"Everyone, please go slowly. We won't see you off. We still have to follow the order of the county magistrate to post official documents."
Two runners escorted the dizzy grain merchants to the outside of the county government office and said goodbye to them. One of them was carrying a bucket of paste, and the other was holding a stack of official documents with the county magistrate's seal.
"You are busy, you are busy... Don't worry about us."
The grain merchants were still feeling dizzy even after they walked out of the county government office, as if they had drunk two kilograms of wine.
The two officers first posted an official document outside the wall of the county government office, and then went to other places to post it.
"From today onwards, each dan of grain in Jingnan County will cost 2,500 coins..."
A group of grain merchants stood in front of the newly posted official document, looking at the black words on the white paper and the bright red seal of the county magistrate. Until this moment, they could no longer believe it and finally confirmed that it was true.
"The county... the county magistrate really set the price of grain in Jingnan at 2,500 coins per stone!"
A grain merchant could hardly contain his inner joy. He reached out his hand and touched each word, sniffed greedily, sniffed the scent of ink, and then jumped up with joy!
"Look at you, you look so ugly..."
The other grain merchants sneered, but they were not much better, grinning like flowers.
"Other places are vigorously suppressing grain prices and severely punishing grain merchants like us. Once we are found to be raising grain prices, the lighter punishment is imprisonment, property confiscation, exile, and severe punishment is beheading on the spot. They use thunder-like means to control grain prices. Why is it that our county magistrate not only does not suppress grain prices, but does this instead?" A grain merchant said to everyone in confusion after his ecstasy.
"What? Do you want the county magistrate to chop off our heads?!" Several grain merchants immediately gave him a blank look.
"No, I just can't figure it out..." The grain merchant shrank his neck in disappointment and smiled.
“Actually, I’m also confused now and can’t figure it out…” Shopkeeper Lu scratched his head.
Immediately, several grain merchants expressed their agreement, and they really couldn't understand it.
"Ahem, this is not a place to talk. Would you please do me the honor of coming to my house for a simple meal?" Manager Yang of Yangji Grain Store, the largest grain merchant in Jingnan, coughed, attracting everyone's attention. Then, he stroked his gray beard and spoke to everyone meaningfully.
"It is what I wish for, but I dare not ask for it." All the grain merchants clasped their fists and said, no one refused.
Suddenly, a group of grain merchants surrounded Manager Yang, laughing all the way, and went to Manager Yang's house.
Soon, several banquet tables were set up at Manager Yang's house, and the grain merchants sat down as guests and hosts.
At Manager Yang's house, all the grain merchants had nothing to worry about.
"Shopkeeper Yang, just now you said that the county government office is not a place to talk, so you have no scruples in your house. When other places are strictly controlling grain prices, why did our county magistrate issue an official document to rigidly define the grain price in Jingnan as 2,500 wen per stone?! We are naturally very happy for the county magistrate to say so, but we are really confused and afraid of ruining this good situation. You are the most knowledgeable and well-known Zhuge Liang in our county. Did you guess something? Please help us solve our doubts." At the dinner table, a grain merchant stood up and asked.
"Yes, Manager Yang, the county magistrate has set the grain price at 2,500 coins per stone in an official document, which naturally makes us very happy. However, we are really confused and are afraid of ruining this good situation."
Many grain merchants followed suit.
"When something is abnormal, there must be a reason." Shopkeeper Yang stroked his beard and said with narrowed eyes.
"Please give us some advice, Manager Yang." The grain merchants clasped their fists and said.
"You are all too polite. It is not possible to give me any advice. This is just my guess. I will just talk about it and you all just listen. Don't tell anyone else." Shopkeeper Yang waved his hand and said.
"Don't worry, Manager Yang. We are not the kind of people who like to gossip. What you said has entered our ears, and no one else will know it except us present here."
All the grain merchants expressed their opinions.
"Do you all still remember the county magistrate's official position?" Shopkeeper Yang narrowed his eyes and asked meaningfully.
"The official position of the County Master? Isn't the County Master the Magistrate of Jingnan? No, no, I almost forgot that the County Master is already the Assistant Director of the Zhejiang Provincial Criminal Investigation Department and the Acting Magistrate of Jingnan."
After the grain merchants blurted out this, they just remembered that Zhu Ping'an had been promoted for his contributions in fighting against the Japanese pirates.
"Zhejiang Judicial Supervisor, Acting Magistrate of Jingnan... Everyone, do you understand?! Our county lord is actually a fifth-rank Zhejiang Judicial Supervisor, but because Jingnan cannot be without a county magistrate for a day, he temporarily serves as the seventh-rank Jingnan County Magistrate. As soon as the new county magistrate takes office, our county lord will take office as the Zhejiang Judicial Supervisor. Our Jingnan pond is just a temporary resting place for him."
Shopkeeper Yang stroked his beard and spoke to everyone meaningfully.
Every businessman is smart. After Manager Yang said this, all the grain merchants understood.
"The county lord is already on high. Even if the small pond in Jingnan is flooded, it will not affect the county lord at all. Besides, before the flood, the county lord had mobilized the whole county to prevent and control the flood. It is also because of the county lord's foresight that no one in Jingnan was killed in this flood. With this great achievement, the county lord is already invincible in this flood."
Shopkeeper Yang said slowly.
All the grain merchants nodded when they heard this. Yes, the county magistrate had been promoted a long time ago. He also took precautions before the flood, so that no one was lost in Jingnan. This was already a great achievement. Therefore, the county magistrate dared to set the price of Jingnan's grain at 2,500 coins per stone.
"Mr. Yang, what you said is true. It's just that the county lord is like this. It's useless for disaster relief. What good is it for him?"
A grain merchant asked doubtfully.
"Benefits?! Haha, the benefits should be on us." Old Yang said with a sneer.
"What do you mean?" The grain merchant was puzzled.
Before Old Yang could answer, the grain merchant next to him answered first, sneering, "Are you stupid? Old Yang has explained it so clearly, and you still don't understand?! The county magistrate has set the grain price at 2,500 coins per stone, and has allocated such a huge benefit to us. Shouldn't we express our gratitude to the county magistrate?! Don't you understand the principle of reciprocity and giving back what you have done for a good deed?!"
"What? You mean the county lord... Impossible. The county lord is known as an upright person, not like that."
The grain merchant suddenly realized, but then shook his head, expressing his doubts about this conclusion.
"It's not enough to know a person's face, but it's also important to know his heart. How do you know that the county lord is not such a person?! Besides, you are a well-known good man in your town, but you don't know the truth about him. Do you need us to explain it to you one by one?"
There was a person nearby who knew Manager Zhang's true background. He sneered when he heard this and said to him.
Suddenly, Shopkeeper Zhang blushed and stopped talking.
"Before the county lord was promoted, he naturally cherished his reputation and embellished his reputation. Now that the county lord has been promoted to the deputy director of the Zhejiang Provincial Judicial Commissioner's Office, why does he have to work hard to disguise himself in this small place of Jingnan?! If he wants to disguise himself, he should go to the Zhejiang Provincial Judicial Commissioner's Office and work hard to disguise himself! Besides, if you want to have a successful career these days, you have to make connections, and all these things cost money. Our county lord is already a fifth-rank official at a young age. It is obvious that he is not an ordinary person. He will definitely not be satisfied with the fifth-rank deputy director of the Provincial Judicial Commissioner. He must want to move up and transfer to the capital, and all these things cost money!"
"That's right. Everyone in the world is busy seeking profit. The county lord is no exception!"
"Getting promoted brings wealth, getting promoted brings wealth. The county official has been promoted, so naturally he will get rich."
A group of grain merchants nodded and agreed with it.