During the New Year's Festival, the entire Ruian County is particularly lively.

The people walking the streets and alleys were chatting lively, and there were bursts of aroma wafting from the streets and alleys.

I think it was during the New Year's Festival, and the business of those restaurants was very prosperous.

Huang Tinghui helped the old patriarch to wander around Ruian County.

Take a step!

Look at the step!!

The old patriarch didn't speak, and Huang Tinghui didn't speak.

It wasn't until the two of them passed by a salted fish shop that the old patriarch stopped.

He stopped in the salted fish shop for a long time, and did not leave.

"Isn't it the old patriarch, he wants to eat salted fish?" Huang Tinghui thought so.

You must know that in ancient times, the state was very strict in controlling salt.

This was because the income from the sale of salt, iron and other resources was an important source of taxation for the rulers.

And selling illicit salt is a felony to be killed.

However, in addition to directly smuggling salt, those salt dealers will also think of using salted fish and smuggled salt vegetables to sell illicit salt.

In this case, the imperial court naturally has a way to deal with it.

During the Dasheng Dynasty, the imperial court had strict control over the fishermen by the sea.

Detailed statistics are kept on the ground for any fish, and there are clear statistics and regulations on the flow of fish that are caught.

Not only that, but there are also very strict regulations on the salt that fishermen use to marinate salted fish.

The fishermen had to buy salt from the government and go to the salt works of the imperial court to receive it.

In order to prevent fishermen from colluding with some customs officials to make false declarations, and to prevent fishermen from selling the salt they have saved.

The government also dyes the salted salt of the fishermen red to distinguish it.

As a result, the unused salt could not be sold at all, but had to be returned to the government.

Fishermen are also subject to heavy fines if they use illegal salt to marinate fish.

There is a clear record in the "Grand Ceremony Chapter": Anyone who pickles fish, shrimp, turtles, bamboo shoots, or sells them with private salt, or Boyi things, is judged by the same law as private salt, and the offender will be punished with 70 rods, half of the property will be unofficial, and he will be shackled for two years.

Therefore, in ancient times, salted fish was a very valuable thing, and only the ruling class of the society at that time could afford to eat salted fish.

It would not be strange if the old patriarch was greedy for this salted fish.

"Old patriarch, Tinghui bought you a salted fish?" As Huang Tinghui spoke, he was about to move towards the salted fish shop.

But the old patriarch's thin hand grabbed Huang Tinghui.

The old patriarch stepped forward, and Huang Tinghui followed.

The two entered the salted fish shop.

Seeing a customer walk in, the owner of the salted fish immediately walked up.

"Guest, guest, do you want to buy salted fish?"

"This is a high-quality salted fish, the taste is the best, Li Yuanwai and Zhang Yuanwai in the city like to buy salted fish from my shop!"

"Guest, do you want to buy one and try it?"

The owner of the shop was very enthusiastic, and there were not many customers in the salted fish shop, and he was counting on the people who could enter his shop to buy a salted fish or two.

That way he can make some money as well.

"How much copper plate is this salted fish?" The old patriarch pointed to a salted fish in the salted fish shop, and he asked the shopkeeper.

"Guest officer, this salted fish is two and a half catties, I won't charge you too much, you can always pay for it!"

The owner of the salted fish shop said happily to the old patriarch.

Hearing this price, Huang Tinghui couldn't help but gasp.

The money has always been 1,000 copper plates, which is equivalent to about 450 yuan in later generations.

A salted fish is only two and a half catties, and it can be sold for the same price.

Where is this eating fish, isn't this swallowing money?

"That's it!" The old patriarch said to the owner of the salted fish shop, and he did not hesitate in the slightest.

Okay!

The shopkeeper immediately took down the salted fish and handed it to the old patriarch.

Huang Tinghui touched his pocket, and he was about to hand the silver in his pocket to the shopkeeper.

However, this move was immediately stopped by the old patriarch, "I'll come!" ”

The old patriarch's voice was not loud, but Huang Tinghui could clearly feel the persistence of the old patriarch.

In this case, Huang Tinghui could only withdraw his hand.

I saw the old patriarch take out the copper plate that was strung together with a rope from his package.

The copper plates were neatly stacked together, and the old patriarch touched the copper plates and put the money on the shopkeeper's table.

"Thank you, thank you!"

The shopkeeper said happily to the old patriarch.

The old patriarch nodded, and he and Huang Tinghui walked out the door.

The shopkeeper stood at the door and said to the old patriarch, "Guest officer, often come to me to buy salted fish when you have time!" ”

"The salted fish in my shop is the best in the entire Ruian County!"

It's really a businessman.

It's going to happen!

Huang Tinghui thought secretly.

The old patriarch and Huang Tinghui walked in the streets and alleys of Ruian County, and soon arrived at the city gate, but Huang Tinghui insisted on sending the old patriarch to the ferry.

The two walked forward, and at this time the old patriarch said to Huang Tinghui: "Brother Hui, do you think that the old patriarch is more extravagant to use his usual money just to buy a salted fish?" ”

Hearing the old patriarch's question, Huang Tinghui hurriedly said: "People in the world have their own preferences, and it is worth spending money for their preferences." ”

The old patriarch shook his head, and he looked up into the distance, as if he was reminiscing about the past.

It's more like letting go of the regrets in your heart.

"Brother Hui, when I was young, I was like you, and I was generally high-spirited!"

"At that time, my mother was seriously ill, and it had reached the point where the medicine stone could not be treated."

"My mother is unwilling to heal her illness, and she is not willing to let my father and I waste more money on her."

She touched my head and said, she said Zhang'er, my mother felt that her mouth was a little light, and my mother wanted to eat a bite of salted fish.

"I entered Ruian County, but salted fish is expensive, one or two silver!"

"Where is the money I have on me enough to buy salted fish for my mother!"

"Maybe my mother knew at that time that I couldn't buy back the salted fish, so she deliberately broke me away like that and didn't let me spend the money."

"By the time I got home, my mother had already passed away!"

"When I was about to die, my mother couldn't eat a bite of salted fish!"

Speaking of which, the old patriarch is already full of tears.

At this time, he couldn't cry!

"Brother Hui, reading is not really for you to change the world, but for everyone to live a good life."

"Reading is just to make you live a better life, to make you more powerful and wealthy."

"If in the future, before the death of your closest person, you want to eat a bite of salted fish, you will not be like the old patriarch holding the fifty yuan, crying, regretting, and blaming yourself in the heavy rain!"

"Blame yourself for your uselessness, blame yourself for your incompetence, blame yourself for your powerlessness!"

"And all this is just because of the fifty yuan in my hand, and I can't even buy the salted fish I want to eat before my mother dies."

The old patriarch patted Huang Tinghui's shoulder, his body was trembling, and his voice became choked.

"Brother Hui'er, the old patriarch only hopes that you will study hard in the future!"

"Don't let the old patriarch down!"

……