I am a pirate in Ming Dynasty

The air in the room was a little depressing. Qin Shang felt a little out of breath. He lay on the bed with his eyes blank. If he hadn't been breathing heavily, he might have thought he was dead.

My mind was so groggy that I didn't wake up until night.

After all the hard work during the day, when Qin Shang went downstairs, his legs and feet were still a little weak, and the strength in his body seemed to have been drained.

The oil lamp in the inn had been lit for a long time, but it didn't have much effect in the deep darkness.

I am used to the bright lights of later generations, but now I feel the burning of the oil lamps. This gap turns into a deep loneliness.

The evening banquet was prepared. It was the first time that the eldest young master did not dine in his own room. The innkeeper worked hard and asked his chef to prepare several special dishes and set up several tables full of them.

There were already several tables of people in the hall, and Qin Shang's appearance undoubtedly attracted most people's attention.

Qin Shang obviously did not expect this scene. He originally thought it was just a meal, but now it seems that it is not that simple.

There was only one spot left for him, so Qin Li came directly to hold him and put him on the chair next to him.

There were obviously various doubts in everyone's eyes. They had known about the two young masters in the master's family for a long time, but they had never seen the young master because of his frailty. Today was the first time they saw the legendary young master. Young Master.

The atmosphere of the entire dinner party instantly became solemn, and the stagnant air made it difficult to breathe.

The sound of rain outside the window continued to rustle, echoing hollowly in the inn. The flickering candlelight shines on everyone's face, making it look a bit eerie.

Qin Li didn't speak, he just sat upright with his eyes slightly closed, as if he was thinking about something.

Qin Shang's nerves suddenly became tense, and his heart beat like a drum in his ears. He knew that something big was going to happen today, and it was not just an ordinary thing.

After a while, there were footsteps outside the door.

"Dong dong!" The knock on the door broke the silence of the space. The innkeeper who was waiting on the side suddenly ran over and opened the door as if he had seen a savior.

"Steward Qin, why did you come just now? You're already soaked!"

The shopkeeper diligently helped Qin Liu wipe the rain off his body. Qin Liu put down the bamboo umbrella in his hand, revealing the cloth bag held in his other hand. He casually took the shopkeeper's towel and wiped it before walking in. Everyone's eyes were on the cloth bag in his hand.

When several account books were exposed, a few people calmly relaxed.

"Master, these are the prices you want for the goods that have been competitive among all the family's businesses in the past two years."

The account books were placed neatly on the table, and the shadows stretched long under the candlelight, seeming to cover the cold expression on the young man's face.

Qin Liu did not sit down after finishing everything, but stood respectfully behind Qin Li like an old servant.

The air seemed to have reached freezing point again in an instant. The tables and chairs made a creaking sound due to slight movements. The heavy breathing drowned out the sound of rain outside the door and window. The people sitting were careless and seemed to be looking at the same people from the corner of their eyes. In one direction, the feeling of irritability and suffocation filled every corner.

Qin Shang could feel that the oxygen in the air had become thinner, and many people had indescribable expressions on their faces. If viewed from a unified perspective, they showed a guilty conscience.

The hollow walls reflected a huge black shadow, like a demon spreading its arms.

Qin Li finally moved, and everyone's hearts trembled as the paper was turned over. In the silent space, only the sound of 'swish' was heard.

Time seemed to have stopped at this moment, and every second of suffering burned people's hearts.

Time passed unknowingly, and later on, Qin Li flipped through the book faster and faster. He didn't let out a long breath until all the account books in front of him were flipped through. When he raised his head, almost everyone lowered their heads.

"What's going on, shopkeepers? I specially prepared this meal for you. You have been working hard for two years since I took over the business, right?"

Qin Li said with a smile while giving Qin Shang a piece of snack. No one sitting there took action, so he couldn't help but raise his cup and said to the fat man nearest him: "He Tongan, the shopkeeper of He, is my uncle, and he is also the patriarch of my Qin family. Yu Qing Yuli, this third person." A glass of wine should be given to you by my nephew."

He Tong'an became the focus of the audience when his name was called. Qin Shang also looked at him. He was about forty years old, with fleshy cheeks on both sides. He looked kind-hearted and could say "kind" at first glance. Make money' look.

"The eldest young master has gone too far. I am only a few years older than you. How can I accept the courtesy of your master?" He Tong'an quickly stood up and raised his wine glass and said with a smile.

To drink, drink it all in one gulp.

Qin Li did not take back the wine glass, but said with nostalgia: "When grandpa announced that I would take over the Qin family's property, shopkeeper He personally taught me how to read accounts. I wonder if shopkeeper He has any impression."

"Of course, of course, the young master is extremely talented. I'm ashamed that in just half a day's effort, the young master learned all the principles that I have learned in half my life." He Tongan waved his hand.

Following these two exchanges, it seemed that the air here was no longer blocked, and someone was breathing gently.

"I, Qin, have accepted the Qin family for two years, and I should be quite tolerant towards the big guys, right?" Qin Li put down his wine glass and sighed softly.

The scene was quiet, Qin Liu stood behind and stared at everyone like a sculpture, his eyes as sharp as knives.

"In the past two years, you have said that you are having difficulties and expanding your business, but I have never asked you. Do you want me to give money or people to others? Do you feel sorry for you shopkeepers?"

"At the end of last year, our net income was less than 3,000 taels, which was a full 2,000 taels less than the 5,000 taels in previous years. You said we had to take care of the government affairs, there were Japanese pirates, and business was not doing well. Have I ever blamed you? you?"

"Three thousand taels of silver. Did I also give you one thousand taels as dividends to thank you for your contribution to the Qin family? Am I being mean and unkind to you?"

"It's been two years since I checked your accounts for the first time. From beginning to end, all the accounts are beautifully written, and the numbers are consistent with what is reported every year."

"Uncle He, you have taught me accounts, so I will ask you again today. One stone of rice is worth one tael of silver. This is the price of other grain stores in the past two years. Why is the price of one stone of rice at Qinji Grain Store that you are responsible for? Money?"

From being pleasant to questioning, He Tong'an's face instantly darkened: "Xiannie, this business is not done by looking at two account books. The competition with peers is also stressful. I will not lower the price. We are here at Mipu. Wouldn’t the business be robbed?”

Qin Li couldn't help laughing after hearing this admonishing reason: "Shopkeeper He, Shopkeeper He, the rice shop you run has never taken the initiative to lower the price. Since two years ago, you have not only lowered the price by one The purchase price was two cents higher than that of his peers, and the profit of each stone of the grain shop was less than one cent."

"I wonder how shopkeeper He calculated such a shrewd business?"

A layer of dense sweat broke out on He Tongan's forehead, and his face turned pale under the candlelight. He always thought that what he did was perfect and the reasons he found were very good, but when compared with his peers, it became particularly conspicuous.

"If you didn't know better, you would have thought that our Qin family is not a businessman, but a family of Buddhists." Qin Li said coldly and sarcastically.

"Shopkeeper He, it seems that your rice shop sells more than one kind of rice, right? You have also adjusted the prices of other grains appropriately. I won't talk about it in general. Compared with the income of previous years, you have made a profit from grains in the past two years. The profit exceeded five hundred taels of silver."

"You are also a veteran of the Qin family. You have worked hard for the Qin family. I will not embarrass you. Tomorrow morning, I want to see these five hundred taels of silver appear in the Qin family's account. If there is a penny less, I will send you to see him. official."

After these words fell, He Tongan was completely paralyzed. Looking back on the way he had fooled Qin Li in the past two years, he immediately regretted it.

It's a pity that Qin Li didn't give him a chance at all.

"You don't have to plead. You will disappear from the Qin family tomorrow after doing this. I won't embarrass you. But if you say one more thing, you will be sent to jail just because you are guarding and stealing."

"It's over?" He Tong'an instantly lost his composure. From the toast to the end, the whole process only took a blink of an eye. He was completely manipulated by Qin Li, but he didn't want to admit defeat. Leaving the Qin family, he had only one year left. Lost hundreds of taels of silver.

"What a plan, what a plan!" He Tong'an raised his head and laughed, with tears streaming down his face. He looked a little crazy and decadent.

"You're pretending to be harmless just to wait for this day, right?"

"Qin Li, I really underestimate you, but among the more than ten shopkeepers here, have you seen those account books? These guys are more or less unclean. If you really want to be so awesome, , then your Qin family will be dispersed in an instant!"

"And you," He Tongan pointed at the shopkeepers sitting there and said, "Do you really think you can hide the shitty things you did? Qin Li wants to take the opportunity to get rid of us elders. He is so good. Take control of the Qin family. If you continue to sit back and watch my misfortune, you will be next."

"Haha -" Qin Li sneered, stepped forward and slapped He Tongan on the face. The fat fat instantly deformed, and the crisp slap suddenly brought him back to reality.

Qin Li grabbed his neck and stared into the other person's eyes with murderous intent: "Do you really think that the Qin family will collapse without you? Do you take yourself too seriously? If I hadn't seen For Grandpa’s sake, you can’t even walk out of this door today!”

He tightened his hands slightly, He Tongan's face gradually became panicked, the air was squeezed out of his throat, his face turned dark red, his eyes rolled, his mouth opened wide, and his tongue stuck out.

Seeing that he was about to kill the person, Qin Li let go of his hand and raised his head. Under the dim light, his handsome face was frighteningly cold.

"You can take what the Qin family gives you, but if you take what the Qin family doesn't give you, you have to bear the consequences!"