Chapter 30 You seem to be alone
"I wonder which merchants Mr. Qin is doing business with this time?"
Zhang Laosan almost knew the details of the transactions on the dock. As long as you can find out who he associates with, you can basically know his depth.
Shen Qingzhou glanced at him, but said without answering: "If Third Master has business, you might as well take care of me."
Zhang Laosan felt that he had met a ruthless character. This person was so sophisticated that he was almost impeccable!
He straightened his back and raised his voice: "Mr. Zhang really wants to be a long-term friend with Mr. Qin, but the eldest brother is in charge of the business at home."
"Why, the Zhang family has been divided, and the third master can't make the decision on his own business?" Shen Qingzhou showed a look of disbelief, "I heard that the profits of the Zhang family firm have declined in the past two years. When it comes to his own income, the third master doesn’t care at all?”
When he said this, Zhang Laosan was on pins and needles.
After the old man passed away, his family's business had suffered losses. He knew it, but he didn't have the ability to run it. Besides, he didn't want to suffer that hardship. The less money he had, the less money he had.
But Shen Qingzhou's words touched his latest sore spot. Yes, why did the profit of such a good shop drop after it was taken over by his eldest brother?
A few days ago, an account book from the old man's lifetime suddenly appeared. There was a discrepancy of two to thirty thousand taels of silver. It is not yet clear what happened to this account. Is the profit that fell in the account book really true? Was the business run poorly, or was the money earned lost to the elder?
"I heard that when the old man of the Zhang family was alive, the third master spent money like water, and his life was much more prosperous than it is now.
"I didn't expect that in just two or three years, the third master would end up losing thousands of taels of silver..."
Shen Qingzhou didn't say the second half.
But his regretful look made Zhang Laosan's face hurt even more than saying it directly.
He recalled the prosperous days when his father was in charge of the family. At that time, although the money allocated to him from the public servant was limited, for a family like theirs, before the family was divided, the family would allocate a little bit of property to the children so that they could learn financial management. .
So at that time, he had managed his own business. Although he didn't make any money, he lost almost all his pants. But at that time, the money was in his own hands!
On the contrary, after the family was divided, he had more property but less money at his disposal. The key is that all the property he received was still in the hands of the eldest brother!
If the eldest brother could do something so immoral as to take advantage of the old man's serious illness and squander the family's wealth, then what else couldn't they do?
A thin layer of sweat broke out on Zhang Laosan's forehead.
He glanced at the opposite person and said with force: "Of course I still have my property in my hands, but now that I have a family and a career, I can't be as willful as before."
Shen Qingzhou said: "Since the third master is considering getting married and starting a business, why not take back the shop and make it bigger?
"Putting your business in other people's hands is the same as relying on others to make a living."
Zhang Laosan picked up the cup: "This matter needs to be discussed with the family."
Shen Qingzhou said "Oh" when he heard this, turned his face to one side, and plated the walnuts in his hand.
Zhang Laosan thought for a while, put down the cup, and said, "Mr. Qin, do you have any advice?"
"We can't talk about it." Shen Qingzhou said in a long voice, and at the moment when he was pounding walnuts, he inadvertently exposed half of a waistband on his waist, "It's just a small business on the road, and I haven't found a suitable person yet."
Half of the waistband is exposed with a fish pattern. No matter how uneducated Zhang Laosan is, he still knows the general regulations of the court!
Only people from the government have such a fish charm brand!
He looked at it dreamily, and the cup of tea he was holding was already dancing in the cup.
No wonder he speaks with a Beijing accent, no wonder he has such style!
It turns out that what he met was not a rich man, but a God of Wealth!
"Dare, dare I ask you, sir, what kind of deal is this?"
"Third Master is not the one to talk, so don't ask any more questions."
Shen Qingzhou took back the hand supporting his knees and drank half the cup of tea in front of him. "I will not hinder the third master from enjoying his time. If we have a chance to meet in the future, I will invite the third master to tea."
"Sir, wait a minute!" Zhang Laosan stepped in front of him, "Please tell me where the master is staying, so that I can pay you a visit and show my kindness as a landlord!"
Shen Qingzhou said: "I live on the boat, so don't worry, Third Master. I don't have much time to stay in Shawan. I may leave tomorrow or the day after."
After saying that, he looked at He Qu and Tang Yu at the door. The two people immediately walked in and stood on either side of him in tacit understanding. At the same time, they cast a look of disdain at Zhang Laosan. Under the clothes of coarse cloth, the Taiwei Mansion was full of people. The quality of the guard was instantly revealed.
Zhang Laosan was trembling with fear and immediately got out of the way, bowing his head and respectfully seeing them off.
After leaving the gambling house, Shen Qingzhou found Lu Jia sitting on the eaves of the road at the pre-arranged place, with half a basket of betel nuts next to her. He patted her shoulder, then walked over and sat next to her, taking a betel nut.
Lu Jia immediately said: "How is it? Did he take the bait?"
Shen Qingzhou looked left and right with the betel nut and smelled it: "Before dark tomorrow, you will definitely see the result you want."
Lu Jia was surprised: "So fast?"
The time she had set for herself before was three days.
"What kind of medicine did you give him? So strong?"
Shen Qingzhou tried to take a bite of betel nut, and then spit it out.
Lu Jia looked at his useless look and handed him a cotton handkerchief.
Shen Qingzhou hoarse his throat, wiped his mouth, and glanced at her: "Of course I did what you said."
He just added a little drama and exposed half of He Qu's waistband.
Lu Jia was surprised: "Then how can you be sure that there will be results before tomorrow?"
"Because after he came out just now, he had already left like shit. And instead of going home, he went to Zhang Laoer's house."
Lu Jia said "Oh" and opened his eyes and mouth.
If Zhang Laosan wants to cause trouble for Zhang Qi, he must involve Zhang Laoer. According to Lu Jia's expectation, after Shen Qingzhou went too far tonight, Zhang Laosan had to go back and think about it for a day and a half. After all, splitting up the family and the shop involved interests. Zhang Laosan was ruthless, but Zhang Laoer was He still had to find a way to persuade him, so he went directly to Zhang Laoer's house. Was he trying to get Zhang Laoer to share the shop with him tonight?
"You're not bad," Lu Jia praised, "I'll make delicious food for you tomorrow!"
Shen Qingzhou looked at her happily, reached out and took out a stack of silver notes from his arms: "This is the two thousand taels I just won from Zhang Laosan, plus other people's, it's about two thousand five thousand. You take it." .”
He put it all on her palm and said:
"Keep it carefully and use the loose money for spending. If you have a large amount of money, don't exchange it at a local bank when you need to use it, so as not to be watched by people who know you.
"Go to Tanzhou Prefecture. There are many big banks there, it's safe, and there are few people who know you.
"Don't spend money too openly. Some people usually look good, but when there is a conflict of interest, they will do whatever it takes.
"When you go in and out every day, it's best to find someone to accompany you instead of being alone.
"With this money, don't do menial work anymore. Please invite a mother-in-law or a little girl to come back. You can take it with you when you go out. If anything happens, you can have an errand boy to take care of you."
She was the daughter of a high-ranking official. She was supposed to live in the Shangshu Mansion in the deep courtyard, with fine clothes and fine food, and a group of maids and servants to serve her.
This little money is not enough to return her to the life she deserves, but right now, she doesn't have a suitable name to give her more.
Lu Jia looked down at the handful of silver for a long time, then looked up at his face: "You seem to be alone."
The fishing fire on the river suddenly broke into Shen Qingzhou's eyes.
He thought slightly: "Who does he look like?"
Lu Jia sighed: "You look like my father."
Shen Qingzhou:......
(End of chapter)