Chapter 10 Night visits to feudal officials

When Hu Xueyan's boat arrived at Wangxian Bridge, it happened that Zhou Shaotang was talking about Huangbamazi. When he was joking, Mrs. Luosi sent her cronies to meet him along the canal north, and waited for Hu Xueyan's boat to arrive at a checkpoint. , report news when ship meets. This confidant is Mr. Wu.His status in the Hu family is very special, he is neither a "master" nor a "manager", but entrusted by Hu Xueyan or Mrs. Luoshi, he often has temporary errands. This "secret envoy" between Mrs. Luoshi and Hu Xueyan is naturally the most suitable candidate.

"Mister Big," he said, "there's a storm." Hu Xueyan's heart sank when he didn't mention the turmoil, but he said "there was a storm", but he didn't show any emotion on the surface, he just said: "You came here specially, of course something happened. What's the matter? Talk slowly." "You're on the way, didn't you hear the news from Shanghai?" When Mr. Wu took out the telegram that was transferred from Xie Yunqing to Mrs. Luosi, Hu Xueyan's face changed when he saw it, but he was very good at controlling things and immediately returned to normal. He only asked, "Does everyone in Hangzhou know about it?"

"certainly." "In this way, Hangzhou will also run on it?" "Fourth Sister Luo specially asked me to come, just to talk about this—" Mr. Wu reported Xie Yunqing late at night, deciding to suspend Fukang's business, and Mrs. Luoshi visited Dexin for help. Dexin had promised to try to maintain it, and explained it in detail. After Hu Xueyan listened quietly, he asked at the first sentence: "Does the old lady know?" "Of course it's a secret." "Okay!" Hu Xueyan was relieved, "The matter has already come out, and there is no point in being anxious. The most important thing is not to mess up. Mr. Wu, the wedding will be handled as usual, but I am afraid I don't have time to take care of it. Please help me a little bit." Help Fourth Sister Luo."

"I know," Mr. Wu suddenly remembered, "Fourth Sister Luo said, Mr. Da had better not go ashore at Wangxian Bridge." Hu Xueyan boarded and disembarked from the boat, and was always at Wangxian Bridge between Yuanbao Street and Qinghefang. Mrs. Luosi was afraid of attracting attention, so she gave this advice.But Hu Xueyan had a different idea. "Since everything is going on as usual, of course I'm still going ashore at Wangxian Bridge." Hu Xueyan asked again, "Where did Fourth Sister Luo want me to go ashore?" "Wan'an Bridge. The sedan chair is waiting there." Mr. Wu replied, "In this way, I will disembark at Wan'an Bridge and take care of the sedan chair to pick it up at Wangxian Bridge."

Hu Xueyan's big green woolen sedan chair was notoriously gorgeous. When it was carried to Wangxian Bridge, although it was already dusk, when it stopped, people noticed it.Mr. Jiawu understood Hu Xueyan's intentions, took care of the family members who came to pick up the sedan chair, and put on a ostentation as usual. Wearing a new cotton "hanger", he stood on the pier and lit up the official lanterns, which immediately attracted a large number of onlookers of pedestrians. Seeing this, Hu Xueyan changed his mind. In the past, when I went back to Hangzhou, I would go home to see my mother first. This time, I was afraid that my mother would be even more worried if she found out that the two banks in Shanghai and Hangzhou were run on and fell ill.But seeing so many people watching his whereabouts, I can't help but think about it in my heart, if I were a customer of Fukang, what would I think?

As soon as he puts himself aside, Hu Xueyan's first thought is: Can't go home first!How many people's hard-earned money has been entrusted to Fukang, and now there is a tendency to lose it, and Fukang's boss actually spends his leisure time patronizing his own home, regardless of other people's life and death, this tone is unbearable. Therefore, as soon as the boat docked, he first asked, "Has Yunqing come yet?" Why didn't Xie Yunqing come?But he hid in the dark on purpose, and at this moment he flashed out and rushed forward, calling out: "Mr. Big!"

"Okay, okay! Yunqing, you're here! It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter, Fukang is still a famous brand." He deliberately raised his voice and said, "I'll go to the store first." The store is Fukang.As soon as the sedan chair arrived, it happened that the restaurant was open for dinner, so Hu Xueyan went to see the dining table. This kind of situation has happened before, but at this time, it can't help but be amazed that he has such a leisurely mood. "It's cold!" Hu Xueyan asked Xie Yunqing, "It's time to use hot pot."

"It's an old rule to use hot pot until the winter solstice." Xie Yunqing said, "This year the winter solstice is late." "The rules will be changed in the future. According to the way of foreigners, in winter, eat hot pot at the temperature of the cold and heat scale, and in summer, eat watermelon at the same temperature. Yun Qing, remember it." This is a way to stabilize the "military spirit", which means that Fukang will not fall, and will continue to open year after year.Of course Xie Yunqing understood this secret, and agreed repeatedly, telling the "food manager" to get an extra meal for preparing the hot pot from the next day.

"Fukang's rice bowl can't be broken!" someone said. When listening to Xie Yunqing's detailed account, Hu Xueyan's stomach felt cold for a while, and the more lucky he felt, the more ashamed he felt. He was not the only one who could create a career, so of course it was not his fault that this situation happened today, but even though Hu Xueyan wanted to spit in Mi Benchang's face when he thought of Mi Benchang, but this All these thoughts vanished, and he told himself that there is no need to blame anyone, not even himself. It is best to forget that he is the owner of Fukang, and that he is Hu Xueyan's "manager". He has full power to deal with this disaster.

He only tried his best to put aside his thoughts of gains and losses, so that he could concentrate his mind. At that time, he frowned, closed his eyes, and after thinking about it carefully, he said: "Face is a signboard. If you can keep your face, the signboard will not fail." , This is a general formula. Yun Qing, you remember it!" "Yes, I understand." "You and Mrs. Snail made a decision not to open the door this morning, isn't that right? We don't need to talk about it anymore. But you have to know that you can't do things like demolition."

"I'm not trying to dismantle the dirt—" "I know." Hu Xueyan shook his hand to stop him and said, "You don't have to argue, because I'm not talking about you. However, you and Mrs. Snail had a big mistake in thinking. You told me just now that if you can't hold on, you can hold your hand. There are still hundreds of thousands of money in it, which is the capital to turn over in the future, no, if you have this kind of thinking, you will lose, and you will never turn over. Yun Qing, you know, I seem to push Pai Gow, and I always push it' "Chang Zhuang", no matter how much the bet is, you can afford to lose, I win, and now the wind is not going well, suddenly it is said to be changed to "Shovel Bank", use as much money as you want to bet, keep as much as you want for the next bet Ben, Yunqing, there will be no next time, and I will never be able to enter the casino again!" Xie Yunqing took a deep breath, then closed his mouth tightly, unable to say a word of praise. "I started with a pair of empty hands, but in the end I still have a pair of empty hands. I don't lose anything! Not only do I not lose, but I earn money after eating, using, and gaining money. As long as I don't die, you can see that I will turn over with an empty hand." "Mr. Da is so angry. From ancient times to the present, few people have. However," Xie Yunqing hesitated for a while, and finally said, "doing business is not about pushing Pai Gow." "Although doing business is not pushing Pai Gow, the principle is the same, 'gambling with treachery and cheating is not gambling'. If you do business without disgrace, you will be bad if you don't trust yourself!" "Mr. Big said so, tomorrow will be as usual." "Of course as usual!" Hu Xueyan said, "You have to do one thing today. Take the account of the depositor and take a good look at it. There are a few accounts that need to go to say hello overnight." "Okay. I'll do it right away." "Yes. But there is a way to greet. First, the interest is settled on the fifth day of the lunar new year. Now the interest will be settled earlier and delivered to the door. Second, you have to tell people that the New Year is coming. If you want to withdraw money, how much will you need? Please explain it to others and prepare for it.” "Hmm, um, um." Xie Yunqing comprehended and agreed. If you can stabilize the large households and the sporadic retail households, you will be able to cope with it, so there is nothing to worry about.After Hu Xueyan explained clearly, Fang Shi turned back to Yuanbao Street. Although it was already night, the street was still full of sedan chairs and horses, the door lights were hung high, and the family members lined up. suddenly disappeared. The sedan chair was carried directly to the gate of the garden, and when I got off the sedan chair, I saw Mrs. Hu and Mrs. Luosi greeted them there. They met each other sadly, but in a flash, Mrs. Luosi smiled, "I guess you haven't eaten yet?" She asked, "" Where is the meal?" This was looking for something to say, Hu Xueyan didn't listen at all, just said: "Go upstairs and talk to you." He asked again, "Does the old lady know that I'm back?" "I haven't told her the old man yet." "Okay! Take care of the middle door, don't say it yet." "I know. I won't." The middle gate of the Hu family is like the Qianqing gate in Da Nei. The restrictions are extremely strict, and it is really forbidden. Mrs. Luosi has already taken care of it, so you can rest assured. Arriving at Mrs. Luosi, Ayun brought a bowl of bird's nest soup, a basket of freshly steamed chicken cakes, and freshly brewed Longjing tea, all ready, and then went downstairs. Mrs. Luosi had taken care of them a long time ago. Yun stood guard at the stairs, and no one was allowed to go upstairs. "Is it important or not?" Mrs. Hu spoke first. "If you say it's important, it's important, if you say it's not important, then it's okay." Hu Xueyan said, "Nowadays it's a show on top of a stone mortar. If you can finish the trick, it's a big deal. Death is wounding." "And how is the play to be done?" asked Mrs. Snail. "If we can't see a mortar on our heads under the stage, then it doesn't matter." "I also take care of everyone in the same way. Everything is as usual, and we can do whatever we want for happy events. However, the scene can be displayed with copper coins, I am afraid that the smiling face cannot be displayed." "That's the difficulty. But," Hu Xueyan said in a more emphatic tone, "No matter how difficult it is, you have to do it. No matter what the scene is, you have to hang it up, no matter what method you use." Mrs. Hu and Mrs. Luoshi glanced at each other, thought about this sentence for a while, each understood, and kept nodding. "I'm the one doing things outside." Hu Xueyan asked, "How is De Xiaofeng?" "It's not bad at all." Mrs. Snail said, "Lianzhu has been with me all afternoon, she said, you'd better go to Defantai tonight." "I'm afraid it's inconvenient at night." "We'll talk about it tonight." "Okay, I'll go right away." Hu Xueyan was a little hesitant, because the most important thing at this time was not to see Dexin, the first thing was to send a telegram to various places, and the second thing was to call a few important assistants to discuss contingency measures.These two matters not only cannot be delayed, but also take a lot of time, so I really don't have time to see Dexin. "It would be nice to have Yingchun here." Hu Xueyan sighed, and slumped down on an easy chair, with his head drooping limply. Mrs. Luosi was taken aback, "Master, master!" She stepped forward, half-kneeled and shook his shoulders and said, "You have to hold on! No matter what, hold on!" Hu Xueyan didn't make a sound, hugged her, and buried her head between her shoulders, "Sister Luo," he said, "I'm afraid I will make you suffer, are you willing to share our troubles with me?" "Why don't you? I've shared wealth and honor with you, and of course I want to share troubles with you." As she spoke, Mrs. Snail's tears fell and fell on the back of Hu Xueyan's hand. "Don't cry! You persuaded me just now, and now I will persuade you too. I will support you outside, but you will support me inside." "Okay!" Mrs. Snail wiped away her tears and agreed quickly. "It's more difficult for you than me." Hu Xueyan said, "First, the old lady has to keep it a secret; second, relatives, relatives, and the people below must be taken care of; third, this happy event still needs to be held in a smooth manner. Light." Mrs. Snail thought that the first one was easy to handle. After all, there was only one person, the second one was very difficult, and the third one was even more difficult. No matter how beautiful it is, if the congratulatory guests want to talk about things that are unsightly, why not cover their mouths? Just thinking about it like this, Hu Xueyan spoke again, "Fourth Sister Luo," he said, "You promise to fall, and you promise not to fall? If you promise not to fall, I—" After waiting for a while without listening to him, Mrs. Snail couldn't help asking: "How are you?" "If you can't hold on, I will hold on, and it's meaningless." "So, how about it?" "Just fall down and forget it." "Nonsense!" Mrs. Snail jumped up and said loudly, "Mr. Hu Da, don't make me look down on you!" Hu Xueyan originally meant to encourage her, but he was also inspired by her, so he stood up energetically and said, "Okay! I'll go to see De Xiaofeng right away." "This is it." Mrs. Luoshi took care, "Don't forget to thank Lianzhu." "I know." "Also, every time you come back from the outside to see Defan Terrace, you have never been empty-handed. It is best not to make an exception this time." This reminded Hu Xueyan, "Where is my luggage?" He said, "There is a suitcase made of foreign goods, and there are many new tricks in it." "Wait for me to ask Ah Yun." It turns out that every time Hu Xueyan travels, Mrs. Luoshi packs his luggage for him. Similarly, when Hu Xueyan comes back, the suitcase is unloaded with her as usual, so I have to ask Ayun. "Yes. I'll bring it up later." The suitcase was very heavy and was carried up by two maids. There was a built-in lock on the suitcase, and it could only be opened when it was aligned with the number. Got to sweat profusely. "Wait for me!" Mrs. Luosi picked up a pair of large scissors, inserted them into the gap of the lock, and then told Ayun, "Pull it back hard." Ayun has big feet, he put his feet against the suitcase, and pulled back with all his strength with both hands. The lock was pried open, but with excessive force, he fell on his back. "Yes!" Hu Xueyan murmured to himself as if he had realized something, "cut the mess with a sharp knife!" While speaking, he took out the large and small bags wrapped in leather paper and piled them on the table. The clothes that were spread out under the suitcase were imported clothes. "This is for De Xiaofeng." Hu Xueyan handed a small paper package to Mrs. Luosi, and added, "Be careful breaking it." When I opened it, I saw that it was a snuff bottle made during the Qianlong period, with an emerald lid. Mrs. Snail had seen a lot in recent years and knew that it was expensive. "However," she said, "it seems that there are too few of them." "Then get another watch." This watch was stored in a very elegant leather case. When you opened it, you saw a piece of parchment written in foreign languages. When you opened it, it was an unremarkable silver watch. "This watch—" "This watch, don't underestimate it. It has a great background. It was used by the French emperor Napoleon. I bought it as an antique. This parchment is an 'insurance policy', as long as it still shows 'news', it is not Napoleon. If it is used, it will be refunded and a fine will be added.” "Okay! Where's the lotus bead?" "There is only one golden box. If it is too light, add two pieces of cloth." Taking out a few flat cloths from the bottom of the box, Mrs. Luosi suddenly felt emotional. Since she was married to the Hu family, silk and satin are on par with woolen blue cloth, but when she touches Western clothes, she feels very different. . This feeling is indescribable.The best cloth material she has ever seen is "tribute satin". This kind of satin is divided into two types: "imperial use" and "supreme use". Called "upper use".But people who pay attention to folks, of course, are also from aristocratic families, and they also use "top-use" satin, but the color should avoid "bright yellow" and "scent color" darker than "bright yellow". The emperor can use it, and the "fragrance" is the color used exclusively by the prince. Apart from this, there are no taboos, but it can be more exquisite than the satin of "supreme use", such as wearing it in the morning and at night. It looks like a satin robe with the same pattern, but the dark flowers have been differentiated, the flowers in the morning are budding, and the flowers in the afternoon are already in full bloom.These particularities are already valued by people who "are not officials of the third generation and don't know how to dress and eat". However, compared with the good materials imported from abroad, it can't help but make people feel that the splendor is not as good as the plain. The two pieces of clothing Mrs. Luosi picked up were both monochromatic, one navy blue and the other black. This kind of clothing was called "serge", and it had just been sold to China, and it was very expensive. Only after wearing it will you know its benefits. This kind of "serge" is sold in foreign firms, and it is rare for officials in the mainland. Even in Shanghai shopping malls, only fashionable and wealthy customers use "serge" as gown material. It is not surprising in the Hu family. They don't usually wear skirts, but they use "serge" to make jackets and trousers on good days in spring and autumn. They are stable and crisp, with elegant colors and natural elegance.She often said: "To be a person is to be like Serge, able to withstand torture, and appear to be of weight wherever you go." At this moment, this person, thinking of what she often said, couldn't help crying. Fortunately, Hu Xueyan didn't pay attention, she took a handkerchief with the lamp on her back, blew her nose, wiped her eyes by the way, took care of Ayun to wrap up all the presents in brocade burdens, and then personally sent Hu Xueyan to the west gate of the garden. This door is usually closed, and only opens when Hu Xueyan "walks slightly" at night.Of course, they were not sitting in a big green sedan chair, and there were no "soldiers" huddled in front and back. There were only two personal attendants, each holding a lantern at the front and back, and illuminated the sedan chair until the gate of the feudal official's office. Notification, Dexin sent someone to wait there, Hu Xueyan got off the sedan chair, and went all the way to the signing room. "Come here late at night to disturb Xiaoweng, I'm really uneasy." Hu Xueyan said so, with the same attitude as usual, unrestrained and unrestrained, without any embarrassment. "Come! Come! Lie down." Dexin, who just got up to greet her, lay down first, took the bong handed over by the girl, smoked it in one breath, but instructed with gestures how to entertain the guests. He instructed the girl to take off the mandarin jacket for Hu Xueyan first, and when he lay down on his side, the girl lifted his legs onto the footstool, took off the double beam shoes, and then took a Russian blanket to cover his legs and tucked him in. Strict and extremely warm. "Xueyan," Dexin said, "I really admire you until today!" This nonsensical sentence made Hu Xueyan smile wryly, "Xiao Weng," he said, "don't make fun of me." "It's not that I'm making fun of you." Dexin said, "I've heard people say that Mr. Mengchang has three thousand diners and robbers, and when it comes to critical moments, he will show off his skills. You have Zhou Shaotang under your command, and you are just like Mr. Mengchang." He only heard Xie Yunqing briefly mention Zhou Shaotang's publicity, but he didn't know the details. Now that he heard Dexin's praise, he couldn't help being very interested, so he asked, "How did you see it?" so that Dexin could continue. "I was there at the time and I saw it with my own eyes. I really admired it." Dexin said, "There is an ugly boy named Liu Gansan in Beijing. He is famous for his improvisation and improvisation, but in my opinion, he is not as good as Zhou Shaotang." Then Dexin happily described the situation where Zhou Shaotang played with yellow pockmarks on the palm of her thigh, and described it in detail. Hu Xueyan listened silently, thinking in his heart, how could Zhou Shaotang use him in the future. "Xueyan," Dexin said again, "Zhou Shaotang's help to you is really not small. Coaxing the run-off group of people to go home is the second most important thing. The most important thing is to help you to help the silkworm farmers in the countryside. This is very useful, and it has already shown its effect. Liu Zhongshuai invited me to talk about you this afternoon. He mentioned that you were squeezed because you were fighting with the British, and said We should try to maintain it." Liu Zhongshuai refers to Zhejiang governor Liu Bingzhang. Although he and Li Hongzhang are not very friendly, they are always in the Huai army. It is naturally worth cherishing that he can show this, so Hu Xueyan can't help but have an excited tone. "Liu Zhongshuai can also be considerate, the kindness is really appreciable." "Don't be happy, he still has something to say: if you can maintain it, you can maintain it. If you can't maintain it, you should deal with it as soon as possible. The first priority is always to ensure the official money. Xueyan," Dexin turned to look at Hu Xueyan on the pillow and said, "Xueyan, you You have to give me a word." This sentence naturally requires Hu Xueyan to provide a guarantee, so that he will not be unable to explain. Hu Xueyan thought for a while and said: "Xiao Weng, it is not a day since we met, do you think I am a person who is sorry for others?" "At this level, you don't need to confess. However, Xueyan, your career is too big. Maybe you don't know much about yourself. How come Kang can't hold on as soon as you leave?" These words made Hu Xueyan speechless. With his eloquence, he could make an excuse, but he didn't want to do that because he felt that would be dishonest. "Xueyan, you don't have to be sad. The matter is already like this, so we can only deal with it by straightening our backs." Dexin said immediately, "I just want you to say something at this moment." "Please tell me." "Tell me what you think in your heart first. It doesn't need to be too much, just a word." These words have a special meaning, Hu Xueyan pondered for a long time before he dared to be sure, "Xiaoweng," he said, "if I really can't hold on anymore, I must first discuss with Xiaoweng for advice." Safeguard Dexin's interests, whether public or private. "Okay! Let's make a deal. Now, Xueyan, tell me, what can I do for you?" "It's not just about helping," Hu Xueyan said, "Now I want to ask Xiaoweng to take my business as my own." These words carry a lot of weight, Dexin thought for a moment and said, "It's nothing to worry about. But, you must know about your own affairs, right?" "Yes. Let me tell Xiaoweng: As long as there are no accidents, you can pass the test." "Xueyan, what is your so-called accident?" "Anything I can't catch will cause accidents." Hu Xueyan said, "The first one is Li Hefei." Having said this, he couldn't help sighing, "Oh! I thought it was a good thing that Mr. Zuo came to Liangjiang, but why? It’s worse to know.” "Oh, this level, you might as well talk about it." It is very complicated to talk about, but it is also very simple. As soon as Zuo Zongtang arrived in Liangjiang, he clashed with Li Hongzhang's forces in Shanghai.If Zuo Zongtang still has the courage to go forward and cover all parties, coupled with Hu Xueyan's careful planning, the governor of Liangjiang will manage Liangjiang, and Li Hongzhang will definitely fall behind.Helplessly, Zuo Zongtang was in a decadent old age, and he had no foundation in Liangjiang. What's worse, he had a soft and hard attitude when negotiating with the law. In order to implement his policies, Li Hongzhang regarded Zuo Zongtang as a thorn in his side that had to be removed. , and taking the removal of Zuo Zongtang's feathers as the main method, Hu Xueyan was regarded as a shield to protect Zuo Zongtang, and he focused on it. "I understand." Dexin said, "It's better to settle the grudges than to tie them up. Li Hefei should try to make a call. At this level, I can trust Liu Zhongshuai." "That's a heavy request." Hu Xueyan asked, "Should I go see Liu Zhongshuai?" "We'll talk about it when I see him in the upper court tomorrow." Dexin said again, "Think about it, if Li Hefei wants to make things difficult for you, what methods will he use?" "I don't care about anything else," Hu Xueyan said, "I'm most afraid that if he comes to raise the official funds of the various yamen under Beiyang, if he fails to raise the pawn that can seal me, he will force me down." "Sealing a pawn will affect the livelihood of civilians. As expected, I can speak." "I want Xiaoweng to speak up for justice. But it is better to say it later than to say it first, especially to say it early." "Okay! I'll talk to Liu Zhongshuai tomorrow." "Can Liu Zhongshuai be invited to come forward and send a few telegrams, saying that Fukang's foundation is solid, please don't be confused by rumors everywhere, let's not mention the official money for now, so as not to overwhelm Fukang." "Of course you can say it. However, Liu Zhongshuai will definitely ask, is it possible to guarantee that there will be a lot of government money in the future?" Dexin added, "If there is no such guarantee, Liu Zhongshuai will not make such a move. Telegram." Hu Xueyan was silent for a while, then Fang Shi replied: "If I have such confidence, I don't need to ask Liu Zhongshuai to send a telegram at all." This is Dexin silently.After waiting until he was addicted to cigarettes, Fang said again: "Xueyan, at least there are Fukang's official funds in the large and small yamen of this province. I am sure that I will not mention it within a month." "As long as the official funds don't move within a month, it doesn't matter." Hu Xueyan said, "My silk in Tianjin can find an account, and once I sell it, the position will be loosened immediately." "What about Shanghai?" Dexin asked, "Don't you have a lot of silk in Shanghai too?" "The ones in Shanghai can't move! The foreigners are already killing me for the price. Now that I am in urgent need of turnover, I see that my money is worthless. Xiao Weng, I don't want to lose money, especially if I lose to foreigners. Even more dissatisfied." "Hey!" Dexin sighed, "Everyone should strive like you, and China will be fine." While talking, a girl with long braids flashed out, and brought the old lady to set the table, preparing for supper.Hu Xueyan wanted to leave at first, but then he thought again, he should not change his usual schedule, he visited at night a few times, and always had supper when the time came, so this day should also be as usual. "Where's my aunt?" Dexin asked, "Say I invite her." "Come out immediately." It turned out that Lianzhu didn't avoid Hu Xueyan, and she was going to come out to deal with her this day, first to express her condolences, and then to thank her. When Hu Xueyan had just sat down, she heard a slight sound of the curtain hook. When she turned her head to look, Lianzhu appeared at the door. She was wearing a cheongsam, but she had improved it herself. The sleeves were not too wide, and her waist was relatively small. She is tall and tall, and she grew up in the north, and she is used to wearing flag clothes, so when she came walking with an embroidered handkerchief in her hand, she could not be seen as a Han Chinese at all. "Second wife!" Hu Xueyan hurriedly stood up to greet her. "Please sit down, please sit down!" Lian Zhu waved her hands and said, "Mr. Hu Da, thank you for the gift, it was too expensive." "Small meaning, small meaning." Hu Xueyan said, "On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Second Wife, you have to come early." "Mr. Hu Da, you don't need to take care of me. I interrupted the wedding at the house for more than one meal. The fourth sister invited me to accompany the guests. One after the other, I disturbed you for at least three meals." It turns out that Hangzhou is the ancient capital of the Southern Song Dynasty. There are many red tapes for weddings and funerals. Rich families hold wedding events and invite relatives and friends to serve as deacons.Lianzhu is a "guest" specially invited by Mrs. Luoshi to accompany the officials and family members. "Xueyan!" Dexin asked, "Is everything going as usual for the happy event?" Before Hu Xueyan could answer, Lianzhu spoke first, "Naturally, as usual." She said, "Is there even a need to ask?" "Look!" Dexin was robbed by her concubine, she couldn't hold back, pointing to Lianzhu, and said to Hu Xueyan mockingly, "The stricter the control, you won't even be able to say more." "I'm afraid no one cares about it." Hu Xueyan replied, "It's a good thing someone cares about it." "I'm just meddling in my own business, not just meddling in yours." Lian Zhu then said, "Why don't we ignore Mr. Hu Da's business? I have something to remind you. When the good day comes, I have an appointment with Liu Futai. Go congratulate!" This was exactly what Hu Xueyan wanted to say, but he was concerned about it in his heart, so he paid special attention to Dexin's reaction, and only heard him answer: "Of course we must take him away." "Mr. Hu Da, I just want to show you the cheongsam. You gave me the serge material. I made it like this and wore it. Do you think it looks good?" It seems a bit too much for the kindness of the family to reach such a level, so Hu Xueyan had no choice but to reply: "You just agree." "Okay, okay, it's a bit too plain. Mr. Hu Da, I still have to ask you, if you have any western lace, please bring me some from Shanghai next time." "Yes! Yes!" Hu Xueyan replied repeatedly, "There is no need to do it next time. I will ask someone to deliver it tomorrow." He then added, "Western lace comes in all sizes and styles. I will send more. Come, let the second wife choose by herself." "That would be even better." "Don't keep standing." Dexin moved a stool by herself, "you can eat with us too." So Lian Zhu sat down, served drinks and dishes for the host and guest, and listened quietly to their conversation. "Xueyan, I heard that the people you use are not completely reliable. You always know it, right?" "After this turmoil, I have to rectify it." Hu Xueyan replied, "Xiao Weng said that Zhou Shaotang is worthy of reuse, and I must reuse it." "Use it after seeing the person." Lianzhu couldn't help interjecting, "Don't just look at other people's face, if the person uses it badly, the one who suffers is yourself." "Yes, yes! The second wife has good words." Hu Xueyan was deeply moved, "This time the trend is also the reason why I don't listen to the words of one or two friends." "Actually, you don't have to listen to outsiders, just listen to Fourth Sister Luo." "She doesn't know much about the situation outside. This is much worse than your second wife." Hearing these words, Lianzhu felt a sense of confidant, "Mr. Hu Da, you understand. It's no different from our master who always says, 'Don't worry about it' when it comes to outside affairs." , I also heard a little bit about your conversation with our master just now." At this point, she suddenly asked, "Mr. Hu Da, does Mr. Zuo know about the trends in Shanghai and Hangzhou?" "I'm afraid I don't know yet." "Why didn't you tell him?" "Tell him?" Hu Xueyan was a little dazed. For many years, he never told Zuo Zongtang about losing face, so he never thought about Zuo Zongtang at all when there was a trend in Fukang. "Why didn't you tell him?" Lianzhu said, "You can't hide it." "That's right." Dexin also said, "If Mr. Zuo is willing to come forward, it will be the Ministry of the Governor of Liangjiang!" This title is supreme in the southeast half of the wall, but it is hard to say what effect it will have.Unexpectedly, Lianzhu had deep thoughts, "Mr. Hu Da is very confused, I'm afraid I don't know what to say to Mr. Zuo." She immediately made a suggestion, "Maybe I invite Master Yang to draw up a draft? " Master Yang is from Suzhou, he is very young, but he is very good at writing, and he can speak kind words and be considerate of others. Lianzhu admires him very much. Dexin only needs Lianzhu to say yes, so she also looks at Master Yang differently. At this time, he asked Hu Xueyan: "What do you mean?" "Good! But I'm afraid it's too slow." "How can it be delayed? Send a telegram and it will arrive early tomorrow morning." "My code book is not here." "Use ours." Lianzhu said. "That's right!" Dexin said, "Please ask Master Yang to draft the manuscript, and then ask him to turn over the password. My concubine can also help." "Here, why bother the second wife so much?" "What are you afraid of? What is the friendship between our two families?" Hu Xueyan could only be grateful for such kindness. During the time he invited Master Yang, he walked away from his seat and thought about what he was about to say. "Master Yang, please make a manuscript. I would like to say a few points: first, in order to maintain people's hearts, Mr. Zuo, please send a telegram to Shanghai Road, and try your best to maintain Fukang; second, please do not withdraw deposits for the time being. Thirdly, Zhejiang Liufutai and Defantai are very helpful, please send a telegram from Mr. Zuo, please be polite." "You don't need to be polite." Dexin said, "You have to put a lot of trust in Liu Futai." "Yes! Yes!" Master Yang asked with a bow, "Anything else?" "I think about it, I'll tell you later." Lianzhu interjected, "Master Yang, please come outside to write and be quiet." Lianzhu enthusiastically led Master Yang to the outer room, and gave some instructions quietly.He wrote very quickly, and in less than half an hour, he sent the manuscript up. In addition to the three statements that Hu Xueyan requested, he added a paragraph at the front, saying how Dexin helped and was able to tide over the difficulties temporarily, which is really impressive. I am grateful, and at the same time, I also talked about Dexin's political achievements in Zhejiang.There is not much ink, but the wording is very powerful, which is of course the result of Lianzhu's quiet instructions. Hu Xueyan is clear in his heart, Dexin once revealed that he hopes to be promoted to a higher level, from a feudal secretary to a governor, to become a real high-ranking official, and the goal is Jiangxi. This requires the support of the governor of Liangjiang.It turns out that the so-called Liangjiang refers to the Ming Dynasty. Anhui is the upper river, and Jiangsu is the lower river. Can manage Shandong when necessary.In the future when the governor of Jiangxi is vacant, if Zuo Zongtang is willing to protect Dexin, he will have the power to say a word, so Hu Xueyan came forward in the telegram and praised Dexin for his help. His own future is "burning cold stoves". Of course, Hu Xueyan is willing to help this benefit without cost, and since the draft of the telegram is written by Master Yang, it means that Dexin has made a promise to keep it with all his strength, so why not do it? Therefore, after reading the manuscript, he kept saying: "Excellent, excellent! Master Yang's pen is really admired." "Where, where!" Master Yang handed over a brush, "If there is something wrong, please correct Mr. Hu Da. "I don't change a single word! It's all in my heart, why change it?" As he said, he took the brush and wrote the word "Snow" to express his agreement. Just as we were talking about this, I saw Ah Fu lift the curtain and enter the room, quietly walked to Dexin's side, handed over a file, and said softly, "I just arrived." "Oh!" Dexin opened the file, and there was only a piece of paper inside. Hu Xueyan looked from a distance and saw that it was a telegram, but the handwriting was not clear. "Where are my glasses?" Dexin said as she got up to look for them and walked to the partition wall, Master Yang followed. Hu Xueyan was a little restless, and a telegram came late at night. Is it news about Fukang?If it was Fukang's news, Dexin should tell him. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but stare inside. "Mr. Hu Da——" Lian Zhu said, "Don't worry, if there is something embarrassing, it is inconvenient for you to come forward, let Fourth Sister Luo come and tell me, and I will tell our master." "Yes, yes, thank you Second Wife." Lianzhu still had something to say, but Dexin had already come out, and she and Hu Xueyan were staring at him, hoping that he would announce that the late-night telegram was an accident.But Dexin didn't make a sound, sat down, raised her glass and drank slowly. “哪里来的电报？”莲珠问说。 “不相干的事。”只说了这句又没话了。 原来这个电报是宁波海关监督候补道瑞庆打来的，说他得到密报，上海阜康钱庄的档手宓本常潜回宁波来筹现银。阜康在宁波的联号，共有两家，一家叫通泉钱庄，一家叫通裕银号。但因宁波市面亦以越南战事的影响，颇为萧条，通泉、通裕都无从接济阜康。而且通泉的档手不知避匿何处，通裕银号的档手则自行请求封闭，因此，瑞庆即命鄞县知县查封通裕，请德馨转知通泉、通裕的东主，即速清理。 德馨对通泉、通裕的情况还不清楚，一时不知如何处置，因而就不便公开这通电报。直到胡雪岩告辞以后，才跟莲珠商量。首先问她，这个消息暂且瞒着胡雪岩，是不是做错了？ “当然错了！”莲珠问道，“你为什么当时不说？” “我一说，雪岩当时就会要我复电请老瑞维持，通泉启封，那两家庄号的情形，我一点都不知道，现在一启封，一定挤兑，撑不住出了事，还是要封，那又何苦？” “你把他看错了，他决不会这么冒昧，让你做为难的事。”莲珠又说，“你说那两家庄号的情形一点都不知道，可是人家原主知道啊！听他说了，看要不要紧，再想办法。你现在瞒着他不说，又不知道该怎么办，请问怎么回复人家？公事哪有这样子办的？”一顿排揎，将德馨说得哑口无言，“看起来我是没有做对。”他问，“如今该怎么弥补？” “只有我去一趟，去看罗四姐，就说你当时怕胡大先生心境不好，没有敢说，特为要我通知罗四姐，看是要怎么办才妥当。” “好！”德馨答说，“不过也不必今天晚上，明儿一大早好了。” “不！这跟救火一样，耽误不得。” “好吧！那就辛苦你了。” “辛苦小事，你得给我一个底，我才好跟人家去谈。”莲珠又说，“我的意思是你能给他担多少风险？” “这要看他们的情形，譬如说一二十万银子可以维持住的，我就打电报请宁波关代垫，归藩库归还。窟窿太大，可就为难了。” “那么，到底是十万呢？还是二十万？” “二十万吧！” 于是先遣阿福去通知，随后一乘小轿，悄悄将莲珠抬到元宝街。其时三更已过，胡雪岩在百狮楼上与螺蛳太太围炉低语，谈的却不是阜康，也不是丝茧，而是年轻时候的往事。 这是由扶乩谈起来的，“乌先生接了你回来，你到阜康，他回家，顺路经过一处乩坛，进去看了看，也替我们求了一求，看前途如何，哪晓得降坛的是一位大忠臣，叫什么史可法。乌先生知道这个人，说是当初清兵到扬州殉难的。”螺蛳太太问道，“老爷，你晓得不晓得这个人？” “听说过。”胡雪岩问，“史可法降坛以后怎么说？” “做了一首诗。喏，”螺蛳太太从梳妆台抽斗中取出一张黄纸，递给胡雪岩说，“你看。” 黄纸上写的是一首七绝：“江黑云寒闭水城，饥兵守堞夜频惊。此时自在茅檐下，风雨萧萧听柝声。”胡雪岩将这首诗吟哦数过，方始开口。 “乌先生看了这首诗，有没有给你破解？” “有的。乌先生说，这首诗一定是史可法守扬州的时候做的，情形是很危险，不过为人要学史可法，稳得住！管他兵荒马乱，自自在在睡在茅檐下，听风听雨，听城头上打更。” “他人是很稳，不过大明的江山没有稳住。我看这首诗不是这个意思。” “那么，老爷你说，是啥意思？” “那时候史可法手里有几十万人马，可惜史可法不是曾文正、左大人，兵多没有用，真正叫一筹莫展。早知如此，不如不要当元帅、带兵马，做个一品老百姓，肩上没有千斤重担，就困在茅檐下面，自自在在一颗心是安逸的。”胡雪岩声音凄凉地说，“罗四姐，如果当年你嫁了我，我没有同王抚台的那番遭遇，凭我们两个人同心协力，安安稳稳吃一口饱饭，哪里会有今天的苦恼。” 由此开始，细数往事，又兴奋、又悲伤，但不管兴奋悲伤都是一种安慰。正在谈得入神时忽然得报，说莲珠马上要来，不由得都愣住了。 莲珠此来，目的何在，虽不可知，但可断定的是，一定出于好意，而且一定有极紧要的事谈。因此，要考虑的是在什么地方接见，胡雪岩应该不应该在场。 在这时候，当然不容他们从容商议，螺蛳太太本想在那间专为接待贵客，装饰得金碧辉煌的“藏翠轩”接见，但时已隆冬，即令现搬几个大火盆过去，屋子也一时暖和不起来，所以稍想一想，当机立断地对胡雪岩说：“你先从后楼下去，等一下从前楼上来。” 胡雪岩点一点头，匆匆而去，螺蛳太太便亲自下楼接了莲珠上来，一大群丫头围绕着，捧凤凰似的将莲珠安置在靠近火盆的一张安乐椅上，手炉、脚炉、清茶、水果一一送到面前。螺蛳太太顾不得跟她说话，只是指挥着丫头招待客人，直待告一段落，丫头都退了出去，她才开口。 “有啥事情，打发人来通知我一声，我去看你就是。这么冷的天，万一冻出病来，叫我们心里怎么过意得去？” “你我不分彼此，与其请你来，多费一层周折，我也仍旧是耽误工夫，倒不如我亲自来一趟。”莲珠四面看了一下问，“胡大先生不在这里？” “去通知他了，马上就会来的。” “趁胡大先生不在这里，我先跟你说了吧！胡大先生在我们那里，不是来了电报？是宁波打来的，通泉、通裕都出毛病了！我们老爷怕他刚回杭州，心境不好，没有敢告诉他，特为让我来一趟，跟你来谈。” 螺蛳太太心里一跳，但不能不强自镇静，“多谢、多谢！”她还要再说下去时，只听楼梯上有脚步声，便停了下来。 “老爷来了！”有个丫头掀开门帘说。 “罗四姐！”莲珠问说，“要不要当着他的面谈？” “瞒也瞒不住的。” "it is good!" 其时胡雪岩已经衣冠整齐地一路拱手、一路走进来说道：“失迎、失迎！二太太这么晚还来，当然是为我的事，这份情分，真正不知道怎么说了！” “自己人不必说这些话。”莲珠说道，“刚刚宁波来的电报，没有拿给你看的缘故，我跟罗四姐说过了，她说不必瞒你，那就请你先看电报。” 宁波的情形，在胡雪岩真所谓变起不测，因为宓本常在那里，他维持不住上海的阜康，莫非连宁波的“两通”都会撑不起来？ 但也因此使他想到，这或许是宓本常的运用，亦未可知，虽不知他葫芦里卖的什么药，不过有一点是很明显的，宓本常本来就已有“拆烂污”的迹象，如果自己再出头去管宁波的事，越发会助长他“天塌下来有长人顶”的想法，因此，他觉得如今首要之着，是借重宁波官场的势力，逼一逼宓本常，让他把所有的力量拿出来。 于是他说：“不瞒二太太说，这回的事情，总怪我有眼无珠，用错了人。上海阜康的档手叫宓本常，他是宁波人，瞒着我私下同他的亲戚做南北货生意，听说有两条沙船在海里，叫法国兵船打沉了，亏空的是阜康的款子，数目虽然不大，而在目前银根极紧的当口，就显得有关系了。此刻他人在宁波，通泉、通裕的情形，是不是他弄出来的，我不敢说。不过，以他的手面，要维持通泉、通裕是办得到的。藩台肯替我垫二十万银子，实在感激不尽，不过，倒像头痛医头，脚痛医脚，说实话，徒然连累好朋友，并不是好办法，做事要做得干净、彻底，我胡某人最好面子，如今面子撕了一条缝，补起来容易，就怕这里弥补了，那面又裂开，所以我现在的想法是，先要保住没有裂开的地方。二太太，请你先替我谢谢藩台，同时请你把我的意思，同藩台说一说。” 听他长篇大套地在谈，莲珠不断点头，表示完全能领会他的意思，等他说完，随即答道：“胡大先生的做法是对的，我一定把你的话，同我们老爷说到，帮你的忙，要从大处去落墨。不过，宁波的事，你还没有说出一个办法来！” “是。”胡雪岩答说，“宓本常在宁波，找到宓本常，就可以责成他来维持。请藩台就照意思拟复电好了。” “如果宓本常不听呢？”莲珠问说，“是不是什么手段都可以用？” 这便是说，是否可以拘禁到讯？螺蛳太太对宓本常犹有好感，深恐他吃亏便即说道：“打狗看主人面，他虽做错了事，到底是我们的人。这一点——”她顿住了，不知道该怎么说。 “这一点，我们都很明白，不过，人家不知道，电报当中也很难说得清楚。”莲珠想了一下说，“是不是胡大先生请你的师爷拟个稿子，我带回去，请我们老爷照发？” 胡雪岩答应着，下楼而去。莲珠目送他走远了，执着螺蛳太太的手，欲言又止，脸上是万般无奈的神情，让螺蛳太太反过来不能不安慰她了。 “我晓得你替我们难过，不过，你请放心，不要紧的，船到桥头自会直。” “罗四姐，”莲珠叹口气说，“我同我们老爷，真是恨不得能凭空发一笔大财！” “你不要这样子说。”螺蛳太太极其感动地，也紧握着她的双手，“我同胡大先生最难过的，也就是连累藩台同你替我们担心。这份人情债，只怕要欠到来生了。” 听得这话，莲珠悚然动容，紧盯着她看了好一会，方始问道：“罗四姐，你到底有什么打算？” 螺蛳太太愕然，好一会才明白她的意思，“你倒说说看，”她反问一句，“应该怎么个打算？” “我不知道。我总觉得到了这个时候，总应该仔细想一想。罗四姐，”莲珠是极冷静的语气，“我们是自己人，旁观者清，我见到了不能不提醒你。” 这话就大有文章了，螺蛳太太急急问说：“是不是藩台有什么消息？” “不是他有什么消息，如果他有了什么消息，事情只怕就来不及了。” 螺蛳太太心一沉，怔怔地思索了好一会问说：“藩台是不是有什么话？” “话是没有。不过他着急是看得出来的。” 迂回吞吐，说了好一会，螺蛳太太方始明白莲珠的意思，是暗示她如果觉得有将财物寄顿他处的必要，她可以效劳。 莲珠一向言辞爽脆深刻，隐微难达之情，在她往往三五句话，便能直透深处。唯独这件事如此难于出口，其中的道理，在同样善体人情的螺蛳太太，不难明白，正因为交情厚了，才不易措词。 因为，要谈这件事，便有一个不忍出口的前提，就是阜康的风潮，会牵连到许多衙门来提公款，倘或无以应付，即可查封财产备抵，而犹不足，不可避免地就会抄家。 莲珠一面说，一面心里就有一种顾忌，是设想螺蛳太太听了她的话以后的想法：什么！已经看得我们胡家要抄家了？照此看来是黄鼠狼给鸡拜年，没有存着好心。 如果再谈到寄顿财物，似乎坐实了她没有存着好心，胡家抄家于她有什么好处？不就可以吞没了寄存的财物了吗？不但抄家，最好充军、杀头，才能永绝后患。 在这样的顾虑之下，稍微聪明些的人都知道，这不是谈这件事的时候。但像这种寄顿家财，以防籍没的事，时机最要紧，愈早部署愈好。莲珠必是想到了这一点，正见得是为好朋友深谋远虑的打算。 转念到此，螺蛳太太异常感动，“莲姐，不枉我们同烧过一炉香。真正是急难何以倚靠，比同胞还亲的姐妹。”她声音急促地说，“不过，莲姐，我现在只能作我自己的主，我有点首饰，初五那天还要戴，过了这场喜事，我理好了送到你那里来。” 这一说莲珠反倒推辞了，她主要的是要提醒螺蛳太太，应该有最坏的打算。如今看她显然已领会到了，那就不必亟亟。“罗四姐，你懂我的意思就好。”她说，“现在也还不到那步田地，不过人无远虑，必有近忧，但愿你们逢凶化吉，遇难成祥，我今天的这番心里的话，完全是多余的。” “莲姐，算命的都说我命中有'贵人'，你今天就是。但愿如你金口，等这场风潮过了，莲姐，我们到普陀去烧香，保佑藩台高升抚台，你老来得子，生个白胖儿子。” “不要说笑话了。”莲珠的脸一红，嗫嚅了好一会说，“不知道你们胡庆余堂，有没有好的调经种子丸？” “有，有！我明天叫人送来。” “不要、不要！”莲珠连连摇手，“传出去笑死人了。” “那么，改天我亲自带来。” 于是促膝低语谈了许多房帏间的心得，一直到胡雪岩重新上楼，方始结束。此时此地居然有这样的闲情逸致，且不说螺蛳太太，连莲珠亦觉得是件不可思议之事。 “稿子是拟好了，请二太太看看，有不妥当的地方，再改。” “唷！胡大先生我哪里看得懂。你说给我听听好了。” “大意是——” 大意是告诉宁波关监督瑞庆，说胡雪岩的态度光明磊落，通泉、通裕的倒闭，虽非始料所及，但一定会负责到底，而且以胡雪岩的实力，亦必能转危为安。但阜康受时潮的影响，事出无奈，为了维持市面，只可尽力协助，不宜逼迫过急，反生事端。接着提到宓本常在宁波，希望瑞庆即刻传他到案，责成他料理“两通”，但所用手段，宜以劝导为主。语气婉转周至，而且暗示瑞庆，若能费心尽力，料理妥当，德馨会面陈巡抚，今年的年终考绩，必有优异的“考语”。 “好！好！”莲珠满口答应，“我请我们老爷，马上发出去。” “是！多谢二太太。” “我要走了。”莲珠起身说道，“你们也早点休息，初五办喜事，一定要把精神打起来。”