Li Changxi pushed aside the people in front of him and saw a burly man standing outside. He couldn't help but smile and said: "This is a fair price."
The man who had just called Qiqian gave the burly man a hard look, "Xu Lengzi, if you raise prices in such a haphazard way, you won't have to force everyone to have no way out in the future."
Instead, Xu Lengzi cursed, "I don't care about you, I'll wait for the money!"
"If you don't want money and you want to break the rules, we won't let you earn it. I'll pay you eight cents! But I won't let you..." "Seven cents."
"Six points..." "Five points!"
Seeing that Xu Lunzi was determined to get it, the deputy board came out again. The other deputy boards all ran to grab it. For fear of losing both ends, they had to say, "Okay, Xu Lunzi, just wait."
A group of deputy board members left the chief behind and gathered around to go to the bookshelf. Xu Lengzi got into the cage of the inner chief with an expressionless face. After he had tied the wooden shackles on top, several yamen men fixed the wooden shackles on the station cage.
, a quickie asked Pang Yu to help lift a few thick iron chains, and while hanging them, he cursed: "Your grandma, Xu Lunzi, who the hell allowed you to be the cage substitute, and only paid five cents of silver, you are so shameless."
, to prevent everyone from getting rich, I will give you a few more chains today."
Xu Lengzi didn't say a word. Originally, the yamen and the cage were places where the yamen in charge of executions made extra money. Those who were cadres had to show filial piety, so that the yamen's executions would be completed. Otherwise, the yamen would kill the yamen and kill the yamen.
You don’t have many lives to earn money, so there are rules in this industry.
The only thing that happened recently was this guy Xu Lengzi. He didn't follow the rules at all, disrupted the market, and didn't give money to the government officials. Unfortunately, he was rough-skinned and thick-skinned. The government officials fell asleep after a few days and then got up again.
When Kuaishou thought of this, his heart became angry, and he kicked hard at Xu Lengzi. Xu Lengzi's head and neck had been fixed, and his lower body was unstable. He stepped on it and missed it. Kuaishou took the opportunity to pull away a wooden board.
There were only two footboards under the cage, and now only one was left. Xu Lengzi was separated by the wooden shackles and could not see below. He just kept one foot firmly planted and waved the other foot around for a moment. When he knew it was taken away, he could not see the bottom.
Without saying a word, he stepped on the logs around him, which was just a little bit more strenuous.
After Kuaishou locked the standing cage, he scolded Xu Lengzi: "It's just standing in the cage. Next time, if I'm a substitute board member, you dare to come and rob me. I..." "Someone wants money. If there is a substitute board member, I have to come and grab it. You
If you have the strength, beat someone to death."
Kuaishou was furious for a moment, and Pang Yu thought to herself that this Xu Lengzi was really stunned. He didn't eat salt and oil, and he didn't eat hard or soft food. He wanted to grab business anyway.
At this time, Shushu had also found someone to stand on his behalf, but he spent two cents more than the chief. If Xu Lengzi hadn't caused trouble, both the acting board and the yamen servant would have earned more, so the acting board members gathered around
Next to Xu Lengzi, he yelled at Xu Lengzi who couldn't move.
There was a lot of noise beside the eight-character wall. Pang Yu and several other government servants finished running the standing cages and hurried back to the lobby to wait for their errands to be assigned.
While standing under the platform, I heard the county magistrate say to Yang Fangqian: "If you owe more than a few miles, you still have to issue card tickets. If you don't touch the real seal, those unscrupulous people will not pay it off easily.
"
Yang Fangqian nodded and glanced around, not recognizing anyone.
Yang Fangfian did not have any connections in Tongcheng. Since he was in office for a short period of time, he did not intend to develop his own power. He basically relied on the original power structure, that is, the county magistrate, and gave way to the county magistrate. "Master Zhou is very clear about the personnel in the Yamen."
, please ask Mr. Zhou to send a few capable people to visit these areas again."
The county magistrate pointed at Pang Yu and the others and said, "The people standing in front of us are all reliable and capable."
Yang Fangqian didn't even look at Pang Yu and others. She just nodded to the county magistrate and said, "Then I will write a letter to the household and arrange for these people to go to the countryside to compare money and food.
I would like to ask Mr. Zhou to worry more about this autumn grain collection."
..."In order to compare money and food matters in Tongcheng County, Pang Yu and Ruan Jin were dispatched to pass on the information. Later, they opened accounts with grain arrears and strictly urged them to personally go to the counter to collect all the money and grain that should be paid for six to seven years.
Sub-constitution, payment receipt, verification and cancellation number.
There are three flower households in Nantang: Liu Pan, Ruan Zhongdu, Sun Tianyu.
On August 5, the seventh year of Chongzhen, Yang Fangqian acted as the county magistrate; the ticket was deposited and paid within three days." Pang Yu took the ticket with respectful hands, smiled slightly when he saw the big red seal below, and said to Tang Chengfa behind the table
: "Thank you, Mr. Tang."
Tang Cheng looked up at Pang Yu, his lips moved, but in the end he didn't speak. He just waved his hand indifferently, signaling Pang Yu to leave.
The last time Tang Chengfa was beaten, he was severely beaten. More importantly, he was embarrassed in front of the entire yamen. He has been recuperating at home and never appeared in public. Most of the other yamen servants who were beaten were also like this.
This time Yang Fangqian took office was an opportunity. Although he was only acting as an agent, after all, the authority was held by another person.
Yang Fangfian had no grievances against them, so she would not hit them without any reason.
Therefore, it was safe and unobtrusive to come back at this time. Although Tang Chengfa was injured and did not recover well, he still insisted on coming out to work.
It's just that Tang Chengfa suffered this disaster and is currently acting very low-key.
But I can't put my dignity down to please my colleagues, so I show a kind of indifference.
Of course, Pang Yu didn't really sympathize with Tang Chengfa. He carefully put away the cards and went to the fast class to find Ruan Jin.
Past.
When he arrived at the corridor outside Deyi Gate, He Xianya was already waiting there. He hurriedly greeted him, "Second brother, did you understand what Mr. Tang said before noon?"
"I seem to understand. What he means is to finish the matter of comparing money and food. There will be good errands later. But I heard that comparing money and food is the best. What better errand can there be."
He Xianya said in an anxious tone, "My second brother, the people who are being called upon are all from low-income families. Although you can get some money by being more ruthless, compared with that good job, it's nothing more than oil on a mosquito's legs.
The good job Mr. Tang just mentioned is the autumn grain collection. As long as you have done the collection work, you will be assigned a cabinet man for the autumn grain collection..." Pang Yu said with an oh, "That cabinet man is the keeper.
What kind of cabinet is it?”
He Xianya had a helpless look on his face, as if he had no idea what to say. After a while, he said: "When my brother comes to help you, the second brother will know. This is something that no one who has been writing for many years can get. Mr. Tang has nothing to do with the second brother."
Really important.
But first of all, the reminders must be done properly. If the cards are issued and the reminders are not paid in full, then there will be nothing left to do if you leave a comment on the hall that your work is not done well."
Pang Yu said confidently, "Since I accepted this errand, I must collect all the money and food. Will my third brother go with me?"
"As long as the second brother says so, I will definitely go."
Pang Yu looked at the Kuaishou room and whispered, "Brother is back on duty today. If he has some errands and needs your help..." He Xianya replied almost without thinking, "Brother is still not very comfortable walking. I guess it's better for the Kuaishou team."
Neither the police nor the torture chamber will send him errands, so he should be fine."
After saying that, He Xianya turned around and glanced at the Kuaishou room. Jiao Guozha came back to work today and didn't have a good look towards the two of them. He stayed in the Kuaishou room after morning service.
"Did Brother want to talk to you?"
He Xianya shook his head and whispered, "I was listening to my eldest brother talking to someone at the door just now. About that day, the second brother you praised the county magistrate, and some of it reached my eldest brother's ears, and he was not very happy."
Pang Yu pondered for a moment and then smiled and said, "Let's talk about this later. Then, third brother, please go with me to Nantangli to collect the money and food."
...In Sunjiaba, Nantangli, dogs barking came from the village.
"Bang" The ajar door was kicked open hard, and three helpers rushed into the courtyard like wolves and tigers. There was a burst of chickens and dogs in the courtyard.
This is Nantangli in the south of Tongcheng. It was the first stop for Pang Yu's business trip to the countryside. It is also the area where Tongcheng County owes the most spring taxes. A total of two yamen were dispatched. Pang Yu led two helpers and Ruan Jin led three helpers.
There are nine people in the team going to the countryside, namely Gari Chang and Li Ce. The leader is Kuaishou Ruan Jin, a tall and muscular man with a sinewy face. Corresponding to him, his three helpers are all fierce-looking characters.
.
There were five members of this poor family, including three children. When the men in uniforms came in, the woman was so frightened that she collapsed in the main room.
Ruan Jin swaggered into the main room and looked at the furnishings in the room coldly. There was only a table, two chairs and a memorial tablet at the top. Ruan Jin slapped his waist knife on the table, which made the woman on the ground tremble.
Ruan Jin was very satisfied with the result, and Da Ma Jin Dao sat down on the chair.
There was a "click" sound, and the chair fell apart. Ruan Jin fell to the ground with an ouch.
Pang Yu had just stepped into the threshold and felt funny when he saw this. He quickly went over to pull Ruan Jin up. Ruan Jin cursed and kicked the chair away. He found another bamboo stool and sat down cautiously. His momentum was suddenly not as good as before.
Nantangli is not far from the county seat. Pang Yu and the others have already called for payment on two families. This is the third flower household. The head of the household is named Sun Tianyu. Pang Yu looks at the furnishings in the house.
But with Ruan Jin here, Pang Yu is not too worried. This person was born in Kuaishou. He bought the cards this time with his own money. The house was sold to him because Ruan Jin was very good at collecting money and food in the past. Whenever he encounters
When faced with the pressure of such a task, they are willing to sell to a ruthless character like Ruan Jin, and both parties can benefit.
Several of Ruan Jin's helpers poured into the main house. Pang Yu saw that it was a bit crowded, so he exited the main house and entered the courtyard. He looked around and saw that there were only three thatched houses. The houses were all made of mud walls. Many places were peeled off and had not been repaired. The courtyard walls
It was made of firewood branches. There was some firewood piled in the yard. There was also a grass tree in the southwest corner with some dry straw tied on it. Only half of the tree was left.
It is true that they were not wealthy families and would be targeted for poverty alleviation in later generations, but this was not the case in ancient times. It was not unusual for them to default on money and food owed to the Yamen.
The three children of the Sun family hid timidly by the grass and trees, looking at the strangers in the courtyard with fear. Indeed, as He Xianya said, the villagers were more afraid of the government officials.
The head of the village called the woman: "From the Sun family, ask your head to come out."
The woman had a sad look on her face. After a moment of hesitation, she went in and helped out a sickly man. He looked to be at least fifty years old, but Pang Yu already had some experience. People in ancient times were poorly nourished and looked older than their actual age. He was probably actually older.
He must be in his thirties.
The head of the village went over and scolded, "Sun Laoer, what am I telling you? I can't bear to lose the money and food. If you don't pay it yourself, the officials will come to collect it. I'll see how you end up today."
The woman fell to the ground and cried loudly: "There is no money, no food, and all the medicine needs to be changed..." Sun Tianyu had no one to support him, and he fell to the ground softly, supporting his body with his hands, his gray-white lips trembling slightly, looking at
He hit the ground without saying a word.
Ruan Jin stood up and stepped on the bamboo stool, "No money?
"Master, I don't have any money. If I don't have any money, I won't pay for food. What will I eat, Master?"
He pointed to the outside of the house and said, "Women there are just money."
The woman crawled over and hugged his feet, "You can't help me, sir. Those are the meat that fell from the body, and they are all parents..." Ruan Jin thought she was dirty, so he picked up the woman's hand and threw it to the ground, waiting for the woman to pounce.
Crying loudly on the ground, Ruan Jin kicked off his feet again and cursed: "You have soiled my green shirt. If it is irrelevant, you don't need to speak. Just tell me how you can make up for the money and food you owe today."
If you don't pay the money and food you owe today, your man will be taken to jail! Or your children will be dragged away to work as a mark."
Two of the children beside the grass tree heard the crying in the house and started crying in fright. The eldest child quickly comforted them, and Zhou Yueru quickly went over to take care of them.
At this time, the value of the female helper was reflected, and the two children quickly calmed down.
Pang Yu turned a deaf ear to the commotion in the house. Yang Zhixian's attitude was very clear. The money and food owed must be paid back. If someone below defaults, then others will follow suit, and then Zhixian Yang will be unable to do his job.
From Ruan Jin's point of view, he will not let go of all the flower households, because he bought the tickets and already had a small cost pressure when he went out. If the collection is not effective this time, not only the county magistrate and the households will be dissatisfied, but also the households will be dissatisfied.
He himself also suffered direct economic losses.
So without anyone's encouragement, Ruan Jin had enough motivation to be a villain, and Pang Yu was happy and relaxed.
Feeling someone tugging on his sleeve from behind, Pang Yu knew it was Zhou Yueru without turning around.
Zhou Yueru whispered from behind: "Can you help them? They are so pitiful."
Pang Yu glared at her and said, "It's none of my business. If you pity them, then go ahead and speak."
"I'm afraid that Mr. Ruan, the leader, doesn't you always say that you want to be a good person and accumulate virtue?"
"Which gang do you belong to, Zhou Yueru?
Aren't I afraid of Mr. Ruan? He carries a knife."
Pang Yu paused and said in a relaxed tone, "Young master, I have always lived so freely, because I understand one truth. I am just a small person and cannot solve all the sufferings in the world."
Zhou Yueru said angrily: "Speaking of this family in front of you, who wants you to solve everything?
Then help them, how much food do they owe?"
He Xianya couldn't help but said to the side, "Seventeen acres of official tax plus Liao's salary, county magistrate, county magistrate, canon historian, and every house official admire Yu Yin, Zhuang Ban Yin, and all kinds of discounted silver."
Even if you can afford it, the autumn grain is coming soon, can you afford to support a family of five?"
Zhou Yueru was stunned when he was told that. In the meantime, two of Ruan Jin's helpers had caught the only hen in the yard and were clamoring to kill it for lunch.
The woman from the Sun family didn't dare to stop her when she heard the commotion. She lay on the ground and cried, "Please forgive me, sir. This is just an egg-laying hen. I'll point it to the head of the house to replenish his health."
The two helpers ignored it, pressed the chicken's head to the ground, took out a knife and cut the hen's neck. The mother and her son flapped desperately, and the chicken feathers flew everywhere in the yard. The three children screamed, and the Sun family woman cried so hard that the whole world was shaken.
Zhou Yueru's face was flushed, and she was breathing heavily with tears in her eyes. She wondered if she remembered the scene when the government servants dealt with his father that day.
She turned to look at Pang Yu, only to see Pang Yu walking leisurely in the courtyard as if he didn't notice. She couldn't help but despise Pang Zaoli's character.
"Don't you have any sympathy?"
Pang Yu did not answer, but asked, "Do you know how a soft-hearted person like you can best deal with this kind of thing?"
"how?"
"Don't let them become individualized in your mind."
Zhou Yueru was stunned, "What does individualization mean?"
Pang Yu said patiently, "They lived a hard life before you came here, but you don't know that to you, they are just a poor household on the list who is short of food. You will not pity them.
After you come here, once you connect with them and experience this person's feelings, he becomes a real person, which individuates them.
So the best way is not to talk to them, not to ask them their names, not to ask about their lives, not to ask about their joys and sorrows. In this way, they are just a character called Hua Hu, and Hua Hu should pay taxes, and you are just a tolerance worker.
If you are a helper, you should pay for your money and food."
Zhou Yueru gritted her teeth and looked at Pang Yu, not knowing what to say, when a long voice came from the main room again.
"Daughter-in-law of the Sun family, let me tell you, if I come down here, I won't be able to leave until I collect everything. Otherwise, the adults will question them. You have to collect it no matter what."
"Chief, you know where our family can get together? You have to help our family speak up."
"Ask the relatives of the Sun family to borrow it, ask your mother's family to borrow it. If we don't get it together this time, the messenger will take the person away tomorrow," the head of the village curled his lips and said, "Don't say that the folks in the village won't help you. If you want to make an excuse, it's better to
As I told you before, it is not easy to borrow money in the village, so you have to go to the pawn shop to borrow it."
"If we can't pay back the loan, the interest will be high. How can our family survive?"
"You said you are from the Sun family, why can't you figure it out? If you don't Oshida, I will arrest your head tomorrow and take him away. With the body and bones of your Sun Tianyu, you will be depressed before you even reach Tongcheng. Do you believe it? Then what do you mean?
How to live."
The woman from the Sun family didn't say anything, and the head of the village urged her again: "It's better that I put in a good word for you. Mr. Chai just agreed to wait for one day. Now, kill the chickens first. If one is not enough, go to the neighbors to borrow chickens, ducks and geese."
Okay, let's get some more wine.
These gentlemen have been working on this for a whole day. You have to make up the amount of money for food and work you mentioned. How can you make it up if you don't go to the pawnshop to borrow money?"
Seeing that the Sun family woman was in a trance, Ce Shu also came over and urged, "Daughter-in-law of the Sun family, there is a manager from the pawn shop here, so I will borrow some money for the time being to help with the emergency."
After hearing this, Pang Yu looked behind and saw that a middle-aged man wearing a black Taoist robe had entered the yard. He walked straight to the Sun family woman and said gently: "This aunt, everyone in the family has someone who can take the time to deal with emergencies."
At that time, I went to Xiaxin and Liu Ruogu, the pawnbroker, to borrow some silver from the Sun family first. To cope with the current difficulties, I can use the land as collateral, and the monthly interest will be two cents and three cents..." Pang Yu has watched this drama three times today, and now
This is the source of high profits for pawn shops. They lend money at high interest rates when households are in financial difficulty. The most important thing about this activity is that it requires the support of households so that pawn shops can smoothly carry out business.
The maximum interest rate stipulated in the Ming Dynasty Law is three cents, but no one cares about that stipulation. Private pawnshops offer various kinds of interest rates. Xinhe Dianpu is one of the top three pawnshops in Tongcheng. This monthly interest rate is basically unreasonable for ordinary people.
Still on.
From the moment the cards were issued, the fate of the Sun family was determined.
The food they grow will never keep up with the rate of interest growth, and eventually they will lose their land and become either tenants or refugees. Their lives will only be more difficult than they are now, and it is not impossible that their families will be destroyed.
Pang Yu turned to look at the children. After the people from the pawn shop appeared, the atmosphere in the room was no longer so tense and they became quiet.
The three children were all half-clothed and had colorful faces. It was not even possible to tell whether they were boys or girls.
Pang Yu fumbled in the bag for a while and then stopped. After hesitating for a moment, he took out a few pieces of sand cake. This kind of snack is glutinous rice flour added with sugar and then oiled. It is considered a very sweet cake at this time. Pang Yu is because of the calories in this stuff.
High, so I often take it with me when I go on business trips to replenish my energy.
Pang Yu held the Sha He in front of their eyes and nodded to the three children. The eldest child carefully took two steps closer and took the Sha He with both hands. The two younger children reached out and the older child broke the candy cake into small pieces.
The small pieces were divided between the two children. This rural family had never eaten snacks before. The two children tasted the sweetness and took a piece and wolfed it into their mouths.
"Don't choke."
The older child kept passing it to the younger child, and when he had the last bit left, he took a small bite and gave the rest to the younger child.
"Is it delicious?"
Pang Yu wanted to leave, but now he saw that the eldest child had barely eaten, so he took out the remaining piece of candy cake and gave it to them. The eldest child glanced at him secretly, his black and white eyes flickering, his face
There was a little tear stain on the dirt on his face, and he sipped the bit of candy cake in his mouth again and again, reluctant to swallow it.
Pang Yu asked softly, "Are you a boy or a girl?"
"I'm a woman."
The voice is very soft and gentle.
"What's your name? What grade are you in... No, how old are you this year?"
"My name is Sun Tianxiu, and I am twelve years old."
"You are so young, then you can call me uncle..." Pang Yu suddenly stopped at this point, stood up and walked outside the house before stopping, leaving behind the inexplicable child.
After a while, He Xianya came over to accompany Pang Yu.
"Second brother, look at the fields they have."
"How?"
"I just went to look at it. The total land should be less than ten acres."
"Then how come the fish scale map shows seventeen acres?"
He Xianya pointed to the books in the courtyard and said, "This has to do with the books and the chief. The fish scale atlas is from the Wanli period. In fact, after the family was separated, business and other changes would always occur, but forging the fish scale atlas is very difficult.
It is complicated, and the old book has been used for many years, or it has been slightly revised.
The actual details of the land can only be known from the book in the book. The book in his hand is the real one. Households also have to rely on the book and the length of the land. These two people can control it. The Sun family can calculate less than ten acres.
To get out seventeen acres, this move is called flying, and the total number of acres in it remains unchanged. Some people's fields are scattered and credited to other people's households, and others pay taxes, money and grain on their behalf, but the harvest of the fields belongs to themselves."
"Then the Sun family doesn't know?"
"Who among the peasants knows this? Books are only available in books. With this private fish scale album, books are also passed down from father to son. They have held the position of books for a long time, and outsiders cannot take action.
In the future, when the pawn shop collects the land, they will have to rely on this book to hide the land, which is another sum of money."
Pang Yu frowned and looked at the books there. He didn't expect that a small booklet inside could be so capable.
He also wanted to ask about Li Chou, but he heard a timid voice behind him.
"Uncle..." Pang Yu heard the voice and turned around. The thin Sun Tianxiu stood behind him with his hands behind his back. He quickly squatted down to ask her what was going on, but saw Sun Tianxiu reaching out his hand from behind and carefully holding a small egg.
In front of Pang Yu.
"My uncle gave me something sweet, and my mother said I should know how to repay my kindness, so I picked some bird eggs (note: rails) myself and gave them to my uncle to eat!"
Pang Yu squatted on the ground, looking at the small bird's egg in front of him, and facing the bright eyes on the small face covered with dirt, he couldn't say a word.