Chapter 597 Little Dou comes out and Big Dou enters
Summer is hot.
Most of the tens of thousands acres of golden rice fields in Fanchuan have been lost in just a few days. Everyone is racing against time to harvest, and the harvested and threshed rice is quickly dried in the hot sun.
"The imperial court is already harvesting grain in Changpingcang. Rice is thirty-five cents per stone, wheat is the same price, and millet is twenty-three..."
During the harvest season, people are eager to sell grain. Some want to sell grain to repay debts they borrowed before, while others want to buy some things. After the harvest, they can't hold back the grain in their hands.
At this time, the powerful landowners owned a large number of fields. After the self-operated Zhuangzi harvested and the rented fields were collected, the grain would not be put on the market for sale. They would store the new grain in the warehouse and wait for two months before putting last year's grain into storage.
When the old grain is put on the market, the price will be more expensive than the new grain now.
Even some members of the family not only do not sell grain at this time, but also collect grain.
"We also harvest, thirty-six and one stone of wheat and rice, and twenty-four millet, whatever we have," Wu Huaiyu said.
"The price of grain is so low, and it may fall again. The grain merchants in Chang'an charge even lower prices. One stone of wheat only costs 30 yuan."
"Harvest it, you won't lose money. Although there is a bumper harvest this year, since the Sui Dynasty, neither the court nor the people have much food in stock. When something happens, the price of food fluctuates greatly. Besides, the price of food will not be lower anymore. The court will
When grain is harvested, the price will be at the bottom,”
"Teacher, the Wu family already has so much manor land, why do they collect so much grain?" Cheng Qian asked puzzledly. These days, the prince is also following Cheng Qian to experience life in the countryside every day. He actually goes to the fields to harvest rice and dry it.
Looking at how to plow the land again for autumn planting,
Everyone has tanned a lot and even lost a layer of their skin.
"Grain won't go bad if you keep it for several years. Don't you feel anxious if you have grain in your hands? There are many things you can do with grain, whether it's harvesting grain, grinding rice and flour and selling them at Chang'an Grain Shop, or making wine and making cakes.
They are all good business. The bran left over from processing rice noodles and the distiller’s grains left over from brewing are also good things to feed pigs and cattle.”
Old Man Zheng told the prince that in the countryside, food is often more useful than the gold and silver saved. The food saved in the landlord's home is money. Whether the villagers are marrying a wife or daughter, taking medicine when they are sick, or encountering something.
In case of any disaster or accident, you usually need to borrow money or food.
Even in good times, many landless people were often short of food rations during the lean years, so they had to borrow money from the landlords first, and then repay the principal with interest when the harvest came.
Landowners have to lend out a lot of grain every year. Whether they borrow grain to pay back money or borrow grain to pay back grain, they can earn a lot of interest, or they can choose seeds from the grain and give it to tenant farmers, and the interest rate is also very high.
In short, if the people can repay the money normally after the next harvest, the landlord will only earn a good interest. But if the money is not paid, the interest will be compounded, which will be even more amazing. If the money is not paid again, the land will have to be sold at this time.
To pay debts, those who have no land can only use people to pay debts.
For example, in the Shangxia villages next to Shangwubao, more than ten families go bankrupt every year.
Grain is hard currency in the countryside, and it is a good thing that can produce offspring. Especially in years of famine, when landlords have grain in their hands, they can annex large amounts of land from the common people at low prices.
"Nowadays, if you marry a girl from a good family in Fanchuan, you usually need more than ten shi of rice, almost one shi per year, and up to 15 or 16 shi as a betrothal gift. But in times of famine, one or two bushels of rice may be enough to get a daughter-in-law."
Wu Huaiyu took Old Man Zheng's second daughter to Wubao as a maid, with food and accommodation included and five tons of grain a month. This was really a very high salary, just like Old Man Zheng's high salary of two stone grains a month.
A young and strong long-term worker only needs ten shi of grain a year and two sets of clothes. The ten shi of grain may even include wheat and millet, but it is not all wheat.
Old Man Zheng escaped from famine and worked as a long-term laborer for a landlord. In the first year, he only had food and accommodation, a set of clothes, and two stones of food, but he was already very satisfied.
Both the upper and lower Wu Forts paid thirty-six yuan per stone for rice and wheat, and they collected grain door-to-door. The most important thing was that the Wu family collected grain by buckets, not the big buckets used by ordinary landlords to collect rent.
Landlords usually used city dou, also called civilian dou, to collect rent, but the Wu family now used official dou, also called granary dou, to collect grain.
Market buckets are larger than warehouse buckets, and private market buckets vary in size from place to place and are not uniform. Some market buckets are two to three liters larger than warehouse buckets, and some are one or two liters larger.
In contrast, official battles in the imperial court, especially those in Changpingcang, were relatively uniform and standard.
Landlords used big buckets to collect rent, and often used official buckets to lend grain.
Small fights come out, big fights come in, and every time you go in and out, you exploit the people a lot.
The buckets used by the Wu family to collect grain were even bought from Changpingcang, and were stamped with Changpingcang's seal and engraved mark.
"Your Highness, will you go downwind with me to collect grain?"
"Okay, let's go all over the place," Cheng Qian didn't find it hard and tiring, but felt quite excited. Although the days in the countryside were hard and tiring these days, it was completely different from studying and studying scriptures in the palace before.
The feeling is not as profound as hunting.
Early in the morning, the steward of the Wu family's grain collection took the carts, horses, and villagers, fed the horses, hitched the carts, and prepared for the fight.
Huaiyu and Chengqian had breakfast and then went to collect grain.
First go to the sacred fields to harvest wheat,
The wheat on the plateau was harvested early. However, although the Shenhe Plain is a platform plateau, the roads up and down the plateau are not very easy to walk. In the past, many grain dealers would send their workers to the villages on the plateau to say hello, and then the villagers would take care of themselves.
The grain was either pulled by carts, carried by mules, or carried down the plains by people for trading.
The Wu family now takes the initiative to go to the plains to collect grain.
The waiter had already greeted him in advance and explained the price clearly. As soon as the team arrived, many villagers were immediately attracted to come over.
"Dear fellow villagers, we belong to Wu Shaobao's family. The price of grain harvesting is one yuan higher than that of the imperial court's Changpingcang. One stone is six yuan higher than that of other grain merchants. Moreover, our family uses official buckets from Changpingcang. The price above
There is also an official seal,”
"Pay the grain money now and give it after the measurement is done."
When the man shouted these words, the people went home one after another to carry food to sell.
In a good harvest year, the price of grain is low, but no matter how low it is, people still have to sell grain. If they don't sell grain, they can't pay off the famine debts. If they don't sell grain, they can't even buy some needlework and hoes.
Except for the silk cloth woven by the woman, which can be sold for some money, this is the only food left.
Although most tenant farmers don’t have much left over after paying their rent, they still have sweet potatoes and potatoes. The wheat harvested in summer can be sold more. In autumn, sweet potatoes and other miscellaneous grains are harvested in the fields, so they can save on food.
,
Some people compared their own Sheng Dou with the Wu family's official Dou. After a comparison, it was obvious that the Wu family's Dou was indeed smaller than theirs.
They are selling grain, and using the martial arts fighting machine is naturally a good deal.
The guys greeted everyone with a smile and skillfully checked the dryness of everyone's wheat and whether it was clean, etc.
After checking, the measuring begins on the other side.
One bucket after another is a standard standard. After filling a bucket, the clerk will use a scraper to scrape it evenly. It is not required to pile it up. The scraped grain is still for the common people. At most, it is filled and gently poured.
Pat the dendrobium tightly so that there are no gaps inside.
"Is this scraped grain still ours?"
"Yes, sweep it up and then measure it."
An old man thought that the grain he scraped off belonged to grain merchants. In the past, when it was rented to landlords or to the court, petty officials would usually kick it by kicking it. The grain that was kicked off was not allowed to be taken back by the people.
The subordinates in the yamen who are responsible for collecting rent even have to practice the skill of kicking the shower. They have to kick the tip of the shower flat with one kick. This is a skill. After all, the kicked part is the extra income in the yamen and everyone's welfare.
.
The Wu family man used a scraper to gently tap the dendrobium tree a few times, and then scraped it flat. The scraped grain was also swept up by the common people.
This practice amazed the villagers who were watching, and they all said that the Wu family was amazing.
When the first old man sold five stones of wheat, his own accountant immediately issued a list, stating the name and village of the seller, the price and quantity of the grain.
One hundred and eighty dollars.
After taking the note, I directly received the money from a table next to me. The person in charge of the cashier counted out one hundred and eighty coins, "Uncle, count them. These are all newly minted Kaiyuan Tongbao coins this year."
The old man counted the coins with his hands trembling slightly. He counted the copper coins one by one, placed ten in a pile, and placed eighteen piles in a pile.
Not a penny more, not a penny less.
The old man even carefully inspected every copper coin.
It is true that it is all new money, all Kaiyuan Tongbao money, there is no privately minted money, and there is no old money such as Sui Wu baht. What the Wu family pays is all good money.
"Does the money count?"
"Yes, yes, everything is right," the old man said excitedly.
"Logarithm, then draw a bet here. Even if the money and food are cleared, the transaction is completed."
"well."
The other villagers were very excited when they saw that the old man's five stones of grain were exchanged for a few strings of copper coins, so smoothly. In addition to the old man's exchange of one hundred and eighty copper coins, his son also carried a small half bag of grain, which he had prepared at home.
Five stones, but now there are still a few buckets more.
A boy smiled and asked, "Uncle, we also have some department stores here. Do you have anything to buy? There are needlework, dishes, cauldrons, pots, hoes, shovels, salt tea, scissors, kitchen knives, fire sickles, and combs.
Mirrors, etc., good quality and cheap, take a look,"
The Wu family came to collect grain, and also took groceries to the countryside. Following the grain collection team was a grocery truck with many daily necessities and sundries on it.
There was even a doctor from Qianjin Hall who came with his apprentice and a medicine box to help everyone see and prescribe some medicine.
The Wu family not only collected grain, but also collected whatever native products the common people had, whether it was dried fish, homespun cloth, or duck feathers and turtle shells, basically everything was collected, even rags and linen cloth, this stuff
It can be taken back to make paper.
The old man had just sold five stones of wheat in exchange for one hundred and eighty yuan. When he saw all kinds of goods, he couldn't help but be dazzled and very excited. Especially when he asked about the prices, they were indeed very affordable and everything seemed to be of good quality.
Not bad.
The old man called his mother-in-law and children, and after some discussion, they all felt that buying here was more convenient and more cost-effective than going to the market, so he planned to buy some.
"I still have a few buckets of food here, and they were measured for me in exchange for money."
"okay!"
The drying ground where grain is collected has become a lively shopping mall.
Cheng Qian saw that many people had just sold grain to the Wu family in exchange for some money, but then turned around and bought a lot of groceries from the Wu family.
And the doctors accompanying the Wu family also gave everyone free consultations.
We even give some free anti-worming medicine to the children, and other villagers who are sick can buy the medicine at a very affordable price.
"Teacher, I thought I was just here to collect food today, but I didn't expect that there are also department stores going to the countryside and free clinics delivering medicine."
"Is this a casual thing to shoot rabbits in the grass?"
The common people only have some cash when they sell grain. At this time, it is quite suitable to go to the countryside to sell some groceries. As for bringing a doctor, it is indeed a good thing. After all, I don't expect to go to the countryside to make this money.
It's just to build a relationship with everyone,
A little anti-worming medicine is not worth a lot of money, but it has a good effect in bringing people closer together. Of course, this is not a loss-making business. People who are sick will not lose money if they grab a few doses of medicine.
The Wu family collected a lot of grain, and also collected a lot of things like duck feathers, turtle shells, chicken linings, gold pheasant feathers, rags and linen cloth.