Lu Ming

After touching a glass of pure barley craft beer, shopkeeper Wu, whose face was also flushed, laughed at this time, his face showing color.

"Oh? There is such a thing? Tell Brother Wei quickly!"

"That's a long story. Hmm... Let's start with my brother escorting the cargo across the rocky beach a few days ago, when the ship broke down in Guitouwa."

In this way, shopkeeper Wu, in a good mood with good wine and good food, babbled about his magical experience of being a blessing in disguise.

Before shopkeeper Wu was rescued by special forces and returned to Huangpu Port, some stories actually happened.He was not simply rescued at that time. When he got there, he first saw the big blue ship in the harbor. Then, after simple treatment, washing and changing clothes, shopkeeper Wu was told that this was the official army under the command of the South Australia General Army Water barracks.

Next, he was taken to a war room with a long table and a map on the wall.There, some young soldiers in strange paired jackets and large-brimmed hats began to question him about everything he knew about the bandit den.

Knowing that the other party was a regular officer, and that his life was saved, shopkeeper Wu, who was just in shock, naturally knew everything, and told everything he knew.And this lecture lasted for three full days.

For the combat staff of the Pioneering Army Headquarters, shopkeeper Wu, an old driver who has been in charge of transportation and logistics all the year round, is the best choice to understand the social situation, enemy situation, terrain and local characters around Zengcheng.Now that such a person has come and is willing to cooperate, it is natural to chat for a while.

These seemingly inconspicuous sources of information are also very precious.Shopkeeper Wu, as a middle-level figure immersed in the front line of society, his perspective, including the details of his views on the big family and the small people, are all needed by the traveler who is eager to understand the social conditions of a place.

In this way, in the past few days, shopkeeper Wu not only told the truth about the surrounding bandits and the terrain that he knew, but also told about the relationship of other customs, characters, and other information, including the rich gentry, local tyrants, and officials in various places in Zengcheng. A full ten.

After that, shopkeeper Wu was sent back to the Baiji Grocery Main Store in Chengguan, Zengcheng County.

Of course, everyone who cooperates with the time-travelers is beneficial, and Shopkeeper Wu is no exception.

This time, shopkeeper Wu's fortuitous encounter directly brought monstrous benefits to himself and Baiji Groceries—not long after, Bai Juren, the head of Baiji, personally visited Ding Liqiu in the new district with Wu shopkeeper District Chief Ding.Having already received the letter from the military port, District Chief Ding, who knew the cause and effect of the incident, immediately gave the shopkeeper Wu the same big benefit: the wholesale right of Yizhou salt in Zengcheng County.

This time everyone is happy: shopkeeper Wu originally only had some shares in Baiji, but now he has the salt wholesale right, the share quota has been increased, and he has become a minority shareholder.

And Bai Juren not only got the salt channel, but more importantly, he was able to catch the line of passing through the high-rises. from heaven.

That's why shopkeeper Wu came to Hejiazhai today: With the wholesale rights and shares, the motivation has greatly increased, so naturally we have to run the channel well.

After listening to the story of the old brother, He Renzhong was also speechless, saying that this is a fortune in danger, and congratulating the old brother again and again.

Shopkeeper Wu was also afraid and proud at the same time, so he quickly drank a glass of wine to suppress his excitement.

At this moment, the door of the He family's mansion was pushed open, and a middle-aged man in a thick cotton robe walked in.

"Master, why are you here?"

When Guanshi He saw the person coming, he was stunned for a moment, then stood up and said hastily.

Chapter 526 The Daily Life of Shopkeeper Wu ([-])

The one who entered the door was a middle-aged man with a yellow face, a kind face, and a solid figure.When this man entered the door, he was still holding a horsewhip in his hand, a short knife on his waist, and a leather sheath on his calf for driving on mountain roads. He looked like a traveler, and he was He Tong, the owner of the Hejia Zhuangzi.

The He family is a Han clan that moved south to Guangdong since the Five Dynasties. Now that it has been passed down for hundreds of years, the He family has already become a local.And He Tong is the head of this generation, the most traditional landlord in China.

"Oh, it's Master He who's here."

Seeing the proprietor enter the house, shopkeeper Wu hurriedly got up to greet him.

"Hehe, I just came back from the mountains, and when I entered the door, I heard Xike. No, I'll hurry over here."

He Tong is younger than the two people in the room, and his seniority is also a generation younger, and his voice is loud.He said with a smile, while taking off his heavy coat, and then sat down without notice and turned his back on the customer: "Uncle Zhong, send someone to my room and tell me to bring some dishes. Today I want to talk to shopkeeper Wu Have a good time talking about the old days."

Since shopkeeper Wu has been dealing with Guanshi He for many years, he naturally knows He Tong, and the relationship between the two parties is not bad.In ancient times, caravans were originally an important way to transmit information. A place like Hejiazhai needed not only the goods of the caravan, but also information. People like He Tong would naturally not let go of any opportunity to collect information from the outside world. .

Unsurprisingly, the first topic that Zhuang Zhu talked about after he arrived was still the matter of suppressing bandits, which had greatly stimulated the minds of the surrounding people.

The result of sweeping out the bandits in the area overnight is that the people are even a little uncomfortable.Now Zhuangzhu He dares to take people to inspect the small farmland industry in the mountains. It is conceivable how much the suppression of bandits has brought about the great changes in the lives of the people.

After feeling a lot about the current stable and peaceful environment, Mr. He, who was in a good mood, drank two glasses of wine, and as soon as his voice changed, he began to explore the latest situation around the county.

All kinds of information in the Chengguan area are equivalent to various policy decisions issued by the capital of later generations.It's just that later generations have telecommunications, and people in remote areas can also grasp information at the same time. In the Ming Dynasty, Hejiazhai could only rely on businessmen. After all, the Hejia could not afford to open overseas offices.

Knowing that this was the meaning of the question, shopkeeper Wu calmly drank wine and vegetables, chatted, and told stories of all the big and small things that happened in the county recently.

As a result, the original two-person dinner became a three-person one, and with He Tong's arrival, the atmosphere became lively again.

But then, shopkeeper Wu slowly felt something was wrong.Master He seems to be chatting here, but intentionally or unintentionally, he always brings the topic to the recent corvée.

"Master He, Xu is in the matter of corvée, is there any inconvenience in Zhuangzi?"

Everyone has known each other for many years, so when shopkeeper Wu noticed something, he asked it outright.

Realizing that the other party noticed his own thoughts, He Tong just gave a wry smile at this moment, then shook his head without saying a word, and raised his wine glass.

Manager He on the side saw that He Tong was not talking but drinking, and knew that his master was upset, so he took up the topic and said, "Brother Wu didn't know something. Sending someone out to serve... Sigh, the farmers don’t want to move because of the Chinese New Year.”

"Oh……"

When Shopkeeper Wu heard this, the old driver immediately understood everything.

In the early and mid-Ming Dynasty, the systems of "Liangchang" and "Lijia" were still implemented.In the late Ming Dynasty, the government's control power was greatly reduced, and these systems gradually collapsed.

Nowadays, in some remote places, powerful landlords who have money and food in their hands have almost confiscated most of the government's local rights, especially in terms of taxation.These people are usually responsible for errands such as local food chiefs, and they profit from them.

This is also the case in Hejiazhaizi.Don't look at his gentle face, but He Tong is actually the overlord of this piece of land. He said nothing, and without his nod, the government would not receive a single grain of rice or a single mouthful from the small basin where Hejiazhai is located.

However, this year's situation is a little different from previous years.

First, the bandit suppression movement has optimized the environment. The people in Hejiazhai here haven't been happy for a few days, but a real official came to the door and came to Hejiazhai, a remote place where only white servants used to come.

The official came to the door to ask for taxes as usual, and incidentally conveyed an important instruction recently issued by the county lord: the corvee of the next year will be collected in advance, and the service money will be doubled.

Regarding the previous tax issue, He Tong didn't care.As the food chief of Hejiazhai, he has to go through this twice a year anyway, and he has long been used to it: fighting famine with the county government when collecting taxes, complaining about hardships, pushing back and forth, and finally bargaining and paying some similar amounts That's it.

However, another policy in the county troubled him: corvée.

At that time, He Tong learned part of the truth about the corvee from the official: this time the county government doubled the amount of the corvée, and its purpose was to get people, so as long as they were registered as Dingkou, they probably couldn't escape, and they had to go to the service.

Not only that, but this time the corvee will be confiscated according to the records in the real fish scale book in the hands of the household house, so that the people in the county government's official book who have lived more than 100 years old should not come out to embarrass themselves.

In the past years, the corvee was paid by the clan. If there were no one, the corvee would not only waste time and time, but also cause various unpredictable things to happen, such as work-related injuries and deaths.

But not this year.The official told He Tong clearly that even if he paid double the amount of money, people would probably go there: "The large construction site outside Guangzhou and the Great Wall of Yizhou are short of people."

In this way, facing the crazy county government, He Tong had a headache.

Of course, there are still many ways for landlords to deal with this kind of thing.The simplest and most effective way: Drag the word.

But still the same sentence, today is different from the past.

Mr. He delayed this matter for a while, but not long before the New Year's Eve, the official came to the door for the second time... Speaking of which, the matter of suppressing bandits is not only convenient for the people, but the official can also go to those who dare not go before. out of place.

This time, the officials were not so easy to talk to: "All the lords in the county and the surrounding areas have all sent their farmers to serve. Mr. He, those who have not yet applied for the service are those like the He family. Zhaizi is waiting for someone from far away."

"Hmph, Mr. He, ask more questions. I'm afraid it won't work if you try the old tricks again. This man must be recruited! Otherwise, the next time you come, it won't be our men. , hum, farewell!"

Finding that the county government's attitude changed overnight, He Tong felt that he could no longer just sit idle about this matter, so he recently began to inquire about the news from various sources.

However, the development of the matter was the same as what the officials said: the big households around the county had already sent their people there according to the regulations, and according to the gossip, the county government went crazy this time, and there were people behind it.

While He Tong was surprised, he still hesitated. In the end, he was asked to wait for Shopkeeper Wu after the New Year's Eve. This was the reason why he hurriedly sought out Shopkeeper Wu for news as soon as he arrived.

Chapter 527 The Daily Life of Shopkeeper Wu ([-])

After listening to Manager He's narration about the corvee, shopkeeper Wu here has not expressed his position yet, but Master He, who has been worrying about this for a long time, became more and more angry. He slammed the porcelain wine bowl on the table and said angrily: " I can't see our men living a comfortable life for two days, they are really bastards! Hmph, with such disabled people, I don't think this Daming government will last long!"

"Wine talk, drink talk."

Seeing the middle-aged master getting angry, the two "old men" beside him quickly comforted him with a few words of comfort, and calmed the master down.

After being relieved, Shopkeeper Wu pondered for a moment, thinking that it would be better to tell the whole story, after all, He Jiazhai is an old friend and old customer, so it would be bad luck not to see old customers, isn't it?

So shopkeeper Wu told the inside story about the corvee.

The corvee matter has developed to the present, and seeing that the people who applied for the service have been sent to Huangpu Port one after another, and everyone inquires a little at the county government, it is clear at a glance who is behind the push.

This new force wiped out all the armed forces in the county overnight. Even in the face of the toughest copycat, Cao's soldiers and horses took it down without hesitation, showing strong combat effectiveness.

If you can capture the hardest cottage, you can also capture ordinary farms. Everyone understands this hidden meaning.In addition, the collection and issuance of corvee is, after all, an upright political matter of the government, and it is both soft and hard, so no one dares to interfere with this matter.After careful consideration, the big households around the county finally cooperated honestly with the corvee.

When shopkeeper Wu told all this, the two of the He family suddenly realized: it turned out that the two biggest incidents that happened to the He family recently were actually done by the same group of people!

The He family suffers from poor information.He Tong and the others knew about bandit suppression and corvee service, but they didn't connect these two things together.

"I wondered why they were so kind. They sent troops and horses to fight the bandits. So they were waiting here."

This is how people are. Master He had a good impression of suppressing bandits before, but once he found out that Mr. Cao had infringed on his interests, he immediately changed his face: "In this way, Mr. Cao sent troops to Zengcheng for the wrong purpose. Pure... Hmph, is this considered plundering the people? Such an absurd thing, the court actually allows this generation to do it, this stupid official Gu Tai really deserves to die!"

"Well, my Master He, you can't do it, you can't do it!"

Hearing Mr. He's nonsense, he was afraid that this young and energetic man in the landlord class would confront Mr. Cao. The shopkeeper Wu who was caught in the middle suddenly became anxious, and quickly stretched out his hands and shook: "Today is different from the past. Say no more!"

Shopkeeper Wu, who knew the inside story, quickly analyzed the current situation for Mr. He, introduced in detail the strength of Mr. Cao in the political and military circles, and urged Mr. He not to try to use eggs to touch stones: "The people in the south of the county The Zhao family and Master Ma of the Yan Gang were both charged with banditry before, and they were wiped out overnight, and the family will be exiled to Yizhou."

"Master He, the situation is finally improving now. If you give up a little profit, you will give up. If you take a step back, the sea and the sky will be brighter, but you must not fight against the imperial army... Maybe he will be picking a baby. Where's Li Wei!"

After some counseling from shopkeeper Wu, He Tong, who was originally aggrieved by the strength of wine, came to his senses and realized the crux of the problem: this time the government is surprisingly powerful. The big players looked like they had no choice.

After understanding this point, He Tong suppressed his previous thoughts of "delaying to see the situation", and planned to follow the advice of shopkeeper Wu, first reluctantly sending the number of corvee workers far exceeding the number in previous years to the county government up.

After learning of Mr. He's plan, shopkeeper Wu repeatedly praised the other party for his courage and resilience. Naturally, he was the last thing to see his customers stepping on the thunder. Now that the channel is king, it is so difficult to develop an old customer.

Shopkeeper Wu has a deep understanding of the current Zengcheng situation.He is a person who has had in-depth contact with the hard and soft power of the Cao family. In his opinion, it is best not to go against the commander-in-chief. In comparison, it seems cloudy, but if you follow along, maybe There are still some benefits.

Facts have proved that shopkeeper Wu's feelings are accurate.In the long years before and in the future, all those who endured the strange rules made by the time-traversing people at the beginning, enjoyed the benefits afterwards, and gained a head start in the new country.

……

Everyone was in high spirits that night and talked about a lot of topics.In the end, shopkeeper Wu and the He family drank until late at night, and finally they all got drunk and took a rest.

The next morning, after saying goodbye to his old friend, shopkeeper Wu rode a black donkey, led the caravan, and left Hejiazhai with ease.

This time when he came to deliver goods in the mountains, shopkeeper Wu not only met old friends, but also consolidated the sales channels of his own business, and conveyed information to help old friends recognize the situation. To a certain extent, it can be regarded as helping Mr. Cao The soldiers are busy, everyone is happy - all of this makes shopkeeper Wu very satisfied.

After the caravan came out of the mountain, they went down the mountain along the forest path that they were afraid to walk in the past, and arrived at Paitan Ferry safely.After that, the team rented a boat and went down the river all the way. It took two days to get there, and only half a day to return. Before closing the city gate at night, they entered Zengcheng County, which is close to the river and water.

Today's Zengcheng County was rebuilt during the Yongle period.There used to be an old county town in the Han Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty respectively. Now, after hundreds of years, the abandoned old town has long been turned into ordinary cottages and farmland, and there is no trace of the past.

Baiji grocery with a walnut black lacquer plaque hanging on it is located at the entrance of Dacai City in the county seat, which is a prime commercial location.

After shopkeeper Wu returned to the firm, he first ordered the waiters who came out to quickly weigh the goods he had brought into the warehouse. After that, he delivered the payment and account books brought back with the big shopkeeper who was in charge of the firm. Finally, he dragged his exhausted The body returned to the home not far from the business.

Shopkeeper Wu's home is a four-room tile-roofed house with Spring Festival couplets pasted in front of the door, obviously looking like a well-to-do middle-class family.

In addition to his wife and a pair of children, there are relatives from the countryside who have come to seek refuge in his family, so the four rooms are packed to the brim and he is not rich.

After returning home, shopkeeper Wu hurriedly washed and took a rest.

The next morning, after waking up full of energy, he first drank a bowl of fish porridge, cleaned himself up neatly, and went straight to the Bai family's mansion on the west side of the county seat.

Shopkeeper Wu's owner, Bai Juren Bai Shenming, is the owner of the mansion.

After entering the house, he didn't have to wait for a long time. Bai Juren, who was slightly fat and had a good demeanor, came out to welcome him, and brought shopkeeper Wu to the study.

Chapter 528 The Daily Life of Shopkeeper Wu ([-])

Bai Shen and Bai Juren are celebrities in Zengcheng County.

There is no doubt about this.For a small place in the Ming Dynasty, Juren was naturally the local "hometownship", a member of the upper class, and a well-deserved ruling class.

The ruling class is not for nothing.Fan Jinzhong made a move, and Zhang Xiangshen, who came to congratulate him, sold 50 taels of silver and a big house with three rooms and three rooms on Dongmen Street. This was true in the oppressive Qing Dynasty, not to mention the Ming Dynasty in which the power of the gentry was so rampant.

The family business of Bai Juren in Zengcheng is also well-developed.

In the beginning, the Bai family was just an old ancestral grocery store in the county town, and it was considered a well-to-do middle-class family.Theoretically speaking, Bai Shaodong's family, who was still very young at that time, would just inherit the grocery store in the future, changing from the young master's family to the old one.

However, Bai Shaodong's family is very talented. Although his skills are not high and his literary talent is mediocre, he is a competitive player in the scientific examination. No.8.

Afterwards, Bai Shaodong's family failed to become Jinshi in the examination, but this did not prevent the Bai family from being promoted overnight in Zengcheng County and becoming an enviable wealthy family.

After becoming a Juren, Comrade Bai Shenming first went to Jiangxi to serve as a county magistrate.After that, he was going to change his official position, but because Bai's old boss had an intestinal ulcer (chronic appendicitis) and finally died, so Master Bai returned to his hometown to guard the system for three years and take care of the family business.

However, due to this system, Grandpa Bai gradually lost his desire to be an official. It is impossible to be a high-ranking official, and the left and right are just some idle second-hand officials in small counties. Corruption is not his turn. How can there be a response from everyone in his hometown? Is it better to point fingers and be a gentleman?

From then on, Master Bai could stay at home and develop his industry with peace of mind.More than ten years have passed, and Young Master Bai has become a middle-aged master Bai. With his dedication to management, the Bai family not only has farm tenants in the countryside, but Baiji grocery has also developed from a single store at the beginning to a famous store in Zengcheng area. A powerful chain enterprise has become a big family in the true sense, a "farming and studying family".

But the good thing is: despite the expansion of the family business and high social status, Mr. Bai has maintained the approachable style of the young owner of the grocery store after so many years. This makes shopkeeper Wu not too cramped after seeing the master today.

"Brother Qianshan, it's been a tough trip to the mountain."

After serving tea to each other in the study room for entertaining close guests, Mr. Bai smiled and said to shopkeeper Wu.

"Lao Dong's family is always thinking about it. I'm always used to running around. It's not hard work."

"Hey, brother, you are also old now. When you know how to take care of yourself, if you have any errands to go out, let the guys below do it. These things are ultimately left to the younger generations."

Although the relationship between the guest and the host has always been good, Master Bai is now more polite when facing shopkeeper Wu.

This is also what the title should mean.Ever since Shopkeeper Wu got in touch with the General Military Mansion due to a blessing in disguise, Master Bai's attitude towards him has been upgraded from that of an old subordinate/retainer to that of a close comrade/partner.