Chapter 232 How can she help?
The rise in food prices is not a sign that has only appeared in recent days.
Sang Zhixia paused and said, "Two months ago, I heard from the manager of the grain farm that after the autumn harvest, a caravan arrived, offering high prices for grain. The price they paid was two or three cents higher than the average price paid by local grain farms in the northwest. Every village the caravan passed through was a scene of unprecedented grandeur."
People who have worked hard in the fields for a whole year hope that the harvest from the land will feed the whole family and provide them with a good New Year.
Knowing that such a caravan was coming to buy grain at a high price, everyone naturally hoped to sell more to make more money, so they flocked to it.
When Sang Zhixia heard about it, she felt something was wrong.
Unless there is a disaster or war, the price of grain will fluctuate slightly according to the harvest of that year during peaceful years, but the fluctuation will not be too large.
The situation this year is obviously unusual.
The old man nodded and signaled Sang Zhixia to continue.
Sang Zhixia thought for a moment and spoke cautiously, "The harvest in the northwest has been poor year after year, and the grain production is not abundant."
"Harvest costs are poor everywhere this year, and most people need to be more cautious about eating their fill. Being tempted by a few extra coins per pound and recklessly selling most of their stored food at once seems like a hidden danger."
The selling price is indeed higher than in previous years, but what happens after it is sold?
Sang Zhixia believed that most people would just eat up all the food stored at home and then buy more.
Anyway, the caravans that collected the grain were from outside, and the local grain prices in the northwest have remained the same for many years, so it was still a profit to sell them.
What is the reality?
As more and more people needed to buy food to fill their stomachs, the grain stores of all sizes in the county towns began to raise prices.
Those who had happily sold their rice at a high price before went to the grain store with the silver in their pockets, only to find with horror that they could no longer afford the rising prices of rice.
She took a walk around the county town today and the situation seemed to be more serious than she had initially expected.
"I went there today and found out that the caravan not only went from village to village collecting grain, but also generously bought up the stocks of many grain shops. They even accepted old rice from previous years and offered the price of new rice."
"Driven by profit, most grain shops have very little stock left. To avoid selling out and closing down, they have no choice but to buy grain from places where they can still buy it at high prices. But..."
Sang Zhixia paused and said hesitantly, "We've only had two snowfalls this winter. It's not even the beginning of the lean season yet, and it's already like this."
"If this continues, food prices will only get higher."
Now the price of a pound of rice in the county town is dozens or even hundreds of coins higher than in previous years, and this is just the beginning.
Food prices are rising and a cold winter is approaching in the northwest.
More people will not be able to afford the high price of rice, and more and more people will go hungry.
I can't afford rice and don't have enough to eat. It's okay for a day or two, but as time goes by...
Sang Zhixia pursed her lips and stopped talking.
The old man's eyes were filled with relief: "Then do you know what the scene would be like if a large-scale famine occurred?"
"Civil unrest."
Sang Zhixia's eyes darkened at the words "civil unrest" she blurted out. Frowning, she said, "If there are too many people who don't have enough to eat, there will definitely be chaos."
Hunger can cause people to lose their wits.
The number of hungry people increasing every day, driven by the obsession to survive, will do many unpredictable things.
Every incident was caused by the loss of life.
The old man's smile faded, and he said in a deep voice, "You're right. There's going to be a big mess."
"It's not surprising for merchants to travel far and wide, but they're driven by profit and won't do business at a loss. The caravan you mentioned offered generous prices and accepted all offers. That's one reason."
"The Northwest is a bitterly cold and desolate land, and it's well known that grain is scarce. Most caravans that peddle grain buy it cheaply from the more plentiful south, bringing it here to sell it at a higher price. This caravan goes the other way, because they don't know what's going on. This is the second reason."
"Finally, the caravan bought up all the rice and grain it could find and left in a hurry. Their actions aroused suspicion and their intentions were suspected to be sinister."
The old man's eyes tightened, a sharp look flashing in his eyes. He said with an ambiguous meaning, "Buying up all the stored grain has driven up the price of grain. Countless people are starving, and the people's hearts are unstable. If this continues for a while, this place will fall into chaos."
Chaos starts from the root.
Everyone will suffer from the disaster.
Anyone who secretly sows the seeds of chaos in this area should be punished.
The old man closed his eyes and sighed, "I heard that you haven't allowed the people in the grain store to raise the price. Is this the number you set at the beginning?"
"I said so."
Sang Zhixia smiled bitterly and said, "The various amounts in the grain store were set at the beginning of the grain harvest, and they are no different from previous years. Maintaining the status quo, the store hasn't lost any money. We just didn't follow the crowd and made less money."
"It's a good thing not to take such hot money as this, which is used to buy your life. There's no need to dwell on the profit."
The old man's tone became increasingly relieved, and he said gently, "Two months ago, a caravan came into the store and bought grain at a high price. Did you personally refuse them?"
Sang Zhixia groaned, rubbing her hands in amusement, "I didn't think that much at all. I couldn't have imagined the situation at that time."
"It's just that Xu Yu said the grain in the fields would be of great use to him. Plus, I felt it was unusual to buy such a large quantity at such a high price. I was afraid of causing trouble, so I simply turned it down."
Fortunately it was pushed.
It's not Sangzhi Xiatuo's boasting.
But after a trip around the county town today, Sang Zhixia could confidently say that the grain reserves in his granary must be the largest, and the range can even cover the three cities, six counties and eighteen towns in the northwest.
As for the village...
When the craze for selling grain at high prices started, even in Luobei Village, many people carried their own large bags of rice and rushed to line up to get their money. The situation in other places must have been no better.
Sang Zhixia stared at the flames leaping in the charcoal brazier in silence. Just as he was calculating how much grain was left in the granary, there was a knock on the door without warning.
"Xu Yu's family, is anyone home?"
"who?"
Xu Mingyang, holding a thick stack of rice paper, just walked into the yard. When he heard the sound, he turned around vigilantly, as if he was worried that the child he had beaten would come with the adults in the family. He looked like he was ready to lock the door at any time.
Sang Zhixia came out and saw this and found it a little funny. She tapped his forehead and said, "Take your homework inside for Grandfather to check. I'll go take a look."
The door creaked open, and the person standing outside in the snow was actually Aunt Chen from the village. With her were several young women who looked familiar to Sang Zhixia but whose names he could not remember.
Sang Zhixia was stunned for a moment, then quickly stepped aside to invite the person in. "Why are you here, Aunt Chen, in such heavy snow? Is there something wrong?"
Aunt Chen shook her head and sighed, then smiled bitterly and said, "I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, but I came here today to ask for your help."
"You need my help?"
How could she help?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
