Chapter 26 Lighting Tower (6-2)

Grandma Qigu took her upstairs to the bedroom.This bedroom has always been admired by Sister Luo, because it was designed by Gu Yingchun and changed to a Western style. It has a very spacious balcony and a large glass door. There are two layers of curtains on the door, a white gauze and a layer of velvet. During the day, the layer of velvet is pulled away, and the sun shines through the tulle, covering the whole room, bright and gorgeous, refreshing.Sitting on the balcony at night and watching the lights of thousands of houses is also very interesting; especially in summer like this, enjoying the cool and chatting on the balcony is the most comfortable thing.

Do you drink Chinese tea or foreign tea? " The so-called "drinking foreign tea" is British milk tea.Grandma Qigu has a full set of silver tea sets, and she makes it herself according to British rules, and pours tea for the guests herself, which is quite troublesome; Fourth Sister Luo wants to talk about business now, and has no intention of enjoying "foreign tea", so she said, "I want a cup of chrysanthemums." Tea." The yellow and white "Hangzhou chrysanthemum" may be brewed as tea, which has the power of clearing the heart and reducing fire; Grandma Qigu smiled and asked: "You probably have a messy heart."

"I don't know why, I've been restless." "Let's sit on the balcony." Grandma Qigu chose to go to the balcony to have a private conversation, and it was on behalf of Fourth Sister Luo, because she was inevitably shy when talking about her life's major events, and the light on the balcony was dim, so she could hide her shy expression, so she could speak freely. When the little eldest sister made chrysanthemum tea, Fourth Sister Luo, who was sitting in the backlight, sighed quietly and said, "Seventh Sister, I'm afraid I'm really destined."

"Oh," Grandma Qigu asked, "Mr. Hu Jiatuowu has come to act as a matchmaker. What does he say?" "I don't know if what he said is true or not? Mr. Hu Da said that he wants me to take care of him." "That's right, Ying Chun heard that too." "So, it seems to be true," Fourth Sister Luo felt more at ease; but her doubts also grew stronger, "Seventh Sister, tell me, what qualifications do I have to support him as the head of the family?" Grandma Qigu thought to herself, this is what Hu Xueyan is worried about, and this is what Fourth Sister Luo wants to fight for.However, although she had figured out the "market" from Gu Yingchun, she was unwilling to let go easily, because she didn't know what kind of conditions Fourth Sister Luo would make, so she had to act cautiously.So she tried to control and asked: "Fourth sister, what do you say yourself? What qualifications do you need to be able to take charge of him."

"The status of being a family member; the status is not high, and the servants look down on him. What you say goes in his left ear and out of his right ear. Seventh sister, tell me, how should I take care of this family?" "Yes, this is very true. I think, we Uncle, I don't understand this truth, he always has a way to make his servants respect you." "What can I do?" Fourth Sister Luo immediately asked, "What did Seventh Brother-in-law say?" "He said, Mrs. Hu entrusted me to be a matchmaker. However, I dare not agree." Fourth Sister Luo was surprised and delighted, "It turns out Is Mrs. Hu coming forward?" She asked: Where is Mrs. Hu? "

"Everything in their family is decided by the old lady. Mrs. Hu is the most virtuous, she does whatever the old lady says, and she obeys everything." Hearing this, Luo Si felt a little more relaxed, but why didn't Grandma Qigu dare to agree to be a matchmaker?She was embarrassed to ask this. "Why can't I agree?" Grandma Qigu asked herself and answered, "Because we hit it off right away, like brothers and sisters; after all, this is a major event in your life. You haven't discussed it with me in detail. I don't know." The thoughts in your heart, if you agree rashly, if you fail to be a matchmaker, it will hurt our feelings." "Seventh sister, you can rest assured at this level. No matter what, your feelings and mine will not be hurt. .”

"With your words, I am emboldened. Fourth sister, what else do you have besides your title? Please tell me everything. See which one I can promise on your behalf; which one I can do for you I can't do anything." "I won't say anything about what can't be done." Fourth Sister Luo thought for a while and said, "Sister Seven, the most embarrassing thing for me is my old lady. .” Why is her mother such a problem?Grandma Qigu thought about it and realized that she must be referring to the matter of being relatives. From her point of view, whether this matter is difficult or not depends mainly on Fourth Sister Luo's own attitude?If she insisted on asking Mrs. Hu to call out: "Mrs.-in-law." This would be embarrassing!Otherwise, the Hu family is also easy to deal with.When it comes to this point, I have to say clearly, "Fourth sister, I understand what you mean." She said, "What else, just say it out of your head, and we can discuss everything." "Also, you know , I have a daughter."

"Of course your daughter's surname is Lao Tzu's." Grandma Qi Gu said, "You may not be willing to take it to the Hu family, are you?" "Of course, what's the deal?" "Since you don't bring it to the Hu family, it's your own business; no matter how you arrange it, the Hu family is inconvenient to ask. You don't need to talk about this matter, what's the matter?" "Also, I can only give the old lady a People kowtow." "Isn't it!" Grandma Qigu immediately interjected, "I don't dare to agree, just because I'm afraid that if you say something like this, it won't be convenient for me to say it."

Fourth Sister Luo also felt that the request was too much; but since the words had been spoken, it was inconvenient for her to take them back.So keep silent.Of course, in Grandma Qigu's view, this is a sign that she no longer insists, and it can be negotiated. "Fourth sister, I will tell you what people mean now; the first is the address, the servants call you wife; the second is to kowtow when entering the door, and it will be a common courtesy from now on; the third is to give birth to a son and wear a red dress. These three things , it was told by the old lady." Fourth Sister Luo thought about it for a while, and felt that as far as these three things are concerned, no matter how much they fight, they can't win anything. It's better to be more beautiful in exchange for the other side's concessions.So she said: "Seventh sister said so, I listened to Seventh sister. But I entered his house, I don't know how to enter?"

Grandma Qigu thought to herself, this is asking knowingly.The concubines waited to enter the door, they were carried in a small sedan chair, and under the burning red candle, they kowtowed one by one to give their names.Fourth Sister Luo asked this, did she mean that she wanted to enter the door in a bridal sedan chair? Of course, according to the usual method, she is too wronged, but there is absolutely no reason to sit in a sedan chair.Grandma Qigu felt that this was the real problem. After thinking and thinking, Grandma Qigu could only answer like this: "I'll figure out a way to deal with this matter, and I have to make it look good. You can ask Mr. Wu tomorrow to see what he can do?"

When it comes to business here, it can actually be said to be very smooth.As a matchmaker, you have to go back and forth to negotiate, step by step to bring the two sides closer together; Fourth Sister Luo also understands the principle that things can be resolved if things are slow, so she replied calmly: "There is no rush, Seventh Sister can just think about it slowly." "You're not in a hurry, my uncle is probably in a hurry to become the bridegroom." Grandma Qigu smiled and turned her face to the light, "I don't know what you look like when you dress up as a bride?" What did Fourth Sister Luo feel when she said this?Say something: "Seventh Sister is really good at making fun." Yi Shan stood up, "I wonder if Mr. Wu has finished eating?" "Let's go down and have a look." The two went back downstairs hand in hand, only to see Gu Yingchun admiring those western baubles with Mr. Wu.Grandma Qigu couldn't help but ask some polite words about whether she was full, and then asked where Mr. Wu was staying. "The inn has already been booked." Gu Yingchun asked, "I don't know if Fourth Sister Luo has something to discuss with Mr. Wu tonight?" "It's too late today." Fourth Sister Luo replied, "We can talk about things tomorrow." "Then, I will take Mr. Wu back to the inn. I will send someone to the inn to accompany Mr. Wu to Sister Luo's place in the afternoon. Go around with Mr. Wu." When Gu Yingchun came back from seeing off the guests, Grandma Qigu was still awake, waiting to tell him what she had discussed with Fourth Sister Luo, and finally talked about how Fourth Sister Luo "entered the Hu family's door". "When a small sedan chair is carried through the door, the east kowtows, and the west kowtows, not to mention Fourth Sister Luo's grievances, we don't have face as matchmakers." "For my uncle, it's okay if you don't have face." Gu Yingchun said, "Don't put your own thoughts in it, otherwise things will become even more unbalanced." "Okay! Then Fourth Sister Luo, you have to let her face live." "It's a bit difficult. You need both face and face. I'm afraid there is no such cheap thing in the world." Grandma Qigu also felt that her husband's words were good, but she had already Promised Fourth Sister Luo to let her "look good", so she was still thinking hard. "Sleep! I'm tired." Gu Yingchun was exhausted from calculating the work, and snored as soon as he went to bed; Qigu's grandmother couldn't close her eyes, and finally thought of a way, and she felt very proud, and wanted to wake Gu Yingchun to talk, but couldn't bear it, so she had to be bored in her heart . Early the next morning, when Gu Yingchun was washing, Grandma Qigu woke up, lifted the curtain of pearl gauze, and said, "It doesn't matter! I have a solution." Gu Yingchun was stunned, and it took him a while to realize, "You mean Fourth Sister Luo?" He asked. "Yes." Grandma Qigu got up, her eyes were sleepy, but she had a look of excitement on her face, "Their wedding will be held in Shanghai, and they can still sit in a bridal sedan chair and wear a red dress according to the method of two big ones." She asked: " what do you say?" "My uncle has a wife in Hangzhou. Everyone knows about it. What do people say when they ask?" "Jiangyou!" Grandma Qigu blurted out, "Who is going to look up their family tree?" "Whether he is willing or not is his own business. As a matchmaker, we have explained it." Grandma Qigu said again: "I don't think he will refuse." Gu Yingchun thought about it for a while, agreed to her idea, and only asked: "How about going back to Hangzhou?" "According to the method of returning to the door, go to the ancestral hall to kowtow first, and then kowtow to the old lady." "This is not a way to return to the door, it is a 'temple meeting', which is to praise Luo Sijie's identity." Gu Yingchun nodded deeply :"Can!" "If you say it's OK, then we'll make the rules. In the second half of the day, you can ask Mr. Wu and see what he has to say." "If this is the case, what else can Mr. Wu say? As for your saying, 'set the rules', this is wrong, and the rules can only be set after the uncle agrees." "If you say that, write a letter and ask." Gu Yingchun felt that there was no need to be so hasty.However, he felt that there was no need to argue with his beloved wife on this point; anyway, she would not know whether he had written a letter, so he agreed, "I can write it." Mr. Wu went to see Fourth Sister Luo in the morning; Gu Yingchun accompanied him in the afternoon, took a horse-drawn carriage for sightseeing, and went around. marriage. "I talked to her, she said what she meant, Grandma Qigu knew. However, since I am a matchmaker, she said something and asked me to discuss it with Grandma Qigu." "Yes. Tell me, Mr. Wu." "The first thing is whether the two families will be relatives in the future. I don't care about it for the time being. However, Mrs. Hu should recognize her daughter as her goddaughter; if she wants to come to the Hu family in the future, the servants will call her 'Miss Gan'." "Mrs. Hu's children are also called sisters." Grandma Qigu added, and said with great confidence: "This matter is on my shoulders." "The second one is more troublesome. She said Grandma Qigu agreed to her, and she wants me to ask Grandma Qigu, what can I do?" "The solution is to think of one, but I don't dare to make a decision yet. This solution can only be counted if Mr. Hu Da nods his head." "Yes, matchmaking originally requires both parties to have their own ideas. It's really rare for Grandma Qigu to be as straightforward and responsible as Mr. Hu Da." Mr. Wu said, "However, it doesn't matter if we talk first." This matter is very important, Grandma Qigu thought, if she said something wrong, it would be ugly to take it back or change it.It's better to let her husband talk about it, and observe the situation by herself, and make corrections or supplements in due course, which is more appropriate. So Gu Yingchun, under her instruction, talked about the method that the couple had discussed early that morning.It's a good point, and Grandma Qigu thinks that there is no need to make any corrections.It was Mr. Wu's attitude that surprised her; she could only see him frowning while listening - she didn't know that this was Mr. Wu's habitual way when he was thinking about something with his heart. If you are dissatisfied, you will inevitably feel disgusted in your heart.So Gu Yingchun finished speaking, and she asked coldly: "Mr. Wu thinks there is nothing lacking in this method?" "It's not lacking, I think it's inappropriate." Even Gu Yingchun was surprised by this, Mr. Wu, please explain it to me. He asked, "Why is it inappropriate." " "Mr. Hu Da is now a well-known person in the world. There are many people who admire him and agree with him; there are also many people who hinder him and want him to look good. What if the master censor in Beijing reads a copy, it will be terrible." "Refer to the previous book?: Refer to Mr. Hu Da?" "I don't understand that." Aunt Kai went on to say, "What did you do wrong? Yushi wants to join him." "Grandma Qigu, please be patient and listen to me—" It turns out that Mr. Wu’s ancestor was the Nongfang Book Office in Qiantang County, the capital of the state. It has gone through four generations, and now Mr. Wu’s long history is inherited: "The law of the Qing Dynasty" is his family education, and of course the "law of household marriage" is also the same. Very familiar, so I can give a very detailed explanation to Gu Yingchun and his wife. He said that it is customary to use "conjugal love" as an excuse to marry "big-headed", but there is no clear law; however, since the custom has been followed, the government also recognizes it, but there are certain rules for concubines, as the saying goes "Two houses and one son", Fang Zhun and a wife, this is obviously not suitable in Hu Xueyan's situation. "You two, please think about it. If you call 'Mr. Hu Da', you will be 'Mr. Hu Er'; it is like serving the Li family. If there is 'Mr. Li Da' Li Hanzhang, there must be 'Mr. Li Er' Li Hongzhang. Since Mr. Hu Da has Brother, you can inherit it from his childless uncle, so why use him as an adulterer?" "This makes sense. The title of 'Mr. Hu Da' in the letter shows that he has brothers." Gu Yingchun said to his wife, "The word "Jianyou" cannot be used anyway." "If you don't need it, you can't marry two main wives. You must do it like this, not to mention the Qing Dynasty law, and you will lose money if you talk about officials. This is called 'favoring concubines and reducing wives', Master Yu Shi. Get involved, the facts are all there, and you can’t escape.” Upon hearing this, Grandma Qigu broke out in a cold sweat, “It’s thanks to Mr. Wu’s advice,” she said, “I almost did something wrong, and my uncle was killed. A somersault." "It's not a big somersault, but it's ugly." Mr. Wu said again: "To be honest, Mr. Hu Da is still second. I have to think about it for Fourth Sister Luo; if she wants to sit Mrs. Hu and Mr. Hu must be very upset about this trouble caused by the bridal sedan chair and the red dress, and those who make sarcastic remarks will say: "An accident happened as soon as you enter the door. You must be a broom star." Fourth Sister will lead you to be a good person in the future?" "Mr. Wu, you are really thoughtful, and your knowledge is really superior to others," Aunt Kai sincerely admired, "Besides, people don't know who Fourth Sister Luo is, so the reputation of 'concubine' 'Sell Chaobao'." "Selling Chaobao" is a saying in Hangzhou, which was passed down in the Southern Song Dynasty. The name of the old man's surname suddenly appeared in "Chaobao", and there must be news. , so that the streets and alleys, the wife does not know.If Hu Xueyan was reprimanded by decree for "doting concubines and reducing wives", the name of Fourth Sister Luo would be included in the edict—"Guanmen Chao" in the Qing Dynasty was the "Chaobao" in the Southern Song Dynasty; appropriate. "That's right!" Mr. Wu said, "Then, not only in Hangzhou and Shanghai, but also everywhere. It's really called 'seeking glory but repelling disgrace'. I think as long as I explain it clearly, Fourth Sister Luo will definitely understand it." "Yes, yes!" Gu Yingchun hastily interjected, "Then please ask Mr. Wu to explain to Fourth Sister Luo politely. As long as this layer makes sense, I think our matchmaking will be successful." Fourth Sister Luo can naturally understand her pain, but she always feels that it is not enough; but she is very grateful to Grandma Qigu who tried her best to help her speak out, so she feels that she can speak her heart, so instead she used Wu If the husband explained to her, come to discuss with grandma Qigu. "Fourth sister, I want to advise you a word. A hero is not afraid of a low birth. A person must accept fate. The result is good, which is the real beauty. You are not a person who is not open-minded, so don't worry about it anymore." Grandma Qigu He also said: "I will be your dowry mother and I will send you there. Do you think it is okay?" According to the customs in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, when a rich lady leaves the court, her personal maids and nursing nurses are often married to her husband's family, and they keep their original titles; fourth sister Luo said that even if she is wronged, she is willing to share it. This kind of affection, if you ask for it from your compatriots and sisters, may not necessarily be there, and it should be able to make up for everything. "Seventh Sister," Fourth Sister Luo said with red eyes, "I don't know how many wooden fishes I broke in my previous life, so I only know you in this life." "It's nothing special to know me, but you married our little uncle. You really cultivated it in your previous life." Grandma Qigu said: "Being a woman is nothing more than taking a step to help my husband; the ability of the sky is also limited. Husband is a Prince Adou, even if you are Zhuge Liang, you can only sigh. Our young uncle’s ability is only used two or three out of ten, if you can dig out his six or seven points, you are a woman The number one person in the family. Why do you care about the name?" Hearing this, Fourth Sister Luo's lofty ambition was immediately aroused, and she said excitedly: "Seventh Sister, I will tell you what is in my heart, and I often think that if I were a man, I would be equally sure of creating something new." It's a pity that Mr. Hu Da is a woman. Although Mr. Hu Da has given me the family, I don't think he must only restrict me to take care of the family. In business, he will listen to how to do it. My, I really want to try it out." "Yes." Grandma Qigu said tactfully, "However, that's the second thing. It's good if you come up with an idea, and he will definitely listen to it. That means you are doing it yourself, and you don't have to do it yourself. As I see it, your biggest business is mining, manning mines. Do you understand that?" "I don't understand. Seventh Sister," Fourth Sister Luo said with a smile, "You have so many tricks." , seven-point ability, control it. If you can do it, you are opening a gold mine! Everything else is considered a small business." Fourth Sister Luo first became Qigu’s grandmother as a joke. After listening to it and thinking about it, she gradually realized it. Zhuang Rong said: "Sister Seven, I understand your point. However, I didn’t think of this before. Show off your abilities; now I know that if I want to show off my skills, I must work hard from Mr. Hu Da." "Yes!" Grandma Qigu patted happily and said, "You are really smart, you can think through, and you can see clearly." through." Except for the sedan chair for "personal welcome", the rest should be done according to the "six rituals" as much as possible. Of course, there is also a house, which is still outside the snail gate.Fourth Sister Luo's new residence in Shanghai has also been transferred under her name; the house price and other expenses advanced by Grandma Qigu are naturally settled by Hu Xueyan.The most important jewelry for the betrothal gift is only four pieces, but it is more expensive than the eight pieces of ordinary people. The newly worn pearl flower, diamond bracelet, emerald earrings, and red jade hairpin are actually chosen by Fourth Sister Luo herself—— Hu Xueyan Take care of Gu Yingchun, and ask Qigu's grandma to accompany Fourth Sister Luo to make an appointment first, and ask the jewelry store to send it directly to Shanghai Fukang Bank for inspection and payment. "Fourth Sister, Ying Chun told me yesterday: You are like sisters. This time, we are marrying a sister, and we should prepare a dowry. This is absolutely true." Grandma Qigu said, "I think, you should pay for it yourself." "For everyone's sake, just pick and choose, and don't be polite. To be honest, Yingchun still has the strength for a few thousand taels of silver." Fourth Sister Luo thought to herself that as long as she married into the Hu family, she would have many opportunities to help Gu Yingchun in the future, so she didn't need to be polite.However, I was too embarrassed to make them spend too much money, so I replied: "Seventh sister and brother-in-law said that I have to accept it. However, things also care about the value, as long as they are happy, don't you think so?" "Exactly." Grandma Qigu said, "Pick out the wooden utensils first. Are you free tomorrow?" "Empty." "Then the second half of tomorrow. It's better to go to Changfa." Changfa is in Nanshi, the largest woodware store in Shanghai; Fourth Sister Luo bought the furniture for her new house there. gone." When Grandma Qigu took her home in a carriage, Fourth Sister Luo immediately took care of Lao Ma and hired another carriage to take the little eldest sister to Nanshi for business. Get off at Changfa in Denan City; the owner's surname is Li, and when he sees the regular customers coming, he hastily greets them personally: "Miss Luo Si, why are you free today? Please sit inside, sit inside." "I'll take a look at Tangmuware." "Oh, oh!" Boss A smiled all over his face, "Where is it used? ""in the room. " The so-called "in the room" refers to the bedroom, the most important thing is a bed, but since it is called "a hall", of course there should be a few chairs, tables and stools, etc. Boss Li first asked about the materials, "Miss Luo Si likes mahogany or red sandalwood?" ?” "Of course it's red sandalwood?" "Miss Luo Si, since you like red sandalwood, I have a rare wooden utensil, so don't miss this opportunity." "Okay! Let me take a look." After my boss led her into a room, she felt dizzy when she entered the door. It turned out that these rosewood utensils were inlaid with snails, which had dazzling reflections, which made them dazzled.Looking closely, it is gorgeous, exquisite, and really cute. "It doesn't seem to be a local product." Fourth Sister Luo said, "The patterns and methods are different." "Fourth Sister Luo, after all, you are a top-notch connoisseur," Boss Li said, "You can tell at a glance. This wooden utensil is from Guangdong, and Guangdong is called Suanzhi, which is red sandalwood. The origin; tell it, Miss Luo Si, you will be shocked." "Why?" "This was supposed to be a tribute—" "A tribute?" Miss Luo Si interrupted him and said, "You mean, it was originally used by the emperor." "good." "Boss Li," Fourth Sister Luo said with a smile, "You're not afraid of cutting corners when you speak big? Why are the wooden utensils used by the emperor in your shop?" "Here, Miss Luo Si, don't you believe it? Of course there is a reason for it. Please sit down and wait for me to tell you." Boss Li asked Fourth Sister Luo to sit down on a high chair, and he was accompanied by the Prime Minister.He is very good at doing business, and his staff and apprentices are also very flexible. As soon as Fourth Sister Luo sat down, the freshly brewed Gaiwan tea and four tall fruit dishes had already been delivered.Fourth Sister Luo was determined to come to buy wooden ware, and the business would definitely be successful, so she accepted Changfa's money frankly, without even saying thank you. "Miss Luo Si, please take a closer look at the things first." That's what she meant.Because the high-ranking chair I was sitting on was small and exquisite, with just the right height and a moderate backrest. When I sat down, my elbows rested on the armrests naturally, and it was very comfortable. Appreciation, fine workmanship and no flaws. After looking at the top chair, look at the rectangular table next to the chair. There are three layers in total. Pushing it together does not take up space; pulling it apart is quite practical. A bowl of tea and four fruit plates are placed on it, which does not look crowded at all. "The stuff is good." Fourth Sister Luo said, "But the pattern is not like the ones used in the palace; the ones used in the palace should be dragons and phoenixes, not 'Five Blessings Holding Longevity'." "Miss Luo Si, you are right to refute But if you know where to use it, you won’t argue. There are various kinds of palaces in the palace, not only the Sangong and the Six Courtyards? Depending on the location and purpose, the furnishings are very different. I'm tired of watching it. Tell me, don't you?" "That's not bad. Then, where is this wooden utensil used?" "It's going to be used in the Old Summer Palace—" "Boss Li, you really think I'm a countryman! Who doesn't know that the foreign devils burned down the Old Summer Palace." "If it is burned, it can be rebuilt. Of course, if it is really rebuilt, this wooden utensil will not be with me anymore." According to Boss Li, some people from the Internal Affairs Office and the eunuchs in charge of the palace have been put down because of the Hongyang Rebellion; In 2010, when the emperor came of age, once the two grand ceremonies of "big marriage" and "pro-government" are over, the empress dowagers of the two palaces should have a place to spend their lives, and the Summer Palace can be restored. The empress dowager "raises with the world", builds a garden. It's too much." Empress Dowager Cixi was moved, and the little emperor aged 12 or 13 was even more enthusiastic; word spread that there was a magistrate from the Ministry of Internal Affairs who had served as a magistrate in Guangdong for several times. Paying tribute, and on the way to the North Seaway, things changed. It turns out that this matter has been discussed in private for several months, and Prince Gong who is in power does not take it seriously, but it is inconvenient to say it out loud, but when the queen mothers of the two palaces summoned each day, they kept saying that the chaos is at the beginning of peace, and all things are waiting to be done. Difficulty means that I hope Empress Dowager Cixi will automatically dispel this idea. Unexpectedly, when King Gong was working hard in the water, he suddenly heard that there was such a magistrate who actually paid tribute to wooden utensils for use in the Summer Palace. I read a book hard; King Gong asked "dismissal and investigation", and the Empress Dowager Cixi was inconvenient to protect her, so if she did as she asked, the magistrate would be imprisoned.Naturally, there was no need to transport the tribute to the north. The younger brother of the prefect was the escort, and the wooden utensils were unloaded and sold in Shanghai, which was attributed to Changfa in this way. "There are three halls of wooden utensils, a living room and a study room. They have all been sold. Now this hall is left. An alternate Taoist from Jiangxi came to see it the day before yesterday. He was very happy with the things. He didn't have enough money. He asked me to replace them." He stays for ten days; if he doesn't make an order, I don't care about him. Miss Luo Si, if you like it, I'm very restrained." Boss Li said again: "Let me tell the truth again, no one uses this wooden utensil. It’s worth it, you think, if you use such exquisite wooden furniture in the room, what should you use in the hall, flower hall, and study room? This is the reason why my wooden furniture is not easy to get rid of.” Fourth Sister Luo thought to herself, according to his words, it seems that only Hu Xueyan's family can afford this wooden utensil.I don't want to think that there is such a wealthy and Jiangxi alternate road, but after thinking about it, Hu Xueyan is also a Jiangxi alternate road, could it be that he asked someone to come and see?So the surname asked: "What is the surname of that Jiangxi alternate Taoist? It seems that he can afford it." "The surname is Zhu." Boss Li said again: "Zhu Daotai didn't want to buy this wooden utensil for his own use, but to honor the old lady of a governor." Fourth Sister Luo's heart moved, and she immediately asked, "What's the price of your wooden utensils?" Tang, I have already made a profit, so it doesn't matter if I lose a little in this class." "Boss Li, I'll pay you back an integer." "Miss Luo Si," Boss Li said with a wry smile, "One of the three points in the world, you are too fierce in bargaining." Originally, asking for a lot of money and paying back the money on the spot; there are still a lot of business of "folding in half." "Miss Luo Si, I hear your accent is from Hangzhou?" "That's right. What do you ask it for?" "You Hangzhou people are very good at bargaining, 'half-fold halfway' is the third of the world. Where in the world does this kind of business exist. Miss Luo Si, you always want to be promoted, right?"Fourth Sister Luo brought a bank note, took a piece of four hundred taels and held it in her hand, but she had something to say. "Boss Li, if you follow my advice, our transaction will be successful. I will bring someone to see it tomorrow, and I will ask you the price, and you will say eight hundred taels of silver." "Why?" "Don't worry about it." Fourth Sister Luo said, "You want 1,200 taels, and I'll pay you four hundred today, and eight hundred tomorrow, which is quite a penny." It is clearly written in the article, and I must follow my words; if I don’t follow my words, the transaction will fail, and I will double retreat to Dingyang.” "Yes, yes! I will." So Boss Li accepted Dingyang and gave a receipt.Not long after Fourth Sister Luo left, another regular customer came. "Hey, yo! Mrs. Gu, my God of Wealth is here again. What do you want to watch today?" "We'll talk about it later." Boss Li led her to look around, and when he saw the Luodian Suanzhi wooden utensils, he stopped and asked, "What's the price of this wooden utensils?" "Sorry, Mrs. Gu, I just sold it—" Grandma Qigu was very disappointed, but she didn't give up. "Who are you selling it to?" She said, "How can there be such a coincidence?" Seeing this scene, Boss Li changed his mind. There was another sentence in his original words: "Miss Luo Si bought it." Unexpectedly, the words were cut off by "Mrs. Gu"; In the sense of winning, if she said "Miss Luo Si", she would definitely discuss the situation with others, and then things would be embarrassing. "Miss Luo Si" is very powerful, it's better not to mess with her. After making up her mind, she didn't answer; the more Grandma Qigu liked her, the more she refused to give up. "How much did you sell it to?" she asked. "Since it's sold, Mrs. Gu doesn't have to ask." "Hey, hey!" Grandma Qigu lowered her face, "On the spot," she said, "Ask me what you are afraid of, Boss Li, do you have a big business and a big air? Or are you getting old and getting more and more confused? How can you do business like this, you can’t ask a single question!” "Mrs. Gu, don't scold me." Boss Li had an idea, immediately put away his wry smile, and asked calmly, "I'll ask Mrs. Gu for a few words first, is it okay?" ""sure!What's wrong? " "Madam Gu wants to buy this wooden utensil. Do you want to use it for yourself or give it away?" "Give it away." "Which one to send?" "Don't worry about it." "Mrs. Gu, you told me, maybe there is a discussion." "Okay." Grandma Qigu said, "Here, it's Miss Luo Si who I visited with her last time." At this moment, Boss Li understood, "Miss Luo Si" said to bring someone to see; this person is right in front of him.Yu He said with a smile: "Mrs. Gu, what a coincidence you said! The seller just now is Miss Luo Si." Grandma Qigu was surprised, "Has she been here?" She hurriedly asked: "Bought this wooden utensil of yours? How much?" "Eight hundred taels." Grandma Qigu nodded, "The price is fair." She asked again, "How much did you pay for Dingyang?" "Not paid." "Didn't pay?" Seventh Aunt got angry again: "Didn't pay, why didn't you sell it to me?" "Business is a word! Miss Luo Si is your old lady's background, of course I trust her." Grandma Qigu thought his two words were very pleasant, so she couldn't help telling the truth; "Boss Li, let me tell you the truth! Miss Luo Si is going to be a bride, and I will buy this wooden furniture as a dowry for her. I’m willing to spend money, so I’ll decide for myself. Like this, I’ll accompany her tomorrow, and you don’t want to accept her money; you want to accept mine.” “Yes, yes!” "Also, you promised her 800 taels, of course it's still 800 taels, but I want to kill you. The bargain is fake. Today I will pay you 200 taels first, and tomorrow I will bargain down to 600 taels, and you will Said that the old customer had no choice, and agreed. I did this because I was afraid that she would feel sorry for me, do you understand?" "Understood! Why don't you understand? Miss Luo Si had a friend like you, she was really lucky in her previous life, and she bought wooden utensils to marry her, and she had to be considerate of her heart. Except for you, Mrs. Gu, there is no other person who is so kind and considerate. Two." Grandma Qigu bought this good wooden utensil and felt full of ambition. After hearing these few words from him, she became more and more proud. The next day, Fourth Sister Luo came, and Grandma Qigu said as soon as she opened her mouth, "Did you go to Changfa yesterday?" Fourth Sister Luo didn't know how she knew about it?He replied calmly, "Yes." "You've taken a fancy to a class of wooden utensils, have you negotiated the price?" "Yes. It is agreed to be eight hundred taels." "That can't be better." Grandma Qigu said, "You really have vision! Let's go." So the car arrived at Changfa; Boss Li had already prepared tea, cigarettes, fruits, and snacks.Sit down for a while and look at the woodwork. "Miss Luo Si said that the price has been negotiated with you, right?" "yes." "That's Miss Luo Si, I'm the one who bought it now." Grandma Qigu said: "Boss Li, we have been in contact for many years, you should be more restrained, I will pay you six hundred taels of silver." "Mrs. Gu, I have already lost money. " "I know you're losing money. It's nothing more than years of friendship. I'll kill you two hundred taels." "Next time, I'll definitely be friendly. This time," Boss Li said firmly, "my price is what you say. change." Being so unfeeling, Grandma Qigu turned pale with anger: I really wanted to scold him, but one is a happy event and it is not suitable to quarrel; the other is also reluctant to part with this good wooden utensil, so she had to swallow her anger and sneered and said: "Okay, okay! You're ruthless." After speaking, he took out the eight hundred taels of silver and threw it on the table. "Mrs. Gu, please don't be angry. I really have a problem. I will come to the house to make amends some other day." "Which one wants you to make amends. Let me tell you, this time is a sappy business." After finishing speaking, he turned around and left. Boss Li chased after him to argue. Grandma Qigu ignored him and got into the carriage with Fourth Sister Luo to go home. She was so angry that she didn't bother to say anything; Fourth Sister Luo also felt very boring. As soon as he got home, he met Gu Yingchun in the sitting room.他一看爱妻神色不怡，便含笑问道：“高高兴兴出门；回业好象不大开心，为啥？”“昌发的李老板不上路！'七姑奶奶的声音很大，“以后再也不要作成他生意了。你说要带洋人到他那里定家具，省省！挑别家。 " “怎么不上路？” “他，”七姑奶奶想一想说：“硬要我八百银子。”“你照付了没有呢？” “你倒想！” 七姑奶奶预先付过“差价”，是告诉过古应春的；他心里在想，李老板的生意做得很大；而且人虽精明，却很讲信用，似乎不至于硬吞二百两银子，其中或者另有缘故，只是当着罗四姐，不便深谈，只好沉默。 于是罗四姐便劝七姑奶奶：“七姐，东西实在是好的，八百两银子是真正不贵。你先消消气；我要好好跟你商量，这堂木器有个用法。” 七姑奶奶正要答话，让小大姐进来打断了。她是来通报，李老板来了，要见七姑奶奶。 "not see." “我见。”古应春接口，“等我来问他。” 去了不多片刻，古应春笑嘻嘻地回进来，手里拿着个红封套；七姑奶奶接过来一看，封套签条上写“贺仪'二字，下面是李老板具名；贺仪是一张二百四十两的银票。“这算啥？ " “不是送你的。”古应春说：“你不是告诉，罗四姐做新娘子了，人家是送喜事的贺礼。” 听这一说，七姑奶奶与罗四姐相顾愕然；事出突兀，都用眼色催古应春说下去，但古应春却是一副忍俊不禁的神气。 “你笑啥？”七姑奶奶白了丈夫一眼，“快说啊！”“怎么不要好笑？这种事也只有你们心思用得深的人，才做得出来。”古应春看了罗四姐一眼，向妻子说道：“你晓得这堂木器多少钱？一千二百两。” “唷！”罗四姐叫了起来，“七姐夫，李老板告诉你了？”“当然告诉我了，不然，他另外收了二百两银子的定洋，硬不认帐，这话怎么交代呢？” '啊？ ”罗四姐问说：“七姐，你已付过他二百两？ " 七姑奶奶楞了一下，弄明白是怎么回事了，反问一句：“你先付过他四百两？” "yes." "Why?" “我不愿意你太破费。” “两个人走到一条路上来了。”七姑奶奶哈哈大笑，“我晓得你不愿意我太破费，所以预先付了他二百两。我道呢，啊里有这么便宜的东西！” 罗四姐也觉得好笑，“七姐夫说得不错，心思用得太深，才会做出这种事来。你螨我，我瞒你，大家都钻到牛角尖里去了。不过”她说：“李老板也不大对，当时他就让二百两好了。何苦害七姐白白生一场气。” “他也有他的说法。”古应春接口答道：“我拿李老板的话照样说一遍；他说：'那位罗四小姐，看起来是很厉害的脚色，我不能不防她；收条！上写明白，报价只能报八百两改口的话，加倍退还定洋。万一我改了口，罗四小姐拿出收条，一记“翻天印”打过来，我没话说。所以我当时不松口，宁可得罪了古太太，事后来赔罪。'” 七姑奶奶前嫌尽释，高肖地笑道：“这个人还算上路，还多送了四十两贺礼。”说着将红封套递给罗四姐。“我不要。”罗四姐不肯接，“不是我的。” “莫非是我的？”七姑奶奶开玩笑：“又不是我做新娘子。”罗四姐窘笑着，仍旧不肯接；七姑奶奶的手也缩不回去，古应春说：“交给我。二百两是退回来的定洋；四十两送的贺礼，我叫人记笔帐在那里。” 于是七姑奶奶将红封套交了给古应春；接着便盛赞那堂酸枝嵌螺句的家具，认为一千二百两银子，实在也不算贵。 由此便谈到这堂木器的来历；它之贵重，已经不能拿银子多寡来论了。罗四姐因此有个想法，觉得自己用这堂木器，虽说出于“陪嫁”，亦嫌过分，难免遭人议论，因而私下跟七姑奶商量，打算把这堂木器，孝敬胡老太太。 “我这个念头，是听了李老板的一句话才转到的，他说，有个江西的朱道台，想买这堂木器孝敬一位总督的老太太。我心里就在想，将来我用这堂木器；胡老太太用的不及我，我用了心里也不安，倒不如借花献佛，做个人情。七姐，你不会怪我吧？” “哪里，哪里！”七姑奶奶异常欣慰地，“说实话，你这样子会做人，我就放心了。胡家人多口杂，我真怕你自己觉得行得正、坐得正，性子太真了，会得罪人。” “得罪人是免不了的。只要有几个人不得罪就好了。譬如胡老太太，一定要伺候得好。” 七姑奶奶暗暗点头，心里在想，罗四姐一定懂“挟天子以令诸侯”的道理，不但会做人，还会做“官”，替她担心，实在是多余的。