Chapter 22: The Government Sells Grain

But these constables seemed afraid that saying too much might cost them their livelihood. No matter how Chen Mu pressed them afterward, not a word was uttered. They merely blocked the entrance to the government office, signaling for them to leave quickly.

“Master, what do you think we should do…”

Chen Mu shook his head, turned, and left the office with Li Biao.

On the way, Chen Mu caught hold of a passerby.

“I’d like to ask, where can one still buy grain these days?”

The passerby, looking gaunt and wan, merely raised his head weakly to glance at Chen Mu.

“All the grain shops are closed. Only the government-run Rising Sun Grain Store has any left, but common folk can’t afford it.”

After confirming the location, Chen Mu hurried there with Li Biao.

It was almost laughable—in all of East Plains, the people were destitute, yet before this grain store, piled high with provisions, not a single soul stood in line.

The clerk in charge appeared to be a minor official, dozing with his arms crossed, flanked by several fully-armed soldiers.

Li Biao strode forward, rapping sharply on the official’s desk.

“We’re here to buy grain!”

The clerk startled, then quickly sized up Li Biao and Chen Mu. Seeing their simple, unadorned clothing, he sneered disdainfully.

“Buy grain? Do you even know where you are? How dare you come here looking for grain?”

Li Biao was unimpressed.

“I don’t care where we are. You’ve got grain here, isn’t it for sale? My master demands to buy some from you!”

Hearing this, the clerk seemed to find it hilarious, bursting into loud laughter. Even the soldiers around him suppressed their grins.

“Your master? Look at your shabby attire. Who are you trying to pass off as a master?”

“Enough talk!” Li Biao stepped forward and slammed his palm down hard on the table.

The soldiers immediately stopped laughing and surrounded them, hands gripping their swords.

Li Biao, undaunted, drew his own blade and stood protectively before Chen Mu.

For a moment, the air felt thick as stone.

Chen Mu smiled slightly and cleared his throat.

“Gentlemen, let’s not let things get out of hand. You have a grain store, and we wish to buy grain. It’s simply business.”

Li Biao glanced back at Chen Mu and silently sheathed his sword.

The soldiers, not wanting to escalate the situation, also relaxed their stances.

Only the clerk remained haughty, looking down his nose at Chen Mu.

“Buy grain? You can’t afford the grain here!”

“Oh? And how much does your grain cost?”

The clerk smirked and raised a finger.

“One tael of silver.”

Chen Mu arched his brows.

A tael of silver for a pound of grain—several times the usual price.

He patted his pockets and took out ten taels of silver.

“Give me ten pounds of rice.”

The clerk weighed the silver in his hand, snickering.

“You misunderstood me.”

“What I mean is, one tael of grain costs one tael of silver.”

Even though Chen Mu had prepared himself mentally, this declaration caught him off guard.

He had expected government greed, but not to this extent.

This was driving the people to ruin!

“Well? Afraid? If you can’t pay, don’t bother coming here!” The clerk waved him off impatiently. “These days, I’ve seen plenty of rich men swagger in, but they all end up begging me to lower the price.”

Chen Mu gritted his teeth and produced another ten taels.

He hadn’t brought much money with him, and this twenty taels would have supported an ordinary family for a year.

“Two pounds of grain.”

Seeing Chen Mu hand over more silver, the clerk finally adopted a slightly more serious expression.

“Not bad—turns out you’ve got some assets.”

He signaled the soldiers, who brought two small bundles for Chen Mu.

Looking down at the tiny bundles in his hands, Chen Mu marveled inwardly.

Such a world! Twenty taels of silver for this meager amount.

“Not satisfied, are you?” the clerk noticed the look on Chen Mu’s face.

“It’s not dissatisfaction—just amusement. Who would have thought that grain could one day be as valuable as silver?”

Chen Mu smiled, handing the bundles to Li Biao.

“I’ll need a receipt.”

The clerk was taken aback.

“A receipt? What kind of receipt?”

“This equivalence of grain and silver is a rare phenomenon. Today I’ve witnessed it firsthand. Without a receipt, how can I prove to others that grain is as precious as silver?”

As he spoke, Chen Mu felt uneasy. If the clerk refused, his twenty taels would be wasted.

Fortunately, the clerk didn’t protest.

Perhaps Chen Mu qualified as a major customer; the clerk’s attitude improved noticeably.

He fetched pen and paper and, as he wrote, addressed Chen Mu.

“You’re an odd one. But honestly, don’t blame me. The price was set by the government. If you’re unhappy, take it up with them.”

“A government-set price? Can you prove it?”

The clerk scoffed, producing a stamp.

“See this? It’s the official government seal!”

He pressed it decisively onto the receipt.

Witnessing this, Chen Mu maintained a calm facade, but inside he was elated.

He had been wondering how to prove the receipt was official. Now the clerk had stamped it for him.

“Don’t get any ideas. I’m no big official,” said the clerk as he handed the receipt to Chen Mu. “Anyone coming here to buy grain must be wealthy or powerful, usually connected to the government. They all need a proper document.”

“Of course.”

Far from the grain store, Li Biao suddenly halted.

“Master, something’s wrong with this grain.”

“What is it?”

Li Biao didn’t speak, but carefully opened one bundle.

Inside, nearly half the contents were sand.

“Look, should we go back and ask about this?”

Chen Mu waved him off.

“Wrap it up, keep it intact. We’ll present it to the Emperor in the capital.”

Li Biao quickly agreed, carefully stowing the bundles.

Afterward, Chen Mu took Li Biao to several other counties, specifically to buy grain from government-run stores.

The pricing was consistent everywhere: one tael of silver for one tael of grain.

The only difference was, in some counties the grain was mixed with sand, in others with husks.

After visiting more than ten counties, not once did they receive pure grain.

Chen Mu had even opened a bundle before a grain-selling official and demanded an explanation.

The official merely scoffed, dismissive.