Chapter 261 Enthusiastic Masses
Qi Renli made inquiries all the way around Liangzhou, but couldn't find anyone raising silkworms, so he greeted Meng Changqing and went to Hongzhou.
He and his people searched in Hongzhou for several days, but still couldn't get any news about sericulture.
That afternoon, Qi Renli sat on the carriage, watching the shadows on the ground getting longer and longer, waiting for the time to pass.
He chewed dry millet cakes in his mouth, thinking that he had been out for several days but had not found any useful information.
Hongzhou is not good. He is going to Yizhou. There must be a result, and the people of Beishan County cannot be left waiting in vain.
Qi Renli lowered the car curtain and said to the entourage standing outside: "Axiang, go see them and see how you can buy some food now."
"Alas!" His entourage Qi Xiang responded and was about to leave. Luo Sha, the government servant who came out next to him, said hurriedly: "Brother A Xiang, it's better that you stay here to guard Mr. Qi. I'll go find them."
Before they finished speaking, they heard familiar conversations coming from not far away from the carriage, the loudest among them being Qi Renli's other follower Qi Rui.
Qi Xiang and Luo Sha, who were under the carriage, turned their heads at the same time and saw the other three people who came out with them, pulling a middle-aged man towards them.
The middle-aged man was surrounded in the middle with a very frightened expression. In contrast to him was Qi Rui who was pulling him.
Qi Rui waved to the carriage with a happy face and shouted: "Sir, we found it! We found the place to raise silkworms!"
Qi Renli, who was in the carriage, excitedly opened the curtain and got out of the carriage with two long strides. His movements were so rough that the horse pulling the carriage in front even barked twice in dissatisfaction.
"Where?" Qi Renli ran towards them excitedly, "Who, this is the silkworm raiser!"
The middle-aged man waved his hands hurriedly, "No, no, I'm not a silkworm farmer." He didn't expect that when he was buying cakes, he said such an extra sentence, which would bring trouble to himself!
I don’t know who these people are. Their accents don’t sound like they are from Hongzhou. They can’t be bandits who escaped from Liangzhou!
Qi Renli calmed down a little and asked his follower Qi Rui, "What's going on?"
Qi Rui pointed to the person next to him and said: "This person knows where there are silkworm farmers."
Ma Laifu stood up and added, "This man heard what we said at the cake stall and came over and said that he knew where there was a family raising silkworms. Brother Rui was so excited when he heard this that he scared the man and refused. Then he said it.”
Qi Ruila pulled the man and shouted loudly, "That's what you said!"
Qi Renli quickly asked him to stop, and then explained to the middle-aged man, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, we are not bad people, I am the magistrate of Beishan County, and these are all people from the county government. We came out under the order of the magistrate." It won’t be difficult for you to find a sericulture farmer.”
Hearing that an official is in front of him is no different from a group of robbers in front of him. They are all looking for characters that ordinary people cannot afford to offend.
Zhou Dajiao raised his hands in front of him. The fear in his eyes did not dissipate at all. He only had the courage to ask in a low voice: "Why are you looking for the silkworm farmer?" After asking, he really wanted to slap himself. What a mouth! Why even ask!
"Our county wants to learn the technology of raising silkworms from others." Qi Renli said: "You tell us where to find it, and we will let you go."
Zhou Dajiao said: "I only know that there is a place called Hongfu Village in Dazhou, where people raise silkworms."
"Thank you very much." Qi Renli took out a dime of silver from his wallet and handed it to the man. "You have helped us a lot. Have you bought the Arui dry food? We will go to Dazhou immediately!"
"I bought it."
"Let's go!" The group left immediately, leaving Zhou Dajiao with the silver in his hand.
He weighed it and realized that the silver in his hand must be worth one or two. It was really a good luck trip. Just two sentences like this earned him one or two silver!
He was born like this. He was scared to death when people tried to hold him up. Now he couldn't bear to see people go away. He must be a good official.
The body acted before the brain again, and chased after the people in front, "Wait! Wait! I will take you there!"
When the carriage stopped, Zhou Dajiao regretted it again, but everyone had already been sent to others. Qi Renli opened the curtain and said: "You are such a warm-hearted person, get on the carriage and take a seat."
Zhou Dajiao was carried into the carriage by Qi Xiang, and he was in the same carriage as the official. Zhou Dajiao was so cramped that he held his hands between his knees, and his hands kept shaking.
"Where are you from?" Qi Renli had a good impression of Zhou Dajiao. He had found an enthusiastic person after so many talents.
"I'm from Dazhou." Perhaps Zhou Dajiao's mouth was not so easy to control. Before the other party could ask, he said: "I came here to visit relatives. My little sister got married in Hongzhou."
"No wonder." Qi Renli said, "Fortunately I met you. I was already planning to go to Yizhou."
The two of them talked for a long time in the carriage. Along the way, Qi Renli knew all the members of Zhou Dajiao's family and their preferences. It wasn't that Qi Renli was good at talking in clichés, it was actually Zhou Dajiao's mouth. Can't stay idle either.
It was faster to have an acquaintance to lead the way. Instead of going to Dazhoufu, the group went directly to Maoting Town, where Hongfu Village is located.
It was getting late when we arrived, so Qi Renli asked Qi Rui to find the nearest post house, and he got off the carriage to exercise.
Although Maoting Town is not as prosperous as the south, it is much better than the towns in Liangzhou. Qi Renli took a casual look around and saw several cloth shops.
Qi Renli said to the others: "You guys wait here, I'll go over and take a look."
Upon hearing this, Qi Xiang immediately followed him, "Master, I'll follow you."
The two entered the nearest cloth shop. As soon as they entered, they heard the clerk inside ask, "Do you want to buy cloth or ready-made clothes?"
Qi Renli was not very mature at this time, so he said to the waiter: "I'll take a look at it at will."
"That's up to you." The waiter stepped aside and returned to the counter, pretending to tidy up the table while keeping an eye on Qi Renli and Qi Renli.
Seeing the two people walking around without deciding what to buy, the waiter started chatting and said, "You two don't look like locals."
Qi Renli nodded.
The waiter asked again: "Are you two going to give me a gift, or are you buying something for your own use?"
Qi Renli smiled at the clerk, walked closer and said, "Do you have silk fabrics in your store?"
"Yes!" The clerk nodded and went inside to get it. "Precious materials are usually not placed outside for fear of being damaged by others."
While he was talking, the waiter had already held two pieces of silk material and put them on the counter. He carefully unfolded the outermost layer and said, "Look, you like the color. This is silk that was dyed first and then woven. You know how to do it by looking at it." Man, you know it without saying much.”
Qi Renli took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands before touching the material. It was indeed different from the fabric he had used before.