Ye Shengtao overcharged three or five fights.

Ye Shengtao, "Indiscriminate Three-Five Fight"

The river pier of Wansheng Mihang is littered with ships leaving the country. The ship was loaded with new rice, which made the hull very low. Leye county and garbage on the same side are surrounded by white greasy foam, filling the gap between this ship and that one.

Hegang is a street where only two or three people can walk side by side. Wansheng Mihang is just across the street. The morning sun shone obliquely from the broken tile ceiling, and the light beam fell on some old felt hats shaking outside the counter.

Those people wearing old felt hats turned into themselves early in the morning, came to the dock, panting, and came to the counter to predict their fate.

"Five pieces of brown rice and three grains," Mr. Mihang replied weakly.

"what!" The old felt hat friend could hardly believe his ears. The hope of happiness suddenly sank, and everyone froze for a while.

"Isn't it thirteen dollars in June?"

"Fifteen dollars have been sold, not to mention thirteen dollars."

"What a terrible fall there!"

"What time is it, don't you know? Rice is flooding everywhere, and it will fall down in a few days!

"

Just now, the momentum of rocking the boat was like a dragon boat, but now it is relaxed in everyone's body. This year, the weather has been handled well, the rain is evenly distributed, and the bugs are not in the way. Everyone thinks it's time to get some air. There, I knew that divination was at the end, but I got a worse lesson than in previous years!

"It is best not to burn. Let's shake it back and put it at home! " Such angry words come from a simple heart.

"Before," Mr. Sneer, "if not, would people starve to death? There are foreign rice and foreign noodles everywhere. The first batch has not been finished yet, and several more batches have come from foreign ships. "

Sea rice, ocean surface and ocean ship are all distant things, as if they can be ignored. Instead of the rice that has been sent to the river pier, it can only be said that it is angry words. How can it not be destroyed? The landlord has to pay the rent. In order to hire helpers, buy fertilizers and fill his stomach, he had to pay off the debts he borrowed.

"Let's shake it to Fan's grave." There may be a better fate waiting for them in Fan's grave. Some people think so.

But Mr. Wang added "scoff" and twisted his thin moustache and said, "Don't talk about Fan's tomb, just roll it into the city. Peer discussion, the price of these two days is five pieces of brown rice and three pieces of grain. "

"It's no good going to Fan's grave," retorted his companions. "Come to the tomb of van two dui, know how much they donated us! Just say that according to their donations, where did you get the cash? "

"Sir, can you improve it a little?" I almost cried.

"Higher, it is easy to say a word. Our rice business is based on capital. You know, improve a little, that is to say, work for you for nothing. Who would do such a stupid thing? "

"This price is so low that we never dreamed of it. Last year's rice price was seven and a half yuan, and this year's rice price is thirteen yuan. No, as your husband said, fifteen dollars was sold. We think it should be a little over $7.50 this year. Only five pieces! "

"Sir, this is the old price last year, seven and a half dollars."

"Sir, farmers are very poor. Please be kind and earn less. "

Tired of listening, another gentleman threw his cigarette butt into the street and said with wide eyes, "If you think the price is low, don't burn it." You came by yourselves and were not invited. Just say what to do! We have a large amount of foreign currency. We don't buy yours, others buy easily. Look, there are still two ships parked at the dock. "

Three or four old felt hats rose from under the stone steps, and below them were red faces, showing hope. They immediately joined the first group. The oblique beams of light fell on their tattered shoulders.

"Listen, what's the price this year?"

"Not as good as last year, only five dollars!" With a look of frustration and helplessness.

"what!" Hope is like soap bubbles, and then it breaks into three or four.

Although the soap bubble of hope is shattered, the rice carried in the open boat will be harvested after all; Moreover, it is destined to be sold to this Wansheng rice store. There is a lot of foreign currency in the rice shop, and foreign currency is also needed in the empty pocket of the rag coat.

In the debate about rice quality, under the contention of shallowness and fullness, the open boat at the dock is really open to the sky; The hull floated so much that the leaves and rubbish that filled the gap between this ship and that ship were out of sight. The old felt hat friend sent the rice he planted to the stall of Wansheng Rice Company, and more or less got a pile of banknotes.

"

"Sir, Yuan Shikai, can't I give you some foreign money?" White rice can't be exchanged for white cash. It seems that they have a discount again, which is strange and uncomfortable.

"The braid of the countryside!" Holding a pen hand on the abacus beads, disdain disdain eyes shot out from above the glasses, "a dollar bill for a dollar, who will give you a copper coin. We have no foreign currency here, only paper money. "

"Then, change it to China Bank." From the pattern, I know that the money in my hand is not from China Bank.

"Scare!" The voice was harsh, and the left index finger pointed hard. "This is the central bank's. You don't want it, but do you want to go to court? "

If you don't want this bill, you'll have to go to court. This truth is incomprehensible. But no one wants to understand; Everyone looked at the portraits on the banknotes, exchanged suspicious eyes with each other, and stuffed the banknotes into empty pockets of rags or empty wallets wrapped around the waistband. "

A group of people muttered and left Wansheng Mihang, while another group came up from the dock. Similarly, the soap bubbles of hope burst in front of the counter, driving away the joy of watching the heavy ears of rice since autumn. Similarly, the extremely reluctant white rice was sent to Wansheng's room in exchange for white money.

The streets are getting more and more lively.

My old friend in felt hat came to town today, so he has many plans. When the foreign soap is used up, you have to buy it back for ten dollars and eight dollars. You should also bring some boxes of matches. Foreign oil is bought from vendors who carry the burden for the village. It's a pity that ten coppers are so small. It will be much cheaper if several families buy a jar to use together. The colorful foreign cloth displayed in the window is said to be only eight and a half feet long, and women have been jealous for a long time. Today, everyone is clamoring to come out together, and they have a budget for a few feet. Some women will also have an egg-shaped foreign mirror, a white towel or a small hat with a beautiful wool knot in their budget. This year, it is rare to take care of the sky, and an acre of land will be overcharged by three or five buckets, so that the hand that has been tightly squeezed can relax a little. Who said it shouldn't be? Pay the rent, pay the debt, and pay the money, and you will probably be able to cope with it; In addition to dealing with the past, there is probably something superfluous. In this state of mind, some people even want to buy a thermos. This thing is really strange. You don't need to make a fire. The hot water rushes down, and it's still hot when you pour it out later. Compared with the teapot made of Michai, it is really a heaven and an underground.

When they left Wansheng Mihang, they muttered to themselves, as if they had walked out of a casino that had been unfavorable to them-they lost again this time! How much did you lose? They don't know. In a word, there is not a half or a dime in a pile of money in the bag. I don't know how many bills I have to make up, so people will be satisfied. I won't know this until someone tells me. .

You lose, you lose. Returning immediately may not be much better. Walk around the town, buy something back, and add a sum to the loss account. Besides, some things are really waiting to be used. So the streets became lively.

They dragged their short figures and walked in small groups on the narrow streets. Still muttering in his mouth, he recalculated the price he just got and cursed the rice noodles with a black conscience. A woman, with a basket in her arms or a child in one hand, just looks at the shops on both sides. The child was seduced by celluloid foreign animals, tigers, dogs, red, green, tin, bronze drums and tin horns and refused to go away.

"Brother, it's fun, a bronze drum and a trumpet. Buy one, "he deliberately made a seductive tone. Then-winter, winter, winter,-beep, beep, beep.

Dang, dang, dang-"foreign porcelain basin scraping. There is one in each corner, which is fair. Folks, take one. "

"Hey, guys, there are all kinds of printed foreign fabrics, which are on sale. Eighty cents and fifty-one feet, full foot plus three, do you want to cut some back? "

The shopkeepers in Wanyuan Lane, Italy and Old Fuxing are very hard, shouting "folks" at the expense of work, and at the same time pulling the cloth of "folks" and pandering; They know that only today, the pockets of "villagers" are bulging, which is a good opportunity not to be missed.

After hesitating whether to save the budget, "villagers" handed the newly acquired banknotes to the store partners one by one. Matches and soap are necessities, so we must buy less. Foreign oil prices are too "biting" to listen to, so don't buy them, or sell them to vendors for ten coppers. As for the materials, if you are ready to cut two pieces, you can cut one piece, and if you are ready to cut the mother and son together, you can cut the son's. Egg-shaped goggles are in my hand and in the window. A wool hat was put on the child's head and tried on. As soon as I installed it, I gave my grandfather a "stop buying it" and took it off again. It is difficult for anyone who wants to buy a thermos to ask the price. Maybe a piece and a half. If you buy it back regardless of the willy-nilly, if nothing else, several white-haired old ladies and grandmothers will scold you in waves: "You have been greedy for comfort for years, and you have spent one and a half yuan on these things, so you will never turn over!" Look, who has used these things at our age! "This kind of repetitive is enough. Several women couldn't resist their children's desire, so they bought the cheapest ocean for their children. Xiaoyang's legs and arms can rotate. If you want him to sit down, if you want him to stand, you can raise your hand. This not only makes other children's eyes almost angry, but also makes adults feel strange and interested.

"Villagers" also got some wine, bought some meat from the cooked butcher's shop, returned to their own boat moored at the pier of Wansheng rice boat, took out plates filled with salted lai and tofu soup from the top of the tree, and then sat at the bow and began to drink. The woman is cooking at the top of the boat. After a while, the ship also smoked, and the ship also smoked, and everyone cried. The children rolled around in the empty cabin and picked up the dirty things floating on the river to play, but they had unspeakable happiness.

When wine is in your stomach, you talk a lot. Acquaintances and strangers all fall into the same fate and drink on the same river. You pick up the wine bowl and say a few words. I put down my chopsticks to pick them up. When I heard them, I shouted "Yes". When I didn't hear them, I scolded them: Everyone thought this was exactly what we needed to vent.

"Five dollars a load, what the hell!"

"Last year was a flood, the harvest was not good, and it was a loss. This year is a good year, a bumper harvest, or a loss! "

"This year's losses are more serious than last year; Only $7.5 last year. "

"I have to eat my own food again. Alas, farmers can't eat their own rice! "

"Why do you want to go out, you fool! I have to stay at home and support my wife and son. I don't pay rent, I'd rather go to court and lock them up! "

"Also had to not pay the rent. Pay the rent and borrow new debts immediately. Borrowed 45 cents to pay the rent. What are you greedy for? Are you greedy for heavy debts next year! "

"Tian Zhen is a great species!"

"Go back to rent escape. I feel full of freehand brushwork. "

"If you flee to the desert, you will be in debt and you won't have to solve the money. Good plan, let's go together! "

"Who comes out as a brain? Several people fled the country. Men, women and children, listen to their hearts. "

"I see, it's not bad to work in Shanghai. Xiao Wang is in our village, isn't he? Working in a factory in Shanghai, I heard that there are fifteen yuan a month. Fifteen dollars, according to today's price, is three tons of rice! "

"What are you doing every other year to turn over a calendar! Don't you know that when the Japanese fought in Shanghai, many factories were closed, and Xiao Wang was a beggar there? "

The road was cut off. There was silence for a while. The faces covered with red sauce are exposed to sunlight and alcohol, and all of them are ugly, as if there would be deep red blood gushing out from the skin.

"We farm every year, for whom?" A man took a sip of his wine and asked a light question.

Another person pointed to Wansheng's half-new and not-old gold-lettered signboard and said, "It's right here, it's for them.

We suffered, paid heavy interest, borrowed money and planted it. Their lips moved and said, "Five dollars a load!" Just swallowed our oil and water! "

"If only we could set our own prices. To be honest, I don't want more for eight dollars a load. "

"You prisoner, what did you dream there! Didn't you hear? They opened a rice shop with capital and refused to work for us for nothing. "

"So, our fields are full of capital, why do you want to work for them for nothing! Why do you want to work in Abel Tamata! "

"I just thought this way in my room: now let you pick up the cheap and put the rice here; There is nothing to eat in the future, come and eat yours! " Deliberately lowering his voice, he slipped to the shore with red eyes.

"When there is nothing to eat, where can there be food? It is not illegal to get something to eat!" A confident voice.

"Didn't Qiao Feng grab rice this spring?"

"The guards shot and killed two people."

"People here today may also get shot, who knows!"

Of course, there is no resolution in scattered conversations. The wine dried up and the meal was finished, and everyone returned to his village.

Dark green dirty water rippled on the dock of the ship.

The next day, another batch of open boats came here to anchor. The same story is being staged in this town. This kind of story is also staged in towns all over the world. It's really ordinary. It's ordinary.

The old saying that "cheap grain hurts farmers" became the headline of the intercity newspaper.

The landlord found it difficult to collect rent, so he held a meeting and sent a telegram. He said to the effect that this year's harvest is particularly good, food is surplus, food prices are low, and farmers are suffering, so they need to find a relief plan.

The financial community originally wanted to do business there, so they put forward a relief plan: (1) major banks and banks raise capital, buy grain and rice from various places, designate appropriate places to store them, and sell them one after another in the coming year to keep the rice price in balance; (2) advocate the mortgage of grain and rice, so that rice merchants will not buy in groups, resulting in unlimited accumulation; (3) The financial department is responsible for raising funds, purchasing grain and rice, settling accounts after sales, and returning them respectively according to the profit and loss ratio.

The industry is quiet. When the price of rice is low, workers can avoid "rice stickers", which is beneficial to them.

It is a joke that social scientists publish papers in various magazines and put forward the theory of food surplus statistically and theoretically. It is not inevitable that "cheap grain hurts farmers". Even if food is not cheap, farmers will be hurt under the double oppression of imperialism and feudalism.

These are all things in the city, and I don't know anything about them in the "folks". Some of them cook their own rice, some sell poor cows, and some borrow 40 cents and 50 cents to pay the rent; Some stepped forward and were put in jail, paying for their own meals with pain, and some were addicted to gambling, hoping that Domino dice would be smart and win it ten dollars and eight dollars at a time; Some begged people to put in a good word, refunded the landlord's rent, and prepared to be a clean poor person; Some people slipped away and climbed on the fourth bus bound for Shanghai.