The days of "enjoying the fruits of victory" are always particularly sweet. Li Cunfa and Taoist monks helped each other and made a fortune. Both of them lived an "Australian-style life".
The hearts of the people are not enough, and the profits from the gradually monopolized mat business can no longer satisfy their appetites. The commercial economy in the Pearl River Delta region is developed, cash crops account for a large proportion of agricultural production, and the rural loan sharking market is very active. Li Cunfa talked about it twice
I started to run a loan business individually: they had the aura of "Australian liaisons" and were considered a local powerhouse. They had a background in this business and had capital accumulated from several years of mat business. They quickly became successful.
On track, business was booming. Gradually, the capital could not be recycled. So I focused on the "reasonable burden".
The reasonable burden of Sanliang City is paid in cash - as Hu Xuefan said, it takes a while for mats to turn into silver, so it is also recognized that the "reasonable burden" of Sanliang City is delayed for several months. Li Cunfa said
It started to be a side ball, and the normal delay in payment was delayed for another month.
In a month's time, this reasonable amount of money can be turned into a lot of interest, which is a good trick of borrowing chickens to lay eggs.
However, there is no airtight wall in the world. Although they have not misappropriated Australian people's money, it is still somewhat "inappropriate". Sun Cunfa has always been a little uneasy - he heard that Australians are very careless about money.
This time, Chief Hong suddenly wanted to set up "reasonable burden" liaison officers from various villages and towns to go to Guangzhou for a meeting. He was a little panicked. However, he didn't dare not go. After arriving in Guangzhou, he realized that it was a "mobilization meeting."
This mobilization meeting was very strange. The people who presided over the meeting were all "Australian chiefs". The topic of the meeting was very simple, that is, each village must establish a special "public warehouse" according to the reasonable burden of each village.
Grain production, store a certain amount of grain grain in advance. "Waiting for use"
In addition to food, each village must also prepare firewood, repair a number of boats for "backup", and ask each village to keep a register of the number of young people. This makes the liaison officers of each village feel a little uneasy. This seems to mean that the official
They are preparing to "fight". This Australian just came to Guangzhou a few years ago. Is he planning to come and demand "city redemption fees" again?
If such a trick came from the yamen, the villages would have been in panic: "passing the army" was not much different from being bandits. Even if the army did not pass through the village, just providing firewood and food would be a big burden, and there would be
Talk to the secretary in the barracks and provide a sum of money to settle the affairs of the subordinate staff in the barracks and the officials on the grain table. Otherwise, your grain will become "mildewed" and your firewood will be "soaked in rain and water"
, in short, it is all "snubbing military aircraft".
Because the Australians have the original impression of "there is no crime in autumn" and know that apart from reasonable burdens, every conscription payment will be paid in the end, so the people are not so afraid. However, it is not a good thing to go to war.
.If there is a stalemate between the Australians and the officers and soldiers, and the two sides fight back and forth, nothing can be saved.
The liaison officers who came to the meeting all went back with full thoughts. Li Cunfa also wanted to go back quickly to discuss with Dao: Even if he loses the interest, he should take back the money he released - in case the war breaks out.
When he got up, the money he had released was in jeopardy. Unexpectedly, he received a notice telling him to stay and that an "Australian" wanted to meet him.
"Are you Li Cunfa, the liaison officer of Sanliang City?" the Australian opposite asked. Seeing that he had a kind face and could speak a slightly weird vernacular, Li Cunfa calmed down a little.
"Yes, young man Li Cunfa." He bowed.
"Sit down."
"Yes. Please take your seats, everyone."
The reason why Hong Huangnan wanted to summon Li Cunfa was not simply because of his default in arrears of reasonable burdens - in fact, this was not his business. The reason why he wanted to ask about this matter clearly was to use it as a small excuse.
As a veteran, there is no need to use such methods against such a semi-naturalized citizen. However, what he wants to do is actually related to store No. 82 - it is a private matter. If it is really put on the scene, it is impossible to say no.
Loud.
"What do you do for a living in Sanliang City?"
"The common people make a living by selling mats." Li Cunfa said cautiously.
"The profits are good," Hong Huangnan said casually, paying attention to the other party's reaction. Sure enough, Li Cunfa trembled slightly - there was indeed something fishy.
Hong Huangnan still didn't know exactly what Li Cunfa had done, but he could see that this incident made him frightened in front of the Senate. Considering that Sanliang's reasonable burden was delayed, it was still a lot of money. Most of them were bullying others and exploiting their power.
Things like that in the countryside.
"The mat business is doing well, right?" Hong Huangnan said, "I remember that the wealthy man who was hanged was also in the mat business."
Li Cunfa said bravely: "Mr. Luo is a big businessman. Xiaomin is just a small trader. There is no comparison."
"You know best whether we can compete or not." Hong Huangnan said without further ado, "Are you just selling mats now?"
Li Cunfa was so frightened by the previous sentence that he almost left his body. However, he stopped asking about the matter after the last sentence. Finally, his soul came back and he quickly said: "In addition to selling straw mats, we also make straw mats for sale."
"There are many people in this town who depend on this for a living." Li Cunfa said, "They are ordinary women who help make straw braids and mats. After a season, they have to make some money to supplement their family income."
"Can you weave a straw mat like this?" Hong Huangnan took out a thick book, and Li Cunfa took it and took a look. It turned out to be an album of mats of various patterns, most of which he had never seen before.
There are dozens of patterns alone. This is probably an Australian product! He hesitated and said: "Some are OK, and some have not been seen in real form. If there are real objects, skilled craftsmen will understand after taking them apart and looking at them."
…”
"good."
Li Cunfa was a little confused and didn't know what "good" meant. But he heard Hong Huangnan say: "Don't make up this year's straw mats for now."
Li Cunfa was like a thunderbolt, thinking that Elder Hong was going to punish him. His face suddenly turned pale and he muttered: "This, this, if we don't sell mats or make straw mats, we won't be able to pay this year's reasonable burden. Besides... besides...
..." He had an idea, "Many people in Sanliang make a living by weaving straw mats. If they don't weave straw mats, wouldn't it be, wouldn't it be..."
"I didn't say I wouldn't weave them." Hong Huangnan said, "Gather your craftsmen and women together to weave straw bags. When the rice comes out, we will also use straw to weave them. I will send someone to deliver the straw bags."
"Yes, yes." Li Cunfa still didn't understand.
"I want a lot of straw bags. As many as you want." Hong Huangnan said, "You can rest assured that we will pay for the straw bags according to the price."
"Yes, I understand." Li Cunfa calmed down. But in an instant he understood: The Australians are definitely going to war!
Straw bags are mostly used to carry bulk cargo. The most commonly used items are rice, salt and sugar. The Australians asked him to prepare a large number of straw bags. The reason is obvious: they want to use straw bags to transport rice grains and support the army.
.
What did this Australian want to do by putting up such a show of force? Li Cunfa's hair stood on end. But at this moment, he could no longer care about it. When Chief Hong signaled that he could leave, he hurriedly left.
"Go back to Sanliang City quickly!" This was the only thought he had left at the moment.
"Husband, why aren't you sleeping yet?" The wife got up from the bed sleepily and looked at Lin Ming, who was dazed in the moonlight wearing a piece of clothing. The blue waves under his feet were probably too hot, and half of his body had already fallen out of bed.
Climbed out, revealing his snow-white arms.
Her husband, who had been away from home for a year, suddenly returned home a few days ago. Lin Ming's wives and concubines could hardly recognize this man who used to be a handsome official in Yushu Linfeng: he was dark and thin, wearing rags, and full of hair.
His hands were calloused. Although he didn't talk about his experience after he came back, Mrs. Lin and the four concubines all knew that her husband suffered a lot when he went out this time.
At least they finally came back safely. The wives and concubines who had been worried before were finally relieved. My husband is the backbone of the family. Without him, there would be no family. Needless to say, he was not considerate and considerate in daily service.
After Lin Baihu came back, as before, he went to the office to take off his vacation, and ordered the meal every day. Except that he didn't eat meat for more than half a year, and his wife and concubines slept together at night, there was no difference. It was just that his temper changed.
He rarely talks and is rarely interested in drinking and having fun with his wives and concubines at home. It seems that he has some thoughts.
Mrs. Lin stood up, poured a cup of warm tea for Lin Ming, covered Bibo with a quilt, and whispered: "Ms. sir, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing." Lin Ming said.
"My husband must have suffered a lot this time." Mrs. Lin saw that it was quiet at night and Bibo was sleeping hard. It was the time when the couple was talking about themselves. "Although Qianqian was not found, my husband also searched hard and could not find her."
, she is also unlucky... Sir, please don’t blame yourself too much."
"I'm not worried about her." Lin Ming's mood was very complicated. After being arrested in Lingao, he had officially surrendered because he saw the strength of the Australians and was afraid of death. After a short period of political study and training
After that, he was returned to Guangdong and asked to go home and "lurk" until he was notified by the messenger.
Although he felt that he had clearly seen the "general trend" and knew that within a few years, the Australians would sweep across the mainland and claim the throne of Kyushu. However, he still felt vaguely humiliated that he had surrendered to the enemy. He, a hundred households in the Ming Dynasty, but
Passed down from generation to generation, he had been an official for several lifetimes, and then surrendered to the enemy? He felt very uneasy every time he thought about this.
Although the Australians did not ask him to shave his head and let him come back for reunion. But this came at a price. Needless to say, when the Australian army arrived, he was the natural leader. At about that time, he would have to shave his head and replace him with an Australian.
The short clothes are "transformed into a hero again". (To be continued)