After coming out of the butcher shop, Li Zhang burped and said to Xu Ping: "Brother, why do you feel so angry when you are full? Let's hire a donkey."

Xu Ping said: "Who asked you to eat so much? Where can I hire donkeys?"

"You can only go to the Bian shore."

The two returned to the main road by the Bian River. They didn't walk far, but there were indeed people who hired livestock and ox carts.

Xu Ping went up and asked about the price. It turned out that because of the winter solstice today, the price had risen. In addition, he couldn't take the imperial street and had to take a detour back. The price of hiring a donkey was 50 cents.

Xu Ping said: "Fifty words are fifty words, but you have to go outside Wansheng Gate first, send me, my brother home, and then send the book back to my Guanghuafang home."

The person who hired a donkey was a little unwilling to do so, so the road was far away. In the end, Xu Ping agreed not to ride a donkey with Li Zhang, but just carried a book, and then the business was finalized.

After leaving the inner city from Xiaonan Gate, he walked around the west side of the city, and crossed the Bian River. When he arrived outside Wansheng Gate, the sun had already set in the west and it was not long before dark.

After sending Li Zhang to the door of his house, Xu Ping invited the donkey owner to come in for a cup of tea.

The donkey owner said, "Why dare you drink tea? The little official sent your brother in and went back quickly. It will be dark now. Don't let me go home at night."

Xu Ping had no choice but to agree.

When I entered Li Zhang's house, I found that my father Xu Zheng was also there, and was drinking with Duan Laoyuan, Li Yong and two of them in the small pavilion in the courtyard.

When Xu Zheng saw Xu Ping, he shouted, "You haven't seen anyone for a day. Where can I play at this time? It's cold outside, so how good it's to roast the fire at home!"

Li Zhang hurriedly complained: "Uncle, where are we going to play? Today I was caught by my brother and became a coolie. I drove for a day and didn't even take a break! Alas, I was crying when I said it!"

Xu Ping smiled and patted his shoulder: "Not so exaggerated! But today you are working hard."

After going up to see Li, he said to the three people who were drinking: "We went to Xiangguo Temple to buy books. We walked around for a day because of the detour. Then we came back. The books were still at the door and hired a donkey to carry them."

Li Yonghe said, "Since you have worked hard, you can take a break. Go out and let the donkey owner go back. When you get here, you will feel like you have returned home, and you won't fight for that moment."

Xu Ping agreed and went out with Li Zhang to settle the money for hiring the donkey and asked the donkey owner to go back. The two of them returned to the pavilion with two bundles of books.

When Xu Zheng saw this, he was shocked: "I actually bought so many things? Dalang, how many days do you have to finish reading it?"

Xu Ping smiled and said nothing.

Is there many? I have never seen his previous life's tactics, and the characters in a book are as close to these two piles. At this time, the books are all woodblocked and the characters are complex, and the characters printed on paper cannot be small. It looks like two piles, but there are actually not many words. According to the intensity of Xu Ping's preparation for the exam in his previous life, he finished reading these books in less than a month. At this time, scholars like to read the classics and combine their own understanding to discover the way to govern the world. A truly perfect preparation system does not exist in this era, and it will take another hundred years. Xu Ping came out of the exam and was the most experienced person in the world when it comes to preparation for the exam.

Speaking of books, Xu Ping actually considered making movable type. Thanks to the developed business organizations, Xu Ping had already found all the raw materials for making lead type alloys, just waiting for the appropriate ratio to have a free test. The most important metal among alloys has also existed in this era, but it was regarded as a type of tin, called "Tin", and Xu Ping had already kept some in his hands. China's antimony ore accounts for the vast majority of the world, and this is not a metal that is difficult to find. The ancient Chinese touched it casually.

However, the book shop also has guild organizations, which cannot be entered casually. Xu Ping has no energy and there is no need in the farm, so the matter was temporarily suspended.

The servant at home added bowls and chopsticks, and Xu Ping and Li Zhang sat down in the pavilion and drank together.

After talking about what I saw and heard on the road today, the topic slowly turned to the Xu family’s sugar shop.

Li Yonghe put down the wine bowl and asked Xu Zheng: "Brother, has the shop been open these days, but is it still going well?"

Xu Zheng sighed: "Everything was fine, but yesterday Dalang entered the city and happened to meet a small yellow gate in the palace to the shop, saying that he wanted to get several thousand kilograms of sugar in the department."

Li Yonghe hurriedly asked: "This is the purpose of dismantling the shop! What happened later?"

Xu Ping interrogated: "It was Zhang Tianrui, the manager of the Li family, who went to find acquaintance. Zhang Weiying, who was in charge of goods affairs in Beijing, went to the shop and scared the little yellow door away."

Li Yonghe breathed out: "After all, it's a wealthy family, and there are many people who know each other. Thanks to working with him to do this business, if it were our ordinary family, this small level would be sad."

Xu Ping sighed: "I have passed this level, but I just don't know what the next level is. Manager Zhang Tianrui went to inquire. It was the palace official Yan Wenying sent the small yellow sect to come out. He is just popular. Who knows if he will just let it go."

After saying that, Xu Ping secretly went to see Duan Lao's yard, but found that he had no expression on his face, just drinking and eating food with peace of mind, and didn't say much.

Xu Zheng also sighed: "This is not good for our business people. Even if we abide by the laws and regulations, we will still be targeted by these powerful people. We cannot hide and fight, and we can only be bullied by them for nothing."

Li Yonghe sighed and asked Duan Laoyuan: "Dad, you have been in the palace for many years. You should know who this Grand Official Yan Wenying is? Is there anything you can teach Brother Xu?"

The old yard looked at Xu Ping and said slowly: "What are you talking about in front of the child?"

Xu Ping was stunned and realized that Duan Laoyuan's attitude of not wanting to say anything was because he was sitting here. In the heart of Laoyuan, Xu Ping was still the child who knew nothing but was just a fool. He didn't even have a door in his mouth. What should I do if I go out and talk nonsense? It's not as good as Li Zhang. In the past six months, although he changed his image in the eyes of his parents and others, he had never seen Laoyuan before, and just thought it was still the same as before.

Thinking of this, Xu Ping could only smile bitterly.

Li Yonghe looked at Xu Ping, thought for a while before saying, "Dad, please relax. The Xu family's Dalang is no longer as good as before. This year, he is the countryside farm, and he is not sure how prosperous it is. Some days ago, the chief clerks in Zhongmu County recruited people to study in his village. I have seen Lin Xiucai many times, and I have praised him continuously. Even my studies have improved a lot. Today I went to buy so many books. As long as this continues, maybe I will return from a Jinshi in a few years, and the Xu brother will make a name for himself. In fact, even this sugar business shop was negotiated with Taiwei Li. He was also in charge of the production of sugar in the village, and others can't do it."

After hearing Li Yonghe's words, Duan Laoyuanzi looked at Xu Ping carefully. Seeing that he was indeed much more steady than before, he nodded.

He picked up the wine bowl and the old yard said, "It's cold, I'll drink this bowl to warm up my body first, and let's talk."

After drinking, everyone put down the wine bowl in the old yard and said with a solemn expression: "White sugar is not as large as other businesses I did before. It is larger in scale and makes more money. As long as the business starts, it will be valued by the forces and try every means to get a piece of the pie. The brother of the Xu family is his own, so I will say a few words to you. But remember, I have offended many people in the Imperial City Army before, and the words are just for everyone to listen to, and don't spread them. Especially for your two children, who dares to go out and talk nonsense, I will break his mouth!"

Xu Ping and Li Zhang hurriedly said, "Don't dare."

In fact, Duan Laoyuan likes children the most, and these words are just to scare them.

The old courtyard nodded and said, "Yan Wenying sent the little yellow gate to the shop to test it. When you think of Mr. Lu Yijian, you may have thought it wrong. Those who will cause trouble in the shop in the future will most of them not involve Mr. Lu, and most of the prime ministers in the court will not participate. They have a good salary and a high status. Besides, the censors in the court are keeping a close eye on him, so who will take this risk? I have dealt with this person before. I am greedy and bold in doing things. Why do you need others to instruct him?"

Xu Ping was a little confused: "He is an eunuch, why are he coming to trouble us? Could it be that if our family is destroyed, he can still open a shop by himself?"

The old courtyard said, "Why can't it be? He also has a house outside, a maid and a concubine, and a supervisor of the magistrate. Why can't he buy a property?"

After hearing the old courtyard, Xu Ping remembered that the favored eunuchs at this time had a family, and some houses were given directly by the emperor. They would also marry and have concubines, and the family would also cost money. Unlike ordinary people, they were just adopted by children.

The old courtyard said again: "Sending Xiaohuangmen directly to the shop to make trouble. The technique is so rough, it is not a method of the court's ministers, so you don't have to worry about this. But Yan Wen should be different from other officials. This person is too brave and can do anything. So Brother Xu, you must be careful in the shop in the future. Let the people of Li Fangyu's family handle anything whenever you have something to do, and you must not interfere in it."

This was said similar to what Xu Ping said yesterday. Xu Zheng nodded quickly and said yes. He couldn't help but look up to his son. It seemed that he was not the same as the gangster before, and he became much more sensible.

Warned Xu Zheng, and the old courtyard said again: "But this matter is not good, so it is said that no one will instruct me later. The ministers in the court will not do it, but there may not be other families who will be jealous. For example, some royal family princes and some foreign relatives and senior officials have no real power and no scruples."

Xu Zheng hurriedly said, "Dad Duan, who do you think is the most likely family?"

The old yard sighed: "It is the Li family who is partnered with you, and the most likely thing is that his relatives are broken."

Xu Zheng was stunned for a moment: "Their relatives?"

The old courtyard nodded: "Yes. Li Fangyu has an uncle Chai Zongqing, who is the most despicable. He has been ruled repeatedly since the previous dynasty Emperor Zhenzong. This family must be guarded against."

Although Chai Zongqing looked a bit like a brother in his name, it actually had nothing to do with Chai Zongxun, the grandson of Chai Yuxi, who married the eldest princess of Lu. He was promoted to the ranking and became brothers with his father. Like Li Duanyi's father, he was both a captain of the horse and his power was not much different, but he became much greedy.

Xu Zheng was a little confused: "They are relatives, so it would be fine if they don't help, but would they still be greedy for this industry?"

Lao Yuanzi said, "You don't understand that although these two families have relatives, they are a little disagreeable. First, Li Fangyu's father is a little unconventional and has been dealt with by the late emperor. The Chai family looks down on him. Another Chai family has no descendants, but the Li family has two boys, who have more than once ridiculed the Chai family for not being able to raise children."

When everyone heard this, they understood.

Li Duanyi's father Li Zunxu was a little undecided. He went out for a wedding date with the eldest princess, but was caught. The late emperor demoted his official position. Fortunately, the eldest princess was virtuous and brought him back. Chai Zongqing had no children, and the eldest princess he married was a little more powerful, so there was no way. For this matter, Li Zunxu was ridiculed by Li Zunxu more than once.

It’s good to know these things. These troubles are all the blame for the Li family, and the Xu family doesn’t interfere.
Chapter completed!