"Gu Zhengchen!"
Wang Youcheng didn't expect that someone was about to deceive people, and someone came out to cause trouble. Hasn't he become a fool? He had come to kidnap Gu Qingqing several times in the past, but he never showed up once. With just one word, he actually ruined his good deeds today!
"elder brother……"
Gu Qingqing looked at Gu Zhengchen, tears welling up in her eyes.
Gu Zhengchen pushed Wang Youcheng away with force, picked up the "Deed of Sale", glanced at it a few times, squinted and said: "There is no price, there is no excuse to pay off the debt, there is no guarantee, there is no close relative to pledge, Wang Xiucai , what’s your idea behind this ‘sell-out contract’?”
Wang Youcheng was discovered by Gu Zhengchen and was not afraid at all: "Oh, maybe I took the wrong one when I went out."
Gu Zhengchen's eyes turned cold as he looked at the wretched Wang Youcheng.
This person is a scoundrel. His original intention was not to buy Gu Qingqing away with money, but to abduct her into his home, humiliate her wantonly, and then throw her away when the Gu family came to visit her!
By then, Gu Qingqing had lost her innocence, and the Gu family still had nothing to gain. Even if they sued the government, Wang Youcheng could bite back and say that Gu Qingqing acted voluntarily.
He not only wants to bully Gu Qingqing, but also wants to push the Gu family into an even more desperate situation!
Stab!
Gu Zhengchen tore up the "Deed of Sale" bit by bit, walked towards Wang Youcheng, smashed the shredded paper into Wang Youcheng's face, looked at the angry Wang Youcheng and said, "Wang Xiucai, you like to play, don't you? Why don't I accompany you."
Wang Youcheng pouted the scrap of paper on his lips and shouted, "Gu Zhengchen, if you don't pay back the money you owe my family, what if you want your sister?"
"You want one to try!"
Gu Zhengchen scolded him sternly and said solemnly: "According to the imperial court's "Laws and Orders", if a powerful person robs his wife and daughter's property with private debts without filing a lawsuit, he will be punished with an eighty-tenth stick. Do you want us to go to the Yamen and ask the county magistrate? Will this eighty-strong stick hit you or me?"
Wang Youcheng's expression changed and he looked at the book boy. Is there such a clause in the "Laws"?
The book boy obviously knew better and nodded helplessly. The "Laws" promulgated in December of the first year of Wu, one year before the founding of the Ming Dynasty, really had such a clause...
Wang Youcheng pointed at Gu Zhengchen and shouted: "If you don't pay back the money you owe, are you still dealing with it? I'm going to put you in jail and your whole family in jail!"
Gu Zhengchen waved his hand: "I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you. According to the "Laws", those who owe private debts and fail to repay the default will be punished with more than five strings and ten whippings for violating the three months. Wang Xiucai, I don't want to tell you about the money I owe your family. There are still seven days left to default. Even if I default for three months and don't pay back by July, the official will give me ten sticks at most. How can I be jailed?"
Wang Youcheng was trembling with anger, "Your sister Gu Zhengchen, don't you read the Four Books and Five Classics on weekdays?" When did you know so much about the Laws and Orders?
Gu Zhengchen looked at Wang Youcheng who was speechless coldly. The "Da Ming Code" would not be promulgated until February of the seventh year of Hongwu. Now the main implementation is the "Laws". As for the "Da Gao" written by Lao Zhu himself, He still has to wait twelve years for it to be born, otherwise it could be used to bluff people...
"Pah, pah!"
There was applause.
Gu Zhengchen looked towards the door and saw the somewhat graceful Wang Fugui clapped his hands, with a smile on his face, his short beard trembling slightly, and his narrow eyes that could not hide his shrewdness.
"What a sharp tongue. Gu Juren is extraordinary."
Wang Fugui walked in.
"father."
Wang Youcheng quickly stepped forward.
Wang Fugui raised his hand and slapped Wang Youcheng. The loud slap made people's hearts tremble: "Idiot, how do I teach you in daily life? Even the smallest things are full of mistakes. Go home and don't come out to embarrass yourself!"
"That's what dad taught you."
Wang Youcheng covered his face and did not dare to refute.
Wang Fugui looked at Gu Zhengchen, looked at him intently, and put a smile on his face: "Gu Juren, borrowing debts and repaying money is a matter of course. Although the "Laws" have laws, they cannot replace the neighborhood covenants. In seven days, you only have seven If you can't pay off the debt in a few days, haha, then how about you humiliate me and work in my house as a tenant to pay off the debt?"
Gu Zhengchen looked at Wang Fugui warily. This man tended to follow others' influence, and he hid a knife behind his smile. He was extremely difficult to deal with.
"no problem."
Gu Zhengchen agreed directly.
A little surprise flashed in Wang Fugui's eyes, then he laughed and nodded repeatedly: "Okay, very good, let's go."
"elder brother……"
Gu Qingqing pulled Gu Zhengchen's arm, very anxious.
Wang Youcheng followed his father to his home, not forgetting to flatter him: "My father's methods are really powerful. As long as Gu Zhengchen can't pay off his debt within seven days, he will have no choice but to join our house as a tenant. Until then, I will be Dao Zu, and he will be a tenant." Fish and meat, you can do whatever you want to do with it.”
Wang Fugui's mouth moved slightly.
Yes, although tenants are not slaves, they are just a little better than slaves. Now he owes six thousand dollars, which may not seem like much, but there are many ways to operate it. If he can pay it off in twenty years, he won't even think about leaving in nineteen years!
"Dad, what if Gu Zhengchen takes out six ounces of money..."
"Just him?"
Wang Fugui sneered.
Now that the Gu family has no land and scalpers, the only valuable thing in the family is probably Gu Qingqing, but who is willing to spend six guans on a yellow-haired girl worth only four guans?
Then Gu Zhengchen was a poor scholar with no special skills. Apart from being able to write a few words and say a few sentences, what else could he do?
"Dad, then Gu Yan..."
"Shut up!"
Wang Fugui looked at Wang Youcheng coldly, his eyes full of evil.
Wang Youcheng quickly lowered his head and did not dare to speak.
Wang Fugui looked at the weeds on the roadside and said in a low voice: "If the roots are not removed, the grass will grow back every year. Sooner or later it will be a problem."
Wang Youcheng nodded heavily.
Gu Yan is the grass and Gu Zhengchen is the root. The grass dies and the roots can no longer remain. This time, the Gu family will never be able to stand up again!
Gu family.
Gu Zhengchen just scolded Gu Qingqing a few words, and Gu Qingqing started to cry.
Seeing the pear blossoms with rain, Gu Qingqing, who was sad and scared, Gu Zhengchen couldn't bear it, so he had to threaten with bluff: "If you dare to do this again, I will break your legs."
Gu Qingqing smiled with tears in her eyes: "Brother, are you healed?"
Gu Zhengchen did not answer directly, but just asked: "Where did mother go?"
Gu Qingqing wiped her tears: "I went to borrow money. As for where I went, my mother didn't say."
Gu Zhengchen frowned.
Borrow money?
In the eyes of everyone, the Gu family has been ruined and has no chance of turning around. Who will lend money to his mother?
Six dollars is not a small amount, it is a huge amount of money, and the average family of five spends only this amount in a year! The Gu family can neither tear down the east wall nor repair the west wall. If they want to get out of the predicament, they can only find ways to make money!
Make money?
Gu Zhengchen thought for a long time and said to Gu Qingqing: "Mom, please come back in the evening. It's still early. Come with me to the city."
"Okay, brother, wait for me."
Gu Qingqing washed her face, ran into the room and groped for a long time, then walked out, spread her palms, raised her head and said, "Brother, this is what my mother gave me."
Gu Zhengchen looked at the copper coin in Gu Qingqing's hand and his eyes lit up: "Hongwu Tongbao?"
This thing is a good thing. If you bring it back to future generations, you can make a fortune, but it is the year of Hongwu, forget it...
At this time, Lao Zhu had not yet issued the Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes that were enough to break the Guinness record. The main currency was Hongwu Tongbao coins.
It is estimated that in order to avoid the taboo word "Yuan" in "Zhu Yuanzhang", the money inscriptions cast in the Ming Dynasty did not follow the ingots issued in the Song Dynasty, such as Xining Yuanbao, but were all called Tongbao.
Gu Zhengchen reached out and picked up the Hongwu Tongbao coin, turned it over behind his back, looked at the words "二福", and couldn't help but smile: "It's actually two coins off!"
Discounting two coins refers to money that can be used as two coins.
In ancient times, a copper coin did not specifically refer to a penny. The specific value needs to be judged by the weight words on the back of the copper coin, or by the size and weight of the copper coin.
One penny is called Pingqian, which is the most basic unit and the smallest copper coin. There are also copper coins with a discount of two, three, five, and fifteen. The higher the value, the size and weight of the copper plate will increase appropriately.
Gu Zhengchen flipped his fingers up and down, Hongwu Tongbao wandered between his fingers, and finally threw it up. When the Hongwu Notice fell, he grabbed it with one hand and said with determination: "This is the original capital of our family's rise. Just watch, brother will Trample under our feet those who bullied us! We don’t want to be the ants of the Hongwu Dynasty, we want to be the beasts of the Hongwu Dynasty!”
