"Mr. Zhou is a fourth-rank official, but his simplicity of life is rare in the world." After listening to Zhang Captou's explanation, Zhu Pingan greatly admired Zhou Houjie's simple style.
Although the official salary of the Ming Dynasty was notoriously low among previous dynasties, the salary of officials was still much higher than that of ordinary people. Moreover, Zhou Houjie was a fourth-grade prefect, and the officials in the Kyoto area were highly matched, which was higher than that of local officials.
Officials with the same position are half a level higher, and their salary is half a level higher than that of the local fourth-grade prefect. The salary is also quite large, but they are willing to live a simple life. This is rare.
According to this year's salary standards, the salary of a fourth-grade prefect is 24 shi (meters) per month. The prefect Zhou Houjie is an official in the capital, and his salary is half a level higher than that of the local government, and his monthly salary is 25 shi (meters).
Here, "石" is pronounced as dan.
Shi, dou, liter, and he are all ancient traditional units of measurement. They are all decimal systems. Ten liters are liters, ten liters are dou, and ten dou are stones. It is very convenient to calculate.
In the Ming Dynasty, the salary was distributed in "stone" as the unit. Before the Ming Dynasty, official salary was distributed in "do" or "sheng" as the unit. Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang believed that according to the regulations of the previous dynasty, "do" or "sheng" was used to calculate the salary.
When distributing official salaries, it showed that the court was petty and petty, but it was not enough to show the court's loyalty and salary-oriented style, so they changed to using "stones" to distribute salaries. To give a simple example, it is equivalent to a company that used to use "corners" to distribute official salaries.
The new boss felt that this was too petty and did not show the company's loyalty and emphasis on employees' wages. He issued a stipulation that wages should be calculated in units of "yuan" from now on.
One "shi" of rice is equal to 10 buckets, which is equal to 100 liters. One liter of rice weighs about 1.25 kilograms, and one stone of rice also weighs about 125 kilograms. Zhou Houjie's monthly salary is 25 kilograms, which is 3,125 kilograms. According to this year's prices, it is equivalent to silver
13 taels.
If calculated according to the current salary, Zhou Houjie's salary is about 8,000 per month. However, he only eats cabbage, tofu and salted radish strips every day, not even a fishy taste. During the holidays, he only eats palm-sized crucian carp.
Meal. This is really very, very valuable.
"Zihou, you are from the countryside, so you are confused. Every meal has three dishes, and white flour steamed buns are enough. How simple is this? Think about it, how many people in Ming Dynasty still eat a lot of food?
, I can’t fill my stomach. Compared with them, I am already a luxury." Zhou Houjie suddenly said seriously.
Zhu Ping'an smiled bitterly when he heard this, "What you are saying is that if you don't think about yourself, you should also think about your wife and Mr. Ling. It is also simple to reduce one vegetarian dish and add one meat dish to each meal."
"Zihou is too worried. Zhuojing and Quanzi are both in their hometown in Anhui. Although I am not from a wealthy family, my ancestors also left more than ten acres of thin farmland, where they grow melons, vegetables, chickens and ducks. The two of them have more food than I do.
It’s convenient.” Zhou Houjie waved his hand and said with a smile.
"Master Fu Zun has been an official in Beijing for many years. He is alone and has never brought his family with him. Last year, the young master originally planned to visit Master Fu Zun, but due to the long distance and lack of financial support, he was unable to make the trip." Zhang Captou had just finished speaking in the Zhou Prefecture, and he couldn't bear to go.
I couldn't help but add something.
When Zhu Pingan heard this, he turned his eyes to Zhou Houjie and couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
Naked official!
This is the naked official in ancient times!
Modern times are different. Modern naked officials are those officials whose spouses and children have immigrated abroad. Most of them line their own pockets and are ready to run away and defect to the rotten country's moths at any time.
The naked officials in ancient times were not like those in modern times. They did not go to other places to work as officials and raise their families because the official salary could not afford to support wives, children, maids and servants. This was the case for Zhou Houjie, who was alone and had nothing to do. Therefore, the naked officials in ancient times
, most of them are honest and upright officials, and every hair on their head is a hundred times more stalwart than those naked officials in modern times.
"Talk too much." Zhou Houjie glanced at Zhang Captou.
"My lord, it's not that I'm talking too much, I'm just being aggrieved by your lord. Sir, look at how many officials are like you. To put it bluntly, my lord's dining table is better than yours.
It’s much richer. Cabbage, tofu, and pickled vegetables. How can your body bear it for a long time? How can you be the great master of the people? You don’t have a family, you don’t hire a maid, and there is only an old housekeeper. If you dare to say something, where are you?
You are an official, you are a monk." Zhang Captou seemed to have been holding back for a long time. This time with Zhu Ping'an beside him, he was bold enough to take advantage of the topic and spoke out what he had been holding back for a long time.
Haha, the words are rude or not, Zhu Ping'an nodded. It is true that what Zhou Houjie does as an official is really close to that of an ascetic.
"It is easy to go from simplicity to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality." Zhou Houjie smiled slightly, took a sip of tea and said, "Although I am a fourth-rank official, my salary plus special salary and rewards are quite a lot.
However, you don’t realize that firewood and rice are expensive when you are not a householder. Although the income is much, the output is also large. Me and Uncle Han need 2 taels of silver every month for food, and we have to spend 2 taels of silver every month at home to give to Zhuo Jing and Quanzi. Where can my parents be?
We must also honor 2 taels of filial piety, 4 taels of filial piety to our grandfather, 2 taels of incense in the clan ancestral hall, and 3 taels of financial support for the descendants of the clan. These are all used up nine out of ten of the salary, and other expenses have not been taken into account. Now it is already very good."
Hearing this, Zhang Captou raised his head and looked at Zhou Houjie. He muttered for a long time and did not dare to say anything out loud.
Zhu Ping'an knew what Zhang Captou wanted to say. It was nothing more than refining his pen, wasting money and other gray income. Zhang Captou was right not to say anything. With Zhou Houjie's temper, Zhang Captou would probably be reprimanded if he said it.
"Ping An has benefited a lot from today's meal. Although Ping An may not necessarily be able to be as clear-minded and willing to live in hardship as you are when he is an official in the future, he must also learn from you, like you, with a bright moon on your shoulders and a breeze on your sleeves." Zhu Pingan sat upright and looked serious.
He bowed his hands in admiration.
Zhu Pingan benefited a lot from this meal and learned a lot from Zhou Houjie. The fact of being honest alone inspired him a lot.
"Okay, what a bright moon on one shoulder and cool breeze on the other's sleeves! Zihou and I have known each other for a short time, but he knows me well and understands me." After hearing Zhu Pingan's words, Zhou Houjie couldn't help but said, "I am a farmer."
The reason why I have reached this point is because of the bright moon on my shoulder and the cool breeze on my sleeves. As an official, I do not seek to be remembered in history, nor do I seek to be famous as a saint, but only to serve the country and the people. I know that my talents are limited, and what I can do
For my Ming Dynasty and for the people of my Ming Dynasty, I can only do so much. Since I, Zhou Houjie, have not done much for the country and the people, I can't bring harm to the country and the people. I am an honest official not for the sake of reputation, but for the sake of being worthy of the emperor and the people of heaven and earth, so that I can be an official in the future.
Even if it turns into a handful of rotten soil, it can also nourish the earth." Zhou Houjie put down his teacup and said with emotion.
Zhu Ping'an heard the words and was moved by the scene. He couldn't help but think of a poem from the Qing Dynasty, which was very suitable for Zhou Houjie. When he saw the pen, ink, paper and inkstone beside him, he couldn't help himself. He took the pen in his hand and wrote it down.
For a time, my writing was flowing freely:
"Gift to the Prefect of Zhou"
In the majestic and sorrowful day, the sun is setting, and I sing my whip to the east and point to the end of the world.
Falling red is not a heartless thing, it turns into spring mud to protect flowers. (To be continued.)