Sixteen planes came, dropped some fuel, turned around, and flew away. The next trip would be easier than this one. The pilot had already memorized the general route. As long as it didn't snow too heavily, even without the guidance of Shui Yun's family, the planes could easily find the location. After all, there were so many tents and people wearing brightly colored clothes.
At night, there was no moon and no stars. When the east was slightly bright and the fine snow was still dancing, the guardians of Ru Lin County opened the door and told the children not to go out. Naturally, there was no need to go to school. No one thought that school would still be open on a snowy day.
The adults put money in their arms, grabbed rice bags, flour bags, or baskets on their arms, and worriedly walked out of the door. They didn't care about sweeping the snow that was more than their calves, and they didn't care about the snow that was pressing down on the roof beams.
The people came out worriedly and hurried to the grain store, the butcher shop, and the vegetable oil shop. Walking in the snow, they saw traces of other people's footsteps. They became more and more anxious, afraid that they wouldn't be able to catch up.
Xun Laowu lived near the east gate of the county. Although it was called the gate, it was actually only a doorway. The door had long been lost, and the function of the gate was almost lost. If it wasn't so difficult to tear down the wall, it might have been dug up and left there as a hindrance.
Xun Laowu had two children at home. His parents didn't live together, and he was with his younger brother. He said that he would bring them back after the new year. He also had a wife who worked as hard as the men, but she fell ill because of the snow. He thought that the school wouldn't be open, so he left the two children to take care of his mother.
He had to buy noodles and go home to make shredded meat noodles for his wife. He remembered that some time ago, he heard that the doctor said that one shouldn't eat eggs when feverish. It was best to eat noodles, which was easy to digest. There was soup and shredded meat, so the nutrition could keep up. After drinking half a bowl of soup, one would sweat and help to expel the heat.
Xun Laowu had a deep impression of this, but the last bit of noodles at home had been eaten yesterday. The wind blew with the snow, and he couldn't go out at night. It wasn't clear in the morning, but at least the wind and snow had subsided. He had to buy noodles and go to the clinic to get medicine.
He wasn't worried about the medicine. The Great Tang had free medical care. When one went to a place and said that one was sick, there would be a doctor who would give them medicine. When one returned home, they would take the medicine according to the doctor's instructions. If one was seriously ill, they could even invite the doctor to their home or find someone nearby to break down the door and carry their wife back.
What he was worried about was the price of rice and flour in the county town. The heavy snow had caused the disaster. Whenever there was a disaster, the price would increase by several times. The more severe the disaster, the longer the time, the more the price of things would increase. There had never been a difference.
"If I hadn't sold that old horse last month, I might have been able to exchange it for more food. What a pity, what a pity." Xun Laowu waded through the snow with one foot deep and one foot shallow. As he walked forward, he saw more and more footprints. His chest was so stuffy that he couldn't breathe.
At home, there was a horse that had been discarded from the army. It had been three years. Normally, it was used for farming and plowing in dry fields. When it was discarded, the horse was already old. After three years of hard work, it seemed that its body could not hold on any longer. When he said that he would wait for the horse to die and bury it, he really couldn't bear to part with the money. When he said that he would kill it for meat, he couldn't bear to use the knife.
He had no choice but to sell it last month. If he didn't sell it, when the weather turned cold, he wouldn't be able to afford to raise it. Who would be willing to use good materials to raise a horse that wouldn't be able to work next year? If he sold it for meat, he would get 500 copper coins. Now that he thought about it, it was a loss. If he had kept it until now, even if he had to sacrifice some of the materials, he would be able to get at least 1200 copper coins.
Xun Laowu rubbed his nose that was red from the cold and then used his hand to wipe off the snow that had melted into water on his face. He then rubbed it against the inside of his collar to prevent it from being blown by the wind. Even so, when the wind swept the snow on his face, he still felt a burning pain. It was as if a small knife was slicing his face.
But Xun Laowu couldn't care less. He used all his strength to push himself forward. He could feel that his sweat had soaked his shoes. He didn't dare to stop. If he stopped, his feet would be frostbitten. Moreover, he still had to line up at the shop that sold noodles.
He still remembered that ten years ago, during the flood at the beginning of spring, the price of the rice in the grain shop changed every day. Later on, the price changed every day. The first time he bought a catty of rice, it was 3 copper coins. The next time he bought it, it was 4 copper coins. It was unreasonable. There were people waiting to buy it. If he dared to make trouble, there would be people guarding the door with sticks ready to beat him.
This time, it was snowing heavily. Even if the line in front of the grain shop was not full, there would still be a tail. If he was late, he might be able to get a higher price.
After huffing and puffing for half an hour, he turned a corner and looked up. Sure enough, there were many people lining up. Looking at them, they knew that the price would increase, but they didn't know how much it would increase today. God, please don't increase the price of the Du family's shop too much.
Thinking about this, Xun Laowu took a deep breath and coughed twice. He nervously walked over. When he saw the expression of the people in the line, he was puzzled. The people in the line who wanted to buy rice did not have anxious expressions on their faces. It was as if they were celebrating a festival and were chatting in the snow.
Taking a closer look, he recognized the two people at the back. He hurriedly walked over and asked the two people who were happily chatting, "Uncle Qi, Donkey Dan, what's the price?"
The Uncle Qi he was talking about did not have the surname Qi. It was just that every day, he would carry a chessboard and look for people to play chess with. He had many children and lived a rich life. As for Donkey Dan, he was younger than him by half a year. He had called him Donkey Dan since he was young. He had forgotten his full name. After all, everyone was used to calling him Donkey Dan.
"Oh, it's Laowu. Is everything okay at home? Did your two naughty buns go to school? "Uncle Qi smiled and greeted Xun Laowu when he saw him.
"My wife is sick. The two good-for-nothings are guarding the house. It's snowing and the school is not open." Xun Laowu replied. Before he could ask again, Donkey Dan opened his mouth.
"Fifth brother, who said that the school is not open? This morning, my family was passing by the school. When I went to take a look, I saw that many children had gone to sweep the snow in the courtyard. The cook who teaches biology at the school had made a big pot of chili soup for the children to eat after they finished their chores. When I went home, I chased my two wastrels out and went to school too."
"It's open? Then in a while, I will go home to take care of my wife. Let Lao Da and Lao Er go too. If they stay at home, they will get sick. I say, how much is the shop selling today? "Xun Laowu finished talking about the children's school and asked about the price.
At this time, the Du family's shop shouted, "Don't buy too much. I don't know all of you, go home and get your household registration. Buy according to the population. Half a bushel of rice per mouth, 13 copper coins per bushel. One bag of noodles per mouth, 21 copper coins per bushel. If you buy too much, you will buy after you eat. Old Hou's third son, scram to the side.
What do you want? "Hearing the shout, Xun Laowu was stunned. He raised his hand and touched his forehead. His forehead was cold. He then placed his hand on his neck. His hand was cold. He muttered," Am I sick? "
"Fifth brother, where are you feeling unwell?" Donkey Dan asked with concern. He thought that if his fifth brother was sick, there would be a sick person at home. His life would be difficult!
"My ears? Why do I hear 13 copper coins per bushel of rice? I bought it two days ago. It was 15 copper coins. Also, when I asked, it was 24 copper coins per bushel. "Xun Laowu was puzzled.
"Sigh! I was wondering what was going on. I didn't hear you wrong. It's gone down. Isn't this a snow disaster? All the merchants in the province are plotting something against the heavens. You came out too late. Just now, people from other places were talking about how, in the entire Rulin County, apart from luxury goods, all other goods have been reduced in price.
Rice is two copper coins per bushel. No matter what kind of rice it is, flour is three copper coins per bushel. No matter what kind of flour it is, oil is one copper coin per bushel. That's nothing. Cotton cloth is two copper coins per bushel, and ready-made clothes are half the price. "
Donkey Dan beamed with joy as he spoke to Xun Laowu. The more he spoke, the happier he became. He even pointed a finger at the sky.
Xun Laowu blinked and raised his hand to touch Donkey Dan's forehead. His hand was slapped away by the other party, "Fifth brother, I'm not sick. Don't touch my head."
Beside him, Uncle Qi chuckled and said to Xun Laowu, "This old man heard from others that when you buy meat, they charge you one copper coin per bushel. A bushel the width of two fingers is half the length of a piece of meat. Don't expect meat as thick as a pinky finger to be reduced by one copper coin per bushel.
Also, aiya … you can't make it. You have a wife to take care of at home. Go home and get a jar and a bowl of bone broth. Tell the person who scoops the broth that there's a patient at home and can bring you some minced meat. There's also free buns, porridge, soup, and biscuits. You can't eat them. If you want to eat, you have to work. There's bone broth at noon, and you have to work as well. At night, there's a barbecue party, and you have to take care of people.
You can't eat them. You're so sick that you can't eat them. "As he spoke to Uncle Qi, he shook his head regretfully. However, this caused Xun Laowu to be stunned once again. He turned in a circle and looked around. It was Rulin County. He pinched his legs, but it didn't hurt. He pinched his face, but it still didn't hurt. He was cold and numb.
Xun Laowu rubbed his neck. "This is strange. What are they trying to do? They can make money, but they don't want it. They just have to lower the price and sell it at the original price. We've already received their kindness, but they just have to lower the price. It's strange. "
Xun Laowu really couldn't understand. Other merchants would wait until there was a disaster to raise the price and sell for more money. Even if they were secretly cursed at for being black-hearted, they would still get the money. Why did the people from the Chamber of Commerce in the prefecture insist on lowering the price? Could it be that they were sick?
In front of the three was a man dressed like a scholar. He also had a small bag of flour in his hand. After listening to the conversation of the three for a while, he turned his head and smiled contentedly. "Don't you understand? They're just bored and want to find some other entertainment in the market. How can I not hear what it is … "
"Speak properly. Why are you pretending to be a scholar? Look at you, you're mixing words like 'literary' and 'literary'." Qi Bo's eyes widened. In any case, he had studied for two years. The thing he couldn't stand the most was to hear people say such things in front of him. If he had the ability, he would write a memorial and send it to the palace.
"Oh, I know, Qi Bo. It's like this. Those merchants usually don't have any pressure when it comes to business. Isn't this close to the river? It's convenient to transport things, and the overall price of things is taken care of. Xiao Bao and Cuckoo don't let the prices of things be too messy. Now that it's snowing, they can't find anything else to do. They're going against the heavens.
Who doesn't know that the prices of things in a disaster area will increase? They insist on lowering the prices. Isn't this going against the heavens? They say that when there's a disaster, the lives of the common people will not be good. They take out free food and have us help each other do the work. They repair the houses, clear the snow, and eat barbecue at night. It's lively and lively.
They don't want to live in a desolate environment. There's another thing. I found out. They want to be in the newspapers. While it's snowing, they want to do good deeds. They want the capital's newspapers to write about them. When Xiao Bao and Cuckoo see it, they'll be satisfied. When the Emperor sees it, won't he be happy as well? Being praised by either the Emperor or Xiao Bao and Cuckoo is worth it.
More importantly, they don't dare to raise the prices. They have Chang Pingcang in the prefecture. Once the prices change, Chang Pingcang will open. Chang Pingcang is full. It's not like in the past, when there was a warehouse open, when it was opened, it was either missing more than half of the food or it was completely rotten. There was even sand mixed in. Now, who would dare to touch Chang Pingcang? A hundred heads wouldn't be enough to chop off.
Once Chang Pingcang is open, would they dare to spend a lot of money to buy it all out? Xiao Bei's team is less than three hundred miles away. Once they know, they'll turn around and enter the city to start killing people.
As for the charges, such as hoarding, inflating prices, and so on, there's no need. Do Xiao Bei and the others need to be charged for killing people? Do they? Xun Laowu, do you think so? "
Xun Laowu shook his head, "No, there's no need. If they want to kill, then kill."
At this time, many people nearby were listening and nodding their heads. Indeed, if Xiao Bei and the others acted together, they would immediately become the Tang Empire's Patrol Officers. They could kill corrupt officials and bully kings. Anyone who was caught by them would be punished with five ranks.
"That's right. They're afraid of Xiao Bei and the others. Since that's the case, why don't we curry favor with them? We know that they're benevolent and righteous. The people in the capital also know that they're good businessmen. If they lose money, they'll feel better." The cultured person concluded.
Another person suddenly said, "If that's the case, we don't have to be grateful to them?"
"Bah! Do you believe that if they hear this, the prices of everything will increase tomorrow? Who cares what they think? It's true that you've benefited. Touch your chest and see if you still have a conscience. If you're not grateful, then you deserve to starve or freeze to death. "
Uncle Qi spat a mouthful of phlegm on the shoes of the other person. After he finished speaking, the phlegm froze and some snow frothed on the shoes.
The person who was scolded moved his feet in the shoes to get rid of the frozen phlegm. Seeing that there was still a mark on the shoes, he said with a bitter face, "I believe, I believe. I was wrong. These are new shoes. I've only worn them twice."
After he finished speaking, he squatted down and rubbed a handful of snow, wetting that area. After that, he froze again, and no trace of phlegm could be seen.
"Let's go forward. There's no one in front. When we get home, we still have to make shredded pork noodles for our wives. Oh, right, I'll get some bone soup." Xun Laowu urged. The crowd moved forward again, and there were only six people left in front of him.
When it was his turn, he gave the same 10 jin bag of noodles to the waiter. After paying the bill, he carried the bag of noodles and walked home excitedly. For a moment, he felt that the wind was not so cold, and the snow was not so cold. The snow on the roof and on the tree branches reflected the whole world in a silvery white, and he felt that it was bright and clear.
It wasn't only one county in the entire state that was like this. Two other counties were doing the same. The people in these three counties felt that the weather had changed. Those who didn't have extra food at home were no longer anxious. The rush to buy food that was supposed to happen after the disaster didn't happen at all.
The commoners lived their lives as usual, or even better than usual. During the day, they would eat free food and then be organized to work. At night, they would gather together and set up a stage. They would watch the performances of people who knew some music and dance, as well as crosstalk and storytelling. At the same time, they would eat free roasted meat.
It was clearly a disaster, but their lives were better.
The people in the trading company breathed a sigh of relief. They were also afraid that the villagers would line up every day to buy cheap goods. If they continued to buy like that, the warehouse would be empty in a few days. Now, they were buying when they needed it. They could easily wait for the goods to come from elsewhere.
They understood that when the snow disaster passed and everything returned to normal, the same goods at the same price would be bought by the villagers. Even if they had to walk two more steps, they would still buy from them.
On the contrary, the merchants in the state took advantage of the situation to raise their prices. Later on, when they were unlucky, not only did they not sell the goods they raised, but they were also sent a telegram by the provincial governor, Fang Zhishan, to the capital. He didn't deliberately complain. He only said that some merchants were selling goods at a low price to calm the disaster and to reassure the people. There were also some merchants who wanted to raise their prices, but no one bought them.
He only said a few merchants. He believed that the Emperor in the capital wouldn't care. The Tang Bank would send people to investigate. This involved the stability and credibility of the state. In addition, Between the Clouds and the Water was also in the state. They would also submit detailed information.
The merchants who raised their prices wouldn't be punished, but it would be difficult for them to get a loan from the bank in the future. Not only would they need to use collateral, but the collateral would also be further valued. The loan amount would also be limited, and the interest would increase accordingly. They couldn't even question them. The bank would tell them that their credit rating had been lowered. They knew why. If they didn't want to get a loan from the bank, they would have to go to the loan sharks.
At the same time, their lives in the state wouldn't be good. The merchants would boycott them. The people wouldn't buy from them at the same price. If they didn't lower their prices, they wouldn't be able to sell their goods. If they lowered their prices, the merchants would also lower their prices.
Even if they lost money, the merchants could easily get low interest or even interest-free loans from the bank. What would they use to support themselves? Even if they left the state and went to other places to do business, they would have to register with the local government. The local government would ask the Tang Bank about their credit limit. When the time came, they would have to extend the examination time. The tax officials would check the account books every few days.
They couldn't reason with them. They didn't need to say anything else. They just had to mention that they raised their prices because of the snow disaster.
At this time, morality and credibility were very important. Even at the time of Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, merchants without credit couldn't survive. As long as there was a credit crisis, whether it was buying or selling goods in the future, they would be affected. When buying goods, they would have to pay in full first. When selling goods, they would have to wait for the goods to arrive first. After the inspection, they would have to find a bank for a loan. The bank would repeatedly check their application. For the same house, if someone else lent you 10 million yuan, you would get 7 million yuan. Someone else would get 30% of the profit, you would get 50% of the profit.
*****
The incident in the state of Yin caused a sensation. The news was published in newspapers everywhere. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan personally praised them. They praised their actions, but told them to act according to their abilities. They said that they were trustworthy merchants with a conscience and thought for the country and the people.
With this evaluation, they made a profit.
Countless people were envious. They were even looking forward to their own places being affected. When the time came, they could learn how to do it. If it really didn't work, they could open branches in areas that were prone to disasters.
Xiaobei and the others also received the news that the telegram was working. They didn't know why it didn't work before, but they could only attribute it to the weather.
"The snow has lessened. After a while, the road will be clear. We can continue to move forward. My potatoes, if we go any later, they will sprout." Zhang Xiaobei looked at the contents of the telegram about Rulin County. She wasn't thinking about the situation there, but about the potatoes.
She wanted to see how the potatoes looked like when they were harvested. There would be many people with picks and rakes digging in the ground. After digging once, they would feel the soil with their hands. They would still be able to find the potatoes. They would need to do it a few times before they could roughly dig out the potatoes, but there would definitely be some that they missed.
Big potatoes could be used to make many things. The best were small potatoes. They couldn't be fried, and they couldn't be left to sprout. They could only be boiled with salt. After they were boiled, there would be a layer of salt frost on the outside, and they would be peeled and eaten as snacks.
If they were late, the people there would dig out the potatoes. They couldn't wait for her to go over to watch, even if the Emperor went over. Otherwise, they would sprout directly in the ground.
Xiaobei was looking forward to being able to move faster, but Xiaoyuan dampened his enthusiasm. "I think it will take at least a month. How can the road be cleared after the snow stops? Have you forgotten what the county records? After a heavy snowfall, some places can't contact the outside world for nine months. The snow we encountered isn't light either. Unless the sun shines hard, look at the sky. The day is gray, and there are no stars at night. Let's wait. "
"Xiaoyuan, don't you think you should be looking forward to it with me? And not thinking of the worst. "Xiaobei stared at Xiaoyuan with his eyes wide open.
"If I always agree with you, you will easily take the wrong path. I'm doing this for your own good. Of course, I also wish to leave as soon as possible. It's best if my brother and sister send someone to take over our work." Xiaoyuan felt goosebumps all over from being stared at, so he finally compromised.
"Xiaoyuan, you are the best." Xiaobei said.
Xiaoyuan chuckled. "Thank you! I think so too. "
"That's why I'll give you all the snacks from the airdrop next time. You carry them and even say that I'm taking the wrong path. You are dragging me down. Did I take the wrong path? I can't walk anymore. Hmph!" Xiaobei glared at Xiaoyuan, turned around, and entered the tent. He looked at the map to see which path he could take when advancing.
Xiaoyuan sat alone outside and looked at the snow-covered river. He muttered to himself, "We should build a plane that can fly farther. When it's heavy, it can fly straight to the destination. Traveling on land is just too time-consuming. Perhaps they will leave behind a mu of potatoes for Xiaobei to play with? I think I should send a telegram to get them to leave it behind. Even half a mu is fine. Potatoes and meat are best eaten when stewed together … "
*****
There was another morning court session in the capital. Li Longji was sitting at the front, listening to the Minister of Revenue, Wang Bei, talk about the expenditure of the imperial treasury. Ever since deflation occurred, the banks had lowered their reserve funds and interest rates. The national treasury had also spent a lot of money. They had repaired roads, plazas, canals, sea dikes, etc.
Didn't Li Longji renovate the palace? He had also renovated the various yamen. They had spent a lot of money, and the prices had finally started to rise.
Now, Wang Bei needed to tell everyone where the money was spent and how it was spent. After that, there would be an audit of the accounts. Although the expenditure had been reviewed, there were fluctuations in the prices of goods. Cutting corners was impossible. There would be people watching. The main problem was that the prices of goods in the supply areas were different, resulting in the local authorities making false reports, false reports, and false reports.
Yes, it looked very interesting. These three situations could lead to greed. Furthermore, the contractors and suppliers did not suffer any losses. The government's accounts did not seem to have any problems at first glance.
This was requested by Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. Wang Bei originally thought that there was nothing for him to do, but he asked him to report the general situation. The others were also puzzled.
They felt that they had learned enough economics and could easily understand that deflation and inflation were wrong. The problem was, why did they still need to audit the accounts after they had been reviewed?
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan naturally also participated in the morning court session. They wore casual clothes. When they went out in the morning, Zhang Zhong specially came to take a look at his son and daughter-in-law. He warned the two of them not to wear official robes. It was very scary. If the two of them wore official robes and rode horses all the way to the palace, wouldn't the people in the capital be scared to death if they saw them? They thought that something big had happened, forcing Xiao Bao and Cuckoo to wear official robes.
Therefore, the two of them wore casual clothes. When the people saw them, they waved their hands and greeted them. They were not afraid.
The officials who were qualified to attend the court session were also at ease. They mainly saw that the two of them looked awkward in official robes. They did not know why. Perhaps it was because the two of them clearly did not have high positions, but they had too much power.
The estimated construction period is to end in April next year. The Yellow River near Luoyang is directly facing the north bank. An iron cable suspension bridge is to be built. The application is for 6,000 strings of coins, and the actual amount is 3,100 strings of coins. Four Luoyang officials are to be investigated. Oh, this is not under my control. This is to be allocated. It is estimated that the construction will be completed in February next year. Work will need to be rushed in winter. Oh, this is also not under my control.
The Henan Province's Yuzhou Port is to be strengthened. The submission of the report request is 45210 strings of coins and 122 coins. I scolded them. They don't even know how to cheat. They actually gave such specific figures. Are they gods? Can they calculate? The actual amount allocated is 33,500 strings of coins.
The Henan Province's Daye Lake area requests to increase aquaculture projects. The initial investment is estimated to be 50,000 strings of coins. This is a fake estimate that did not include a few coins, but I directly rejected it. This year, the aquaculture merchants or individuals around Daye Lake paid 30,000 strings of coins in tax. At the same time, the net cage industry in Yunzhou paid 16,440 strings of coins in tax. The people around them raised them themselves, and they formed an industrial chain. Is there a need for the local government to take the initiative to raise them? They really take me for a fool. The officials of the Ministry of Personnel should investigate and see how many local officials eat fish, prawns, and crabs without spending money.
Luzhou's Chao Lake requests the court to allocate funds to build a large number of viewing platforms at the entrance of Chao Lake to attract more tourists to spend money. They asked me to give them 3,000 strings of coins, saying that it will solve all the problems and provide more than 15,000 jobs. I have already sent people from the Ministry of Revenue to investigate. Because 3,000 strings of coins is not enough, they should be looking for merchants to invest. They use the land to calculate the money. I have to send people to look at the place and then collect taxes. They want to cheat me of 3,000 strings of coins? Dream on.
Jiangnan's East Road … "
Wang Bei said one by one. Everyone listened as if they were listening to a joke. At the same time, they felt sad for the local government. They used all kinds of methods to try to cheat the court to allocate funds, but in the end, they were all targeted by Wang Bei. For example, the Daye Lake government. How could they have thought that the Minister of Revenue would judge the form of the industry based on the local tax situation?
Also, Chao Lake, can't you say more? Why do they have to ask for 3,000 strings of coins? Don't the officials there learn accounting? The ratio of output to investment is obviously wrong. How can 15,000 jobs be settled with 3 million coins? 200 coins for a job? Then how much is the monthly wage of these 15,000 people? The local officials are gods!
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
