In the evening, the sun was still hanging in the west, bright red.
Tomorrow will be another sunny day.
After eating and drinking his fill, Li Sheng officially left work with four steamed buns and eight copper coins in his pocket.
In the southeast corner of the shanty town, there was a makeshift market, specially designated by the owner.
Small vendors from around the capital gradually gathered here, making the market more and more lively.
These small vendors would go from street to street doing business in the capital or in the towns and villages near the capital during the day.
In the afternoon, they carried their loads to the shack market.
The refugees gathered outside the South City Gate today are no longer the same as they were in the past. They are no longer the people everyone dislikes.
The vendors all knew that these migrant workers who worked as laborers had money.
With an income of ten copper coins a day, I could earn three hundred coins a month, and two meals were provided.
Such treatment has attracted many local people, and they all want to work on the construction site.
But the work on the construction site was too hard and tiring, requiring us to get up before dawn every day. Most people couldn't handle that kind of hardship.
Some locals worked on the construction site for two days and then left in disgrace.
Fortunately, I can't do hard labor, but I can do technical work.
Most of the craftsmen on the construction site were locals, and their wages were excellent. They could earn at least one or two taels of silver a month, which attracted the envy of many people.
Li Sheng walked in the market, which was crowded with people, and rubbed his magic sword in his hands.
Even if you don't buy anything, it's nice to go to the market and join in the fun.
This is also the time when young girls and wives come out in full force.
They put on their best clothes, washed their faces with clean water, braided their hair into pigtails, and chattered together.
When a young and strong unmarried young man coming back from work passes by, they will look at him boldly.
This market has become a place for refugees to get together.
The boys blushed and felt very proud when the girls looked at them.
In the refugee slums, those who can work are obviously superior to others in terms of psychology, material and status.
Li Sheng is a rough man and is not favored by the young ladies, but he doesn't care.
He has a wife and children, and he is waiting for his family to be reunited.
He had eight copper coins in his hand and he planned to buy himself a pair of sturdy straw sandals.
He was barefoot and hadn't worn shoes for a long, long time.
After he has the shoes, he plans to save some more money and buy two ready-made clothes.
He had inquired about it a long time ago, and the straw sandals sold at the market were made of rich materials and were sturdy, just like the ones sold by Old Man Li.
Old man Li was also a refugee. He had no strong labor force at home, but he had the skills to make straw sandals and also could build furniture.
After the market opened, Old Man Li started making straw sandals and selling them, and his business was pretty good.
Selling straw sandals alone is enough to support the family and still have some money left over.
It’s a pity that none of the refugees have decent belongings, so his carpentry skills are of no use.
Li Sheng bought a pair of straw sandals for five copper coins.
Before leaving, he suddenly said, "I heard the landlord is selling the house. You can buy it room by room, and you can pay off the house in three or five years. I heard that many people are planning to buy houses at the construction site to the west. Then you can help them build furniture."
This was the first time Old Man Li had heard this news. "Really?"
"Of course it's true. There's no way such a thing could be fake."
"How much?"
Old man Li has saved some money by selling straw sandals in the past few months and is interested in buying a house.
Li Sheng said, "I heard that a main house costs eight taels of silver. If paid off in three years, it will be nine taels, and if paid off in five years, it will be ten taels. The wing rooms are only six taels... There are also small second floors, and you can buy them upstairs and downstairs. There are also single-room houses in a row, but they don't have wells, toilets, or kitchens."
Old Man Li took this to heart and said, "Thank you! I didn't know about this."
Li Sheng asked curiously, "Are you going to buy a house? Aren't you going back to your hometown?"
Old man Li shook his head. "Why go back to my hometown? I can't support my family there. Beijing is good. As long as the family is together, it doesn't matter where we are."
Li Sheng kept his head down for a while before he said, "I also heard that if you buy a house, you can settle down in the capital. You can also open up wasteland and farm in the future."
"This is a good thing!" Old man Li said happily.
Li Sheng nodded, it was indeed a good thing.
If his family were around, he would definitely save money to buy a house. No matter if it takes three or five years, he would always have his own home.
Go back to hometown?
Li Sheng also thought about it.
But I have lost everything in my hometown. In order to survive, I sold houses and land, and even sold my children.
What could I do if I went back? I would be a tenant farmer for a wealthy family, eating bran and drinking porridge all year round. Not only could I not eat meat, I couldn't even dream of having enough to eat.
Thinking about it this way, it’s not bad to stay in the capital.
He felt in his pocket and found three copper coins.
He wants to save money.
He wants to save money to buy a house.
Even if it's just one room, it's better than a shack.
Maybe one day he will find his family, and he can proudly move into a new house with his family and give them a roof over their heads.
…
Wang Jiangen returned to his shack and hesitated when entering.
The surroundings seemed different.
After a closer look, I finally realized the difference was due to the nearby garbage dump being gone. The remaining stench was nothing compared to before.
He heard in the morning that the employer was recruiting workers to clean the alleys, feces and garbage.
I didn’t expect the results to be so significant on the first day.
Come to think of it, the way back was indeed cleaner than before.
He walked into the house, but the so-called door was just a fragile wooden board.
"I'm back."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw two steamed buns placed on the wooden board that served as a dining table.
It smells very fresh.
"I'm back! These two steamed buns were brought back by Ergen."
Wang Lianshi smiled more, "Ergen was selected, and he will get four steamed buns and three copper coins every day."
Ergen was standing aside, looking excited but keeping silent.
Wang Jiangen was overjoyed when he heard this. "Ergen was selected. This is great! Mom, how about I go buy some wine and food to celebrate for Ergen?"
"No, no. Steamed buns are enough." Wang Lian waved her hands repeatedly.
Ergen laughed.
He was very satisfied with his elder brother's praise.
Now he can also earn money and is no longer a freeloader.
Wang Jiangen brought back four steamed buns and placed them on a wooden board. Together with the ones Wang Jiangen brought back, there were six in total, enough for his mother and his brothers and sisters to eat until tomorrow afternoon.
This way, no one will go hungry, which is great!
"Ergen, come with me to fetch water."
Ergen jumped off the bed, carrying a smaller wooden barrel and followed Wang Jiangen out.
The two brothers walked one after the other to a well three or four miles away.
Regardless of age, gender, or both, everyone lined up to fetch water.
These refugees did not realize that it only took two months for them to go from chaos and disorder to develop the habit of queuing.
Before the boss builds the house, who knows how to queue up?
They were all stolen.
The strong and powerful bully the old and weak.
Families with more people bully families with fewer people.
Those with more sons bully those with fewer sons.
Men bully women, and strong women bully young wives and girls...
The shacks housing tens of thousands of refugees are like a cruel jungle society.
Faced with all this, no one thought there was anything wrong.
Because this is how they have been living since the first day they fled famine.
Only by running and robbing all the way can you reach the capital alive.
All this changed until the boss sent people over and started recruiting workers from among the refugees.
There is no need for preaching, the guards will use the sticks in their hands to make everyone learn to line up on their own.
This well was also dug at the boss's expense.
Before there were wells, everyone went to the river to fetch water to drink.
It’s just that the river water is too dirty. I often get stomachaches after drinking it.
After having well water, everyone no longer had stomachaches.
At the beginning, guards were needed to hold sticks to maintain the team.
Now everyone lines up voluntarily, and the guards no longer need to show up.
The two Wang brothers placed the buckets in the middle of the team and then found a stone block to sit on.
Wang Jiangen asked Ergen, "Are you tired from working?"
Ergen's face was tanned and oily. "I'm not tired. I just don't have any broth to drink."
Wang Jiangen laughed and said, "Work hard. If you perform well, your employer will give us priority when they recruit in the future."
"Is the boss still hiring workers?" Ergen was shocked.
Wang Jiangen worked on the construction site for two months, learning a lot from what he saw and heard.
"This is just the beginning. I heard that in the future all the shacks will be demolished and new houses will be built here. Lots and lots of houses."
"If the shack is demolished, where will we live?" Ergen panicked.
Wang Ergen laughed and said, "Don't worry, we'll buy a new house."
Ergen was completely dumbfounded.
You can’t even afford to eat, but you can still buy a house.
He was completely dazed, and even after returning to the shack, he still hadn't come to his senses.
"Mom, there's something I want to discuss with you."
Hearing this, Ergen immediately perked up. "Brother, are you going to discuss buying a house?"
"What's up?"
Wang Lianshi didn't notice anything.
Wang Jiangen licked his lips, feeling a little nervous.
"After work, I went to Aunt Hu's house. Aunt Hu agreed to marry Juanzi to me."
Upon hearing this, Wang Lian burst into tears of joy.
The eldest brother is finally getting married.
She wiped her tears and said, "Then we have to build another shack."
Wang Jiangen shook his head, "No need to build a shack."
Wang Lianshi's face turned pale when she heard this. "If you don't build a shack, are you planning to marry into my family?"
Wang Jiangen is the strong laborer in the family. How will the whole family survive after he marries into the family?
Wang Lianshi trembled all over, but she couldn't say anything to stop Wang Jiangen from getting married.
Kinuko's family didn't mind that they were poor, so how could she be picky?
Since his son missed Juanzi, it would be difficult for him to find another girl who is willing to marry into their family.
Wang Jiangen said: "I'm not marrying into the family, I'm planning to buy a house."
"Buy a house?" Wang Lian was confused.
Wang Jiangen nodded heavily. "Yes, it's about buying a house. The houses built by the landlord can be bought one by one, and the payment can be paid off in three or five years. Aunt Hu said that as long as I buy a house, she will marry Juanzi to me. You can give any betrothal gift you want."
"Hey, hey, can we afford this?" Wang Lian came to her senses. She had been worrying about food, and now she was talking about buying a house.
Wang Jiangen said, "I earn three hundred coins a month, which means I can save three and a half taels of silver a year. The two houses can be paid off in five years, which is sixteen taels in total. My wages are just enough to buy the houses."
In two years, Ergen will be able to work as a laborer on the construction site and earn three or four hundred coins a month. Half of Ergen's wages will be saved for him, and the other half will be used to supplement the family expenses. This way, the family can get by. When Juanzi marries, she will also be able to earn money every month."
Wang Lian's mind was like a paste. "Yes, it will take five years to buy a house. Can Juanzi wait for five years?"
Wang Jiangen laughed. "Mom, that's not how you calculate it. Pay 500 wen first, and you can move into the new house. The remaining payment will be paid a little each month for the next five years."
"Is there such a good thing?"
Wang Jiangen nodded heavily, "The owner is kind and gave us a chance to settle down here."
"Then, if I don't have a job in the future, where will I earn money to pay back my employer?"
Wang Lian was worried to death.
Wang Jiangen said, "Even if there's no work on the construction site, there's still work in the workshop. I heard the boss wants to build a workshop here and needs a lot of people. Maybe next time they recruit workers, Mom will be chosen."
Wang Lian was speechless. "How can the boss be so rich? He's already employed several thousand people, and he's still looking for more workers?"
"We need to recruit at least tens of thousands of people. Every household will be able to work and earn money to support their family. Once the shacks are demolished and houses are built, this place will become a big town. If they don't work, they can still do some small business."
Wang Lian looked at her eldest son and asked, "Have you thought about it? Do you really want to buy a house?"
Wang Jiangen nodded heavily, "Let's buy two houses this time. When Ergen gets married, we'll buy two more houses. Then our family will settle down in the capital."
The thought of leaving the filthy shack, living in a new house, and settling down in the capital made Ergen excited. "Brother, I'll give you all my wages. I earn ninety coins a month."
Wang Jiangen laughed and said, "Give your wages to mom and save a little to buy two cotton-padded clothes and two quilts by the end of the year."
Wang Lian nodded repeatedly, "Your elder brother is right. The capital is cold in winter, so we need to save money to buy two more quilts."
They were lucky enough not to have frozen to death last winter.
Everyone was excited about buying a house.
…
Early in the morning, Gu Jiu took a carriage to the Shaofu Yamen.
After being informed, she was invited into the signing room.
"Meet the ancestors!"
Gu Jiu bowed.
The Shaofu family official laughed and said, "Don't be so polite. You are a double now, take care of yourself."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Thank you for your understanding, ancestor."
"Are you okay with your pregnancy? I haven't seen you go out since the beginning of the year. How come you have time to come to my place today?"
Gu Jiu pursed his lips and smiled, "I came here today just to have tea with the old ancestor."
"Haha... I'm glad you asked me out for tea. But just drinking tea isn't enough. Tell me, do you have any new ideas? I'm really looking forward to it."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Sure enough, I can't hide it from the old ancestor. Here are two loan agreements, please take a look."
Huh?
The Shaofu household steward was very surprised.
He didn't ask in a hurry, but picked up the loan agreement on the table and started to look through it.
Gu Jiu sat aside and kept quiet.
It took the time of a cup of tea for the Shaofu Household Director to finish reading the loan agreement.
He shook his head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "Xiao Jiu, you're really calculating. You borrowed money from the Shaofu to build the house, and now you need to borrow money from the Shaofu to sell it. You're just using the Shaofu's money to make money outside and earn a lot of money."
Gu Jiu smiled faintly and retorted, "Old Ancestor, this is unfair. Look at my price. Six taels of silver per room. This price is basically losing money.
I paid for the resettlement of refugees and resolved security issues around the capital, which was equivalent to solving a huge hidden danger for Your Majesty and the court.
This is an invaluable contribution, and it benefits both the country and the people. Since it benefits both the country and the people, shouldn’t the Shaofu support it? "
Was the Shaofu Housekeeper fooled by Gu Jiu? Of course not.
He said with a smile, "I'm here to settle accounts with you. I'll sell you the land outside the South City Gate at the low price of six taels per mu."
Including labor, materials, and food expenses, the cost of turning an acre of land into a house will not exceed one hundred taels.
I've read your plan and it says you need to build sixty houses per acre. If you have two stories, the price will have to be doubled. If you calculate one house at six taels, you can sell one acre of land for three hundred and sixty taels.
After deducting the cost, there would still be at least 260 taels left. Furthermore, the price of the small second floor would double. With this calculation, the profit per mu of land would be more than 360 taels.
With such high profits, you can still say you're losing money. Xiaojiu, you should be honest in doing business."
Gu Jiu: MMP, how come everyone has become so shrewd? They're not as easy to fool as before.
Will she give in?
Of course not.
She coughed lightly and said, "The old ancestor underestimated the taxes and the interest on the loan to the Shaofu. Streets, sewers, wells, and clearing garbage and forests all cost extra money, and they weren't included either."
Adding it all up, the cost of building a house on one acre of land is more than one hundred taels, at least one hundred and seventy or eighty taels.
That little profit has to be distributed to all shareholders. In the end, the only money that actually falls into my hands is only a few dozen taels per mu of land, which is not enough to make money from farming.
The corners of the Shaofu's mouth twitched, and Gu Jiu was crying poor again.
The profit is only a few dozen taels, it’s all fake.
The housing prices in the first phase of the Nanchengmenwai project are indeed very low, but there are too many houses.
The Shaofu Household Officer had personally visited the construction site, and at first glance, he saw that it was densely packed with newly built houses.
With so many houses sold, covering an area of thousands of acres, Gu Jiu alone could make at least hundreds of thousands of taels of profit.
There will be a second phase project, a third phase project, and a fourth phase project in the future...
The further back you go, the higher the housing prices become, but the construction costs haven't increased much.
At that time, money will flow into Gu Jiu's pocket like water.
The Shaofu deals specifically with money.
In the past, I lacked experience and didn’t understand the ins and outs of this matter, so I was fooled by Gu Jiu and almost lost my way.
Since cooperating with Gu Jiu, all the officials in the Shaofu Yamen have come to their senses and know how to settle the account.
The Shaofu Housekeeper rubbed his brows and said earnestly, "Xiaojiu, how dare you say you're poor in front of me? I'm the one who's truly poor!"
Gu Jiu pursed his lips and smiled, "The profits outside the South City Gate are nothing compared to Yuhua Alley. Such a small profit requires ten times more effort and ten times more staff than Yuhua Alley. Why should I do such a thankless task?"
Of course, it was to relieve His Majesty and the court of their worries and to settle these refugees as quickly as possible. The original intention of the establishment of the Shaofu Bank was to serve the people's livelihood and the country.
"Resettling refugees is a great achievement for generations to come. Providing them with a roof over their heads is the duty of the Shaofu. And this isn't an interest-free loan. Doesn't it have interest?"
The Shaofu's housekeeper was very upset. "The interest is one tael for three years, and only two taels for five years. Is this called interest? The Shaofu also needs to make money to eat."
Gu Jiu chuckled softly and said, "I'm the one who makes money and eats, as are other merchants. The interest I pay to your Shaofu every year is hundreds of thousands of taels.
However, lending money to ordinary people is to solve people's livelihood problems. "Old Ancestor, this is an opportunity to show your merit in front of His Majesty. Are you sure you want to refuse me?"
The Shaofu household official looked hesitant.
Seeing this, Gu Jiu continued his efforts and added more firewood.
She said: "When the refugees move into the new houses and set an example, will the ordinary people in the capital, who have hundreds of thousands of yuan and a family of seven or eight people squeezed into one room, be tempted to buy a house?
Did my ancestors think I built houses just to accommodate refugees? Wrong!
The reason I chose the cheap housing outside the South City Gate was mainly to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of ordinary people in Beijing who needed housing. They are my main customers.
My ancestor, think about this for yourself. Ensuring that hundreds of thousands of ordinary people have a roof over their heads and a place to live—isn't this a move that will benefit the present and future generations? Isn't this a golden opportunity to boast about your achievements in front of Your Majesty?
As long as the ancestor agrees that the Shaofu will lend money to these common people at a low interest rate to buy houses, the credit will be yours, and no one can take it away from you.
With such achievements, our ancestors will be recorded in history books of later generations. Our ancestors will be famous through the ages and become the most dazzling figure among the civil and military officials during the Kaiyao era. "Do you really want to give up such an honor?"
The Shaofu's breathing became heavy and his eyes lit up.
At his age, what does he want? Nothing more than a good reputation before and after his death.
What an honor it is that future generations will write his biography in history books.
In the three hundred years of history of the previous dynasty, only more than one hundred people had biographies written about them.
He subconsciously asked, "Does this old man really have a chance of being written into a biography by future generations?"
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