Idle courtiers

Chapter 38 Crisis
Zhou Nan didn't know about other dynasties, but as far as he knew about the Ming Dynasty.A family needs to invest a lot of resources if it wants to confess a son who is famous and even able to become an official in the end.

First of all, when a child is six years old, he has to be invited to study in a private school, which costs a few taels of silver every year. The sum of books, pens and ink is also a considerable expense.Of course, this is only at the level of being blinded by improper reading and literacy. If you want to test your fame, you have to invite a famous teacher to enlighten you.This tuition fee has to be multiplied by ten.

This is still the beginning. After a few years of study, you will have to travel around and exchange ideas with your classmates, increase your knowledge, accumulate scholarly contacts, and prepare for future studies and official positions.This expenditure can be huge, plus the annual children's examination of the county, government and hospital.Every three years to go to the provincial capital for the provincial examination, to go to the capital for the general examination and palace examination, the travel expenses are simply astronomical, and people who are not wealthy can't afford it.

If children from poor families want to study, they have to raise the strength of the whole family to support them.Of course, once you become an official, you have to give back to the village, and you will never pay off this debt of favor in your life.When people in the clan are unreasonable and make irrational demands, even if you are the chief assistant, there is nothing you can do.

Li Zhi, a university student in the Ming Dynasty, couldn't stand being tormented by his clansmen so much that he ceased to be an official.

"Yes, 300 taels, not too much, not too much." Sister Su took out a few pieces of paper from her sleeve and put them on the table, suddenly they were five or six IOUs.The above date, the amount borrowed, and the signature and painting are all available.A good brush calligraphy, which was considered good in the Ming Dynasty, but it is still not as good as Zhou Nan. ,

He said again: "I invite Weng Xiucai to come here today. Firstly, I am a woman and Taoist family, so it is inappropriate to meet you alone. Secondly, I would like to invite Weng Xiucai to be a witness."

"It's not mine." Zhou Nan denied it, "It's not my handwriting either. If you don't believe me, I'll write a few words for you."

He is not interested in helping solve the stall that Zhou Xiucai set up.Anyway, my handwriting is completely different from that of the dead ghost Zhou Xiucai before, so these few IOUs will naturally become waste paper.Even if you make trouble in the sky, don't be afraid.Haha I'm such a genius.

But Weng Chun smiled sarcastically: "I forgot, Zhou Dianli used to be a famous scholar. Scholars in my generation are good at running cursive script, seal script, Yan Liu Ouchu, and anyone can write two or three fonts. You are right. It's really naive. Even if you don't recognize it, it's okay, these IOUs are all fingerprinted, and it will be clear after one pair. Zhou Dianli, why don't we go to the yamen and talk about it?"

Hearing this, Zhou Nan's complexion changed drastically, and he secretly groaned in his heart: I forgot about the handprint, this thing can't be faked, even if I want to deny it.Back then, Zhou Xiucai took part in the last boy's examination and won the title of scholar, but he left a file in the school office.Take a pair of handprints on the "examination admission ticket" from that year, and my Xibei product will be exposed.At that time, I am afraid that I will inevitably be sent back to Liaodong... No, I will be beheaded for the crime of occupying other people's widows.

Xin let out a cry of bad luck, and shouted: "Sister Su, Weng Chun, what are you going to do?"

"What else can I do, pay back the money!" Weng Chun swung open the fan and shook it triumphantly.

Zhou Nan's heart tightened, and he said: "Okay, even if this IOU is mine, I will accept it. However, I don't have any money at hand right now, so I will talk about it later when I have it."

300 taels of silver is not a small sum. Converted to the RMB of later generations based on the price of rice, it is more than 20 yuan.In the mid-Ming Dynasty, prices were low, and ordinary people could eat well for two or three taels of silver a month.This week, Xiucai didn't know how to spend so much money outside.Looking at how poor this family is, it can be seen that this person is also a disregard for his family.

He calculated in his mind and came to an unlucky conclusion.Even if I count all the gray income every month, it can't exceed the income of six taels of silver at most. If I don't eat or drink with Yunniang, it will take three or four years to pay off.

"In the future, what will be the future/" Weng Chun yelled angrily: "Zhou Nan, you have delayed this account for ten years, and you must not delay it any longer. Seeing that you have nothing valuable in this house, even if you are forced, You can't force anything now. In this way, I will give you ten days, after ten days..."

"What about ten days later?" Zhou Nan saw that he was getting more and more unpleasant. Sister Su didn't say anything, but you jumped eight feet high and wanted to be the vanguard: "Weng Xiucai, your surname seems to be Weng!" Isn’t your surname Mei? Who are you from the Mei family, and what qualifications do you have to speak on behalf of the Mei family?”

Weng Chun: "The road is uneven, and others will shovel it. Those of us who read the books of sages naturally want to maintain the public order and good customs of society, and naturally we must punish villains like you."

"Shut up, Weng Chun, you are not the son-in-law of the Mei family yet. Second Miss Mei is such a fairy-like character, how could she be willing to continue the strings for you. Who are you going to show yourself as a clown today? If your evil appearance at this moment In the eyes of Second Miss Mei, I'm afraid you will be regarded as an ugly person. A gentleman is as gentle as jade, I think it's better for you not to act like a shrew."

Yesterday Weng Chun came to ask about Gaisang's list with a bad attitude. After coming down, Zhou Nan didn't dare to be careless, and asked people in the yamen who were familiar with the local people's conditions.Only then did I find out that Weng Chun came to ask for the list because he was asking for a job from the Mei family.

Weng Chun is the head of all the scholars in the county school. He has a small talent and reputation, and he thinks he is romantic and unrestrained.Ever since his wife's death, he has been thinking about marrying this beautiful woman, Miss Mei Er, as a way of getting a large dowry.

Originally, Weng Chun was successful in his studies, so he might not be able to get a job title in the future, and the Mei family was also a little tempted.It's just that I'm upset that Weng Xiucai is the second marriage head, and it's a bit of a loss for my daughter to marry.Just put this matter aside and don't mention it.

Seeing that the Mei family did not directly reject him, Weng Chun was even more concerned. He ran towards the Mei family every three days, and was keen to participate in the elegant collection poetry meeting held by Miss Mei Er.

This time, the county has changed rice to mulberry, targeting large households, especially those that do not rely mainly on field harvests.No matter how you look at it, the Mei family is the most suitable candidate, and members of Mei also feel that they cannot escape.

Mr. Mei’s family has thousands of acres of fertile land, but his main business is to contract the shipping from Andong on the Huaihe River to the sea. Thousands of taels of silver are recorded in the account every year. Garden does not affect life.

But the members of Mei didn't do it!Even though sparrows are small, they are still meat, so they can harvest some grain.All of them are changed to mulberry trees, and the benefits will not be seen within two or three years.Besides, is the water and soil in Huaibei suitable for planting mulberry trees and raising silkworms?

Moreover, there is a huge risk in planting all mulberry trees for silkworm rearing. In the future, when there is output, the raw silk will be purchased and sold to the emperor's old son in exchange for money to enrich the internal funds and the national treasury.The greediness of the officials of the Ming Dynasty, as an old Jianghu, he knows best, but don't throw a few copper coins at will and send you away, and you have nowhere to cry.

Mei Yuanwai was poor when he was a teenager, and he cared about money very closely.Now that I have struggled all my life to earn such a big business, I naturally focus on stability.It is best not to participate in government affairs.

It just so happened that Weng Chun dangled in front of him all day long, making him flustered.As soon as my heart moved, I asked him to help inquire about this matter.

In the future, the father-in-law will call for help, so he will naturally run faster.Weng Chun found Zhou Nan directly, but ended up having a bad nose with Zhou Nan, and the two turned against each other.

When we met Yuanwai Mei, he naturally couldn't avoid provoking discord for a long time, and said that Zhou Nan's list must be the Mei family.He is now favored by the county lord, and he drew up this list.If this thief is not taken down, the Mei family may have a hard time going through this level.

At this time, Sister Su took out the IOU written by Zhou Xiucai, saying that the money could be recovered.Come to think of it, Zhou Nan couldn't afford so much money, and was about to use this excuse to keep him from staying in the yamen.So Weng Chun volunteered and went to Zhoujiazhuang with Sister Su.

"If I can help the Mei family manage Zhou Nan this time, the member Mei will marry the second lady to me as soon as he is happy. Haha, it will not be a matter of hugging the beauty at that time. With the financial resources of the Mei family, no matter how many times I have to marry One hundred acres of good fertile land, right? Man, we must look for every opportunity to save 20 years of hard work.” Weng Chun had a good idea.

Hearing Zhou Nan say that he was running away, Weng Chun's face turned red, and he shouted: "You thief Xu, don't use the newness of a villain to save a gentleman's belly."

Zhou Nan shouted: "Weng Chun, today is my business with the Mei family and has nothing to do with you. Get out immediately, otherwise, don't blame me for being rude."

Weng Chun continued to scold, but Sister Su said: "Mr. Weng, please go out and wait. I will just say a few words and leave after finishing speaking."

When Weng Chun went out, Sister Su said: "Just now, Weng Xianggong is what I mean, and it is also what our Mei family means. Ten days, if you pay me back within ten days, I will give you the IOU. Otherwise..." She leisurely said, with a sneer on his lips.

"How about otherwise?"

"Otherwise, don't blame my Mei family for not showing affection. If you don't have money to pay back, it's fine. You can use your wife to pay off the debt. Your wife is pretty good. I'll make the decision, and it will be worth 300 taels." Just now Zhou Nan looked at Yunniang's The eyes were full of tenderness, for some reason, a strong anger suddenly surged in Sister Su's heart, and jealousy made her almost go crazy.

"What, you!" Zhou Nan clenched his fists tightly, his eyes seemed to burst into flames: "How dare you?"

Sister Su said indifferently: "I have nothing to dare. I owe money to repay the money. I have no money to sell my sons and daughters to pay for it. If I don't have children and sell my wife, I have to give the creditor a satisfactory explanation." After finishing speaking, she sarcastically said: He giggled and said, "As for you selling your wife to me and what I do with her, you don't care about that. Also, you're just a little clerk, so what can you do. Things in the world can't get rid of a reason." Literally, even if you report it to the Yamen, Shizhi County will not be able to protect you, and maybe you will not be able to protect your job as a teacher."

Zhou Nan shouted in a low voice: "That's right, I can't do anything against you. Don't forget, I have been serving as a military officer in Liaodong for ten years. I have never seen such a vicious person. Whoever dares to touch my wife, I will learn from you." The Wusong who beat the tiger in "Water Margin" came to a blood-splattered mandarin duck building."

(End of this chapter)