Liao Zhai Zi is silent

Chapter 17

Lin Zhuming gave out all the two taels of silver just to make clothes.

Er Otter looked distressed, two liang of silver, enough to spend a month, Lin Zhuoming didn't haggle the price, he really came to experience life.

But Lin Zhuming saw that Er Otter's hands were empty, so he asked, "You have been shopping with me for a long time, why didn't you see anything?"

"I came here to accompany you, Master, to buy. I don't lack these." Er Otter immediately explained: "I have everything I should have."

Lin Zhuming didn't point out his embarrassment, thinking maybe he wanted to save money and take it home to subsidize the family, after all he heard that he had four brothers and sisters in his family.

However, Er Otter has been feeling sorry for it, and originally wanted to find an opportunity to pay Lin Zhuming, but Lin Zhuming's consumption was really beyond his tolerance.

Lin Zhuming was very interested in the market, so he went to the grain store on purpose and asked about the current grain price.

"Twenty cents for a liter of round-grained rice, forty cents for a liter of white flour, and eight cents for a liter of corn..." the man said lazily, but he recited the price smoothly.

In the late 50s of Qian Yong's history, due to the severe drought in the southeast, grain prices were much higher than in previous years.

Therefore, the era that Lin Zhuming traveled through was not a good time. After all, in the history books, the severity of this drought was almost the same as that of the Chongzhen drought.

Although the vernal equinox has just passed and April is not yet the time of the real severe drought, the water level of Taihu Lake and West Lake has not risen yet due to the dry winter. The cost of food transportation is too high, and the price of food in the whole country has generally risen. Although Nanjing City naturally also rose.

Seeing the current price of food, Er Otter also showed embarrassment: "Aren't these few years full of good harvests? Why are they still so expensive?"

"When the price of rice was cheap during Qian Yong's reign, it was three or four cents a liter, but now it has increased by six or seven times."

The shopkeeper of the grain shop heard the two people's emotion when they saw the price of grain rising, and couldn't help but said: "You think it's expensive, and I think it's too expensive. How can there be grain now, it's all grain from the granary."

"I advise you to buy it as soon as possible, otherwise it may be another price tomorrow."

"I heard from a grain merchant from Huizhou that it hasn't rained since last winter."

"'47, 48, 49, three years in a row are big years, why is there still a shortage of food?"

A customer who came to buy grain at the grain store asked, "Isn't it because you raise the price if you want?"

"You also know three years of good harvest, then have you heard of three years of good harvest and three years of widow?"

"This year's drought is revealed, I am afraid it is a sign."

The shopkeeper of the grain shop immediately pushed back, showing no amiability in doing business.

Lin Zhuming heard what the shopkeeper said, and met Er Otter's eyes: "Is there any food in the temple?"

"There's half a jar of rice, other miscellaneous grains like pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and corn, about [-] to [-] catties." Er Otter said, pointing his fingers.

"Then you should buy some." The shopkeeper persuaded, "Many people think that they have so much food at home, thinking that after two months, spring plowing will start, and there will be food to look forward to."

"I have been in the rice grain business for so many years, and I have seen such a thing the most. In 43, it was similar to the current situation."

"The tenants, or the poor peasants, keep some rations, and exchange the rest for money. But if you sell it cheaply, it will be expensive if you want to buy it again. If you don't collect annual grain, who can feel at ease? You are afraid of hunger!"

"The landlord's family has food, but the tenants below have no food, so they are not allowed to lend out? Let those tenants temporarily overcome the difficulties?"

"Otherwise, the tenants are really starving and must not rebel."

Er Otter was sent to the temple to survive in 43.

Hearing this, I felt quite a lot.

"Although the drought doesn't seem to have affected this place yet, the fields outside the city are still watery, but this thing depends on the weather. How about April and May, who knows?"

"I have accumulated meritorious deeds and been influenced by the Bodhisattva, so I tell you this. If you listen to a word of persuasion, you will be able to save your life. I am also considered a seventh-level Buddha. If you don't listen, it will be difficult to speak well." Advise the damn ghost."

Er Otter finally made up his mind: "Buy two stones of corn and one stone of miscellaneous grains, the shopkeeper, and send them to the Longevity Palace. Don't miss my name! Don't mix old grains with river sand either."

"Don't worry about our food account. Mili is full of conscience. If you dare to add things indiscriminately, you will be killed. Besides, your Master Zhao still has face. We are in business, and we can give you money." Mix sand and lime in it?"

The shopkeeper took the money: "If you don't believe me, I said that the food price will go up. Come back in a few days and see if it will go up even more."

The two visited other places and found that everything was expensive.There are only soy sauce, rice vinegar and the like. I don’t know why they are quite cheap, and you can buy five bowls for one penny.

After walking around and returning to the Longevity Palace, Er Otter immediately found the passive merit box.

"I've been attacked by a thief!" Er Otter hurriedly took out the key that was pressed under the incense burner, and opened the merit box.

"I am his ancestor!" Er Otter was impatient: "All the money in the merit box is stolen, so you are not afraid of being blamed by the real gentleman?"

But Lin Zhuming looked at the broken tiles on the ground: "The roof is still broken. I think it's better to mend the roof than to be angry."

"It's less than half!" Er Otter cursed, but he also looked at the roof from the stage, and the scattered sky was exposed.

"As soon as we left, a thief came on our back." Lin Zhuoming pointed to the muddy footprints on the ground and said, "Go and see, is there anything else missing?"

Er Otter soon found traces of climbing over the wall behind.

"It must be that bastard surnamed Hu." Er Otter cursed: "I'm idle all day, wandering around, usually sneaking around, and I was caught by my master once before, and he never changed after repeated admonitions!"

Lin Zhuming asked curiously: "How are you sure it's him?"

"Everyone in this area knows him. He is a gambler. Now he has nine fingers, one of which was broken back then."

"Then what should we do?" Lin Zhuoming asked, "Report to the official?"

"Report to the official?" Er Otter was discouraged all of a sudden: "It might as well be stolen."

"However, we can't just let it go, Master Lin, do you know any spells that can punish him?" Er Otter asked.

Lin Zhuming shook his head: "I haven't learned this before." At the same time, he asked curiously: "Then why didn't he steal all the money he stole, and only stole most of it, I can't figure it out."

When Lin Zhuming said this, Er Otter also became rational: "He has no conscience. He even stole money from a 70-year-old vegetable seller. It is said that he even took off the clothes of the newly buried dead."

"strangeness!"

When Lin Zhuming heard that he had stripped the dead man's clothes, he sighed in his heart: "It's a fate."

Because of the Yinshan sect, there are living people who wear the clothes of the newly dead to extend their life and life, so that they can stay for a while.

In addition, if the energy of a living person is transferred to a person who has just died, it may also make him stiff, or there may be ghosts, and even use the corpse to revive his soul.

(End of this chapter)