The old man said: "It's not expensive to use. Just burn straw. You can get some firewood from the fields and burn shrubs and weeds. But it's expensive to buy. A set of steam engine and water pump costs a full fifty taels of silver."
Woolen cloth."
Han Huzi was so shocked that his mouth opened. One acre of dry land only costs four taels of silver. This thing is worth more than ten acres of land. It is really not cheap.
"Yes, only gentlemen can afford this thing. It's a pity that Uncle Dingyuan invented this good thing, and we ordinary people will not be able to benefit from Uncle Dingyuan's kindness."
Han Huzi said: "If we ordinary people can afford it, we will no longer be afraid of drought."
"Not only is it a drought, this thing can also drain waterlogging. With this equipment, hundreds of acres of land will no longer be afraid of floods and droughts. I heard that in the spring of next year, Dingyuan Bo's bird droppings will start to be sold. It is said that
, the land covered with guano is very fertile, and the yield per acre can be doubled. The quantity of guano is limited, and I heard that it has been reserved by the civil servants and nobles in Beijing. We ordinary people can't buy it even if we want to.
ah."
Han Huzi was in a low mood. The good things in Ming Dynasty were not available to the common people, and the prices of these things were beyond the reach of the common people. The emperor and the officials talked about caring for the common people, but none of them were implemented.
"Brother, do you think we ordinary people have any way to survive? Local taxes and corvee are so heavy that we can't rest all year round. There have been severe droughts in recent years. Even with this water pump, we can't afford it. Alas.
.”
The old man said: "I heard some time ago that the students who installed steam engines here talked about it. They also thought that the only people who could afford steam engines were gentry, nobles, and families of civil servants. It was difficult for ordinary people to benefit."
"I think what one of the students said makes sense. He said that agriculture depends on the sky, and each household is too weak to fight against natural disasters. Floods and droughts are serious, even if there are seeds of corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes,
It’s all in vain, and it’s still useless.”
"Therefore, the development direction of agriculture is still the large land system, that is, large estates, with tens of thousands of acres of land, which are concentrated and used for irrigation and drainage using machines. Bird droppings are used as fertilizer. Dingyuan Bo's new seeds are used. I heard that they are still researching them.
What kind of crawler-type steam tractor can replace cattle plowing? In this way, the yield per acre of dry land can be increased from the current five, six, seven or eight buckets to three or four dans."
Han Huzi asked: "Then how do we farmers make a living?"
The old man said: "I also asked this question at the time. Those kids said that farmers should be turned into farm workers and receive monthly salaries. Or they could be transferred to factories, mines, construction industries, etc. and become workers. They said that now Uncle Dingyuan has already
We have turned 50,000 to 60,000 refugees from farmers into workers. In recent years, we have been absorbing a large number of farmers who were surplus from agriculture, bankrupt and exiled. This is called relief for work."
Han Huzi asked: "In recent years, a lot of land has lost its production, and food prices have skyrocketed. I am afraid that I will not be able to support my family by working hard."
The old man said: "Those kids said that with mechanized farming, water pumping for irrigation, the use of bird droppings, and improved seeds, food production will double several times. When there is more and more food, the price will be very cheap. Workers will use it to eat
The proportion of expenditure in total income will become smaller and smaller. The extra money can be used to buy various daily necessities."
Han Huzi didn't know what corn or potatoes were. But he had just eaten sweet potatoes and knew they were good things. He asked, "Where did these dolls come from? What they said made sense."
"They are all students of Uncle Dingyuan. They came to install the equipment. Cheng Guogong bought a steam engine and a water pump. They came to be responsible for the installation and taught us how to use it. My eldest son learned simple maintenance and repairs from them.
.I was appointed as the water pumper by the master. Our whole family benefited from it. Our family is responsible for pumping water and maintaining the machine. We were also given ten acres of Susukino farmland, and we didn’t need to rent it.”
"These dolls may not look old, but they are all very capable. They are very accurate when digging wells. Water will definitely come out of the right place. I heard that these dolls can earn five taels of silver a month. What are they called engineers?"
"
Han Huzi thought longingly that it would be great if he could also learn these machines.
The old man seemed to see what he was thinking. He said: "My second son went to the city. Uncle Dingyuan recruited workers to build the railway.
He chose it. Now he is building a railway in the city, and he can work until the Spring Festival. He is paid one tael of silver a month. There is also three pounds of cornmeal for sale in the city. After this work is completed, he can save a lot of money."
Han Huzi asked hurriedly: "Are the railways still recruiting people? Brother, tell me to give it a try. Is there any hope?"
The old man said: "I think you are in good health and have a family, so there should be hope. You can give it a try. As long as you become a worker of the Daming Railway Construction Company, I heard that the treatment is very good. You can arrange accommodation for the family and apply for a low price.
Grain book, buy grain at low prices, and get meat stamps and oil stamps every month. Children go to the Railway Construction Primary School for free. There are Railway Construction Hospitals for treatment, and they don’t charge money. It’s just that this work is hard, tiring, and long.
We are away from home all year round for construction work, so we only get half a month's vacation every six months. The accommodation is also in the wilderness, and most people can't bear this hardship."
When Han Huzi heard this, didn't this solve all the family's problems? If he could go to work, why would he be afraid of hardship? Now the family is fleeing everywhere, not sleeping in the wilderness. After eating this meal, they don't know the next meal.
Where is it.
Han Huzi said: "I finally understand Uncle Dingyuan's work-for-relief plan. There is no way out by farming. The gentry don't pay taxes, and the taxes on us farmers at the bottom are getting heavier and heavier. It's really unsustainable.
It's gone. The people's livelihood is difficult, isn't it because there is no one to protect us? We become workers, and we don't have to pay any taxes. There are no more corvees. If anything happens, the people above will handle it. Being a worker is much better than being a farmer.
.”
The old man said: "If you have thought about it, bring all these sweet potatoes and go try it quickly. We are still recruiting people now. I heard that after the railway in the city has been built, there will also be a 200-mile railway from Beijing to Tanggu via Tianjin."
The 200-mile railway runs from Beijing to the northwest, passing through Juyongguan, Badaling, Shacheng, Xuanhua and Zhangjiakou. Last time my son came back and said that His Majesty had agreed and construction would begin in the spring. Eventually this line will be extended to Guizhou
Huacheng, Jiuyuan City (Baotou), Linhe City (Bayannur). This work will take several years to complete."
After bidding farewell to the old man, Han Huzi felt that he was full of strength. The whole family had new hope. In the cold wind, the family walked more than 70 miles to the recruitment point outside You'anmen.
Not surprisingly, Han Huzi's strong physique and status as a good man allowed him to enter the Daming Railway Construction Company and become a worker as he wished. His family was also settled in the family camp inside You'anmen.
The family was assigned a cotton tent and many daily necessities and settled down completely. Han Huzi still remembered the old man’s words that to be a worker, you need to learn more skills, just like his eldest son, who knew how to maintain steam engines, so he took the
Chengguo Duke's government paid him five taels of silver. Other long-term workers were only given three measures of food a year.
Han Huzi eagerly began to learn the ropes of railway construction. He secretly thought that if he could no longer survive farming, he would have to look like a worker.
/
Please remember the domain name of this book: .Novel about Strange People of the Republic of China
