"Yes, yes, yes, look at me for being careless. Just don't worry, sister-in-law, I will definitely handle this matter. Do you want to start collecting it tonight? I don't know when my sister-in-law will go back. I will prepare and go there later."
"We'll start collecting them today! I have something else to do and I won't go back until early tomorrow morning. You can just take people there later."
Xu Chongguang, who was in a good mood, swept away his previous sluggishness and replied with a cheerful smile on his face: "Brother and sister, you are busy, I will send someone to prepare."
Li Yuan did not leave immediately, but suggested directly: "Sir, when you urged spring plowing before, you know that the same things planted in different places will have slightly different yields per mu. Therefore, our Lijia'ao When you report the sweet potato yield later, you can reduce it appropriately. For example, if the yield per mu is 3,500 jins, you can report it as 3,000 jins or 2,800 jins."
Xu Chongguang's not very smart mind couldn't figure out why he did this for a while.
Since it has to be reported to the court, wouldn't the more the better? Why did it end up reporting less?
Master Bai knew Xu Chongguang better. Seeing his confusion, he nodded and said hello to Li Yuan.
As soon as Li Yuan left, he explained softly: "Lao Xu, my brothers and sisters, this is for our own good. No, to be more precise, it is for your own good. Do you think that if the yield of one acre of land is 3,500 kilograms, what do you think? Four thousand kilograms, that designation will not work. We took this and handed it over to the imperial court. However, although the imperial court is happy, it will not promote it immediately. Instead, it will let the Secretary of Agriculture cultivate it first, and then push it after it is confirmed. Come. In this case, if you overpay and the yield is insufficient, it must be your fault. But if you underpay, the higher-ups will not have such thoughts, but they will be happier after knowing the true situation."
Xu Chongguang thought about it carefully and felt that this was the truth. Then he thought of his political achievements and said, "Old Bai, I'm going to have something to eat and change my clothes, and you go call someone. Zeng Zhifu may be the eldest prince's person, let's We have to rush to send these things and letters six hundred miles away before he takes office. Otherwise, as soon as he takes office, we have to go through a detour from him, and when they are finally delivered to the capital, we won’t even know it’s the Year of the Monkey or the Horse. Sorry. I won’t do this to give people political achievements for nothing!”
"OK!"
Seeing Master Bai walking out after saying this, Xu Chongguang hurriedly stopped him again.
"Lao Bai, you write this memorial. Remember to write it well, and then write clearly what you said about the Li clan in Lijia'ao. In addition, I also understand that it is not easy for the people to farm today. The Li clan looks at Shao Anxian For my brother’s sake, if you sell me a good deal, I can’t help but express it. Have you sent me the money from selling watermelons over there? If so, give me a hundred taels first, and then give it to the Li clan. , just think of it as my official’s travel expenses for sending them.”
"It has been sent. I got it just before. Lao Xu, didn't we discuss the five thousand kilograms of watermelons that were shipped back to the capital before and sell 20% to my family? I received the letter. Now the watermelons in the capital are One person hawked watermelons for fifty taels and still couldn't sell them. At my house, one thousand jins is about eighty or ninety taels. One person sold them for thirty taels and got a total of 2,600 taels."
When Xu Chongguang heard that it was more than two thousand liang, his eyes suddenly widened and he was not in a hurry to eat.
"Are they really selling for fifty taels each? We were just joking at the beginning, so why did it come true? So is this watermelon or silver?"
Master Bai didn't think this was a joke.
Since ancient times, rare things have always been valuable.
The watermelons grown by the Li family are indeed delicious, juicy and sweet.
After traveling thousands of miles to the capital, the weight seems to be a lot, but a big one weighs fifteen or six pounds, and a small one weighs nearly ten pounds. The number is limited.
There are many people in the capital, and there are also many dignitaries.
They were not short of money at all, they were just short of rare things, not to mention that they had borrowed the money from the third prince.
The price of this item is as high as you want!
Wanting to think so, Master Bai explained: "As you know, Lao Xu, the Queen Mother suffers a bitter summer every year. After the third prince got the watermelons, he sent ten to the palace while the Queen Mother was not away from the summer heat. Among them, the Queen Mother gave three of them. As soon as the Queen Mother ate it, she praised on the spot, "This watermelon is juicy and sweet, and it is really a holy product to relieve summer heat." After this word was spread, the Emperor was discussing matters with the ministers. I asked my close eunuch to cut two watermelons. No, even the emperor praised this thing. Wouldn’t those people follow suit? "
When Xu Chongguang heard this, he couldn't help but feel regret in his eyes.
"God is not kind to me, otherwise I can make a lot of money and make dazzling political achievements with these watermelons and sweet potatoes. It's a pity that the Li clan is about to move away, and we only have this wave of watermelons this year. . If you want to have it again, you have to wait until next year."
As he spoke, he sighed deeply and cheered up again: "Fortunately, for the sake of Shao'an, the Li clan members specially informed the news of the high yield of sweet potatoes before leaving, and also offered to pay taxes. If they have selfish motives, If so, you can take it to Luyang Mansion to plant it, and we will discuss the matter later. But by then, this political achievement will have nothing to do with me."
Master Bai nodded, with a look of pity in his eyes as well: "No! The Li clan is a good and kind person. They are worthy of being the wife clan that Brother Shao An values."
After finishing speaking, he changed the topic: "Old Xu, of the two thousand taels, I gave your family 800 taels, my family 500 taels, and the remaining 1,300 taels were sent to us. Among them, 300 taels were silver ingots. , a thousand taels of silver notes. Do you want to give me a bank note, or money?"
"I have all my money with you now, so what's the difference if I need money or banknotes? In this way, you can give Aunt Han a hundred and two households. You can use part of the rest to use as the county government's treasury. This is At the moment, Mr. Xu and Mr. Zhao, as well as those from the third class and the sixth room, are still sticking around and have not left, so we cannot treat them badly. Everyone is given an ice tribute, no matter how much, as it is my wish."
With money on hand, Master Bai was happy to see him using money to win people's hearts, so he immediately handed over his hand and said, "Sir, you are just!"
Xu Chongguang liked hearing this kind of words, so he stood up and walked away with his hands behind his back.
He has to wash up and eat quickly, and then go to Lijiaao to do serious things!
Li Yuan, who had just come out of Cao Zhi's house, didn't know that their watermelons had been praised by the Queen Mother and the Emperor in the capital, and were sold at sky-high prices.
She was driving the carriage at that time, and her inner clothes were already soaked with sweat, and the same was true for Wang Can, who was sitting in the carriage.
The two of them were like fish out of water, eager to get back into the water.
As soon as the carriage arrived at Rongshu Lane, Li Yuan knocked on Huang Xiu Niang's door.
