allonlinenovel Chapter 23 Drinking Tea
Chapter 23 Drinking Tea
Chapter 23 Drinking Tea
Wang Wenzhou cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Since everyone agrees on the city entry tax, let's start implementing it today. Before the city gates close this evening, I will come here with Mr. Cheng to draw a prize. Everyone is welcome to come and watch if they have time."
"Alright! Everyone, disperse! I have official business to attend to and cannot stay here any longer. I'll take my leave!" Wang Wenzhou waved to Wang Qiang, and the two walked away.
Yang Shan fell into deep thought. His mind was always quick, and he suddenly realized that there was money to be made here.
Ma Deyun thought Yang Shan was scared, after all, they had just called Wang Wenzhou a "corrupt official" repeatedly. He gently nudged Yang Shan and whispered, "Brother Yang, what are you afraid of? He's just a county magistrate!"
“No! Think about it, Wang Wenzhou, that fool, would take ten taels of silver as a bonus. There are only a little over ten thousand people in Hanshan County. Who would leave the city for no reason? No matter how much tax is collected from the city every day, it won’t reach ten taels!” Yang Shan shook his head and said.
Ma Deyun couldn't understand why Yang Shan said that. Among the four of them, Yang Shan had the most ideas. Ma Deyun urged, "Stop being mysterious, what exactly are you trying to say?"
Yang Shan smiled slightly and said, "There's a profit to be made here! Think about it, a tax stamp costs one copper coin. We spend two copper coins to buy the tax stamps, and the total cost is less than ten taels of silver. After deducting the cost of buying the tax stamps, the rest is pure profit."
"Wait a minute!" Sun Feng paused for a moment and then said, "Not everyone is short of that one penny. What if someone refuses to sell us tax stamps?"
“It’s very simple!” Yang Shan took out a jade pendant and asked, “If this jade pendant is worth 10 taels of silver, and I have 10 boxes, I’ll put it in one box. Then Brother Lin came and took one box, and I don’t know if the jade pendant is still in Brother Lin’s box. I’ll sell these remaining nine boxes for 2 taels of silver. Brother Sun, would you buy them?”
Sun Feng pondered for a moment, then nodded: "I understand, of course I'll buy it."
Ma Deyun said calmly, "My father always said that every business carries risk. The higher the risk, the greater the potential reward."
"Haha!" Yang Shan patted Ma Deyun on the shoulder and laughed, "That's exactly right. I estimate that it will be good if a thousand or eight hundred people enter the city every day. We only need two taels of silver a day at most to get a grand prize of ten taels of silver. That works out to eight taels of silver a day. That fool Wang, isn't he rich? In a few days, he won't be able to keep playing this game."
"What if that idiot Wang denies it?" Sun Feng suddenly said.
Ma Deyun laughed loudly, "It's even better if he denies it! He's the county magistrate, how dare he renege on his debt? If he dares to deny it, we'll go to Hezhou to sue him. Then, he'll have no choice but to admit it."
“Brother Ma is right!” Yang Shan said with a smile.
The Four Talented Scholars were extremely jealous of Wang Wenzhou's background. Although they were also considered sons of officials, they were on a completely different level from Wang Wenzhou. They figured, why not make money off Wang the Fool? The Four Talented Scholars thought, "If we don't make money off you, someone else will."
A few taels of silver a day was no small sum. The four scholars discussed it for a while and then decided to act immediately. They instructed their servants to collect tax tickets at the city gate.
……
No sooner had Wang Wenzhou entered the Drunken Flower Pavilion than Old Zhang followed him in with Zhang Jiao.
"Your Excellency is truly an honest official who wholeheartedly serves the people. All along the way, I've heard passersby praising Your Excellency, Wang Qingtian." Old Zhang began flattering Wang Wenzhou as soon as he saw him.
Zhang Jiao pouted. "Grandpa, why didn't you say that many people say he's a fool?"
"Old swindler, what brings you here today?" Wang Wenzhou asked.
"Jiaojiao!" Old Zhang turned around and glanced at his granddaughter, speaking coldly.
"Thump!" Zhang Jiao knelt down on the ground, her face contorted in a mournful expression, and said reluctantly, "My lord, I was wrong!"
"Haha..." Wang Wenzhou burst out laughing; it turned out they had come to apologize.
"Damn it!" Wang Wenzhou grabbed Old Zhang's clothes and laughed and cursed, "You old liar, don't get me into this! She apologized to me when you were there, but what if she beat me up again when you weren't? I'll be so embarrassed if she hits me in the face!"
"My dear son-in-law, don't be angry! Jiaojiao has already realized her mistake! Last night, I gave her a good talking-to. Don't worry, from today onwards, Jiaojiao will obey any of your orders!" Old Zhang patted Wang Wenzhou's shoulder and said ingratiatingly.
Old Zhang looked at Wang Wenzhou with a smile. The more he looked at this grandson-in-law, the more pleasing he became. He was indeed a descendant of Wang Shouren, the Earl of Xinjian. The reputation of Wang Qingtian was known to everyone in Hanshan County.
"Really?" Wang Wenzhou was skeptical that Zhang Jiao, this tomboy with violent tendencies, could change her personality so quickly.
"My dear son-in-law! Would an old man like me lie to you?" Old Zhang said with a wry smile.
"Pah!" Wang Wenzhou laughed and cursed, "You old liar, how dare you say that! You tricked me into marrying your granddaughter!"
"My dear son-in-law, I really didn't lie to you this time!" Old Zhang spent the whole night earnestly persuading his granddaughter, Zhang Jiao, who swore to him that she would be a virtuous wife.
"Come here!" Wang Wenzhou gently lifted Zhang Jiao's head and teased, "Give me a smile!"
Zhang Jiao gritted her teeth, wishing she could beat this fat man to death. She had relied on her grandfather since she was a child, and last night her grandfather cried his heart out. She really didn't want to see her grandfather sad, so she could only promise him that she would come to apologize and promise that from now on she would be obedient to her future husband.
"A woman should obey her husband after marriage!" Zhang Jiao's grandfather's words kept echoing in her heart. She secretly glanced at her grandfather, whose eyes were full of expectation and deep meaning as he looked at her. "Jiaojiao, be a good girl!"
Zhang Jiao beat up Wang Wenzhou yesterday because of those deeply humiliating words. Now, she felt the humiliation of those words was several times greater than yesterday, but she had no choice but to comply.
"Jiaojiao!" Old Zhang reminded her again.
"Hehe!" Zhang Jiao grinned, but her brows were tightly furrowed, and her smile was more like a grimace.
"Haha!" Wang Wenzhou laughed heartily when he saw Zhang Jiao's embarrassed look. Suddenly, he wanted to tease Zhang Jiao again.
"I'm thirsty," Wang Wenzhou said.
"Jiaojiao, quickly go and make tea for your husband," Old Zhang hurriedly instructed.
"Hmph!" Zhang Jiao snorted lightly and quickly got up to make tea.
"My lord, please have some tea!" Zhang Jiao respectfully offered the teacup with both hands.
"Jiaojiao, I want to drink the tea in your mouth!" Wang Wenzhou teased.
"Ahem..." Old Zhang coughed awkwardly. His grandson-in-law was being a bit unserious. The old man was still here; how could he act like this?
Old Zhang blushed, but instead of scolding Wang Wenzhou, he instructed Zhang Jiao, "Jiaojiao, serve your husband tea properly. Grandpa is going back to the Tower of No Return. Remember to get lunch later."
After saying this, Old Zhang didn't dare look at his precious granddaughter and left without looking back.
Zhang Jiao, holding her teacup, grew angrier and angrier as she looked at the wicked grin on Wang Wenzhou's fat face. "You fat bastard, you lecherous monster! You've gone too far!"
"Hey!" Wang Wenzhou urged, "Don't just stand there, hurry up, I want some tea."