The late Ming Dynasty in the living room

Chapter 123 The King of Hell’s Loan

When Hong Qi hurried home, he happened to see the second son of the Zhong family leading a few doglegs to the door of the house.

Seeing him coming back, Second Young Master Zhong greeted him enthusiastically: "Lao Qi is back. Just in time, I have something to do with you."

Um... When others call him Lao Qi, he also calls him Lao Qi. He is a young man under twenty, and there is a gap in seniority between them and him.

However, Hong Qi had no intention of arguing with him, and only asked anxiously: "Master Zhong, didn't we always harvest grain in July in previous years? The crops haven't turned color yet. Did you remember the wrong date?"

Hong Qi has been busy in the fields for a long time. He was anxious to run again just now, and now his whole body smells of sweat.

Mr. Zhong Ershao took a step back without leaving a trace, and said with a smile: "I know the rent is paid in July. This time I am here to collect the grain lent by my family. Counting the earliest lent, it must be several years ago, right?
My father said that it is easy to get messed up if old accounts accumulate too much. Don't make miscalculations and cause complaints from the folks, so he asked me to come today to clear the food arrears. It also saves the folks a lot of worry, don't you think? "

The year of great disaster lasted for more than ten years, and it was impossible to survive just by peeling off tree bark, so almost every villager in Hongjia Village had borrowed food from the Zhong family.

It's not like Hong Qi didn't remember this, he just thought that the Zhong family would pay for the rent and grain arrears in July. After all, at this time, every household was waiting for the autumn grain to be cooked, so how could there be any surplus grain to return to him?
Fortunately, Hong Qi still has half a grain of "fairy rice" hidden in his house (Northeast rice is finally proud). Once the county replaces the miscellaneous grains, it should be enough to deal with the previous debt.

So after listening to Mr. Zhong's words, Hong Qi didn't panic at all.

He wiped his sweat twice and said politely: "The past few years have been bad. Thanks to Mr. Zhong's relief, people in the village say that Mr. Zhong is a kind man and will never blame Mr. Zhong."

Then he added: "I will go to the county to exchange for food in the afternoon. When I get the food in exchange, I will send it to your home tomorrow. I don't dare to trouble Master Zhong and leave again."

"Okay, okay, I believe what Lao Qi said."

Mr. Zhong Ershao nodded quickly after hearing this, as if he was very happy. The scene of returning food in front of the door seemed very harmonious for a while.

Until he stretched his hand back and said, "Bring me the account book. I know Lao Qi knows something, but it's better to face it face to face."

"Listen, in the eighth year of Chongzhen's reign, you borrowed grain from my house twice, one and a half bushels of corn and two bushels of wheat and bran. In the tenth year of Chongzhen's reign, you borrowed...the eleventh year of Chongzhen's reign..."

Second Young Master Zhong read the account in detail, then closed it and concluded: "The accumulated debts over the years plus the monthly interest that was originally determined are equivalent to nine stones plus three buckets of coarse grains, and there is also a fraction of two liters. My father said that it’s okay for the folks in the countryside, our Zhong family would rather collect less, as long as everyone can live with it..."

Hong Qi could no longer hear the rest of the words.

The "Nine Stones" reported by Er Shao Zhong was like a big stone hitting his head, making his eyes black and making him dizzy.

How is this possible?
The grain he borrowed from the Zhong family several times added up to almost one stone. He and his mother-in-law also calculated it repeatedly at home, and the amount they came up with should be returned to the Zhong family...

Hong Qi stood dumbly under the scorching sun, and said in his mouth: "...Isn't it possible to add seven buckets of stone to one stone? How could you calculate so many..."

Second Young Master Zhong chuckled and said: "Old Seven, you must not be joking. You have owed these grains for more than seven years, and you are making profits every month. This profit has been rolling in for seven years. It is not just nine stones plus three buckets." Yet?"

After finishing speaking, without waiting for Hong Qi's reply, he turned around and went to another home. As he walked, he said: "Tomorrow I will wait at home for Lao Qi to come. The county town is far away (there is no bridge, so we have to take a detour). It's best for Qi to go now, and remember to call a few more people to accompany you, so as not to be misled." Only then did Hong Qi come to his senses, and he quickly grabbed Mr. Zhong's hand and said excitedly: "But You can’t calculate it like this! One stone of grain has turned into nine stones. This is the King of Hell’s Loan that is only available in gambling houses! We are all from the countryside, how can we..."

After hearing this, Second Young Master Zhong immediately changed his expression.

He threw Hong Qi away and said with an angry look on his face: "My father felt sorry for you poor tenants and was afraid that you would starve to death before I lent you food. What happened? When I borrowed the food, everyone cried and begged. Are you going to call us the King of Hell? Hong Laoqi, I’m warning you, be careful what you say, our Zhong family values ​​reputation the most!”

At this time, many villagers had arrived in front of Hong Qi's house. They all turned pale after hearing Ershao Zhong's method of calculating food.

Hong Qi was almost knocked to the ground by this blow, but he didn't care much. He just staggered to steady his body and begged: "Young Master Zhong, you know that I have already given away the fairy rice to others, and the remaining I only have enough at home to exchange for two stones of miscellaneous grains, and I really can’t afford more!"

snort! Who made you poor and generous? Second Young Master Zhong sneered in his heart.

Moreover, Hong Qi distributed immortal rice to many people, but the Zhong family did not receive even one tael.

Mr. Zhong's smile was gone now, and he only said coldly: "The account book is written clearly in black and white, and there are your own fingerprints on it. Even if you go to the Yamen, it's our Zhong family's fault, not what you said." If you don’t come out, you don’t have to pay it back!”

Hong Qi wanted to beg for mercy a few more times, but the woman next to him was already so angry that she cried and cursed.

She cursed, "Your Zhong family has a bad reputation! You know how to push people to death. The old one in your family is nothing. The younger one is even more sinister. He walks around the village with his face covered every day... …”

She was so angry that she rushed up to scratch Mr. Zhong, but was kicked to the ground by two doglegs each.

Hong Qi went to help her, but was also slapped many times on the head and face.

After Mr. Zhong left, the mother-in-law sat on the ground and cried bitterly. As a man, Hong Qi had a twisted expression of pain.

Not because of dignity, but because the accumulated debt of nine stones and three buckets is enough to cost the lives of their family. It is not enough to replace the fairy rice with miscellaneous grains, and it will still not be enough after the autumn harvest.

If the Zhong family insists on forcing each other so hard, their family will have no other option but to starve to death.

In the evening, there is no smoke in Hongjia Village (...I know that poor people in the Ming Dynasty did not eat dinner, but this is what I want to use), and every household is shrouded in despair.

Second Young Master Zhong said that tomorrow he would bring people to collect grain from house to house. If the grain was not returned, he would move it himself.

What if you don’t move enough? Then he would take the account book to the Yamen and complain to the officials.

"The person in charge of the official's office in the county is my second uncle! If anyone dares to refuse to return the money, I will arrest his boss to see if his bones are stronger or the yamen's board is stronger." Er Shao Zhong said.

(End of this chapter)