Chapter 653: Cash
Editor: Atlas Studios
Mu Yangling said with a smile, “Of course it’ll be distributed according to the original agreement.”
Chief Ji’an looked embarrassed. Since the 11 carts of grains that he had just transported were the remuneration he deserved, the rest naturally belonged to Mu Yangling.
He had roughly estimated that after exchanging all the promissory notes, he would probably still have one and a half carts of grain left. It might not be a small amount for a round trip business between the north and south, but Chief Ji’an was very satisfied.
Chief Ji’an looked at the account book in Mu Yangling’s hand and thought about how to tell her to ask for more. He was willing to exchange things or buy them with money. After all, the price of grain was not high.
However, Mu Yangling wasn’t willing to give it to Chief Ji’an. Instead, she planned to leave it for Liu Qing and keep it as food relief in case of a shortage.
Since the Miao people had all chosen to exchange for promissory notes, every family had benefited from this trip. During times of temporary shortage, they should be able to survive if they just scrimped and saved a little. However, it was different for the Han people.
Everyone in Qiannan had their eyes on the Prince’s estate and the government office. The next day, the grain carts set off from Ju Prefecture city one after another, and the news spread like the wind throughout Qiannan. Wei Heizi ran back excitedly from town. He rushed into the house and opened the cabinet to look for the hidden promissory notes.
Mrs. Wei hurriedly followed in. “What’s wrong, Heizi?”
“Mother.” Wei Heizi lowered his voice and said, “Junior Officer has returned with the grains. Those with promissory notes can go and exchange for grains.”
“Really?” Mrs. Wei’s eyes lit up.
Wei Heizi nodded fiercely and said, “Mother, when Father comes back tonight, we’ll go together.”
“Aye!” Mrs. Wei grinned happily and asked carefully, “Can our promissory notes really be exchanged for 223 catties of coarse grain?”
Wei Heizi was also a little uncertain. “It should be true. Surely the Prince’s estate won’t lie to us. I heard that this is what the His Majesty wants. Since the Prince is the Emperor’s younger brother, he has to listen to him.”
“Aiyo, we’ve met a good Emperor.”
“Yes, yes. The Prince and the Princess Consort are also good people…”
At night, the Wei father and son went to the junior officer’s house together. The junior officer had just returned home. When he saw the two of them, he waved his hand and said, “Come again tomorrow. Since the carts haven’t been unloaded, you won’t be able to get the grains.”
Father Wei smiled sheepishly, and Wei Heizi couldn’t help but ask, “Sixth Granduncle, can we really get 223 catties of grains?”
The junior officer nodded slightly and said, “Yes, but it’s coarse grain.”
Grinning, Wei Heizi said, “Coarse grains are fine. I like to eat coarse grains. Hehehe…”
Amused by his silly grain, the junior officer waved them away.
The next day, the junior officer set up a table at the entrance of the village. There were a few bags of grains piled up behind him. With the people from the nearby villages surrounding him, he said, “Those with promissory notes, bring the promissory notes over here to exchange for them. Those without, take three steps back.”
As Wei Heizi lived in the village, he had come early to queue and was the first to rush up.
The junior officer unfolded the promissory note and showed it to the servant from the Prince’s estate. Then, he shouted, “Wei Heizi, 223 catties.”
The people behind him deftly poured the grains into the bag Wei Heizi had brought and handed it to him. The junior officer ticked the promissory note and asked Wei Heizi to put his thumbprint on it. Then, the Prince’s estate’s servant recorded this in the account book, thus concluding the transaction.
When the people behind saw that Wei Heizi could really exchange for so much grain, they became a little excited and squeezed a little to the front. The junior officer shouted, “Come one by one. These grains have all been weighed. You’ll receive what you’re rightfully owed.”
All those with promissory notes chuckled while those without were green with jealousy. They asked if the Prince’s estate would accept some more local specialties after this. This time, they also wanted to choose promissory notes.
The junior officer glanced at them and said, “Do you think it’s so easy to do business? This time, it’s right before the new year and we had the help of the Emperor, that’s why all those things could be sold. The Prince’s estate is doing this without any remuneration. It’s impossible for such a good thing to happen again.”
“Didn’t the Prince’s estate say that the excess grains would be sold? When are they going to sell them?”
“That’s right. I heard that the grain prices they set are not high.”
“Don’t think about it.” The junior officer waved his hand and said, “Ju Prefecture is so far away from us. By the time you get there, the grain will have long been sold out. Back then, I advised you guys to accept the promissory notes, but you didn’t listen. Look at the Miao stockades—all of them chose promissory notes and no one wanted cash.”
The villagers’ expressions darkened. Sighing, the junior officer said, “Don’t be dejected. Since we have an excellent Emperor, the Imperial Court naturally won’t leave us to die. However, you have to work hard and make sure not to disappoint His Majesty.”
When the junior officer said this, everyone perked up and looked in the north eagerly. They wondered when such a good thing would happen next time.
Unlike the Han people’s villages which were mixed with joy and worry, the Miao stockades were as lively as the New Year. Ji’an moved even faster and divided the grains into a few portions for his trusted aides to distribute personally. He said, “You must watch carefully and make sure no one embezzles the grain. Her Highness hates such things the most. If she finds out that there is such dishonesty going on in our Miao stockade, we won’t have a share of such good things in the future.”
His trusted aides shivered and agreed one after another. Even when they went to other Miao stockades, they insisted on personally exchanging for the Miao people and not handing it to the chieftain of the Miao stockades. They said, “This is Chief Ji’an and Her Highness’s business. Since it concerns their reputation, we don’t dare to make any mistakes.”
Even if someone wanted to pocket the grains, they had no choice but to restrain themselves when they saw the Prince’s estate’s servants and bailiffs following them.
Jilu’s house was very far away. When he rushed over, he was already the last one. Seeing that there was only an empty grain bag behind them, his heart turned cold. He walked forward in a daze until someone grabbed him. “Jilu is here. Jilu is here. Why are you only here now? Ah Wei and the Prince’s estate’s servants are leaving. Go and collect your grain.”
Jilu came back to his senses and ran two steps. With red eyes, he asked carefully, “I’m late. Do you still have grains?”
Ah Wei sized him up and said, “You’re Jilu, right? You’re the only one left. Give me the promissory note.”
Jilu quickly took out the promissory note and handed it to him. After checking the promissory note, Ah Wei handed it to the Prince’s estate’s servant to confirm it. Then, he got someone to carry over the grain from the cart and weighed it in front of Jilu. Only after that did he ask him to stamp his thumbprint on the promissory note and record this on the accounts.
Ah Wei patted his shoulder and said, “You ought to come early when we’re distributing the grain next time. Fortunately, we stayed for half an hour later this time. If we left, wouldn’t you have to go to our stockade to get your share?”
Jilu heaved a sigh of relief and said embarrassedly, “My house is a little far. When I received the news and rushed over, it was already too late.”
Jilu had exchanged for a lot of grain. He couldn’t carry all the grain back by himself, so he stored one bag at his relative’s house and planned to come back tomorrow. With one bag slung over his shoulder, he started walking back. Unexpectedly, when he turned the corner, he heard a voice say angrily, “Ji’an is too much. To think he’s interfering in our stockade just because he’s on good terms with the Prince’s estate.”
Chapter end
