Chapter 536: Cheat money

In the kitchen, there is a big iron pot, cooking ingredients.
The scent comes from inside.
Wang Mazi smiled, knowing it clearly, "The guest officer is at the toll booth in front. He didn't stop to rest and eat."
"How do you know?" The caravan owner was a little wary, afraid of being targeted.
The goods they transport are of great value, but they dare not ask for a big one.
Wang Mazi set up the person in front of the dining table, "Because the guest officer did not know what the scent is coming out of, I guessed it for the first time, and I guessed it correctly. The scent that the guest officer smelled came from our rest station specialty, Lo Wei. Along the way Every rest station has this dish. If the guest officer has eaten at the rest station in front, naturally he won’t be curious about the fragrance."
That's it!
The caravan owner breathed a sigh of relief and was not targeted, fortunately.
"The guest officer would like to have a stew? There are stewed pig offal, stewed pig head, pig tail, pig ears, pig liver, pig lung, and stewed duck and chicken..."
Listening to Wang Mazi's name of the dish, the caravan guys who had been tired for a day and had been freezing for another day all began to drool.
The caravan owner is not much better, but he is reserved and not obvious enough.
According to Wang Mazi's introduction, each table has a lo-mei platter, a few stir-fries, and sweet potato rice.
No money for winter melon pork rib soup, just drink it. But there is only winter melon in the soup, no ribs. If it weren’t for the taste of ribs, everyone would wonder whether this is winter melon soup or winter melon ribs soup.
The steaming meal was served with a bit of lo-mei.
The caravan owner clipped a piece of pig ears. Hey, this tastes really good.
I ate another piece of braised sausage. I didn't expect that the pig offal could still be eaten like this. It didn't have the slightest smell, but it smelled of spices.
The caravan owner was very satisfied with this lo-mei platter, so he ordered two more pots and opened meat for the guys. Everyone will eat and drink, and tomorrow will work harder.
While the caravan owner was eating food, another large-scale caravan came from the direction of the capital on the cement road outside.
There are forty or fifty mules, horses and donkeys in carts. There are twenty to thirty vehicles carrying goods.
The caravan owner beckoned to Wang Mazi, "Is the Weishui frozen over the capital?"
"I have never heard of it. According to the situation in previous years, it can still sail for half a month."
The caravan owner pointed to the large caravan coming from the capital, "Why don't they take the Weishui water, but land transportation? Isn't it a waste of time."
Wang Mazi looked outside and laughed suddenly, "I know this caravan and they run on this road every month. They go to Luozhou. Now our cement road is more convenient than water transportation. And the cost is low.
As you know, there are many checkpoints along the waterway, and each checkpoint requires a sum of money, and a delay is half a day. It's better to take our cement road. Although there are many toll stations, they are cheap. Moreover, it is convenient for food and lodging, without delay, and you can leave after paying the toll. "
That's it!
When the caravan owner was originally in Los Angeles, he also wanted to take water transport
However, I was afraid that the Wei River would freeze and delay time on the way, so I changed to the cement road.
Who could have imagined that this cement road is even more convenient and cost-effective than water transportation.
The caravan owner secretly rejoiced, but fortunately he chose to walk in the cement.
Li Dashan took a few toll collectors to count the number of mules, horses and vehicles.
The car was full of goods and covered with oilcloth.
Li Dashan lifted the tarpaulin and inspected it at random. Looking at the seal affixed to the wooden box, he recognized at a glance that they were cashmere underwear produced by the Sihai Textile Workshop in Beijing.
A set of cashmere underwear is extremely warm and the price is very touching.
I heard from the webmaster that even if it is the internal price of the staff, it takes ten taels of silver. If you buy it outside, you can get two or thirty two sets.
He also heard that cashmere is a rare object.
A sheep has only a few pairs of cashmere all over its body.
A set of cashmere underwear requires several catties of cashmere, so how many sheep must be killed to knit a set of cashmere underwear. No wonder it's so expensive.
And he also heard that only in the period from winter to spring, the sheep will have cashmere.
Li Dashan looked at the trucks and trucks of goods, and felt that the caravan was strong, and then he accepted the registration.
Give the receipt to the steward and ask them to pay the toll by themselves.
This caravan from the direction of the capital had to rush all night without stopping to eat and rest.
Li Dashan yelled when he heard the words, "Come here, lift the fence."
Ding ding dong dong...
The chain sounded.
Several prisoners with anklets walked out from behind the toll booth, walking heavily. Go to the concrete road and lift the heavy wooden fence to let the caravan pass.
The caravan owner who was sitting under the window eating, looked at the people with chains on their feet and was taken aback.
"Who are they? You..."
Wang Mazi guessed what the other party was thinking, and said hurriedly: "Do not misunderstand the guest officer. Those few people are all criminals, bandits and road tyrants, and they are all evil. The county government is also a waste of food. Our webmaster discussed with the county government. Instructing the county government to send prisoners over for labor reform will not only save food for the county government, but also deter the mountain bandits and road tyrants who have not been caught."
When the caravan owner heard this, he was relieved, "This is a good way. Mountain bandits and road tyrants are not good things, so they should be reformed."
These traders know the dangers of mountain bandits and road tyrants. I very much agree with the actions of the local county government and toll stations.
In recent years, natural disasters have been frequent and many places have been hit.
Ever since, in the mountains and forests along the official road, there is a pile of here, a handful of there, you occupy a hill, and I occupy a valley. In just a few years, many bandits emerged.
Some of these bandits really couldn't survive, so they had to go up the mountains and fall into the grass.
Some people are really lazy to eat and cook, and the life is difficult on weekdays. It is better to go up the mountain and fall the grass as a bandit and eat fragrant and spicy food.
There are also some people who have desires just around the corner, but suffer from no chance of promotion. Don't do two things, just go up the mountain. He hopes that one day he will kill the officials and rebel, be recruited by the court, and embark on a career in another way.
This group of different-minded people gathered together and robbed the past business travelers along the way, harming one party.
Typical mountain bandits and road tyrants, harm the local people's livelihood and economy.
In the past, business travelers suffered greatly, but there was no way.
As a result, in recent years, many businesses have changed their business.
I can't save my life, where I dare to go south and north to be a trader.
How does this work!
Without previous business trips, how can toll stations and rest stations make money and how to support people?
So at the beginning of the establishment of the toll station, a guard was established to suppress bandits.
To make this business road unblocked, mountain bandits and road tyrants along the way must cut the roots.
In addition to organizing the guards, Sihai Road and Bridge Commercial Bank also issued a reward announcement.
Wang Mazi pointed to the reward sign posted on the wall, "Please look at the guest officer. Kill a mountain bandit and road tyrant for five taels of silver, and grab a live mountain bandit and road tyrant for ten silvers. Our boss pays for the money. The government office over there. , Now it is positive. Just to earn this reward."
As he was talking, he saw several county government officials coming with four prisoners wearing shackles and chains.
"Boss Niu, I'm sending someone to you. Take it." The Ya Ya shouted with his throat.
It was cold outside, so I went into the rest station. The rest station with floor heating is very warm.
A few prisoners, dressed in thin clothes, stood in the cold wind, shaking.
Boss Niu walked out of the toll booth picking his teeth.
He first greeted the yamen, and then stepped forward to check the teeth of several prisoners.
"Hey, I said the person you sent was wrong. Can this little white face be a mountain bandit road tyrant?"
"Don't believe it, Boss Niu, this is someone's military division."
"Fart strategist. I can kill him with one fist."
"That's it! Boss Niu!" Ya Ya gestured his thumbs.
"Boss Niu retired from the Sirius Army. Of course it's different."
Sirius Army?
The caravan owner was surprised when he heard this.
That rude toll station master turned out to be retired from the Sirius Army. No wonder he was fierce.
Boss Niu chuckled and kicked the servant, "The hero doesn't mention the bravery back then. Come, call my home."
Niu's boss, Mr. Niu, has cross-eyed eyes, and looks ugly. He looks like 50 or 60, but he is in his 40s.
I have been working as a mountain bandit for nearly 20 years. I have been a soldier since I was a child, and I have a few brushes.
It's a pity that the fortunes were bad, and the boss Niu came and took the lead in slaying the bandit where Mr. Niu was. He became the coolie of the toll station and was undergoing labor reform.
"My family came to recognize people. Several people sent by the county government said they were bandits. Do you know them?"
"It must be a mountain bandit." Ya Ya emphasized from the side.
Twelve taels of silver a person, where is the bandit, this is clearly white silver.
Mr. Niu didn't talk nonsense, he just started talking about the bandits.
After a short while, he took out the old bottom of a few people.
Mr. Niu pointed to Xiao Bailian and the other two people, "These three are the gangsters from Niutoushan who have been in the trade for at least three years. I have seen this little white face once. As for this big man, he is a footman, not a bandit. I don't know. How to get caught to charge up."
"Okay, bastard, play tricks and make money. Is it really easy to get our boss's money? If I don't pass the assessment at the end of the year, I will take your skin off."
Boss Niu rolled up his sleeves and waved his arms like iron knots at the servants.
The servants scattered all around, looking horrified.
"Boss Niu calmed down our anger, we really didn't know it. It was all judged by the county lieutenant. This is a dossier. Please look at Niu Laida."
Boss Niu sneered, "I don't look at this. I only know that you are not good at cheating money. Do you know the consequences of cheating money?
Last month, at the Jiulipu toll station, there were also government officials who arrested people to charge up and defraud silver. Guess what the result is? In the last three years, the government officer had been in the Jiulipu toll station to rehabilitate through labor for three years, and he can still see it now. The county lieutenant was directly knocked off.
You brave guys, do you want to come to Lao Tzu for labor reform? It happened that I was digging a mountain and digging a pond, and I lacked a few coolies. "
"No, no, Boss Niu has misunderstood. Maybe the county lieutenant made a mistake, we will go back and fix it."
"Really got it wrong? Didn't Lao Tzu admit the wrong person?"
"We made a mistake."
"All the four prisoners stay here, let's go. The matter is cleared, and then bring the case file to get the bill and collect the money."
"Yes, yes, you have the final say, Boss Niu."
A few government officials ran away in a rush.