met free Chapter 34: Half a Steamed Bun
Chapter 34: Half a Steamed Bun
Immediately following was a low, barely suppressed gasp of amazement.
The vendors sitting nearby year-round were all seasoned veterans; one look at the marks on the wall and they immediately understood.
The grain merchant's expression changed drastically. In a fit of panic, he instinctively reached out to wipe away the chaff stains on the container wall.
"stop!"
Zou Yun glanced at him coldly and shouted to stop him.
The chill in that gaze froze the grain merchant's hand in mid-air.
"The market officials are located right below the market tower. If any scoundrel touches the measuring instruments, it is considered tampering with official instruments and deceiving the market law. Such a crime is far more serious than falsely accusing someone."
The grain merchant's hand froze in mid-air, his fingertips barely an inch from the edge of the container, yet he dared not bring it down again.
Large drops of cold sweat rolled down his forehead, instantly soaking his temples.
The crimes of illegally altering official equipment and deceiving the city's laws were enough to bankrupt him or even send him to prison as a slave.
At that moment, immense fear gripped him.
Zou Yun stared at him, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable authority.
"Now, in front of all of you villagers, let me make this clear!"
"This person!"
Zou Yun pointed at the farmer and asked, "Did you buy one dou (a unit of dry measure) of rice, or two dou?"
The grain merchant's face was ashen, and his body swayed slightly, as if he had used all his strength to squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth.
"One...one peck...is...it's one peck of rice..."
Zou Yun remained calm, and his tone finally softened, "Since it's a duel, let's settle the payment and goods. Everyone, please disperse."
The farmer stood there, stunned, as if he couldn't believe the sudden reversal. It took him a long time to come to his senses.
Tears of emotion welled up instantly in his cloudy eyes.
He was so excited that he was incoherent and could only bow repeatedly, almost hitting his head on the ground.
"Thank you, sir... thank you, sir..."
The farmer had little education and didn't know how to express his gratitude.
In the end, all I could do was keep repeating this simple phrase.
The onlookers recovered from their shock and began to whisper among themselves, their gazes towards Zou Yun filled with respect.
"Thank you, sir..."
Zou Yun said nothing more, only nodding slightly to the grateful farmer.
He then waved his sleeves, turned around, and merged into the crowd.
"This gentleman, he also...!"
The farmer, clutching the bag of life-saving rice, hurriedly took two steps forward, shouting loudly in the direction where Zou Yun had disappeared.
However, looking around...
In the vast sea of people, where can one still find that dark figure?
The onlookers dispersed, leaving him alone in the bustling market, clutching the rice bag, standing there for a long time.
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"Gurgle—!"
After resolving the dispute quickly, Zou Yun, who hadn't eaten breakfast, felt a growing dissatisfaction in his stomach.
"I wonder if there's any good food in this big city!"
His gaze swept across the bustling market, and he casually walked to a row of stalls selling steamed buns.
Steam rose from the steamer, carrying the simple aroma of noodles, spreading amidst the sounds of the city.
The stall owner was an elderly man with gray hair and beard, and a thin face. He was dressed in a coarse linen short coat that had been washed until it was faded.
Zou Yun walked up to the stall, bowed respectfully, and said in a gentle voice, "Greetings, Father-in-law. May I ask how much these cakes cost?"
"One steamed bun costs one and a half taels of silver. Half a steamed bun is free."
The old man raised his head at the sound, his gaze calm and composed, unlike the obsequious enthusiasm of ordinary vendors, and responded only indifferently.
Ok?
Is there really such a business in the world?
This unusual pricing immediately piqued Zou Yun's interest.
"Oh? Why is that?"
Zou Yun raised an eyebrow slightly and asked with a hint of a smile.
The old man remained calm and composed, his gaze lingering briefly on Zou Yunhua's luxurious clothing before he spoke frankly.
"Given your luxurious attire and extraordinary bearing, the price of this cake is naturally a bit higher."
He made no attempt to hide the reasons for raising prices, but then changed the subject, sounding somewhat sincere.
"But just now, observing how you handled the dispute, you were kind and righteous, displaying the qualities of a true gentleman. Therefore, I can give you half a steamed bun for free."
Before he finished speaking, the old man had already deftly taken a round and plump steamed cake out of the steamer.
With a swift movement of his hands, he neatly and efficiently divided the pancake into two equal halves.
In an instant, steam filled the air, and the aroma of wheat became even stronger.
He carefully placed one half on a dried oak leaf and presented it to Zou Yun with both hands.
Zou Yun took the steaming half of the steamed cake, but instead of eating it right away, he asked with a meaningful smile.
"As the saying goes, 'Benevolence and righteousness are priceless.' Since my father-in-law praised my benevolence and righteousness, why did he only give me half a cake? Does this mean that even benevolence and righteousness are only worth half a cake?"
These words carried a hint of teasing and a hint of inquiry.
Upon hearing this, the old man pulled his thin, coarse cloth short coat tighter around his waist, glanced at the city and the countless ordinary people struggling to make a living, and sighed softly.
"While benevolence and righteousness are priceless, making a living requires real money; everything from firewood and rice to oil and salt must be paid for with real money."
He slowly withdrew his gaze, looked at his simple pancake stall, and smiled wryly.
"I am but a humble street vendor, barely making ends meet with this basket of steamed buns."
"I have given you all I have, and this half-cake is all I can offer as a token of my appreciation."
The old man paused, a glint of light appearing in his eyes, and said frankly.
"As the ancients taught, when poor, one should cultivate one's own virtue; when successful, one should benefit all under heaven. I am already struggling to take care of myself, and this is all I can do."
Zou Yun remained silent for a moment after hearing this, then carefully put away the half of the still-warm steamed cake.
Then, he straightened his clothes and said solemnly, "Father-in-law is right, I have learned a lot."
After saying that, Zou Yun turned to leave.
Just then, another question came from behind. The voice was not loud, but it was clear to hear.
"Please wait, sir, there is still one thing I do not understand."
"Now that you, sir, have exposed the dishonest merchant's tricks, why not hand him over to the market officials and bring him to justice, instead of letting him continue his business and cause harm to others?"
Upon hearing this, Zou Yun paused, looked up, and carefully examined the old man in front of him.
His beard and hair were half white, sparsely growing, yet neatly combed.
Although her deep robe was old, it was clean and tidy. She wore no crown, only a plain cloth ribbon to tie her hair, which was in accordance with ancient etiquette.
There was no jade pendant at his waist, but a smooth, worn fragment of a wooden slip hung from his side, as if it had been frequently handled and read over the years.
His words were full of classical allusions, yet he did not boast about them.
"Father-in-law's manner of speaking doesn't seem like that of an ordinary commoner," Zou Yun asked curiously, a glint in his eyes.
"Sir, you haven't answered my question yet," the old man said with a shake of his head and a smile.
Seeing this, Zou Yun stopped dwelling on it.
He composed himself and slowly explained the reason: "It's not that I'm unwilling, but that I'm unable to."
"Oh? What do you mean?" The old man leaned forward slightly and asked.
"Firstly, once the money box is broken open, who besides the grain merchant himself would know how many half-ounce coins are inside?"
"If he realizes his mistake and insists that he just misremembered, the city officials will not be able to punish him without any evidence. Instead, this will only embolden him and make him act even more recklessly."
"It would be better to expose their true colors in public. Businesses are built on trust. Without trust, they will surely disappear from this great city of Xianyang in the long run."
The old man nodded thoughtfully.
"Then...?" the old man asked doubtfully.
However, before he could speak, Zou Yun had already spoken up to explain.
"Secondly, there are the chaff marks on the sieve. If you really send it to the market official, he will have no way out and will insist that he cleaned and carefully hung the sieve, so there are no marks."
"Although it's not impossible to convict them with other corroborating evidence, those ordinary people are struggling to make a living; how many more days can they afford to waste with the county government?"
"That's why I pressed him relentlessly, leaving him no room for excuses or fear, but in the end, I gave him a way out and let the matter drop," Zou Yun said helplessly.
"In this way, we not only deterred him from committing any more crimes, but also preserved the reputation and interests of the deceived commoner, and avoided unnecessary entanglements later."
"This is the most practical choice at present."
The sunlight slanted across Zou Yun's face, casting lines of light and shadow.
Actually, there is a third reason: Zou Yun must leave Xianyang secretly soon, otherwise he could directly give that grain merchant a taste of his own medicine.