RPAGF Chapter 28 Grand Prize
Chapter 28 Grand Prize
Chapter 28 Grand Prize
Evening, South Gate.
That day, the area near the south gate was teeming with people, several hundred of them, gathered there to wait for the lottery draw. Most of the people were just there to watch the spectacle. After all, today was the first draw for the city entry tax.
Wang Wenzhou picked up the ledger, glanced at it, and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Fellow elders of Hanshan, today the total tax revenue from Hanshan County entering the city is one tael and eight mace of silver. Half of it, nine mace of silver, will be put into the bonus pool. As I have said before, if the bonus is less than ten taels of silver, I will make up the rest."
After saying that, Wang Wenzhou waved to Wang Qiang, who quickly took out the silver.
"Please, Mr. Cheng, take a look at the accounts." Wang Wenzhou handed the account book to Cheng Benqing.
Old Cheng held the ledger and carefully examined it word for word.
Lin Qing, fanning himself with a folding fan, said with a smile, "Brother Yang, I admire you! I just calculated that we spent less than three taels of silver in total and collected more than 1,400 tax stamps. If we win the lottery, we can make a pure profit of seven taels of silver today."
Yang Shan nodded, saying doubtfully, "I thought Wang Wenzhou would renege on his promise, but I didn't expect him to actually keep his word. Is this pig really out of his mind? Isn't this just throwing money away for nothing?"
"Pfft!" Sun Feng laughed. "Wang the Fool, he's stupid but rich. I reckon he's trying to use money to win people over and build a good reputation so he can get promoted. Brother Ma, what do you think?"
Ma Deyun smiled slightly: "It's not impossible, but I estimate that Wang Shazi is really just not smart enough, he's a fool. Wang Shazi is a well-known fool at the Nanjing Imperial Academy. A few days ago, my cousin wrote to me, saying that Wang Shazi's classmates at the Imperial Academy often tease him. As long as you flatter him, he'll take the blame for any trouble you may have."
Lin Qing said incredulously, "No way... this kind of person can be a county magistrate?"
“Sigh…” Ma Deyun sighed softly, saying with resentment, “Who told Wang Shazi to have such a good family background! He comes from the Xinjian Earl’s Mansion! It’s only natural that he became a minor county magistrate.”
Yang Shan shook his head slightly and said with a wry smile, "Different people have different fates! We've studied hard for over a decade and are only a Xiucai now! This Wang Shazi spent a few years at the Imperial Academy and came out as a county magistrate! It's really disheartening!"
Ma Deyun snapped his folding fan shut and muttered, "Who says otherwise? This Wang Shazi is just a clown trying to win people over. Since he's right in front of us, we can't let him keep playing this game. Anyway, we can still make money, so we'll keep collecting tax invoices. Let's see just how much money this Wang Shazi can throw in."
Sun Feng said with a wry smile, "Today, so many people are calling him Wang Qingtian (a righteous official). It seems that his method of winning people's hearts, though foolish, is quite effective."
"Hmph!" Lin Qing sneered, "That idiot Wang is just throwing money away for nothing, who would say anything bad about him?"
While the four talented scholars were chatting, Cheng Benqing finished reviewing the account book.
Old Cheng cupped his hands and said loudly, "Fellow elders of Hanshan, I can vouch for you that the accounts are accurate to the last penny. If anyone does not believe me, please come forward and check."
"Would you like to see the accounts?" Old Cheng asked, holding the ledger in his hands.
"Mr. Cheng, we believe you, please announce the results quickly!"
"Wang Qingtian, announce the results!"
The crowd shouted.
"Alright!" Wang Wenzhou waved his hand, signaling the crowd to quiet down, and announced loudly, "Today, the first lottery for the city entry tax officially begins!"
After Wang Wenzhou finished speaking, he waved his hand, and Li Hechen brought over a large box, scrambled the tax stubs from each city gate, and poured them into the box.
"Who wants to participate in the first lottery?" Wang Wenzhou asked, pointing to the box.
"I'm coming!"
"My lord, I!"
As soon as Wang Wenzhou finished speaking, many people were eager to try.
Wang Wenzhou smiled, pointed to a woman holding a child, and said, "Sister-in-law, let your son participate in the lottery."
The woman, carrying her child, walked to the box. She bent down, and the child reached in and picked up a ticket stub.
Wang Wenzhou took the ticket stub, glanced at it, and loudly read, "West, 228!"
After reading it three times, Wang Wenzhou turned the ticket stub face up and showed it to the crowd around him to show that he had not cheated.
"Check quickly, we don't have that tax receipt here," Ma Deyun instructed his servant.
Several servants quickly searched.
"West, 228" means the West Gate, the 228th.
Soon, a servant held up a tax stamp and shouted excitedly, "Young master, here it is! We've won the lottery!"
Ma Deyun took the tax invoice and handed it to Wang Wenzhou: "Please verify the invoice, Lord Wang."
Wang Wenzhou handed the tax stamps and stubs to Old Cheng and said, "Mr. Cheng, you should check the tickets."
Old Cheng nodded, put the tax stamp and the stub together, compared them carefully, held them up to show the people around him, and shouted: "Verification is correct! I hereby announce that today's grand prize winner is Ma Deyun and Young Master Ma."
Congratulations, Young Master Ma!
"Young Master Ma is so kind. Today, when I entered the city, I didn't bring any money. It was Young Master Ma who paid the city entrance tax for me and even gave me a coin. He also took my tax receipt."
"Collecting tax invoices is a pretty good business!"
"Sigh...you need to have that much capital, and besides, what if you're not the one who wins the lottery? You'd be devastated!"
"Is a penny really worth anything? I think it's better to keep it for yourself; maybe you'll win a big prize of ten taels of silver."
After Ma Deyun received the award, the crowd buzzed with discussion, offering all sorts of opinions. People were generally pleased, as continuing to collect the city entry tax would be beneficial for ordinary citizens in the long run. Lord Wang had already promised that once enough money was saved, he would begin implementing measures to benefit the people in Hanshan County.
The onlookers chatted excitedly, except for one person who hung his head, looking sullen.
This man's name is Geng San, and he is now very regretful!
"The ten taels of silver should be mine!" Geng San muttered to himself.
He made a living selling vegetables in the city. When he entered the city in the morning, he joined in the commotion and opposed paying the city entry tax. Later, he was forced to pay one penny of the tax, and he was extremely unhappy about it.
Later, Ma Deyun's servants went around collecting tax tickets, two coins each. Geng San was immediately delighted; not only did he get his one-coin entry tax back, but he also made a free one-coin. It was truly a windfall!
As evening fell, a crowd gathered to watch the lottery draw. Geng San didn't go home either, wanting to join the excitement. However, after the spectacle, his mind was in turmoil. He truly regretted selling the tax receipts. If he hadn't, the grand prize would have been his. Ten taels of silver was equivalent to a year and a half's income without eating or drinking.
"Tax receipt... tax receipt!" Geng San kept muttering to himself, as if possessed.
That's how people are; the further away winning the lottery is, the less they think about it; the closer it is, the more anxious they become. Geng San was a peddler, and he was very good at calculations. He roughly calculated that, based on the number of tax stamps today, even if he collected more than half of them at five coins each, he would still make a profit if he won the lottery.
Geng San is twenty-four years old this year, and he hasn't gotten married yet because he can't afford the bride price.
He calculated that he was still a little short of a dozen taels of silver for the bride price, and based on his previous income, it would take him two more years to save up. However, if he also bought tax stamps and won the lottery twice, he would have enough for the bride price.
With this in mind, Geng San steeled his heart and decided to take the risk. He planned to use the money he had saved over the years to collect tax invoices and try his luck at winning the grand prize the next day.