Crimson Dawn

"Principal Zhu, the tax must be collected this time. You might as well explain to the people that the current state affairs are difficult, so the [-]% tax is collected. It only takes two years, and the tax will be reduced after two years." Zhang Zhenfang said to Zhu Danbi solemnly.

After hearing this, Zhu Danbi nodded again and again. As an ambitious young man, Zhu Danbi hoped that after he was elected as a member of parliament, he would make efforts to enrich the country and strengthen the military, and change the status quo in China.Although he doesn't like the land reform policy implemented by the People's Party at all, the strength of the People's Party also makes Zhu Danbi quite yearn for it.He talked with Zhou Zhentao about taxation. Zhou Zhentao's suggestion was to change the previous situation of only collecting money and imitate the people's party's tax plan of pure grain tax.

The People's Party does need food. Since it issues its own banknotes, the People's Party's currency issuance is currently similar to food stamps.The price of grain cannot be beaten, and residents must rely on grain and household registration to purchase the specified amount of grain.Both ensure that the paper currency of the People's Party is quite strong.Zhu Danbi also wants to learn from the People's Party in terms of taxation. After the grain is collected, part of it is sold to pay various money expenses every month, and the remaining grain can be used when the people need it.It is also good to provide relief to victims of disasters, or to pay for students' rations when building schools.At least after listening to Zhou Zhentao's introduction, Zhu Danbi formed his own ideas.This is what the People's Party does, so now the People's Party has enough food to maintain the stability of the base area, including currency issuance is also quite smooth.Various industries have also begun to be built, and one day is better than one day.

Zhu Danbi was even more happy to hear Zhang Zhenfang's idea of ​​reducing taxes in the future. He stood up and said excitedly, "Minister Zhang, I will definitely do my best."

After Zhang Zhenfang left the tax police school, she still felt uneasy in her heart, but it was no longer the feeling of being suspended in mid-air.Zhang Zhenfang naturally knows Zhu Danbi's thoughts on taxation, and Zhu Danbi has said it many times on his own initiative.Whether it is Zhang Zhenfang or Zhou Zhentao, they are all just supporting and encouraging.In fact, the views of the two are very different.Zhou Zhentao's suggestion can be accepted by Zhang Zhenfang, not because Zhang Zhenfang is easy to fool, but Zhou Zhentao's suggestion is indeed reasonable.Zhou Zhentao suggested that Zhang Zhenfang use the railway to transport the grain taxed by Henan to other places and sell it.The People's Party is overhauling the railway, especially after seizing the railway factory in Qingdao that controlled the Germans, the technical level has greatly increased. In addition, many railway experts have been invited from the United States, Britain and France, and the speed of railway repair is much faster.The People's Party has started to build a railway from Xuzhou to Kaifeng. Once this railway is completed, materials from Henan will be able to go directly to Lianyungang via the railway.A large amount of grain can be exported overseas, such as Japan and Southeast Asia.

Collecting cash from taxes is forcing the people to be exploited by landlords everywhere.Hoarding a lot of grain in Henan can stabilize grain prices in Henan, but it also limits the rise in grain prices.If it can be exported overseas, it will be money for more or less.Moreover, through the quota trade agreement, the customs can directly transfer the money to Yuan Shikai's fu, and the transaction can be made smoothly.At the same time, a large amount of grain is shipped out, which can effectively promote grain prices.When the price of food is high, Zhang Zhenfang throwing a batch of food can immediately give people the feeling of stabilizing the price of food, and at the same time can effectively make money.

After Zhang Zhenfang thought about it, he agreed to the plan of collecting only grain and tax.Zhang Zhenfang was even more shocked by Zhou Zhentao's overall view.When a person's vision is not limited to the province of Henan, nor is it limited to China, but can take a wider range into his eyes, there will be many solutions to the seemingly unsolvable problems.For this reason, Zhang Zhenfang specially sent people to investigate, and found that Japan did a good job of buying low-priced grain, not only grain, but Japan bought more commodities.Including cotton, raw silk, Japan is buying.It's just that the People's Party doesn't sell it, and under Beiyang's rule, it doesn't produce silk.As for cotton, it is produced in Henan, but there is no railway to transport it to the sea.

As if to prove Zhou Zhentao's foresight, in April of the lunar calendar, Chen Ke sent someone to Henan to inquire about the construction of the railway to Kaifeng, and Zhang Zhenfang immediately agreed.As for the cost, Zhang Zhenfang asked the People's Party to give him cheap shipping within two years, and the People's Party agreed on this point.Therefore, everything is ready for taxation, and the only thing that is owed is Dongfeng. If the grain can be harvested in this summer harvest, Zhang Zhenfang can practice his real power as the governor of Henan.After a few more days of preparation, the Henan tax police finally dispatched.

The wheat in Zhuangzhai has been harvested, and this year's harvest is very good due to the use of the seeds of the People's Party's "one crop of wheat".In the first two years, everyone could only look at the tall and strong wheat seedlings of the people in the next village, cursing in their hearts and cursing in their mouths.This year, except for a few timid families, everyone has planted this wheat seed.Although the fields are not as neat as the villages under the People's Party, the harvest is more than 200 catties.Some good land can weigh more than three hundred catties.Usually, after a good harvest, it is only a little over 150 catties, and it is very good to be able to harvest [-] catties on ordinary land.The joy of the people in Zhuangzhai is completely from the heart.Looking at the ordinary wheat fields surrounded by harvested wheat fields, the common people would also joke with the sad-faced families.

As soon as the wheat was harvested, the people excitedly went to the relatives in the next village who had defected to the People's Party to ask for wheat seeds.It's just that the wheat seeds at the people's party are also harvested at this time, and it will take more than a month to arrive.Those who seek out relatives, those who ask for wheat seeds, and relatives who don't move around very much on weekdays have all become popular people.

Liu Jisheng didn't do this. He was most afraid of troublesome people, and if he troubled people, he would have to accept favors from others.Although it is difficult to pay back the money, it is even more difficult to pay back the favor.He specifically inquired about the situation in the village of the People's Party, and the wheat seeds were shipped from other places.The people in the next-door village actually played a trick to distribute them uniformly. They bought some extra wheat seeds, and sold the rest at a high price to the people in Zhuangzhai except for their own use.Rather than owe favors like this and have to pay more, Liu Jisheng felt that it would be better to directly find people from the "agricultural service company" of the People's Party responsible for growing wheat.As the saying goes, burn incense and burn the right temple, ask for help and find the right person.Even if the extra money is directly used as a "tea fee" for the rightful owner of the People's Party's agricultural service company, it is better than giving money to others and owed favors to others.

Hearing that people from the People's Party Agricultural Service Company are coming these days, Liu Jisheng goes there to wait there early every morning, but he dares not do so in name, so he finds a manure transporter in the associations established in various villages Temporary work, just coming and going can see more people coming and going in and out of the village.

Since joining the People's Party, Liu Jisheng's impression of the neighboring village is quite different.The biggest change is naturally the seeds planted in the fields, and the second is that the livelihood in the village has increased a lot.The neighboring village merged with two other villages, and the merged new village could only be called a town.After the distribution of the landlord's land, in addition to three acres of land for one person, a large amount of land has been returned to the People's Party.However, the people in this village call these lands "state-owned land", which means state-owned land.The state-owned land is not good land. Under the guidance of the staff of the agricultural science and technology service company, the common people planted paulownia trees on it, raised earthworms, and set up a farm.During the slack season, the people under the People's Party all went to work in various businesses run on the ground.And a kindergarten was opened in the new town, and those little dolls were sent to the kindergarten, and all the half-grown dolls, regardless of gender, were sent to the newly opened school to study.It is said that there is even a lunch served in the school.Not only do you not have to pay for school, but you can also have a meal.Unexpectedly, Liu Jisheng felt inexplicably jealous.

What makes Liu Jisheng jealous the most is that the People's Party has actually implemented some kind of "centralized living", and started to concentrate on building houses.The original adobe houses were all demolished, and the new houses were all red brick houses with two floors.It looks more magnificent than the house where the original landlord lived, and transparent glass windows are installed.On weekdays, the people in Xinzhen and Zhuangzhai are not busy during the slack season. After Xinzhen surrendered to the People's Party, it has been busy all year round.In addition to building a house, there are many new jobs that can be done.Not only men do it, women do it too.

These new businesses are now mainly animal husbandry and tree planting.Paulownia saplings were also brought in from outside. When they first arrived, they were all bare and slender tree trunks. Many people in Zhuangzhai suspected that this was a lie.Unexpectedly, after two years, the saplings not only survived, but also grew extremely fast. Compared with the low jujube bushes in Zhuangzhai, the people in Zhuangzhai were envious.Since there is such a large business, there are naturally many jobs.The people in the town next door couldn't handle themselves. Liu Jisheng never wanted to be annoying, so he applied for a part-time job, and they would give him work.With this opportunity, Liu Jisheng learned more and more about the People's Party.

Just after transporting chicken manure, a group of teams with red flags came to the town.The team was full of young people, and dozens of large carts were pressed, all of which were new-style rubber wheels.It was full of sacks.Look at the dress is official.When the people in the town saw these people, they greeted them happily whether they knew them or not.Liu Jisheng was not in a hurry to meet him either.After finishing his work in the morning, he went to the water pipe in the new town to wash his hands before going to the office of the agricultural service company.

Those young people can only be called teenagers, and many of them look less than 20 years old at all, with immature faces.Liu Jisheng originally wanted to call him "brother", but it didn't look right, so he changed his address, "Little brother, are you here to sell seeds?"

"Hello, uncle." The boy replied politely, "We are here to sell the seeds."

Facing the kind and polite young man, Liu Jisheng quickly replied: "Hello, little brother. I'm from the village next door. I want to ask you to buy seeds from you. Can you make the decision?"

The young man smiled and said, "Uncle, we can't decide this matter. You have to find Captain Liu of our company."

"Can I trouble my little brother to show you the way?" Liu Jisheng said hastily.

"Okay." The boy smiled.

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Following the young man to another room, the young man briefly introduced Liu Jisheng's situation to a young man in his early twenties. Liu Jisheng felt that this young man was really not an ordinary person. I'm afraid I can't even say a word.However, he was worried that this young man was a little too daring to take matters into his own hands. If it was Liu Jisheng, he would have pushed the matter away anyway, and made more decisions after he figured out the ins and outs of the matter.

Captain Liu smiled at the boy after listening, "I see, you go to work first."

"Okay." The boy replied calmly, and strode out.Seeing that the young man was not punished for bringing him to see Captain Liu, Liu Jisheng felt relieved.

Captain Liu first asked Liu Jisheng to sit down, poured him a bowl of water, and then asked about Liu Jisheng's situation.Liu Jisheng also answered truthfully that he was not under the People's Party, but wanted to buy the People's Party's wheat seeds.I want to ask whether the People's Party sells it, and how much it will cost if it sells it.

Captain Liu replied: "Of course you can buy it if you want. The price is [-] grains and [-] Wen."

Liu Jisheng was shocked. This price was at least 10 cash cheaper than the wheat seeds sold to Zhuangzhai by "relatives".Some "relatives" even dared to ask for 70 Wen for a thousand grains.Because he was worried, Liu Jisheng asked, "Is it the same as the wheat grown now?"

Captain Liu smiled and said, "It's all the same, we only sell this kind of wheat now."

One thousand grains of wheat is about two catties. Liu Jisheng has 20 mu of land, and 15 catties of seeds are used for one mu of land, so 300 mu is 3000 catties.One catty plus ten Wen, this is [-] Wen.This calculation was tricked a lot by "relatives".Restraining his unhappiness, Liu Jisheng smiled and said, "Can I buy it now?"

"Yes." Captain Liu replied.

It was impossible to carry 300 catties back, so Liu Jisheng borrowed a wheelbarrow and transported the wheat seeds back.Along the way, his face was as black as the bottom of a pot.Because I was afraid of showing off, I didn't go home until it was dark.But as soon as he returned home the next night, several relatives visited Liu Jisheng's house.After glaring at his wife with a smug face, Liu Jisheng began to talk to these relatives.Everyone heard that Liu Jisheng bought wheat seeds at a low price, and they all wanted Liu Jisheng to help them bring some.Liu Jisheng said with a sincere smile: "Brothers, I can take you to the person who sells the seeds of the People's Party, but I can't help you. If you can't bring it back, what is it? die."

Several relatives showed worried looks on their faces, "Jisheng, we don't know those people from the People's Party. What if they say something wrong and they don't sell it to us? You know the way, or you Tired. Not much to say, each of our family will treat you to a drink. How do you feel?"

Liu Jisheng was very happy at the time, "Brothers, if I can't bring it back, how can I explain to you? I have already bought my family's wheat seeds, and my brothers' wheat seeds add up to more than 1000 catties. If I If I go to buy it again, people think that I took the wheat seeds and sold them, I can’t tell. Brothers, you must go with me.”

After talking about it, Liu Jisheng persuaded his relatives to buy seeds with him.After seeing off one group of people, another group came. It was not until late at night that Liu Jisheng saw off all his relatives.Laying down exhausted, his wife was beside him and said, "Jisheng, everyone thinks you are very capable."

Liu Jisheng didn't want to bring up this issue at first, but when his wife said it, he got up, went up and slapped her, "You have too many things to do. You just think that things can be done, what if things can't be done?"

After slapping his wife, Liu Jisheng lost his anger, and no matter what his wife continued to say, he fell asleep in a daze.

The next day was exactly as Liu Jisheng thought. Yesterday, seventeen or eight people went to buy seeds together while talking, and nine of them came straight away.Without waiting too long, Liu Jisheng took everyone to the new town with their carts.Captain Liu received them. He heard that they were buying seeds. Captain Liu didn't say much. He asked everyone how much they wanted to buy, and sold them directly to these relatives.Originally, this group of people seemed to be scared one by one, but when they left the door, some people began to brag that they knew it would be fine.

Not paying attention to these people, Liu Jisheng just buried himself in pushing the cart.Sure enough, as he expected, no one mentioned the drink, but someone immediately took the scale and weighed the seeds.Liu Jisheng waited for them to finish weighing with a dark face, and then went back to his home without saying a word.It's not that he thinks there's anything wrong with others. In Liu Jisheng's view, it's human nature not to treat them to dinner and not to trust them.Now that he bought the seeds, Liu Jisheng was useless, so who could take him seriously.Instead, Liu Jisheng saved himself the trouble of drinking.What troubles him is that this matter will never end here.

Sure enough, more people came to look for Liu Jisheng at night, even those who hadn't dared to come during the day also showed up.They said embarrassingly, "You left too early, and you had already left by the time we arrived."

Liu Jisheng could only take them there one more time.This time Captain Liu stopped Liu Jisheng when he asked the boys below to distribute the seeds, "Uncle Liu, it's not a problem to let you run around. How about I go to your village in person tomorrow?"

"Captain Liu, you saved my life. It would be great if you could go." Liu Jisheng felt relieved.

Captain Liu was indeed a trustworthy person. Early the next morning, he drove six carts to Zhuangzhai with his young men.What embarrassed Liu Jisheng was that when he went to Xinzhen to buy seeds, the common people seemed to take advantage of it one by one.The owner of the seed seller came to the door, and the villagers were frightened.

There were a lot of people watching from a distance, and the villagers found that there were a few girls in this team. Men and women all pointed to this team of the People's Party, but there were not many people who came up to actually buy it.Captain Liu didn't care about this, he set up a grass-green pergola with those teenagers, those slender iron poles were skillfully folded, and when you pull it out, it becomes a pergola. This novelty opened the eyes of the people in the village.

Not long after, the real big buyer appeared. Liu Cunyong, the first household in Zhuangzhai's "three tile tank", had more than 300 mu of land, and he bought seven thousand catties of seeds at once.Slowly, the seeds on the three carts were all bought, which made the people in Zhuangzhai feel awed.

At noon, Captain Liu of the People's Party brought a delicate stove to boil water.After the water boiled, they put some hard things in the enamel tank that appeared in Xinzhen in the past two years, then poured hot water in it, and covered it.Not long after, they took off the lid and put in some condiments. Under the astonished eyes of some people in Zhuangzhai holding bowls while eating and watching the excitement, these members of the People's Party actually picked out noodles from the jar and started eating.This made the people of Zhuangzhai rare.Everyone talked to each other in astonishment, what was put into the enamel jar just now was definitely a hard thing, and some of the brave ones already swore to argue.And some timid people have already played a small drum in their hearts.A few years ago, I secretly planted a crop of wheat, and as a result, I made a curse.This memory has not diminished with the passage of time.Now I see these men and women of the People's Party soak hard things into soft noodles with hot water like a trick.They feel that this is just a new magic trick of the People's Party.

In the evening, only five carts of six carts of wheat seeds were sold.Captain Liu said loudly to the onlookers: "Folks, we will come back tomorrow." After collecting the folded tents, he led the team away.

Although the new town next door has surrendered to the People's Party, everyone in the town knows everyone.It didn't feel too special.During this day, for the first time, the people in Zhuangzhai really saw the real "People's Party members", just like watching a western scene, the neat clothes, and those clean and simple clothes, who concentrate on working without saying a word or panting. The young men and women, as well as the foldable tent, and the noodles that can be eaten directly after soaking.It made everyone see a lot of things that they had never seen before.

Many people were surprised or even fearful, while many people were looking forward to the return of these People's Party members the next day.

Early the next morning, Captain Liu really brought those boys from yesterday.The six carts were still full of sacks filled with wheat seeds.This time, more people finally decided to buy directly.

But before noon, a large group of people suddenly came outside the village.They drove directly into the village.But it was a member of the tax police brigade who hadn't seen him for a long time.The leader was Hu Hansan who claimed to be the commander of the tax police battalion.He reined in his horse and stopped in front of the cart of the People's Party. At this time, the people had already dispersed.Hu Hansanju rode on a horse and looked down at Captain Liu, and said in a malicious voice, "What do you do?"

"I'm here to do some small business." Captain Liu smiled, and he asked back, "What do you do?"

Hu Hansan actually knew that people from the People's Party were in front of him, and he also knew what these people were here for.So he deliberately appeared at this time. He didn't expect that the young man in his twenties in front of him was not only not intimidated by the tax camp of hundreds of people, but could answer the question so easily.In such a disparity situation, this young man with a group of young men and women is still so calm.Hu Hansan suddenly became angry, and he whipped his whip at Captain Liu.

Captain Liu took a step back and passed the whip easily.Then Captain Liu took another step forward and grabbed Hu Hansan's reins.Hu Hansan didn't expect this young man to be so agile, but he was taken aback.Then he heard Captain Liu say in a low voice: "I know your name is Hu Hansan, the battalion commander of the tax police camp here, from Shangqiu. You said that Chairman Chen Ke of our People's Party asked Henan Governor Zhang Zhenfang for your head , call us if you don’t give it to us. Do you think Zhang Zhenfang will give it?”

The content of these words was quite outrageous, but Captain Liu always had a smile on his face, and his voice was so low that even the people next to Hu Hansan didn't hear it.Hu Hansan's face was full of anger, but he dared not attack.

But Captain Liu let go of the rein and took a few steps back, turned around and shouted to his subordinates, "Let's go today."

The teenagers quickly packed up their things, loaded the car and left here.

From beginning to end, Hu Hansan never said a word.It wasn't until the People's Party convoy left that he bitterly ordered people to follow behind, as if driving away the people from the People's Party.