"Wuzhong has been prosperous since the past, there is no open land in the suburbs, the high and low are all fields, people are not noble and low, and they often have permanent property, so they are more luxurious and less frugal."

Pingjiang Prefecture is fertile with land and sea, not only agriculture is developed, but also handicrafts such as silk weaving, papermaking, and shipbuilding, as well as commercial services, are also prosperous, resulting in a large number of non-agricultural population.

Normally, the middle-aged labor force in Pingjiang City can earn about 200 wen a day, and not only men can make money, but many women also come out to work.

Ordinary families in the Song Dynasty usually had about six people per household, and they could have an income of about 15 yuan a month, and they could pursue a relatively decent standard of living.

But the so-called people take food as the sky, and they have to save to pay attention to life, and when the price of food is rising day by day, not to mention ordinary people, even the small rich families dare not spend money indiscriminately, and tighten their belts to live.

As a result, at this time, the city of Gusu seems to have lost its freshness and prosperity in the past.

There was still a dense flow of people on the streets, but there were not a few smiling faces to be seen, and a few words of joy could not be heard.

The shops on the street are still open, but most of them have no one to enter, it is very deserted, the shopkeeper and the guy are lazily leaning on the door, looking at the people on the street with a blank face, occasionally making a few shouts to attract customers, as if they are coping, there is no enthusiasm in the past, even the banner in front of the door is hanging low, it seems weak.

Some food shops are more lively, whether it is selling melons, fruits and vegetables, or selling fish, meat, poultry and eggs, there are people who ask from time to time, and then some people leave gloomily, and some people stomp their feet, grit their teeth and endure the high price to buy some.

The most lively thing has to be the grain store, which is crowded with people from morning to night, men, women and children, about many families are mobilized by the whole family, wanting to buy more food under the condition of purchase restrictions, after all, the price of this grain is higher day by day.

"Niang Xipi, these female businessmen are really black-hearted, they were only twenty-five wen three days ago, and they will be eighty wen a liter today......

"Blackheart? Hehe, their hearts and livers have long been fed to the dogs, what are they talking about black or not, wait and see, the old man bets, tomorrow's grain price will definitely not be less than 100 Wen!"

"This fucking doesn't let people live, Lao Tzu's day's work in the warehouse is enough to buy two liters of rice, and it's not enough to eat by himself, can the family drink the northwest wind?"

One liter of rice is converted into the weight of the next generation, which is less than one and a half catties, and if there is no other vegetable and meat intake, adults at this time need to consume two liters of rice a day to maintain high-intensity labor.

"That is, the slave family has the old and the young, and they expect our men and father-in-law to work to make money, and if they don't have enough to eat, and they don't have the strength to work, and if they can't earn wages, it will be even worse! Now I can only use the money I have saved to buy food, and I don't know how many days I can last."

"My family is a little better, there are four of the seven people who can do the work, but in this city, what do you do without spending money, open the door for seven things, firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea, this will squeeze people dry with this rice alone, and others are indispensable, hey, there are also taxes such as exemption money......

Salt and vinegar tea are all government specialties, but they are not cheap, and they are tax collection in disguise.

"In the past few days, my family has been living with gruel, and today I drank half a bowl of porridge, and now my heart is close to my back, I am hungry, and I don't know how long it will take to buy rice......

In fact, many families have begun to save food as much as possible, unless they need labor, otherwise they will not starve to death.

"We've bought enough all of a sudden, how can they continue to squeeze oil? Hey, what can we grass people do, let's say a few words and save some effort."

"That kid from my family went to Changping Warehouse to buy grain, I don't know what the price is over there."

"The bullshit Changping Library, the old grain mixed with sand dares to sell for seventy yuan, and can only buy one liter, just ask God to open his eyes, rain a few thunders, and split those dog officials......

"It's still good in Wujiang, there is a Yan King who is not afraid of thunder, the price of rice is only a dozen yuan, I plan to go to Wujiang tomorrow to buy rice."

"I can't go, my neighbor went yesterday, and the rice was bought, which is enough for a stone, but when I entered the city, I charged six yuan for the entrance tax! This is still my neighbor

The family stuffed money for the city officials, otherwise they would not have been allowed to bring so much grain into the city."

"Is this the thing? The one who joined the mother must be those female businessmen and dog officials who are embarrassed to do it for women!"

It was really said by this person, in the Yuexiu Building opposite the grain shop, a cadre of the Wuxian County Government was drinking and feasting with a group of grain merchants.

The private room is magnificent, there are enchanting and gorgeous female singers and dancers in the hall, the banquet is full of wine and delicacies, and everyone is next to the graceful and beautiful lady next to each other, which is really heaven on earth.

Sitting on the main seat was Zhang Shan, the great proprietor of Zhang's rice shop, who was full of red and joy, and raised the wine bottle to congratulate and pray.

"Everyone, for the prosperity of the world, drink and win!"

More than a dozen guests joined in the fun, and then raised their glasses and drank them all, and the atmosphere became more and more enthusiastic.

Zhang Shan and the other Mei Jiao Niang who accompanied the attendant refilled the wine and raised it again to the middle-aged scribe on the left.

"Zhong Zhusi, Zhang Mou toasts you alone to show your gratitude, thanks to your strict guarding of the city passes, guarding against those opportunistic wandering merchants and people, maintaining a good situation in the city, so that Zhang and others can do business in peace."

"It's easy to say, it's a duty to maintain the fairness of the city, and the people of Pingjiang should eat Pingjiang rice, how can they allow the cunning of women to mess around? Ha ha...... I also take this bottle of wine to wish Zhang Yuanwai a prosperous business and a wide range of financial resources, hello, I am hello, everyone, come, drink to win!"

Pingjiang City is a city and two counties, the east belongs to Changzhou County, the west is Wu County, the five city gates are under the jurisdiction of the two counties according to the direction, and the Panmen in the south is in charge of the Zhong Charge Division.

When the price of grain in the city is high, the people in the city will naturally try to buy cheaper food in the neighborhood, and people in the surrounding areas who find business opportunities will also bring grain to sell.

For the grain merchants who are frantically harvesting leeks, isn't this taking food from their mouths, and there must be a way to stop it.

Although the city gate cannot be closed, a "protective" entry tax can be levied on food and supplies that want to enter the city.

A small charge division does not have the power to change the tax rate, but the Changping Division has this power, it is not only responsible for the management of Changping and Yicang, but also the management of the road's exemption from service, market trade, workshops, river crossings, and water conservancy.

It's just that although Zhang Shan is also a local tyrant, he can't reach the high-ranking Xie Cangsi, and can only talk to the specific people in charge of the affairs of Zhong Zhusi, banquets and drinks are just trivial, and it is indispensable to send rich filial piety in private.

Staggered, laughter.

Zhang "Wolf" is very attentive, "Today's beauty and wine, everything you need, you can enjoy it indulgently, if you don't get drunk, you won't return!"

Another grain merchant wantonly kneaded the female warrior's body, and smiled on his face, "Hehe, what Brother Zhang said is not right, we will not return if we are drunk today, otherwise we will lose the beauty."

The room was full of shocks, "Hahaha, it makes sense, Qi Yuanwai knows how to pity the fragrance and cherish the jade......

"It's already very hard for you to feed the people of Pingjiang, so it's better to leave the errand of feeding the beauties to me and other errand people."

Zhong "Embarrassment" was drunk, became profligate, hugged the beautiful girl next to him, and ate tofu.

Zhong Zhisi shook his dizzy head and slapped his open chest, "Thanks to Zhang Yuanwai's hospitality, we are all affectionate and righteous people, I don't dare to say anything on the side, as long as Zhong is here, then we will never let the rice and grain outside easily enter the city through the Panmen......

At this moment, a servant knocked down the servant who was serving vegetables, rushed into the private room in a panic, ran to Zhong Oshi, and shouted in shock, "It's not good, it's not good!"

When Zhong Zhisi heard this, his face instantly darkened, and he picked up the silver wine bottle and smashed it at the servant, "Enter your mother, Lao Tzu is here with a good stand, what kind of funeral are you howling."

The official covered his smashed forehead, realizing that he had committed a taboo, and he didn't dare to distinguish it, but he hurriedly said, "Grain ships, many grain ships have entered the city......

"What did you say!? What are you all doing to eat, can't you even guard the gates!? Didn't I tell you, no matter where the food comes from, as long as there is no document from Chang Pingsi, it will not be allowed to go! Lao Tzu has only been away for a while, how dare you put a grain ship into the city!?"

Zhong Oshi was furious, pushed away the woman next to him, who was already bare-chested and breast-bared, and stood up and shouted

Ask.

Zhang Shan and the other grain merchants' expressions changed drastically, "Grain ship!? How much food is there?"

"Count, count, the river outside the water gate is full of it, and when the little one came to report the news, he had already entered more than 30 boats, and there was no tail in sight behind him......

"Why don't you stop it!?" Zhong Oshiji was furious, and his halberd finger poked the official in the face.

The official didn't dare to hide, and hurriedly explained, "Boss, it's not that we don't stop it, it's that we can't stop it, and we don't dare to stop it, these grain ships are all brought by the pacification envoys, and there are also forbidden army escorts, how many heads do the little ones dare to stop?"

"Pacify!?" Everyone present was buzzing in their heads, and they were stunned for a while.

Suddenly, there was a loud shout from the street, "Good news! Good news! In order to stabilize the price of grain, 100,000 stone of rice grain was specially brought in, and sold in front of the wharves and the Confucian Temple, with two yuan and one stone, and all the people went to buy it with their own household registration, and each household was limited to one stone, first come, first served!"

As soon as this news came out, the people on the street were blown up, and if they hadn't seen that the people who were shouting were groups of forbidden soldiers wearing armor, they would only think that someone was playing a prank, and they couldn't believe it was true.

"Two dollars and one stone!? So cheap?"

"I can also buy a stone, if I save a little food, it will be enough for my family to last for more than a month."

"Mother, why are you still stunned, why don't you hurry home and get your household registration?"

"Yes, yes, it's just 100,000 stones, if you go late, maybe it will be sold out."

The people came to their senses, and ran to their homes, and the door of the grain store, which was still crowded with people, was instantly empty, and the streets and alleys became very lively, and the people cheered while running, and some kind people did not forget to shout the good news to inform the other people.

Upstairs in Yuexiu, everyone watching this scene was dumbfounded, twenty wen a liter, how can this make people cut leeks?

Zhong Oshiji's face was blue and red, and he was in a cold sweat, "Not good! It's King Yan who made a move, so I have to hurry up and report to Xie Cang!"