The carriage of the Han family and his party took nearly two quarters of an hour on the mile-long horse racing street to reach its destination.

As soon as the car stopped, Han Gang's two older sons jumped down first. Then Jin Niang also wanted to jump along, but was seriously grabbed by her hand and helped out of the car by the maidservant. Seeing her reluctant look, if it weren't for Yan Suxin's grabbing, Jin Niang would have jumped out of the car like her brother.

Han Gang brought out three elderly children today, and the rest were too young to stay at home and be taken care of by Zhou Nan - Han Gang also wanted to bring Zhou Nan out together, but since Zhou Nan entered Han's house, he tried not to show his face as much as possible. Especially in the capital, he didn't even want to go out, and Han Gang couldn't force it, so he could only let her.

Han Gang stepped out of the car one step earlier, and helped Wang Yi get out of the car with his hand back. The three children were looking excitedly to the left and right. Brother Zhong and Brother Cheng were still clamoring for the guards to pick them up, so that they could see a little farther away. But Wang Yi greeted him with a straight face, and he was immediately honest. Returned to Wang Yi's side and stood, looking at the racecourse together.

In fact, the racecourse in Tokyo is just a saucer-shaped racecourse, with a raised earthen fence around the center of the depression, and the foundation of the grandstand is built with rammed earth around it. However, the top is also paved with the waste residue after steelmaking, triple soil and cement, one layer, two layers and three layers, so that it can be used as a seat without fear of being damaged by blisters.

It's just that most of the time, when you squeeze into a large stadium that can accommodate nearly 30,000 people, the spectators inside are standing in the stands and shouting at the stadium. As for the cement step seats, they naturally do not exist in the minds of the people in the stands. There are only serious seats in the two rows of boxes with the best locations, and the people who sit in them pay more attention to their image.

Although the shape of the racecourse was so simple, there was already a sea of people outside the racecourse at this time, Han Gang was tall, and when he looked around, there was a crowd of people in the dark. is as short as Han Yunniang, and his vision is even more tightly blocked.

Han Yunniang looked at the crowd of people around her through the veil, opened her mouth slightly in surprise, and pulled Han Gang's sleeve: "There are so many people." Third brother, why are there so many people?! ”

In a normal Keju game, it is already remarkable to have a few thousand people to watch the game, and only in the playoffs will the number of people be in the tens of thousands. At that time, it will be necessary to borrow several large school fields inside and outside the capital as venues for the competition. Han Yunniang just heard that this racecourse, since the third month, has never had more than 20,000 people on every race day.

"It's a good idea to pass the time here and save money." Han Gang said to Yun Niang with a smile, the little adoptive mother of the year has now become a mother, but many times her actions are still naïve.

Han Gang pointed around.

Just outside the gate of the stadium, around the square, there is a circle of shops and pavilions. Some are taverns, some are, in the depths of a few alleys, and some private houses, so that the winners of the horse ticket can spend all the money they have won, and as for the losers, they can go to the restaurant to borrow wine to drown their sorrows.

"There is no gate tax, especially the tax on wine is half that of the city, and the cost of eating and drinking here is a full twenty percent lower than in the city. Not to mention that there are also tiles here, and there is a place to go to watch hundreds of operas and miscellaneous dramas. Come here to pass the time, and the money saved is not one or two. ”

"Fourth cousin is terrible." Wang Yi sighed softly beside him.

Although Wang Yi, who was born in a farming family, didn't like the smell of copper at home, Feng Congyi had brought his business to this point and led Yongshang to all over the world, and he was already Tao Zhugong's ability, who could underestimate him?

Han Gang couldn't help but nodded: "Brother Yi doesn't have my support for him, he can still lay a piece of the world...... The same is true for the second cousin, his achievements in Hebei are full of praise, a few days ago, the Son of Heaven approved the Privy Council's notebook, and reduced him by two years of grinding - no war, the military general wants to reduce the grinding survey, which is only a little easier than ascending to the sky. ”

Because of Han Gang, Li Xin is not the target of key promotion in the army. He was able to make a contribution to reducing the amount of grinding in peacetime, and his ability can be imagined.

"Maybe it's still the inheritance of my grandfather's family, and if you give it a chance, you can come out." Han Gang smiled a little incomprehensibly.

From the very beginning, Feng Congyi made up his mind to make the racecourse a comprehensive entertainment venue similar to Jingxi Wazi. Bringing together the same entertainment projects, so that everyone can find their own fun, can attract popularity like a whirlpool - this is the capital, the place where the wealth of the world gathers. The popularity in the capital represents endless money.

How to better take the money out of the pockets of the guests, no matter what era, businessmen are willing to use their brains. Han Gang was far inferior to his cousin in this regard, and there were other shrewd businessmen.

"Regardless of the box, a horse race ticket is 10 cents, which is the same as the Keju League. Coming from outside the west and south gates of the capital, it doesn't cost too much to take a carriage. Take a four-wheeled carriage that takes the line from the city gate to the racecourse, ten miles away, and only five cents per person is enough. Here, there are not only simple competitions and gambling, but also a hundred plays, storytelling, juggling, and sumo wrestling in which both men and women go into battle shirtless. I just don't want to watch Kemari and horse racing, but I can still have fun here. Compared with the famous places in the capital such as Xiwazi, Sangjiawazi and Zhujiaqiao Wazi, the cost is much cheaper. ”

Han Gang pointed his fingers and said to Wang Yi, "For ordinary people in the capital, it is the money for a lunch, and it costs two pennies to buy water to wash their faces in the morning, what is this cost?" For ordinary families, it is not a problem to come two or three times a month. Many people will report on time every three days of competition, and there are even idlers who soak here all day long. ”

It's just that in terms of attractiveness, after all, Keju and horse racing are better. In addition to spring sowing, autumn sowing, summer harvest and autumn harvest, as well as some important festivals, the two leagues had to be suspended. For most of the year, Kemari and horse racing are the most popular entertainment for spectators.

"There are so many officials who know the truth." Listening to Han Gang tell the attraction of the racecourse, Wang Yi praised with a smile, and there seemed to be a little ridicule in his voice.

"Perhaps in the eyes of some people, governing the country is only two strategies, one hand with a sword, the other hand with a plow is enough. In addition to the five beetles, suppress industry and commerce, the country can be stable. But the government has to recognize the reality, it is no longer the time for the Qin people to fight for the world. The current Great Song Dynasty, if there is no industry and commerce, the national government will be completely unmaintainable. In today's world, it is a farmer and a businessman, and the four people are indispensable. Han Gang said with a smile, "In Huainan Magazine, Fu Jingtian and Xun Zhouli, these six words, my father-in-law is talking at length. But after his father-in-law took power, he used the law to clean up the world's accumulated evils, but this field system has not moved, and the idea of restoring the well field has never been mentioned. ”

"Every time I say two words, I immediately get a big reason, official, you can argue with your father." Wang Yi turned his head and ignored Han Gang with a small temperament. He turned and stared at the three little children, not allowing them to make too much noise.

Han Gang laughed helplessly, growing up in a scholar's family, some concepts are deeply ingrained in Wang Yi's mind, even if he can understand Han Gang's correctness, he can't accept them all. Of course, Han Gang also knows that it is his own fault to tell these big truths to his family if he has something to do.

Turning his head, Han Gang looked at the square outside the racetrack.

The property rights of the houses and land belong to the Racing Headquarters, which is the Racing Street, which has become more commonly named, and half of the shops on both sides belong to the Racing Headquarters. It can be said that this piece of land, after the launch of the horse racing league, has turned from a wasteland platform where even farming costs to a gold mine.

Less than a year after its founding, the Horse Racing Club has already caught up with the Qiyun Headquarters in terms of financial resources, and the two major sports in the world are no match in popularity, but in terms of site planning and layout, any course is inferior to the racecourse.

The audience who had already bought tickets entered the venue, but there were still many people in the square. Seven or eight small vendors shuttled through the crowd, selling snacks such as confectionery and fruit, and business was very busy. There are so many people who are willing to pay for some snacks to watch the game keep these small vendors busy.

Han Gang didn't care about his wife teaching his children, he stood outside the crowd and glanced at it with interest.

It soon became clear that most of the people in the crowd were holding various snacks in one hand and pressing the placket of the money bag in the other. Walk cautiously and seem to be guarding against thieves. However, there were several of them, and judging from the traces on their clothes, it was not only a money bag hidden in their arms, but also a short stick-like shape, which was clearly a clairvoyant mirror.

When did telescopes become so popular, Han Gang was surprised inexplicably. And at this time, the ban is still there, and if the clairvoyant mirror is taken out openly, is there no one worried about the consequences?

After the Han Gang family got out of the car, He Ju accompanied the housekeeper of the Han family and instructed the coachman to rush the carriage and the mounted horse to the nearby special carriage and horse farm, and then arranged the subordinates to wait here in front of him. After a busy work, he finally ran up in small steps: "Bachelor, the villain has already arranged a box in the venue, please invite the bachelor and his wife to come with the villain." ”

However, when he noticed the direction of Han Gang's gaze, he only glanced at it a few times, and then understood the doubts in Han Gang's heart, and laughed in a low voice: "Bachelor, in this racecourse, there is no clairvoyant mirror to see the race clearly. ”

"Aren't you afraid of Kaifeng Mansion to investigate?"

"This is outside the city, managed by Xiangfu County, and Kaifeng is separated by one layer." He Ju's voice was lower.

Han Gang snorted from his nose, there is no need to ask more about the situation in Xiangfu County. But he didn't think much about it, and while following He Ju to the racecourse, he said: "The clairvoyant mirror is not cheap, and they can afford it." ”

"The bachelor doesn't know, the clairvoyant mirror has returned to the original price this month." He Ju accompanied the smiling face, Han Gang's temper was gentle, but it made him bolder, and uncovered some secrets that were not hidden, "The lenses that flow to the people from the two glass kilns of the Jiangzuo Prison and the Ordnance Prison are as many as several thousand pieces a month. Replace it with a clairvoyant, and there will always be a thousand. Because of the glass, the white crystal has dropped to sixty percent in the past two months, and the number of people who can afford to use crystal lenses has also increased. And the labor is also cheaper, and there are almost 100 craftsmen who can grind lenses in the capital. ”

"As long as you can make money, someone will do the business of cutting off heads." Han Gang smiled and shook his head.

"It's to make a lot of money." He Ju emphasized.

"yes, having three times the profit is enough to make people desperate." Han Gang sighed, it is really the same as the past and the present.

"The villain heard that the glass kiln in Longxi has been opened, and it will be a good deal with a million profits in the future, and three or five times the profit will definitely not be able to run. This clairvoyant mirror, in a few days, will definitely fall again. ”

"Don't expect it just yet, the lenses won't come out for a while." Han Gang retracted the smile on his face and said with a headache.

It may be a problem with raw materials, and the glass workshop in Longxi has burned dozens of furnaces. White glass is indeed available, cups, bowls, plates, vases and lamps are also trial-made one by one, and they are also successful in making them into flat shapes. But grinding the lens with flat glass has never been successful. It's either broken or spent.

Feng Congyi wrote a letter to ask Han Gang for advice, but Han Gang had no choice but to reply and ask Feng Congyi to take the flat glass as a mirror first. After making money, attract other businessmen to invest in it, and when the time comes, everyone can also carry out technical research. Han Gang doesn't care about the loss of technology, and through competition, promoting the progress of production technology is his goal.

But then again, when the scale of the guild reaches a certain level, even if outsiders want to squeeze in, they must bow to the forerunners, and now the cotton store is the best example.

Jiangnan also began to plant cotton, especially in Tongzhou, Taizhou, Suzhou in the Yangtze River estuary area of the newly silted wasteland is not a few, more and more people open up wasteland there to plant cotton, but the cotton cloth produced in Jiangnan wants to be sold in the capital, but it is bound by the rules of the cotton industry, and has to accept the control of the cotton line from transportation to sales. Otherwise, the cotton industry will sacrifice the killer feature of price reduction, and Jiangnan cotton, which has not yet formed a scale, will soon be unable to support it.