Chapter 1131 Donations from Rich Merchants
Sun Shan thought that his actions would cause the people to gossip, but he said it didn't matter.
As such a great and upright official, there is nothing he cannot tell others.
Then because of this action, a group of wealthy businessmen visited him.
Although the Wang family is a tyrant in Yuanlu County, they cannot monopolize all industries. There are always some people who can survive in the cracks and become slightly wealthy.
Sun Shan looked at the ten so-called wealthy businessmen in Yuanlu County in surprise.
He asked doubtfully, "What do you want from me?"
Sun Shan had been in office for so long and everything was going on as usual. He had never caused trouble for the common people, nor for the rich.
Everyone lived a simple life. In fact, Sun Shan was better off than the previous county magistrates. He did not even look for rich people to "pay tribute".
Merchant A bowed his hands, bowed his head, and said carefully: "Sir, I heard that the government will provide escort and accommodation for students taking the college entrance examination. Is it true or false?"
What was said outside sounded very convincing, and the information I received behind the scenes also sounded very convincing. Although I was sure it was true, I still had to ask.
Sun Shan nodded: "Really."
Look at them in confusion.
“Scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans”, “merchants” comes last. When students take the academy examination, what does it have to do with them?
If there is a real connection, just find the students secretly to make the connection.
Rich businessman B quickly said, "Sir, it is an honor for the students of Yuanlu to have you."
After a pause, he added: "It is also our honor."
At present, Mr. Sun seems to be doing nothing, and has only made some moves at the county school. I don't know if he will continue to be like this in the future, or if he will pretend to be a pig and eat the tiger, and then slowly eat us up after he gets familiar with us.
The people that give rich businessmen the most headaches are people like Sun Shan. They would rather give them a warning from the very beginning so that the other party can feel at ease.
Sun Shan’s behavior nowadays is hard to understand.
Sun Shan shook his head and said, "Yuanlu is not a wealthy county, and taking the imperial examination is a time-consuming and laborious process. As their teacher, I hope I can help them a little."
Sun Shan was not only the father and mother official of the people of Yuanlu, but also the teacher of all the students in Yuanlu.
Rich Merchant C said yes: "The students in Yuanlu must be very grateful to you. Thanks to your help, they have more opportunities to enter the imperial examinations, which will increase the chances of having another scholar in Yuanlu."
The wealthy businessmen surrounded Sun Shan, flattering him and praising him like a flower.
Fortunately, Sun Shan grew up surrounded by praises, so he certainly would not lose his way in the praises.
Hehe, what’s more, he is better at giving compliments than the wealthy businessmen present.
When it comes to flattery, everyone present is a child.
Sun Shan raised his cup of tea, indicating that if he had something to say, just say it, and don't talk to him about these trivial things, as he was very busy.
I took some time out today to chat, but tonight I have to work overtime to review documents. Sun Shan doesn't have that much free time to chat.
When the rich businessman saw Sun Shan raising his glass, it was obvious that he was sending him away.
They also knew that if they didn't get to the point, they would probably be driven away by Lord Sun.
This Lord Sun has always been like this, he doesn't like to have any contact with businessmen like them. After being here for so long, he only had one meal, and then nothing happened.
It seems that the literati with a good family background really do not like people who do business, just as the legend says.
Look at Sun Shan, who devoted himself to the county school.
The wealthy businessmen secretly thought that Sun Shan was a noble person, exactly the same as the scholar they had in mind.
If Sun Shan knew what the rich businessman was thinking, he would definitely shout: It’s unfair!
It’s not that he doesn’t want to deal with wealthy businessmen, but there are currently no rich businessmen to deal with.
I have only been here for less than half a year, and I have to respond to all changes with calmness and remain unchanged.
Once you are familiar with and understand the situation, you will naturally find the right person, no matter whether you are a wealthy businessman or a local gentry.
The representative of the wealthy merchants, Ding, stepped forward and said, "Sir Sun, the students are from Yuanlu, and we are also from Yuanlu. We also want to contribute our modest efforts so that more students can enter the imperial examinations, and more students can obtain honors and make a difference for Yuanlu."
Sun Shan paused for a moment with the cup in his hand, then gently put it down.
The meaning of the wealthy businessman Ding is so obvious that even a fool can understand it.
It turns out that the reason I came to see him today was to donate money.
A rich businessman has nothing but money, otherwise how can he be called a rich businessman?
It seems that they want to "pay tribute".
At first, Sun Shan also wanted to find sponsorship from wealthy businessmen or local gentry in Yuanlu, but then he gave up the idea.
He has only been here for a short time. What if those people think that he is committing corruption in the name of "student"?
So he quickly abandoned this idea and asked for help directly from within the government, in the form of materials, and this help would not be able to pass through his hands.
This is the only way to avoid being caught in an awkward situation.
Sun Shan couldn't just rob things like County Magistrate Wang's mansion and the mule cart of Lord Wu's family. He could just return them to their original owners after using them, so there was no way to accuse him of corruption.
I didn't expect that a wealthy businessman from Yuanlu would come to visit me in person and ask for sponsorship.
Tsk tsk---I don't know why they do that.
When the wealthy businessmen saw Sun Shan pursing his lips and remaining silent, they couldn't help feeling uneasy.
In the past, only a fool would rush to give money, but this time the government spent both material and manpower to send students to Chenzhou Prefecture to take part in the imperial examination. It was unusually high-profile, and the whole Yuanlu was talking about it.
If these natives do business in Yuanlu, it would be difficult to get by without doing something.
A county magistrate from outside the area is so devoted to the students, but the locals who run local businesses and were born and raised here and have lived here for generations are indifferent and will definitely be criticized to death.
It is rumored that the Wang family occupies the best resources in Yuanlu but makes no contribution at all.
This time, the house was lent to the magistrate only after repeated requests.
The Wang family's reputation in Yuanlu was already average, and now it has become even worse than average.
When the wealthy businessmen heard this, they felt that they could not follow in the footsteps of the Wang family and had to step forward and do something.
The wealthy businessman Ding took the lead and found ten businessmen who were considered lucky in Yuanlu. They decided to donate some money like incense money to help the students in Yuanlu take the college entrance examination.
This Lord Sun is really causing trouble. Although he is not causing trouble directly to them, he has implicated them invisibly.
The only way to avoid disaster is to spend money.
Sun Shan's eyes rolled around, and his expression was the same as that of the fat girl seeing gold.
Then he smiled brightly, nodded and said, "I understand your intentions."
He paused, then smiled gently, "That's a good idea. I'm very happy. We are all from Yuanlu, so it's only natural for us to help the students from Yuanlu. Haha, I'd like to thank you all on behalf of the students from Yuanlu."
Sun Shan is not a noble person. He will not refuse the money that comes to his door.
And this kind of collective donation is speechless.
The wealthy businessmen are concerned about Yuanlu's cultural education, but you can't say it's their fault.
It is only natural to accept donations.
When the wealthy businessmen heard what Sun Shan said, they breathed a sigh of relief.
Oh, this world is so heartbreaking. You give money without hesitation, but you are afraid that you won’t be able to give it away.
Oh, it’s so unfair. I have to spend money and suffer!