usatvline Chapter 51 Violent Buns
Chapter 51 Violent Buns
Chapter 51 Violent Buns
Feng Yuantao was one of the wealthiest merchants in the prefecture. A few days ago, he heard about the entrance tax and grand prize in Hanshan County. So he came to Hanshan County to see if this business was feasible.
Feng Yuantao quickly figured out how the big prize was won. The more tax receipts you had, the closer you were to winning.
That morning, Feng Yuantao observed the city gate. The busiest time was right after the gates opened. Many people lined up early, entered through one gate, paid taxes and received tax receipts, and then hurriedly ran out of the city towards another gate. These were all people who had something to do.
After the sun shines brightly, the crowds gradually thin out. At this time, the majority of people entering and leaving the city are elderly people and children. This is an elderly person who stays home to care for children, going out to earn some extra money. For families with many children, this can be a considerable income.
As noon approached, the crowd thickened again. Many of those entering and leaving the city were dressed in tattered clothes. Most of these were beggars and vagrants; how could they miss out on such a good opportunity? Feng Yuantao recognized Erheizi in the crowd.
Erheizi was in his early twenties and had been mute since birth. When he was ten, his mother died, and his family disliked him and kicked him out of their home. From then on, he wandered around Hezhou City, begging for a living. Occasionally, Feng Yuantao would give him some food.
Now, Erheizi's face was flushed, and he was wearing a brand new long robe. The robe was a bit too big and didn't fit him well, making him look somewhat comical.
After making inquiries and searching for several days, Feng Yuantao, as a shrewd businessman, understood Wang Wenzhou's intentions.
Lord Wang held a grand lottery for tax receipts to attract migrants to Hanshan. The grand prize not only attracted migrants but also attracted foreign capital. Feng Yuantao himself initially wanted to come to Hanshan to collect tax receipts as well.
But when he saw the tax collectors at the city gate, he changed his mind.
There were two main groups collecting tax receipts. One group, led by Geng San, had a large and powerful force. The other group consisted of the Four Great Talents. Besides these two groups, there were also some individuals working independently. They were mostly local bullies from Hanshan County, and Feng Yuantao, being an outsider, knew it would be difficult to compete with these local bullies.
Feng Yuantao looked up and saw that it was already noon; he was also a little hungry.
"Let's go, it's time to eat," Feng Yuantao said to the housekeeper, Old Li.
"Sir, where shall we eat today?" Old Li asked.
"I've heard that the steamed buns at HSBC Steamed Bun Shop are pretty good. Let's go check it out today," Feng Yuantao said.
Old Li pointed out the way and said, "Sir, come this way."
Old Li's real name was Li Fang. Feng Yuantao owned a grain store in Hanshan County. Old Li was usually responsible for checking the accounts, so he was very familiar with Hanshan County. Feng Yuantao had a large business in the prefecture, with shops in many counties. Previously, Feng Yuantao wouldn't have come to a small, poor county like Hanshan.
The two walked to the street where the HSBC steamed bun shop was located.
From a distance, a dozen long lines stretched from the steamed bun shop at one end of the street to the other, with at least a thousand people in total, and yamen runners were on the side maintaining order.
Feng Yuantao walked to the back of a line and said, "Let's line up here."
Old Li quickly waved his hand and said with a smile, "No need, sir! The grain for this steamed bun shop all comes from our shop. If you want to eat steamed buns, I'll just go find the manager and ask him to come and get a few. If you want a few steamed buns, the manager of the steamed bun shop will be too embarrassed to ask us for money."
Feng Yuantao shook his head and said, "I brought you here not just to eat steamed buns. The real reason is that I want to understand why so many people come here to eat steamed buns."
Feng Yuantao patted the young man on the shoulder and asked, "Young man, why are there so many people at this steamed bun shop?"
The young man turned around and looked at him, saying, "You're not from around here, are you?"
Feng Yuantao nodded: "I live in Hezhou."
"Oh... I knew it! The signboard of this steamed bun shop is by Wang the Fool..." The young man suddenly changed his tune, "It's by Wang the Upright Official, Lord Wang. When you buy the steamed buns later, you can take a look at Lord Wang's calligraphy. It's truly elegant and graceful, like dragons and phoenixes in flight. The day the steamed bun shop opened, Lord Wang not only led all the county's officials to cut the ribbon here, but he also treated the people to free steamed buns."
Feng Yuantao already knew that Geng San, the owner of the steamed bun shop, had some connection with Lord Wang. He said, "So it's because of Lord Wang that you've all come to eat steamed buns."
"No, no. The steamed buns here are delicious and inexpensive. The flour is all top-quality white flour, and the vegetable buns have several large chunks of meat inside. Not to mention the meat buns, they are all made with the finest pork belly. In the past, I wouldn't have been willing to buy them, but now who cares about a few coins?" the young man said with a smile.
Feng Yuantao nodded. "Yes." A steamed bun with vegetables costs two coins, and an average person can eat their fill with just two or three. For ordinary people who used to work hard all day and only earn a few coins, six coins for a meal was a luxury. Now, just selling tax stamps in and out of town brings in sixteen coins a day. Even if they ate steamed buns for all three meals, it would be enough.
Feng Yuantao estimated that the cost of a vegetable bun was about one copper coin, and the cost of a meat bun was three copper coins. The profit from each bun was one copper coin. Outside the bun shop, ten stalls lined up, selling buns. The number of people queuing alone was over a thousand. Assuming each person bought three buns, the bun shop could earn nearly two taels of silver just from those queuing.
The procession moved quickly, and soon it was Feng Yuantao's turn.
The waiter asked, "Sir, how many buns would you like? We currently have two kinds of fillings: cabbage and meat. We'll be introducing new varieties in a few days."
Feng Yuantao took out his money and said, "Two of each, please."
The waiter skillfully picked up the paper, wrapped it up, and handed it to Feng Yuantao with both hands.
"HSBC Steamed Bun Shop - Wang Wenzhou is the page"
As Feng Yuantao was leaving, he glanced up at the signboard and almost died laughing. Lord Wang's handwriting was worse than a three-year-old's. The most ridiculous thing was that the character for "title" looked exactly like "page." Feng Yuantao scoffed. That young man had just said Lord Wang's handwriting was elegant and refined—what a subtle dig!
The steamed bun shop had more than twenty tables, all of which were full. Feng Yuantao glanced inside and saw Erheizi holding a steamed bun, happily eating it.
Feng Yuantao shook his head and said, "Old Li, let's find a corner to eat."
The two found a quiet spot on the street. They sat down on the ground and started eating and chatting.
"Old Li, do you believe it? This steamed bun shop makes at least ten taels of silver a day. And it's a fixed income. That adds up to more than three thousand taels of silver a year. You won't believe it until you see it. I've been doing business with my father since I was a child, and I never imagined that such a small business could be so profitable."
Old Li took a bite of the steamed bun; it tasted truly delicious. The white dough broke open, revealing a rich, fragrant broth. Old Li sipped the broth and said, "I didn't expect this either, Lord Wang, you're truly amazing."
Feng Yuantao wondered if he should move his family to Hanshan. He planned to focus his business there. He reasoned that if things continued this way, Hanshan County's population would grow rapidly, and all businesses would flourish.
"Old Li, I'm having dinner with Geng San tonight. I'd like him to introduce me to Lord Wang."