Rise From the Humble

After a group of grain merchants came to a conclusion at the banquet, they all said that since the county magistrate threw a peach, we should naturally reciprocate the favor.

They quickly reached a consensus on how to report their luggage at the banquet. According to the size of the grain shop, the grain merchants were divided into three categories: large, medium and small. Those who are affiliated with small-scale grain merchants will be given a thank-you gift of 800 taels of silver; those who are affiliated with mid-range grain merchants will be given a thank-you gift of 1,500 taels of silver; those who are affiliated with large-scale grain merchants will be given a thank-you gift of 2,500 taels of silver.

Of course, these are just the first batch of thank-you gifts. At the end of each month, they will take out 20% of the net profit as a thank-you gift and send it to the Yamen according to the operating conditions of their respective grain stores.

If you can’t let go of your child, you can’t trap the wolf! Businessmen know this truth all too well. Although the thank you gift is large, it is not a small amount to them, but compared with the future income, it is nothing!

With the official endorsement of the county official, they can freely sell grain and make money without any worries. They don't have to worry about being arrested and sent to prison, sent to the army, or beheaded on the spot or kill chickens to scare monkeys!

Comparing the grain merchants in Taizhou Fucheng and other counties, their Jingnan grain merchants are already in paradise.

Of course, although there were regulations on how to report Li, for the sake of safety, a group of grain merchants recommended a grain merchant to ask questions. He first went to the county government to give a thank-you gift to Zhu Ping'an, and then tried the water for everyone.

Shopkeeper Lu stood out from the crowd with high votes and was "honored" to become the rock that cast doubt on the future.

"Ahem, can't you send one more person to accompany me? Shopkeeper Tai, how about you and I walking together as brothers?" Shopkeeper Lu looked at the grain merchants with a bitter face, especially Shopkeeper Tai. .

"Get out!" Shopkeeper Tai rolled his eyes.

"Fat Lu, please stop wasting your time. Go quickly and come back as soon as possible. We are all anxiously waiting for your reply. If you don't leave, the 30% thank you we gave you for this time will not count."

When the grain merchants saw Shopkeeper Lu dilly-dallying, they couldn't help but urge him, half threatening, half joking, laughing and scolding.

"The wind is rustling and the water is cold. Fatty, I will be back as soon as I leave. Shopkeepers, please wait for my good news."

After hearing that the grain merchants threatened to withdraw the 30% thank you gift for helping him recognize it, shopkeeper Lu, who was obsessed with money, immediately stopped dawdling, his waist and back no longer hurt, and he jogged all the way to serve as his guide. .

A group of grain merchants were drinking and chatting, thinking about the wealth at their fingertips, while waiting for news from Shopkeeper Lu.

Soon, after only three rounds of drinking, everyone heard the sound of footsteps, and then saw the figure of shopkeeper Lu.

Damn it!

Why did Fatty Lu come back so soon? Was he kicked out just after entering the county magistrate's door? !

The grain merchants suddenly had an ominous premonition in their hearts. They were worried that Fatty Lu would mess up the matter. They felt that things were developing beyond their expectations and beyond their control...

"Fat Lu, why did you come back so soon? Did the county official accept the gift you gave me?"

A group of grain merchants asked anxiously and nervously.

Shopkeeper Lu nodded first, but before the joy appeared on the faces of the grain merchants, shopkeeper Lu shook his head again, his big fat face shaking, and all the grain merchants became angry. .

"F*ck! Fatty Lu, what do you mean by nodding your head first and then shaking your head?! Are you having a convulsion?! Will the county magistrate accept or confiscate the thank you gift you sent me?! Give us an accurate answer. Now we can When it's not a joke, if you don't get it straight, we'll give you back the 30% of the thank you gift we gave you."

All the grain merchants were suddenly confused, thinking that Shopkeeper Lu was playing tricks on them, and they suddenly said to Shopkeeper Lu with an unkind expression.

Under the gaze of all the grain merchants, Shopkeeper Lu nodded first, and then shook his head. Seeing the unkind expressions on everyone's face, Shopkeeper Lu himself blushed and spread his hands, "Oh, I...I I don’t know if the county will collect it or confiscate it!”

"What do you mean? You don't know what it means that the county official will take it and confiscate it?! That one on your neck is a pig's head. Did the county official take or not take the thank you gift you sent yourself? You can't tell the difference between such a simple matter. Are you clear?! You usually forget about every formality, but at what time are you still joking with us?!"

All the grain merchants laughed angrily, and the impatient ones began to roll up their sleeves, as if they wanted Shopkeeper Lu to look good.

"Oh, what I said is true. I'm really not kidding you." Shopkeeper Lu explained anxiously with a red face.

"Okay, everyone, calm down. Shopkeeper Lu, don't worry, sit down and have a sip of tea, and tell us slowly about your meeting with the county magistrate." Shopkeeper Yang waved his hand, signaling everyone to be safe. impatient.

Shopkeeper Lu sat down and drank a cup of tea, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, took a breath, and told the grain merchants about his gift-giving trip to the Yamen, "I arrived at the County Yamen and asked the county Yamen's ear room The officer conveyed the message and I met with the county magistrate smoothly. After meeting the county magistrate, I knelt down and kowtowed three times. The county magistrate couldn't hold me back. I first expressed my support to the county magistrate on behalf of our Jingnan grain merchants. Our grain bank business expressed our gratitude, and then handed the 1,500 tael banknote to the county official under the table."

The time has come to witness the truth!

After hearing this, the grain merchants couldn't help but sit up straight and looked at Shopkeeper Lu without blinking.

Unexpectedly, shopkeeper Lu paused here. The heavy grain merchant couldn't help but glared and urged, "What next?"

"Then the county magistrate was very unhappy. He rejected me with a serious face and righteous words. The county magistrate said that he defined food as serving the public good. Isn't it for personal gain? He asked me to take the banknote back."

Shopkeeper Lu paused and then said.

What! ?

The county official refused? !

The county magistrate didn't accept the thank you gift? ! Now there is some trouble! Two thousand five hundred yuan per stone, this policy cannot be changed.

When the grain merchants heard this, they suddenly became nervous. How could they not be nervous if the county official didn't accept the gift of thanks?

"Fat Lu, you are stupid. If the county magistrate asks you to take it back, just take it back! Liu Bei even visited the thatched cottage!"

"The county magistrate is reserved and worried about being known by others."

All the grain merchants sighed and complained to Shopkeeper Lu.

"Of course I can't take it back. I told the county magistrate that I carried this banknote in my arms all the way without anyone seeing it. Moreover, there were only the magistrate and me in this room, so no third party would know about it. .”

Shopkeeper Lu shook his head vigorously and defended.

"Well, this is pretty good, what next?" A group of grain merchants praised Shopkeeper Lu and then asked.

"Then the county magistrate became even more angry, saying that God knows and the earth knows, you know and I know, how can you say that no one knows! I refused to accept it." Shopkeeper Lu continued, "I insisted again and again, but the county magistrate refused to accept it, so I almost gave it to him. I was kicked out."

"ah?!"

"How could this happen?!"

A group of grain merchants were stunned when they heard that Zhu Pingan insisted not to accept the thank you gift. This was different from what they thought.

I became anxious and angry again.

"However, just when I was discouraged and about to give up. The county magistrate asked me that Jingnan has been hit by severe floods and the victims have been displaced and are crying for food. Would you like to donate money to the victims of Jingnan?! Of course I said yes. Then, the county magistrate took out a donation agreement and asked me to sign and fingerprint it. My 1,500 taels as a thank you gift was inexplicably turned into a donation."

Shopkeeper Lu touched his head and continued, until now his mind is still a mess.

The mountains and rivers are full of doubts and there is no way out, and the willows are dark and the flowers are bright in another village. When everyone heard this, their eyes suddenly lit up!

"The county magistrate is really a master. In this way, there will be no trace and impeccable. Hahahaha, Shopkeeper Lu, you did a good job." Shopkeeper Yang smiled and patted Shopkeeper Lu on the shoulder to express his approval.

"Shopkeeper Yang, are you saying that I've delivered it?!" Shopkeeper Lu's eyes lit up.

Shopkeeper Yang smiled and nodded, and then said to the grain merchants, "Everyone, it's time for me to go to the county government to donate money."

As a result, a group of grain merchants in Jingnan went to the Yamen to meet Zhu Pingan one after another and enthusiastically donated money.