Chapter 629: Warm Heart
Han Yunzheng was thinking about the changes in Liuhe Village and felt deeply moved.
Who would have thought that a village would be more prosperous than a county town.
Many businessmen from other places come there to eat some snacks.
"Besides, your village has become a big village now, and many people have moved to your Liuhe Village."
“Many people have also bought residential land and built houses in your Liuhe Village.”
"Although there are more people in Liuhe Village now, your parents manage it very well, and the village is harmonious."
Lin Chi smiled and nodded. His parents had told him everything in the letter.
His mother is now the manager and can already recognize words. Although she can't write very well, she can recognize words.
His mother could read the letters he replied to herself.
It’s just that when writing a letter, you have to ask someone to help you write it.
Lin Chi said, "My mother also said in her letter that Liuhe Village has become very good now. It's very lively, shopping is convenient, and the workshop business is also very good. I get wages and bonuses every month, and I can eat a full meal every day. I can buy pork whenever I want, and I can make dumplings often. If I want to eat in a store, I can go there to try the food. I don't have to be so frugal as before."
His mother said a lot more.
Of course, he could tell between the lines that his mother liked the current appearance of Liuhe Village very much.
Although the workshop business is good, I can leave work when it is time to leave, so I won’t be tired and I have more time to rest.
Of course, Lin Chi also often sent banknotes home.
The money shop in the capital, like the one in the county, can exchange silver.
He just wanted to make his parents live more comfortably.
My parents also said in the letter that my eldest brother and sister-in-law sent the child to school.
Even girls are learning embroidery.
It was also their families who gave them money to study.
My parents also said that people in the nearby villages now attach great importance to girls' education and are willing to let girls learn something.
Lin Chi understood that it was the princess's contribution that Liuhe Village was transformed from a remote little village into such a prosperous and famous village.
If it weren't for the princess, Liuhe Village would still be the same Liuhe Village as before.
Everyone in Liuhe Village thanked the princess.
Lin Chi's eyes were filled with smiles as he thought about the possible changes in the village.
"I wonder how those playmates in the village are doing?"
"They naturally have a good life in your Liuhe Village. People in your Liuhe Village can earn copper coins to supplement their families by setting up stalls with whatever they want. This is mainly because there are many merchants coming and going."
"Many of them are foreigners. Your side is close across the border. Ever since the war last year and the peace treaty signed with the Northern Rong, the Northern Rong have retreated and given up a lot of grassland. Your side has become the most prosperous place nearby. It's convenient for buying and selling things, and you can even buy a lot of horses there..."
Listening to Han Yunzheng say this, Lin Chi was surprised and curious.
Can't wait to go back and take a look.
There are some things that his parents don’t know much about, but he knows something about the situation.
Since winning the war last year, the Great Yan Dynasty has signed a trade agreement with the foreign country of Beirong.
Now, foreigners from the Northern Rong can come to their Great Yan Dynasty to do business, and their Great Yan Dynasty can also go to the foreign countries from the Northern Rong Dynasty to do business.
Many people are now forming caravans.
His father also got busy with this.
Because the Han Family Escort Agency is now famous, many caravans are willing to ask the Han Family Escort Agency's team to escort them.
It’s not much, but thanks to the princess’s advice, now everyone in the Han Family Escort Agency has good martial arts skills.
Most of them are selected from martial arts schools.
The princess and Lord Su also taught him two sets of kung fu. His own strength improved, and when he taught the people below him, their strength also increased.
Now his father looks proud when he sees him.
Thinking of this, Han Yunzheng had a bright smile on his face.
Now the group of people on the boat are also from the Water Escort Agency.
During the break, everyone gathered together and talked excitedly.
"I haven't been back since the New Year."
"It must be warm over there at home by now."
"I'm used to it after two or three months now."
"Of course not. I can go to many places and gain a lot of knowledge by sailing. When I go back and tell my parents about it, they will be very happy."
"Yeah, who would have thought that we, just country folk, could travel to so many places."
"And I can earn money every month."
A young boy, about six or seven years old, with tears welling up in his eyes, choked up slightly as he said, "Before, our family could only live on a small, broken boat. What my parents wanted most was to buy a piece of land on the shore and build a house."
"It's all the same. The money you've saved now is enough for your family to buy a plot of land to build a house, and you can also buy some land."
For people like them, having a house and land in the village makes them feel at ease.
With land and crops, we can have food to eat.
Even if they make money outside, they want to take it back home. Moreover, when they return home from their wanderings, they have a place to live and feel that home is a safe haven.
It is a place where they can relax and rest.
After they worked on the ship for two or three months, the second boss would let them go back and rest for half a month.
They can stay at home and spend the next half month with their families.
I feel that all the hard work and money I earn outside have become meaningful.
The young man, Lin You, wiped the tears from his eyes and laughed, "Well, last year during the Chinese New Year, I brought the money I saved to my parents. They were shocked. They said that after the Chinese New Year, they would go to a nearby village to buy a piece of land and two acres of farmland to plant. They also told me not to work too hard."
"I thought it was the perfect time for spring plowing, so I could go back and help them."
A man in his twenties said, "Yeah, when I was on the boat, I always wanted to have a home and a place to live, where I could have shelter from the wind and rain when it rained or snowed."
"We were sailors back then. Some families had houses in their hometowns in the village, and our family had a boat. When my parents wanted to find a wife for me, they thought we only had one boat and didn't want to go fishing with us, saying it was bad for our health."
"My parents worked very hard fishing and finally saved up a few taels of silver. But the girl they liked was not happy with the small amount. Later, I rescued a girl who didn't mind us working on the boat and became my wife. At that time, I decided to make a name for myself and make more money so that my wife and my parents could live a good life."
"If it weren't for the boss, how could our family build a house, buy land, and even buy a shop?"
This man was called Guo Zhuang. He worked very hard for the water escort agency and had killed some pirates and made great contributions. He earned a lot of money and lived frugally just to give his family a stable life.
The person next to him said, "Brother Guo, no wonder you don't want to buy anything. Even your clothes are two sets of clothes given by our boss, and you change them back and forth."
"There's so much food in the capital, but you can't even afford to buy a bowl of noodles to try."
Guo Zhuang was reluctant to buy noodles that cost more than ten cents.
He is very frugal.
Guo Zhuang smiled and said, "When I went to eat noodles, I thought about my parents and my wife who probably didn't go to the noodle shop to eat a bowl of noodles at home. I felt guilty eating this bowl of noodles."
This is true.
"Now that my family's conditions are better, I feel at ease. I feel more comfortable at home, and I feel more motivated to work hard."
"Indeed, who would have thought that those of them who toiled so hard rowing their boats for a living would be chosen to work for the escort agency simply because they were good at swimming? And their master is actually a princess. I feel proud to tell anyone about it."
Everyone was talking and laughing, and they all felt it was incredible.
They feel like they are dreaming, but it is actually real.
They get paid every month and receive a year-end bonus during the Chinese New Year.
If you count it up, they have been working for almost a year now.
They are all very content and cherish this job, and they all listen carefully to the second boss's arrangements.
I also train constantly every day.
I heard that the escort agency is still training some people, and they are afraid that they will be squeezed out by those who come up later.
Now everyone knows that the real owner of the Water Escort Agency is the princess. The benefits and treatment provided by the princess are good, so who wouldn't want to work hard?
"Actually, I heard that just relying on a small boat to catch fish and help deliver goods along the river can now earn more than before. That's because there are more people coming and going there, and more people buying things. It's easier to sell the fish you catch and the goods you set up at the stall, and it's easier to make money."
"That's good."
Naturally, they also hope that the people who rowed the boat with them back then would be better.
Many of them were playmates they had played with in the water.
They were selected because they are good swimmers and can hold their breath underwater for a long time.
They all grew up in the water, and holding their breath while playing in the water is no problem for them.
Everyone was grateful to the host.
"In fact, our family was looked down upon by our relatives before, but now my parents feel proud when they talk about me. Relatives who used to stay away from us, even those from far away, have started to visit us."
"Then you are all still moving around."
The person who spoke smiled and said, "My parents don't care about these things. They say that we should live our own lives well and not fight for bread but for reputation. Besides, relatives don't want to care about these things."
In fact, these words also resonated with the people on the boat.
Yes, when their family was poor and they couldn’t get enough food to eat, they were indeed looked down upon.
Even when it comes to getting married, many families say this and that.
They themselves don't feel anything.
But when they see their parents begging others for their help and being looked down upon, they feel very uncomfortable.
When they become capable, their parents are respected by others and their parents are proud and smile, they feel that their efforts are valuable and meaningful.
Lin Youshen shared the same sentiment: "Two years ago, my mother fell ill, and my father went to seek out relatives who were better off, hoping to borrow some money to buy medicine. That was when I truly began to see things clearly."
"And then?"
"Later, we had no other choice. We had no money to buy medicine, so my father used folk remedies to treat my mother. But my mother still got sick. Her bones were a little weak and she couldn't stand the cold."
"Now everything is fine. They are planning to build a house and live on the shore. My mother can take good care of herself."
Everyone listened with a bitter taste in their mouths. "No wonder the last time we escorted the merchant caravan south, you bought nothing but some brown sugar."
Lin You smiled and said, "Brown sugar is good for your health. I couldn't bear to buy it before, but this time I'll buy some more for my mother to drink."
He felt really good about earning his own money to buy things for his parents.
Everyone was talking and laughing happily.
"This time when I go home, I can stay at home for another half a month."
"To be honest, if I stay here for too long and do nothing, I get anxious."
"That's right. I feel uneasy if I don't do anything."
"Fortunately, we will be back just in time for the busy spring plowing season, so we can go back and help."
“Once you buy the land, you can farm it.”
"We are used to growing potatoes and sweet potatoes over there now."
"There's also rapeseed and cotton. You can plant whatever you want. If you don't know how, the government will arrange for someone to teach you for free."
"Yes, many families now grow cotton and use the fresh cotton to make clothes and thick quilts, which is very warm."
"Fresh cotton is sold in the commercial street of Liuhe Village. People from the Northern Rong countries come here to buy cotton..."
“They also buy rapeseed oil from frying factories.”
“Who would have thought that something that looked like a flower could be used to produce oil?”
What everyone is talking about is the rapeseed oil mill.
When talking about the changes in their hometown, everyone is eager to go home.
Now that I have the ability, I feel more confident when I go home.
In the past, when they walked on the streets or went shopping, they were particularly concerned about the patched clothes on their bodies, for fear of being looked down upon.
In fact, at that time, they themselves were very inferior.
At that time, I couldn't speak well to outsiders.
Now that I have practiced it, I am probably more confident and willing to talk.
When talking about their family's difficult financial situation in the past, they can all smile and are not afraid to talk about it.
Because it's all in the past, as long as they work hard, their lives will get better and better.
…
After more than half a month, the ship arrived at the Yunzhou area in the north, which is Beiliu Town.
As soon as they arrived at Beiliu Town, they looked at the wide and bustling pier and smiled excitedly.
"We're home."
"Yes, yes, we're home."
Lin Chi was surprised when he saw the dock. "Has the dock become so big and so bustling?"
So many big ships are moored at the pier.
Han Yunzheng explained, "You didn't come back before, so you didn't know that our dock has been renovated and is now spacious. Otherwise, those merchant ships would have nowhere to dock."
Lin Chi nodded, "I see."
“There are so many stalls at the pier!”
There are many stalls and many people visiting.
Moreover, many people shopping were wearing coarse linen clothes, but most of them were not patched.
I remember that although there were many people here, they were all people who worked nearby or came from the town to visit.
There are very few farmers.
But if you look closely, you can see that many of them are farmers.
Han Yunzheng said: "Our county magistrate encourages everyone to set up stalls and encourages everyone to do some small business in farming."
"It's mainly because there are many merchants coming here, and many people from other countries are coming here, buying a lot of things, so there are more stalls set up."
"Many women with good hands can embroider handkerchiefs and people will buy them. They don't have to send them to embroidery shops for consignment and have to pay a portion of the money."
"Some people are good at making handmade toys, such as bamboo dragonflies and small wooden carriages, and quite a few people bought them."
When I set up a stall here to sell these things before, there weren’t that many people buying them.
Lin Chi looked carefully and found that there were indeed many foreigners dressed in strange clothes.
"Can they understand what they are saying?"
Han Yunzheng laughed and said, "At first, everyone was talking in a jumble of words and couldn't understand what they were saying, but every time their caravan came here, they would bring someone who could speak our language and translate for us."
"So don't worry about that."
“Also, the prices in the shops here have doubled.”
"And the houses in your village and the shops on the commercial street have also doubled."
"It's a pity that everyone can't buy anything now. Those shops belong to the princess, but the princess hasn't raised the rent, so everyone is racking their brains to rent a shop there."
"But no matter how lively it is, no one dares to cause trouble."
"Those Cao Guang and the others in the commercial street were assigned to patrol there by the princess. They've now formed a team responsible for patrolling and maintaining public order. It's called the Security Team. I think the princess wrote to the steward to arrange it..."
Han Yunzheng knew a lot of information and told it to Lin Chi.
They looked at the fields from afar and saw many people busy with spring plowing.
Lin Chi was eager to go home.
I wish I could get off the boat right away.
However, there was a bit of traffic at the dock, and they had to wait a while before finding a place to stop.
Han Yunzheng said helplessly: "Before, when I came back, the boat could dock anywhere and there was always space. Now I have to queue up to dock the boat."
"Fortunately, my father told me that the county magistrate is planning to expand the dock, otherwise the boats won't be able to dock."
"Find someone to dig and repair the ditch over there. It can also be a dock."
The people on the boat were also very excited, "We are home. We used to row boats and fish here."
"Yes, that's right. Back then, when it wasn't cold, we played in the water."
"At that time, we caught fish to sell outside. Sometimes, if we couldn't sell any, we would dry some of the fish ourselves and hang them on the boat."
"I've had enough of eating dried fish every day."
"Haha, I still miss the taste of what my mother made. The last time I went home, she made some for me to eat with my dry food while I was on the boat."
In fact, people don’t miss the taste of the food, but probably the feeling of missing home.
They grew up here and they will miss home when they go out.
Sometimes when I take a piece of food made by my parents and eat it, I feel as if my family is around me.
I would think about how my mother got up early in the morning to prepare food and what she repeatedly reminded them before they went out.
Just thinking about it makes me feel warm and motivated to do anything.
"Niu Xiaoliu, look quickly, isn't that your mother?"
Someone was looking at the dock and suddenly recognized a person and pointed him out to Niu Xiaoliu.
Niu Xiaoliu took one look and said excitedly, "Yes, yes, it's my mother, it's my mother."
His mother was wearing a thick cotton coat and carrying a basket as she walked around the dock, bargaining with someone at a stall.
"My mother must know that I'm coming back, so she's going to buy some more food to make me delicious food."
Niu Xiaoliu said this with a smile on his face.
Han Yunzheng looked at the expressions of the people in his water escort agency and felt a sense of accomplishment.
He was actually happy that he could connect everyone through the escort agency and help them make money.
He still remembered that when he first came here to select some people with good swimming skills, none of them had good clothes.
The thin patched clothes in winter made them shiver and they were very thin.
Now everyone's body has recovered. With enough food and exercise, they are all much stronger.
Some of the thin ones have grown taller.
Han Yunzheng felt warm in his heart as he thought about these changes.
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