Chapter 253 The Village Rules Set by Li Shiyue!
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Li Shiyue looked at the men below who had started arguing, but she didn't feel much. She had already understood this long ago.
There are as many kinds of people as there are people in this world.
Some people are hardworking and willing to make sacrifices; others love to take advantage of others and are used to cheating and shirking their responsibilities.
Among these many people, some are honest and obedient, while others are lively and eloquent.
That's just how it is; there are all kinds of people in the world.
Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, which is perfectly normal.
Li Shiyue sees himself as a leader. As a leader, what you should do is discover the strengths of these people, leverage their strengths and avoid their weaknesses, let them play their best role in their proper positions, and give them the benefits they want. Then you can do what you want to do well, right?
So, Li Shiyue gave Li Wangshui a look, and Li Wangshui, receiving Li Shiyue's look, stood up, turned around, and shouted at the few wailing men.
"What's all the noise about? Just listen to what October has to say!"
Seeing that the men had quieted down, Li Shiyue glanced around and began to explain the paper.
"Before the beginning of spring, the charcoal yard and the inns where traveling merchants stayed were the biggest businesses in our village."
This trade fair will be over in about ten days, and then everyone can just wait for the New Year.
But since I'm just idling at home anyway, I ordered about twenty sheep from the Turks. I'll have Uncle Wangshui help you build a simple sheep pen at the foot of the mountain behind the village.
Spring is here, the ground has thawed, then we'll build a proper shed.
As Li Shiyue finished speaking, someone looked at her as if they wanted to say something. Li Shiyue simply raised her hand and gestured for them to wait until she finished speaking.
"People can't live without eating meat. Aunt Sun's (Erdan's mother) rabbit farm is doing well, so we should expand it again next year."
If any of you women are willing to work at Aunt Sun's rabbit farm, go and ask her if she wants you.
As you've all seen, rabbit skins can be sold, and skinned rabbits dried in the wind can also be sold. In our village, if anyone wants to eat rabbit, they can just ask Auntie to buy some.
As for the sheep I bought?
If anyone is willing to work in the sheep pen, they should go and talk to my mother. The income from the sheep pen is enough to cover the wages.
I bought this sheep, but not just to eat its meat. I've found a way to try knitting sweaters with its wool.
If the experiment proves successful, this could become a business, a business where you can earn money from home.
Moreover, knitting is a job that both men and women can do, especially since it gets cold early here. The charcoal yard doesn't need many people, so the men who have nothing to do at home can learn to knit and earn some extra money.
As soon as Li Shiyue said this, many people started whispering among themselves. Didn't they think it was better to lie on a warm kang (heated brick bed) in the dead of winter?
Why do we have to find some work for people to do?
There were also those who wanted to earn more money and live a better life, so someone shouted from below: "October, what kind of sweater can we knit with our rough hands? Don't ruin that good stuff."
Don't worry, it will work.
If this business goes well, you can expect to make a fortune.
"October, then what about this tofu shop?"
Li Shiyue nodded and took over the conversation: "Boat rowing, blacksmithing, and tofu grinding are indeed three major arduous jobs."
But the tofu shop still has to be opened.
Next spring, I hope we can reclaim more wasteland. No amount of money can compare to the value of grain!
We don't have to pay taxes for the first three years of land reclamation. There are still two years left, so we can reclaim as much land as possible.
Plant soybeans first, and if there's extra capacity, plant some hemp. The paper mill can also start operations after spring planting, and the need for hemp will only increase.
Once the beans are planted, the tofu shop can be opened.
I have a way to not only make tofu, but also to make other foods that can be stored for a long time.
If our tofu shop does well, it's possible that we can open a shop in the county or even the prefectural city in the future.
As for the hardship of grinding tofu, I know that. I also made an order with the Turks for livestock: three cows, five mules, and two horses.
If any family wants to start a tofu business in the future, they should discuss it with my mother and I will teach them.
Those of you with money can buy these large animals, and those who don't have enough can rent them; they can be used by you.
Families with many children and grandchildren have come to terms with this.
Families with many members are never afraid of putting in physical labor; what they fear is having no work to do and not needing anyone to exert themselves, or putting in physical labor but not getting any results.
As long as you can have enough to eat, earn some money, get some cloth to make you a dress, and save up enough to hire a wife, that's the best life ever.
"Alright, you should all go back and think carefully about what I said. The whole family should get together and ponder it over."
"If you have any ideas, either go talk to Uncle Wangshui, or find my mother. If you want to go to the rabbit farm, just go find Aunt Sun."
Erdan's mother, whose name was called by Li Shiyue, said "Ai" and looked at Li Shiyue. "Auntie, you can take a look and see. If there is a suitable person, you can decide to keep him."
"Hey, don't worry about October, I'll make sure to select the right people!"
"The second thing I want to talk about is this new clan rule!"
The two sisters, Li Qiutian and Li Xiatian, stood up again and took out a stack of papers that they had copied in advance, distributing them to everyone one by one.
Jiang Huai also received a copy. He stared intently at the top of the paper, where slightly larger characters were written: "Liujiatun Clan Rules, First Edition".
"Article 1: Regardless of gender, all children over the age of five must attend school. Those who do not attend school will have their parents punished!"
Article Two: If any member of the village passes the imperial examination, they will receive a stipend for it. If any member passes with the highest degree (e.g., Xiucai or Juren), their name will be recorded in the village's honor roll!
Jiang Huai was already quite shocked just by focusing on these two points.
You should know that the Chiang family's school of thought and clan rules were left behind by the Chiang family ancestors after many years of living and multiplying in Andong.
But how long have Li Shiyue and his group been in Andong?
Less than a year!
Jiang Huai continued reading: "Article 3: If anyone gambles or solicits prostitutes, the gambler will have one hand cut off, and the solicitor will have one leg cut off!"
Article 4: Anyone found guilty of theft or adultery shall be punished according to the severity of the offense, ranging from twenty strokes of the cane and three months of kneeling in the ancestral hall to having both legs broken!
Just looking at these two sentences, Jiang Huai stared wide-eyed at Li Shiyue sitting at the head of the table, knowing that the punishment Li Shiyue had decided was indeed quite severe.
Although compared to those crimes, this punishment is not particularly severe.
However, to be fair, the punishment was actually a bit too severe. For example, in the Jiang family, those who gambled would at most be whipped thirty times and forced to kneel in the ancestral hall.
But when Jiang Huai looked further down, he was startled by the fifth village rule written by Li Shiyue!
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