The last conscience of the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 141 Doing good?

The shopkeeper wasn't talking nonsense.

He explained to Zhao Bijun:

"Yes, one piece each for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is enough for cooking. If it is needed urgently, a clerk in our shop invented a charcoal clip that can cut the charcoal cake in half. Use half a piece more. It is necessary in winter now. For heating, three yuan a day is definitely not enough, and doubling the amount is a luxury for ordinary people."

The shopkeeper made it very clear that even if it is for heating, ordinary people will definitely not make their homes very hot.One thousand, four hundred yuan of carbonated cakes is enough to last a year, which is only two yuan.

And what about a pound of charcoal?
It's only ten days if you save it.

According to the current price of charcoal, it rises to 250 Wen per scale in winter.

Zhao Bijun recalled that when she was at home, her family was not poor and they had to burn at least six kilograms of charcoal every day in their house.

To rise or not to rise.

Zhao Bijun asked: "Old shopkeeper, what do you think?"

"I'm just a servant, I don't dare to say anything."

Zhao Bijun asked again: "How many charcoal farms do we have in the south of the city?"

The old shopkeeper replied: "The charcoal farm in the south of the city alone is enough for the whole of Bianjing for three months. But the master does not only have the charcoal farm in the south of the city. There are also charcoal farms not far from the canal and Bianshui big docks. In Huaizhou (Jiao) *Work), Xiangzhou and Liyang (He*bi), the Lord also has more than ten mining areas, including two mines, the scale of which is indescribable. "

Zhao Bijun didn't ask at all. According to the Song Dynasty, coal mines can only be government-operated after their monthly output exceeds a certain limit. Even if they are small mines, they are subject to extremely heavy taxes and other issues.

My husband only controls a few mining areas, which is not worth mentioning at all.

Zhao Bijun asked again: "Old shopkeeper, what is the appropriate price for our coal cakes after winter?"

The old shopkeeper thought about it for a whole stick of incense: "I'll just say a little more, and the price will increase slightly...by [-]%."

The old shopkeeper is still a kind-hearted person. He has experienced two blizzards in Bianjing City. The court sent people to give porridge, but what about the people who froze to death?But he will never wake up.

Zhao Bijun gritted his teeth and said: "Okay, it will be a [-]% increase."

Even though this price has increased by [-]%, compared to the price of charcoal which is only one per day at this time, countless people are grateful to the Charcoal Shop for its kindness.

At this time, Zhao Bijun returned home and reported to Cao Tan immediately.

Cao Tan also believes that it is kinder to raise less.

dinner time.

Cao Tan told Liang Xin about this: "Husband, today it is said that it will be a cold winter. Bijun is kind-hearted. At present, each scale of charcoal is already 210 cents, and our charcoal has only increased by [-]%."

Liang Xin: "Yeah."

It was such a simple response.

Then continue to eat.

Cao Tan glanced at Liang Xin's face and continued to ask: "Husband, do you do good..."

Liang Xin then spoke: "Since it is said to be a good thing, why is there a price increase?"

Cao Tan:......

Zhao Bijun:......

Zhao Bijun has always been very nervous. She was worried that Liang Xin would be unhappy if the price increase was too small. After all, Liang Xin spent a lot of favors and resorted to many tricks to bring all the coal business in Bianjing City under her own control.

There are miscellaneous biographical records among merchants in the market. During the Zhenzong period, Zihu Ma monopolized the charcoal industry and doubled his family property several times in one winter.

In Bianjing City, millions of people use charcoal.

This is a necessity.

Liang Xin continued to eat, and Cao Tan put down his chopsticks: "Husband, you decide." Liang Xin asked back: "I heard that your Cao family's share is the family's property, not all your family's. Can you explain it when you go back?"

Cao Tan: "Who do I need to explain to?"

Liang Xin then said: "Since the 3000% increase has been decided, it cannot be changed. We will make some changes, and the charcoal consumption in all shops will be increased by [-]%. Ordinary people this winter will be based on [-] yuan of charcoal. Keep the original price. Later, go to the Gao family in person and the families of the Imperial Guards around Bianjing City. Buy two thousand catties and get a hundred catties as a gift."

"Let's give some to the old, weak and poor families. It will bring blessings to the children in your belly."

After thinking about it, Liang Xin continued: "Tomorrow I will enter the palace, and the official's charity work can be carried out. Then, the tax on our charcoal shop will be exempted. In this way, the people of Bianjing may have more money this winter. warmth."

After Zhao Bijun heard this, he stood up and saluted Liang Xin.

Great kindness and benevolence.

At first, she was helpless. Her family was ruined and she didn't even have the money to bury her father. She had no choice but to sue the officials desperately to seek justice, and was prepared to die in Kaifeng Mansion.

The Cao family took her in.

Zhao Youfu accepted her as an adopted daughter.

Why?

She understands.

In order to maintain the friendship between Eunuch Zhao and Eunuch Liang in the palace, she accepted her fate.

Cao Tan avenged her, and she was grateful.

At this time, she never expected that Liang Xin would be so kind.

Seeing Zhao Bijun stand up and salute, Cao Tan understood the reason before Liang Xin could say anything, and immediately said: "Don't disturb the master's meal, go and prepare some refreshments."

"Yes." Zhao Bijun had tears in his eyes.

The rest of the people didn't interrupt, they just watched and listened.

The Liang Mansion was not big, and although there was not much of a circle, Li Qingzhao and Zhao Bijun were not very close, so they would definitely not talk too much.Wang Jingyu and Xu Shizhen are Cao Tan's people. Cao Tan makes all the decisions, so they won't interfere.

After dinner, Wangxue stayed in the living room.

Cao Tan motioned to Wang Jingyu to play mahjong with others.

Only Cao Tan accompanied Liang Xin to drink tea and chat.

Cao Tan asked: "Husband, during the time after your death, God made you go to another world. You said there were no poor people in that world. I am curious how they spent the winter."

Liang Xin: "Correction, it's not that there are no poor people, it's that there are no people in extreme poverty. There are still poor people, and there is also poverty. Although it is not much, it is still there. When it comes to winter, it must be divided into north and south."

"How about the south? How about the north?"

Liang Xin smiled, very happily: "The Qinling Mountains and the Huaihe River are used as the boundary to divide the north and the south. It doesn't snow in the south, but it is very cold in winter. Why, listen to me about the north."

"In the north, build one or several very large furnaces. How big are they? One furnace can supply hundreds of thousands of households with hot water for the winter. It will be sent underground to each residential area with iron pipes, and then distributed through small pipes. When it reaches each household, the hot water dissipates the heat in the house, turns into cold water, and then returns to the stove to continue burning.”

"How warm is it? In the house, wearing summer clothes, eating ice. In the south, they don't get snow, but there is no such warmth in the house."

Cao Tan pointed to the wall of the house: "Like this?"

Liang Xin shook her head: "This is just the most basic one. It opens the wall and has a water tank on one side of the stove. Compared with centralized heating, this is like the difference between a wooden stick and the equality of all living beings. It's too big, too big. . However, if our iron production can be increased a thousand times, it is not impossible to try."

After saying that, Liang Xin went to find the draft of Zhao Ji's edict that she had collected.

Zhao Ji's edict may be what he looked like when he was at his most innocent.

Set up a medical clinic for poor people who cannot afford medical treatment.Prepare a house to give orphans and the elderly a place to live...

(End of this chapter)