The officials stood at the entrance of the supermarket, watching the people in simple clothes walk in with nothing and with big and small bags, and everyone had a smile on their face.
There was a shopping guide at the door who politely led them in.
The officials thought they were well-informed, but they were shocked by the scenes inside.
It was the first time I knew there was such a convenient shopping place in the world, where everything was neatly arranged on open shelves with prices marked on them.
Customers were smiling and carrying a basket leisurely, selecting the products they liked.
The supermarket has a large space and a wide variety of products. It is divided into three areas: food area, clothing area, and daily necessities area. The planning is very reasonable.
One official couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you afraid your things will be stolen?"
Human nature is greedy, and once left unchecked it will run rampant.
If people can take it so easily, it would be strange if it wasn't stolen.
The shopping guide smiled and said, "Don't worry, everyone comes in empty-handed, and no one is allowed to bring any packages."
The official shook his head slightly, not optimistic.
The shopping guide said softly, "If you are caught, you will be fined tenfold. If you are a local, your local household registration benefits will be cancelled, and your descendants will be affected. If you are not a local, one of your hands will be broken."
He pointed to a white wall where the rules were clearly written.
The Minister of Rites could not help but ask, "What are the benefits of local household registration?"
"A newborn baby can get a bag of nutritious milk powder for free every month until he is three years old. A fifty-year-old man can get a set of cloth every season. Every six months, anyone with local household registration can buy five kilograms of cotton wool, two pieces of cloth, half a kilogram of salt, and two hundred kilograms of grain at a reasonable price. These are all purchased at the purchase price, so we don't make any money."
The cotton is locally produced and the salt is transported from Fufeng City. The cost is low and is half off the market price.
In this situation, who would be stupid enough to knowingly commit a crime and become a thief?
Canceling benefits will make you despised and blamed by your family, so it’s really not worth it.
The officials looked at each other with complicated expressions.
These affordable products can ensure that a family does not starve or freeze to death, which is very thoughtful.
They know that milk powder is a precious thing, but in Xiliang it is available for free. This special benefit for babies from birth to three years old ensures that children will not be abandoned at will, reduces the infant mortality rate, and also lays a good foundation for the child's health.
The families of these children will be grateful and feel loyal to the government.
When children grow up, they will also have a sense of belonging to Xiliang.
Some people couldn't help but murmur, "They really know how to win people's hearts."
The salesperson's expression froze, and the customer was unhappy. "How can you talk like that? When the government does good things, we remember them in our hearts. If you give free things to our elderly and children, we will also praise you."
"Ignore them, they are just jealous of us."
"That's right. After all, we in Xiliang are unique. We can't be proud."
I say that I shouldn't be proud, but I hold my chest high and look proud and cocky.
Officials: …
Forget it, there's no need to bother with these customers.
"Let's go take a look too."
Everyone separated after shopping. Originally, they were looking for something to find fault with, but when they saw that this thing was so cheap and that thing was so cheap too, they started buying things with great enthusiasm.
When waiting in line to pay, everyone bumped into each other, looked at each other, and their mouths twitched.
Everyone was carrying large and small bags in their hands, wishing they had a few more hands to carry things.
"No, aren't we just here to take a look?"
"I have to buy some specialties for my family."
"Yes, it's a local specialty. It's no big deal."
Well, if you say it is a specialty, then it is a specialty. There are at least a dozen pieces of milk powder, milk slices and cheese.
But what about buying fresh milk and yogurt? These don't last long.
The Minister of the Ministry of Rites didn't know why he bought so many things. When he saw others taking them as if they were free, he couldn't help himself.
“This shopping environment is very atmospheric and the model is very interesting. Who created it?”
He thought that after returning to Beijing, he could raise the issue with the emperor and ask if it was possible to build a few supermarkets for the common people in the capital.
A customer interrupted, "Of course it's our Princess Qingping. She's very capable and knows everything. This whole street was planned and built by her. It's her hard work."
The officials have discovered that Mu Wanqing has a very high prestige in Xiliang, and everyone will come out to protect her.
"Does she own this street personally?"
The customer rolled his eyes. "What are you thinking? The property rights belong to the government, which bears most of Liangcheng's taxes, all of which are used to benefit us people."
Those residents' benefits are earned from this street.
Looking at the customers' happy smiles, the officials had an inexplicable feeling in their hearts, "Does the government also take care of daily management?"
The customer shook his head slightly. "Miss Du and Madam Mu manage this street together. They are also very capable."
Everyone was silent.
The store manager smiled and said, "Dear customers, we provide delivery service. The shipping fee is only one hundred coins."
Is this possible? Sure enough, the officials reported the address of Tongfu Inn, paid the money, and the store manager gave them a pick-up list. When they received the items, they just had to give them to the staff to bring back.
The store manager raised his lips slightly, "You all look well-dressed. I suggest you go to the department store. There is everything there. You can only think of it. There is nothing you can't buy. If you don't go to the department store, it's like you came to Xiliang City for nothing."
There is only one possibility for people who go to department stores: they will be emptied out and no one can leave unscathed.
He successfully aroused everyone's curiosity and decided to take a look.
Along the way, we agreed to just look and not buy.
As a result, before I even walked in and looked at the clear glass door from afar, I was stunned by the magnificent and majestic exterior of the shopping mall.
The five-story cement building has a beautiful shape and a majestic appearance, which makes people want to stop and watch.
Everyone stared in amazement, unable to believe their eyes. Is this the department store that the people of Xiliang are so proud of?
There is no shopping mall this big in Beijing.
After entering, I was even more shocked. Everything I saw was new and interesting, something I had never seen before.
They seemed to have opened up a new world, strange and fascinating.
The shops are beautifully decorated, with glass windows displaying a variety of exquisite goods.
The buyer also served very enthusiastically, "Dear guests, please allow me to introduce the products in our store to you..."
With his endless introduction and the clerk's attentive service, everyone bought a lot of things in a daze, and their wallets were empty by the time they left.
After walking for a while outside, everyone finally realized, oh my, we agreed not to give out any money.
This can make more money than a brothel. Who came up with this?
Is there any need to ask? It must be the Princess of Qingping County.
What's the structure of her brain?
That night they also went to the famous Mu’s Snack Street, which broadened their horizons once again.
The shops on both sides were decorated with lanterns and the streets were crowded with people, some walking in groups and some with their whole family.
Many people were holding food in their hands and walking around with smiles on their faces.
The sounds of hawking are endless, and the tempting aroma of food lingers in the nose, making people swallow their saliva.
Seeing how cheap the food is, how could the officials resist?
I was a little reserved at first, but then I let myself go as I enjoyed the meal. I ate from the street food to the end of the meal and tried everything. They were really delicious.
Whether it is spicy hot pot, beef patties, braised chicken, jelly, mung bean cakes, double skin milk, yogurt, etc., they are all unforgettable.
In the end, everyone’s stomachs were so full that they couldn’t eat any more, so they left with a sense of unfulfilled desire.
“This whole street should be owned by the Mu family, right?”
"The livelihood arranged by the Qingping County Lord for the clan members."
"I'm a little envious." How can you not be envious of someone who makes a fortune every day?
After returning to Tongfu Inn, everyone couldn't sleep so they held a small meeting. Everyone had mixed feelings.
They discovered that they were the ones at the bottom of the well, and their pride as officials in the capital was shattered.
The Minister of the Ministry of Rites was the first to speak, "Can you calculate how much profit these two streets make in a year?"
The subordinate hesitated for a moment, "I think it's a few hundred thousand."
"It should be over a million, otherwise we can't support the welfare of those residents."
The Minister of the Ministry of Rites shook his head slightly. The number was far more than this.
"I finally understand why Princess Qingping was able to handle such a huge hole on her own."
Before, everyone was a little skeptical about its authenticity.
As the saying goes, seeing is believing, hearing is not, today they finally gave in.
She is clearly a genius at making money.
"If such talent were in the Ministry of Revenue, I believe the treasury would be filled up quickly."
The court no longer has to worry about not being able to pay salaries.
An official spoke weakly, "Didn't they say that women shouldn't be allowed to take the lead?"
Everyone's mouth twitched. Forget it. The achievements of Princess Qingping can no longer be measured by gender.
It only took her two years to transform the barren border into such a prosperous place.
The Minister of Revenue sighed softly, as if he was disappointed and helpless, "No one can block her brilliance anymore. She has become successful."
The people of Xiliang live and work in peace and contentment, have no worries about food and clothing, and love Mu Wanqing very much.
The shopkeeper personally brought a pot of hot tea and a pot of hot milk, "My lords, drinking tea at night can easily cause insomnia, and milk can help you sleep, so you can drink more."
"We didn't order milk." An official was stunned.
The shopkeeper smiled and said, "It's a gift. The milk here doesn't have any smell. It tastes good and is nutritious. Everyone from officials to children drinks a bowl of it every day."
"Milk is a welfare for officials?" They are all officials, so why are they so different?
"No." Before the official could breathe a sigh of relief, the shopkeeper smiled and said, "Officials are provided with three meals a day. Breakfast includes milk, eggs, and meat buns. For lunch and dinner, there is one meat, one vegetable, and some snacks."
Everyone: ...
The shopkeeper hadn't finished yet, "There are also various subsidies, housing subsidies, travel subsidies, and food coupons, sugar coupons, oil coupons, and salt coupons."
The officials covered their chests with their hands, Xiliang was so cruel.
"Everyone gets a share?"
The shopkeeper glanced at it calmly and said, "Yes, the amount is different according to the different official positions."
A minor official rolled his eyes and couldn't help asking, "How many ordinary officials can there be?"
The shopkeeper was waiting for him to say this, "As far as I know, after deducting various tickets, the total salary of an eighth-rank official is ten taels of silver, which is enough to support a family."
The officials cried with envy. Ten taels of silver, while the eighth-rank officials in the capital only received three taels, a difference of three times. They also had various tickets, which were free.
The problem is that the consumption level in the capital is much higher than that in the border areas.
The shopkeeper was still blabbering, "Oh, by the way, there is a bonus at the end of the year. It depends on everyone's performance, up to a maximum of one thousand taels."
Officials: ...want to stay!
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