Datang first village

How much is a stone of rice worth in Datang now?

Chang'an's high-quality polished rice costs [-] Wen per stone. The rice comes from Liaodong, and its taste is much higher than that of the original rice grown here in Chang'an throughout the year. .

The cheapest rice in Huating is fifty pennies a stone.It is rice produced in Nanyang and Baiyue.

Rice grown throughout the year, no matter how good the variety is, cannot be superior in nutrition and taste to rice grown throughout the year.

There is also a kind of rice in Huating Port, which is 35 Wen a stone. This is unprocessed rice, raw rice with shells. The price of rice has been sold for 28 Wen.

A fleet from Nanyang, the flag on board is Niu Jinda Kuching's Iron Niu Chamber of Commerce.

In Datian City, the city lords from more than [-] surrounding cities, large and small, gathered here. Kazuo Datian was also considered a discerning person, and distributed some of the gifts Wang Ba gave him to these people.

30 workers, these city owners are also difficult to achieve, but they can't be tempted.

Slaves, prisoners of war, and those bankrupt farmers became the first choice.

When the fleet entered the inland sea and approached the port of Datian City, Wang Ba secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This Niu Jinda really gave him face, and he only charged himself 350 yuan per ton including the freight.It's just that Niu Jinda didn't ask for cash, but silver, at Datang's exchange rate.

"Uncle Wang!" A young man jumped off the boat and saluted Wang Ba.

This is Niu Jinda's third son, Niu Ben!

"Thank you father for me, you have been of great help this time. The rice in my place will take at least one and a half months to mature." Wang Ba was very polite to Niu Ben, and after cupping his fists to salute, he personally welcomed Niu Ben into the house to rest.

"Uncle Wang, [-] tons of rice have arrived. It's just that we don't have enough bags, so it's all in bulk."

"It's a small matter, as long as it's rice, you can just soak it in water!" Wang Ba whispered.

Datian City didn't have a wharf that could allow such a [-]-ton ship to enter the port. Some of them were dismantled, and a temporary platform was built, which could barely allow a ship to dock at the port.

Wang Ba wouldn't let Niu Ben's people do this kind of thing, except for Niu Jinda's own veterans on this boat, they were all Mohe people.These are all Datang people, and it is impossible for them to do these hard work.

"Ota Kazuo, arrange some people to move the rice!" Wang Ba ordered forcefully.

That's right, this is the tone of the order.

Ota Kazuo dared to be a little unhappy, this is not only the God of Wealth, but also a backer.Cui Jie whispered a few words in Wang Ba's ear, and Wang Ba laughed: "Datian, the general thought that each of these workers could receive five catties of rice, and those who work for the general should not be treated badly." .”

Wang Ba understands Japanese, and speaks it well, but in his capacity, he doesn't speak easily.

What Cui Jie said to Wang Ba just now was to let the Japanese know that we are generous and rich, so they will send more people to Datang to work for us.

There are five catties of rice for a day's work. Such a good thing is that the soldiers under Kazuo Ota are jealous.

There are 2000 people working, and they have to fight for a job spot. It turned out that the guards of these city lords came to place the goods.

It doesn't matter if it's in bulk, the Japanese will naturally find a way.

First use wooden barrels to load them on the boat, then carry the barrels down, and put them under the boat into rice bags made of straw.Then pile it up and pull it away with a cart.

"One hundred thousand stones." Wang Ba smiled and announced a number.

The rice with the shell is easy to preserve. Kazuo Ota grabbed a handful of rice, then picked up a stone and pressed the rice in his hand. Some of the rice shells were crushed, and he picked up the rice and bit it in his mouth.He yelled in surprise, "This is the new rice from that year."

"Xinmi!" Many people gathered around.

With such a huge number, it is no surprise that the people of Tang Dynasty took the old rice from last year and the year before, but they gave the new rice from that year.Does Datang have no rice stock?In other words, Datang has so much food that the warehouse can't hold it?

Anyway, it's solid rice.

Compared with the rice in bags that may have been soaked in sand, this kind of loose rice is more solid.

A ship has a load of 420 tons. In fact, rice is still light in specific gravity. The [-]-ton ship actually loads about [-] tons.

How much is 420 tons of grain? One bag of rice made of straw by the Japanese is one stone. 420 tons is the weight of Datang, and one ton is one thousand catties.In the reign of Wude, stone is actually a unit of volume, and one stone is ten buckets.One bucket is ten liters of rice, and one liter of rice weighs about 620 grams.

And a catty is 680 grams according to modern calculations.This makes a difference.

The Ministry of Household Affairs requested a unified unit of measurement several times, so one bucket was changed to ten catties, and one stone was one hundred catties, for easier calculation. (One stone in the Tang Dynasty is 59 kilograms in later generations)

In 600 A.D., the weight of one stone in Wajima was almost 110 kilograms per stone according to the weight of the Ming Dynasty in China (at the time of Ming Dynasty, one stone was definitely 93 kilograms).

Now it is more than 600 A.D. When the Japanese people were in contact with the Han Dynasty, they used the Han system, which is [-] kilograms per stone.

Watching the Japanese beat the rice into rice rollers, which are round rollers about two feet long and less than one foot in diameter, Niu Ben asked in a low voice: "Uncle Wang, are they counted by two rolls?" A stone?"

"No!" Wang Ba shook his head: "The Japanese four and a half stones are almost worth one stone to us, and they use the Chinese system."

"Then, what Uncle Wang is talking about with them is the Tang stone, or the Japanese stone!"

"Ah!" Wang Ba was stunned, he hadn't thought about this question at all.Immediately gesturing to call Cui Jie over: "Are we talking about Tang Shi, or Wa Shi?" Calculate, there are few Japanese stones!

When Wang Xuance came to hear this question, he was also a little surprised. Now he can't figure out whether these Japanese people are thinking about Japanese stones or Tang stones.

"Don't worry, send someone to find out the reaction of the Japanese!" Wang Ba made a decisive decision.

A few clerks who knew the Japanese language were helping to order the goods, while paying attention to the reactions of the Japanese people, while Wang Ba and others went to chat with the city lords, intending to find out.

Niu Ben sat on a wooden barrel, and asked Wang Xuance casually: "I said Xuance, did the Japanese entertain you, and did you have any good things. I heard from my father that His Royal Highness King Qin said that the Japanese There are countless delicacies on the island.”

Wang Xuance and Niu Ben were old acquaintances, and had dealt with each other in Nanyang, so he immediately laughed when Niu Ben asked him this question.

"why are you laughing?"

"I laugh because the Japanese are definitely talking about Japanese stones."

"Why?" Niu Ben didn't understand how this guy suddenly seemed to understand everything.

"Do you know what the Japanese people gave us for the luxurious banquet?" Wang Xuance smiled: "A bowl of rice, a plate of pickled vegetables that I don't know what it is, and a plate of salted radish sticks. And there is only this." As soon as Wang Xuance gestured, Niu Ben's eyes widened. Is this for people to eat, or for cats?Immediately asked: "No meat?"

"Yes!" Wang Xuance smiled, and gestured with both hands again: "A small fish less than five inches long!"

(Note! The diet of the ancient Japanese people is completely true. After the Warring States period, Tokugawa Ieyasu also had such a standard of food)

Niu Ben doesn't believe it!

"Don't be surprised, Izumo still maintains such a habit. Our sergeants in the Tang Dynasty never eat with the Japanese. The Japanese don't eat at night, which can save food, whether they are nobles or slaves. Meat This kind of thing is not ordinary precious in the eyes of Japanese people!"

What Wang Xuance said was the truth.

The Tang sergeant did not eat with the Japanese not because he was afraid that the Japanese would steal it, but because he saw that the Japanese only ate a little, which really turned people off when eating.

"One family has a lot of food, because they eat very little. The Japanese's favorite military ration is rice balls, whether it is wild vegetables or brown rice, mixed with some loach, that is the meal for officers."

When Niu Ben heard this, he turned his head and left: "I'm going back to the boat for dinner, I don't want to starve to death!"

The result has come out, it is calculated according to Japanese stone.

This ship weighed 420 tons. According to the calculation of the Japanese, it was almost eighteen thousand stones.

Working overtime at night, each person has two rice balls, the size of a fist, and the Japanese soldiers cheered happily.

Five ships shipped the goods, which was almost 24 shi, but there were still about [-] ships here. According to Tang Shi's standard, Niu Jinda prepared [-] tons, and even used other materials to load [-] ships.Only five boats have been unloaded, and the rest of the boats are still full of rice.

Wang Ba was biting a cigarette, standing on the pier and staring at the boats in a daze.

"General Wang!" Kazuo Ota was very respectful: "This is more than [-] shi. I gave some rice balls to the soldiers, and the rest is more than [-] shi."

Wang Ba sighed: "Datian! I have many soldiers under my command, and they were originally born in poverty. They saw the hardships of you, the leader, so I thought about it and gave everyone who is willing to give to me. Those who work will be given two stones of food. The food will be distributed, so you should not withhold it from them. I will feel that it is not easy for them. They are all poor people. Let’s do it. I will give you half a stone of rice, so you don't need to deprive those poor people."

"Don't dare, dare not!" Da Tianxin said, this Tang general is stupid, the leader is used to squeeze people.

Don't squeeze the people where you have money and food.

Don't squeeze the people, what if they are rich and have enough food to rebel?

But Wang Ba said, he gave it to you, Kazuo Ota, you can't snatch it, and you also made up half a stone of rice, so Kazuo Ota really didn't dare to snatch it.

"Put up the notice!" Wang Ba had a serious face, but a happy heart.I meditated in my heart: His Royal Highness Qin Wang said that the one who wins the hearts of the people wins the world, so we have to do more to win the hearts of the people. This is just a toothpick and a little rice, and we brothers don’t take it seriously.Half a stone of rice, that is a fart of a few pennies.

When Wang Ba said to post a notice, he would definitely post it.The Japanese don't even have writing, and there are people who can read.So even at night, there were still people shouting about the labor conditions given by Wang Ba in the countryside. (To be continued.)