The reason why Meng Huaining was so excited was because he heard an astronomical figure for him.
After drying the corn, the yield per mu can reach more than 1,000 kilograms. You must know that the wheat grown by the common people all year round, including the coarse flour made from wheat husks, can only reach 300 kilograms per mu. This is also said to be a year. Good times.
Once a bad year occurs, production reduction is a trivial matter. If it is serious, it can be said that there is no harvest.
Grain output was low, and the taxes and grain collected by the government were also very limited. Even if there was a famine, opening warehouses to release grain would not solve the problem. As a result, countless people starved to death.
If the grain output is high, it will be different. The government charges 30% of the grain rent, which is equivalent to the original grain output plus a little more.
If this is the case, we no longer have to worry about the plight of people unable to survive in disaster years.
At present, Sister-in-law Jiu cannot tell the specific price of corn seeds. Even if the price exceeds his budget, he still has to find a way to get all the seeds.
"Sister-in-law Jiu, I'm going back to the Yamen to collect money for grain seeds."
With that said, Meng Huaining planned to turn around and leave.
He only had three days to prepare the silver coins, and this matter was urgent.
If Meng Huaining could go to raise money, he could only bite the bullet and go to the prefect to find a way.
The prefect is new, and they don't have much interaction with each other. However, it can be seen from the prefect's handling of the more than 200 dead soldiers last time that he is not an accomplished person.
Meng Huaining didn't dare to have high hopes for him, but without asking the prefect for help, he couldn't think of any other way for the time being, so he had to bite the bullet and give it a try.
Some time ago, when Mo Chuhan came home, he said that the government's tax money had been almost spent, and Meng Huaining was worried about the money to buy corn seeds.
Seeing him preparing to leave in a hurry, Mo Jiuye called out to him.
"Is my brother-in-law worried about money?"
He had already discussed this matter with his wife. If the government couldn't spend so much money to buy corn seeds, they could give it to him on credit temporarily. Meng Huaining couldn't be in trouble because of such a trivial matter.
As long as there is a bumper corn harvest next year, Meng Huaining will not worry about returning the money to them.
Meng Huaining was obviously a little embarrassed when asked this question.
"To be honest, Ninth Brother, the government's treasury does not have much money. I plan to go to the state capital to find a solution."
Although Mo Jiuye does not move around in official circles, he has heard Mo Chuhan talk about the virtues of a prefect.
Meng Huaining went to him to find a solution, but it was very likely that he would hit a wall.
In fact, Meng Huaining didn't know this truth. He went to the prefect to find a way, even for routine matters.
Even if you can get a small amount of money from the prefect, you can still help yourself.
On the contrary, he gained nothing from this trip, and it also allowed him to completely see the true face of the prefect.
Mo Jiuye stepped forward and pulled him back to sit down again.
"Your sister-in-law and I know that the yamen is poor, and you are a good official who is honest and caring for the people. You certainly don't have much money in the treasury. We spent two thousand taels on the last purchase of sweet potatoes, which probably emptied the yamen's wealth."
Meng Huaining's face turned red after listening to Brother Ninth's words.
"It's all because of my incompetence that I can't make Yuncheng rich."
"Mr. Meng, it's not that you are incompetent. What you have done is good enough. This is obvious to all the people of Yuncheng." Although Tang Mingrui once regarded Meng Huaining as his love rival, he also knew the fact that they were two men. If a concubine is interested, he can't just get in if he wants to.
Especially after the last time he was framed for hiring a murderer, Meng Huaining helped him clear his grievances so quickly.
For Tang Mingrui, he owed Meng Huaining a favor.
"Tang is not very talented. After coming to the northwest, he made some money thanks to Brother Ninth and Sister-in-law Ninth. I am willing to help you buy corn seeds."
In fact, Tang Mingrui didn't know that this was also the second method Meng Huaining thought of.
Although Yuncheng is not rich, it is not that there are no rich people at all.
If he went to the prefect to raise some silver and returned without success, he would find a way to call on the rich to lend a helping hand.
Since Tang Mingrui took the initiative to speak, he naturally had no reason to refuse.
"Purchasing grain is something that the government should be responsible for, but it's a pity that I took over a poor government office, and the treasury does not have that much money.
In this case, I would like to thank Boss Tang for his generous help on behalf of the people of Yuncheng. "
After saying this, Meng Huaining saluted Tang Mingrui without any hesitation.
Although Tang Mingrui was prosperous in the business world, he had not yet reached the level recorded in history that he could become a great emperor businessman in Dashun who could make all the changes.
Today, apart from having some money in his hands, he is just an ordinary citizen.
How dare he accept such a courtesy from the county magistrate?
Tang Mingrui quickly returned the gift.
"Mr. Meng, you are very polite. Tang is naturally obliged to do things that benefit the people. Tang is unable to bear your courtesy."
Mo Jiuye and He Zhiran originally planned to lend the corn seeds to the government on credit, but Tang Mingrui stopped them.
In this case, there is no need for them to steal the limelight. Perhaps this is the first stepping stone for Tang Mingrui to become an imperial merchant in the future.
Tang Mingrui thought that Meng Huaining would be polite before accepting it, but he didn't expect that the other party would be so happy.
Anyway, he didn't say this just to show off, and he didn't hold back when the other party was happy.
"Okay, Tang will send someone to deliver 10,000 taels of silver to the Yamen tomorrow. If it's not enough, Master Meng, just ask."
Although Meng Huaining still doesn't know how much money corn seeds cost, for him, ten thousand taels is not a small amount.
Even if he called on businessmen from all over Yuncheng to collect donations, he might not be able to collect so much together.
The more he looks at Tang Mingrui now, the more angry he feels towards him.
"I have taken note of Boss Tang's generosity. If there is anything I can do to help, as long as it does not violate my principles, I will do my best."
Although the money for purchasing corn seeds was settled, Meng Huaining still planned to go to the state capital.
He has been the magistrate of Yuncheng for a year and has never caused any trouble to the magistrate.
This time it was about people's livelihood, so he decided to take a trip.
Especially now, it was already afternoon, and it might be dark when he arrived at the Yamen of the state capital.
This would be better, letting the prefect know that he came so late to ask for help, it must be an urgent matter.
"It's getting late. I'll go to the state capital first. Brother Ninth, Sister-in-law Ninth, you and Boss Tang will chat first."
Meng Huaining left, and they talked about corn again.
"Brother Ninth, Sister-in-law Ninth, you also know that I am now in the restaurant business, and the dishes made with fresh corn today are also very delicious. Do you think you can sell me some fresh corn too?"
"Fresh corn can naturally be sold to Brother Tang, but the storage time of fresh corn is short, and the maturity period is very concentrated. If you want to make dishes with fresh corn, you can only do it for a short time." He Zhiran explained.
