Eighth year of Chongzhen

Chapter 179
This year, various markets in the capital have seen prosperity that has not been seen in many years. The supplies related to the festival are very popular, and the supply of goods in many shops is in short supply.

As early as the end of November, when merchants in the capital were buying a large number of goods to prepare for the new year, the tax office with the headquarter in Chongwenmen expanded the scale of tax audit personnel, and set up several tax cards outside Chongwenmen to facilitate the transportation of goods. City merchants pay taxes to avoid congestion at Chongwenmen when approaching the inner city.In this way, after unloading the goods from the Tongzhou Wharf, the merchants will load the goods onto the vehicles, walk through the Zuoanmen Gate in the outer city, and then go to the Chongwenmen Gate in the inner city. city ​​sale.

Unexpectedly, there will be such a strong sales situation during the Chinese New Year this year. Many shops and businesses are short of stocks. Some businesses that deal in cloth, satin, ready-to-wear, shoes and hats open for business in the morning and are sold out around noon.The owner and shopkeeper of the firm had to go to battle in person, and rushed to the Tongzhou Wharf in the south of the capital with his staff in a horse-drawn carriage, trying to snap up cloth and other goods from the merchant ships that had just landed, causing fights and disputes from time to time.In the end, the Yamen of Shuntian Prefecture was not allowed to send a hundred servants to maintain order at Tongzhou Wharf to prevent more such incidents from happening.

Pedestrians in the streets and alleys walked briskly, carrying all kinds of items on their hands, and couldn't hide the smiles on their faces.When acquaintances meet each other on the street or in a shop, they greet each other warmly, talk about the items purchased during the New Year, and talk about where there are many and cheap things, and the tone reveals relaxation and satisfaction.

Although the capital was much busier than usual during the Chinese New Year, and there were a wide variety of goods and materials, the purchasers were not only the housekeepers and servants of the dignitaries, but also wealthy households in the capital with small assets.Ordinary people were short of money, and although they would buy some items for their homes, it was an insignificant addition to the commodity market in the entire capital. The biggest income of merchants still came from the bulk purchases of wealthy families.

Not only did the common people not have much spare money in their hands, but many middle and lower-level officials and subordinates in the yamen of the capital were not much better than them.

Although the officials from various provinces sent many entourages to the capital to give gifts during the Chinese New Year, they were all for those powerful Shangguans. Who would give gifts to these humble little people?

It is quite difficult to support the family with a meager salary, and the low-level officials in these yamen are full of resentment.I also worked hard for the court, but in the end I had no money left to buy things for my family and new clothes for my children.

A few months ago, the emperor greatly increased the salaries of all the officials in the Yamen, and all the previous discounts were changed to cash. This made many officials grateful to Zhu Youjian from the bottom of their hearts, and all the vicious words secretly disappeared.

The effect of this salary increase was fully reflected at the end of the year.

Officials who suddenly had countless times more affluence became the main force of consumption during the New Year. After the holiday, the officials put on their clothes and swaggered out with their wives and children to purchase New Year's goods.

If you have money, you dare to come out to meet people.It’s no longer the old Chinese New Year. For the sake of self-esteem, I only dare to take out a few copper coins and a few pieces of silver, let my wife go out to buy some rice, noodles and meat, and tear a few pieces of cotton cloth to sew a robe for the child.

Commodities that were previously unattainable are now commonplace.

Mr. Xiang, this silver hairpin has a novel style and is so exquisitely crafted, I like it very much!

like?purchase!How much silver?One or two?Wrap that silver bracelet together, I won't bargain!My wife's Hao wristband will be beautiful!

Daddy, Daddy, I want this little wooden figure that can do somersaults, and these beautiful boots!
No problem, buy it!As long as the son likes it!

Seeing the happiness and joy from the heart in the eyes of their wives and children, everyone felt a deep sense of satisfaction in their hearts.

These low-level officials finally felt proud.In the past, when I came home every New Year’s Eve, I saw the expectant eyes of my parents, wives and children, but I was too shy to buy their favorite things home. This ugly world was smashed, and the mansions of those Shangguan gentlemen were burned to the ground.

Now everything has changed, and it's a sea change.

Since the salary increase, at the beginning of each month, what I bring home is white broken silver, instead of thin as cicada wings, rice noodles mixed with gravel, and large grains of coarse salt with black in yellow. His eyes were filled with admiration.The days are suddenly better, and such days make people full of expectations for the future, all of which are the kindness of the current Holy Majesty.

Officials, former poor craftsmen, and soldiers in the Yongwei Camp and the Beijing Camp with their families in the capital constitute this year's consumer army.

The Huangzhuang Village that Zhu Youjian first visited was also very lively, and it was these poor farmers who were the first to get rich.

The original small market outside the village has now been transformed into a variety of shops. The needs of thousands of people in Huangzhuang are not small.

The goods purchased by the farmers are basically the same as those in the capital. Although their purchasing power is relatively weak, they still become an indispensable force driving the market.

Because the nutrition can keep up and they can eat every meal, Daniu and Niuniu are developing very fast now.Nine-year-old Daniu has become an expert at raising pigs and feeding chickens. Under his careful feeding, the two piglets he has raised have grown to about [-] catties, and the manager of the village is full of praise for him.

Niuniu is already six years old, and her life here for more than a year is something she has never experienced. It is safe, simple, and happy, and it is no longer the same hunger and cold as before.Everyone is very friendly, and she also made many friends of her age. Because they are all orphans, Niuniu often sleeps on the same bed with her little sisters. Endless whispers.

These gathered orphans were divided into groups of ten, and each group was looked after by two women.

Under Zhu Youjian's instruction, these women were all specially selected, and they were all miserable people who lost their husbands and children due to war and famine.Zhu Youjian believes that such a woman will bring the brilliance of motherhood to the extreme.

He didn't want the dirty things in the orphanage to happen before his eyes.Although people in this era generally have the virtue of simplicity, he still strives to be perfect, unwilling to let every young heart be hurt again.

Facts have proved that his move is completely correct, and it can even be said to be a stroke of genius.

Those women who have nothing have been completely desperate for life.Although they were detained in Huangzhuang by Zhu Youjian, and the safety of food and clothing was guaranteed, the loss of all their relatives, especially their own flesh and blood, caused great trauma to their hearts and minds. The longing for their relatives made them immersed in pain all the time. People are already alive like walking corpses, and tragedies of hanging themselves happen from time to time.

The errands arranged for them in Huangzhuang made everyone find a reason to live. Looking at the innocent and lovely faces in front of them, the maternal love of these women was fully stimulated.

They regarded these children as their own flesh and blood, and pinned all their only hope of living in this world on the children. of those children.Huangzhuang will allocate money for grain, oil, salt and meat according to the head, and then these women will take care of the children's daily food and daily life. Under their careful care, Daniel and Niuniu live a healthy and happy life.

When Zhu Youjian first took in these orphans, it was because of his soft heart, and secondly, he wanted to use other means to cultivate these children into a special force loyal to him.

But now he has given up his original plan and only treats and takes care of these orphans as normal children.

Peace in the world is not far away, powerful opponents are being wiped out one by one.Because of the small size of the remaining tribe outside the customs, it is difficult to compete with Daming who is about to recover. The next step is to increase the blockade of it, and further damage its extremely backward productivity.When the situation is getting better and better, why should children who should grow up happily be the products of brainwashing?
Everyone's right to choose should belong to themselves, rather than being imposed and forced.

Since my original intention when taking in children was to protect the weak, this original intention should not be forgotten and changed.

As snowflakes fell from the sky, the ninth year of Chongzhen ended in a heavy snowfall and people's expectations for the future.

In the Qianqing Palace on the thirtieth year, Zhu Youjian, Empress Yi'an, Empress Zhou, Concubine Tian Gui, Concubine Li Xian, and the prince, Prince Ding, Prince Yong, and Changping were all sitting around a large table. At the round table.There are several copper hot pots on the table, plates of very thinly sliced ​​fresh mutton and several kinds of green leafy vegetables. There are several sauce plates in front of everyone, containing sesame sauce, mashed garlic, chives, etc. condiments.

This is a family banquet held at the suggestion of Zhu Youjian.

In previous years, there was no such scene in Qianqing Palace during Chinese New Year.Zhu Youjian, who is worried about state affairs and doesn't like extravagance, is in no mood to have dinner with his family.

Empress Yi'an also spends New Year's Eve alone in the cold palace.

As the situation is getting better and better, the increasingly difficult financial problems have been basically resolved. Almost everyone in the palace, from the nobles to the servants, has a relaxed and joyful expression on their faces.

These hot pots were made under Zhu Youjian's special order. Empress Yi'an and others have never seen them before, and they have never tried this way of eating.

The water in the hot pot began to boil. Zhu Youjian picked up a piece of mutton with chopsticks, rinsed it back and forth in the boiling water a few times, then put it in the sauce dish, dipped it in the seasoning and delivered it to his mouth.

Everyone at the table stared at Zhu Youjian curiously, and when he saw him chewing the mutton with his eyes closed, with a contented expression on his face, Chang Ping's crisp voice suddenly sounded: "Father, you are drooling! "

　Thanks to the book friend Starlight: Spirited Away for the reward.

　　Back to the question from book friends, this is a novel, not Ming history, there are many fabricated characters in it, please don't take it seriously.

　　Thanks again for the book friends Lord of the Age, The Farmer’s Son is Farming Again, Starlight: Spirited Away, Autumn’s Fairy Tale Flying, Life with Heart, Kai Kai Lingyun, and Test the Water 0416 for their rewards this week.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)