readsfreenovel Chapter 229: Deterrence, deal!
Chapter 229: Deterrence, deal!
"Brother He is here! This bicycle is nice, and it's made in Britain." When Hou Xiaoge arrived at the store door, the two had already been waiting outside the store.
"I bought it for fun at home. I get carsick and sometimes riding a horse makes my butt too bumpy and uncomfortable, so I ride this." Hou Xiaoge said with a smile.
"Yes, many people cannot stand the smell of gasoline from cars."
"Old Hu, please invite Brother He in to talk. What are you thinking of talking outside?" Boss Qiao said anxiously.
"Oh! You old Joe, why are you in such a hurry?"
"Brother, this is the exchange rate, take a look first." After entering the inner living room, Qiao Yuanmao handed a list to Hou Xiaoge for inspection.
At this time, the exchange rate of the Japanese yen has dropped significantly and is not as valuable as the US dollar. However, it is still paper money after all, much stronger than the legal currency. One US dollar can be exchanged for about five Japanese yen.
However, what Hou Xiaoge wanted was gold, so naturally he had to exchange foreign currency for gold.
As the saying goes, in prosperous times, you can play with antiques, but in troubled times, gold is the real deal. This is a true saying, and isn’t it a living example in recent years? The price of gold has gone through the roof.
In the early years of the Republic of China, a small yellow croaker cost only thirty or forty dollars. Although things were chaotic at that time, to be honest, the meat was in the pot at home and the exchange rate was relatively stable.
But during World War II, the government's currency began to become chaotic and the price of gold skyrocketed. Now a small yellow croaker could even be exchanged for an equivalent amount of legal tender worth more than 200 oceans.
Of course, if you exchange it for hard currency, the price will naturally be a little lower, but it will still be one hundred and fifty dollars.
The Japanese yen is a foreign exchange and is stronger than the legal currency. The exchange rate given by Qiao Yuanmao is one tael of gold for two hundred yen.
The price ratio is not very friendly, but considering that it is exchanged for gold, Hou Xiaoge can barely accept it.
"That's fine. I'll change the price. Here are 23,000 Japanese yen in foreign exchange and military bills."
Hou Xiaoge opened her handbag and took out several stacks of bills. When she opened the bag, she found several grenades inside, which scared the two of them.
"Brother, you are really awesome! You actually carry a bag of grenades in your bag when you go out." Boss Hu said with a twitching face.
"Ah! The world is in chaos, but I still have some strength. I can throw a grenade a hundred to eighty meters, which is no worse than a gun.
Just bring some of this with you when you go out, and throw it away when you see someone with bad intentions." Hou Xiaoge said with a grin.
"Brother, you are really strong. I admire you." The two of them couldn't help but give him a thumbs up.
"Brother, these are ten big yellow croakers and fifteen small yellow croakers. Please check them." Qiao Yuanmao took out a bag from the inner room and handed it to Hou Xiaoge.
Qiao Yuanmao opened the small package, and ten strands that were half a palm long, two fingers wide, fifteen and a half fingers long, and slightly one finger wide, of golden color immediately caught Hou Xiaoge's eyes.
They were all printed with the seal of the National Government's Central Bank. Hou Xiaoge picked one up without biting it, but just squeezed it hard, and a thumbprint mark immediately appeared on the gold bar.
"hiss!"
"Be good!"
Other people test gold by cutting it with pliers or biting it with teeth. This is the first time they have seen people press it with their thumbs. How much strength does that take!
Just now, the two of them thought that Hou Xiaoge was bragging about throwing a grenade a hundred or eighty meters away, but now they suspect that he didn't say enough.
"Everything is fine, thank you Brother Qiao." Hou Xiaoge pressed down on each gold bar, indicating that they passed the inspection.
"Brother, your strength is comparable to that of Xiang Yu in ancient times! Today has really opened my eyes." Both of them said with admiration.
"It's just a trick. Now is the era of hot weapons. No matter how good your kung fu is, you can be knocked down with one shot." Hou Xiaoge waved his hand modestly.
"Brother, have you discussed it with your family? How about the food issue?" After a brief greeting, the two of them couldn't wait to get down to business.
"Of course, there is much more than what the two brothers said." Hou Xiaoge nodded confidently.
"Oh! I'd like to hear more about it."
"This time we mainly brought corn, with relatively less wheat and rice. Please forgive me, brothers. After all, we are not from the south." Hou Xiaoge said first.
"It's okay. As long as it's edible, sorghum or bran will do." The two of them waved their hands repeatedly, not showing any disgust at all.
"Well, then, there are 2,300 dan of corn, 500 dan of wheat, 500 dan of rice, 3,000 jin of cured pork, 500 dan of salted duck eggs, and 500 dan of mutton eggs.
The price of these things should be 80% of the market price! Just consider it as a discount for the first cooperation.
If you two pay in gold or US dollars or pounds, we can give you another 5 cents, and go with 75% of the price." Hou Xiaoge said, handing a list with prices to the two.
"Okay, okay!" The two were stunned after hearing what Hou Xiaoge said and quickly took the list.
The south is now an enemy-occupied area, and most of the food has been looted by the Japanese recently. The price of food has increased by more than three times compared to Qin Province. One dollar here can only buy eight kilograms of cornmeal, and only ten kilograms of pure corn.
The prices of flour and rice are no longer affordable for ordinary people. One dollar can only buy three kilograms of flour and rice.
As for meat, it can no longer be sold openly and can only be sold secretly.
Hou Xiaoge inquired about the price of pork and found out that it costs 1.2 yuan per pound, and eggs cost 90 cents. These prices are really outrageous.
Ordinary people cannot afford to eat these things, and can only fill their stomachs with rice bran, bran, wild vegetables and seafood on weekdays.
Fortunately, this is the south, where there is no shortage of wild vegetables and weeds, otherwise people would have starved to death.
The above ones are still in rural areas and towns close to rural areas, but what do urban residents eat?
The urban residents ate mixed flour, a food invented by the Japanese devils and the puppet military officers' office.
The mixed powder contains: corn cobs, bran, bark, talcum powder, sand, soil, etc. In short, just add whatever can be added.
Often, ordinary people have to sift the food with a sieve at home after buying it, otherwise they may not get anything to eat!
Many people died as a result of this, and the people suffered terribly.
Even so, the fake government supported by the Japanese devils is still promoting the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere in the Kuomintang-controlled areas all day long. This is to use the blood and tears of the Chinese people to bring glory to the Japanese devils!
Among these items, the most expensive is not the grain, but eggs and salted duck eggs.
Especially salted duck eggs. Although this place is close to the sea, the price of salt remains high due to the war. A pound of salt costs 20 cents, which is five times that of the mainland.
As for salted duck eggs, needless to say, they can replace table salt, so they are naturally not cheap. Hou Xiaoge has inquired about it and they cost one yuan and thirty cents per pound.
Finally, after discussion, the two men decided to eat all the supplies and paid for them with US dollars and gold.
The total value is 210,000, and after discount, it is 157,000, which is a considerable sum of money.
"Brother, how do you think about the deal?" the two men said with joy on their faces.
"I'll give you two days to prepare, and we'll make the transaction the day after tomorrow evening.
I will have someone store the items in a separate place today and tomorrow, and then I will hand them over to you directly, how about that?" Hou Xiaoge said.
"Brother, are the things in the Japanese-occupied area or the Kuomintang-controlled area?" the two asked in unison.
"Where do you want to exist?" Hou Xiaoge asked with a smile.
"Japanese-occupied area!" The two looked at each other and said.