Chapter 587 My master invites you
“What a pity. If you are the same as me, with Master Xiao Zhu’s talent, the palm of the Chief of Ceremonies will be in Master Xiao Zhu’s pocket”
Under the willows hanging from the palace wall, Feng Bao, who is in gorgeous internal prison clothes, highly praised Zhu Ping'an's suggestions.
"Ahem." Zhu Ping'an almost choked when he heard this. The Chief of Ceremonies was a eunuch, and he was not as interested in castrating himself to enter the palace as Wei Zhongxian.
"Haha, the Za family is not kidding. It is a blessing for eunuchs like us that Mr. Xiao Zhu does not join our profession. Otherwise, we would have no way to survive." Feng Bao covered his lips with his hand and smiled, The eyes under the black eyebrows are bright and shining, like little flames jumping in the dark night.
After listening to Zhu Pingan's suggestion, Feng Bao completely let go of the burden in his heart. The Sword of Damocles above his head was also wiped out. He felt extremely relaxed. After this incident, his relationship with Zhu Pingan became closer. , seemed to have become sworn friends, and couldn't help but joke with Zhu Pingan.
"My father-in-law is joking." Zhu Pingan shook his head and said with a bitter smile, "Ping An is just a fluke.".
"Sir Xiao Zhu, there is no need to be modest. If it were not for Mr. Xiao Zhu's guidance today, the Zajia family would be dead soon. The Zajia family will never forget the grace of saving their lives, and their gratitude is beyond words. In short, whatever happens to Mr. Xiao Zhu in the future. , Zajia will never frown even in the face of swords and fire." After the joke, Feng Bao was filled with gratitude and solemnly saluted again, making a vow from the bottom of his heart.
Farewell to Feng Bao, who had thanked him so much, Zhu Pingan returned to the Hanlin Academy. In the eyes of everyone in the Hanlin Academy who were either gloating or sympathetic, Zhu Pingan greeted the Hanlin Academy as usual and then left. The library.
When he came out of the library, Zhu Pingan brought two books, "Research on the Records of the Foreign Tribes of the Northern Barbarians" and "Records of Food and Goods in Wala", and they were also registered on the borrowing list of the library. This was before Zhu Pingan Of course, you must set an example for the library management system that you have set for the library.
After leaving the Hanlin Academy, Zhu Pingan went to the restaurant where he and other Hanlin officials had gone before. He had a simple lunch and asked about the banquet. The shopkeeper gave him a discount, and Zhu Pingan paid with satisfaction. I paid a deposit of two taels of silver and made a reservation for the banquet ten days later.
No matter how many people from the Hanlin Academy come to the banquet, the process still has to go through. I am starting a family and starting a business in Xiahe, so I have to hold a banquet and let my colleagues know.
Zhu Pingan left the Hanlin Academy and detoured to Zixuan Hutong to Zhang Siwei, preparing to briefly explain to Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen about his visit to the Ministry of Punishment today. Zixuan Hutong was a very popular alley during the Ming Dynasty. The streets were wide and the shops on both sides were large. Many official families had properties on this street.
There was no urban management in the Ming Dynasty. There were many hawkers along Zixuan Hutong, shirtless uncles carrying goods, and old men selling goods, which made the whole alley extremely lively.
The melons and fruits in May are fragrant, watermelons, melons and lychees are also on the market, not much later than modern times. Wild river freshness is rippling in the barrel, and farm snails are plump in May. Look at it. Zhu Pingan wanted to buy some and take them back to the Hou Mansion.
But thinking that I was staying in the Hou Mansion and that there were rules for purchasing ingredients in the Hou Mansion, I gave up on this idea.
"Watermelon, sweet and big watermelon." A simply dressed old man on the street pulled a cart of watermelons and stopped not far from Zhu Pingan, shouting one after another.
Watermelon has become very common in the Ming Dynasty. Li Shizhen, who is still working in Taiyuan Hospital, later wrote when writing Compendium of Materia Medica: "According to Hu Qiao's discovery of a melon seed in Huihe, it was named watermelon. Then watermelon has its own name. It first entered China in the Five Dynasties and is now available in both the north and the south. "
Zhu Pingan felt very warm when he heard the old man selling watermelon. In modern times, watermelon is one of Zhu Pingan's favorite fruits. In the hot summer dormitory, buy a watermelon, eat it with a spoon, and then soak it in a bowl of instant noodles. The watermelon absorbs the excess oil in the instant noodles, and the instant noodles absorb the sweetness of the watermelon. Add in the brewing time, and a portion The excellent watermelon instant noodles are an absolute delight.
The watermelons at this time are ten and a half days earlier than the watermelons that normally go on the market. The price is more expensive. It is estimated that they are early-season watermelons grown with hot spring water.
When Zhu Ping'an walked to the old man's watermelon stall, many people had already gathered around the old man to ask about the price. At this time, ordinary watermelons were not yet on the market and were rare, so everyone was very interested.
“Hot spring watermelon, six cents per catty, guaranteed to be sweet. If it’s not sweet, you’ll get your money back.” The old man was very confident in his own melons and promised the onlookers that they would not be charged if they were not sweet.
“Six cents?”
“It’s so expensive, it’s enough to buy three kilograms of peaches.”
“The lychees shipped from the south only cost five cents. This Six cents per pound is almost as much as pork, forget it.”
After hearing the price, the onlookers backed down one after another, feeling that the price was too expensive and that it was not cost-effective to buy at this time. If we wait another ten days or so for the watermelons grown by melon farmers in the suburbs of Beijing to come on the market, the price will be more than half cheaper.
It is better to wait a little longer or buy some other fruits, so everyone shook their heads and walked away.
Seeing that everyone was leaving one after another, the old man hurriedly stretched out his hands to persuade him to stay, but the effect was not great. People still shook their heads and left.
The uncle looked at the backs of everyone and sighed in frustration. He also pointed out that he could sell these watermelons at a good price and then ask for a wife for his son.
After discovering hot springs from the mountain last year, the old man was overjoyed. When he worked part-time at a wealthy family in Dongcheng District, he accidentally learned about the method of growing watermelons in hot springs from a steward. So, the old man bought an acre of abandoned sandy land at the foot of the mountain, and spent half the winter plowing the land and digging ditches with his sons, without even doing part-time work. He hoped to make more money by selling these watermelons that were put on the market in advance. The eldest son asks for a wife, then the second son next year, and then the younger son.
Fortunately, the watermelon cultivation was very successful. It ripened half a month earlier than other watermelons and tasted sweeter.
However, we encountered problems when selling watermelons.
I started selling watermelons yesterday. I pulled a whole cart of watermelons. Yesterday I only sold five watermelons in one day. It was still a novelty. Today is not as good as yesterday. The place has been changed twice, but not a single watermelon has been sold.
"Old man, is this melon sweet?"
Just when the old man was feeling disappointed, he heard the voice of a young man.
"Sweet, sweet," the old man replied repeatedly. He looked up and saw a young gentleman in official uniform, standing in front of the car and looking at him with a smile.
"Six cents per pound?" Zhu Pingan picked up a watermelon, knocked it, looked at the old man with a smile and asked.
“It’s my blessing that the old man likes my watermelon. He doesn’t charge me any money.” Suddenly I saw Zhu Ping’an in official uniform. The old man selling melons had a reserved look on his face. My hands and feet felt like I didn't know how to let them go, and I was very nervous and scared.
It is the survival instinct of the people not to fight with the officials.
Every official is aloof, and it is not something ordinary people like them can afford to offend.
"Haha, if the melon is not sweet, I won't give it to you even if you ask me." Zhu Ping'an smiled, "If it is sweet, I won't lose a penny."
"Haha. Haha, it's guaranteed to be sweet, it's guaranteed to be sweet." Looking at Zhu Ping'an's gentle smile, the old man also grinned.
"Master Zhu, my master has invited me, and I would like to ask you to show me your face upstairs."
While Zhu Pingan was picking melons, a boy suddenly came over and walked up to Zhu Pingan. He pointed to the restaurant across the street and invited.
Oh?
Hearing this, Zhu Ping'an looked up and saw a door opened in the private room on the second floor of the restaurant opposite, revealing a pretty face. (End of this chapter)