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 was 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.

There were a few candles lit in the side hall, and the flames were swaying from side to side, making it very bright.

Zeng leaned his back on the chair, closed his eyes, and tapped his fingers lightly on the armrests of the table and chair.

As time passes, the burned wax oil gathers at the end of the candle and piles 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 kept looking 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.

"Sir, 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 towards 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 separately 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 matter of the money. You can rest assured, Master Zhu. This trip is not for the money." Mr. Zeng gently waved his hand to express 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 is unwilling to pay for it, but it's because the Zhu family is very tight. 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 sent by his servants, 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?" Mr. Zhu frowned deeply and said, "The six hundred taels of silver given to you during the day is enough to buy a lot of food. The Chongshou Mansion doesn't even have two hundred defenders. The six hundred 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 that 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 there is a little more food in the house than ordinary families, there are more people to share it with. I'm sorry that I can't do anything." Mr. Zhu declined Zeng's request.

.

I once had a haze in my heart.

Before arriving, he had already thought that it was not easy to obtain food from a large family like the Zhu family, especially under the current circumstances.

The gates of Xi'an Fort were closed, and food from outside could not be brought in. Moreover, if the bandits did not retreat, it would be impossible to open the gates. The people in the fort could only rely on stored grains to survive.

At this time, the most valuable thing is not gold and silver, but the food that can fill your stomach.

"I would say that 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 are guarding 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?"

"During the day, the money you took from my house was not just for recruiting young men to defend the city. The young men were given the money and allowed to use the money they earned from guarding the city to buy food. This saves trouble for the government and the young men who guard the city.

There is also food to eat, so we can kill two birds with one stone." Mr. Zhu smiled as General Zeng analyzed it.

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 out of you, 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 embarrass Master Zhu, right?"

"

Mr. Zhu looked thoughtful, calculating the gains and losses in his mind.
Chapter completed!