Men plow and women weave!
Work at sunrise and rest at sunset.
Don't close the door at night, don't pick up lost things on the road.
This was the most ideal social situation in ancient society. It was the greatest hope that the emperors of the past had for the farmers. Yet, the ones who thought of this ideal were never true farmers.
On the contrary, no matter the era, if an ordinary farmer wanted to get food from the land, there was almost no one who could get rich.
Even in the Zhenguan Dynasty, which was known for its clean rule, the phenomenon of taking in three to five extra bushels of grain still existed. Adding on the taxes the farmers had to pay, they just had enough to eat and wear. Even so, this was the work of a wise ruler.
So when Li Shimin's food price protection order reached the counties of Guanzhong, almost all the farmers couldn't help but cheer. Seven copper coins per bushel, this was probably the highest price in history!
In front of an ordinary farmer.
"Wife, look after the house. Once your husband sells the grain, I will return." A black-faced man from Guanzhong shouted to the woman who was feeding the chickens and ducks.
Beside him, an ox cart was pulling a cart of grain. His thirteen- or fourteen-year-old son was helping him tie the hemp rope and secure the grain.
While this year's grain was affected by the disaster, after the well was closed, and the grain was watered several times, the grain did not decrease, and actually increased!
Other than the taxes, and the grain that the family always had, and some food to feed the chickens and ducks, this cart of grain was prepared to be sold.
The price of grain this year was at least seven copper coins per bushel. The black-faced man calculated. While the grain sold this year was less than in previous years, the price of grain was high, and they sold for more than in previous years. They would definitely be able to buy many things for the family.
"Go quickly and come back quickly!" The woman stood and waved a hand at her husband and son, revealing a young and weather-beaten face. Clearly, she had worked hard all year round.
Seeing that the grass in the chicken pen had been finished, she scattered a handful of wheat that had been crushed during the summer harvest into the flock of chickens and ducks. While it was summer and there was plenty of grass, there was no lack of food. But these chickens and ducks were at the peak of their egg production and needed nutrition. At this time, it was not a loss to feed the chickens and ducks.
"Hyah!"
The black-faced man shouted, and the ox cart slowly moved. In order to reduce the pressure on the ox, the father and son walked on foot. When they encountered uneven areas, they would push the cart. This ox was borrowed, and if it was damaged, they would not be able to afford the compensation.
The black-faced man's first choice was the nearest Wei Clan's grain store. In the past, he had sold his grain to the Wei Clan's grain store every year.
The Wei Family was famous for its kindness in Chang 'an City. They had produced many high-ranking officials. During their slack days, the dark-faced man would come to the Wei Family's house to help out. Every time, he would be able to eat his fill.
Although House Wei's steward and servants were a little despicable, they didn't tarnish House Wei's reputation.
"Father! It's Wei Lai! " His son's sharp eyes saw a man with a protruding mouth and monkey-like cheeks at the entrance of the Wei Family's grain store, and reminded his father softly.
Wei Lai wasn't his real name. He was a steward of the Wei Clan. Normally, he was acerbic and unkind, fawning over his masters and currying favor with them. However, when it came to ordinary farmers like them, he would speak ill of them at the slightest provocation and dock their wages. He was an extremely unbearable person, so everyone called him Wei Lai behind his back.
"Don't speak nonsense. Call him Steward Wei!" The dark-faced man reprimanded his son, then hurriedly greeted him with a smile.
"Steward Wei, this lowly one has come to sell grain today. I hope Steward Wei can open your eyes." The dark-faced man stepped forward to curry favor. He knew that Wei Lai was a vile man who would seek revenge for the smallest grievance. Anyone who offended him would suffer his wrath.
"So it's you two black goods! Go back! The Wei Family's grain store won't be accepting any grain this year. "Wei Lai glanced at the dark-faced man from the corner of his eyes.
The dark-faced man and his son both had dark skin, so Steward Wei's words could be said to be extremely rude. The dark-faced man tugged at his angry son and said flatteringly, "Steward Wei must be joking. The Wei Family's grain store has been accepting grain for more than a decade now. This lowly one has always sold our grain to the Wei Family. How could we not accept it?"
"Whether or not we accept is not up to you, nor is it up to me. It's up to the Master of Chang 'an City. The Master has already sent word that the Wei Family has no intention of accepting any grain this year. Didn't you see that everyone else has gone back?" Wei Lai sneered.
The dark-faced man looked awkwardly at his cart of grain. In this era, there weren't any convenient transportation facilities. It wasn't easy to make a trip here and there. Many families didn't even have flatbed carts and had to rely on their shoulders to carry the grain.
"Steward Wei, please do us a favor. The price is negotiable. This is all of the best quality," the dark-faced man pleaded.
In this era, the best grain was used to pay taxes. The worst grain was for personal consumption, and the grain sold was also of the best quality.
"This isn't a matter of price? It's just that the Wei Family no longer accepts any grain, "Wei Lai said impatiently.
"Steward Du, what do you think of six coins and five cents per dou?" The dark-faced man gritted his teeth. He knew very well that the biggest problem was the price. When the price was five copper coins per dou, the Wei Family hadn't said that they wouldn't accept any grain. Now that His Majesty had issued the grain price protection order, the Wei Family had immediately announced that they wouldn't accept any grain. The dark-faced man had only lowered the price by five cents per dou because he wanted to take advantage of the high price to sell off the grain as quickly as possible.
Wei Lai immediately blew his beard and glared. "Are you trying to frame the Wei Family for being unjust? The Wei Family is a renowned family of scholars and etiquette. How could they possibly go against the Emperor's orders? "
No matter what the dark-faced man said, the Wei Family remained resolute in their refusal to accept any grain. With no other choice, the dark-faced father and son had no choice but to take the grain away. They also took away quite a few farmers who had excitedly come to sell their grain upon hearing of the rising price.
Once all the farmers had left, Wei Lai snorted and entered the Wei Family grain store.
"Steward, they've all left!" Wei Lai bowed to a middle-aged steward in his forties. This was the steward of the Wei Family grain store.
"Mm! You've done well. If there's anyone selling grain in the future, do the same. "Manager Wei nodded.
Du Lai hesitated. "Steward, what if these bumpkins go to other stores to sell their grain?"
Manager Wei snorted. "Don't worry about that. I can't guarantee anything else, but in the southern part of Chang 'an, I can guarantee that not a single grain merchant will accept any grain."
With the Wei and Du Families working together, there were naturally few grain merchants who dared to offend them. Besides, the sudden rise in the price of grain naturally made the grain merchants unwilling, so they took advantage of this situation to get off the donkey.
Things were indeed as Steward Wei had said. The dark-faced father and son had taken the grain in a large circle, but they couldn't find a single grain store in the southern part of Chang 'an.
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