Chapter 503 Thriving
Su Xueyi used thundering means to take control of the power in Hezhou.
Local forces did not dare to disobey the policies issued by Su Xueyi, let alone underestimate this Lord Su.
Therefore, the subsequent policies implemented by Su Xueyi received very good feedback.
The people trusted him and believed what was written in the government notice.
Many people responded to the call to repair the city walls, build academies, and tear down the abandoned shops on the docks.
Everything is going on in an orderly manner.
A month later, Shen Yueyao's paper mill and printing workshop were completed.
There were walls all around, blocking the entire village.
People outside have no way of knowing what is going on inside.
The big manor here was originally an abandoned manor. Such a big renovation and the fact that it was surrounded by walls made it impossible to peek into what was going on inside, which made people even more curious.
"What on earth is going on in here? It's so mysterious."
"Don't be curious, and don't try to get inside. This is Madam Su's property."
"Yes, Madam Su bought this farm and hired some villagers to build a workshop. I don't know what it's used for, but Madam Su is very generous to everyone. She provides lunch and pays them 20 cents a day for work."
"And the meals?"
"Yes, yes. I heard that there's meat in the meals, and there's plenty of steamed buns and rice. So many people are rushing to work there."
"How come we don't know?"
"Alas, Madam Su doesn't hire just anyone. She only hires those who are hardworking, capable, and have good moral character."
“Even morality is controlled.”
"Of course. Madam Su wouldn't dare to use someone she doesn't trust. Just like the group of people who caused trouble before, who would have thought that among the people working there were people from the Ge family."
"Yes, we do need to be more cautious."
"But ever since Lord Su and Madam Su came to Hezhou, it seems like everything in Hezhou is getting better."
"Of course not. The beggars in the town have stopped begging and are now working on the dikes and city walls."
"I heard that many people have recently heard the news and have returned to Hezhou from outside."
"Yes, this is a good opportunity. As long as we take advantage of this time to open up a few more acres of wasteland, we can grow more food in the spring."
"It would be easier if we had more fields."
There are many wastelands in Hezhou, but there was no policy support in the past, so people were naturally unwilling to reclaim them.
If the land becomes the property of the government after hard work, people will be unwilling to spend the effort to reclaim it.
But now it’s different. As long as you are willing to reclaim land, you will be exempt from taxes for the first three years, and the land will belong to you, with a title deed.
“Not only that, even the fields of normal farmers are exempt from tax in the first year.”
"And the taxes are clearly marked at the back. The taxes collected are very low. So, as long as everyone works hard on the land, the food they grow will definitely be enough for the whole family to eat."
"Master Su is still the best."
Many people are moved when they mention Mr. Su.
Everyone felt that they had a way to make a living and no longer had to worry about not having enough food to eat.
In the past, prefects collected taxes all the time, and the grain taxes they collected were quite a lot.
Fortunately, it is Lord Su who is in charge of Hezhou now.
Everyone can rest assured and work hard to cultivate the land.
"Oh, right, the notice also says that if there are people who abuse their power to bully others or bully ordinary people, just go to the government office and file a complaint. Lord Su will make the decision for you."
"Lord Su even sealed off the Ge family, so naturally he is not afraid of anyone."
"I heard that Lord Su holds the Emperor's Imperial Sword."
"What is the Imperial Sword?"
"I heard that he represents the emperor, so no one dares to disrespect Lord Su. There is no need to panic. Just do your job well according to Lord Su's instructions."
"Yes, I've been working for a month and have earned six hundred coins. When I go home and give it to my wife every day, she's so happy."
"Of course not. The food at home has improved a lot. We used to eat corn, but now we can occasionally eat some noodles."
"Yes, I can taste meat occasionally. In the past, I couldn't even taste meat during Chinese New Year."
"Roast the fat in the pan, and the oil will be delicious when you cook."
"That's right."
"Haha, everyone, work hard for a few more months, and you can have a good New Year."
These are the things most people sit down to discuss.
When everyone talked about Lord Su and the copper money they earned, they felt very excited and felt that there was hope in their lives.
He no longer thought about fleeing Hezhou to escape famine.
Today, Hezhou is thriving.
As long as you have the will and the strength, it is easy to find work.
Moreover, now that the dam has been repaired, people no longer have to worry about flooding villages and fields.
If you walk along the streets of Hezhou Prefecture, you will find that everyone's mental outlook is different. Everyone is in high spirits and stands straight.
He no longer looked as dejected as before.
Many closed shops in the city have reopened, and people are coming into the shops to buy things one after another.
The government also reduced a lot of taxes collected from shops, and everyone was willing to reopen shops and do some business.
Ordinary people don’t understand the relationship above. They only know that Lord Su is kind to everyone and that he is a good official.
They only care about whether they can eat enough, wear warm clothes and make money.
For them, a good official is one who can provide them with food and protect the people.
"Have you noticed that no one dares to ride a horse freely on the streets now?"
"Yeah, that seems to be the case. Before, a rich kid injured someone on horseback, but no one dared to confront him. He even blamed everyone for blocking his way."
"That's right. There was an old lady who dropped everything on her stall and had to kneel down to apologize."
"There was nothing we could do then. Now that we have our Lord Su here, no one dares to do that again."
"Yes, yes, the carriages and horses on the streets are moving much slower now, so there's nothing to be afraid of."
Talking about this, everyone was filled with emotion.
At noon, the people who were building the city wall also sat under the wall, eating, resting and talking.
This is what everyone is talking about.
"I don't know why, but now when I work I feel full of energy."
"I do have a lot of energy. I can take a longer break at noon, and then I can finish work as soon as the sun sets in the afternoon and get paid directly."
Everyone feels that being able to see cash every day will motivate them to work more.
Don't panic and work hard.
"All the shops along the pier have been knocked down and are being cleared out."
"Those shops are very old and have been washed away by water. Some of the wood is not strong anymore. Only Madam Su can make some changes there."
"Mrs. Su, are you planning to rebuild a few streets?"
"That's what I heard. Madam Su is planning to rebuild the dock and is currently recruiting people to work there."
“I don’t know what the pier will look like after it’s rebuilt.”
Everyone was curious, but didn't know whether the pier could be rebuilt.
Their Hezhou wharf is basically abandoned.
If the wharf is built, this place will become prosperous.
Because there are many people needed, it is easy for many people in Hezhou to find work. As long as they work hard, everyone can earn copper coins to buy food.
Speaking of food, Su Xueyi also controls the price of food.
Of course, some grain sellers deliberately withdrew from the Hezhou market.
Just to compete with Su Xueyi.
Su Xueyi didn't care at all.
He ordered that the grain stores be deliberately removed and that they were not welcome to open stores in Hezhou in the future.
When the businessmen heard the news, they were also quite disdainful.
They felt that there was no food in Hezhou, and no matter what Su Xueyi did, it would be useless.
Food is the foundation of the people.
But they never expected that as soon as they withdrew from Hezhou, several grain stores opened in Hezhou one after another.
Yes, there is a lot of food in Shen Yueyao’s space. After she upgraded her space, she got an extra granary.
She directly used the food in the space to open several food stores, and the prices were affordable.
It is not a problem for everyone to buy food and seeds.
This has caused great frustration among merchants who have withdrawn from the Hezhou market.
But it was no use for them to feel upset.
When they wanted to go back and open a grain store, the government office refused to approve it.
Whenever this group of people wanted to buy a shop, the government office would delay their processing.
Forget about the grain store, it’s useless for them to start any other business.
Su Xueyi seems gentle and soft, but in fact she can be tough when she needs to.
It is also to let these businessmen know that even if they have power behind them, it is useless.
He has the final say in Hezhou.
Those merchants who tried to raise food prices to compete with him will only regret it later.
The truth is that the taxes in Hezhou are lower than those in other places, so it would be a loss for them to withdraw from the Hezhou market.
This also makes some merchants with ulterior motives even more afraid to make any small moves.
They understood that they should do whatever Lord Su said.
Because so many people needed it at once, even a college was built.
In the evening, when Shen Yueyao came back and learned that the academy was completed, she was very excited, "It was completed so quickly?"
"There are a lot of people hired and working, so the process will be faster."
Shen Yueyao said: "Then I must go and take a look."
"It's getting late. Let's go check it out tomorrow. I'm thinking of a name for the academy."
As she spoke, Su Xueyi also placed a few letters on the table.
They also received replies to the letters they had previously sent to the capital, Liuhe Village, and Xingshan Village.
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