Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

They arrived outside the pawnshop.

Emperor Jing appeared thoughtful, while Wang Erzhu couldn't help but be amazed.

Good heavens, from three coins to eight taels, this Young Master Lü is indeed a capable person.

When they sell the cart of apples later, they have to treat him to a good meal!

Fang Zheng one peeled at the silver, counted it again and again, and happily said: "We've made money! I'll treat everyone to a good meal first!"

Wang Erzhu: "......"

"Put it on my tab. I only have large denomination silver notes on me. I'll find you when we get back to Xinzhang."

Fang Zheng said to Wang Erzhu with a smile.

Wang Erzhu breathed a sigh of relief.

But then he thought that he seemed to be acting too stingy. People were treating him so well, he couldn't just not show anything at all, so he said: "Everyone, don't be polite! Everyone, don't be polite. Without Young Master Lü, I wouldn't be able to exchange for so much money. Just consider this my treat."

"That's fine too, let's go, let's go, let's find a good restaurant and get some hearty dishes! We've been eating nothing but apples for the past few days," Fang Zheng said, beckoning.

Ah! How can people be like this...?

Wang Erzhu's heart was ashen.

......

Inside the restaurant, after the four of them had their fill of food and drink, they settled the bill and were resting.

Watching the lively scene on the street was quite interesting.

Except for Wang Erzhu, whose face was ashen.

This meal cost a full four taels of silver.

Young Master Lü really kept his word! He didn't pick anything but the hearty dishes!

But how many years would he have to work to save up four taels of silver?

Thinking of this, his heart ached, and he lowered his head, silent.

Fang Zheng was perceptive and couldn't help but tease: "What's wrong? Heart aching from the cost of the meal?"

"No...no," Wang Erzhu pursed his lips, looking around.

Being able to eat a meal at such a restaurant in this lifetime is worth it. At least he can brag about it for the rest of his life. It's not a loss!

Wang Erzhu comforted himself in this way.

Fang Zheng said: "Don't worry, you won't be paying for it for nothing. Don't I still have four taels left? I'll take these four taels of silver and turn your cart of apples into forty taels. Do you believe me?"

Wang Erzhu's eyes lit up with flames: "Really!"

"I never lie," Fang Zheng said without batting an eye.

Emperor Jing asked curiously: "Even in the capital, that cart of apples wouldn't sell for more than one tael of silver, right?"

"Of course, ordinary sales won't make money, but after packaging, it will be worth money. Let's set off now and find a workshop to give the apples a new look!"

......

There are quite a few workshops in Xinzhang County.

Especially walking along the street with the passers-by, you can find them.

In fact, many of the people in the city are newcomers from other places, looking for work or opportunities to make a fortune.

Many workshop entrances have people loudly shouting, or hanging signs to recruit workers.

The group didn't spend much effort before finding a woodworking workshop.

This workshop looked unremarkable from the outside, with a very small storefront.

But entering it revealed a different world. The storefront led to a corridor, connected to the backyard.

The backyard was extremely large, with dozens of people working enthusiastically, wood chips flying and noise rising.

Emperor Jing had never seen such a scene, so he curiously looked inside.

At this time, the foreman in charge of supervising in the yard enthusiastically greeted them: "Are you here to order some furniture?"

This foreman didn't seem like a foreman, but rather covered in dust.

But it was understandable. In a workshop of this size, management and grassroots were basically together, and the boss himself was doing the work.

The vast majority of small companies in later generations, the small bosses also do everything themselves, doing everything personally.

Fang Zheng waved his hand: "No, I need the shopkeeper to make thirty boxes, using good redwood. I've already drawn the drawings."

As he spoke, he handed over the drawings he had prepared in the restaurant, with a nine-grid gift box drawn on them.

The shopkeeper took the drawings and glanced at them, saying: "This is very simple. Made of redwood, a total of ten taels of silver. Come pick up the goods in ten days."

Fang Zheng frowned: "Ten taels? Ten days? So expensive, and how long will the time be? Are you a black shop!"

"Four taels of silver, I need to see the goods by tomorrow at the latest, how about it?"

Emperor Jing was also tongue-tied listening.

On the way into the city, he discovered that although it was lively here, with many people coming and going.

But the prices were really high!

He didn't know how those common people lived, how much money they could earn. It seemed that he still needed to observe.

The shopkeeper was unwilling: "Outsider! You just arrived here, right? Who haggles like you, starting from the ankle."

"Let me tell you, if it were before, I would definitely accept your four taels of silver for delivery tomorrow, but not now."

"Look at the people in my yard, busy as bees, the work on their hands can't be finished, taking your order would take time."

"If it's for you, delaying other people's orders, then I'll lose a lot!"

Fang Zheng glanced into the yard and said: "Are they making... bicycle wheels?"

"That's right! That's exactly right. We make parts here by order, send them to the employer for unified splicing after they are made, and finally sell them to the capital. Many woodworking workshops in Pingwan County are doing this, and they are never idle, so... why don't you consider the price I said, or go somewhere else to take a look?"

Fang Zheng was in trouble.

If the apples are left for too long, they won't be fresh, and he can't take out ten taels of silver either. He really didn't expect this situation.

Looking back at Emperor Jing, he didn't expect that he had already gone deep into the yard to observe others working.

The shopkeeper was still urging, and Fang Zheng had an idea: "Shopkeeper, I'll show you a trick. If you think my trick is good, then you can give me a discount, and as for when to deliver the goods, let's talk about it later."

The shopkeeper laughed: "That's new. There's also haggling with magic tricks. What trick are you going to do? Let me hear it."

"Mind reading," Fang Zheng said deeply.

"Hiss... Really? If you can really guess what I'm thinking, then I'll give you a discount!" The shopkeeper was on guard.

After all, he had heard of mind reading but never seen it... this thing was very mysterious!

"It's not the kind of random guessing you think, you have to follow my rhythm. If there's no problem, then I'll start?"

"Uh... alright, I want to see it. Start!"

Fang Zheng cleared his throat, and Wang Erzhu slowly widened his eyes.

Amazing! Young Master Lü is really amazing. Not only can he make money, but he can also do this kind of miraculous thing?

The two only heard Fang Zheng say: "First, quickly think in your mind what 2 + 3, 3 + 4 equals, then quickly think of a color, then think of a tool, and finally think of a vegetable."

The shopkeeper fell into thought, and Wang Erzhu couldn't help but think silently.

After a minute, Fang Zheng smiled wickedly: "You're thinking of red, a hammer, and cabbage."

...

...

The shopkeeper and Wang Erzhu simultaneously fell into a daze.

Two big words popped up in their minds: Idiot.

None of the three were right!

Fang Zheng frowned, realizing something was wrong.

This was the most popular magic trick he saw on the internet in his previous life... Could he have remembered it wrong? No way!

He couldn't have remembered such a simple thing wrong.

"Shopkeeper, how is it? I guessed them all right, right? Now can you give me a dis..."

"I'm in a good mood today, I'll forgive you this once, get out of here! Get as far away as you can!"

"Hey? Let's talk nicely, don't push me!"

.......