While the battle is going on at the front, life at the rear will continue as usual. After the summer grain was put into the warehouse, Yonggong went on a large-scale recruitment drive. Many young men were recruited into the army. Labor was in short supply and ordinary people worked harder than before.
In Wujia Village, south of Xinxi City, Runan, Wu Chen's husband Wu Xiong once again wore armor and went to the battlefield. Wu Chen was sad for a night. The next day, she sent her husband away with red eyes and a smile, and asked her son Wu Yuan to go to Xuexiang with his son Wu Xiong. The daughter went to the cotton field to pick cotton.
This year's drought caused another insect infestation, and the cotton harvest was not good. Fortunately, we planted 20 acres less this year than last year. Her parents-in-law, uncle, and sister-in-law all came to help. Wu Chen originally wanted to hire people from the village, but most families in the village had grown cotton, so they couldn't hire anyone at all. Her family's 20 acres plus the 80 acres owned by Wu Zhuang's family were enough for the whole family. It took people more than half a month to finish the collection.
The Wu family's cotton field near Huai River picked 70 kilograms of cotton per mu. As for other cotton fields far away from the water, they spent a lot of effort to carry water and only received 40 to 50 kilograms of cotton. Some even only received about 30 to 40 kilograms. .
The Wu family's forty acres of cotton field was a quota allocated by the government. After the cotton was harvested, someone from the government came to collect the tax. If the cotton field was not harvested, the original tax of twenty kilograms per mu was reduced to ten kilograms. The remainder was purchased for fifteen kilograms per kilogram. Not forced.
The couple discussed it and decided that the price was too low. Last year, cotton could be sold for fifty yuan per kilogram on the market. This year's cotton production was not half as good as last year, and the price would definitely skyrocket.
The Wu Wang family planted 80 acres. Except for 30 acres of land near water, the average harvest from the other 50 acres was only about 50 kilograms. Even so, in addition to the taxes paid, there were nearly 4,000 kilograms of cotton. Last year's cotton price of 50 yuan could be exchanged for 200,000 yuan.
Looking at the mountains of cotton piled up in the house, Mrs. Wu was so excited that she couldn't sleep at night. The next day, dressed neatly, Wu Wang asked her husband Wu Zhuang to drive an ox cart and pull a cart of cotton to the city market, intending to exchange some money for the return.
At noon, the couple returned to the village with a gloomy look on their faces, and pulled back a cart of cotton. Mrs. Wu did not go back to her home first, but walked directly to her sister-in-law's new house in the east. When she entered the house, she shouted: "Sister-in-law, it's not good."
Mrs. Wu Chen was twisting cotton, and her daughter Wu Xing was holding the cotton with her little hands, playing with it happily.
Mrs. Wu Wang sat down on the bamboo chair next to her, breathing heavily. Mrs. Wu Chen raised her head and asked, "What's wrong? You were so surprised?"
"Sister-in-law, the price of cotton this year is only 12 yuan per pound, which is not as good as the price given by the government." Wu Wang made a bitter face and almost cried.
During the war this year, the government requisitioned a large amount of grain, which caused the price of grain to skyrocket. On the market, it is 210 yuan per shi, and one acre of land can yield more than 3 shi of grain, which can reach about 700 yuan. Only fifty or sixty kilograms of cotton are harvested. If we calculate the price at twelve yuan per kilogram, the price per mu of cotton is only around seven hundred yuan.
It looks similar, but growing cotton is much more tiring than growing grain, and the effort spent on cotton farming is far less than growing grain. If you have the strength to grow cotton, you can cultivate a few more acres of wasteland.
My family has planted 80 acres of cotton on 110 acres of land. At this rate, it might as well be growing grain. Mrs. Wu couldn't help crying when she thought of how she had been working from dawn to dusk these days, and her dream of getting rich had come to nothing. When Wu Xing saw her aunt crying, she timidly hid in her mother's arms.
Wu Chen hurriedly put down her work, took out the handkerchief and handed it to Wu Wang, and asked in surprise: "Why is the price so low?"
Wu Wang wiped her tears with a handkerchief to save her nose, and sobbed: "I heard from the cotton harvesters in the market that although the cotton output this year is low, the number of acres planted is dozens of times more than last year, and the price is natural. It's going to fall, and I even said that I'm afraid I'll lose all 12 coins in two days. Sister-in-law, what should I do?"
Although she didn't grow much at home, it still cost a lot of money. Mrs. Wu Chen stood up anxiously and walked around the house, muttering: "Don't cry yet. Have you asked about the price of cotton clothes and cotton cloth this year?"
Mrs. Wu saved her nose and said: "When the price of cotton has dropped, the price of cotton clothes will naturally be greatly reduced. Cotton cloth may still be sold for five to six thousand yuan a piece, which is half the price compared to last year. Sister-in-law, How about we weave all the cotton into cloth."
Wu Chen thought for a while, shook her head and said: "It's not cost-effective. The price of cotton seems to be good. There must be a lot of people spinning cotton and weaving. It takes a lot of manpower to weave so much cotton into cloth. The labor price this year I’m afraid it will have to go up several times, and it’s not cost-effective to calculate both inside and out.”
Mrs. Wu Wang thought about it in her mind, and her sister-in-law said that
Unreasonable, I couldn't help but start crying again.
Mrs. Wu Chen was so upset by her crying that she stamped her feet and made up her mind, saying: "The longer you delay, the worse it will be. Why not sell it to the government as soon as possible. At least fifteen yuan a pound can make a small profit."
Mrs. Wu Wang hesitated, Mrs. Wu and Chen put Xing'er into her hands and said: "Look at Xing'er for me. The people collecting cotton from the government should still be in Chenjiaji. I want to go find them quickly, don't wait for the government. When people leave, there is no place to sell it.”
Seeing Mrs. Wu Chen walking out in a hurry, Mrs. Wu hurriedly shouted: "Sister-in-law, please sell the cotton from the slave family with you."
The government purchased 3,600 kilograms of cotton from the Wu family at a price of fifteen yuan per catty, which made many private cotton growers envious. Wu Xiong was a good soldier in the army, and the government was very considerate and could sell the cotton.
But they grow cotton privately without permission from the government, and the government will not come to collect the cotton in their hands. Now the price of cotton on the market has dropped to ten yuan a pound, which makes the cotton growers frown and ask where the cotton price is. Higher.
Just as Mrs. Wu Chen expected, the labor prices this year have risen astonishingly. The labor price of 1,200 per piece of cloth still cannot hire weavers, and there are still thousands of kilograms of cotton left. The couple and mother-in-law work from morning to night every day. Spinning and weaving, hard work.
Those who grow cotton privately are even more in a dilemma. If they sell it at a low price, they can only rely on their own hands for spinning and weaving. They don’t know how long they will be busy, and they are miserable. …
In Pingyang City, Yiyang County Office, in the back house of the prefecture, Yang Anshen's wife, Mrs. Lu, was hosting a banquet to entertain guests. Mrs. He was diligently serving wine and serving dishes. Yang Qiu, Zhao Xuan and Zhang Lan came to collect cotton.
In the first month of the first month, Yang Qiu gave birth to a son, Uncle Shen Wen, who was already seven months old. Feeling bored at home, Yang Qiu simply brought his children to Yiyang County to collect cotton and play, while visiting his elder brother and sister-in-law.
Lu's legitimate daughter Yang Lin is already married, and her legitimate son Yang Chong is studying with Yang Min and others in Xiangyang Academy. Yang Qiu brought him with him to Yiyang this time, so that mother and son can get together.
Xiangyang and Pingyang (today's Xinyang City) are more than 600 miles apart. Lu would only go to Xiangyang with Yang Anshen during the Chinese New Year, and only saw his son once a year. After getting married, Lu wanted to go to Xiangyang to take care of her son, but she couldn't leave her husband alone. In May of this year, she found out that she was pregnant again, and she became even more afraid to move.
He was a good dancer. Seeing that Yang Qiu had brought his children, he actually spent ten taels of gold and bought many gifts. Before the banquet, Mr. He's flattery made Yang Qiu happy.
Yang Qiu didn't like Mr. He at first, but he held out his hand to avoid hitting the smiling man. Moreover, Mr. He had a good idea to hand over the cotton to the weavers to harvest the cotton last year. This year, he had to rely on her to harvest the cotton, so he gave her a glass of wine in return. Drink and let her sit down and talk.
Mr. Lu was a tolerant person. In recent years, Mr. He kept his head down and helped her deal with Yang An's new concubine, so he didn't give her any trouble. He was good at taking care of things, and Lu also discussed some of the family's business with her. Yang An saw that He could make money for the family, and he also looked up to her, as she had a higher status than other concubines.
Finally finding a chance to interject, He asked with a smile: "Auntie, the price of cotton has plummeted this year and labor wages have soared. How will we harvest this cotton?"
Yang Qiu smiled and said, "Cotton on the market costs about ten yuan per catty. You might as well buy it for fifteen yuan."
He was surprised and said: "With such a high price, I think all cotton growers will come to Pingyang to sell cotton."
"You can keep it open, even if it exceeds two million jins, you won't be afraid." Yang Qiu said proudly: "I brought three thousand taels of gold with me on this trip, and I am ready to fight."
Mr. He was first surprised and then delighted. Yang Qiu dared to take over so much. Yang Anxuan must be backing him. How could Yong Gong's business still be profitable?
After raising a toast, He asked impatiently: "Auntie, after collecting so much cotton, do you still need to make cotton-padded clothes and quilts in the army?"
Yang Qiu curled his lips and said: "Before I came, I asked Xin Changshi about making army cotton-padded clothes. Xin Changshi looked businesslike and said that the price of cotton had plummeted, and the price of cotton-padded clothes in the army would also be greatly reduced this year. Then I told the slave about my hardships, saying that the war had depleted all the money and food in stock, and it looked like he was wishing that the slave would give him money to make cotton-padded clothes." Zhao Xuan said with a "gege" smile: "Fortunately, my father led the army to go to war, otherwise I would definitely have to eat my beard. Stare and teach this slave a lesson."
He's heart tightened. Cotton-padded clothes in the army were the most profitable business. If this business was not profitable,
So what are you doing with so much cotton? Where can we hire so many people to weave cloth? This year's wages have increased several times.
Yang Qiu drank two more drinks and showed off with a hint of drunkenness: "There will be many people growing cotton this year and the price of cotton will drop. Brother San had already predicted it, so he ordered the craftsmen to improve the spinning wheels and looms (1)."
He's eyes widened and asked, "Auntie, can anyone try it?"
Zhang Lan said: "I have tried it. The spinning speed can be improved by six times, and the weaving speed can be improved by at least three times."
"Oh," Mr. He said with a smile, "If this is the case, as long as you keep an eye on the opportunity, the more cotton, the better."
The ladies in the back house were having a banquet and laughing happily. The prefect Yang Anshen was also entertaining guests in the lobby, but the guests in the seats were sighing and frowning.
Yang Anshen sat in the middle. Over the years of pampering, he had gained weight so much that he was fatter than when he was young.
The guest here is a powerful family member in the county. The heads of the Ye, Guo, Lu, Zhou, Wan, Ren and other aristocratic families were invited to come and presented a generous gift, and the governor stayed for a banquet.
This time everyone came here for the cotton matter. At the beginning of spring, these people got Yang Anshen's promise to plant as much cotton as they wanted. The quota allocated to Yiyang was 40,000 acres. Yang Anshen's own farmland was not limited to this. The aristocratic family used half of their farmland to grow cotton, at least 150,000 to 60,000 acres.
I thought I could make a lot of money, but I didn't expect to make ends meet. This kind of cotton is not as good as growing grain. I remembered that Yonggong sent officials to warn him, but only a few people took it seriously.
The cotton fields planted by the aristocratic family are not even a little more than those of ordinary people. After several times of sorting out the tenants on the farm, there are not many tenants. Under Yonggong's rule, the people's taxes are not much, and the world is peaceful. Who would want to hide under the family and be a slave? Isn't it good to be the master of one's own affairs?
It is a big expense to hire people to pick, stretch, spin and weave so much cotton. There is a serious shortage of manpower, so we dare not pay less for it. Under the rule of Yonggong, he patrolled all over the country. These nobles did not dare to bully the good. Some time ago, I heard that the descendants of the Pang family in Xiangyang were caned.
The price of cotton clothing purchased by the army is fifteen yuan per catty, which is higher than the market price. The cotton piled up in the family has to find a way out, so as to reduce the loss as much as possible.
Yang Anshen drank the wine happily and watched these family heads complaining with a smile. At first, these people forced him to relent and wanted to grow more cotton, but now they are begging him to harvest cotton. As soon as they come in and out, their income comes.
In fact, he was so worried that he couldn't sleep in the early days. He ordered nearly 70% of the clan's fields to be planted with cotton. Although he could sell it for fifteen yuan per catty, compared with last year's drop in cotton prices, Yang An was heartbroken. Cutting and bleeding are all money.
At the end of July, Yang Anxuan, who was in Yunshe City, sent him a secret letter. Yang An breathed a deep sigh of relief and found out that his third brother was playing a big game of chess. No wonder he turned a blind eye to those illegal cotton planting practices. .
In the letter, Yang Anxuan told him that if he could accomplish this, he would be credited with his great contribution. Yang Anshen thought to himself that his third brother had the strength to conquer the world, and as his brother-in-law, it would not be difficult for him to become a duke or marquis in the future.
It's just that you have to have some title to be granted a title. The third brother said that the things he did could achieve merit without taking risks, and he could get benefits from it. It seemed that he was still a close brother.
Picking up the wine glass, Yang An said with a deep smile: "Masters, please drink this glass to the full. I will tell you a few words. You will definitely be happy after hearing this."
"Note (1): The hand-operated spinning wheel began in the Warring States Period. The earliest documented records can be found in Yang Xiong's "Dialect" of the Western Han Dynasty, which records "瀀车" and "rail". A pedal spinning wheel appeared in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, a large spinning wheel appeared in the Northern Song Dynasty, and a large spinning wheel appeared in the Southern Song Dynasty. The large water-turned spinning wheel appeared; the spinning wheel recorded in "Tiangong Kaiwu" (Ming Dynasty) was about ten times more efficient than the spinning wheel at that time. It is recorded that the efficiency of the large spinning wheel was twenty times that of the hand spinning wheel. Similarly, the efficiency of the loom has been greatly improved by Huang Daopo. Huang Daopo was a person from the Song and Yuan Dynasties. "Tiangong Kaiwu" records flower looms and waist looms. It can be speculated that the efficiency of the loom is improved compared to what is stated in the book. A lot. The real situation is unknown, so don’t dig into it. "
