novelonline Chapter 1218: Discipline Lu Zilin
Chapter 1218: Discipline Lu Zilin
Chapter 1218: Discipline Lu Zilin
Lu Zilin squatted beside and watched unwillingly for a stick of incense time, but he still couldn't figure out why Bai Jiaxuan was retracting his braids.
Just when he was about to continue probing Bai Jiaxuan's attitude, a girl dressed up beautifully walked by the street, and Lu Zilin's attention was immediately attracted by her.
When the girl saw Lu Zilin staring at her, she was not angry at all. Instead, she gave him a coquettish look.
Lu Zilin's heart was moved, and he immediately forgot the purpose of his trip to the county town. He happily followed the girl into a brothel.
When Lu Zilin returned to the street after a night of fun, he found that Bai Jiaxuan's stall for collecting braids was gone.
"Hey man, where's the guy who was collecting braids here?"
Lu Zilin hurriedly went to ask the vendor at the stall next to him.
"Oh, he said that he had run out of money to collect braids, so he would not accept them for the time being, and left."
"Gone? Where did you go?"
"How would I know? Do you want Xiangli? Don't go away and don't interfere with my business."
There was no choice but for Lu Zilin to pack up and return to Bailuyuan. Along the way, he was still thinking about how to explain to old man Lu Taiheng.
As a result, when I arrived at the village, I found that Bai Jiaxuan had returned.
"Jiaxuan, why didn't you tell me you were back?"
Bai Jiaxuan pushed him aside angrily: "What can I say to you? Get out of the way and don't disturb me while I'm working."
Only then did Lu Zilin realize that Bai Jiaxuan was actually washing a pile of stinky braids.
"Why are you washing this thing?"
Bai Jiaxuan was too lazy to pay attention to him. Lu Zilin was scratching his ears and cheeks, fidgeting beside him.
It happened that Qin Hao and Lu Zhaopeng returned from school at Mr. Zhu's house at this time.
Bai Jiaxuan also winked at Qin Hao, signaling him not to let the secret slip. Qin Hao smiled secretly, as he was afraid that Bai Jiaxuan would reveal the flaw to Lu Zilin.
"Jiaxuanda, are you going to wash them and sell them to the opera house?" Lu Zhaopeng asked curiously.
Lu Zilin stepped forward and asked: "How do you know it's going to be sold to the opera house?"
"Who else needs this thing except the opera world?" Lu Zhaopeng answered naively.
Lu Zilin agreed when he thought about it. Apart from the opera theater where hair was needed for headgear and beards, it seemed that the braid had no other use.
"Could it be that the Bai family found a big opera troupe and wanted more?"
After returning home, Lu Zilin told the old man everything he had seen in the county town and his own guesses. Of course, he omitted the fact that he had stayed overnight in the brothel.
"You don't know how cunning Bai Jiaxuan is. He was afraid that I would find out what he was doing with the braids. I disguised myself as a beggar and hid in the corner, staring at him the whole time. He almost froze me to death in the middle of the night..."
Just as Lu Zilin was describing how hardworking he was, Lu Zhaopeng suddenly said, "Da, Uncle Jiaxuan came back before dark yesterday."
"Ahem, what I meant is that I kept watching him until the afternoon, but ended up being too sleepy and fell asleep, and slept on the street all night." Lu Zilin glared at his son awkwardly.
Lu Taiheng frowned. He knew his son's character well. He knew he must have done something bad last night. However, it was not easy to expose him in front of his daughter-in-law.
"Keep watching. I always feel that things here are not that simple."
Lu Zilin was unhappy: "Who has the time to watch him all day? Then what about housework?"
"Just do as I say. We can get the housework done even if you're not the only one doing it." Lu Taiheng said unhappily.
Lu Zilin avoided the old man's gaze guiltily and nodded reluctantly.
After lunch, Lu Zilin walked to the door of the Bai family as the old man said. He found that there were many winnowing baskets at the door. What was drying on them was not grain, but braids. He counted them and found that there were several hundred of them.
"Jiaxuan, what are you doing? You put all these braids in front of your house to ward off evil spirits."
Bai Jiaxuan pushed him and said, "Do you know how to speak? If not, shut up."
Lu Zilin staggered and almost fell down: "I was just joking, why did you resort to violence?"
"Get lost. I don't have time to waste my time talking to you."
Bai Jiaxuan really didn't have the time to waste with him. These braids were all money. His son said that now that the Qing Dynasty was gone, most people would cut off their braids. If he missed this opportunity, it would be difficult to collect them again in the future.
Unfortunately, he had spent most of the family’s money on marrying a wife over the years, so he could only sell these braids first and then collect more.
Originally, according to his idea, he could just send the braids to the foreign company in Xi'an, but his son asked him to wash the braids, sort the hair according to its quality and then sell it to the foreign company.
According to my son, wigs also have different qualities. Only high-quality hair can make high-quality wigs, and the price difference is several times. If we give all the braids to a foreign company, they will only buy the inferior ones, and we will lose a lot.
Lu Zilin was frustrated and cursed Bai Jiaxuan's whole family in his heart, but due to the old man's order, he could only continue to squat at the door of the Bai family and watch Bai Jiaxuan's every move.
They watched like this for a whole day. As the sun set, Bai Jiaxuan and Lu San took back the braids that were hung out to dry at the door. Lu Zilin patted his butt and went home to eat.
Looking at Lu Zilin's departing back, Bai Jiaxuan spat on the ground.
When Qin Hao came back from school, Bai Zhao had already prepared the meal. Tonight's meal was particularly rich. There were not only white flour buns, but also a few pieces of bacon on the pickled vegetables.
"Jiaxuan, eat more. We are going on a long journey tomorrow, so you need to eat more."
Qin Hao's mind moved: "Da, have you cleaned and sorted the braids?"
"Well, it's sorted. Lu San, your grandma and I have been busy all day. We have washed the water three or four times. It's a sin."
Bai Jiaxuan felt heartbroken when he thought of those cylinders of water that were wasted. Water is a very precious resource in Shaanxi. If there is a drought, water is more valuable than oil.
"Da, when you exchange these braids for money, you won't feel sorry for this little water anymore." Qin Hao teased.
When Bai Jiaxuan thought about the price offered by the foreign company for collecting the braids, he suddenly became excited.
"Da, what if Zilinda still follows you tomorrow?"
Bai Jiaxuan paused as he was about to put the steamed bun into his mouth, and said angrily, "What can I do? If it doesn't work, I'll beat him up so hard that he can't get off the ground. Let's see how he can follow me."
Cutting off someone's source of income is like killing their parents. All the family's working money is tied up in these braids. He will fight to the death with anyone who dares to get in his way.
Bai Bingde frowned: "After all, we are brothers from the same village, so don't be too harsh. It will be difficult to talk to each other when we meet in the future."
Qin Hao laughed secretly. It turned out that interests were the most effective catalyst. Even the old man who always wanted to have a good relationship with the Lu family was angry.
After dinner, Qin Hao went to the backyard on the pretext of going out for a walk.
"Hei Wa."
Qin Hao had just shouted a few times when Heiwa ran over: "Come on."
Heiwa's situation in the village is actually not good. On the one hand, he lost his mother when he was young. On the other hand, his father Lu San was originally a member of the Lu clan, but he was a farmhand of the Bai family. The people with the surname Lu didn't like him, and the people with the surname Bai didn't treat him as one of their own. The only person who treated him as a friend over the years was Qin Hao. So although he was two years older than Qin Hao, he had always been Qin Hao's little follower.
"Brother Hao, where are we going to play today?" Heiwa brushed the dust off his body. He knew that Qin Hao liked cleanliness.
Qin Hao brought Heiwa to a deserted corner and said, "No fun tonight. We have something important to do."
Seeing Qin Hao's serious face, Hei Wa immediately patted his chest and said, "Brother Hao, if you need me, just let me know."
Qin Hao leaned close to Heiwa's ear and whispered something. Heiwa's dark face gradually showed joy, and he lowered his voice and said, "Brother Hao, even if you didn't tell me about this, I would have wanted to teach him a lesson a long time ago. He has bullied my father a lot before."
Lu San’s surname is Lu. If the Lu family weren’t too bullying, Lu San would definitely choose the Lu family as his first choice if he wanted to be a long-term worker.
In the dead of night, the two men found their way to the backyard of the Lu family. The Lu family's carriage was parked under the straw shed. Heiwa took out a saw from his arms, squatted beside the wheel and began to saw lightly.
Suddenly, there was a "squeak" sound from the backyard. Heiwa's hand shook and the saw got stuck in the wood. Qin Hao suddenly dragged him to squat behind the haystack, and saw Lu Zhaopeng came out with a lantern to relieve himself. The light of the lantern flashed over the wheels, and Heiwa held his breath - fortunately, the saw blade was hidden in the shadows. When Lu Zhaopeng returned to the house, Heiwa spat: "This nerd is still making trouble in the middle of the night!"
Half an incense stick later, only a few wood strands remained on the wheel axle. Qin Hao wiped the saw marks with mud, swept the sawdust on the ground to the corner of the wall, and covered it with soil.
"Come on, remember what happened today, don't tell anyone, and it's best if you don't tell anyone either."
Qin Hao reminded him on the way back.
Hei Wa smiled innocently and said, "Don't worry, Brother Hao, I'm not stupid."
The next morning, Lu Zilin was still immersed in the gentle dream of the brothel girl that night when he was pulled out of bed by the old man.
"Da, it's so early in the morning and you can't let me sleep."
Lu Taiheng grabbed his son's ear and said, "There's some movement at the Bai family. Lu San is already harnessing his carriage and will probably leave soon. Hurry up and follow him to see where they are selling the braids."
Lu Zilin finally came to his senses with a start: "Da, have you been sending people to keep an eye on the Bai family?"
"What else? Can you do it alone?"
While Lu Zilin admired the fact that old people are always wise, he also complained about his father's lack of trust in him.
"Stop grumbling and wash your face quickly. The car is already harnessed. Bring some dry food to eat on the way. Don't get lost."
"Don't worry, Bai Jiaxuan wants to deceive me, but there is no way."
Lu Zilin said vaguely while holding a steamed bun in his mouth.
The carriage had been harnessed, and Lu Zilin hurried out with a farmhand who was driving the carriage.
When he arrived at the entrance of the village, Bai Jiaxuan just came out with a big bag full of braids.
"Jiaxuan, let's go to the county town. I just happen to be there to do some business. We are really destined to meet."
Looking at Lu Zilin's face with a smirk, Bai Jiaxuan was furious. Just as he was about to beat him up so that he wouldn't dare to follow him, Qin Hao tugged at the corner of his clothes.
"Da, just go ahead and don't worry about anything else."
Bai Jiaxuan looked at his son suspiciously. Qin Hao winked at him and gave him a sly smile. Bai Jiaxuan stopped asking questions and shouted to Lu San, "Third brother, let's go."
"Let's go." Lu San shouted, and his powerful voice kept echoing over Bailuyuan.
Lu Zilin also hurriedly urged the farmhand to follow, fearing that he would be left behind by Bai Jiaxuan.
After walking for several miles, Bai Jiaxuan was wondering if he had misunderstood his son when he suddenly heard a plop sound behind him.
What followed was a cloud of dust, accompanied by Lu Zilin's screams.
Looking back, he saw that the right wheel of the carriage behind had fallen apart. There happened to be a bend at that place, and Lu Zilin was not paying attention. He was thrown out and rolled on the ground for several times before he stopped. He was covered in dust and screaming.
"Haha~~~"
Bai Jiaxuan and Lu San looked at each other and burst into laughter.
Lu Zilin's exasperated voice came from behind: "You idiot, you can't even drive a car, do you want to throw me to death?"
On the way back to the village, Lu Zilin was supported by the arm by the farmhand and moved limpingly.
When the villagers along the way saw this, some of them laughed secretly, while others pretended to be concerned and asked, "Zilin, what happened?"
Lu Zilin was embarrassed and annoyed, so he could only force himself to say, "I accidentally fell!"
But in her heart, she hated Bai Jiaxuan and vowed to find out how he sold the braids.
After arriving home, Mr. Leng took a look and said that the bones were injured and he would not be able to use the right leg for at least three months. Lu Taiheng was so angry that he stamped his feet and said, "You are not good at doing things, but you are good at making trouble. You can't even handle such a small matter."
Lu Zilin was full of grievances: "Can you blame me if the wheel breaks halfway? Besides, my leg still hurts."
Lu Taiheng had no choice but to ask Mr. Leng to treat Lu Zilin's leg as soon as possible.
"Da, how about finding someone else to chase after him?"
Lu Taiheng said unhappily, "He was just chasing a ball, but he has already disappeared."
"Then my leg was injured in vain." Lu Zilin said unwillingly.
"Don't worry, as long as he continues to do this business, there is no need to worry that he will reveal his true colors."
……
A week later in the evening, Bai Jiaxuan's carriage creaked over the yellow soil at the entrance of the village. When he jumped off the carriage, he was holding a blue cloth bundle tightly in his arms, which made his waist bend a little.
Bai Zhao heard the noise in the kitchen, lifted her apron and wiped her hands to come out, only to see her son throwing the bundle on the table in the main room - there was a dull "rustle", the corners of the cloth fell apart, and the white silver ingots rolled all over the table.
Bai Jiaxuan picked up two ingots and knocked them against each other. The clear sound of silver shook the beams of the house. The corners of his grinning mouth almost stretched to his ears: "Da, what Haoer said is true. The foreign company paid three times the price for our high-quality braids, and also said that he would take as many as we have in the future."
Bai Bingde dropped his pipe to the ground with a "clack" and swallowed his saliva: "How much is this?"
"Three hundred taels of silver!"
Bai Jiaxuan's eyes lit up. Even though the Bai family was a well-known wealthy family in Bailuyuan, the family had never had so much cash.
The most important thing is that with this money, he can collect more braids. These are not just braids, they are mountains of gold and silver.
"Da, isn't it time to honor the 10% profit you promised me?"
Qin Hao's words made Bai Bingde and Bai Jiaxuan's faces change. They didn't know that the braid business could be so profitable. After deducting all the costs, this trip would make at least two hundred taels of silver in profit, and one tenth would be twenty taels.
"Why would a child need so much money?"
Qin Hao slowly put his hands behind his back and said, "Da, if you guys refuse to pay, don't blame me for not reminding you. You won't be able to do this business for long."