This shop is run by a business association, so its facade is naturally high-end, with whitewashed walls and blue tiles, and even the doors and windows have exquisite wood carvings.
The plaque hanging high above reads "Western Oddities Workshop".
As soon as you enter the store, you will be greeted by the scent of sandalwood.
Several large butter candle lanterns made the store bright.
On the ebony shelves with four walls, there is a statue of Western Clocks, of different sizes, Five Flowers Eight Tones, all of which are exquisite in craftsmanship.
There is a small building with exquisite cornices, corridors and columns, and carved windows. When the hands turn, you can hear the melodious bells in the building...
There is one that looks like a carriage. The body is inlaid with gold and silver filaments, the wheels can rotate slowly, and there is a small clock face on the top, which ticks...
In addition to the clock, there are several Eight Tones boxes on the shelf.
These Eight Tones boxes are also exquisitely made. The outer shells are made of precious wood, or interlaced with gold and silver, and are engraved with flowers, animals, and figures.
One lifted the lid and made a crisp sound.
The shopkeeper is an old man with an elegant temperament. He also wears gold-rimmed glasses and a black Confucian robe, which is quite appropriate.
Of course, a shop like this also needs strong and able-bodied clerks.
"Seen Patriarch Tian."
Seeing a few people from a distance, the old man came over to greet them.
Patriarch Tian looked around and said with a smile, "Steward Zhao, why haven't you closed the store so late?"
The old man quickly held up his hands and said, "This is not the time Dragon Boat Festival has arrived. There are many new businessmen from other places. Some of them stopped by Wuchang specifically just to come to our chamber of commerce to purchase. It is not appropriate to close the store too early."
Patriarch Tian nodded, then turned around, smiled at Li Yan and introduced, "As early as ten years ago, a Western monk came to Divine Land and presented Automaton Clock to the emperor."
"The clock was exquisitely made, and the emperor liked it very much. Since then, it has become popular Divine Land, but it is controlled by monk Hu, and the price is high. Even from a wealthy family, it is hard to buy it."
"Since the opening of the sea, some businessmen have found the place of origin, only to find that they have been cheated a lot by those barbarian monks. Now, the method of making bells has been learned by the craftsmen in the capital, and it is not too expensive."
With that said, he turned around and said, "Steward Zhao, this is my distinguished guest. Take out your batch of pocket watches and let someone choose a few."
"Guest please wait."
The old man quickly entered the inner hall and took out an ebony box. The top was divided into small compartments, filled with pocket watches of various colors.
Some cases are made of fine copper, which can be used to identify people. The cases are engraved with rare birds Strange Beast or flowers...
Some are made of silver, with delicate and smooth outer shells, decorated with complex patterns, like vines intertwining, and continuous, which looks like a Western style...
Most of them are inlaid with jewelry, but some are also inlaid with white porcelain pieces, painting landscapes or writing poems by famous people, which has a quite Chinese style.
It seems that this thing was also made by craftsmen in the capital.
Sure enough, after opening the pocket watch, the instructions inside were not Arabic numerals, but Zichou Yinmao, the heavenly stems and earthly branches.
Patriarch Tian smiled and said, "These pocket watches are just recently made. They have become popular in the capital. This Dragon Boat Festival will also be sold in large quantities in Ezhou. The price is not expensive, but it is more suitable."
Li Yan was delighted when he saw this, "It's really a good thing."
With this thing, it is more convenient to check the time during team operations.
According to his personal personality, he chose a pocket watch for Sha LiFei with a brass case and an engraving of Panlong.
Lu San is engraved with an eagle, Wang Dao Xuan is the most special, and behind it is a small Eight Trigrams Diagram case.
As for him, he chose a Tai Chi pattern.
After all, you have to travel around the world to get those gem-encrusted ones. Taking them out from time to time will inevitably attract attention, so they are all brass casings and equipped with leather covers.
Four pocket watches cost a total of more than three hundred taels.
Patriarch Tian naturally wouldn't let him pay, so he directly put it in his account and led everyone out the door.
Coming to the street, Patriarch Tian looked to the left, hesitating a little.
Tian Wei knew what he was thinking and quickly said, "Father, how about we go to my second uncle's house right now?"
Patriarch Tian heard this and shook his head quickly, "No, how can I come to someone's door in the middle of the night? Besides, the second child already has a problem with me..."
Li Yan was speechless when he saw this.
Everything else about this Patriarch Tian is fine, he is upright and behaves according to the rules, but he is a little shy when facing his relatives.
I obviously miss my son, but I always scold him when I see him.
He was obviously worried about his brother, so he ran over early in the morning, but when things came to a close, he still couldn't let go of his face.
Thinking of this, he also tried to persuade him, "This is not just a visit to the house. Something has obviously happened to the other party. It's better to do it sooner rather than later."
"That's fine!"
Hearing this reason, Patriarch Tian immediately nodded, asked the servants to bring the horses, and walked all the way through the street on the left to the west of the city.
There is no curfew in Wu Prefecture City, and with Dragon Boat Festival approaching, the city is obviously more lively.
In some streets, stages and operas have even been set up.
Wu Prefecture City In this place, Chu tune is popular, the characters on the stage are extremely charming, and the people in the audience cheer loudly.
Li Yan Now I can roughly hear what the other party is singing. "It's as white as snow on the mountain, as bright as the moon in the clouds. I heard that you have two minds, so I came to fight. Today's drinking party, the water head of Mingdangou..."
Unlike the majestic Qin opera, Chu opera is more affectionate and sad.
Li Yan was in a good mood, riding his horse, tapping his fingers gently to the rhythm, and the lanterns of the teahouses and restaurants on both sides retreated.
The cool breeze blows in your face, but it also has a certain flavor.
Even though the streets were full of people, they passed through the city and reached the west of the city in about Three Incense Sticks time.
"It's in the alley ahead."
Patriarch Tian sighed slightly, his eyes a little complicated.
It's obviously much quieter here, and it's surrounded by deep mansions and courtyards. The only light is the angry lantern at the door of the wealthy family's house.
Deep in the alley, there were faint sounds of barking.
Arriving outside a house, Patriarch Tian's face suddenly changed.
The door of the house was closed, and it was hacked with knives and axes, and filthy things such as dog blood and feces were thrown on it.
Not to mention the lanterns hanging at the door, even the courtyard was dark, as if no one was inhabiting it.
"No, something happened!"
Patriarch Tian's face turned pale and his voice was trembling.
Li Yan pinched the formula in his hand, frowned and smelled it, then whispered, "There are still people hiding inside..."
Patriarch Tian understood immediately, quickly got off his horse, walked forward quickly, and knocked on the door again and again regardless of the dirt on the door.
"Second brother, open the door quickly, big brother is here!"
There was a rustling sound in the yard, and then the wooden door was slowly opened, revealing a pale young man.
Seeing Patriarch Tian, the young man's eyes were complicated and he gritted his teeth and said, "What are you doing here?"
"Get out of the way!"
Patriarch Tian Too lazy to talk nonsense, he pushed the door open and strode in.
The young man was anxious and wanted to stop him, but was stopped by Tian Wei. He shook his head and said, "Brother Wu, adults' matters must be resolved. My father heard that something happened to his second uncle, so he ran over in a hurry..."
The young man bit his lip and said no more.
But Patriarch Tian had already ordered his servants to light the torches, and hurried to the backyard Wing Room. He smelled the pungent smell of medicinal herbs, and his heart suddenly shivered.
Sure enough, when I pushed Wing Room away, I saw a woman sitting inside, squatting in front of the charcoal fire with medicinal soup rolling on it.
On the bed, there was a middle-aged man lying. His face was sallow and he looked very weak. His appearance was somewhat similar to Patriarch Tian, but he was thinner.
Seeing Patriarch Tian, he glanced coldly and said, "What are you doing here? Are you kidding me?"
"You!"
Patriarch Tian Anger welled up in his heart, but he did not break out.
Looking at the person on the bed, I remembered that the brother who followed me when I was young was now like this, and I couldn't help but feel sad, "Second brother, why didn't you tell your elder brother that something happened?"
Although the second child of the Tian family was a little surprised, he still sneered, "No, I can't bear it."
"Besides, you were right at the beginning. I'm just a piece of mud that can't stand up to the wall. Look, aren't you right?"
The grievances between the Tian brothers originated from quarrels.
They came out of Dustpan Village village, and the three brothers worked together to start a small business. Later, they met noble people to help them, and the business grew bigger and bigger.
However, it is easy to share hardships and joys together.
After the business grew, the three brothers became a little restless.
The second child likes gambling, and the third child is addicted to drinking and sex. As for Patriarch Tian, he is arrogant and looks down on his two brothers more and more.
Finally, due to their mistakes, they lost a lot of money in a business. Patriarch Tian became furious and scolded the two brothers bloody.
The two were not Qi Ingestion and even had a fight.
At this point, the three brothers separated and did not interact with each other. Even the Qingming ancestor worship was deliberately separated.
Seeing how Patriarch Tian has been prospering over the years, the two brothers felt uncomfortable and worked hard to run their own business.
To a certain extent, I am also angry.
Hearing the second son's angry words, Patriarch Tian was no longer angry at this time. He burst into tears and looked up to the sky and sighed, "How can a perfect person live a lifetime of fame, fortune, wine, sex, and wealth?"
"After my parents left, I should have fulfilled my responsibilities as an eldest brother, but I looked down on you. It's all my fault. If you're angry, brother, just feel free to scold me."
The second child on the bed gritted his teeth and wanted to say something, but when the words came to his lips, he couldn't say them. He just burst into tears and started to cry.
His son and wife were stunned.
The Tian family's second eldest son had a stubborn temper and was so angry that he was bedridden and cursed. This was the first time that mother and son saw him shed tears.
Tian Wei Seeing this, he quickly stepped forward and advised, "Second uncle, don't be sad. In fact, my father also misses you very much. I saw him awake all night last night..."
"Get out!"
Patriarch Tian stared, "My lord is talking, why are you interrupting?"
After that, he held the hand of the second oldest brother in the Tian family and said, "Don't worry, second brother, no matter what happens, the eldest brother will make the decision for you!"
Tian Wei laughed dumbly and hugged the shoulders of the young man next to him, "Brother Wu, let's move around more in the future."
When the matter was told, the second son of the Tian family also told the whole story.
The reason for the accident is actually very simple.
The second son of the Tian family is in the "Han Embroidery" business.
The so-called "Han Embroidery" actually comes from Chu Embroidery, Qu Yuan "Chu Ci" once sighed: The jade bead quilt is rotten and shiny.
From the officials to the famous prostitutes and actors in Ezhou, they all like to be Han Embroidery, and their business never worries.
Although the business of the second son of the Tian family is not as good as that of Patriarch Tian, he still manages hundreds of embroidery workers and more than a dozen workshops.
At the end of last year, someone introduced him to a big customer. All he had to do was send the items to Xiangyang and let someone else sell them.
Moreover, the other party will pay more than half of the deposit.
Naturally, the second son of the Tian family readily agreed to such a good thing.
Every time, the other party can settle the bill smoothly.
The amount of transactions between the two parties is getting larger and larger. The second son of the Tian family usually takes the deposit first and lets the workshop rush to make it, and then earns the remaining money from the other party.
The last time, the other party needed a large amount of goods, and he also said that the turnover was a bit difficult this time, so he would not pay the deposit and settle the bill after the sale.
The second son of the Tian family, who had been making money from the other party during this period, was afraid of losing this big customer, so he gritted his teeth and agreed.
But this time, several shipments of goods were robbed on the road, and the second son of the Tian family suffered heavy losses.
Not only that, the money from more than a dozen workshops has not yet been settled, and the other party also filed a lawsuit against him on the grounds that the goods were not delivered.
The contract between the two parties was also tampered with by the other party, saying that the deposit had been paid and asking him to pay compensation several times.
During this period, not only did the embroidery workers who owed their wages come to make trouble, but the other party also hired a group of thugs to come to the house all day long to collect debts.
The second son of the Tian family was also so angry that he became ill.
In desperation, he took the wrong path, but the prices of the things dug out from the tomb were deliberately lowered, and they couldn't fill the hole at all...
Li Yan As soon as he heard it, he understood something in his heart.
This is the work of the "Feng" sect, which is a gang-type scammer. Some people are responsible for "drawing fibers", some are responsible for "pretending", and some are responsible for "grabbing fire". The division of labor is clear, and the one who takes charge of the overall situation is called "Anzuozi".
"It's not your fault."
There was anger in Patriarch Tian's eyes, "You have been set up by the Bee Sect. If nothing unexpected happens, the people who introduced you to the customers, as well as those embroidery workshops, are all involved."
"This method is very simple. Every time the other party gets the Han Embroidery, it is sent directly back to the workshop, and most of the deposit will be returned to them."
"A few times can make you bankrupt."
"Don't worry, second brother, I'm quite familiar with the people on the rivers and lakes here. As long as we find these Bee Sect 'Anzuozi's, the matter can be solved."
"It's easy to talk to the Yamen. I'll ask someone to negotiate for peace. I'll delay it for a while. If I find the person who set up the situation, I will force him to withdraw the lawsuit."
"Eventually there will be some losses, but most of the family property can be recovered."
"Thank you, brother."
The Tian family's second son's voice trembled and he breathed a sigh of relief.
He inquired in many places and knew that he was in trouble, but with his strength, he could not solve it.
Patriarch Tian smiled and said, "This is a small matter. You just need to rest and recuperate. Leave it all to big brother."
"By the way, I'll call my third brother here tomorrow, and my eldest brother will also apologize to him. Don't you two have a good relationship? Why didn't he come?"
The second son of the Tian family gave a wry smile, "The third brother is also unable to protect himself at this time."
"He was seduced by his friends, and he failed to control his crotch. He had an affair with the wife of a good family. He was blackmailed all day long, otherwise he would have to report to the official, which caused a storm in the city."
"The business has also been disrupted. I am probably in a panic right now and don't know where to raise money..."
"Why is this third child so confused!"
Patriarch Tian When he heard it, he was immediately very angry.
When Li Yan heard this, he frowned and shook his head and said, "Patriarch Tian Don't be anxious, something is wrong with this matter."
"Your second brother has a stubborn temper and has a gambling streak. Your third brother is addicted to drinking and sex and can't control his crotch."
"Both things were clearly aimed at their weaknesses, and both were carefully planned. And you were also cursed."
"Don't you think it's a coincidence that three brothers had an accident at the same time?"
Patriarch Tian was shocked, "Those people?"
Li Yan nodded and said, "Most likely."
"This?"
Patriarch Tian was angry in his heart, "Why did our Tian family offend them, so that we should use any means to frame them?"
Li Yan fell into deep thought and tapped his fingers lightly.
"These people are hugely powerful. If they wanted to frame them deliberately, everyone in your Tian family would already be out of control, yet they still have to go to such lengths."
"They were not framed..."
"But forced!"
Third update around 12 o'clock