Hearing the bell ringing, the crowd became noisy, and a red hoop shouted loudly: "It's dinner time, line up, line up, everyone has it, no fighting is allowed."
Several more strong red hoops, armed with short sticks, came forward and rudely beat some young refugees who wanted to push to the front, hitting them on the head until they did not dare to push any more.
The crowd moved slowly in front of more than a dozen porridge pots, and the thick multi-grain porridge was poured into the bowls of the people in large spoonfuls. Well, except for the couple, there was only a broken earthenware pot with a broken edge.
He walked timidly to the pot.
The handyman scooping the porridge was in a daze. He looked up and down at the mother and daughter, who were thin but seemed to have washed their hands and faces. He looked at the little girl licking her lips eagerly. He couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth. He took three big spoonfuls in a row until he was almost broken.
When the earthen jar was full, he also warned, "You have been hungry for a long time, so don't eat too hastily. The porridge will be served again in two hours."
"Thank you, thank you." The mother thanked her without any words, and hurried to the side with the earthen pot and her daughter. The little girl kept staring at the steaming porridge without blinking.
"Eat slowly, eat slowly -" the mother told her daughter despite her hunger, the way she wolfed it down was heart-wrenching.
"Well, mother, you eat too." The little girl ate her mouth full, not forgetting her mother.
"Let's eat together, there will be more later!" Mother smiled happily. Although her face was sallow and thin, she still showed a bit of beauty.
Boom, boom, boom...a gong sounded, and then several red hoops started shouting loudly behind a row of tables.
"Those who build houses come this way; those who pave roads and bridges come this way; those who dredge rivers and canals come this way; those who can spin and weave come this way; those who can read and write come this way; those who can keep accounts and keep accounts come this way...
...to take care of the food and stuff, one liter of rice and two ounces of salt, and two liters of rice and two ounces of salt as wages..."
There is no free lunch in the world. As the national war continues, the imperial court is also facing material pressure. In order to relieve the pressure and enable the people in the New Guangfu District to create productivity as soon as possible, working-for-relief is a good way. Of course,
The price of labor is also the cheapest at this time. If you provide rice and salt, the people will flock to it and be grateful.
Even though you can't starve to death by eating porridge, it is quite tempting to work within your ability and get rice grain from it. After all, there are still a few lazy people who just want to eat porridge and get by, and the old, weak, sick and disabled are not among them. Two liters
Rice is four kilograms. If a person works outside, he not only provides food and food for his family, but also can at least provide rice and porridge for his family. This is a long-term livelihood.
Zhenniang's eyes lit up when she heard the shouting. But when she looked at the little girl beside her, she hesitated a little. Her daughter was someone who depended on each other for life, but on the other hand, she was also a little burden.
…………
The new Yangzhou magistrate Lu Wenyang came to this soup kitchen with several entourages, and was directly promoted from Chongming County to magistrate. He was promoted very quickly, which also had a lot to do with his political achievements in Chongming. On the other hand
, dispatched nearby, Chongming and Yangzhou can be regarded as the closest old Guangfu areas.
"The resettlement work for the refugees needs to be accelerated. Winter will begin in two months. Without shelter from the wind and cold, we don't know how many people will freeze to death!" Lu Wenyang's face did not show the joy of being promoted. Instead, he looked a little worried.
.
In Lu Wenyang's opinion, the best date for the Northern Expedition should be after next year's spring plowing, when the weather is warmer and supplies are abundant, both for military and civilian purposes. They are much more relaxed than now. Now we not only have to consider the issue of food, but also
Considering housing issues, this winter is destined to be very busy and difficult.
"Sir, there are a lot of people working here. But not many are literate." A clerk stood up from behind the table, cupped his hands and said, "Registering naturalization, allocating labor, measuring fields..."
Lu Wenyang sighed softly. All officials, big and small, were dispatched from the south, but the court did not give permission for all of them. Some low-ranking officials, such as scribes, government servants, handymen, etc., had to be recruited from the local area. Obviously, this
At present, there are still difficulties.
In other words, it may not be easy to gather the small officials in a short period of time. Yangzhou Mansion is different from other places. The emperor will definitely come, whether it is for fun or to go north to the capital. If trouble is caused by cheating, the emperor will
Lu Wenyang still knows a thing or two about his temper and temperament, and he hates subordinate officials who bully the people the most.
"The two provinces of Mekong and River, as well as Sichuan, have sent people to recruit labor for reclamation and colonization. I am not willing to do so." Lu Wenyang smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying: "It seems there is nothing we can do now. The court's money and food
We are nervous, and I am afraid that long-term investment may not be enough. Evacuate the refugees and reduce the pressure on the court, so we cannot worry about the future."
Operating in Chongming made Lu Wenyang understand the importance of labor. In view of the recovery of local development, he was really reluctant to send labor to other places. But the actual situation was that it was approaching winter and neither plowing nor planting was possible.
Relief measures were taken, but the stranded population still caused great pressure on the government. Whether it was in terms of material supply or social security, diversion of people was an imperative method.
As for Mekong, Ha Tien, Sichuan, and Jiangnan, because they were liberated early, their restoration and reconstruction are on the right track. The demand for labor in reclaiming wasteland, farming, and factories and workshops is getting stronger and stronger.
During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, there were more than 80 million tax-paying Dingkou, and the total population should be about 200 million. By the end of Shunzhi, there were only more than 30 million Dingkou, and the total population was less than 100 million. In other words, due to famines and wars, the population
Instead of increasing, it decreased, leaving less than half.
The change of dynasties in Chinese history is almost like this. The population is smaller, the land is more, social conflicts are alleviated after the wealth is redistributed, and the people just want stability and can produce and work with peace of mind. Then another so-called "prosperous age" comes.
But few people think about deeper issues: why does the reincarnation of chaos always cycle endlessly, and why do we always have to seek a stable period in the mountains of corpses and seas of blood?
Precisely because Zhu Yongxing did not regard the social relaxation after the population reduction as any achievement, and precisely because he had been subtly promoting his concept of valuing life and showing sympathy for the sufferings of the people, the officials below naturally followed him. Lu Wenyang was among them.
One, some people may say that he is utilitarian, but Zhu Yongxing disagrees. On the contrary, he doesn't like officials who are unmotivated!
"I'm literate, and I can also spin and weave, but this -" Lu Wenyang casually walked behind the table recruiting literate people, and just in time he caught up with Zhenniang holding the little girl and looking at the clerk with a sad face, smiling bitterly and shaking his head.
, apparently similar to what they had just experienced at the spinning and weaving side, they all thought this little girl was in the way, and they were also recruiting people who were literate, although they didn’t explain it, could they possibly want a woman?
"Although the child is young, he is very sensible. A commoner girl can read, do accounts, and do menial jobs... I just want to earn more food for the child and only eat porridge -" Zhen Niang bit her lip and explained in vain.
, which is also a repetition of what I said just now.
Lu Wenyang looked Zhenniang up and down, and then at the place where female textile workers were recruited. Obviously, it was not traditional for women to work, and there were many women who were involved, just like Zhenniang.
"No way!" The clerk shook his head and sighed. He felt sorry for the mother and daughter, but there was nothing he could do.
Zhenniang's eyes sparkled, she bit her lower lip, turned around and walked away slowly while holding her daughter.
"Wait a minute." Lu Wenyang suddenly remembered something and stopped Zhenniang, but turned to the clerk behind the desk and asked: "Weaving factories are all women, and men are not suitable for management and bookkeeping. In a situation like theirs
There are probably a lot of refugees in the country, so I went to find some old women to relieve them of their burden. In this way, there would be fewer idle people and they would be able to support themselves. What is that thing called in the south—"
"Sir, are you talking about kindergartens?" The clerk thought for a while and got a vague impression. He smiled and said, "It started in Suzhou to recruit more female workers."
"Yes, it's called a kindergarten." Lu Wenyang nodded with a smile, pointed at Zhenniang, and said, "Let's sign her up. Since she is literate and can settle accounts, she will be a housekeeper first. In addition, tell her
When recruiting female workers over there, the factory will build a kindergarten so that women with children can work with peace of mind."
"Let's talk about my humble position." The clerk took two steps, turned to look at Zhenniang, and said with a smile: "Why don't you thank the magistrate quickly? You have been hired, and you are still the female steward!"
"Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir." Zhenniang was overjoyed and knelt down on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly. The little girl also followed suit and kowtowed twice on the ground.
Lu Wenyang waved his hands gently, feeling sad in his heart. He ran from the north to the south to serve the Ming court, and saw many refugees along the way. Although Zhenniang was dressed in rags, her behavior showed that she was very likely to
He comes from a well-to-do family. In this war, so many families have been destroyed and displaced!
Make the best use of people's talents and make the best use of materials. In this national war, Zhu Yongxing's biggest secret is to mobilize the masses and get more and more people to participate, whether they contribute money or efforts, no matter what industry you are in,
No matter how capable you are, even if you are just an old man looking after children or cooking, you are still a member of the country and are contributing to the national war.
This concept has been followed from the beginning to the end, from top to bottom, starting when Zhu Yongxing was able. There is nothing new in this. The theory of people's war should be applicable now until the advent of the atomic bomb.
Officials, on the other hand, follow the official rule of "what is good at the top must be followed by the bottom." The greater Zhu Yongxing's power, the greater the influence of his ideas, the wider they are spread, and the more people follow them.
Changes should not be temporary or short-term; they should not only be applicable during the national war, but should be sustained in the future and beyond.
He Tiejiao, Zhen Niang, and the little girl are just a small microcosm of this great change. Thousands of people are also in the midst of this great change that is different from the ordinary sense of changing dynasties. (To be completed.
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