"Then why not arrange some manpower for inspection?" Caron asked calmly, "Isn't there only a few people in the Tax Inspection Department?"
"Your guest is from outside, right? He probably doesn't know much about the situation in our northwest." The shop owner smiled and chatted up, "Our tax inspection in Qingyang is the most powerful. Lord Mo, the city guard, once strictly ordered the people in the inspection department to Don't put too much effort into the inspection at this city gate. Most people who really want to evade taxes will not come through the main city gate. Many of them take the side streets or go around the city overnight. This is just a formality. The inspection department's People’s energy is focused on those who specialize in smuggling.”
"Oh? Are you very good at smuggling here?" Caron was very interested and asked closely.
"It stands to reason that our northwest taxation is lower than other regions of the empire, so tax evasion and smuggling should not be serious. However, there are always some desperadoes who want to smuggle things like salt and wine that require a franchise, so This is something that has been banned repeatedly." The store owner did not mince words. It is not a secret anyway. The daily reports in "Northwestern Star" and "Northwestern Business Daily" are more or less relevant to all aspects of current affairs, business conditions and people's sentiments. What was reported was not anything shameful.
"Oh, that's it." Caron didn't intend to end, and tried to change the subject: "I was traveling all the way, and I saw an endless stream of caravans. In the next few years, the changes in the northwest will be really big. It seems that This Qingyang is also very peaceful under Master Li's rule."
"Haha, guest, you must have come from far away, right? Judging from the guest's dress, he seems to have come from the grassland. Mr. Li has many things to do and doesn't spend much time in Qingyang. Like the things you just asked Mr. Li will not care about the matter. These matters are under the jurisdiction of our Qingyang City Guards. Although our City Guards, Mr. Mo, is a bit more romantic, he is really a good official, but he is a bit stricter. No matter who commits a crime in his hands, No matter who he is, he must obey orders obediently. I heard that even Mr. Li has to respect him." Under the deliberate cultivation of Li Wufeng and Mo Lun, Qingyang's folk customs are very open, and his comments on current affairs are also imitated in the imperial capital. After a busy day, it has become a routine to read a newspaper and talk about current affairs. In particular, this car and boat shop usually comes into contact with more people, and it is also a good channel for external communication.
"Oh? How dare you, Mr. Mo, disobey Mr. Li?" Caron was a little surprised. He had never heard of an instance of a subordinate daring to disobey his immediate superior, especially in these hierarchical bureaucracies, and Li Wufeng was even more so. This is a typical example, and it is even more unbelievable that such a phenomenon can occur.
"I don't know about this little person, but I only know that Mr. Li didn't care much about the affairs of this place in the past, and I'm afraid he won't care much about it now." The store owner is also a smart person, and he stretched out his words. You can talk freely if you pick up the tongue, but if you talk further, it will be a bit taboo. Besides, the people's customs are civilized, and it does not say that you can talk nonsense about the affairs of the city guard and the Jiedushi.
Seeing that the store owner was avoiding the topic, Caron also knew that it would be very difficult to find out something from these shrewd and cunning people, so he also changed the topic to another topic: "Boss, I am just a few years old." In the next few years, Qingyang will have changed tremendously. It used to be that there were no houses at all outside the city, but now it is better. They are lined up one after another, and it is evident that Qingyang is prosperous."
"Haha, sir, you are wrong. These are not houses. They are temporary shacks that can be dismantled at any time. Our Qingyang Construction Department and War Preparedness Department have jointly stipulated that no construction is allowed within 300 meters outside the city wall. Fixed buildings. No buildings other than government buildings are allowed to be built within 100 meters of the city wall." The shop owner explained with a smile, "My house is made of wooden boards. If it really needs to be dismantled, it will only take an hour or two. Take it apart."
"Oh? Why is this?" Caron pretended to be surprised, but in fact it was very clear. This was considered from the perspective of military defense. If the city wall was built next to the city wall and a war broke out, the attack convenience could be used. These fixed buildings serve as cover, which can greatly reduce the losses of the attackers, which is certainly not good for the defenders. Moreover, once houses are built, they will have to be demolished when a war comes. It is not easy for ordinary people to repair and build houses. If this was to be demolished all at once, it would naturally arouse the resentment of these people, so it was the best choice for Shiqun to avoid this phenomenon by having such strict regulations from the beginning.
"It's not clear. Maybe it's because the government wants to facilitate the maintenance of the city wall." The shop owner obviously doesn't know the mystery of this. It must be that some officials are unwilling to make these long-term ideas public. Can foreign enemies invade the northwest capital? This seems to be a sign of weakness.
"Is your guest coming to our northwest for inspection?" Seeing Caron thinking deeply, the shop owner also asked enthusiastically.
"Oh? How do you know?" Caron was shocked. This guy's eyes are a bit too poisonous. Is he a spy from the northwest
"Hey, I'm a guest from the grassland, but there are only two of you. Your accent is also different from the Mote, Luobei, and even the Tubu and Qiur people here. You come so far from Qingyang, but you don't have the same accent. I didn’t bring anything with me. What else could I do if I didn’t come here to inspect our business situation in the northwest? I have met many people like you, guests, from India, Luzon, Liberty City, Comini, The merchants from Meili were like this at first. They didn't believe that our business in the northwest was booming, and they had to come here to inquire about it in person before they were convinced. In my opinion, that was a waste of opportunity."
"Isn't that what the merchant from Meili was like last time? He walked for more than a month before he got here. After looking at it for several days, he beat his chest with regrets and said that he would have brought the goods directly if he had known better. The spices are very popular here. Will the goods be delayed for another three months?" The store owner was obviously a talkative person, and he boasted proudly, "I advised him at that time not to regret it here. If he has the time, he can still It's better to go home immediately. The price of spices here won't drop for a while. If you go for a quick trip, you can still catch up. If you don't succeed, the man came back with the pack team in more than two months. Although the price had dropped a bit, he made a quick trip to Bonan Mansion and still sold it at a good price. Then he came back with several loads of porcelain. When he came back for the second time, he felt much more energetic and had more luggage. It’s doubled, I guess I’ve made a lot of money.”
At this moment, Caron finally put down a stone in his heart. It turned out that this guy thought of himself as a businessman who came here for the first time to explore. He thought that he had really seen something, so he smiled and answered the other person: " Boss, since the money is so easy to make, why do you have to guard this small shop? Why don't you buy a few cars and horses yourself, and do some business yourself, wouldn't you be better than you are now?"
"Haha, sir, you are really good at telling jokes. These horses and carriages are easy to say. How much will they cost? According to the current price, a good draft horse will cost at least thirty gold coins, and a carriage will cost at least one hundred gold coins. For more than 30 gold coins, if it is a car from one of the big workshops in Jinzhou, you still have to throw 20 to 30 gold coins, and it depends on whether you can get in line. Even the price of a car made by Vito is only 120. About ten gold coins. The guest officer did the math. Even if you form a small caravan, you must have ten pack horses, which will cost more than three hundred gold coins. If you want to use a car, it will be even more expensive. Even five cars will be needed. More than six hundred gold coins, including the horse used to pull the cart, it must be at least eight hundred gold coins. This does not include the cost of the goods." The shop owner smiled and shook his head and said: "The most popular thing in the west of Tanghe is Silk and tea, but the guest knows that although the profits of these two are high, the cost is also high. A few pieces of silk are worth the entire income of a family for two or three years. This does not include the cost of hiring porters and handymen, and... Although the security in the northwest is good, who can say clearly what it will be like outside the area controlled by Mr. Li? No one can predict this natural disaster. If you fall into a somersault, you may not be able to get over for the rest of your life. , I have seen many such examples. So, I still stick to my small shop, and the harvest is guaranteed during droughts and floods, so I can live a comfortable life."
Caron didn't expect that the store owner would calculate this business matter so thoroughly. It seems that everyone can think of this way to make a fortune, but when it comes to implementation, not everyone dares to take these risks.
"As for the wealthy people like you, it's no longer a matter of course. When you take a good look at the prosperity of our Qingyang, you will know that our Qingyang is a paradise for rich people. You can have whatever you want, as long as you want it. We have everything you need here, even things you can’t think of, we still have them in Qingyang. I’m afraid you’ll be too happy to miss Shu after staying here for a few days.” The shop owner with an envious look looked at Caron’s expressionless expression and squeezed out a smile. Flattery said.
"Well, now that I'm full, it's time to go into the city. We also need to see the changes in Qingyang City in the past few years." Kalong put down the bowl and stood up. This was the truth from his heart. In a few years, Qingyang, a small border town, has become a central city in the entire juncture of the Middle East and mainland. Its radiation and influence have spread to Beiling Haibin in the north, Luzon in the south, and West Tengger Grassland and Senger Plain in the west. In Guangbao area, such changes cannot help but make him think deeply. Maybe entering the city will bring you more surprises.
The servant next to him had already dropped a few silver coins casually, making the shopkeeper beside him laugh from ear to ear. The waiter was also busy leading the two horses over, watching the evil man get on his horse and gallop towards the city gate. He happily returned to the store. After instructing his mother-in-law and waiters to greet the customers, the shopkeeper walked into the back room and quietly slipped out of the back door. Seeing that no one was paying attention, he quickly ran out.