"Dockworkers, rickshaw pullers, coachmen, messengers, laborers, boatmen, latrine carriers, prostitutes, beggars..."
Li Changzhou flipped through the documents in his hand, learning about the living standards of these ordinary people.
Taking Bao Fu as an example, he earns an average of 30 cents a day, an average monthly income of 9 yuan, and an average working time of 6 hours.
You won't starve, but life is meaningless and hopeless. If you don't own a house locally, you'll have to rent for the rest of your life. Renting means sharing with others, crammed together with a group of people, and never having your own home.
The living conditions are also extremely poor; aside from the risk of fire, the unsanitary conditions could kill people at any time.
The current chaos of war and banditry has led to a large influx of people from outside the city leaving their ancestral homes and bringing their families into the city, exacerbating the situation.
These people can only rent rooms in the city and must work. The women in their families also have to help with the work—even if they only earn a few cents a month, because if they don't work, they may go hungry the next day and have to beg on the streets.
Take the family of a coachman as an example.
The average monthly income is 28.38 yuan, including 27.66 yuan for the driver's wages and 0.72 yuan for family and other income. If the driver has an accident, the whole family will be left homeless.
If the driver's car is rented, he will have to pay an extra 10.98 yuan per month for rental (on average), and the rest can be used for household expenses.
In summary: a life lived like that of an ox or a horse.
"Second Master, these are data from previous years. Recently, due to war and natural disasters, there have been changes. For example, dockworkers—no one could have predicted that the sea would freeze this year," said Finance Minister Wang Moren.
"Of all things in the world, the only constant is change." Li Changzhou put down the documents.
He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and pondered as he drank.
As for how to unify the fragmented Song City, which had been forcibly brought together by the giant bear of the Li clan, he did not intend to consult anyone and would figure out a way to make things work out on his own.
Brainstorming is good, but it's a waste of time, especially since he doesn't care about success or failure.
The Finance Minister remained silent, waiting for him to speak.
Li Changzhou had no management experience, but after reading "Dream of the Red Chamber," he learned about the principle of increasing revenue and reducing expenditure. In the current situation, this means creating more jobs and reducing the risk of unemployment.
Oh, and there's also the work-for-relief program.
"you--"
As soon as Li Changzhou spoke, the Minister of Finance immediately leaned forward, adopting a listening posture.
“Gather those unemployed porters, and not just porters, but all the unemployed, and have them build houses.”
"Building houses?" the Finance Minister asked, puzzled.
Li Changzhou didn't say much, but had a servant bring him a pen and paper, and drew the workers' dormitory on the spot.
Considering the era and cost, the dormitory was simple, consisting of only one room with a small area, just one window and one door. The bathroom and toilet were shared.
While drawing, inspiration struck, and I drew a cafeteria.
"Can you understand these?" he asked the Finance Minister.
"Does Second Master intend to hire these workers and build dormitories for them?" the Finance Minister asked tentatively.
Li Changzhou nodded.
"Second Master," the Finance Minister said tactfully, "the Commander-in-Chief gave you a lot of money, enough to pay salaries and build dormitories, but most of the money was spent here, and elsewhere—"
He didn't continue.
It wouldn't really matter if all the effort was put into it, since Li Changzhou would leave as soon as the mission was completed, but this kind of reckless action wouldn't increase his abilities.
“Of course I won’t pay for it all myself,” Li Changzhou said.
It's nothing more than increasing revenue and cutting costs.
"The government will approve the land for free, and try to get it as close to the dock as possible. The dormitories will be rented to the workers, and the rent will be lowered to 1 yuan per room per month, and 1.5 yuan per room per month for rooms with kitchens."
"Also, starting today, notify all newspapers in Songcheng, as well as newspapers in other cities, to publicize the hardships of the lower-class citizens of Songcheng, write about the most miserable ones, take more photos, and write about my project, asking for help from all walks of life. The donation channels must be clearly stated, and the donation methods must be convenient."
The Finance Minister nodded repeatedly, and later simply used the pen and paper on the table to write down what Li Changzhou said.
After finishing writing, he asked, "Second Master, I know the dormitory, but this canteen... is it planned to be a workers' canteen, focusing on quantity and filling stomachs?"
“Yes.” Li Changzhou nodded. “We will run it ourselves, and the canteen can hire family members from the workers’ dormitories to work.”
"Good!" The Finance Minister wrote a few more strokes.
Li Changzhou pondered carefully, considering what else he hadn't thought of, and then two more things came to mind.
First, the eligibility for renting a room must be strictly controlled. Only those who work as maids, laborers, vendors, small business owners, and poor women in Songcheng are allowed to rent a room. If there is only one person, they must share a room with others to maximize the use of space.
Second, establish a police station around the dormitory to handle disputes within the dormitory and ensure their safety.
“That’s all for now,” Li Changzhou said. “Right now, I’m not concerned with education or the economy, I’m only focused on this. Get it done for me, and it has to be done as quickly as possible. Hire as many people as you can.”
"Don't worry, Second Master!" The Minister of Finance clasped his hands in a fist salute. "How could I dare to neglect something that benefits the country and its people?"
"Okay, let's get on it now."
The Minister of Finance bowed and, led by a servant, walked out. When he reached the door of the living room, he suddenly stopped.
"Second Master," he raised his voice slightly, "I thank you on behalf of the workers of Songcheng!"
He bowed deeply, then stood up and quickly left.
Li Changzhou chuckled inwardly. Wang Moren hadn't said a single flattering word since he came in, but he did when he left.
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