Chapter 19 Two Poor Guys

"The market price for ginseng that's around 50 years old is about 1,000 taels. How about 600 taels for half of that?"

"Although my official rank is not high and my salary barely covers half a year's pay, I will receive a resettlement allowance when I am transferred at the end of the year. Can you accept payment on credit?"

...

Watching Magistrate Xiao, the head of the county, haggle with him, Song Jin's lips twitched; he felt utterly exasperated.

"You are the county magistrate, after all."

Magistrate Xiao stroked his non-existent beard, a hint of melancholy in his voice: "Five children in the family."

Unable to save money

Of course, compared to ordinary people, his life was far better. Most ordinary people's family expenses were only ten or twenty taels a year, so his was already very good.

Magistrate Xiao was quite easygoing, though a little short of cash: "How about you calculate the interest for me? Consider it a loan, and I'll give you a discount since we're old acquaintances."

Even without a discount, at the current low annual interest rate of 20%, he still wouldn't be able to afford it.

Song Jin fell into a deep silence, then looked at the dark circles under Magistrate Xiao's eyes and couldn't help but sigh, "Being a magistrate isn't easy these days."

Magistrate Xiao thought bitterly, "Who can argue with that?"

Just as the two were about to start complaining about their damn job, Magistrate Xiao remembered that there was someone standing next to him. He coughed lightly and explained to himself...

"My wife suffered a difficult childbirth when she gave birth to our fifth child, which damaged her health. She has been ill for many years and needs various precious medicines to nourish her, which has been quite costly."

It wasn't that he was deliberately complaining about not having enough salary.

The salaries of officials in the current dynasty were not much different from those of the previous dynasty, but the expenses for welcoming and sending off officials were much higher, ensuring that officials would not be strapped for cash when transferred and that they could cope with some unexpected events.

The mobility of officials in this dynasty is also much better than in the past, which has eliminated opportunities for those local bullies in county and prefectural government.

Of course, this method has both advantages and disadvantages; it all depends on the individual.

Overall, in the twenty years since the establishment of the new dynasty, all aspects have flourished, the people's lives have improved, and the country has enjoyed prosperity and peace.

Qi Zheng, who had been traveling the world with his master since childhood, had seen a lot about this. He used to be quite impressed when people talked about it, but now, hearing Magistrate Xiao boast about it, he felt a little embarrassed.

It's all our own achievement, so let's keep a low profile.

Qi Zheng's mind was filled with countless thoughts, but his face remained cold, solemn, and inscrutable. He nodded.

"Lord Xiao has sacrificed a great deal for the people and the country. When I return, I will certainly report this truthfully to the Emperor and let him know of your contributions."

"..."

"Don't say things with that expression!" Magistrate Xiao's heart skipped a beat. Had his transfer fallen through, or had it fallen through, or had it fallen through?

Qi Zheng didn't think too much about it. He genuinely felt that Magistrate Xiao had done a good job. He had been personally handling everything during this period, and even though it was partly due to Qi Zheng's presence, judging from how the people around him seemed to take it for granted, he knew that Magistrate Xiao was always like this.

Thinking of this, Qi Zheng recalled the words his not-so-familiar father had spoken to him before he set off. He paused, and under Magistrate Xiao's apprehension, said...

"I'll buy this ginseng and give it to Lord Xiao; he's worked hard these past few days."

Magistrate Xiao was greatly surprised, then hurriedly waved his hands: "No, no, this is all my duty, you mustn't have to spend so much money, sir..."

Seeing that the meat that was about to be in his mouth was about to be pushed away, Song Jin pushed the man away, then shoved the ginseng into Qi Zheng's hand, grinning with her big white teeth.

"I'll give you a friendly price of one thousand. In good years, this thing can sell for one thousand three or four thousand."

Qi Zheng naturally understood; he had bought it before, which completely wiped out his savings of many years, even forcing him to work outside to earn money.

But now, after he was recognized and returned to his family, in addition to his fiefdom, shops, and manor, he also received his full salary for the past twenty years, as well as his mother's dowry.

He's become ridiculously rich now; taking out a thousand taels is like taking out a hundred coins. The two completed the transaction in the blink of an eye.

Song Jin: Oh yeah, now that we've helped the court fleece them, it'll be even easier to ask them questions later.

Qi Zheng: Yeah, this is the money his dad gave him as a tip before he left, it doesn't matter.

One was expressionless, the other laughing and joking, but both had dark, unfathomable eyes. In their confrontation, they could both sense the aura emanating from the other.

He is an expert

But it has nothing to do with her/her.

In the blink of an eye, the two changed their minds and looked away, so quickly that Magistrate Xiao hadn't even had time to react before he had gotten a ginseng for free.

He was shocked and terrified, then tears welled up in his eyes, and he knelt down in awe, bowing towards the direction of the capital.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Your humble servant will do his utmost to continue to share the Emperor's burdens and ensure that the people live a good life..."

Magistrate Xiao's sudden action caused Song Jin and Qi Zheng to simultaneously take two steps back, exchanging glances with the same shock and embarrassment.

Song Jin coughed lightly, feigning seriousness as she added, "His Majesty is truly a great man, a wise and benevolent ruler. We are so fortunate to have met him."

She was reckless, not stupid. In this era where imperial power reigned supreme, the emperor was everything. Regardless of what happened behind the scenes, one had to publicly support him.

And he truly was a wise ruler. If they had encountered a foolish ruler like those of the previous dynasty who held imperial concubine selections every day, Song Jin felt that she and her mother would have no choice but to retreat to the mountains and become wild people.

Qi Zheng wasn't used to this kind of situation either, but it wouldn't be good to remain silent. So, with a blank expression, he hummed in response.

It's really insincere.

Being a prince is amazing.

It's really amazing.

Song Jin pursed her lips, crossed her arms, and watched the endless argument with Magistrate Xiao. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, her eyebrows became more arrogant, and she leaned closer to Qi Zheng, drawing out her words.

"Lord Qi, I still have a century-old ginseng that I've been keeping secret."

Magistrate Xiao, who had been kneeling earnestly, scrambled to his feet, clutching his back, which he had nearly strained.

"No, this is really unacceptable! Song Jin, are you never going to stop?"

Song Jin scoffed, "You're overthinking it. This century-old ginseng is a real treasure, a lifesaver in a pinch. I've only had one in all these years. There aren't many buyers in our small county. I thought Lord Qi was generous and could afford it, and I could also do him a favor."

Magistrate Xiao couldn't help but glare at her. Was this how you casually offer a favor? She was truly a handful.

He quickly said, "Lord Qi, please don't take offense. She's always been straightforward, and her words can be offensive. Please don't hold it against her."

Qi Zheng hummed in agreement, his fingers twitching slightly at the side of the hammer: "How much silver?"

"Lord Qi is so magnanimous!" Under Magistrate Xiao's disappointed gaze, Song Jin chuckled and held up one finger.

"A century-old ginseng is priceless and unavailable. When truly needed, it's worth tens of thousands of taels of silver, but I've never heard of it costing less than that."

Ten thousand taels of silver is an astronomical sum for ordinary people, but for these scions of noble families and royalty, it's nothing more than a drop in the ocean. After all, they often spend lavishly on so-called ancient paintings and antiques, let alone life-saving medicine.

These days, resources are plentiful, and there are many old ginseng roots deep in the mountains, but ordinary people simply can't get in. Not to mention the ferocious beasts and poisonous insects, the steep cliffs and slopes are so dangerous that most people can only stand there helplessly.

Song Jin felt she had been very honest; her ginseng was a genuine century-old ginseng, well over a hundred years old. If it weren't for wanting to build a relationship, she really wouldn't have been interested in those ten thousand or twenty thousand taels of silver.

She has no extravagant hobbies and doesn't spend money at all.

To her surprise, Qi Zheng didn't immediately hand over his money, as she had thought. Instead, he visibly struggled, as if making a difficult decision.

After a long while, he looked at Song Jin with his dark eyes, his lips tightened, and with a serious expression, he held up two fingers to make an eight.

? ? ?

"That's impossible! This is a century-old ginseng, not a century-old radish!" Song Jin's eyes widened, and she refused without hesitation. "Eight thousand is nothing! No way! At least nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine!"

She's not short of money, nor is she a sucker.

Qi Zheng remained silent, staring at her with his head down. This made Magistrate Xiao, standing nearby, tense, wanting to remind Song Jin that the person before her was not someone to be trifled with.

Eight thousand is eight thousand. They're already being generous by paying you; stop haggling.

Qi Zheng spoke again: "Eight thousand eight."

Song Jin grinded his teeth: "Nine thousand nine."

Qi Zheng: "Eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight"

Song Jin: "Nine thousand six hundred and sixty-six"

...

What started as a calm conversation quickly turned into a fierce battle of wits, their eyes even changing.

Unfortunately, one person genuinely wanted to buy, while the other genuinely wanted to sell.

Finally, Qi Zheng negotiated the price down to 9,222, a price so low that no one could possibly associate him with a prince.

Which prince haggles when buying things?

Song Jin took a deep breath, then another, and finally glared fiercely at the man who was half a head taller than her. Even his handsome face didn't look appealing anymore.

She gritted her teeth, the voice escaping through them: "Fine, let's go."

I ran into two penniless people as soon as I came out. What bad luck!

She was unhappy, but Qi Zheng was. When traveling the world, bargaining is an essential skill. He slightly curled the corners of his mouth, took out some money from his pocket, and handed it over.

"...I didn't bring it with me when I went out," Song Jin pouted, wondering to herself if going back on her word now would offend someone.

Magistrate Xiao finally had a chance to speak. He grabbed the restless Song Jin and glared at her, saying, "If you didn't bring it, just go back and get it. It's no big deal. Go get the things tomorrow, and we'll exchange money for goods. I'll be the witness. Are you both at ease?"

Qi Zheng nodded. He was able to buy the goods today because of Magistrate Xiao, so he was naturally relieved.

Song Jin curled her lip; she now felt that Magistrate Xiao had been corrupted by power and looked completely unreliable.

Magistrate Xiao smiled: "Song Jin, bring it tomorrow, understand?"

"Fine, fine, tomorrow it is," Song Jin waved her hand impatiently, then her eyes lit up and she grinned, "But you have to pay for my travel expenses, right? My mule needs feed to make the round trip."

Qi Zheng glanced at her mercenary and vulgar demeanor and could imagine how horrified the people of the capital would be when they saw her.

He said, "Let me go back with you."

Song Jin immediately became alert: "What are you doing? Let me tell you, my family doesn't have any extras."

Furthermore, it can't be this cheap. Who cares if he's a prince or not? As long as he doesn't admit it, he's just an official from the capital, which won't affect her much.

Qi Zheng was pretty sure that she was the one who eavesdropped outside that day and got beaten up by Song Xingzhi, but since it had little to do with him, he pretended not to know.

However, since he had indeed taken advantage of the young girl today, he reminded her, "One is enough, but my companion, Lord Song, went to your place, and I happen to need to see him, so let's go together."

"Damn idiot!" Song Jin's expression changed, and he cursed under his breath before running away as fast as he could.

Magistrate Qi Zheng: ...

They heard nothing.