Ever since Yang Fan gave the soldiers in the Beijing Camp a long vacation, paid them benefits, and allowed them to go home for the New Year, the soldiers were finally freed from the arduous training.
Zhao Yongtang wanted to take a nap, but as it turned out, it was still dark, and when the morning bugle was blown, he sat up all of a sudden. He rubbed his eyes and couldn't help but laugh.
It was a holiday, so I didn’t have to get up. Then I lay back down again.
But he was used to the work and rest schedule of the military camp, so he tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep. So he simply put on his clothes and got up. He picked up the broom and went to shovel the snow.
Clean up the small yard at home so that you can have a new look during the New Year.
Then he started to chop firewood. These firewood were all chopped from the wild mountains in the west yesterday.
It was a full sixty miles round trip. He hired a carriage to pull him back. Although he spent one hundred and thirty copper coins, this cart of firewood was enough to burn for a whole winter.
No matter how cheap briquettes are, they are still much more expensive than the firewood you cut yourself.
Seeing the head of the family getting up, his wife also got dressed.
"Master, why did you get up so early? You didn't want to sleep for a while." Hun's face was rosy and she said a little shyly. The master has not been back for a long time. This time I finally relieved the pain of missing him.
"I'm used to it in the military camp. When the time comes, I can't sleep even if I want to. So I just get up and crack some firewood. I'll take care of all the firewood while I'm at home. It will be more convenient for you to cook."
One of them was chopping firewood and the other was cooking. After breakfast, they continued to be busy until seven quarters past midnight.
At this time, a man walked into the yard.
"Brother Zhao, happy New Year. Today is thirty. I will bring you two old hens."
"Ma Xiaoping, why are you here? Come in quickly, it's cold outside." Zhao Yongtang greeted quickly. He and Ma Xiaoping met during long-distance running, and were assigned to the same team. They were familiar with each other in the military camp. "Come here if you want.
,What are you doing with the things?"
"I'm here to see you during the Chinese New Year. How can I be empty-handed? This is my sister-in-law. Hold it, sister-in-law. This chicken is very fat. The stew is especially good." Ma Xiaoping put two tied chickens into the hands of Zhao Yongtang's wife.
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She was a little at a loss, not knowing whether to accept it or not. She was afraid of hurting the guest's face. Accepting it was another favor.
She was so anxious that she kept looking at Zhao Yongtang. This was the first time that someone came to give New Year gifts during the Spring Festival.
"Take it, we are all brothers in the team, not outsiders." Zhao Yongtang said to his wife.
His wife thanked her profusely and took the two hens to the kitchen.
By this time, everyone at home had finished breakfast. The children were playing on the floor.
The old lady quickly asked Ma Xiaoping to sit on the Kang, and then turned on the iron stove to make the room warmer. Zhao Yongtang's wife gave them two bowls of red date tea from the iron kettle on the iron stove.
This thing is just throwing the red dates into the kettle and boiling it, and just pour it out when you need to drink it. My wife also specially added a tablespoon of sugar.
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"Brother Zhao, something good happened to our family members in Beijing camp, have you heard about it?" Ma Xiaoping asked.
"What a good thing, haven't we just paid out the New Year's benefits?" Zhao Yongtang said doubtfully.
In fact, it’s not surprising that Zhao Yongtang didn’t know. He was not from the Beijing system. He was an outsider and had no information channels.
The Beijing Camp is different. They are all hereditary soldiers and have various connections. If anything involves their interests, they will know it immediately.
The imperial court is like a sieve. Things decided by the elders in the morning were spread out in the evening. The next day, there was a lot of discussion in teahouses, restaurants, and streets. Some people even copied the imperial newspaper and sold it for money, leaking confidential information, and Chongzhen was so angry that he scolded his mother.
"Uncle Dingyuan and the Queen have formed a partnership to open a wool textile workshop. Construction will start after the Chinese New Year," Ma Xiaoping said.
"What does this have to do with us? We are all soldiers."
"Hey, Brother Zhao, you don't know something. This time the textile factory is recruiting female workers. There are no men in that factory. I heard that anyone who is a family member of the Beijing camp can apply. The basic salary is two cents a month.
, in addition to piece-rate wages, you get paid as much as you work. If you work well, you can earn five yuan a month. I'm going to let my wife try it." Ma Xiaoping said.
"What, women can also work and earn so much money." Zhao Yongtang's wife was shocked.
"This is the grace of the Emperor and the Queen. It is a benefit specially given to the family members of the Beijing camp. People from outside have no chance to come here," Ma Xiaoping said.
This time, Chongzhen really planned to take the Beijing camp into his own hands. In addition to paying them high wages, he also planned to arrange employment for their family members. If everyone in the family eats royal food, how can they be disloyal to the royal family?
It just so happened that Daming Royal Weaving, a joint venture between Yang Fan and the Queen, was about to open. The factory was located beside the Gaoliang River outside Xizhimen because the woolen mill needed water for production.
Chongzhen simply recruited workers from the family members of the Beijing camp, so that the good news would not go to outsiders.
"Sister-in-law, this news is absolutely true, but the wages are high. But the work is also quite tiring. It lasts for four hours at a time, and there is no time to eat. We work three shifts, and sometimes we have to take turns to work the night shift.
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Zhao Yongtang's wife hurriedly said: "Uncle, we come from a poor family and are not afraid of being dirty or tired. If we are really paid so much, I would like to try it as the head of the family."
Hearing the news, the whole family was a little happy. Zhao Yongtang earned one tael of silver a month after leaving. If his wife could earn another five taels of silver, what a great life it would be.
Temporary workers in the Ming Dynasty only earned one and a half cents to two cents of silver a month. Only those who can write and calculate can earn more than three cents of silver. Nowadays, no one can earn much by working as a coolie except at the railway construction site in Dingyuanbo.
"Brother, if this thing starts to recruit people, tell me and I will ask your sister-in-law to try it too." Zhao Yongtang said excitedly.
It’s time to set out after the Chinese New Year. Fighting is not a child’s play, and it’s a matter of having no eyesight. At least arrange a job for the family members first, so that they can have enough food and clothing. You don’t have to worry about yourself either.
"Okay, just keep it up. I'll let you know if there's any news." Ma Xiaoping drank the morning tea in one gulp and then left.
After seeing Ma Xiaoping off, the family wept with joy.
I didn't expect that Zhao Yongtang would get so many opportunities and benefits by pretending to be a fake person and sneaking into the Beijing camp. Now there is actually a good thing about arranging employment for his family members.
It was noon, and the Zhao family was reluctant to spend money to buy firecrackers and fireworks. They burned a few broken bamboos in the yard and listened to the sound. However, the indifferent New Year flavor still made the two children very happy.
Zhao Yongtang made an exception and gave each of his siblings a golden copper coin as lucky money, which they tied around their necks with a red rope. The siblings jumped up and down with joy. This was the first time that they had received lucky money.
"Son, the pig's head is hot, let's worship our ancestors too."
"Hey, mother, I'll come, I'll come." Zhao Yongtang hurried over to move the pig's head. This big pig's head weighed twenty pounds, and my mother couldn't lift it.
The old lady wiped her tears, offered incense to her ancestors, and murmured a prayer in her mouth, saying: "Bless me, my ancestors, and bless my son to go out with the army. He does not seek to make great achievements, but he prays that he can come back intact."
