, and the prices of land-based old materials have increased a lot. Our new products were bought out by several big households in the blink of an eye. You don’t need to go north to sell some back to Hirado, you can directly buy raw silk in Zhejiang with an empty ship, and turn around and drive to Luzon.”

Zheng Haizhu said "hmm", but she didn't seem to be very happy.

Li Guozhu also understood that this woman is not a silly little girl, so he was vigilant and suspicious, so he patted his forehead and said awkwardly: "Look at my happy talk, I forgot the business. Sister Azhu, Brother Yan means , you go to Longxi County to meet."

Zheng Haizhu asked bluntly: "Why not in Haicheng County? Isn't there already a support point for our own people here?"

Li Guozhu explained: "This place is full of large merchant ships. It is too obvious to mix in small sampans, and soldiers patrolling the sea road come and go frequently. Longxi County is not far away, and it is my sister's hometown. Brother Yan means that my sister may be Using the pretext of going back to the hometown to pay homage to my parents, I will announce my leave with the official in charge."

Zheng Haizhu stared at Li Guozhu: "Brother Yan was forced to leave his hometown when he encountered trouble in Longxi County. Although seven or eight years have passed, I am still worried that some fishermen over there will recognize him."

Li Guozhu answered fluently: "Sister, don't worry, my brother Yan said that the place is set at Taoyuan Ferry Wharf, five miles north of the county seat. He said you must know the place. Brother Yan is very careful and has made all the arrangements."

Zheng Haizhu thought to himself that Taoyuan Ferry is a slightly remote place at the mouth of the inland river, but it is indeed far away from the densely populated county town and the wharf where merchant ships come and go.

So she confirmed with Li Guozhu again: "Guozhu, Brother Yan will come to Taoyuandu to pick me up in person?"

"Of course, didn't you tell Tang Bo that you have something important to discuss with Brother Yan?"

Zheng Haizhu nodded and said: "Okay, I will follow Brother Yan's order. I will take a leave of absence from the public in three days and rush to Taoyuandu. If Brother Yan waits for me to disappear for two days, I will leave the coast of Fujian as soon as possible. Thank you Guozhu. I Go back first."

"Hey, sister, have a cup of tea before leaving."

Before Li Guozhu's courteous voice fell to the ground, Zheng Haizhu waved his hand politely, turned and left.

Li Guozhu strolled to the door of the tailor's shop, looked at the back of the striding meteor, twitched the corners of his mouth, and thought to himself: "You look really good, so let's go underground with my brother Yan, who was praised by my father as a god, to be a mandarin duck."