Chapter 28 crisis looming

Seeing Gu Yingchun's face, Hu Xueyan was startled, the others were so thin that they lost shape. "Ying Chun, you, how did you make it like this?" "Ah!" Gu Yingchun sighed, "Uncle, my luck is too bad! It's my own carelessness." "What happened to you? Tell me quickly." "I'm going to go bankrupt." Gu Yingchun said, "I just listened to Xu Yuzhi's words—" This Xu Yuzhi is a wealthy businessman from Guangdong, and Hu Xueyan is also very familiar with him.This person's single name is "Run". He is very capable and lucky. He studied business in a foreign firm in Shanghai and was highly valued by foreigners. Since he was 22 years old, he has partnered with others to open a bank, a silk shop, and a tea shop. All make a big profit.In the second year of Tongzhi, he was twenty-six years old, and he had accumulated more than 100,000 yuan. He had donated Yuanwailang and Hualing to Jiangnan Liangtai, and he was like a famous gentleman in Shanghai.

Therefore, Tongzhi got a job for ten years.At that time, Zeng Guofan, Minister of Nanyang, Governor of Liangjiang, decided to select young children to study abroad.After researching in advance, it is advisable to choose these young children in Guangdong, because the vast majority of overseas Chinese in the United States are Cantonese, and the atmosphere in Guangdong is open, and fathers and brothers are not worried about young children who are far away from thousands of miles away. Younger children in the United States are often visited by elders with friendly accents, which can also comfort the pain of homesickness.

Since Xu Run was the leader of the "Guangdong Gang" businessmen in Shanghai, Zeng Guofan handed over the job to him.Xu Run planned very carefully, selected 120 young children with very good aptitude, and went overseas in four batches of 30 people each. The first batch boarded the ship at the beginning of July in the 11th year of Tongzhi, led by Yung Wing , most of them are from Guangdong, and among them, Xiangshan is the most, because Xu Run is from Xiangshan. Of course, there are also people from other provinces, but the number is very small, only five, two from Jiangsu, one from Shandong, one from Fujian, and one from Huizhou, but they were recruited from Guangdong.This twelve-year-old boy, born in the year of the Xinyou coup, was called Zhan Tianyou. His father was Zhan Zuoping, who worked as a machine builder in the Fujian Shipping Bureau, and his family lived in Guangzhou.When Zhan Tianyou applied for the job, someone persuaded Zhan Zuoping to let his son study law and return to China so that he could become an official, but Zhan Zuoping insisted that his son should learn skills, and learn the latest skills.

The second batch was sent abroad in May of the twelfth year of Tongzhi, led by Xu Run's in-law Huang Pingfu.This time, in addition to the 30 government-funded students selected, there were seven other Guangdong teenagers. Their parents prepared their own funds and asked Huang Pingfu to bring them to the United States. The third batch was dispatched in August of the thirteenth year of Tongzhi.This time is different from the previous ones. Except for two students who study skills and one who studies machinery, the rest all go to ordinary schools. They are only thirteen years old, such as Tang Shaoyi from Xiangshan, Guangdong, and Zhu Baokui from Changzhou, Jiangsu. The youngest must be at least ten years old.

In September of the first year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, the fourth group of exiles was added ten places, for a total of forty.At the same time, there are more young children from other provinces, but they still do not leave the three provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui. It was Zeng Guofan's idea to send young children abroad, but he was unable to see the first batch of young children sent abroad. He died in February of the 11th year of Tongzhi, and Li Hongzhang presided over this matter. The Beiyang Committee is the office of the China Merchants Group and works with Sheng Xuanhuai.

In the past seven or eight years, Xu Run's career has been booming. Of course, he is far behind Hu Xueyan, but he can still be regarded as a wealthy businessman in Shanghai's "barbarian market".Hu Xueyan had no business relationship with him except doing charitable deeds, while Gu Yingchun was originally from Guangdong and often got together when dealing with foreign businessmen, so he was very close to Xu Run and had many partnerships , one of which is to do real estate business. Xu Run has a lot of real estate, with a land area of ​​more than 2,900 mu. There are 51 foreign-style houses built, and more city houses, no less than 2,000. According to the book calculation, the value is more than 2.2 million, but the backlog The capital is too heavy, the vacant land has no income, and taxes have to be paid, and the city houses are only rented, and the number is limited.Therefore, he had an English friend named Gu Lin, who was a jazz in England. He was enthusiastic about sports, had a lot of friends, and knew business well. He suggested to Xu Run that they should cooperate with each other.

Gu Lin is also a friend of Gu Yingchun, so Xu Run invited him to discuss cooperation with Gu Lin, "We will organize a large company, invest funds, and build houses on open land." Gu Lin said, "Build a Batch, sell one batch, and use the proceeds to build the second batch. When the vacant land is used up, the old houses are refurbished and updated continuously. Foreign metropolises, especially the United States, are built in this way.” Xu Run also understands the trick of building a house again and again, "But," he asked, "it requires a lot of cash, can you invest it?"

"Of course, I didn't mean that, and I won't discuss cooperation with you. However, I also want to go back to China to raise shares. We discussed the cooperation method and uploaded the charter to the London market. I believe it will take less than three months. It will be able to raise enough equity.” "How much is the share capital?" "It depends on what you mean. You take your real estate as a price—of course, the real price, and I will raise as much equity as it is worth." Xu Run nodded and asked Gu Yingchun: "What do you think?" "His method is feasible and fair. However, I think we should have more shares in this regard."

Xu Run thought for a while, and proposed a very clear solution. The share capital of this Sino-British joint venture company is set at 4 million taels, with the Chinese side accounting for 55% and the British side accounting for 45%. Half of it is 1.8 million taels, and the cash is remitted from the UK. So, a lawyer was invited to write an article and sign a draft agreement, and Xu Run also gave Gu Lin 10,000 taels of silver to go back to China to raise shares.But Xu Run's real estate is only worth 1.5 million taels, and he has to buy another 700,000 taels of land to make up the 2.2 million taels, which is 55% of the total.

"Brother Ying Chun, good friends share the benefits, how about you come to invest in the 700,000 taels?" Gu Yingchun made some plans and was willing to pay 500,000 silver.This was at the end of last year. By February of this year, all the land had been purchased, but something happened to Gu Lin. It turned out that not long after Gu Lin returned to London, during a hunting party invited by the royal family, the horse stumbled, and he fell off the horse head first. His brain was seriously injured, and he invited two famous doctors for diagnosis and treatment. Epilepsy, the matter of cooperating to set up a large company, ended without a problem.

This time, Xu Run and Gu Yingchun were hit hard. Because of the Sino-French dispute in Vietnam, the French government did not hesitate to overthrow the settlement agreement and was ready to use force. Passed, appropriating five million francs as war expenses.As a result, there were many rumors in Shanghai, and the most popular one was that French warships were constantly patrolling outside Wusongkou and decided to attack the manufacturing bureau.The faint of heart have already begun to flee, and real estate is simply uninterested in this jittery situation. "My half a million silver, of which 350,000 was borrowed, is now extremely tight, and there are more than 30 money houses in Shanghai, and they are frightened. I am afraid that there will be another trend, and everyone will withdraw and run. The money I borrowed was urgent, really urgent! Every day, the guys from the bank came to ask for it, so I had to keep talking to them.” Gu Yingchun said again, “There is another layer, I’m afraid Ah Qi Knowing that you are anxious, you have to be careful to hide it from her all the time. Little grandpa, what do you think I am living?" After hearing his words, and seeing his haggard appearance, Hu Xueyan was heartbroken, "Yingchun, don't worry!" He patted his chest and said, "I'm here to replace you, it's all on me." Gu Yingchun hesitated but did not answer.Hu Xueyan was surprised, logically speaking, he should be happy now that someone has shouldered the burden for him, why did he have such a perplexed expression? "Ying Chun," he asked, "is there any difficulty? With our friendship, is there anything you can't say in front of me?" "Uncle," Gu Yingchun asked after a pause, "Could it be that you really don't know anything about the market in Shanghai?" "Why? There are good and bad in the market. This is also a common thing." Gu Yingchun was stunned, and it took a long time before he opened his mouth: "It seems that you really don't know. Let me tell the truth now, come to collect the debt, and the one who urges you the most is Lao Mi." As soon as this remark came out, Hu Xueyan's face burned hotly, just like the Shanghainese said "slap in the face", and he was so upset that he couldn't speak. It turns out that the "Old Mi" that Gu Yingchun spoke of was Mi Benchang, the backhand of his Fukang Bank. "My own people are pressing so hard for their debts! How unreasonable!" Hu Xueyan was very angry, but after thinking about it, even his own people's debts were being pressed so hard, which shows that Fukang's situation is also very embarrassing. In this flash of thought, I was sweating from shock, and said calmly, "Yingchun, you know that I have left all the matters concerning Fukang to Lao Mi in the past few years, and it is rare to ask. Money seems to be tighter than anyone else, so tell me, what's the situation?" "Uncle, you are from Jiangning, didn't you listen to Mr. Zuo talking about the market in Shanghai?" "What? Shanghai market, could it be—" "It's never been so bad. Uncle, do you know how much cash there is in Shanghai now?" "how many?" "This." Gu Yingchun stretched out a finger. "Ten million?" "one million." Hu Xueyan was taken aback, "Really?" he asked. "Just ask Lao Mi." Hu Xueyan was still a little bit unconvinced, "The market is so bad, someone should tell Mr. Zuo!" He said, "I am in Jiangning, and I talked to Mr. Zuo about Shanghai. He said that because of the French resurgence, the market of Shanghai was somewhat affected, but it doesn't matter. .” "Hmph!" Gu Yingchun sneered, "Which one is an official now who is not lying to others? He only knows how to be a magpie and refuses to be a crow." "Let's go!" Hu Xueyan said, "Let's go to Jixianli together." Fukang Bank is located in Jixianli in the British Concession, just across the road from Hu Xueyan's mansion, and he often walks there in a car.Just as she was about to leave the house, Mrs. Chen, the housekeeper, rushed out and asked, "Master, when will you be back?" "I don't know yet." "Just now, Mr. Mi sent his apprentice to inform. He said that he knew that the master has come, and he will come for dinner." Mrs. Chen said again, "It's rare to buy a very fresh shad tonight. Master, come back for dinner!" Hearing that Mi Ben would often come, Hu Xueyan hesitated, Gu Yingchun immediately said: "In this case, it's better to wait for Lao Mi to come, some things can be discussed at home, it's more convenient." When Hu Xueyan heard this, he took out his watch from the pocket of his gauze vest, and saw that it was already half past four, so he nodded and said, "Then ask someone to tell you, Mr. Mi, please come earlier." So I went back to the living room to talk in secret.What Hu Xueyan is most concerned about at this time is to repay the first installment of 500,000 taels of principal to HSBC.The "printing ticket" issued by the Shaanxi-Gansu governor's office is just for show. The source of repayment is the co-payment collected by the provincial government office. If the amount is not enough, he can pay for it. If not, it needs to be planned in advance. "Ying Chun," he asked, "the money from HSBC has to be paid at the end of the month. Do you know how much Shao Xiaocun has received?" "In the past ten days or so, I heard that half of the money has been received. These days, there is always money coming in. The difference is only a few hundred thousand, but now the cash in Shanghai is only one million," Gu said. Ying Chun took a breath and said, "I'm afraid this matter is also a trouble." Hu Xueyan's heart sank, "I can't hurt my reputation a little bit. Ying Chun," he said, "only half a month away. Do you have any good ideas?" "Not yet." Gu Yingchun replied, "Let's wait until Lao Mi comes." Mi usually didn't come until dark.According to him, as soon as he received the notice, he was going to come immediately, but it was time-consuming to dispatch and withdraw deposits for a few big customers, so he was delayed. Hu Xueyan knew that the so-called scheduling is nothing more than issuing a bank note first, asking the customer where to withdraw the money, and then notifying the cashing associate number.For example, if a customer wants to withdraw a deposit of 50,000 silver and says he wants to go to Jiangning to withdraw it, he will notify Fukang in Jiangning by the fastest method.If Jiangning's "positions" are insufficient, then check where there are redundant "positions"-Shanghai Fukang is the head office, and the deposits in and out of each joint account can be checked. After checking clearly, through the transfer of peers , to make up for the deficiency. But this is the recent situation. Earlier, it was said that the cash should be withdrawn and paid as required. Hu Xueyan asked where all the cash went? "It's all gone to the inland." Mi Ben often said, "The deposits have increased without relying on the joint account of the waterway wharf. But according to my calculations, only six to seven out of ten are transferred to other places, and three to four out of ten. It is placed at home. The cash will not be distributed to the market until the market is empty." "Oh," Hu Xueyan said after pondering for a while, "Three or four out of ten of the cash, we should find a way to get it back on the market as soon as possible. You can write me a list to see where the deposits have increased. gone." "As I said, as long as it's not a big wharf on the waterway, the deposits are more than before." "That's because I'm afraid that if China and France start a war, the French ships will arrive at the waterway pier." Hu Xueyan asked, "How is Beijing?" "I have added a lot, and they are all large sums." Mi Benchang said, "Wen Zhongtang's 300,000 yuan has been withdrawn. However, Beijing has deposited 460,000 yuan." Wen Zhongtang was Wen Yu, Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment who was promoted to co-organizer the year before last, and raised 300,000 yuan and deposited 460,000 yuan, expressing his full confidence in Fukang, and Hu Xueyan was naturally deeply comforted. "No wonder everyone wants to be an official." Hu Xueyan said, "It was only three or four years since he was transferred to Beijing, but he has accumulated another 160,000 silver." "No!" Mi Ben often said, "One hundred thousand taels of it belonged to his family." "I don't care about him, it's always his background." Hu Xueyan asked again, "There are dozens of banks in Shanghai with only one million in cash. How do you deal with it?" "It's all about working together and playing tricks on the exchange." "Oh," said Hu Xueyan, since he was informed by Zuo Zongtang, he wanted to set up the Western Grain Collection Platform, and at the same time, he started a lot of businesses, and his interest in doing business was concentrated on silk, and almost completely handed over the management of the bank to Mi Ben Chang presides, the system of the bank has changed, and it is also very isolated. "Huihua" can "play tricks", but he doesn't quite understand it.In the past, he didn't have to ask for a deep understanding, but now that there is a crisis, he has to ask clearly. "To put it bluntly, in a word, it's like friends who often play cards together. No matter how big the bet is, it's just the chips. Today I lose and he wins, and tomorrow you win and he loses. It sounds very lively. It's nothing more than counting the chips and making a note. The account will be settled once the settlement is reached. However, this can only be done by friends who are often together. An outsider comes in and wins a vote. If you want to take the cash and leave, this trick can no longer be played. So— —” Therefore, the bank in Shanghai, led by Fukang, contacted a dozen "big peers" and established a "remittance and transfer association". Bills instead of cash settlement. Exchange of bills cannot be done in private, and must be sent to the General Assembly.All bank notes that are remitted to the bank and expired will be sent to the general association first, sorted out by category, and sent to the banks to "accord the notes".If it is correct, the bank will take the bank note and issue another receipt called "public order", which stipulates that five hundred taels will be used as the base. Count again. These "official orders" were all gathered at the general meeting at about three or four o'clock in the afternoon. After a calculation, one could immediately figure out which company should receive and pay. Ten thousand, the bank notes issued by this account are only 840,000, and there are more than 160,000 positions. There is as much as there is, and the General Assembly will issue a "drawing note" to Fukang to collect the cash first from the bank that owes the position.The time limit is before two o'clock in the afternoon of the next day. So, what about banks that are short of positions?It doesn't matter, you can go to the guild the next morning and borrow from colleagues with large positions. The interest is calculated on a daily basis, which is called "bank loan". This kind of interbank loan for a day or two does not need to print a receipt, and the guild will record a sum Account is fine. As for the calculation of interest, there are two types. The borrowing without a receipt is called "live lending". The interest rate depends on the degree of money.Another kind of long-term interbank lending is called "delayed lending". It needs to issue notes and negotiate interest. During this period, it will not be affected by the "silver lending" listed every day. "This method of playing 'official bills' is like gambling with money to distribute chips. The difference is that, first, only the head of the casino can manage the chips. As long as the official bills are transferred to banks, everyone can open them; , The casino chips cannot be used outside. The official order can be turned into a bank note of the original number, which can be used everywhere. To be honest, it is nothing more than out of thin air. Tens of millions of silver are born out of thin air, so the current silver is only one million. The big business is still going on. This is a trick of remittance.” Next, we will talk about the situation of silk cocoons.The silk cocoon industry went to the countryside to collect value, relying mostly on lending money from the bank. Hu Xueyan became the leader of the silk industry because he had a bank in his hands. In the past two years, because of boycotting new silk reeling factories, he has collected more cocoons and silk.Although Mi Benchang was not Hu Xueyan's assistant in managing the silk industry, he could see how much stock there was from the general ledger of the deposits and withdrawals of each joint account. "Mr. Big," Mi Benchang said with a serious expression, "Now there are always six or seven thousand packages of silk in stock, and there are even more cocoons. I don't think there is a need for so many stocks in stock." "You mean it's too heavy to eat?" "That's right." Mi Benchang said, "A rough estimate is that there are almost three million silver coins lying there. It's not because of this, I am too embarrassed to ask for Mr. Gu's one hundred thousand silver." "Uh!" Hu Xueyan immediately interjected, "The hundred thousand silver is transferred to my name." Then he turned to Gu Yingchun and said, "Also, think of a way. Fortunately, you have land there, but the cash is short-lived. It just doesn't turn around." Gu Yingchun was full of worries and was swept away, but although he was not worried, he was also worried about Hu Xueyan, "Uncle," he said, "now the three silk reeling factories are out of stock, why don't you let thousands of packs of cocoons go out, The new type of machine can make silk very quickly, and once it is made, there is no need to worry about no overseas buyers, so won’t it be quick when it comes?” "Mr. Gu's words are right." Mi Benchang also said, "This year's 'Yangzhuang' is not moving much, because foreigners are waiting for the silk made by machines. In good conscience, silk made by machines is better than pedals." I don’t know how much better the silk made by the hand-cranking method is.” "I know that too." Hu Xueyan said in a low voice, "However, one must always stick to one's purpose, and even more so, one must stick to one's word. As I promised, new-style silk reeling factories are not allowed to rob rural silkworms for silk production. I can't sell cocoons to other people's rice bowls. Now I hold my hand tighter. Once these three machine silk reeling factories are down, foreigners will have no idea, and they will naturally buy my silk. At that time, the price will be determined by me. opened." Gu Yingchun and Mi Benchang both thought that he was playing wishful thinking.However, Gu Yingchun is a good friend, and Mi Ben is often a buddy, so only Gu Yingchun can persuade him. "Uncle, if the three new silk reeling factories close down, foreign merchants will have to buy silk made by our native method, but will the three factories not go bankrupt?" "What's the difference between not falling and not having goods, and falling?" "There's another layer. Uncle, you have to think about it. Although the cocoons are dried, they still won't last long. Once they turn yellow, they won't be able to sell." "That's a good statement. However, if you say that there is less than one million silver in Shanghai, I will let the cocoons go out, and there will be no silver." "It's enough if you have British pounds and Citi tickets." Mi Benchang said quickly, "For example, if you want to pay back 500,000 to HSBC, if Mr. Da has foreign money for selling cocoons in HSBC, you can convert it to him. If you take in half a million cash, won't the turnover be quicker?" Hu Xueyan pondered for a while and said: "In order to maintain my credit, I have to throw cocoons. I can say that loudly. I will go to Shao Xiaocun tomorrow to see if the five hundred thousand taels of silver have been collected or not. ? If the amount of silver is not enough, I decided to make up for it by selling cocoons according to your method. Otherwise, I have another idea." "Uncle, what's your idea?" Hu Xueyan smiled, "The secret must not be leaked." He said, "It was a brutal move." After the meal, Mi Benchang said goodbye, but Gu Yingchun stayed, because Hu Xueyan had just arrived in Shanghai and hadn't shown up yet, and when the news spread the next day, he would be too busy with the entertainment, and there would be no time for detailed discussions . Of course, Hu Xueyan also wanted to talk to him about the current situation, and the first one who was concerned was Grandma Qigu, "How is it?" he asked, "Is Qijie feeling better?" "It's much better." Gu Yingchun's expression changed, he looked very angry, "The right side of his body was completely paralyzed, but now he feels a little bit conscious." "That's good! Maybe it will be restored!" This statement made Gu Yingchun very uneasy, so he had to tell the truth, "Uncle, I have a lump in my heart. I heard news within a few days after Ruixiang entered the door. Gu Lin was outside the Queen's palace. I fell down and broke my brain." He hesitated and said, "I'm afraid she doesn't quite match me." "Hey!" Hu Xueyan was very disapproving, "You Manyang faction, how can you believe this. Otherwise, you take the horoscopes of the two of you and ask Wu Tiekou to read them together." Mentioning Wu Tiekou makes people laugh. At the time when Fourth Sister Luo went to combine horoscopes, it turned out that Grandma Qigu had strung a double reed with him.Hu Xueyan also knew the mystery of it, and actually believed that Wu Tiekou was the real Tiekou, wasn't he just deceiving himself? "What are you laughing at?" Hu Xueyan said, "You think I'm ridiculous? To be honest, if the false is true, if the 'true' is true, then it is an out-and-out iron mouth." Hearing his tongue twister, Gu Yingchun couldn't help laughing: "Okay, okay! I listened to my uncle and asked Wu Tiekou to match her horoscope, but," he said, "I don't know her horoscope. .” "I'll ask her." "Slowly, we have to wait for Ah Qi to express himself." "Of course." Hu Xueyan said, "I'll go see Seventh Sister tomorrow, and you'll have good news that day." "What?" Gu Yingchun asked, "Young uncle intends to tell her clearly in person?" "Face-to-face is face-to-face, not explicit. You will know tomorrow." "Recovery is impossible, I just hope she can get up." Gu Yingchun said again, "Speaking of this, I really want to thank Ruixiang." "By the way!" Hu Xueyan talked about his second concern, "How does Seventh Sister treat Ruixiang?" "That's nothing to say, treat her like her own sister. Of course, half of this is for Fourth Sister Luo's face." "According to this, it should be according to her tricks, step by step to get closer, did Seventh Sister express to you?" "Yes. But I didn't answer." "Huh!" Hu Xueyan was very surprised, "Why?" "Grandpa, look at me, I'm in such a state of distress now, I don't have any intention of trying to be petty." "That's the truth." Hu Xueyan asked, "There's no need to mention Fukang's 100,000 yuan. How much more position do you have?" Gu Yingchun thought for a while and replied: "There is still a shortfall of 120,000 to 30,000." "The difference is cash, it's good if you can cash it out." Hu Xueyan said, "I'll lend you another five hundred bales of silk. You have a lot of friends in the foreign company, so you can always sell it." It was exactly this idea that Gu Yingchun came up with, he hesitated for a long time, it was difficult to speak out, he didn't want Hu Xueyan to say it by himself, the gratitude and joy in his heart was indescribable. "Uncle, you are really what Hangzhou people say, you are my 'Salvation King Bodhisattva.'" He said, "I will give you all the Dao Deed—" "No, no, why do we brothers care about this? But Ying Chun, you can't ask too low, otherwise, there is a handicap, and I won't be able to raise it higher in the future." "Yes." Gu Yingchun thought for a while and said, "Well, young uncle, you can simply lend me another two hundred packages, and seven hundred packages of silk as a mortgage of 140,000 silver, it will definitely be fine, then everything will be settled .” "Okay! Just betting on not selling is not considered to be pushing down the market. It must be so." Hu Xueyan said immediately, "Are you thinking about Ruixiang now?" On this point, Gu Yingchun still couldn't answer straightforwardly, and when he pondered before answering, Hu Xueyan had to ask. "The old lady is very concerned about this matter. Not to mention Fourth Sister Luo, Ying Chun, you must know that not only you, she also has an explanation to Ruixiang." Early the next morning, Hu Xueyan arrived at Gu's house.Grandma Qigu already knew that Hu Xueyan was coming, she asked Ruixiang to comb her hair and make up for her, and she also took care of preparing dishes for Hu Xueyan to eat, she was very excited. As soon as Hu Xueyan came, of course, please go to the front of the sick bed, "Seventh sister," he said happily, "it seems that the spirit is much better." "Yes, thanks to Fourth Sister." "Why?" "It's not that the fourth sister sent Ruixiang to help me, I won't get better, look, grandpa!" Qigu's grandma raised her right hand a few inches, "Now the hand can move, it's all Ruixiang, how much massage can I give in a day? all over." "Oh!" Hu Xueyan looked at Ruixiang, wanted to speak, but stopped, as if he had something to say. Although Grandma Qigu was ill, she was still sane, and her ability to perceive words and colors was not bad at all. Starting from the old lady Hu, she asked all Hu Xueyan's family members. It wasn't until Ruixiang left that she asked, "Uncle, when you mentioned Ruixiang just now, you seemed to have something to say." "Yes. I have something to say. I really don't want to say it, but I have to say it." "Then, Uncle, our two families are one family, what do you think!" "Fourth Sister Luo asked me to bring this sentence." Hu Xueyan said, "Ruixiang is from a good family, and his brother is doing well in business now, so he wants to redeem his sister back." "Redeem?" Grandma Qigu's expression changed, "Didn't you sell it to the Hu family for a hundred taels of silver?" "No. Fourth Sister Luo couldn't figure it out, and I couldn't remember it. I picked up the old deed and looked at it, only to realize that it was a hundred taels of silver that was originally pledged, and it was stipulated to redeem it in eight years. This year happens to be the eighth year." "Then, what does Fourth Sister mean?" "Of course the fourth sister is not willing, especially when she hears that she is doing well with you, she is even more unwilling." "Fourth sister treats me well." Grandma Qigu looked at Hu Xueyan with eager eyes and said, "She knows that I can't live without Ruixiang, so she should think of a way for me." "I don't think there is a way. However, when her brother utters a word, the fourth sister can't continue." "Oh, what's a word?" "Her brother said that he should think about her sister's life. He meant to redeem Ruixiang and find a husband's family for her." "real?" Seeing Grandma Qigu's unbelieving tone, Hu Xueyan just said something clever, "How do you know if he is true or not? But," he said again, "The male college should marry, and the female college should marry, even if he is lying, I can't refute him. Three people can't lift a word of reason. Seventh sister, what do you think?" "According to me," Grandma Qigu sneered slightly, "Uncle, with so many people under your command, can't you send someone capable to inquire about his brother's situation? Is it really for Ruixiang's sake, or is it good to be polite? , take his sister back to redeem, do you have another idea?" "What's your idea?" "Know people, know faces, but don't know the heart. According to Ruixiang's talent, there are many good ideas for her." Hu Xueyan kept silent, this was deliberately making a posture of bending the horse and bending the bow, so as to force Grandma Qigu to go deeper into the conversation. Grandma Qigu was worried at this moment, she was worried about Ruixiang, after thinking for a while, Fang said again: "Uncle, you and Fourth Sister must not let Ruixiang's brother redeem her. commit a sin." "A crime?" Hu Xueyan pretended to be surprised, "How could you commit a crime?" "If Ruixiang fell into the fire pit, wouldn't it be a crime?" "Seventh Sister," Hu Xueyan asked anxiously, "You mean, her brother will sell her to the hall?" "maybe." Hu Xueyan thought for a while and said: "No. First, Ruixiang refuses, and second, her brother doesn't dare either. For example, if I, a girl from Hu's family, will fall into the hall, he is not afraid that I will take care of him." The crime of prostitution?" "At that time, it will be too late. Uncle, since you think about your face, why don't you think of a way earlier?" "Yes!" Hu Xueyan said quickly, "Sister, you can think of a way for me." "There are many ways. First, discuss with his brother, pay him more money, and make a new contract of sale—" "No, no! This is useless." Hu Xueyan said, "If it was useful, Fourth Sister Luo would have done it long ago. Didn't I say that the business is doing pretty well, and redeeming Ruixiang is not an idea for money." "Okay! Even if he didn't intend to make money, he is sincerely for Ruixiang's life, but what kind of family did he choose for his sister? I have to take a look at the husband's family, and ask Ruixiang if he is willing." .If it's a low-spirited family, and Ruixiang is unwilling, then there is every reason not to let him redeem it, uncle." "This--" Hu Xueyan was inconvenient to refute her being too arbitrary, and said in a hurry, "I think there is only one way. He is good for Ruixiang, and we are also for Ruixiang's good. Find someone for Ruixiang. As long as Ruixiang is willing, his brother There is nothing to say." Grandma Qigu thought for a while and said, "Uncle, I would like to invite Fourth Sister to come and persuade Ruixiang." "Persuading what?" Hu Xueyan replied, "Could it be that I can't persuade her?" "I'm afraid that my uncle's speech will not be tactful. Ruixiang is afraid of you, so she agrees to it, which is also very reluctant. This kind of thing is meaningless if you force it." "What do you want Ruixiang to agree to? And you have to be willing? Seventh sister, why don't you tell me the truth, you know, the girls in our family are not afraid of me, but they are still afraid of fourth sister." "In that case, let me tell the truth! Uncle, the second day I came here in Ruixiang, I had a second thought in my mind. I always wanted to find someone for Ying Chun, so that he would like him and I would like him too. For a person like Ruixiang who couldn't even find a lantern, the fourth sister sent it for me. I was so happy. I wanted to wait for you, or the fourth sister, to come and beg you in person. There are so many twists and turns, it really takes a long time for good things to happen.” "Seventh Sister, tell the truth, and I will tell the truth." Hu Xueyan replied earnestly, "We also thought that you will recover if you have a good helper who can take care of everything. However, the relationship between your husband and wife, Everyone knows that this matter can only be initiated by you, and we will definitely not talk about it. Now that Seventh Sister has said so, Fourth Sister and I have nothing to disagree with. However, this matter requires three parties to be willing—— " "Which three aspects?" Grandma Qigu rushed to ask. "You, Yingchun, and Ruixiang." Hu Xueyan said immediately, "Ruixiang, let me persuade her. I think she will definitely agree." "Uncle, how do you know she will definitely agree?" "There are at least 20 or 30 female wives in our family, no matter if they are relatives or friends. When talking about the relationship, Rui Xiang always said: 'We must be counted as grandma Qigu'. From this sentence, we can know gone?" Hu Xueyan made up this set of words, which made Grandma Qigu smile and her eyes lit up, obviously very happy. "Seventh Sister," Hu Xueyan asked, "Now I want to remind you, you should ask Ying Chun if she is willing." "He wants to if he doesn't want to." Grandma Qigu said very confidently, "You don't have to worry about it, little grandpa." "Not necessarily." Hu Xueyan shook his head. "Last year when he went to celebrate his birthday, the old lady asked him, and he said that he never wanted to have a good family. Why bother to create so many disputes? It seems that he is not willing to be petty." Grandma Qigu let out a "huh" laugh, "Which man in the world doesn't like to please a child?" She said, "Uncle, do you really think I am Amulin?" "Amulin" is a new saying in the foreign market, I mean fool.Hu Xueyan heard her sarcasm, so he had no choice but to smile in embarrassment. "It's Ruixiang's house, how can my uncle settle it?" "I think—" Hu Xueyan said while thinking, "Only Ruixiang insisted and refused to go back. His brother has nothing to do." "That's right. Uncle, please go and test Ruixiang's tone. As long as she agrees, I will teach her a way to deal with his brother." So, Hu Xueyan happened to find a secluded place, and went to tell Ruixiang first. It was a set of lies made out of nothing, and as long as Ruixiang admitted that he had such a brother, the lie would be rounded up. As for being Gu Yingchun's concubine, Fourth Sister Luo has already made it clear to her, so there is no need to waste time. After dinner, Hu Xueyan and Gu Yingchun went out together, Grandma Qigu found Ruixiang, held her hand and asked quietly: "Your master told you?" Ruixiang thought for a while before she understood, she blushed immediately, turned her head and said, "I said it." "Well, what do you mean?" Ruixiang was in a dilemma. One was shyness, and the other was to save some identity for herself. The word "willing" couldn't be said, so she hesitated for a long time before thinking of a very subtle and clever sentence: "I'm afraid that my brother Get in the way." Grandma Qigu was overjoyed, "So, you are willing." She said, "Ruixiang, I have been your sister for a long time, and I will never treat you poorly in the future." "I know." Ruixiang's voice was almost inaudible. Grandma Qigu was really afraid that Ruixiang would feel wronged by being a concubine. After Hu Xueyan talked to her about the matter, she asked the little eldest sister to bring her jewelry box, picked out an emerald bracelet and a diamond ring and hid them under the pillow. ，此时便将头一侧说道：“我枕头下面有个纸包，你把它拿出来。” 枕下果然有个棉纸包，一打开来，宝光耀眼，瑞香自然知道是怎么回事了。当然，她要将首饰交到七姑奶奶手里，“来！”七姑奶奶说，“你把手伸过来。”瑞香不肯，七姑奶奶便用另一只不甚方便的手，挣扎着要来拉她的手，看那力不从心的模样，瑞香于心不忍，终于将手伸过去了。 帮七姑奶奶的忙，翠镯套上左腕，钻戒套入右手无名指，瑞香忍不住端详了一下，心头泛起一阵无可形容的兴奋。 “妹妹！现在真是一家人了——” “七姑奶奶，这个称呼不敢当。” “有啥不敢当，我本来就一直拿你当妹子看待。”七姑奶奶又说，“你对我的称呼也要改一改了。” “我，”瑞香窘笑道，“我还不知道怎么改呢？” “一时不改也不要紧。”七姑奶奶接下来说，“我们谈正经。将来你哥哥、嫂嫂来，我们当然也拿他们夫妇当亲戚看待。眼前，你有没有想一想，怎么样应付他？” “我还没有想过。”瑞香迟疑地说，“我想只有好好跟他商量。” “商量不通呢？” “那，我就不晓得怎么说了。” “我教你。”七姑奶奶问道，“你看过没有？” 瑞香脸一红，“我也不认识多少字。”她说，“哪里能够看书？” “听总听人说过？” “是的。”瑞香答说，“有一回听人说我们胡家的老太太，好比贾太君，我问我们大小姐贾太君是什么人，才知道出在上。” “那么贾宝玉你总也知道？” “贾宝玉、林黛玉、薛宝钗、王凤姐都听说过的。” “袭人呢？” “不是怡红院里的丫头？” “不错。袭人姓花，她的哥哥叫花自芳，也是要来赎他妹妹，袭人就说，当初是家里穷，把我卖到贾家，既然如此，何苦现在又要把我赎回去？我想，你也可以这样跟你哥哥说。如果他说，现在把你弄回去，是为你着想，你就问他当初又何以不为你着想！看他有什么话说？” “嗯，嗯！”瑞香答应着，“我就这样子同他说。” “当然。我们还要送聘金——” “这一层，”瑞香抢着说，“奶奶同我们老爷谈好了。” 无意中改了口，名分就算从此而定了。