Uncle Hong Lou Rong

Chapter 48 Xue Baochai Comes to Beijing

In the new year of Xiande's fourth year, the night in Shenjing was illuminated by fireworks every day, and this scene lasted until the Shangyuan Festival.

Jia Rong, who stayed in Ningguo Mansion, had the most boring and boring New Year.He can't leave the mansion, and he can't invite opera troupes in the mansion. Can he even eat meat?Throughout the New Year, the gate of Ningguo Mansion was never opened once, just because there were no distinguished guests to disturb.

Occasionally, relatives from the West Mansion come over, and Jia Rong can't have fun alone.

Fortunately, a family like Ningguo Mansion has no shortage of food, and the taste of the food is not bad, although there is less meat in the mouth.Jia Rong can bear it for a while, but without the muddyness in other places, it will become a little unbearable after a long time.

After spring plowing, until April.Uncle Xiao Rong has been a monk in the mansion for five full months, these five months have been uncomfortable.It's getting worse every day.

"Only the fifth girl is poor!" Jia Rong raised her head and looked at the sky, how could Uncle Tangtang Rong get into this, it's too miserable.

"Who is Miss Wu?" Que'er asked suspiciously, pouted and said, "Is it also from the West Mansion?"

"It's none of your business, I'm always thinking about it at such a young age." Brother Rong pinched Que'er's face.

Que'er didn't hide, instead she smiled and showed her little canine teeth after being pinched by Uncle Rong, and tilted her head proudly. "Qie'er belongs to the uncle, so naturally he has to think about the uncle."

I don't know who taught her this.Jia Rong said with a smile: "The grandma in the yard is kind, she won't punish you if she hears it. But if the wife hears it, she will definitely kick you out."

Que'er's self-confidence came out of nowhere, and she said, "Master will definitely protect me."

Jia Rong was defeated by this self-confessed and affectionate little girl, and it really isn't a good thing to be too good-looking!Uncle Rong joked: "When you are kicked out, don't look for life and death. Don't stop, keep fanning..."

Although life is a bit plain, it is still comfortable.It's just that the weather is suddenly hot, and I always feel uncomfortable.

After a while, Brother Qiang came to the mansion.

"The road from Zhuangzi to the pipeline has been paved with cement. The method taught by Brother Rong is indeed not bad. After the road surface is completely dry, there will be no marks on it with a hammer."

Jia Rong patted Brother Qiang and said, "It's all thanks to Brother, if Brother hadn't lived in the village for more than half a year and developed the most appropriate prescription. How could such a road be built?"

Brother Qiang smiled shyly, and said coyly: "Brother Rong used to protect me, but the reality made me work for Brother Rong with a hundred willingness in my heart, no matter how hard or tired I am."

Seeing Jia Qiang acting like a girl, Uncle Rong smiled dryly and took back the hand on Jia Qiang's shoulder. "The cost can be calculated, only the cost of cement and crushing for road construction, can it be compared with quarrying and paving?"

Qiang Erye said: "The mountains and rocks around Shenjing were plucked a lot hundreds of years ago when the capital was built, and there were several major repairs in the previous and this dynasties. Now they want to quarry the stones to get the West Mountain. They quarried the stones and built a The money for a mile of road can let us use cement to repair more than ten miles of road."

It is not easy to quarry and transport stones in the mountains, so the main official roads around Shenjing are paved with stones.Others are also rammed with gravel and soil. In the rainy season, they are pressed a few times by wooden wheels, so that they will rot within a short time.

At this time, Brother Qiang said worriedly: "The raw materials around Zhuangzi are complete now, but a few more kilns have been built now. I am afraid that the clay and sand will not be enough in the future."

"Didn't you try several other recipes? At that time, one kiln will produce cement made of clay, and other kilns will make cement made of coal-fired slag and brick slag. Although the effect is less effective, the price is cheap. And our family members The kiln does not produce brick slag every day, and there is also brick slag next to the one surnamed Qiu, and it is easier to get coal and gravel slag, which are all waste that no one uses."

The wages these days are cheap, a day laborer costs about ten copper coins a day, and a long-term worker only costs three thousand coins a year.It's less than the five hundred copper coins a month for the lowest-ranking maid in the two prefectures.

You must know that the price of a liter of white rice these days is ten yuan, which means that many people only have enough money to buy a liter of rice for a day of hard work.

"What if the surname Qiu doesn't want to sell?" Jia Qiang asked.

"The one named Qiu is not really a fool. It's useless to keep brick slag in their kiln. It's better to sell us for some money. If the one named Qiu doesn't want to sell, go directly to the owner of their village. The kiln owner. How could he not be willing to invite him out to let the kiln owner benefit himself? Besides, the surnamed Chou would often go to Zhuangzi, and the things in their kiln were not just what the kiln owner reported. "

Jia Rong said disdainfully.

There are many cases like this.Now Ningguo Mansion is the same, there are no villa owners in various places who do not lie.The lax supervision from above is that if you can make some money with your own private rights, not many people have the self-consciousness not to make money.

It's just that Brother Rong can't spare his hands now, and when the cement kiln is settled, he will go around the Zhuangzi after the filial piety period expires.

"Brother Rong is still thoughtful." Jia Qiang praised, and said: "In half a month, it will be the rainy season in Shenjing again. This time, the owners of several nearby villages must envy us."

Jia Qiang wanted to flatter Brother Rong, but was kicked out of the house by Master Rong.

"There's nothing wrong with it. It's fine to have a little maid staring at her like a tiger. What do you want to do as a big man? What do you want to do!"

After some time, guests came to the West Mansion.Jia Rong still heard the rumors from the two maids around Keqing, it was only the people from Xue's family who came and lived in the Lixiangyuan, the resting place of Duke Rong in Xifu that day.

In the future, the West Mansion will be lively.

Jia Rong shook his head, he is still in filial piety, although he wants to see the rumored Xue Baochai, but he is not willing to enter the Rongguo Mansion.

Instead, Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai came to visit.

"They're all relatives, so they should have come long ago. It's just that I came late yesterday, and I was afraid that the house would make a taboo, so I delayed until today." Aunt Xue and Mrs. Wang are sisters, both from the Wang family.

This time I came here to send Baochai into the palace, and to collect old debts from Beijing.Visiting relatives and friends by the way, unexpectedly, Wang Ziteng went to patrol the border two months earlier, so he came to Jia's house.Invited by Mrs. Wang to stay here.

You Shi replied: "You don't need to be polite, my aunt. The east and west mansions are originally a family, but there are complicated affairs in the mansion. It is inconvenient to go to the west to meet them. I hope my aunt will not blame me."

"Where is it?" Aunt Xue chuckled and asked, "Why don't you see your brother?"

You Shi replied: "Rong'er is still keeping her filial piety, the aunt and sister are new customers, so it's inconvenient for him to come out and disturb."

"It's a pity." Aunt Xue sighed, and asked the maid behind her to bring out gifts, saying: "These are special products brought from Jinling. Although they are not valuable things, they are also my heart. I hope you don't dislike them. That's good."

Aunt Xue didn't forget to prepare a copy for Master Jing, who cultivated immortals, and Brother Rong and his young couple also had it.

(End of this chapter)