Chapter 24 Another Hard Currency
After traveling back and forth several times and stockpiling some food and coal, Yan Bugui had a new idea.
"We have already bought 100 to 200 kilograms of food and coal, enough to last for about two months.

But you can't spend all your money.

Have to save some for emergencies."

After Yan Bugui finished speaking, everyone except He Daqing agreed with him.

“Indeed,
The 100 to 200 kilograms of sweet potatoes and sorghum stored at home are enough for us to eat for a long time.

If you keep hoarding them, they might sprout.”

"It's true. As long as there is enough food and coal, it's fine.

If you spend all your money at once, and if you need money urgently, you will be at a loss.

It’s time to think it over carefully.”

……

Seeing that they all listened to Yan Bugui's statement, He Daqing spoke up.
"In that case, then you two should discuss this first, Old Yan.

Zhuzi and I still have to help the old lady store food and coal, so I won’t tell you any more for now.”

"Okay, then you and Zhuzi should make a few more trips, and we'll discuss it first.

I’ll let you know when the time comes!”

After greeting He Yuzhu, He Daqing took the lead and walked out of the courtyard. Xu Damao saw He Yuzhu following him outside and followed him.

"Wait a minute, Zhuzi. I'll go help you and Uncle He!"

Coming out of the courtyard, Xu Damao put his hand on He Yuzhu's shoulder and thanked him with a smile.
"Thank you, Zhuzi. If you hadn't covered it up, I would have been beaten by my father today!"

"It's okay.

Aunt Zhang herself is not a good person, so I naturally don't want her to get any advantage.

Besides, the key to this matter is whether Uncle Xu wants to beat you up.
If he wants to beat you up, you will still get beaten up even if Aunt Zhang is lying."

"Okay, let's put one thing in perspective.
Anyway, I still have to thank you for this today."

At this time, He Daqing, who was walking in front, turned his head and looked at the two people who were hugging each other and whispering behind him. He couldn't help but asked with a smile,

"I said, when did you two get so close?"

He Yuzhu didn't want to talk about this with He Daqing, lest the topic be dragged back to Jia Zhang's side.

If He Daqing knew the truth, he would definitely get beaten up.

“We have always had a good relationship.
By the way, Dad, how much money do Uncle Yan and his men have? Aren't you afraid that the gold yuan will be worth a lot of money and you won't even be able to cry?
They can't exchange the gold yuan for silver dollars!"

"Of course you can't.
Don't forget what Gao Shigui said before,

After September 9, the special agents of the Bureau of Secrets would come to every household with machines to check.
If there really is such a machine, it would be like walking into a gun barrel!"

After thinking for a while, He Daqing said,
"I guess your uncle Yan and his friends want to exchange the gold yuan notes for opium or something.

This thing is as hard as the ocean.

As long as you have the goods, you won’t have to worry about not being able to exchange them for money.”

As the saying goes, "A bamboo spear can separate a wife and children, but the sound of a cannon has not yet shaken the earth;
A half-lit copper lamp burned down the fields and houses, but no smoke rose to the sky! 】

In the old Xia Dynasty, opium was rampant. In order to raise military funds, all military leaders planted and sold opium, considering it an important source of income.

Southwest F4 was the hardest hit area.

According to the regulations of Shu at that time:

[If farmers grow grain instead of tobacco, they will have to pay three years of tax for one year of growing grain (lazy tax).
No more tobacco, but grain.
Then in this year, seven years’ worth of taxes must be paid;

For tobacco planting, one only needs to pay taxes for this year...】

The land of abundance has been turned into a land of poison, with smoking becoming a common practice among the nobles, peddlers, and even the army.
They are figuratively called double-gun soldiers.

The reason they did this was, of course, to earn huge profits from growing tobacco.
Take taxes as an example.

The old Xia government levied more than 10 types of taxes, including tobacco seedling tax, stamp tax, shipping tax, landing tax, transit tax, sales tax, domestic sales tax, export tax, red light tax, laziness tax and additional tax.

According to the statistics:
In the eastern Sichuan region alone, tobacco tax revenue reached 1928 million yuan from 1934 to 5209, with an average of 744 million yuan per year.

(Legal currency issued in November 1935)
In order to earn high income from opium,
In 1934, the Executive Yuan even established the Farmers Bank (Opium Bank), one of the four major banks in the old summer, to conduct special opium transactions and collect taxes.

In August of the same year, the "Barter Agreement" was signed with the Prussian Empire.
Exporting opium, cotton cloth, cotton yarn, and cotton in exchange for rifles, artillery, and helmets,

Raised a group of elite troops.

Even in the current Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation signed with Militarum, opium is still the most important weapon to balance the trade deficit.

The old Xia had already changed from a pure importer in 1840 to the largest exporter.

Made outstanding contributions to the psychological and physical health of Imperial and Federal soldiers.

The Old Mo, Triangle, and Imperial Cemetery of later generations are nothing but younger brothers in front of the military leaders of Old Xia.

really!

When He Yuzhu and his team returned to the courtyard with the supplies,
Yan Bugui, Jia Zhangshi and others also returned with opium.
"Lao He, how much food and coal are you going to buy for the old lady?
I think you should just do what we did and exchange all the gold yuan notes at home for opium, and then sell them to the opium den when you need money.

This is more cost-effective than buying all the food!"

Looking at the opium in the hands of Yan Bugui and the others, He Daqing was actually quite tempted.
It's not that he has no sense of right and wrong.

The main reason is that the world is like this. It is already very difficult for ordinary people to survive, and they can't care about so many things at all.
Besides, everyone is like this,
The law does not hold everyone responsible, so there is nothing to be afraid of.

However, the He family's money had been almost spent, and most of the money he had belonged to the deaf old lady.

It's not his turn to make the decision.
"Old Yan, I need to ask the old lady about this. If she agrees, I will exchange all my money for opium.
If she doesn't agree, I can't make my own decision."

After hearing He Daqing say that the matter had to be discussed with the deaf old lady, Yan Bugui and the others knew that there was no room for discussion.
"Well, we don't know what the old lady's temper is like.

The traitor who killed their whole family back then was the owner of a tobacco shop. It would be strange if she agreed to exchange the money for opium."

"Lao He, then go and ask,

If we still need to buy food and coal for the old lady, we will go with her!

When we are done, let's go take a bath.

Dongxu will have to become a disciple later!"

"Yeah,

Lao He, go to the backyard and ask,

Let's help the old lady to finish her business quickly, so as not to delay Dongxu's apprenticeship tonight."

Seeing Jia Zhang holding the opium with an anxious look on her face, He Daqing did not delay.

He carried the food and went straight to the backyard.

really,

When the deaf old lady learned about what Yan Bugui and his men were doing, she understood their difficulties but did not say much.
But he would rather the gold yuan notes in his hand become worthless.
He Daqing was also not allowed to buy opium.

(End of this chapter)