Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Chapter 139
  Jia Cong sold five lots of 5 taels in a row, all of which were sold at around 10 million taels, with the highest even reaching 380 million.

The salt merchants were a little impulsive, thinking that millions of dollars would be gone in the blink of an eye. They finally calmed down, stopped wasting money, and began to bid slowly.

Seeing that it was almost done, the eight major salt merchants hurriedly joined the fight and pushed up the price.

In the next dozen or so lots, the average price was more than 280 million, and the price stabilized. After all, the money of salt merchants did not fall from the sky.

The auction continues, it is simple and crude, just to see who has more money and who is more ruthless!
  Jia Cong made a rough calculation in his mind and realized that he had already made a lot of money today. He couldn't help but smile. Seeing his expression, the salt merchants all felt bitter in their hearts. This time, Mr. Cong had taken away nearly all the wealth of the salt merchants for decades. Half done.

Jia Cong looked at the sky and saw that it was almost noon. He smiled and said: "Everyone, it's getting late. I can already smell the aroma of wine and food at Mr. Jiang's house. I won't do it anymore. I have the last three hands left. Everyone. Be careful."

"First hand, 20 yuan."

Everyone was refreshed and hurriedly called out the price, and the price was as high as 620 million.

The last two lots had a total of 40 yuan, but everyone seemed to be unable to keep up, so they were sold for 550 million and 570 million respectively.

Seeing the clerk distribute the nest copies to everyone, Jia Cong smiled and said: "Now that the nest copies have been distributed, merchants who have not bought the nest copies, please come to the Zhuyun Pavilion to have tea. Cong will come over later and have something to say."

Although the bidding just now was fierce, it was ultimately the business of the dozens of salt merchants with strong capital. The remaining one or two hundred smaller salt merchants had long been scared off by the sky-high prices of millions of silver. They dared to speak out and could only watch indifferently. Watching the nest being carved up by the predators.

Now that he was being led elsewhere to drink tea again, his heart suddenly felt cold, but after hearing what Jia Cong had to say, he still felt warm in his heart.

As soon as more than a hundred people left, the lobby suddenly seemed empty. The thirty or forty people present were the new generation of Lianghuai bosses. The new big salt merchants looked around and greeted each other with satisfaction.

After all, the eight major salt merchants are time-honored brands with strong foundations. The eight of them together accounted for 300 million nests, and the rest accounted for 200 million in total.

"Everyone, are you satisfied?" Jia Cong said with a smile.

"Thanks to Third Master, we have gained a little bit." Everyone cupped their hands and said with a smile. Although I have spent a lot of money today, as long as I have a nest egg in hand, it will only be a matter of time before I make it back.

Jia Cong nodded and said: "We've finished handing out the nest books. It's time to take the salt class next year as well." This was as it should be, and everyone was mentally prepared.

"I heard that the government now collects and distributes salt uniformly. I don't know how to handle the salt class." Everyone asked hurriedly.

"In the past, when you went to collect salt at home, you were taxed 3 taels per salt. Now when you go to the salt field to pick up salt, you only need to take the salt and carry it away. You no longer have to pay for salt, so an additional sum must be given to the salt people. The salary. Now the salt class is worth 4 taels of silver for every salt lesson. How do you think about it?" Jia Cong said.

Everyone has an account in their mind. A pound of salt weighs about 200 kilograms. If it sells for 50 Wen per kilogram, it can be sold for about seven taels of silver. After excluding the tax of 4 taels of silver, there is still a lot of profit. If you add some sand, weigh it and then deduct it. Then secretly get some private salt and buy it together to make more money.

"Thank you for the generosity of the Yanyuan Yamen. We have no objection and will pay taxes in full."

"Okay, within three days, pay the full deposit, deposit money and salt tax to the Yanyuan Yamen. If you don't arrive on time, you will be considered as insulting the Saltyyuan and disrupting the salt affairs, and you will be severely punished without credit!"

"We don't dare. We will pay on time." Everyone hurriedly bowed.

When Jia Cong saw that it was almost done, he said: "Master Xu, I leave this to you. I also want to go to the Zhuyun Pavilion."

"Brother, just go ahead, I'm here." Xu Qing said with a smile.

Jia Cong nodded and led a group of petty officials there.
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  In the Zhuyun Pavilion, many small and medium-sized salt merchants were waiting anxiously, gathering in groups to try to figure out what Mr. Cong meant.

"Everyone, what do you mean when you say Mr. Cong asked me to wait?"

"No matter what it means, there is no meat to eat anyway. Why do you think I will spend money to buy this thing?" One person patted the salt industry access certificate in his hand.

"Yeah, I didn't get a penny from the nest, so what's the use of giving me a voucher? If we just work as slaves and do hard work for the big salt merchants like before, why do we need this thing?" Another person sighed. .

"If you don't want it, it's too late to retreat now." A clear voice came from outside the door, and Jia Cong walked in with a smile.

"Hey, I've met Mr. Cong." Everyone laughed and bowed their hands in greeting. "Who said the voucher was useless just now?" Jia Cong raised his eyes and everyone did not dare to look at him and hurriedly lowered their heads.

"I have already said that the salt industry is all voluntary. If you don't want to operate this industry, why buy a voucher? If anyone doesn't want it, there is no harm in withdrawing and letting the officials develop it now, so that everyone will not feel that they have suffered a loss."

Everyone hurriedly said: "We don't have such intention, but we don't know what the third master means, and we hope that the third master can show his kindness."

Jia Cong nodded, walked to the front and sat down on the Grand Master's chair, waved his hand to invite everyone to sit down, and said: "You have been eating salt for several lifetimes, so you are naturally proficient in all the twists and turns in the salt industry."

Everyone laughed together and said repeatedly: "Don't dare, don't dare."

Jia Cong smiled and waved his hand, saying: "There is no need to be too modest. The salt industry is like a steel scale. The big salt merchants holding their nests stand on the scale and eat a lot. If there is no weight to hold it down, how can this steel scale be used? Don’t want to turn over anymore?”

Everyone came back to their senses and asked, "What does Third Master mean by the way of balance?"

Jia Cong smiled and said: "You are indeed shrewd, and you can tell the truth with just one point. No wonder you have earned such a big fortune. The Salt Academy wants you to be the weight."

When everyone saw the turn of events, they felt happy and hurriedly said: "Please tell me clearly, Third Master."

Jia Cong said: "The Salt Institute is planning to establish a joint government-salt chamber of commerce. It has three purposes. First, if a salt merchant in a certain place hoards salt and drives up the price of salt, it will help the government sell salt and stabilize the price of salt.

Second, if there is a shortage of salt in a certain place, the price of salt is low, and the freight consumption is high, so that no one is willing to sell salt, they still need to help the government transport salt and sell salt. That is to say, at a specific time, with special approval from the Salt Institute, no one can sell salt. You can also sell salt if you need a nest, and the Salt Institute will also provide certain subsidies.

The third was to set up a private private salt inspection team to help the Yanzheng Yamen crack down on illegal salt and kill salt lords. The Salt Institute will take 3% of the salt, stolen money and stolen goods, and the Chamber of Commerce will take 7%. "

Everyone was overjoyed, and after a little calculation in their minds, they felt that there was a lot to be done. According to the urine of the big salt merchants, it would be strange not to raise the price severely due to the heavy bleeding, and illegal salt was also banned repeatedly. Salt lords, big or small, were everywhere, and they hurriedly said: "We are willing to join this chamber of commerce and ask for mercy from Third Master."

Jia Cong smiled and said: "Don't be busy, I haven't finished talking yet, but joining this chamber of commerce is not free. You have to pay membership fees to the Salt Institute. The membership fees will be calculated based on one-tenth of the salt industry certificate in your hand. For example, if you have a certificate of 10 citations, you must pay a membership fee of 1 silver a year; for example, if you have a certificate of 50 citations, you must pay a membership fee of 5 silver a year."

"Then I won't suffer a loss if I wait for the 50 voucher?" someone asked.

Jia Cong smiled and said: "You are all big businessmen. Don't you know that you get what you pay for? How can you suffer a loss?"

Everyone laughed. Mr. Cong, a master of the family, talked about business matters very clearly.

"Please give me some advice, Mr. Third." Several middle-level salt merchants said hurriedly. They all had 50 vouchers in their hands.

Jia Cong smiled and said: "Which of you has a certificate of 50 yuan?"

"I."

"I."

……

Immediately, six middle-level salt merchants came out, and their wealth was quite rich. However, they just hesitated for a moment, and they missed the opportunity and didn't get a single cent.

"Let me ask, is there anyone who doesn't want to join the association? You can leave now." Jia Cong said.

Naturally, no one left, and they all missed their home base. If they missed the Chamber of Commerce again, it would be completely over.

"Okay, in that case, I have decided that the six of you will be the six heads of the Chamber of Commerce." Jia Cong said.

"I wonder what the meeting leader means?" The six people asked hurriedly. It would be boring if he was an empty-headed official.

(End of this chapter)