amaotonovel Chapter 205 Is there anyone who complains about being tired while making money?
Chapter 205 Is there anyone who complains about being tired while making money?
Having spent most of the day in the shop, watching people come and go outside, occasionally glancing curiously but no one actually coming in, Magistrate Yang gradually lost patience.
After a moment's thought, Magistrate Yang said directly to Lame Wu, "Let's go back to the county office first and have someone inform the heads of the eight communities and sixteen neighborhoods to come to the county office tomorrow."
Magistrate Yang sometimes felt sorry for the heads of the eight communities and sixteen villages. Although he, Yang, was also a beast of burden, at least he had a salary to receive, which he could hardly spend each month. But these heads of communities and villages did not receive a single penny of wages. Not only did they have to work for free, but they could not even resign if they wanted to. They were even more like beasts of burden than he, the magistrate.
Then, when the twenty-four oxen and horses from the eight communities and sixteen villages arrived at the county government office the next day, Magistrate Yang went straight to the point and said, "After you go back, inform the people of each community and village that starting tomorrow, all workshops and shops in the county government office will no longer accept copper coins and silver coins, including salt shops."
Just as the village heads and wardens were feeling completely bewildered, Magistrate Yang continued, "If you want to buy salt or other items at the shops run by the county government, first take your money to the paper money exchange office across from the county government office to exchange your copper coins for paper money, and then use the paper money to make your purchases."
"Furthermore, within six months, one copper coin can be exchanged for one coin of paper money, but after six months, eleven copper coins can only be exchanged for ten coin of paper money."
"Whether other shops accept copper coins or paper money is up to them for now. In other words, copper coins and silver coins can still be used in the future, but only the shops under the jurisdiction of the county government cannot be used."
"Furthermore, didn't His Majesty exempt Ningyang County from taxes and corvée labor for three years?"
"If His Majesty continues to exempt taxes in the fourth year of Hongwu's reign, that will be fine. But if he does not continue to exempt taxes, you will have to exchange your copper coins and silver scraps for paper money before you pay your taxes."
"Did you all understand?"
The village heads and hamlets nodded in agreement, saying they understood. However, Magistrate Yang could tell from their expressions that most of them didn't take the paper money seriously.
After thinking for a moment, Yang Shaofeng simply smiled and said, "Don't you think exchanging copper coins for paper money is unnecessary?"
Liu Sanshier and the others shook their heads repeatedly, none of them daring to admit that this was what they really thought, and even believing that exchanging copper coins and silver scraps for paper money was simply pointless.
In Liu Sanshier and others' view, if the government wanted to collect taxes, it would eventually take away the copper coins and silver coins. Even if it wanted to collect paper money, it would just be adding an extra step for everyone to exchange copper coins for paper money, and then both the paper money and copper coins would return to the government's hands.
So what is this if not pointless farting?
Seeing the hypocrisy of Liu Thirty-Two and the others, Yang Shaofeng didn't take it to heart. He just laughed and said, "Regardless of whether the court and the government are doing something unnecessary, what needs to be replaced still needs to be replaced. It's best to replace it back as soon as possible."
After Liu Sanshier and the others nodded in agreement, Yang Shaofeng asked everyone to move forward a bit. He picked up several banknotes of different denominations and said to Liu Sanshier and the others, "This is a one-coin note with the character '壹' on it. This is a five-coin note with the character '伍' on it. This is a ten-coin note with the character '拾' on it. Anyway, you all recognize these simple characters, so you shouldn't make a mistake."
Magistrate Yang was now extremely grateful for his decision to promote literacy—if it weren't for the various forms of coercion and enticement that enabled the people of Ningyang County to learn some characters, people like Liu Thirty-Two probably wouldn't even know the face value of the banknotes! If they had encountered a few unscrupulous merchants, they would have been swindled to death.
After expressing his relief, Magistrate Yang quickly added, "By the way, the people of Ningyang County are honest and kind, praised by both Prime Minister Xu and Chancellor Chang. When you go back, remember to tell the people that this thing must not be forged, otherwise it is a crime that will lead to the extermination of nine generations of their family, and no one can save them."
Damn it, I almost forgot this is Shandong.
Shandong, ah, the jade-armed craftsman Jin Dajian and the master calligrapher Xiao Rang are both from Shandong.
It's said that Shandong people are timid, so timid that you wouldn't hear a word even if you hit them three times. But when Shandong people are bold, they can be incredibly daring, and it seems there's nothing they wouldn't dare to do.
If we don't explain the dangers of counterfeiting banknotes to them beforehand, who knows what kind of mess they might get into!
Liu Thirty-Two and the others were startled and bowed together, saying, "Yes, we will remember."
Magistrate Yang then hummed in agreement and looked at Liu Thirty-Two, asking, "How are your silkworms doing? Are there enough mulberry leaves for them?"
Liu Sanshier's face immediately fell. He cupped his hands and replied, "Your Excellency, there are enough mulberry leaves, but it's very troublesome to pick them every day. Moreover, we have to pick more and more leaves each day. If we don't feed them on time, the silkworms will raise their heads in the basket and wait. It's a creepy sight."
Yang Shaofeng nodded and said, "Enough to eat is fine. As for whether it's troublesome or tiring... Who would complain about being tired when they're making money?"
Liu Thirty-Two chuckled and replied, "Not at all, not at all."
After exchanging a few jokes, Magistrate Yang looked at the other village heads and elders and continued, "Liu Thirty-Two should have already told you that in the future, our county should try to make silkworm paper ourselves, and we should keep the silkworm moths to sell for money."
The group of club presidents and village chiefs all burst into laughter.
In the end, it has to be the big boss of our Ningyang County who never forgets to help the people of Ningyang County make money!
I just don't know how much these silkworm moths can sell for.
Just as the village heads and elders were pondering this, Magistrate Yang continued, "I've already asked Doctor Yang at the clinic. It turns out that silkworm excrement can be sold—silkworm excrement is what we call silkworm droppings. Don't throw it all away in the future; remember to collect it and sell it to the clinic later. By the way, you should also ask Doctor Yang at the clinic whether the silkworm excrement should be wet, dry, or semi-dry. Don't just do it haphazardly yourself."
As Magistrate Yang finished speaking, the village heads and wardens who had been all smiles immediately stopped laughing.
That's foolish!
The old man may not know that silkworm excrement can be sold for money, but the people of Ningyang County have been raising silkworms for so many years, how could we not know that this stuff can be sold for money?
However, in the turbulent years of the past, not only was it impossible to raise silkworms later, but even when silkworms could be raised, no one collected the silkworm excrement. So everyone gradually got used to throwing away the silkworm excrement, and even forgot that there was now a clinic in Ningyang County!
Then, the group of club presidents and village chiefs exchanged glances.