bayedsolid Chapter 1556 Uncle 3 Borrows Money for the New Year
Chapter 1556 Uncle 3 Borrows Money for the New Year
With the year-end approaching, Sun Shan was busy handling official business.
Some tasks must be completed before the new year; if they are done after the new year, the situation will be different.
In particular, cases that are delayed should be adjudicated as soon as possible.
Sun Shan summoned County Magistrate Wang, Registrar Wu, and Clerk Xia to review the case files and conduct the trial together.
For example, in cases of trivial fights, people can be released after paying money.
For offenses like theft and bullying, lock them up first, then release them after a fine. If they don't have money, well, then they'll stay locked up until spring when they have to participate in labor reform.
As for serious offenders, sorry, they'll continue to serve their sentences and then take over the hard labor after spring.
Four people sit around the stove, going through each case one by one. If, after all four have finished their trials, there are still wrongful convictions, then one can only say that the person is extremely unlucky.
There's no way around it; probability is just that delicate, and it's impossible not to make mistakes.
If we're talking about the most popular person in the yamen (government office), it has to be Master Zhang.
With the Chinese New Year approaching, year-end bonuses, year-end evaluations, year-end gifts, and so on all need to be calculated by Master Zhang.
Whether this year will be a lean year or a prosperous year depends entirely on Master Zhang's pen.
As for how to calculate it, the right to interpret it belongs to Master Zhang; the employees just need to wait to get paid.
Every now and then, the minor official would like to hang around Master Zhang.
The official asked obsequiously, "Sir, how much will I get this year?"
He made a gesture resembling "money".
Master Zhang glanced at it and said casually, "How much you get depends on your usual performance."
That's as good as saying nothing at all.
The second officer asked ingratiatingly, "Master, how much we get is up to you, haha, Master, we're old acquaintances."
Master Zhang stroked his short beard and said righteously, "That's not right. I'm just doing the calculations, not the selection. How much you get depends entirely on yourselves."
The officials didn't believe it; Zhang, the clerk, was now the "Minister of Finance" of the yamen, and his words carried weight.
His leniency towards the officials filled their pockets.
The official, Bing, said obsequiously, "Master, are you free today? How about we go to the No. 1 Tea House in Yuanlu for some tea?"
Master Zhang held his head high and chest out, making no attempt to show his limp to outsiders, and said with unwavering integrity, "No time! I don't like tea!"
The officials: ......
Master Zhang had made his position clear, leaving them with no way to continue.
Oh my god, why are all the people around Lord Sun so difficult to deal with?
Master Zhang straightened his back and walked straight back to the master's office. After everyone left, he quietly approached Sun Shan.
He recounted in detail how the officials had tried to bribe him.
Sun Shan scoffed: "What I should give, I will definitely give. What I shouldn't take, even if I have it in my hands, I have ways to make them spit it out."
Master Zhang pondered for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Sir, isn't the fee we're paying for lodging a bit too much?"
Nowadays, the lodging fee is much higher than the salary, and the total salary received by all members of the yamen is very generous.
Young Master Zhang compared the previous and subsequent county magistrates and concluded that while Sun Shan deducted more wages, he also paid more in wages. After subtracting the two, the salary he received was still much higher than what the previous two county magistrates had paid to their officials.
Master Zhang, with a heart dedicated to serving his boss, suggested, "Sir, you don't really need to give so much."
He gave a meaningful look.
Sun Shan immediately understood that Master Zhang's meaning was simply to pay the officials less wages and let Sun Shan pocket the rest.
Haha, which official doesn't seek personal gain? Their salaries are already low; if they don't embezzle, how can they support their parents, wives, and children?
Especially since Sun Shan came from a humble background and had a village clinging to him, it was difficult for him to even pay his guards' salaries.
Moreover, he has a fat daughter at home who loves to eat and adorn herself with gold. How could Sun Shan not be greedy?
Sun Shan waved his hand and said, "No need, just pay the wages as I said. We've received enough benefits, we can't be greedy anymore."
Sun Shan wasn't just being polite; he was telling the truth.
He was indeed poor before, living off his savings, but after the bird droppings fertilizer workshop opened and Dege started trading, Sun Shan's pockets started to swell.
In particular, Dege earned even more by selling grain and then bringing back other goods to sell.
Dege'er and his gang had only traveled to Dongting Lake three or four times, yet they had already come up with many ways to generate income. At first, they simply sold goods, but later they started recruiting people.
And taking advantage of its semi-official nature, it charges extremely high fees.
Other escort agencies charge 5 taels of silver to hire someone, but Dege'er goes straight for 10 taels. I don't know who gave Dege'er the courage to charge such a high price.
I never expected there would be so many people on the Chenzhou Prefecture-Changde Prefecture-Yueyang Prefecture route, and there were also many people on the opposite route.
With the Lunar New Year approaching, everyone is rushing home for the holiday, and De Ge'er and his gang are making a fortune.
Sun Shan was very curious as to why so many people were willing to spend a lot of money to ride in the Sun family's very irregular "bus".
Who knew that the person who agreed would be "the guards of the magistrate of Yuanlu County".
It was only then that Sun Shan realized he had become famous in the "circle of high-ranking officials and dignitaries".
It was because he killed a group of bandits as soon as he took office, and then killed a vicious roving murderer.
This was real experience that earned the guards of the Yuanlu County Magistrate the title of "brave".
Ordinary people might not know the reason, but it's different for high-ranking officials and nobles.
Was the killing of bandits and the capture of murderers the credit of Commander Wei, Prefect Liu, or Sun Shan?
Anyone who doesn't understand this isn't part of the elite circle.
Sun Shan was dumbfounded, never expecting that the "Sun Family Guard Team" would become so popular so easily that when they went out to solicit business, everyone was scrambling to place orders.
Of course, the high-ranking officials still left with a group of servants, joining the Sun family's guard team, simply to buy an extra layer of insurance and seek an extra layer of peace.
The benefactor lacks nothing but money. Paying a small fee is still a worthwhile investment.
The Sun family traveled as caravans, not only escorting merchants but also trading goods.
The back-and-forth buying and selling of goods brought Sun Shan and Magistrate Wang, the bosses behind the scenes, to a great deal of joy. That's why they didn't care about the government's profits and were willing to share the "pork" with each other.
Master Zhang understood Sun Shan's meaning and accepted the order, saying, "Yes, sir, I will do it according to the rules."
Having finished his official duties for the day, Sun Shan had just stepped into the inner courtyard when he was spotted by his third uncle.
With a quick pull, it stretched out several meters.
Sun Shan: ...
What is Uncle Three planning to do? I looked at him warily.
Uncle Sun asked, "Shanzi, it's almost New Year's, why hasn't Dege'er come back yet?"
Sun Shan thought that Uncle Sun cared about De Ge'er, and that made sense; how could parents not care for their own son?
In the dead of winter, when it's freezing cold, it must be so hard to be a merchant outside.
Sun Shan comforted him, saying, "Third Uncle, don't worry, De Ge'er should be back in Chenzhou Prefecture soon. He'll be back in Yuanlu County soon too."
Uncle Sun rolled his eyes at Sun Shan and said, "Shanzi, don't try to fool me. It's almost the end of the year, why aren't you back yet? Are you having too much fun out there and have forgotten about home?"
He paused, then continued, "Oh dear, if Brother De doesn't come back, where will I get the money? It's almost the New Year, and I'm penniless. What am I going to do?"
With a quick glance around, he stared furtively at Sun Shan and said, "Shanzi, lend me some money for your third uncle's New Year. I'll pay you back when Dege comes back."
Sun Shan: ......
I thought he was concerned about Dege'er, but it turns out he's concerned about money.
Upon hearing the words "borrow money," Sun Shan instinctively jumped up.
He's always the one borrowing money from others; no one ever borrows money from him.
He said excitedly, "Third Uncle, your nephew is penniless, where would I get any money? I was planning to borrow money from you for the New Year. As a high-ranking official, it would be a laughing stock if I didn't have money for the New Year, I need to save face. Third Uncle, can you lend me some money?"
He paused, then added, "I'll pay you back after I get my salary after the New Year!"
Uncle Sun: .....
Go to hell with your mountain-like appearance!