Chapter 154: Getting rich overnight

After a while, Liao Xiaoxiao came in crying. She was a little staggering, but when she came to Zhao Xing, she did not complain about the punishment she had just received. She gently knelt at Zhao Xing's feet and helped the latter pack up her things.

Zhao Xing didn't say anything, pretending to explain the things in the box to Liao Xiaoxiao without knowing it.

The competition between wives and concubines in the Song Dynasty was far less tragic than that in the Ming and Qing dynasties because under the tide of commodity society, women had a little feudal consciousness, that is, they had a territorial consciousness. The so-called "territorial consciousness" is modernly called "team consciousness".

The "I" of feudal consciousness is different from the "I" of slave consciousness. The "I" in the mind of slaves only includes "I myself", while the "I" of feudal consciousness must include the concept of "domain", that is, the space and territory to which he belongs. Since Liao Xiaoxiao entered this home, her "I" will extend outward and cover the entire family. Therefore, even if she competes for favor, she must extend the concept of "self" and put family interests first.

The Song Dynasty was a patriarchal society, and the family rules were very heavy. Liao Xiaoxiao was punished, but this was also the punishment imposed on her by the family. The reason why she was punished was because she did do something that violated the interests of the family. So she did not dare to complain in front of Zhao Xing, for fear that the other party would be disgusted and then fall out of favor.

After she finished reorganizing the things in the house with her injuries, Liao Xiaoxiao silently handed over a few letters, learning Zhao Xing's name, and calling the owner of the letter: "Zhang Laozi from Suzhou wrote a letter saying that he had already known what you did in Mizhou. The Ministry of War will allow the addition of the quota of the Mizhou naval army. In addition, he also wanted to ask you how many more hand guns you need to defend yourself.

Also, a teacher from Beijing wrote a letter. He heard that you were preparing to open a printing shop and sent a book - "Revelation of the Essence of Objects". I hope you can publish it together..."

"Revelation of the Ecological Secrets"?!

Zhao Xing took the book curiously and turned a few pages. A plot in the book caught his attention. "I didn't expect that my teacher Su Dongpo was still a physicist - 'On the salt-brown window paper, the baking word' - he actually noticed the silver salt turning black development technology... Wait, silver salt turning black, development! This is not a development technology, it is just an oxidation reaction of salt, but I seem to remember something."

Zhao Xing grabbed a piece of paper, picked up the pen and wrote a few words on the paper. Liao Xiaoxiao looked at the words written by Zhao Xing, giggled, took the brush and said, "What an ugly word, I'll remember it."

"Listen: Silver Salt Development Technology... Let me first think about what names those chemicals were called in ancient times?"

Liao Xiaoxiao smiled and said, "Do you want to build a new workshop? People mark those key secret recipes in the code words they know. Why do you have to come up with prescriptions that everyone knows? You can just know the names of those medicines yourself."

"Yes, we must first use silver nitrate to make silver nitrate... and also use glucose. The barley germ tip can be used to make... The development reaction of glucose and silver salt can be made to make a mercury mirror."

When Zhao Xing said the last three words, Liao Xiaoxiao's eyes were as bright as a lamp. She approached Zhao Xing and said in a nickname: "My husband, is this recipe good for me?"

Zhao Xing shook his head: "You can't eat it, and it's too profitable here. I'm asking me to say that the farm cannot be built in China at all. However, in this way, it will require a lot of people... Wait, you can find familiar merchants and sell this recipe to them quietly. The price of each portion is also considered your private money."

Liao Xiaoxiao felt incredible: "Official, can this prescription really make a mercury mirror? If it can be really done, this secret recipe can be passed down from generation to generation and keep the secret..."

Zhao Xing shook his head: "You don't know that the rafters that have come out rot first. This business is too profitable. You have to wait until everyone starts to do it, wait for its popularity to pass slightly, wait for its huge profits to slowly drop, and then our family starts quietly and covers their heads to make money. Only in this way can we maintain peace - peace is a blessing in this day and we can't repeat the soap factory incident, we can't afford to make trouble."

Liao Xiaoxiao thought for a long time and understood. She asked about the meaning of a few unfamiliar drugs on the post and happily put away the prescription: "My husband, let me leave this matter. I will also worry about you."

Before Zhao Xing could react, Liao Xiaoxiao ran out of the living room with a small step, leaving Zhao Xing to sneer behind her. This is not to share my worries, it is clearly to grab money.

Halfway through the way, Liao Xiaoxiao remembered that only Xiaoqin was here. If this matter was hidden from Azhu and Chen Yiyi, it would seem that it would be difficult to mobilize the people in the yard... When she walked to the backyard, Liao Xiaoxiao had figured it out. She held the recipe in her hand and reported to Azhu first. Azhu stopped a few words and shook her head immediately: "Since the official has handed over this matter to you, I will trust you. I can't help but interfere with such things. Go and ask Yiyi."

Yi Yi was not even interested in listening to the explanation: "Didn't you see I'm busy? I'll make sure it's all five ships of cargo today. Is it easy for me? Go, you are the only one idle person at home. Who will you do if you don't do this? Go quickly, go quickly, don't bother me."

Liao Xiaoxiao opened her mouth and said for a while: "The official said that this recipe is rich and rich..."

"It is the 'wealth' that is always flowing, and getting rich overnight is the 'monster' - it is just right for you, a fairy, to do this! Go and go, you can do it yourself. How much money can you get is your ability. Don't bother me," Yi Yi replied without raising his head while making plans.

Liao Xiaoxiao was depressed. The money was counted as tens of thousands of coins, or even hundreds of thousands of coins. Why didn’t these two people care about it at all... well, how much income is counted as my private money?!

Zhao Xing rested in the mansion for two or three days, and Deng Yufu finally came to report the situation: "Sir, the barracks in Mizhou Tuanlian have been planned. This is a booklet. It is planned to be built one by one. Before the winter begins, it is estimated that about 80% of Tuanlian's family members can live in new houses..."

Zhao Xing touched his chin and replied, "Just leave this to you, I won't worry... The hospital will build my house tomorrow. When they go back, they will start polishing the stones. They must control the output. The monthly shipments must be small and precise. You should worry more about this, I can't care about it. Oh, my teacher sent a manuscript, and I have to stare at the carvings of manuscripts.

By the way, when it comes to polishing stones, I heard that I had divided the fields in Mizhou, and this time I brought me some farm tools - all of them I collected in the West. Please help me see what it is for? Go to the warehouse."

Deng Yufu, an agricultural expert, stood in Zhao Xing's warehouse, looking at the farm tools Zhao Xing collected from overseas. It was only now that he realized that his boss was a collector. He had even had reins in his pile of rags. No wonder the other party could recognize the mystery of Mizhou stone at a glance.

"This, it seems to be a pair of plows, but the plowshare is a bit strange. Why is it a disc, not a sharp-mouthed plowshare?" Deng Yufu pointed to a strange-shaped plow and wondered.

"This - this is a disc plow, a German disc plow, ah, that place is now called Germany..." Zhao Xing pointed to a warehouse and said, "My people are still unloading goods, and there are still some items on the ship. Let's talk about it here, there are many strange things here, and I don't even know the purpose. Think about it slowly. Anyway, my field is full of grass. If you want to try these farm tools, just go to the field to play."

After Zhao Xing said that, he left Deng Yufu, who was dazed, and walked out of the warehouse, and turned around to remind Cheng Shuang: "I will send a thousand guan to Secretary Deng's house. If he wants to ask, he will say that we are going to print his agricultural books, which is a deposit."

When he returned to the room, Suo asked the Marquis Zheng in the hall. When he saw Zhao Xing, he urged him: "Mr. Zhao, Fan Jinmen asked you to go to the house to attend the banquet. He was so anxious that you might as well leave quickly."

Zhao Xing was delighted: I was so excited. I finally caught up with the corruption banquet in the Song Dynasty. What can I say? Hurry up.

Officials in the Song Dynasty took one-third of their time on vacation every year, and when they were not on vacation, there were banquets and banquets. This kind of life was so lovely. When he came to his senses, Zhao Xing asked curiously: "Sir Suo, when will Fan Jinbu leave? What's the matter with him? Is there anything delicious..."

Suo asked and interrupted Zhao Xing: "Don't guess. Several Jurchen guests came to Banqiao Town, and a vassal merchant from China. They talked about some overseas vassal matters, but no one understood what they said, and what they said was too incredible. I heard that the people who left overseas, Fan Jinbu asked you to go over and take a look."

Zhao Xing nodded, asked Liao Xiaoxiao to dress up and accompany him to attend, and also brought Hu Ji Kasli with him.

Liao Xiaoxiao was asked to attend because she was familiar with official etiquette. Zhao Xing needed her reminder, and Kasli was proficient in many languages ​​and could be used as a translation. But today Liao Xiaoxiao dressed a little weird, which made Zhao Xing hesitate for a long time.

I saw her wearing two dark circles like a giant panda, and a beaded flower made of silk cloth, gold foil, and kingfisher feathers, and a golden bead flower.

Zhao Xing hesitated for a long time, and finally endured it. He urged Liao Xiaoxiao to hide in the carriage unhappily: "Cover your head, you are the most shameful of your dark circles, as if I torture you more. Have I tortured you... It seems that I remember that after you finish your work, you are full of happiness, your face is full of smooth skin, so how can you have any dark circles? Don't stare at these dark circles and go to Azhu's place to make trouble, it's so troublesome."

Liao Xiaoxiao giggled, but didn't answer.

Her outfit is not tortured by excessive love. This is the most popular way to put on makeup in Tokyo this year, just like the sunburn makeup is popular in a certain year.

The beads on Liao Xiaoxiao's face are called "Mianhuaer". The bird cut with gold foil is pasted on the cheeks to create an artificial "smile swirl". It is the most fashionable way to wear makeup for female white-collar workers and female nobles in Bianliang City. They don't think they look stupid, but instead think that smiling at the lover with a pair of black dimples is simply cool.

It is said that the concubines in the palace also thought this look was beautiful. Therefore, among the female family members of officials, this look... There was no fashion magazine specifically directing makeup in the Song Dynasty, so they knew how to use "face flowers", which was a symbol of social hierarchy. At that time, women put this thing on their faces, which modern people could call it "tasteful", while in the Song Dynasty, they vaguely showed that they were officials, or noble ladies, rich girls...

In this era, the standard Song Dynasty queen's face makeup was decorated with pearly face flowers on the forehead, cheeks and cheeks near the temples. This face flowers were pasted with green hair on light materials such as silk, forming a green blue background, and then white pearls were glued on it, using the green green hair to reflect the bright white and smoothness of the pearls, and sticking them to form a body pattern on the face.

The queens all regard this dress as fashionable. Of course, Liao Xiaoxiao ignored Zhao Xing's complaints. She lifted the curtain of the carriage, flashed her big eyes, and showed her dark circles at Zhao Xing, and asked in a crisp voice: "Official, why, is I beautiful like this? Is it beautiful? Is it beautiful?"

The last few words were chanted by Liao Xiaoxiao using a melodious singing tone. This was no longer an inquiry, but a teasing. People came and went on the street, and Liao Xiaoxiao's chanting made the legs and feet of the passing people weak, while Zhao Xing felt that a certain part of his body became hard.

"Sing again, I will beat you again... Cheng Shuang, remember to bring a copper plate so that I won't spit out when I see Liao Zhipo's appearance." Zhao Xing ordered with a strong and endurable expression.

When Zhao Xing arrived at Fan E's temporary office, he heard a strange person telling a story inside. The story seemed to be the story in "One Thousand and One Nights".

The story tells that a beautiful female shop owner runs a hotel. She has a magical small mill. When she recites a spell, the small mill will automatically make flour. The cake made of this flour is particularly sweet, and customers from far and near like to stay at her.

There was a young and handsome young man who was also famous for staying in the beautiful female shop owner's store. At night, he was about to touch the female shop owner's bedroom and steal the fragrance, but found that the female shop owner was chanting a spell, driving the magical little mol... The handsome man quietly retreated. The next day, he discovered that all the passengers who had eaten magical flour turned into donkeys and made cows and horses for the female shop owner.

Then, the female shop owner invited a handsome man to have pastry. The handsome man secretly replaced the pastry he brought with him. By changing the pillars, the female shop owner was allowed to eat her pastry. The romantic female shop owner suddenly turned into a donkey, and the handsome man rode the donkey to travel around the world...

When Zhao Xing entered, the story was at its climax. When Fan E saw Zhao Xing coming in, he didn't even bother to say anything. He pointed to the empty seat beside him and asked Zhao Xing to sit down, while he was listening to the story intently. Zhao Xing did not dare to speak. Liao Xiaoxiao, who was pulling the panda's circles, quietly found a seat to sit down, turned around to look at the storyteller and the audience who listened to the story.

Most of the merchants present had yellow skin, but the storyteller was obviously a white man. There were several merchants sitting around the white man, and several of them had a rat-tailed hairstyle with a look of ignorance that was proud of their hairstyle. There was no need to guess that they were Jurchens.

In the fourth year of Taiping Xingguo in the Song Dynasty (979 AD), the Song Dynasty began to conduct "Guan Verification" for women and traded horses, Dongzhu, fur and other goods with them. The initial trading port was in Dengzhou, and later the Goryeo Pavilion in Dengzhou moved to Mizhou, and they obviously came to Mizhou for profit.

Just as Zhao Xing observed, the story of the white man was told, the romantic female shop owner was rescued, and the handsome man handed over the donkey... So, everyone who listened was amazed in unison, Fan E took the opportunity to point at the merchant and introduced to Zhao Xing: "Mr. Zhao, this is Sodi, a businessman from China Liguo. He just told us a lot of overseas news. The country is wide, have you been to China Liguo?"

Zhongli Kingdom is the name of the Jin Dynasty, and it is called Somalia in modern times. The place in the Song Dynasty belonged to the Aksum Empire. This empire is about to be destroyed by the Arabs. The Sebata Kingdom is also a small country near Somalia. In the Song Dynasty, this name was also used to call Somalia.

Zhao Xing nodded and replied: "Mr. Fan, in fact, we have recorded the Zhongli Kingdom mentioned by Sodi in ancient times. The earliest record should be the time when Dayu controls the flood. I have indeed been there."

Zhao Xing undoubtedly dropped a heavyweight bomb when he said this. Even Suo Wen, who came with him, was shocked and asked in surprise: "Mr. Zhao, what kind of words are there?"

"Shan Hai Jing"!"

"Shan Hai Jing"? People say that this book is absurd and unruly, how can it record Sodi's country..." Fan E also asked in surprise.

"The "Shan Hai Jing" records the story of "Yu Killing Gonggong". The word Huxu, where Xiangliu, the minister of Gonggong, lives, is pronounced as "Egypt". The word "Xiangliu" may also be because the ancients were pronounced inaccurately and mispronounced, and the pronunciation of the locals is closer to the word "Pharaoh".

"Shan Hai Jing" records that "Yu killed Xiangliu, built Emperor Yaotai, Emperor Kutai, Emperor Danzhutai, Emperor Shuntai, and Emperor Shuntai, which were the platform of all emperors." In this passage, the locals called the "Kunggongtai" the "Pyramid of Kunggong" and the "Pyramid of Kunggong" in the east, and there is a snake in the corner, with a tiger color, and the face of the south" - I also saw the "Tiger color" next to the "Pyramid of Kunggong" and it has a lion body and a human face, which is a stone statue. The locals call it "Sphinx".

The ‘Shouma’ in the Shanhai Jing means the ‘Zhongli’ of the country where Sodi is located. According to the pronunciation of the locals, it is ‘Somali’; and the ‘Buzhou Fuzi Country’ in the book is called ‘Mozambique Country’…”

The series of words that Zhao Xing used close to the local pronunciation made Sodi understand what Zhao Xing was saying. He asked in a strange and incredible voice: "Sir, have you been to the country of Mozambique? Are you from the village of Kismaayo next to Mugudushu (Mogadixiu)?"

Fan E understood that Sodi's re-question was equivalent to confirming what Zhao Xing said. He was so shocked that he couldn't speak, and muttered a string of emotion. Even people like Li Zhichun who had always been quiet were shocked by Zhao Xing's words. However, the old man still heard the words in Sodi's question clearly and asked quickly: "Li Ren, what's going on with his words 'Chicken... dead wheat still exists'?"

What happened? Zhao Xing was also confused about the existence of this village. He could only answer accordingly: "Mr. Li, Mugudushu (Mogadixiu) is a port. My Song Dynasty merchants went to Sodi's country to do business. Due to the uneven wind direction, they temporarily lived in Mugudushu and waited to return to China. After a while, they gathered in the village.

The locals called the village where the Song people gathered to live in "Kismaiyou Village". Now, there are about 300 Song people living there. However, the Song Dynasty has strict regulations on merchants living overseas. If these merchants do not return overseas, it means that they have not paid taxes to the Song Dynasty. So once they are discovered, they will be disqualified from the Song Dynasty, and the whistleblower will obtain half of their property in the Song Dynasty. Therefore, their existence is now a secret in the Song Dynasty."

The news shocked Fan E. He turned his mind to the problem that Zhao Xing had just reported and thought about countermeasures.

Zhao Xing knew what the other party was thinking and immediately added: "Sir, these merchants stayed overseas but had no choice but to go back to the Song Dynasty. After they came back, they had to pay taxes and then they could go ashore and become good people. I also went overseas for three years, and I paid a lot of taxes after I came back. So, please show my compassion and treat this as a legend - Xing is here, thank you for them!"

Zhao Xing compared himself to himself and hoped that Fan E would not punish those people. But in fact, the taxes in the Song Dynasty were not only taxes, but also annual head taxes, etc. Even if these people came back to pay commercial taxes, they still evaded the annual head tax and service...

But protecting each other is a hidden rule. When Zhao Xing spoke, Fan E was really embarrassed to pursue it. He laughed and replied: "Forget it, I didn't hear this. Today I will only talk about anecdotes. Come on, let's talk to Sodi."

Zhao Xing turned his eyes to the white man. When Zhao Xing talked to Fan E and others, he kept thinking about something. When Zhao Xing turned to him, he suddenly remembered something: "I seem to have heard that a businessman once came to Zhongliguo..."

Zhao Xing suddenly interrupted the other party in Latin and said, "Mr. Steele, in my country, going overseas is not worth showing off. If you remember anything, I hope you will talk to me in Latin."

Sodi immediately understood that he changed to the common diplomatic language of this era - Latin, saying: "It is said that three years ago, a very tall Song man came to the king's palace. He offered a generous gift and asked to see the "Ark of the Covenant". But the king replied: The Ark of the Covenant has been buried and no one is allowed to watch. However, for the sake of the other party's gift, he can give the other party a small piece of territory to rest and wash away the fatigue of the journey...

You should be that person—the Lord of the Kirsmayer Village, am I right?"

Zhao Xing jumped away from the other party's question and asked back: "As far as I know, the steps of the Arabs are getting closer and closer to your king's palace. What production do you have in your country? What goods are you selling when you come to our country at this moment?"

Zhao Xing asked this sentence in Chinese, and Fan E replied for him: "This Mr. Sodi's goods are inseparable from the word "black". He sells ebony, black iron and black slaves."

The word black slave, which appeared in the Song Dynasty, surprised Zhao Xing. He turned to Sodi and asked the other party to confirm. Sodi nodded quickly.

Zhao Xing didn't know that the word "black slave" was first spoken from Fan E. In a memorial, Fan E mentioned the vassal merchant from the east coast of Africa. He specialized in selling black slaves to China, not Kunlun slaves.

As for the story that the vassal merchant just told, Fan E also localized it. For example, the beautiful female proprietress was named "San Niangzi" by him. Since this story was heard in Banqiao Town, the name of the story was changed to "San Niangzi Banqiao".

Zhao Xing asked for confirmation again: "What are you selling authentic African black slaves, not the black slaves captured in the South Asian islands?"

"Of course it's an African black slave!" Steele, translated in Chinese as Sodi, answered dissatisfied.

Li Zhichun interrupted: "Li Ren, what is the difference between the two?"

"Height!" Zhao Xing replied: "African blacks are tall, South Asian (Malay) blacks are short; African blacks are good at running with weights, South Asian (Malay) blacks are good at archery and climbing mountains and hills... By the way, do you have African female slaves for sale?"

Fan E showed an ambiguous smile, Suo asked, and showed a smile that men understood. Liao Xiaoxiao poked Zhao Xing with her finger behind her back with her panda's circle, Wang Zishao and Li Zhichun frowned slightly. Zhao Xing quickly explained: "The women in China are more than six feet tall and can carry goods weighing two stones and walk for a hundred miles in a row without taking a breath. Such female slaves can do many jobs that men can't do."

Suo asked, blurted out: "Will you forget the eunuch?"

"More than that, Zhao Xing showed a lewd smile that men knew: "Chinese women are strong in shape and strong in muscle contraction. Such a strong woman is gentle and obedient, and she is in the boudoir, and it tastes wonderful."
To be continued...