I am not a deposed emperor of Han Dynasty

Chapter 34 Collecting black money behind the widow's back?
"If you were given the parts for ten columbine carts at a time, how long would it take for you to assemble one?"

"Do you have ten copies of all these parts?" Meng Yue asked.

"Well, to be precise, there should be eleven parts. I guess you will inevitably break the parts when you assemble them."

The Meng brothers discussed with each other in low voices, and finally gave their own answers.

"To put it broadly, one person can install one in a day."

"Okay, then let me ask you another question. If a new apprentice learns a craft from you for three months, but only learns to make one part, can he learn it?"

"Are you only learning to make a part of this columbine?" Meng Ri didn't understand, and some Zhang Er monks couldn't figure it out, so he asked again.

"Well, just learn to make one of the parts."

"It won't take three months. One month may be enough, but what's the use of making only one part?"

Liu He did not answer Meng Ri's question, because it is not the time to answer this question yet.

"Then I don't have any more questions to ask, thank you both for telling the truth."

"Don't dare to dare, it makes you more polite."

When Liu He was about to leave, he remembered something. He looked at the Meng brothers very seriously and said, "Sometimes, your father's words are not all right. If you should disobey, just disobey."

After Liu He said this, he turned around and left regardless of whether the brothers understood it or not.

As he walked towards the front shop, he turned his back and waved his hands and said, "We may meet again in the future. I hope that next time we meet, you won't be scolded by your father anymore."

The Meng Brothers seemed to understand, but they didn't seem to understand. Watching Liu He's leaving back, they stayed where they were.

When Liu He returned to the front shop, he happened to see that Meng Ban had made another deal and was putting dozens of dollars into the cash drawer hidden under the case.

"Boss Meng's business is good."

Liu He's voice woke Meng Ban up, and the latter pushed the cash drawer in, and then ran over obsequiously.

"Where did Meng Xing go?"

"That scorpion went to the rice shop to buy millet for me. Now is the time when the crops are not harvested. The price of this millet is getting more expensive every day. It's better to farm the land yourself. If the villain makes money, he must buy a few more. Acres of land."

Liu He couldn't help but smile wryly in his heart, this is the reason why Dahan's commercial development is slow, and a lot of wealth has been accumulated on the land.

The people of the Han Dynasty are too obsessed with food and land. They only think about buying land after making money, but they don't think about how to expand production.

However, food and clothing are the most basic needs of everyone, so from a personal perspective, Meng Ban's approach is understandable.

To change their mentality, it will not happen overnight, and many things need to be done.

"I have talked with the two young masters, they are very capable, Meng Dongzhu should believe that they are, it is not good to scold them all day long."

"Otherwise, they might not even be able to hold their heads up in front of their wives. How will they take over as the head of the family in the future?"

"Master Meng is in good health now, but there will always be a day when he will grow old. He will not be stupid or deaf, and he will not be a family man. Is this the lesson taught to me by the ancients?"

It is absurd to say these old-fashioned words from a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy, but Meng Ban seems to have listened a little bit, with a thoughtful look on his face.

Liu He didn't say anything more, and walked outside the shop.

But before his front foot landed, he suddenly remembered something that needed to be confirmed, so he returned to the shop.

Seeing Liu He coming back, Meng Ban hurried up to meet him again, and asked, "Is there anything else you can do?"

"I want to ask, when the engineer sent you the design, did he make things difficult for you?"

When Liu He asked this sentence, Meng Ban's expression changed again.

He stayed there for a while, but he didn't say why.

Liu He's face was ashen, he didn't expect to ask such a casual question, and it was really tricky.

"I was sent by Prime Minister An Le to understand the people's sentiments. Master Meng can speak freely if he has anything to say."

"This...isn't really a problem, it's a matter of course."

"I would like to hear the details."

"When we get these patterns from the worker, we have to pay money."

Liu He's pupils shrank quickly, and a murderous aura welled up in his heart.

He repeatedly asked the doctors to declare to the workers that they should not hide their personal information, let alone ask for bribes. Unexpectedly, these things still happened.

"how much is it?"

"The price is set according to the size of the pattern. The small pattern will pay less, and the large pattern will pay more."

"Then tell me, how much did you pay for the drawing of the overturned car?"

Meng Ban hesitated again when he mentioned this important point.

"Meng Dongzhu boldly said, I will not tell other people that you told me what I heard."

"I have to pay [-] yuan every year."

Liu He originally thought it was a one-shot deal, but he didn't expect it to become an additional tax, which undoubtedly increased the burden on Meng Ban and the others.

Based on such a rough estimate, the miscellaneous expenses that Mengban has to pay for this year are at least [-] to [-] yuan. No wonder the business is so good, but Mengban has been complaining, so there is still such a layer of joints.

"What excuse are they looking for?"

"They said that these drawings were drawn by a god-man in the prime minister's mansion. This god-man uses ginseng to boil water for drinking every day. We have received such great favor from him, and it is only right and proper to pay him some money."

Before Meng Ban finished speaking, Liu He's blood surged up, his heart ached, and his fists became tighter and tighter.

Taking black money in Lao Tzu's name, and calling Lao Tzu such a weak person, I simply don't want to live.

It seems that there is one more thing to do today.

"Is it the worker from the county or the worker from the middle school who asked you for the money?"

"In the county."

"Won't you refuse to hand it in? Go to other workshops to buy a few pieces of the same farm tools, and bring them back and imitate them?"

"The worker said that no matter who builds these machines, they will have to pay. If they dare to build these machines privately, they will be punished with exile at least, or beheaded at worst."

These ruthless officials actually increased the exorbitant taxes of the common people nakedly!
Protecting these patterns is important, but profiting from a technology that is still in its infancy is not a good thing.

What's more, this picture sample does not belong to the county worker, does not belong to the middle school worker, and does not even belong to Liu He. No one has the right to collect this protection fee.

"Master Meng, don't worry, someone will come to refund you the money within two days!"

After leaving this sentence, Liu He left the shop without looking back, and walked quickly towards the carriage.

And Meng Ban, who realized that he was talking too much, shouted from behind: "Master, please don't say that I said it, hey, what can I do, I have nothing to do to offend them, blame me This broken mouth!"

After finishing speaking, Meng Ban, frustrated and worried, slapped himself hard again.

(End of this chapter)