Xiaoyao Xiaojunhou

Chapter 793 Wooden Box

[13000 has been replenished, and there are 7000 left.I worked hard today and found that I have enough words. The remaining 17000 words will be completed in this chapter and the next chapter. This chapter has completed 7000 words]

One night five or six days later, after another round of galloping, the old man finally fell asleep and lay beside her.

After the sound of snoring came from her ear, Wu Mei stood up like a ghost, touched her feet, the wound had completely healed, and she could walk on the ground.

In the dark night, Wu Mei thought for a long time with her eyes open, without any trace of sleep.

Finally, Wu Mei picked up a pillow with both hands, slowly turned sideways, and then suddenly rushed towards the old man, covering the old man's mouth and nose with the pillow!
At this time, the dancing charm showed ferocity and ruthlessness. She gritted her teeth and opened her eyes angrily. She was like a wounded beast, pressing the pillow with all her strength!

She was going to cover this old man to death!

"Um..."

The old man woke up immediately and moved his hands and feet wildly, trying to push away the pillow that was pressed against his mouth and nose.

He never dreamed that this gentle but not very talkative little lady would kill him.

The old man's scalp was numb and he fought with all his life.

It stands to reason that the old man is a hunter, and Wu Mei is just a weak woman. There is a huge disparity in strength between the two, so the old man should be able to push her away easily.

However, Wu Mei's attack had been brewing for several days, thinking about what happened in the past few days, a force arose in her heart, and she pressed the pillow firmly, without moving an inch.

As for the old man, he is already old and his strength is not as strong as when he was young. In addition, in the past few days, he has been galloping several times a day and exhausted himself, so his physical strength has already declined greatly.

Under the circumstances, Wu Mei, a weak woman, was even better.

"Um..."

The old man was still struggling desperately.

Charming bared her teeth, with a ruthless look in her eyes, she pressed forward tightly and pressed the pillow with both hands. She seemed to be in a state of madness, crying and laughing at the same time.

Click!

At this time, a bolt of lightning pierced the night sky.

In this dark room, it was also illuminated brightly.

The dancing charm's distorted facial features, her expression that looked like she was smiling or crying, and the strange glint in her eyes, if anyone saw her, they would definitely be frightened and run away.

As time went by, finally, the old man stopped moving.

Wu Mei's eyes were red, she didn't seem to notice this, she was still pressing the pillow with great force, making an indistinct sound while pressing.

I don't know how long has passed.

"what!"

Wu Mei screamed, her hand that was pressing on the pillow loosened, and she huddled on the side of the wooden bed, holding her knees with her hands, staring at the old man, finally revealing a strong look of fear.

The old man was motionless and had been dead for a long time.

Click!

Another lightning burst.

The pale light shone on the old man's body, startling Wu Mei. She screamed "Ah" and tried to shrink back.

But there was a wall behind her, and she couldn't shrink at all.

"I killed someone, I killed someone... I can't stay here, I can't stay here..."

Wu Mei shivered and climbed off the wooden bed in a panic. She didn't dare to look back and rushed out of the shabby house as fast as possible and came outside.

At this time, it was already pouring rain outside, as if holding a water basin and pouring it down, Wu Mei was drenched all over in an instant.

"I can't stay here..."

Wu Mei muttered, kicking deeply and shallowly, and fled outside.

Click!

Rumble!
It was another combination of thunder and lightning, and the earth seemed to be trembling.

"what!"

Wu Mei was almost scared out of her wits. Her foot slipped and she fell into the muddy water.

She got up and felt that her head and face were covered with mud, but she had no intention of cleaning it up. She suppressed the fear in her heart and continued to flee in one direction...

She didn't know how far she ran out. She only remembered getting into a forest. Then she felt really sleepy, so she leaned against a big tree and fell asleep.

"Caught it, it's her!"

Suddenly, a loud shout exploded in my ears, like rolling thunder.

Wu Mei woke up in an instant. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw two big knives placed on her neck, and there was a faint cold air.

"Don't move. You committed murder intentionally. The evidence is conclusive. We will bring you to justice today!"

The speaker was a government official, and his clothes were easily identifiable.

After Wu Mei saw the man's clothes clearly, her heart suddenly sank to the bottom...

Arrested, imprisoned, interrogated, convicted.

During this series of processes, Wu Mei felt like she was outside the action.

When she was caught committing murder, she knew that the death penalty was inevitable and that resisting was useless.

But the strange thing is that on the night after the conviction, she was taken out of the cell and taken to a quiet place.

There were also several delicate maids, who helped her bathe and change clothes, dress her up beautifully, and then serve her fine wine and delicious food.

Wu Mei was confused and didn't know why.

Soon, Wu Mei's doubts were solved. Today, the county magistrate who was hearing the case appeared in casual clothes in the Yamen court.

As soon as the county magistrate arrived, his eyes were fixed on her.

But he is not reckless at all, and his words are quite modest.

The county magistrate gave Wu Mei two choices. One was to return to the cell immediately and be escorted to Beijing to be executed at a later date.

The second is to serve him for one night, and he will find a way to help her escape, at least to avoid the death penalty.

Wu Mei agreed to the second item without even thinking about it.

After being defiled by that rotten old man, Wu Mei no longer cared. What's more, the county magistrate looked dignified, spoke modestly and politely, and was like a gentleman. Committing yourself to him in exchange for your life was a very cost-effective deal.

That night, Wu Mei used everything she had learned in her life to serve the county magistrate like a living god.

The next morning, the county magistrate almost couldn't get out of bed.

Although she was very tired, the county magistrate was very satisfied. Before leaving, he handed her a pill and whispered a few words to her.

Later, Wu Mei was sent to the cell again. After dinner that night, Wu Mei quietly took out the pill and swallowed it in one gulp.

Soon, Wu Mei's vision went dark, she lost consciousness, and fell straight in the cell...

She seemed to have had a long sleep, with constant nightmares. What she had experienced these days was relived in her dream.

At some point, Wu Mei suddenly woke up.

When she opened her eyes, she saw nothing but darkness and no light. When she touched it with her hands, she felt something strange. She seemed to be contained in a wooden box.

Boom!
Suddenly, the wooden box seemed to be touched by something, and it made a loud noise, which startled Wu Mei and made her scream.

"You have to work harder, everyone is awake, hurry up, otherwise everyone will die of suffocation..."

There seemed to be a sound coming from outside the wooden box.

Immediately afterwards, the wooden box was touched repeatedly, making a "dong-dong-dong" sound.

Wu Mei didn't dare to move for a moment. She remembered what the county magistrate had whispered to her.

Now it seems that she was indeed placed in a coffin and buried!

In order to survive yesterday, she was not afraid at all, but now, the experience of being dug out of the ground still frightened Wu Mei.

She closed her eyes tightly and didn't dare to move or touch any more.

At this time, Wu Mei couldn't help but think of the county magistrate.

It was him who saved her life.

Moreover, the county magistrate is like a gentleman and is not annoying. It is actually not bad to follow him in the future.

Last night, when the county magistrate was in a state of elation, he promised her that he would keep her in the city as a foreign residence and provide her with food and clothing.

Wu Mei also secretly made up her mind to serve the county magistrate well in the future.

Her gentleness and thoughtfulness, as well as her body, will only be enjoyed by the county magistrate from now on.

She has really had enough of the days of being homeless and frightened!
Desire to settle down!

dong dong!

The wooden box rang twice more, as if it came from outside.

Wu Mei trembled all over and closed her eyes even more tightly, not daring to look at the next scene.

"Little lady, don't be afraid, we will open the lid right now and let you out. Just be patient for a moment longer!"

There was a vague voice outside the wooden box, vague and unclear.

However, Wu Mei had already braced herself up because of her nervousness, and she could roughly hear what was said.

She did not answer.

Stab it!

The sound of wood rubbing against each other was very harsh.

What followed was fragmented human voices.

And the whistling wind, it was noisy.

At the same time, a flash of fiery red light was perceived by her eyes through her eyelids. It should be the light from the torch, dancing.

Wu Mei couldn't help but tighten her eyelids again, closing them tightly.

She was terribly afraid, afraid of seeing this wooden box, and also afraid of seeing this wild place.

Even the dust and sawdust that was spilled when opening the wooden box fell on her face, Wu Mei had no time to take care of it. She pressed her heart tightly with both hands and breathed out rapidly from both nostrils.

"I found it, haha, good luck... He looks pretty good!"

"Hey, don't tell me, this little lady looks pretty good in this outfit!"

"Don't you understand this? It's not the clothes that look good, but the people that look good. Before you are buried, you have to put on makeup, so you naturally look good."

"Don't be afraid, little lady, we are sent by the county magistrate..."

There was a noise coming from the position directly above. They seemed to be rough men with rough voices.

Their discussions made Wu Mei unable to calm down.

It's just that she was so scared that she had no time to take care of it.

"Hug...hug me out!" Wu Mei used a lot of strength to say these words.

"Okay, little lady, be careful..." A rough man's voice sounded.

Then there was a "pop" sound, and he should have jumped down. Then the light in front of Wu Mei dimmed, and two strong hands hugged her.

There was a lot of spin and a lot of uphill climb.

"Don't be afraid, little lady, let's go further away. It's good that little lady didn't open her eyes, we will deal with this place immediately..."

The man held her and ran for a while, talking while running.

Wu Mei felt a little relieved, and the hand covering her heart could not help but loosen, but she still didn't dare to open her eyes or speak.

After a while, the man stopped and laid her flat on an uneven place.

There must be a stone underneath her body, which was so hard that it made her back hurt.

"Boss, this girl is so exciting. Look at that face, those hands, those eyebrows, that nose..."

"Boss, it's dark and windy here at night, how about...hey, let the brothers have some refreshment first? Of course, boss, you're here first, hey hey..."

In an instant, all kinds of cheers came and went.

Wu Mei felt that her body was surrounded by rough men, and green light was emitting from her body. Wu Mei couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling in her heart.

"Do not……"

Wu Mei cried out and wanted to get up and run away, but for some reason, perhaps because she had been in the wooden box for so long, she was unable to move.

At the same time, a line of clear tears flowed from the corner of Wu Mei's eyes.

She was very puzzled. Since the county magistrate sent people to dig her out, then these people...should be the county magistrate's men.

And she is already the county magistrate's woman.

Then these people... shouldn't act like this!
He acted like a robber. Aren't you afraid that she would complain in front of the magistrate afterwards?
After all, Wu Mei is no longer a three-year-old child. These people are so unscrupulous and speak unabashedly, so they must have some intentions... Is there something hidden in this?
At this moment, the thought of "living on the magistrate" in Wu Mei's heart had cracks like porcelain.

"Shut up!"

When Wu Mei was thinking wildly, the person who had run so far with her in her arms suddenly stopped everyone.

The tone is very severe, cold and biting.

Wu Mei didn't know whether those people were frightened.

What she knew was that she was shocked.

"This little lady is the best I have found in the past few years. She will be of great use! Do you want to die because you want to ruin this big thing for me!"

The man said something coldly again.

"Don't dare, don't dare..."

Everyone around him was depressed and did not dare to make the same mistake again.

"Don't be afraid, little lady, the county magistrate has sold you to us. But don't worry, little lady, you will never suffer any suffering again in the future. On the contrary, you will be well-dressed and well-fed, and you will be cheered and supported. To that incomparably noble day!”

The man's voice softened.

Then he smiled and said: "However, the little lady needs to know first. Before that, we will focus on training you. Don't resist, just be obedient. In the future, you will always benefit!"

"It's getting late, you wait to dispose of that new grave, and then hurry back!" The man said again, but he was giving instructions to his subordinates.

Those people are busy.

Wu Mei felt miserable. She subconsciously thought that the magistrate had bought her to a certain brothel.

She clearly knows her own conditions.

This person said he wanted to train her, probably to train her into an oiran or something, and then use her to make a lot of money...

In Wu Mei's heart, thinking that she was about to be reduced to a prostitute and would be ridden by thousands of people, she felt sad and couldn't help sobbing softly.

However, Wu Mei probably could not have imagined that her destination was not actually a brothel...

It was late at night, and there were only a few stars in the dark sky.

Whoosh!

The night wind blew by, and the treetops in the wild swayed violently, making a rustling sound that was a little breathtaking.

At this time, in the most luxurious inn in Chen Guo, Yangzhou, and Hai'an County, Zhu Xiuyuan was sleeping soundly with his wife in his arms.

Zhu Xiuyuan has been busy at the salt farm for several days. The salt farmers in the experimental field have finally mastered all the processes. The coarse salt they produce is better than Zhu Xiuyuan expected.

Tonight is the last day in Yangzhou. At dawn tomorrow, Zhu Xiuyuan will set off and return to the capital.

Countless salt fields are already under construction in large quantities.The method of drying salt will also be personally taught by the salt farmers in the experimental fields, so Zhu Xiuyuan's task has been completed.

By the time they returned to the capital, it was already the afternoon of the second day.

Dong Shuzhen and the others returned home first.

After Zhu Xiuyuan entered the city, he went directly to the palace and asked to see Emperor Chen and Concubine You.

Qin'an Hall.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please see, this is the coarse salt we dried in the salt fields in Yangzhou!"

Zhu Xiuyuan cupped his hands while introducing.

At the same time, a eunuch quickly walked up the imperial steps carrying a tray. On the tray was the coarse salt sample brought back by Zhu Xiuyuan.

Emperor Chen and Concubine You stood up together and took a closer look.

He looked like a scholar.

Zhu Xiuyuan's strategy of refining salt is extremely important to Chen Huang and You Guifei, so they can't help but pay attention to it.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, there is not much difference between the coarse salt produced by drying the salt and the coarse salt produced by boiling it." "But the amount of coarse salt produced by the two methods is , but there is a huge difference. Our salt fields only take three to five days, but the amount of coarse salt produced may take dozens of days to cook!"

Zhu Xiuyuan introduced below.

"Okay, a good three to five days!"

Chen Huang put down the piece of solidified coarse salt and laughed loudly, "This way, I feel relieved!"

Concubine You then smiled and said: "Aiqing's refined salt is really amazing. Not to mention the refined salt, it has surpassed the best rock salt, snowflake salt and so on."

"As for this coarse salt alone, the coarse salt produced by Aiqing's salt field method is beyond the reach of the boiling method! Aiqing is really my deputy general, Da Chen!"

"Yeah!" Chen Huang nodded after laughing, and took over the conversation: "Ai Qing, when things are done, I will reward you a lot. This refined salt is really important to me, Chen Guo!"

Zhu Xiuyuan was quite calm, and he quickly thanked His Majesty for his kindness, and then pretended to decline.

Finally, under the insistence of Emperor Chen and Concubine You, Zhu Xiuyuan reluctantly agreed.

As soon as he thanked him, he looked up and saw that Chen Huang's face seemed to have changed. He sighed and sat on the dragon chair, seeming quite troubled.

Zhu Xiuyuan hurriedly asked Chen Huang why he sighed. As a minister, he was willing to share your worries...

"Ai Qing doesn't know. Just a few days ago, when Ai Qing went to Yangzhou, for some reason, the policy of refining salt was heard by the ministers in the court..."

But it was Concubine You who responded to him, "The court officials have petitioned Your Majesty to abolish the policy of refined salt, and they also said that this is... competing with the people for profit!"

"These memorials are coming in an endless stream. Your Majesty and I are both very annoyed! I wonder if you have any good ideas?" Concubine You asked smoothly.

Zhu Xiuyuan was stunned for a moment. Based on his intuition, he thought it was the southeastern salt merchants who were fighting back!

According to the news Zhu Xiuyuan received, the southeast salt merchants were entrenched in the southeast area and had deep roots. They had bribed countless court officials.

Moreover, the Prime Minister, the head of the civil service, was flirting with the salt merchants...

Therefore, the courtiers continued to report, just like cats smelling fishy smell.

Regarding this point, Zhu Xiuyuan had actually predicted it a long time ago.

The policy of refining salt will affect the interests of many people. It would be strange if they don't jump up!
But he didn't expect that this storm had already started just a few days after he went to Yangzhou...

Fortunately, Zhu Xiuyuan had a plan in advance.

"Your Majesty, the noble concubine is a humble minister. She has a plan in mind, but I don't know if it is feasible." Zhu Xiuyuan cupped his hands and said.

"Oh, Aiqing, please tell me, what's the plan?" Chen Huang couldn't help but sit upright.

"Your Majesty, I call this strategy the 'Imperial Examination'! The mechanism of the Imperial Examination is similar to that of the Military Examination, but the content of the assessment is very different!" Zhu Xiuyuan said.

Emperor Chen, who was sitting on the dragon chair, couldn't help but light up after hearing this.

He sat upright again and waved his hand: "Ai Qing, continue."

At that moment, Zhu Xiuyuan briefly described the imperial examination system of later generations.

Zhu Xiuyuan directly copied the mature imperial examination system in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and did not use the Tang and Song Dynasties because it was not yet mature.

"Your Majesty, the officials selected through the imperial examination must have their hearts set with Your Majesty and the court! When these people fill the court, we can suppress the aristocratic families and wealthy businessmen to the greatest extent!"

Zhu Xiuyuan finally said.

Emperor Chen and Concubine You were both fascinated by what he heard.

The current official selection system is actually a relatively primitive recommendation system, which makes it easy for powerful officials to become powerful and for wealthy families to control the court.

Even though Emperor Chen was always willing to beat people up, the ministers did not dare to bully Chen Emperor too much.But that's just in the middle of the court. Once outside the capital, the situation is different.

The fact that the imperial power does not extend to the county is still deeply rooted in the current Chen State.

To be honest, Chen Huang was already moved.

"But Your Majesty, this imperial examination is no small matter. It is probably dozens of times more difficult to implement than the refined salt strategy, and it is even more likely that it will not be implemented!"

"So the imperial examination policy proposed by the minister is only used to interfere with the sight of the courtiers! The above is just a little humble opinion of the minister, please be aware of it!" Zhu Xiuyuan cupped his hands after finishing speaking.

"Eh!"

Zhu Xiuyuan's last words woke up Chen Huang.

He couldn't help but pat his knees.

"This imperial examination policy is indeed a good policy that benefits the country and the people, but what Ai Qing said is not unreasonable..."

As the sky turned dark, Zhu Xiuyuan walked out of the palace gate.

As for the imperial examination policy, Zhu Xiuyuan didn't care whether Chen Huang would adopt it or not. At the moment, he only needed to make preparations for the refined salt policy.

By the time Zhu Xiuyuan stepped into the gate of Shenleihou Mansion, he had already forgotten about refined salt and the imperial examination.

His current mood is very complicated, he is excited, afraid, and has great expectations.

He went to Yangzhou for a few days and wondered what happened to Shuyu.

I remember that the day before his trip to Yangzhou, he wrote to Dong Shuyu that he would give her a big surprise when he returned to Beijing.

He had actually prepared for the big surprise.

If Dong Shuyu recovers well, he will take it out tonight.

If Dong Shuyu still refuses to walk out of the courtyard, he will probably have to rack his brains to make her happy...

"Is the lady back?" Zhu Xiuyuan asked casually to the servants beside him after walking into the mansion.

"Reporting to Lord Marquis, Madam has returned to the mansion." The servant said.

"Oh, where is my father-in-law? Is he in the mansion?" Zhu Xiuyuan asked again.

"Master Marquis, I have just returned from my duty at the government office. After a while, Master Marquis, you will be back," the servant said.

"Then...where is Shuyu?"

"Master Hou, my aunt is talking to Madam in the flower hall of the main house." The servant responded.

Zhu Xiuyuan nodded, suppressing the ecstasy in his heart, and walked towards the flower hall of the main house.

Dong Shuyu was able to walk out of the hospital, which meant that she had recovered... Zhu Xiuyuan couldn't help but feel happy.

Flower Hall.

Doorway.

Zhu Xiuyuan tidied his clothes, took a deep breath to calm down, and then opened the door.

While stepping into it, he looked up and searched around.

As he pushed the door open, there was a noise, and everyone in the flower hall turned to look at him.

There is my father-in-law Dong Cheng, and my wife Dong Shuzhen.

Sitting on a chair next to Dong Shuzhen was Dong Shuyu, whom he had coaxed for three days!
"The good son-in-law is back!" Dong Cheng stood up with a smile.

"Husband!" Dong Shuzhen immediately threw away her sister who was chatting, and rushed over with a whoosh.

As for Dong Shuyu, the moment he opened the door and came in, she raised her eyes and stared at him, and then kept her head down.

He was motionless and looked very restrained.

"Father-in-law! Madam!"

Zhu Xiuyuan greeted with a smile, and also endured a round of "bump" from Dong Shuzhen.

However, most of his attention was still on Dong Shuyu in the distance.

When he first entered the door, with a quick glance, he noticed that Dong Shuyu looked much better.

With a fair complexion and exquisite makeup... He felt that Dong Shuyu now had a special attraction.

No matter how he looked at it, he felt a sense of closeness in his heart.

In other words, he couldn't help but have the idea of ​​"teasing Dong Shuyu".

Zhu Xiuyuan pulled Dong Shuzhen and walked over slowly, said something to Dong Cheng, then walked to Dong Shuyu's side, and asked with concern: "Shuyu has been ill for a long time, but has she ever recovered?"

Dong Shuyu was sitting on the chair, holding a handkerchief in his hand, pressing it on his knee, tearing unconsciously.

Due to the complicated emotions in his heart, Dong Shuyu did not respond, and did not even look up at Zhu Xiuyuan.

In Dong Cheng's opinion, this is disrespectful. Sitting there with such a prickly look is indecent.

"Yu'er, are you feeling uncomfortable again?" Dong Cheng asked, frowning.

"Ah!" Dong Shuyu came to his senses instantly, stood up, glanced at Dong Cheng first, and then faced Zhu Xiuyuan, not daring to look at him, but saluted: "Master Hou... is back..."

"Master Hou, Daddy, it's getting late. I'll go back and rest first..." Dong Shuyu looked slightly flustered and was about to leave.

"It's getting late?" Dong Cheng was astonished.

"Rest?" Dong Shuzhen was also surprised.

Zhu Xiuyuan turned around and looked out the window of the flower hall. Although the sky was starting to get dark, the setting sun was still hanging high there.

Why is it getting late?

Zhu Xiuyuan took a sip and knew what was going on, but...since Dong Shuyu had walked out of the hospital, he naturally needed to seize the opportunity.

So he said: "Shu Yu, don't worry. When I come back this time, I am thinking about something important. It is related to the business of the palace. Why don't Shu Yu stay and listen?"

Dong Shuyu said nothing.

But Dong Cheng smiled and said: "My good son-in-law has been hungry all the way back. We might as well talk while eating!"

Then he looked at Dong Shuyu and said with a smile: "Yu'er, since it's related to the government's business, don't rush back and listen carefully."

Dong Shuyu struggled for a while, but finally found it difficult to disobey his father's orders, so he nodded in agreement.

Furthermore, Zhu Xiuyuan's words "it's related to the government's business" really hooked her.

She has always regarded the business of the house as her own responsibility, how can she suffer a big loss because of herself?
After giving the order, various delicacies were placed on the dining table in the flower hall.

Dong Shuzhen sat next to Zhu Xiuyuan.

Dong Cheng was opposite Zhu Xiuyuan.

Then there was Dong Shuyu, sitting on the other side, sandwiched between Dong Cheng and Dong Shuzhen.

The food was served and everyone started eating.

After the hunger in his belly subsided, Zhu Xiuyuan began his "strategy".

"My current title is already Marquis. According to the regulations of the imperial court, we can have three thousand generals in our house!" Zhu Xiuyuan said slowly, glancing at Dong Shuyu from time to time.

Dong Shuyu, who was thoughtful and considerate, immediately understood in his heart when he heard this...

"However, my title is quite special. Except for the title of marquis, everything else is on par with the king's title. So, our mansion can support five thousand generals!"

"Well, what the virtuous son-in-law said is true, the government should indeed add some generals!" Dong Cheng nodded.

Dong Shuzhen, on the other hand, was just immersed in cooking. She couldn't answer these questions and could only look around with her gurgling eyes.

"It's not easy to support these five thousand generals. Their consumption must be huge. Therefore, our government's business should also expand!"

After Zhu Xiuyuan finished speaking, he looked at Dong Shuyu: "Shuyu, what do you think?"

Dong Shuyu stopped eating slowly, glanced sideways at Zhu Xiuyuan, and immediately looked away.

Looking at the food on the table, he said: "Expanding... the business in the mansion is naturally feasible. But..."

"It's just nothing, Shuyu just said it doesn't matter." Zhu Xiuyuan encouraged.

Zhu Xiuyuan found that when she talked about business matters, her whole temperament changed, and it was no longer the same as before.

Appears confident, faintly smells the breath of wisdom.

Zhu Xiuyuan couldn't help but laugh.

This is his last resort - business!
It seems like it should have worked.

"It's just that the profit from the refined salt business that the government cooperates with the imperial treasury supervisor is probably not small. It should be... enough to support five thousand generals, right?"

As Dong Shuyu said this, he couldn't help but turn his head to look at Zhu Xiuyuan, a gleam of wisdom flashed in his clear eyes.

Zhu Xiuyuan was happy and couldn't help but meet her gaze. Before she said anything, a silly smile appeared on his face.

Dong Shuyu's face turned red and he immediately turned his head away.

Zhu Xiuyuan's smile froze.

Then he said: "The refined salt business in cooperation with the imperial court actually doesn't make much money. I do this out of interest binding considerations, and I don't want to make money from it."

"To support the five thousand generals in the mansion, we still need to find a way elsewhere, which is to expand the business in the mansion. In this way, it will be hard work..."

Zhu Xiuyuan said, got up and saluted.

Dong Shuyu seemed to have been pricked by a needle, and stood up to return the favor.

"Father-in-law, Shuyu, I have a new idea this time. Let's start a big business! We can include tea houses and restaurants, and the profits will be huge!"

Immediately afterwards, Zhu Xiuyuan threw out the bait.

"I wonder what your new idea is?" Dong Shuyu asked casually after sitting down.

"This time we're going to go big and build a 'square'!" Zhu Xiuyuan said with a smile.

"square?!"

Dong Cheng, Dong Shuyu, and Dong Shuzhen were all surprised. What is this?
Zhu Xiuyuan ordered someone to take a huge scroll from his study and hang it in the flower hall.

"Look, this is a map of the capital, mainly the area along the Qinhuai River."

Zhu Xiuyuan stood up and walked to the scroll. While explaining, he waved and pointed: "This is Chaoku Street, this is Pipa Lane, this is Wuyi Lane, this is Dong's Tea House, and this is Dong Yulou... "

"My dear son-in-law, I see you have circled an area with a pen. What is that for?"

Dong Cheng stared at the scroll for a long time, and then asked a question he had been holding back for a long time.

"My father-in-law has good eyesight, haha, this circle is the key point!"

Zhu Xiuyuan's finger focused on the circle, causing the scroll to shake.

Next to him, Dong Shuyu was staring at the scroll with all his concentration, with a flash of wisdom in his eyes from time to time, as if he was guessing what Zhu Xiuyuan's "new gameplay" was about.

This aroused Dong Shuyu's great interest, thinking about these questions in his heart, he actually completely forgot about that matter.

At least, now she forgot.

As for Dong Shuzhen, she rested her hand on her chin... She thought of the night market by the Qinhuai River, the various delicacies from the vendors, and the tricks of juggling storytellers...

"From here, the entrance to Wuyi Lane, including our Dong's Tea House and Dong Yulou, and then to here..."

Zhu Xiuyuan said, drawing a line on the map with his finger.

Directly from the entrance of Wuyi Lane, along Chaoku Street, draw a long distance to the northeast.

Dong Shuyu silently calculated in his mind that in reality, this straight line would probably be about ninety feet long!
The length of more than ninety feet is about 300 meters.

In just 300 meters, on the bank of the Qinhuai River, there are probably dozens or hundreds of shops!

"We bought all the shops on this line, and then dismantled them to build a big house! The length of this big house is about eighty feet, the width is more than ten feet, and it has three floors!"

Zhu Xiuyuan said again.

"More than eighty feet long!?" Dong Cheng almost couldn't sit still on the chair and stood up directly.

"Wow, such a big house!" Dong Shuzhen almost dropped her jaw in shock.

On the other side, Dong Shuyu was not surprised, but her mouth was slightly long, and she could even stuff a quail egg into it.

At the same time, a look of shock appeared in his eyes, and he was a little dazed.

... After Zhu Xiuyuan briefly introduced the plan of the entire "square", it was completely dark.

Dong Cheng, Dong Shuyu, and Dong Shuzhen were already stunned.

He was stunned by Zhu Xiuyuan's huge plan.

"Shuyu? Shuyu!" Zhu Xiuyuan put away the scroll.

"Ah oh..." Dong Shuyu came to his senses.

"I'll let Shuyu worry about the big plan for this square from now on!" Zhu Xiuyuan smiled and handed over the scroll.

Dong Shuyu took it in confusion, not yet completely out of the shock.

"Shuyu, it's a bit inconvenient to always be called this square, why don't you ask Shuyu to give it a name?" Zhu Xiuyuan laughed.

Zhu Xiuyuan thought very well. If Dong Shuyu named this square, it would be equivalent to his own child, which would strengthen the effect of his "strategy".

After finishing speaking, Dong Cheng and Dong Shuzhen both looked at her.

(End of this chapter)