"Niu Yi, be honest, don't lie to me!"
Su Jing said sternly.
He really didn't believe that this was what Lao Zhu, who liked to quarrel with him, could do.
Zhu Biao was also a little helpless and could only promise: "Master Su, don't worry. If my father doesn't nod his head, I won't agree to it."
Although he did not reveal his identity, Zhu Biao did not lie except for his identity.
Looking at Zhu Biao's confident face, Su Jing began to believe it.
"Well, if that's what he said, I can accept it."
Su Jing nodded.
Such a large amount of food would be confiscated directly, which would be a bit stressful for Su Jing.
"Thank you Master Su for your understanding."
Zhu Biao bowed and thanked.
It was obviously a gift to Su Jing, but Zhu Biao was extremely grateful.
If Lao Zhu saw this, he would definitely scold him.
"By the way, Master Su, didn't the palace buy a batch of glass before? Now I think it is very useful. I want to buy it for a long time and intend to cooperate with Master Su. Master Su, what do you think of this?"
Zhu Biao asked Su Jing again.
"You don't have to think about it. You have to do the business of making sure profits without losing money."
Su Jing said without any surprise.
The glass he made was something ahead of its time in this era.
As long as someone can find out how good it is, it's natural to sell it.
Now that the palace wants it, how can we not do this business?
"Okay!"
Zhu Biao was very happy, it was done.
"Okay, okay, I see you are tired from going out every day these days, so take a good rest."
Su Jing said to Zhu Biao.
Zhu Biao did all the investigation of this case himself.
Su Jing saw it and was naturally concerned.
"Yes, Master Su, students should have a good rest."
Zhu Biao nodded and went directly to rest.
Su Jing looked at Zhu Biao's leaving figure and shook her head slightly: "You are really trying too hard. How can you be so curly at such a young age?"
After saying that, Su Jing returned to Zhu Ju's class.
"Okay, Niu Su, let's end the study of probability here. If you want to go deeper, you can study it on your own. There are still a lot of interesting things in it."
Su Jing looked at Zhu Ji who was serious and said, "Now, let's learn about plant genetics."
"We have already learned about heredity before, and plant heredity only refers to the heredity of plants."
"First, what we need to do is understand the basic structure of plants."
With that said, Su Jing took Zhu Rui to use the improved microscope to observe the microstructure of various plants.
Now the microscope made by Su Jing is quite accurate.
Being able to see the basic cell structure is even more magical under Su Jing's explanation.
Zhu Ju seemed to have opened up a whole new world. He absorbed the knowledge taught by Su Jing with great excitement and seriousness, and was completely immersed in it.
Zhu Rui has had a love for plants since he was a child.
It's no wonder that when he grew up, he wrote many works in the field of plant medicine.
Su Jing was also very happy in her heart that she did not fully return the biology knowledge she learned in middle and high school to the teacher.
At least, it is still enough when Zhu Rui listens to it unilaterally.
However, when it comes time for Zhu Rui to ask questions, it might be a little overwhelming.
Time passed slowly, and it was time to have dinner.
Zhu Biao also had a rest, and the master and apprentice had dinner.
Zhu Rui went to study by himself, and there were only two people in the small courtyard, Zhu Biao and Su Jing.
"Master Su, the students have questions and want Master Su to answer them."
Zhu Biao asked Su Jing.
Before Zhu Biao could ask the question, Su Jing said directly: "You just want to ask what I will do to the rice market in the future."
Liu Zhaoxiang was arrested, and Liu's Mihang collapsed completely.
Even if Su Jing sold all the disaster relief grain to the imperial court, the remaining grain would be an absolute monopoly in Lishui County and several surrounding counties.
Liu Zhaoxiang's selling behavior led to the emergence of a large number of speculators. They sold all their grain reserves to Su Jing, then used the money to buy rice from Liu's Rice Shop at a low price, and then sold it to Ping An Rice Shop at a high price.
This is in and out, making money is very happy.
Now that Liu's Rice Shop has collapsed, Ping'an Rice Shop is now the only one.
If Su Jing wants to harvest, she can start now.
This harvest is exactly what Liu Zhaoxiang wants to do.
However, although speculators are speculating, they are also ordinary people.
Zhu Biao wanted to know what Su Jing would do next.
"Um."
Zhu Biao nodded and waited for Su Jing's answer.
Su Jing said calmly: "Of course we will sell it at a higher price."
Increase the price!
Hearing this, Zhu Biao was a little confused and said: "Master Su, as far as I know, the price purchased by Master Su is the normal purchase price. Even if it just returns to the normal selling price, you will not lose money."
In Zhu Biao's opinion, Su Jing should sell it at a normal price. This is what Su Jing should do.
"Niu Yi, this is normal business behavior. I want to make money. Now that the food is in my hands, isn't it normal to sell it at a higher price?"
Su Jing said lightly: "Is it possible that you expect me to do charity?"
Su Jing's plain words made it impossible for Zhu Biao to refute.
That's right, what Su Jing did was just something a normal businessman would do.
"But Master Su, they are all common people, they"
Zhu Biao wanted to argue, but he was very powerless.
Su Jing looked at Zhu Biao and said, "Yes, they are common people, but they are also man-eating wolves. Once they have the chance, they will eat me up."
"You have seen the crazy shopping scene, so never have unnecessary pity."
Even though Su Jing treats his employees very well, he is also vigorously developing the economy of Lishui County.
But he never regarded the people as kind and docile.
The society under the feudal dynasty was a cannibalistic place.
You can have a philanthropic heart, but you can never be a Holy Mother.
"Then if Master Su is like this, wouldn't he be considered a man-eating wolf?"
Zhu Biao said to Su Jing.
Seize the market, form a monopoly, and then increase prices arbitrarily to harvest the people at the bottom.
The poorer the people, the more they will be harvested.
On the contrary, those speculators have accumulated silver in their hands, and they can still afford even the increased price of food.
The poor get poorer and the rich get richer.
This is not the Ming Dynasty Zhu Biao wanted.
Su Jing said calmly: "Then do you think that in this world, who is not a bad wolf? Isn't it the court? The people at the bottom of the taxation and corvee harvest are all the people at the bottom."
"Those officials and gentry clans benefit the most but contribute the least. Are they considered to be man-eating wolves?"
"As long as you are not being exploited, you are an exploiter. This is the reality!"
The simple words left Zhu Biao no room to refute.
yes!
As long as you are not being exploited, you are definitely exploiting others.
Zhu Biao felt deafened and enlightened when he listened to Su Jing's words.
"Master Su, can this matter be resolved?"
After a moment of silence, Zhu Biao looked up into Su Jing's eyes and asked extremely seriously.
When it comes to Zhu Biao, it's better to be direct. Su Jing was also a little confused when this question was asked.
After hesitating for a while, Su Jing replied: "You said how to solve the problem of exploitation and being exploited. Your teacher, I can't help you, but if it's the food problem, I have some ideas."
Zhu Biao always likes to talk about big topics, but Su Jing doesn't have that ability.
What he has is just some of what he has seen and heard.
"Please ask Master Su to teach me."
Zhu Biao bowed towards Su Jing, looking like a seeker.
Su Jing waved her hand and said, "Niu Yi, I've told you so many times, there's no need to do this. I'm just telling you what I think. As for whether it will work or not, I can't guarantee it."
Su Jing really couldn't accept this frequent gesture of courtesy.
Zhu Biao insisted: "Master Su deserves this from his students."
Su Jing was helpless and did not continue to dwell on the matter. Instead, she said: "The issue of food has always been of great concern. I remember I once told you that the market's self-regulation has shortcomings. Invisible When you can't control your hands, you need to be punished by the government, right?"
"Well, this student still remembers it, but Su Jing didn't mention what the government should do."
Zhu Biao nodded.
Zhu Biao remembered everything Su Jing said clearly.
"Then think about it, have you ever read any history books about how the state intervened in food prices?"
Su Jing asked Zhu Biao.
Zhu Biao immediately recalled it, and after a while he said: "It is true. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Wei Wenjun carried out reforms and adopted a method called the Ping Bian method to solve the problem of excessive food prices caused by the war at that time."
"very good."
Su Jing nodded and said, "Then how exactly does this leveling method work?"
In fact, Su Jing didn't know any methods of buying food, but he believed that it was impossible for the ancients to have no solution to the problem of food prices.
Zhu Biao replied: "The Ping Bian Law means that the government purchases grain from farmers to stabilize the price of grain in different years, but I have not seen any records of the specific operation."
Although Zhu Biao has read a lot of books and has a pretty good memory, there are still some that he doesn't remember or hasn't read.
Su Jing nodded slightly: "Then let me explain to you the basic principle of this equal purchase method. In good years, the government purchases farmers' surplus grain at a fair price to prevent merchants from lowering prices and hurting farmers; in disaster years, it sells reserved grain at a fair price to prevent merchants from raising prices. Prices hurt the people, so prevent 'cheap grains from hurting farmers, and expensive grains from hurting the people'."
Although this is the first time Su Jing has heard of the Ping Bian method, this does not prevent him from knowing the specific operation method.
In later generations, such operations were actually quite common.
"I see, Master Su is really knowledgeable."
Zhu Biao nodded and said, he already understood the operating principle.
In his opinion, Su Jing must have studied the Ping Bian method.
Su Jing continued: "But this method is actually flawed."
"defect?"
Zhu Biao was stunned. He had already thought about launching this flat buying method in Ming Dynasty.
"Master Su, please tell me clearly, what are the shortcomings of the Ping Bian method?"
Zhu Biao asked for advice seriously.
Su Jing said slowly: "Actually, this flaw, strictly speaking, is for the Ming Dynasty. You just said that the Ping Bian method was actually the method pioneered by Wei during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, right?"
"Yes, one of Wei Wenjun's ministers named Li Kui came up with the Ping Bian method."
Zhu Biao replied.
The records in this history book are quite personal. The names of Wei Wenjun and Li Kui are recorded, but the specific content of the Ping Bian method is not recorded.
Su Jing said: "In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the area of each country was very small, and it was relatively simple for the country to purchase or sell food. However, today's Ming Dynasty has a vast territory, so it is not that simple to do such things."
"Just saying that the annual tax payment is a big project, so this flat purchase method is not feasible in the Ming Dynasty, or in other words, forcibly implementing it will only waste people and money."
The territory of the Ming Dynasty was countless times larger than that of Wei in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.
In feudal society, transportation, especially long-distance transportation, was actually not that convenient.
It's okay where there are waterways, but where there are no waterways, it's very slow if you can only rely on land.
Zhu Biao nodded when he heard this and said: "Master Su is right. This leveling method is indeed not that applicable to the Ming Dynasty."
"So appropriate improvements are important."
Su Jing continued: "Since it is a relatively difficult process to buy and sell again and again, then we should establish several concentration points in the Ming Dynasty, take into account transportation and grain production areas, determine the location, and use this location to radiate to the surrounding areas. , which can reduce some of the shortcomings of the flat buying method."
What Su Jing is talking about is actually establishing a national strategic grain reserve base.
Only when the country has food can the food prices of the people be maintained at a stable level.
"Yes, Master Su's words really broadened students' thinking."
Zhu Biao nodded and said: "This can not only stabilize the price of food, but also enable the army to use food nearby when it needs it, which greatly improves efficiency. This method is really wonderful!"
After all, Zhu Biao is the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty, and his focus is relatively comprehensive.
Su Jing nodded and said: "Yes, this is indeed one of the benefits. Of course, there are more than one method. For example, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, his strategy of focusing on agriculture and suppressing business, is actually for the sake of food security and food prices. Stablize."
"Only when the production of grain is sufficient, grain prices will not skyrocket. Grain merchants who want to hoard food will no longer have feasible space."
Zhu Biao was a little surprised when he heard Su Jing mention his father.
He did not expect that his father's policy would take on new meaning under Su Jing's interpretation.
"It turns out that students are really ignorant."
Zhu Biao bowed his hands to Su Jing.
Su Jing said calmly: "The food problem is a problem that a country needs to fundamentally ensure, but the real core is not these so-called methods or policies."
"what is that?"
Zhu Biao couldn't help but asked directly.
Su Jing looked at Zhu Biao and said: "Actually, it is still a commonplace thing to talk about, developing productivity."
"The improvement in productivity level is directly reflected in the output of grain. Only when there is enough grain, all means can be used."
"Otherwise, no matter how good the method is, it will be just rootless and useless."
productive forces!
Or productivity!
Listening to Su Jing's words, Zhu Biao felt that everything seemed to be far away again.
(End of chapter)
