The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 204 Li Congjia, a wage earner
early morning.

Shenghe Dishe.

In the guest room, Xu Xuan, wearing a coat, was lying on the desk and sleeping soundly. Li Congjia was lying on the bed, sleeping soundly, with most of the mattress falling to the ground.

Yesterday, Xu Xuan accidentally got a farming manual. When he looked closely, he was astonished. He felt like he had found a treasure. He couldn't put it down and read it all night long.

It is said that this farming manual came from Jiedu Mansion, and most officials had a copy.

Although the copy and tailoring is relatively rough, the content is refreshing.

The manual provides a systematic and comprehensive explanation of agricultural production, covering everything from seasons to grain types, soil, moisture, lighting, farming methods, farm tool selection, fertilizer production and fertilization techniques, and even crop intercropping, etc.

Even people who don't know much about farming can get a preliminary understanding of agricultural production and how food comes from the fields to the table after reading it once.

The manual affirmed the importance of farming and strongly promoted the importance of agricultural production to the country.

Xu Xuan’s favorite sentence is the opening line of the farming manual: “The country is based on the people, food is the first priority for the people, and agriculture is the first priority for food.”

"There is "Shu Sheng Zhi" in the former Han Dynasty and "Essential Art of Qi Min" in the Northern Wei Dynasty. I didn't expect that a sage would write this farming manual today! In such a frontier place, in the small Jiedu Mansion, there is such a great talent, really called Xu It’s an eye-opener for me! There are indeed many talented people in the Central Plains, and the Liu Han court should not underestimate them!”

After reading the farming manual, Xu Xuan was filled with emotion.

The night had already broken, but he was not sleepy, and he was busy writing and compiling some farming techniques that even he had never heard of.

It wasn't until a few big roosters crowed loudly in the backyard of his residence that he couldn't bear the sleepiness and fell asleep at his desk.

Just after sleeping for a while, there was a knock on the door of the room, and a strange voice came: "Excuse me, where is Mr. Xu staying?"

"Dong dong" the knock on the door rang for a long time. The person who knocked on the door asked several times in a row before Xu Xuan stood up and opened the door with sleepy eyes.

Li Congjia stopped snoring, turned over, scratched his butt and continued to sleep.

Opening the door, Xu Xuan rubbed his eyes and looked carefully. He didn't recognize the person coming: "Who is your Excellency?"

The man hurriedly saluted and said, "Excuse me for disturbing you. Are you Mr. Xu Maocai?"

Xu Xuan cupped his hands and said, "It's me."

The man smiled and said: "I am from the newspaper. I am here to inform Mr. Xu that the article you submitted the day before yesterday has been approved and will be published on the front page of the next issue. This is your contribution fee, please keep it. If the response is good in the future If so, the newspaper will also pay you a bonus, the specific amount will depend on the sales volume of the current issue."

Xu Xuan was stunned, his head was buzzing, and he couldn't hear clearly what the man said behind him.

His first article was accepted by the newspaper. The excitement and joy at that moment was just like when he passed the examination for the rural tribute examination.

"Mr. Xu? Mr. Xu?" The visitor saw Xu Xuan holding a cloth bag containing money, with a dazed look on his face, and called him several times.

Xu Xuan quickly came to his senses and said apologetically: "I have lost my composure."

The visitor smiled and said: "It doesn't matter, I've met a lot of people like you, sir. These days, if you don't have a lot of money in your hands, who would believe that you can still make money by writing an article?"

Xu Xuan squeezed the money bag, and a sense of happiness filled his heart for no reason, making him feel solid and satisfied.

This was also the first money he earned on his own.

"Mr. Xu should know about the author Zhongshan Yinren, right? His poems and your articles seem to have been submitted to the newspaper together."

Xu Xuan hurriedly said: "Yes, he is a friend of mine and lives elsewhere."

The man smiled and said: "Since he is your friend, it will be easy to handle. His poem has also been accepted. The fee is one hundred cents. I will put it together with my husband's fee. Please help me forward it to you."

"Definitely, thank you very much." Xu Xuan thanked him, thought for a while, took out a few pennies and gave it to him, "Please accept it and buy a bowl of tea."

The man declined and said: "Sir, I accepted it kindly, but the newspaper has regulations that don't allow you to accept gifts in private, and if you are found out, your job will not be guaranteed.

Mr. Xu, please stay and take my leave. "

Xu Xuan watched him go downstairs along the corridor, sighed at the strict organizational discipline of the newspaper office, and went back to his room behind closed doors.

Putting the heavy cloth bag on the table, Xu Xuan opened it and roughly counted it. There were about four hundred Wen.

The initial manuscript fee should be [-] yuan, and there would be follow-up bonuses. Xu Xuan was secretly looking forward to it.

Li Congjia yawned and sat up, confused: "Good morning, sir, was there someone knocking on the door just now?"

Xu Xuan said happily: "Little Prince, come and see, your poems and my articles have been included in the newspaper. This is the reward! It is also the first money you and I have earned together. It is not easy~"

Li Congjia slowly put on his clothes and shoes and sat at the desk: "How many are there?"

"You will be given [-] articles for your poem, and [-] articles for Xu's article. If the article is well received, there will be a bonus."

"So little~" When Li Congjia heard this, he was immediately discouraged and couldn't even get excited about counting the money. "This little money is not enough for a meal at Taihe Building!"

Li Congjia counted on his fingers and muttered: "That's enough for me to eat Xiao Long Bao for three days."

Xu Xuan patiently educated him: "The little prince was born as a prince, and his status is respected, but you must also know that the vast majority of hungry and poor families in the world.

Not long ago, there was a war in Guanzhong, and the price of food rose to more than [-] yuan per catty, and most of the time, even if you have money, you can't buy it.Jingzhou had a good harvest last year and grain prices were stable, with millet and wheat costing only twenty or thirty cents a pound.Along the way, we saw many roadside skeletons, most of which were starved to death.

The young prince should be diligent and frugal, and understand the sufferings of the people~"

A little shame appeared on Li Congjia's face, and he said nonchalantly: "Sir, this is a lesson. Originally, Xiao Wang thought that in a frontier place like Jingzhou, the people could have enough food and clothing, and other places in the Han Dynasty must be more prosperous."

Xu Xuan smiled bitterly and said: "Jingzhou is really a special case and not representative. It should be noted that in most states and counties in the world, the people are still in dire straits."

Li Congjia bowed deeply and said, "Sir's teachings, Xiao Wang will always keep them in mind."

Eyes rolling, Li Congjia licked his lips and said, "But sir, getting paid today is a happy event and worth celebrating! How about Xiao Wang going to Taihe Building with him for a few drinks?"

Xu Xuan's face trembled, and he didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Didn't the little prince just promise to a certain person that he will practice frugality from today on?"

Li Congjia said plausibly: "This money is earned by the hard work of you and me. If we don't reward it, I'm afraid it will damage our morale and we won't have the slightest interest in writing next time! Xiao Wang promised sir that when he gets the royalties next time, he will definitely save it. Never spend indiscriminately!”

Xu Xuan was speechless and could no longer remember how many times Li Congjia said he would do it next time.

Looking at his round and smooth face and his increasingly stocky body, Xu Xuan didn't know whether to be happy or worried.

"I'm going to order food first. Come quickly, sir." Li Congjia held the money bag and was about to rush out.

"Bang bang bang~"

After a hard knock on the door, three Dishe guys pushed the door open and entered.

"Mr. Xu, Li Shaolang."

The guys smiled and saluted, quite politely, but quietly blocked the door.

Xu Xuan said: "What do you want?"

A stout clerk with a white scarf on his shoulders glanced at the cloth bag in Li Congjia's arms and said with a smile: "I heard that Mr. Xu's article was published in the newspaper, and the little people came here to congratulate him."

Xu Xuangong cupped his hands and said, "You're welcome. Thanks to the quiet environment of Guibao, no one will disturb you." The waiter said, "Yes, when we open the door to do business, we should provide the most comfortable and high-quality living environment for our guests. This is what we Shenghe Dishe’s business philosophy.”

Xu Xuan couldn't help but look at the waiter a few more times. He was a small person who was a waiter, and he spoke in a very organized manner.

The waiter's voice changed and he said: "When we did the accounting, we found that Mr. Xu still owed nine days of rent. The shopkeeper asked me to ask. If it is convenient, please pay the rent first."

Xu Xuan was surprised and said: "I settled the rent for the ten days before at one time. At that time, I agreed with your shopkeeper that I will pay together when I leave next time."

The waiter bowed and said with an apologetic smile: "I'm sorry, the room rates have increased a bit recently, and the rules have also changed. All guest rooms in the residence must be settled once every five days at the most, and the credit of the room fee exceeds three thousand dollars. Settlement. Now you have to pay the room fee of 680 yuan twice before you can continue to live."

Xu Xuan's expression changed, he grabbed his withered purse, looked at it, and said bravely: "Can you please extend it for a few days?"

The waiter put away his smile and said, "Didn't you just get paid, sir?"

Xu Xuan said hurriedly: "The manuscript fee is only more than [-] yuan, and it is not enough with what is left on hand. After all, I still have to leave some money for food."

The waiter shook his head and said solemnly: "The rules of Shenghe Residence cannot be broken. Please forgive me, sir. We have to check."

The waiter turned his head and winked, and one of his two companions walked towards Xu Xuan and the other towards Li Congjia.

Li Congjia hugged the purse tightly, and was snatched away by the clerk with his arm twisted, angry and cowardly, with aggrieved face.

Xu Xuan could only let the waiter search his body and check his luggage, and said helplessly: "Please tell the shopkeeper that Xu will never owe your store a penny. We are just short of money for the time being. Please give me some grace."

After the search, less than a total of money was found.

The waiter cupped his hands and said: "Mr. Xu, please forgive me. The shopkeeper said that we are a small business and we must collect debts in time. Otherwise, we will not be able to turn over enough to close down sooner or later. I hope you understand the difficulty."

The corners of Xu Xuan's mouth twitched and he smiled stiffly.

The largest and most luxurious mansion in the county, there are dozens of Hexi horses in the stables. The cost of feeding the horses is definitely beyond the reach of ordinary merchants.

Just like this, dare to call yourself a small business?
The man took all the money away without leaving a penny.

Li Congjia was so angry that today's xiaolongbao flew away.

Not only today, but also from now on, he won't even be able to afford a single fried dough stick at Taihelou.

Xu Xuan said helplessly: "Maybe you can leave some food money for us?"

The waiter couldn't help laughing and said: "Sir and his nephew have been eating and drinking in Taihe Building all day long. Even if we keep all this money, it won't be enough."

Xu Xuan glanced at Li Congjia, who lowered his head as if feeling guilty.

The waiter said: "Well, sir, you are a scholar, so we won't make things difficult for you. The shopkeeper has told you that there are two solutions for you to choose from.

First, the husband moved his nephew to the first floor. The room on the first floor was cheap, only sixty cents a night. He could take care of his own food and drink, and pay the credit for the room within five days.

Second, the husband can continue to live here, but he must establish a written IOU.Li Shaolang had nothing to do all day long, so the shopkeeper asked him to help in the kitchen and compensate part of the room fee with his wages.In this way, Dishe can also provide you with two meals a day. "

Xu Xuan's first reaction was naturally that he could not let Li Congjia work in the kitchen as it would be an insult to his status.

But then I thought about it, it was really impossible to make up the debt within five days, and I had to worry about where the food expenses would come from.

In contrast, the second condition is much more favorable.

Xu Xuan looked at Li Congjia hesitantly and sighed: "I can only wrong you."

Li Congjia said with a sad face: "I have never known anything about cooking!"

The waiter smiled and said: "It doesn't matter. Someone will teach you when you go. You can learn it quickly, as long as you work hard."

Xu Xuan pulled Li Congjia aside and whispered: "It is Xu's incompetence that has caused the little prince to suffer."

Li Congjia sniffed and blamed himself, "It's also because I'm too greedy and spent a lot of money."

Xu Xuan said seductively: "Now we are penniless and can't leave even if we want to. We can only force the little prince to work for a few days. I will also seize the time to write more manuscripts and try to earn more remuneration. No matter what, We all need to support Xu Biao and others until they get out of trouble.

We can stay safe in the dormitory and save money on daily meals. It is better than sleeping on the streets."

Li Congjia muttered: "Two meals a day are not enough for me."

Xu Xuan smiled bitterly and said, "I eat less, just save some for each meal."

Li Congjia reluctantly agreed and tightened Xu Xuan's sleeves: "Sir, please redeem me as soon as possible."

The waiter smiled and said, "You don't need to be afraid, Mr. Li. Our house is a serious and honest business and we will not do dirty things that seek money or even death. You can see Mr. Xu every day."

Xu Xuan immediately wrote down an IOU. Feeling uneasy, he took Li Congjia and the waiter to the kitchen to have a look.

After seeing with my own eyes that Li Congjia was warmly accepted by several fat aunts, I went back to my room with peace of mind, stepped up my research, and wrote articles.

He originally asked for an interview with the shopkeeper, but the clerk told him that the shopkeeper went out to purchase goods and would only come back in the evening.

In the backyard of the residence, Zhu Xiu and Yan Ping were inspecting the stables.

Some of the horses raised in Dishe Stables are stallions obtained from various channels, and will eventually be transported to Pingliang Pasture for breeding.

The breeding of war horses is extremely sensitive, and the slightest carelessness will lead to criticism from all parties. Therefore, starting from the collection of stallions, Zhang Yijun's work at the racecourse in Pingliang was very low-key.

The clerk came over and bowed and said: "Young Master Qi, my subordinates have searched Xu Maocai and Xu Maocai according to your instructions, but found nothing, and no tokens can be found to prove their identities."

Zhu Xiu smiled and said: "Forget it if you can't find it. The more cautious these two people are, the more it means their background is unusual."

The waiter said respectfully: "Your Majesty, you are so good at predicting things. As expected, Xu Maocai chose the second option and sent his nephew Li Jia to help in the kitchen."

"It's not surprising. Even if you pawn your trousers, how much money can you still have? If they don't stay in the mansion, they will have to live on the streets." Zhu Xiu said with a smile.

Yan Ping sarcastically said: "These noble children must have enjoyed too much happiness in the south. They are living in a foreign land and are in such embarrassment that they still don't forget to live extravagantly."

Zhu Xiu smiled: "It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality."

Yan Ping said: "What will the young envoy do next?"

Zhu Xiu thought about it and said, "I will stay in Dishe for a few days and look for opportunities to contact them."

Glancing at the man, Zhu Xiu smiled again: "I remember you were born as an old soldier of the Tashan Camp, and later entered the Zangfeng Camp?"

The clerk knelt on one knee and cupped his fists and said, "I am a native of Liangyuan County. I have served historians since my father's generation. The old commander handed over the Tashan camp to the young envoy. From then on, I will go through fire and water for the young envoy. I will die!"

"Get up!" Zhu Xiu leaned over to help him up and said with a smile: "Ma Qing has a good eye for selecting people. You did a good job. I have written down your name. I will give you credit for this incident."

The man was overjoyed and knelt down to thank him again regardless of the obstruction.

He is the person in charge of Shenghe Dishe in the county seat, and the shopkeeper is just a cover.

(End of this chapter)