Chapter 17 Chapter Seventy-Seven

The Wujia Jieku (pawn shop, called Xieku in the Song Dynasty) opened in the city of Bazhou is an important source of income for the Ding family. Ding Hao is now also the inspector of the Wujia Jieku, but every time he enters the city, it is mostly for When the Ding Manor went to buy things, he mostly just took a stroll in response to the occasion, drinking tea and chatting with the big shopkeeper and the second shopkeeper. Watch them play money together. Guan Pu is a form of gambling in the Song Dynasty, similar to the modern game of throwing dice.It's just that they use copper coins. Throwing dice is based on the number of points, and throwing copper coins is based on the number of faces and backs. If the money thrown is the back, it is called pure. The leopard in the dice, kill all.

Ding Hao hung out with them for some days, and with his flexible mind, he actually figured out some tricks. Occasionally, he played two hands with those shop assistants, and he lost more than he lost.If Ding Hao loses, he treats everyone as an invitation to drink tea, and if he wins, he distributes the money back, so the guys treat him very affectionately. On the surface, Ding Hao’s inspection of the pawn shop is just a monk who hits the clock for a day, but Ding Hao is a very serious monk. Since Ding Tingxun has appointed him a job of inspection of the library (pawn shop), he will try his best to do this job. Well done, no matter what the old fox's intentions are, he thinks he should have a clear conscience.These days, he just wants to keep a low profile these days, and he just wants to grasp some rules and inside stories of the pawnbroking industry that he is not familiar with as soon as possible through this method.

Now, he is finally ready to do it.What he is going to today is Zhutou Jieku.Xieku is a pawn shop, but Zhutou is not ridiculing those customers who come in to pawn, but because this Xieku is located in Zhutou Alley.The name of Zhutou Hutong is said to be because at the entrance of this alley there used to be a shop selling pig's head meat. Now the hawker selling pig's head meat has disappeared. This courtyard is Ding's Xieku, but this alley is still called Zhutou alley. The street in front of Zhutou Hutong is now the most prosperous downtown area in Bazhou City, and it is a very lively place.However, among the five Ding family's depots, the profit of the pig's depot is only slightly higher than that of the family in the slums of Beicheng, and far lower than the other three.Ding Hao felt that if there were no flaws in the operation, then there must be more serious problems in this Jieku.

Zhutou Xieku is very grandly built. The yard is made of blue tiles and white walls, and inside is a big tile-roofed house with three entrances and three exits.There are two welcoming willows in front of the door, and the willows have just spit out a little bright yellow.The vermilion gate is painted so that people can see it. There are two yellow knockers on the door. The steps are all made of granite. On the left side of the door is a pole for hanging a lantern, and on the right side of the door is a horse stake. There are four big characters of pig's head Jieku written, and above it is a pattern of bats and rats hanging money, which is made of blue bricks and smoothed with white ash.

One is poor, the other is rich, and the third is opening a pawnshop. The pawnshop has been a very profitable industry since ancient times, and this facade is naturally built with extraordinary style.Ding Hao and Sao Zhu'er were familiar with the road, and when they arrived at the place, they walked straight in, stepped over the high threshold that was almost knee-high, and saw a white-haired old woman bending over and sweeping the yard slowly. When Ding Hao saw her, he smiled and said: Granny Liu is so diligent, the ground is already so clean, do you still need to sweep it? When the old woman looked up and saw him, a smile appeared on her face: So it was Brother Hao, hehe, you haven't come for two days.

This woman is about sixty years old. She wears a skirt and a jacket, but she is still in good spirits.Ding Hao greeted her with a smile. Seeing a rattan basket in the yard, which contained debris, the old lady was about to lift it up, so she stepped forward to help her lift the basket to the back of the gate. , then nodded politely to her, and walked towards Xie Ku. Ding Hao, the steward, has no airs. He is as polite to these housekeepers as he is, and is especially considerate to the elderly. These old servants treat him like their nephew, and they don't even call him steward Ding, they just call him brother Hao. , although a little less respectful, but very kind.

The pawn shop was quiet, the light was dim, and the high counter was sealed to the fence on the roof. Ding Hao walked to the small window, raised his head and tapped on the window panel lightly, and a person from the counter slowly stepped out. Come on.It was a fellow, and when he saw Ding Hao, he exclaimed in surprise: "Oh, you are here, Steward Ding, please wait a moment, the little one will open the door." The guy ran to the door in a hurry, opened the side door and said with a smile: Guanshi Ding, Brother Xue, please come in quickly. Hehe, is Guanshi Ding here?A man came out from inside. He was in his early fifties, thin and smart. He was wearing a green robe, well-washed, and his hair was neatly combed.

Ding Hao hurriedly clasped his hands and said with a smile: It's from shopkeeper Xu. In the Song Dynasty, there were the positions of Chaofeng Lang and Chaofeng Dafu in the official ranks, and the folks also used Chaofeng as a scholar. Therefore, the master of the pawnshop at this time was not called Chaofeng, but was generally called the shopkeeper and steward.Shopkeeper Xu's name is Xu Muchen, an old shopkeeper in the Ding family, who has been managing the pawnshop for the Ding family. Ding Hao saluted, and the unsmiling face of shopkeeper Xu moved slightly, he nodded politely, and said, "Guan Shi Ding, why do you have time to come here today?"Sit, sit, come, come, hurry up and serve tea.

Hehe, shopkeeper Xu, you're welcome. Ding is here to take stock at the bottom of the warehouse, and he has to buy some things later, so he can't stay for long. Shopkeeper Xu's beard-stretching hand paused slightly, the old man's eyes flashed brightly, his brows raised slightly, and then he smiled slightly: Oh?Does Guanshi Ding want to take inventory today? Ding Hao observed his every move, and said with a faint smile: Yes, I have been on this inspection mission for some time, if I don't check it once, it will be difficult for the boss to ask. Do you think this is the reason, the old shopkeeper?

Xu Muchen laughed, nodded repeatedly and said: What Guanshi Ding said is, Zhizhou, you can go to our warehouse with Guanshi Ding to have a look, the old man is guarding the front store. The second shopkeeper is Wang Zhizhou, in his thirties, a very shrewd and capable person.Ever since Ding Hao entered the door, he has been standing at the door leading to the inner hall. Hearing the order from the big shopkeeper, he nodded hurriedly: "Director Ding, please come here." The warehouse of this Jieku is not small. There are five houses in a row, and they are classified into different categories to store the pawns of the common people. Each room is arranged according to the dead pawn and live pawn. The live pawned items that come to redeem the pawned objects are replaced with dead pawned labels and put into the other side.

It can be seen that the two old stewards of the Ding family are good at pawning. Judging from the account books, many pawned items can be collected at extremely low prices, and they can be resold for extremely high profits.Ding Hao carefully checked the inventory one by one according to the account books. Wang Guanshi looked at him with strange eyes: Strange, isn't this Ding Hao uneducated? How can he read the account books by himself?Could it be that the rumors are true, that this person was enlightened by the fox fairy? Ding Haohun didn't pay attention to Wang Guanshi's strange eyes. He grew up in an orphanage and didn't have many recreational activities, so he read books in his spare time. He can understand its simplified meaning, but he has not learned it word by word. He knows which character it is when he reads it. Ding Hao checked carefully for a long time, then turned to Wang Zhizhou with a frown: Manager Wang, there seems to be something wrong with this account book, right? Steward Wang was stunned: Huh?What's wrong? Guanshi Wang, look, this pair of copper vases for the golden carps to play in the water, and these three sets of unlined clothes are all pawned items. They haven't expired yet, so why are they transferred to the sale? Guanshi Wang laughed dryly and said, "Oh, what did I think it was? Guanshi Ding, you don't know. Our shop has been in business for many years, and we know the family background of those who often come to pawn.Although some people are pawns, they don't have the money to redeem the things at all, so they sell them in advance, so that the funds can be returned earlier.Hehe, last winter, Guangyuan was transporting grain, and the boss suffered a lot. We servants who are in charge of affairs have to plan carefully, don't we? Ding Hao thought about it for a second, shook his head and said: "Guard Wang, Ding is indeed not very proficient in the pawn industry, but the price of this pawn is lower than that of a dead pawn, I still know it."They knew that they would not have the money to buy it back when it expired, so how could they choose to live it? Guanshi Wang became a little impatient, and said with a fake smile: Guanshi Ding, you are young after all. I don’t know that some people don’t know themselves. They always think that they have some skills, and they will have a way to solve problems when the time comes. Of course, they lose Worse.Hehehe, if it weren't for these people who don't know the depth, how can we make so much money by unlocking the library?The people who pawned the clothes and the copper vase are all nearby people, we know their roots, so don't worry about it, Guanshi Ding. Listening to his words, Ding Hao seemed to be talking about pawnbrokers, but he always seemed to be stabbing himself inside and out, but he didn't think he was disobedient, so he just smiled lightly and said: "Maybe, follow the king's management and sell things earlier. It can be returned as soon as possible, but once people really have money and want to redeem the original, what should they do then?Buy an item of equivalent compensation?I don't think there is no saying that there is no double compensation.If the estimate is wrong, I am afraid that the benefits of selling in advance will not be worth the compensation.Besides, it also damages our reputation for solving the library, doesn't it? Steward Wang stopped laughing, baring his teeth and said coldly: Steward Wang is accusing me of not knowing how to do things? Ding Hao raised his eyebrows, and said neither humble nor overbearing: How dare you, I'm just talking about the facts, isn't it right? Manager Xu in the outer hall heard the high-pitched voice inside, hurried in, and asked hastily, "What happened?" Manager, we are doing our best for the Ding family, which is good, but Manager Ding is not alone. Look, this pair of copper vases and those three sets of single clothes are all so-called living things that cannot be redeemed. Dang, when I said that it would be sold in advance, you also agreed with the big manager, but now the manager Ding doesn't quite agree. Oh, so it was because of this, hehe, Manager Ding, you have never done pawning before, so you don’t know the subtleties of it. According to the rules, it is true that pawned things cannot be sold before they expire, but these few things , They are powerless to redeem, this old man has been in this business for forty years, is this still not accurate?do you see Excuse me, Shopkeeper Xu, maybe what you said is right.But what is my inspector doing?It is these unruly things that are investigated.If I were in your old position, maybe I would do the same, but I am not in the position and do not seek the government.Since he is in his position, he must be loyal to his duty.Shopkeeper Xu, please understand my difficulties. Xu Muchen's face also slowly darkened.Ding Hao pointed to the ledger and said: "One day before the due date, one day can't be sold. This is the rule written in black and white. This warehouse has been open for ten years. If you want to open it for another ten years, or even fifty years, a hundred years." Years, then this rule cannot be violated.Not to mention anything else, if someone knows that Xie Kuli handles the work in advance and uses this loophole to blackmail, wouldn't it be a loss? Shopkeeper Xu said with a sullen face, "Then what does Yiding want to be in charge of?" Ding Hao smiled like a shy big girl, but his voice was unquestionable: Not according to my wishes, but according to the rules, one piece is not allowed to be sold before it expires!