Chapter 616: Go Find Someone

"Strange..."

The good swimmer turned his head.

It was deep and lightless, dark and gloomy, so quiet that he could hear his own heartbeat.

Returned to the deck.

"Whoo, so cold." The man grabbed the ladder rope, his knuckles frozen red, rubbed his hands, put on a dry towel, and sat by the stove to roast. "A-Ping, what's the matter? You were suspicious in the water earlier, always turning your head to look?"

A-Ping shook his head: "Didn't see anything, just felt like someone was staring at us in the water."

"Pfft, stop scaring yourself." Another person sat down in the middle. "The faster your heart beats, the less you can hold your breath. In cold weather, it's easiest to choke on water. If you get a cramp, I can't save you."

"Hey, don't say that, it's really not certain. I heard people say that many Great Spirit Monsters have appeared in Pingyang Prefecture recently. According to A-Ping, maybe two were staring at us just now."

"..."

It was just a joke.

No one in the arena laughed.

"Why are you shaking so hard?"

"Cold."

"Isn't the River-Lake Office saying it's a safe water area?"

"Who knows, but I only heard that Great Spirit Monsters appear a lot, but I haven't heard of anyone being hurt."

"What are we planting vines for?"

"Don't know. Listening to the Chamber of Commerce manager, it seems to be building an island for the Jiaoren to trade?"

"I've been in the water since I was three, caught fish with my bare hands since I was six, and people call me 'White Stripe in the Waves.' After twenty years of swimming in the Jianghuai, I've really never seen what a Jiaoren looks like. I don't know if Jiaoren women are good-looking?"

The topic shifted.

The fear of water monsters among the watermen decreased a lot.

"Pingyang County has become Pingyang Prefecture, and the strange things inside are getting stranger. There are giants working in the River-Lake Office, at least seven feet tall. I heard they are called Long Ren."

"Long Ren are nothing. In September, I went to Yixing Town, thinking of buying a big-headed fish to stew a pot of fresh soup. Hey, on the way, I saw an otter carrying a small embroidered purse to buy pig head meat. It's a ghost!"

Under the boat.

The wandering snake, feeling the vibration with its skull against the keel and listening to the conversation of the people on the boat, quietly left.

The water surface was calm, with several ripples trailing behind.

Courtyard.

Side hall.

The azure big snake flicked its tongue impatiently.

Several months, a full several months.

So many spirit monsters in the Jianghuai Great Marsh were dispatched, yet there was no news of the Bai Yuan.

It's really good at hiding!

The thin green snake crawled and kowtowed.

"Lord Lin, humans have an old saying: 'Heart disease must be cured by heart medicine; the one who tied the bell must untie it.' This subordinate believes that to find that Bai Yuan, we still need to start with the Liang-surnamed official of the River-Lake Office."

"Bribery? Haven't seen the lesson of the Red Scale? Being played around in circles, putting a noose around one's own neck." The azure big snake was disdainful.

The thin green snake flicked its tongue, its eyes showing fierce light: "Since bribery doesn't work, just change the method."

The azure big snake vetoed it.

"It's not beautiful. This kid's identity is extraordinary. The Holy Emperor of the human race favors him, and the Martial Saint recognizes him as a disciple. If our clan acts rashly, it would be fine if we succeed, but if we don't..."

"Our clan is not easy to come forward, but there are still 'people' who are easy to come forward."

The azure big snake flicked its tail.

Xu family courtyard.

Long Eying sat on the swing under the veranda, swaying and reading a book. Long Yao and Long Li each held an apple, their wrists turning, coaxing the little otter to run back and forth in the courtyard on its four claws, spinning in circles.

Comparing the two.

It is indeed much more cheerful than before.

Liang Qu sat in the study, watching silently through the window.

He just thought it was because they were familiar with each other after getting along day by day, but hearing what his master's wife said today, that's not all.

"Enlightenment?"

Good thing. The beauty of beauty, what is not beautiful?

Pleasing to the eye.

Liang Qu put down his ink brush and let the writing page dry: "Long Yao, Long Li! Come and copy a book for me!"

Evening.

Yang Dongxiong returned home.

The Xu family's wife invited Xu Rongguang and two reliable big shopkeepers to conspire on "major events."

Liang Qu presented the "plan" organized in writing, distributed them one by one, and asked his master, the old grandfather of the Xu family, and the shopkeepers to take a look.

Seeing such a "plan" for the first time, everyone in the room whispered to each other, their eyes opened.

A long time.

Xu Rongguang stroked his beard and asked the two big shopkeepers: "Shopkeeper Li, Shopkeeper Gao, you two are old people in the cloth business. Is this method feasible?"

The two shopkeepers looked at each other.

They had seen the samples before coming. It was an extraordinary creative idea. They could bet their lives that if it appeared on the market, it would definitely not be difficult to sell.

But they had never done business that started from the Emperor's head.

Shopkeeper Gao arched his hands: "Young Master Liang's method is quite bold. If it can succeed, it will indeed be of great benefit, and even make it difficult for outsiders to imitate, becoming a unique business.

However, one bolt of Jiaoxiao can make eighty to ninety pairs of socks. If we want to do a unique business, we have to face the demand of the entire Great Shun. One hundred taels sounds expensive, but from the royal nobles down to the county and town masters, there are as many people who can buy it as there are stars in the sky.

Can the Jiaoren tribe that Young Master Liang found supply such a huge amount of Jiaoxiao? As far as I know, Jiaoren only shed scales twice a year, and the output is scarce."

"Not so." Shopkeeper Li held a different opinion. "The Jiaoren are scarce in number, isn't that a natural gimmick? Things are precious because they are rare. Small profits but quick turnover is certainly good, but huge profits and small sales is also a broad road.

Our target is the noble wives and concubines of various families. We only need to spread some rumors, saying that the imperial concubine was favored... um, say that a certain concubine wore our socks and was favored by the master that night, giving birth to a son.

To win favor, compete for favor, and retain their own master, let alone sixty or one hundred taels, I personally think they are willing to spend several hundred taels. After all, giving birth to an heir, the money in front of them can all be earned back!"

Good guy.

Really black!

Blacker than me!

"This statement is wrong." Shopkeeper Gao shook his head. "Once the 'brand' is up, it's a unique business, but it relies on vanity. If it really rises to several hundred taels, there will definitely be people who use ordinary light gauze instead of Jiaoxiao, and buy what others produce instead of what we produce, which is no different from destroying our own dam!"

Very reasonable.

Shopkeeper Gao is high!

"Then ask the Holy Emperor to issue an order: whoever has a fake, catch one, kill one! Confiscate what is earned!"

Cough, cough.

Liang Qu opened his mouth: "Both shopkeepers have their points. Relying on one Jiaoren tribe is indeed not enough. However, this tribe hasn't traded for decades, or even hundreds of years. The Jiaoxiao accumulated in the tribe will definitely not be small.

And I think the Xu family should have a lot of good cloth. Can we mix in Jiaoxiao, using pure Jiaoxiao, half Jiaoxiao, and quarter Jiaoxiao mixed weaving to serve as a selling point, or even a division of grades?"

The eyes of the two shopkeepers lit up.

Shopkeeper Li praised loudly: "Young Master Liang has great talent! He is truly a genius who is proficient in both martial arts and business."

Shopkeeper Gao nodded silently: "The old man thinks oil silk and gold-woven silk are good. They are oily, bright, and smooth. If mixed with Jiaoxiao, the feel... cough, it will definitely sell extremely well."

One word after another.

The details of the "plan" were constantly added.

They discussed until midnight.

Roughly finalized.

"Master's wife, my reputation problem..."

"Didn't you save the Dragon Lady?"

In the past, Liang Qu's martial bones changed, and he connected with the Dragon Lady. Today, it just happened to be connected. To save the Dragon Lady, he accidentally invented it by wrapping the wound with Jiaoxiao in a hurry.

It can be justified.

Discussed well.

The Xu family's wife ground ink for Xu Rongguang.

Xu Rongguang stood in front of the desk, pondered for a long time, suddenly laughed, and then moved his pen to write.

Liang Qu leaned over: "Old grandfather, who can we send it to? Can it reach the imperial concubine?"

"No need to trouble, send it all to the Empress."

Hiss!

"This thing is not easy to give to other concubines, it can only be given to the Empress, and let her pass it on, so it's easy for us to earn a favor." ===== CHAPTER 617 =====