Brocade clothing as the country

Chapter 644 Why Are There Refugees?

Wang Tong asked Wu Er, Zhang Shiqiang answered, and Wang Tong remained silent for a while.

Zhang Shiqiang stood aside with his hands down, hesitated for a while, and said in a low voice:
"This time in Puzhou, Wu Er was very attentive. If it weren't for him, if we wanted to go in at night to assassinate, I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to find a way out. He was also very careful on the way back..."

Listening to Zhang Shiqiang's words, Wang Tong frowned and said solemnly:
"I care about this, so I don't need to say more!"

**********
So many things happened in the capital during the twelfth lunar month, but it didn't affect the common people. Everyone was busy preparing new year's goods, celebrating the new year lively.

Today is the 27th of the twelfth lunar month, but everywhere in Tianjin Wei is very lively. All the shops in the capital are closed around the 29th of the twelfth lunar month. When they go home for the New Year, most of Tianjin Wei will be open until the [-]th of the twelfth lunar month.

In the past, the shops and firms in Tianjin Wei mainly traded by sea and water transport, but the loud voice had nothing to do with the local area of ​​Tianjin Wei.

However, after several years of development, the population of Tianjin Wei has skyrocketed, the number of shops has skyrocketed, and the number of wealthy people has skyrocketed. In addition, the population of Tianjin Wei’s skyrocketing population is rarely farmers. Farmers have worked hard for a year. There is no money left for the young and old to eat and use, and they have no ability to consume.

However, most of the newly added population in Tianjin Wei are workers in workshops, workshops, and commercial shops. It is different from other places in this area, because it is difficult to recruit skilled workers and craftsmen, the wages are higher than other places, and there is a bonus at the end of the year, not to mention those commercial shops with the Sanjiang name, there are many people with some spare money.

These people with sufficient purchasing power plus those shopkeepers, foremen, small shareholders who sell everywhere, etc., as well as servants who work as errands and receive salaries in various yamen in Tianjin Wei, not to mention those rich people who have made a fortune, this is quite a problem. The huge crowd supported the market of Tianjin Wei.

People who are rich, and they are just rich, always want to live a decent life during the New Year. Needless to say, rice noodles, wine and meat, silk, satin, porcelain, and various utensils are also purchased. They have needs, and there are many merchants in Tianjin Wei, who can also provide Sufficient goods, supply and marketing are booming, and businesses everywhere have benefited a lot.

In the twelfth lunar month, even if the income from hoarding and selling goods for the capital and Beizhili is not counted, the local business alone can catch up with [-]% of the income in July.

When is July in a year? It is the most prosperous month in the entire Tianjin Wei store. As long as you can sell, the money will flow to the store. If you can catch up with [-]% of July, this business will naturally be done Pass.

Each store processed money for the guys and bought various goods in advance, just to do a good job in the business of the twelfth lunar month. For so many years in the Ming Dynasty, no shops opened before the twentieth of the twelfth lunar month. Tianjin Wei opened the first, and even Hejian In many prefectures and counties that are close to Shuntianfu and Shuntianfu, rich people come to buy, which makes the shop even more profitable.

"When I was in Jinan, there were not many shops open on the street at that time. There were firecrackers, but the street was deserted. At that time, I felt that it was Chinese New Year. Now it is so lively, if it is not for the weather. It's cold, I thought it was July and August!"

Wang Tong and others rode slowly through the street. Behind him, Wu Da spoke to Bao Erxiao in Mandarin with a strong Shandong accent, and Bao Erxiao replied proudly:
"I heard from the boatmen who came from the south that Hangzhou and Suzhou, the most prosperous places in the south of the Yangtze River, have a scene like ours, and you can't see it anywhere else."

Wang Tong has been staying in his mansion for several months, and the guards around him are also very depressed. He is very excited to come out this time. As for this Wu Da, he is recruiting shipbuilders and pirates in Shandong, and more and more people can be recruited. At least, as early as the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, he returned to Tianjin Wei. Now his whole family lives in Tianjin Wei, so the Chinese New Year is naturally here.

There were more than a dozen cavalry guards in front, and there were more than a dozen people behind, far away from Wu Da's position. Sun Dahai and Zhang Shiqiang rode around Wang Tong.

"After Wu Da came back from Shandong, something was wrong. He laughed as usual outside, but he always turned his face at home. That is, on the day his subordinates came back, the stakes arranged at their house were rewarded, saying that it was Wu Da's midnight. Cried."

Zhang Shiqiang reported in a low voice, Wang Tong shook his head and smiled, but didn't answer, Sun Dahai said from the side:
"My lord, the people who gave His Majesty the New Year's gifts have come back. The father-in-laws and Your Excellency's New Year's gifts have also been delivered. Your Majesty's rewards will be received according to the etiquette system after the adults return to the manor. Those who we sent the gifts over, There are gifts in return, and the gift list will be checked by adults when the time comes. In addition, Miss Song of Qinguan, Dong Qianhu of Shandong Jinyiwei, General Sun Shen of Liaozhen, and Deputy General of Xuanfu Li have gifts. The annual gifts of various merchants in Tianjin Wei are also welcome My lord, check it out..."

Sun Dahai was originally a housekeeper, and when he reported each item, Wang Tong raised his hand and interrupted with a wry smile, and said:
"I'll take a look at the presents from Your Majesty, the father-in-laws, and the adults. For the rest, you can distribute them to the servants in the house and everywhere. Share more with the shipyard and the Huwei Army... How do these people respond?" thing?"

Wang Tong said a few words, but saw many people wearing thin clothes in front of him. There are no idlers here in Tianjin Wei. Everyone has an income. In winter, they always have to wrap a few thick clothes. Those with thin clothes and tattered padded jackets will know that they are not local people.

There is a market in front, but it is a big vegetable market in Tianjin Wei. The reason why it is said to be big is that the meat and vegetables from all over the world are gathered here first, and then distributed to various places in Tianjin Wei.

In winter, Sanjiang Commercial Company has a business, which is to sell salt, cloth and various miscellaneous goods outside the Great Wall in Xuanfu and Jizhen, in exchange for cattle and sheep outside the Great Wall.

Winter on the grassland is hell every year. Once severe cold and heavy snowfall, many small tribes on the grassland will perish. It is also difficult to get through the ordinary years. When winter comes, the weather is bitter and cold, and the fodder is scarce. livestock must be slaughtered.

These slaughtered livestock and herdsmen can't use them for themselves, and there will not be enough salt for pickling in the next spring, so they can only throw them away for nothing.

However, we give up and take what we want. Nowadays, Tianjin Wei needs a lot of non-staple food. Every year when the new year comes, several officials in charge of people's livelihood have to worry about not having enough meat. The mass slaughter of cattle and sheep on the grassland just happens to make up for it. the gap.

The shopkeepers of the Sanjiang Commercial Bank obtained the permission of the border general of Ji Town to exchange salt and cloth for the slaughtered cattle and sheep and the accompanying furs. The prices of these slaughtered cattle and sheep were kept very low, but the nearly five-month winter had a great impact on the grasslands. For the tribes, the mobility has become very poor, and it is extremely critical to maintain sufficient salt reserves.

They each take what they need, and Sanjiang Trading Company has made a lot of money, but the small tribes on the grassland are also willing to exchange things that are of no use in the first place for precious salt and cloth.

Many small tribes came to slaughter and sell flocks of cattle and sheep. Ji Town is in the north, and the winter is cold early. The cattle and sheep are frozen, and they will not rot all winter. After a few heavy snowfalls, they will be pulled by cattle and horses. The big sled came to Tianjin Wei.

This business is so big that even Ji Town eats more meat this year than before. When the bare sheep are transported to Tianjinwei, the selling price is two cents lower than the current price, but the profit is several times higher than that of butchers selling meat.

There are a lot of sheep and meat, and there are many people with a little money in Tianjin Wei. Some decent people buy a few slices of bare sheep and eat them until February. If the sheep is peeled and put into the water, one slice is half cut from the middle, and there are also a few slices. With a weight of ten catties, those who come to buy sheep will naturally not carry it back by themselves.

These ragged people outside were carrying them for others. Every time someone passed by, these people would rush up to ask, and those who bought sheep picked a few to go, and they left with the non-staple food they bought in the vegetable market.

"They are all bankrupt people from Hejian Mansion and Zhending Mansion. They are looking for odd jobs everywhere to earn some money for a living. Jin Yiwei and Security Army drove them away a few times at the beginning. Later, when the Chinese New Year was approaching, look at them. It's really pitiful, so let them go, they just set up shacks in Sanjiadiandian and the south of Haihe River, come here during the day, and pick up something to go back at night..."

Sun Dahai explained here that these things are not necessary to be included in the daily report. Wang Tong lived in seclusion during this period, and occasionally went out at a gallop, so he really didn't notice it.

Seeing the scene in front of him, Wang Tong frowned, and said solemnly:

"In such a cold day, if they just try to survive like this, wouldn't they freeze to death and starve to death?"

"Since the beginning of winter, fifteen people have died of freezing, but none have died of starvation."

Wang Tong was also surprised that only 15 people froze to death. Seeing that there were so many in front of this vegetable market, there must have been more in Tianjin Wei, and only 15 people froze to death, which is really too few.

"Didn't your lord usually tell you to keep an eye on those temples and Taoist temples, and don't let them get too rich? This time, many refugees came. The subordinates arranged for the people from Jinyiwei to go over to let them set up a porridge factory and collect old clothes. , went to various places to give relief, and the monks and priests also knew how to do it, and they did it diligently, which has maintained the situation to this day."

There are not a few people who do business, run boats on the sea, and believe in gods and worship Buddha. These people may not use money to do good deeds, but they like to donate money to temples and monks to make incense for peace of mind. They don't have to pay taxes, and their lives are even more comfortable.

But Wang Tong kept an eye on them. These monks and Taoists also knew who gave them this comfortable life. They have always been very obedient. It is not difficult to figure out this joint, but Wang Tong wondered about one thing:

"This year is a good year, where are there so many refugees?"

Farmers, as long as they have something to eat, will not be displaced. Wang Tong is really surprised that so many refugees still come from Hejian Mansion, which has a lot of fertile land.

"It's not because of a whip..."

Hearing this answer, Wang Tong was stunned.

(End of this chapter)