The East Courtyard looks chaotic, but in fact, it has a very strict management system. As long as things are done according to the system, it is difficult to have disputes. Moreover, those who deal with the Shen family are honest tenants and businessmen, most of whom have easy-going personalities.
.
Zhou Sen gathered around, but it was a tenant of the Shen family who was clamoring to exchange the excess grain for salt. However, Zhu Tongzi had already spoken. The salt stored in the East Courtyard was strictly prohibited from being purchased and exchanged. Even the shops under the Shen family were not allowed to exchange it from the east courtyard.
The compound transports salt.
During the quarrel, some tenants who paid rent came one after another. More and more people gathered, and they all clamored for salt. There was a big quarrel. Zhu Tongzi, who usually walked around the courtyard, didn't know where he ran.
There was no one in sight, and some workers couldn't make the decision, so they were very anxious.
"Why don't you sell salt to them?" Zhou Sen asked Aunt Peng curiously.
"You don't know yet! There is a rush for salt outside, and the Shen family's stores outside don't have much inventory. Naturally, Dongyuan cannot deliver goods."
"Isn't there a lot of salt in stock in the East Courtyard?" Zhou Sen looked puzzled. He saw a warehouse full of salt yesterday.
"You don't understand. There are hundreds of thousands of people in Niejia Bridge's radius of a hundred miles. No matter how much salt there is in the East Courtyard, they can't stop them from rushing to buy it!" Aunt Peng rolled her eyes at Zhou Sen.
"Why are they panic buying?"
"I'm not very sure. It seems like someone said last night that we won't be able to buy salt anymore. Early this morning, many people lined up to buy it, and then they got out of hand. This person can't help but eat salt, no.
If you eat salt, you will lose your strength. Do you think they can stop being anxious?"
"Do they all believe it?" Zhou Sen felt a little incredible, because although salt is a necessity, it is consumed very little. A pack of salt can last for several months. The Shen family's inventory is enough to feed hundreds of thousands of people in Niejiaqiao for a year.
There is more than enough, so there is no need to rush to buy.
"Don't you believe it?" Aunt Peng glanced at the noisy tenants, "It's even more exaggerated outside. If you don't believe it, just go out and take a look and you will know."
"Well, let me take a look."
Zhou Sen ran to the door, stretched his head and looked outside, and couldn't help but gasped. In front of the row of shops facing the street in the west courtyard, there was a dark crowd, occupying the entire street. There were probably thousands of them.
There were more people than there were when we gave out porridge on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month.
"Are there many people?" Mrs. Peng asked when Zhou Sen came back.
"More, more."
"That's just here. In Niejiaqiao, all the shops selling salt are filled with people queuing up to buy salt. Except for Shen's, many shops have stopped selling salt. Think about it, if we open it up to let them buy, the Dongdayuan Warehouse
How long will the salt in it last?”
Zhou Sen shook his head. As Mrs. Peng said, no matter how much salt you have, you can't stop hundreds of thousands of people from rushing to buy it.
Look at the rush-buying behavior. It’s not just one or two packs. Many people are carrying baskets, hoping that the salt they buy can last ten or eight years.
Things are extraordinary.
Although Zhou Sen does not know how to do business, some financial giants in the five star regions often do so.
There are definitely merchants who are speculating and creating rumors and raising prices. Faced with this momentum, the Shen family has only two options. First, open a position to put some salt in the market and use their quantitative advantage to suppress the rumors; second, be reluctant to sell, take the opportunity to raise prices, and
Those bad businesses make money together.
But for the Shen family, neither the first nor the second method is the best choice. As Mrs. Peng said, no matter how much salt the Shen family has, they can't handle hundreds of thousands of people rushing to buy it. If they are allowed to sell it,
It is estimated that they will be sold out within an hour. Once the Shen family runs out of salt, the rumors will get worse and cause panic.
There are many uncertain consequences of being reluctant to sell.
When the Shen family is reluctant to sell, those merchants who create rumors will definitely reap the benefits. They cannot have as much salt as the Shen family. As long as the Shen family is reluctant to sell, they will immediately sell the goods at a high price. In the end, the mess will be left to Shen.
At home, the Shen family may not have made much money, and others have already left, but the Shen family has been accused of being a profiteer.
Obviously, some businesses are now eyeing the Shen family eagerly, waiting for an opportunity to take action...
…
"Madam, some tenants are clamoring to see you." Zhu Tongzi wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"What's the matter with salt?"
"Yes, now the Xiao family and some small shops have stopped selling. In the entire Niejiaqiao, only the Shen family is still selling in limited quantities. The stocks in each store are running out. It is estimated that they can last for an hour at most. They need to buy from the East Courtyard Warehouse.
The goods are ready."
"How long can the goods from Dongdayuan last?" Zhu asked.
"There are a lot of goods in the Dongyuan warehouse, but now that it's time to pickle bacon, the salt consumption of each household has increased. Coupled with the panic buying by tenant farmers, if the purchase is really liberalized, it is estimated that they will not be able to last for a day."
"Can't there be a limit?"
"It is a folk custom to marinate bacon for the winter. Many people slaughter their animals and store the marinated bacon for the next year. If it is completely restricted, it will cause panic. Many tenants are afraid and say they will go to their relatives. If this continues, it will inevitably affect next spring plowing.
"
"It's such a headache." Mrs. Zhu rubbed her brows with a tired look on her face.
"Madam, something is fishy. It must be the fault of the Zhao family. The Zhao family was the first to stop sales." Zhu Tongzi said with an angry look on his face.
"This possibility is possible. I think it is not entirely the fault of the Zhao family. Although the Zhao family is unjust and unjust, they will not cause chaos for this petty profit. They probably just take the opportunity to make a profit. Nie Jiaqiao
The land is not big, and we only have a few big families. Chaos will not be good for anyone." Mrs. Zhu shook her head, with a thoughtful look on her face.
"Then...then...then why are there rumors?" Zhu Tongzi seemed to dislike the Zhao family.
"There must be a reason for rumors to form. When I was giving soup on the 15th, I discovered that there were more and more homeless people. The last time I counted, there were more than 100 homeless people in Niejiaqiao. This is extremely rare. I remember
, the highest record in previous years was only sixty, but now the weather has just turned cold, the number of homeless people has exceeded one hundred, and some dilapidated temples are already overcrowded, which is not a good sign..."
"Madam, we can't control those homeless people, but this salt matter must be dealt with as soon as possible. Now some tenants and residents are scolding our Shen family and saying that our Shen family is profiteers. The reputation of the Shen family has been damaged."
"Actually, the reputation of our Shen family is nothing. Stability is more important. If the salt issue is not handled well, there will be rumors about food shortages and plagues. At that time, people will suddenly lose their control.
We can't control it anymore. This Niejia Bridge is as high as the mountain as the emperor is far away, so we have to rely on ourselves for everything." Mrs. Zhu sighed.
"Then what should we do?"
"Let's go to the east courtyard and have a look."
"Yes, ma'am"
Zhu Tongzi suddenly looked happy and quickly led the way. Zhu had a very high prestige among the tenants. If she took action herself, those tenants might listen to her.
really.
When Zhu arrived at the East Courtyard, someone called out that "Madam is here." Immediately, the entire East Courtyard became quiet. People looked at Zhu with respect and made way for her.
Seeing Mrs. Zhu coming over, a group of tenants had anxious and uneasy expressions on their faces.
"Is there a shortage of salt in your house?" Zhu asked an honest tenant in a pleasant manner.
"Yes." The tenant answered nervously, rubbing his hands.
"How much is missing?"
"... Thirty bales... No, at least fifty bales." The tenant hesitated and hesitated.
"Why so many bags?" Zhu asked with a frown.
"Our family has a large population, and in a few days we have to slaughter the animals and marinate the bacon. A little salt is not enough."
"You don't need fifty packets of salt to kill an animal." Zhu's face showed a hint of anger.
"Madam... they said there is no salt... I want to buy more and keep it at home for later use..."
"Yes, madam, there is no salt everywhere now. We don't eat salt and have no strength to work. We are also worried! You are the reincarnation of a Bodhisattva, so you will take care of us poor people and sell some to us. It doesn't matter if the price is higher.
"
"Yeah yeah."
"That's right, the Shen family has a lot of salt, why don't they sell it?"
"I don't want to imitate the Zhao family and raise the price from the ground up, hum!"
"The world is as black as crows..."
"..."
…
Someone started to make noises, and the situation became chaotic again, and the tenants started to quarrel.
"Everyone be quiet, everyone be quiet. Madam has something to say." Zhu Tongzi saw that the scene was getting more and more chaotic, and he quickly raised his voice and shouted loudly.
People gradually became quiet.
"I also know everyone's difficulties. Our Shen family has a lot of salt, but now everyone is buying it like crazy. In your family, there are only three people and they only eat one pack of salt a month. Now you have to buy fifty packs.
Our Shen family cannot support this buying method. When the time comes, there will still be many people who cannot buy salt. Now, I am asking for your opinions to see if there is any solution."
"Madam, it's better to raise the price and sell it more expensively. People can't afford it anymore, so they will naturally buy less." Zhu Tongzi said quickly.
"No, if it is sold at a higher price, rich people will hoard a lot of salt. By then, the poor will still not be able to eat salt."
"That's right, that villain is not thoughtful."
"Madam, I think you should hurry up and stock up. If there is too much stock, no one will rush to buy it."
"This method is not feasible for the time being. Our Niejiaqiao is far away from the salt-producing land. It will take several months to go back and forth. Distant water cannot put out a nearby fire."
"Madam, just set the quantity. You can only buy one pound at a time."
"We are now purchasing in rationed quantities, but the effect is not obvious. Many people queue up repeatedly. Moreover, some people also need to marinate meat, and a packet of salt is not enough."
"..."
Everyone's suggestions were rejected one by one by Zhu in the end.
"He has a way."
Just when everyone was looking at each other and helpless, a loud voice sounded, it was the taciturn Lu Axe.
"who?"
Everyone followed Lu's axe's fingers and saw Zhou Sen with a look of astonishment on his face.
Seeing all the eyes on him, Zhou Sen suddenly complained secretly. When he was chatting with Ax just now, he just said that it was not difficult to solve it, but he didn't expect Ax to push him out in front of so many people.
Zhou Sen naturally didn't know. Seeing Zhu's frown and his eagerness to protect the Lord, Lu Ax remembered Zhou Sen's easy words and couldn't help but say it. As for whether Zhou Sen could do anything about it, it was not in his head.
That's what I've been thinking about.
"Do you have any good suggestions?" Zhu's eyes fell on Zhou Sen.
"Rumors are spreading everywhere now. The best way to curb them is to let every citizen have salt to eat. Now, the salt in the East Courtyard is enough for the villagers of Niejiaqiao to eat for more than a year. So we just need to find a reasonable
The distribution plan allows every household to buy salt." Zhou Sen said bravely.
"How to make every household buy salt?" Mrs. Zhu smiled slightly, she also understood this.
"It's very simple. We allocate a year's worth of salt to each household based on their household registration."
"However, our area is remote, and many tenant households do not have household registration. For example, don't you have household registration?" Zhu said lightly.
"It's not difficult. People without household registration will also have land contracts. Tenants like the Shen family have contracts in hand. As long as the tenants rely on the contract, they can buy enough salt for a year."
"This method is very good, but now in early winter, it is the time to slaughter livestock and poultry to marinate bacon. Some people will use the excuse of marinating bacon to hoard and ask to buy more. If everyone buys more, our Shen family warehouse will
There is definitely not enough salt."
Mrs. Zhu shook her head and sighed. She thought Zhou Sen would really come up with some solution. She tried over and over again, but she still changed the soup without changing the medicine.
"Madam, this is simple. Let them pick the meat that needs to be marinated and marinate it on site. In this way, no one can cheat. The meat cannot be marinated repeatedly. In addition, if the Shen family sells it for several days in a row,
, everyone has the opportunity to buy enough salt, and the rumors will be disproven. When the time comes, those businessmen who are hoarding salt and raising prices will definitely be anxious, fearing that there will be a backlog of salt, and join in the sales. Naturally, the pressure on the Shen family will be relieved. "
"What a good idea!" Zhu's eyes lit up, and she immediately said: "That's it, Datong, hurry up and ask the major shops to make a plan, register and register according to each village, and ask customers to bring their household registration or certificate when buying salt.
Land lease signing and other proofs, each household can purchase salt for one year. If you want to marinate meat, pick the meat to the shop and marinate it on site. If you encounter someone who does not have household registration or land contract, let them
Come to Shen's main store to buy and then carefully select them."
"Yes, Da Tong will take care of it right away." Zhu Tongzi nodded repeatedly, gave Zhou Sen a thumbs up, and went off happily.
"Fellow folks, please go back first, bring your household registration certificate, or land deed, and go to Shen's major stores to buy salt. If you need to marinate meat, you can only go to trouble and bring the meat that needs to be marinated.
We picked the Shen family’s shop and marinated it on site. When you go home, you can also help the Shen family promote it.”
"Thank you ma'am, we'll go home right now."
"Thank you, madam..."
After a group of tenants thanked him happily, they hurried home for fear of falling behind.
Finally, the east courtyard became quiet.
"Mom, what are you doing here? I can't find you anywhere. There are people everywhere outside. It's so noisy that I can't even sleep. It's so annoying." Just as Zhu was about to talk to Zhou Sen.
, Shen Huimin rushed in like a whirlwind.
"What are you doing here?" Mrs. Zhu frowned and looked at Shen Huimin. This is the East Courtyard. People are from the lowest level of society. Rich ladies like Shen Huimin should not appear here.
"Huimin is scared because there are people noisy outside. I'm looking for dad, but he's not here. I heard you arrived at the East Courtyard, so I had no choice but to come to the East Courtyard to look for you." Huimin said with aggrieved look on her face.
"It makes sense, let's go." Mrs. Zhu snorted coldly, dragged Shen Huimin's arm and walked towards the small iron door.
"Just leave, what's the big deal."
Shen Huimin pouted and followed behind Mrs. Zhu, looking around curiously as she walked. Although she grew up in the Shen Family Courtyard, she rarely came to the East Courtyard. For her, the Shen Family Courtyard
The courtyard is full of mystery.
"It's you!"
Shen Huimin suddenly shouted, as if she had caught a thief.
