364, Divorce Disturbance (Please Order the Whole Book)

Three days later, the appointment was made.

Everyone just got to know each other politely.

Liu Mingda's wife was fine. She had been married to Liu Mingda for only a year and they loved each other. But Wu Huaixian and Wu Chenshi did not look very harmonious. Wu Chenshi looked much more haggard than Bai Gui had seen in the past.

Wu Chenshi was the daughter of Chen Xuezheng of the Qing Dynasty and a rich lady in the Wu Mansion Cultural Salon.

After talking about interesting things for a while.

As expected.

Wu Huaixian tried to curry favor with Bai Xiuzhu's brother Bai Xiongqi in a roundabout way. He said that fresh tea picked from the tea gardens in the south was difficult to transport to Qin Province, and passing officials were greedy, so he wanted to ask Bai Xiongqi to help with this small favor. After the matter was completed, he was willing to offer 30% of the profit.

30% of the profit was not much, but it was the profit of a trade route.

It provided a steady stream of income.

For one business trip, the Bai Mansion could get at least thousands of silver dollars as tribute.

Bai Xiongqi's position in the center is becoming increasingly prominent now, and he is a famous figure in the official circle. Everyone will sell some face to him.

Not much work, high profit.

Bai Xiuzhu was prepared in her heart and agreed to this matter.

Wu Huaixian is also a man of knowledge. He knows that if the request is too much, not only will he fail to get in touch with the Bai family, but he may even offend Bai Gui, the introducer, so he should be careful when doing things.

From this point of view, it seems that both sides will benefit from cooperation, and it seems that Wu Huaixian can get in touch with Bai Xiongqi's network, or other people's network.

But in fact, it is not seen in this way.

Sometimes you think that a transaction is appropriate..., such as asking someone to help you do something, and after the matter is completed, you give a certain amount of compensation, and spend a lot of money to treat you to a meal.

But in fact, in the eyes of the trustee, if it is not because of a certain relationship, he will not choose to help you, because what you are given is a friendship price, a market price. In addition to the price, helping others may also have a certain exchange of interests, or fall in favor, etc.

Helping also involves certain risks.

So unless it is necessary, people with power and status will not help easily.

In a nutshell, such things are often in short supply.

Even if you have money, you can't find a way!

This banquet ended in a hurry.

Afterwards.

Liu Mingda apologized for Wu Huaixian, saying that Wu Chenshi "did not perform well" at the banquet, and hoped that Bai Gui and Bai Xiuzhu would not take it to heart. Wu Huaixian also gave Bai Gui and Bai Xiuzhu some antiques and calligraphy and paintings to express his apology.

At the banquet, everyone was happy, only Wu Chenshi was upset, which was really not good.

Although the Wu family was a merchant, they also knew etiquette, so they came to apologize.

"Brother Huaixian has a mistress, and he did it behind Miss Chen's back. It's fine to have a mistress, but Brother Huaixian has a mistress from Zhangtai..."

"Miss Chen is a stubborn person, and she is quite stubborn, so she is against Brother Huaixian."

"You also know that Brother Huaixian didn't like Miss Chen very much, and wanted to match you with Miss Chen, but Miss Chen's appearance is a bit ordinary..."

Liu Mingda sighed and explained.

He didn't think it was a big mistake for a man to have a mistress.

At this time, for anyone with some ability and some wealth, having three wives and four concubines is a trivial matter. Even if the wife knew about it, she would just be awkward for a while, and then she would live her life as she should.

Unexpectedly, although Wu Chenshi didn't vent her temper at the banquet, her attitude was a bit insensitive to priorities.

"Marry a virtuous wife and a beautiful concubine."

"How come Brother Huaixian doesn't even understand this point..."

Bai Gui understood what Liu Mingda said and shook his head.

Zhangtai people refer to prostitutes in brothels.

During the Qin Dynasty, a Zhangtai Palace was built in Chang'an. The "Biography of Lin Xiangru" in the Records of the Grand Historian says that "(King Zhaoxiang of Qin) met Xiangru at Zhangtai." Later, the poet Han Hong wrote a poem, "Zhangtai willow, Zhangtai willow, are you still there as you were in the past? Even if the long branches are still hanging like before, you should pick them up by someone else's hands."

Flowers must be picked when they can be picked!

Zhangtai people are the elegant name for the brothel girls that literati like.

Liu Mingda was embarrassed to say how infatuated Wu Huaixian was with this brothel girl, so he could only use this metaphor.

However...as a friend, he couldn't intervene in this matter.

After all, the couple made peace after a fight, and it was his fault as a friend whether he persuaded them to make peace or break up.

But at this moment, it was not good to say nothing. He could only use Liu Mingda's mouth to give a tactful advice.

He would not continue to say more.

Hearing this, Liu Mingda looked strange and looked at Bai Gui in a daze.

Speaking of marrying a virtuous wife, he thought Bai Xiuzhu was not ugly.

"It was because of Chen Xuezheng... that Mrs. Wu arranged this marriage for Brother Huaixian."

"Now on the news pages, many people who returned from studying abroad have divorced their wives..."

Liu Mingda reminded Bai Gui and said.

Bai Gui would always know about these things. There is no need to talk about the friendship between the three of them, so this is not too taboo. Besides, if we explain it to Bai Gui now, it will be easier to get along in the future.

Half-hiding may cause trouble.

In addition, this matter is not really a family scandal. If it is said, it will be said. Bai Gui is not an outsider.

"Brother Mingda, I know."

Bai Gui replied with a clear mind.

Ten years ago, when attending the cultural salon at the Wu Mansion, Wu Huaixian wanted to match him with Miss Chen. It can be seen that Wu Huaixian had no affection for Miss Chen, who looked plain. After going abroad, it was even more impossible to cultivate affection.

The reason why Mrs. Wu arranged this marriage for Wu Huaixian had a lot to do with Chen Xuezheng being the academician of Qin Province. Although this official position was only a fifth-rank official, it had a promising future. If it weren't for the end of the Qing Dynasty, Chen Xuezheng might have been a senior official of several ranks now, with a high position and power.

Marriages for profit could originally be restrained by secular morality, but now the matter of literati divorcing their wives has happened frequently, especially among these students who returned from studying abroad. Miss Chen is not an ignorant person. Now that her family's power has shrunk, how could she not worry about such a thing happening.

Liu Mingda apologized for Wu Huaixian, talked a few more words, and left directly.

"I think Sister Chen is pretty good..."

"Wu Huaixian is a bit of a sycophant."

Soon after Liu Mingda left, Bai Xiuzhu said.

Liu Mingda did not deliberately avoid Bai Xiuzhu, after all, he could not apologize only to Bai Gui. Besides, the fact that Wu Huaixian and Miss Chen were not in harmony was already exposed, and there was no need to hide it.

"Brother Huaixian has a good character, but..."

Bai Gui paused.

I don't know what to say.

It is true that Wu Huaixian was a sycophant. For example, during the imperial examination, after he passed the examination and became the head of the prefecture, Wu Huaixian's attitude towards him changed quickly, from being indifferent and distant to quickly making friends, but this was understandable. Who has not been a sycophant? At that time, he was not necessarily so noble as the head of the prefecture.