Be a master through ancient times

"After the court tomorrow, how about taking me to some of your shops?" Chu Ci rolled his eyes and made this request.

He always felt that something was wrong.I heard that those shops are managed by sister Kou's dowry, why don't you go and have a look before making a judgment.

Kou Jing seemed a bit embarrassed: "Huaijin, I'm going to take them to Lieutenant General Li's house tomorrow to discuss matters, I'm afraid I can't take you there."

"Go to Lieutenant General Li's house again? Who is this Lieutenant General?" Chu Ci was a little puzzled.

"He is the general of the Shenji Battalion. He used to be a strong general under Marshal Qi's command. Later, he was seriously injured in a battle and could no longer go to the battlefield. Marshal Qi found a position for him in the Shenji Battalion." Kou Jing explained. road.

"So that's the case, then you can go. However, I still want to go to those shops in your house and have a look. You write me the name and location of the shop, and I will go to see it myself."

Hearing what he said, Kou Jing immediately took out a sign from her body, then took Chu Ci's hand, and put the sign in his hand.

Chu Ci felt a little uncomfortable being pinched by him, pretending to look at the sign, and retracted his hand.Kou Jing let go of his hand, only thinking about it in her heart.

This brand is quite heavy to hold, the surface is black and smooth, and I don't know what kind of metal it is made of. There is a word Kou engraved on it, and the bottom has a concave-convex feeling, which seems to be engraved.

"Is this brand a keepsake? Is it possible to mobilize industries and issue orders with a brand?" Chu Ci guessed based on the experience gained in the novel.

"Everyone in my Kou family has a piece of this brand, but only the owner can move the property and give orders. Others can only move a certain amount of silver. If you hold this brand, those shopkeepers dare not disobey you."

"Last time I heard from you that there is an uncle who works in the Ministry of War. Is he from the Patriarch's side?"

"No, he is from the main family. Our Kou family has been branched since my grandfather's generation. We are members of the branch family, but my branch is very small, and now I am the only one left in the branch family. The main family Many, but most of the young and strong are not in the capital, only some elders are still there. Among the young and strong, apart from my uncle who stays in the capital, there are a few cousins. The one who came to the barracks to look for me last time So is my cousin." Kou Jing said.

Hearing what he said, Chu Ci remembered the peachy-eyed man who called him "A Jing" last time.At that time, he still felt that this scholar who didn't know where he came from was very annoying. It turned out that he was Kou Jing's elder brother!It was also because he was confused at the time, otherwise, he could understand from the address that other than his own elders, how could others call others by their names at will.

"Huaijin, what are you thinking?" Kou Jing asked when he saw that his eyes were wandering and he was silent for a long time.

"I was thinking, in this way, your piece is the patriarch's token? You give it to me, aren't you afraid that I will evacuate your shop?" Chu Ci came back to his senses, and smiled maliciously.

"Even if it's empty, it doesn't matter? If you want it, you can take it. This brand is given to you. Apart from the few shops of the Kou family in the capital, the properties in other places can also be transferred." Kou Jing said generously, It sounded like a joke, but in fact, his eyes were full of seriousness.

"Hahaha, I don't dare to ask for such a valuable thing." Chu Ci threw the sign back to Kou Jing, "You just need to write me the address."

Kou Jing took the sign, put it into Chu Ci's hand again, and said: "Brother Wei is not good at management, and he has never checked the accounts since he took over. You take this sign, and after you visit, check the accounts for Brother Wei. .”

Chu Ci thought for a while, stuffed the sign into his arms, and said, "That's fine, then I'll take it. But, what if something goes wrong with this account?"

"You hold the master's order, and everything is up to you."

Chu Ci smiled, and Kou Jing would still have to be consulted at that time, hoping that what happened back then was really a coincidence.

……

The dynasty on July [-]th didn't last long, but it ended after about an hour.After Chu Ci came out of the palace, he changed his clothes and went straight to West Street, looking for the shops of the Kou family.

West Street is very big, and there are nine main streets in total. If you walk and stroll, you might not be able to finish it all in one day.Chu Ci didn't have time to go shopping, so he went directly to Kou's shop.

"Guest officer, would you like some spices? We have all kinds of spices in this shop, whether you put them in the closet to smoke clothes or wear them, they are all excellent." A shopkeeper with a kind face came When I came to Chu Ci's side, I saw that although he was not well dressed, he should be from a well-to-do family, so I led him to the middle-end spice container without any trace, and introduced him warmly.

Chu Ci picked up a box of spices and smelled it, and found that the smell was light, and it seemed to smell a bit like orchids.

"It smells good."

"Oh, the guest officer has great taste! This kind of spice is the best sold in our store, and many high-ranking officials and nobles come here to buy it!" The shopkeeper spared no effort to boast.

"Really?" Chu Ci smiled, and then put down the box in his hand, "It seems that the shopkeeper's business must be very good? I think that among the spice shops nearby, your business is the best gone."

The shopkeeper also smiled: "The guest officer observed carefully. Although our shop is not big and has not been open for a long time, in terms of reputation, it is not inferior to those century-old shops. This is mainly because Everything in our store is genuine. Like this Leng Yuexiang, we entrusted a caravan to bring it from the Xixiang Kingdom, and in this capital, it is worth a tael of gold and a tael of incense!"

"So that's how it is. The shopkeeper's management is in a proper way, which I really admire." Chu Ci nodded with a smile.

The shopkeeper looked at Chu Ci carefully for a while, and then said: "Guest officer, who are you? I don't think you are here to buy things."

"Haha, I'm just wandering around to have a look. This incense is good, please make me a box from the shopkeeper." Chu Ci took the incense and left without revealing his identity.

Zhang Hu was a little curious, and after he left, he immediately asked in a low voice: "Master, didn't you promise Master Kou to check the accounts? Why didn't you check again?"

"My lord, I don't have the time to look at the account books one by one. The shopkeeper is an honest man, so I won't look at him for the time being."

Afterwards, Chu Ci went to several other shops, one was an ice charcoal shop, which only did business in summer and winter, one was a silk and satin shop, and the other was a dry goods store.These shops are all similar. Although the shops are not big, the business is booming. The shopkeepers are all good-natured and talkative.

Chu Ci followed the address and came to the last one.This last one was a rouge shop, but the door of the shop was tightly closed at noon.

Chu Ci looked around and found that there was a shop selling wontons nearby, so he went over to chat while eating wontons.

The big brother who sells wontons is also a talkative person, so he immediately talked up Chu Ci's casual question.

"The guest officer doesn't know something. The shopkeeper of this rouge shop is lazy. Others stay here every day when they open the shop. He is good. He spends three days fishing and two days drying the net, and he often can't find anyone. This cloud Fenji’s business in the past two years has been pretty good, and the shopkeeper Zhang is also easy to talk to. We never scold our stall next to them, and sometimes help us introduce business. But the surname Liu, hmph, is not nice. That's all, selling things is always shoddy, if you want to buy things, guest officer, please don't go to this store to buy..."

The eldest brother complained while making wontons, and it seemed that he really didn't like this Shopkeeper Liu.

Chu Ci only smiled, and after seeing Zhang Hu finished eating, he paid the money and left.

"Master, this Liu is really not a thing." Zhang Hu said angrily.

"How do you know he's not a thing?" Chu Ci turned his head and asked with a smile.

"Didn't that elder brother talk a lot just now? Master, didn't you hear clearly just now?" Zhang Hu was extremely surprised. How long did the elder brother talk for as long as he had just eaten? How could the master not hear?

"If you listen to it, you will be clear, and if you believe it, you will be dark. The elder brother was so angry just because the shopkeeper Liu was not allowed to set up a stall next to the shop since he took over the shop. If there is no hatred, how could he be so angry? "

Zhang Hu scratched his head puzzledly: "Then... shopkeeper Liu is a good person?"

"That's not necessarily true. What he said just now is probably [-]% true and [-]% false. You have to see it with your own eyes to tell the truth."

Zhang Hu was at a loss when he heard this, so is shopkeeper Liu good or bad?

"Whether it's good or bad, don't you know if you go and see it?"

"Where should I go?"

"Didn't that big brother just say that shopkeeper Liu likes to drink and always goes to the tavern at the front door? Let's go to the tavern and look for him."

"Hey!" Zhang Hu agreed, took the carriage to a place to store it, and then followed Chu Ci to an alley.

"Have you smelled it?" Standing at the door of the tavern, Chu Ci took a deep breath and asked Zhang Hu.

Zhang Hu shrugged his nose and sniffed it, then nodded: "It's the smell of wine, it smells so good."

The waiter at the door saw their appearance, and hurried out to solicit customers: "Please, two guests, what do you want to order? The wine here is all first-class wine, you two just now Did you smell it too?"

Chu Ci beat the folding fan in his hand and slapped it in front of him, looking suave and suave.

"As the saying goes, a thousand cups of wine is rare when you meet a bosom friend. Xiaosheng is addicted to alcohol today, but I am a bookboy who can't drink well. Alas, I can't drink to my heart's content. Brother, do you have any guests here who drink a lot? Xiaosheng invites him to have a drink together."

The little second brother looked puzzled, he looked left and right, his eyes lit up, and said: "Most of the guests come in pairs, but shopkeeper Liu always has a table for one person every time. Only go when you're drunk. You might as well ask him."

"Alright, please ask my second brother to introduce me."

Xiao Er led Chu Ci to Shopkeeper Liu's table, and said with a smile: "Shopkeeper Liu, you usually drink alone, but Xiao Er found you a drinking buddy today, can you see if this is possible? "

Shopkeeper Liu has a pair of upside-down eyebrows and slender eyes. When looking at people, he always has a somewhat gloomy feeling.He raised his head and glanced at Chu Ci, and snorted: "With his appearance, he poured down only two or three glasses, what kind of drinking buddy is he? I'm afraid he wants to lie to me for drinking?"

Chu Ci sized up shopkeeper Liu, looked at the things on his table, and said with a smile: "Hahaha, shopkeeper Liu is too caring. How could Xiaosheng lie to you for drinking? I'm clearly here to treat you Drinking. Little brother, bring a jar of the best wine here, and I want to have a good drink with this shopkeeper Liu."

Shopkeeper Liu was a little vigilant, but his vigilance disappeared immediately when he smelled the 20 taels of wine.

"I see that this brother is a cheerful person. Since you have kindly invited me, I would rather be respectful than obedient."

Shopkeeper Liu poured himself a glass, put it on the tip of his nose carefully and sniffed it, then showed a look of intoxication, said "It's really fragrant", and then drank it with his neck up. A look of endless aftertaste.

He is the shopkeeper of this Laoshizi, and the monthly money is only 20 taels, and he has to take it back to support his family. He usually drinks only a tael of silver and a pot of miscellaneous wine. Today, it is rare for someone to be taken advantage of. He must have Drink more!

Chuci, who was taken advantage of, did a good job. He didn't talk much, and the first thing he said was to persuade him to drink.He didn't drink much himself, but shopkeeper Liu took a sip to his heart's content. After a while, he was drunk by the strong aftertaste of the wine.

Chu Ci waved two fingers in front of him and asked, "How much is this?"

Shopkeeper Liu was blindfolded, opened his eyes wide open, and said "three" vaguely.

"Okay." Chu Ci withdrew his hand, "Dahu, carry him away, the master wants to ask him a few words."

"Yes!" Zhang Hu excitedly carried Shopkeeper Liu on his shoulder and ran out.

Chu Ci followed out unhurriedly, and made a list of the questions he wanted to ask in his mind.

When they got to a secluded place, Zhang Hu threw shopkeeper Liu on the ground, Chu Ci knelt down, covered his nose in distaste, and began to ask questions...

After Chu Ci asked what he wanted to know, his face was already dark.

"Let's go back to the Imperial College!" Chu Ci said as he walked out of the alley.

"Yes!" Zhang Hu closely followed his steps, not giving a single glance to the drunk Liu Si who was lying on the ground, such a black-hearted person, let it die of cold!