Chapter 89 Congratulations

In the woods outside the city.

The tree fell down with a loud bang, and the cross section was as smooth as a mirror.

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He originally thought that the Black Tiger Slaughter Blade was just the miraculous knife technique that Master Shang used to extract bile from a live bear when he first entered the Medicine King Hall that day. He never thought...

It was actually such a footwork speed.

The sound-piercing step, the realm of perfection, surpassing the speed of sound, with a pounce, a hundred feet away, such a speed... coupled with the heart-wrenching, miraculous knife technique, it is simply a monster machine that can dismember the enemy in an instant.

Six unique skills!

Only in this way can the Black Tiger Slaughter Blade be compared with the Violent Ape Thousand-pound Stick in Master Yang's hand.

"Cough cough!"

As the tree fell, Shang Yunfang coughed violently under the tree, and the bandage wrapped on his hand also bleeds.

Seeing this, Chen Ku hurried forward and was shocked: "Master, your injury!"

"It's nothing, it's just that to use this footwork, you need to use the whole body's strength, infuse energy, and circulate qi to practice, so the wound is slightly broken."

Shang Yunfang shook his head, indicating that it was not a big deal, and then said:

"I think Yang Lao has already taught you the internal energy chapter of qigong yesterday, so I won't teach it again. Now I will only teach you the key points of the movement of strength, movement of qi, and the changes of footwork and body shape of the Chuan Yin Bu."

After saying that, he taught it to Chen Ku, and after several times, he had memorized it.

"In the next few days, you will practice footwork and swordsmanship by yourself. When my injury gets better, I will definitely teach you the secrets of swordsmanship in person."

"Thank you, Master, for teaching me the skills!!"

Chen Ku respectfully bowed to Shang Yunfang under the tree.

The master and apprentice returned to Yaowang Hall.

In the next two days, Chen Ku lived a regular life, and he still went to the two masters to practice on one day each. At the same time, he did not forget to send the flower marten out to Liangjie Mountain in the evening to look for precious herbs, secret medicines and other things.

A few months later, he had already consumed all the tiger head ginseng and ox horn bamboo shoots.

If you want to impact the internal energy and accumulate more internal energy than others, then you will inevitably need more precious herbs and elixirs with strong essence to assist.

In this way, two days passed.

It was also the day for his iron shop to open.

…………

Today is the ninth day of the first lunar month.

The old almanac says that today is a good day to seek wealth, open the market, set up the bed, and take up a post.

So Wu Gui chose today as the day to open the shop.

Chen Ku's iron shop is on the street near the inner city in the outer city, in other words, the street at the foot of the city wall that leads into the city.

Although it is not as expensive as the shops in the inner city, the rent for a month is fifty taels.

But it also has its benefits, that is, it is close to both the inner and outer cities, and is a natural place where people gather.

In this street, in addition to Chen Ku's iron shop, there are restaurants, rouge shops, grocery stores, stationery shops, horse sellers, tea sellers, and all kinds of things. In a word, it is a "mixed" place.

Chen Ku's iron shop has hung red lanterns today, and red paper couplets are posted on the door.

Upper couplet: Look at today's auspicious opening

Lower couplet: Wait for the great wealth to start in the Ming Dynasty

Horizontal banner: Harmony brings wealth

On the plaque above the horizontal banner, the four characters "Chen's Iron Shop" are written.

"Boss, you are here!"

Seeing Chen Ku in a long gown appearing at the door of the shop from a distance, Wu Gui at the counter immediately came out with his assistants to greet him.

"Hello, boss!" A total of six assistants bowed to Chen Ku in unison, including a guard with Huajin.

Chen Ku looked at the clothes worn by these shop assistants. They were all made-to-order clothes of Chen's Iron Shop by Wu Gui. They were all in the same color and looked very energetic.

Not far away.

The shop owners, shop assistants, tourists, and neighbors living in the street all looked at Chen Ku in the shop curiously.

"Is that the shop owner of this new iron shop? He looks quite young."

"I heard that he is an apprentice of Yaowangtang. His family has a relationship with a deputy head of police. He bought a piece of river area with money and opened a small mine..."

"Iron mine? Iron shop?!"

"Another young man who doesn't know the depth of the county."

"Everyone knows that the major industries such as iron shop, firewood shop, medicine shop, and fish shop in the county are monopolized by the three giants. The rest of the medium-sized shops are trying to make a living in the cracks."

"There are only 17 or 18 iron shops in Baojiao County that are not under the firewood and iron shop. They have all united to grab the oil leaking from the cracks of the firewood and iron shop. ”

“There is no meat to open a new iron shop.”

“This young man doesn’t know how to check the location when opening a shop.”

In a restaurant opposite Chen’s iron shop, called ‘Bai Xing Restaurant’, the owner of the restaurant, wearing a khaki long gown, smiled and said to the shop assistant:

“I heard from the waiter that a few days ago, the middle-level iron shops in the county and the blacksmith shops were all informed. It is not impossible to ask people to buy the iron of this kid Chen, but the price must be lowered to only half of the market price.”

“I guess this little brother Chen will bleed a lot.”

“It’s not easy for young people to do business without background, strength, and only passion.” Boss Huang shook his head.

In the iron shop.

Wu Gui also had a worried look on his face and said to Chen Ku: “Boss, are you really going to open the business today and cut the ribbon? The drum band I found in the town has been arranged. ”

"Then let's play and make it more lively." Chen Ku waved his hand and said with a big smile.

Then, people playing gongs, drums and suonas came to the door of Tiehang. Chen Ku personally lit the firecrackers hanging on the door frame.

There was a crackle, and the children were also attracted.

"Shopkeeper, do you want to cut the ribbon?" Wu Gui asked people to surround the door with red cloth flowers.

"Wait a moment, wait for someone."

Chen Ku said.

Just said that.

Then I saw a few bosses walking not far away, wearing long coats, tall and short, wearing melon skin hats, and the clothes were very clean.

"Hahaha, I heard that Shopkeeper Chen's store is opening today, so we came here to congratulate Shopkeeper Chen to prevent you from being too deserted!"

The leader, a boss wearing a black gown, raised his hands to Chen Ku and said, "I, Kou Shuxun, am the shopkeeper of the Koujia Iron Shop on East Street. I heard that shopkeeper Chen is opening today, and we are all in the same business, so I came here to pay homage."

After saying that, he asked the waiter to bring over three ducks and sang:

"Shopkeeper Kou, I would like to congratulate Shopkeeper Chen on the opening of the store. I will give you three dry ducks as a gift."

Chen Ku politely raised his hands and smiled.

Then, the shopkeepers behind Shopkeeper Kou also asked the waiters to bring out their own gifts, and they all sang in harmony:

"Liu's Iron Shop on West Street, Liu Song, would like to congratulate shopkeeper Chen on the opening of the business and send you a piece of cotton!"

“The boss of South Street Blacksmith Shop has sent you three liters of japonica rice!”

"Shopkeeper Hu from North Street brought half a fan of pork."

…

A total of more than a dozen store owners from the railway companies came to give Chen Ku gifts to celebrate the opening of their stores.

For a time, the whole street, neighbors and shops were watching the excitement.

Inside the People's Restaurant, Boss Huang chuckled and said, "These gifts are often seen in the countryside when families are marrying a wife or building a new house. But among the bosses of these iron companies, whoever doesn't have a mine at home, just give them to them." These shabby gifts are clearly here to see the excitement, you are a shabby person.”

Wu Gui also had anger on his face in the store.

Although he knew that the dozen or so railway companies in the county would not allow them to suddenly step in and get a piece of the pie, he did not expect that they would all come together to show off their power on the opening day.

On the contrary, Chen Ku's expression did not change, and he even said to the guys with a smile on his face:

"Remember all the names. These are all congratulatory gifts from fellow shopkeepers. Don't miss out on the favor."

Then he raised his hands to the shopkeepers in front of him:

"All the shopkeepers are able to come and congratulate our store. It's light on courtesy but heavy on affection. Thank you very much!"

When the head shopkeeper Kou heard what Chen Ku said, he couldn't help but take a serious look at Chen Ku, a young boy.

Most young people, after such an experience, would have become angry from shame.

The young man in front of them, who looked about seventeen or eighteen years old, was not only not angry, but also so mature and prudent. He accepted the gifts one by one, leaving them unable to find any fault.

Shopkeeper Kou pondered for a moment, then put a smile on his face again, and said: "Since Brother Chen accepted the gift, there must be a banquet for the opening today? I wonder where we guests will go to have a banquet?"

"Since we can afford to drive the railway line, I think it's better to go to Hongyan Tower!" Someone suggested from behind with a smile.

Someone immediately interrupted and pretended to be serious:

"How is this possible? Shopkeeper Chen wants to sell their Wuchensha to major iron shops at half the market price, making us all make a lot of money inexplicably. We still have to go and eat his table for hundreds of taels of silver. Hongyan Tower, isn’t this too bullying!”

"That's right!!"

Wu Gui's face turned dark as he listened to the sharp and ridiculing remarks made by these shopkeepers outside.

He was about to roll up his sleeves and rush out.

But was caught by Chen Ku.

I saw Chen Ku smiling at Shopkeeper Kou and saying:

"Of course Hongyan Tower will invite you. What the shopkeepers said is that it's a good start. Of course, we have to go to the best restaurant in the county to have a banquet. This has been booked a long time ago, but today's guests haven't arrived yet. Everyone. Shopkeeper, you might as well wait a moment until all the guests in our restaurant have arrived, how about we go to the banquet together? "

Shopkeeper Kou's heart moved.

"Are there any guests?"

"It must be his brother-in-law Li Yuancheng."

"I've known it for a long time. He's just a deputy catcher. We can drive a train here, but there's no one behind him. My uncle is the head of the ceremonial room in the sixth room of the third class of the Yamen. He's half a level bigger than Li Yuancheng!"

After making eye contact with several shopkeepers, they agreed with a smile.

Sure enough.

After waiting for a while, I saw Li Yuancheng walking over with his wife and three boxes in his hands.

Li Yuancheng's face darkened when he saw all the Tiehang shopkeepers here.

As a deputy catcher for so many years, how could he not know the inside story of the industry? This was to show his power to the railway company.

But just as those shopkeepers were thinking, Li Yuancheng immediately recognized that at least half of these shopkeepers were related to the people in the third class and sixth room of the yamen.

He looks like a head-hunter, and he really can't be suppressed here.

"Deputy Li is the head arrester, and my brother is also on errands in the Yamen. He often talks about Brother Li..." Boss You from South Street came up and greeted him with a smile: "I heard from shopkeeper Chen that your store will hold a banquet at Hongyan Tower soon. We will But you must have a few more drinks.”

Worry appeared on Chen Tian's face.

As a woman, she had never seen such a scene, but she could hear the smell of gunpowder with guns and sticks in these people's faces and words.

I only know one thing, these people... are all here to hinder the business of my brother's shop.

I couldn't help but tug at my husband's sleeve.

Li Yuancheng felt his wife's movements and made several decisions in his mind. If the big business of tens of thousands of taels of silver was really blocked, how could he accept it?

What's more, he still has some guts in it.

Then be prepared to have a sullen attack and forcefully drive these people away.

But at this time,

There was a sound coming from the street.

"Tongwenguan Jiang Shaoyou, congratulations to junior brother on your successful opening."

A young man's voice sounded from not far away. It was very loud and elegant, and it immediately made everyone look back.

I saw Jiang Shaoyou, dressed in an elegant long gown, followed by four servants, using two burdens to carry a box to Tiehang. He delivered the box to Chen Ku and said to Chen Ku with a smile:

"Junior brother, you are opening your business. Senior brother, I came uninvited and without any preparation. I simply prepared some congratulatory gifts. These are all carefully selected by me, including toys, calligraphy and paintings, the four treasures of the study, pens, inks, papers and inkstones, to decorate the shop for you."

With that said, the servant opened the box and immediately revealed the contents.

The shopkeepers of several iron companies were surprised and jealous when they saw it.

They were Langhao's brushes, Songjiang's ink, Xuanzhou's paper, antique-level inkstones, and several calligraphy and paintings worth hundreds of taels.

"Tongwen Hall? Young Master Jiang Shaoyou?!"

"I didn't expect that this man named Chen in Yaowang Hall would have such a good relationship with the young master of such a wealthy family!"

Not only are these shopkeepers surprised by Chen Ku but also by this relationship.

The shops on the street were also surprised, especially the owner of the calligraphy and painting shop, who looked at Jiang Shaoyou's back in awe. That was the Tongwen Museum that monopolized a street of calligraphy and painting.

"Senior brother, these are all generous gifts from you."

Chen Ku smiled at Jiang Shaoyou and said, "Why are you so embarrassed?"

Jiang Shaoyou flicked the paper fan in his hand and blinked at Chen Ku: "What am I doing? Someone will give you a more expensive gift later."

"Is there anyone else?" The other shopkeepers were stunned when they heard this.

What kind of connections could this Yaowangtang apprentice have?

At this time, the sound of carriages parked on the street came from far and near.

"That's..." Shopkeeper Kou turned his head and saw the sign on the carriage at a glance: "Isn't that the carriage of Chai Wu's family?"

Just thinking about it.

But they saw two carriages, one behind the other, stopped at the door of Chen Ku's shop.

Winter is about to come, and the weather is slightly cold. Chai Tiangui is dressed in luxurious silk, with a fine mink fur scarf around his neck. When he comes down, he smiles at Chen and holds his hands in front of Chen in a kind-hearted manner:

"Brother Chen, happy opening. Chai has prepared some small congratulatory gifts. I hope Brother Chen will accept them."

As he said that, someone moved three large boxes from the carriage behind him.

After opening.

Suddenly a bright silver light reflected the sun, sparkling.

"Silver! So much silver!!"

The tourists on this street all spoke in shock, looking at the three big boxes.

"Three thousand taels of silver!"

What is the relationship between this Chai Xiaoguan and the boy named Chen?

Just open.

One gift is three thousand taels?