The Reversal of the Qing Dynasty

Chapter 17: Grain “Being able to run is about physical strength; knowing how to run is about endurance.” The villagers were completely baffled. They all said they didn’t understand—what was this talk of physical strength and endurance? They had no clue about such things. “Take Uncle Zhou Cheng, for example.” Zhang Rui casually pointed to a young man standing nearby and said “If an ordinary person can only run sixty li, but you can run a hundred li in one go, that shows you can run. But if your legs are weak the next day and you can only lie in bed, that means you can run, but you don’t know how to run. If you can run another hundred li the very next day after finishing, that’s knowing how to run. It has to do with physical strength, endurance, pacing, balance, and physical recovery, among other things.” The crowd still looked confused. Zhang Rui wanted to explain further, but upon second thought, given their level of understanding, saying any more would likely be like preaching to the choir. He could only tell the villagers, “All you need to know is that I’m looking for people who can run fast and far.” As soon as they heard Zhang Rui say this, the crowd immediately got the point. So he just wanted people who could run fast! And to think he’d gone on and on with all those long-winded explanations—he really was just like some scholar-official from the county office. “For now, everyone can go rest if you wish. Those interested may come for the official assessment at three-quarters past the hour of Shen (around 4:00 PM). The test will consist of lifting stone weights and running. Also, once we’ve reached 50 candidates, we’ll stop accepting more.” It was only noon at that moment, nearly three hours before the hour of Shen. After sending everyone on their way, Zhang Rui was thinking about going back to prepare the stone weights for the assessment. In truth, there were no martial artists in the entire village, nor were there any proper stone weights. He planned to take a stroll through town to see if he could find a blacksmith to make him a couple of dumbbells of similar weight. Just as Zhang Rui was about to leave, a worker from the Li household called out to him. He told Zhang Rui that the manager of the Li family’s grain store had something to discuss with him and asked him to come over. Zhang Rui immediately guessed it had to do with the grain purchase he’d discussed with Li Hun, so he headed back with the worker from the Li household. Li Niushi, who had been agonizing over whether to follow him, saw Zhang Rui’s figure growing increasingly distant and, without a second thought, set off after him. After Zhang Rui left, under the shade of the trees, aside from a few villagers still discussing and processing what Zhang Rui had said, most had gone to talk about it with their wives and children. Meanwhile, people from the neighboring villages had all left, hurrying back to share the good news with their relatives and friends. This was something that hadn’t happened in decades—they had to seize the opportunity. At the entrance to the Li residence A man in his thirties, wearing a straw hat and a dark green long robe, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness, was walking slowly toward Zhang Rui. Some might wonder why he was wearing a hat in such sweltering heat. It was because the rat’s tail on his head was simply too unsightly—a gross violation of propriety—so most people who considered themselves refined would cover it with a hat. Holding an abacus in his hand, he bowed slightly to Zhang Rui and said “ “I presume you must be the Sixth Brother that Steward Li and Master Li have spoken of!” “I’m not worthy of such a title; simply call me Zhang Rui. May I ask how you are addressed, sir?” Zhang Rui returned the bow and asked in turn “My name is Pang, with the single character ‘Tong.’ I share the same name as Pang Tong from the Three Kingdoms era, though I lack his talents. Currently, thanks to Master Li’s kindness, I am managing the grain trade at his store.” As Pang Tong spoke, he sized up Zhang Rui. This young man, whom Li Hun had spoken of, had risen to prominence far too suddenly—so much so that he had even intimidated a villain like Li Hun. Zhang Rui, in turn, sized up Pang Tong. To be a grain shop manager at the age of thirty suggested he possessed some real skill. “So you’re Manager Pang. My apologies for the oversight. I wonder what good news Manager Pang has brought for me, Zhang Rui?” “After hearing a brief report from Manager Li, our Master Li Decai learned that Sixth Brother needs to purchase a large quantity of grain. So he sent me to discuss with Sixth Brother whether this is feasible. I wonder how much grain Sixth Brother intends to purchase?” Pang Tong now displayed the shrewd gaze befitting a businessman. “If the price is right, I’ll take a lot; if not, we’ll see!” Had this been last night, Zhang Rui might have made a rash commitment, but now that he understood the value of hard-earned money, he decided to assess the terms first. Only when you hold the money in your hand can you be the boss. “Well, I’ll need to know the quantity Sixth Brother intends to purchase before I can quote a price.” “Then just tell me your grain shop’s prices!” Zhang Rui said after a moment’s thought “Our shop primarily stocks three staple grains: rice, millet, and wheat. As for coarse grains, we currently only have soybeans. “Sixth Brother, you know this year’s drought has caused grain prices to rise significantly. Currently, a shi of millet costs two taels and three cash of silver. Broken rice is two taels and one cash per shi, white rice is two taels and five cash, and polished rice goes up to two taels and nine cash. Wheat is slightly higher, at four taels and six cash per shi. Soybeans are a bit cheaper, at just one tael and nine cash per shi.” Pang Tong recited the prices to Zhang Rui one by one. “No corn?” Zhang Rui asked, puzzled. Wasn’t it said that the Qing Dynasty remained relatively stable precisely because of bountiful harvests of sweet potatoes and corn? “Corn?” Pang Tong looked a bit confused. “Oh! You mean maize,” Zhang Rui said, using a different term. “Very few people grow that. There’s hardly any harvest to speak of, so it’s practically nonexistent,” Pang Tong explained. In fact, Guangxi and several surrounding provinces didn’t begin large-scale cultivation of crops like corn until after the 32nd year of the Qianlong reign. So when Zhang Rui asked about it, Pang Tong’s ability to understand the reference showed he had a broad knowledge base. “If I want one of each, how much can you sell them to me for?” Zhang Rui asked, looking at Pang Tong. “Do you have enough carts to haul it all away?” Hearing Pang Tong’s words, Zhang Rui was somewhat taken aback. Was there really a difference? “Just assume I do!” “I can sell you a maximum of ten shi of each. If you want more, the price will go up.” Pang Tong replied without hesitation, as if he’d been given orders in advance. “What if I don’t have a cart to haul it away? Will you deliver it?” Zhang Rui asked again. “If we deliver it, we’ll still only sell you ten shi of each item at most, but you’ll have to cover the shipping costs, which will vary depending on the distance.” Pang Tong swallowed, then said quite naturally “Sixth Brother, you know that our Master Li and you are from the same village. There’s a Li family granary in the village with nearly a thousand shi of grain stored inside.” “Master Li told me this when he sent me over. If you buy a large quantity and can’t move it all at once, he said you could borrow the granary for two months rent-free, and we could even offer a slight discount on the grain price.” “How much would count as a large quantity?” “At least three hundred shi.” As soon as he heard Pang Tong’s words, Zhang Rui understood. They were clearly counting on me getting killed by bandits, so they wanted to strip me of all my silver before the bandits could get to me. That way, they’d have the money, I’d be dead, and the grain would still be sitting in their granary, not a single bushel missing. It really is a scheme to get something for nothing—they aren’t even afraid of overeating.