sjar Chapter 647 Mother-in-law.
Chapter 647 Mother-in-law.
Xiao Cui finally came to her senses, nodded quickly, and turned back to call her parents.
A middle-aged man walked into the room. He was slightly hunched over and looked at Ye Kun in confusion: "Dear guest, who are you..."
Needless to say, everyone knows that this is Xiao Cui's father Guo Er.
Xiao Cui leaned close to her father's ear and whispered, "Father, this distinguished guest is the Emperor of the Han Dynasty."
"Ah, the Emperor?"
Guo Er jumped up in fear, then fell to his knees, shouting, "Your Majesty deserves death... No, no, no, I deserve death. I am blind."
Ye Kun held back his laughter and reached out to help Old Guo up: "Boss Guo, our Han Dynasty has repeatedly abolished the kneeling ceremony. Why are you still kneeling? Get up quickly, let's go inside and talk."
Old Guo led Ye Kun into the house trembling with fear.
Lao Guo's wife also came to pay a visit.
Ye Kun nodded, looked at the furnishings in the house, and smiled: "How many people are there in your family? Is the house a little small?"
My family runs a business, and the main room is filled with jars and stock, so it is very crowded.
Lao Guo said hurriedly: "There are two rooms upstairs, which are barely enough for us to live in."
Ye Kun nodded and went to the backyard to check.
The backyard is relatively spacious, but the processing workshop here also looks messy.
Xiao Cui brought a stool, wiped it with her sleeve, asked Ye Kun to sit down, and then started to make tea.
Ye Kun smiled at Old Guo and said, "Boss Guo, your daughter Xiao Cui is pretty, capable, virtuous and smart. I wonder if she has been betrothed to a husband's family?"
Lao Guo was stunned for a moment, then shook his head: "Not yet."
Ye Kun smiled and pointed at Huang Jingzu: "This is my stepson Huang Jingzu, he likes your daughter Xiaocui very much. I came here today to propose marriage to Huang Jingzu. If Manager Guo doesn't mind and Xiaocui has no objection, from now on, Huang Jingzu will be your son-in-law, and we will become in-laws."
Old Guo was terrified, rubbing his hands and saying, "I dare not become a relative of the emperor..."
"Why, is it because I am out of my league?"
Ye Kun smiled and called Xiao Cui again: "Miss Xiao Cui, my stepson Huang Jingzu has admired you for a long time. I wonder if you like this silly boy?"
Xiao Cui's face had already turned red with shame, but she didn't dare to run away. She could only hide behind her mother and whispered, "The emperor and my parents will decide on my lifelong affairs."
"Isn't that done?"
Ye Kun laughed and asked Huang Jingzu to take off the jade pendant on his waist and gave it to Lao Guo. He said with a smile: "This jade pendant is the engagement gift. I will find an auspicious day and then give the betrothal gifts. By the end of the year, the children will get married. Zu'er, come and kowtow to your father-in-law and mother-in-law."
Huang Jingzu stepped forward and kowtowed to Mr. and Mrs. Guo.
Xiao Cui's mother was very smart. She pulled Xiao Cui and kowtowed to Ye Kun.
Ye Kun nodded and said with a smile: "I will accept this kowtow, because Xiao Cui will be my daughter-in-law from now on. Zu'er, you and Xiao Cui should go and take care of the business ahead. I will talk to your parents-in-law."
Huang Jingzu nodded and left the backyard with Xiao Cui.
Ye Kun drank tea and asked Lao Guo, "How old is your father-in-law this year?"
"I am a 45-year-old commoner."
"He's older than me, so he's my eldest brother." Ye Kun smiled and asked, "How long has this snack and preserved fruit shop been open? How much money can it make in a year?"
Lao Guo replied: "I have been doing business here since the market was built, so I have been doing business here for four years. Business was not very good in the first two years, but it has suddenly improved in the past two years. At the end of the year, I can make a profit of 60 to 70 taels of silver."
After a pause, Lao Guo added: "But we all paid taxes and did not evade taxes."
Sixty or seventy taels of silver a year, that's a lot of money.
Ye Kun nodded and smiled, "How much tax does a store like this pay in a year?"
Lao Guo held up three fingers and said, "Three hundred coins a month, which is three taels of silver."
"That's good. It's not a heavy burden."
Ye Kun continued to understand the people's sentiments: "Are the banknotes issued by the imperial court widely used in the market?"
There are only three types of banknotes now.
The denominations are one, five, and ten cents.
Ye Kun did not dare to issue large-denomination banknotes for fear of resistance from the people and for fear of budget errors leading to inflation.
Lao Guo smiled and said, "Paper money is very convenient, everyone uses it. Copper coins are too heavy, so people use them less."
Lao Guo's wife added: "Especially the ten-cent note, which is the most popular because it has the portraits of the emperor and the empress on it, which can ward off evil spirits."
"Ah, it can also ward off evil spirits?"
Ye Kun couldn't help laughing.
It turns out that my and Jiang Yourong’s avatars have this function?
But if you think about it carefully, you will understand.
The ancients were superstitious and believed that anything related to the emperor could ward off evil spirits.
Lao Guo also said the same thing, and laughed: "We don't know either, but we heard that a ten-cent note can ward off evil spirits. When a newborn baby is born, parents and relatives will give a ten-cent note, which is said to protect the baby from growing up safely."
Ye Kun nodded: "If the court abolishes copper coins and issues all paper money, will it affect everyone's business?"
Lao Guo thought for a moment and said, "No, it's all money anyway, it's the same."
Ye Kun was very happy and continued to understand the people's sentiments:
"Do you think there is anything wrong with this market? Is there anything that needs to be improved? For example, are there any thieves? Are there any bullies? Are there any extortionists among the market managers?"
Lao Guo scratched his head and said thoughtfully, "I think it's all right, but it's getting more and more crowded and the place is a little small."
Ye Kun smiled and said, "West City will soon begin demolition, and this big vegetable market will also be upgraded and renovated. When the renovation is completed, it won't be so crowded."
Lao Guo’s wife was shocked: “What will happen to our business if the house is demolished and rebuilt? Once we move, our popularity will be gone.”
It can be seen that Lao Guo’s wife is very smart and has a certain degree of foresight.
Ye Kun looked at the buildings in front and behind him and said thoughtfully: "Demolition and reconstruction will indeed affect business, but we can make a quick decision and try to reduce the impact..."
The three of them drank tea and talked more and more.
After finishing a cup of tea, Ye Kun suddenly asked: "What is the most profitable business in this market?"
"There are people selling beef, mutton, and cotton and silk. There is no ban on slaughtering oxen, so beef sells very quickly. There are also wine shops, which are packed with customers every day."
In ancient times, beef and mutton were premium meats, enjoyed exclusively by the nobility.
The pork and dog meat eaten by ordinary people are low-quality meats.
Throughout the ages, it has been forbidden to slaughter cattle, horses, and mules because they are draft animals and a guarantee of productivity.
But Ye Kun was different. He vigorously developed animal husbandry, encouraged people to raise cattle, and allowed the slaughter of oxen as long as there were enough oxen.
There has been no war in recent years, production has recovered rapidly, food and feed are sufficient, and the number of cattle and sheep has doubled.
Therefore, beef and mutton became more abundant and entered the tables of ordinary people.
As for the bustling taverns, it is also the result of economic development.
Ye Kun was very satisfied with all of this, but he also saw a problem and ordered the guards to call the market manager.
Soon, the director of the market management office came with two followers.
The director of the management office was also a retired soldier. He knew Ye Kun and hurriedly clasped his fists and bowed: "Your Majesty, why are you here?"
"I came here to find out some information."
Ye Kun nodded and asked, "How many fixed merchants are there in the market? How many are setting up stalls? How many are mobile merchants? Have you ever counted them?"