Chapter 98: The Yang family’s bribery, Lao Feizhuang’s decision
If you are really not short of money, you can give it to the young master for free!
But the stove households sell salt for four or five cents per pound, and they also need to buy a lot of wood and coal to burn the stove.
Thirty percent of the boiled salt is given to the government, and a portion of the tax is also paid.
The remaining money can only ensure food and clothing for the family, and a penny reduction is the limit!
If the salary is reduced by two cents, the family will have to tighten their belts and will not have enough to eat.
But without the young master, the son would not be saved, and the salt well would not be filled with brine. This kindness must be repaid!
Wang Yuan shook his head: "Fei Niu, you are wrong. I don't think it's expensive, but I think it's cheap! According to the market price, a pound of salt costs four cents, and you can only afford food and clothing. So I decided to give you eight cents per pound.
, we collect 600,000 jins of salt from Lao Feizhuang every year!"
The kitchen households in Lao Feizhuang were boiling with excitement. They all knelt on the ground and kowtowed!
The salt merchants came to collect salt and tried their best to keep the price low for them, just to keep them fed and clothed!
No salt merchant has ever taken the initiative to raise prices for them, hoping to make them more money.
Even if the Yang family gave Jia Tou, the limit was six cents per catty, not eight cents!
The young master gave me eight articles, this kindness is so great that it goes to heaven!
"Ba Wen!"
Fei Niu was stunned for a while, shook his head and shouted: "Sir, no, you will lose money. You will have to spend a lot of money to transport it from here to Fu County. Just give us four coins and we will be satisfied. We don't
If you want to be rich and noble, you will be satisfied if you can have enough to eat!"
"Yes, sir, let's collect salt for four cents, I can't let you lose money!"
"It's not easy for you to do all kinds of things as a salt merchant!"
"There are bandits on the road, so we have to hire people to transport them, otherwise they will be robbed and the compensation will be huge."
Many kitchen households tried to persuade them, saying that they also wanted to collect eight articles, and they also wanted to complain about more!
But because he was afraid that a pound would sell for eight cents, Wang Yuan would go back to pay and he would not be able to continue working!
Compared to the Yang family, they were more willing to sell it to Wang Yuan for the same price.
"That's all!"
Wang Yuan waved his hand and said: "But I want you to add one more process before boiling the salt. This will increase the workload, but the quality of the salt will be better and the price will be better!"
The salt in Feicang has a lot of impurities, so he plans to build a multi-stage filter tank to filter the brine and boil it to reduce the impurities.
The seven Fei Niu brothers and the old Fei Zhuang kitchen owner quickly responded: "All you need to do is follow the master's instructions!"
The extra four cents, even if there is one more process, doesn't matter; I'm just afraid that if the young master pays so much money, how will he still make money?
Alas, the young master is so kind-hearted. Seeing how miserable they are, he pities them by giving them more money.
Hu Mengying said: "Now that we have agreed, let's make a contract so that both parties are guaranteed."
"Okay, sign the deed!"
Fei Niu agreed immediately.
As long as the deed is signed, even if the Yang family comes to make things difficult, there is no way to change it!
If the deed is not signed, then the Yang family may put pressure on them, and they may be able to hold on!
Other kitchen households don’t dare!
Wang Sihai took out pen, ink, paper and inkstone, and Hu Mengying wrote a deed!
Both parties are waiting for signatures and deposits.
Suddenly a group of people broke in!
The first two people, one in silk and satin, the other in patrol uniform, followed by a group of officers and soldiers.
"Yang Mo is in charge!"
"Inspector Liu!"
Looking at the two people, all the kitchen households lowered their heads and were trembling uncontrollably!
Even Fei Niu's face changed and his whole body became tense!
Wang Yuan said: "Who are they?"
"Yang Mo is a member of the Yang family. He is contacting Jia Tou in the town to collect salt for the Yang family!"
Fei Niu whispered: "That is Inspector Liu, who is responsible for the security of Feicang, as well as the power of sealing and inspecting stoves. He was also bribed by the Yang family!"
Wang Yuan frowned and said nothing. After staying in Lao Feizhuang for three days, he learned a lot.
The stoves of kitchen households could only boil salt within the time specified by the government. If the stoves were not closed when the time was up, they would be discovered by patrolling soldiers and brought to the Salt Transportation Department for prosecution.
The Salt Transportation Department will also send out inspections to inspect stoves to prevent stove owners from cooking salt secretly!
If you offend the inspection, you won't tell me the time to close the stove, so you can't even think of boiling salt secretly.
By controlling the small officials in the Salt Transportation Department and indirectly controlling the production and sale of salt, the Yang family monopolized the Feicang Salt Industry.
Glancing at Wang Yuan, Yang Mo's eyes were cold and stern. He walked up to Fei and clapped his hands.
Two servants ran over, carried a small box, opened it on the ground, and found a piece of silver ingot lying inside.
The seven brothers of the Fei family and a group of kitchen households looked at the silver in a daze, as if their souls had been taken away!
"Fei Niu, here are one thousand taels of silver."
Yang Mo raised his head and said arrogantly: "Your salt well has produced brine, and the Yang family has decided to support boiling salt. As long as you sign a contract with the Yang family, all the salt cooked in your village will be sold to the Yang family, and the money will be yours!"
"
This thousand taels of silver actually bought the Fei family's method of digging a new salt well so quickly, but naturally they won't say it clearly now!
call!
Many kitchen households were short of breath and immediately moved!
One thousand taels of silver, as long as you agree, you can accept it and live a good life from now on!
Some kitchen households looked at Fei Niu and shook their heads, vaguely reminding him not to agree. Is the Yang family's money so easy to get?
But no one dared to speak!
The Yang family is here, and Inspector Liu is here to support them. Anyone who opens his mouth will be resented.
The six brothers looked at Fei Niu, opened their mouths and then closed them, not knowing what to think.
Wang Yuan watched quietly.
Hu Mengying and Wang Zhonglou also said nothing, wanting to see if Fei Niu would be jealous of money!
Taking his eyes away from the silver, Fei Niu shook his head and said, "Steward Yang, the salt cooked by the old Fei family will only be sold to the prince. We have already signed a contract."
When the Fei family's salt well was drying up and his son was about to die of illness, where were the Yang family!
Now there is a big brine in the salt well, and the Yang family shows up with money. What a beautiful idea!
However, he did not dare to say a word of these inner thoughts for fear of offending the Yang family!
Yang Mo's eyes darkened: "You think I am blind, didn't you see that there was no sign on the deed?"
"Mr. Yang, don't force me!"
Fei Niu prayed: "Young master saved my son, helped my family cut out the bittern, and gave me eight cents for a pound of salt. He is a great benefactor of my old Fei family. If I forget my kindness for profit, am I still a human being?"
!”
Yang Mo's eyes darkened: "He gave eight coins, and the Yang family also gave eight coins. And these thousand taels, the Yang family gave more than him! Think clearly, don't think that there is brine in the well that can be used to boil salt.
It can be sold!”
Many kitchen households lowered their heads!
There is no official bag, no cover, no matter how much salt is cooked, it can only be sold as private salt!
And these are all controlled by the Yang family, relying on the Yang family to take control of the family, the kitchen household!
"me!"
Fei Niu's face was tangled. He suddenly grabbed the deed drawn up by Hu Mengying, bit his finger and pressed it with a bloody fingerprint. He gasped and said, "Mr. Yang, I have made my choice. I accept it if I can't sell the salt. I can't violate my conscience!"
"
"I don't know how to praise!"
Yang Mo became furious, waved his hand and slapped Fei Niu on the face!
No one dared to refuse the Yang family's coercion and inducement in full public view.
Snapped!
A crisp slap in the face!
The whole audience was stunned!
Fei Niu's face was fine, but Yang Mo's face was marked by a slap!
Wang Yuan retracted his hand: "Who gave you the courage to hit me in front of me!"
I haven't done anything yet, mainly because I wanted to see how Fei Niu would do under the pressure of the Yang family!
Fei Niu's performance did not disappoint him, and he couldn't watch him being bullied!
"How dare you, a poor country boy, hit me!"
If he had known who Wang Yuan was, he would not have noticed it at all. Yang Mo turned his head and shouted sternly: "Inspector Liu!"
Inspector Liu, who was watching, drew his sword and said with a cold face: "In broad daylight, in front of an official, he dares to commit murder wantonly. He must be a traitor and evil person. Take him down!"
The two officers held their swords and walked towards Wang Yuan!
Dahu and Erhu are about to make a move!
Wang Zhonglou rushed out, jumped over two officials, rushed to Inspector Liu, and slapped him hard: "You bitch, I've blinded your dog eyes. If you dare to attack Uncle Yuan, you don't want to live anymore!"
This tone and manner made Inspector Liu's scalp numb: "You, you dare to hit me!"
Snapped!
After another slap in the face, Wang Zhonglou snorted coldly: "I'll beat you, and I'll find someone to peel off your skin when you return to the county. I'll interrogate how many households you've blackmailed over the years, and I'll send you to prison and send you to Longtou Pass!"
"
The inspection officer heard a cold sweat running down his spine: "You, who are you?"
"Wang Zhonglou, the eldest son of the Wang family!"
Yang Mo's expression changed drastically.
The owner of Lao Feizhuang was shocked: That is also the county magistrate, the family of the number one scholar!
thump!
Inspector Liu knelt down and begged for mercy: "Master Wang, I am blind to gold and jade. Don't be as knowledgeable as me and treat me like a fart!"
"What's the use of begging me, young master? It's my Uncle Yuan you've offended!"
Wang Haitian said: "He is my uncle's close friend, and his affairs are the Wang family's affairs. The government officials call him sir, and the salt transport envoy Zhou Cheng didn't listen to the Yang family's offer to sell him salt."
"How dare you, a small patrol inspector, act like the Yang family's dog to embarrass my Uncle Yuan! Tell me, are you looking for death?"
"The villain has eyes but cannot see gold inlaid with jade!"
Inspector Liu kowtowed repeatedly: "Mr. Yuan, you sir have a lot of money, please spare me this time. I know I was wrong, and I will never dare to do it again!"
Wang Yuan waved his hand: This kind of flattery and contempt for a small official will never change a dog's behavior.
Wang Chonglou kicked him over again: "Go back and tell the officials in the Salt Transportation Department who dares to trouble Old Feizhuang and delay my uncle's purchase of salt. The Wang family will destroy his job!"
"Yes Yes Yes!"
Inspection Liu led the team and left in a mess!
Wang Yuan looked at Yang Mo: "Go back and tell you about the head of the Yang family. I am very angry at what he has done these days. If it happens again, I will destroy your Yang family's job. If you don't believe me, let him try!"
"Who do you think you are if you want to destroy the Yang family's job? But I will tell our master and eventually let you know who can destroy whose job!"
Yang Mo sneered, took his servants and carried the silver, and left Lao Feizhuang.
The worries in the eyes of the seven brothers of the Fei family and the owner of the old Feizhuang village were wiped away!
I originally wanted to sell Wang Yuan salt, but I was worried that the Yang family would stop me.
Now that I know about the Wang family, the Tongzhi adults are helping me, and the salt transport envoy has also bowed his head, so what are you afraid of!
After signing the contract with the kitchen households, Wang Yuan paid part of the salt mining fee in advance and left after being persuaded by the kitchen households.
The Dinglongtai Poetry Competition will start the day after tomorrow, and as a judge, he must be present!
As soon as he got on the carriage, Wang Yuan closed his eyes and took a nap to make up for the sleep he had missed in the past four days!
In Lao Feizhuang, the continuous drilling of wells made so much noise that he never slept well.
Hu Mengying's pretty face turned red and her eyes flashed as she looked at Wang Yuan!
She was thinking about the bet three days ago and what exactly the young master asked her to do.
I was looking forward to it but also afraid. I wanted to ask the young master directly, but I was embarrassed!
With this entanglement, it was already afternoon and the carriage still had ten miles to reach the county town.
…
A mile away, ten masked men were hiding in the woods beside the road, hiding themselves extremely secretly.
One person's eyes are cold and captivating, without any emotion, which makes people feel cold!
The rest of the people stayed far away and looked at him with fear in their eyes.
The leading masked man stepped forward bravely: "Our target is ten young men. He has ten people under his command. Four of them are martial arts practitioners. I heard that two of them are very good at martial arts. You deal with those two!"
"Can!"
The masked man with cold eyes said: "One hundred taels for stopping someone, one hundred taels for one slash, one thousand taels for killing, one thousand taels for five slashes, one for three kills."
The leading masked man couldn't help but curse: "Son, on weekdays, gang fights in the county and city cost you ten taels of silver. A chop is only ten taels, and the maximum number of people killed is a hundred taels. How come it's ten times that now!"
"It used to be gang fights, but now it's robbery and murder. This is a serious crime of decapitation, so of course the price will go up!"
"...Okay, the target is here, help me stop the two strongest ones!"
"Give me the money first!"
"It's done!"
"No, if you are hacked to death, I will go to the ghost to ask for money!"