Chapter 6: The First World: The Ordinary Life of Huwa (1/4)

"This is your share for today, take it."

Looking at the person in front of him, Luo Hao immediately put on a bright smile.

He counted out thirty copper coins from the money box and handed them to the burly man, Niu Ye, in front of him.

This man was notorious on this street, relying on his burly physique and several lackeys by his side.

Every day, he collected stall fees from vendors on this street, which was actually just like protection money, but with a nicer name.

When Luo Hao first came to this street to do business, they came knocking on his door.

When Luo Hao first came to this street to do business, they came knocking on his door.

Initially, it was just ten copper coins a day, but as Luo Hao's business grew, the amount gradually increased. Yesterday, it had gone up to thirty copper coins.

Although Luo Hao's daily revenue can reach two to three hundred copper coins, half of it is accounted for by costs.

In addition to Luo Hao's daily living expenses, there is not much money left over each day.

Thirty copper coins a day amounted to nine hundred copper coins a month, which was equivalent to one tael of broken silver.

"If only all the vendors on this street were as sensible as you."

"Don't worry, as long as you pay on time every day, you can do business here without any problems."

Niu Ye looked satisfied as he held a small string of money in his hand and walked away contentedly.

However, Luo Hao's originally brilliant smile turned cold as he watched the backs of Niu Ye and his men leave.

After sending away this group of bullies, Luo Hao closed up his stall early.

As the saying goes, "a dragon cannot suppress a local snake" [1]. Luo Hao had originally intended to let the matter go, but this bully named Niuye had gone too far.

From the looks of it now, it wouldn't be long before Luo Hao would have trouble again.

So several days ago, Luo Hao had started to unite with the other street vendors, who were constantly bullied and dared not speak up.

They pooled their money together and gave it to a magistrate at the county office, hoping he could bring down the bullies on their street and earn a good reputation.

The magistrate agreed immediately. The bullies on the street could only bully them, the common people. As officials would often turn a blind eye to these matters, due to them being acquainted with the bullies.

But after Luo Hao spent some money and wrote an anonymous letter, reporting Niu Ye's actions, not only did he have the magistrate on his side, but he also had evidence to take down the bully.

After Luo Hao closed his stall early today, this Niuye and several of his henchmen were caught by the constables from the county government. They were immediately thrown into prison, and it's unlikely that Luo Hao will ever see this Niuye again in his lifetime.

After all, even though Niuye was collecting protection money, he went too far. Many of the small vendors who had good businesses were basically being bullied. They were exploited more if they earned more, and if they resisted, their stalls would be smashed, and they would be beaten.

This led to many small vendors strongly supporting Luo Hao when he organized everything. They immediately gave money to Luo Hao to deal with the situation, and even used all their connections.

The power of one person may be small against these bullies, but when all the small vendors and merchants on the street unite, it immediately caused this Niuye to fall.

On the fourth day, with no one collecting protection money, there were no longer any vendors calling out in the bustling streets. Instead, the small vendors from this street filled the town hall.

When the county magistrate announced the judgment that "Niuye" and his group would be sent to the Jiangdong region to break stones for twenty years, there was an immediate round of applause in the county government hall. All the small vendors loudly praised the fairness of the county magistrate while shouting out their approval.

As a local official, perhaps the greatest sense of achievement comes from having the people loudly praise you in court. The county magistrate couldn't help but smile, and he issued the same judgment to the henchmen around this bully as well.

...

The second year, Luo Hao's business began to take off from a small pushcart to opening a fried tofu shop in the market, and his income began to double.

He also recruited two assistants to help him, and his food became famous in the neighborhood.

In the fourth year, Luo Hao saved enough money to buy a small courtyard in the north of the town. The place was spacious, with greenery and three courtyards.

That same year, he brought his parents and second elder sister from the village to the city. He also brought along his eldest sister's family, and her husband and sister began to help Luo Hao with his work.

In the fifth year, Luo Hao found a husband for his second elder sister in the city, and although the family was not wealthy, the man seemed nice to Liu Ying. Luo Hao also prepared a generous dowry for her.

In the sixth year, Luo Hao's father died of tuberculosis due to years of hard work. In this world, where medical equipment was not yet well developed, he could not make it through a year.

In the eighth year, Luo Hao's business expanded throughout the city, with branches in all four directions, and he also took over a restaurant in the city center. He united the street vendors and merchants to form a business association.

His business continued to expand, and he became a well-known merchant in the city. The Liu family also became a wealthy family in a short time.

In the ninth year, Luo Hao's mother fell seriously ill, and Luo Hao married the daughter of a wealthy family in the city.

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[1]"A dragon cannot suppress a local snake" is a Chinese idiom that means a powerful outsider cannot control or defeat a local person who is more familiar with the environment and circumstances.