Carrying AK into Ming Dynasty

Chapter 151 The Miserable Craftsman

The end of the new year is approaching, and for most Ming people, it is a happy day. Rich people put on brand new lanterns, adding joy to this harsh winter.

But for craftsman Hu Liu, Chinese New Year has nothing to do with him.

Because the family couldn't get rid of the pot, the two children were crying and hungry, and the mother-in-law could only beat and scold them for being ignorant.

Hu Liu sighed, and went out with the carpentry box on his shoulders.

He was a carpenter, a 'hereditary' craftsman registered in the imperial court.

Craftsmen in the Ming Dynasty were divided into shifts and shifts. The shift-based craftsmen were also long-term craftsmen. Although such craftsmen were poorly paid and were bullied by cruel officials, at least they could not die of starvation.

Shift craftsmen do not have this kind of treatment. Not only do they not have any salary during the shift, but they also have to take care of the round-trip travel expenses themselves.

Hu Liu is a shift craftsman, but in order to save the cost of going back and forth, he simply built a grass shed on the edge of the city, and his family lived here temporarily.

A few days ago, Hu Liu finished the tasks assigned by the workshop, ended his shift this year, and at the same time the hard life began.

Originally, although the workshop did not pay salaries, at least he could have a full meal. The supervisor was his fellow villager, and every time he left work, he would secretly bring back some leftovers from the workshop to the mother-in-law and children at home.

Now the shift is over and so are the 'good days'.

Hu Liu carried the carpenter's box through Jinmao'er Alley, and came to the house of Mr. Zhang, the right counselor of the Secretary of General Administration.

Yesterday, the housekeeper of Zhang's house found him and asked him to make a set of jujube wood furniture in the house, which really made Hu Liu's situation worse.

Because the officials and lords do not pay wages to these shift craftsmen to work for them. This is their privilege, and at most they just take care of their meals.

Originally, Hu Liu wanted to take advantage of the few days before the end of the year to make some tables and chairs and sell them in the market, so as to earn some rice for his family.

Although the people are poor, there may not be anyone who buys them, but there is always something to look forward to.

Now it seems that how to let the mother-in-law and children of the family survive this cold winter is a problem.

Hu Liu put away his thoughts and knocked on the side door of Zhang's mansion.

The door was opened with a creak, and a middle-aged man with a mustache and mischievous eyes came out.

"It's you, why did you come so late, get out of here!"

"Butler Wang, my little one's home is a little far away from here, so I came a little late. Tomorrow, my little one must come early."

Hu Liu walked into Zhang's mansion with Steward Wang while accompanying him.

Several colleagues had already arrived in the backyard, and they just glanced indifferently at Hu Liu's arrival, and then continued to do the work in hand.

"Hu Liu, your task is to build a jujube table, four chairs, and six sets of coffee tables. They all need to be painted with red paint, and the wood is stored there. Three days is enough for you!"

Steward Wang's speech was a bit eccentric, and his two beards were also curled up.

"Steward Wang, three days may not be enough for so many pieces of furniture, at least five days..." Hu Liu was a little embarrassed.

"Yo? Do you dare to bargain with me? If you can't finish the work during the day, you can process it overnight. The workmanship must be fine and not shoddy.

I missed the matter of adults, I am asking for you!Eye-opening dog thing! "

Butler Wang cursed for a while before getting up and leaving.

Hu Liu sighed and had no choice but to speed up the work in his hands.

After working until noon, when the eyes of six or seven carpenters were starving with hunger, the servants of Zhang's mansion brought today's meals.

A bucket of steamed black corn bread, and a bucket of pickled vegetable soup without any oil or water.

Hu Liu grabbed the snow on the ground to wash his hands, grabbed the black corn bread and took a bite. He had to eat quickly, otherwise he might not be full.

Hu Liu ate three black corn buns in one go, drank another bowl of soup, and finally felt a little strength in his body.

It may be that the Zhang family made a mistake in their calculations. There are only six or seven craftsmen in the yard, and there is no way to finish this bucket of black corn buns.

Seeing that several colleagues were squatting on the side eating, he took two more corn buns and stuffed them into his arms secretly.

The servants who supervised him were talking about something, but no one noticed him.

Hu Liu was a little guilty, but the children in the family had been hungry for a day, and two cornbreads might not be enough, so he turned his head and took a peek, then quickly put his hand into the bucket, this time he caught three.

"Intuit! You bastard, how dare you steal steamed buns!" A servant saw this scene inadvertently, and immediately rolled up his sleeves and walked over quickly.

Seeing this, another servant rushed to call Steward Wang, but Steward Wang stayed next door. Hearing that a craftsman was eating and stealing, he couldn't help being furious, and trotted to the backyard.

"Boss, this guy surnamed Hu is stealing! Look, the little one just found five steamed buns from his waist!" The servant held the black steamed buns warmed by Hu's body and asked for credit to Steward Wang.

"Okay, you thief with the army, Mr. Zhang thinks you have worked so hard to give you food, but you are not enough to eat by yourself, and you dare to steal, you really have the guts of a bear!

Come on!Call me! "

Steward Wang kicked Hu Liu to the ground and signaled his servants to do it.

"Steward Wang, the younger one still has a wife and children at home. They haven't eaten all day and night, and the younger one has no other choice. Please forgive me, the younger one will never dare again..."

Hu Liu got up from the ground and knelt down in front of Butler Wang to beg for mercy.

"Hmph! My Zhang's house is not a philanthropic hall. What does your family have to do with my Zhang's house if you don't have enough to eat? Don't pretend to be mean to me here. Stealing is stealing. Hit me!"

The two servants received Steward Wang's order and punched and kicked Hu Liu, and Hu Liu's wailing suddenly came from the yard.

The beating lasted for a full quarter of an hour, and did not stop until the feet of the two servants hurt from kicking. Steward Wang cursed and asked the servants to drag Hu Liu and throw him out of the Zhang residence.

Hu Liu lay on the ground with his head in his hands, his body hunched in pain, blood poured out from the corners of his mouth and nose, mixed with the dirty snow on the street, his eyes were full of pain and despair.

After lying on the snow for a long time, his body finally regained consciousness. Hu Liu slowly got up, picked up the woodworking tools scattered on the ground, and walked hopelessly forward with his painful waist bent.

The world is not benevolent, and all things are regarded as dogs. In the next life, even being a dog is better than being a craftsman!

Hu Liu walked through Tofu Lane and saw many people around the gate of Chongwenmen, so he paced over there.

"Notice of the Ministry of Household Collection:
In accordance with the emperor's will, An Guohou wanted to recruit artisans for dispatch. All the shift artisan households registered in the household department can report to Xishan, next to the residence of Qianhu in Wansui Mountain.

Those who pass the assessment can stay here to be dispatched by An Guohou, and at the same time, they can be exempted from the imperial court's shift.

In addition, An Guohou explained that all craftsmen who pass the assessment will have monthly silver, and the lowest one will be limited to two taels. I hope everyone in the village will tell each other! "

Even for those long-term craftsmen in the workshops of the Ministry of Industry, the monthly silver is only one tael, and they have been embezzled several times by cruel officials. Who is this An Guohou, who dares to say that two or two monthly silver is the lowest for recruiting craftsmen?

Many people discussed and commented on the notice, only Hu Liu showed joy.

This is good news, regardless of whether the monthly silver set by An Guohou is real or not, he dare not expect extravagantly, even if he is given five silver coins a month, it will make him feel good.

Hu Liu decided to go home quickly, so as to tell the good news to his mother-in-law at home. In the setting sun, Hu Liu's rickety figure limped towards the house, and his life had hope again.

Hu Liu is just a microcosm. The same scene was staged in Beizhili and Shuntian Mansions. Almost all craftsmen struggling on the verge of life and death learned the news.

They marched in groups to the West Mountain and to the Thousand Households of Longevity Mountain, in order to live and survive.

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(End of this chapter)