wind and rain scissors shop

Chapter 61-61. The Weird Trial Cut

When Tian Erya followed Xia Tian to Caishikou, the surrounding area was crowded with people.They took a fancy to the gap and grabbed the front position.

I saw a high platform set up in the middle of the paddock, surrounded by soldiers guarding, several people who looked like wealthy businessmen stood on the platform, and a bamboo basket was placed in front of them.The names of each family are marked on the bamboo baskets.A table was set up in the middle of the stage, and an official sat there solemnly.

Tian Erya saw Zheng Zongde, the master of the Zheng family, standing there, with the eldest master Yuan Xin and the second young master Yuan Li standing on both sides of him.The always mighty Kang Zhixian stood in front of Master Kang, trembling.

The adults on the stage said: "Everyone, in the past, the official in charge of selecting equipment for the Armed Forces Academy was the magistrate of Kang County. This year, the imperial court decided to change the rules and specially sent me, Zhou Changkui, to Jiangnan to be responsible for purchasing equipment. I have just arrived in your place. The imperial court chose high-quality instruments, and for the sake of fairness, today they deliberately chose scissors in public. Kangzhi County, do you have any objections?"

The magistrate of Kang quickly bowed and replied: "I dare not be humble, everything is up to the adults."

"Since the magistrate of Kang County has no objection, I will not give way." Zhou Changkui rolled his eyes and asked the guard: "In Jiangning Mansion, are there any registered merchants who provide scissors for the Armed Forces Academy?"

The guard reported: "My lord, there are five registered merchants in Jiangning Mansion that provide scissors for the Armed Forces Institute, and all of them have arrived."

"Okay. Come here, try cutting the cloth." Zhou Changkui glanced at the master behind him.The master nodded, walked around the table to the rich merchants.

Tian Erya looked at all this curiously, and saw a yamen servant walking over with a rough cloth, and another yamen servant stepped forward to help him unfold it.

The master stopped in front of a rich merchant, picked up a pair of scissors from the bamboo basket in front of the rich merchant, looked at it, threw it on the ground, took out several scissors one after another, and threw them all on the ground, finally took out a pair of scissors, and opened it to the yamen servant. After cutting the rough cloth, he shouted loudly: "Wang Ji scissors, cut the upper and lower layers of the cloth, it is unqualified."

The rich businessman's face was pale, and he was sweating profusely from his head. He wiped his sweat with his sleeve from time to time.

The master continued to walk towards the second rich businessman, who started to tremble.The master signaled the servant to turn the bamboo basket upside down and take out a pair of scissors with asymmetrical handles.

When the rich businessman saw the scissors in his hand, his body became weak and he fell to the ground.

The master supported him with one hand, and pointed at the cloth with the other: "Zhao Ji scissors, the cloth has not been cut, and the handle is laborious to open and close, unqualified."

Xia Xia was puzzled: "Sister Erya, although Wang Ji and Zhao Ji's scissors are not as good as our Long Shunhe's, their scissors usually sell well, so they can't be that bad, right?"

Looking at the scene on the stage, Tian Erya took a deep breath: "There is something wrong with the cloth you tried to cut. It shouldn't be as simple as simple folding of coarse cloth. Moreover, that person specially picked the worst pair of scissors from among the many scissors. It is clear that the merchant who made the trial cut is unqualified."

"Master won't be in trouble, right?" Xia Tian looked at Zheng Zongde worriedly, and yanked Tian Erya's sleeve, "Sister Erya, Fourth Young Master is over there."

Tian Erya followed his gaze and saw that Zheng Yuansheng was looking forward to it, waiting for the result of the official trial cut.She turned to the front of the stage and saw that the master did the same thing. In front of the third rich scissors merchant, she also overturned the bamboo basket, and picked out a pair of scissors to cut the cloth: "Cut the cloth, cut the upper and lower layers of the cloth, and roll the blade. From now on, it is not qualified."

In this way, the fourth company is also unqualified.The master came to Zheng Zongde.

Zheng Zongde felt remorseful in his heart, and his body was like sifting chaff. He fell backwards and was supported by his two sons.

Zheng Yuanxin and Zheng Yuanli supported their father, the bodies of the three were huddled together, their faces were extremely tense, watching the yamen servant empty the bamboo basket, the master chose a pair of scissors without Longshun and marks, the three of them almost fainted.

The master took the scissors and pointed at the cloth and cut it: "Longshun and the scissors, cut off the upper and lower layers of the cloth, hook and hang the thread, it is unqualified."

Zheng Zongde rolled his eyes and fell into his son's arms.

The master didn't wait for his two sons to react, he stepped forward and strangled them directly.

Zheng Yuansheng turned pale in the audience, and the worst situation he didn't want to see happened.The Armed Forces Institute purchased the scissors in advance this time, and it turned out that the visitors were not kind.

Zheng Zongde woke up slowly, prostrated himself on the ground, begging for forgiveness.

Zhou Changkui, who was sitting in the middle of the stage, said, "Are you Long Shunhe's boss Zheng Zongde?"

"Yes, the grassroots is Zheng Zongde."

"The young man on the left is your eldest son, Zheng Yuanxin, who is responsible for strictly controlling the quality of scissors; the one on the right is your second son, Zheng Yuanli, who is in charge of running your Longshun and knife and scissors shop. Are you right?"

Zheng Zongde was taken aback, he didn't expect the new lord to investigate their family background thoroughly, and kowtowed to his sons: "Yes, your lord is right."

Zhou Changkui's face sank like water: "You are very curious, how come I know you Long Shunhe so well when I am here?"

Zheng Zongde lay on the ground, not daring to vent his breath.

Zhou Changkui got up and stepped off the stage: "Last year, the imperial court fought a big battle in the northwest, and many soldiers were injured. When the accompanying doctors bandaged the soldiers, they found that most of the scissors provided by the Armed Forces Institute had dull blades, and the handles were stuck or the handles were difficult to open and close. , only your Long Shunhe's scissors can open and close freely, which is praised by everyone."

Zheng Zongde was praised, but he was even more frightened, trembling all over.

"Before I came here, I had someone investigate you, Long Shunhe, and I knew that the scissors you Long Shunhe forged were of high quality, and the scissors you gave to the Armed Forces Academy were even more exquisite. This time, I originally hoped to see you Long Shun and Excellent Scissors, increase your orders, let all sword shops learn from you, but this time, you let me down."

Zheng Yuansheng stood in the crowd, watching his father and his brothers prostrate on the ground, trembling all over, and pursed their lips tightly.

Zhou Changkui stood in front of him, looking down at Zheng Zongde and his son: "In the past, the scissors you provided to the Armed Forces Institute were of high quality. This year, I was newly transferred to the Armed Forces Institute, and the scissors you provided to me are obviously not as good as in previous years. Do you think that I don't know how to use weapons, and deliberately deceived me?"

Zheng Zongde, Zheng Yuanxin, and Zheng Yuanli were so frightened that they kowtowed non-stop: "My lord, villains dare not."

"Don't dare? I think you are very courageous. The scissor handles provided in the past are high-quality products. When I come to this official, there are still unqualified scissors in this basket. You are clearly bullying this official. The crime is unforgivable. Come here , beat the three of them, father and son, twenty slaps hard, as a warning to others."

"My lord, please forgive me." Zheng Zongde and his son were pressed to the ground, and the beaten ones cried like ghosts and wolves.

Zheng Yuansheng watched his father and brothers being beaten, his heart was like a knife, and he only wished that they could not be rescued.

Tian Erya saw Master Zheng and the others being beaten, and instinctively looked at Zheng Yuansheng. Seeing his eyes filled with tears, his teeth biting his lip, he felt sorry for him.

Xia Tian said in a low voice: "The fourth young master saw that the Armed Forces Institute issued an early purchase notice this year, and felt that there must be something wrong. I advised the master to think twice, and the master would not listen, so he will suffer this crime."

Tian Erya sighed softly: "When doing business, you must abide by your conscience and ensure that the things you make are genuine and at a fair price. You can't take any chances, otherwise, catastrophe will come."

Zhou Changkui looked at the owners of the other four sword shops and said, "And you, the scissors you usually sell are of good quality, but you provide the Armed Forces Academy with rough scissors, which makes it difficult for the soldiers to cut the cloth lapels that wrap the wounds, and delays the doctor's work." The time to rescue the soldiers almost caused a mutiny and brought disaster to the court. They are also heavily punished."

(End of this chapter)