Looking at the packed boxes in the room, Zhang Zeduan said: "Sister-in-law, take care of it. Although it is a little small and crowded here, it is cheap. Luoyang is different from other places. Big houses are expensive, and they are not a little expensive." Half a point. The rent charged by the housekeeper for the small house is low, so it will inevitably be crowded. It is really inconvenient. I will rent a warehouse in a few days just to store these things. "
Li Qingzhao said: "It doesn't matter. It would be great to have a place to stay."
Although Li Qingzhao now has gold, stone and antiques that he and his husband have collected over the years, they are worth a lot of money. But I really don’t have much cash on me. The rent here is five thousand dollars a month, which is just right for me.
Zhang Zeduan added: "There is another thing. Slaves are not allowed to be bought or sold in Luoyang, they can only be hired. Moreover, these slaves have their own clothes outside and have officials and supervisors, so they are not easy to mess with. If my sister-in-law hires people, remember not to beat or scold the slaves. You can only use it."
Li Qingzhao couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. He said: "Before, we always bought a young maid to help clean the courtyard. Why, isn't there one here in Luoyang?"
Zhang Zeduan shook his head: "Buying and selling of human beings is not allowed in Luoyang. If caught by the government, the punishment will be heavy. To hire someone, you must be over fifteen years old. No matter how young you are, it is against the law. So my sister-in-law had better hire someone in their twenties or thirties to use them." convenient."
Hearing this, Li Qingzhao was a little unhappy. Hiring a little girl originally benefits both the person who hires and the person being hired, so why is it prohibited? A girl of seven or eight years old cannot do anything at home. It's such a good thing that others can take care of food, food, housing, and do chores, and the parents can still get money from their parents!
In the past, when I was in Kaifeng Mansion, this was a common practice among ordinary people. The family is not very rich, so the children sell more. When you grow up, the time to sell your body will come, so don't delay going home to get a wife or marry someone.
Seeing that Li Qingzhao looked unhappy, Zhang Zeduan said: "This is what Xuanfu ordered, and ordinary people can only obey it. In Luoyang, there are also many people who are dissatisfied, but what can we do? Hiring older people is expensive, and they cannot be used casually. . In the past two years, the number of people hired has decreased."
Li Qingzhao asked: "If you hire someone, what is the current price?"
Zhang Zeduan said: "Generally, two guans are more money. If the head of the family takes care of the food, it will be five hundred wen less. If the head of the family does not take care of the food, it will be five hundred wen more."
Li Qingzhao was stunned: "Is there anyone who doesn't care about the family?"
Zhang Zeduan said: "Of course. They usually don't live in the master's house, they have to go home to live."
Li Qingzhao couldn't help but froze after hearing this. This is the first time I heard that there are people who hire people to live in their own homes and not even take care of the food. So what's the use of such a person?
Zhang Zeduan looked at Li Qingzhao and said with a smile: "Sister-in-law, if you stay here for a few more days, you will understand the market here. Fortunately, there is no one at home, which means that it is lonely, which does not hinder life. Not far from the door to the east, there is a market. , everything is available there.”
Li Qingzhao nodded. I feel that many places in Luoyang are different from other places, and I really want to live there for a while.
Looking at the sky, Zhang Zeduan said: "It's already noon, let's go have dinner. My sister-in-law will arrive in Luoyang today, and we will catch the wind for you."
Li Qingzhao wondered: "Here in Luoyang, men and women eat together? I've never seen such a scene in restaurants outside."
Zhang Zeduan said: "In the north of Luoyang City, in the Jidefang area, several cotton thread factories have opened. They recruit a large number of female workers and pay them a lot of money. These girls are outside and can make money on their own, which has brought out many new trends. . It is now common for men and women to eat together."
Li Qingzhao was amazed when he heard Zhang Zeduan talking about these things that he had never heard of. Said: "This place in Luoyang is really different from other places."
After briefly tidying up, Li Qingzhao left the residence with Zhang Zeduan and Li Di. Li Qingzhao was bold and unrestrained by nature and did not like secular rules. Not only did he not resist the idea that men and women could eat at the same table, he also approved this practice.
Go out and head east, and you will reach a market less than half a mile away. This is a specially opened place that not only sells meat and vegetables, but also sells all kinds of food. If you don’t want to cook, you can easily buy it here.
At the entrance of the market, there is a "Cyclamen" dumpling restaurant.
Zhang Zeduan pointed to the dumpling restaurant and said: "Now in Luoyang, if it's a daily meal, everyone likes to go to the dumpling restaurant. It doesn't cost much and you can have a full meal. It's very cost-effective."
After saying that, he took the lead and walked into the dumpling restaurant.
The popularity of dumpling restaurants is actually due to the recent opening of many factories in Luoyang, which has increased the consumption of workers. With a worker's income, this kind of dumpling restaurant can be visited frequently, but it was inconvenient to go to restaurants and the like in the past.
As the textile mills began normal production and a large number of workers poured in, many living habits in Luoyang were changed.
Before Wang Xiaolie arrived, Luoyang was almost an empty city with a small population. After a large number of workers came in, they almost became the main population of Luoyang, and everything revolved around these people.
In the small pavilion on the second floor, Zhang Zeduan ordered three plates of leek dumplings, one plate of soy sauce beef, one plate of shredded chicken, one plate of pig ears, and one plate of mixed lotus root slices. He said to Li Qingzhao: "What does sister-in-law like to eat? Order some too."
Li Qingzhao said: "I wonder if there are any silver bars, please order a plate. I often hear people say that this dish is a famous product of Luoyang, but it's a little late now."
Zhang Zeduan called the boy, and after asking, he found out that silver bars are now a rare dish, and a plate costs one hundred pence. Zhang Zeduan heard this and smiled and said: "Today is to support my sister-in-law, so I have to spend a lot of money. Although one hundred copper coins is not cheap, it is still affordable."
Then he ordered the boy to serve a plate, just as a taste for Li Qingzhao.
I ordered another bottle of wine, and several people poured it, drinking and eating at the same time.
After drinking three glasses of wine, Zhang Zeduan asked Li Qingzhao: "My sister-in-law has returned to Luoyang. I wonder how she will live in the future?"
Li Qingzhao was silent for a while, and then said: "I only know a few words, and I don't know anything about other jobs. How to live, but I haven't thought about it."
Zhang Zeduan said: "Sister-in-law has such a great reputation, why not open a school. Take in some girls and teach them some poetry and songs. We can also make money to support the family."
Li Qingzhao said: "The population in Luoyang City is not large now, how many people can we recruit?"
Zhang Zeduan sighed: "Sister-in-law, you are underestimating Luoyang City. The Xuanfu Division's Yamen is here. How many officials are there? When the Xuanfu Division came, many merchants followed. These people are all rich at home, and they pay The tuition fees are naturally a trivial matter."
Li Qingzhao asked: "Are there so many?"
Zhang Zeduan said: "Not only are there so many people, but Xuanfu has strict control over officials. There are no more domestic prostitutes, no more singing and dancing, and the officials have money. Where do they spend the money? To educate their children. Now ask for teachers It’s too difficult to get home, so of course it’s easy for schools to recruit people.”
