Every aspect of the salt trade required official sanction and the issue of permits. As an illustration, let us consider the marketing of a consignment of salt from the Huai-nan salines to an up-river port such as Hankow or Ta-t'ung. The yard merchant (ch'ang-shang) at the salines had to report his output of salt daily to the salt receiver (ch'ang-kuan), and could carry salt for sale to Shih-erh-wei only on the requisition of the Huai-nan general office (Huai-nan tsung-chü) at Yangchow, transmitted through the salt receiver; when he received this, the had to apply back to Yangchow for a transport permit (ch'ung-yen chih-chao) and to his local branch office (fen-ssu) for a cargo certificate (ts'ang-tan).

Already in the primary school work is conducted for the purpose of equipping the pupils with those elements of general knowledge which are closely related to the military preparation of future warriors.

I really enjoyed yesterday’s party, but now I have the biggest hangover – I’ll not be doing that again any time soon.

Imposition tends to generate opposition, and life is better, I find, if you approach it with open eyes and open-heartedly.