During the day, the general manager once brought his people to Zhu's Mansion, and met the eldest man of the Zhu family in the side hall used for entertaining guests. Going to the side hall can be said to be a familiar journey.
"Master, please wait a moment. I will go and invite our master now." The concierge asked Mr. Zeng to sit down, and then left the side hall.
A few candles were lit in the side hall, and the flames swayed from side to side, making it very bright.
Zeng leaned his back on the chair, closed his eyes, and tapped his fingers on the armrests of the table and chair.
As time passed, the burned wax oil gathered at the end of the candle and piled up like a hill.
The concierge walked for a long time without seeing anyone else in the Zhu Mansion. Mr. Zeng was a little impatient with the wait and looked frequently in the direction of the door.
tread! tread! tread!
Just when Mr. Zeng was about to go out to look for someone, there were footsteps outside the side hall, and candlelight shone into the room through the crack in the door.
"Master, Mr. Zeng is inside." The concierge's voice came in from outside the door.
When Mr. Zeng knew that Master Zhu was coming, he immediately stood up from his chair and walked toward the door to greet him.
The door of the room was pushed open, and a fat middle-aged man walked in.
He greeted Mr. Zeng with a big smile and said, "It's my fault for keeping Mr. Zeng waiting for so long. Don't go back in a hurry. I have arranged for my servants to prepare wine and food."
"Mr. Zhu, you're welcome." Zeng handed the president over.
Mr. Zhu affectionately took Mr. Zeng's arm and said with a smile: "Stop standing. Sit down and talk if you have anything to say."
The two people sat down respectively as guest and host.
"Mr. Zhu, I'm here this time..."
Before Mr. Zeng finished speaking, he was interrupted by Mr. Zhu, who scolded the servants in the room: "Mr. Zeng has been here for so long, why didn't he even get a cup of tea? Go, give Mr. Zeng a cup of tea." Serve tea.”
The servants in the room left and prepared tea.
When Mr. Zhu saw his servant leave the room and go outside to make tea, he turned his attention to Mr. Zeng again and said, "What did Mr. Zeng want to say?"
"I am here this time to raise funds. I hope Mr. Zhu can donate generously to save the people in the city from the fire." Mr. Zeng said what he had just finished.
After hearing this, Mr. Zhu frowned and said, "Didn't I come here during the day? Mr. Zeng took 600 taels of silver from me with your own hands. You have to admit this account!"
"I accept the money issue, Mr. Zhu, you can rest assured, this trip is not for the money." Mr. Zeng gently waved his hand, indicating that he was not here for the money.
Mr. Zhu used the light in the room to look at Mr. Zeng's face and said, "It's not that he doesn't want to pay for it. It's just that the Zhu family is cash-strapped. The six hundred taels of silver during the day have already been squeezed out." After squeezing again, I came out in front of me."
"I understand, so I don't want money." Mr. Zeng once again expressed his attitude of not wanting money.
After hearing this, Mr. Zhu did not feel relaxed, but the expression on his face became more solemn.
When people from the government come to collect donations but don't ask for money, it is more terrifying to him than asking for money directly.
Zeng picked up the tureen brought by his subordinates, blew the hot air inside, and said: "I came here in the hope that Mr. Zhu can take the initiative to donate some food to support the soldiers guarding the city and better guard Xi'an. Fort.”
After speaking, he looked at Mr. Zhu next to him.
"Food?" Master Zhu frowned deeply and said, "The 600 taels of silver I gave you during the day is enough to buy a lot of food. The Chongshou Mansion doesn't even have 200 defenders. The 600 taels of food are enough to last for several months." .”
General Zeng said: "Now the defenders on the city are not only the flag soldiers of the Chengshou Mansion, but also thousands of young men and women have joined in guarding Xi'an Fort. As a result, the consumption of food will also be great, and in the city The only families with the largest food reserves are the Zhu family and the Sun family. I hope Mr. Zhu can take some food to support the army in defending the city for the sake of protecting Xi'an Fort."
"It's not that I don't want to give you food, it's just that the Zhu family has a large population and a lot of servants. Although the food stored in the family is a little more than that of ordinary families, there are more people to share the food with. I'm sorry that I can't do anything." Mr. Zhu declined the request from the general manager. .
There was a haze in the president's heart.
Before coming, he had already thought that it was not easy to get food from a big family like the Zhu family, especially under the current circumstances.
The gate of Xi'an Fort was closed, and food from outside could not be brought in. Moreover, if the bandits did not retreat, it would be impossible to open the gate. The people in the fort could only rely on the stored grain to survive.
At this time, the most valuable thing is not gold and silver, but the food that can fill the stomach.
"If you ask me, Mr. Zeng doesn't have to come to me to ask for food at all. As long as the young men participating in the defense of the city bring their own food, the problem of food shortage will naturally be solved." Mr. Zhu seemed to be kind-hearted and gave advice to Mr. Zeng. .
General Zeng shook his head and said: "No, how can the young men who guard the city bring their own food? What if the bandits come? If the young men don't have enough to eat, why should we defend the city anymore?"
"Isn't the money you took from my house during the day just to recruit young people to defend the city? The young people are given the money and let them use the money they earn from guarding the city to buy food. It saves trouble for the government to guard the city. There is also food to eat, and we can kill two birds with one stone." Mr. Zhu analyzed it for General Zeng with a smile.
Mr. Zeng looked at Mr. Zhu and said: "You, Mr. Zhu, have made all the money away. How can you kill two birds with one stone? Only you, Mr. Zhu, benefit from it."
"That's wrong." Mr. Zhu said, "The money for recruiting young men to defend the city comes from my Zhu Mansion. The food that the young men who defend the city eat is also the food from my Zhu Mansion. It is equivalent to using my money to buy mine." Food, there is no profit, it is a huge loss."
Mr. Zeng snorted coldly and said: "Don't think that I don't know. If you really follow your method, Mr. Zhu, I'm afraid that before the bandits attack the city, the price of food in the city will skyrocket! By then, Mr. Zhu made all the money away, which is really a good calculation."
"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding, I never meant this." Mr. Zhu repeatedly denied that he had this idea.
Mr. Zeng sneered and said: "Since Mr. Zhu said it was a misunderstanding, it's easy. As long as Mr. Zhu guarantees that the price of food in the city will not rise before the bandits leave, I will believe you."
"If there is a shortage of food in the city, food prices will naturally rise. This is not something I can control alone. It is completely determined by the relationship between supply and demand." Mr. Zhu did not give any guarantee, but instead made excuses for the increase in food prices.
General Manager Zeng said: "I can ignore the increase in the price of food in the city, but the young men guarding the city cannot go hungry. I don't ask too much. Master Zhu only needs to give me some old grain. This will not make Master Zhu embarrassed, right?" "
Mr. Zhu looked thoughtful, calculating the gains and losses in his heart.
The right hand is holding the tureen, and the left hand is holding the lid. The lid is gently tapping the rim of the cup.
