At Li Da's home in Dafeng Town, Black Earth Province, Carpenter Li got up early.
This is a habit developed over the years, no matter where I go. Go to bed early and get up early. As a mountain person, the most important natural history is diligence. Getting up early to work has also become a habit for decades.
"People outside here really enjoy themselves. Even going to the toilet is so comfortable."
Carpenter Li habitually went to the hut in the morning. At first, he was a little uncomfortable when he first arrived, but soon he felt that it was indeed very convenient.
After it was applied, the water washed it away and it was clean and not ugly. It was much better than in the mountains.
Living here, you don’t even need to carry water. There is tap water directly. As soon as the faucet is turned on, the water comes gurgling. That is to say, when I heard that you have to pay for this water, Carpenter Li thought it was too expensive.
You have to pay more than 100 yuan for water every month, which is really too expensive. It is convenient, but it is different if you need money.
When he came outside, Carpenter Li also wandered around the town leisurely.
Unlike my hometown of Shangping Village, although the town is a small town, its population exceeds ten thousand people. After several years of development and the birth of a large number of children, the total population has actually reached tens of thousands.
With the beginning of a new day, the town also begins to become lively. People selling newspapers, breakfast, and morning tea are already busy early, and the business is also very good.
“Isn’t it good to eat at home?”
"You have to spend that unjust money. A steamed bun costs three pennies. It's too expensive. What about morning tea? A pot of tea costs dozens of pennies. If you have some breakfast or something, one or two hundred pennies will be gone. What if
If the whole family goes out to eat, the expenses will be even greater.”
Carpenter Li looked at the morning tea shop. The business of the breakfast shop was very good, and he couldn't help but shake his head.
People outside here really don't know how to live. How can they live like this? It's not like there's no food at home. It's very expensive to have to go out to eat.
If it were him, Carpenter Li wouldn't be willing to spend money like this, but here, it is indeed a common thing. In the morning, only a few people make breakfast by themselves, but most people actually like to go to teahouses and breakfast shops.
Go and have breakfast.
The food made in the store tastes better and has more varieties. The key is that you don’t need to do it yourself. You can sleep a little longer. After eating, you can just pay and leave. It’s simple and hassle-free.
It would be a lot more troublesome if you did it yourself at home, and in many cases, you don’t know how to do so many tricks, so you might as well spend some money.
"There are quite a few blond and blue-eyed people, and they are all extremely ugly."
While walking on the street, I also saw many blond and blue-eyed women getting up early and busy, and I could also see many mixed-race children. Carpenter Li couldn't help but comment.
In the eyes of the Ming Dynasty people, these Europeans are really not good-looking, especially their eyes are too deep and not black, which is not in line with the aesthetics of the Ming Dynasty people. The color of their hair is also a reason.
Dafeng Town is located in Black Earth Province, which itself is located in Europe. The powerful Ming Empire is like a black hole, continuously absorbing wealth, goods and people from all over the world.
A large number of European women were used as slaves and worked here, becoming concubines, maids, servants, etc. in thousands of households. This phenomenon is relatively common in Dafeng Town. Many people basically buy a few European women.
When I came to my concubine, I took her with me to help with the work in the house.
For immigrants here, buying a few women is actually a very cost-effective thing.
First of all, we can carry on the family line and spread the branches. Although we were born from slaves, we are still people of the Ming Dynasty. We are also raised and educated by the people of the Ming Dynasty. When we grow up, we will be proud of the people of the Ming Dynasty.
Secondly, it can increase the labor force at home. Every household here has at least several thousand acres of fields. Although there is mechanized farming and harvesting, the labor intensity can be greatly reduced.
However, more labor is still needed to live an easier life, especially for families like Li's who have farms and pastures, which requires even more labor.
Buying a few women can help with many things and greatly reduce labor pressure.
Moreover, for immigrants here, the price of these female slaves is not very expensive. You can buy one for dozens of taels of silver, and a slave can do many things. You can earn this money in one year.
The rest is earned.
As for consuming food, that is simply a trivial matter. The most indispensable thing here is food. It is extremely cheap. You can eat whatever you want and make whatever you want.
Naturally, buying slaves became a trend, and almost every household bought several female slaves. That is to say, a few families did not buy slaves.
Many women also support their husbands in buying some female slaves to take home. On the one hand, it shows that their family is powerful and can afford a lot of female slaves.
On the other hand, after buying a female slave, I can feel much more relaxed. I can live a life as a landlady, instigating and arranging for these female slaves to work at home, and I can relax more easily.
As for competing with yourself for a man, this is nothing to worry about. For men, it is normal to have three wives and four concubines. When the family is full, they will not go out to have sex.
This kind of custom also makes the immigrant towns here in Black Earth Province have a very large number of slaves and mixed-race children, and they can be seen almost everywhere.
You can see the old Ming Dynasty slowly going out to the morning tea shop to enjoy morning tea comfortably, reading the newspaper, and listening to the newspaper reader talk about major events and interesting stories in the world.
Or chatting with friends all over the world, bragging and so on; as for home, the mother-in-law at home started a new busy day with slaves and concubines.
“It’s such a comfortable day!”
Carpenter Li couldn't help but sigh, he was so good at living his life, he was so comfortable, he didn't seem to have to do anything, just like an uncle.
After shopping around, Carpenter Li also returned home. His mother-in-law and his daughter-in-law were already up and preparing breakfast for everyone. Li Da has never bought a female slave as a concubine. Things at home have always been handled by the couple themselves.
is doing.
Now that Carpenter Li and his wife are here, the cooking task also falls on Carpenter Li's mother-in-law. However, his daughter-in-law Lu is very filial and never lets her mother-in-law do the work alone.
"I want to eat steamed buns, I want to eat dumplings, I want to eat chaos~"
However, the breakfast at home obviously did not satisfy Carpenter Li's grandson and granddaughter, and several little ones clamored to go outside.
Ever since my grandparents came, the breakfast at home has only been pickles and porridge, and the more I ate, the more unpalatable it became.
"Okay, okay, let's go, grandpa will take you to eat."
Carpenter Li naturally agreed to all the requests of his grandson and granddaughter. Although he thought it was expensive, as long as they wanted to leave, he would naturally take them with him.
After breakfast, Carpenter Li got on Li Dakai's three-wheeled motorcycle and headed to his family's field and breeding farm.
Although he is a grandfather, Carpenter Li doesn't want to just sit and eat. He can still shine and continue to work.
"What a good dish, it's a pity to feed it to pigs like this!"
"Also, this is such a good land. It can be used to grow grass. If it were in the mountains, such land would be a loss!"
When he came to his own field and looked at the large cabbage field, Li Da cut off the cabbage plants one by one, and then threw them directly into the pig pen to feed the pigs.
Not far away there is a large number of excellent pastures, all of which are grown and used to feed cattle and sheep.
Carpenter Li looked at the fertile black land in front of him and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
When I was in the mountains before, I always felt that the whole world should be similar to the mountains, and I always lacked imagination for the outside world that Li Da and others described in their hearts.
Only when you really come outside can you truly experience a different world.
The land is open, flat and very fertile. The key is that the land is vast and sparsely populated. The land can be planted casually. The large area of land is used to grow vegetables and grass. Even if it is to grow food, it is very extensive planting. Sprinkle seeds.
Sprinkle some cow, sheep, and pig manure in the middle.
Then I just ignored it and just waited for the fall to be harvested directly with a harvester. It was very simple and easy. There is no need to face the loess with your back to the sky on this kind of land. It is easy and one person can plant a large area.
Vast land.
Carpenter Li felt that it was a pity that such fertile land should be used for growing vegetables and grass. However, Li Da was thinking about planting less grain and more vegetables and grass next year.
Grain is not valuable, there is too much, and it is impossible to eat it all. Even if a large number of cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, ducks, and geese are raised, there is still a large amount of grain left, and the price is very cheap.
If you want to make more money, you still have to rely on breeding. Pigs, cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks and geese are easy to sell and the price is reasonable. If you just sell grain, you really won't make much money.
Although he was complaining about the waste of land, Carpenter Li had to admit that life outside was indeed comfortable, and he had to eat and drink.
The transportation is very convenient and convenient. You can take long-distance buses to other small towns. There are regular long-distance buses that can be used between small towns.
The terrain is flat and open, and cannot be compared to the rugged mountain roads in the mountains.
Life is also very convenient. Remember that in a small town together, everything is very convenient. Children can still go to school. Even if they are sick, there is a medical center in the town. It is extremely convenient to see a doctor in case of emergency.
, you can also take a bus to go to hospitals in big cities for medical treatment.
"No wonder these immigrants don't want to go back to the mountains after they come out. Who would want to go back to the mountains with such a life!"
Carpenter Li sighed. After a while, Carpenter Li no longer had any nostalgia for life in the mountains.