The two sides were quarreling fiercely, and the price of salt suddenly skyrocketed with the news of the strike, easily exceeding one hundred cents. Businessmen everywhere were watching the fight between the new governor and the salt merchants. Everyone was interested.
Everyone has their own concerns, but some businessmen have begun to hoard salt and drive up prices. For a while, people in Sichuan are boiling with resentment.
At this time, the Lu family, a famous Fushun salt merchant, joined two other companies to jointly announce their acceptance of the new salt policy, and at the same time began to accelerate the pace of salt production in response to the rising salt prices caused by the strike. The salt merchants' alliance began to break down.
Qiao Yu quickly granted the three companies the power to mine salt wells, and at the same time issued a new order that all salt wells that could not resume production within three days would be taken over by the military government!
This order fell on the salt merchant like a reminder. If he continued to resist, he might not even be able to save the salt well. Zhang Deyang did not expect that Qiao Yu would be so tough and wanted to destroy the lifeblood of the salt merchant. They
He was not a vegetarian either. He controlled a large number of salt workers under his command. All of these salt workers were mobilized and took to the streets to protest against the salt policy.
Most of the people in Fushun are related to salt and live on salt. The salt merchants wantonly instigated, saying that the reform of the salt industry will cut off everyone's livelihood and allow outsiders to occupy the salt wells in Fushun. The people do not know the details. Many people do not know the details.
People were incited by the salt merchants and took to the streets to march. At the same time, many party members also participated. These salt workers shouted and surrounded the place where Qiao Yu stayed.
"Mr. Governor, you won't do anything to these poor salt workers?" Lu Wanqing asked. The little girl learned some knowledge of Western medicine when she studied abroad. During the Sichuan-Yunnan War, she stayed in the medical camp to provide treatment to the wounded.
Bandaging wounds, she often stayed up all night. As soon as she finished her work, she learned that Qiao Yu had arrived in Fushun. The little girl knew that Qiao Yu was going to reform the salt policy.
She was born into a salt merchant family, and salt had almost become a nightmare for her, so she would not let go of this opportunity to change Fushun no matter what, and came here to witness the moment of salt policy reform.
"Those salt workers were all instigated. They are all very pitiful. Their daily income is barely enough to eat, and they all have varying degrees of joint diseases after being exposed to salt brine for a long time. It will be even more difficult as they get older!"
"Well, don't worry. If I use violence against these people, wouldn't I be just like those salt merchants? I have already established a minimum wage standard for salt workers, as well as some benefits. I will announce it immediately. I want
Let the lies of those salt merchants be exposed."
While the salt workers were shouting loudly, suddenly guards on both sides surrounded Qiao Yu, Lu Nai and others and came to the crowd. Lu Nai got in front of the salt workers first.
"Folks, everyone knows me. I, Lu Nai, am a native of Fushun. I will not harm you. Some people say that the salt policy reform will destroy everyone's jobs. It is completely nonsense. I have already
We have established labor standards for the salt industry, giving priority to local employees in Fushun, with a minimum salary of five oceans per person per month, and they will also bear half of everyone's medical expenses, and there will be additional rewards during the holidays. Everyone will live better than before.
Even better, there will definitely be no loss!"
As he spoke, Lu Nai handed over several labor standards to the salt workers. They were written in black and white and also had the governor's seal. The salt workers had been suffering hardships, but fortunately they were able to have a bite of food. What they feared most was that their jobs would be smashed.
Therefore, they came to march under the instigation of thoughtful people. However, Lu Nai personally came forward to explain, and everyone suddenly became dumbfounded.
They never thought that someone would make laws for them to protect their interests. Therefore, all the salt workers were rushing to have literate people read the contents of the law to them. When they heard that the minimum wage for a month was five
I couldn't help but cheer when I received a silver dollar...
"Dear salt workers, I am Qiao Yu. Sichuan is now different from the past, and the military government is also different from the Qing Dynasty. The government's duty is to safeguard the interests of the people and serve the people. The salt industry is a major malpractice that has ruined countless people.
Suffering from high salt prices, the military government has decisively reformed the salt policy out of the need to safeguard the interests of the people. At the same time, we are all people under the military government, and your interests are also taken into consideration by the military government. We will definitely do our best.
I’m taking care of everyone, and I hope you won’t be easily deceived by bad people with ulterior motives!”
Qiao Yu's words made the people couldn't help but applaud. Many salt merchants were secretly observing. Seeing that the salt workers' demonstration was easily defused, and these salt workers had received the promise of the military government, they all asked for improved treatment. However, these
How could the salt merchant be willing to cut the meat? The two sides suddenly fell into a deadlock.
The time stipulated by Qiao Yu is getting closer and closer. If the salt wells cannot operate normally, they will be nationalized. At that time, Fushun's salt workers will also be given priority in hiring. Only by getting rid of the exploitation of these big salt merchants can we
In order to get better treatment, the salt workers were still looking forward to having their salt wells confiscated, so many salt workers had gone on strike, and many salt workers even joined Lu Nai's staff and began to produce salt for him.
The salt merchants in Fushun were in an increasingly difficult situation and wanted to seek refuge with Qiao Yu, but it was already too late, especially since although they were wealthy, they wanted to quickly come up with half a million taels of silver, which was a bit difficult for most of them, and they
Inciting the salt workers to strike has already lost points in front of Qiao Yu. Whether he can obtain the qualification to produce well salt is still in doubt.
Zhang Deyang knew even more clearly in his heart that the other party had raised the butcher's knife, and those who wanted to deal with him were the salt merchants. He had already tried his best to find some influential friends in the past, hoping to rely on their help to tide over the difficulties, but now the world was in chaos.
Wuhan and Nanjing are both at war, and they have no energy to care about Sichuan's affairs.
"Mr. Zhang, do you think we can look for Mr. Kuang? He is the underground emperor of Sichuan! He has tens of thousands of brothers under his command. Now that we have soldiers, we have everything. What he says is worth a thousand words compared to the rest of us.
It all works!”
The salt merchant surnamed Liu reminded Zhang Deyang, and Zhang Deyang was very happy when he heard that Kuang Youshan was mentioned. This old man Kuang is the highest-ranking man in the Sichuan Ge Lao Association, and he is also very influential in the Qinghong Gang.
Everyone in Sichuan government must listen to his orders, and the salt policy reform has actually affected the jobs of these people. The gang's power has penetrated deeply into the entire process of well salt production.
There are party members among the salt workers, and transportation depends on the party, and sales also rely on them. It can be said that in the production and sales of well salt, both black and white, all major salt merchants make a lot of money.
It's just a suffering for the common people. Now that the salt industry is about to be reformed, the party's interests will naturally suffer losses. Can they be willing to do so?
The more Zhang Deyang thought about it, the more he felt that this was a good idea. He asked Kuang Youshan to come forward to help negotiate a peace. It didn't matter if he offered more benefits, as long as he could keep his privileges. Therefore, Zhang Deyang immediately nodded in agreement and went to find Kuang Youshan in person.
.
"Master, Zhang Deyang has gone to find Kuang Youshan!"
Wang Tianhe's intelligence officers have been paying attention to every move of the Fushun salt merchants. When they discovered that Zhang Deyang went to find Kuang Youshan, he naturally had to report to Qiao Yu!
"Kuang Youshan? Are you the ancestor of that Ge Laohui?"
"Yes, his influence in Sichuan Province is extraordinary. Many local officials are very polite to him, and he can mobilize tens of thousands of people under his command. He also controls many trade routes, which should not be underestimated.
Look at it!"
"Tianhe, in the final analysis, is just a gang force. You have to remember that a gang as powerful as Wu Luan will inevitably turn into powder under the strong pressure of the government. As the saying goes, there is no rule without chaos. If they are bent on seeking death, I will completely
Sweep them all into the trash, but it's best not to cause social unrest. Now that Duanfang has been eliminated, call the second division over immediately and stew the salt merchants and Ge Laohui in one spoonful!"
