Chapter 490 Papermaking

Thinking of this, Shen Yueyao's heart beat faster.

My mind is full of cheap paper.

For many ordinary families, some can afford the tuition fee, but cannot afford the daily expenses of writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstone.

Disposable pens, ink, paper and inkstone are not so expensive, but everyday paper is really expensive.

When she was in Liuhe Village, she used paper very carefully whenever she wanted to write something, and she used both the front and back of the paper to write calligraphy and drawing designs.

Don't waste paper.

The plain paper used for daily writing costs dozens of coins per sheet.

Ordinary people simply cannot afford the cost of paper needed for reading.

Even if you are frugal, it will cost you several taels of silver every month.

The cost of maintenance is not included.

Shen Yueyao thought that if the papermaking technique could be used, the price of paper would be much cheaper after the papermaking technique was developed.

A few cents will do.

This way, readers can save a lot of costs.

And printing.

With the invention of printing, people no longer have to worry about not being able to afford books.

Some rare books can be printed in batches. When there are more books, everyone can read them.

Shen Yueyao also wanted to open a large library and open it to the people of Hezhou so that more students from poor families could afford to read, thus promoting the cultural development of Hezhou.

There are many things to do in Hezhou.

The broker's surname was Lin. Hearing this question, Lin replied, "There are no bamboos on the farm, but there is a mountain next to the farm, and on that mountain is a bamboo forest with lots of bamboo."

"Before the village was abandoned, people would go to the mountains to cut bamboo to make bamboo rice. They would also use bamboo to build bamboo houses and use bamboo to make bamboo tubes to store water. It was very convenient."

"But Zhuangzi can't farm anymore, so the bamboo forest is useless and can't be used to make a living."

Speaking of this, the Lin Ya people also sighed.

How big was the farm before? A lot of crops could be grown on this farm.

We used to be able to grow rice, but now the fields have completely changed. Not to mention growing rice, even ordinary crops cannot be grown.

It's all sandy on top.

There were also some customers who came to buy farms, but after looking around, they found that many farms were in good locations, had good environments, and were close to the docks, but they could not be used for planting, so it would be useless to buy them.

So in the past two months, there have been a few people looking at his farm, but he hasn't sold a single piece.

There were quite a few people who came to sell their farms.

They say it can't be planted.

Some villages planted crops in the spring, but the crops did not grow, and many people hung their heads and sighed.

Yes, many people are reluctant to sell their farmland after seeing the fields change, and still want to try planting something.

I didn't expect it to be of any use at all.

Many people sold their land because they saw that it was no longer possible to cultivate crops.

Of course, these fields are expensive when purchased, but very cheap when processed.

If it is not sold at a low price, no one will buy it.

So they bought a lot of land and farms at cheap prices.

Shen Yueyao was also very excited when she heard that there were bamboos on the mountain.

Su Ruoyun's expression also changed. She usually learned a lot from her third aunt, so she naturally understood that bamboo had many uses.

When they were in the capital before, they often ate bamboo tube banquets. Bamboo can also be made into many bamboo sticks, which can be used to skewer meat.

Even if Zhuangzi can't farm the land, he can still open a shop.

But she also knew that Hezhou was different from the capital. The flood here had just passed and many people were still struggling to make ends meet.

Naturally, there will not be excessive consumption.

It’s different from the capital.

It depends on how Aunt San arranges the farm.

However, Su Ruoyun was not worried at all, because her third aunt had high-yield crop seeds.

With these seeds, you don't have to worry about anything.

Shen Yueyao's eyes lit up and she asked, "How much would you charge if you were to sell this farm?"

The Lin Ya man couldn't see the expression of the young lady in front of him, nor did he know whether she wanted to buy it or not.

This person asked so many questions without revealing any expression, it was really hard to guess what he was thinking.

He considered it for a moment and said, "This manor is two hundred taels of silver."

They spent more than ninety taels of silver when they bought it and sold it for double the price.

Su Ruoyun was shocked.

A farm of more than 2,000 acres and two hundred taels of silver.

This... this is simply unbearable to think about.

Considering the prices of the manors in Beijing, the prices here are really cheap, just like cabbage.

Moreover, the price of a farm in the most remote area of ​​Liuhe Village is much higher than this.

Besides, crops can be grown in the most remote places.

However, this farm has been washed away by floods and has a lot of sand, so it has become deserted. Even if you want to grow crops, you have to renovate it.

Shen Yueyao said: "Make it cheaper and buy a few more farms."

Shen Yueyao thought, buy more Zhuangzi while the price is low now.

When Su Xueyi has governed Hezhou well, the price of farmland in Zhuangzi will definitely be high.

Buy more farms, build workshops, and grow many things.

The Lin Ya man was stunned and couldn't believe what he heard. "Little Madam, are you really going to buy the farm?"

Did he hear it right?

There are several villages at once.

If all of them were sold, the owner would definitely be very excited, and he could also make a lot of money based on the commission rate.

Shen Yueyao said seriously: "Do you think I look like someone who tells lies?"

"If I hadn't bought the manor, I wouldn't have wasted my time here."

Lin Ya said excitedly: "Yes, yes, yes, I can't believe it."

"If you buy a few more farms, I'll give you another 20% discount."

Shen Yueyao nodded and naturally would not lower the price any further. This price was already very cheap.

She selected several farms with good locations, where there were mountains and water, which were convenient for farming.

She no longer plans to use this small bamboo village for farming. Instead, she plans to build a paper workshop.

If you want to build a paper workshop, you can dig a few more pools in the village.

To make paper, you need a pool and a place for drying paper, and the place must be large enough.

If it is close to the dock, the dock will become prosperous in the future, with many ships passing by, making it convenient for merchants to come and go, and it will also be convenient to transport paper out.

It will also be much more convenient to do business with merchants from all over the world.

The first thing to do business is to have convenient transportation.

However, the land in some places in Hezhou is bumpy.

That's what it's like to be washed away by a flood.

It would be much more convenient if there was cement.

If there is cement, roads can be built throughout Hezhou.

As Shen Yueyao pondered these things, she became more and more eager to go back and rebuild the roads throughout Hezhou.

However, for now, we should solve the basic problems in Hezhou first.

Shen Yueyao asked, "Is there any manor with bamboo forests? Pick one out for me."

The Lin Ya people hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, this village is not at the foot of the bamboo forest, but it is not far away across the bamboo forest. There is a valley here, and there is a pond in the valley. It used to be fertile farmland. There were several villages here. It used to be very bustling, but now the people in the villages have sold their land and fled the famine..."

"This farm is not very large, only about 800 acres..."

Lin Yaren carefully and enthusiastically explained the farmland and fields to Shen Yueyao.

Shen Yueyao understood that most of the manors here were built on the mountains.

Most of the previous villages were also built at the foot of the mountain.

However, because of this, once the flood comes, many villages will be washed away by the flood due to the terrain.

There are quite a lot of mountains here.

Shen Yueyao selected some Zhuangzi.

"I'll buy these three mountains too."

Shen Yueyao bought two bamboo forest mountains and a deserted mountain. She would use the bamboo forest for papermaking, and she planned to plant some fruit trees on the deserted mountain, which could then be turned into a tourist attraction.

When they heard that they were going to buy the mountain, the people of Linya were stunned.

Seeing Shen Yueyao’s serious expression, Lin Yaren hurriedly said, “Yes, yes, there are not only mountains, but also many shops.”

Shen Yueyao said: “Well, I’ll buy a shop too.”

"But I'm going to go take a look at the place."

Su Ruoyun knew that her third aunt was planning to do something big, but she never expected that her third aunt would buy so many farms at once.

But she knew that Third Aunt would definitely be useful.

"Of course, of course."

The Lin Ya man suddenly took out an iron ring key.

Looking at so many keys, Su Ruoyun asked curiously, "Are these the keys to the shops at the dock?"

Lin Yaren said, "Well, they are all keys to shops at the dock. The dock is deserted, and some people have moved away from Hezhou, so the dock is naturally deserted."

"The reason the wharf was abandoned wasn't just because of the flood. Before, the Hezhou government officials would often come to the store to collect various fees. It was so annoying and burdensome that everyone had no choice but to sell the store."

“Everyone feels that the environment in Hezhou is not suitable for doing business, and many businessmen have moved out of Hezhou with their families.”

"If it weren't just the flood, everyone wouldn't have moved away."

"Fortunately, our emperor is a wise ruler. He arrested and beheaded all those corrupt officials."

Shen Yueyao listened to his angry voice and said, "You know a lot."

"Of course not. Our boss also has some information channels."

"Originally, our Dong family was also going to move, but they have someone in the capital who said that the emperor takes these matters very seriously. The emperor dealt with the corrupt officials and their superiors, which shows that he values ​​Hezhou. The Dong family said that Hezhou will get better."

Shen Yueyao's expression changed and she said, "Your boss does have some ideas."

"Of course, our boss is..."

Speaking of the boss, the Lin Ya people stopped talking.

Shen Yueyao didn't ask any more questions.

She knew that there were many smart people in Hezhou.

Su Ruoyun said firmly: "Hezhou will definitely get better."

With her uncle and aunt around, it's not a problem at all.

Lin Yaren asked, "Madam, are you moving to Hezhou from somewhere else?"

Shen Yueyao raised her eyebrows and said, "Why do you think so?"

The Lin Ya people smiled and said, "If it were a local, no one would buy so many manors at once. From what you said, I would think you moved here from other places and believed that our Hezhou would be well governed, so you would buy manors."

"This makes me believe that our current Hezhou governor will be a good governor."

He was in charge of the shop and farm affairs, and had met many noble people. He knew from her temperament that the young lady in front of him was not an ordinary person.

Moreover, he is so young, but he is very dignified, never shows his emotions, and is very generous. He owns so many farms, forests, and shops at once. Most people cannot do this.

He still has some insight.

Shen Yueyao raised her eyebrows. She didn't expect that this person was quite perceptive and could analyze things.

Seeing that the noble lady in front of him was not angry, the man boldly asked, "May I ask the young lady for some information?"

Shen Yueyao asked, "What do you want to know?"

Lin Yaren said, "I wonder if the young lady knows what reliable jobs will be available in Hezhou in the future?"

Shen Yueyao asked, "Do you want to find a job?"

Lin Yaren shook his head and said, "No, it's my family. My eldest brother, sister-in-law, nephew, and my two sons all want to find work."

Shen Yueyao asked, "What did they do before?"

Lin Yaren said, "Before, I was farming in the village, and sometimes I would go to the dock to help move goods, but now there is no work at the dock."

He didn't know why, but he felt that the young lady in front of him had a convincing power.

Chen Yueyao said: "You can arrange for them to repair the city wall. Thirty coins a day will bring in an income of one or two taels of silver a month."

"Men can repair the city walls, and women can help with odd jobs. Cooking is done by women."

She also needed people to do the work after buying the farm, but she needed a few days to plan.

If there is work to do right away, I would rather go and build the city walls and dams so I can get paid right away.

The Lin Ya people said, "But the people in charge don't treat the people who are building the city wall as human beings. What should we do if they kill people?"

Although we need to live, we also need to take care of our lives.

"And once you start repairing the city wall, you won't be allowed to rest even if you're sick."

Su Ruoyun was surprised and said, "Isn't this just like serving in the military? It's different from the way the government hires people to do work now."

Shen Yueyao concentrated and said, "Don't worry, the government office will not ignore these matters. When the time comes, they will arrange for people to register them. If anyone is injured or whipped for no reason, the person in charge will also be punished."

"And if there are any problems, you can go to the government office and file a complaint."

"Don't worry now. The prefectural government will post a new notice in a couple of days."

"If you're not in a hurry, when my farm needs to hire temporary workers, you can arrange for your family to come and do the work."

"As long as you work hard, having enough food will not be a problem."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yaren's nose felt sore, "Thank you, Madam. Thank you, Madam."

"That's not necessary. I bought the manor and need to hire some people to do the work. But if they slack off or cause trouble during their work, they will be fired."

"Don't worry, Madam. My family members are all good at work and will never be lazy. They just want to have a job to eat and survive."

"We all grew up in Hezhou and have feelings for this place. If possible, no one wants to leave Hezhou."

"When you go to a place where you're unfamiliar with the place, you'll always have a lot of concerns."

After listening to what this person said, Shen Yueyao knew that as long as Hezhou could get better, those who fled the famine would most likely come back.

While they were talking, Lin Yaren brought Shen Yueyao and Su Ruoyun to the dock.

"This is on the north side of the pier, a little off the beaten path. All the shops here sell takeout. Madam, would you like to go in and take a look?"

Shen Yueyao nodded, "Let's go in and take a look!"

After opening the shop door, Shen Yueyao and Su Ruoyun went in to take a look and found that the shops here were somewhat dilapidated.

Moreover, due to being washed by floods and exposed to the sun, some of the wood has rotted.

When walking up to the second floor, the wooden stairs creaked.

Su Ruoyun said, "Aunt San, when we walk on this ladder, we're worried that the wood will suddenly break."

Although there will be no danger with Aunt San around.

But Su Ruoyun was still a little worried.

She looked up, worried that the wood from the beam would suddenly fall down.

Shen Yueyao said: "You stay downstairs first, I'll go up and take a look."