Knife splashing

Chapter 284 Bee Gate
This shop was run by a chamber of commerce, so its facade was naturally upscale, with white walls and green tiles, and even the doors and windows had exquisite wood carvings.

There is a plaque hanging high above, which reads "Western Wonders Shop".

As you enter the store, you will smell the faint scent of sandalwood.

Several large tallow candle lanterns filled the store with light.

On the ebony shelves on the four walls are placed Western clocks and watches of various sizes and styles, all of which are exquisitely crafted.

It looks like a small building, with flying eaves and columns, meticulously carved windows, and patterns. When the pointer turns, it seems that you can hear the melodious sound of the bell in the building...

Some are shaped like carriages, with gold and silver threads inlaid on the body, wheels that can turn slowly, and a small clock face on the top that ticks...

In addition to clocks, there are several music boxes on the shelf.

These music boxes are also exquisitely made, with the shells made of precious wood or gold and silver interlaced, and carved with flowers, animals, and figures.

One of them lifted its lid, making a crisp sound.

The man who was looking after the shop was an old man with an elegant temperament. He wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses and a black Confucian robe, which was quite suitable for him.

Of course, this kind of shop also needs strong and healthy guys.

"Meet Mr. Tian."

Seeing a few people from a distance, the old man came over to greet them.

Tian Yuanwai looked around and said with a smile, "Manager Zhao, why haven't you closed the store yet so late?"

The old man hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "It's the Dragon Boat Festival, and there are many new merchants from other places. Some of them pass by Wuchang specifically to come to our chamber of commerce to buy things. It's not appropriate to close the store too early."

Tian nodded, then turned around and smiled at Li Yan, saying, "Ten years ago, a Western monk came to China and presented the emperor with a self-ringing clock."

"The clock is beautifully made, and the emperor likes it very much. Since then, this item has become popular in China, but it is controlled by foreign monks and is very expensive. Even the rich cannot afford it."

"After the opening of the sea, some merchants found the place of origin, only to find that they had been cheated by those foreign monks. By now, the method of making bells has been learned by craftsmen in the capital, so it is not too expensive."

Then he turned around and said, "Manager Zhao, this is my honored guest. Take out your batch of pocket watches and let someone pick a few."

"Please wait, sir."

The old man hurried into the inner hall and took out an ebony box, which was divided into small compartments and filled with pocket watches of various colors.

Some cases are made of fine copper, which is so shiny that you can see through it, and the cases are carved with rare animals or flowers...

Some are made of silver, with smooth and delicate shells, decorated with intricate patterns, like vines winding around, and they look like Western style...

Most of them are inlaid with jewels, but there are also those inlaid with white porcelain pieces, painted landscapes or inscribed with famous poems, which have a strong Chinese style.

It seems that this thing was also made by craftsmen in Beijing.

Sure enough, after opening the pocket watch, the indications inside were not Arabic numerals, but Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, and the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.

Mr. Tian smiled and said, "This batch of pocket watches is something that was just made recently. They have become popular in the capital. During this Dragon Boat Festival, Ezhou will also sell a large number of them. The price is not expensive, but it is more suitable."

Li Yan was delighted when he saw this, "It is indeed a good thing."

With this thing, it is more convenient to check time during team activities.

According to Sharifei's personal character, he chose a pocket watch with a brass case and a dragon carved on it for him.

Lu San's is carved with an eagle, and Wang Daoxuan's is the most special, with a small Bagua pattern on the back.

As for him, he chose a Tai Chi pattern.

After all, if you want to travel around, and you have to take out those gem-studded items often, it will inevitably attract attention, so they are all made of brass and come with leather covers.

Four pocket watches cost a total of more than three hundred taels.

Naturally, Mr. Tian would not let him pay for it. He put it directly into his own account and took everyone out.

When he came to the street, Mr. Tian looked to the left, a little hesitant.

Tian Wei knew what he was thinking and quickly said, "Father, how about we go to my second uncle's house now?"

Upon hearing this, Mr. Tian hurriedly shook his head and said, "No, it's not okay to visit someone in the middle of the night. Besides, the second brother has a grudge against me..."

Seeing this, Li Yan was speechless.

Mr. Tian is a good person in all other aspects. He is a righteous man and follows the rules when doing things. However, he becomes a little shy when facing his family members.

She clearly misses her son, but she starts scolding him when they meet.

He was obviously worried about his brother and came here early in the morning, but when the time came, he still couldn't save face.

Thinking of this, he also advised: "This is not just a simple visit. The other party has obviously been in trouble. It is better to do it sooner rather than later."

"Alright!"

Hearing this reason, Mr. Tian nodded immediately, asked the servants to bring the horses, and went through the street on the left towards the west of the city.

There was no curfew in Wuchang City, and with the Dragon Boat Festival approaching, the city was noticeably more lively.

In some streets, there are even stages where operas are performed.

In Wuchang City, Chu opera is popular. The characters on the stage are extremely romantic and the people below the stage applaud loudly.

Li Yan could now roughly hear what the other party was singing: "As white as the snow on the mountain, as bright as the moon between the clouds. I heard that you have two minds, so I came to break up with you. Today is the drinking party, tomorrow is the ditch..."

Different from the majestic Qinqiang, Chudiao is much more affectionate and sad.

Li Yan was in a good mood. He rode his horse and tapped his fingers lightly to the rhythm. The lanterns of the teahouses and restaurants on both sides retreated.

The cool breeze blowing on your face feels really nice.

Even though the streets were crowded with people, it took them about three incense sticks of time to pass through the city and reach the west.

"It's in the alley ahead."

Mr. Tian sighed slightly, his eyes showing a complicated look.

It was obviously much quieter here, surrounded by large mansions. The only light came from the wind-killing lanterns hanging in front of the doors of the wealthy families' houses.

Deep in the alley, the sound of dogs barking could be heard faintly.

When they arrived outside a house, Mr. Tian's face suddenly changed.

The gate of the house was tightly closed, and it was chopped with knives and axes, and was splashed with filthy things such as dog blood and feces.

Not to mention the lanterns hanging at the door, even the yard was pitch black, as if no one lived there.

"No, something happened!"

Mr. Tian’s face turned pale and his voice trembled a little.

Li Yan pinched his fingers, frowned and sniffed, then whispered, "There are still people hiding inside..."

Mr. Tian understood immediately, and quickly dismounted, walked quickly forward, and knocked on the door repeatedly, regardless of the filth on the door.

"Open the door, brother! Big brother is here!"

There was a rustling sound in the yard, and then the wooden door was slowly opened, revealing a pale young man.

Seeing Mr. Tian, ​​the young man looked complicated and gritted his teeth and said, "What are you doing here?"

"Step aside!"

Mr. Tian was too lazy to talk nonsense, he pushed the door open and strode in.

The young man was anxious and wanted to stop them, but was stopped by Tian Wei, who shook his head and said, "Brother Wu, the adults' affairs must be resolved. My father heard that my second uncle was in trouble, so he rushed here in a hurry..."

The young man bit his lip and said nothing more.

Mr. Tian had already ordered his servants to light torches and quickly walked to the backyard room. When he smelled the pungent odor of medicinal herbs, he was immediately startled.

Sure enough, when he pushed open the door of the wing, he saw a woman sitting inside, squatting in front of a charcoal fire with medicine boiling on it.

On the bed lay a middle-aged man with a sallow complexion and looking very weak. He looked somewhat similar to Mr. Tian, ​​but thinner.

Seeing Mr. Tian, ​​he glanced at him coldly, "What are you doing here? Are you here to make fun of me?"

"you!"

Tian Yuanwai was furious, but he didn't show it. Looking at the person on the bed, he thought of his brother who followed him around when he was a child, and now he has become like this. He couldn't help but feel sad, "Second brother, why didn't you tell your elder brother about the incident?"

Although the second son of the Tian family was a little surprised, he still sneered, "No, I can't stand it."

"Besides, you were right at the beginning. I am just a useless piece of mud. Look, you are right about everything, aren't you?"

The feud between the Tian brothers originated from a quarrel.

They came out of Bojidun Village, and the three brothers worked together to start a small business. Later, they met a noble person who helped them, and their business grew bigger and bigger.

However, it is easy to share hardships but difficult to share happiness.

After the business grew, the three brothers became a little arrogant.

The second brother liked gambling, the third brother was addicted to alcohol and sex, and as for Mr. Tian, ​​he was arrogant and looked down upon his two brothers.

Finally, because of the mistakes made by the two brothers, a business lost a lot of money. Mr. Tian was furious and scolded the two brothers.

The two were unwilling to accept the defeat and even had a fight.

From then on, the three brothers separated and had no contact with each other. Even during the Qingming Festival, they intentionally separated themselves from each other.

Seeing how prosperous Mr. Tian has been in recent years, the two brothers felt unhappy and worked hard to run their own business.

To some extent, it's also just a sullen feeling.

Hearing the second brother's angry words, Tian Yuanwai was no longer angry at this time. Tears flowed down his cheeks and he sighed to the sky: "In one's lifetime, fame, wealth, wine, sex, money and anger are all consumed. How can there be a perfect person?"

"After our parents left, I should have fulfilled my responsibilities as the eldest brother, but I looked down on you. It's all my fault. If you are angry, go ahead and scold me."

The second guy on the bed gritted his teeth and was about to say something, but when the words came to his lips, he couldn't say them. He just burst into tears and started to sob.

His son and wife were stunned.

The second son of the Tian family had a stubborn temper. He was so angry that he was bedridden and kept cursing. It was the first time that the mother and son saw him cry.

Tian Wei saw this and quickly stepped forward to persuade him: "Don't be sad, uncle. In fact, father misses you very much. I saw that he didn't sleep all night last night..."

"Fuck off!"

Tian Yuanwai glared at him and said, "Why are you butting in when the master is talking?"

After that, he held the hand of the second son of the Tian family and said, "Don't worry, second brother, no matter what happens, I will take care of it for you!"

Tian Wei laughed in silence and put his arm around the young man's shoulder, "Brother Wu, let's walk more often in the future."

After talking about the matter, the second son of the Tian family also told the whole story.

The cause of the accident is actually very simple.

The second son of the Tian family is engaged in the "Han embroidery" business.

The so-called "Han embroidery" actually originated from Chu embroidery. Qu Yuan once sighed in "Chu Ci": "The jadeite pearl quilt is shining brightly. The wall is made of emeralds, and the curtains are spread out...

From officials and merchants to famous prostitutes and actors in Ezhou, everyone likes to wear Han embroidery clothes, so the city never has to worry about business.

Although the second son of the Tian family's business is not as successful as Mr. Tian's, he also employs hundreds of embroiderers and more than a dozen workshops.

At the end of last year, someone introduced him to a big customer. He only needed to send the goods to Xiangyang and let someone else sell them.

Moreover, the other party will pay more than half of the deposit.

The second son of the Tian family naturally agreed to such a good thing readily.

Every time, the other party was able to pay the bill smoothly.

The transaction amount between the two parties was getting bigger and bigger. The second son of the Tian family usually took the deposit first, asked the workshop to make the product, and then earned the rest of the money from the other party.

The last time, the other party needed a large amount of goods, and also said that the turnover was a bit difficult this time, so he would not pay the deposit first, and would pay him after the sale.

The second son of the Tian family had been earning money from the other party during this period. He was afraid of losing this important customer, so he gritted his teeth and agreed.

But this time, several ships of cargo were robbed on the way, and the second son of the Tian family suffered heavy losses.

Not only that, the money to more than a dozen workshops had not been paid, and the other party even sued him to the government on the grounds that the goods had not been delivered.

The contract between the two parties was also tampered by the other party, who said that the deposit had been paid and demanded several times the compensation.

During this period, not only did the embroiderers who were owed wages come to make trouble, but the other party also hired a group of thugs to collect debts all day long.

The second son of the Tian family was so angry that he fell ill.

In a desperate situation, he resorted to evil means, but the things he dug out from the tomb were deliberately sold at a low price, and they could not fill the hole at all...

When Li Yan heard this, he understood the general idea.

This is the work of the "Bee" group, that is, a gang of scammers. Some are responsible for "pulling the ropes", some are responsible for "pretending", and some are responsible for "grabbing the fire". They have a clear division of labor, and the one who takes charge of the overall situation is called "Anzuozi".

"It's not your fault."

Tian Yuanwai's eyes were filled with anger. "You have been set up by Fengmen. If nothing unexpected happens, the people who introduced you to the customers and those embroidery workshops are all involved."

"The method is very simple. Every time the other party gets the Han embroidery, they will send it directly back to the workshop, and most of the deposit will also return to them."

"A few times can bankrupt you."

"Don't worry, Lao Er. I'm familiar with the people in this underworld. As long as we find the leader of this group of bees, the problem can be solved."

"It's easy to talk to the government. I'll ask someone to mediate for us. We can delay for a while. When we find the person who set up the trap, we'll force him to withdraw the lawsuit."

“You’ll lose a little in the end, but you’ll be able to get most of your property back.”

"Thank you, brother."

The second son of the Tian family breathed a sigh of relief with a trembling voice.

He asked around and knew that he had been tricked, but he couldn't solve the problem with his own strength.

Tian Yuanwai smiled and said, "This is a small matter. Just focus on recuperating and leave everything to Big Brother."

"By the way, call the third brother tomorrow, and the eldest brother should apologize to him. Aren't you two on good terms? Why didn't he come?"

The second son of the Tian family laughed bitterly, "Third brother, he can't protect himself at this moment."

"He was seduced by his bad friends and had an affair with a decent lady. She blackmailed him all day long, saying she would report him to the police if he didn't, and the whole city was in turmoil."

"The business has also been ruined. I guess I am in a panic now and don't know where to raise money..."

"How could this Third Brother be so confused!"

When Mr. Tian heard this, he was immediately furious.

When Li Yan heard this, he frowned and shook his head, saying, "Don't worry, Mr. Tian. There's something wrong with this matter."

"Your second brother is stubborn and has a gambling tendency. Your third brother is addicted to alcohol and sex and can't control his pants."

"Both incidents clearly targeted their weaknesses, and were carefully planned. And someone also put a curse on you."

"Don't you think it's a bit of a coincidence that three brothers got into trouble at the same time?"

Tian Yuanwai was shocked, "Are they those people?"

Li Yan nodded and said, "Most likely."

"this?"

Tian Yuanwai was furious, "How did my Tian family offend them that they would resort to such unscrupulous means to frame me?"

Li Yan fell into deep thought, tapping his fingers lightly.

"These people are very powerful. If they wanted to frame you, everyone in your Tian family would have been wiped out by now. But you still have to go through all this trouble."

“They are not framing…”

“It’s forced!”

　The third update is around 12 o'clock

　　
　
(End of this chapter)