Chapter 27 Joined forces

A "Wuxi Express" rowed in shifts, and rushed to Nanxun day and night. Liu Bucai went ashore to hire a sedan chair and went straight to Pang's house. It was a coincidence, and it was a coincidence. It was a coincidence that Pang Er's old lady was celebrating her 60th birthday. Coincidentally, there were a lot of guests, and Liu Bucai's clean-up materials came in handy. After kowtowing at the birthday hall, Pang Er grabbed him and said, "Brother Liu, you're very good at coming. I have a guest, so I want you to greet me." Needless to say, of course it was a gambler, Liu Bucai's heart and hands were itchy, but it was important to do business.

So Liu Bucai said calmly: "My old aunt's birthday, I should serve you. As long as I am needed, I will take care of you for ten days and eight days. However, I am specially sent by Xueyan. I have a letter, please Brother, take a look first." Pang Er opened the letter, looked at ten lines at a glance, hurriedly read it, and before finishing it, he replied repeatedly: "It's a small matter, a small matter, Zhu Funian is coming today, I will take care of him." This letter needs to be pondered carefully in order to be able to see its name. According to the situation in front of him, how can Pang Er have the time to think carefully?It seems that Gu Yingchun's careful conception has become "beautiful eyes for the blind".Although I abide by the commandment of "talking too much, you will lose", it is inconvenient to say more, but this unexpected situation should be reported to Gu Yingchun, so as to make preparations.

He was about to stop, so he put on a happy face: "Second brother is willing to help in this way, and my errand can be explained. Shanghai is still waiting for my reply. I will write a letter and ask the original ship to take it back. I will come to help you greet guests later. .” "Why do you go there yourself?" Pang Er said, "Where is the boat? After you write the letter, I'll send someone to deliver it for you." "No, no!" Liu Bucai replied, "I originally planned to go back on the original boat, but now I still have to stay for two days. I need to pack up the things on the boat, so I'd better go there by myself."

Hearing what he said, Pang Er had no choice but to let him send a servant and a sedan chair to take him to the pier.Liu Bucai packed his luggage on the boat first, told the servants of Pang's family to escort him away first, then wrote a letter in the cabin, instructing the boatman to rush back to Songjiang immediately and deliver it to You Wu. This day is the first day of the birthday, the day before is warming up the day, and the next day is making up for life, a total of three days.The congratulatory guests who came from afar hadn't finished their entertainment, and they had to gamble for a few more days, so Liu Bucai planned to return to Shanghai after five days.

In the past two days, he has made quite a few friends.During these two days, he really worked hard, according to the interests of the guests, he combined the game, each got what he wanted, and everyone was happy.Everyone praised Liu Bucai, and the master also had face, so Pang Er had a good impression of Liu Bucai.On the morning of the third day, before the game started, I specially came to the Xiaohua Hall where he was staying to say hello. After thanking him and saying some gossip, Pang Er mentioned Hu Xueyan, "Old Hu's courtesy is really thoughtful." He said, "Yesterday, I sent someone to give gifts specially for me. It's really gracious."

"It should." Liu Bucai was also very alert, and answered very beautifully, "If it wasn't for the ticket that made him burnt out, according to his friendship with you, second brother, he would definitely come here to kowtow for my aunt's birthday." This reminded Pang Er, and he frowned and said, "Old Hu is long-sleeved and good at dancing. I admire him the most. Why did he make it like this! And I don't understand how he broke with foreigners? According to Zhu Funian, his heart is too big. I'm in a hurry, let the foreigners see through his strength, and take the opportunity to 'trick', do you know if there is such a thing?"

"I don't know much about it. When he deals with foreigners, it's all dealt with by a man named Gu, so I'm very alienated in this regard." "You mean Gu Yingchun? I know this guy, he's extremely capable, and he has a good reputation with foreigners. With him, Lao Hu is like a tiger with wings, so it's even more confusing." The conversation was about to enter Hong Kong, Liu Bucai was secretly happy, but on the surface he still pretended, "Why don't you understand?" He asked. "It should be possible to do an excellent job. I don't understand why it is so embarrassing. I think, with the skills of Lao Hu and surnamed Gu, coupled with the strength of Lao Hu and me, I really don't believe it can't be done." Foreigners!"

"Yes!" Liu Bucai pretended to be reminded, blinked and frowned and said, "According to the rules, it shouldn't be like this. What's the reason, I'll ask him when I return to Shanghai." "Let's go together." Pang Er immediately invited, "I have to leave a long time ago. It's just for my mother's whole birthday, and I can't separate myself. There are also a few more polite friends who are leaving tomorrow. If you hurry, We can leave the day after tomorrow." There happened to be an imperial calendar on the desk, and Liu Bucai flipped through it casually, and saw the line the day after tomorrow, under a big "Yi", densely packed with small characters, it was obvious that it was an auspicious day for the zodiac.There is a saying in the imperial calendar, which is called "a stupid person looks at a long journey". What is suitable for a long journey is what is suitable. If it is a "breaking sun", there is only one short line with four characters: "Everything is not suitable".

"It's better to go out the day after tomorrow." He just encouraged, "After the day after tomorrow, you will have a good day every five days. I often run outside. It doesn't matter. You haven't gone out for a long time. It's time to pick a good day." "Then," Pang Er pondered for a while, and made a decision resolutely, "Definitely leave the day after tomorrow." So, Liu Bucai accompanied the guests, and Pang Er took care of the sundries for going out.The son of the wan is so proud of himself that he filled half the boat with presents. In addition to the local products of Nanxun, there are also two boxes of porcelain, which were made in Jingdezhen. Kind of gift to relatives and friends that people can't reach.

The weather at the end of May was stuffy and hot, and going out was a big chore, but Pang Er had a way to "stand at night" on the waterway, and moor the boat under the shade of dense willows during the day.There are two boats, one for the luggage and the servants, and the other for him and Liu Bucai's passenger boat. be free and easy. In addition to talking about Fengyue and gambling scriptures, it is inevitable to talk about Hu Xueyan.Although Pang Er is a rich man, he was born in a businessman's family, which is different from the dark, arrogant and arrogant "young master" of an official family.In addition, Liu Bucai was careful everywhere, and when it came to Hu Xueyan's embarrassment this time, he always made insinuations, mainly with amusing doubts and curiosity.Therefore, Pang Er had to take Gu Yingchun's letter, find it again, and read it again.

This look made him very uneasy.At that time, because the family was having a birthday party and there were so many congratulatory guests, they were too busy to think about it. After Zhu Funian arrived, he just gave a hasty explanation, saying that it would be done according to Hu Xueyan's wishes.This statement seems to be correct at first glance, but it is actually wrong. With my friendship with Hu Xueyan, how can I earn his ninety-five thousand bucks and sixteen thousand silver?Of course, it was bought at the original price of foreigners. "Oops! Oops!" He said with great regret, "Old Hu must have scolded me for not being enough friends! Brother Liu San, you have to explain for me." Then, he told Liu Bucai about his negligence. . "Second brother Pang, you are too worried, Lao Hu is definitely not that kind of person! It's too late to thank you for your help, how can you be overwhelmed?" "What kind of help is this? If you want to help, you should—" Pang Er suddenly stopped, with many questions in his heart.The reason is very clear, if you want to talk about "helping", you have to adopt the same attitude as Hu Xueyan and force foreigners to submit.In terms of mutual friendship, this should be done, and there was an agreement in the past, so it should be done this way. In the current situation, it is obvious that each goes his own way.Did Hu Xueyan retreat in the face of difficulties and cancel the agreement to deal with foreigners as one, or is there another reason?It has to be figured out.All the children of Wan Hakama have doubts and are eager to get answers immediately, so Pang Er ordered the boatman to drive all night and go all the way. When he arrived in Shanghai, he invited Liu Bucai to stay at the "Yipinxiang" inn, and then ordered his Pang Yi, his personal attendant, went to meet Zhu Funian. On the way, Liu Bucai had vaguely heard Pang Er talking about his confusion, thinking in his heart that seeing the above, there might be a harsh reprimand, since he was an outsider, caught in the middle, it was very inconvenient, so he said he would go first. Looking at Hu Xueyan, Pang Er didn't insist on staying, he just asked him to invite Hu Xueyan to come with him later, and everyone had a good talk. "This time, 'Zhu Bajie' will look better!" After listening to Liu Bucai's story, Gu Yingchun looked at Hu Xueyan excitedly and said, "Let's follow the plan!" Zhu Funian's details have already been found out. He originally wanted to "be a small guy", but thanks to the old lady Pang's birthday celebration, when he arrived in Nanxun, Pang Er first mentioned Hu Xueyan's letter. I have to ask the second young master for instructions."Now, as You Wu expected, it is understandable to become the boss to make money.Gu Yingchun also made arrangements for this situation. There was a silk merchant who was also from Nanxun. His business was small, but he was active. He knew Pang Er very well and was also a good friend with Gu Yingchun. The secret negotiation with Zhu Funian was revealed to Pang Er. This "secret negotiation" has been concluded, and the five thousand silver has been refunded.Gu Yingchun had "bad intentions" and sent him another receipt, holding the papers from Tongxing Bank in his hand as a handle.But Hu Xueyan was unwilling to do so. "No, no need! One is that Pang Er is very friendly, so he must have something to say to me; the other is that Zhu Funian knows how powerful he is, so why bother knocking on his job?" He said, "It's best for us to go on the right path." The so-called "right way" is to draw the friendship very close. At that time, it was decided to take advantage of Yiqing's second child to meet the wind for Pang Er.Originally wanted to see him immediately and invite him face to face, fearing that it would be inconvenient for him to be talking with Zhu Funian, so he decided to send out invitations first. "There is someone who wants to invite him to accompany you." Gu Yingchun said with a smile, with an air of malice. "You mean Zhu Funian?" Hu Xueyan said, "It should be logical. However, I don't think he will come." "Whether he comes or not, let's talk about it!" The invitation was sent to Yipinxiang, and he brought back a basket of things, including birthday bowls, local products, and a letter from Pang Er, expressing his gratitude and fulfilling the appointment on time. The time was set at "Youzheng", that is, at six o'clock in the evening, but Pang Er arrived at half past five.While happily telling the story, Hu Xueyan introduced You Wu and Gu Yingchun for him. Pang Er has admired Gu Yingchun for a long time, now seeing that he is a well-behaved and fashionable outsider, the more he likes him.As for You Wu, when I heard that he was the top of the Cao Gang, I felt a sense of mystery at first, so I was even more curious to see him simple and clumsy.The sons of Wan Hakama often like to make friends with people from all walks of life, and You Wu is honest and amiable, so they naturally hit it off at first sight.I feel that the invitation to visit Hu Xueyan today is very rewarding. "Where's Mr. Zhu from your place?" Hu Xueyan asked, "Why didn't you come with you?" As soon as Zhu Funian was mentioned, Pang Er's smile faded away, replaced by an expression of not only apology, but also anger. "Old Hu," he hesitated, "It's better for us to talk in private." He turned to Yiqing's second child, "Second Sister, do you have a quiet room for us to talk?" "Yes, please come here." Yiqing's second child took them to the small room where You Wu usually made wine. There was a ready-made cigarette tray on the mahogany kang bed. She lit the "Taigu Lantern" and asked, "Pang Er Shao, do you want to burn a sip?" Bai Xiang?" Pang Er likes to lie down on the cigarette tray, but he is not addicted. At this time, he has business to discuss, and he has no intention of burning cigarettes to play, so he shakes his head, expressing that he does not want to.Yiqing's second child also knew that what they were talking about was "private talk", so she quietly backed out and closed the door behind her. "Old Hu," Pang Er's voice was very strange, full of worry, "Look at my surname Zhu, how is he?" Hu Xueyan pondered for a moment and replied, "I'm not familiar with him." "Although you don't know him well, you have been in contact with him. Your eyes are like electric fire, and you can't hide anything from you. We are good friends, and to be honest, there are not many people I admire. You should know everything and say everything.” These words were too sincere, which made Hu Xueyan even more uneasy besides being moved. After carefully pondering his words, it seemed that he had great doubts about Zhu Funian.Could it be——"What kind of filth did Zhu remove from you?" He couldn't help asking. "I dare not say it now." Pang Er nodded, "I always thought he was loyal and capable. Now I know that's not the case." "how?" "The matter started from you. I was thinking, since I promised you, I asked you to have full authority to deal with foreigners, why did this happen. So when I arrived, I asked Zhu Funian to ask. The more I asked, the more wrong I was, I couldn't explain clearly at the moment, I just felt that he didn't seem to know my friendship with you, and didn't cooperate with you very much. "Old Hu," Pang Er asked with a strong tone, "Is that so?" Hu Xueyan refused to answer right away, and deliberately hesitated for a while before saying: "The matter has passed, there is no need to talk about it." "That's true! It can be seen that I have a good idea. Next, I will ask about my own business." Pang Er swallowed his saliva, and said with great difficulty: "There is no doubt between people, if you are suspicious together, there are problems everywhere——" "That's not entirely true." Hu Xueyan interjected. "I didn't wrong him, there was indeed something wrong with him." "Is there something wrong with the account?" "I haven't looked at the account yet, but after asking a few accounts, I have already found something that doesn't make sense. For example, on your side, I will take care of him in Nanxun: do as Boss Hu wants. Ask him today, he It is wrong to say that the price of goods has not been delivered yet.” "There's nothing wrong with this." Hu Xueyan had to defend Zhu Funian if he wanted to show his grace, "According to the rules of the transaction, we should be the ones to negotiate with him. Because of the goods, we have to make a deal first and figure out the exact amount before we can settle the bill." , so it was delayed." "Otherwise!" Pang Erda shook his head, "Xinyi Tongshang, it's not that he doesn't know the friendship between you and me. Since I said so, he should send the payment first, and it doesn't matter if the account is settled later. Now his approach, Offending a friend for me can be said to be offending a colleague, what do I want him to do?" Hearing Pang Er's tone, he was ready to replace Zhu Funian.This was Hu Xueyan's original intention, but now he thinks differently, Pang Er is a good friend, he imagined it for Pang Er, and he can't mix it with selfish intentions, so he also shook his head. "Second brother Pang, it doesn't make sense for you to be so angry just because of this matter—" "Of course, there are other things." Pang Er hurriedly said, "For example, there is a piece of land in Nicheng Bridge, and he also told me that he plans to buy it and build a market house for rent. It has been two months since I said this. I always thought he had already made a deal, but when I asked today, he said he was the first to get in. Asked who the buyer was, but he couldn’t tell. Hu, think about it, since you know he’s got in first, how come you don’t know his last name? Why don’t you Ask the buyer? So I'm going to check to see if he's playing tricks? In addition, there are many inconsistencies. I believed him before and ignored them. Now it sounds like there are problems everywhere. .This person must never be used again. Don't you think so?" Hu Xueyan didn't know much about his situation, so he refused to make light judgments. Before answering, he asked: "Who is the one on your side who 'grabs the boss'?" "It's him! I trust him like that, and he's sorry for me. This man is really devoid of conscience." Pang Er replied angrily. In fact, this is not surprising. The accounts of wealthy and powerful families are openly and secretly cheated, the boss falls, and the guests are full.It seems that Zhu Funian is also a ruthless person. According to Pang Er's attitude, maybe if he doesn't do it, if he doesn't stop, he will make a big mistake. So he solemnly warned: "Brother Pang, you must not move! You don't know what tricks he is playing now. If you are in the open and he is in the dark, your situation will be unfavorable. If you don't lose face, he will still do it." Don’t dare to blatantly make a big mistake. Once I hear that you intend to touch him, I will act first and tear you down. How do you deal with it?” Pang Er was taken aback by what he said, unable to answer for a long time. "Not to mention anything else, a general ledger is in his hands. Transactions, people owe others, and only he knows best. If there is something wrong with the account, it will be a month or two before you find out. It's all set up. What can you do?" "Old Hu, thank you for reminding me! There is nothing else to say now, you and I are friends, you can't help but do me a big favor." "Of course. As long as you can help, tell me, how can you help me?" "His problems can't be hidden from you. I won't ask him to walk. I just ask you to take over my account and check his problems carefully for me." "This matter, I dare not obey. I can't do it!" Pang Er was very frustrated: "I know, you treat people generously and don't want to offend them." "That's not the way to say it! Brother Pang, I have offended people because of you. I also admit it, but this method must be effective. Offending people is useless. It is useless. Why do it? Listen to me—" Hu Xueyan had three reasons. First, he was afraid of overthrowing others, so he forced Zhu Funian to cheat. Second, Pang's second-hand staff had a lot of people. Even if he wanted to replace Zhu Funian, he should choose a replacement from among the clerks. Xu Tu rectified, at this moment Wouldn't it be chilling to ask an irrelevant person to check the accounts, as if everyone is unreliable, walking on the same road with Zhu Funian, colluding with each other and cheating?Thirdly, Hu Xueyan really couldn't spare that much time to do this matter for him. "What's more, I don't know much about your situation. If I start rashly, I won't be able to finish it in a year and a half. Whether I have the time, let alone talk about it, I'm afraid that after a year and a half, I won't be able to find out the name. At that time, you were the owner, how did you explain to the buddy?" "It's nothing! I can conclude now that there must be something wrong with Zhu Funian." "The fault can be repaired—" "That's right!" Pang Er rushed to say, "As soon as you go, he sees a powerful person coming, and quickly finds a way to make up for his faults, won't you be doing me a big favor?" This can't refute him.Hu Xueyan thought for a while, and always felt that Pang Er's actions were not very appropriate. Even if Zhu Funian's faults were found out, and even according to Pang Er's wishful thinking, if he carried out the word Hu Xueyan, he would be able to tell Zhu Funian to stop his traces. Make up for the shortcomings, but will you still use him in the future?Thinking of this, he asked, "Second brother Pang, what is this Zhu's ability?" "There are skills." "If he is willing to change his ways and actually do things for you, do you still need him?" "If that's the case, of course it can be used. But—" He shook his head, feeling that it would be tasteless to continue. "I understand what you mean." Hu Xueyan paused and said, "The person is wrong, asking him to walk is the way of ordinary people. You, Brother Pang, either don't go out on the horse, and once you do, you have to let people know how powerful you are. I really admire you." There is a set." These two sentences are most suitable for a competitive and playful temper, so Pang Er's spirit is lifted and he smiles. "Old Hu, I can listen to these two sentences of yours. You can talk about it later, what should you do?" "Like Zhuge Liang's 'seven captures of Meng Huo', it is no surprise to 'burn the rattan armored soldiers', and it is not a surprise to burn him to obey, so that he can work hard for you wholeheartedly, which is considered a skill." "It's not bad at all, but," Pang Er said hesitantly, "I really don't have the ability." At this point, his eyes lit up suddenly, and he patted the back of his head, "I'm so confused! The ready-made Zhuge Liang is here Here. Old Hu," he paused for a moment, then said happily, "I will give you the shares, you are considered to be a partner with me, and you are also the boss, so you can take care of Zhu Funian if you take care of yourself." That's what Hu Xueyan planned, but he couldn't say it out loud, so it's rare that Pang Er had the same idea.That alone is worth doing for him. Hu Xueyan has an extraordinary strength. He can make important and correct decisions when the whim arises. It is not surprising that he can think quickly, and he can be fast and meticulous. This is the case at this moment.Because Pang Er made a proposal first, it was an excellent opportunity. He grasped the essence of the topic, and immediately had a good article handed in. "Brother Pang," he said solemnly, "business is business! Sharing bonuses and being courteous to each other is the friendship and loyalty of making friends, which cannot be generalized. I don't agree with the trick of eating dry stocks. If you think highly of me, If you are willing to let me take some shares, I will hand over the cash." "Okay!" Pang Er readily agreed, because this way, Hu Xueyan would contribute even more.He asked, "How many shares do you want?" "My strength is far worse than yours, and I can only come to 20%." "In a word! Let's make a new deal, you have 100,000, I have 400,000, and we have 500,000 silver. The market in Shanghai can be held in your hands." "That must be the case, Brother Pang," Hu Xueyan said with a little excitement, "My bank, you also have some shares. Let's get out together, share the blessings, and share the difficulties. Do you think so?" "Why not! Reciprocity is the best! And it's cheaper than foreigners. Wouldn't it be convenient for you to set up a semicolon in Shanghai and store our own money in our own bank?" This is Hu Xueyan's plan, and he has further plans, but it is inappropriate to reveal them at this moment, he just said "yes" repeatedly.Then it was agreed that Pang Er's shareholding was a reciprocal gift, and he also paid one hundred thousand yuan. As long as the two sides signed a partnership contract and settled an account, they didn't need to transfer cash. They talked with gusto, but waited impatiently outside. The wine had already been reboiled twice, and it would lose its taste if it was reboiled again. He coughed lightly. Only then did Pang Er wake up, and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I made them wait so long, let's go out!" When you sit down, the first thing is to call the game.Yiqing's second child personally held a rectangular mahogany tray, inside of which was a ticket for the pen and inkstone bureau. With the pen in hand, she asked Pang Er first. "I haven't been to Shanghai for a long time, and the market is not working well." He thought for a while and said, "Is it Baoqin's third son?" "Is it the third son of Baoqin from Yihong Courtyard?" Yiqing's second son asked. "By the way, Yihong Courtyard." "I won't do it for this festival." Yiqing's second child said, "I married a Taoist before the festival and went to be an official wife." So Pang Er thought of two more people, unfortunately, they were either conscientious, or they opened the pier, he couldn't help feeling disappointed, and said: "Just find it!" "You can be a matchmaker for Pang Er Shao." You Wu said this to Yiqing's second son, then turned to ask Pang Er, "What do you like?" "It's good to have a good temper." "Yes!" Yiqing's second child said happily, "I will recommend one for Pang Ershao, and I guarantee I will like it." She intends to take care of the little sister, no matter what is good or bad, and force it to him, so she only mentions her name, not her location.Liu Bucai didn't care, didn't ask too much, wrote a stack of game tickets, handed them over to the "Xiangbang" and sent them out. Not long after, Lianbu came in a beautiful woman, with an oval face, tall figure, long eyebrows, and high spirits, she was the kind of stunner who could make people dazzled at first sight.None of the people present had seen her before, but she recognized them all, greeted them all with a smile, and finally sat down behind Pang Er, without saying a word, first winked, and then said softly: "Second Young Master, I'm gone for a long time!" "So you are old friends!" Liu Bucai yelled, "Why didn't Brother Pang say it earlier? Fine wine, fine wine." "Look!" Pang Er said to Yi Yun's seventh son, "You made me drink as soon as you came. Where did we meet? Why can't I remember?" "In Yihong Courtyard. Second young master, you naturally can't remember. One is that the nobleman forgets too much, and the other is that I don't like me." Pang Er bared his teeth and said intentionally, "It's so sour!" "Second Brother Pang, don't pretend you don't know each other. This glass of wine must be punished!" Liu Bucai brought over a glass of wine.Pang Er handed it to Yiyun Lao Qi, meaning to ask her to replace the wine, Yiyun Lao Qi didn't show any embarrassment, and drank the glass of wine with his face raised. "Thank you!" Pang Er began to smile. So Yiyun Laoqi held the jug to toast, he held a good amount of alcohol, took a glass of each one, and finally drank half of the glass by himself, and toasted Pang Er with the remaining half, but asked softly: "Do you think it's dirty? " There are fat marks on the edge of the cup, Yu Ze is a beauty, what is dirty about it?Pang Er drank the wine with a smile, and everyone looked at each other and smiled, laughing that Pang Er fell into Yiyun's old seven's snare so easily. "Where do you live?" Pang Er asked quietly. "I'll tell you later." He still wanted to say something, but he heard the sound of the door curtain, and the rounds called by Hu Xueyan and Liu Bucai arrived one after another.For the sake of excitement, they shouted a lot. In a short while, Yingying and Yanyan gathered together.As for the boxing game of boxing guessing and the singing of opera, since Pang Er is the host and guest, they naturally entertain him, looking around and responding to each other, and they are very busy. The games called came and went, but Yiyun's seventh brother never moved. Auntie took in a stack of game tickets and stuffed them in quietly. it goes!" This action actually made Pang Er feel very sorry, "You don't care if you are out!" He said, "We'll turn around later. Do you live far away?" "Is it really going to turn over?" "Here, why am I lying to you?" Yiyun's seventh child smiled silently, but still sat still. "You go back first, get ready, and we'll go there." "Where do you want me to go back?" Yiyun Lao Qi pointed with his hand, "Here, the front wing is my room." "So you're here too!" Pang Er was surprised, "Why didn't you say it earlier?" "It's not too late to say now." Yiyun's seventh brother sat closer, put his hand on his shoulder, and said in a low voice, "Turn around, they are all in one place. For the sake of Fifth Young Master You, you are right here Sit for a while. Come back to my place for a midnight snack, okay?" This is a kind of hint, the "red lady" who has status is usually unwilling to make such an explicit expression, so Pang Er is quite happy. They lowered their eyebrows, and their expressions of deep conversation fell into the eyes of others, who could also guess that they had a secret agreement, so for the convenience of others, the host unexpectedly proposed to leave the table early, because he was afraid of being disturbed. Second, I have worked hard on the road and need to rest early. "Thank you for your concern!" Pang Er pointed to Yiyun's seventh child, "I promised to have a midnight snack at her place. Let's go and sit down together." Yiyun's seventh brother was afraid that the guest would turn him down, so he rushed to ask Yiqing's second child first: "Second sister, please speak for me, masters, please do me a favor." After everyone agreed, Yiyun's old Qifang hurried back to his room to prepare.When Pang Er arrived with the guests, he was already ready. Although it was a night snack, it was still rich. He also specially used a pair of "silver guys" and opened a small jar of ten-year-old "Zhuyeqing". Exquisite, which suits Pang Er's taste again, his face looks like gold is flying, quite proud of it. "Tomorrow the original team will be here, so I won't post any more." "Okay." Liu Bucai said, "The day after tomorrow I'll—" "No! Brother Liu! If you let me go for another two days, the day after tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, should still be mine, and it will still be here." There must be a rule for rich guests to join in the show, so Liu Bucai asked: "Tomorrow is the second brother Pang's return, but the day after tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, what kind of name is it?" "My friendship with Lao Hu can be put in the future—" According to Pang Er, tomorrow is when he sincerely makes new friends and specially invites You Wu and Gu Yingchun, the day after tomorrow is to reward Liu Bucai and take care of guests for him in Nanxun, and the day after tomorrow is to return Hu Xueyan's table.The flowers coaxing them to drink can be justified, and there is no reason not to join in the fun, so everyone agrees, and then arranges the order, and Liu, Gu, and You are the next three to be the hosts. Pang Er was in great spirits, and wanted to call a game, but everyone said that good friends and good nights are the best way to talk, so I only found Yiqing's second child, and after a while, they spent another hour before they broke up. .Of course, Pang Er will not return to Yipinxiang tonight. In the afternoon of the next day, Liu Bucai followed Hu Xueyan's command and went to accompany Pang Er.Hu Xueyan talked with Gu Yingchun and You Wu all afternoon at Yujisi Inn. After hearing what Pang Er had said to him yesterday, You and Gu were very excited.Being able to cooperate with Pang Er is very beneficial in terms of prestige and strength, especially the establishment of a bank in Shanghai, which has a large account of 500,000 silver for transactions. The development of this situation is no small matter thing. However, there are obstacles, "Zhu Funian has been working hard for many years, and he regards Pang Er's career as a taboo, so he is willing to hand it over to others?" Gu Yingchun was full of doubts. "Uncle," You Wu also said, "You have already boasted in front of Pang Er that you want to 'capture Meng Huo seven times', but I would like to ask, how do you capture it?" "There's no need for seven captures!" Hu Xueyan said, "Yesterday I figured out a way on the bed, and I'm going to play a tough move. Fifth brother, are you familiar with Tongxing's opponent?" "You mean Tongxing Bank?" You Wu replied, "The surname is Shao, from Zhenjiang. I don't know him well, but I can ask a friend to talk." "I have to say it myself, and I can't let a third party know. Can you ask someone to introduce you, so we can meet up?" "It's not difficult. When do you want to meet?" "The sooner the better." "It's fine tonight. Ying Chun," You Wu said, turning around, "you write a letter to Hua Peiqing for me." Gu Yingchun also knew Hua Peiqing, he was a scholar, he had contact with Liulichang in Beijing, he used to buy rare books and ancient books from his old home in the south of the Yangtze River, and he always took the Songjiang gang's tank boat to Beijing, so he had a good friendship with You Wu.Gu Yingchun met him through his relationship with You Wu. "We're entertaining Pang Er tonight. How about asking him to make an appointment tomorrow at noon?" "up to you." So Gu Yingchun wrote a letter to Hua Peiqing in the name of You Wu, and immediately sent a "outlet" to deliver it.It was marked on the letter: "Waiting for jade in the evening", and the reply letter was received before they went to Yiqingyuan for their appointment. Hua Peiqing was very enthusiastic, and said in his reply that he acted on it immediately after receiving the letter, found Tongxing's partner Shao Zhongfu, and explained the process.Shao Zhongfu also knew that there was such a colleague as Hu Xueyan, whom he admired for a long time and was willing to associate with.However, he has an "unavoidable appointment" at noon tomorrow, so Hua Peiqing has already made an appointment with him to have morning tea the next morning, with Hua Peiqing as the host.After the introduction, Hu Xueyan wanted to have a private conversation with Shao Zhongfu, "It's okay to make an appointment on your own." It's called "eat morning tea", but it's actually an appointment at a Yangbang restaurant.Yangzhou people are very particular about their meal in the morning. They first eat meat and dried shredded meat, and then order the toppings.There were four hosts and guests, Hu Xueyan was accompanied by You Wu, four bowls of noodles with different colors, two large plates of toppings, one plate of shrimp waist, and one plate of "saddle bridge". Hua Peiqing kept persuading the guests and was very attentive. Both of them are "outside people", and they pay attention to amiability and intimacy when doing business, unlike people in the officialdom who are reserved, so Hu Xueyan and Shao Zhongfu got to know each other very well when they first met.You Wu saw that Hua Peiqing was talkative and good-natured, and that this morning drink really needed to kill some time, so he winked at Hu Xueyan: "You have something to say with Mr. Shao, wouldn't it be convenient to borrow a place here to talk? " "Yes, yes! Feel free to both of you, Brother You and I haven't seen each other for a long time, so we have to talk about it." So one table was turned into two tables, and Hu Xueyan and Shao Zhongfu sat down in a secluded corner, drinking tea and talking in secret. During this snack time, Hu Xueyan had already understood Shao Zhongfu's temperament. He was not good at words but was a man with rough hearts. This kind of character was more practical, and he could tell the difference between good and bad, so he decided to get straight to the point. Tell the truth. "Brother Zhongfu," he asked, "Does Baohao have contacts with Pang's 'Hengji'?" "Yes." Shao Zhongfu replied, "We have been in contact for not a year." "Then I will ask for your help." Hu Xueyan said, "The second young master of the Pang family has already arrived in Shanghai. You have met before." "Not yet. We made an appointment to meet at noon today." Hu Xueyan knew in his heart that the so-called "promise that must be fulfilled" was to meet Pang Er.From this point of view, it is self-evident that he attaches great importance to Pang Er, but it seems better to plan his own actions. However, Hu Xueyan had an idea and changed his mind, "So, we will meet again at noon." He said, "I have a few words, we might as well talk about it tomorrow or the day after tomorrow." Shao Zhongfu has had a relationship with Hang Kee for many years, so the customers who have dealings with Hang Kee generally know about it, and they have never heard of Hu Xueyan being among them.However, judging from what he said at the moment, it seems that he is very familiar with Pang Er and has a close relationship with Hang Kee in business, isn't it puzzling? For both business concern and curiosity, how could Shao Zhongfu ignore it, "Brother Xueyan, we hit it off right away, so we can talk as much as we want!" He used the way of friendship, "Why wait until tomorrow or the day after tomorrow?" In Hu Xueyan's case, he bent his bow and bent his horse, intending to attract Shao Zhongfu's attention. Seeing his expression, he knew that he was in the game, so he might as well reveal it a little bit, so he quickly replied: "We hit it off, that's why I met Brother Zhongfu." Talking about the depths. Brother Pang is a good friend of mine. Recently, we have further talked about our partnership. Of course, Hang Kee is mainly based on him. Listen to what he said to your brother, and we will talk in detail. We are in the same industry, we have to talk Honesty, there is nothing difficult to talk about." These few words flickered and attracted more and more attention. Shao Zhongfu read his words word by word and understood a little. Since they are partners, Pang Er has money exchanges with the bank. Naturally, he should ask the banker. This is the meaning of Hu Xueyan's opinion and the last two sentences. Hang Kee is a big player in Tongxing and also a pillar. If this pillar is taken away, the consequences will be disastrous.虽然胡雪岩的话，靠得住靠不住，尚待求证，但宁可信其有，不可信其无，难得他有讲同业义气的善意表示，不正好拉近了交情？ “好极了！庞二少有你搭档，将来做出来的市面不得了，雪岩兄，”他急转直下地说，“我是久仰大才，也久仰阜康的信誉，大树底下好乘凉，想沾你老兄一点光，不晓得肯不肯照应照应我们？” “好说，好说，请吩咐！只要力量够得上，绝不推辞。” “我是想，同兴跟阜康做个联号，不晓是高攀得上，高攀不上？” 对这个提议，胡雪岩倒有些意外之感，暗暗佩服邵仲甫的手腕也不坏，做成联号，则恒记跟同兴的往来，也就等于跟阜康往来，他考虑了一下答道：“只怕阜康高攀不上。仲甫兄，我说句实话，现在丝生意是我自己管，钱庄都托了一个刘姓朋友，你老兄晓得的，东家未见得都了解，全盘情形，都在档手肚子里。彼此联手，我完全赞成，不过先要问一问我那个刘朋友，我写信叫他上来，大家一起谈好不好？” “是的。做事情是应该如此。” “就这样说了。”胡雪岩假意掏出表来看了一下，“我还有个约会，先走一步，中午再碰头。” 于是胡雪岩站起身来，向华佩卿道了谢，与尤五告辞出门，一起赶到怡情院，庞二刚穿好衣服，预备到一品香去会见约好了的人。 “二哥！”胡雪岩将他拉到一边，悄然问道，“你今天中午是不是约了同兴的邵仲甫见面？” “是啊！你怎么知道？” “我跟他刚见了面。”胡雪岩以郑重的神色，低声说道，“恒记跟同兴的往来，都由朱福年经手，我先要拿同兴方面稳住，以防万一。” “不错，不错！你的心思真细。”庞二说道，“谈得怎么样？” “没有深谈，因为恒记到底是你的事业，要你作主。我告诉他，要先听你怎么说，我才能跟他进一步谈。” 这两句话中，一方面表示尊重庞二，一方面也是为他自己表白，并无喧宾夺主的意思。同时也在暗示，需将双方的关系，公开向邵仲甫说明。措词相当巧妙，丝毫不着痕迹。庞二深为满意，不知不觉中便由胡雪岩牵着鼻子走了。 “好的。回头我们一起吃饭，我当面跟邵仲甫说。时候不早了，一起走吧。” 到了一品香，已有好些人在等，包括朱福年在内。一见胡雪岩跟庞二在一起，他的脸色一变。庞二不曾发觉，胡雪岩是见如不见，神色不动地跟他寒暄，说前天请他作陪，未见赏光，深为遗憾。朱福年当然也有几句致歉的话，只是神色之间，不免忸怩。 由这一番周旋，便看出朱福年其实不是什么厉害角色，因而越有自信必可将他收服。 “福年！”庞二打发走了一些不相干的访客，招招手说，“你请过来，我有件事告诉你。” 庞二住的是一进五间屋子，将朱福年找到最东面那一间，谈了好半天，才见朱福年出来，脸上的气色越发难看了，但对胡雪岩却又不能不敷衍。 “胡先生，刚才二少爷跟我说了，说胡先生有大股份加到恒记来。”他极力装出欣幸的神情，“好极，好极！以后要请胡先生多教导。” “不敢当，不敢当。”胡雪岩很恳切地，但说话已有老板的味道，“老兄在恒记多年，将来着实还要借重。” 听得这一说，朱福年的脸色好看了些，赔着笑敷衍了一会。胡雪岩以话套话，将庞二跟他说的话，都打听了出来，果然说的是“大股份”。显然的，这是为了让他好受恒记的同人看重，有意这么说，庞二真的很够交情。 由邵仲甫作东，吃了一顿丰盛的“番菜”，庞二要陪怡云老七到洋行里去买首饰衣料，匆匆走了，主人留胡雪岩在原处喝“英国红茶”，有话要谈。 在邵仲甫面前，庞二也说胡雪岩在恒记有大股份，因而他的神态也显得跟第一次见面不同，连称呼也改过了，不是称兄道弟，而是叫“胡先生”。 “胡先生！”他说，“我有句话请教，刚刚庞二少爷关照，以后恒记跟同兴往来，归胡先生你经手，那么，朱福年来说的话，算不算数？” 一下子问到要害上，胡雪岩不敢轻率回答，先反问一句：“是什么话？” “恒记跟同兴的往来，本来都归朱福年一个人接头，上十万银子的出入，或者调拨户头，都听他一句话。以后，我们听不听呢？” 这“调拨户头”四个字，正就是胡雪岩要弄明白的，当然往下追问：“恒记在宝号有几个户头？” “三个。”邵仲甫答道，“恒记、继嘉堂、福记。” “继嘉堂”是庞家的堂名，“福记”当然是朱福年，这个都算是私人户头，但恒记与继嘉堂不可分，福记的私人户头如何可以跟恒记混在一起？这其间，不言可知有了弊病。 于是胡雪岩不但不答邵仲甫的询问，而且提出要求：“请同兴先将福记历年进出的数目，抄个单子给我。” 邵仲甫一听吓一跳。这是钱庄的大忌——有钱的人，守着“财不露白”的古训，在钱庄里存款是绝不肯告诉人的，用堂名或用个什么“记”的户名，就是为了隐藏真相，而钱庄里也有义务为客户守机密。如今将福记存款进出的数目，泄漏给第三者，这话一传出去，信用一失，人人自危，都来提存，岂不把同兴挤垮。 “胡先生，你是内行。”他哭丧着脸说，“这件事实在不敢从命。” 他的难处，胡雪岩完全了解，所以早就想好了的，这时便即问道：“仲甫兄，我跟你有没有仇？” “哪里来的仇？” “那不就是了！我跟你无冤无仇，何必来害你？福记是纯粹的私人户头，我没有资格查他的账，既然跟恒记混在一起，当然我要弄弄清楚。就是在同兴来说，也有义务拿福记的进出开给我看。”胡雪岩又说，“你放心好了！我不会坏同业的规矩的。这件事，天知地知，你知我知，连庞老二我都不告诉他，你还怕什么？” 邵仲甫想了想问道：“胡先生，你要这张单子做啥用场，是不是跟朱福年去算账？” “不是！”胡雪岩说，“朱福年也不会晓得有这件事，我是根据你开的单子，盘恒记的账。” 邵仲甫真的为难了，“英国红茶”喝了一杯又一杯，只是答不出来。 胡雪岩也知道这是件极严重的事，不加点压力，邵仲甫绝不肯就范，所以用相当冷峻的声音说道：“庞老二本有意叫我在上海立阜康的分号，我因为你老兄有言在先，没有答应他。现在看来，只有自己有钱庄，账目才能弄得清楚。”说着，便有起身告辞的模样。 阜康一设分号，同兴当然再也做不成恒记的生意，这一着棋是“将”邵仲甫的“军”，他不能不着急。 “胡先生，胡先生，有话好商量。你能不能让我明天答你的话？” “那自然可以。不过有一层，仲甫兄你千万记住，无论你答应也好，不答应也好，这件事只有你我两个人晓得。” 意思是不可泄露其事给朱福年。邵仲甫当然意会得到，连连答说：“我知道，我知道。” 到了第二天一早，同兴钱庄派人送了信来，邵仲甫约胡雪岩，中午仍旧在那家番菜馆见面。准时赴约，点好了菜，等“仆欧”退了出去，做主人的取出一个信封，摆在面前，跟他先有番话要交代。 邵仲甫提出了“约法三章”：第一，这份清单不得泄漏给任何人；第二，不得以此作为对付朱福年的根据；第三，不管胡雪岩是不是在上海设阜康的分号，恒记不能与同兴断绝往来。 第三点其实是请求，只是邵仲甫的措词不甚恰当，有些近乎要挟的意味。胡雪岩颇为不悦，“仲甫兄，”他这样答道，“第一、第二两点，我谨遵台命，第三点，我只能这么说，我一定讲同业的义气。恒记如果是我一个人的事业，老兄吩咐，闲话一句，无奈大老板是庞老二，他又是大少爷脾气，如果恼了他，翻脸不认人，我说的话，他也未见得听。所以这一点，完全要看你自己的做法，我在旁边总替同兴说好话就是。” 这是暗示邵仲甫，如果同兴是这种近乎要挟的做法，庞二首先就会着恼，邵仲甫也是极老到的人，一听他这话，自知失态，很见机地道歉。 “胡先生，我不会说话，请你不要见怪。将来仰仗的地方还多，一切心照。我也不多说了，总而言之，听你的吩咐就是。” 胡雪岩的度量宽，有他这两句话，不满之意，随即消失。等邵仲甫将他面前的信封移了过来，便即抽出里面的单子来看，只见开头写的是“福记名下收付清单”，后面盖着“同兴协记钱庄”的书柬图章。他不暇细看内容，将前后折起，用桌上现成的餐刀，裁下“福记”字样及同兴图章，各约一指宽的两张纸条，交回邵仲甫。 这个小小的动作，使得邵仲甫大为服帖，一则见得胡雪岩的诚意，不会拿这张清单作为对付朱福年的把柄；二则也见得他心细，邵仲甫发觉自己做错了，本来就不必写明“福记”字样，更不必盖上书柬图章，纵然胡雪岩无他，万一遗失了这张清单，落入旁人手中，依然是件极不妥的事。幸好，他的这个错误，为胡雪岩及时纠正了。 “胡先生，”他由衷地表示佩服，“有魄力的人，粗枝大叶，心细的人，手面放不开。只有你胡先生，这两样长处都有，实在是没话可说了。” “谬奖，谬奖！”胡雪岩亦颇欣慰，因为邵仲甫言出至诚，看起来自己是在事业上结交了一个很有用的朋友。