Chapter 2585 - Investigation (Part 12)
Yuan Shuzhi arrived at the county seat of Boluo and rested at an inn for a day. Upon inquiry, he learned the medicine market lay another fifty or sixty li beyond—a journey requiring an early departure to arrive before nightfall. The innkeeper, sizing him up as a scholar, suggested he hire a donkey. Otherwise, he'd need to stop for meals and lodging along the way, which would prove inconvenient.
"No matter. My legs are strong. Sixty or seventy li in a day is nothing unusual for me." Yuan Shuzhi paused. "I only wonder—are the roads peaceful?"
"Since the Australians came, the roads have been peaceful enough. But travelers shouldn't go alone," the innkeeper said. "Best travel in groups."
Though Huizhou was counted among the four Hakka prefectures, Cantonese and Chaoshan people were also numerous. The three groups clashed frequently, with villages and hamlets often coming to blows. Yao tribesmen operated in the mountains as well, so security remained far from ideal. The Senate's "liberation" had restored only basic social order—traveling any distance still required caution.
Still, openly armed bandit gangs no longer plagued these parts, making conditions considerably safer for merchants.
Yuan Shuzhi confirmed the route and set off at dawn.
The road to the medicine market was far from desolate. Since the Tang dynasty, Luofu Mountain had been a renowned site for "cultivating immortality"—the seventh Daoist grotto-heaven and thirty-fourth blessed land. Ge Hong himself was said to have practiced here, lending the mountain great renown. Temples and Daoist monasteries dotted the slopes inside and out, their incense offerings thriving.
The medicine market itself stood at the foot of Luofu Mountain, beside Chongxu Temple. Its history stretched back to the Song dynasty. By the Ming, it had earned recognition as one of Lingnan's four great markets, alongside Guangzhou Fangcun's flower market, Hepu's pearl market, and Dongguan Liaobu's incense market. At its height, medicine shops and stalls stretched for several li, drawing traders not only from the Two Guangs and neighboring provinces, but from as far as Southeast Asia.
When Yuan Shuzhi reached the medicine market, his jaw nearly dropped. This was no mere "market"—it was practically a county seat.
Except for lacking city walls and a yamen, its prosperity surpassed that of many small county towns.
No yamen stood here—only a Medicine Market Guild, housed within Chongxu Temple. Knowing he planned to operate in this area, Yuan Shuzhi decided to first learn the lay of the land and understand the local rules, lest he violate them and invite trouble.
At the temple, he found posted "prohibition plaques" and several stone stele inscribed with "Market Regulations," "Huizhou Prefect's Proclamation," "Boluo County Magistrate's Proclamation," and the like. Yuan Shuzhi read through them carefully—mostly regulations governing merchants. Nothing specifically concerning someone in his position, beyond the usual prohibitions against criminal conduct.
With so many merchants gathered here, inns naturally abounded. A Qiwei branch operated here as well. Unless circumstances demanded otherwise, Yuan Shuzhi preferred Qiwei establishments—first for their cleanliness, second for their privacy.
After settling in, he began touring the medicine market, carrying his specially-made sign advertising "Bookkeeping and Tax Filing Services" as he wandered the streets.
Reality, however, diverged sharply from his expectations. Though this profession was flourishing in Pearl River Delta areas like Guangzhou and Foshan—with all the novelty of a "new occupation"—outside the Deep Governance Zones, merchants knew little about the new financial and tax systems, and local tax bureaus couldn't fully implement them. Demand for his services proved sparse. After three days of soliciting at the medicine market, Yuan Shuzhi had secured only a single client—and one with nothing to do with the new tax system at that. He'd merely helped a stall owner organize their carelessly-kept running accounts.
Through his inquiries, Yuan Shuzhi learned that the medicine market currently operated under a tax system resembling a fixed-rate levy. The Medicine Market Guild paid a unified "land rent" to the Boluo County Tax Bureau—essentially a continuation of the old Ming dynasty arrangement.
Beyond this land rent, the market collected an "entry tax" on incoming goods and an "exit tax" on outgoing ones, calculated as a fixed percentage of each medicine's daily "official estimated price."
No other taxes or fees existed. The system's simplicity suited the merchants, who paid willingly. Neither Boluo County nor Huizhou Prefecture needed to expend much effort to collect substantial revenue. Combined with a shortage of trained personnel, little motivation existed to implement the "new tax system."
Yuan Shuzhi's "bookkeeping and tax filing services" naturally found no customers. After five or six days at the medicine market, he'd completed only three small jobs.
He still had money, of course—business trips always came with travel expenses. But appearing to live comfortably while having no work for days would seem suspicious. So he adopted the appearance of someone skipping meals and scrimping, searching everywhere for employment to establish himself locally.
Finding work, however, proved unexpectedly difficult.
"We don't know you here."
"Who are you? Everyone we employ is the boss's kin or fellow townsmen. You're an outsider trying to steal our rice bowl—get lost!"
"Our master's concubine's brother still can't be placed. Go on, off with you."
"We're locals here, going back generations. We don't use outsiders."
It wasn't that no shops would consider hiring him, but employment here still followed the old rules: every worker needed a guarantor from the shop. In the Deep Governance Zones of the Pearl River Delta, the guarantor system had been abolished thanks to well-developed police and baojia networks.
As an outsider unfamiliar with the area, where could he possibly find a guarantor? Yuan Shuzhi felt transported back to those painful days of sheltering in temples with nowhere to turn.
After seven or eight days at the medicine market with nothing to show for it—not even a plausible reason to remain—Yuan Shuzhi was preparing to return to Boluo in a few days, meet up with the investigation team, and decide his next move.
Then one day, as he strolled along the street holding his sign, a voice called out from behind.
"Bookkeeper! Wait!"
Yuan Shuzhi turned. A young man dressed like a senior clerk from some shop was approaching. Probably another small job. He offered a slight bow. "Young man, were you calling for me?"
"'Me' what 'me'—I'm calling you!" The young man spoke impatiently, pointing at the sign. "You claim to know Australian bookkeeping methods?"
"Yes, yes. I even attended training classes in Guangzhou and have a completion certificate..." Hearing the meaningful tone, Yuan Shuzhi sensed the visitor had genuine need for his professional knowledge. His spirits lifted. Just as he was about to launch into his pitch like a peddler hawking wares, he was cut off.
"Fine, fine. Since you know how, that's enough. Follow me."
Yuan Shuzhi followed the young man along the street. After a hundred meters or so, he spotted a small storefront by the roadside—quite inconspicuous—with a sign reading "Jubao Tang" hanging at the door.
Treasure-Gathering Hall. What a peculiar name, Yuan Shuzhi thought. It sounded like an antique shop! What medicine dealer would choose such a name?
Strange as the name was, and small as the storefront appeared, business at the medicine market didn't depend on shop size. Some major drug merchants didn't even maintain proper shops—just a stall and a hoisted sign to conduct business. Yet their annual turnover could reach tens of thousands of taels. Yuan Shuzhi suspected this shop had hidden depths.
Indeed, passing through the storefront to the back revealed a small courtyard—tranquil and serene. It felt like another world from the clamor outside.
The young man led him into a side room. Pushing open the door, Yuan Shuzhi started—several bookshelves stood crammed full of ledgers.
"Wait here. My master will arrive shortly."
Moments later, an unremarkable middle-aged man entered—the very picture of a typical local merchant.
He exchanged pleasantries with Yuan Shuzhi, introduced himself as Manager Gao, and asked:
"May I inquire where sir hails from? How did you come to be here?"
"I'm from Panyu county, Guangzhou Prefecture..." Yuan Shuzhi launched into his fabricated history, explaining how he'd lost his position in Guangzhou and been recommended to Huizhou. But the acquaintance he'd been sent to find had left, and without a guarantor, no shop would take him on.
"...I lingered in Huizhou for many days, caught in a dilemma. Then I heard about the medicine market in Boluo, and thought—I still have this skill. I came to try my luck, hoping to at least earn some money before deciding my next steps."
"I see." Manager Gao nodded. "I wonder whether Mr. Shu intends to seek a long-term position here, or simply earn travel money before returning to Huizhou Prefecture or Guangzhou to pursue other opportunities?"
"Manager, you jest." Yuan Shuzhi assumed a worried expression. "I'm over fifty and have accomplished nothing. I have no family, no house in Guangzhou—just drifting wherever work takes me. If long-term employment exists here, naturally I'd wish to stay."
At the words "no family," Manager Gao's eyes brightened subtly. "If sir wishes to seek long-term work, that's easily arranged. Our shop happens to have just such an opening. I simply don't know whether sir has the capability..."
"Manager, please test me!" Yuan Shuzhi said quickly.
Manager Gao nodded. "A test is naturally required." Rising, he selected several ledgers from the shelf and placed them on the table. "Please convert these running accounts into Australian-style accounts according to Australian rules. Remember—I'm taking these accounts for tax filing, so ensure every item is properly done. Don't let the owner pay more than necessary."
Yuan Shuzhi was startled. During his days at the medicine market, he'd encountered many people, but very few understood Australian bookkeeping, and fewer still grasped the connection between bookkeeping and tax filing. Yet Manager Gao clearly knew the intricacies.
He thumped his chest. "Rest assured, Manager. I understand the connection between Australian accounts and tax filing better than anyone. I'll make certain everything is in order!"
Manager Gao smiled. "Good. I trust you. Work on the accounts here—I'll have someone bring tea and snacks." He paused. "How long will you need to finish?"
Yuan Shuzhi opened the ledgers and flipped through briefly. "I'll have them done by evening."
"Very well. I'll return at five. If you prove suitable, you can stay at the shop from now on. If not, you won't have worked for nothing."
"Yes, yes. Thank you, Manager." Yuan Shuzhi bowed quickly in agreement.
(End of Chapter)