In early winter, the weather gradually becomes colder.
Occasionally small snowflakes fall.
In outdoor fields, agricultural production activities have basically stopped.
But for Xujiazhuang, economic trading activities not only did not end, but became more lively and lively.
…
This day.
The cement path leading to Xujiazhuang.
Wang Laoshi, a villager from nearby Wangjia Village, was pushing a chicken cart loaded with several sacks of rice. The wooden wheels were turning gurglingly. His two sons, Wang Daniu and Wang Erniu, each pulled a rope in front of them.
After pulling, the family worked together to transport the rice, which weighed about five stones, to the rice mill in Xujiazhuang for processing to obtain rice and rice bran, and then transport it back home.
"Dad, when Xujiazhuang was first built a few years ago, why didn't our family join? It would have been great if we had joined then. I heard that the workers in the village had thick and warm clothes to wear, and they had meat almost every day.
We have food, wages, and money to spend. We can earn dozens of silver dollars a year. Life is so comfortable. Although our family has more than 20 acres of land, the taxes we pay are too heavy.
If we don’t spend money, if we hadn’t used improved seeds in the past two years to produce high yields, we might have gone hungry.”
The eldest son Wang Daniu complained.
"Yes, it would be great if our family joined the Xujiazhuang. Maybe my brother and I would both be able to study, and we wouldn't have to work so hard. Xujiazhuang's great artifact saves people a lot of effort. We face the loess and our backs to the sky.
It's so hard, dad, you are so confused."
The second son, Wang Erniu, also complained.
"Hey, you don't understand. The land is the most important thing. It is the foundation for a stable life. It must not be thrown away!"
Wang Laoshi shook his head. Although he had been honest on other issues all his life and had suffered countless losses, when it came to the land, this was an undeniable bottom line. No matter how difficult it was, the land could not be sold.
It's just a complaint from my two sons.
Stepping into Xujiazhuang many times, he was greatly shocked by the various new things he witnessed with his own eyes. Under the strong contrast, he had to admit that he was indeed shaken.
It has been shaken more than once, and the faith that I originally insisted on is constantly weakening.
Because Xujiazhuang is indeed different.
For example, when Da Dou lent Xiao Dou and returned it, he offended many landlords and saved the lives of many poor people.
For example, the improved seeds from Xujiazhuang not only have strong drought resistance, but also increase the yield by at least 30%. The seed prices are not high, and they are even allowed to be purchased on credit.
For example, it provides a large number of temporary jobs. At most, a collective estate can employ 10,000 workers, bringing extra income to countless families, and even allowing some poor families to have a living.
In addition, Xujiazhuang also took the initiative to build bridges and roads. Around Xujiazhuang, many six-foot-wide (two-meter) cement roads were built, and more than ten stone bridges and wooden bridges were built. The bridge tolls were not charged at all, and I don’t know how many people were behind the scenes.
Ridicule stupidity.
And the reason why Wang Laoshi pushed the rice to the Xujiazhuang rice mill to pound the rice today is because there is no charge for pounding the rice here, and only 30% of the rice bran is harvested. Compared with pounding rice through other channels, it can be said to be very cost-effective.
And these examples above.
This is enough to prove the goodness of Xu Village and prove that the owner of Xu Village is a living Bodhisattva-like existence.
but……
How long can the good quality in Xujiazhuang last?
Will that Master Xu Zhuang and Bodhisattva Xu change one day in the future and become no longer so benevolent and kind?
Even if Master Xu could be benevolent and righteous throughout his life, when he is gone, will his descendants be able to continue to be benevolent and righteous?
uncertain.
There's no guarantee at all.
Therefore, Wang Laoshi, the instinctive gene of Chinese farmers in his body, told him: it is better to keep the land in his own hands, even if it will be harder for him.
soon.
There was a long queue in front of the rice mill in Xujiazhuang. Many villagers from the surrounding area came to pound rice. Most of them were similar to Wang Laoshi. Most of them used flatbed trucks, and a few used chicken carts. There were also a few rich farmers who used rice produced in Xujiazhuang.
The tire-type steel frame unicycle has twice the load capacity of the chicken bus and is more labor-saving. However, it costs 15 silver dollars each. If someone has a unicycle like this, I don’t know how many people will be envied.
And those farmers who don’t have any cars at home and can only carry 100 kilograms of rice on their shoulders do not need to wait in line. They can quickly exchange 100 kilograms of rice for 70 kilograms of rice and 20 kilograms of rice bran at the rice cabinet.
——Xujiazhuang hardly takes advantage of these poor people.
More than an hour later.
Finally it was Wang Laoshi's turn. The staff first weighed his rice and told him the specific weight. Then he poured the rice into the machine's hopper. With a loud buzzing sound, the yellow and orange rice was processed into
There are white flowers of rice and crushed rice bran.
Five stones and six hundred kilograms of rice were produced, and the final product was 410 kilograms of refined white rice and 200 kilograms of rice bran, of which 30% of the rice bran was counted as processing fee.
"We are supposed to take away 60 kilograms of rice bran. Is there any problem?" the staff asked Wang Laoshi.
"No problem, no problem." Wang honestly shook his head. Compared with the short weighing scales elsewhere, Xujiazhuang Rice Mill can only be described as conscience.
Load the rice and rice bran back into the cart and prepare to push the cart back.
At this time, the two sons ran back very excitedly and reported the good news:
"Dad, just now I saw that the brick kiln factory was recruiting temporary workers. My two brothers and I went to try it out. The manager said that I am over 16 years old and can be considered an adult worker. My brother is 13 years old and can be considered as half a worker. It can be done.
I worked in a brick kiln factory for a period of time, with a daily salary of one cent, including food and accommodation. Moreover, it was very warm inside the brick kiln factory, not cold at all. My brother and I wanted to stay here to move bricks, and we started working this afternoon, so we didn’t
I'm going back with you." Wang Daniu said.
"Dad, the manager said that I am a child laborer. I only need to complete half the workload of an adult worker. If I do more, I will be given a salary increase based on specific performance." Wang Erniu said.
"If you two don't go back, how can I push such heavy rice back?"
Wang said honestly that he was very happy that his two sons had found jobs, but what should he do? A man pushing 600 kilograms of things for more than ten miles would not be exhausted to death for his old bones.
Fortunately, the staff at the rice mill, after learning about his difficulties, said that Xujiazhuang could lend him a tire-type wheelbarrow. The chicken car was mortgaged here, and the wheelbarrow could be returned the next day. After all, his two sons were there.
When you work in a manor, you cannot leave and never come back.
"Okay, okay."
Wang Laoshi's problem was perfectly solved. Both sons made money here and saved food at home. With the extra balance this year, it will be no problem to marry his eldest son a wife next year. Hahaha, he laughed when he thought of this.
See the teeth but not the eyes.
…
at the same time.
In nearby Dongzhuang Town, Chen Yanzhi, a landowner who owned more than 500 acres of fertile land, was in a very bad mood.
Originally, his family's fields had a bumper harvest this year. They harvested more than 600,000 kilograms of rice, corn, potatoes and other grains, so much that the warehouse was full. It was an unprecedented good situation, and he didn't have to pay taxes because of his reputation as a civil servant.
I don't know how cool it is.
However, he soon became unhappy again.
Because his family’s food is difficult to handle.
In previous years, the extra food at home could be used to lend money to the poor. If they could not repay the debts, they would use the land to pay off the debts, thereby annexing the land and achieving the goal of increasing the number of acres. Moreover, the more calamity and famine the better, the better the opportunity for expansion.
But since the establishment of Xujiazhuang, this development model has been broken. A big fight has emerged and a small one has entered. It has ruined the dream of mergers and acquisitions of many landlords, and they hate Xujiazhuang to the core.
Chen Yanzhi is one of those who hates Xujiazhuang.
But this year his family had a good harvest thanks to Xujiazhuang's fine seeds, so even though he hated it, he still couldn't avoid trading and cooperating with Xujiazhuang.
And since the way of lending to the poor has been cut off, the extra grain can only be sold to merchants. Otherwise, the grain will be piled up in the warehouse. Over time, it will either rot or be fed by rats, insects, and ants, and it will be stored for about three years at most.
.
It's just that Chen Yanzhi recently met with four or five groups of businessmen in person, as a master of civil engineering, but these despicable people actually bought them at extremely low prices of 1 tael of silver, 4 stones to 5 stones, or even 1 tael of silver and 6 stones.
The price of his family's grain is ridiculously low, and it is getting lower and lower, because there are many landowners selling grain in Xinghua County, and they are all selling in large quantities.
The business rules of merchants are not to sell grain for hundreds of miles. If they want to sell, they have to sell the grain to the place where the price is the most expensive. Therefore, the transportation cost is very high. On the purchasing side, they will naturally try their best to lower the price.
"Master, why don't we sell the grain to Xujiazhuang? Xujiazhuang's rice mill and non-staple food processing factory are purchasing grain in unlimited quantities. Rice is worth two and a half silver dollars per dollar, corn is worth three stones per silver dollar, and potatoes are worth four stones per silver dollar.
, the price is much higher than that of those grain dealers. Instead of throwing so much grain into your hands, it is better to sell it to Xujiazhuang. I have seen many farmers selling their surplus grain to Xujiazhuang. Some families have too much grain and have no place to store it.
Yes, just deposit it in the Xujiazhuang Granary. I think Xujiazhuang is trustworthy, at least much better than those profiteers."
His wife, Shen, put forward her suggestions in Chen Yanzhi's ears.
"That's all, profiteers are too abominable, just follow Madam's advice."
Chen Yanzhi shook his head and finally followed his wife's advice.
soon.
Under the arrangement of his wife Shen, he hired dozens of young men and ten large trucks, and it took two full days to sell almost all the more than 600,000 kilograms of grain in the warehouse, leaving only two
More than 10,000 kilograms for personal use.
In the end, more than 5,000 shi of grain were exchanged for 1,678 pieces of silver dollars.
However, there were only more than 500 silver coins left in Chen Yanzhi's hands.
No way, the white sugar, canned meat, vermicelli, dried tofu, glass mirrors, soaps, shower gels, woolen coats, lighters, briquettes and coal stoves and other products in Xujiazhuang, whether they are eaten or used, are all from Daming.
It is a rigid need of the middle and upper class, and luxury goods such as bicycles are treasures that only the top class can afford. Shen could only look at them with envy, and if she had not restrained herself from buying, she would have lost even one silver dollar.
There is no money left to spend.
"You're a prodigal mother-in-law. If I ask you to manage the house, my Chen family will collapse sooner or later!"
Chen Yanzhi cursed loudly, but he quickly began to enjoy the Xujiazhuang products that Shen bought. Although he did not shout that they were really delicious, the frequency and intensity of scolding Shen dropped significantly.
…
And before the river freezes in winter.
Through the river transportation system of the Yangtze River, Huai River and Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, sand ships loaded with cargo entered the Dagou River and finally arrived at the dock not far from Xujiazhuang.
These sand ships carry a lot of cargo.
There is wood from Chongqing and Guizhou.
There are coal mines from Xuzhou.
There are also iron ore, lime and stone from Ma'anshan, Taiping Prefecture, South Zhili.
And cotton from Suzhou Prefecture, Songjiang Prefecture, etc.
Although the current transaction volume is not very large, there are not many sand ships coming to Xujiazhuang. They often come with raw materials such as ore and wood, and then bring Xujiazhuang's grain, non-staple food, modern industrial products and other goods back, forming a larger
A large economic trading circle.
But no matter it is a small economic circle within a dozen miles radius of the Xujiazhuang collective estate.
It is still a large-scale economic trading circle formed through the river transportation system. Generally speaking, it is a manor economic circle surrounding Xujiazhuang, Xinghua County. It is divided into two internal and external cycles. It is constantly developing, taking shape, and growing in the foreseeable future.
, this manor economic circle will not only bring huge economic vitality, but also be like an engine, bringing unimaginable changes to the Ming Dynasty.