The Happy Life of Small Officials in Northern Song Dynasty

Su Jin got up and respectfully toasted the shopkeeper Hou a glass of wine, thinking that if he was in the local area at that time, he would not have the courage of the shopkeeper Hou, so he just put it away at a high price, which is really a wise move.

Then Su Jin asked: "I don't know if there is any movement in the Luzhou City Chamber of Commerce, and I don't know if it knows the news."

Shopkeeper Min said: "I don't see it, and they didn't send people out of the city to purchase. These days are surprisingly peaceful, and they don't seem to get any news."

Su Jin asked Zhao Da, the shopkeeper of the garment shop, "How is Qin Dalang doing now?"

The shopkeeper Zhao Dacheng said: "Liu Dacheng has rented a private house, and the owner of that house is Liu Dacheng's distant nephew. Liu Dacheng asked his nephew to keep an eye on him all the time, except for people who come here every now and then quietly. There is nothing unusual other than looking for Qin Dalang, the master chefs in the store have been secretly confessed by me not to talk about the affairs of the store with him, but Liu Dacheng and I revealed some insignificant things to him according to the wishes of the young master."

Su Jin nodded and said: "Good job, maybe we can use him to help us this time."

Several shopkeepers hurriedly asked, "How can I help?"

Su Jin said: "I'm wondering if he can bring the news of the severe drought in the south and the rush to buy food from all over the country to the people in the chamber of commerce."

Shopkeeper Ma was stunned and said, "How is this possible? Wouldn't it be cheaper for them?"

The other shopkeepers didn't express their views, and their expressions were thoughtful.

Zhang Rongqin said: "Shaodong's move is indeed a brilliant move, but it seems a little early."

Su Jin said: "Sooner or later, in the past few days, there will be a limit to the soaring price of food, and it will never rise to the point where two times one stone, so I think it is almost enough. If the price is too high, the chamber of commerce will not make a move. Maybe it will be against them. Nothing worked."

Zhang Rongxin chuckled and said, "Young master didn't understand what I meant. I mean, let me, Su Ji, search around Luzhou for a few days. It's best to buy out all the rice and grain in their warehouse, and then release the news. Is that right?" Would it be better?"

Su Jin was taken aback, he was already vicious enough, but Zhang Rongqin was even more vicious, this move was both ruthless and damaging, it was going to completely step the chamber of commerce into the mud.

After the conversation between the two, Shopkeeper Ma couldn't understand at all, and said anxiously: "What are you talking about, Shopkeeper Zhang, why do you agree with Shaodong's release of such important news to the group of people in the chamber of commerce? Isn't this helping Are they?"

Shopkeeper Hou scolded: "Old Ma, why can't your brain turn around? You can't even figure out such a simple thing, Yumu head."

Shopkeeper Ma shook his bald head aggrievedly and said, "I really don't understand what the Young Master and all shopkeepers mean."

Shopkeeper Hou had no choice but to mutter in his ear. The more Shopkeeper Ma heard, his mouth opened wider and his eyes became rounder. The expression on his face said everything. He never thought that Su Jin would want to do this.

Su Jin pondered for a while and said: "There are not many circulating coins on the cabinets. We don't have such a big appetite to eat the grains around Luzhou. I'm afraid it will not be so easy."

Zhang Rongqin said: "What the Shaodong family considers is that you don't have to do it yourself. The people also need to eat. You just need to put the news on the street first. As long as the people store food for three months, the grain store in Luzhou city will be counted. It's all run out in the day, why do we need to do it."

Su Jin was really convinced. The [-] people in Luzhou had a ration of more than [-] shi in March. I am afraid that those grain shops would really be wiped out.

Zhang Rongqin continued: "The way to release the news is still by word of mouth. You can go back and mobilize relatives at home to buy a large number of grains, and tell them that grain prices are about to skyrocket. It is because your relatives will definitely trust your words. Ten to ten rumors, the old man dares to say that there will be a panic buying trend within three days."

Su Jin interjected: "Then the shopkeeper Zhao will release the news of the severe drought in the south through Qin Dalang, and it will be too late for the members of the chamber of commerce to regret it."

Several shopkeepers of Suji Grain Store were sung by Su Jin and Zhang Rongqin, and they were all in a cold sweat. This move was absolutely vicious, forcing the Chamber of Commerce to go to various places to adjust grain, but the price of old grain in the important production areas in the south has soared. If the chamber of commerce purchases, the cost will soar. The high-priced grain cannot compete with the low-priced grain of Suji. have witnessed.

"Dear shopkeepers, Su Jin would like to explain a little bit. The battle in the mall does not need to be so fierce and tricky. Su Jin is definitely not this kind of person. It's just that Su Ji has been suppressed by the Chamber of Commerce for so many years, and the methods used by the Chamber of Commerce are even more despicable. I The death of my father can be said to be indirectly caused by the chamber of commerce; what's more, the chamber of commerce has started to repeat its old tricks, placing Qin Dalang in my Suji clothing store, perhaps wanting me to follow in my father's footsteps; that's why I decided to use tricks against them. "

Everyone watched Su Jin's emotions getting more and more intense in silence. They could understand Su Jin's mood at the moment. His father was indirectly killed by the chamber of commerce. Under the continuous pressure on Su Ji's property, there was nothing to worry about in countermeasures. Lu The rules of business in Zhoucheng are no longer the same as each other, but the old saying: peers are enemies.

Su Ji is on the weak side. More than a dozen chambers of commerce have joined forces. Su Jin dares to fight against the chamber of commerce. This requires great courage and confidence. At present, it seems that the 16-year-old young master has both.

"For some people, maybe I will follow the teaching of repaying grievances with kindness, and I have to forgive others and forgive others, but for some people, I still have to follow the ancient saying of Confucius, 'Repaying grievances with virtue, how can I repay virtue? Repay virtue with virtue, and repay grievances with straightness!' Confucius said: If you repay those who do evil with virtue, then how do you treat those who are really kind to you? Of course you have to be kind to good people. To bad people, I will say: take a brick and fly him away!"

Su Jin slapped his hand heavily on the table, shaking the wine glasses and dishes rattling. He didn't know why he was so angry. Maybe the genes in his body were the genes of the Su family, and the sense of belonging to the Su family made him He is out of himself.

……

Within a few days, there was a rush to buy in Luzhou City, and the grain shops in Su Ji hung up the banners of "The grain is sold out, please go elsewhere!" ' notice board, members of the chamber of commerce's large grain stores attracted a flood of people rushing to buy, the shopkeeper didn't know whether it was joy or worry, and hurriedly reported after hearing rumors that grain prices were going to rise.

The merchants in the chamber of commerce were skeptical, relying on sufficient inventory, some merchants suggested raising the price of grain to make a fortune. Anyway, the rumors are not credible, and they will go to replenish their positions when they are sold out.

Smart people like the Tang family and the Liu family naturally wouldn't think so. They acquiesced to the price increases of small merchants, but quietly sent people around to inquire.

The news that arrived first was brought back by the people who sent out to the surrounding counties to inquire.

One of the news: the price of grain in nearby Wuhu County has risen by nearly two hundred pennies a stone.

News [-]: The prefectures and counties in the north of Luzhou did not increase the price, but the sales volume increased sharply. Several grain stores in Huainan City, the East Huainan Road Administration, were secretly ordered to buy all the grain. brand.

News No. [-]: The Suji Grain Shop under my nose was closed from the very beginning, with a sign saying 'Grain is sold out, please go elsewhere.' ' sign.

After summing up the three pieces of news, Tang Dongjia, the president of the chamber of commerce, and the two vice presidents couldn't sit still. Su Ji's behavior is even more weird. It is nonsense to say that the food stock is running out. The clerk sent by the family that day found out early in the morning that the Su family's small officials sent a few grain store managers out of the city. Didn't they go out of the city to buy food in the south? ?It's only been 20 days, so they say there is no food in stock, and it's clear that there are ghosts in it.

Immediately afterwards, Scarface Heiqi brought a news that shocked them. When chatting with Qin Dalang, Liu Dacheng, the foreman of Suji Garment Store, inadvertently revealed the news of the severe drought in the south, and said that the three shopkeepers of the Su family went to Jiangsu and Zhejiang with their funds. To buy grain, he returned empty-handed. The price of grain in the south has soared to the usual twenty-one stone, and Su Ji couldn't bear it, so he had to return empty-handed. The young owner of the Su family planned to collect grain from retail investors in the surrounding area as an emergency.

This news immediately stupefied everyone in the chamber of commerce.