Chapter 561: New Year

After exiting the Nancheng Gate, walk about thirty miles along the official road, and you will be at the Beijing toll gate.
In the past, it was a wasteland and mountain forest, with only birds and no people.
Since the cement road was repaired and toll stations and rest stations were built, it has become more and more lively.
Around the toll booths and on both sides of the official road, tea houses, restaurants, inns, grocery stores...
There is a large flow of people going to and from Beijing, and when many people rush to the toll gate in Beijing, the sky is already dark and it is too late to enter Beijing.
It's better to find an inn near the toll booth to rest for a night, wash away all the dust, and go to the capital cleanly.
There were also those who went out of the city to visit relatives and friends, and walked to the toll booth just in time for a meal and rest.
After all, this dilapidated place with no people in the past seems to have a trend towards market development.
Youfu Inn is located here, less than a hundred meters away from the toll station.
Under the kitchen in the backyard, five large coal stoves were burning.
On the twenty-seventh of the twelfth lunar month, the inn is still full of people.
Supply hot water, supply food, five large coal stoves under the kitchen, since the day I bought it, I haven't stopped the fire.
His coal stove is expensive.
For a coal stove, it takes less than 20 briquettes a day.
For five coal stoves, one hundred briquettes are needed a day. Sometimes there are many people using hot water, and a hundred coal stoves are not enough.
Of course, his demand for briquettes is large, and the price can be even cheaper than fifty cents and one hundred briquettes outside.
But even so, in a month, it would cost nearly two taels of briquettes alone.
The owner of Youfu Inn took an abacus to settle accounts.
It used to burn wood.
Five earthen stoves burn one or two loads of firewood a day according to the current passenger flow.
A load of firewood is about one hundred catties.
It is cold this year and the price of firewood has risen.
From twenty liters a burden to thirty liters.
Counting it down, it seems that burning wood can save money.
However, the coal burner does not require people to watch the fire.
To burn firewood, you have to add two firewood girls, plus a woodcutter guy.
For three people, one month's wages must be four to five hundred wen. Have to include two meals.
In this way, the coal-burning stove is still a good deal.
The owner of Youfu Inn finished the accounts and made up his mind to burn coal stoves.
He told the shopkeeper, "The fire-burning girls under the kitchen, don't let them come after the New Year. From now on, the inn will burn coal stoves."
The shopkeeper took the order and asked, "Does the guy who chopped wood want to stay?"
"The inn business is good, didn't you say that there is a lack of handyman. Just let that guy be a handyman."
The shopkeeper nodded, it was a pity to burn the two girls.
The owner of the inn is nothing but a pity.
Those two burning girls left the inn, and they could find better errands in no time.
Nowadays, in the city, Xinmin County, to be precise, recruits workers every day. There are also female workers.
Such as textile workshop.
I heard that there are women workers who have passed the first-level craftsmanship exam and can earn eight or nine hundred writings a month.
"Hey! If my girl can take the exam for a craftsman, she doesn't have to be too high, and if she takes the exam for a second-level craftsman, wouldn't she earn one or two silvers a month?"
The shopkeeper laughed, "Is the boss willing to let the girl work as a craftsman?"
The inn owner shook his head, "Reluctant."
It is too hard for women to do craftsmanship.
Craftsmen, men still have to do it.
The owner of the inn has a son who is studying.
"If my kid can't read it, I will ask him to learn how to be a craftsman from now on. I heard that a literate craftsman can earn two taels of silver a month if he gets into the second level. It's better than doing anything."
The shopkeeper shook his head, "This world is not the same as before. Who would have thought that those refugees could build a county. Last time, I saw that the houses were neatly repaired, not to mention how beautiful."
The owner of the inn patted the shopkeeper on the shoulder, "Work hard, you can also buy a two-story building in Xinmin County."
"Can't afford it, can't afford it."
In the second phase of the project, the cheapest apartment cost one hundred and twenty taels.
With his income, I don't know how long and how long did he get so much money.
The owner said, "You can take a loan."
The shopkeeper smiled bitterly, the loan is easy to repay.
A family of children eat and drink, all rely on him.
Moreover, if one day his boss fires him, he will be quite old, so where can he go to find work.
Without work, where can the money be repaid.
The owner shook his head, "You are just too cautious. The house, when it comes to that day, it is a big deal. You can make tens of taels of silver if you change hands. I heard that the price of the house over there has been increasing. You are not now Start, but I will regret it in the future."
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper hurriedly asked: "The house in Xinmin County is really increasing in price?"
"Of course. Such a good house is rare. Can you expect it to never increase in price? But if you buy it, you can go directly to the sales office. The price is fair."
The inn owner kindly persuades.
The shopkeeper was a little anxious, "My boss, I want to take a day off and go to Xinmin County."
"Okay! Tomorrow's twenty-eight, do you want to go?"
"May I?"
"Naturally. I'll take you three days off, and you will come back on the first day of the new year."
"Thank you, boss."
"polite!"
...
The twelfth lunar month in Beijing is even more lively than in previous years.
Everyone has the joy of the New Year on their faces.
Even the poorest family in previous years can buy two catties of pork for the Chinese New Year this year.
In previous years, I said that the new year was sad.
As soon as the Chinese New Year comes, those who want debts come to the house every day to beat them up.
During the New Year this year, fewer people are in debt.
Many households do not need creditors to demand debts, so they will clear their debts a few days in advance.
In previous New Years, all the young and old in the family hoped that the family members could get some money, cut some meat, and pull two feet of cloth, it would be even better.
Whenever this time, the family is always sad. The brows were frowning, and they were not stretched.
This year, there is not only meat to eat, but also sugar cakes, and new clothes to wear. Maybe you can get two cents of New Year's money on New Year's Day.
This year can be regarded as the best year in the memory of the last family.
On New Year's Eve, every household is eating New Year's Eve dinner.
The fragrant fatty meat was full of oil, and the children all smiled.
The adults sighed, "Life is getting better."
"Yes! This year is better than last year, and I have saved a couple of times."
"Next year, we will work harder to get our family to borrow money to buy a house."
The whole family laughed.
The smile is sincere, shining with light, that is the expectation and yearning for the bright future.
"Tomorrow, I will go to the temple fair and burn incense for the family of Sihaidong. Bless the family of Sihaidong will be a hundred years old. Such good days will come every year."
"It should be so."
"We are in this city, every household, who is not in the light of the four seas trading houses. Opposite the old Zhao family, three sons and three daughter-in-laws all work in Xinmin County. This year, the family has saved a house. "
"Their population is so big that we can't match it."
"The head of the house, I will also go to Xinmin County to find work next year. Our couple save money together, I don't believe we can't save the down payment for a house."
Similar conversations are happening in every corner of the capital.
Four seas trading houses, moisturizing things quietly, quietly changing the lives of the small people in Beijing, from food, clothing, housing and transportation.
Gu Jiu, the owner of the Four Seas Commercial Bank in Xiaomin's mouth, is eating a palace banquet in the palace.
This year, the three princes brought the bride Cui Shi to the palace to pay New Year greetings to the Queen Mother and all empresses.
The three princes worked hard for two years and finally won the love of the Queen Mother. Aiwu and Wu, the Queen Mother Xiao also likes Cui very much.
In front of everyone, the Queen Mother Xiao gave Cui a great gift.
Princess Huyang happily said, "The queen mother is so kind to the third wife, I can't keep up."
Queen Mother Xiao smiled and said, "If you are as capable as Cui, you can pick whatever you want in the Ai family's warehouse."
"The queen mother just hates me for not being capable enough." Princess Huyang acted like a baby and wanted to order something good from the Queen Mother Xiao.
Who told her to spend a lot of money, raise a small wolf dog, and a child and a daughter to worry about, can only do everything possible to hold money.
Empress Dowager Xiao deliberately kept her face straight, "You, the boss is not young, and she still thinks about something from the Ai family all day long. That's it, that's it, Ai Jia allows you to choose the same."
"Thank you, Empress." Princess Huyang was surprised.
The queen still loves her.
"What's so happy?"
Emperor Wen De brought his harem concubine to greet the Queen Mother Xiao.
Princess Huyang smiled, "The queen mother allowed me to go to the storeroom to pick a gift. The emperor brother can have something to reward me. It's a celebration of the New Year."
Emperor Wende laughed, "If you have money this year, I won't reward you."
"I have money for me, and the emperor's rewards are not counted. The emperor should also be more generous, not give me a title, anyway, give me something good to make me beautiful."
The original lively hall suddenly quieted down because of a title.
Gu Jiu thought that Princess Huyang was really full of resentment towards the title.
Empress Dowager Xiao scolded Huyang angrily, "For those who are celebrating the Chinese New Year, shut up if you can't speak. Hurry up and apologize to your emperor."
Princess Huyang pouted, unhappy.
Emperor Wende laughed, "Huyang complains to me?"
Princess Huyang looked aggrieved, "I dare not complain, just want a reward."
Empress Pei pursed her lips and smiled, "Look at her, she is not young, but she asks for the New Year's money like a child. It is said that the eldest brother is the father, so your Majesty will satisfy Huyang and make everyone happy."
Empress Dowager Xiao also said: "Huyang has never grown up before, and the children are about to get married, and there is still no righteousness all day long. Beware of your emperor's brother beating you."
The host of Huyang County aggrieved: "Brother Emperor has not beaten me less. When I was in the palace, I often listened to the teachings of Brother Emperor, and my ears were about to become callous."
Emperor Wende laughed when he heard the words, "I taught you so kindly, but you blamed me. If I knew this before, I shouldn't blame you at the beginning, let the emperor take care of you and take your title. Derogate you as an idle clan and you will be honest."
Princess Huyang's face turned pale.
Empress Dowager Xiao couldn't bear it, and said hurriedly: "The emperor, don't scare her. Look at her pale face, it looks like a Chinese New Year."
Emperor Wen De said something in his words: "Don't mess around, she will naturally have a lively life this year."
Princess Huyang lowered his head, and said secretly, "This palace never messes around."