In real history, what kind of organization is the credit swordsman?

In ancient times, there was such a mysterious organization called knife loan. They seem to be the earliest prophets. The phrase "There are more than 1000 sheep, more than 10,000 Niu Yi, and a catty of corn" contains the legend of the older generation dealing with the knife man. How did they become prophets? In history, what kind of organization sold knives on credit?

Let's briefly talk about what magic business the knife borrower is doing. People who borrow knives are mobile merchants and will bring a batch of bright and easy-to-use knives. Anyway, let the villagers say that the knife is valuable at first sight! People who borrow knives on credit will find a conspicuous place to set up their stalls, and one on the ground will wait for someone to come. Some people in the natural village were curious and asked what they were doing, so the swordsman started his own business. See this knife? Do you want it? The villagers will naturally answer yes, that is, your knife is not cheap and we can't afford it. However, the person who gave the knife on credit said that the knife is free for the time being, so I can give it to you on credit first.

The villagers listened and asked again and again, so you also said that you would have to pay on credit, and sooner or later you would have to collect money. How long can you give us credit? The borrower didn't give an exact time, only said that he would come back to collect the bill when the price of rice dropped from 80 cents per liter to-0/8 cents per liter. Hearing this, the villagers asked again, "How much is your knife worth? It costs 50 to open your mouth, but at that time, a knife was only 5 yuan at most. " . But the villagers think that rice has never been so cheap. You don't say! You gave the knife away for nothing. That's interesting. So, villagers, you take one, I take one, and the stall of the knife borrower is empty. Everyone who sells knives left a note for the knife seller, and he left the village. After a few years, the output of rice is high and the price is getting lower and lower. Finally, one year, rice really dropped to 18 ounce per liter. That year, the knife borrower really appeared in the village again, collecting money from house to house on the bill.

Do you think it's amazing to hear this, but if you think about it more, you will understand the routine. They are not prophets, but a group of shrewd businessmen. And this kind of business has a feeling of gambling. They only predicted time, but never predicted time. What are the industry insiders?

These knife sellers on credit are not organizations. Most of them are Jianghu people. They have rich life experience, know a lot and dabble in everything. In fact, many things can be derived from experience, such as their predictions. For example, the knife borrower said that there would be a bumper harvest this year, because after he came, he would look at the local grain growth first and naturally know how to predict. The person who borrows a knife on credit is a magic stick. It should be said that he is just a salesman who has mastered a little fortune-telling theory and geomantic theory. They added a sense of mystery to themselves. The more things they guess, the higher their fame. Slowly, word of mouth has become a prophet, and in our view, it is not so inexplicable!