Chapter 130: Tragic Scene

Everyone followed Old Man Li back and came to a small valley between Wulongjing and Dahongjing. After turning around the mountain pass, the scene in front of them was shocking.

On the leeward hillside, earthen pits were dug out, and a small piece of flat land was barely obtained. Dry firewood and weeds were spread on it, and a small shed was built on the top, which served as a residence.

There were many women and old people in ragged clothes, who looked like skeletons, and there were also children, who looked stupid and had filth on their faces and hands, just like walking corpses.

Some of the wild vegetables and grains were cooked in the earthen pots around them, and the smell was extremely unpleasant.

Cheng Wenying looked miserable: "I thought our Meishan Mountain was rich in products, but I didn't expect it to be in such a miserable situation. This... this... this is worse than the Earth Temple!"

Su You whispered: "They are fugitives. They came here to avoid the government. They even have to hide their begging and don't dare to go near the town."

Shi Dongxiu couldn't bear to watch any more and turned his horse's head: "I'll wait for you outside... If the twenty-seventh mother saw such a scene, I'm afraid she would burst into tears."

Old Man Li said: "Dear gentlemen, this is the reason why we secretly collect private salt... Those salts can only be boiled secretly little by little. The output is not much, and the private salt dealers have suppressed them hard. In the past six months, Meishan

In Xueyanhang Market, the sales of private salt are becoming more and more urgent, and it is becoming more and more difficult to support more than 30 people who have fled their households... This year, the tax will be increased by 30%. On the day the system is implemented, there will be more than 100 people here.

, he is already a dead person..."

After saying that, he stopped talking and knelt down and kowtowed.

Cheng Wenying hurriedly dismounted, and regardless of Old Man Li's dirty body, he helped him up and said, "Brother, since we are here, we will not let this situation continue to happen. Let's go back to the mausoleum and make a long-term plan."

Su You turned to Shi Tong and said: "Da Shitou, go to Meishan City first, bring two carts of grain over, and then tell Kelongli that the well location has been found and the equipment is ready to go."

Shi Tong responded: "Yes!" He turned around, turned his horse, and galloped away.

The well supervisor's face turned pale: "Mr. Cheng, you are a villain. You are really guilty of negligence."

Cheng Wenying's scholar-bureaucrat's temper got worse: "It's better if you don't know about this matter. You only got a top grade in the Meizhou examination! Such a miserable look is simply a discredit to me in Meizhou! I am a squire of Jiang Qing, so I must write well."

The Chuanxia Fourth Road Transport Department accuses Tuojing Superintendent of corruption, extortion, and abuse of the people!"

Su You quickly stopped him and said: "My brother-in-law has nothing to do with this matter. This approach will be harmful to the fleeing salt households, so why not threaten them with this and spend some money to ask the Supervisor of Tuijing to transfer the household registrations of these salt households to Meizhou?"

, first solve the worries of the salt households and avoid being a fugitive."

Cheng Wenying said angrily: "Xiaoyou! You don't know the way of a gentleman?! Are you going to compromise with the corrupt officials and cruel officials?!"

Su You handed over his hand again and said sincerely: "My brother-in-law, as a squire of Meizhou, do you think it will be useful to write articles to accuse Yizhou officials? Two cousins ​​are in the officialdom, will it have a negative impact on them? Also

What should a gentleman do if he vents his momentary righteous indignation and saves more than thirty families from fire and water?"

Cheng Wenying was speechless for a moment, his anger grew stronger, he whipped his riding whip hard and ran towards the mausoleum.

The people behind me looked at each other and quickly followed.

By the time he got off the horse, Cheng Wenying had lost most of his anger and said to Su You: "You are right this time. I have lost my mind, so I will do as you say."

Old Man Li felt that his legs were weak and he could no longer stand. He knelt down involuntarily and cried loudly: "Old man fled to Yanhu for the thirty-three families. I thank the high officials for their virtue of rebirth!"

The salt workers looked at each other, wondering what had happened. How could the foreman go out for a trip and come back so grateful to these outsiders?

The first time Cheng Wenying helped Su You was out of excitement, but now he couldn't help it, so he only winked at Su You.

Su You stepped forward and helped Old Man Li up: "Old man, get up quickly. Everything needs to be discussed. Let's go to the greenhouse to talk."

He supported Old Man Li for two steps and then turned back: "First cut the pork belly into thumb-sized pieces and soak them in water..."

Then Cheng Wenying hit him on the head: "You're neither light nor heavy! You're still thinking about eating at this time!"

Everyone sat down in the shed, and Cheng Wenying asked Old Man Li: "Qingjing Prison, is it really dry?"

Old Man Li is now answering all questions: "It's not completely dry yet, but the output has been decreasing year by year. The salt households cannot complete the annual work. For us, it is the same as completely drying up..."

Cheng Wenying took out a set of drawings: "You are an experienced salt worker. Can you see if this method can be implemented?"

This is just a simplified version of the process, and the tools and costs involved are beyond the reach of ordinary salt households. Cheng Wenying is not afraid of Old Man Li seeing it.

Old Man Li looked at it, turned to his son and said, "Dashuan, get my baggage."

The capable middle-aged man couldn't help but said anxiously: "Dad!"

Old Man Li glared: "Get it! Just that little thing is a joke in front of an expert!"

After a while, Li Dashuan took out a blue cloth bag, which was probably the cleanest thing in the entire mausoleum prison.

Old Man Li carefully opened the cloth bag, and inside was a pile of yellowed papyrus: "Look, sir."

Cheng Wenying picked up one and read it. The handwriting on it was crude and there were sketches on it. He then picked up the one written by Su You and compared the two, he couldn't help but nod secretly.

Old Man Li held up his hand to Cheng Wenying and said, "Official, I wonder who made this plan you gave me?"

Cheng Wenying glanced at Su You and pushed the straw paper in front of him.

Old Man Li hurriedly handed over his hand: "Xiaoguan is from the Yanguan family? This well skill is the pinnacle of excellence. Please give me some advice."

Su You was still thinking about the piece of pork. He just came back to his senses after hearing this: "Ah... ah! My well skills are actually just blind..."

Except for Old Man Li, whose eyes were still full of admiration, everyone around him had expressions of disdain on his face. They were overdoing their pretense, and everyone was embarrassed, okay?!

Su You looked at the papyrus and nodded: "The craftsmanship on this paper are all what you thought of, my father-in-law?"

Old Man Li said: "I don't dare to show off in front of petty officials. This is a method that three generations of my family came up with. I waited for sufficient funds and permission from the court to open it for myself. Who knew that my life would become worse every day?

Each generation is not as good as the last..."

Cheng Wenying said: "You can offer this method to the powerful officials..."

Then I thought about it, Old Man Li was forced to have his family destroyed by these two people. If he really knew that he had such a method, I'm afraid it would be more likely that his things would be taken away and his mouth would be silenced. He quickly waved his hand and said: "Pretend I didn't say anything."

Old Man Li said: "I thought this was my family's secret method, but it turns out that there are experts in the world. Especially the last technique of pouring the seal on the furnace and pouring the brine on it is simply wonderful, and it saves a lot of fire work."

Su You said: "Actually, it's not surprising. This is an ancient method of the Ba people. The salt brine over there is from a mountain spring and is very light. Otherwise, there is no way to get salt."

Old Man Li sighed: "It's better to study. It's because the old man is ignorant."

Cheng Wenying said: "Now it is confirmed by two facts that the methods of digging the well between you two are quite similar. This seems to be feasible. I just don't know how deep the well can be dug to produce brine?"

"Sixty feet! Two hundred meters!"

Su You couldn't help but marvel at Old Man Li. He had copied the data from later generations, but this old man had estimated it based on his eyesight.

Old Man Li is still quite worried about the 30,000 kilograms of coursework. Sichuan salt costs 70 iron coins per kilogram of salt, which is also the output of 400,000 kilograms of salt!

Su You was not too worried about this. Is eighty taels of silver a day a lot? He knew that in later generations, there were several deep wells with profits as high as 600 taels of silver a day!

However, he strongly disagreed with this strict practice of forcing salt classes. The court could just pay taxes and leave the salt wells to the merchants to take care of their own profits and losses. It is their nature to pursue profits and increase production!

Cheng Wenying said: "Old Li, if you come out of prison, we won't serve you any more! Come and work on our well! I'm still saying what I said, I'll pay for my position ten times a month!"

The well supervisor's face turned pale with fright: "Mr. Cheng, please just go around me. You must not do it..."

Su You also said: "Brother-in-law, this matter really cannot be done. There are changes in officialdom this year. Whether the mausoleum can be closed or not can be discussed until the new governor arrives."

"We have our own technology and we are not greedy for this well, but seizing the official well and salt household is doing the wrong thing. It is better to wait until our well is drilled, the difference in output and the official well is reflected, and the situation forces the government to further deepen the relationship with us.

Cooperation is the only way to discuss Guan Pu. When Guan Pu arrives in Lingjing, Mr. Li and the others will naturally become our salt households. Before that, add a snow salt refining process to increase the price of salt in Lingjing and help salt households complete their lessons.

Just do your job."

After speaking, he turned to Old Man Li and said: "Old man, when we come here this time, we also have the task of teaching you how to refine snow salt. This is negotiated with the state government. The 30% premium can be solved in this way, so

There’s no need to worry, old man.”
Chapter completed!