In fact, it wasn't just the refugees who thought the government was stupid; he also thought it was a bit stupid to do this.

They are just a group of refugees. Just build a straw hut for them to live in and give them something to eat.

How can we really let them eat real corn rice and still pay them wages?

Isn’t this a waste, a squandering of resources, and a superfluous act?

However, when he discovered that the refugees were working twice as fast as before.

Moreover, when he and the county officials led a group of refugees to build river embankments and clear the sand and stones at the bottom of the river, he found that they no longer needed whips or even supervisors, and the refugees worked consciously. He couldn't help but feel puzzled.

Why are these refugees different from those in the past?

In the past, when doing these things, the county government had to send a large number of runners to supervise those unruly people, and even use whips when necessary.

Even so, those unruly people will still be lazy and slack off.

But this time, he found that none of these methods were needed, and no one was lazy even without the whip.

And wherever he went, the refugees would immediately work extra hard, even if he didn't have a whip in his hand.

He even saw with his own eyes an old man trembling as he carried the excavated sand and gravel. He was obviously tired and out of breath, but he refused to let the people he assigned to help.

"Oh, my husband, I dare not, I dare not! I am still able to do it, you dare not say that I can't do it!"

"You know, if the higher-ups think I'm incapable of working, they'll send me to make straw ropes with the women and children."

"Twisting straw ropes is good? What's good about it? It's light work, but the food is scarce. Besides, I can earn three big coins a day doing this job, but I only earn one big coin after three days of twisting straw ropes. I'm a strong laborer, but I'm a fool to do that kind of work for kids."

After saying that, he hurriedly went to work according to the instructions of the refugee leaders.

Pingyang County looked at the trembling "strong laborer" and couldn't help being stunned for a moment.

At that moment, he had only two thoughts in his mind.

The first thought was that these arrangements made by His Majesty were not trivial. Just giving them half a ration a day and three coins could actually make these people burst out with such enthusiasm.

The second thought was that the so-called untouchables of the aristocratic families were actually human beings too!

Yes.

Even though Li Kuanchen came from a poor family, he used to be like those people from wealthy families and did not treat these untouchables with dark skin, vulgar language and numb expressions as human beings like himself.

In the eyes of these children from poor families.

Those who also come from poor families but are well-educated and motivated are the same kind of people.

However, those tall, fair-skinned, elegantly behaved and beautifully dressed young men from aristocratic families, although arrogant and contemptuous of them, were the targets of their aspirations.

But at this moment, he suddenly realized that although these untouchables had rough appearances, they were flesh and blood.

Although his words are not elegant, he has a simple heart and can be guided towards good.

Think about those children from aristocratic families. Although they talk about all kinds of things all the time, they all talk about benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness.

He always refers to saints and wise men in his speeches and regards himself as a gentleman.

But are what they do really worthy of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness?

It's like those children from aristocratic families criticize him. Are they really because of the so-called righteousness and morality they talk about?

At this moment, Li Kuanchen was confused. He suddenly realized that there was something wrong with the education, outlook on life and values ​​he had received in the past thirty years.

But I don’t know where the problem lies!

…

More refugees moved into houses with roofs, although only a family of several people could own a small house, and more people were still crowded in a series of straw huts.

Lu San was also a refugee, but he was not allocated a house and still lived in a straw hut, crowded with a large group of refugees.

But like most people, although he envied the lucky ones who lived in the houses, he did not cause trouble.

Because the official who looked like he had read a lot of books and had frighteningly bright eyes, and was called Liu Shaoqing, said that more houses would be built at the foot of Cuiping Mountain and along the banks of Luoshui River in the future.

By then, even bachelors like them will be able to live in houses with walls, windows and doors.

And the houses in the back are better than the ones in the front.

Why?

Think about it, everyone in front was a refugee and only a few of them knew how to build houses. Although there were skilled craftsmen sent by the court to direct them, even Lu San felt that the houses were not satisfactory.

Apart from being quite sturdy, it has almost no advantages.

But it has been obviously much better in the past two days.

It is also said that there was a master craftsman in the court who developed something called cement.

A large kiln was built at the foot of Cuiping Mountain. The bricks and tiles produced there were so beautiful. The bricks were bright red and the tiles were dark.

Wow, it would be wonderful if I could live in a house made of bricks and tiles like that.

However, Lu San also knew that it was unlikely. Not to mention them, even the rich families in the city could not afford to live in such a house.

But a brick house was impossible, but he felt there was still some hope for a mud house.

So Lu San didn't envy those who moved into the houses first, but rather envied those who were recruited into the kiln factory.

Working the same job, those who work in the kiln factory can earn ten dollars a day, while those who work outside, whether building houses, repairing roads, digging rivers, or repairing river embankments, can only earn five dollars a day at most.

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