Li Sheng's uncle is called Zhang Ping. He has a very ordinary name and has no skills. He has been a restaurant waiter in Ruzhou for more than ten years.
Chen Qing found a small stool in the yard and sat down. Li Sheng said from the side: "Uncle, this is my boss, a general. He is here to investigate people's livelihood. He just wants to understand the lives of ordinary people. Just tell the truth. No.
What trouble will there be?"
"Hey! You all know who I am, so there is nothing to hide."
"Is the child not here?" Chen Qingxiao asked.
"He went to study. He took a literacy class, which was free. He studied for half a year and knew a lot of words."
Of course Chen Qing knew about the literacy class, which was a literacy class. It was free for one year and required to know 3,000 words. But in fact, as long as you knew one or two thousand words, you could barely read a newspaper. Then there was the two-year advanced class.
It is required to learn the most basic listening, speaking, reading and writing, and a small tuition fee is charged.
If you still want to learn, you can enter the official class of the official school. You will go to the elementary school for five years, and then go to the county school for another five years. This is a ten-year period. Then start the exams, starting with the county exam, then the state exam, and finally
Imperial examination and provincial examination.
Zhang Ping was physically disabled and wanted his son to help him, so his son only attended literacy classes for one year and ended up saving money.
Chen Qing nodded and asked, "What's the monthly rent for this house?"
"This is rented from the government's shop and house service, so it is relatively cheap, 1,500 fen per month. If it is a private house, a house that can open a shop will cost at least 3 guen per month,"
Housekeeping is equivalent to today's housing management office. It was very common in the Song Dynasty. It was found in almost every county. It specialized in renting out public housing. The rent was cheap and it was not easy to evict people. Therefore, it was very popular with the people at the bottom. The rental income was used to supplement the county.
expenses.
"Then how much money can you make in a month by opening a store?"
Zhang Ping said casually: "We are losing money! Where can we make money? We don't even have money to eat."
"Uncle!"
Li Sheng's face darkened, "My general is here to investigate the public sentiment, and you must tell the truth."
How could Zhang Ping tell the truth? If he told the truth, what would he do if his nephew asked him to pay back the money?
He hesitated and said: "Actually, it's just enough to live on. It's good to have one or two hundred coins left every month."
Chen Qing knew the cunning of the lower class people and would never tell the truth if there was no benefit. Chen Qing smiled and said: "Let's do it! Tell me the truth. Since this is a public housing, I can exempt you from five hundred yuan every month."
Wen Rent”
Chen Qing stopped his ecstatic mood and added: "But the premise is to tell the truth without telling a single lie. If you dare to lie to me, I will let the county government take over your house."
"I tell the truth! I must tell the truth."
Zhang Ping was overjoyed. He saved 500 coins a month, which was six coins a year. He could repay his sister's money in five years. He no longer had to worry about his sister coming to ask for money all day long.
Li Sheng added: "Uncle, the county magistrate must also listen to my general. If you don't tell the truth, the consequences will be serious."
"I know, what does the general want to ask?"
"Actually, I just want to know your family's monthly net income and expenses, and how much can you save?"
Zhang Ping thought for a while and said: "Opening a grocery store here is a relatively stable business. I can make a net profit of about 3,000 yuan a month. Then my daughter works as a maid in Yang Yuanwai's house. The boss takes care of her food, clothing and accommodation. She can make about 3,000 yuan a month.
Earn 1,500 Wen, leave 1,000 Wen for her dowry, and 500 Wen to subsidize the family. In this way, the monthly income is 3,500 Wen, and then deduct the 1,500 Wen for rent, 1,500 Wen and so on.
For expenses, if you have enough food and clothing, you will have about 500 yuan left a month, but the premise is that you can't get sick, and you won't have much left if you get sick."
"Is fifty cents a day enough?"
"That's enough. Let's buy flour for thirty cents a dou, which is about five dou a month for a family of three. Coarse cloth is also cheap. Each person has a few coarse cloth clothes and a fine cloth, which can last for several years. Honeycomb briquettes cost a hundred cents a month.
There is also twenty cash for food every day, which is a lot. You can eat fish every five or six days, plus other money for soy sauce, vinegar and oil, and buy furniture, bedding, etc. As long as you don't go to restaurants or go to the theater, you can get fifty cash a day.
The money is enough."
The calculations were very detailed, which allowed Chen Qing to come into contact with the lives of the people at the lowest level for the first time. Of course, the lonely elderly and orphans were another matter. The government had a sales home that could guarantee their minimum living standards.
If the household tax is collected every year, it is equivalent to their family's living expenses for a month. If the business tax is collected, the small shop will cost 200 cash per month, and their family will only have 200 cash left per month.
, on the verge of collapse at any time.
Chen Qing sighed secretly, the household tax and business tax were too cruel to these lower class people.
"How much salt, wine, tea, and sugar does your family eat every month?" Chen Qing asked again.
"There is no wine or tea, nor sugar. We only have salt at home."
"Let's talk about salt! How much do you eat every month?"
"About one pound per month! Seventy cents."
"One pound of salt per month?" Chen Qing was shocked. It's equivalent to eating half a pound of salt every day. This is too much!
"The main reason is that pickles need salt. There are no vegetables in winter. We buy more in summer when they are on the market. The same goes for meat. In autumn and winter, there are more fat pigs and the meat is slightly cheaper, so we buy more meat for pickling. If
Not for pickles, a pound of salt will take several months."
Chen Qing asked a few more questions, and the other party answered them one by one. It was clear that they were all true. Chen Qing smiled at Li Sheng and said: "I will write you a note about the rent reduction on his house, and you can go to the county government tomorrow to handle it.
"
"I understand the humble position!"
Zhang Ping next to him heard that writing a note could reduce the rent by 500 yuan. He was really excited, so he pulled Li Sheng and whispered: "Can you tell your general that I can sell briquettes here?"
Briquettes are generally sold in Pingcang stores, but in a metropolis like Jingzhao with a population of over one million, it is not practical to rely entirely on Pingcang stores. Therefore, the county government will choose some large stores in various neighborhoods to sell briquettes.
license, but salt and sugar are not allowed and must be sold at the closing store.
Some people may wonder why agents of briquettes are allowed, but salt and sugar cannot. This involves a tax issue. It is a good way to crack down on private salt and sugar and monopolize channels.
If Zhang Ping's small grocery store sells official salt on behalf of the government, then he will also secretly sell private salt. It will be difficult for the government to check whether the salt he sells every day is official salt or private salt, and it will be difficult for others to report.
There is no tax on briquettes. It is actually a welfare provided by the government to the people. It is sold at a low price and does not make any money. The cost for any individual to make briquettes will be much higher than that of the government. They cannot compete with the government at all, so the government only needs to set price limits for agents.
If you dare to sell at a high price, people will naturally report you.
Chen Qing heard clearly, turned around and said with a smile: "This is not a high request, I can act as your agent!"
Li Sheng secretly smacked his tongue. The prince still didn't understand the situation. This requirement is not low! There are also a hundred shops in Jingzhao City that are qualified to sell briquettes, but Zhang Ping is his uncle. It is a good thing to be qualified to sell briquettes. He
No more words.
Zhang Ping just mentioned it casually and had no hope at all. How could a small grocery store like his be qualified to sell briquettes? Everyone else was a big store. Unexpectedly, the general agreed immediately.
Zhang Ping was so excited that he almost fainted. He was very aware of the profit involved. The government paid two cents for selling ten pieces of briquettes. It seemed small, but it couldn't cover the huge amount!
Thousands of people around him use briquettes in every household, and they sell them for at least 5,000 yuan a day. He can make a profit of 100 yuan a day, which is 30 yuan a month.
Zhang Ping pulled his wife and knelt down, kowtowing desperately: "Thank you, general! Thank you, general!"
Chen Qing was startled and asked Li Sheng with a smile: "Is it profitable to sell briquettes?"
Li Sheng smiled bitterly and said: "The main reason is that it is difficult to get the brand. Once you get it, there are many people around you, and you can make twenty or thirty thousand dollars a month. Their family has completely turned around."
Chen Qing nodded, "I keep my word. Since I promised you, I will not change. I will also reduce your rent and sell you briquettes. But I have a condition. Let your son continue to study and complete the literacy class.
