Eight hundred civilians who had been conscripted into corvee service gathered around and sat around Gu Zhengchen.
When Gu Zhengchen saw that everyone had arrived, he stepped on the ladder and stood on the bunk bed. He cleared his throat and shouted to everyone: "I have seen the resettlement house. It is very good. It only takes 19 days. You guys This arduous task has been completed! At the beginning, how many people thought that it was unrealistic and impossible to complete the project on the 20th, but now? You have completed it, and you have also dug wells and paved roads for them!"
Ma Li, Wu Dameng and others had smiles on their faces.
Human hearts are bought.
Think about the officials during the Yuan Dynasty, and Wu Youyuan, the magistrate of Jurong County after the founding of the Ming Dynasty. Compare the treatment he received when he served in the corvee every year. Not to mention that most of the grain was deducted, and he could only bring his own grain to serve in the corvee. That was the supervisor. If someone doesn't like him, he'll whip him.
But when he arrived at Gu Zhengchen's place, he was given food every day and never withheld anything.
What made everyone feel most comfortable and motivated was that Gu Zhengchen gave everyone absolute trust. He didn't send a single supervisor. Even if he came from the county government office, he just asked everyone about their needs and difficulties. It’s not about shouting and drinking and waving the whip randomly.
I have never experienced this kind of treatment and trust in my half-life of corvee service!
Gu Zhixian is a good official. He treats everyone as a human being, not as an animal. This alone is enough for people to work hard for him.
On the 19th, everyone rested for three hours every day, and spent the rest of the time on work, which is why today's results were achieved.
Gu Zhixian was still praising everyone's craftsmanship, praising everyone's hard work, and saying everyone had worked hard.
Hard?
Wu Mazi sighed, everyone worked hard, but it may not be as hard as Gu Zhixian.
Every time when food is distributed, Doujie will say a few words about how the county magistrate is doing.
I heard that since the morning of the 18th, when Gu Zhixian led his people to leave Wucheng Mountain until today, Gu Zhixian has not been on the bed. Last night, Gu Zhixian led a surprise attack on Dazhuo Mountain and destroyed Guo Jiasi's coin minting den. The Guo family members were arrested overnight, and they were busy interrogating cases and writing documents.
Such a diligent and dedicated Haozhi County, everyone will naturally repay the favor with sincerity.
Gu Zhengchen clapped his hands, ended his speech, and then changed the topic: "Before you leave, I need to say a few things. You go back and think about it carefully."
"Master County Master, if you need us to do anything, just ask."
Horsepower stood up in support.
The crowd supported and shouted loudly.
Gu Zhengchen said with a smile: "Two things, one is for you men, and the other is what you brought back to the woman. In fact, it can be said to be the same thing."
Xu Erjiu was a little confused and counted on his fingers: "Master, how many things are there?"
Gu Zhengchen raised his hand to signal everyone to quiet down and became serious: "I have asked the village chiefs and elders that throughout the year, only 20% of ordinary people can have three meals for two months, and the remaining 80% of ordinary people cannot eat all year round. It’s two meals a day, and sometimes you have to live frugally, Wu Da said, how many meals does your family eat a day?”
Wu Dasheng replied bitterly: "If I have no work and no effort, sometimes I only have one meal at noon. It doesn't matter if I lie at home and get hungry. I only eat two meals when I have to work hard..."
"Wu Mazi, where is your home?"
"This is the same as Wu Da's family."
"Xu Erjiu?"
"Actually, everyone is pretty much the same. On weekdays, except for the elderly and children, who eat more, the adults eat less and move less if they don't work hard. They are not afraid of my uncle's jokes. On the 20th, everyone has not finished eating the rice given by the work on the 20th. The bags there are full of them. Among the grains everyone saved, some people also saved twenty kilograms of rice. Taking them back can save the family several days of rations. My stomach is not up to par, and I only saved twelve kilograms of rice, which is embarrassing."
When Xu Erjiu said this, he seemed to have provoked everyone, who all started discussing how much rice was left.
Gu Zhengchen felt sad when he saw this scene.
It is easy for people in later generations to overeat, but the people at the bottom of the Ming Dynasty did not have a few opportunities to overeat.
With eyes full of food, I can't get enough to eat.
Rice in later generations is a meal that is easy to get at your fingertips, but rice in Daming Dynasty is a heavy saving, a family's life!
"Listen to me!"
Gu Zhengchen shouted loudly, and when everyone calmed down, he said sternly: "Tell me, do you want to eat three meals a day?"
The sound swept across, and a few withered leaves fell down in the wind.
Silence fell.
Ma Li, Wu Dasheng, Lu Wu and others were stunned.
Eat three meals a day?
Oh, stop joking, how is this possible?
Although I have thought about it in my dreams, I also bit my mother-in-law’s fingers a few times when I fell asleep so deeply that I was beaten several times and was not allowed to sleep on the bed.
Throughout the year, there is indeed a time to eat three meals, but every time I eat, I feel uneasy because everyone knows that there is only so much food. If you eat one more meal today, you will definitely be hungry one more meal tomorrow.
Lu Wu stood up, looked at Gu Zhengchen and responded: "Master, we want to eat three meals a day, but there is no way. In addition to the two taxes on the grain in the fields, there are also various taxes, including corvee levies. Pai, if someone in the family is sick, they have to borrow food for the coming year. Life is tight at the end of the year. If you don’t dare to add a piece of clothing for three to five years, who dares to look forward to three meals.”
Ma Li agreed: "Lao Wu is right. After living half a life, eating three meals a year only lasts for ten days. Who dares to expect three meals a day? That is not living a good life, it is a waste of money."
Gu Zhengchen felt a little uncomfortable. Three meals was a waste, and there were no new clothes for three to five years. This was the naked bottom reality of the Ming Dynasty!
"I'm telling you—"
Gu Zhengchen's voice was louder than the crowd. After everyone looked over, he continued: "I am an official here, the magistrate of Jurong, and your parents. Then I must solve your job problem. I want to change Jurong." , so that you can have enough to eat, three meals a day, and a new piece of clothing every year!"
Ma Li, Wu Dameng and others stared at Gu Zhengchen in shock. If Wu Youyuan had said this, Wu Mazi would have rushed over with a saw.
But the person in front of me who said this was Magistrate Gu, a magistrate who was extremely responsible and had different methods than before!
Wu Dasheng asked uncertainly: "County Master, are you kidding us?"
Gu Zhengchen said solemnly: "Can I laugh at making fun of you?"
Wu Dasheng looked at the serious and serious Gu Zhengchen, his Adam's apple moved twice, and the corners of his mouth trembled: "Master, are you serious?"
"Nonsense, is there anything I am not serious about doing?"
Gu Zhengchen asked rhetorically.
Wu Da said he was speechless.
Indeed, since Gu Zhengchen took office in Jurong, he has been very serious in everything he has done. He is not a person who makes fun of others and makes empty talk.
But is this possible?
The problem of not having enough to eat has existed since my great-grandfather’s time. At least in my memory, there is no such thing as having enough food for a long time in my family. Even my grandpa, who was the most bragging, didn’t dare to say that it took a year. All eat three meals.
Gu Zhengchen looked at the silent crowd and knew that this silence was suspicion, a sign of disapproval and difficulty speaking: "You remember, keeping every household well fed is my top priority in governing Jurong in the next three years! But it is not easy to have enough to eat. Good days are achieved through hard work, not through shouting slogans. The person who really decides whether you can have enough to eat is not me, but you yourself!"
"Now there are two things, you heard clearly. The imperial court's autumn tax on colored cotton is a troublesome thing for many people, but everyone, I think this is a business opportunity and an excellent way to develop Jurong's textile industry. Opportunity! After the autumn harvest, the county government will officially recruit cotton weaver women from the countryside to work in the county."
"There are many cotton spinning experts in ordinary people's homes. I hope that you will go back and inform the women in the village and every household. Anyone who is willing to come to work will be given three buckets of rice and three hundred coins per month. The county government will provide accommodation and food. Let the county government handle it. In this way, the woman can earn money for her family."
Xu Erjiu swallowed: "Three buckets of rice and three hundred coins per month? Master, my mother-in-law is very good at weaving. She can't help much at home. How about I send her here tomorrow?"
Wu Dasheng rolled his eyes at Xu Erjiu: "You are the only one with a mother-in-law? Master, can you really give me three buckets of rice and three hundred coins a month, or can you be counted as one of my family?"
The county government is recruiting cotton spinners, but the number of recruits is limited.
If I could really be given three buckets of rice and three hundred coins a month, this would be much more money than helping with farm work, washing and cooking at home. What's more, as long as the autumn harvest is completed, the remaining three months will be the winter of idleness. Without a mother-in-law to take care of the family, I can still move around.
Gu Zhengchen waved his hand and said seriously: "Three measures of rice and three hundred coins per month are the basis. If you are a skilled craftsman and can weave well and quickly, you will naturally be rewarded. The more you work, the more you will get, even if you earn one stone of rice per month. One or two taels of silver is not impossible. Specific recruitment details will be sent to the village chief and the elderly in some time."
"You have made a lot of efforts to build this batch of resettlement houses. Your character and kindness are all noticed by me. Therefore, I will give priority to your family members for this opportunity. If there are not enough people, we will recruit others to supplement it." .”
Wu Dasheng, Ma Li, Lu Wu and others were overjoyed and shouted to sign up.
Gu Zhengchen stopped everyone and shouted: "This is women's business, and it is up to women to decide. You men should not make decisions for them. Now comes the second thing. Women can work and make money, then you men What? We are all upright men, so we can’t just sit back and have nothing. I thought about it and said that if you have skills, you might as well make some furniture. "
"furniture?"
Wu Dasheng and his horse power are a bit numb, which doesn't seem to be a good idea.
Gu Zhengchen knew that Ming Dynasty furniture was quite unique and had a huge transaction volume, but this was in the middle and late Ming Dynasty. Today’s Ming Dynasty business is far from prosperous. The purchasing power of the people at the bottom is limited. If they want to buy and sell furniture, they can only target For large companies in big cities such as Jinling, Suzhou and Hangzhou, if they go to the mid-to-high-end market, they may lose all their money if they move to second-tier cities.
"Master, we can't make furniture like bunk beds..."
Lu Wu was a little unsure.
Gu Zhengchen chuckled and said slowly: "The double bed business may not be possible, but it may not make money. What I want is for you to build a batch of small cars specifically for babies. As for the sales, The place, well, let’s sell it to the palace first, there are many children there…”
