Chapter 58 You are Master Huo (I)
When leaving Xu Zhixian, Xu Zhixian reminded him, "Brother Huo, as long as you can pay the taxes, you can live a carefree life in the countryside."
After saying goodbye, Huo Chong was on his way back. Magistrate Xu didn't say much, and even less useful things. The most useful people are those who got their official positions by donating money. They will only be called to the government if there is something special. This possibility is very small. Huo Chong can rest assured to do his own thing.
Yang Youfang hired a horse for Huo Chong, and after staggering all the way back home, Huo Chong immediately prepared to go to Lijia Village.
Since Uncle Liu ran away, Huo Chong , while clearing Uncle Liu's debts, also smashed everything Uncle Liu left in the three villages. This little bit of money was the last bit of remnant left by Uncle Liu. This little bit of money was nothing to Huo Chong, but Huo Chong felt that this little bit was the remnant left by Uncle Liu, and he had to smash it completely to completely wash away Uncle Liu's influence.
Huo Chong went to Liujia Village again, and the young people sent by Lijia Village to Huo Chong immediately invited those who had invested in the blessing money to come out. I thought these people would refuse, but unexpectedly, they happily took back the blessing money they had given to Uncle Liu.
As soon as the last person's money was returned, the people who came to watch the fun not only did not disperse, but gathered closer. The uncle from the Li family who took the money said happily: "Huo Chong, I heard that you want to plant blessings for us, I will be the first in line."
"Ah? Who said that?" Huo Chong was stunned. After thinking for a moment, Huo Chong wondered if someone had schemed against him.
Uncle Li said happily: "Huo Chong, everyone says that you are a blessed person. You can bring blessings to me, I believe you."
Huo Chong looked left and right, but couldn't find out who had caused this trouble. Then he looked at Uncle Li, who looked sincere and clearly believed in the matter of planting blessings. The other people around him had similar expressions, and many of them were pushing and shoving, obviously not wanting others to get ahead.
Since the situation had developed to this point, Huo Chong made up his mind, stood up and shouted: "My way of cultivating blessings is different from that of my master."
Huo Chong shouted, and the people behind him became interested and immediately crowded forward. People pushed and squeezed each other, making the situation even more chaotic. Huo Chong called the three guys from Lijia Village and asked them to stand in a row hand in hand to block the crowd, and finally maintained a minimum situation.
Huo Chong pulled a stool and stood on it, looking down and shouting: "If you plant money for blessing, you will certainly be blessed after death. But shouldn't you be blessed when you are alive? Do you have to suffer when you are alive?"
Everyone was silent when they heard such a serious topic.
"I give this kind of blessing twice a year and once every six months. If you give 100 coins for planting blessings, you will get 101 coins back. If you give 200 coins, you will get 202 coins back. Those who are willing to plant can continue to plant. Those who don't want to plant can take the money back and use it for themselves. I won't force you. The money for planting blessings is with me, and everyone's blessings will not be reduced at all!"
Hearing that there would be benefits to putting money here with Huo Chong, the one who was originally willing to cultivate blessings immediately shouted: "When do we start? Is it okay now?"
In the next few days, Huo Chong started his "planting blessings" business in three villages. To put it bluntly, it is to attract deposits at low interest rates. Even in the 21st century, the official current account interest rate is only a few tenths, and the fixed deposit interest rate is not even 2%. Huo Chong's half-year interest rate of 1% and one-year interest rate of 2% are absolutely low.
Even so, more than 10% of the villagers still joined the ranks. When the number of people stabilized, Huo Chong went to each village again, gathered these people together, and carried out new operations.
Anyone who cultivates good fortune will have the opportunity to get some opportunities from Huo Chong. For example, Huo Chong is willing to underwrite the sale of ground beans. Everyone does not need to do anything, just open a few ridges of ground beans on their own land. Huo Chong will organize people to cultivate the ground beans. When the harvest comes, everyone can sell all the ground beans to Huo Chong.
I heard that this kind of income was not deducted from the money for planting, but was paid by Huo Chong himself. The villagers who participated in the planting did not refuse. However, they had never planted ground beans and were very curious about this crop.
Huo Chong steamed some ground beans and made mashed potatoes for the people to eat. Although the taste was not as good as white flour steamed buns, the villagers did not find it unbearable. So the matter was settled.
In the blink of an eye, it was New Year's Day. This New Year's Day was the Lunar New Year, not the Western New Year's Day. Huo Chong's fellow apprentices happily took their monthly allowances and went home. They wanted to send Qian Qing to her uncle's house for a reunion, but Qian Qing refused.
"Big Brother, I don't want to go." Qian Qing replied in a low voice.
"Why?"
"Whenever you see me, I think of my mother." Qian Qing said, with red eyes.
Don't you think of your father? Huo Chong muttered to himself. But it was inappropriate to say this, so Huo Chong could only keep the words in his stomach.
On New Year's Eve, while other people were setting off firecrackers, Huo Chong was sitting on his bed alone, thinking about things. The day passed like this.
In a blink of an eye, it was already the fifth day of the lunar year. The villagers began to move around, and 1718 finally arrived. Huo Chong went to Zhu Erniu's place, and Zhu Erniu still felt a little touched.
A few days ago, Zhu Erniu was very unhappy when he learned that Huo Chong actually agreed that Uncle Zhu's family could also make wine according to Huo Chong's recipe. However, Huo Chong's words "From now on, you don't have to worry about what Uncle Zhu does to you" made Zhu Erniu a little shaken.
"Uncle Zhu wanted to deal with you before, but that was because you used my prescription and made money. He felt that you stole his business. This time he used our prescription, but it's not his turn to say that. If he dares to deal with you, I will deal with him!"
With Huo Chong's assurance, Zhu Erniu didn't say anything more.
Seeing Huo Chong coming again this time, Zhu Erniu asked in a muffled voice: "Brother Huo, I still don't trust Uncle Zhu. I always feel that his family members look at me in a strange way."
"I have an idea. I'll arrange for you to teach Uncle Zhu how to make wine."
"What?" Zhu Erniu was shocked: "Brother Huo, what on earth do you want to do?"
Huo Chong wanted to talk about his ideas for the entire winemaking process, but in the end he talked about interpersonal relationships. "I want you to stop worrying. Since you've taught Uncle Zhu how to make this kind of wine, what else can they do?"
I thought Zhu Erniu would refuse immediately, but unexpectedly, Zhu Erniu agreed after thinking for a while.
With Zhu Erniu's cooperation, Huo Chong became more proactive. On the contrary, when Grandpa Zhu heard that he wanted Zhu Erniu to help him brew wine, he immediately refused angrily. As a result, it was Grandpa Zhu's son who showed up. He was about the same age as Zhu Erniu and went to Zhu Erniu's workshop to learn.
Huo Chong put the matter aside and rushed to Lijiazhuang. When Li Tongshan saw Huo Chong, he started talking about making glassware, but Huo Chong gave him some paper. On it were some peanuts and sunflowers drawn with charcoal. Pointing at the paper and talking about it, Huo Chong made a request, "Brother Li, can you find these things? I want some seeds to plant."
Li Tongshan frowned and replied, "Brother Huo, you said last time that you wanted to have a drink with everyone on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Wouldn't it be better to let everyone help you when we meet?"
"I don't know who grows these in Shandong. If I want to find someone, that person has to be able to go out and look for them." Huo Chong sighed.
"I heard that you know people from Cao Gang. Why don't you go to them?" Li Tongshan reminded Huo Chong.
Huo Chong suddenly felt enlightened. He had actually forgotten his friendship with the Cao Gang. Even though Xu Youlin hadn't been here for a while, he still knew Captain Hu on the Daqing River. Captain Hu traveled all over Shandong and must have seen more than he did.
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Huo Chong invited three village leaders to have a meal together. Before the meal started, the guests arrived. Captain Li unexpectedly appeared at the door. Because he did not enter the village with gongs and drums as usual, Huo Chong did not even make any preparations.
However, Captain Li was obviously not here to arrest anyone this time. He came in with a smile, greeted everyone, and sat down naturally.
The atmosphere immediately became awkward. Everyone looked at Li the Constable uncomfortably, and Li the Constable spoke in the manner of a public servant, "Everyone, I have to come every year when it's time to pay taxes. It's always very uncomfortable. I asked you to nominate someone to pay the taxes, but you always failed to elect anyone. This time Mr. Huo has become an official, and I'm here to nominate Mr. Huo to take the lead and pay the taxes for you. Do you have anything else to say?"
Everyone looked at each other, not saying anything. Li, the captain of the police, frowned, pointed at the three-tile jar and said, "I asked you to pay the bill several times before, but you always said this was not right and that was not right. Let me ask you, if you let Mr. Huo pay the bill, is there anything you can't do?"
San Wagang looked at Captain Li's gloomy face and answered decisively, "Right! Right! I think Mr. Huo is right!"
Captain Li turned to look at Uncle Zhu , "Uncle Zhu, do you think it's correct?"
"Yes! I think it's Huo Chongzhong!" Uncle Zhu immediately agreed when faced with the captain's questioning.
Seeing Captain Li interrogating each person, the people being interrogated expressed their agreement without hesitation. Huo Chong knew that he could not escape paying the tax on his behalf.
The so-called payment of taxes on behalf of others refers to the fact that the local wealthy households themselves bear the taxes for a certain area. When the government collects taxes, it no longer collects them from each household in the wind and rain, but collects them from the local gentry once and for all, and the gentry pays them in full. As for how the local gentry collects taxes from the general public, that is a matter between the gentry and the people.
As for the government, they don't have enough manpower to go to the rural areas where the majority of the population is located. The so-called imperial power is not just talk. If you want to build a strong grassroots organization like the new China, you need not only iron-clad discipline and strong organizational ability, but also communication tools such as telegraphs and telephones.
The Qing Dynasty did not have such hardware and software. In order to easily collect taxes, it had to rely on local gentry. That is, the so-called village elders. If there were no local village elders to cooperate with the government, the officials would have to send all the police officers such as the head of the police to collect taxes every time.
They really shouted from east to west, and from north to south. They demanded taxes from every household. If they encountered families that really couldn't pay the taxes, they would use some tricks to force them to pay.
If there are local wise men willing to take on such responsibility, the government only needs to find the wise men who are willing to pay the taxes on their behalf and force them to pay the taxes.
Huo Chong could understand why County Magistrate Xu was so eager to make Huo Chong a local celebrity, so he was particularly reluctant in his heart.
It would be exhausting for a government official to collect taxes from hundreds of households, but if several officials were to deal with one sage, it would be much easier and more pleasant.
