After entering the twelfth lunar month, the weather is getting colder and colder.
Dahe Village is like this, it's extremely hot when it's hot, and it's bone-chilling when it's cold.
Just like last year, we began to recruit people to dig lotus roots during the cold winter. The treatment was the same, including food and accommodation, wages, and free winter clothes and quilts.
The workers who made lotus root noodles last year were the wives and maids at home. They worked hard for two months to make all the lotus roots into lotus root noodles. They were all very tired.
So this year, Cheng Wanwan recruited some more women to do this work.
The lotus root powder is made in the house, and there is a stove for heating. The wages are not much different from digging lotus roots, and the women are willing to do this job.
In this era, lotus root is a relatively rare species. After being made into lotus root powder, a small box can be sold for four to five taels of silver.
And it is said that this is a treasure that can only be eaten by ladies in the palace, so many ladies and ladies of wealthy people on the market will buy some and take it back to try it.
The yield per mu of lotus pond this year is slightly higher than last year. One mu of land can produce more than 2,000 kilograms of lotus root, a total of more than 400,000 kilograms, and about 40,000 kilograms of lotus root starch. A box of lotus root starch weighs half a catty, which is That is to say, she can earn 80,000 to 90,000 taels of silver just by selling lotus root powder. Even after excluding various labor costs, she can still pocket at least 70,000 taels.
So busy, it was the end of the twelfth lunar month.
On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, Cheng Wanwan gave everyone in the workshop a holiday, and everyone received generous annual gifts.
The snow was falling heavily, and the plum blossoms in the flower garden contrasted with the white snow. They were beautiful when they bloomed. Many people in the city came to enjoy the plum blossoms. Li Desheng, who is responsible for managing the tourism in the village, was too busy to keep his feet on the ground. Although he was busy, he was satisfied His face was all smiles. After finishing his busy work these past few days, he collected his accounts. The income from traveling must be particularly high.
Tourism in the village is open until the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month and does not stop accepting guests.
The new Li Zheng Zhao Tiezhu and his accountant Xu Kun calculated the total public revenue of Dahe Village this year.
Public revenue was not high last year, and the village did not distribute dividends. This year, we should distribute dividends no matter what, otherwise some people in the village will have objections.
On the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, the heavy snow stopped. The men in the village brought shovels and buckets to clean up the snow in the square. The women brought chairs, stools and tables and set them up. Despite the cold wind, everyone in the village Everyone who could go out came and gathered in the officialdom, which was very lively.
Zhao Xian Cheng stood at the top, looking around at everyone present.
Two years ago, there were only a little over a thousand people in Dahe Village, and everyone was wearing coarse clothes. Even for the Chinese New Year, they couldn't afford any decent new clothes.
But now, there are more people in the village. In addition to people who have settled in other villages, there are also many newborns. After the living conditions have improved, more people in the village are willing to have children. Almost every household has children under the age of three or five. Children, these innocent children are running around in the square, which makes people happy when they see them.
Zhaoxian Cheng shouted angrily: "New Year's Eve is coming soon, are you guys happy?"
"Happy!!"
The villagers shouted back in a dignified manner.
"Then I will make everyone happier!" Zhao Xiancheng waved, "Xu Kun, come up and pay the bills to everyone!"
Xu Kun came to the stage with several thick books of accounts. These accounts recorded different categories, such as market rental, inn operation, tourism income... After a whole year, it naturally became a thick pile of accounts. Fortunately, the accounts It is clear, all the data can be seen at a glance, just read it to everyone.
"It's still the same as last year. The village's public revenue consists of three parts. When Tie Zhu and I settled the accounts, all costs have been deducted, and the following figures are net profits."
"First, market leasing. Many more warehouses have been built this year, so the income is very considerable. The total income in a year is four hundred and fifty-seven taels."
"Second, it is the operating income of the inn. Because more and more businessmen are coming to the village, the inn also made an adjustment in June and July this year and expanded three times. The total annual income of the inn is 1,660 Eleven taels.”
"Third, it is tourism income. Everyone should also know how popular these flowers grown in Dahe Village are. There are constant tourists all year round, and the income is naturally very considerable. The total income in a year is 3,790 Eight taels.”
"The total income from the three items is 5,916 taels."
Xu Kun finished speaking in one breath. The people present were silent at first, and then there was a huge discussion.
"I remember that my income in the first half of last year was 1,780 taels, but this year it was almost 6,000 taels."
"Oh my God, six thousand taels of silver, how much is this? I have never seen so much money in my whole life."
"Who says it's not the case? I really didn't expect that flower viewing at our village's market would be so profitable."
"Then can we pay dividends this year?"
"..."
While they were discussing, everyone saw Zhao Tiezhu coming with a few people, working in pairs to carry the big box.
More than ten large boxes were carried on the stage, which was particularly eye-catching.
Zhao Tiezhu stood in the center, coughed and said: "The Chinese New Year is coming soon. In order to let every household in Dahe Village have a prosperous New Year, the village decided to carry out the first dividend distribution. Everyone whose name was called came up and signed Collect the money... Ahem, everyone, please stop talking and be quiet, it’s too cold. Hurry up and finish the payment, so everyone can go back quickly, right?"
How could the villagers still feel cold? Their blood was pumping with excitement, and they stared at the big box intently.
Zhao Xiancheng said with a smile: "Then, next, we will invite Suigong people from Dahe Village to come and distribute money to everyone."
Everyone immediately applauded and spontaneously made way for Cheng Wanwan to walk onto the stage.
Cheng Wanwan wrapped her cloak tightly, stepped forward, reached out and opened the first box. It was full of copper plates, strung together according to one tael of silver, and it was heavy in her hand.
Zhao Tiezhu took the list and said loudly: "Granny Zhu's initial capital is fifty taels of silver, and the dividends are eighty taels."
Mrs. Zhu's face was full of disbelief. She had just calculated it for a long time, but she couldn't figure it out clearly. She estimated that she could get forty or fifty taels. Unexpectedly, she actually reached eighty taels. She made her capital so quickly. I'm back, and I can get this money every year, and it will only become more and more as time goes by... There is smoke coming out of the ancestral grave of the old Zhu family.
She pushed her grandson and said, "Huzi, hurry up and get the money."
Zhu Huzi nodded, walked up to the stage under the envious eyes of everyone, stretched out his thumb to press the ink pad, made a mark on the paper, and then took away eighty taels of silver.
"Shopkeeper Yan's initial capital is sixty taels of silver, and the dividends are ninety-six taels."
"Uncle Zhao's initial capital is twenty taels of silver, and the dividends are thirty-two taels."
"..."
The names of the villagers were called one by one, and everyone came on stage with glowing faces.
When we first raised funds, the person with the smallest initial capital in the village was half a tael of silver. The original half a tael of silver can now receive a dividend close to one tael of silver.
And those "refugees" who did not participate in the fund-raising at the beginning, although they did not contribute any money, they did contribute. If the coolies were converted into initial labor, they could also receive five to six hundred cents.
Dahe Village received dividends for the first time, and everyone in the village was happy.
Those who had just settled in Dahe Village and were not eligible for dividends had their eyes red with envy.
