"Xu Errui, Tian Gui, you should be punished for destroying Qingliang privately.
As this is your first offense, I will fine you 500 yuan of silver after selling your green grain, to show justice! Green grains are no longer allowed to be sold in markets from now on! "
After Zhang Zheng finished speaking, he announced his retreat with a slap on the wrist, and Wu Hongmao and other government officials also dispersed the crowd and left.
Things came and went with a bang. Xu Errui, Tian Gui and others still looked confused: "Is it over like this?"
"What else does this mean? Should we sell it or not?"
Xiao Man muttered: "It's a real pain to be fined five hundred cents!"
Although Xu Errui and others were sure that they would not endure too much hardship, they were still frightened by this formation.
They also couldn't understand what Magistrate Zhang said about not selling green grain.
At this time, when I saw the onlookers leaving, I was eager to know the answer.
Wu Hongmao came over and patted Er Rui and Xiao Man on the shoulders, and said with a smile: "Don't worry, it's just a matter of saying it in court and there will be no real punishment. Magistrate Zhang has opened the way for you."
"Open a path? Can it be sold?"
Eating green grain has always been sneaky, and trading has to be low-key.
Xiang Dejin also came in from the outside: "Xiao Man, please push the car to the back alley now, there are people waiting to buy."
"Brother Xiang, is... someone is waiting to buy?" Xu Errui was still a little surprised.
I am still in the county government office, why would someone want to buy it?
Nodding to Dejin, he joined hands and started pushing the cart: "Those greedy people have long known that you are causing such a big battle, and now they are waiting to buy some to try.
You will be fined for traveling such a long distance. Remember, a stick must be sold for at least thirty cash. "
ah! Thirty cents for a stick of corn!
Tian Gui and others made a "gudong" sound and swallowed their saliva.
In the past, when taxes were paid and grain was sold, a dou of twelve kilograms was sold for less than 40 cents, but now a stick costs 30 cents.
Just by calling out the price like this, will you really not get beaten?
Xiang Dejin walked out and said: "These green grains are a rare and novel thing to eat.
No matter how cheap you sell it, the poor will not be willing to pay a few pennies to buy it, and the rich people don't care about the money.
What they care about is that the more expensive the better, they can show off after buying a few sticks and eating them. "
Xiang Dejin has been in the city for half a year and already knows what these rich people care about.
It doesn't matter how much money you have, what you want is the feeling of being different and superior to others.
He also taught Er Rui and Xiao Man one by one what to say when selling goods, so as not to be deceived about the price.
These two people still don’t know the right price. Since they told their elder brother so, they will do it.
When the car arrived at the back alley of the county government office, there were indeed a few people who looked like housekeepers waiting for them.
When Xiang Dejin was about to leave, Xu Errui quickly called out to him: "Brother Xiang, take some corn to eat. Also, it's not convenient for me to send it to County Magistrate Zhang, so I ask you to do it for me."
As he spoke, he took a small bamboo basket from the wheelbarrow, picked out a dozen sticks, filled it and stuffed it in.
Xiang Dejin laughed and took the basket: "Okay! I'll send it to you."
Over there, the housekeepers and women had been waiting impatiently. They heard from the yamen servants that there was green grain for sale and were waiting here.
As soon as they saw Xiang Dejin, who was wearing official uniform, leaving, they immediately gathered around him and said, "You guys are worth five cents a piece of green food, and our Wei Mansion will take care of it all."
"How can your Wei family eat so much? Liu Wen, I want a basket. My young lady likes this fresh food."
"Don't worry...this corn costs thirty cents!"
Hearing that he was talking about five or six articles, Xu Errui might have agreed if he hadn't been reminded by Xiang Dejin.
When he tremblingly shouted "Thirty cents for a stick!" everyone was shocked.
The housekeepers and women immediately shouted: "You are trying to rob someone alive! It's just a few sticks of tender corn, and it's not gold or silver. It's so expensive."
"Yes, I bought it out of pity for you. Besides, corn is everywhere, so it's not a rare thing."
A few women were bargaining over the price.
Xiaoman imitated what Xiang Dejin said just now: "What season is this? Who has green grain to sell?
If you don't buy it, someone else will. Besides, I'm only selling it this time.
If the family wasn't waiting to buy food, no one would be willing to waste this good food.
We stayed up all night to run this far and almost went to jail. Five cents for you is not worth it.
The county magistrate has already said that no one will be allowed to sell green grain in the future, and you will not be able to eat it even if you want to.
And... you can't even afford something worth thirty cents! "
Xiao Man spoke like a barrage of words, each sentence touching the heart.
"Fart! Who can't afford it! Your price is too high. I'll give you eight cents at most!" A woman retorted.
Xiaoman and Errui shook their heads together: "If you don't want to sell it, don't sell it. Forget it, you can't afford it, I'll send it to another house.
Brother Errui, the aunt said last time that if she had bamboo shoots and dried fungus, she would send them to her home. "
Xu Errui immediately called to Tian Gui: "Uncle Tian, come and help, we will send him there quickly."
Before Tian Gui and others came over, one of the women said: "Forget it, it's only thirty cents. My Gu family doesn't care about this money, just buy ten sticks!"
After saying that, he covered his mouth and nose with a silk handkerchief and looked at Xiang Xiaoman and others with disgust.
These mud legs really stink!
Because they had traveled all night and were sweating in the rain, their clothes got wet and then dried, so these people were covered in the smell of mud and sweat.
But with such a loud tone, she only bought ten sticks!
Xu Errui didn't care what she said. It was a good thing if he could sell it. He and others had been running around all night and were already exhausted. He couldn't take the corn back again.
Mrs. Gu picked out ten and Tian Gui tied the selected corn sticks with the straw rope that came with the car.
The women on the other side couldn't help but come forward to pick.
Immediately, seven or eight people surrounded the two wheelbarrows, rummaged up and down, pulled them hard, and bought five or ten.
The masters at home don't care how much they spend, as long as they serve them comfortably, they can pay more for themselves.
From the city gate, word spread that green grain was being sold in the city.
At this time, those who were still gathered outside the county government office also got the news, and those who wanted to eat fresh food came to the back alleys.
When he saw the high price, he cursed and bought as little as two, as many as ten or twenty.
When the crowd dispersed, everything on the two wheelbarrows was sold out, except for a bamboo basket containing corn.
Tian Gui wiped the sweat from his forehead and said to Xiao Man and Er Rui, "What should we do next?"
From the time they entered the city at dawn and were taken to the county government office, it was now the height of the sun. They were tired and hungry and couldn't bear it any longer.
Xu Errui was the head of the family and began to make arrangements for everyone. He took out a small bunch of copper coins from his bag and handed them to Tian Gui.
"Uncle Tian, you go to the inn and find a room, eat some food and sleep for a while. We will buy some food in the afternoon and go back overnight."
It only costs 5 cents per person to have a living room and a bunkhouse. Including food, 200 cents should be enough here.
Xu Errui has already followed his mother to the city twice. He has learned the idea of eating well and resting well when going out. The return journey is another sixty miles, so he should not be too tired.
"Staying in an inn? No, no, no. Let's find a big teahouse to make a pot of tea, sit there for a while, and eat two cakes." Tian Gui and others were happy and surprised, and they all refused.
It's a good thing to be able to hang out with a generous host, but this is their first time in the city and they have never stayed in an inn.
Usually when I go to the market in the town, I can't bear to eat. When I'm hungry, I make a pot of tea for two cents in a roadside teahouse, and eat a grain cake to fill my stomach.
You can sit and take a nap anywhere without spending any money.
