What a lucky world!

Chapter 57 Silver Tide and Auction

Chapter 57 Silver Tide and Auction

Baibaotang is located on Qingtai Street, the most prosperous street in the inner city. It and the money shop guard one end of Qingtai Street. Because the buildings are much higher than other shops, they resemble the upturned ends of a gold ingot, so Qingtai Street is also called Yuanbao Street.

There was still some time before the auction, so Zhang Mu found a restaurant on Qingtai Street and sat by the window on the second floor.

Listening to the bustling noises on the street, Zhang Mu looked around curiously and found that Qingtai Street was indeed much more lively than before. In addition to the shouts of the major stores, there seemed to be a lot more street vendors.

At this time, the waiter brought the food to the table. Zhang Mu asked, "Waiter, is there a market these days? Why does it seem so much busier?"

When the waiter heard Zhang Mu's question, he smiled and said, "It's not the market. Young master, don't you know? The silver tide is coming..."

"Silver tide? What is that?" Zhang Mu continued to ask, but just as the waiter was about to answer, he heard a customer calling out. He smiled apologetically and hurried to greet the customer.

"Yinchao, silver is getting expensive." A voice came from behind Zhang Mu. Zhang Mu turned around and saw a man dressed as a scholar, about thirty years old. He nodded when he saw Zhang Mu coming.

Zhang Mu saw that the other party was kind, so he asked with a smile, "Why is silver so expensive?"

In just over a month, Zhang Mu would be eighteen years old, and he looked like a teenager. When the scholar heard Zhang Mu ask this, he gestured for him to sit at the same table with him. Zhang Mu didn't hesitate and went to the other person's table with the food.

"My surname is Wen, my given name is Lang, and my courtesy name is Guanyu. I don't know your name, little brother."

"My name is Zhang Mu, and I haven't chosen a pen name yet."

After the two exchanged names, Wen Guanyu began to explain to Zhang Mu.

"Last February, the new law came into effect. Among the changes in the tax system was the change from a tax in kind to a tax in silver, known as the 'Silver Tax Law.'"

"All autumn taxes, including land tax, population tax, etc., will be converted into silver and paid in one lump sum."

"As a result, there will be a silver shortage in the market in a short period of time, causing silver prices to rise."

"This is called the Silver Tide."

Zhang Mu had a strange look on his face when he heard this.

The silver-losing method? Isn't this just the one-whip method?

"Sir, what you mean is that everyone in the world is hoarding silver now?" Zhang Mu asked.

Wen Guanyu nodded: "People, you can say they are ignorant, or you can say they are smart."

"During the autumn tax season last year, the price of silver in Yongning Prefecture rose by 25%, and it didn't fall until this spring."

"This year is a good year, and the harvest should be good. However, with a good harvest, grain will be cheap, and I'm afraid silver will be more expensive than last year."

"They naturally won't make the same mistake again, so they're starting to hoard silver now."

“Look…” Wen Guanyu pointed to the street below, “This is where we can sell everything we have.”

"I just hope some people won't be so blinded by greed that they sell their houses and land, hoping to buy them back when the price of silver drops."

Zhang Mu listened to Wen Guanyu's words and looked at him in confusion.

These words don't sound like those of an ordinary scholar, but rather like those of an official who is close to the people.

"Sir, are you a local?" Zhang Mu asked.

"Not really." Wen Guanyu realized that his words might be a little wrong, and quickly said, "An elder in my family works at the Yongning government office. I went to visit him and passed by here on the way."

Zhang Mu nodded and looked at the bustling street below. For some reason, he always felt that this prosperity was a bit strange.

……

After dinner, Zhang Mu said goodbye to the scholar and went to Baibaotang alone.

Through the conversation with Wen Guanyu, he also understood why Baibaotang held this auction.

It’s just to get some money back.

But this is also a win-win situation. Some people can take advantage of this time to find some good stuff.

When he arrived at the door of Baibao Hall, Zhang Muliang paid one hundred taels of silver and obtained the qualification to enter.

When I walked into Baibao Hall, I found that a large hall had been cleared out with several rows of chairs neatly arranged. It was not like the ones in fantasy novels, where everyone was masked and there were no private rooms.

After all, it was just a temporary auction of dead pawns organized by a pawnshop in one county.

However, Zhang Mu saw a familiar face at a glance, it was Song Yuanqing, the head of the escort agency.

"Brother Song..." Zhang Mu took the initiative to step forward and greet him. Song Yuanqing was also surprised to see Zhang Mu and asked, "Why are you here?"

Zhang Mu smiled and gave the excuse he had thought of long ago, saying, "Teacher Song's status is not suitable for him to come here, so let me help him see if he has any good things."

Hearing that it was related to Teacher Song, Song Yuanqing tactfully did not ask any further questions.

"Brother Song, is there anything you are interested in in this auction?" Zhang Mu asked casually.

"Hey, isn't it true that pawnshops mostly sell gold and silver jewelry?" Song Yuanqing pulled Zhang Mu to sit down and said with a smile, "Let me see if there's anything I like. I'll buy a couple for your sister-in-law."

Zhang Mu nodded with a smile and said, "Brother Song is such a good man."

"Brother Mu, you don't understand yet." Song Yuanqing said with the tone of someone who has experienced it, "Remember, you will only be happy if your wife is happy."

Zhang Mu casually said, "What if I have two wives? Double the happiness?"

"Pah, pah, pah, pah!" Song Yuanqing felt like he was about to kneel down and quickly interrupted, "One person's happiness is hard enough, how can two be so great!"

"Stop your rebellious thoughts!" Zhang Mu shrugged and acted obediently.

At this time, more and more people were in the hall, and Song Yuanqing began to introduce Zhang Mu: "That person is the owner of the Yunmen Inn."

"That fat guy is the master craftsman of Qingyun Shoe Shop. Don't be fooled by his appearance, he's an expert at threading a needle."

"See that tall and thin guy? He used to be our escort agent, but he later quit and now he runs a martial arts school."

"Hey, little brat, I'm introducing someone to you, what are you looking at?" Song Yuanqing noticed that Zhang Mu's eyes were always fixed on one direction, so he followed Zhang Mu's gaze and saw a woman who was about thirty years old, with her hair tied in a bun, and looked heroic.

"Oh, you kid, you actually... huh?" Song Yuanqing originally wanted to laugh at Zhang Mu, but at this time the woman seemed to notice the prying eyes, turned her head, and saw Song Yuanqing. Her face suddenly turned as cold as ice, and she glared at Song Yuanqing.

Although Zhang Mu and Song Yuanqing were looking at her, she automatically ignored Zhang Mu's gaze.

"Ning Shuang!" Song Yuanqing was glared at by the other party and quickly shifted his gaze guiltily.

Zhang Mu noticed something was wrong with Song Yuanqing and asked, "Brother Song, what's wrong?"

Song Yuanqing rolled his eyes helplessly and asked in a low voice: "It's okay, it's okay."

Zhang Mu's eyes swept back and forth between Ning Shuang and Song Yuanqing several times.

A fourth-rank martial artist dares to be so rude to the seventh-rank escort leader of the escort agency?

Zhang Mu immediately had a guess in his mind.

One of them is a rising master in the escort agency, and the other is the only daughter of the owner of a martial arts school, and they are not much different in age.

I’m afraid there must be a story behind this!
However, Zhang Mu naturally would not be foolish enough to ask further questions, he just retracted his gaze.

All he has to do today is follow Ning Shuang and shoot.

I hope that this Lady Ning will show mercy and not take pictures of everything she sees. Otherwise, not only will she offend people, but she will also lose a lot of money.

Soon, the hall was packed. At this moment, a middle-aged man with a slightly overweight figure walked onto the stage. He smiled at the audience and said with a bow, "Everyone, I am Zou Jiliang from Baibaotang. I am honored to be here."

"Today's auction items are all the finest items I've selected from the dead items at Baibaotang over the past two years."

"Please give us your support."

Having said that, Shopkeeper Zou clapped his hands and officially kicked off the auction.

……

Zhang Mu sat in the chair, listening to the bidding around him, without a single ripple in his heart.

His entire mind was focused on Ning Shuang.

"Next up, a purple wood dressing box." Shopkeeper Zou discussed the item in his hand. "This is used by women to store jewelry. It's an essential item for dowry. Purple wood has a subtle fragrance, known as the scent of womanhood, and is most suitable for women."

"The starting price is ten taels!"

"Twenty taels!" Ning Shuang shouted the price.

Zhang Mu: ( ̄ェ ̄;)
No, Sister Ning, how can I follow you when you shoot this thing?
It's not appropriate for a boy of seventeen or eighteen to buy things for a girl's dowry.

"Twenty-five taels!" Zhang Mu offered the price.

Everyone didn't care at first, but when they heard it was a man's voice, they all looked over and their eyes fell on Zhang Mu.

Song Yuanqing asked quietly, "Why are you taking pictures of this?"

Zhang Mu sighed, "Teacher Song has a close friend..."

"I understand, I understand, I understand." Song Yuanqing nodded quickly and didn't intend to continue listening.

Ning Shuang glanced at Zhang Mu, then glanced at Song Yuanqing, and snorted, "Thirty taels!"

Zhang Mu: "Thirty-five taels!"

Ning Shuang frowned: "Forty taels!"

Zhang Mu: "Forty-five taels!"

"Song Yuanqing!" Ning Shuang stood up and pointed at Song Yuanqing, saying, "If you were a man, you would fight with me yourself. Why would you send a child to compete with me?"

Song Yuanqing: (;д)
I didn't, it has nothing to do with me, you are wronging me.

"Ahem, ahem, Ms. Ning, please give my Baibaotang some face." Shopkeeper Zou said in a gentle voice.

Ning Shuang sat down with a frosty face: "Give it to him, I don't want it."

"Okay, then is there anyone else interested in this dressing box? If not, it will belong to Captain Song."

Song Yuanqing: Don’t cue me, it’s not what I want!
Shopkeeper Zou asked around, but no one argued with Zhang Mu anymore. Finally, the dressing box was bought by Zhang Mu for forty-five taels.

Zhang Mu held the dressing box and looked at it carefully, but couldn't figure out anything.

"Shit, I didn't buy the wrong one..." Zhang Mu looked at Ning Shuang again nervously.

"Sister, please stop filming..."

 The new January is about to be released, please give me a monthly ticket~
  
 
(End of this chapter)

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