"Where does the money come from, naturally everyone donates." Wang Liu smiled bitterly.
Donating, we are just ordinary people, Liu Qi shook his head: "Donating, we can donate, but it's just a drop in the bucket."
"It won't be up to you then." Wang Liu couldn't help but smile bitterly. You think too simply. "It's very likely that we won't have any money for tea."
"The government wants to force donations?" When Liu Qi heard this, his face was horrified, his eyes widened, and he looked like he couldn't believe it. "How much will Xuzhi County donate?"
"Of course, Xuzhi County donated one hundred taels of silver on the spot." Wang Liu took a breath, "You know, Xuzhi County doesn't have one hundred taels of silver a year."
"If he wants to make political achievements, of course he has to take a good lead. This is normal." Liu Qi thought for a while, then said calmly: "How much did other officials donate?"
"Everyone must donate, and they donate a lot. Even though Cheng County Cheng and Chief Li did not agree with the construction of Chidao, they also donated a year's salary." Wang Liu scratched his forehead and felt incredible, "Since they don't agree , why are we still deducting money and donating a year’s salary? Are we going to let the family drink from the northwest wind?”
"This is officialdom. What is the most important thing in officialdom is reputation." Liu Qi looked at Wang Liu with some disdain. He was indeed a nerd. He shook his head, "You and I have not entered officialdom. We don't understand this. It’s normal to twist and turn.”
Of course, although Liu Qi thought Wang Liu was a nerd, it was difficult for him to say this.
"Be educated. Official reputation is more important than those of us who are studying. But I am a little confused. Cheng County Chief Li and the others donated one year's salary. What will their family do?" Wang Liu still couldn't figure it out.
He is indeed a nerd, Liu Qi thought as he asked, "Think about it, who are Cheng County Cheng and Chief Li?"
"Does this need to be said? Both of them are from the Little Saint." Wang Liu felt that Liu Qi was like an idiot, not even knowing that the two of them were from the Little Saint.
"As long as you know this, it's fine." Liu Qi nodded and reminded him, "They have paid so much for Lingquan County, will the little saint consider it?"
Wang Liu's eyes widened, feeling that his brain was completely insufficient: "Qilang, what do you mean, is the little saint got the money?"
"You have finally woken up. It seems that you are also a sober person." Liu Qi felt that Wang Liu finally woke up for a while.
Wang Liu thought for a while, and it was a little unbelievable that things could actually be done like this.
He shook his head like a drum: "But the little saint is not in Lingquan County at all. Would he do this?"
"A few dozen taels of silver is a lot to others, but to the little saint it is a drop in the bucket or even less. He has the strength to afford it. This is the benefit of being a subordinate to the little saint." Liu Qi shook his head and saluted Wen Xiang of Jintang County. , "If I had such a master, death would be worth it."
"If this master is not worthy of following, which one is worthy of following?" Wang Liu thought for a while and nodded with deep sympathy.
After thinking for a while, Wang Liu asked again: "I heard that the Lingquan County government set up a maintenance committee specifically to build roads."
"Maintenance meeting? I've never heard of it. What is this?" Liu Qi thought for a long time, but couldn't come up with an explanation. He shook his head to express that he didn't know.
Wang Liu felt a little uncomfortable after being lectured by Liu Qi for a long time.
Wang Liu finally felt happy when he heard the other party say he didn't know.
He took a sip of tea and said leisurely: "The maintenance meeting is a thing specially built for the road."
"Oh, I understand, but I don't think I understand it. From this point of view, this maintenance committee is used to build the government of Chidao. But doesn't there already be a yamen? Why do we need a maintenance committee?" Liu Qi I was drinking tea and thinking. After thinking for a long time, I still couldn't clarify my thoughts.
Wang Liu saw Liu Qi's confused look and felt very happy: "You will know who they are when you maintain the meeting."
"Why, are there any conditions for entering the Maintenance Association?" Liu Qi opened his eyes wide, like a curious baby.
Wang Liu nodded, as if he was pointing the way: "The president is Xu Zhixian, the vice president is Director Chen, and the members are a group of officials."
"What, Cheng County Cheng and Chief Li are not maintaining the association?" Liu Qi stood up from the Eight Immortals table, "They also donated money, right?"
"Maybe it has something to do with their opposition to the construction of Chidao," Wang Liu thought for a while and came to his own conclusion, "Since you oppose the construction, then you will not be a part of this maintenance committee."
Liu Qi pondered for a while, thinking about the complicated changes in the officialdom of Lingquan County, and sighed heavily: "The new magistrate of Xu County obviously maintains meetings to line up dissidents."
"That's true. Xuzhi County didn't know if it had a firm foothold, so it started to eliminate dissidents. The officialdom was too complicated." Wang Liu felt a little uncomfortable in his heart, "I wonder if this is good or bad for Chidao?"
The people's thoughts are naturally based on personal considerations, and of course the people like Chidao.
Officialdom emphasizes harmony without distinction, fighting without breaking up.
Now, not long after Xuzhi County came to Lingquan County, it began to eliminate dissidents, which worried literati like Liu Qi and Wang Liu.
"I secretly think that Xu Zhixian's move has the effect of killing two birds with one stone. It not only eliminates dissidents, but also captures the oil and water in his own hands." Liu Qi pondered for a long time and suddenly realized it. He patted the Eight Immortals table and expressed his opinion.
Wang Liu thought for a moment, and found out that this Xuzhi County magistrate did not understand the golden mean.
Could it be that he felt that he had a lot of background, so he turned out to be menacing and arrogant.
"Dang, dang, dang." Suddenly the sound of gongs came from the teahouse.
What else happened? Many people opened their windows and stretched their heads to look towards the street.
I saw a group of officials in black, beating gongs and asking for donations.
One of the fighting men shouted in a rough voice: "Everyone has heard this, accumulate good deeds and build roads and bridges. The government has built Chidao, and the people have benefited a lot. Everyone should take the initiative to donate money to accumulate good deeds."
Upon hearing the government's request for donations, pedestrians on the road gave way and avoided him.
But unexpectedly, these officials stopped pedestrians one after another, took out copper plates, and asked everyone to donate.
Not only are donations required, but there is also a minimum standard for adults to donate one or three guanhuizi of copper coins.
Lan Sanlang was about forty years old and looked honest. He was wearing patchwork clothes and was unable to dodge and was stopped by an official.
He bowed his hands in a salute and asked an official: "My lord, I am a poor man and I really can't afford to pay for three guilds."
"Really?" A black-clothed official looked him up and down fiercely and asked with a glare.
Lan Sanlang grimaced and saluted again: "Master, I really don't have money."
"It doesn't matter if he can't afford Sanguanhuizi. He can be sent to work as corvees to build roads." The official saw that he really couldn't afford it and gave him another way out.
Lan Sanlang grimaced and bowed again: "Master, I still have a seventy-year-old mother at home, and I have to go back to serve her."
"There are still people in your family waiting on her, take her away." An official came up, grabbed Lan Sanlang without any explanation and rushed to the construction site.
Lan Sanlang begged and struggled desperately, and finally he was beaten several times with the handle of a knife by the officer, and he finally calmed down.
A pedestrian next to Lan Sanlang saw the official coming and hurriedly picked up a basket and was about to leave.
"Stop." The officer shouted loudly.
This one was called Chen Wulang, so he turned around and asked, "Master, are you calling me a villain?"
This man is about thirty years old, with a lot of wrinkles on his forehead and a small amount of gray hair.
He has dark skin, is extremely thin, and his cheeks are almost sunken.
"It's you," an official stretched out his right hand, looked at him and shouted, "Bring me the money to accumulate good deeds."
The word "donation" is too ugly, so someone changed it to "accumulate good deeds and accumulate merit money".
The reason is very simple. Building bridges and building roads is a matter of accumulating good deeds. Donating money is also a matter of accumulating good deeds.
Chen Wulang hurriedly put down his burden and cupped his hands: "My lord, I live in the countryside. I have never been out of town. The farthest away is the county town. My lord, please let me go."
"Building roads is a matter of accumulating good deeds. Don't you want to do good deeds?" The officer still stretched his hands long and kept saying, "Even if you don't come to Chengdu, where is your son? Even if your son doesn't When you arrive in Chengdu, where is your grandson?"
"My lord, the villain's son has never been to Chengdu, he just came to the county seat." Chen Wulang bowed his hands and prayed, "The villain's grandson has not been born yet."
"If you build roads and accumulate good deeds, your son will be blessed. You will give birth to Wenqu Gong. He just passed the exam and was admitted to Chengdu. Can't he go to Chengdu?"
In short, no matter what the purpose, donations must be made.
Chen Wulang smiled bitterly: "Master, I also want to give birth to a Wenqu Gong, but I don't have that fate. I can only go back and farm honestly."
"No, you must make a donation today. This is to benefit your children and grandchildren." The official said, stepping forward to confiscate his basket.
Another officer grabbed him, pointed at the basket and said, "It just so happens that your basket comes in handy. Are you paying for it or doing labor?"
"Officials, the humble people are poor and only have to do corvee labor." Chen Wulang sighed and had no choice but to carry the basket and dejectedly do things to accumulate good deeds.
A woman in her early twenties was holding a swaddle, which obviously contained a suckling baby. She was walking hurriedly while holding the baby.
"Stop, stop, lady." The voice came from behind her.
The woman named Liu Zheng had no choice but to stay and said softly: "Master, may I ask what you want to do with a civilian woman?"
"Bring me the money for good deeds." The official looked at her and stretched out his right hand.
Mrs. Liu Zheng had no choice but to tie the swaddling clothes on her back with a rope and make a blessing: "My lord, civilian women are women, not men."
"Women should also donate money to accumulate good deeds." The officer's tone was not so fierce. After all, the other party was not only a woman, but also a baby.
Mrs. Liu Zheng couldn't believe that she had lost her ear. She pointed at herself and asked, "A civilian woman is just a little girl, but she still wants to donate money?"
Hearing what the official said, other people in the crowd started talking.
The government must be too cruel. Men should donate money, but I didn't expect that women would not be spared either.
However, what they did not expect, unexpected things were yet to come.
"Of course, the government stipulates that not only women must donate, but also the milk baby on your body." The officer gritted his teeth and pointed at the milk baby behind Liu Zheng's back.
When Liu Zheng heard this, she immediately became anxious: "My lord, the peasant woman has never been to Chengdu. The peasant woman's baby is asleep. It's very windy here. She urgently needs to go home to take shelter from the wind, otherwise she will get sick."
"Don't worry about this. As long as you donate money for good deeds, we will let you go immediately." Seeing the bustling crowds, the official glanced around and continued: "The government has preferential treatment for women and children. Women only donate money." Liang Guan Hui Zi, minors always have Hui Zi.”
Hearing what the official said, some people's voices became softer.
When Mrs. Liu Zheng heard what the official said, she couldn't help but hesitate for a while: "My lord, there is no such thing as a double love in a civilian woman."
"This is easy to handle. We will follow you back to accumulate good deeds and money." The official looked at Mrs. Liu Zheng up and down, sneered, and did not let her go.
Liu Zheng was in a hurry to go back, so she had to borrow two guan from a man in the village. With the guan on her body, the official allowed her to go.
Wang Liu saw it from above, shook his head and sighed: "I didn't expect the government to be so cruel, even women and children were not spared."
"The women and children have not been spared. I wonder how the teahouse will deal with it?" Liu Qi thought for a while and looked at the officials downstairs, feeling a little curious.
An official shouted to the teahouse: "Shopkeeper, shopkeeper."
A shopkeeper dressed as an official came out in a hurry, with a smile on his face.
He gave a group salute to the officials and said respectfully: "Everyone, you have worked hard, come in and drink tea, come in and drink tea."
"Shopkeeper, the business is going well. I have to donate one hundred copper coins for my good deeds." The official looked at the teahouse carefully and then he opened his mouth.
The shopkeeper Liu Qi suddenly turned into a bitter-faced man, and he bowed and begged to the official: "Master, it's a small business, it's a miserable operation, a few pennies, a few pennies."
"Your teahouse business is full, what kind of small business is there? Don't be nagging, donate your money from your good deeds immediately, we have other important matters." An official looked at the crowd drinking tea and shouted sharply.
Liu Qi hurriedly bowed and begged: "Master, please give me less, please give me less."
"This is already the minimum amount, one hundred guan, just a little more." An official with a bulging belly and a fleshy face came over.
Liu Qi recognized that this person was the leader of this group of officials, and Shi wanted money.
"Master Historian, I really have a small business, and I really can't afford this much money. Please do me a favor." Liu Qi hurriedly stepped forward, bowed to Shi and asked for money, and bowed deeply.
Shi asked for money and shook his head, with a very serious tone: "The government said that the Zui Chunfeng Teahouse is worth at least one hundred copper coins. Zui Chunfeng is so famous, why can't it be used? Of course, if you think it is less and want to accumulate more good deeds, you can still Increase."
Shi wants money to threaten Liu Qi. Who told you Zui Chunfeng to be so famous?
Since you are famous, it is natural to have more money.
"Master Historian, I just want to use the reputation of Zui Chunfeng to attract more tea guests. If I had known this, this teahouse would not be called Zui Chunfeng." Liu Qi explained and begged.
Shi Yao stretched out his thick hand as big as a cattail leaf fan and said fiercely to Liu Qi: "Stop talking nonsense, I will give you one hundred guan now, otherwise the price will be raised when I come back later."
"Master Historian, I really can't afford this kind of money." Liu Qi was so frightened that he hurriedly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead when he heard that the other party was going to increase the price.
Shi asked for money and thought about it for a while, then looked at him coldly: "I will give you three options now. One, immediately donate a hundred guan of money to accumulate good deeds. Second, if you don't have enough copper coins, you can use tea to offset it immediately. Otherwise, we will start from now on. When other places come back, they will only go up.”
"Since it can be offset with tea leaves, if you want it, if you get it, I will raise the money immediately." Hearing that tea leaves can be used to offset it, Liu Qi hurriedly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and asked the waiter to collect tea leaves and copper coins.
Seeing how disparate the government officials were, Wang Liu and Liu Qi looked at each other and couldn't help but shake their heads.
"It's just that the government went too far this time." Liu Qi thought for a while, looked at the clothes of the two scribes, and felt lucky, "We are here to promote people, so we should be able to avoid it because of our fame."
An official heard someone talking on the second floor and looked up to see two literati.
He couldn't help being overjoyed when he saw it, and immediately shouted loudly: "Xuzhi County has already donated money, can't you, the literati, accumulate funds for good deeds?"
