Although it was the beginning of autumn, it was still in the hottest days of the year. As the saying goes, the heat after autumn kills people. Before the summer heat recedes, it is the time of the heatwave. The West Lake seems to be steaming with a layer of water vapor. Fortunately, the water is not like the land. When the wind blows into the boats, it is still relatively cool. The boats open their windows, pull up their curtains, and slowly wander on the lake.
Those who can receive an invitation to today's gathering are basically people with family backgrounds. Even if there are relatively poor people, they are usually scholars with a wide network of friends. When they reached the shore, they saw people greeting each other. It was still early, and the weather was hot in the afternoon, so there weren't many people here. But after a while, one boat after another appeared on the lake, and the scale of the gathering could be seen. Each boat was marked with the logo of each family, such as Jiangning's largest rice merchant, the Cao family, the cloth merchant, the Long family, the Chen family, who ran a brothel, the official boats that had their anchors lifted, and so on and so forth.
Although it is midsummer afternoon, which is not very suitable for sightseeing, it is enough to see the prosperity of Hangzhou as a water town in Jiangnan. Occasionally, two boats can be seen approaching each other, and the people on the boats greet each other. They are all people of the same circle, so there are naturally many people who know each other.
The weather is a bit hot, and it is not yet suitable for people to disembark from the boat. Those who arrive early would rather float on the lake for a while. Occasionally, they see people they know, and the small boats will move closer to the big boats. Because many people come in groups, although the big gathering has not started, small gatherings are already taking place on the pleasure boats. Some are rich, some are scholars, talking and laughing, and pointing out the world. There are also boats belonging to the Wude army stationed in the Suzhou and Hangzhou area. They have already sent some soldiers to Little Yingzhou to clear the garrison, waiting for the arrival of the Hangzhou magistrate and the others.
Because some of the merchants and poets have brought their families, the women in the brothel cannot be openly invited. However, except for the Chen family, which originally has this kind of business, and the two courtesans on the brothel accompany them, if the others want to go to the island to participate, they actually have a way. Some gifted scholars did not bring any companions. If they had a good personal relationship, they would also invite their female friends from the brothel to accompany them. However, these people had to form their own circles, and it was difficult for them to mingle with those who brought their families.
The women of these families might like to listen to the stories of gifted scholars and beautiful women, but once they saw them with their own eyes, they couldn't help but feel displeased and resist the ridicule. The clear distinction between the two parties was one of the most interesting things on such occasions. It was difficult for romantic romance and heartwarming family matters to merge into one.
By the time the Lou family's ship arrived, the weather had already cooled down a little. The people on the ship were mainly Lou Jinlin, Lou Shuwan, and Lou Shuheng. His eldest son, Lou Shuwang, was not in Hangzhou at the moment. Originally, Lou Shuwan's husband, Song Zhiqian, was also following them. Just now, when a few friends greeted him, Lou Jinlin expressed his stance. "Shuwan and Zhiqian, let's go and have a gathering with our friends." At home, Lou Jinlin seemed to speak gently. However, whenever he mentioned the two of them, Lou Shuwan's name was always mentioned first and Song Zhiqian's name followed. The status of a married son-in-law was originally low, so no one found it strange.
Song Zhiqian was originally a bit afraid of this father-in-law. After hearing these words, it was as if he had been granted amnesty. It was Lou Shuwan who rubbed her forehead. "It's too hot at noon, I'm a little sleepy. Husband, go over." Song Zhiqian hesitated for a while, but in the end, he was persuaded to change ships and go over with a few friends.
Other than the three most important people of the Lou family, there were also a few collateral relatives of the Lou family following them. They were mainly trained by Lou Jinlin to be his children's right-hand men. This time, he brought them out to see the world.
Just now, on the shore, Lou Jinlin had greeted a local tycoon. At this time, the ship left the shore. Not long after, someone called out loudly and approached the ship. The Lou family had eyes and ears everywhere in Hangzhou. Although they weren't as prestigious as the Qian family, after several generations of accumulation, they were only slightly behind. They shouldn't be underestimated. Hence, there were many people who came to visit. There were also some scholars who came to greet Lou Shuheng.
Among the children of the Lou family, although Lou Shuheng looked like a mischievous playboy, he was quite talented in poetry and literature. When he was a child in Hangzhou, he was known as a child prodigy. He was originally talented. Later on, he didn't put in much effort, but he still had some achievements. Moreover, he was the youngest child of the Lou family, so he was deeply loved by his father. Occasionally, he had a bit of arrogance in his character, and others took it for granted.
After he became an adult, he was more interested in women than poetry. With his family's money and power, even if he didn't talk about poetry and didn't bully others openly, it was easy for him to pick up girls. Later on, his father had an opinion, so he occasionally went to manage the business. A smart person did things, and with the help of a capable person in the family, it was smooth sailing. From then on, in the eyes of others, he had the temperament of an indifferent scholar. He didn't write poetry or lyrics, but he was still considered a great scholar. He was also good at business, and naturally, he was the symbol of an omnipotent person.
This kind of accumulation of reputation was relatively orthodox. Compared to Ning Yi's reputation in Jiangning, he was also good at writing poetry and scheming, but he was relatively low-key. Coupled with his status as a son-in-law, it made people subconsciously feel a bit bitter. If Lou Shuheng could be considered the history of the God's favored son's growth, then Ning Yi's reputation was somewhat like the history of the struggle of the dark grassroots.
There were some people sitting on the boat, eating iced drinks. Not long after, some people started talking about the Su family, mainly because they heard that the Su family and the Lou family had some relations.
"Just now, I saw what seemed to be the Su family's small gaily-painted boat sailing on the lake. I took a look, and there weren't many people moving on it. Over at the window, the people on the boat seemed to have fallen asleep, haha …"
"In this kind of weather, the lake is indeed a good place to take an afternoon nap. Those few people from the Su family really know how to enjoy themselves."
"I did see the two young masters of the Su family … Speaking of which, those two are also talented, but I don't know why the Su family actually let a woman take over … Brother Lou, do you know about this?"
The person who spoke was also a cloth merchant with the surname Luo in Hangzhou. He asked curiously. Lou Jinlin smiled. "The daughter of an old friend came to visit me once. But if we're talking about familiarity, it's my daughter, Shuwan, who has more contact with her. Old Luo, if you're curious, why don't you ask Shuwan? I'm not very sure. "
Lou Shuwan, who said she was sleepy earlier, was originally standing behind her father like a vase. When she heard the conversation, she also smiled slightly. She went over and poured a cup of tea for the middle-aged man with the surname Luo. "The Su family was originally in Jiangning. I didn't ask too much about what happened there, but my sister, Tan Er, is really capable. Even my sister can't compare to her … Mm, does Uncle Luo know Luo Tian?"
That person nodded. "Of course I do. His cotton is top quality in Su Hang. Why is niece asking about this?"
"Luo Tian and Tan Er already have a business deal. Uncle Luo, you should have heard about it, right?"
The merchant with the surname Luo thought for a moment. "In these two days, I did hear about a small business deal, but not much contact. To be honest, that Luo Tian is famous for being stubborn. Although it's just a small business deal, thinking about it now, I don't know how that Miss Su convinced him. Does niece know about it? "
Lou Shuwan smiled. The Su family didn't cause much discussion in Hangzhou. At this time, when people talked about it, it was just a topic of conversation after dinner. However, Lou Shuwan's figure was beautiful and her smile was sweet. At this time, everyone was curious about her and couldn't help but wait for her to continue. Lou Shuwan held the teapot and turned around beautifully.
"I do know about the inside story. That Luo Tian is stubborn when it comes to business, but he has a wife who he dotes on very much. His wife was originally the daughter of an official. Later on, she got in touch with Luo Tian and developed feelings for him. Luo Tian wanted to marry her, but it took him a lot of effort. However, these few years, his wife's temperament has become increasingly melancholy. She has gotten sick and sometimes can't even eat. This is a heart of hers, but many doctors couldn't cure her. My sister, Tan Er, got in touch with Luo Tian through her. "
"Oh?" The merchant with the surname Luo frowned. Among the people present, another person said in surprise, "I've also heard of Luo Tian's wife that Miss Lou mentioned. To be honest, many people want to get in touch with the Luo family and have also thought of this. Many people have asked doctors to give prescriptions, but it has never worked. What kind of method did Miss Su use to cure Madam Luo? "
"That little sister Tan 'er of mine gave me something." Lou Shuwan turned around and smiled. She stretched out a finger. "I'm not very familiar with this thing, but Uncle Luo must be very familiar with it. Uncle Luo, do you want to guess?"
The merchant thought for a while and said with a smile, "Niece, don't keep me guessing. I can't guess this thing."
Lou Shuwan lowered her eyes. A trace of reminiscence and contemplation flashed in her eyes. "She gave me a box of silkworms … Yes, that's it." The girl nodded and walked towards her father. Everyone was stunned for a moment. For a moment, they didn't quite understand what she was talking about. Silkworm? Golden silkworm or silver silkworm? After a while, they started discussing. Lou Jinlin was also frowning. He wanted to say something, but Lou Shuheng thought for a while and said first, "Little sister, don't keep me guessing. What box of silkworms? What's going on?"
Lou Shuwan raised her eyebrows and looked at her brother. Her voice became clear. "I was curious too. These two days, I heard that the Luo family and Tan Er were discussing some business. Later, after careful questioning, he found out that Little Sister Tan 'er had only sent him a box of silkworms. There were only a few of them, and they were packed in a wooden box covered with gauze. The box was only for show, but the silkworms inside were very cute. Madam Luo was a rich young lady and had never come into contact with these things. Seeing the silkworms nibbling on mulberry leaves, her heart was filled with tenderness. Later, Sister Tan Er told her that there was a mulberry tree across the street from the Luo family's house. Madam Luo went out every day to pick mulberry leaves to feed the few silkworms. She was happy to eat and was willing to leave the courtyard. Luo Tian originally wanted to transplant a mulberry tree to Madam Luo's courtyard, but Sister Tan Er stopped him. Hence, the business was settled. That's how it is. "
This time, she said it clearly. Lou Shuheng and the others were stunned for a moment. Lou Jinlin was also stunned for a while. Then, he said in a low voice, "If that's really the case, you, Sister Tan Er, are really not simple …" Lou Shuwan nodded. Actually, she said it in suspense just now. Now, she said it clearly, as if she was proud of it. However, the thoughts in her heart were not above that. Instead, it was something that she had kept in her heart.
She remembered that Su Tan Er and her husband had not been in Hangzhou for long. They had settled in the courtyard and started visiting each house. On Luo Tian's side, he had gathered some information and asked her about the other party. At that time, Lou Shuwan told him about Madam Luo. Luo Tian's temperament was relatively strange. It was difficult to get close to him. Hence, he did not have many competitors. This was the reason why Su Tan Er was so focused on this matter. However, Lou Shuwan also understood that Madam Luo's side was basically unsolvable. She did not know much about Luo Tian. Hence, she only mentioned it casually.
She remembered that at that time, Su Tan Er's strange husband, Ning Yi, came to the living room and accompanied her for a while. He drank a few mouthfuls of tea. After listening to her story, he asked, "An official's daughter?" Then, he said casually, "Then give me a box of silkworms." At that time, she and Su Tan Er were also confused. They thought that they had heard wrongly.
She still remembered the casual way that person said those words. At that time, Ning Liheng did not seem to be powerful. He even liked martial arts. At that time, she did not know what he had done. After drinking tea and talking, he left. From the beginning to the end, she did not take this matter to heart. Until two days ago, when she suddenly heard that Su Tan Er and Luo Tian had formed a business relationship. She then asked around. Until today, she was still thinking about that sentence.
That man waved his hand. "Then give me a box of silkworms …"
"Give me a box of silkworms …"
God, they really gave a box of silkworms …
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