251-260

Chapter 251

On the streets of Dongyang County, the street vendors saw the young man surrounded by more than 20 yamen runners and thought he was a young master from somewhere, so that the county magistrate sent so many yamen runners to protect him, and looked at him quietly.

"This is it." The yamen runner stopped more than 20 steps away from the destination and pointed to the yard in front and said to Gu Lin.

When Gu Lin interrogated the trafficker, these yamen runners were present. The bandit who only wanted to die in the end answered completely, even saying that there was a corner missing on the door of the yard where the remaining traffickers lived.

So they found this place very smoothly.

Gu Lin raised his hand, "According to the confession of that man, there are still 23 traffickers in the yard, and 57 girls and boys who were abducted here." "

In order to prevent alerting the enemy, the traffickers took the girls and boys as hostages to save their lives. You catch the fish that escaped outside the yard, and I sneak in."

The yamen runners had seen how he used a knife to make the trafficker speak, and knew that he was a martial artist, but they didn't know how good he was.

Hearing him say that, they were nervous and didn't dare to disobey his order.

They thought that since it was the prefect himself who said so, it would have nothing to do with them if anything went wrong.

...

This was a very ordinary courtyard, built by the common people to live in, but temporarily rented to these traffickers pretending to be merchants, and surrounded by ordinary people.

The neighbor next door heard a subtle sound coming from the next room, and paused with the bowl in his hand: "Dad, did you hear any sound, like someone calling."

The man stopped chewing and listened carefully: "No, did you hear it wrong?"

Then he listened again, but the woman who heard nothing blinked in confusion, not sure whether she really heard it or her ears exploded and she had an illusion.

"Squeak--" The door of the courtyard opened from the inside, and the yamen runners scattered around the courtyard, who followed Gu Lin's instructions to catch the fish that slipped through the net, but did not catch any, saw the door open from the inside, and their hearts rose to their throats.

The next moment, the prefecture master was standing there, holding a long sword in his hand.

This, has all the human traffickers been dealt with?

The yamen runners hurried over: "Sir."

Gu Lin said: "They have all been executed. The girls and boys who were abducted here have been fed with muscle softening powder. Some of them are not in good condition. Comfort them more and try to find out their household registration and send them back the same way. Don't delay."

"Yes."

After dealing with the trouble here, Gu Lin left first.

The yamen runners walked into the yard and saw dead bodies in several rooms and dams. All of them died by a sword in the throat. The blade was so smooth that there was no cut, and some even had only a little skin left.

They almost wanted to jump back and follow in to see what was going on.

Lin Zhen lay on the bed and felt that the strength in his body was slowly recovering, but the recovery speed was so slow that he couldn't stand it.

He tilted his head with difficulty, looked at the shadow of Shao Ying reflected in the window, and licked his lips.

The pot of tea that was just fed to him accumulated to the top in his body, and he clenched his fists.

Suddenly, a familiar figure walked in from outside, and Lin Zhen's eyes brightened a little. Gu Lin was much more useful than Shao Ying, at least he didn't use his eyes to signal that he still didn't understand anything for a long time.

In Lin Zhen's somewhat anxious and expectant eyes, Gu Lin sat on the edge of the bed. He immediately noticed Lin Zhen's gaze: "Uncle Lin?"

Lin Zhen looked at him and asked, "Call the two brothers to help me go to the toilet. The tea I just drank is pent up."

His tongue was still numb and he couldn't speak, but Gu Lin understood what he meant and moved his eyes to Lin Zhen's lower body lying flat.

After Lin Zhen expressed his meaning, he waited for Gu Lin to call for help. Suddenly, in his puzzled eyes, Gu Lin reached out and helped him up.

"I'll help Uncle Lin." He said.

"!!!" Lin Zhen's eyes, which were already a little round, became even rounder. He looked at Gu Lin, what the hell, say it again.

Gu Lin supported him against his chest, and put one hand through his knees: "It is said in the market that brothers can marry brothers."

Lin Zhen, who had seen him jealous of the food of his neighbor in Kyoto, felt like his brain was pinched. So you are jealous now?

Lin Zhen's soft hands collapsed on his legs. He mobilized all his senses there, and fell on Gu Lin's hands like mosquitoes.

Gu Lin's face was a little red, and he picked him up: "I won't cross the line."

"..." Lin Zhen thought that he was jealous because he praised the food, and now is the peak, they are two brothers of the same gender!

Picking up Lin Zhen, Gu Lin walked to the separated place for urination, and called Shao Ying, who was waiting outside the door, out of the yard, and told him not to come in without his order.

He was Lin Zhen's nephew, Shao Ying had nothing to worry about, bowed and saluted and left.

This courtyard was vacated by the wife of the county magistrate herself. It was spacious and the things inside were all top-quality. However, since Lin Zhen did not like to use the toilet in the house, this was his first time here. There

was a small couch in the space that could accommodate four people. On the couch were two objects, one large and one small, made of porcelain, with doors to hold those things.

Officials were particular about this. Once the owner had used something, they would immediately deal with it and fill it with fragrant soup to avoid odors. So let alone strange smells, all you could smell was fragrance.

Lin Zhen, who was exhausted, had no other ideas. What could he say? Their relationship had come to this point.

They had kissed so many times and were so close to each other. Although they had never been frank with each other, they had some understanding of each other's bodies.

There was nothing unacceptable.

There was a table next to the couch. Gu Lin hooked the table with his feet, hugged Lin Zhen and sat on it, and then took advantage of the situation to change Lin Zhen to a position with his back to him, sitting on his waist and hips.

The muscle softening effect in his body was still there. Lin Zhen sat in his arms like a lifelike porcelain doll, with his head and shoulders leaning against his arms. He lowered his eyes and saw that his legs were spread apart and placed on Gu Lin's legs. Gu Lin's fingers lifted up his lower robe.

Then the belt of his underwear was pulled down a little.

Gu Lin lowered his head and leaned close to his ear: "Uncle Lin, it's OK."

The object was close to him, and the cold touch was very clear.

Lin Zhen had been holding it in for a long time, but at this moment he was a little tense and couldn't let it out.

Gu Lin looked into his eyes and understood what he meant. His large fingers fell on his lower abdomen, stroking it one by one like a cat's fur, and scattered kisses fell on his cheeks and forehead, carrying his hot body temperature.

Lin Zhen's lower abdomen was sour and hot, and a sound suddenly came from the object.

"——"

Gu Lin pulled up his underwear, put down his lower robe, put him on the bed, and put two pillows behind him to make his upper body rise a little.

Then Lin Zhen saw his red ears and neck.

Chapter 252 [Extra Story·Pearl]

Zong Zheng has a secret in his heart that he cannot tell. He has fallen in love with someone.

Lin's Trading Company is a well-known trading company in Dayu. The head of the trading company, Lin Zhen, is a legendary figure. He is the God of Wealth. Anyone who has anything to do with him will count money until his hands are tired.

Just as his way of making money is well-known throughout the country, his beautiful and almost bewitching appearance is also well-known.

When Zong Zheng was just promoted, he didn't know what his biggest boss looked like. That day, he was assigned a task by the manager above to take a list to another manager, but the wind was too strong and there was a problem with the bound list. The list was blown into the pool by the wind, soaked in water and turned into a mass of ink, and nothing could be seen clearly.

His manager has always been strict. If he knew that he didn't do his job well, he would probably fire him immediately, not to mention the position he had just been promoted to.

But he had worked hard for a long time to get this job. His grandparents and parents had been happy for a long time because he could work for Lin. If he was fired, he didn't dare to imagine what his grandparents and parents would look like.

Zong Zheng stood on the smooth cement path with the list that was completely unreadable, and couldn't think of any way to save it.

Suddenly, an extremely beautiful man wearing a black round-necked and slanted-collared silk shirt came towards him: "What's wrong? You haven't moved for a long time?"

Zong Zheng looked up at the person who was talking and was shocked by the appearance of the person in front of him.

The heroic long eyebrows were a little round, so they looked innocent, but the tails of the eyes extended into charming eyes, a straight nose, and slightly plump lips.

There was no adjective that resembled his white skin. Every part of it was in the most tempting place, making people want to look at him, talk to him, and even get closer to him.

Zong Zheng is sixteen years old this year. His family is looking for a bride for him. He couldn't imagine what his wife would look like before, but now he thinks that if he can marry this man, he will be the happiest person in the world.

He felt his face burning hot and his heart beating like a drum.

He said, "Our manager asked me to deliver a list to the manager of the glass factory, but I didn't expect that the list was not ordered and fell into the water."

Lin Zhen found at first glance that this boy looked a bit like Gu Lin when he was a teenager, with long eyebrows, a high nose bridge, and thin lips.

But he didn't have Gu Lin's signature eyes that were darker than ordinary people, and his personality showed that he was raised by his family.

He suddenly developed some patience and said, "It's wet, so just go back and get another one."

"But..." Zong Zheng looked at the husband who was older than him and made his heart beat like a drum, "Our manager is quite strict. If the manager knew that I didn't get the job done, I'm afraid he would fire me."

He held the wet list tightly, inexplicably not wanting to stand up in front of this husband, and gritted his teeth and said, "I, I'll go find the manager and explain the situation."

Lin Zhen looked at his expression and found it interesting, and said, "This matter is a bit accidental, it's not all your fault. Although your manager is strict, he is not unreasonable. Nothing will happen."

Zong Zheng looked at the husband in front of him and nodded in a daze.

After that, he mustered up the courage to find the manager. As the husband said, the manager was strict, but he gave him the spare list.

Zong Zheng always missed the husband and stayed at the place where he met the husband several times, but he didn't meet him. It was not

until the steward received the order from his superiors to follow the legendary head of the business to the west that Zong Zheng saw the husband whom he could not forget for a long time.

He heard the steward call that husband "boss". There was only one person who could be called "boss" by the steward - the head of Lin's Business, Lin Zhen.

Zong Zheng did not know what he felt at that moment. The great joy that had just risen in him seemed to be extinguished by a basin of water, and the remaining sparks remained weakly.

Everyone in Kyoto knew that the head of Lin's Business was the husband of the current Prime Minister Gu. For him, Prime Minister Gu was impeached and criticized by all the ministers and students from various academies. There

was only a world of difference between him and Prime Minister Gu.

But Zong Zheng still could not help it. He could not help but find opportunities to get close to Lin Zhen, could not help but want to be closer to him, and could not help but try his best to show himself, just to get a compliment from Lin Zhen.

Half a month later, the matter in the west was successfully resolved, and the group returned to Kyoto.

They were on a boat, and the boat with the flag of Lin's Trading Company was moored on the canal, attracting many people to look at it.

After following Lin Zhen for these days, Zong Zheng finally understood the man he loved. The head of Lin's Trading Company was a very skillful and very pleasing person.

He couldn't help blushing and said to Lin Zhen: "When I met the boss that day, did the boss think that I was a little silly, standing there like a fool, not knowing what to do?" Lin Zhen said:

"You have little experience, so it is normal to be flustered after something happened. Based on your performance these days, you just need to hone your skills."

"Really?"

"Will I see the boss again in the future?"

Lin Zhen keenly saw something in the eyes of the young man. Before he could react, Lu Lu, who came out with him, shouted: "Boss, the adults are here to pick you up."

After not seeing Gu Lin for more than ten days, Lin Zhen reflexively moved his legs when he heard the name Gu Lin. The feeling before leaving appeared vividly in his mind, making him a little scared and a little sour.

Lin Zhen saw Gu Lin at first sight. The handsome young man was wearing a black robe with wide sleeves. His long hair was tied up with a jade hairpin. He didn't look like a martial artist at all. He looked like a scholar who worked at his desk all year round and only knew poetry and books.

But he was the chief minister of Gu, the military marquis of Dingjun. He married Lin Zhen, who raised him, despite the disapproval of the whole country, and made the court close their eyes and mouths and pretend not to see or know him.

Someone recognized him. After a while of noise, it quickly died down. There was not much noise at the mouth of the canal where pedestrians came and went.

Lin Zhen had just put down the cold drink in his hand and was about to get off the boat when Gu Lin walked over from the wooden board connecting the river bank.

"Get off." He heard Gu Lin say to the people on the boat.

All of these people on the boat didn't know that Gu Lin was his husband. They all took their things and got off the boat without stopping for a moment.

Lin Zhen's hands on his knees grabbed the fabric of his robe. He glanced away without looking at Gu Lin, and took a sip of the tea beside him.

This ship is not a cargo ship, but is specially built for recreation. The accommodation on the ship is like a pavilion, exquisite and gorgeous, and the furnishings are also Lin Zhen's favorite.

He saw Gu Lin walking towards him from the corner of his eye, and the bamboo curtains beside him fell down with a "whoosh", hitting the window coffin, making a loud sound.

Lin Zhen looked up at Gu Lin and saw that his dark eyes were like a whirlpool, rolling him in. The silk ribbon with red coral fell to the ground, and the black Luo robe was thrown on the chair. Lin Zhen had no time to react, and he was pressed down on the chair, pinched his chin and licked his nipples into his mouth. The nipples no longer belonged to him in an instant.

"Zhenzhen, you were gone for seventeen days."

Lin Zhen also missed him. He kissed her and stroked her hair: "I had a lot of things to do, so I stayed two more days."

"Don't go again in the future."

"If there is something, I still have to go, but I will come back as soon as possible."

"But I will miss Zhenzhen, miss Zhenzhen," Gu Lin bent over and looked down at Lin Zhen who was curled up on the armchair because of his kissing, "I miss you every day."

His eyes were so dark without a trace of light. Whether it was his actions or words, they were telling Lin Zhen that he really wanted Lin Zhen to stay with him forever and never leave his side.

Lin Zhen had long discovered that he looked normal on the outside, but his possessiveness was terrifying, just like when he was in bed, he would not stop until every inch of his body was covered with his scent.

Lin Zhen looked at him soothingly and replied, "I miss you too, but this is also good. We both have our own things to do."

"Zhenzhen only knows how to coax me." He was not like the unkind, heartless and almost inhuman Gu Shoufu, and his tone was even a little childish.

Lin Zhen hooked his neck, "Can you coax me?"

"As long as it's Zhenzhen, it's fine."

Lin Zhen's body trembled, frowned slightly and tilted his neck back. He couldn't help but secrete tears of reason in his eyes. He looked at Gu Lin who squatted down and buried his head in his place, and trembled and grabbed his hair: "Gu Lin... Gu... Gu Lin..."

After a moment, Lin Zhen looked at the top of the cabin with a little absent-minded eyes, until something stretched that place, forcing him to frown and shrink his body to escape upwards.

But the next second, Gu Lin fixed him firmly on the armchair, not allowing him to escape at all.

Over and over again, over and over again.

From the armchair to the ground, then to the table, on the bed...

Lin Zhen went from being unable to bear it at the beginning, to being controlled by Qingyu in his body and mind, to becoming a strange appearance to himself, and then to being drowsy.

He sat on Gu Lin's body like a puppet, his face covered with heavy blush, tired and dazed, "I'm so tired, Gu Lin... I'm tired..."

Gu Lin, who was completely controlling his body, hugged him tightly: "It's okay this time, let Zhenzhen rest this time."

Lin Zhen couldn't distinguish his words, let alone that Gu Lin had said this sentence several times before. He nodded in a daze, and his eyes shook violently.

In the evening of the next day, Lin Zhen nestled in Gu Lin's arms and was carried off the boat by him.

The servants in the mansion saw the two masters and hurriedly pulled open the curtain of the carriage to let them get on, not daring to look around.

When Lin Zhen woke up and asked Lu Lu, he realized that he had been in Kyoto for three days. After being carried off the boat by Gu Lin, he slept for a whole day and night.

Lu Lu, who was already married, was no longer the simple girl of the past, and knew why Lin Zhen was so tired.

But she was still so bold, saying what she had said countless times before: "Boss, don't indulge the master like this. The doctor has told you many times before that you should take care of your spirit and not indulge in lust."

"..." This is really not Gu Lin's fault.

Over the years, he has long recognized his own body, and his needs should be more than ordinary people. Occasionally, he would seduce Gu Lin to do that.

But Gu Lin gave too much, which was a bit beyond the threshold.

Lin Zhen took the eight-treasure soup she handed over with limp hands, drank half a bowl and asked her: "Did he go to court?"

"Well, before leaving, ask the servant to stew the eight-treasure soup to prevent you from exhausting your strength."

"..." With the same labor, others can still go to court in high spirits, but I just woke up after lying down for a day and a night. What's this? !

Lin Zhen said to Lulu: "Prepare water for me, I want to take a bath."

"Yes." For so many years, he was still served by Lulu. As soon as Lulu went down, Lin Zhen touched his own place and found that it was swollen again without any surprise.

But it was cool and refreshing inside, not uncomfortable.

I had already cleaned it and applied ointment.

Soon, the bath water was ready, and Lin Zhen took a comfortable bath, half lying on the recliner to read the accounts of the business and the reports sent from various places.

Suddenly, just when Lin Zhen finished reading the report sent by Lizhou, Lulu walked in: "Boss, there is a boy named Zongzheng outside the mansion, saying that he is here to deliver something to you." They

had only been separated for two or three days, so Lin Zhen naturally remembered this boy named Zongzheng and asked Lulu to bring him in.

"My humble servant greets you, boss." Zongzheng was brought in. He was not one of those trained servants, and did not understand the rules inside. After paying his respects, he looked at Lin Zhen.

He found that Lin Zhen at this moment was different from the one he had seen a few days ago. There was a sense of fatigue between his eyebrows, but his relaxed posture made his heart, which had finally calmed down, become restless again.

"Did your manager ask you to deliver something?" When Lin Zhen saw him, he remembered the look he had seen on the boat, and he did not intend to take the initiative to contact this boy.

Gu Lin is a jealous person. He is jealous of anything that is not alive. I am afraid that he will turn the jealous jar upside down for such a big living person.

But if there is something important to do, Lin Zhen will naturally not let his personal feelings delay it.

Zong Zheng handed the things in his hand to Lin Zhen in a flustered manner: "Well, our manager asked me to bring it to the boss."

Lin Zhen saw that it was something that he asked Zong Zheng's manager to make when he was dealing with things in the west. He nodded and reached out to take the things.

At this time, Gu Lin, wearing a purple official robe and a black official hat, walked in. He looked at Zong Zheng's hand that was stretched out to Lin Zhen and Lin Zhen.

Lin Zhen took the things and said to Lu Lu, "Take him down."

Zong Zheng already knew who this person in the official robe was. Gu Shoufu, the husband of Boss Lin, he seemed to have done something wrong. He didn't dare to look at Lin Zhen again and followed Lu Lu out.

Lin Zhen looked at Gu Lin and rubbed his brows: "You are jealous."

"Yeah."

"He was just a worker in our company. I have only met him a few times."

"Yeah."

"But you are still jealous?"

"Yeah."

Three "Yeahs" in a row, Lin Zhen rubbed his brows harder and harder. This kid is really jealous, so jealous that it is a bit inexplicable.

Lin Zhen moved his legs and felt that it was not so uncomfortable there, and he could bear it a little. He walked over and pulled him to the inner room, pressed him on the bed, and pulled open the silk belt around his waist with his fingers.

But Gu Lin didn't allow him to slow down at all. He took out a long chain inlaid with gold and pearls from somewhere, tied his hands, and wrapped it around his chest, Kuaxia, and his feet.

"Gu Lin!"

His hands were tied and pulled behind him, with no place to support himself.

Gu Lin, who was kneeling behind him, grabbed his ears, neck, and shoulders with such force that he almost killed him.

But Gu Lin on the bed never had the word "circumvention", and soon let him fall into the yuwang, the thin Yao was controlled by him, and the prominent lines of the tun made a loud sound.

When Lin Zhen couldn't help shivering, he turned Lin Zhen in a direction, hugged him like a child, and used force hard. Lin Zhen lost control and hugged him tightly: "Gu Lin... Gu Lin... I feel uncomfortable..." "I

really don't feel uncomfortable, I really like it." Putting him on the bed, Gu Lin looked down at him, his handsome and unfeeling face was like a god, but with a force that Lin Zhen couldn't bear, so that he couldn't make any sound in his throat.

"Well..." Lin Zhen's upper body was pressed against the bed, Yao was lifted by him, again.

Gu Lin was right, he liked it, Gu Lin fed him very well.

Chapter 253

Good man, it was me who was held by him and did that thing just now, and he blushed more than me. I wonder when this blushing problem will be alleviated.

About...

after doing that thing in the future?

Lin Zhen, who is not a pure young man, thought of that as soon as he thought about it. Suddenly, he remembered the tacit understanding between him and Gu Lin, and turned his eyes to look at him.

Sure enough, what he was thinking just now was known by Gu Lin. His face and neck, which were originally just a light red, were completely dyed a deeper red, just like the tomato-colored lipstick he made.

The effect of the soft muscle powder can only be excreted from the body by drinking water. Gu Lin asked Shao Ying to bring in new tea and feed it to Lin Zhen, and then waited for Lin Zhen to signal with his eyes before using the same posture just now to let Lin Zhen do that thing.

After three or five times, most of the effects of the drug in Lin Zhen's body were gone. Not only could he speak shorter sentences, but his hands and feet could also move.

He looked at Gu Lin and asked, "Why did you come to Dongyang County?"

Gu Lin said, "The farming is over. You haven't been back to the prefecture for a long time, so I came."

"It's a good thing you came." Lin Zhen now thought of what the county magistrate's concubine did. He still couldn't believe how a mother could set her sights on her child, relying on her own lack of defense against the child and letting the child give her the drugged candy.

The child's condition didn't look good at the time. If something happened to him because of that stupid mother, it would be a pity.

"By the way, have you found out the origins of the people who attacked me?"

"They are a group of human traffickers who are roaming around and committing crimes. They had their eyes on you when you, Uncle Lin, arrived in Dongyang County with the goods, and have been waiting in Dongyang County for eleven days."

Lin Zhen frowned, thinking that they were here for his money: "Human traffickers?"

"Yes, a total of twenty-seven people, all of whom have been taken care of. The yamen runners are checking the residences of the girls and boys who were abducted here by them, and will send them back as soon as possible."

If there is one thing that Lin Zhen despises the most, it is evil people like human traffickers, who use girls and boys who are weaker than themselves as chips to make money, and completely put their own interests above the pain and tears of the weak.

It is not a pity to die a hundred times.

In another part of the courtyard, the former residence of Aunt Chen, now a prisoner, the magistrate of Dongyang County listened to the news reported to him by the yamen runners. The prefect personally went out to catch all twenty-one human traffickers. All they needed to do was to send those girls and boys home.

Wang Ze, who felt that his position as county magistrate was over, said weakly: "Just follow the orders of the adults, first settle those girls and boys in the county government, and send them back to their hometowns one by one." "

Yes."

Wang Ze waved his hand, looking at his youngest son lying on the bed, thinking of what the doctor said just now, that his life is safe, but he will suffer the same symptoms as today in the future.

This made Wang Ze a little bit unacceptable. He really loved this son, but now because of his extremely stupid mother, he will become a sick and useless person in the future.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard behind Wang Ze. Mrs. Wang, who had heard about the series of events, came. She looked at her angry and powerless husband and the child on the bed and said, "For so many years, you always said how much she had done for you, and you spoiled her and pampered her, letting the entire county government know that her words were more effective than mine, or even than you, the county magistrate, and finally led to the bitter fruit now."

Wang Ze knew all this, but before this happened, he always thought that Chen Yi Niang and he had been childhood sweethearts. If he had not been forced by his mother to marry a wife, she would have been his principal wife, so he could not help but feel guilty about her.

Moreover, his principal wife was a rich lady he married after he passed the imperial examination. She was average-looking, and except for her temper and his feelings, there was nothing he liked about her.

In addition, Chen Yi Niang was beautiful, and her petty appearance touched his heart, and his heart became more and more biased.

"Don't say it..." Wang Ze regretted it, and regretted it to death.

Mrs. Wang didn't come here to expose his scars or add insult to injury. Although Wang Ze loved Aunt Chen, she remembered that her family had supported him to pass the imperial examination and had contributed money and effort. She had never embarrassed Aunt Chen, who was as stupid as a pig, and Aunt Chen only dared to secretly get in her way.

She looked at the child left by Aunt Chen and said, "The child is still young. What are the adults planning?"

Wang Ze paused and told her that Aunt Chen had given Lin Zhen the drug, which caused him to have convulsions and foam at the mouth in the future.

Mrs. Wang never expected that Aunt Chen, who loved her children very much on weekdays, would do this. Her eyes widened and she said, "Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs. What is her heart made of?!"

Such a young child will have such a disease in the future. It is completely impossible for him to take the imperial examination. Even when talking about marriage, the families of girls with similar family backgrounds will be very picky, and they can only find someone much worse. His

life is almost ruined.

Wang Ze didn't know how Aunt Chen could do this. If he had known this day would come, he would never have taken Aunt Chen into the mansion.

Madam Wang said, "Master, you have the final say on how to settle the child. I will go to visit Mr. Lin later to test his attitude. I can't help with anything else."

Wang Ze looked at his wife who was ignored by him, and he couldn't help but feel grateful.

Madam Wang looked at his eyes and knew what he was thinking.

However, she knew very well in her heart that she did this only because her family spent a lot of money on Wang Ze. If he went bankrupt, all that money would be wasted.

As for the rest, it only accounted for one or two points.

She was not a saint, and she didn't get angry at all when she saw her husband favoring a concubine for many years.

The soft muscles in Lin Zhen's body completely dissipated. He changed his clothes and looked at the sky outside where the rain had stopped and even a few rays of sunshine were projected. He told Gu Lin that he wanted to go to Zhou Zhengchu's place to take a look.

If Zhou Zhengchu hadn't tried his best to hold back those people, he wouldn't have waited until Gu Lin arrived.

According to what Gu Lin had learned from the group, they would set off immediately after they succeeded. The boat was so fast that it would not be easy for him to escape and return to Lizhou.

Gu Lin, who had already dealt with the human traffickers, naturally followed him. As soon as the two of them walked out of the courtyard door, they bumped into Mrs. Wang.

When Mrs. Wang saw Gu Lin, she immediately bowed and said, "Your Excellency."

After Gu Lin motioned for her to stand up, she said, "Your Excellency, the girls and boys who were abducted to Dongyang County by human traffickers have been settled in the county government office. I heard that Mr. Lin was frightened, so I came to visit him. It happened that my family had a prescription for calming the nerves, which worked very well. I was wondering if I should make some for Mr. Lin."

Hearing that the girls and boys were settled, Lin Zhen's original impression of her was not shattered: "Those girls and boys were frightened a lot, so we need to ask more people to take care of them at night. There is no need for the decoction for calming the nerves. I'm fine."

"I understand," Mrs. Wang said modestly, and asked Lin Zhen and Gu Lin tentatively, "Are you and your husband going out of the county government? I will go and arrange a sedan for you."

Lin Zhen waved his hand and said, "I am going to see my guard. He was injured by the human traffickers who sneaked into the mansion."

Mrs. Wang, who wanted to sound him out, heard that he had something to do, so she did not dare to delay and stepped aside.

When Lin Zhen and Gu Lin sat down at the back, the man guarding the silver stood up and greeted Lin Zhen.

Lin Zhen said, "Where is Zhou Zhengchu?"

Ge Yang replied, "Inside the house. The doctor has just treated Brother Zhou's wound."

"What did the doctor say?"

Ge Yang said, "The wound on the back is shallow, and it will heal in ten days or half a month. The wound on the arm is more serious, so let him rest for a month."

Zhou Zhengchu was the leader among the seven of them. They had experienced life and death together in the original Dou place, and they had a deep relationship. They were all worried when Zhou Zhengchu was injured.

Lin Zhen walked inside, "I'll go see him."

The backyard was specially for servants to live in or store sundries. The room was low and the lighting was average. It had rained for two or three days in a row, and there was a damp smell in the room.

As soon as Lin Zhen entered, he saw Zhou Zhengchu with his clothes draped over his chest. His shoulders and chest were wrapped diagonally with white thin cloth strips.

"I heard from Ge Yang that the injury is not very serious, but you should rest well these days. It will be difficult to treat the wound if it opens again." Lin Zhen said.

Zhou Zhengchu stood up, he looked at Lin Zhen, and quickly closed his open clothes together and tied them with a belt.

Lin Zhen, who was not embarrassed at first and didn't think anything of it, saw him looking a little flustered, and then he remembered that he was a boy now, not a man.

He touched his nose, and waited for Zhou Zhengchu to get dressed, not taking what had just happened to heart.

Zhou Zhengchu said, "Thank you for your concern, boss." He looked at Gu Lin standing next to Lin Zhen, clasped his fists and bowed, "I am here to see you, sir."

No one else in the room had ever seen Gu Lin, and seeing Zhou Zhengchu addressing Gu Lin as sir, they were stunned for a moment.

Then everyone remembered the rumor that Boss Lin was the uncle of the prefect, and seeing Boss Lin being so close to this young man, they realized that Gu Lin should be the prefect, and hurriedly saluted. After

Lin Zhen and the others saluted with Gu Lin, they walked to Zhou Zhengchu and told him to stop his work temporarily after returning this time, and to take care of his health.

Then he took Gu Lin to see what he had gained from this trip.

There were four boxes mixed in a pile of boxes, full of silver of different sizes and amounts, which made the eyes dizzy.

Lin Zhen picked up a piece of silver and put it in Gu Lin's hand: "Here is all the silver we earned this time, a total of 50,000 taels. Excluding the cost, the net profit is about 43,000 taels."

The multiple profits would tempt anyone.

Gu Lin looked at him, "Uncle Lin, will you go out like this in the future?"

Lin Zhen thought he would be stimulated by so much silver and say a few more words, but he only said this. He said: "No, I have a lot of things to do, and I won't leave Lizhou for a year or two."

"Yeah." Gu Lin put the piece of silver he handed to him into the purse in his sleeve.

Chapter 254

Watching him put a piece of silver worth only four cents into his purse, Lin Zhen asked, "What are you doing with it?"

Gu Lin looked at him and said, "This is what Zhenzhen gave me."

Lin Zhen suddenly remembered that when he was still a child, he would also keep a piece of silver after giving him silver. Now, there must be a small pile of it.

Gu Lin, who seemed very indifferent, was never indifferent to him and things related to him.

Lin Zhen put his arms around his neck, kissed his lips on tiptoe, and said with a smile, "Then I have to work hard to fill up Mr. Gu's private treasury."

Gu Lin, who was already half a head taller than him, supported his waist to save him some strength.

The news that the county government had caught the human traffickers spread throughout Dongyang County in the afternoon, especially those families who were only separated from the human traffickers by a wall and the neighbors who lived not far away. They didn't expect the human traffickers to be so close to them, and they were so scared that their faces turned pale.

Those families who had lost their daughters and sons wanted to cut them into pieces when they thought that these human traffickers might have kidnapped and sold their relatives. But

most of them thought they had to save face and couldn't afford to lose this person, so they kept silent.

At night, Lin Zhen, who was almost tricked by human traffickers and was poisoned by the muscle softener, finally lay down and fell asleep. Suddenly, he heard noises coming from the yard behind him, and it was getting louder and louder.

He got up and called the maid: "What's going on in the back?"

The maid who stayed here to serve him and didn't go anywhere said: "I don't know, how about I go and ask."

Not only was there a sound, but also a bright light from behind. Lin Zhen put on his shoes and walked out: "Go and have a look."

Once out of the house, the noises in the back became more obvious. When Lin Zhen and the maid walked to the back, they saw Madam Wang and the servants and maids in the county government gathered together, blocking the front tightly.

Seeing him coming, Mrs. Wang, who was already worried, shuddered inwardly and walked over through the crowd: "Mr. Lin."

Lin Zhen looked at the girls and boys dressed differently and guessed that these should be the abducted people rescued from the human traffickers by Gu Lin and the yamen runners. "Has something happened to one of them?"

Mrs. Wang sighed: "Yes, after Mr. Lin's reminder during the day, I asked people to guard the yard. In the middle of the night, I heard the sound of a stool falling to the ground and felt it was a bit strange. After entering, I found..." "

It was found that more than 20 girls and boys threw their belts on the beam, intending to commit suicide."

To be honest, Mrs. Wang was not surprised when the servants told her the news. Most of these girls and boys were unmarried. Perhaps they were still waiting to be married, or perhaps they had already been engaged and were just waiting for an auspicious day to get married.

But after being abducted, no matter whether they were touched by the traffickers or not, they would lose their chastity in the eyes of their families and neighbors. In the future, they would not be able to marry a good family, and even if they married a worthless rogue, they would be caught and talked about. They would not dare to speak even if they were trampled underfoot.

Lin Zhen was silent for a moment, walked through the maids and servants, and went to the room where the girls and boys committed suicide. He saw more than 20 girls and boys in their teens and twenties sitting on the ground, beds, and stools with numb expressions, and did not respond to the surrounding sounds.

Lin Zhen said to Mrs. Wang, who came in later than him, "Madam, please ask these servants to go out. Since the people have been rescued, there will be no big deal."

Mrs. Wang hesitated and whispered, "If they commit suicide again..."

"It's okay, do as I say." Lin Zhen looked at the girls and boys with numb eyes, and understood that too many people staring at them at this time might not be a good thing for them.

Seeing that he insisted on doing so, Mrs. Wang ordered the maid behind her to notify the people below to withdraw.

Almost all the servants and maids in the county government were here. After they all left, the yard was suddenly empty, and even the air was a little colder.

Lin Zhen sat on a chair at his feet and asked a boy next to him in a very soft voice: "Where are you from, little brother? I'm from the provincial capital. I just came here in May this year. I used to be from a small village in the south."

He talked about his own things, and the girls and boys in the room didn't move, even their eyes were dull.

Lin Zhen didn't stop, and continued to talk about the climate in Anyuan Town, and how she went home to do the spicy hot pot business after her husband died, and then the things and people she met. He talked very carefully, even talking about the price of his spicy hot pot. Slowly, he talked about how he opened a shop and could make more than one hundred or two hundred taels of silver a month, but he met his first husband's wife, who ruined his reputation and took her to court.

Lin Zhen was very interesting when he chatted normally. When he talked about his own experiences, he often used some very intuitive metaphors and sentences, and the girls and boys in the room just listened.

Suddenly, when Lin Zhen said that although he won the court against Cai Jinzhu, the business of Zhenyouwei Snack Shop was inevitably affected and there were few customers, a woman in her twenties sitting on the kang, a little distance away from him, lowered her head and said, "You said so much, but you also want to persuade us to go home."

"No, I just want to tell you about my business. As for whether you want to go home or have other plans, it's all up to you."

"What plans can I have... Either die here or die somewhere else." The woman in her twenties said.

The woman had a small oval face, and her skin was not particularly white, but because she was young, her skin was smooth and plump, and she was a little beauty, but at this moment her face looked gray and dejected, and she was on the verge of collapse.

Lin Zhen said, "As long as you can survive, you might as well live. There are so many delicious and fun things in this world. You can't try them all, but you can die after trying half of them."

He said, "I have opened a workshop in the provincial capital to make rouge and powder. If there are any of you who really don't want to go back and don't have any other plans, you can come with me to work in the workshop. The salary is 150 coins a month, and one meal is included at noon."

The woman looked up at him and said, "You are still hiring people to work at this time."

Lin Zhen said, "You have hands and feet, and you are all experienced people who are used to doing work at home. I won't suffer any loss by hiring you, and there is a lot of work at my place, and everyone is busy working. They don't have much time to ask others where they are from or why they work there."

The woman, who originally had the next sentence in mind, "Are you feeling sorry for us?", swallowed this sentence. She was moved by Lin Zhen's words that there was a lot of work and everyone was busy working, so they didn't have time to ask others where they were from or why they worked there.

She married her current husband at the age of fifteen, but she has never had a child of her own. Not only her husband's family, but also her parents' family sent her all kinds of herbs that almost filled up a room, but her stomach still didn't move.

Moreover, she didn't tell them that she had taken medicine for so many years and not only did she not get pregnant, but she often felt pain in her lower abdomen. She knew that would only attract more suspicious eyes, and then more medicine that she could never finish.

After being abducted by human traffickers, because she wore a woman's bun and was not a virgin, she suffered many times of defilement and violence that made her want to die immediately. If the human traffickers hadn't been using soft muscle powder on them, she would have found an opportunity to commit suicide long ago.

She was the first one to throw her belt on the beam tonight. She didn't know what other way she had except death. If she went home, her husband's family and her parents' family, who had always blamed her for not being able to have children, would probably be the first to lock her up and use her death to protect the innocence of the family. Living alone, there was no place to find a woman or a man, and she was a single woman, and she would not have a good ending if she was entangled by ruffians.

After Lin Zhen stopped talking, the room was dead silent. After a long, long time, the woman who first spoke to him said hesitantly and confusedly: "I... I want to work for you."

"Okay, wait for two days until the weather is clear and the road is dry, then we'll go."

The boy who sat next to Lin Zhen, with good-looking features but rough skin, looked at the woman and Lin Zhen, and said in a mosquito-like voice: "I... want to go too."

"I don't want to go back. I'll be beaten to death if I go back."

"Okay."

At dawn, Lin Zhen walked out of the room. Eighteen of the more than twenty girls and boys followed him to the state capital, and the others wanted to go home after being rescued.

As for those who did not commit suicide, they all wanted to go back. Lin Zhen stood outside the yard and said to Mrs. Wang who had been standing with him all night: "Mrs. Wang, please take care of the remaining people and arrange for them to go back as soon as possible."

"Yes." After standing all night, Mrs. Wang's legs were sore. She listened to Lin Zhen's somewhat hoarse voice and didn't know what to say. She felt that what the uncle of the prefect did was a waste of effort in the eyes of many people. Some boys and girls who had lost their innocence, were illiterate, and didn't understand any reason, even if they were persuaded to stop their determination to die, what was the point of keeping them?

They couldn't bring gold or silver, and if people knew there were these people in the workshop, it would affect their reputation.

Even though they were both women, Mrs. Wang only felt regretful.

The sky cleared up, and the sun was so hot that it seemed as if the rain of the previous few days had never happened. After staying in the county government for two days, Lin Zhen estimated that the road was a little drier, so he asked Zhou Zhengchu and others to pack up their things, harness the carriage and prepare to return to the prefecture

. Because there were no fragile items such as Yurong Powder Flower Dew in the boxes this time, all the boxes were piled to one side, just enough for the girls and boys who were going to the prefecture.

Yan Canghai, who lived in Dongyang County, also got the news and was the first to wait at the gate of Dongyang County. When he saw Lin Zhen's carriage, he was about to go up to say hello, but he saw a young man on horseback.

The young man was wearing a black robe, his long hair tied with a headband, and followed by two yamen runners who were also riding horses.

This was his second time meeting the prefect of Lizhou. The first time he met, Gu Lin was accompanied by the prefect's co-prefect and the county magistrate of Dongyang County. He didn't talk much, his expression was frighteningly cold, and every word he said was as sharp as a knife, which made him do the business of transporting grain.

He didn't know why the prefect came this time.

Chapter 255

Yan Canghai stepped aside and saluted Gu Lin.

Gu Lin reined in his horse slightly and said on horseback: "The grains transported to the prefecture have been planted. On behalf of the people of Lizhou, I would like to thank Boss Yan for transporting the grains in time."

Yan Canghai said quickly: "It is my great honor to be able to contribute a little."

The weather was hot, and the curtain of the carriage was hanging. Lin Zhen looked at Yan Canghai: "Brother Yan, when did you wait here?"

Gu Lin looked at Yan Canghai.

Yan Canghai inexplicably felt the hairs on his back stand up, and shuddered: "I just came here not long ago." He looked at the extra girls and boys in the carriage, "Who are these people?"

Lin Zhen smiled and said: "I recruited them in Dongyang County. The workshop not only wants to do the business of Yurong Powder Flower Dew lipstick, but also wants to try to do other things after returning. There is a shortage of manpower, so I recruited some people here." When

the girls and boys were asked about their origins, their hands were unconsciously clenched, and they slowly relaxed when they heard Lin Zhen's voice.

That incident was a bloody wound in their hearts. Even if they were just looked at, they felt unbearable pain.

Yan Canghai heard Lin Zhen's words and nodded: "So that's how it is. Boss Lin must not forget our agreement when the new goods come out." The first batch of new goods was given to him.

Lin Zhen reassured him: "I won't forget."

After greeting him, Yan Canghai asked his men to wait for Gu Lin and Lin Zhen to go first, and then follow behind.

"Hiss--" Yan Canghai touched his neck, always feeling that something was wrong with him, and felt chilly, but his body has always been very good, and he hasn't caught a cold for several years.

Yan Canghai said to the casual person: "We have pills for healing injuries, right? Give me two later." The accompanying

person looked at his boss, was stunned for a moment and nodded: "Yes."

He looked at the sun in the sky. The boss didn't catch a cold even in the heavy rain the other day, but now it's hot and he can't stand it.

But the cold is not a small matter, so I hurried to get the pills from the carriage.

Lin Zhen was familiar with the way back, but because of the heavy rain in the past few days, some places had tunnels, so the wheels of the carriage had to avoid getting stuck. If there was no way around, people had to go down and fill it up.

In the evening of the next day, the carriage team finally arrived outside Lizhou City.

Perhaps because of the rain in the past few days, the wild grass and vegetables on the land were not lush and green, which was very pleasing to look at. Many men, women, old and young were holding baskets to dig wild vegetables.

Lin Zhen was sitting on the horizontal board outside the carriage. When the people who were digging wild vegetables saw him, many people said, "It's Boss Lin. Boss Lin is back from business!"

"Then you can continue to dig the herb and sell it to the Flour Mill!"

"Of course you can. My niece works in the Flour Mill. She said that the herb can only be used if it is fresh and Boss Lin takes it. So she asked me to wait at home and tell me when Boss Lin comes back."

"Oh, your niece works in the Flour Mill. She is really promising. I heard that Boss Lin feeds her meat and eggs, as well as buckwheat rice mixed with white rice. Is that true?"

"That must be true. My niece said that the meal has three dishes and a soup every day. Whether it is meat slices or bones, there is always meat." To be honest, who doesn't crave meat these days? My niece can't lie. Just look at her face that has become greasy in half a month and you will know that you can't grow anything without meat.

I don't know when Boss Lin will recruit workers. She also wants to ask her own children to try.

Someone suddenly asked Lin Zhen loudly, "Boss Lin, when will we harvest the herb?"

Lin Zhen looked at the place where the voice came from and said, "We will start harvesting tomorrow. We can harvest a lot. We will harvest 5,000 kilograms first and let you know when we harvest more."

These days, the Lin's Watercolor Shop opened by Lin Zhen has become a topic of discussion in the prefecture. People talk about the bags of rice carried in, the wages of the workers, and the lunch. Even the babbling children have been talked about by the adults until they know the words "Lin's Watercolor Shop".

From these things, everyone has a good impression of Lin Zhen and thinks that Boss Lin is a generous person.

Hearing his response, he couldn't help but ask other things: "Boss Lin, is the Water Powder Shop still hiring?"

"Hire me in, I'm very strong, I can carry two bags of rice at a time."

"I can carry three bags!"

Lin Zhen said to the people digging wild vegetables: "The Water Powder Shop is not hiring for the time being, but other workshops will be opened soon, those who want to work can pay attention."

"Really! Then I'll wait for good news from Boss Lin. Boss Lin makes more money, opens more workshops, and we can also make some money!"

For a while, everyone was saying auspicious words to Lin Zhen.

They wanted him to make a fortune.

They wanted his business to be smooth. They

wanted him to live a long life.

Yan Canghai and the people who came with him saw the scene in front of them and felt a little incredible. Merchants like them would inevitably be accused of being treacherous and cunning wherever they went, saying that they stole other people's money.

But these people in Lizhou Prefecture sincerely hoped that Lin Zhen would be well, and their burning sincerity was touching.

The carriage team entered the prefecture, and Gu Lin took two yamen runners back to the prefecture first. They went to Dongyang County for two days. If there were any backlogs, they had to deal with them as soon as possible.

Lin Zhen said to Yan Canghai, "Brother Yan, are you interested in going with me to the Water Powder Shop?"

Yan Canghai, who was very interested in Yurong Powder and Hualu Lipstick, naturally would not refuse. He said to the people behind him, "Except for A Da, you all go find an inn to stay first." Then he took the one called A Da and followed Lin Zhen to Guangshun Lane.

The first to arrive was the No. 2 yard. Niu Dazheng led the workers to carry the purchased rice in for storage. The guards also helped. The families of Zhou Zhengchu and Shao Ying also helped to pick up the rice that occasionally leaked from the gaps in their pockets and put it in the bowl.

Niu Dajing, who was busy counting, was reminded by a worker and found Lin Zhen and others. He was so happy that he almost ran forward and said, "Boss, you are finally back!"

Lin Zhen: "I haven't been here for these days. Nothing went wrong, right?"

"No, everyone in the prefecture knows the relationship between you and the prefect. How could they dare to have other thoughts? Besides, didn't you teach the people how to make compost and manure a few days ago? Now the grain seeds have been planted, and it is the time for them to sprout and grow luxuriantly. I can't thank you enough."

"Not only you, the prefect, the co-prefect, the judge, and the yamen runners in the yamen, you can see the things that the people secretly put there at the gate of the yamen."

Gu Lin's strong executive ability, Lin Zhen's composting manure water, curved plow, and the cooperation of the prefectural government, the cultivated area of ​​more than 30 villages around the prefecture this year has greatly exceeded that of previous years by three or four times. The days of sprouting are even more lively. Because the curved plow plows plow the land deeply, and manure water is used before sowing, the sprouts are very neat and strong. The people want to stay in the fields every day and watch the new sprouts for a whole day.

When Lin Zhen heard that the grain seeds had sprouted, he couldn't help but smile.

Sprouting is good. As long as there is no major disaster, the people can eat this year's new grain. The efforts of so many people have not been in vain.

He looked back at Yan Canghai and said, "The seeds planted by the people were all transported here by Brother Yan and a group of traveling merchants. The credit also goes to Brother Yan and many traveling merchants."

This was not the first time Yan Canghai came to Lizhou provincial capital. When he did business in the past, he would deal with some people and send some goods in. But the Lizhou provincial capital at this moment was very different from what he remembered.

There are a lot more things.

He listened to Lin Zhen's words, and was stunned for a moment and said: "Boss Lin is too flattering me. We just collected the bonds of Lizhou and made a deal with the governor. It is not worth the credit."

Seeing that he was modest, Lin Zhen did not continue the topic, and gestured to Niu Da to look at the girl and the boy in the carriage behind him: "They are the workers I recruited from Dongyang County. Since their families are not in the state capital, you should first rent a yard in Guangshun Lane or not far from Guangshun Lane to settle them down. When the new workshop opens, they will be the first batch of people to work."

Niu Da did not ask why he recruited more than a dozen workers from such a far place in Dongyang County. To him, Lin Zhen's words were right and could not be questioned.

Then Lin Zhen asked Zhou Zhengchu, Shao Ying, Ge Yang and others to go back to the No. 1 yard to rest, and told Niu Da and the others to follow him in business and not to do other work. The injured Zhou Zhengchu should find a doctor to see his injury.

"I'll take this boss Yan to the No. 1 yard to have a look. You guys go ahead and do it." After explaining everything, Lin Zhen took Yan Canghai to the No. 1 yard where the jade powder was made.

No. 1 yard was only a hundred steps away from No. 2 yard. The few people had long legs and they were there in no time to talk.

The man at the gate saw Lin Zhen coming and said happily: "The boss is back?"

"The boss is back?!"

"Oh, hurry up, the boss is back!"

When Lin Zhen heard the voice, he knew it was Niu Da's mother. He looked inside and saw Niu Da's mother coming out of the right wing where she cooked. She wiped her hands on her apron and walked closer with a smile: "The boss has lost weight, and there is so much less meat on his face."

She stretched out her fingers to compare, and there was a big gap between her two fingers.

Lin Zhen was very happy: "I have lost so much weight that I look like a nobody."

Aunt Niu said: "The boss always looks good, but he needs to take more supplements and not be weak."

Niu Da's wife followed behind and greeted Lin Zhen shyly.

Lin Zhen took Yan Canghai and Ah Da in. The women and brothers who were working heard the gatekeeper and Aunt Niu calling Boss Lin back. They all wanted to see Boss Lin and say hello to him, but they were hired workers and did not dare to stop their work. They only said to him one after another after Lin Zhen came in: "The boss is back."

The brave ones added: "The boss was not tired on the way."

Lin Zhen replied to the brother named Maizi who asked if he was tired: "No."

Then he called Yan Canghai to come over and see: "This is the yellow oriole rice used to make the oriole jade powder."

The author has something to say:

Gu Shoufu: Brother?

Lin Jiaojiao: This is an old story, how can you still remember it!

xxooLin

Jiaojiao: "Brother...Brother..."

Chapter 256

The workers were divided into groups and were busy with their own work. The group closest to Lin Zhen and Yan Canghai was washing the oriole rice.

Since the hulling was done by stone mill and pounding, most of the rice grains were incomplete, and there were many broken rice husks and gravel mixed in.

So they had to wash it several times until it was no longer turbid, then they took it out and drained it, and carried it to the group grinding the rice slurry for a total of three grindings.

Yan Canghai could tell by the sound of the millstone that the three processes of grinding were more delicate than each other, and the rice slurry that came out was so delicate that no particles could be seen at all.

The next step was to filter the rice slurry layer by layer and take out the sediment of the rice slurry to dry it.

Yan Canghai said, "Boss Lin brought me here to see it so carefully. Aren't you worried that I might learn the craft secretly?"

Lin Zhen had never worried: "This craft is very common. As long as you make cosmetics, it's the same process. The important thing is how to adjust the color to be close to the skin color of girls and boys."

Yan Canghai nodded: "It seems that the person who knows the craft of color adjustment is someone Boss Lin trusts very much."

Of course, it's him, how could he not trust him.

Lin Zhen called the person who was in charge of light goods over: "How much goods did the gouache shop make after I left the prefecture?"

This person was recruited by Lin Zhen after Lu Lu asked him to. He can write and calculate, but he has never passed the examination for a scholar. He is still an old student in his thirties and usually does accounts in a restaurant.

Lin Zhen paid him a high salary and provided him with clothes for all four seasons, so he quit his job in the restaurant and came here to work.

"Boss, according to the number of boxes packed last time, our Shuifenfang currently has 12,000 boxes of jade powder in stock."

"4,000 boxes of white jade powder, 3,000 boxes of purple jade powder and jasper powder, and 2,000 boxes of oriole jade powder."

White jade powder is the base, and the shipment volume has always been larger. The other three colors of jade powder are used for color matching, so less is just right.

When Yan Canghai heard that there were so many goods, he immediately said, "I want all of them!"

"And the flower dew and lipstick, as many as you can!"

His voice was loud, and everyone working in the Shuifenfang heard it. So many goods were actually taken, and they didn't even take a nap. Everyone could only think that the goods that Boss Lin brought out this time were very good to sell.

That means they can work here longer!

Having promised him to give him all the goods in the workshop, Lin Zhen naturally would not break his promise. He asked the person who counted the quantity to register them and wait for the flower dew and lipstick to come out before shipping them together.

After Yan Canghai left reluctantly, Lin Zhen returned to the No. 1 courtyard. The girl and the boy he brought with him stayed here temporarily and were arranged in the wing room by Niu Da.

When Lin Zhen entered, they stood up and looked at him.

"Boss Lin."

"Sit down, the manager has found a place for you to live. You will live there after moving in, and start working when the new workshop opens."

Most of these people followed Lin Zhen because they were confused and had nowhere to go, and they didn't even believe the wages Lin Zhen said. They

just stayed with people who had the same experience and kept each other warm.

On the way and after arriving at the provincial capital, they gradually realized that Lin Zhen was really a businessman, and his business was not small. They slowly put their minds at ease, thinking that maybe they could really have a foothold here.

Lin Zhen looked at them and continued, "In the future, I will recruit workers from more distant villages, and they will live with you. Let's get used to it first."

"Thank you, Boss Lin."

"But... we don't have money now, and the cost of food and accommodation..."

Lin Zhen had thought about it a long time ago, and said, "Deduct it from your first month's wages. You are different from the current workers. The workshop provides three meals a day, so you have to pay some food expenses every month."

"As for how much you have to pay, I will let the manager inform you in two days." Lin Zhen would not do things that favor one over the other. The previous workers also earned money with their own hands and strength. If the girls and boys from Dongyang County received the same wages, but could eat three meals a day here and also provide accommodation, they would inevitably have complaints in their hearts, which would breed other troubles.

Moreover, this can also comfort these girls and boys. After all, what they get from others is different from what they earn with their own hands. It can also give them a goal and save them time to think about it.

The girls and buddies he brought here all thought that it was reasonable to deduct money, and couldn't help asking: "Boss Lin, when can we start working?"

Lin Zhen, who had already thought about what to do, said: "Half a month if it's fast."

Just as Lin Zhen was talking to them, Niu Da, who had gone to look for a yard, came back. When he heard that he was here, he came directly to report: "Boss, the yard has been found. It's behind Guangshun Lane. It's about the same size as the No. 2 yard, but the rent is cheaper."

Lin Zhen was getting more and more satisfied with Niu Da, and he was doing things much more efficiently than when he first took over. He said to Niu Da: "They are the first batch of workers we recruited for our workshop with food and accommodation. Today they have to squeeze in here. Tomorrow you take people to equip them with beds, bedding, and daily necessities, and settle them down."

"At the same time, list the expenses for beds, supplies, and two meals excluding lunch, and see how much wages to deduct from them in the first month, and how much wages to pay them later."

"Yes." Niu Da felt that his brain was getting better and better as he used it. When he first started working with his boss, he could only remember vaguely everything, but now he can list things in order of importance.

Niu Da also told Lin Zhen what he had told him before he went to Dongyang County: "Boss, I have found the Lin's Watercolor Shop you asked me to find. It is on Pingchang Street, the flattest street in the prefecture, but it is a little small for one room. I think it will be just right to demolish the wall between the two rooms, and the second floor will also be spacious."

"Okay, come with me tomorrow to take a look, and we will decide on the shop if it is suitable."

After being out for so many days, no matter how busy he was, he was not in a hurry at this moment. After listening to Niu Da's report, Lin Zhen returned to the prefecture government office.

Lu Lu, who did not follow him out this time, saw him coming back and happily surrounded him.

Lin Zhen glanced at the house where Gu Lin lived, "Where is the prefect?"

"He didn't come to the backyard. I guess he's busy with things in front," Lu Lu said. She followed behind Lin Zhen, "Boss, I'm not used to you being away these days. If you go out again next time, take me with you and ask me to go out and open my eyes." He

didn't feel it when he was busy, but he felt tired as soon as he took a break. He remembered that he said to Gu Lin that he would be busy in the prefecture for a while, about one or two years without going out, and said: "If you want to go out, tell your brother Niu that our caravan will often go to Dongyang County in the future, and it's okay to go there to take a look."

"Really?" Lu Lu jumped up quickly. The teenage girl was not difficult to deal with by the traffickers before she was bought because she looked good. Her temper was not as deep as other people who had suffered a lot.

Be happy when you get good.

Lin Zhen couldn't help but yawn, "Well, there's nothing wrong with going out for a look."

"Tell someone to prepare hot water, I'll wash up and sleep for a while."

"Okay, boss."

Others in the mansion soon knew that Lin Zhen was back. When they heard that he wanted hot water, they immediately boiled two large pots and asked people to bring them in.

Lin Zhen took a hot bath, waited for his hair to dry a little, and fell asleep in a few breaths under the quilt.

Gu Lin listened to Guan Peng's talk about the official business of the past two days, and asked Guan Peng to find all the official documents reported that Che Luoguo had harassed the border of Lizhou in recent years. He sent servants to take them to his residence and walked to the backyard.

When he entered the backyard, Lulu was sewing in the corridor. The size of the shoes she made was Lin Zhen's.

"My lord." Lulu saw him, put down her sewing and stood up to salute.

Gu Lin asked her, "Your master is back."

"Back," Lulu smiled when she mentioned Lin Zhen, "She asked for some water to wash up and went to bed a while ago."

Knowing their unusual relationship, Lulu said, "My lord, are you going to see the master?"

Gu Lin glanced at the little maid who was about the same age as her, and asked her to ask the kitchen to bring hot water. After washing up and changing into a long robe, she walked into Lin Zhen's room with a fresh body.

The weather in Lizhou was cold, and it was almost June, so there were no mosquitoes, so the bed curtains around the bed were rolled up, revealing the person lying on the bed.

The person on the bed had an irregular sleeping posture, lying on his side facing inward, one hand under his face, one hand on his lower abdomen, and his legs stretched out from the quilt to sandwich the quilt between his legs.

Thus, the intruder Gu Lin saw the lines of his back, his slender neck and thin back, his thin waist, and his hips, which formed an amazing arc, making his underwear a little tight.

Gu Lin stood outside the bead curtain, and after a moment of silence, he turned around and sat on the chair outside, slightly licking his lips.

The weather was getting hotter, and the sun was still hot at this time in the evening, shining into the house, reflecting a bright light.

Suddenly, Lin Zhen behind the bead curtain made a sound. Gu Lin, who had already refilled his second cup of tea, stood up quickly, pulled open the bead curtain, walked in, and bent down to check.

When he saw that Lin Zhen was frowning tightly and his cheeks were still a little red, he immediately put the back of his hand on Lin Zhen's forehead.

"..." Lin Zhen grabbed his hand and pressed it against his neck. It seemed that he was comforted by his cold hand and sighed.

Gu Lin looked at himself pressed against Lin Zhen's neck, and Lin Zhen's collar was slightly opened because of the action. His eyes paused for a moment, and immediately moved to his face.

Lin Zhen, who is 27 years old this year, is not much different from the one Gu Lin remembered. He has fair skin, long eyebrows, a straight nose, and slightly plump lips.

When he is not asleep, he seems to have unlimited energy. He is busy with business matters, loves to laugh, and can talk to anyone. No one who has come into contact with him has anything bad to say about him.

From Liyu Village to Anyuan Town, to the prefectural city, Kyoto, and now in Lizhou Prefecture, Gu Lin has never seen him discouraged.

With one hand being pulled, Gu Lin stretched out the other hand to touch his eyebrows.

Suddenly, Lin Zhen half opened his eyes. He seemed not to have woken up completely. He looked at Gu Lin who was standing by the bed and bending over, propped up his upper body and kissed him on the chin, then wrapped his hands around Gu Lin's neck and kissed his cheeks and ears.

Chapter 257

Lin Zhen felt that this dream was a bit difficult to endure. The throbbing that used to only occur when he was full of energy and lying idle for seven or eight days surged in his body, making him clearly feel how different this body was from his previous self.

He looked at Gu Lin who appeared in the dream, hugged Gu Lin's neck and said, "What a pity, you are only sixteen years old, and you have to wait another two years."

Sixteen years old is the age of a freshman in high school for Lin Zhen. Even in a dream, Lin Zhen couldn't do it, but kissing and hugging were no problem.

He kissed Gu Lin's neck in the dream, pulled Gu Lin's collar open a little, and his eyes fell on Gu Lin's chest.

"It looks good." Due to years of bow and sword training, Gu Lin's body under the robe is not as weak as it looks, but solid and flexible. A thin layer of muscle covers the tall skeleton. Only by touching it can you feel the amazing power contained in it.

Lin Zhen's lips were imprinted on his skin, and a little water spread down, making Gu Lin's abdomen tight and hot.

"Hmm..." Lin Zhen looked down at Gu Lin's subordinate, whose head was completely raised, and whose robe was raised to a large arc. His body was very sore.

"Donkey stuff," he said to the raised robe, and lay back and wrapped

himself in the quilt, "Okay, don't go too far." Gu Lin, who was hooked by his neck and took off his upper body robe, still had saliva on his abdomen, looking at Lin Zhen who was wrapped in the quilt and talking, and he was so impatient that his back teeth were clenched.

He dug Lin Zhen out of the quilt, and his penis invaded Lin Zhen's umbilicus, and Lin Zhen woke up in a few strokes.

Lin Zhen looked at Gu Lin who was close in front of him, and the hot flesh under his palm, which was beginning to take

on the physique of an adult. He blinked and suddenly realized that the Gu Lin in front of him was real. What happened just now... Lin Zhen couldn't keep up with his rhythm. He was dizzy from being kissed. He hugged Gu Lin's waist, and his fingers pinched into his flesh a little because of lack of oxygen: "You... let me... take a breath..."

Gu Lin let go of him, his voice was a little hoarse, he leaned his head on Lin Zhen's shoulder, and hugged Lin Zhen tightly: "Zhenzhen, I feel uncomfortable."

"..." Lin Zhen, who already knew that he thought it was a dream and how much he had done, lowered his eyes to look at his naked upper body, and felt like a fire starter .

He licked his lips and said carefully: "Shall I ask someone to prepare a bath for you?"

"No, I'll just hold Zhenzhen." Gu Lin was really uncomfortable, and his usually cold tone was a little vague.

Lin Zhen didn't know what to say.

This kid really doesn't know anything. I kissed him, so he learned to kiss. He doesn't know anything that I didn't teach him.

Lin Zhen wiped his face when he felt the force of the hug getting tighter and tighter, so tight that he could feel the outline of the thing against his abdomen.

Kissing the face, forehead and lips is one thing, kissing someone's abdominal muscles is another thing. Anyway, it has come to this point, it seems... it can work.

Lin Zhen tentatively reached out and held that thing...

WOC!!!

Lin Zhen instantly withdrew his hand and raised it in front of his eyes to gesture.

He looked at Gu Lin's face and ears, which were redder than before, and even his dark eyes were darker than before, and drove away the thought of forgetting it in his mind.

...

The strong smell of mutton filled the whole room, and the wind outside the window couldn't take it away in time.

Lin Zhen sat on the edge of the bed and realized what the thing on his face was. He immediately stood up and walked to the place where the water was running, twisting the handkerchief to wipe his face.

Gu Lin's face turned redder than before. He showed a look of confusion that rarely appeared on his face. He tied his belt, put down his robe, and walked behind Lin Zhen.

The impression that thing left on him was really too horrifying. Lin Zhen's mind was still full of it.

He saw that Gu Lin's upper body robe had not been put on yet, and said, "Put on your clothes."

"Yes." Gu Lin blushed and closed the robe that Lin Zhen had taken off.

"Go back and take a shower. Starting tomorrow, I will be busy with the new shop and the new workshop. I am afraid I can't come back often. You don't have to wait for me at dinner."

Gu Lin paused while arranging the silk ribbon, looked at Lin Zhen's eyes looking at the basin, and nodded, "Yes."

Lin Zhen looked at his cold face and obediently, and couldn't help but say, "Gu Shuanzi, you are the one with extraordinary talent, right?"

Gu Lin realized what he was saying, and combined with the fire avoidance map that he had turned two pages and stopped reading, he knew what he was talking about.

With a red face, she said to Lin Zhen: "Will Zhenzhen like it?"

"Ahem, ahem, ahem—" Lin Zhen almost couldn't hold the handkerchief in his hand. What kind of words were these? What did he mean by like or not?

If it was on her body, she would definitely like it. But if it was on Gu Lin and she had to use it on herself in the future, that would be a little bit unpleasant.

Lin Zhen twisted the handkerchief, put it on her face, and said in a muffled voice: "Go take a shower."

The smell was too obvious. It was okay for a little girl like Lulu who had never had sex with anyone. She wouldn't know what it was after she smelled it, but it would be a different story if someone else came in.

After washing his face and hands, Lin Zhen opened all the windows and doors, looking at the blood-red setting sun outside and the wind blowing.

"Boss, it's time for dinner." Lulu came in and said.

Lin Zhen turned around: "I know, I'll be right there."

He got up and walked out of the house. When he arrived at the main dining hall, he saw Gu Lin, who had come before him, sitting on a chair. He was wearing a blue robe and his hair was tied up high with a headband. He looked handsome and energetic.

Lin Zhen sat opposite him. As soon as his butt touched the chair, a bowl of soup with a special aroma was placed in front of him.

"Uncle Lin, try it. It's a soup made from mushrooms unique to Lizhou."

Lin Zhen took a sip and found that the mushroom soup tasted very good. The mushrooms floating in it were very crisp.

He was a good cook, so he could tell that there was no seasoning in the soup. He only added a pinch of salt. The slightly light salt made the mushroom taste vividly: "Did the kitchen buy this?"

"The people around left it at the gate of the government office."

The grain seeds have been planted for these days, and it is time to sprout. The patches of wasteland and tender green new sprouts have planted hope in the hearts of the people around the government office.

I couldn't help but send what I had to the government office. I had to clean up a lot every day. From Gu Lin to the yamen runners, everyone got some.

These people were a few miles away from the government office, and some were dozens of miles away. It was not easy for them to come.

Lin Zhen was a little emotional. He asked Gu Lin, "Have people from the government office been to the village recently?"

"No, Gao Tong mentioned a few days ago that we should gather people from the government office and go to the village to check the specific situation of this year's farming. The regulations will be issued in a few days."

"Uncle Lin, come with us to have a look."

"Okay." The first batch of goods was sold, and the second batch was bought by Yan Canghai. The business was on the right track. It didn't make much difference if he was busy one day more or one day less.

Gu Lin looked at him, thought of what happened during the day, and re-arranged the things he had to do and could do in his mind.

He wanted to stand in that position as soon as possible and marry his uncle Lin.

The next day, after Lin Zhen had dinner at the government office, he went to the No. 1 yard of Lin's Watercolor Workshop to find Niu Da.

It was still early, and most of the people were girls and boys who had come from the provincial capital to work. Guangshun Lane, which used to be quiet and dead, was now very lively. Some people even set up their breakfast stalls here.

"Selling pancakes, delicious and inexpensive pancakes."

"Dumplings, hot dumpling."

"I can tell you're a worker at Lin's Water Flour Shop. Would you like two dumpling? The skin is thin and the filling is big. If they don't taste good, I won't charge you."

The girl who was caught by her cousin yesterday to ask about work at Lin's Water Flour Shop got up late, and she didn't eat the dumpling because she was afraid of delaying work.

If she hadn't worked at Lin's Water Flour Shop, the girl who sold dumplings would never have thought that three cents for a meat dumpling was enough to buy some buckwheat and sorghum for a family meal.

But now thinking that her salary for this month is coming soon, the girl gritted her teeth, took out the little money she had saved from knitting, and took out three cents: "Give me a meat bun."

The vendor smiled and said, "Okay," and took out a meat bun from the steaming steamer and handed it to the girl, "Girl, take it, come back for more if you like it."

The girl couldn't remember when she last ate a meat bun, but because she had a meal every day in the workshop, she didn't feel greedy at this moment, and took a bite of the bun.

The salty and fragrant pork filling immediately burst into her mouth with the unique aroma of meat, which made her shake her head happily.

There were also many people buying other breakfasts in front of the vendors' stalls.

Lin Zhen looked at the girls and boys who were looking in the door, and walked over with Lulu: "How did you sleep last night?"

In the Dongyang County Government Office, the first young woman who spoke to Lin Zhen looked at the girls and boys who were working outside: "They slept very well, Boss Lin, are they the people working in the watercolor shop?"

The other girls and boys couldn't help looking outside as well. Those girls and boys were not very old, the oldest was only in his thirties or forties, and their faces were filled with relaxed and optimistic smiles, which made people know that they were very satisfied with their current lives.

Lin Zhen nodded: "That's right, you will work in other workshops like them in the future."

"By the way, where is Manager Niu?"

The young woman said, "He's inside. I'll go tell him that you are here, boss."

"No, I'll go find him," Lin Zhen suddenly remembered something and said, "We have to solve your accommodation problem today. Manager Niu told me yesterday that we have found a place. We just need to buy some beds and toiletries. Why don't you go and listen so that you know where the deducted wages are spent, so that you won't be confused."

The young woman and several girls and boys said repeatedly, "We don't have this intention. Manager Niu and Boss Lin can do whatever they want."

Originally, they wanted to find something for them to do and let them get familiar with the state capital.

Lin Zhen called them up and found Niu Da in the main hall.

Chapter 258

Niu Da heard that Lin Zhen had to solve the housing problem for the girls and boys first, so he took Lin Zhen and the girls and boys to the yard they had chosen yesterday.

The yard was behind Guangshun Lane, and the layout was similar to the Shuifenfang, but it was a little more dilapidated.

"It's not as good as Guangshun Lane, so the rent is cheaper, only one tael and seven cents a month." Niu Da said.

Lin Zhen looked at the roof that had slid down a little and would definitely leak on rainy days: "These tiles need to be picked up again and the broken tiles replaced. One is to prevent leaking, and the other is to prevent sliding down and hitting people."

"Also, ask someone to check the pillars of the house, and replace the rotten ones."

Niu Da heard what he meant and was sure to rent this place, so he said: "Okay, boss, how long will we rent it for?"

"Buy it, it will be of great use to you in the future," Lin Zhen, who had just earned tens of thousands of taels of silver and was not short of money, could not afford to be stingy with it, and said, "Let's go and see the shop you mentioned yesterday later, and buy it if it's suitable."

He called the girl and boy who followed him and felt a little uneasy, "This will be where you live in the future. You can go in and take a look first, so that you can have a basic understanding of it. Later, each person will withdraw 80 coins from Manager Niu to buy daily toiletries. As for the big item, the bed, you can choose the pattern, and Manager Niu will pay for it. After work, it will be counted together with the money for buying toiletries." The

girl and boy who followed looked at each other, feeling confused at the moment, and also a little looking forward to the future life.

They didn't ask for how good it would be, as long as they had food and clothes.

A dozen people walked into the wing room according to Lin Zhen's words, and saw that this yard looked quite spacious, with stone walls and uneven walls, but in the future they would put their things here and become their residence.

So looking at this empty wing room also made him feel different.

Lin Zhen was quite satisfied with the yard that Niu Da had found, so he stopped bothering and asked him to talk to the owner and buy it at a reasonable price.

Then he took the girl and the brothers to Pingchang Street to buy beds and toiletries.

Pingchang Street is the widest street in the state capital with the most shops. It is not very lively in the morning, and the people who run shops are lazy.

Lin Zhen came out from Guangshun Lane with so many people, and many people looked at him. His face will never be forgotten, and the girls and brothers following him are all good-looking, it is hard not to attract people's attention.

When the rice seller Ma saw him, he hurried out of the shop and said, "Boss Lin, good morning. How are the goods selling?"

"All good. I made some money."

"Boss Lin makes money, and I'm going to make some extra money too. What is going on here, Boss Lin? If you need me, just tell me. Don't be polite to me!"

His old neighbor was stunned by his attitude. My goodness, he must have rubbed sawdust water on himself. Once it sticks, it can't be torn off!

But he also understood why Shopkeeper Ma loved Lin Zhen so much. Almost all of Ma's rice shop's business in the past month was taken up by Lin Zhen. Moreover, the fact that the people who cultivated a lot of wasteland this year sent things to the gate of the yamen spread throughout the prefecture. Seeing that the prefect had established a firm foothold in Lizhou and did these things vigorously, everyone with eyes could see that the prefect was a capable and capable person. The status of Lin Zhen, the uncle, also rose accordingly.

Those who bought too few Lizhou bonds before are regretting it. If they had known that what the prefect wanted to do would succeed, they would have bought more no matter what. With their names registered with the prefect, they might have been able to get close to him in the future.

Facing the enthusiastic shopkeeper Ma, Lin Zhen said, "Order some beds for the workers in my workshop and buy some daily necessities. Shopkeeper Ma, you just mind your own business."

"There's nothing to do. Boss Lin wants to buy a bed. Go straight along Pingchang Street. It's the third store on the right. They have ready-made beds and the price is not expensive." "

For the basins, cups, and handkerchiefs that you use on a daily basis, you can buy them in the grocery store opposite his house. They have a complete range of items."

Lin Zhen thanked Shopkeeper Ma. Although it wouldn't take much time to find it himself, he appreciated the kindness.

He said to Shopkeeper Ma, "When I have time, I will treat Shopkeeper Ma and your brother-in-law to a meal. We will do business together for a long time in the future,

so let's make friends." "Okay, then I'll wait for Boss Lin." Shopkeeper Ma was so happy that his teeth were not visible.

Lin Zhen led Niu Da, the girl and his brothers to the shop that Shopkeeper Ma mentioned. When the shopkeeper saw so many people, he thought something had happened. It was not until Lin Zhen explained the purpose of the visit that he happily called the family members who were busy with the business to come out to greet the guests and personally introduced the beds in the shop to Lin Zhen.

"We have silk and satin in our store, and they are filled with the best cotton. Look at this quilt, the quilt cover is silk, it is the most comfortable to cover yourself with in this weather."

"And this bed, it is made of satin, it is luxurious and elegant."

Lin Zhen said to the shopkeeper: "I bought it for people to use more, cotton is

fine." When the shopkeeper heard it, he immediately put his hand on the quilts next to him: "Then these patterns are all the same price, they are made of good fabrics, and the cotton filling is also good."

Lin Zhen touched it with his hand. The quilt was not thin, but it was just right for the weather in Lizhou. It was chilly after a rain, and it would be cold if it was too thin.

As for winter, you can buy another quilt to cover it together.

Lin Zhen called the somewhat reserved girl and boy behind him: "Come and take a look, what kind of pattern do you like."

The colors of the quilts were bright and plain, basically satisfying different aesthetics.

The first little woman who spoke to Lin Zhen looked at Lin Zhen's hand withdrawing from the quilt and walked over first.

Other girls and boys followed suit. Gradually, the noise in the shop became louder. They were discussing the patterns and colors with their companions in a low voice, and which one was better.

Lin Zhen asked the shopkeeper who was busy all the time, "Do you have these beddings in stock?"

The shopkeeper had done so much business right after the shop opened, and his mood couldn't be better. He smiled and said, "My husband, beddings can be used for several years after buying one. Except for those that are put out for everyone to choose, there are no ready-made ones. You have to find someone to make them after you order them."

"How many days will it take to make them?"

"I know you need them urgently. Three days. I will personally deliver the beddings to your house in three days."

"Okay." Three days would not delay anything. It was not that there was no room in the No. 1 courtyard, but there were servants who guarded the courtyard and Zhou Zhengchu and others there. Lin Zhen moved them to the courtyard in the back for future considerations.

After buying the beds and daily necessities, Lin Zhen asked Lulu to take them back.

The little woman who first spoke to him suddenly came close to him, knelt down to salute him, looked straight at him and said: "Boss Lin, my name is Chunniang."

"I will work hard for you in the future, and I won't let your hard work go to waste."

Lin Zhen looked at her shoulders that seemed to be much more relaxed, and nodded: "Go."

"Okay." Chunniang returned to the crowd with the washbasin, towel, toothbrush and tooth powder she bought.

Lin Zhen called Niu Da who was left: "Let's go, take me to see the shop you like."

Niu Da's voice was very soft, "It's in the middle of Pingchang Street, we'll get there a few steps back."

Lin Zhen walked in front, and Niu Da lagged behind him half a step, keeping some distance and protecting him in case of any problems.

As they walked, Lin Zhen said, "In a few days, it will be the day to pay the workers. The first batch of goods sold well, and everyone has been busy for so many days. Then we will set the day to pay the workers on the opening day, and give everyone some rewards."

"Not much, twenty cents should be enough, just to make people happy."

It's not that Lin Zhen can't afford more, but the bonus also depends on the situation, twenty cents is just right.

He added, "On the opening day, I will make some other samples and put them in the shop for people to visit. Lin will make those things in the future."

"So the boss brought those girls and boys back to prepare for the future workshop?" Niu Da said.

Lin Zhen looked at him, "Do you think I'm just paying money to support them?"

Niu Da: "I have thought about this before." After all, Lin Zhen cared about these girls and boys. Not only did he find a yard to settle them, but he also asked them to come out to buy bedding.

He has so many people under him, anyone can do it.

Lin Zhen smiled and said, "It is better to teach a man how to fish than to give him a fish. To keep a man alive, it is not to give him gold and silver, but to give him a backbone."

Just like what he did to Gu Lin before, he hoped that Gu Lin would study, not because he wanted Gu Lin to have great ability, but because he wanted to have the confidence and courage to do what he wanted.

But he did not expect that the little boy who was a little tired of studying in the past would now be the governor of a state.

Niu Da, who had followed him to do a lot of things, pondered his words for a long time, understood a little, and said: "If the boss is a teacher, he will definitely be able to teach a lot of great people."

"Forget it," Lin Zhen waved his hand, "I tried it before, and my throat was about to smoke. This job should be left to the truly learned. My mediocre skills will not mislead the students."

Niu Da heard that Lin Zhen had taught people before, and he became interested: "Boss, you have taught a few students, how are they doing now?"

"It can't be considered teaching, I just let them read the Thousand Characters."

"And if you think about it, I really taught only one person." Others such as Lin Xiaoyao, Lin Zhuzi, Lin Shitou, Lin Chunxiang, Lin Huaixiang, and Lin Xingxiang were only taught a little bit.

Lin Xiaoyao himself was studious, and later not only finished the Thousand Characters, but also read several books.

Lin Zhuzi, Lin Shitou and others could only recognize a few words.

Niu Da asked: "Did the only student pass the exam and become a scholar?"

"Yes."

He is now sitting in the government office, wearing a crimson official robe.

Although Lin Zhen felt that Gu Lin's knowledge had nothing to do with him, it was purely due to his amazing understanding.

Chapter 259

When Niu Da heard Lin Zhen say that the only student passed the exam, he felt that he was worthy of being his boss, as if nothing could stump him.

If Lin Zhen knew what he was thinking, he would immediately say, no, he was a weakling, the kind with negative strength.

Lin Zhen quickly stopped Niu Da's endless boasting that made him blush, and went to see the shop.

The person who rented the shop had received Niu Da's instructions before, and he had been waiting there early in the morning. When Niu Da and Lin Zhen appeared on the street, he greeted them: "Boss Lin, Manager Niu."

Because he had dealt with Niu Da before, this person already knew that Niu Da was the manager of Lin's Water-Powder Shop, which had been very popular recently, and his attitude towards Lin Zhen and Niu Da was very respectful.

After turning around, he asked his family to make tea and entertain the two.

Lin Zhen raised his hand to stop him: "No need to be so troublesome, let's look at the shop first."

The area of ​​this shop is not small. Lin Zhen looked at it and estimated that it might be more than 130 square meters. All the cabinets and tables inside were moved out, and it looked even wider.

There was also a staircase on the right to the second floor, which was a bit narrow.

Seeing that Lin Zhen didn't care about these empty formalities, the owner of the shop walked up to him and said: "Boss Lin, you have seen the condition of my shop. It is spacious and bright. The bricks and wood used when it was renovated were all good. It looks good now. You can put things on it and do business."

Lin Zhen listened to him and said: "Before, Manager Niu beside me told you that it was rented, right?"

"Yes."

"If you want to buy it, what price do you want?"

"Buy my shop?" The boss looked at Lin Zhen. Thinking of the Lin's Watercolor Shop under his control, it didn't seem unusual to buy a shop.

But the boss didn't plan to sell the shop. His shop was next to the largest street in the state capital. Although the state capital was not as prosperous as other places, he could make a lot of money by renting it out one after another. If he sold it, it would be a one-time deal.

The man said, "To be honest with you, Boss Lin, I really haven't thought about selling the shop. Why don't you rent it first? It's almost the same."

"I plan to buy your shop, and then buy the shop next to it, and connect it into one. If I rent it, it will be difficult to change your original layout."

"Don't rush to refuse. I see that there are still many vacant shops on this street, and not many people want to do business here. Even if you leave this shop here for three to five years, the rent you get won't be much."

"It's better to sell it to me, get some money, find another place to buy a yard, and live a prosperous life for a few years."

The owner of the shop touched his belly awkwardly. The state capital was not lively, and the shop was not worth much.

Just like his shop, several businesses that came to rent it didn't make it, and they were unwilling to spend more money on it even if they didn't pay the deposit.

The owner of the shop looked at Lin Zhen and Niu Da, and said hesitantly, "Then...how much money can Boss Lin give?"

"You should name a price first, so that we can talk and have a bottom line in our hearts." Lin Zhen said.

The shop owner held up two fingers and said, "Two thousand taels."

Lin Zhen called Niu Da, "Let's go to the next shop and have a look." Then he walked out without hesitation.

The owner who had been persuaded by him and wanted to sell the shop saw that he was leaving without a nap, so he hurriedly followed him a few steps: "Boss Lin, Boss Lin, please stay!"

"We are still negotiating."

Lin Zhen looked back and said, "You are not sincere enough. I can buy any shop for two thousand taels of silver."

"And then you say I was taken advantage of after I left."

The shop owner smiled awkwardly. He did have some hope that Lin Zhen was a bro who didn't understand the market and wanted to make some money. He didn't expect to be exposed: "Bargaining is a matter of give and take. Boss Lin, give me a number."

Lin Zhen looked around the shop and quickly said, "One thousand two hundred taels."

"That's too low." From two thousand taels to one thousand two hundred taels, the difference was too big. The shop owner thought he had heard it wrong.

Lin Zhen said, "I rented three courtyards in Guangshun Lane before, and the annual rent was just over two hundred yuan, and one courtyard alone is more spacious than your shop."

"Of course, the shop is on the street, and we can do business. I can't apply the prices there to here, so I offered one thousand two hundred taels."

One thousand two hundred taels, the owner of the shop felt that it was a little less than he expected. How could such a good shop be worth such a small amount of money? He asked Lin Zhen, "Boss Lin, please add a little more. I really can't bear this price."

Lin Zhen still said, "The price I gave is already very conscientious. If you don't sell it, I can only find another buyer."

The shop remained in their hands, and the family took care of the shop. They lived a tight and tasteless life. The owner of the shop struggled for a while, thinking that as Lin Zhen said, he would sell the shop and buy a courtyard in other parts of the provincial capital so that his family could live a good life for a few years.

"This shop is sold to Mr. Lin, but Mr. Lin, I want cash, not banknotes."

"Okay." Lin Zhen, who had just received 50,000 taels of silver, readily met his request and asked him to take the shop's title deed and wait until he bought the shop next door, and then go with him to the government office to get the silver.

The shop next door took a longer time to negotiate than this one, and after several rounds of negotiations, they were finally moved by the price he offered and sold it to him.

It happened that the owner of this shop also didn't trust the money house, and wanted cash like the previous one, so he went to the government office with Lin Zhen.

"Boss Lin." The yamen runner guarding the gate of the yamen saw Lin Zhen coming back and nodded.

Lin Zhen said to them, "I'll take two people in to do some things, and they will come out soon."

After all, it was the state government office, and it was not good for outsiders to come in and out, so Lin Zhen told the two people first.

The two yamen runners naturally agreed, and took a closer look at the two shop owners who followed Lin Zhen.

The two men's backs instantly tensed up, and they said to Lin Zhen in a low voice: "Boss Lin, let's wait here. We won't go into the government office..."

My God, they have never been to the government office in their lives. This is too scary.

Lin Zhen looked back at them and understood their concerns. Anyway, they just took out the silver and gave it to them. It didn't matter whether they went in or not.

He nodded: "Okay, you wait here for a while."

"Okay, okay." The two stood outside the gate of the government office with a sense of relief.

The silver shipped back from Kyoto was all placed in Lin Zhen's room, and was still packed in those boxes. Lu Lu, who came back before him, saw him coming back and walked up quickly: "Boss."

"Find two smaller boxes, I'll use them to pack things." He said to Lu Lu.

Lu Lu said "oh", although she didn't understand what he was going to do with them, but quickly found two empty boxes from the side room and put them next to Lin Zhen.

Lin Zhen opened the box of silver. Lu Lu, who didn't know what was in it, was blinded by the glittering silver. "Boss..."

"Come with me to find silver ingots of fifty or one hundred taels each." The silver had not been separated when it was packed that day, and the broken silver, silver nuggets, and silver ingots were all mixed together.

"Oh." Lu Lu, who had never seen so much silver, responded stupidly. She squatted down and reached into the box. The cold touch of the silver and the sound it made when she fiddled with it made her unable to come back to her senses for a long time.

"Is this all... what you earned from your business trip this time, boss?"

"Well, in two days, set aside a portion of the funds for the workshop, and deposit the rest in the bank and exchange them for silver bills that are easy to carry and keep."

Lu Lu found a large silver ingot of 100 taels from the pile of silver, held the silver ingot in her hands, her eyes shining, and then carefully put it into the box.

If she hadn't been concerned that Lin Zhen was her master and the husband of Mr. Gu, she would have rushed over and hugged him.

How lucky she was to be with such a promising master, and no longer had to worry about being sold and living a hard life!

Two boxes of silver ingots of almost the same quantity were quickly collected. Lin Zhen held one box himself and asked Lu Lu to hold another box, and then went outside the government office.

The two people waiting outside the gate saw him come out, and their hearts were burning. "Boss Lin."

Lin Zhen put the box he was holding in front of the owner of the first shop he bought, and opened the lid of the box a little: "All of them are official silver of 100 taels each, and the quality is excellent. Take a look."

The man reached in and touched the silver, picked up a silver ingot and shook it, then carefully looked at the mark on the bottom of the silver ingot, and said with a smile: "It's true, thank you, Boss Lin."

1,200 taels of silver is twelve 100-tael silver ingots. The small box is almost full and a little heavy. Lin Zhen handed the box to him.

The man immediately gave Lin Zhen the house deed he had brought.

The other person vaguely saw a little silver light and looked at the box in Lu Lu's hand.

Lin Zhen gave him the silver that belonged to him and got another house deed.

"Boss Lin is really straightforward in doing business. We wish Boss Lin good fortune wherever he goes."

"Thank you for your good wishes." More than two thousand taels of silver were exchanged for two thin deeds. Lin Zhen looked at the place where the original owner signed and sealed on the deeds, and took the deeds back to the government office.

He put the deeds in the box where he kept his valuables, sat down at the table and asked Lu Lu to cut some rice paper.

Seeing him use so much silver to buy two shops, Lulu obediently went to cut paper and asked in confusion: "Boss, are you still going to open a shop? Isn't it good to sell Yurong Powder Flower Dew lipstick now?"

Lin Zhen spread the cut paper on the table and pressed it with a paperweight: "In the future, our Lin family will not only make Yurong Powder Flower Dew lipstick, but also other things. Putting the shop there can not only attract the people of the state to buy, but also let foreign merchants see the latest goods. If they are interested, they can naturally check the goods in the shop and then order the quantity from us."

Otherwise, if a merchant came to take him to the workshop to have a look, it would inevitably disturb the working women and men.

"So that's how it is." Lulu stood beside him.

Lin Zhen held the charcoal pencil and drew the two shops that had just become his property today on the paper.

Chapter 260

The two shops are next to each other, separated by only a wall. Both are two-story houses with four wooden doors.

There is also a small yard at the back, and the open side door allows carriages to enter.

This is also the reason why Lin Zhen wanted these two shops. It is convenient to transport goods and deliver goods, and there is no need to go in and out in front, which makes the customers look messy.

However, Lin Zhen still wants to tidy it up again, order some cabinets, chairs, and choose decorations of suitable styles.

Yurong Powder Flower Dew Lipstick and the soap and vanishing cream that he is about to launch are not cheap things, so they naturally cannot be too shabby.

While thinking, Lin Zhen drew a structural diagram of the shop on paper. The wall between the two shops was opened up to form a large room, and the doors were made into eight connected wooden doors. After opening, pedestrians on the street can see the furnishings and things inside to the greatest extent.

The counters are designed to be arranged in rows at an angle, facing the outside to the customers so that they can see the appearance of the goods clearly. Behind the counters are tall cabinets divided into compartments to accommodate enough goods.

In order to give customers a visual impact, Lin Zhen plans to design the counters and cabinets to be as long as the wall, and then add some small counters in the middle.

A small half of one side of the shop is set aside as a waiting area for customers. Lin Zhen also modified the chairs and stools to make modern Chinese-style sofas. The lower wooden sofas are filled with long and square pillows filled with cotton.

At the same time, we must consider how to ensure the quietness of the waiting customers, as well as lighting and ventilation.

I have been here for many years. If I hadn't deliberately turned these things out, Lin Zhen would have thought that this part of his memory had become blurred.

But now I realize that it is still so familiar, a memory engraved in my bones that cannot be erased, and my life for more than 20 years.

Looking at the style of the Chinese-style sofa under my hand, Lin Zhen's thoughts drifted away for a while, and after turning around, he shook his head and smiled.

He continued to fill the shop under his name. The first floor was used for sales and entertaining customers. The second floor was planned to continue the comfortable style of the first floor with sofas, desks, and a place for girls and boys to try on makeup.

Therefore, the lighting and ventilation of the second floor must also be guaranteed.

Lin Zhen drew a line on the doors and windows of the first and second floors, thinking about all the materials he could think of. The only thing that could meet his requirements was glass.

However, quartz sand is required to make glass. Lin Zhen has been in the state capital for more than a month and has not been out, so naturally he has never seen this thing.

Without glass, you can only use the current window paper. Choose the best window paper to ensure light transmittance, expand the size of the doors and windows, and create better lighting and ventilation effects.

But no matter how good the window paper is, it is definitely not as good as glass.

Lin Zhen turned the charcoal pencil in his hand and drew a line under the materials he listed for firing glass. If there was glass, he would use it to make money, which is better than using it to make doors and windows.

He first drew out the cabinets, counters, and the style of the wooden sofas and desks he needed. He was about to ask Lulu to call Niu Da.

After he called out, he remembered that Niu Da was supposed to come with him, but halfway through, he was called back by the guard of the No. 1 courtyard, who said that he had something to deal with.

He stopped Lulu and said, "I'll go by myself. Let someone harness a carriage."

Lulu was used to him running outside as soon as he came back, and she was always busy. She agreed and walked out.

Just as he walked out of the door, he suddenly saw Gu Lin coming from the corridor, and quickly stepped aside: "Sir."

"Yes." Gu Lin, who had already known from the yamen runners that Lin Zhen had returned, stepped forward and walked in.

Hearing the footsteps, Lin Zhen thought it was Lu Lu who came back to ask him about something she didn't hear clearly. He looked up and saw that it was Gu Lin. He waved him over and said, "I bought two shops today. Come and have a look."

Gu Lin was still wearing the scarlet official robe, which made him look handsome and majestic. He walked to Lin Zhen and bent down slightly to take a look.

Lin Zhen pointed at the door of the shop and said, "These two shops are combined together. The wall in the middle has been demolished and renovated."

"These doors should be made bigger so that people outside can see what we sell at a glance. The floor should also be changed. I'm thinking about finding a kiln maker and asking them if they can make smooth porcelain tiles this thick," Lin Zhen gestured with his fingers, "If you spread them on the floor, it will definitely be very bright."

"And this piece..." Lin Zhen said as he sat on the chair. Gu Lin listened silently. Just by listening to Lin Zhen's description and the drawings he drew, he could imagine that this shop would definitely amaze everyone in the future.

But the cost here is not cheap. The large pieces of porcelain, the wide doors and windows, the big and small counters, and the ornaments used inside, thousands of taels of silver may not be enough to make it good.

Lin Zhen said: "Actually, I have another idea for these doors and windows."

Lin Zhen deliberately teased him: "It would be better to use colored glaze."

Gu Lin looked down at him: "Colored glaze?"

"Yes, colored glaze is translucent, the sunlight can penetrate, and it can also block the wind and rain. If the doors and windows of the shop can be made of colored glaze, it will definitely be great."

"..." Gu Lin, who has never made money so far, and whose private money is all the small change given by Lin Zhen and the reward for suppressing the refugee army, suddenly felt that he seemed to...cannot support his husband.

He hugged Lin Zhen: "I'm afraid there is not so much colored glaze in Lizhou."

"Even if all the colored glaze in Kyoto is found, it is not enough." Lin Zhen looked at the subtle expression on his face that would not be noticed by others, and smiled and turned a corner.

Tell Gu Lin that he was just thinking about it. If there were really so much glass, he could just make it into various luxury goods and sell them. It would be more worthwhile than using it on doors and windows.

And everyone in the world knows that things are valuable because they are rare. If he really uses glass on doors and windows and sells the glassware at a high price, others will only think that he is ripping people off.

The two of them are in such a position now that Lin Zhen can see his chin as soon as he looks up, and his back is still vaguely pressed against his body.

He sat a little forward and asked him, "Are you not busy today?"

Gu Lin: "After farming, everything else can be put aside. In the past two days, I have discussed several official documents with officials about the defense of counties and towns close to the border. After all the people in the yamen go to the villages to check on the farming, we will inspect them one by one."

Lizhou has two dilemmas. First, it is difficult to farm, the output is too little, and the people cannot eat enough. Second, it borders the Che Luo Kingdom. The Che Luo Kingdom has been uneasy in recent years. When winter comes, it will plunder the villages and towns on the border, and the people are miserable.

Both were problems that several Lizhou governors had failed to solve until Gu Lin took office.

The problem of difficult farming had made some progress with the help of curved plows, compost, manure, and grain seeds on credit from the prefectural government. It all depends on how the harvest will be this autumn.

If the effect is good, the scale of farming next year will not be comparable to this year. By then, all the counties and towns in Lizhou will have to participate.

As for the second difficulty, there are many things involved in this problem, and it cannot be explained in a few words.

When he said that, you really remembered that you promised Gu Lin to go with you to check on the farm work, and said, "When is the day to check on the farm work?"

"The day after tomorrow."

"Then I will hand over these things to Niu Da today and tomorrow, and I will go with you."

"By the way," Lin Zhen asked, "We are going to ride horses this time, right? Should I learn to ride horses first?"

The official friends in the government office, Gao Tong Jiang Jing, and the two shifts of yamen runners below all seem to be good at riding. If he, a weakling, is brought along, he will probably be a drag.

Without waiting for Gu Lin to answer, he said, "You teach me how to ride a horse in the evening. Even if I can't run, I must be able to keep up with the team."

Gu Lin lowered his eyes and looked at Lin Zhen, who was in his arms, and agreed, "Okay, I'll take a docile horse and go outside the city to teach Uncle Lin in the evening."

"Then I'll go and do the things at hand now, and then I'll go find Niu Da tomorrow and give him the unfinished instructions."

"I'll go with Uncle Lin. Today's official business has been handled."

Lin Zhen looked up at him. Naturally, he would not refuse. After Lu Lu stood outside the door to report that the carriage was harnessed, Lin Zhen walked out of the yamen with Gu Lin half a step behind.

He said he was not busy, but he was busy again unconsciously when he returned to the prefecture. Lin Zhen looked at Gu Lin beside him and said casually: "You and I seem to be born to be busy. If you want to relax, I am afraid you have to wait until I have done what I want to do and you retire to your hometown, so that you can relax from morning to night."

Gu Lin waited for him to step on the footstool to get into the carriage, then he pulled the curtain in and said: "Uncle Lin, tell me when you don't want to work anymore."

The space in the carriage was not narrow, but perhaps because of Gu Lin's height and long legs, the space was a little narrow.

Lin Zhen moved to the side and looked at Gu Lin who was sitting on the couch: "It's still early, at least I have to wait until I have used up all the things in my mind and there is nothing I want to do."

"But you," Lin Zhen said, "you are only sixteen this year, and you can really retire and return to your hometown. You have to work for the emperor for at least fifty or sixty years."

Gu Lin: "Not that long."

? ? ?

Lin Zhen looked at him.

Gu Lin did not continue talking about this topic, but leaned close to his ear and said, "Zhenzhen said I was sixteen."

Lin Zhen was stunned for a moment, remembering that he did say that, just yesterday.

"What a pity, I'm only sixteen, and I have to wait another two years."

He thought he was dreaming, and there was a little regret in his tone when he said this. That tone, now thinking about it, how can I...

It's said without saying it, Lin Zhen licked his lips and looked at him: "Then you are sixteen years old, aren't you, still a child."

Gu Lin, who was called a child, did not comment, but suddenly said: "Can a child love you?"

He was much taller than Lin Zhen when he sat. Lin Zhen had long legs, and his lower body accounted for most of his height. When he sat, he was only level with his shoulders. Moreover, as he grew older, his shoulders and back gradually became as broad as an adult man. Without looking at the less and less childishness between his eyebrows and eyes, and only looking at his body shape, anyone would think that Lin Zhen was the younger one.