There is a happy inn in the capital.

Chapter 126 1 stone 3 birds

Gu Ziying: "The imperial court has already distributed grain, but there was no harvest this year, and the court doesn't have much grain stored up."

Li Shuchen replied, "Just because the imperial court doesn't mean everyone doesn't have it."

Gu Ziying thought for a moment and said, "I'll go buy some grain from the grain merchant right now."

Li Shuchen: "Wait, Ziying, let me go to the fruit shop to get some silver, we'll go together."

Gu Ziying: "Okay"

Li Shuchen carried the "Three Bean Drink" she had weighed out in the correct proportions, and the two went to Simei Fresh Fruit Shop.

Princess Changning happened to be counting money at the fruit shop.

Li Shuchen: "Give me five hundred taels of silver."

Princess Changning asked, "Is the inn short of money?"

Li Shuchen: "No, I'm taking the money to buy rice and distribute porridge."

Princess Changning: "Distribute porridge?"

Gu Ziying explained, "There's trouble outside the city, probably because there's a shortage of grain, leading to fighting over it."

Upon hearing this, Princess Changning said, "I will also go and distribute porridge."

Li Shuchen glanced at Princess Changning

"you?"

Princess Changning: "What? Is there a problem?"

Li Shuchen: "You usually don't even want to go to the vegetable market because you think it's dirty, messy, and bad. These homeless people have been wandering for who knows how many days."

"You've just arrived here, and your condition is even worse. Besides, what if there's an epidemic?"

Princess Changning crossed her arms and said, "If none of you are afraid, why should I be? As a princess of the Purple Star Dynasty, I must serve the Purple Star Dynasty."

Looking at Changning like this, Li Shuchen suddenly felt that his daughter had grown up.

He then patted Princess Changning's arm and said, "Good for you. Yuying is already working so hard on the front lines; we can't let her have any worries."

"Perfect timing! Ziying and I are planning to go buy some food. Do you want to come?"

Princess Changning: "Of course I'll go."

Li Shuchen: Let's go.

The three arrived at a medium-to-large-sized grain store in the capital.

Li Shuchen asked politely with a smile, "Boss, how much is one dan (unit of dry measure) of rice?"

Grain shop owner: "Five taels of silver per shi (a unit of dry measure)."

One stone equals sixty catties

Gu Ziying frowned: "Boss, it's usually only one tael of silver per stone, why is it so expensive today?"

Grain shop owner: "Miss, times have changed, so the prices are naturally higher now."

Li Shuchen started bargaining: "Boss, we're buying a lot of grain, can you give us a discount?"

Grain shop owner: "We simply can't lower the price."

Li Shuchen began to use her eloquence: "Boss, think about it, at this time of national crisis, if you don't raise prices on the spot,..."

He continued selling grain as usual, and when the world found out, everyone praised him for his righteousness.

Besides, we girls bought the grain to distribute porridge to the refugees outside the city gates.

If such righteous deeds were to reach the Emperor's ears, and he learned that the grain came from your grain shop, then whether we are the common people or the displaced people, we would all praise you, and wouldn't your grain shop's reputation be established?

From now on, people will all come to buy your grain, so why should the boss worry about not making money?

But we can't prevent you from making a profit. How about this: you sell to us at two taels of silver per shi of grain, which is definitely lower than our competitors' prices.

By then, you'll have made money, we'll have bought the grain, and we'll be able to build up our grain shop's reputation.

"Killing three birds with one stone, boss, what do you think?"

The shop owner pondered for a moment; his grain shop had always hovered around the middle to upper class, never quite managing to break into the upper echelons of the market.

He's raising prices now simply to make more money. He makes a profit even at one or two taels of silver per stone, let alone two taels per stone.

If their grain shop were to successfully expand, the profits would be immeasurable.

Even if it doesn't work out, you still made money, so you're not at a loss.

Thinking of this, I asked...

"How much do you want?"

Seeing that he had persuaded the shopkeeper, Li Shuchen quickly replied, "Sir, I want one hundred shi (a unit of dry measure)."

Gu Ziying: "I want 150 shi (a unit of dry measure)."

Princess Changning: "Give me two hundred shi (a unit of dry measure) first. If that's not enough, I'll buy more."

The grain shop owner couldn't stop smiling.

"Alright, alright, ladies, please have a seat for a moment. The food will be here shortly."

The grain shop owner had prepared the grain and kindly delivered it to the city gate for them.

When the three arrived at the city gate, it was still closed.

Li Shuchen could see the Prefect of Kaifeng pacing back and forth in front of the gate from afar.

The Prefect of Kaifeng noticed someone was coming, looked up, and recognized the person.

She immediately bowed and said, "Princess Changning"

Princess Changning raised her hand: "What's the situation outside now?"

The Prefect of Kaifeng said, "I am incompetent. There are too many monks and not enough porridge. Even five soup kitchens are not enough, and the refugees have started fighting over them."

Li Shuchen: "Your Excellency, could you please heed my words and first appease the displaced people with grain, allowing them to wait ten days and cooperate with our work?"

If all is well after ten days, they can be allowed to enter the capital. The prefect need not worry about the food supply.

We brought so much food, enough to feed them for several days, that it should put their minds at ease and stop them from causing trouble.”

The Prefect of Kaifeng nodded upon hearing this: "Miss Li's words have enlightened me. Thank you, Miss Li."

Li Shuchen: "Your Excellency, there's no need for thanks. When people are anxious, they often lose their focus; it's just human nature to be sentimental."

The prefect of Kaifeng ordered the city gates to be opened and displayed cartloads of grain to the refugees.

The refugees outside the city gates, seeing so much grain, were filled with lust and immediately became agitated, chattering incoherently.

If it weren't for the soldiers and fences surrounding it...

They're probably all going to flood in.

The Prefect of Kaifeng spoke first: "I am the Prefect of Kaifeng, the capital. Please calm down and listen to what I have to say."

As you can see, there is enough food, and new soup kitchens will be set up for people to line up for soup.

Please cooperate with me these next few days.

If everyone is safe and healthy after ten days, then we will allow everyone to enter the capital.

The refugees fell silent after hearing this.

Seeing that the crowd had calmed down, the Prefect of Kaifeng ordered his soldiers to set up soup kitchens.

Before long, the officers and soldiers had set up the porridge stalls, namely Li Shuchen's Porridge Shop at the Happiness Inn.

Gu Family Congee Shop

Princess Changning's Congee Shop

In addition to these three porridge shops, ten more porridge shops were newly established.

The officers and soldiers stopped the refugees.

Li Shuchen, Gu Ziying, and Princess Changning went to their respective porridge shops.

Li Shuchen glanced at the refugees and instinctively felt that they were a vast, endless sea of ​​people.

He then asked

"Your Excellency, approximately how many refugees are there?"

Prefect of Kaifeng: "More than ten thousand."

Li Shuchen frowned: "There are so many?"

Li Shuchen thought as he cooked the porridge.

Ten thousand people, each consuming one jin of rice per day

Ten days, and 100,000 catties of rice are needed.

The rice they bought over the past few days was barely enough for three days, and even with the rice from the imperial court, it could last until the sixth day.

We still need to buy rice for four days.

The porridge was cooked, and the refugees couldn't wait to eat it.

The Prefect of Kaifeng said, "There is enough food. Let the elderly and women and children line up first."

People were quite obedient; those queuing at the front were mostly elderly people, children, and women.

Li Shuchen and the others began distributing porridge.

"Here, take it carefully, slowly."

"Be careful with the heat"

"No rush, there's plenty of porridge."

Their rice bowls included chipped ceramic bowls, broken jars, earthenware basins, and wooden boxes.

Basically, anything that can be used to hold porridge will be used.

Some refugees, after receiving the porridge, would eagerly take a sip from the "rice bowl" regardless of whether it was hot or not, and some even drank it while walking.