Coming to sit down next to Zhou Tian, Han Zhen asked: "Changzhi County asked you to collect the summer tax?"
"Um!"
Zhou Tian nodded.
He was a little afraid of Han Zhen now, and he didn't dare to be as casual as before.
"I'm ready for the summer tax."
Han Zhen said and winked at Xiao Chong.
After a while, the little insect gnawed and dragged a basket of copper coins.
"Well, the summer taxes are all here, just take them back."
Zhou Tian looked at the baskets of copper coins and then at Han Zhen, looking troubled.
A basketful of copper coins only costs twenty or thirty coins. How can it be enough to pay the tax in Xiaowang Village?
"This... I can't explain it to the county magistrate when I go back." Zhou Tian said with a sad face.
The two tax collectors also looked like they were dead.
There are more than 1,500 acres of farmland in Xiaowang Village. Even excluding the uncultivated fields, there are still more than 1,200 acres.
Of the more than 1,200 acres of land, the autumn harvest of corn accounts for about 500 acres, and the rest is all wheat.
The first half of this year has been smooth. It is not a problem to harvest wheat at one stone per mu. The tax of 20% per acre is at least more than 300 dollars.
In the past, when Master Xu was here, if the taxes could not be collected, they would have to make up for the rest.
More than three hundred strings, even if the three of them are squeezed dry, they can't get it together.
"Don't worry, Changzhi County will not make things difficult for you."
Han Zhen said, taking out the pamphlet he had prepared from his arms and handing it over.
No matter how reluctant he was, Zhou Tian had no choice but to take the booklet and nod in agreement.
As for the two tax collectors, they didn't dare to say a word.
"Then let's go back to the county office first."
Putting the booklet into his arms, Zhou Tian stood up and said.
"Just go."
Han Zhen waved his hand.
Five or six hundred pounds of tax money a year is nothing to him, but he can't start it.
These officials are so easy to get along with.
Changzhi County dares to send people to collect taxes today, but it may dare to reach out to the salt factory tomorrow...
Therefore, Han Zhen must express his attitude as soon as possible.
…
…
County government office.
Changzhi County glanced at the copper coins in the basket and asked calmly: "Is this the tax collected by Xiaowang Village?"
"Reporting to the county magistrate, this is indeed the case."
Zhou Tian said, took out the pamphlet from his arms and handed it over.
Chang Zhixian took the book out of curiosity, flipped through two pages, laughed out loud, and threw the book to the ground with a loud bang.
Zhou Tian was shocked and his eyes were uneasy.
Seeing this, Changzhi County did not give him any trouble. He waved his hand and said, "You can go down now."
"yes."
Zhou Tian dared to stay and hurried out of the lobby.
After Zhou Tian left, Uncle Fu beside him said, "Alang, why are you so angry?"
Chang Zhixian sneered and said, "You will know after you see it yourself."
Hearing this, Uncle Fu picked up the pamphlet on the ground and read it carefully.
The household registration of the villagers in Xiaowang Village is recorded in the book, but there were originally more than 120 households, but now there are only less than a dozen households left.
What about the rest?
They were looted by the Songshanling bandits and all were killed. The harvest in the fields was also burned by the bandits.
The key point is reasonable and well-founded. Shi Bao did plunder Xiaowang Village, which is impossible to refute.
Moreover, the bandits in Songshanling have now been wiped out, and there is no evidence of their deaths.
With Changzhi County's thinking, how could he not see that the other party had clearly told him that Xiaowang Village was his Han Zhen's territory, and he should not use any twisted ideas in the future to be your second-hand dealer.
"How can this be unreasonable? How dare this Han Er'an bully me like this!"
Chang Zhixian became angrier as he thought about it, so he grabbed the tea cup and smashed it on the ground.
Closing the book, Uncle Fu advised: "Alang, peace brings wealth. If he wants to toss you, just let him do it. Why bother to be angry?"
"snort!"
Chang Zhixian snorted coldly and remained silent.
The reason why he was angry was more because he became angry after his little thoughts were revealed.
However, Changzhi County had to swallow this suffocation by himself.
At this moment, a government official on duty walked into the lobby quickly: "Report to the county magistrate, there is a businessman who calls himself Zhu Yuanwai outside the county government office."
Member Zhu?
Chang Zhixian's eyes lit up and he ordered: "Call him in."
After that, he stood up and said, "I'll go to the study first, and you can bring Yuan Chen in later."
"I know."
Fu Bo nodded.
…
Zhu Ji, courtesy name Yuan Chen.
They had known each other since childhood in Changzhi County. Later, Changzhi County married his sister and became his eldest brother-in-law, and the relationship between the two became even closer.
Zhu Ji is thin and has a thick curly beard that is fashionable at the moment. He wears a large brocade robe and looks weird.
The Northern Song Dynasty was very interesting. Although they clearly valued literature over martial arts, they still had thick beards. It is said that this was because such curly beards made them more masculine.
Seeing Zhu Ji's face full of dust, Chang Zhixian sighed: "Yuan Chen has worked hard these days."
Taking the hot tea from Changzhi County, Zhu Ji smiled and said: "It's not bad. Now I can have something to do, which is better than being bored in my hometown."
After a few words of greeting, Chang Zhixian asked: "How is this transaction?"
"I've never had such a smooth business."
Speaking of this, Zhu Ji suddenly became interested and said in an excited tone: "Brother, you don't know, but since I entered Jinan Mansion, as soon as there was a little bit of news, those wealthy businessmen would smell the smell and come to the door. After I made the bid, They didn't even pay back the price, so they bought all the goods."
"Brother, do I think the price should be raised again?"
Hearing this, Changzhi County thought: "How much increase does Yuan Chen think is appropriate?"
"Forty ounces of white sugar and one tael, two and a half ounces of refined salt."
"hiss!"
Changzhi County couldn't help but take a deep breath.
You know, this is almost twice the price he paid for the goods.
While pleasantly surprised, he couldn't help but worry: "Is it too high? If the wealthy businessmen join forces to resist, I'm afraid there will be more troubles."
"not tall."
Zhu Ji waved his hand and explained: "That is to say, we have no followers in Tokyo City. Otherwise, if it can be sold to Tokyo City, the sugar can be sold for at least one tael per hundred guan."
Recalling that the wealthy businessmen were almost crazy when they saw the sugar, he even felt that the price of one tael for forty dollars was too low.
Chang Zhi County pondered and said: "Let's give it a try first. I know nothing about business. Yuan Chen, please put more thought into it."
"Brother, don't worry about being an official. Just leave these matters to me."
Zhu Ji took a sip of the hot tea and reported: "This time we made a net profit of 1,850 guan. We spent 620 guan on purchasing saltpeter, sulfur, pig iron and other materials."
"Why do you want so many?" Chang Zhixian frowned.
During the Northern Song Dynasty, the output of salt and iron was high. Although the court strictly controlled it, the price remained very low.
During Shenzong's reign, a pound of pig iron only cost twenty-five cents. Even now, with the depreciation of copper coins, it has only risen to thirty-eight cents.
Two hundred kilograms of pig iron can only hold up to the sky for more than ten sticks.
In addition to a few carts of saltpeter and sulfur, it would be more than 600 tons.
Zhu Ji smiled bitterly: "These materials are not very expensive, but in order to get through the relationship with the railway supervisor, I spent a lot of unjust money. I just invited the host seven or eight times."
"These corrupt officials are really scumbags!"
Chang Zhixian snorted coldly.
"..."
Zhu Ji couldn't answer this, so he had to drink tea silently.
