Before the morning bell of Chang'an had finished ringing, an uproar erupted in front of the pricing notice wall of the Taiji Chamber of Commerce. Huwa, wearing a "price warning cap" strung together with abacus beads and holding a garlic-shaped megaphone that broadcast the "Twenty Rules of the Chamber of Commerce," patrolled the area. "Keep an eye on your price tags! Anyone with a price difference exceeding 20%, watch out for my 'garlic-scented fine'!"
Shopkeeper Liu, who sold silks, tried to sneak his price tag behind a curtain, but Huwa's sharp eyes caught him red-handed. "Oh! Your Shu Brocade was selling for five strings of coins yesterday, and this morning it's eight. Are you planning to fly up to the sky and rub shoulders with the sun?" Shopkeeper Liu stammered, "Isn't this just a seasonal price hike..." Before he could finish, Su Wanyue appeared carrying an account book, flipping to a certain page. "Your purchase price last month was only three and a half strings of coins. According to the rules—"
Huwa immediately pulled out a fines box made of garlic skins, painted with an image of a green ox stepping on an abacus. "A fine of twenty strings of coins, half of which goes to the Yi School fund! In addition..." He pulled out a small notebook. "Please serve as the 'negative example' for Huwa's arithmetic class!" Shopkeeper Liu paid up with a long face, while the surrounding merchants doubled over with laughter.
Chapter 556