"Oh? It seems that there is quite a lot of oil and water here. Novel www.しwxs. com" Liu San nodded with a smile.
"I don't dare to say nonsense about whether the oil and water are big or not," Mao Xiuyu squinted his eyes and smiled, "Just say that the recent Mr. Dong Wu, when he took office, his appearance was really indistinguishable from the poor people living here. In less than two or three years, my hometown built a house and bought land. In Guangzhou, I also bought a house and a golden house to hide my beauty."
Liu San silently calculated in his mind, there were 2165 people, each person had three dou of rice and forty-five Wen per month. In one month, he could receive 6,495 bushels of brown rice and 97,425 cash from the official warehouse. Six hundred and fifty shi of brown rice, according to the average market price in Guangzhou, is nearly 700 taels of silver. Including copper coins, Puji Hall's monthly expenses are nearly 900 taels of silver, which is more than 10,000 taels a year!
It suddenly occurred to him that it was impossible to allocate the full amount of the money, and it was customary to handle three cents of the money. Immediately he asked: "How many percent of the time are you going to come to class as usual?"
"Master is really sensible!" Mao Xiuyu said with a smile, "As usual, it's 30%."
Liu San thought this was really dark. Then he asked: "Tell the truth, how much rice can each person adopted in this hall actually receive per month?"
Although Mao Xiuyu was smiling all over his face, he licked his lips before saying: "Everyone in the bureau, as long as they are not too sick to walk, will go to the streets to beg on weekdays..."
"Does that mean there's actually nothing?"
"It can't be said that there are none. The old, weak, sick and disabled, who can't move, have to eat porridge in the hall. If they can't go out in rainy weather, they have to provide food in the hall. The women in Qingjie Hall can't show their faces and rely on weaving and raising chickens. They need to make a living. The hall should also provide some subsidies to them." Mao Xiuyu did not dare to smile anymore and complained in a low voice.
"How much rice do you get per month?" Liu San asked.
"There is a quota." Mao Xiuyu said, "All laborers in the hall are given two dou of rice and three hundred cash per month."
"No extra money?" Liu San smiled.
Mao Xiuyu glanced at him nervously, laughed a few times, and said: "If you say it's not true, I definitely don't believe it. But it's very limited. The water covers the ground. It just wets the ground."
"How many workers are there here?"
"There are always more than a hundred people. I haven't seen the roster, so I don't dare to talk nonsense..."
"Where are the people?"
"The few that Mr. Dong brought have all run away. I have never seen the other little ones. There are still seven or eight who are now taking care of them everywhere in the hall."
"Since I'm on duty here, how come you haven't seen him before?" Liu San was puzzled.
"Master Mingjian," Mao Xiuyu said, "They are all recommended with a high threshold. It is inconvenient for the masters in the county to refuse, so it is just a matter of reputation."
Originally, only 30% of the money was received, and there were still about a hundred redundant employees who were paid to do nothing, and stewards who "built houses, bought land, and hid their wives in gold houses" came to corrupt and exploit them. It’s anyone’s guess how much it will fall on the adoption staff. No wonder Puji Hall is in such a dilapidated state. The people inside look like beggars - they are simply beggars.
Liu San has been out collecting medicines and practicing medicine for a long time, and has been deeply in contact with traditional society. He has long been used to the extreme decadence and darkness of this time and space. He estimates that these 2165 adoptees may not be real. At least half the moisture content. he asked:
"Are the rosters and account books in the hall still there?"
"This... is all in Master Gao's hands."
Liu San wondered why Master Gao appeared again: "Who is Master Gao?"
"It's the accountant of our hall, his name is Gao Bohai. He doesn't come to the hall often." Mao Xiuyu said carefully, "The account books and rosters are all in his hands."
Liu San estimated that Master Gao was also a powerful figure in Puji Hall, and asked Mao Xiuyu a few more questions. He probably knew that Master Gao was "recommended" by a local gentry and had been a master in Puji Hall for more than ten years. .
Liu San saw Mao Xiuyu's eyes flashing and hesitating when he mentioned Master Gao. I know there must be something hidden in it. He used words to trick him and hinted that he could be considered for the position of chief executive. Under the influence of this atmosphere of "change of dynasties and changes in feng shui", Mao Xiuyu finally said some crucial news.
In fact, Master Gao is the one who really controls Puji Hall. All affairs in the hall are in his hands, which is exactly the same as the relationship between the county magistrate and the household secretary's office. The heads of Puji Hall came and went with the appointment of prefects, but Master Gao seemed to have taken root. When a new director takes office, the first thing he does is to have a good relationship with Master Gao, otherwise he will suffer huge losses within a few months. The old people, women and children in the hall went to the street to stop the provincial officials. No, the person in charge, even the prefect's own son, can no longer do it.
"Those in charge are here to make money and enjoy happiness with the masters. How many of them are willing to come to this barren mountain to squat and work? Anyway, as long as you get a lot of money, that's all."
However, Master Gao did not have any "big killer weapon" such as the "Fish Scale Book" to compete with the ministers. The key lies in the gentry and good people who recommended him for this position.
Zhenshan's name is Zheng Gaizheng. He owns a large area of land and forests in the north of Guangzhou. He is rich and powerful. He is enthusiastic about charity, repairs bridges and roads, collects road collapse, runs porridge sheds... and has donated several pieces of cemetery land. . He has a great reputation both in and outside the city. He is known as a Zhenshanren and a genuine rural sage.
Liu San nodded and suddenly whispered: "Tell me, how many people are adopted by Puji Hall?"
Mao Xiuyu stammered: "There are always... there are... there are four to five hundred people... I can't tell the exact number myself." He said that there were more than a hundred poor and observant women in Qingjie Hall and several There are ten children. I know the approximate number because I rarely go out. The others can stay or leave as they please. As long as they hold the Puji Hall waist card, they are considered to be members of Puji Hall. Over time, some brands and people have long been out of tune.
"...Even if there is a roster, I'm afraid we don't know the true number of people. This roster has not been changed for many years."
Liu San secretly thought about the small Puji Hall, which was full of shady things. But these are Lin Baiguang's affairs. He was more concerned about the environmental sanitation here and said, "Take me to see it in the hall."
"The hall has not been cleaned for many years and is extremely filthy..."
"It's out of the way."
"Yes, yes," Mao Xiuyu thought, this Australian is really weird. What's there to see in this ruined temple with piles of rubble and garbage everywhere? If he didn't want a few coins, he really wouldn't want to stay here any longer.
Now we are leading the way from the back of the Main Hall to the pagoda behind. There were luxuriant weeds on both sides, broken bricks and tiles, and Xiao Ai, one or two feet tall, growing out of the gaps between the stone slabs.
This Huanghua Temple is huge in area and has many palaces. Although it has been abandoned for a long time and has lost its appearance, there are still many houses inside, most of which have open doors. The grass in the courtyard is too deep and there is no trace of people. The top and bottom of the sacred cabinet in the temple were covered with dust, and marks of mice crawling could be seen on the altar and on the floor.
In some places, it can be seen that there are still people living there, with rags and rags left, bowls with broken mouths, casseroles with corners missing, and tattered straw mats with only straw left on the ground. But most of the people are not there, only some sick and disabled people. According to Mao Xiuyu, everyone who can walk has gone out to beg. It is not certain whether they will come back at night. Some people can achieve success even if they go away for a few months.
"When Hui Nantian comes, the weather will be rainy, and more people will come back from going out. If it is very cold in winter, there will be fewer people going out."
Mao Xiuyu took him to the door of a courtyard. Liu San was surprised to see that the door of the courtyard was closed and locked. Mao Xiuyu took a few steps and shouted several times: "Fifth sister-in-law!"
A middle-aged woman came out in response, in her thirties, with a very capable appearance. She was startled when she saw Mao Xiuyu coming with a few "Kun people", but she immediately reacted and suddenly changed her appearance to a master. With a happy face, he rushed down the steps, knelt down and kowtowed in front of Liu San:
"Those from the Sun and Wu families of the slave family should kowtow to the master."
"This is--"
"The Nu family is an official mediator and is here to look after the Qingjie Courtyard."
In the Ming and Qing dynasties, local government offices all had official media. They were responsible for taking care of any official affairs involving women, and they were regarded as women's government servants.
Liu San saw her neat manners and sharp eyes, and knew she was a powerful and fierce woman.
Hearing that Liu San was the "chief" of Australia who came to inspect, Sister-in-law Sun became a little more attentive and quickly took out the key and opened the courtyard door.
Liu San was puzzled: "It's clear as day, why do you need to lock the door?"
"All the poor widows who live here live here. Although it is deserted, there are still many men coming in and out. The door is locked, and no external words come in, and no internal words come out. There are fewer rumors." Sun Sansao babbled, "Widows To observe integrity, the first thing is to avoid suspicion!”
She said that men are not allowed to enter here on weekdays. Even if relatives come to visit, they can only meet at the door. Some widows with children have to move out when the boys are seven years old.
"The most rigorous thing here is. It has been almost a hundred years since the Yuan was founded, and there has not been a single scandal, and there has been no remarriage." It was clear from her words that Sister-in-law Sun was very proud.
Liu San saw that Qingjie Yuan was a converted monastery. It was surrounded by the clean rooms of the monks in the past, and there was a kitchen in the corner. Now it was in a dilapidated state, barely repaired with broken bricks and tiles, but compared with the outside Still much cleaner and tidier. The bricks laid in the courtyard have been shoveled away and various vegetables have been planted. There are also a few chickens walking around in the courtyard.
Sister-in-law Sun Wu said that the women mainly weave cloth and silk. There are more than 30 looms in the hospital, and they grow their own vegetables and raise chickens, so they can make a living.
"Aren't you going to give me money or rice?"
"Give! Give!" Sun Wu's sister-in-law said repeatedly, but she glanced at Mao Xiuyu. Mao Xiuyu said angrily: "Fifth sister-in-law, just tell the truth. Nowadays, when the dynasty changes, there are not so many taboos!"
Sister-in-law Sun Wu hurriedly smiled and said: "You can get money and rice, it's only one bushel per month. For those who take care of children, add three liters..."
"Only one fight?" Liu San asked with a frown.
"Sir, you are wise! Even this fight may not be done on time." Sister-in-law Sun Wu sighed, "I rely on the ladies at the gate of the big house in the city to be kind and send people to the hall to give alms from time to time. Otherwise, there is really nothing to say!" (To be continued.)
