The general management office of Phoenix Villa is a building complex, similar to a small town with only one street in the early years. It is not far from the Phoenix Villa mansion and the residential area of several slaves, making it convenient to travel around. On both sides of the stone street stand a
Workshops, warehouses, shops, and the operational core of the entire villa: the general management office building.
This general management office building is a two-story brick-wood structure with an arcade. It stands on high steps. There are publicity boards on the left and right of the door with various "notices" posted on them. But in the villa,
Most of the dealers' servants couldn't read and looked at them as if they were nothing when they passed by.
The general management office of Fenghuang Villa is managed according to the model of a modern agricultural enterprise. Fenghuang Villa is a large-scale enterprise integrating agriculture, industry and trade. Zhao Yingong transplanted the entire management model of enterprises affiliated to the Agricultural Committee from Lingao from the very beginning.
.It also introduced a small number of "politically reliable" naturalized cadres as the backbone of the general management office of Phoenix Villa. And gradually promoted some reliable and capable personnel from local slaves to serve as middle-level managers.
Although it is under the management of Hangzhou Station, the production and operation of Phoenix Mountain Villa are often operated directly according to the instructions of the Agricultural Committee and the Ministry of Light Industry. Although Zhao Yingong has the final say on specific operations, he rarely directly
Interfere with the production matters of Phoenix Villa - in fact, he can't control it.
As a "head", Wang Siniang's only concept of the general management office is to come here every day to collect work orders and hand in work records after work is completed. In addition, at the end of each month, she comes here to collect monthly wages and buy things.
Daily necessities.
There is a large shop on the street of the general management office: a three-bay, two-story building. It is similar to the kind of comprehensive store opened by the cooperative in Kaohsiung - it is actually a branch opened by the cooperative headquarter of the Ministry of Commerce. It sells various products.
They grow daily necessities, and the second floor also doubles as a small restaurant. The customers are naturally all the slaves of Phoenix Villa. The number of slaves and their families who have "gone stalls" in Phoenix Villa has expanded to six to seven hundred people, making it like a small town.
.
In order to ensure the stability and controllability of personnel, Zhao Yingong did not require long-term or short-term labor in the manor, except for a few professionals who had to be hired from outside. Except for a few extremely professional technical jobs, all the work was handed over to refugees from the shelter.
The slaves who had to sign a "deed of death" were selected from among them to do the work. As for the large number of menial jobs and seasonal short-term labor, the refugees waiting for transshipment in the refugee camps along the river were borne by the workers.
Phoenix Villa is a closed economy. All those who are "employed" in Phoenix Villa, regardless of gender, old or young, will receive a monthly salary as long as they work on business. However, this monthly payment is not silver or copper coins, but money from Delong Bank.
Circulable coupons.
Delong Bank also has a branch on the street from the general management office, which is responsible for the distribution of monthly money and also provides savings services. Its main job is to be responsible for fund scheduling and turnover for Hangzhou Station. Ensure that every transaction
Funds are under effective supervision.
At first, the slaves were a little uncomfortable with getting circulation coupons, but seeing that there were many good things in the store and the prices were fair, they accepted this fact. Although Phoenix Mountain is just outside the city, it is not far away from the city's business district.
It's quite far away. It's much more convenient to have a shop like this.
The monthly money is distributed to the slaves every month, and then circulates around the commercial street of the general management office and then returns to the account at Hangzhou Station. This can effectively reduce the usage of silver, and also increase it in disguise.
Support for circulation bonds. Prepare for the next step of circulation bonds entering the Hangzhou market.
Zhao Yingong and the Planning Institute are not considered shady capitalists. The prices of various commodities on the commercial street are not only not high, but even cheaper than outside. However, because the cooperative's local supply is at wholesale prices, and many things are from the village.
Or Lingao's self-produced products can be supplied according to the internal allocation price, and the actual profit is still much higher. People in the villa can also apply and exchange the circulation coupons for silver and copper coins according to a certain price and a certain amount. In order to get it
You can go out to consume, but since most daily consumer goods can be purchased in the villa and the prices are lower than outside, the motivation to exchange them for silver is not strong.
It is now around 5:30, and there are many people on the street, some shopping, and some preparing to work the night shift. The street actually feels a bit bustling. There are "street lights" along the road. They are actually iron torches.
, it is already filled with firewood, and will be lit as soon as it gets dark.
Wang Siniang came to the "recording room" under the eaves of the general management office. The door here was open. Inside, seven or eight "masters" were beating their abacus. The "heads" who had finished work were queuing up.
She came here with a work book to record her work. The daily work sheets are summarized and used as the basis for monthly payment at the end of the month. She handed in the work record for today's tea picking. The master in the work record office had already obtained the income from the tea factory.
After comparing the two receipts, he stamped an "approved" stamp on the work order receipt and handed it over - this receipt is kept by the "head" in case there is any objection when the monthly payment is issued.
, which is the proof for verification.
Wang Siniang is a charming and smart person. She is very popular and can talk to people wherever she goes. When she arrived in the recording room, someone immediately greeted her, and the recording sheet in her hand was immediately
Some of them took it in. Several of the lustful masters took the opportunity to tease her by saying some frivolous words. One of them even wanted to squeeze her arm by handing her the receipt.
"Seek death! I have a man." Wang Siniang smiled and slapped off the opponent's dirty hands, "You have no benefit at all, and you still want to eat my tofu?"
There was a burst of laughter inside, and a master said: "It's good, fourth aunt! The master just sent someone to tell you that you don't have to go to work tonight. After dinner, you can go to the inner house to see him. You have something to give me."
Wang Siniang was startled. For no reason, what was she doing at night? Before she could recover, all kinds of teasing remarks were already coming towards her.
"Fourth Aunt, you are so pretty, I'm afraid the master will be jealous of you."
"That's right, Fourth Aunt, you are a flower..."
"Your mother is so beautiful." Wang Siniang spat a few words and carefully put the receipt handed out from the counter into a "protection book" she carried with her.
Since she didn't need to do the work at night, she hurried outside to find another female worker in the team, gave her a few words of care, and hurried home.
Their whole family belongs to the "outer court", that is, slaves who are exclusively engaged in production and business activities and cannot enter the inner house. Therefore, they do not enjoy the treatment of the inner house slaves eating in the common room for free, and have to cook for themselves.
The slaves in the outer courtyard will be provided with one or two meals by the villa depending on the time they are working. If the work continues after 2 p.m., a "snack" will be provided as usual to prevent them from being too hungry and affecting their work efficiency.
When not at work, they take care of their own meals. Due to long working hours, the slaves of the villa often buy ready-made meals directly on the commercial street of the general management office. In addition to the slightly higher-end cooperative tavern, there are also restaurants on the commercial street.
There is a food shop - it is not a restaurant. It does not offer dine-in, but only provides ready-made meals - similar to a box lunch restaurant.
When you walk into the shop, the floor and walls are all covered with ceramic tiles. It is dazzling under the newly lit gas lamp. Rows of glass-covered counters are filled with big red lacquer plates, containing a variety of ready-made dishes. Most of them are vegetables and
"Small meat" with a hint of fish meat - such as minced meat vermicelli stew, steamed fish, etc. It also comes with soup, rice, multi-grain porridge, noodles, steamed buns and other staple foods, as well as various pickles.
It is very convenient to reheat it or eat it directly after buying it. And the food is clean, so it is very popular. The business is very prosperous. Wang Siniang's family has a large population, and both husband and wife have to do the work. Wang Siniang should go back to cook.
It was impossible, so I bought meals here every day and took them home for the whole family to eat.
Customers who often buy meals here can use the tin lunch boxes inside for free - tin is easy to process, easy to clean, and is a base metal. It was often used as tableware in ancient society. You can see it in palaces and small hotels.
To the figure of its food preparation utensil...
Wang Siniang bought some vegetables. She also bought braised snails in soy sauce - this is the cheapest dish among the small meat dishes. The plate next to her was piled high with grilled crucian carp with green onions. Each piece was the size of a palm, and it was fragrant and appetizing.
Greedy. Wang Siniang hesitated for a while and bought three. They have more food than this family, and just filling their stomachs will cost a large part of their monthly income. They have to be careful about their budget. Fortunately, as long as there are children under the age of sixteen in the family,
You can get 20% off on the price when buying meat dishes.
The master takes great care of the "little ones". Families with children can receive four kilograms of rice for free every month for each child. When I was in school, the kindergarten also provided a free meal. The rice was filling and the dishes were meaty.
Yousu.
As the saying goes, "Young man who is half-grown will eat me to death." Although the four girls in Wang's family are all girls, they are all old enough to eat. With these policies, the family's financial situation is finally not so tight.
Hangzhou is a place where fish and rice are popular. Aquatic products such as fish, shrimp, snails, and other aquatic products are relatively cheap, but meat is expensive. Therefore, small meats with meat are not cheap. As for large meats, very few people buy them.
She hurriedly bought food and took it home. The three daughters had already returned from school and were doing homework around the square table. Although Wang Siniang was illiterate, she had seen the masters and gentlemen write with brushes and write vertically. Three
But her daughter used a wooden charcoal pen to write diagonally. She didn’t understand what was going on, but it was a fact that her daughter could read and write now, which was enough to make her happy. How many landlords and grain farmers
My daughters are all blind.
The eldest daughter is already fifteen, and her body is much taller than before. She is growing up so fast, which makes Siniang Wang very unhappy. This little lady is already as tall as her. If she continues like this, she will not be able to wear her old clothes.
Clothes can only be made new. Although the old clothes that the elder sister has discarded can be worn by the younger sisters, the momentum of the two little ones is no worse than that of the elder sister.
"Everyone looks like they've eaten hair powder," Wang Siniang often muttered recently. She didn't know that because they had consumed much more animal protein in the past two years than in the past, they would develop better than the average person.
In the past, fifteen-year-old girls had to prepare for marriage. The burden on their families would be lighter when they married. Now they are no longer free, and their children's marriages have to be approved by their masters.
Okay. She tentatively asked Butler Cai last time, but Butler Cai told her not to think about it.
"I don't like girls in my family getting married early. You should wait on this matter for now."
Why don't you like girls to get married early? Fifteen years old is not too early. Wang Siniang then thought about it, maybe the master wants to select a few maids to serve him? So she tentatively asked if the inner house should select maids to serve as servants?
In the end, nothing was found. Butler Cai said that there are no female relatives in the inner house now, so the master does not need many maids to serve him. The girl can continue to study in the kindergarten.
Wang Siniang refused to give up, and tried several times, and hinted that as long as he could get his eldest sister to work as an errand in the inner house, it would definitely benefit him. Unexpectedly, Cai Shi became a housekeeper and had no luck, and did not say a single useful word. He only called out
"Let the children study hard." After repeated inquiries, Cai Shi just said one more sentence: "If you study well, it will definitely be beneficial in the future."
Wang Siniang didn't understand the benefits of a girl being well-educated, but seeing her eldest sister getting older day by day, she couldn't help but worry a little - she would have already become the bride of the Shen family when she was fifteen.
What's the point of continuing this delay?
That's what she thought. She kept these words in her heart on weekdays.
"Eldest sister! Clear the table and we'll have dinner in a while. Second sister, come and help me light the fire. Third son, you can play while you're at it. Don't get in the way!"
While Wang Siniang was talking to her daughters, she put the food on the stove to reheat. The stove was burning firewood pruned from the mountains, which was distributed to each household by the general management on a per capita basis every month. While the fire was burning, her husband
Shen Da is also back.
He had been working in the mulberry garden on the mountain all day. His feet were covered with yellow mud. He first scooped up a few spoons of water from the water tank at the door of the house and rinsed his feet clean. Then he put on his family's cloth shoes and entered the house.
Come.
Seeing that his wife came back from get off work early, Shen Da was not surprised at all - he already knew it in the recording office.
Shen Da had a sullen face, and Wang Siniang and the children did not dare to cause trouble. The family finished the meal silently around the table. While the daughters were clearing away the dishes, Shen Da opened his mouth and said that the master had just visited the mulberry garden today.
We want to double the size of the mulberry garden.
He lit the water pipe that the master had given him last time and started smoking: "...the expansion of the area is not included. It is said that we will invite someone to teach us how to grow mulberry. We will do intensive mulberry planting - our family
My grandparents have been growing mulberry trees and picking leaves, and they still need someone to teach them? Really!"
"It's from Guangli again." Wang Siniang made a cup of tea for the head of the family. This is the tea leaves swept out from the tea hoard in the warehouse at the beginning of spring, and sold to the slaves in the villa at a low price.
A kind of bonus. Although it doesn't look good, it contains a lot of good tea.
"That's right. The newly planted mulberry trees this time are the same as last year. They are also saplings unloaded from the ship. I don't find them strange. No matter how good the mulberry trees in Guangdong are, they are not as good as the local Humulberry trees. I don't know.
Why does the master like it so much?"
"People from the countryside probably have some kind of kindness." Wang Siniang is well versed in worldly feelings and is far shrewder than her husband. "In this village, except for Cai Guanjia, who is the most famous person around me who didn't come from Guangli?"
"That's right." Shen Da blew out a smoke ring, "Looking at the waves of people coming from the boats to the village in Guangli, this is really strange - the master seems not to believe the craftsmen here.
, for larger tasks, we need to mobilize people from Guangli to do it."
Yesterday, another boat docked at the pier at the foot of the mountain. The person who was going to instruct mulberry planting must have arrived. Wang Siniang suddenly thought that the reason why she was sent to the inner house tonight was probably related to this matter. But she did not know how to plant mulberry.
I only know how to raise silkworms. Do I really have to raise silkworms this year?
While he was guessing, Shen Da looked hesitant. He smoked a few water pipes before he said, "I heard that the master is going to send you in for questioning tonight?"
His face was a bit ugly, and Wang Siniang felt as if she was aware of it. He suddenly asked her to come to the inner house for no reason, and it was still at night. He was also quite handsome, and even a man should think about it carefully.
She immediately said: "You want to pass me in." She quickly said: "I think the master is going to raise silkworms this year, and he probably wants to ask about the joints. When we came here, he didn't ask if
Stop raising silkworms and reeling silk."
"How is it possible? There are a lot of scattered mulberry trees on this mountain, but the entire mulberry garden was planted last year. We can't pick the leaves this year. How can we raise silkworms without mulberry leaves?" Shen Da showed doubts.
If you don’t have your own mulberry garden, you have to buy mulberry leaves to raise silkworms. This is a very risky thing for sericulture farmers. Especially after the third age of silkworms, a large amount of mulberry leaves are consumed every day.
Not only are the prices of mulberry leaves high, but the supply is tight. If you can't raise mulberry leaves, you can only dump silkworms. This means that your hard work is in vain. Therefore, sericulture farmers more or less have their own mulberry orchards as their basic base, and they can purchase additional mulberry leaves from the market as appropriate.
Enter a little.
Like Fenghuang Villa, relying on the scattered leaves of wild mulberry trees on the mountain, it is impossible to raise silkworms on a large scale. Today, Wang Siniang was suddenly called into the inner house, and it was no wonder that he did not believe it when he explained it as silkworm raising.
"It's hard to say. I think our master can do things that ordinary people can't do." Wang Siniang said, "Just wait and see, I will definitely raise silkworms this year."
Seeing that her husband was not relieved, she quickly added: "It has been almost two years since our family took refuge in the government. Everyone can see what kind of person I am. Even if something happens, I can handle it."
!Don’t worry.”
Shen Da took a heavy breath, as if he wanted to say something, but his lips moved, but nothing came out.