Xichang Town is one of the big towns in Rugao County, because of the salt canal, the people are very rich. In a small town, there were ten squires with thousands of acres of paddy fields.

On the surface, Bo Leitai, the lord of Rugao County, is not conspicuous at all.

But if you really talk about the cash at hand, Lei Tai is going to rank in the top three.

After being the master for so many years, Lei Zhubo can get hundreds of taels of silver from the impostor every year, plus he used the banner of the county government to detain the merchants who came and went on the salt canal, and colluded with the smuggled salt dealers, so he actually accumulated a lot of belongings, and counted, there are more than 4,000 taels of silver. How much, in fact, Lei Tai himself does not have an accurate number in his heart.

But I don't understand where the money comes from, so when Lei Tai got the money, he hid it in the cellar and refused to show it easily, and he didn't even buy a few acres of paddy fields. After all, unlike the war-torn north, Jiangnan was the core area of the Ming Dynasty's rule. Although the rule of officials in the Ming Dynasty has rotted, the superficial article still needs to be done. How can you have such money as a small master, and you are not afraid that your political enemies will give you a targeted anti-corruption campaign?

In fact, Leitai's family property is not a big deal in the eyes of modern people. The head of a county is at least a member of the Standing Committee of the county party committee and an executive deputy county magistrate. is only more than 4,000 taels of silver, that is, a net worth of three or four million yuan, what is the matter of one or two houses?

However, because this was his ancestral house and there was a lot of silver hidden in it, he still generously allocated a sum of money to build the yard like a fortress. Since being threatened by Sun Yuan, he has raised more than a dozen family members.

At this moment, it was already dusk, and Lei Tai was sitting in the hall, leisurely drinking tea.

After he went to the county yamen this morning to deal with the official business at hand, he didn't care about having lunch, so he took out this year's summer fu from the treasury, loaded a small boat with it, and took four more officials to his old house outside Xichang Town.

After entering the old mansion, he saw more than a dozen family members and four servants, and looked at the high wall outside, and he was completely relaxed at this moment. With the defensive strength in his own house, even if Sun Yuan has three heads and six arms, he can't get in.

He had already thought about it, and after trading with Guan Tao, he would order Sun Yuan to escort the wheat immediately tomorrow.

As long as this brute is gone, don't think about coming back in the future.

Just have one night on the wait......

After coming down, in the past few days, Lei Tai sent people to check the yellow book of household registration and road guides, and verified the identity of Guan Tao, and it was indeed a Fengyang merchant. Seeing that he is very generous, he looks like a businessman with a successful career, so Lei Tai is also relieved.

Thinking that Sun Yuan would leave Rugao tomorrow and never go back, Lei Tai was completely relaxed, and his mood was also very good.

But at this time, there was a faint cry from the inner house, and Lei Tai couldn't help frowning: "Who is crying?" ”

"Sir, it's my wife crying." A family member replied carefully.

"This mourning star didn't spoil my mood." Lei Tai angrily pestled the teacup on the table, and his face became gloomy.

Since the Fengyang incident, seeing that none of the people who came back had come back, the Hun family cried all day long. When Sun Yuan personally said to Lei Tai that Mao Cheng and the other three had been killed by him, his wife heard the news and cried even more bitterly.

Because of this, Lei Tai asked someone to send her back to the old mansion, thinking that she would be out of sight.

He hasn't been back here for a while, I don't think that as soon as I arrived today, this woman started crying again, isn't this adding to Lao Tzu's heart?

Bad luck, bad luck!

As soon as he screamed in his heart, suddenly, there was a chaotic sound of footsteps in the courtyard outside.

Lei Tai was agitated, stood up suddenly, and shouted: "What's the matter, who told you to open the door without my order?" ”

After he was threatened by Sun Yuan, he was already a soldier.

A housekeeper panted and ran in: "Master, it was the big housekeeper who came and kicked the door outside, and the little ones didn't dare to delay, so the courtyard door was opened." ”

Lei Tai was taken aback: "Why is this pretending butler here?" ”

As soon as the words fell, I saw Mao Tinggui striding behind his back.

He didn't bring anyone, so he was alone, with a smile on his face, and said loudly: "What, Lord Lei, you don't seem to welcome me?" ”

Lei Tai smiled and welcomed him into the hall: "The housekeeper can come to the cold house, Lei Tai is too late to be happy, how can he not welcome it, but I don't know what the housekeeper has to say when he comes here today?" ”

Although Mao Tinggui is just a housekeeper of the Mao family's outer house, with a humble status, he can run between Nanjing and Yangzhou all the year round, and the people who come and go are all big families and major yamen, representing the Mao family, but not Lei Tai can afford to provoke.

After entering the hall, Lei Tai hurriedly asked someone to bring tea, and said, "Butler, please sit down and talk." ”

Mao Tinggui didn't sit either, just stood there and sneered: "Lei Master Bo, I heard that you have made a fortune recently, and the little old man came to congratulate you?" ”

Lei Tai sighed: "Butler, you have said this for no reason, Lei Tai is just a little master, thanks to the county lord, I am paid ten taels of silver every month to hang my life, and where did I get rich?" ”

The butler giggled: "Lord Bo, don't pretend to be confused, let's open the skylight and say something, what you are going to do today, the eldest master is very unhappy." Don't forget, you Lei Tai was able to be this master at the beginning, but the eldest master saw that you were our relatives and intended to help. ”

He spoke so unceremoniously that a trace of cold sweat broke out in Lei Tai's vest, and he asked carefully: "The housekeeper has something to say, Lei Tai doesn't understand a little." ”

The housekeeper snorted: "Okay, I'll make it clear, do you want to trade with a grain merchant surnamed Guan today to buy a batch of new wheat for profit." ”

"Ouch, that's what the housekeeper said!" Lei Tai's heart was relieved, and he smiled: "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding, it's really a misunderstanding, Lei Tai didn't think about hoarding food for profit." ”

Hoarding grain, low in and high out, and changing hands is several times the profit, which is a big loophole in the "One Whip Law". Because the imperial court only collects taxes in cash, the price of silver in the market is extremely high when it comes to paying taxes, and because the peasants sell a large amount of grain, the price of rice is ridiculously low. Seeing the benefits of this, the gentry and officials from all over the country colluded together and made a windfall.

It can be said that this business has been monopolized by the government and local clans, and today the housekeeper came to Xingshi angrily to ask for the guilt, presumably because he got some rumors, and he has already stretched his hand into this business.

Lei Tai hurriedly told the housekeeper the whole story of this matter, and finally said: "Butler, today's wheat is too expensive, there is no way, I can only buy some from other places." Don't look at the low price of this pottery wheat, in fact, it is all moldy and stale grain. ”

He gritted his teeth and said: "Sun Yuan, this thief killed my wife and brother, and he will not take revenge and swear not to be a man." This batch of wheat can't be used at all, don't worry, butler, Lei Tai is not an ignorant person, how dare he do hoarding food. ”

"Really?" Mao Tinggui still refused to believe it, and a cold snort came out of his nose.

Lei Tai sighed lightly: "Wait for Guan Tao to come over with the grain ship to deliver the goods, and when the time comes, you will understand if you take a look at it in person." ”

He had been talking for a long time just now, and it was already completely dark.

Mao Tinggui nodded: "Okay, then I'll wait, and I'm not busy for a while." Lei Zhubo, I hope what you say is true. ”

"Naturally, it's true, come here, set up a banquet, and risk the hard work of the housekeeper, you might as well eat a few sips of wine first."

"No, no."

As he was talking, a family member rushed into the hall: "Master, the boss has arrived." ”

As soon as the words fell, Butler Mao took the first step out: "Let's go, take a look!" ”

Jiangnan water town, the river network is vertical and horizontal, but where there is a big house, there must be a small wharf in the backyard, which can accommodate a small boat to moor.

When he got to the place, Lei Tai didn't rush to open the door, but leaned over to the crack in the door and looked out.

But I saw that there was indeed a small sampan parked on the dock, with sackcloth buns piled high on it, and there were several people sitting on the boat, and the boss was standing respectfully on the dock.

Look at the narrow river behind the small sampan, there are also many small boats. There were no lights, and it was dark for a long time.

Lei Tai suddenly felt a little uneasy in his heart for some reason, and asked, "Is it the boss outside?" ”

Guan Tao's voice came: "It turned out to be Master Bo, it was the villain, please open the door and unload the goods!" ”

Leitai: "Why don't you hold the lamp, aren't you afraid of capsizing?" ”

Boss Guan: "The boat is full of grain, and I am afraid of going out of the water." ”

"Walk the water, walk what water?" Before Lei Tai could ask, the impatient butler next to him got impatient and pushed him forward.

Lei Tai was caught off guard for a moment, staggered a few steps, and stepped aside.

The housekeeper was also quick with his hands and feet, pulled the latch of the door, and strode in: "Where is the wheat, show me!" ”

"You are?" By the light at the door, the boss glanced at Mao Tinggui suspiciously.

At this time, Lei Taicai came over and scolded: "Don't talk nonsense, this is our pretentious housekeeper, don't be rude." ”

"Yes, the villain has seen the impostor butler." The boss made a series of tricks, and his face was full of respect and flattery.

Then he pointed to the boat behind him: "The wheat is all on the boat!" ”

Lei Tai: "Okay, lead the way, let me inspect the goods first." ”

The boss was embarrassed again, and stopped Lei Tai: "Lord Bo, the villain is rude, I want to ask if your silver taels are ready?" ”

Lei Tai became impatient: "It's already ready, just put it in the hall." A certain good person is also the lord of a county, can you still be tricked? ”

"Get out of the way!" Mao Tinggui snorted, pushed away Guan Tao, and took the lead towards the boat. He is used to being domineering in Rugao, how can he put a little businessman in his eyes?

It was at this time that Lei Tai suddenly realized that something was wrong. If the boat had been filled with wheat, the sampan would have been very deep, but the boat looked light. Moreover, the boatman on the ship was also wrong. The hands and faces of the people on the water are obviously dark, and they don't look like they have any luster, which is the so-called "water rust." ”

The boatmen, though also dark-faced, shimmered with a healthy glow in the light.

"Close the door, close the door!" Rethai was startled, and suddenly drew the short knife hidden in his sleeve, turned and ran towards the gate.