Chapter 2540 Workshop
"The rent isn't cheap either, ranging from two thousand to eight thousand coins a month, depending on the location and size of the house," he said. "I'm not bragging, but not many scholars can afford to rent a courtyard in Changqing Lane. Furthermore, studying isn't something that can be done overnight; it could take two, three, or even seven or eight years. Just think about the cost of rent alone."
Bai Erlang said, "That's why it's not easy to live in the capital."
Bai Shan nodded. "That's right. Many students who come here to study, as well as scholars who come to the capital every year to take the imperial examinations, often squeeze into some guesthouses and small inns in the outer city. They need five or six people to share a room, and even a bunk bed like that costs around 600 wen a month. It's really better to rent a separate house with a yard in the Yongzhou area."
Wei Yu was stunned and asked, "How do you know so clearly?"
Bai Shan said quietly, "When we first came to the capital, we also felt that the courtyard in Changqing Lane was too expensive." So we thought about moving out and secretly went out to inquire about it. In the end, we settled down in Changqing Lane. Later, because of our classmates in the Imperial College, they would pay attention to the matters of renting a house in the capital.
Not to mention that Zhou Silang and Zhou Wulang had to rent houses for the returning caravans every year, and occasionally they would also help rent houses for students and business travelers from Mianzhou. Over time, they understood the situation.
If the road here is opened, it may only take about an hour to get from here to the academy in Wannian County. Many students will definitely choose to live here. Even if it takes two hours to go back and forth every day, they are willing to live more comfortably.
The basis of transactions is people. When more people come and go, the road comes alive, and the fiefdoms radiated by this road will naturally become more vibrant.
Bai Shan planned in his mind and continued to persuade Princess Mingda, "It doesn't have to be too elaborate, just use bricks and stones, make the room brighter, arrange a set of tables and benches in the courtyard, and plant a few fruit trees."
The main thing is that it is big enough. Scholars who have lived in those cramped houses will definitely like it. If the price is lower, I am afraid it will be even more popular. Bai Shan is very confident about this.
Mingda couldn't help but look at Bai Erlang.
Bai Jilang also nodded.
Mingda smiled and said, "Okay, I'll have someone build a few courtyards later."
Seeing that she agreed, Manbao turned to the old man beside him and said, "You haven't planted the rice seeds yet, right?"
The old man nodded blankly, and Manbao smiled and said, "Now we are leveling the fields, and each family should be able to spare a male to serve."
Old man: "...Village, village chief, we served before the New Year."
He said stubbornly, "We dug a ditch."
That was the service order that Zhou Lijun went to ask the magistrate of Liyang County to issue. There was a ditch that no one had passed through for many years. There was only a shallow layer of water every spring and summer. Before this area was Zhou Man's fiefdom, they were conscripted to work to maintain official roads and some large water conservancy projects. On the contrary, the small water conservancy projects in the countryside had never had time to rest. In the final analysis, there were too few people.
Manbao said: "It's just one labor service a year. Don't worry, we won't call you up again in winter."
The old man hesitated.
Manbao said, "I know you're worried about the farming season. Don't worry, even if the road isn't repaired before the rice seedlings grow, it won't delay the farming season. Nothing is bigger than farming."
When the old man heard her say this, he immediately gave her a thumbs up and said, "The village chief is very righteous." He is really knowledgeable.
What farmers fear most are officials who don’t know their job.
Manbao stood up and turned to Bai Shan and said, "The labor service still needs the order of the county magistrate. It's a good time to go talk to him."
Bai Shan nodded, lowered his head and said gently to the old man, "Old man, I'll trouble you to help explain a few things in the village. If this road is opened, you can send these vegetables, poultry and eggs to Yongzhou New City in the future. The things there are more expensive than at the market."
The old man nodded repeatedly.
The group walked around Zhou Man's fiefdom and went to see the Zhou family's workshop.
The Zhou family's workshop is more than 200 meters away from the village. It is an independent courtyard. At this moment, smoke is curling up from the kitchen and a faint medicinal aroma is wafting out.
Everyone knew that this workshop belonged to the village chief, so even the hooligans hanging around in the village didn't dare to come and mess with it.
This is the most satisfying career Zhou Lijun has ever had.
In the past, whether she rented a yard in the outer city to boil medicine or sold ointments and creams to ladies and girls, she had to spend some money to bribe people.
Also try your best to maintain good relations with your neighbors.
But on this piece of land, as long as her sister-in-law agrees, she has the greatest right to use it, well, within the scope of the law. After all, there is a county magistrate above her, and it is impossible for her to do anything illegal.
Here, she doesn't have to bother managing relationships, nor does she have to hate those hooligans while putting on a smile to deal with them, and she doesn't even have to bow down to her neighbors and hope that they won't do anything bad because they are jealous of her.
She located the workshop downwind, more than 200 meters away from the nearest house in the village. This not only ensured privacy, but also ensured that they would not be disturbed too much.
When Manbao and the others arrived, Zhou Lijun was checking the progress in the workshop with a handkerchief covering her mouth and nose. When she heard the servant report that her sister-in-law was coming with a large group of people, she immediately went out to greet them.
"Why are you here?" Manbao asked when he saw her, "Didn't you tell me you were pregnant and not to come here recently?"
Zhou Lijun smiled and said, "They said there was something wrong with the herbs they delivered today, so I came to take a look. Some of them were damp, so I came to return them."
Manbao wanted to take Mingda and Changyu to watch the fun, but didn't want Zhou Lijun to go in and be exposed to the medicinal fumes. Although these medicines are not very harmful to pregnant women, some of them do promote blood circulation. Even if you just smell them, you should be cautious.
So Zhou Lijun was asked to leave.
Bai Shan and the others were not interested in how to make facial cream, so they stood outside the workshop and talked.
Manbao led Mingda and Changyu in to see that medicinal herbs were being boiled in a large pot, while sheep fat was being boiled in another large pot. The refined sheep fat was placed in small basins in batches. After cooling slightly, it was taken to another room and mixed according to the dosage before it froze.
What finally came out was a large pot of medicinal cream, emitting a faint fragrance.
Manbao took them to see it. "I reduced the proportion of sheep oil, and the resulting cream is lighter. I feel it is better than the heavy oil one, but my sister-in-law and her family think the old one is better. So Lijun had two kinds of porcelain jars put in them. Although the price is the same, the proportions are different. I recommend the heavy oil one for older people, and this one for younger people. Do you want to try it?"
Mingda and Changyu nodded repeatedly.
Manbao said, "Before, Lijun wanted to make pills to sell, but she's pregnant now, so she has to put it on hold. But I bought a lot of medicinal herbs at home. When I have time, I'll make some and give you some. They're all commonly used pills, like digestion pills and qi-boosting pills."
See you at 6pm
(End of this chapter)
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