Wu Haogu's newly completed mansion in Jiehe Shang City is located in Gonghefang. It is one of the best plots of land in the Jiehe Commercial Market, next to the administrative district of the commercial market, which is Zhengfang, and not far from the banks of the Jiehe River. If you stand at the height of a two-story building, you can see the surging eastward boundary river, and you can also see the land on the other side of the river that belongs to the Great Liao Kingdom.

The street where the samurai mansion is located is called Wangbei Street, which is a street and alley running from northwest to southeast. The streets and alleys are connected to Zhengfang Square, the south of the northwest entrance is Wan Da Tile, the north is the boundary river and the Golden Arch Building, and the mansion of Wu Haogu is followed by Wan Da Tile, just in the northwest of the street and lane, five in and five out of the big courtyard, there are at least ten bays on the street, the real high-walled mansion. On the other side of the samurai mansion is the Kaihe Daishokokuji Temple under construction.

On the opposite side of the samurai mansion is the residential area developed by the Wangbeilou Commercial Bank, which is called Sanssouci Garden - meaning carefree and without worrying about being killed by Yelu Yanxi...... In the days when Wu Haogu was not in Jiehe Commercial Market, more than 50 mansions in Sanssouci Garden had been sold, and they were all off-plan houses that had been sold before they were completed. Of course, the selling price cannot be compared with the house in Kaifeng Mansion, which is basically a "one into one thousand" market, that is, one in and one out of the house sells for 1,000 horses, two in and two out of 2,000 horses, and so on Wu Haogu's house in Jiehe is worth 5,000 silk silk.

……

All the way, Wu Haogu, Gao Yu and others arrived at Jiehe Shang City, and under the guidance of Huang Shilang, they came to this martial arts mansion, and it was indeed a bright red wall. Gao Yu opened his mouth and said in surprise on the horse: "What's going on?" Why are they all red walls? Isn't this color over-the-top? ”

Wu Haogu didn't expect that his house in Jiehe Shang City was actually built with red bricks - red bricks were extremely common in later generations, but in this era, Wu Haogu had never seen it. The bricks he saw were all green bricks, but he didn't expect to see red bricks in Jiehe.

"Why is this brick red?" Wu Haogu frowned, "Is there a problem with the soil here?" ”

"Dong Weng, I don't know what's going on?" Huang Shilang was also confused, "Because the supply of bricks was difficult after the Jiehe River froze last winter, I built some simple brick kilns, and somehow burned red bricks and stones...... It works, but the color is a bit bad. But later, it will be plastered, and you won't be able to see it. ”

In fact, the reason for burning red bricks is that Huang Shilang asked people to build a brick kiln that cut corners, and saved the kiln top - the kiln roof is more difficult to build, and Huang Shilang, who was in a hurry, asked people to use a brick kiln without a roof to try to burn a kiln brick, and the result was a red brick, although the quality is not as good as the green bricks, but it can also be used.

The only problem is that the red wall is a bit overstepped, if you don't dare to do it in Kaifeng Mansion anyway, but it's not so strict in Jiehe Commercial City. However, you can't always show people with red walls, you still have to cover them with plaster.

Huang Shilang said: "After the beginning of spring this year, I asked a few masters who knew how to burn bricks, and they didn't know why, so they said that it might be related to the brick kiln not having a roof." ”

"No top?" Wu Haogu didn't understand how bricks were burned. "Can you use a kiln without a roof?"

"Yes, it's the same." Huang Shilang said, "The cost is lower, and it is convenient to repair large kilns, so I asked people to build a few large brick kilns in Jiehe, and burn bricks by myself in the future, so that I don't have to buy them from Liao...... You don't know, these bricks are hard to come by. ”

Bricks are hard to come by because the scale of construction in Jiehe Commercial Market is too large, and Wu Haogu does not like rammed earth adobe houses, so he asks to repair brick houses as much as possible. Most of the handicraft industries in the Yanyun area are government-run, small in scale, low in efficiency, and even more pitiful in output. It can't meet the needs of the construction project in Jiehe Commercial City, so it can only build its own kiln factory.

The brick kiln with a lid is difficult to repair, and Huang Shilang has no talent in this area, so he can only burn red bricks. As a result, it was crooked, and a more efficient open direct-flame brick kiln was created.

"By the way," Wu Haogu remembered the cement again, "what do you use to bond the bricks?" ”

"With Sanhe soil," Huang Shilang said, "lime, clay, fine sand, and a little glutinous rice juice." ”

"Let's also get a kiln to burn," Wu Haogu didn't know the recipe of cement at all, "take off the fine sand, grind it with lime and clay, calcine it, and then grind it into powder, and see if it works." ”

"Good ......" Huang Shilang doesn't know what Wu Haogu wants to do? But he is Dong Weng and the mayor, and he can only respond.

Wu Haogu saw that he was a little confused, and smiled nonchalantly: "Don't say it...... When you're hungry, people are iron and steel, and you'll get down to business after eating! Huang Shilang, is there any food in my house? ”

"Yes, yes, yes." Huang Shilang said with a smile, "Old Sect Leader Lin personally arranged it...... He should be in the house right now. ”

"That's good!" Wu Haogu smiled and said to the large group of people behind him, "But when I get home, I can finally eat a hot meal!" ”

It turns out that Wu Haogu's way is still the style of hurrying in a hurry, avoiding the officialdom etiquette that attracts and sends him as much as possible - otherwise his current status, he will not have to eat, drink and have fun all the way, and he will not be able to finish it for a month!

Although his style saves time, he has not eaten less of the wind and dust on the road, which really makes the people who follow him bitter. Today we finally arrived at the Jiehe, everyone can settle down, have a good meal, and take a beautiful hot bath.

……

In Jiehe Commercial City, in the "red brick mansion" of Wuhaogu, this dinner made people eat happily all the way.

Huang Shilang and Lin Chong actually didn't arrange anything delicious for Wu Haogu and the others, after all, Jiehe Commercial Market was just established and created, and the conditions were still very difficult. This dinner is the farmhouse flavor of Cangzhou, the rice porridge is tender and yellow, the vegetables are green, the fruits are sweet, and the carp boiled in the Jiehe River is boiled in fresh soup. The table was placed in a hall on the second floor, with the windows open, and everyone felt comfortable feeling the cool breeze blowing from the Jiehe River at night, and watching the sparkling lights of the boats moored on the pier of the Jiehe River in the distance.

Wu Haogu's interest is even higher, although he is also mixed like a dog in Kaifeng, and he is a dignified and fortunate favored minister, but here, he is the lord of a city! And...... He was also the founder of the city! Here, he is the real master!

This city did not exist in the history of the Song Dynasty! It was created by him, and its appearance is destined to make a big difference in history in the future.

Because the ghost of the bourgeoisie has finally found a place where it can grow and grow.

When eating, Wu Haogu didn't care about any etiquette or humility. Let Yan Po'er bring a group of warblers and Yanyan to the banquet, and don't want them to sing and dance, just eat and drink with everyone. However, Du Wenyu's girl still couldn't let go, so she took Olga back to her room to eat. Wu Haogu was sitting next to Yan Po'er's girl, who couldn't stop talking and laughing, all of them were meat jokes, which made Wu Haogu, Gao Yu, Huang Shilang, Lin Chong, Zhang Xizai, Zhao Jiaren, Lin Wancheng and others laugh heartily.

When the wine has passed three rounds, the dishes have passed the five flavors, and everyone is happy, Gao Yu, who came with Wu Haogu, put on a serious face, "Da Lang, brother came north to Jiehe this time, but it's all because of you...... Originally, I served the official family in Kaifeng Mansion well, but now I have been awarded the direct command of the imperial horse in front of the palace, and the burden on my shoulders has suddenly become heavy. Five hundred knights, without 750,000 acres of land, it can't be settled at all. With so much land, can you buy it? I'm afraid this errand will not be easy to do! We can set up other people, and they can dig holes for us. ”

Gao Taiwei is a traitor and a villain, and he is very good at thinking about it with a villain's heart. On the way to the boundary river, I had already thought about it.

Buying 750,000 acres of land is not easy at any time! And someone will definitely make trouble for their own family - at this time, Lu Jia asked and An Tao must have cursed Wu Haogu and Gao Yu because of the demolition, how could they let go of the opportunity to retaliate?

There are too many things about the officialdom of the Great Song Dynasty demolishing each other! Therefore, this errand in Beicang Prefecture will definitely not go well.

"Don't be afraid," Wu Haogu smiled, "Brother Gao, don't worry, we have money, power, and people in Cangzhou...... Is there anything else that can't be done? You can rest assured, the matter of buying land is all on me. ”

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Wu Haogu patted his chest, "It's already arranged." He nodded at Zhang Xizai, the finance and taxation officer of the Jiehe Shang City Finance and Taxation Office, "Zhang Erlang, how much land have you bought?" ”

It turned out that Wu Haogu had asked Zhang Xizai to acquire land on the south bank of the Jiehe River early in the morning - in fact, Wu Haogu's work on the south bank of the Jiehe River had not been suspended since the preparation of the Jiehe Commercial Market. And Zhang Xizai, the big account of Jiehe, has always been in charge of this matter.

Zhang Xizai said with a smile: "Back to Dong Weng, his subordinates have purchased 93,300 mu of land for Dong Weng, of which 43,300 mu are deeded, and the rest are hidden fields. ”

Gao Yu was taken aback, "There are so many hidden fields?" ”

Wu Haogu smiled, "As soon as the water rushes, the land is gone...... Brother Gao wouldn't think that the water could really wash away the soil, right? ”

Gao Yu asked: "Who is in the hands of these fields?" ”

Wu Haogu replied: "Of course, it is the forbidden army general, Hebei Haoqiang...... Naturally, it is not an ordinary character who can hide so much land, he is either powerful in the Hebei Forbidden Army, or he is a local tyrant. After Sanyi returned to the river, Hebei East Road was eroded, and the government couldn't control them at all, so the local officials could only not be embarrassed by the giant room. In fact, if you sort out these giant rooms, thousands of knights can also get them. Brother Gao, what do you think? Is it a recital for the official family, suggesting that hundreds of knights be recruited? ”