Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

Chen Siwu?

Xie Xian squinted, carefully recalling.

He didn't seem to have heard the name before in his memory.

Moreover, even his appearance was very unfamiliar.

So he tentatively asked, "Have we met before?"

Chen Siwu chuckled, "You haven't seen me, but I've seen you! I've seen both of you!"

"Back then, I was a refugee fleeing disaster! Didn't you often hang around with Lord Fang! I saw you on the street!"

"Lord Fang has been very kind to me! May I ask... has Lord Fang come too?"

Xie Xian and Zhou Tie suddenly understood.

So he was a refugee, no wonder.

Xie Xian smiled and shook his head: "He didn't come. Lord Fang is in the capital. Perhaps there will be a chance to come again in the future."

Hearing this, a trace of disappointment appeared on Chen Siwu's face.

"Hey, shopkeeper, your business is not bad. You were a refugee before, and now you've opened your own small shop!" Xie Xian praised.

Upon hearing this, Chen Siwu instantly became happy again.

He looked at his simple tea stall with a proud face.

Inside, there were also two malnourished helpers busily serving tea to the customers.

"Speaking of which, this is all thanks to Lord Fang! He gave me fifty taels of silver back then, which gave me the capital to open a tea stall."

Xie Xian asked: "How is life now? Are you making money?"

Chen Siwu laughed again: "Making money! I can be considered to have turned over a new leaf now!!"

Thinking back, he was initially very happy working at the Sun family.

But as time went on, he naturally had higher demands for his life.

But before his salary could increase, his reputation as a [Quality Laborer] no longer impressed people.

As he got older, no matter how hard he worked, he couldn't compete with young men in their twenties.

The Sun family's steward was very shrewd and immediately helped him lower his wages.

Later, he became bored and chose to slack off at the construction site.

But after all, it was a construction site, with supervisors, and it was very strict, so there was no way to slack off!

Fortunately, he still had the fifty taels of silver that Fang Zhengzhi had rewarded him with back then.

He gritted his teeth and said to hell with it, I quit!

He didn't get overtime pay and had to pay the Sun family fifty copper coins for the damage to his work clothes. He went out to start his own business!

Fortunately, the workers usually gathered together to chat, so he was very aware of their needs.

These laborers usually wanted to drink some thirst-quenching and refreshing tea.

But where could they find a tea stall in a place full of dust?

So! Chen Siwu boldly started his own tea stall!

He rented a piece of vacant land for two taels of silver a month, and it didn't cost much money to get a large pile of inferior tea, which he brewed in a large vat.

When the workers came, they could drink as much as they wanted for two copper coins! Unlimited refills!

Although the profit was small, he had already started to make a little bit of money. Later, of course, he added some higher quality tea.

Xie Xian was also very pleased to hear that he was making money, and encouraged him: "Good! Although your tea stall is small, the price is fair and affordable, and your business will definitely grow bigger and bigger in the future!"

Chen Siwu happily smiled and said: "Oh, thank you for your kind words!" But then he began to sigh again: "Alas, it's a pity that Lord Fang didn't come."

"You don't know, after Lord Fang left, we laborers suffered a lot."

Hearing this, Zhou Tie slammed the table: "What? Our Lord Fang ordered that refugees should not be abused. How dare anyone bully people after he left?"

Chen Siwu immediately complained: "That's right!"

"The first two months after Lord Fang left were fine, but after that. Those dog landlords started to reduce our wages."

Xie Xian frowned and asked: "If they reduce your wages, why don't you go work for another family? Could it be that they have united?"

"No! It's because our workers are asking for too little! You don't know, because the school outside the city offers free education for children under twelve years old, word spread, and many people from other places came for this!"

"Think about it, so many people suddenly poured into the city just for their children to attend school for free and have food to eat. Their demands on themselves are not so high."

"Later, those landlords who were hiring only provided two meals a day, and some people were willing to work, so no one could get wages."

After listening to Chen Siwu's complaint, Zhou Tie raised his eyes to look at Xie Xian.

"We didn't handle things properly... What should we do?"

Xie Xian looked at the workers who were still occasionally busy on the street and said: "We acted hastily at the beginning, which is inevitable. Now that we're here, it seems we have to find a way to solve it. Shopkeeper, how much do you pay your two helpers a month?"

"What wages? Two meals a day, take it or leave it!"

"........"

Xie Xian looked speechlessly at the honest and simple Chen Siwu.

You opened a shabby tea stall, and you're no different from the dog landlords you're talking about....

Seeing that the two of them were not speaking, Chen Siwu took the initiative to say: "I just heard you two talking about salt smugglers... Do you want to buy smuggled salt?"

Zhou Tie and Xie Xian immediately exchanged surprised glances.

There was an unexpected gain!

Xie Xian quickly asked in a low voice: "That's right! Do you know where to buy smuggled salt?"

"I don't know."

"........"

Chen Siwu raised his head, recalling, and then hesitantly said: "There really isn't any now. You can't buy it anywhere!"

"You could buy it before. When I worked at the Sun family, I saw the Sun family buying smuggled salt!"

"There were many of us workers at that time, and we had no energy to work without salt."

"The Sun family was reluctant to give us salt, and later, seeing that we were not working hard, they had to buy more salt. I saw him secretly with that salt smuggler, and I knew he must be buying smuggled salt!"

"At that time, I went to the Sun family to collect my wages, and when I came out, I saw the steward with that person at the corner. At that time, there was a cartload of salt, and the steward even tasted it and said the goods were good."

Zhou Tie scratched his head and asked: "How are you sure it was smuggled salt?"

"I saw that the guy selling salt went to the Fenghua Brothel! I saw him on the street several times! Could someone selling official salt be so rich and blatant?"

"Who doesn't know that Shopkeeper Xie's Fenghua Brothel is a den of dissipation? You wouldn't dare to even glance inside without a few thousand taels."

Xie Xian waved his hands repeatedly and laughed: "Not that much, not that much, it's not that expensive."

"In that case, do you know that person?"

It seemed that things had suddenly taken a turn for the better, and Xie Xian was in a great mood!

"I can recognize him if I see him!" Chen Siwu patted his chest and guaranteed.

"Good! Then can I trouble Shopkeeper Chen to do me a favor and stay at the Fenghua Brothel for a few days to recognize this person. You don't have to open your tea stall, and I'll compensate you for any losses!"

Chen Siwu chuckled: "No need, no need! This kind of small thing, I know you're helping Lord Fang, and being able to enter the Fenghua Brothel is worth more than anything!"

Xie Xian and Zhou Tie burst into laughter.

"Shopkeeper Chen is being too polite! The money that should be given still needs to be given. I have to write a letter to Lord Fang to introduce a talent like you!"

Introduce him to Lord Fang!?

Chen Siwu was overjoyed! He turned his head and shouted behind him: "Tiedan! Tea! Serve the fragrant tea!"

"You two can drink as much as you want! Drink to your heart's content! It's on me today! Please, Shopkeeper Xie, say a few good words for me!"

Xie Xian smiled dumbly. He didn't expect this old man to be so ambitious at his age.

"Don't worry, it's a small matter! You don't have to be so polite. I think your Stomach Cleansing Detox Tea is not bad. I haven't even heard of this tea in the capital. What kind of tea is this?"

Chen Siwu rubbed his hands, his face showing embarrassment, and he seemed very hesitant.

Finally, seeing Xie Xian and the other's curious eyes fixed on him, he gritted his teeth and said in a low voice: "It's nothing... it's just... a little... a little bit of laxative..."

"........"

"Damn it!"

Xie Xian's face suddenly collapsed, and he slowly put down the teacup that he had already brought to his mouth.

And Zhou Tie's face was already green.....