The Liu family is recruiting workers.
Helping to reclaim wasteland in sandy fields, excluding food and lodging, four hours a day, two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon, 30 cents a day.
Liu Mang helped to register and select people, and then he was responsible for supervision together with Lao Xutou Liu Shihu.
It takes one day of trial work. Since it is work, of course we have to choose people who can work and will not be lazy or cunning. If they cannot pass the one-day trial work, they will be paid and not allowed to come the next day, and they will never be hired again.
Reclaiming sandy fields mainly involves weeding and removing rocks. Liu Yuhan plans to plant the first batch of sweet potatoes and potatoes on these 60 mu after the beginning of spring.
30 wen a day. Families with more people in the village would leave one or two at home to work on their own fields, and the rest would go to the Liu family to open up wasteland. This was nearly one or two taels of silver a month! It was not common.
Even people from five local families in Fulai Village came to try out the work.
80 people applied for the job this morning, most of them were villagers. We told them the location and time of work, and what tools they needed. If they didn't have the tools, they should tell us in advance and the employer would prepare them. The wages will be settled every two weeks, and a small amount of compensation will be given for tool depreciation.
Near noon, Liu Yuhan and his parents had arrived in Changle County.
They needed to buy cattle and some tools, including the hoes Liu Yuhan had left behind in the space, as well as the nearly 50 hoes and 40 machetes they had gathered. It was always good to buy more.
There are two types of plows: wooden plows and iron plows, and their prices vary. Of course, iron plows are more durable and can dig the ground easier and deeper, but iron products are very expensive.
An iron plow cost four taels, while a wooden plow only cost 500 wen. After they discussed it, they ordered five iron plows, taking two of them first and the rest seven days later.
They bought three more wooden plows, all ready for use. The total cost was 21 taels, 500 wen. They paid 13 taels upfront, then used the remaining three iron plows to pay the balance. Liu Yuhan put the tools away in a space where no one was around.
Cows were the most important laborers and helpers in ancient times. Cows could not be slaughtered casually in ancient times, and their circulation had to have a source.
In ancient times, buying cattle required a certificate to strengthen cattle management and prevent them from being bought and sold or circulated in an unregulated manner. "Anyone who steals a horse will be put to death," and "Anyone who steals a cow will be shackled." Cattle thieves were sentenced to prison.
Liu Yuhan and the other two went directly to the county government office to see the county magistrate, Mr. Zhu. Mr. Zhu didn't expect them to act so quickly, buying the land yesterday and buying farming tools today.
Liu Yuhan's family wanted to buy five cows. Normally, a household was not allowed to buy so many cows, but who could blame them for being special? County Magistrate Zhu issued them five certificates, and after buying the cows, they had to go back to the county government office to sign a contract.
Sold cattle were registered at the county government office and had their own identity cards, known as "cattle registrations," which recorded the cattle's coat color, sex, markings, age, and body measurements. Cattle that died of illness also had to be reported, as did newborns.
The person selling the cattle also has a contract, and they have to sign it and take it back to the county government office to re-register.
When Magistrate Zhu learned that they had hired someone to reclaim the wasteland, he asked if they had enough tools. The father and daughter said they didn't, so the magistrate gave them an IOU for tools, which they could use to go to the bailiff to collect 30 hoes and five plows.
Liu Yuhan and his parents came to the cattle and horse market and saw families selling cattle in groups of three or four.
There was an old man who kept stroking the cow's head. The cow's hair was black, shiny, and very clean, and it was obvious that it was well cared for. There was also a calf lying on the ground next to the strong cow. Several people discussed and decided to choose this family first.
"This is an old friend of mine who has been with me for many years. If my family wasn't in urgent need of money, I wouldn't be willing to sell it. I still have a calf at home, so I'll sell this one too. I'll sell it at the market price. The ox is in its prime, so I'll sell it for eight taels of silver, and the calf for three taels of silver. What do you think?"
"Would you two like to buy some more cows? Take a look at mine. If you buy two together, they'll sell for a lower price. I'm going to live with my daughter somewhere else..."
"My two guests, please look at this cow. It's a mature cow, very capable at work... If you buy this cow, I'll give it to you as well."
Liu Shinan carefully examined each cow, looking at its coat color, eyes, mouth, nose, legs, and even its butt.
Liu Yuhan...
Liu...
In the end, we decided on five cows, four adult cows and a calf, and an ox cart.
The calf will grow into an adult in a year or so. The total cost was 34 taels.
The man who said he wanted to live outside with his daughter not only lowered his price, but also took the initiative to go to the county government office to bring him over. The people in the county government office checked the certificate issued by Liu Yuhan and others, and were relieved when they saw that it was signed by the county magistrate himself.
This family simply bought too many. I recorded the characteristics of each cow, wrote the contract, and then went back to the county government office with them. After the contract was stamped, the cattle could be moved.
The seller helped Liu Yuhan and her daughter lead the ox to the city gate, while Liu Shinan led the ox cart to the county government office to borrow tools.
The mother and daughter waited for Liu Shinan to come back. How could the three of them get back with a horse carriage, an ox cart, and four oxen?
Liu Shinan easily solved the problem that the mother and daughter were worried about. Liu Shinan found two people at the labor market at the city gate to help lead the cow back.
There were laborers at the city gate, all paid on a daily basis. There were people working both in the morning and at noon. If you were lucky in the morning, you could get a full day's work, and if you were lucky in the afternoon, you could get half a day's work.
The wages were usually 15 to 20 wen for half a day or two hours. Liu Shinan gave them 30 wen each to help lead the cattle to Fulai Village.
Liu Shinan asked the mother and daughter to drive the ox cart and horse carriage back first. Fortunately, Liu Yuhan had learned to drive a horse carriage from Liu Shinan. Although she was not very skilled, fortunately, the strong wind helped Liu Yuhan finally return home.
When Liu Shinan took the two men to lead the cow back home, it was getting dark. Liu Shinan paid the two men their wages.
"It's getting late, why don't you two brothers stay at my house for a night?"
"Thank you, brother. No need. We live in a village outside the county town. It doesn't matter."
"Wait a moment, Dad, please get a torch for them." Liu Yuhan said as he went into his room, closed the door, took out 6 cold steamed buns from the space, and took two water bags to the kitchen to fill them with hot water.
"Thank you for taking some food with you on the way. We're looking for people to open up wasteland in Shatin near the village. The salary is 30 wen a day, or 25 wen a day with food and lodging. If you or anyone in the village needs help, you can come and help. We'll pay you every 15th. Of course, we're looking for people who can work hard. We don't want those who cheat or take shortcuts."
"Oh, this is so nice. Let's tell the villagers, thank you very much, young lady."
Liu Daling and others surrounded the five cows and the pile of tools, touching and looking at them.
Liu Daling was very proud. He couldn't believe that owning a cow was something his family had never thought possible before, but now they had five cows.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com