Chapter 51: Flowers are Clean

"It's getting late, we should leave! Sir Hu, please give us a warrant to leave the city." Su Bucheng stood up.

"No problem, no problem!" County Magistrate Hu said politely.

After the Jiangdong plow issue was settled, County Magistrate Hu gained some confidence. He originally wanted to talk for a while longer, but unfortunately the timing was not right, so he could only find another opportunity next time.

Su Bucheng and his entourage bid farewell to County Magistrate Hu and boarded an ox cart heading for the city gate.

Zhang San's face was bruised, he screamed the loudest and was hit the hardest.

Li Si was horrified when he saw his friend's miserable condition.

None of them spoke, and only after they had safely left the city with County Magistrate Hu's warrant did they breathe a sigh of relief.

"Wow..." Zhang San, who was already old, sobbed as if he had survived a disaster.

"I'm sorry! I've caused you to be implicated." Su Bucheng apologized deeply. "Here's two hundred coins to calm you down!"

"Thank you, sir! No need!" Zhang San didn't dare to take it.

If Su Bucheng didn't take him with him when he went out, or didn't help get the ox cart back, he would be even more miserable.

Although he was hit by a few sticks, at least the ox cart was there and the people got out.

The yamen runners arrested people indiscriminately, and this cannot be blamed on Mr. Su.

After this adventure, everyone has developed a friendship of life and death, and their relationship has become much closer.

"Just take it, brother. It's not easy to support a family!" Su Bucheng forcefully stuffed the money into Zhang San's hand.

Su Bucheng felt uneasy that the honest people had suffered such misfortune because of him, and he did not want to compensate them in any way.

"Thank you, sir!" Zhang San took the money and couldn't stop crying. He cried and laughed, feeling lucky to meet a good man like Mr. Su.

"Zhang San, thanks to meeting Mr. Su!" Li Si comforted his old friend.

The two were childhood friends, grew up together, and pooled their money together to buy an ox cart to drive.

When the city was closed, he was fine. He just waited at the door of the county magistrate's house and no one bothered him.

I didn’t expect that my good brother would get into trouble. Fortunately, I met Mr. Su and we got him out together.

In this world, it is really hard for poor people to make a living!

Li Si was traumatized and never dared to enter the county town alone, for fear that he would be spotted by yamen runners one day and captured as a bandit, and no one would rescue him.

Thinking of this, Li Si decided to make friends with Su Bucheng, Su Ying and others. At least they were guests of honor of the county magistrate.

And there was the shopkeeper Zhu, who hid his secrets very well. It turned out that his grocery store belonged to the county magistrate.

From now on, whether you have anything to do or not, go and visit Shopkeeper Zhu.

If you encounter trouble, there will be someone to help you.

Fortunately, I followed the girl and the others into the city today. Now Jiang Dongli has been found, and the girl and the others are in trouble, so I have helped them invisibly.

I have made a name for myself this time, and in the future I will be able to hold my head high in front of my boss and the other shopkeepers!

I wish the shopkeeper was thinking happily.

Everyone on the road had different thoughts, but they were extremely harmonious and close.

I returned to Heifeng Township at three quarters past You. The streets were quiet and the shops were closed, a stark contrast to the bustling scene in the morning.

"Bang, bang, bang! Shopkeeper Feng, Shopkeeper Feng!" Shopkeeper Zhu knocked on the door of the grain and oil store and shouted loudly.

After a long while, footsteps were heard from inside. "Who is it?"

"It's me! Mr. Zhu next door! Open the door quickly, someone wants to buy rice!" replied the shopkeeper Zhu.

"Old Zhu?" The shop door opened a crack, and Shopkeeper Feng looked at Old Man Zhu suspiciously. Who would come to buy rice at this time?

"Boss, we are from Huanggou Village and come here to buy some rice!" Su Bucheng stepped forward.

"Is it you?" Shopkeeper Feng recognized that they were the people who had bought a lot of things at Shopkeeper Zhu's house in the morning. At that time, he envied the old man Zhu for making a big deal.

"Yes! I went to the county town, sold the wild boar and came back to buy some rice." Su Bucheng said.

"Yes, how much do you want?" Shopkeeper Feng opened the two doors.

No wonder they came so late to buy rice! But everyone's face was bruised, as if they had been beaten up or robbed?

"How much do you sell the aged rice here?" Su Bucheng asked.

"Old rice is three cents, new rice is four cents and a half, and wheat flour is five cents." Manager Feng replied.

"Boss, the old rice is a little cheaper, two cents and a half. We want to buy a lot, fifteen hundred kilograms." Su Bucheng bargained.

After deducting the soy sauce, spice packets, and return fare from the money for the two wild boars, and the 200 coins I just gave to Zhang San to calm him down, and the remaining balance for the twelve large water jars to Shopkeeper Zhu, there were only 4,649 coins left.

This little money has to be used to buy rice, salt and pay for shipping, so it has to be used sparingly.

"Two cents and a half? This business can't be done!" Shopkeeper Feng shook his head.

Although new rice is available in autumn, the price of old rice is two cents and five cents, so I only make five cents. There are many poor people here, and few people buy new rice. Most people buy old rice.

"Two cents and six cents!" Su Bucheng bargained, "We also want to buy coarse salt."

This is the first time a grown man has been so petty.

"Two cents and seven cents!" said the shopkeeper Feng. "Coarse salt is twenty cents a pound."

"Okay! One thousand five hundred kilograms of old rice and fifteen kilograms of coarse salt!" Su Bucheng said.

Su Ying thought her father would bargain for the coarse salt as well, but he didn't.

One bag of rice weighs 100 jin, and there are 15 bags of whole rice, and 15 jin of coarse salt.

The sale of salt was restricted. Fortunately, Yang Dalang and Pei Silang represented two families, and Zhang San and Li Si barely made up the five families and were able to buy the 15 kilograms of coarse salt.

The total cost was four thousand three hundred and fifty coins.

"Boss, can you spare me one cent?" After counting the money, Su Ying found that she only had two hundred and ninety-nine cents left.

"?" Shopkeeper Feng looked at Su Ying. This girl was very strange. She calculated the money and then came to bargain for more. So what did it mean to bargain for a penny?

"Only one cent, the remaining money is not enough for the fare." Su Ying said.

"Okay!" Shopkeeper Feng didn't want to bother about the penny.

"Thank you, boss!" Su Ying took back the penny.

Su Bucheng then came to his senses and realized that he had forgotten to bargain for the coarse salt. Well, the money for the two wild boars was spent completely.

"Uncles, please collect the fares first!" Su Ying gave the last three hundred coins to the two drivers, Zhang San and Li Si.

The two took the fare, hurried back to give it to their families, and set off lightly.

If you encounter robbers on the road, the loss will not be that great.

After packing the rice and agreeing on a time to pick up the goods from the large water tank, the few people thanked the shopkeeper Zhu and left in a hurry.

As the sun sets, tired birds return to their nests.

Facing the evening breeze, everyone was surprised to find that the day had passed so quickly!

After walking for more than half an hour, they stopped at an intersection. The rest of the road was all mountain roads and the ox cart could not enter.

Before the car stopped, twenty or thirty strong men hurried down the path.

"Oh!" Zhang San was so scared that he quickly turned around while pulling the cow.

"Brother, what are you doing?" Su Bucheng hurriedly grabbed Zhang San.

"Beat, robbery!" Zhang San was so anxious that he was about to cry.

"Brother, you misunderstood. These people from the village are here to pick us up!" Su Bucheng was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. This old man was completely frightened.

"Phew! I was so scared!" Zhang San patted his chest and said, "I thought it was the natives coming to rob us!"

"Brother! Brother!" The strong men ran over and excitedly surrounded the two carts of food.

"So much?" The strong men touched the rice bags, their hands trembling. "Oh, there's also salt!"

"Brother! Thank you for your hard work!" The second and third Su brothers pulled Su Bucheng foolishly.

"Okay! Don't just stand there, move back quickly!" Su Bucheng said to the crowd who were grinning foolishly.