Chapter Thirteen: Rules and Regulations

  After saying that, Da Bu Liu Xing went away quickly. Wang Tong responded politely, but he was actually on guard. He had the identity of Jin Yi Wei, but on this Nan Street, he couldn't be too careless. Under the emperor's feet, there were hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and no one knew who had what kind of noble officials or royal relatives behind them. It was better to be careful.

  Wang Tong's slightly dazed thoughts began to calm down, and he politely declined the merchants' invitations. He casually bought some familiar dishes and dry goods, and called Zhang Shiqiang to return to his own mansion together.

  Wang's residence, Zhang Shiqiang was not the first time to come, seeing the Wang Li memorial tablet in the main hall, Zhang Shiqiang obviously hesitated for a moment, and finally went to burn three incense sticks and bowed.

  Stir-fried dishes, dry rations and a bit of wine. When on duty, one couldn't drink wine, but Wang Tong knew that drinking a little wine in moderation could easily make Zhang Shiqiang relax and say more things he wanted to know.

  The dish was a humble one, with braised pork belly and intestines, but Zhang Shiqiang ate it with great relish. Wang Li was a small official, but he had many outside sources of income. Wang Tong had never suffered much since childhood, but Zhang Shiqiang had always held this preparatory post, his days were hard and long, and his pay was meager, so when he saw the greasy food, he wolfed it down quickly.

  After a few mouthfuls of wine, Zhang Shijiang's words became more numerous, saying that he was over thirty years old and couldn't even mention a wife, and it was really hard to bear the loneliness.

  "Zhang, what's going on with this South Street? Can you tell me in detail?"

  Zhang Shiqiang tilted his head and took a sip of wine. It had been a long time since he last drank, and it was clear that he was slightly tipsy. After some deliberation, he said:

  "I've suffered for ten years, just to give you young folks a few good days. This South Street, this South Street is considered the best job among our hundred households..."

  With a hint of drunkenness, he spoke in detail about trivial matters, which was within Wang Tong's expectations. As the son of a wealthy family, Zhang Shiqiang's brain was much more agile than that of a military household. Having endured hardships and observed many things over the years, he must have taken a close look at this good job on South Street.

  In Wang Tong's tedious statement, he got the information he wanted. There are 21 business households on this street, including shops, warehouses and commercial firms of various industries. The main reason is that the houses here have not been built for a long time, with spacious courtyards, which can be used as warehouses and other convenient places.

  However, among these twenty-one shops, only sixteen of them pay money to Dang Value Jin Yi Wei every month. The remaining five have a deep background and it's impossible for them to get things for free.

  Apart from this, there is a wine house, a tea house and a gambling den. In these places, only the wine house and tea house have regular silver coins to be called up, while the gambling den dare not touch them.

  As for this gathering place, Zhang Shijiang deliberately lowered his voice and said:

  "That Ji Yi Fang is said to have a big background, even our Hundred House Lord has to be polite and dare not provoke..."

  When it came to the example of silver, Wang Tong listened carefully and calculated the details in his mind. The sixteen families each paid three taels of silver per month, the wine house paid two taels per month, and the tea house paid one tael per month.

  Upon hearing this, Wang Tong felt a bit disappointed. Fifty-one taels of silver for one month was not much, and it included some customary benefits during the New Year's festival. Moreover, twelve taels had to be given to Liu Xinyong, the commander-in-chief, thirty taels to Tian Ronghao, the captain, and only then would the remaining amount be divided between himself and Zhao Guodong, with Zhang Shiqiang also getting a share of the profits. It was already not bad if he could get around thirty taels of silver in hand.

  Only thirty or forty taels, the meaning is really not big, Wang Tong's face has no expression, but he feels very boring in his heart. Although he knows that the actual number of grain rations he received this year is less than five taels, and in this era, a family of four with an average income spends around eleven taels per year, which is already sufficient.

  For Wang Tong, this amount of money could at most maintain a decent standard of living, nothing more. This was not what he wanted. Given a second chance at life, Wang Tong did not want to spend it in mediocrity like his previous life. He wanted to live gloriously, with no regrets.

  All this can't be separated from money, with only a few dozen taels of silver income each year, what can be done...

  Zhang Shiqiang had a bit too much to drink, Wang Tong directly sent him back to sleep, and he stood in the yard watching the distant imperial city for an afternoon.

  "Old man, have you heard anything about what's going on in the government?"

  Wang Tong swept the very clean floor while quietly asking the old servant, who looked at him warily and replied in a hard voice:

  "The old man watches the gate and sweeps every day, he knows what's going on in the mansion, don't ask me!"

  Hearing the other person say this, Wang Tong felt somewhat disappointed. He had asked the question with a probing intention in the first place. As for the matter of hitting someone, apart from the parties involved, he had only discussed it with Old Man Ding, who was his and Tian Baihu's only connection.

  The king went to fetch water, but was preempted by the old servant, who laughed and said:

  "I'm an old man who gets up early every day and relies on this activity to keep myself active. You young people have done everything, what can I do?"

  Looking at the old man in front of him wearing a green robe and small hat, Wang Tong suddenly had an idea and asked:

  "Sir, I've seen you for a few days now, but haven't had a chance to ask your honorable surname."

  "Every day I work hard, what's more expensive? My surname is Tian."

  "Are you a relative of the Bai family?"

  The old man burst out laughing and put down the water bucket, saying:

  "Little adult, serving as a slave in someone else's home, don't you know that you should follow the master's surname? Of course, I will be surnamed Tian."

  King Tong was somewhat embarrassed by these words, and the old man poured a few ladles of water, laughing and saying:

  "Want to try your luck with Old Han and curry favor with Tian Baihu? I advise you, young master, to dispel this notion. Old Han thinks you're a kind-hearted person, good deeds will be rewarded, what's there to worry about?"

  Wang Tong chuckled and shook his head, if good deeds were rewarded with good fortune, why did he encounter so many troubles.

  This morning's gathering was a bit different from other days. First, the team leader Liu Xinyong called in sick and took a leave of absence. Zhao Guotang stood timidly in the corner.

  Several people who followed Wang Li to Macau came over laughing and greeting, with words that missed Wang Li. They were very polite to Wang Tong, but it was clear that this was insincere, otherwise how could they not be seen paying their respects at Wang Li's funeral?

  After finishing the work, it was another day without incident. After returning to Nanjie Street, he didn't see Zhao Guotang coming over either. Wang Tong roughly estimated and opened his mouth to say to Zhang Shiqiang:

  "Zhang, this street is quite long, you and I patrolling it would be better to take turns, let's rest at my house in that courtyard."

  In his opinion, being on duty was like a police patrol, where one had to move around frequently, resolve disputes and maintain order. Unexpectedly, Zhang Shiqiang's face was full of confusion, Wang Tong couldn't help but ask:

  "Isn't there something wrong!?"

  "What the young man said wasn't wrong, but when it comes to doing this job, just collect the money at the end of the month as usual. On ordinary days, go to that teahouse for tea, and stay home to take care of your own affairs."

  It turned out that being on duty was just a matter of getting paid for doing nothing, which Wang Tong had never thought of. Zhang Shiqiang looked at Wang Tong in silence and thought he had said something wrong, feeling a bit flustered.

  "Since it's our brother's business, we should go and take a look."

  Lao Bai wants this book to write something different, but all those attractive things from before must be preserved, thank you everyone.