For every person the Xing Clan Army wanted to use, their ancestors were to be thoroughly investigated, up to three generations down. The Xing Clan Army's invincibility at Huangmo Pass was due not only to their strong military qualities but also to their extremely efficient execution.
It only took Xing Lie a short while to invite Lin Rui into the tent for a detailed discussion, and the scouts of the Xing family army had already rushed to investigate Lin Rui's old nest, the Lin's Workshop. By the time Han Wenjing finished greeting him, Xing Lie had also figured out Lin Rui's background.
This person is really interesting. He was a spoiled child in a farmer's family, but turned into a prodigal son who squandered his family fortune on eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring. Then he started a business and led the entire clan to escape famine. He also used strategies along the way and managed to ensure that no one in the clan lost their life. His whole experience is full of fantasy.
This made Xing Lie's perception of this person change drastically. He felt that this person was not an ordinary person and would turn into a dragon once he encountered wind and rain.
Han Wenjing couldn't help but smile and whispered, "Then our Major General is the timely rain."
Xing Lie sat at the head and tail, Han Wenjing sat beside him, and Lin Rui was given the seat below. Everything in the barracks was truly simple; even the stool he sat on looked like a carpenter's haphazardly made stool of leftover planks. The burrs hadn't been cleaned up, and some of it pricked his butt.
Lin Rui endured it again and again and finally didn't tickle himself in front of the major general.
"Lin Rui, you took great pains to send twenty live pigs to my military camp today. This general would like to thank you on behalf of the three thousand soldiers in the army." Xing Lie said.
Lin Rui immediately stood up, pretending to be terrified. "You're too kind, Major General. The Xing Army defended Huangmo Pass against foreign invaders and provided homes, food, and clothing for us, the disaster victims who came all the way here to escape. We are truly grateful. Now that I have some ability, I would like to do something for the Xing Army. These twenty live pigs are already the limit of our ability. They are just a drop in the bucket for the 30,000 soldiers of the Xing Army!"
Xing Lie felt relieved after hearing this and said with a smile, "You're quite generous. Repaying the 3,000 soldiers of the Flying Tiger Battalion wasn't enough, and you're planning to repay the entire Xing Family Army as well? 30,000 rations is no small amount."
"Yes, yes, I really have the will but not the ability." Lin Rui wiped his forehead pretending to be ashamed. Life is really like a play and it all depends on acting. For today's meeting, he has used up all the postures and expressions in the few costume TV dramas he has watched before.
Han Wenjing smiled meaningfully, "Boss Lin, let's be frank. You've spent so much money today. What exactly do you want to ask the Major General for help?"
Lin Rui was not ashamed, but asked seriously: "Is it so easy to see my intention?"
The latter didn't say anything, but instead gave him a look that said "What do you think?"
Since Han Wenjing had already brought up the topic, Lin Rui didn't have to think about what excuse to bring the topic back to the Fang family's affairs. "Major General, the situation is this. My Lin family's tofu business in Huangmoguan is doing well, but yesterday Fang Chengrong found my uncle and wanted to spend two hundred taels of silver to buy out our Lin family's tofu recipe. To be honest, the silver is a small matter. The key is that this workshop not only feeds the Lin family, but also the ordinary people in the planned area, allowing them to earn some extra money after reclaiming the wasteland in winter, and buy more food and clothes for their children and the elderly."
"Young General, you probably don't know that the most feared thing in the business world is monopoly. The tofu from the Lin's Workshop is only three cents at the moment. Considering its geographical location, even if it's sold to Baixing Town, it won't sell for more than six cents a piece. They're aiming for small profits but quick turnover, so that the people at the border can improve their diet. If they take possession of the tofu and raise the price from three cents to ten cents, then the price for the people would be at least twenty cents. Ordinary people can't afford it. In the end, the only businesses that can be made are those of the wealthy families at Huangmo Pass."
Huangmoguan is not only for the poor. When the capital city of Linjing was captured, many aristocratic families and people with small assets fled to Huangmoguan in their carriages to seek shelter.
Previously, Baituo Town specialized in recruiting skilled craftsmen, but those nobles and wealthy merchants relied on money to settle down in Baixing Town, and began to buy land from the Xing family army. In addition, those families who could not make ends meet this year would sell their children. Not all problems were solved after arriving at Huangmo Pass.
The Xing family army at Huangmo Pass could be given relief food and could reclaim wasteland, but unfortunately there were too many people and the relief food was not enough. Lin Rui and his group were the first group of disaster victims to arrive at Huangmo Pass, and there was still wasteland to be reclaimed.
The fifth and sixth batches of disaster victims who arrived recently were as endless as the waves in the river. Even in Huangmoguan, there was not so much wasteland. A group of people were hired to repair Baixing Town, and another group was hired to carry mud. Only then were some people barely settled down. The rest of the people had to find a way to make a living on their own.
Many vendors who chose to sell Lin Rui tofu were latecomers. They were unable to reclaim wasteland or receive relief food in Huangmoguan, and could only make a living by relying on the tofu and bean curd skin business of Lin’s workshop.
When the Fang family's problem was mentioned, Han Wenjing glanced at Xing Lie. After all, it was related to the relationship between the Xing family siblings, so they couldn't comment and could only let the major general make the decision.
Xing Lie asked Lin Rui, "You seem to be quite considerate of the people. It's hard to believe that a businessman like you could be so conscious. Shouldn't you do whatever it takes to make money and ensure that your own interests are not harmed?"
Lin Rui shook his head. "I know the Major General's words are meant to warn you. My parents and family are all ordinary people. They can be said to be a microcosm of the suffering people of the entire Lin Dynasty. The development of a country's commerce is based on the strength of its people and the prosperity of its country. The common people, who are like ants in front of the nobles, are the cornerstone of a dynasty. The rise and fall of a country is the suffering of the people. I just want to use my humble efforts to try to make their lives better. Gold and silver are not enough, but if the price of tofu, bean skin, and bean dregs is even a penny lower, they can have enough food for their whole family."
Han Wenjing nodded slightly. The Brother Lin that Wang Da mentioned must be the man named Lin Rui. He was also very kind to the Flying Tiger Battalion. After all, if there was no bean dregs as the staple food, and the food collected from Baixing Town could not reach the camp in time, it would not be a funny thing to let the soldiers go hungry.
He also knew that one penny could buy five pounds of bean dregs, and these bean dregs fed many people who later flocked to Huangmoguan but did not get any land.
Han Wenjing looked at Lin Rui with burning eyes. Previously, the think tanks of the Flying Tiger Camp were still discussing that the Xing family army needed someone who could help them make money, and now this person has come!
As soon as their eyes met Xing Lie's, the master and servant, who had worked together for many years, immediately understood each other's meaning!
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