Looking at the fierce and vicious Tian Jiejie and the others, Quan Erlang asked Qian Yuanwai: "Outside, what's the matter?" These men and women came out and guarded and no one was allowed to go out, how to find mines? The iron prison of the imperial court has already begun to be built, but I can't wait! ”

Qian Yuanwai sighed: "Blame me for being blinded by lard for a while, watching the yamen choose land on the other side of the Li River, and take the villager to plant some seeds, pointing to his own land." I wanted to get some compensation from the yamen, but I didn't want to be chased by the yamen. These people, the people from the yamen, came to collect taxes. ”

Quan Erlang said: "Mining and smelting iron is a big thing, and paying some taxes is a small matter, and you can't lose a lot because of a small thing." Outsiders should just be unlucky, wouldn't it be good to make up the taxes? Those dog officials, who only recognize one word of money in their eyes, if you want to make a profit from them, isn't it a tiger's mouth to pull teeth! ”

Qian Yuanwai just sighed: "It's just that I was confused for a while and caused this disaster." Now the yamen sent people to stay at home, and if they didn't come up with money, they couldn't do anything. Not only Erlang, but also the three brothers of the Shi family are waiting at home, just waiting for the smelting furnace to be built, it is really a desperate person! ”

Quan Erlang said: "How much can the tax be?" Hurry up and hand it over, don't miss a big thing! ”

"Erlang, if it was a small amount, I would have thought I was unlucky. In fact, the number is too large, and it drags on day by day. ”

"No matter how big it is, how many can it have! Farming in the countryside, ten times a year, dozens of times a year, just buy a safe! ”

Qian Yuanwai smiled bitterly and shook his head: "Ten times and eight times? Erlang underestimated the appetite of the yamen! What I have to hand over now is 700 feet, and I can't pay a penny! I haven't planted that land, how willing to pay so much money! ”

Quan Erlang was dumbfounded, looked at Qian Yuanwai, and said for a while: "These dog officials, dare to ask for so much money!" ”

Qian Yuan said: "Yes, I never thought that the judge looked at him as a young and promising, kind-eyed, and very talkative person, how could he be so ruthless and want to bankrupt my family." Don't hide it from Erlang, I have been in business for many years, and I can still take out a few hundred guan at home, but seven or eight hundred guan is absolutely nothing. If you really want to pay this money, you must sell your property. ”

Hearing this, Quan Erlang was a little disheartened. I also want to do something with this rich man for a while, so that I can get some reward money, so that I can protect the prince into Beijing. Unexpectedly, he was so crazy that he dared to tease the yamen and put all his family property into it at once. What else can you do without money? It's better to leave early, it's just that the road is more difficult, and it's the right thing to enter Beijing as soon as possible.

Seeing that Quan Erlang suddenly became cold, Qian Yuanwai was unhappy in his heart, forced himself to calm down, and said: "Erlang, I heard that the young man who is with you has an unusual identity, and the officials of the yamen have to sell him a few thin noodles. It's better to let him come forward and go to the yamen to say that I am really wrong to impersonate the Tiantian Committee, and I am willing to take some boards, so I don't have to pay the money. ”

Quan Erlang took a step back, looked Qian Wai up and down, and said vigilantly: "Where did you hear the gossip from the outsider?" That person is just the son of an old man of mine, and he wants to go to Beijing to find relatives, and I will escort him with Brother Gao! ”

Qian Yuanwai said: "A few days ago, I was a little sluggish to Gao Ji'an, he asked for wine and meat, but there was no village for a while, and he said this." ”

Quan Erlang waved his hand again and again: "No, no, there is no such thing!" He was just the son of a pharmacist, who knew some herbs and collected them for a living, and had no background. When I go to the Yamen, I am afraid that I will cause trouble again like the outsiders! ”

If you can let the magistrate know, why did Gao Ji'an and Quan Erlang work hard to get money to enter Beijing, and it is not good to be comfortably escorted by the local government? People in the world are sinister, and once their identity is revealed, who knows what will happen? Gao Ji'an discussed with Quan Erlang, entered the capital, and went straight to the palace, even Kaifeng Mansion couldn't trust it, how could he trust the state and county officials.

Qian Yuanwai wanted to say again, a Zhuang guest came over, saluted and said: "Outside, He Yuanwai from the village in the north has come to discuss something." He was stopped at the door by Tian Jiejie and was not allowed to enter, and he was arguing there. ”

He Yuanwai has a lot of fertile land by the north of the Jun River, and there is a big Zhuangzi, which is also a large local household. He had a canal dug in the previous dynasty to water the land, and he was richer than the money clerk. There is a lot of grain grown at home, and it is sold to Yuncheng County along the water to make wine for the restaurant. A few years ago, I simply set up a restaurant in Yuncheng, starting from selling liquor steamed on distiller's lees, and the business has been thriving over the years.

When Qian Yuanwai heard that He Yuanwai was outside, he couldn't help but be overjoyed, bid farewell to Quan Erlang, and hurriedly went out. Yuncheng is under the management of Xuzhou, and it is the earliest place for the Du family to sell wine. If he says something, Du Zhongxiao will be accommodating, maybe 700 yuan will be exempted. The details of this transportation judge, Qian Yuan inquired clearly.

When I arrived at the gate, I saw Tian Jiejie standing there with his arms crossed, looking at the sky with his eyes, and blocking the gate.

Seeing Qian Yuan coming out, Ke Yuanwai, who was stopped by Tian Jie, said: "Brother, what's wrong with your family?" I came to see you, but Tian Jiejie stopped me from entering. They all grew up together in the township, and after decades of friendship, how did they do this kind of thing? ”

Tian Jiejie sighed secretly, looked at He Yuanwai and shook his head, and did not speak. It was precisely because they grew up together that he didn't let anyone go in. Now Qian Yuanwai is unlucky, and his family is short of money, didn't He Yuanwai send it to the door himself. As long as it lasts for a few days, the money clerk can't make enough money outside, and the things in his house are taken out and sold, and everyone can make some cheap. Tian Jiejie was on this errand, and his family was also a big family in the county, so he originally had the idea of taking the opportunity to annex Qian Yuan's foreign property, but he didn't want others to stir it up. This kind of thing will not be indispensable when the time comes. It's just that this kind of thing is not easy to say clearly, the villagers can't tear their faces.

Qian Yuan bowed his hand to Tian Jie: "Jiejie, you don't allow my family to go out, why are the guests also stopped at the door?" You have known him since childhood, and you really don't have any face? ”

Tian Jiejie had a cold face and waved his hand: "If you enter, you can only enter, but you are not allowed to bring things out." The county officials are watching this matter closely, and tomorrow I have no money to get it back, so I will be punished. Outside of the money clerk, you only have one day, don't delay! ”

After speaking, he led his subordinates to the side, still guarding the door of the Qian family.

He Yuanwai followed Qian Yuanwai into the gate and asked in a low voice, "Brother, what's going on?" Tian Jiejie has always been good friends with us, why did he suddenly turn his face? Also, what is the money he is talking about? ”

Qian Yuanwai sighed again and again: "Brother, my heart is bitter!" Speaking of which, alas, what a dizziness! ”

These are all grown up together in Hongo, where there is land and where there is wasteland, it is clear. The money clerk did not hide it, and told him that he was planting in the idle field and wanted to cheat money from the yamen. Finally, he said: "Where did I think that when I arrived at the Yamen, they would first calculate the taxes for me for decades." It's not that I don't know, it's scary to death! More than 700 times, now let Tian Jiejie guard the door, I have to hand over this money! ”

He Yuanwai was dumbfounded when he heard this, and said, "Brother, didn't you bump into something unclean and be blinded?" You dare to blackmail the Yamen's money. Let me tell you, now I just came to urge you to 700 times, so as not to let you go bankrupt, which is already a blessing. ”

Qian Yuanwai paused repeatedly: "Brother, I regret dying now!" But there is no regret medicine sold in the world, so what can I do? I have been in business for many years, and I have run a small business, where can I come up with nearly a thousand at once? It's really sad! ”

He Yuanwai turned to look at the furnishings in the yard and did not answer. Nearly 1,000 yuan is not a small amount, and no matter how thick his family background is, he doesn't dare to take the initiative to make it up. Both of them are first-class households in this county, and all the family properties are counted, at least a few thousand guan, and the foreign family of He Yuan actually exceeds ten thousand. But family property is one thing, cash money is another, no matter how rich people in the countryside love to save money, they don't have so much.

Seeing that He Yuanwai's attitude was indifferent, Qian Yuanwai said: "Brother, you have opened a restaurant in Yuncheng County in the past few years, and your business is good?" ”

He Yuanwai nodded: "It's okay, make some idle land, and you can't make a fortune." ”

When it comes to money, no one has the truth anymore, and the money clerk is helpless. continued: "When my brother first sold wine, I heard that it was the liquor of Linying Du's family on credit, and later he bought a recipe and brewed it in his own restaurant, but is there such a thing?" ”

He Yuanwai said: "The Du family offered the method of steaming wine on lees, and the imperial court authorized Sanzhou to sell wine, no one knows about it!" If you want to sell liquor, how can you bypass the Du family in Xuzhou. This matter is good, even now, my restaurant still has to give the Du family money every year. ”

Qian Yuanwai said happily: "With this friendship, my brother must help me!" Now the person in charge of affairs in this area is the Du official of the Linying Du family. He is judging the transportation of Jingxi Road, which local state and county do not obey orders! Don't hide it from my brother, when I went to the yamen that day, I saw the little officials of the Du family. His attitude was still kind, and it was unexpected to calculate such a tax later. If you had known earlier, how could you have cheated the villagers! Brother, you have this friendship with the Du family, go and help me find a petty official, and talk about it, even if I am willing to take some boards, I really can't get the money! ”

He Yuanwai listened, looked at Qian Yuanwai, and said after a while: "Brother, our friendship is not better than others, and we don't tell lies." I advise you not to fight this idea, hand over the money as soon as possible, and find another way to make money. ”

Hearing this, Qian Yuan hurriedly asked, "How did my brother say that?" ”

He Yuanwai said: "The Du family is now a first-class rich man in Xuzhou, a great good person, and everyone thinks of their family's benefits." They are official households, and petty officials are judging their fortunes on this road, how powerful! But if you inquire, Xuzhou pays taxes every year, and the Du family is the first to pay it, and there is never any arrears. They are like this in their own families, and if they don't take advantage of the yamen's penny, will they exempt you? ”

When Qian heard this, he stood still, and after a while, he said, "Is there such a thing?" Then why should Du Xiaoguan be this official? Isn't being powerful means taking more money and paying less taxes? ”

He Yuanwai said: "Before Du Xiaoguan was admitted to the Jinshi, his family was depressed, and he made a lot of money by steaming wine in the lees. Later, he bought land to build Zhuangzi, and there were many workshops, and the money he earned was like flowing water. Don't make money cheaply, because people already have a way to make money, why do those things that are not on the table! According to Du Xiaoguan's temperament, I advise you to hand over the money you owe as soon as possible. This matter is over, and together with my brother, I will find a way to make money from other ways. Du Xiaoguan still misses the old feelings and takes care of the villagers. With such a big iron prison, we can do whatever we want, and if we have a small official to take care of it, we can make a lot of money. Don't let the small be the big! ”