Lin Gao Qiming

Chapter 1506 Street Lights
Send a clerk to the post station every afternoon - the Aussies call the post office to deliver.The shopkeeper's hand note also had the words "Pu", "Dian", and "Fast" written on it. According to Wang Xinglong's instructions, Lin Ming also wrote them on the envelope one by one.

He guessed that these might be some kind of business code words, and he would never ask them based on the principle of not doing too much, but Wang Xinglong quickly told him that this was just a way of sending letters.

"The so-called "Public" is the general postal route, which travels by car and boat, and is shipped on a regular schedule; if it is "fast", it is expedited, and it is sent on the same day, which is twice as fast as the "Public"..."

"Like the general official documents of the imperial court and the [-]-mile rush?"

"Exactly. Brother Lin is making a comparison. It's just how do the small people use the official station? Only the big officials and gentry can benefit from it. Our merchants usually use 'Flying Foot'. The speed is fast, but unfortunately the price is not high. It's cheap. For someone like my younger brother who lives in a remote area, there's nowhere to find 'Flying Foot'. The only important news is to send a guy to deliver the letter. It's the Australians who are sympathetic to our business..."

"This Australian station can still be used by merchants?"

"Why not? Don't say that our merchants are ordinary people who dig in the soil. We can send letters by post for only a few cents--it's a pity that it's only in this prefecture of Qiongzhou. It can be reached by post in the Ming Dynasty. There are very few places, and we have to send 'quick' letters."

Lin Ming knew that this post was a great burden for the imperial court, so the imperial court deliberately abolished the post stations all over the world, the postmen were unemployed, and they went into exile as bandits, which happened several times in Guangdong.However, after all, Guangdong is a peaceful and prosperous place, and small troubles will not cause big disturbances, and they will soon subside.

I didn't expect that the Kun thief not only ran post biography, but could also be used by ordinary people-it's really incredible.In his view, doing so is meaningless other than "buying people's hearts".

But he couldn't say that clearly, although Wang Xinglong refused to shave his hair, he was a "fan".On weekdays, he couldn't tolerate other people saying bad things about the gangster. Lin Ming looked on coldly, knowing that he had always had an unruly heart for his cousin. "Bad" "land outside the culture", this kind of thing is completely ignored.Lin Ming has only been here for a few days, so he knows that it is very easy to make a living here, and there are many opportunities to make a fortune. There are stories everywhere of someone who has made a fortune in just one or two years of high school, so he takes the etiquette and rules very lightly.

"I don't know if the prefix '电' is acceptable?"

"'Telegram' is a telegram." Wang Xinglong was in high spirits, "Speaking of this telegram, it is really a miracle! A letter delivered by the post office here, even if it is thousands of miles away, it will be delivered to the receiving post office in a short time. No Know how the Australians use it!"

He said that Haixing's business is so prosperous now, largely because of this telegram. The head office in Guangzhou exchanged the market prices of various mountain products and local products through the post office in Hong Kong. What prices in Guangzhou have risen and the demand is strong. , What is too much inventory and the price drops, you can know within a day or two.Shopkeeper Qian can then arrange for the shopkeepers in various branches in Qiongzhou to buy or stop receiving in turn.

"This telegram can also be used for money delivery, which is much more convenient than bank drafts and money orders."

Lin Ming shook his head again and again, no matter what, he couldn't believe that such a thing existed in the world.

"Brother Lin doesn't believe it, let's go and have a look at the next telegram delivery." Wang Xinglong said with a smile, "It's good to open your eyes."

Lin Ming was dubious. After arriving in Lingao, there were so many new things, far beyond his imagination.

While chatting, another guy brought a box of mail.This is Wang Xinglong's job.

Many letters are written and sent on the Haixing every day, and a large number of letters are also delivered.Wang Xinglong was in charge of this, dismantling and reading all kinds of letters, and then writing them into "abbreviations" according to the criticality of the letters - Treasurer Qian was busy with affairs and couldn't read them one by one, so he adopted this method.Some letters are related to price changes, so you don’t even need to write abbreviations, you just need to fill in the special “bill form” with full-line grids——Wang Xinglong calls it a “form”—and that’s it.

The two stopped talking, and got busy with their own responsibilities.There were only the two of them in the copywriting and accounting room, and the room was silent for a while. When it was busy until noon, an apprentice brought washing water for them to wash their faces and hands as usual.Then they brought dinner, with meat and vegetables, not many dishes, and the rice was full.Lin Ming had always been well-clothed and well-fed, but he hadn't had a good meal these days.Don't talk about eating well, you don't even have many chances to get full.I didn't feel my appetite opened up, and I ate a full meal.

Wang Xinglong didn't eat much, he only ate all the dishes, but he only ate one bowl of rice.Seeing that Lin Ming had a good appetite, he couldn't help laughing and said, "Brother Lin's appetite, he doesn't look like a scholar, he looks like a martial artist."

Lin Ming was startled when he heard the words, and hurriedly said: "To be honest, I haven't had a few full meals in these years..."

Wang Xinglong said: "My little brother was reincarnated like a starved ghost when he came to Gao. When he saw this white rice, he didn't even want food—I think that in Laizhou in the past, the family could not eat rice all at once." He said Shaking his head, he seemed deeply moved, "Australians here, even peddlers and short-term workers, can still have enough rice and vermicelli. I didn't expect that there is such a place in the world..."

Lin Ming also felt this problem. On the day he lived in the Weimin Inn, he ate in the public canteen outside. The long glass-covered counter was filled with large porcelain plates, piled up with food, and there were many kinds of food: vegetables , Bean Curd, Vermicelli, Meat, Pickles, Seafood, Rice, Wotou... Diners take a plate by themselves, willing to take a few dishes and take a few, and pay at the end at the end. If you are full, a bowl of broth with a few vegetable leaves and some oily flowers will be given as a gift.

Although he doesn't understand exchange rate conversion, he can roughly estimate in his mind how much it would cost for a similar meal in Foshan under the Ming Dynasty.The conclusion is that in Daming, guests of a similar class cannot afford it.

The price of food and vegetables here is so low in Kun Thief, which can only show that their output is very high.However, the thieves have always encouraged industry and commerce, and allowed farmers to go to the city to do business and work.

It seems that the Kun thief must have some secret method in farming.Wouldn't it be a great achievement if he could obtain this secret method and present it to the imperial court?
Lin Ming was thinking wildly, but Wang Xinglong had already got up and left - he was going out with his cousin - "shopping".

"Shopping?" Lin Ming was taken aback.In most cities and towns in the Ming Dynasty, not only the city gates were closed at night, but also the street gates were closed, and there was usually a curfew.Because there are no street lights on the street, it is very unsafe to walk at night.Therefore, except for festivals such as the Lantern Festival, very few people go out after lighting the lanterns on weekdays.He hastened to advise:
"It's already time to turn on the lights, it's pitch dark outside, and you're still bringing your female relatives..."

Wang Xinglong smiled and said: "Brother Lin, you don't know, this place is very bustling at night, and there is no danger in walking at night—you can follow me to the street and you will know."

Lin Ming was skeptical and followed him out.It was not yet completely dark, and on the street in front of the store, the iron pillars that he could not guess the purpose of had already been lit with lights.Bright flames danced behind the glass, not only much brighter than lamp oil candles, but even the best "Australian wax" could not match the light.

One after another, the lights stretched out along the street, as far as he could see.Looking around, the street is bright.Even reading and writing on the street is no problem, let alone walking.

Lin Ming immediately grabbed Wang Xinglong's arm as if in despair: "This, is a street lamp?"

"Exactly." Wang Xinglong said proudly, "My little brother is right."

"On this street... there are street lights?!" Lin Ming was quite knowledgeable. He knew that in the palace of the capital and in the mansions of some rich and powerful families, there were stone lanterns on both sides of the long road, which were lit at night.This is already an extremely luxurious thing.He had suspected that these iron pillars with glass covers were street lamps, but he still couldn't believe that the gangsters had such financial resources and could afford so much oil wax for lighting--what's the point of lighting the streets at night? use it?
"It's not just this street. The entire Dongmen City, as well as Bopu and other cities and towns in the county, have street lights that stay on all night—there are many businesses that do business in the middle of the night or even all night. .”

Because the street where the Haixing is located is not a busy city, most of the shops have already been proofed, and there are not many pedestrians on the street.But looking at the pedestrians looking relaxed, it doesn't seem like there is a curfew.Lin Ming collected himself, and just about to open his mouth to say something, he saw Wang Jinchun had already come out from the side door of the shop.Her dress was different from yesterday, pink silk strips were tied on her double maidservants, and she was wearing a blue cloth one-piece dress that women's fakes often wear, but she was covered with an embroidered silk bikini, and the bottom skirt only reached her knees. His calf in white socks was exposed, and a pair of black cloth shoes were on his feet.He also carried a straw bag in his hand.

Lin Ming repeatedly called to himself: "Extraordinary clothes!" But Wang Xinglong went up to him with a smile all over his face.

"Cousin, is Mr. Lin going too?"

"No, no, brother Lin is not going. He just went to the street to see the night scene." Wang Xinglong was not polite, and directly denied it.Lin Ming cursed secretly: "Frivolous and lustful!" But he said in his mouth: "I have heard for a long time that Lingao's night scene is picturesque, come out and take a look, you can do what you want..."

Wang Xinglong had no intention of perfunctory, and was about to take his cousin away, but Wang Jinchun was enthusiastic: "If Mr. Lin is very lively, why not go to Dongmen Street—go east from here, turn left at the second intersection. There It is the most prosperous and has many shops, so if you don’t want to buy anything, you can go and have a look.”

Lin Ming only thanked him, but Wang Xinglong had already dragged his cousin away. Seeing that the two of them were walking hand in hand, he couldn't help but secretly exclaimed: "Immorality! Immorality!"

(End of this chapter)