"It is already difficult for the Salt Gang to survive. How could I let Ah He take risks again?
The salt on the market today generally has a bitter taste.
I came here with a recipe for purifying sea salt, which can dissolve, filter, evaporate, and crystallize lumps of salt and coarse salt on the market today to make fine salt like a fine powder.
This method is somewhat similar to boiling salt, but the secret is to add a large amount of plant ash after dissolving the coarse salt.
The refined salt produced in this way has only a salty taste and no bitter taste. It is the best snow salt."
Xin Laoxiao's eyes lit up when he heard this, and then he spread his hands:
"The private salt we sell is just for cheap. Poor people often can't even afford coarse salt, let alone refined salt."
Jia Lian asked seriously:
"Before, the Yan Gang had to pay an additional three or four times the price for the salt it bought from salt merchants, but it was still profitable because the price of salt was too high.
I would like to ask Leader Xin, if I give the salt directly to the Yan Gang according to the official price, can the Yan Gang lower the price of salt on the market?
Can we use the profits to subsidize poor salt workers?
Can we also reduce the amount of illegal salt sales?
If this can be done, the common people can eat cheap and good refined salt, and the salt workers can also live a more comfortable life. Is there any reason not to be grateful to the salt gang?
And Yan Gang’s own brothers can also take a lot less risks, isn’t it also a great thing?”
"Sell salt to us directly at the official price? Is this true?" Xin Laoxiao couldn't believe his ears, "Do you have this ability?"
Jia Lian smiled at Ah He:
"You believe me, right?"
Ah He, however, just frowned and made some calculations in his mind. After a while, he nodded and said:
"At least give us the salt gang 30,000 yuan according to the official price.
With the profit of 30,000 yuan from the salt price, we will reduce the private salt by half.
At the same time, we controlled all the salt gangs’ salt stacks in the Huaihe River area, and the selling price of a pound of salt was reduced from eight cents to five cents. In time of the salt-rich season, we reduced the price of salt to three cents for the people.<
/p>
We will consider the subsidies for poor salt households based on the differences of each salt farm, and we will never let the second master’s hard work go to waste.”
Seeing Jia Lian smiling and nodding, Xin Shuanghe turned back and explained to her father:
"Dad, Second Master Lian's uncle is the salt censor of Huaihe River. He can decide who to sell the salt to.
He is not just helping our Salt Gang, he wants to help poor people all over the world."
Jia Lian said again:
"This is just the beginning.
The poor people cannot afford salt, but the big salt merchants are extremely rich; the state does not impose heavy taxes on salt, but corrupt officials are full of fat. In the final analysis, there is a problem with the country's salt policy.
My uncle and I have carefully discussed that if we want to eradicate the suffering of salt workers and the disadvantages of salt merchants, we must not only abolish the monopoly of salt diversion by large salt merchants, but more importantly, we must abolish the "shore diversion" restrictions.
A large part of the old salt production is concentrated in the hands of a group of large salt merchants, allowing them to control most of the profits.
The most fundamental way is to completely change the old salt supply to the new salt supply, impose "heavy taxes" on the old salt supply, and force the big salt merchants to give up their monopoly on salt supply.
As for the abolition of the 'exclusive trade to the shore', we need to allow salt merchants to sell salt across borders and salt areas, so that the price of salt across the country is roughly unified, so that people in areas with little salt can also eat cheap salt." p>
Ah He looked at Jia Lian's handsome face, full of confidence, and felt a growing enthusiasm in her heart: This man with big things in mind is definitely worthy of her trust for the rest of his life. Even if he can't marry her, she can't marry him.
"Second Master, if this happens, you will be a great benefactor to thousands of poor brothers in our Salt Gang. Our Salt Gang will never be ungrateful!"
Xin Laoxiao heard what his daughter said and said:
"Yes! Our Salt Gang will never be ungrateful.
From now on, the benefactor’s business is our Salt Gang’s business, and we will go into water and fire.”
After a pause, I felt a little confused again:
"Second Master Lian, what kind of official are you?
As for the things you said about making decisions for the people, even the prime minister of the dynasty is not so capable."
Ahe and Jia Lian looked at each other and smiled, but neither of them answered Xin Laoxiao's question.
There are some things that we can’t say more about before the time comes.
.
In the side hall, Zhuyu and Qingwen were waiting impatiently.
Cornus officinalis walked back and forth angrily:
"When I saw that Ah He, he felt like he had lost his soul."
Qingwen also stood on tiptoes and looked outside, pouting and muttering:
"The second master also said that the female junior is holding a gold brick."
"Bah! Female junior, holding a sarcophagus!"
In Zhuyu's view, it would be awkward for the twenty-year-old Jia Lian and the twenty-four-year-old Ah He to stand together: "Is he short of money? Why should he hold the gold bricks? He should find someone older than him.
What does an older woman do? Does he lack a sister?"
Thinking of Ah He's silent and indifferent face, Zhu Yu became even more angry: "Isn't that Ah He a 'winter cicada'? We said ten words to her, but she didn't reply. Why do they have so much to say today?
?"
While talking, he also came over and looked outside: "Why don't you come out? I'm so anxious."
Qingwen was originally an impatient person, but she became a good-tempered person because of Zhuyu. She pulled Zhuyu to sit down:
"Take a break, didn't they just say that the old gang leader of the Salt Gang was waiting in the house.
Maybe the second master is talking to the old gang leader about something serious, and we can’t get in the conversation even if we go in."
As soon as Juyu's butt touched the chair, it immediately bounced up:
"Oh! Could it be that her father directly proposed marriage to the second master?"
When Qingwen heard this, she also frowned: "No way?"
Juyu was about to rush out immediately and almost bumped into the person who pushed the door into the house.
Three female disciples from the Salt Gang came in through the door. They respectfully brought new hot tea to Zhuyu and Qingwen, and also presented a plate of bamboo shoots and meat dumplings, a plate of five-nut cakes, and a plate of green onions.
A large table has been laid out with puff pastry and a plate of dried vegetable buns, together with the dried fruits and snacks prepared just now.
Juyu asked the leading female disciple:
"Are they still talking?"
The female disciple was obviously well prepared and said with a smile:
"Ah, this girl is so pretty. If she didn't speak with a Beijing accent, I would have thought she was one of our Jiangnan beauties."
With just one word, the snow on Dogwood’s face melted away.
"Hey, is that girl your sister? Apart from the face shape, the eyebrows and eyes are really similar. They are both so delicate and beautiful."
The second sentence made Qingwen's face become clearer and brighter.
"The two girls are so beautiful, so we have to be in the top silk and satin shop, jewelry store, and gouache shop in Yangzhou to match them.
Did you go to 'Jinxiu Tower'? Did you go to 'Jin Yuhua'? Did you go to 'Xie Fuchun'?"
The third sentence made Zhuyu and Qingwen very excited immediately.
"I've been to 'Xie Fuchun', and the face wipe is really useful..."
"What does 'Jinxiu Building' sell? I haven't been there yet..."
This female disciple was arranged by Ah He a long time ago.
It's easy to stabilize these two little girls.
.
In the Yamen of the Lianghuai Salt Transport Envoy, there was a gloomy atmosphere.
After returning from the banquet at the Chenghuang Temple, Mr. Zhen Huanzhen, the Lianghuai Salt Administration, fell ill.
I invited several doctors to see me. Some said it was a sudden fire attacking the heart, and some said it was evil spirits entering the body. However, after taking several medicines in succession, there was no significant improvement.
Mr. Zhen has been feeling groggy all day long, feeling flustered and short of breath. He has no interest in eating and drinking, and can't sleep at night. After more than ten days, his face has almost lost all color.
Master Zhen's nephew Zhen Lian has been sent to the prison of the Yangzhou magistrate's office. He was frightened that day and fell ill. But Zhen Lian was young after all, and he recovered after two days.