ebookland Chapter 854 Severe Punishment
Chapter 854 Severe Punishment
The next morning, Meng Yuanping was still waiting at the entrance of Huiwen Street early as usual.
If the gate opens on time, he will definitely be the first to go in and then go straight to Prince Wu.
If the gate cannot open on time and there are many people crowding behind it, he will take the initiative to move aside to avoid being trampled underfoot.
He had already inquired before coming that there was plenty of stock on Huiwen Street today and there would be no limit on the number of customers, so he would still be able to get in. He just missed the best opportunity to meet the young master of the Wu Kingdom.
Just as he was pondering this, the door opened abruptly.
"Mr. Meng, please come in. Our boss invites you in," the doorman said reluctantly.
"You're inviting me in like this?" Meng Yuanping was somewhat flattered, but he still followed along eagerly, though his eyes were full of hostility towards the two of them.
As long as he could meet the Prince of Wu, he was confident he could make those two gatekeepers suffer. After all, he was Meng Qingge's father and had come for the marriage. The two gatekeepers were just slaves, and their status was incomparable to his.
After Meng Yuanping entered, the gate of Huiwen Street closed again, as if the entire street had been opened twice just for him. This feeling of being treated preferentially was indescribably pleasant.
"It seems that the young master of Wu Kingdom also likes Qingge," Meng Yuanping said with certainty, a smile appearing on his face.
Otherwise, there would have been no need for the other party to invite him in alone.
Meng Yuanping dusted off his clothes, trying his best to maintain a high profile.
Thinking that he was about to become the father-in-law of the Prince of Wu, and that this street was under his control, Meng Yuanping couldn't keep a low profile.
"Hmph, what's there to be proud of? If it weren't for Miss Meng, would you have been invited in?" The doorman couldn't stand Meng Yuanping's smug face and really wanted to kick him out.
However, this was Lin Ping's decision, and they dared not disobey it in the slightest.
To be honest, the two gatekeepers were also worried about their fate. If Meng Yuanping spoke ill of them in front of Lin Ping, they would likely suffer unbearable punishment.
Before long, Meng Yuanping was led to the main hall of Huiwen Bookstore, where he was immediately attracted by the antique and elegant decorations.
He doesn't love reading, but he still has a large study because it enhances a person's taste and makes others think that you enjoy reading.
"This bookshelf is actually made of century-old camphor wood, and this desk is actually made of golden nanmu wood..."
For a moment, Meng Yuanping was like a clown entering the city for the first time, wanting to look around and touch everything.
He only valued these ornate decorations and didn't care about the essence of the books. Clearly, he was quite different from a true scholar and was merely a pretentious affectation.
Seeing him engrossed in holding a set of writing implements and sticking out his tongue, the two doormen glanced at Meng Yuanping with disdain and said dismissively, "Our boss is right at the door, please don't waste your time, Mr. Meng."
"What? The young master of Wu Kingdom is right at the door?" Meng Yuanping broke out in a cold sweat, realizing that his every move had clearly been seen by the other party.
Once a person's social standing drops, it becomes very difficult for them to regain their dignity. He even felt unworthy of associating with the Prince of Wu.
"If Mr. Meng likes it, this set of writing implements is yours for the taking." Lin Ping's cold voice came from the doorway.
"Really?" Meng Yuanping's eyes gleamed. This set of writing implements consisted of the most famous Xuan paper, Huizhou ink, Huzhou brush, and Duan inkstone, and was worth more than a thousand taels of silver.
"Of course," Lin Ping replied somewhat impatiently.
Meng Yuanping hurriedly packed up his writing implements, fearing that someone else would steal them.
He, who originally came to discuss marriage, has now become a beggar.
"I wonder what brings you here today, Mr. Meng?" Lin Ping continued to ask.
When the conversation turned to business, Meng Yuanping became serious and said in a sarcastic tone, "Actually, I arrived yesterday, but I was stopped outside by these two gatekeepers."
Upon hearing this, the two doormen trembled with fear. They had thought he would bring up the matter again after becoming Lin Ping's father-in-law, but they never expected him to turn around and slap them in the face.
"How dare you!" Lin Ping shouted sternly.
The two gatekeepers were so frightened that they knelt on the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
They didn't have much contact with Lin Ping and couldn't figure out what the boss was thinking.
"If apologies were enough, what would be the point of having an yamen? The mistakes you've made must be severely punished," Lin Ping said angrily.
The two doormen were terrified upon hearing this.
"We are willing to accept the punishment," the two said, clasping their hands in a fist salute, no longer as timid as before.
"You're all to be punished by sweeping the streets, and you're not allowed to eat until you finish!" Lin Ping said angrily.
"Sweeping the streets? Isn't that a bit too lenient a punishment?"
Meng Yuanping muttered to himself, "Although Huiwen Street is not small, the ground is very clean. Sweeping it once is not difficult. This kind of punishment is equivalent to nothing."
Lin Ping noticed Meng Yuanping's dissatisfaction and continued, "We also want to reduce the monthly salary!"
These words were incredibly intimidating, leaving the two gatekeepers like fish on a chopping board, completely at their mercy.
A smile appeared on Meng Yuanping's lips. Monthly wages were what servants cared about most, as they often determined a family's livelihood.
Even a loss of one or two taels of silver per month could worsen the already difficult situation of a poor family.
"Not only should it be reduced, it should be reduced by half!" Lin Ping continued.
The two gatekeepers took a deep breath, their faces ashen.
Their monthly wage was only five taels of silver, which was reduced by half to two and a half taels. This was even lower than the monthly wage of servants in small households, making it almost impossible for them to make a living.
Meng Yuanping laughed out loud, thinking to himself, "You snobbish bastards, you've offended someone you shouldn't have!"
This was the attitude of a victor. As a wealthy businessman, Meng Yuanping did not feel that arguing with two doormen was a loss of face.
"Let's reduce it from twenty taels of silver to ten taels of silver per month!" Lin Ping said meaningfully.
"Twenty taels down to ten taels?"
Not only was Meng Yuanping surprised, but even the doorman himself found it unbelievable. This was not a reduction in monthly pay, but a raise.
"Boss, do you... do you want to reconsider?" the doorman asked timidly, mistakenly thinking that Lin Ping had misremembered their monthly wages.
"Looks like you're not convinced?" Lin Ping emphasized.
The two gatekeepers hurriedly shook their heads and retreated, saying, "We dare not, we dare not."
"Does Young Master Lin always pay his doormen such high monthly wages?" Meng Yuanping asked in confusion.
Not only was it the monthly allowance of twenty taels, but he also heard that the doorman's bonus was as high as one hundred taels.
“Boss Meng, you may not know this, but this is the way to employ people.” Lin Ping patiently explained: “I refer to doormen, servants, maids and other servants as workers. Most of them come from poor backgrounds, and the reason they work for me is to earn money. If you want them to work wholeheartedly and do their best, you have to start with their monthly wages, instead of giving them some verbal rewards, and certainly don’t talk about dedication all day long.”