Chapter 051: Increasing Income and Reducing Expenditure
An awkward smile appeared on Liu Jieshi's face. "Well, it's not a big deal. It's just that Xu Er's wife gave Zhao Bantou a lot of silver. I wonder what kind of deal they reached. Zhao Bantou asked us not to make things too difficult for the Xu family. Anyway, I have to hand over my duties to Ming Xiaoshuang tomorrow. From now on, the Xu family will be in the hands of you and Ming Xiaoshuang."
Huang Yazi patted his chest in fear, and immediately believed it without a doubt, cursing: "That woman is really clever. Her family must have slipped some silver notes before she was exiled. She said she could just pay it off. Why didn't she just come to me directly, give me the silver, and let me treat the Xu family as my ancestors!"
Liu Jieshi ignored Huang Yazi's teasing. Seeing that he believed him, he continued, "Of course. It took the help of Zhao Bantou. He even called me over and scolded me. At first, I thought the Xu family had found some way, or that Zhao Bantou had heard some news. I was so scared that my legs went weak."
Huang Yazi felt the same way and immediately agreed, "Don't tell me, I feel the same way. The people above are always half-hearted in what they say and do, which makes us brothers below us have wild thoughts and almost think our lives are in danger."
"Oh, forget it, it's all because of Mr. Xu's ability to marry the daughter of the Lian family. We are different. We are lucky to marry a virgin girl in this life..."
Liu Jieshi glanced at Huang Yazi's face and saw that he seemed to be lost in thought. He pondered for a moment and then added a dose of strong information without making a sound, "It's a pity, Brother Huang, that the woman you got is gone. The eldest daughter of the Xu family is as beautiful as a flower. I wonder which widower in the countryside she will be married to in the future..."
Huang Yazi was a little unhappy, "It's still uncertain."
But I don’t want to say more about the latter.
Huang Yazi thought, a daughter who is married off is like spilled water. Even if the Xu family's wife's family is capable, can it be said that even the adults can manage Qianzhou, thousands of miles away? Although he is only a small clerk, it is much better than farming in the countryside. The eldest daughter of the Xu family married him, which can be considered a good match.
Furthermore, if he used some means to bring the person back to Bian Jing and took advantage of the situation to establish connections with the Lian family, wouldn't he have a bright future?
The more Huang Yazi thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. Instantly, the power that came with being affiliated with the Lian family went to his head, completely ignoring other risks. To Huang Yazi, as long as he could connect with the Lian family, the other risks were nothing. What in this world is risk-free?
If you are not willing to sacrifice your life, how can you bring down the emperor?
Liu Jieshi didn't ignore the glint in Huang Yazi's eyes. Knowing that he was moved, he pretended to ask, "Could it be that Brother Huang hasn't given up on the eldest daughter of the Xu family yet?"
Huang Yazi naturally refused to tell the truth. He squinted his eyes and said half-seriously, "Think about it. It's not against the law to think about it..."
Liu Jieshi smiled knowingly.
Very good, killing people always requires a helper.
If he doesn't push Huang Yazi and lead him to commit an unforgivable mistake, how can Huang Yazi wholeheartedly help him deal with the Xu family?
The Xu family gave away their hot and sour noodles to many people, including the Fang family, the Li family, and even a few team leaders.
He even sent a bowl to Liu Jieshi, with whom he had always been at odds.
Of course, this was opposed by almost everyone, except Lian and Fourth Aunt who stood on her side.
Fourth Aunt rarely spoke up. "It's just a bowl of hot and sour noodles. It's not a big deal. Why should we appear to be holding a grudge? After all, we'll still be under his control. It wouldn't be good to make a scene..."
The eldest uncle had a different idea. "There's already a grudge. The second brother killed his parents. It's good that Liu Jieshi doesn't want to kill us. Even if it's just a bowl of noodles, what good will it do? Will it make him forget the revenge for his mother's murder?"
The eldest aunt also said, "It's all that damn second son's fault. Even though he's an official, he's still so greedy and forced someone's own mother to death. Liu Jieshi will definitely not let us go."
Huang sighed and grabbed Xu Deyuan and scolded him, "Second brother, you are blinded by greed. How could you do such a thing? We suffered so much from that magistrate back then. We didn't expect you to become a good official who will be remembered for generations. You can't take someone's life by force—"
Xu Deyuan was scolded so badly that he couldn't even raise his head. Seeing his relatives looking at him with such strange eyes, a surge of anger surged in his heart.
It's all because he was dismissed from office.
In the past, no matter what he did, these people would never dare to interfere like they do now.
"If you ask me, we should just hand over the second son." The eldest aunt's eyes flashed, "Liu Jieshi hates the second son alone. Let's hand the second son over and let him be beaten and scolded until Liu Jieshi calms down -"
Xu Degui immediately defended his brother, "Sister-in-law, how can you say such a thing?"
The eldest uncle glanced at Xu Deyuan and also fully agreed with Huang Cui'e. He snorted coldly, "Third brother, you are confused! Don't you think that when we arrive in Qianzhou, we have to find someone to settle down, and after settling down, we have to reclaim wasteland, and we have to pay taxes for growing crops. If Liu Jieshi interferes, he only needs to say hello and we will be in trouble!"
Xu Degui retorted: "He is just a small clerk, how could he have such great power?"
"Third brother, you've lived in the city for so long that you might have forgotten how it was when we were in the countryside. Even a simple word from a clerk like Li Zheng could make it impossible for you to survive in the village."
"But Second Brother is our brother, how can we hand him over to Liu Jieshi?"
"How about asking our whole family to suffer with him? We have been implicated and exiled because of him. What? Is that not enough? Do we have to sacrifice the rest of our lives to be worthy of Xu Deyuan? Third brother, is the second house your home or the third house? Don't you look at yourself? Who of your wife and children is on the same side with you? It is said that if a person does not care about himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth. I think the third brother has lost his mind. He doesn't care about his own family affairs, but he runs to meddle with the affairs of the second house——"
Xu Degui wanted to refute, but he saw Miao just looking at him. She seemed to be aggrieved and resentful...
He went to see Xu Huiming, but Xu Huiming avoided his gaze and seemed to disapprove.
He looked at Xu Qingying again. Xu Qingying still had that indifferent smile on her face, which inexplicably touched his sensitive nerves and made him feel uncomfortable all over.
He has only been exiled for a few days, why have the Miao family and the children distanced themselves from him?
Xu Zhenying hadn't expected so much trouble to ensue just because of a bowl of hot and sour noodles. She had no intention of getting involved in these domestic matters, so she simply walked to the window sill behind the large bunk bed, found a quiet spot, and sat casually on the steps by the dim candlelight in the room.
She took off her stockings and saw that the places on her ten toes where blisters had appeared had all turned pink again. She believed that after a while, all of them would be covered with calluses.
On the seventh day of exile, her body seemed to have adapted to such high-intensity exercise. From the initial aches and pains to the current numbness, her mind gradually began to become clear.
She never knew why she came here, nor did she know what mission fate had assigned her.
Is it like other time travelers, changing the world and history?
She had never thought about it that way before. She had originally thought of going to Qianzhou and looking for a way out. But Li Zhaodi's experience made her mind flash with something that she couldn't suppress.
The feeling of powerlessness and unwillingness almost tore her apart.
She was wondering, did she have the ability to change this dynasty?
But if she did nothing, would she become the next Li Zhaodi? Would she be forced to endure and give in like she was today, forcing herself into a mold and becoming a complete ancient person?
If so, how should she do it?
Rise up in rebellion and overthrow the Zhou Dynasty?
"The Art of War" by Sun Tzu says: "To have a thousand chariots, a thousand leather chariots, an army of a hundred thousand men, and to supply them with provisions for a thousand miles, the expenses for internal and external affairs, the expenses for guests, the materials for glue and paint, and the maintenance of chariots and armor will cost a thousand pieces of gold a day, and then an army of a hundred thousand men can be raised."
Sun Tzu said that it needed people, money, and food. In the Zhou Dynasty, where did her soldiers come from, where did her money come from, and where did her food come from?
How did she start a war, displace tens of thousands of people, and rebuild her regime on the ruins after the war?
Just thinking about it makes me feel what a huge project it is. The more I think about it, the more painful it becomes.
When Miao came over, she saw Xu Zhenying sitting on the steps in a daze.
She seemed to be thinking about something, her brows were furrowed, her eyes seemed to be drifting far away, and her whole body was filled with a cold feeling, as if she did not belong to this world and was about to fly away in the next second.
Miao felt lost, then suddenly realized: that chaste and beautiful Ying'er had truly died in prison that day. And the person before her, though Qingying's body was hers, could she be a completely different person inside?
She stopped there, not daring to take a step forward.
Xu Zhenying turned around and saw Miao, his face regaining its familiar expression. "Mom, why are you here?"
Miao came to her senses. "Zhao Bantou said that the common beds in the post station can't accommodate so many people, and some people will have to sleep in hammocks in the trees outside. Those who want to sleep in the common beds must pay ten cents to Zhao Bantou. Your fourth aunt asked me to ask for your opinion."
In fact, Miao was also surprised that her eldest sister-in-law and fourth brother's wife both asked her to ask Qingying for her opinion on such a matter.
This would have been impossible in the past.
Miao felt that something was changing quietly, but she couldn't explain what it was.
"How much silver do we have left?"
"Excluding the twenty taels for the donkey cart, I knew I was short of fifteen taels from the preparations I made before I set out, so there's about fifteen taels left."
"Fifteen taels." Xu Zhenying seemed to be thinking, "That's not enough."
"It's not enough. The things sent by the Zheng family can only last for one or two months. We still have to go to the city to replenish the stock. Plus, after we arrive in Qianzhou, we have to make arrangements. Fifteen taels... is just a drop in the bucket." Miao wanted to mention that Lian should have some private money, but she also guessed that it was given by Old Man Lian. As a wife of the Xu family, how could she ask for things from her father-in-law?
Xu Zhenying said bluntly, "Everyone sleeps in the big bunk bed tonight. It's almost November, and the temperature difference between day and night in the mountains is huge. If you get sick sleeping in a hammock outside, the cost will be more than ten cents. Don't lose the big picture for the small."
Miao naturally understood this, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. "We don't have much money, and the men in our family are strong and healthy. Why don't we let them sleep in hammocks and let the elderly and children squeeze into the big bunk bed?"
Xu Zhenying shook his head. "The men in the family have to wear shackles weighing dozens of kilograms during the day, which is already beyond their physical capacity. If they catch a cold, they will be more likely to get sick. Moreover, my aunt's family is all men, so she won't agree to this plan. To avoid unfair treatment, we'll just have them all pay to sleep in the big bunk bed."
Miao gritted her teeth, and thinking of her noisy temper, she finally gave in, "Okay, I'll listen to you."
"Mom, what we need now is not to cut costs, but to increase revenue. In other words... we need to make money."
"Make money? How do you make money?" Miao thought Xu Qingying was too fanciful and couldn't help but remind her, "We are exiled prisoners now!"
"It's called exile, but isn't it Zhao Bantou who has the final say on all the rules? Along the way, we just need to stamp and hand over at each post station. No one will notice the exile team. As long as we take care of Zhao Bantou and the escorts, it won't be difficult to do anything else."
"But what about the rest of us? If we make money, who wouldn't be jealous?"
"Then let's pull them all onto our pirate ship—"
At this point, Miao was already a little frightened. She felt that Xu Qingying seemed serious and hurriedly asked, "Ying'er, what exactly are you going to do that requires so many people?"
Xu Zhenying searched his mind for a moment before asking, "Mom, have you ever heard of soap?"
Miao shook her head. "What is that? I've only heard of soapberries."
"They have similar functions, both for cleaning. Most people in the Great Zhou Dynasty use soap nuts, bath beans, and wood ash to wash clothes, but I have a recipe that can make soap. It's a kind of oil, shaped like jade and translucent like a gem. It's smooth and delicate to the touch, doesn't hurt your hands, and leaves a lingering fragrance. I want to gather some people and make some soap to sell in the prefectures we pass through. We'll be careful not to get caught."
Miao was stunned for a moment, then asked cautiously, "Where did you learn this?"
there?
Xu Zhenying smiled and then nodded.
Miao didn't know whether to agree or disagree. It was an indisputable fact that the family was short of money, but when she heard what Xu Qingying said, she felt panic and fear.
Miao was still worried, "What if...what if we get caught?"
Xu Qingying laughed, "Mom, who would manage an exiled group? Besides, as long as the benefits are properly distributed and everyone is tied into a community of interests, then everyone will help us conceal it. Besides, why arrest us? Just because we sell things? Is there such a law in the Great Zhou Dynasty?"
Miao could not find a reason to refuse. She had been confined at home since she was a girl. After she got married, she devoted herself to taking care of her husband and children. All business affairs were left to Xu Deyuan. As a woman, how could she know anything about business?
"But we have never done business before—" Miao was still making excuses.
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