The Taoist priests around were all green with envy. This was truly a case of not making a profit for three years, but then making enough to live off for three years.
Seeing that Zhang the rich man was so cooperative, the fat Taoist priest even gave him a house-protecting charm, which was a rare and valuable item that he wouldn't part with for less than two taels of silver.
After completing the ritual, the fat Taoist priest took his leave with a mysterious expression.
But the eldest wife of the wealthy Zhang family stopped him to ask her a few questions. As soon as the fat Taoist priest went over, the eldest wife asked if the Jade Rabbit could be reincarnated into her belly! That concubine was already arrogant, and if she had another child, who knows how arrogant she would become.
Upon hearing this, Zhang the Taoist priest laughed and said, "This is the way of Heaven, and it is beyond my control. However, I can give the lady a talisman for good fortune."
Upon hearing this, the first wife rewarded him with several taels of silver. After receiving the talisman, she wore it on her person and then instructed the kitchen to stew the deer penis, as she wanted to catch up with her husband that evening.
The fat Taoist priest then left with He Zifeng and the others.
The neighbors around the area also told their families about the interesting things happening here, and the stories became more and more fantastical.
They had never seen paper houses that looked just like real people, or even bridal sedan chairs and carriages, all so lifelike. The paper lotus flowers looked just like real flowers. After being burned, they quickly turned into wisps of smoke, the smoke rising gracefully as if it could truly reach the heavens.
The wealthy Zhang family seems to have a connection with the heavens; even the little jade rabbits in the sky are playfully trying to run to their house. It's quite delightful to hear that.
The fat Taoist priest and several other Taoist friends also left together.
I returned to Bingzi's quiet house.
The money was divided: two paper sedan chairs were worth ten taels of silver, two horse-drawn carriages were worth four taels of silver, two paper mansions were worth twenty taels of silver, plus some lotus flowers, totaling thirty-eight taels of silver. Dividing it in half would give us nineteen taels.
The fat Taoist priest also offered suggestions: "Besides these, we also need paper clothes, quilts, fruits, snacks, peonies, auspicious clouds, and the like—the more the better. By the way, you'd better rent a shop in the county so we can ask your disciples for whatever we need in advance." Making money today gave him an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.
Wandering Taoist priests like them, with no fixed abode, often encountered wealthy people.
He was also familiar with the nearby counties. He performed four religious ceremonies throughout the year, ensuring he wouldn't have to worry about food and clothing.
The other Taoist priests also wanted to cooperate. They wanted their paper offerings to be as exquisite and detailed as possible, so that it would be easier to fleece the wealthy landowners.
The village chief of Lingshan Village agreed. After the Taoist priests left, they stared blankly at the silver. Yesterday they were worried about making a living, and today money was pouring in.
Lingshan Village wanted to divide the money directly. Nine and a half taels of silver would go to He Zifeng and his group, and the rest would be theirs.
He Zifeng got 20%, which is more than three taels, and each member of their yamen runners got nearly one tael.
But He Zifeng said that the money should not be distributed yet, and that Lingshui Village should use it to get more paint, set up shops, and buy some good paper, all of which would cost money. He figured the village chief wouldn't dare to cheat them out of their money.
The village chief of Lingshan Village was very grateful for He Zifeng's understanding. They agreed to distribute the money on the fifteenth of each month, and would record every income and expense in a small booklet.
He Zifeng nodded, and then they spent five taels of silver a month to rent a decent storefront in the county. After a simple rest, they prepared to open for business.
The other constables were also quite surprised today; who would have thought that Lingshan Village was so shrewd? With this, they wouldn't have to worry about the villagers paying taxes anymore.
Although He Zifeng said they wouldn't divide the money yet, seeing how well the business was in Lingshan Village, they were also filled with excitement. They knew that if they were to divide the money later, it wouldn't just be a matter of one or two taels of silver. They wondered if those who had wanted to leave for just one or two taels of silver would regret it in the future.
He Zifeng said, "Don't make this public for now." Those who hadn't left smiled knowingly and said, "Understood." They were all smart people and understood after a little thought.
On the contrary, some are looking forward to seeing what those people in the government offices who were laughing at them will think in the future.
After experiencing the benefits, Lingshui Village even sent some of their brightest children to learn the craft. Since they were determined to pursue this career, they wanted to be more professional. They paid for their apprenticeship, unlike the traditional apprenticeship system where one had to stay with the master for three years before learning new skills and completing their training.
They learn one or two of the master craftsmen's unique skills. Every master craftsman of paper crafts has more than a dozen skills in his lifetime, so it is not a big deal for someone to learn one or two of them.
But unexpectedly, Lingshui Village sent people everywhere to learn. Everyone learned one thing, and in this way, all the essence of the art was learned by others.
Ever since the story of Master Zhang went viral, some people have actually come knocking, looking for paper offerings. They were dazzled when they entered. They had no idea that paper offerings could come in such a rich variety, with everything from clothing and food to housing and transportation. There were even ladies' dressing tables, cricket boxes and birdcages favored by men.
Everything that exists in the human world can be found in their possession, leaving visitors dazzled.
Moreover, the price isn't as outrageous as rumored. For ordinary people, a decent paper replica starts at two taels of silver. The more expensive, the rarer; like the legendary exquisite house, though made of paper, every detail is meticulously crafted. There's a reason for the high price.
Moreover, those feng shui masters and Taoist priests, as long as they are associated with the place and spend money here, they receive half of the profits, and for a time, the place was packed with guests.
In just ten days, Lingshan Village has completely changed its appearance.
Everyone in the village was chopping grass stalks, drying grass, and grinding lacquer and pigments. Young and old alike were all involved. Everyone had to work and cook together.
We won't need to cook at home anymore; the food will be better than what we eat at home. We even add oil to the dishes, making them incredibly fragrant. Adults, men and women alike, will eat five steamed buns a day, and children three. Any leftovers can be taken home. There are always some people in the family who can't do housework. Saving a little bit is convenient for them.
When San Shun saw He Zifeng, it was as if she had seen her second parents: "Brother He, you've come?" Her tone was full of affection.
He Zifeng asked, "How have you been lately? Is there anything I can help you with?"
The paper offering and incense shop here hired a few clever young men from the village as shop assistants. Money was flowing in like water every day, it was like a dream.
San Shun said, "There's nothing we can help with. We just want to thank you for coming up with this idea for our village." They'd never earned money so easily in their lives. The little white rabbit figurines the village elders made recently became a hit at the shop. Everyone was keeping track of them, hoping for a bigger share of the profits at the end of the year. Seeing this, others also started to innovate.
A few days ago, those young people who went out to learn new skills returned. With their combined technical skills and ideas, the products they made are now of a much higher quality than before, and they sell much better.
San Shun then presented him with one hundred taels of silver.
He Zifeng asked, "What are you doing?"
San Shun said, "This is the profit-sharing money. My father said that without your help, we couldn't have done so well. Now that we're breaking even, we have some money in the account. I wanted to give this money first. We can give it again on the fifteenth of next month. I calculated that it won't be less than this amount."
Looking at San Shun again, it was clear that in just half a month, his demeanor had changed once more.
Since that's what they said, He Zifeng stopped refusing and accepted it.
San Shun said, "In a few days, we plan to redeem the rest of the villagers." He had called He Zifeng over for two reasons: first, to give him a share of the profits, and second, to discuss the village's situation. The paper-craft business in the village was booming, and they needed manpower everywhere. Even the elderly in their sixties had to work; they were severely understaffed. Meanwhile, the village's most capable young men were all imprisoned in the mines.
He Zifeng said, "Okay, I'll go ask first."
San Shun was overjoyed and knelt down, wanting to kowtow to He Zifeng.
He Zifeng quickly helped him up.
He Zifeng took one hundred taels of silver, keeping forty taels for himself and dividing the remaining sixty taels among the six people. He then gathered everyone together and called them to the pancake shop.
These days, they've kept a low profile, but in crowded places, they can't help but hear a few whispers. However, thanks to He Zifeng's good upbringing, they haven't gotten into any conflicts.
He Zifeng then roused everyone and gave each person ten taels of silver. He said, “We’re all brothers in the same camp. We share the money and drink the wine together. This is the profit from the incense and paper offering shop. Please count it.”
The men took the money and were immediately excited. Ten taels of silver was no small sum; even those of relatively well-off means like Zhou Hao and Lin Feng were thrilled. Not to mention lowly clerks like Bingzi who rarely found a way to make money.
He had never seen so much money before. He felt increasingly comfortable being He Zifeng's subordinate; even the money seemed to be willingly thrown into their hands.
"Wow, this money is so easy to earn." They don't have to do anything, and they get so much for free.
"Our boss really knows what he's doing!" Zhou Hao flattered from the side.
He Zifeng said, "This is only one month's money; there will be more in the future."
"If they need any help in the future, tell them to contact me directly."
"Yes, we can't just take the money for nothing."
"Hey guys, I suggest we go to Juxianlou for a drink today." Lately, our biggest worry has been the inability to collect taxes. Now that Lingshan Village has good business, that problem is solved. If He Zifeng can collect taxes, his position as the fourth-in-command in the county is practically guaranteed. Drinking now is like a pre-celebration.
He Zifeng usually didn't play along with their antics, but seeing how happy everyone was today, he couldn't bear to spoil their fun and agreed.
The clerk in the yamen soon heard that they had gone to a restaurant to drink, and the look of disgust on his lips became even more obvious: "It's good that they're having some fun. These yamen runners have all the strength, but not a single brain!"
"That's right. He Zifeng failed to collect taxes this time, so I'm going to teach him a lesson for his incompetence." The advisor's subordinate had already come up with the charges and was just waiting to unleash his power.
Author's Note: Sorry, my darlings, there's a large-scale power outage in our area today, so I can only update one chapter. There will be two chapters tomorrow, and as usual, I'll be giving away 100 red envelopes in this chapter.
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