"County... County Master, we are here to say goodbye..."
When Old Man Liu and his companions were bidding farewell to Zhu Ping'an indignantly, two newly recruited officers arrived. They were all young and strong men who had made great contributions in the fight against the Japanese invaders, and they also came to bid farewell to Zhu Ping'an.
"Your Excellency, even illiterate policemen are ashamed to be associated with you. Don't you feel ashamed?"
Old Man Liu and others snorted and glanced at Zhu Ping'an with a squint, their words full of indignation and sarcasm.
Zhu Ping'an rubbed his forehead with a wry smile. Ever since the continuous rain started in Jingnan, Zhu Ping'an has been leaving home early and coming back late every day, working overtime and staying up late for the past month. He has not had a good rest for a day and is now very tired.
"Well, this is my fault. I was too impatient and failed to seek everyone's opinions before issuing the decree, which led to misunderstandings. Let's put it this way. Please ask all the clerks and runners in the county government to gather in the lobby and I will explain it to everyone. After that, if you still decide to leave, I won't stop you."
Zhu Ping'an rubbed his forehead, cheered himself up, and said bitterly to Old Man Liu and others who came to say goodbye.
"Misunderstanding? Humph, let's wait and see how the county magistrate can confuse right and wrong. But the county magistrate must not forget what he just said. After the hall explains, we will take our leave. I hope the county magistrate will let us go."
Old Man Liu and others snorted coldly. The more they trusted Zhu Ping'an before, the deeper their prejudice against him was now.
Soon, all the clerks and runners working in the county government office were summoned to the lobby of the county government office.
Zhu Ping'an stood in the hall and scanned the crowd, taking in every micro-expression of the clerks and runners in the hall.
"Everyone, I know that since the official document that defined the price of grain in Jingnan as 2,500 wen per stone was published this morning, you have been very dissatisfied with me. I believe that you have privately called me a dog official, a corrupt official, and a treacherous official... ... To be honest with you, many people have already wanted to distance themselves from me as a corrupt official, a dog official, and a treacherous official, and have submitted their resignations to me."
After everyone arrived, Zhu Ping'an curled the corners of his mouth and said to everyone with a self-deprecating smile.
"County Master, please take back your decision. The highest grain price in other places is only 1,350 coins per stone. You set the grain price in Jingnan at 2,500 coins per hour. Isn't this pushing the people of Jingnan into a desperate situation?!"
"County Master, we can't read, but we can tell good from bad. The county master set the grain price so high in Jingnan and made dirty money from it. I don't have the face to work for the county master anymore. Otherwise, when I go back, the villagers will poke me in the back..."
"County Master, do you know how the people outside scold you? They all call you a black-hearted maggot..."
"County Master, you are forcing us, the elders of Jingnan, into a desperate situation. Each pound of grain costs 17 wen, which was enough to buy a pound of meat before the flood. With grain prices so high, everyone can't afford to eat rice and can only eat porridge."
"County Master, we were on duty today and saw with our own eyes that grain merchants in our county came to you one after another to give you gifts of thanks. I heard that you didn't refuse any of them. County Master, you have changed. You are no longer the upright and honest magistrate in our hearts who pleads for the people."
... ...
The clerks and runners in the hall were very dissatisfied, and for a while the hall was in chaos, like a vegetable market.
"Everyone, this is my fault. I was too impatient and failed to seek everyone's opinions before issuing the policy, which led to misunderstandings." Zhu Ping'an pulled the corners of his mouth and smiled bitterly, then said to everyone.
"Misunderstanding? Haha, County Master, you said we misunderstood?! Could it be that you raised the price of Jingnan's grain to 2,500 coins per stone for disaster relief, for the sake of the people of Jingnan?"
A sneer sounded from the hall.
"Yes, that's true." Zhu Ping'an nodded, looking serious.
"ha?"
"Haha... Who would believe that?!"
As soon as Zhu Ping'an finished speaking, there was a burst of laughter from the hall.
"I believe it!"
"I believe it!"
"I believe in our Master!"
Amidst the crowd's laughter, Liu Mu, Liu Dadao, Liu Dachui and five others stood up and answered decisively with loud voices and firm eyes. They did not have the slightest doubt about Zhu Ping'an's words.
What? There are still people who believe the county lord's lies?!
Everyone was stunned when they heard the words, but when they saw that it was Liu Mu, Liu Dadao and others who were speaking, they were not surprised at all and sneered, "You are the county magistrate's confidants, and you have gained enough benefits by following Zhu Ping'an, so of course you believe it. Oh, don't say that the county magistrate said that he raised the grain price for disaster relief. Even if the county magistrate said that the sun rises from the west, you will definitely say that the sun rises from the west today without blinking an eye! Humph, this time the county magistrate collected dirty money, you may also have a share of it!"
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Liu Dadao and others glared at them, "The county magistrate is not that kind of person!"
Everyone sneered in response.
"Okay, everyone listen to me." Zhu Ping'an waved his hand and controlled the situation that was about to get out of control.
"Everyone, do you think money is more important or life is more important?" Zhu Ping'an asked everyone.
"Is there even a need to ask? Of course life is more important. Money is something outside of one's body. You can never earn enough money. Those who earn a lot or a little have their own ways of living, but we only have one life." Everyone answered without hesitation.
"It's just this question, County Master. Does it have anything to do with you raising the grain price?! You don't need to quibble anymore. The flood has not receded yet, and the people have suffered heavy losses. For everyone, of course, the lower the grain price, the better it is for everyone. If the grain price is low, everyone can still afford to buy grain and eat. The grain price has risen from 400 coins per stone before the disaster to 1,350 coins. The people are already suffering. Now you have raised the grain price to 2,500 coins. Ordinary people can't even afford to eat, and can only eat porridge with their families. Poor people can't even afford to drink porridge, and can only wait to starve to death."
"Your Excellency, in order to control and lower grain prices, the prefectural city chopped off the heads of two profiteers in the street. In order to control and lower grain prices, Linhai County, Taiping County and other counties also arrested several profiteers who drove up grain prices and put them in jail! With such thundering measures, grain prices in the prefectural city and other counties have dropped and stabilized at around 500 coins per stone. Now local governments are using thundering measures to lower grain prices! For your own selfish interests, you have gone against the grain and defined the grain price in Jingnan as 2,500 coins per stone in official documents. If you do this for disaster relief and for the good of the people of Jingnan, then the world is upside down and the sky is blind! We have nothing to say and can only apologize for not accompanying you!"
Everyone felt that Zhu Ping'an's question of which was more important, money or life, was nothing but specious reasoning and an attempt to confuse the public.