Shu Yan was not complacent in the praise of everyone, and after dealing with the things in the market, he returned to the county office, changed into an official uniform, took out 3,000 yuan from the help money, and let the Zhao family's little oil lang lead the way, and went to Liu Butcher's house with Du Jian, the chief bookkeeper.

Although he lived in the city, Butcher Liu's residence was not much better than the hut in the countryside, or even worse. The two low grass houses, with broken doors and windows, are ventilated on all sides, and the black hole room is surrounded by four walls, like a cold kiln.

Shu Yan was preconceived and was able to identify Butcher Liu from his old face and staggering steps. Butcher Liu couldn't recognize it as Shu Yanlai. I recognized the main bookkeeper Du Jian first. After Du Jian's introduction, he recognized Shu Yanlai, and he was deeply puzzled and surprised.

Butcher Liu was very strong at the beginning, but who knew that he had become such an old and sick person in just over ten years, Shu Yan couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion. Remembering the situation when the merchants were enthusiastic about donating when they were preparing to build the school, they were even more embarrassed, and immediately put down 2,000 yuan as help.

The common people only know that they can make money to make a living, and if they encounter any natural disasters and diseases, they only blame themselves for their bad fate, and they do not blame anyone. Butcher Liu never dreamed that he could get something for nothing. With these 2,000 coins, it seems that he has gained some ill-gotten gains, and he is uneasy. Under Shu Yan's repeated explanations, I understood the meaning of the help money, and I was grateful.

It happened that Cui Er, who was selling porcelain bowls at this time, came back with a burden, and heard that Shu Yan was here to comfort Butcher Liu, so he hurriedly came to meet Shu Yan.

Seeing that he was tired, Xiao Youlang smiled at him and said, "Uncle Cui, you don't have to run around with your burden in the future, just go to the west market in the city to go to the stall." ”

Cui Er didn't know what happened today, thinking that this kid was teasing himself, and said angrily: "But if you can get along, who wants to run around with a burden and be a businessman, instead of being a businessman in the market?" But we can't afford to be exploited. ”

"From now on, no one will dare to cheat us, so you can safely return to the West Market and sell your dishes. Because those wicked people who oppressed us have been eradicated by Shu Juncheng. ”

"Eradicated?"

"Yes, eradicated." Xiao Youlang told Cui Er and Butcher Liu about today's events.

Cui Er was still a little unconvinced, and looked at Shu Yan with wide eyes for verification. Shu Yan smiled and nodded in affirmation.

This matter was really a great surprise for Cui Er, and he bowed to Shu Yan again and again.

Shu Yan exchanged another greeting and was about to leave.

Cui Er muttered something to Butcher Liu, and pointed at Shu Yan from time to time.

In the end, Butcher Liu sighed and said: "I'm old, even if I return to the farmer and divide the field, I can't do it anymore, it doesn't matter what happens, you better go and tell the county by yourself." ”

Shu Yan didn't know why, and asked, "If you have anything to say, why are you so cowering?" ”

Although Cui Er cowered, he had to speak now, and in the face of Shu Yan's serious and kind eyes, he plucked up the courage and said: "Shu Cheng, I want to return to the farm, be a normal citizen, and I don't want to continue to be an inferior people who are discriminated against." ”

Such a simple sentence stumped Shu Yan. You must know that although the merchant has more income than the farmer, the social status is different from that of the farmer, and he is often treated unfairly. For example, the children of peasants with excellent character and learning can enter the official career through filial piety and honesty, and the children of industry and commerce are not allowed to be officials, no matter how good they are. Being able to return to agriculture is the biggest dream of many businessmen. However, the hierarchy of society is basically fixed and cannot be easily changed.

Shu Yan was embarrassed for a long time, and said slowly: "I have punished those two Sishi who oppressed you. You can be a hawker in peace in the future, and you should have a good income, so why do you have to be a farmer facing the loess with your back to the sky? ”

"It is good to punish the city, but that is only one aspect, no matter how fair the county is, no matter how well it governs, it cannot eliminate the discrimination of the whole society against businessmen in any way. And this discrimination will be passed down from generation to generation. I don't want my children and grandchildren to be a pariah all the time like me. For the sake of our old acquaintances, I am particularly gracious. As he spoke, Cui Er knelt down.

Shu Yan hurriedly picked him up and said, "I, Shu Yan, have always been selfless, and I treat them all whether I know each other or not. Industry and commerce have been regarded as untouchables since ancient times, and the imperial court did not allow industry and commerce to return to agriculture at will. I understand your businessman's situation, but this matter is urgent, and if I have the opportunity in the future, I will think about it for you. ”

Cui Er knew that Shu Yan had never spoken a word, and since he said this, there should be hope.

After a delay here for an hour, Shu Yan and Du Jian got up and left, going to Wang Yidan's house. Since Wang Yidan's family was outside the city and relatively far away, the two returned to the county office and rode horses, and went out of the city to the north according to Bai Mizhang's instructions. Shu Yan rarely goes to the north of the city, so he just took this opportunity to see the growth of crops, but what he saw made him a little worried.

Now is the season of raising the seedlings of various crops, which should be a green and vibrant piece, but because there has been no rain for a long time, the surface of the paddy field has dried up and cracked into small pieces, and the water on the surface of the dry field has long been evaporated, and all the seedlings are listless and languishing because of the lack of water. There is only one field near the river, about 1,800 acres, the soil is moist, the leaves and stems are erect, and it is lush. For the same crop, it is significantly taller than the adjacent plot.

It was not early, and Shu Yan had no intention of observing it carefully. urged the horse forward, inquired about Wang Yidan's house, and called the door. Someone answered, but no one was seen for a long time, and it was a long time before a man limped out of the back room. Shu Yan recognized that it was Wang Yidan.

Wang Yidan was startled when he saw that two people in official uniforms came to the door, and he didn't know why. It wasn't until Shu Yan reported his home that he recognized it, but he was still surprised. Hurriedly let Shu Yan in.

Rushing to the road and thirsty, Shu Yan was more familiar with Wang Yidan, so he didn't say anything else, but first begged for saliva to drink.

Wang Yidan smiled embarrassedly and said, "I know that you usually drink tea, but we rural people have never been in the habit of drinking tea." The people who come and go are also cloth cloth villagers, and the family never prepares tea, today there are suddenly distinguished guests to welcome the door, how can I entertain? ”

Shu Yan smiled heartily: "Who wants tea?" Who is the guest? You and I are just two woodcutters, what do you really pay attention to the so-called poor friends? A scoop of cool water is enough. ”

Wang Yidan saw that Shu Yan was still treating each other with such sincerity, so he let go of his nervousness. Shu Yan was not polite, he walked to the water tank and scooped a scoop of water to drink.

Shu Yan explained the intention. Wang Yidan also didn't know what Shu Yan's help money meant, but he only knew that he had sent a thousand dollars to himself for no reason.

"Is this really not the money you gave me privately?" Although Shu Yan repeatedly asked to be called a brother to Wang Yidan, Wang Yidan refused to live or die, and insisted on calling Shu Yan a county prince.

Shu Yan smiled and explained: "It's really not, if it's my personal money, why should I come here with others and wear official uniforms?" ”

"It's not the official's money?"

Du Jian also smiled and shook his head: "The county has never had this budget expenditure. Taking care of widows and loneliness, only occasionally when there is a major event in the court, how can he ever have a pension for the people on weekdays? ”

Wang Yidan thinks about it. However, he still couldn't figure it out for a while: "Since it's not in the name of the county's private family, nor is it in the name of the official, where did this money come from?" ”

"It's called raising the rich to help the poor."

"Raising the rich to help the poor?" Wang Yidan shook his head, "I only know that the rich are not benevolent to the rich, and the chivalrous rob the rich to help the poor, where will there be a rich to help the poor?" ”

Although there can be no kind of princes and generals, the rich are rich and the poor are poor, and this concept has been very natural since ancient times. No wonder a countryman like Wang Yidan, even a county official like Du Jian who has seen the world, is difficult to understand at the beginning.

"How can I tell you, anyway, it is to raise the spare money of the rich and use it to help the poor and needy. I know that everyone can't understand it for a while, so I will use you as a breakthrough to make a propaganda. If you have someone around you who is particularly difficult in life, you can let me know. ”

Wang Yidan said lately: "It's hard to find anything else, if you want to say that life is difficult, you can see it everywhere, can you help?" ”

Shu Yan sighed and said: "I don't know that there are poor people everywhere, if everyone takes care of them, it will definitely not be able to cope with it." Good steel should be used on the blade, and I want to help the people who need it most. ”

"If you want to say that the people who need help the most, it must be those who are widowed and lonely. For example, we have one here. It was a newly widowed young woman with a child of seven or eight years old, and her aunt was sick in bed and had to take medicine. Although he had dozens of acres of land, he had no labor at home, but the household was just as much as the land rent, and he was only exempted from forced labor. ”

"No wife is a widow, no husband is a widow, no parents are orphaned when young, and no children and grandchildren are alone in old age. According to the regulations of the imperial court, widows and lonely people should be rent-free, why doesn't her family take care of them? Shu Yan questioned.

"Supposed to be right, reality is reality. It's just that her family also has a teenage brother-in-law, who is weak and short, but he has reached the age of half a ding, and his family of five cannot be counted as a lonely and widowed family, so he cannot enjoy rent reduction and exemption. ”

Due to his own experience, when he mentioned widowhood and loneliness, Shu Yan suddenly felt pity and asked with concern: "This woman has to work as a farmer, take care of the old and young, and buy medicine for her aunt, which is really difficult." ”

"It's true that I'm not too difficult compared to his family. Otherwise, Jun Cheng will transfer the thousand money to her family. Wang Yidan said, and wanted to return the money to Shu Yan.

"There is no reason to recover the money that has been sold, so accept it with peace of mind." Shu Yan forcibly stuffed the money back into Wang Yidan's hand.