"Have you heard? The price of grain at Zhangji Grain Store in the west of the city has increased. Now it's five cents per stone!"
"What? Five cents per stone? It was only three cents per stone a few days ago?"
"Isn't it caused by the locust plague? Now the food prices in all counties have basically increased! The shopkeeper of Zhangji Grain Store said that if you don't buy it now, the price of food will only be more expensive later!"
"Ah? Then hurry up and buy some! I heard that the farmland outside the city has been basically destroyed by locusts! It is estimated that there will be no harvest this year!"
"Then what are you waiting for? Go to the grain store and buy some food!"
When Li Ke, Cheng Chumo and others arrived at Xinfeng County, they saw some people in the city hurriedly heading to the west of the city, and they were talking in low voices as they walked.
"The price of food in Xinfeng County is rising? Chang'an City has not heard of the price increase of food. Why is the price of food here rising?"
Cheng Chumo couldn't help but wonder after hearing the people's comments.
Li Ke frowned, thought for a moment and said, "Then we have to ask the magistrate of Xinfeng County~! Let's go, let's go to the bank first, and then to the county government office!"
"Um!"
Cheng Chumo nodded, and the group headed north to Yanhuang Bank.
"Shopkeeper Jin, how have you considered what Zhang said before?"
In Xinfeng County, in a study room in the backyard of Yanhuang Bank, a middle-aged man with a fat head and big ears dressed in Chinese clothes asked with a smile.
Sitting opposite him was a middle-aged scribe in his thirties. The man frowned when he heard this and said: "Boss Zhang, Yanhuang Bank does have the obligation to provide loans to private merchants, and you have indeed provided a sufficient amount." Guarantee, but you must explain to Jin the reason why you borrowed so much money, otherwise Jin will not be able to lend you so much money~!"
The man named Zhang narrowed his eyes and said: "Shopkeeper Jin, Yanhuang Bank is actually open for business. Zhang is willing to borrow 6,000 guan at twice the current bank interest rate. You have no reason to turn Zhang away. Bar?"
Hearing this, Shopkeeper Jin remained unmoved and said: "Boss Zhang is right. Yanhuang Bank is actually no different from ordinary shops. They all have to make money! But Yanhuang Bank has the rules of Yanhuang Bank. Every loan is Money must be clearly stated as to where it will be used, and Jin will not dare to break the rules! So if Boss Zhang wants to borrow this money, please also state the use!"
The man named Zhang frowned, with a hint of displeasure in his expression. He tapped his fingers regularly on the table, "dong dong dong, dong dong dong." After a moment of silence, he said:
"Since Shopkeeper Jin wants to know so much, it's okay for Zhang to tell him! Recently, Zhang's grain store is in urgent need of a sum of money to turn around, so Zhang found Yanhuang Bank. I hope Shopkeeper Jin can facilitate it!"
Shopkeeper Jin's face showed a true expression, and then he asked in a deep voice: "In my opinion, Boss Zhang wants to borrow money from Yanhuang Bank, and then go out to buy grain on a large scale, hoard it, and take advantage of the locust plague. Make a fortune, right?”
After being exposed, the man surnamed Zhang did not have any panic on his face. Instead, he smiled and said: "Why did shopkeeper Jin say it so harshly? The locust plague came to the world, and the farmland outside the city was full of locusts. Zhang's move , but also so that the people of Xinfeng County can have food to eat in the future, how can Shopkeeper Jin describe Zhang as that kind of profiteer who hoards goods?"
Shopkeeper Jin said with a serious face: "Boss Zhang, your words can only be used to deceive children who are not familiar with the world. They will not work with Mr. Jin! Boss Zhang wants to hoard food and drive up prices, isn't he afraid of the county magistrate?" Aren't you afraid of being held accountable by the imperial court?"
The man named Zhang smiled and said: "Shopkeeper Jin, Mr. Zhang is here to borrow money today, not to be interrogated. In addition, as long as Mr. Zhang does not raise the price of food too outrageously, the county magistrate is I won't ask. Now the locust plague is raging, but the price of food in Chang'an has remained unchanged. Xinfeng County is only sixty or seventy miles away from Chang'an City. As long as the food is transported from Chang'an, all the people's crops will be destroyed. , it will be difficult to prevent the price of food from rising by then, and even the current Holy Emperor cannot control it! This is a business that is sure to make a profit without losing any money! I hope Shopkeeper Jin can open the door to convenience. After it is done, Zhang will definitely spend a lot of money Thank you!"
Shopkeeper Jin was silent for a long time, with a look of hesitation in his eyes. After a while, he said: "But don't forget, Boss Zhang. It is said that Yong'an Marquis has a Tianji brigade that can exterminate locusts at an alarming speed. The locusts in Lantian County can be killed within two days." It has already been exterminated, and Marquis Yongan plans to take the Tianji Brigade to other states and counties to exterminate locusts. Perhaps the impact of the locust plague in Xinfeng County this time is not as severe as you think!"
Hearing this, the man surnamed Zhang couldn't help but sneer and said: "Tianji Brigade? What a joke! There are more than a hundred prefectures and counties affected by the locust plague this time. Even if the Tianji Brigade can clear it within two days, It only takes fifteen counties to wipe out locusts in one county in one month. This does not include the time they were wasted on the road. In fact, if they can wipe out locusts in one county in one month, it will be a big deal!
In a month's time, the crops in the fields will have been eaten by locusts. By then, food prices in various places will definitely skyrocket. Not only Yong'an Marquis can't change it, but the court and today's work can't change it! "
Shopkeeper Jin was speechless. Apparently, he agreed with the man named Zhang.
When the man surnamed Zhang saw this, he suddenly felt that there was something wrong and quickly added: "Haha! Zhang certainly won't let shopkeeper Jin work in vain. A while ago, Zhang bought two twin orchids with excellent looks in Chang'an City. They are so beautiful. Hero, Zhang just happened to bring them here today and give them to Shopkeeper Jin!"
"Bah bang bang!"
Having said this, the man surnamed Zhang clapped his hands. After a while, the door was pushed open, and two veiled, tall, blond and blue-eyed beauties walked in. The veil was not very thick and could still be seen faintly. Seeing the outline of the faces behind the veil, the two Hu women looked exactly the same.
Shopkeeper Jin's eyes were blazing. Although he was not infatuated yet, he was obviously fascinated by the beauty of the two Hu Ji in front of him!
"Haha! Why don't you go pour wine for Shopkeeper Jin!"
The man surnamed Zhang was also a veteran, but he couldn't see that Shopkeeper Jin's persistence had been shaken, so he quickly gave instructions to the two Hu Ji.
"Yes! Master!"
The two Hu Ji bowed, and then came to Shopkeeper Jin. One person was carrying a wine pot, and the other was holding a wine glass. The pink spout of the Gentle Countryside spout trickled down, reflecting the beautiful face of Hu Ji, and Shopkeeper Jin couldn't bear it. He swallowed hard twice.
"Shopkeeper Jin, please!"
After a while, a Hu Ji came up to Shopkeeper Jin, handed over the cup, and whispered softly.
"Hey! Okay, okay!"
Shopkeeper Jin came to his senses and quickly took the wine glass. Naturally, he drank some wine in the process, which made Hu Ji squeal.
"Hahaha! It seems that Shopkeeper Jin is also a caring person! Then I feel relieved that Zhang will give them to Shopkeeper Jin! I just don't know if Shopkeeper Jin agrees with Zhang's loan?"
The man surnamed Zhang hit the railroad while it was hot.
Shopkeeper Jin touched his chin, pretended to ponder for a moment, and said: "Since Boss Zhang is in urgent need of cash flow, as the shopkeeper of Yanhuang Bank in Xinfeng County, Jin can certainly lend a sum of money to Boss Zhang! Let's go, today Jin will let Give the money to Boss Zhang!"
The man surnamed Zhang was overjoyed when he heard this and laughed loudly: "Haha! Shopkeeper Jin is so happy! Please~!"
A quarter of an hour later, in front of Yanhuang Bank.
"Haha! Thank you very much, Shopkeeper Jin, for your generous help. If Zhang comes to visit us again next time, I hope Shopkeeper Jin will not turn him away!"
The man named Zhang said with a smile.
Shopkeeper Jin's eyes flashed, and he said with a smile: "Easy to say, easy to say!"
"Then Zhang takes his leave!"
The man surnamed Zhang cupped his hands, then turned and left.
"Ouch~! Who? Don't you have eyes when you walk?"
Unexpectedly, as soon as he turned around, he bumped into a body like an iron tower and was almost knocked to the ground. He rubbed his forehead and couldn't help but said angrily.
"Hey! Does this road belong to your home? You walked with your eyes closed. How can you blame others?"
A young man next to him couldn't help but sneer.
The man surnamed Zhang suddenly said angrily: "Humph! Where did this wild boy come from, dare to run wild in Xinfeng County..."
Suddenly, his pupils shrank, and he couldn't help but look horrified, because the boy was pushing a strange-looking bicycle. If he saw it correctly, it was the latest limited edition variable-speed bicycle from Qiquge Workshop. !
There are currently only three cars on the market!
The young man in front of him and the young man next to him each have one next to them!
What does this mean? It shows that the group of people in front of me must be either rich or noble! He may not be able to afford it!
"Haha! It was Zhang who bumped into everyone, I'm really sorry! Zhang has something else to do, so I'll leave first!"
In line with the principle that doing more is worse than doing less, the man named Zhang said no and left quickly.
"Hey! Why did this old bastard change his face all of a sudden? Humph! He knows what's going on, otherwise I, Old Cheng, would have beaten him so hard today that he wouldn't even recognize his mother!"
The tall young man looked at the direction in which the man named Zhang was leaving and hummed.
Yes, the group of people in front of them were Li Ke, Cheng Chumo, and Pang Feiji. Li Ke and Cheng Chumo both came to the county town on bicycles, while Pang Feiji rode a horse.
"Chu Mo, forget it! We are new here, so we better not cause trouble. Disaster relief is important!"
Li Ke said seriously.
Cheng Chumo snorted and said, "It's not me who caused the trouble. He took the initiative to bump into me. Do I still have to praise him for his good bumping?"
Li Ke shook his head helplessly and said, "Okay, okay! Let's go in quickly!"
After that, he parked his bicycle in the open space outside the bank and walked directly in.
He doesn't have to worry about his bike being stolen, because Pangfiji will be watching from outside.
Seeing this, Cheng Chumo quickly parked his car and followed.
"Do you two gentlemen come to Yanhuang Bank to exchange money or borrow money?"
Shopkeeper Jin had seen the scene outside the house just now, and he had also seen the two variable-speed bicycles that Li Ke and Cheng Chumo rode in. So when he saw the two entering the bank, shopkeeper Jin personally stepped forward to greet them.
Speaking of which, the bank here in Xinfeng County currently only has two businesses: exchanging copper coins for Tang Yuan and lending Tang Yuan. Unlike the Yanhuang Bank in Lantian County, which also has money deposit business.
"Call your shopkeeper to come out. We have something to do with him!"
Cheng Chumo raised his head and said coaxingly.
Li Ke just wanted to dissuade him, but it was too late, so he had no choice but to shake his head. He originally wanted to inspect the hospitality attitude of the ordinary servants at Yanhuang Bank in Xinfeng County, but after being yelled at by Cheng Chumo, he could only show his cards directly. .
"Jin is the shopkeeper of the bank. May I ask the two young masters what your orders are?"
Guessing that Cheng Chumo and Li Ke were nobles from Chang'an, shopkeeper Jin didn't dare to offend, so he said politely.
"Are you the shopkeeper of this bank? Tsk tsk, that doesn't look like it! Your belly is not as big as the old guy at the door just now!"
Cheng Chumo's eyes widened, he looked up and down, and then complained.
Li Ke had a dark look on his face. In order to prevent Cheng Chumo from continuing to talk nonsense, he quickly took out the fish charm from his arms, showed it in front of shopkeeper Jin, and said: "We are here to check the accounts today, and we ask shopkeeper Jin to cooperate!"
After seeing the dragon-shaped pattern and the word "King of Shu" on the fish talisman, Shopkeeper Jin turned pale with horror and quickly bowed and saluted: "See His Highness the King of Shu!"
All the guys in the room were stunned for a moment, and then they immediately reacted and saluted Li Ke together: "See His Highness the King of Shu!"
Li Ke waved his hand and said: "I am here today not in the name of the King of Shu, but in the name of the deputy general manager of Yanhuang Bank! Shopkeeper Jin, hurry up and get the account books of the past three months from Yanhuang Bank in Xinfeng County! "
Li Zexuan is the general manager of Yanhuang Bank, and Li Ke has now become the deputy general manager of Yanhuang Bank. This matter has been sent to various bank branches in the form of internal documents. Shopkeeper Jin certainly knows it, but after hearing Li Ke was here to check the accounts, so he couldn't help but feel a little bit in his heart, but he didn't dare to refuse, so he had to bow and said: "Yes! Your Highness, wait a moment, your subordinates will go get it now! Please go to the side hall and sit down for a while!"
After coming here for a moment, Shopkeeper Jin came over holding a thick account book, handed it to Li Ke and said: "Your Highness, these are the accounts of Xinfeng County Bank in the past three months. Please take a look at them!"
Li Ke nodded and said, "Well, go ahead and do your work! I'll just take a look!"
Shopkeeper Jin was panicking, but he didn't dare to show any flaws on his face. Hearing this, he nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes! Your Highness! I am resigning!"
After shopkeeper Jin left, Cheng Chumo couldn't help but said: "Xiao Ke, how long will it take you to read through such a thick account book? We still have to go to the county government?"
Li Ke smiled and said: "Who said we have to read it all? I just randomly checked some accounts. Besides, the bank's accounts are all recorded using double-entry accounting now, and it is very fast to check! As long as there are generally no problems, we will Go to the county office immediately!"
Cheng Chumo scratched his head and said, "Oh! That's okay! Xiao Ke, hurry up! I'm going out for a walk!"
If you ask this guy to fight, he will definitely be happy, but if you ask him to help check the accounts, all he can say is "I can't do it"!
"Hmm~!"
Li Ke also knew that Cheng Chumo couldn't sit still, so he nodded and responded.
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