novelapdf Chapter 33: One Peck of Rice
Chapter 33: One Peck of Rice
The grain merchant didn't argue with him much, but insisted that he had measured the grain twice and taken two bushels.
The other grain merchants sitting on either side of the line had different postures.
Some lowered their heads and pretended to organize goods, remaining silent; others exchanged glances secretly, a knowing look on their lips.
In the marketplace, merchants are generally on the same page, and if such a dispute arises, they will mostly side with their fellow merchants.
It was only this lonely, helpless country bumpkin who suffered the most.
He was like a trapped beast, looking around blankly, unable to defend himself.
A tremendous sense of injustice and panic welled up in his chest, almost suffocating him.
He didn't know that he had only handed over two and a half coins in exchange for a bushel of life-saving rice, but in the blink of an eye he had become a rogue who took a bushel for free.
Just like he could never understand why he had to work hard in the fields, his sweat soaking every inch of the land.
Life, however, is like a broken bowl with a leaky bottom, getting harder year by year.
but!
He knew that the heavy bag of millet in his arms was the result of his wife gritting her teeth and selling the last of her dowry fabrics.
He knew that once he was taken away by the city officials, he wouldn't be able to explain himself no matter how hard he tried.
He knew he hadn't done anything wrong.
So the farmer looked around, scanning the unfamiliar faces around him, hoping that someone would speak up for him.
But the moment their eyes met, he saw indifference, avoidance, and evasion...
Even worse, some people react with curiosity, indifference, or schadenfreude...
Those eyes, like countless cold needles, pierced his last bit of pitiful delusion.
A chill even more biting than the cold winds of December instantly gripped the farmers' hearts.
Only at this moment did despair truly weigh down on him, making him almost unable to stand, and his vision blurred.
Seeing that the other party had lost all its momentum, the grain merchant straightened his back and became even more smug, raising his voice even higher.
"Hmph! This guy's got nothing to say, huh?!"
The buzzing of onlookers was as grating as a swarm of flies.
The farmer's face was ashen, his lips moved a few times, and finally he slumped down in despair.
"certain"
Just then, a person slowly squeezed in from the outside of the crowd.
He did not shout to stop them, but simply pushed aside the onlookers blocking his way and calmly stood in front of the earthen platform of the grain store.
The sunlight outlined his tall and straight figure, and also revealed his handsome face.
The person who arrived was none other than Zou Yun, who had returned after leaving.
Zou Yun's eyes were sharp. He first swept over the tightly tied bag of rice in the farmer's hand, and then glanced at the bag of millet at the grain merchant's feet, which was accused of being stolen.
Finally, his gaze landed precisely on the official school square, which was the focus of the dispute.
When the grain merchant saw someone step forward, he immediately frowned and questioned them in a seemingly polite but actually rude tone.
"Who are you? Disputes between buyers and sellers here are to be handled by the local law enforcement. What business is it of yours?"
Although the grain merchant saw that Zou Yun was dressed in fine clothes, he could not tolerate any changes happening now that things had come to a head.
Qin law stipulated that all officials must perform their duties and dare not overstep them!
That's why the grain merchant used "it's none of your business" to remind the nobleman that this matter was not within his jurisdiction.
However, Zou Yun ignored the grain merchant's provocation.
He turned only to the trembling farmer and asked gently, "Don't panic. How many coins did you pay the grain merchant when you bought the rice?"
The farmer was taken aback, as if grasping at a straw, and quickly replied, "You are wise! I only bought one bushel, so of course I only paid two and a half taels of silver!"
Zou Yun nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.
He then turned to the grain merchant, his voice still calm, yet each word clear.
"You say this person bought two dou of rice. According to the market price, two dou of rice should cost him four and a half liang of coins, isn't that right?"
The grain merchant's expression faltered slightly, but he still stubbornly insisted, "Of course!"
Zou Yun's gaze suddenly sharpened, pointing directly to the core issue. "Alright. Then, may I ask how many coins you received from this person in this money bowl just now?"
"Would you dare to invite the market officials to come and smash the silk on the spot to verify its authenticity?"
His slender fingers gently pointed to the gray pottery pouch in front of the stall.
The grain merchant's face stiffened abruptly, a flicker of panic crossing his eyes, but he still stubbornly insisted, "This...this scoundrel...only gave me two! He's refusing to pay for the other two!"
"Oh?"
A cold glint flashed across Zou Yun's lips.
He raised his eyes, his gaze slowly sweeping over the seated vendors and passersby around him, and spoke loudly.
"You are all discerning people who have been doing business in this city for many years. You must all know this principle well: in market transactions, it has always been 'money first, then rice; money is deposited into the mill before rice is measured.'"
"Our Qin Dynasty's rules of trade have always been this way, are they right or wrong?"
Upon hearing this, many veteran vendors and regular customers in the crowd nodded in agreement.
"That's exactly right!"
"That's right, money can't be transferred without going through the hands of the buyer; how can goods be delivered then?"
"The rule is to collect payment first, then measure the rice; this is to prevent arguments!"
Zou Yun's gaze flashed like lightning, then suddenly turned back to the grain merchant, his voice turning abruptly cold.
"If that's the case, why would you measure out a second bushel of rice for this person if they only gave you two and a half taels of silver?"
"Do you do business by giving someone a bushel of grain for free first, and then asking for payment later?"
These words were like a boulder thrown into calm water.
The entire room fell silent instantly, and all eyes were focused on the grain merchant's face.
The grain merchant was rendered speechless by this irrefutable logic, frozen on the spot, his face quickly turning from flushed to deathly pale, and then from deathly pale to ashen.
His lips trembled, and he stammered, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time, while fine beads of cold sweat seeped from his forehead.
Zou Yun did not give up. He continued to use his clear voice to block the other party's escape route.
"The city law is strict: no goods are given without money. Since you are willing to measure two bushels, you must have received payment for two bushels."
"Now you say you only want two and a half taels of silver, but you insist that this person took two bushels—"
His gaze was like cold stars as he looked directly into the grain merchant's evasive eyes, speaking slowly and deliberately.
"This contradiction can only be resolved in two ways..."
"Either you broke the city rules and gave away grain for free, or you deliberately framed innocent people and extorted money from the villagers. You choose one."
The grain merchant was so enraged by this pointed question that he turned pale and almost lost his balance.
However, Zou Yun did not stop after he finished speaking. He quickly walked to the official school square bucket.
"Furthermore, the city law stipulates that grain must be measured using an official measuring cup; once the cup is full, it should be leveled, and this leveling is the standard. Is this law accurate?"
The grain merchant, who was already flustered and sweating profusely, was taken aback and didn't understand why he suddenly asked this question. He could only bite the bullet and answer.
"From nature, the surface was leveled as proof."
"it is good."
Zou Yun responded, bent down, and extended his slender index finger, gently and evenly tracing a circle along the inside of the square container near the rim.
Then, he raised his hand and showed his fingertips to everyone.
"Please take a look, everyone."
Everyone held their breath and craned their necks to get a closer look.
On Zou Yun's fair fingertips, there was a layer of even, fine rice bran powder.
The powder mark formed a complete circle on the fingertip, with a consistent thickness and clear, continuous lines, without any interruptions or messy marks from being scratched again.
Zou Yun's voice rang out again, steady and calm: "When freshly milled rice is put into a container, the fine chaff on its surface will inevitably stick to the container wall."
"The first time the rice in the hopper is leveled with the rim, the chaff will be evenly scraped onto the inner wall of the rim, forming a complete new ring."
"If then a second bushel of rice is measured."
"Then you must scoop rice into the container again and scrape it level with a scraper again."
"In this way, the second scraping action will inevitably destroy the first complete ring of chaff, or create new marks on top of it."
"It certainly wouldn't be like this, with only a clean and complete ring of marks."
He paused, his gaze like a sharp sword shooting towards the ashen-faced grain merchant, and his voice suddenly rose.
"You said this person measured two dou (a unit of dry measure), but there is only one scratch on that dou."
Zou Yun looked around, his voice resounding throughout the venue.
"Are you acting this way because you think they are just country folk who don't understand the rules of measuring rice, or because you think everyone here can't see the clear evidence on this measuring cup?"
His words were succinct and impactful!
quiet!
Silence fell once again.