"Zhao Cai, I got my salary today, would you like to go out for a drink together tonight?"
It was another afternoon, and the workers who had just finished their shift greeted Zhaocai with a smile.
Because he was smart and his family had sent him to a private school for two years, Zhaocai found a relatively easy job here and was responsible for statistical data every day.
Although I have to run around in the city, it is indeed much easier than those bricklayers, and I can also meet some well-mannered and elegant scholars.
Today is his 45th day in Bazhou City, and today is also the time to settle last month's salary.
Although I don’t understand why one month’s salary can only be settled in the middle of the next month, as long as the salary can be paid, it is a good thing.
On the day of salary payment, everyone was in high spirits, and some people even wore new clothes.
Others press their fingerprints when receiving their wages, but Zhaocai can write his own name.
At that moment, Zhaocai felt that the scholar in charge of paying salaries looked at him with a higher opinion. As for the group of people around him who were waiting to receive their salaries, they were even more astonished.
The moment he got his salary, he felt like this was paradise.
Not only can you eat well and dress warmly, but you can also make money.
Compared to the towns I've been to before, there are a lot fewer disgusting things here.
As long as you work hard, your life will change.
He has already inquired and found out that if he continues to work diligently for another five years, he will be able to pay the down payment for a house.
Then if he continues to work diligently for another 20 years, he will be able to pay off the loan.
So he can't spend money carelessly, he plans to save it.
At this time, someone nearby also laughed and refused, "When can we not drink? I heard there's an opera troupe performing today, it's going to be lively."
"Really? You can even watch opera here? I've loved watching operas since I was a kid. There's an opera troupe in our county, and the main actors there are so beautiful."
"He can eat his fill, sleep in a warm bed, and now he's getting paid. He can even go to the theater for free. Mom and Dad, do you see that? He's really living a good life!"
"Let's go together. Who says you can't drink while watching a play? I think this is a bad habit and must be corrected as soon as possible. We can have some drinks while watching the show!"
"What a great idea! I heard there's a place selling braised dishes next to the opera. We got our paycheck today, so let's splurge a bit!"
Zhaocai, who was just about to leave, became interested when he heard that there was a big show to watch.
I returned to the dormitory and found Erniu. I told her about watching a big show tonight and she happily agreed.
In a month and a half, with adequate nutrition, Erniu grew better than before.
She quietly took out an egg from her sleeve and stuffed it into Zhaocai's pocket, saying, "This is a reward from the manager for my good work today. Take it and use it to nourish yourself."
Zhaocai chuckled, took the eggs, and took Erniu's hand, saying, "When this place is rebuilt, I'll buy you some jewelry."
That night, a stage for the opera was set up in the city square, and it was surrounded by people in three layers inside and outside.
Lu Chen, who was sitting on the second floor drinking tea, watched the scene and couldn't help shaking his head and said, "Look, the people still have too few ways to entertain themselves. They can get so excited just by watching a play."
Mou Ping stood aside and nodded vigorously. After being with Lu Chen for a long time, Mou Ping had already figured out this gentleman's temper.
Many times, Lu Chen didn't need him to express any opinions, he just needed to be a listener.
Although he said that singing opera was just so-so and boring, Lu Chen actually watched it very seriously.
The reason is simple: he wrote this scene!
The content of the play is very simple. The male protagonist is a farmer who was bankrupted by famine, and the female protagonist is a bankrupt herdsman on the grassland.
No matter who you are, life will be very difficult if you go bankrupt.
After going through untold hardships, they all arrived in Bazhou City, wanting to start a new life. Then they met by chance and fell in love.
The first half of the play tells how miserable the lives of the two people are and how ugly the faces of those who exploit them are.
The second half explains how they came to Bazhou City and became rich through their hard work, and how their lives gradually got better.
In fact, it is a very old-fashioned routine, but the audience just enjoys watching it.
What Lu Chen didn't expect was that when some people saw that the male protagonist's family went bankrupt because they couldn't pay back their debts and his parents died of illness, many people shed tears.
How should I put it? The main point is empathy. Some people couldn't help but throw stones at the stage.
After the show was over and everyone left, many people were still discussing the plot with great interest.
Some people said that this was not some kind of opera at all, it was clearly the suffering they had experienced.
Some people also expressed their doubts as to why the woman was from the Liao and Jin dynasties. They heard that people from the Liao and Jin dynasties did not like to take baths, and they did not know whether they had a strong body odor.
So the question is, why choose a woman from Liao and Jin as the heroine? The reason is very simple. Lu Chen just wants to use this subtle way to tell the people that women from Liao and Jin can also help you pass on your family line. Brothers, do you want to consider it?
Through the data in his hands, Lu Chen came to a conclusion that the gender ratio in Bazhou City is unbalanced.
After all, it’s so cold, and not many women can walk here in the wind and snow.
This imbalance may not be a big deal now, but it may become a social problem over time.
No matter in which era or country, old bachelors are an unstable existence.
In fact, if we only consider the issues of continuation of the family line and social stability, women from Liao and Jin dynasties are also acceptable.
What's more important is that it is not difficult to obtain Liao and Jin women. If the two sides resume trade in the future, it is not impossible to save money and buy a Liao and Jin woman as a wife.
Yes, even if Liao and Jin launched a war, Lu Chen was still willing to do business with this group of people.
Who does he exploit and who does he reap if he doesn't do business? He ignores the fact that the backbone of a nation cannot be defeated by iron and blood.
What can really bring a nation down is precisely those sugar-coated bullets.
Moreover, after the opening of trade, people from Liao and Jin could also come and visit Bazhou City. The Liao and Jin people did not insist on girls staying at home. If they saw these dramas, how could they not feel any waves in their hearts?
"My actions, at best, maintain a balanced gender ratio in the region, and at best, promote ethnic integration. I can't wait to see how future historians will evaluate me."
Just as he was thinking about whether to have a drink to celebrate this genius idea, Mou Ping came over and said, "State Master, there's a man outside who claims to be the son of the chief of a Liaojin tribe. He wants to meet you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
