Picturesque Rivers and Mountains in the Red Chamber

Chapter 301 4.97 Just get closer to this girl Xue Baoqin

Volume Four

4.97 Let’s get closer to this girl Xue Baoqin.

What you say is long, what you don’t say is short. In the blink of an eye, it was February [-]th, and the Qianhu Yamen in the county were bursting with laughter, but it was Xue Biao who came over via Jinling with his sister. Although he didn’t know the specific situation, he just saw that he was happy. No one thinks it's a bad thing.

"Look at the tadpole brothers being so happy, but what happy news is there?" After a while of greetings, everyone entered the main hall and sat down separately. Zhou Yang couldn't help but joke.

"Hmph, if there's nothing good going on, will Brother Zhou kick us out?" I've been crying for a long time, but it's good for you. You haven't even written a letter since you came here, you just focused on passing letters to Sister Bao Hongyan!"

"You girl are really unforgiving. When I left Jinling, could it be possible that I would set up a table of hosts and treat you to a farewell drink?" Zhou Yang was made to laugh and cry by the girl's whistling complaints. "Besides, didn't I bring you a lot of Huguang specialties? If nothing else, eating grapefruit in winter is not an easy thing!"

"Humph!" Xue Baoqin rolled his eyes, said nothing more, turned around and pulled Qingwen away who was serving tea, "Good sister, let's talk, don't worry about this unattractive person!"

"Okay, the noisy one has left, let's talk about business." Zhou Yang shook his head mockingly and watched the two girls go out. He and Xue Biao were the only ones left in the side hall before he said with a smile, "Brother Biao, come here this time. It shouldn’t just be to talk to Brother Wei, right?”

"Brother Zhou is wise!" Since taking office, the harvest here has increased greatly; and there are some things I need to tell my elder brother."

"Oh?" Zhou Yang's heart moved, but he couldn't understand Xue Biao's purpose.

At present, he has a close relationship with the Xue family, but this mainly refers to the big house of the Xue family. Whether it is Wang Shuying, Xue Baochai, mother and daughter, or the business of Beidi Xue, he cannot overestimate it; but to Speaking of the second wife of the Xue family, the word "mutual use" is indeed a bit too insulting, but in the general direction, the two parties have not escaped from this category.

Or to put it in a more flattering way, it is "mutual benefit". Apart from that, there is really not much. His relationship with the second room and the third room is only close to Xue Baoqin. When Xue Xun and Mr. Xue are with him, they are very close Most of the time we are actually talking about business or development, and there is basically not much personal communication.

Taking this meeting as an example, although Wuchang Prefecture’s profits have increased significantly, because its foundation is too weak, it can’t actually do much business so far. The biggest part is shipping. There is no need for Xue Biao, the heir to the second house, to come forward for this matter. , just ask a steward or the like to take care of it directly.

"Brother Zhou, let's take a look at this first." Xue Biao smiled and took out a thin booklet and handed it to Zhou Yang, "This is the harvest on the island last year. It sounds so good. I would like to thank you for your suggestion and help. Otherwise, How can there be such a foundation?"

"I just said a few words at the beginning, how could I help?" Zhou Yang said politely with a smile, lowered his head and looked at the booklet, but his expression became more and more serious the more he looked at it, and it took him half a cup of tea to slowly close it, " Brother tadpole, what do you mean?"

"Brother Zhou, don't worry. My father told me to explain clearly to my eldest brother when he asked me to come over." Money is indispensable, so if I just rely on my aunt, I’m afraid I’ll be too nervous.”

What he just gave Zhou Yang was actually a "gift note". Regardless of other things, he promised a total of 60 taels in cash alone, which was [-]% of the Xue family's net income from the second house last year; as a comparison, the Xue family's big Fang's account for the whole of last year was only a little over one million!

"I deserve such a generous gift!" Zhou Yang said lightly and left the gift list on the coffee table. He looked up at Xue Biao. His meaning was very clear. If he didn't have a decent explanation, he would not accept it. Such a large sum of money.

"When I came here, the journey was smooth. But after I entered Huguang alone, I found that there were a lot of things here." Too presumptuous?"

"This matter is under the jurisdiction of the local government. It's not convenient for me to intervene." Still not understanding Xue Biao's intention, Zhou Yang simply spoke in an official tone.

"Brother Zhou, now the Huguang area is full of victims from the Central Plains. This is a trouble for any level of government." Seeing that he would become stiff if he delayed it any longer, Xue Biao simply went straight to the topic, "But, for Miyako For the island, this is a rare treasure!" "Oh?" Zhou Yang's heart moved, and he had vaguely guessed what Xue Biao, or Xue Xun, meant, "What, is there a shortage of people on the island?"

“It’s very lacking!” They can't even raise 6 yuan. This is because they were specially screened when they brought people to the island. Most of the people who came to the island were family members.

As a result, there are many things on the island that we don’t want to do, but we can’t find people to do them. Just like the guard force that has been stretched thin, there are only less than [-] people so far. It sounds like a lot, but if you want to protect such a large An island is like throwing a stone into the sea. It will not be found until the water splashes. "

"So, how do you need our help?" Zhou Yang asked after thinking for a while. At least at this point, he did not feel guilty about "human trafficking", because this was tantamount to expanding the living space for the entire China.

If you want to stabilize the newly acquired territory, the most fundamental thing is population coverage. It's like the real Mao, which has the largest land area in the world, but can only watch the entire Asian region being basically empty, because the entire country is basically empty. With a population of more than 1 million, more than [-]% are still in the European part, and there is no way to develop it.

In contrast, China, which has long been the world's No. 1 most populous country, has even overdeveloped its territory because there are too many people. Basically, all the territory of some value has been covered, even the vast mountainous areas and the uninhabited Gobi. , there are figures of the Chinese people fighting against heaven and earth.

"My little brother has dispatched enough manpower to move throughout Daye County. Basically, when he sees the refugees, he will find a way to send them to the boat. Once he has collected enough, he will send them to the island." Xue Biao's answer made Zhou Yang understand that in fact, they It has been done a long time ago, "but now there is a problem, a lot of local forces are obstructing our activities."

The great disaster year is a disaster for the vast majority of ordinary people, but for a very small number of "upper class", it is indeed a rare "gluttonous feast". They can take the opportunity to receive the disaster-stricken fields to their own names at a price they pay. It may be less than the usual [-]%, and there are even those with evil intentions who will kill the original owner and directly collude with the government to occupy the land.

The land is like this, but what about the people?Similarly, human traffickers are also active among refugees, buying their children from hungry people. The price is probably just a few steamed buns and a few pancakes. Naturally, there are also unscrupulous things involved, and they directly rob people. , and then sold into wealthy lands as slaves and maids - the Zhou Dynasty continued many pseudo-Qing policies, such as slave registration!

How could the local forces watch outsiders interfere in such a profitable and low-cost business?Don’t forget the saying, destroying someone’s wealth is like killing their parents!
"Brothers tadpole, where should we arrange the gathering before setting off?" Zhou Yang grasped the key point immediately.

"On the ship!" Not to mention losing the entire sail, we also lost a dozen brothers.”

"You didn't use firearms, did you?" Zhou Yang said with a frown. If there were matchlock guns for cover, those people would have no idea whether they could get on the boat.

"Don't dare!" Xue Biao smiled helplessly.

Just like the "gunshot" cases in modern society are strict and serious, if firearms were used in feudal society, it would be undisputed rebellion - when Xue Xun dared to use guns at Jinling Wharf, it was because the two sides were there It can be covered; now in the unfamiliar land of Huguang, when the firearm is fired, it is tantamount to handing over the head to the local forces. Don't forget, Wuchang Mansion is not just a thousand households in Daye!

"From now on, you can have all the victims you accept sent directly to the Qianhu shelter outside the city for resettlement." Zhou Yang said calmly, "If we gather enough people, I will send people to the dock. After you finish loading, we will start. Ship, I’ll take care of the rest!”

"Thank you Brother Zhou for your understanding!" Mom, the two families together will definitely be enough!"

"In this case, I am ashamed to accept it as a brother!" Zhou Yang smiled, and then put away the gift list, "I must have prepared some wine, so brothers might as well fill their stomachs first!"

"Thank you, Brother Zhou, for the meal!"

(End of this chapter)