sovbooks Chapter 65, Interesting Little People
Chapter 65, Interesting Little People
"Hahahaha..."
The usually stern Qin Hui burst into laughter after hearing Cao Wenda's accusations. He stroked his long beard and relaxed his brows: "So arrogant? How much did he embezzle?"
"It must be at least 30,000 strings of cash! Maybe even more. Who would pay those laborers half a string of cash a day? And that includes hundreds of dogs! The old people and children are included too, and they're all paid the full amount."
Cao Wenda was truly furious. It wasn't just the blunder that morning that, frankly, only made him feel panicked. What really made him so angry that his hands trembled was that Lin Zhou didn't treat money like money. He did a quick calculation and knew how much profit Lin Zhou had made from this.
If this lawsuit is filed, the Prime Minister will eventually have to take responsibility for repairing the workshop; nobody's money comes from thin air.
However, Qin Hui's attitude made him feel that something was wrong, but Cao Wenda did not dare to question Qin Hui. He simply told him what he had seen and heard.
"Thirty thousand strings of cash, that kid has quite the appetite." Qin Hui muttered to himself, but then waved his hand and said, "Let him be. He's an interesting lad. Wenda."
"Prime Minister." Cao Wenda immediately bowed slightly.
"It's good that he likes money. It would be troublesome if such a person didn't like everything. Thirty thousand strings of cash is just a pittance. If he can build the workshop, he'll earn more than thirty thousand a day. Besides, you've calculated that that's the amount he should have spent anyway. How he spends it is his business. As long as he gets the job done, I don't care how he spends the money. Just keep an eye on him and don't let jealousy turn into hatred."
"Yes... Your Excellency."
Cao Wenda was dismissed just like that. He never expected that such a thing would be enough to bury someone alive if it happened to anyone else, but the Prime Minister seemed to have changed his nature and actually let it go.
After going outside and thinking it over carefully, Cao Wenda finally understood that the Prime Minister didn't actually care about how much money he made, but rather whether the person was reliable or not. If it were someone like Xu Ping, who was always cautious and meticulous in everything he did, the Prime Minister would be extremely wary of him.
But Lin Zhou just started messing around recklessly, as if he had the word "suicide" written all over his face. He was completely disorganized and illogical, full of flaws, and his words were all nonsense. What could such a person possibly accomplish? He'd just greedily take a little money, make a little profit, and happily be a tool.
This kind of person is exactly what the Prime Minister likes most and finds most comfortable to use. Why doesn't the Prime Minister deal with him? Of course, it's because he finally found someone so trustworthy, so brainless, and so useful. If he were replaced and someone like Han Shizhong or Yue Fei were brought in, wouldn't that ruin everything?
On the other hand, Lin Zhou, having become the son-in-law of the Jin Dynasty, could do almost anything, but he could never be a member of Yue Fei's faction...
From the Prime Minister's perspective, as long as someone isn't a member of the Yue Fei or Han Fei faction and doesn't rebel, even if they're a little eccentric, it's okay; they're reliable and trustworthy.
Meanwhile, on Lin Zhou's side, the construction site was already bustling with activity. Large construction sites with thousands of people were not uncommon in the new China, but this was an absolutely massive project. The workers' sheds alone stretched for two miles, and many people even brought their families to live there. A family plus a dog could earn more than a string of cash a day, and food was provided, and the food was quite good. It was a pure welfare program.
"The little deity healed your illnesses and gave you work in the winter. If you misbehave here, don't blame me for being merciless with my whip."
Xu Shang cracked his little whip on the construction site. He was already a gang leader, and now that he was a foreman, he was even more imposing. He was the head of the South City and knew how many freeloaders there were. But this time was different. Lin Zhou was paying people to do the work with real money. It would be just enough for more than half of the households in the South City to have a good New Year, and the other half could at least have some food. If these freeloaders really ruined the work, he would be letting down Lin Zhou and the poor brothers who really wanted to earn a living.
So this time he was exceptionally strict, and the whip really did lash out.
As for the food standard, it is 700 guan per day. If these 6,000 people are spread out, each person can get about 100 guan. What does 100 guan mean?
A fried dough stick costs five coins, and most of these people are considered lucky if they can eat two dough sticks for two meals a day. One hundred coins won't make them live a life of luxury, but it will ensure that they can eat their fill every meal and even have some meat.
The most crucial point is that even if you bring your whole family and dogs, the dogs will still have something to eat. This may not be considered a life-saving grace, but it is still a great grace that makes people bow down in gratitude. So if someone is seen slacking off, even if Xu Shang doesn't notice, the surrounding workers will lift them up and throw them into the river.
Ordinary people have very simple values. As long as they have food, drink, and wages, they are content with their lives. What's more, this includes food and half a string of cash a day. The key is that the wives in the family get paid for helping with laundry and cooking, and the children in the family get paid for carrying bamboo poles or digging coal ash holes. A household can earn the equivalent of seven or eight days' wages for one day's work. The work done in these ten-odd days is equivalent to three or four months' wages.
With this money in hand, they are fully capable of getting through the toughest part of winter.
However, Lin Zhou was definitely not on the construction site. He couldn't endure the hardship and was even less willing to eat with the workers. After arranging work for Shen Gai, he had long since hidden away in a small teahouse. He lit a small clay stove, watched the tea master pounding tea, and there were several exquisite snacks placed beside him.
They were living a very comfortable life.
Lu You sat opposite him, sipping his tea and reading the book Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. The writing style of the Ming and Qing dynasties was naturally very different from that of the present day. He would occasionally ask Lin Zhou about some of the contents of the book.
Lin Zhou only had a vague understanding and relied on guesswork, but Lu You was extremely intelligent and had a very strong ability to comprehend. Even if Lin Zhou, who was at a similar level, said a few words, he could understand most of it.
"Brother Lin, when this is compiled, I'll put your name first."
"Whatever, I don't care about this thing." Lin Zhou waved his hand and said, "You can do whatever you want with it."
After listening, Lu You suddenly sighed and said, "Brother Lin, when do you think our Great Song Dynasty will be able to recover its lost territories?"
Why are you suddenly asking this out of the blue?
"I'm so afraid I'll never see it in my lifetime."
This time, Lin Zhou didn't tell him anything, because according to the normal procedure, he really wouldn't be able to see it in this lifetime.
"By the way, what about that 'prodigal star' thing from a few days ago? I remember it causing quite a stir, but I haven't heard about it lately."
After all, Lin Zhou still needs to continue launching satellites into space. If he's not careful, he'll be exposed sooner or later. If he gets caught, it won't be something that can be dismissed as mere nonsense. He'll really be overthrown for undermining the foundation of the country, and no one can protect him.
"It seems the emperor offered sacrifices to Heaven and increased disaster relief funds by 30%. It was just an unusual celestial phenomenon; it won't cause any real trouble." Lu You raised his head. "Oh, right. There is something rather strange. Some sorcerers were arrested in the city for spreading falsehoods, but it was later proven that these sorcerers were Yue Fei's henchmen, and they were all exiled to Lingnan."
Lin Zhou was taken aback: "Still arresting them?"
"Arrest them? Why aren't they arresting them? Right now, the court fears General Yue like a raging flood or a ferocious beast. Anyone who gets involved with him will have their family wiped out and their clan exterminated. It's not even allowed to be mentioned."
"I see people in the city still singing 'Man Jiang Hong'," Lin Zhou said, recalling how he had blasted the song right in front of Cao Wenda through the speakers. "And nobody seemed to care, did they?"
"No one cared about poetry and songs, nor did they have the inclination to. After Marshal Yue's death, Qin Hui did ban 'Man Jiang Hong,' but it wasn't enough. Someone even imitated Marshal Yue's handwriting and wrote to Qin Hui, 'Twenty years of governing the Central Plains, more merits than demerits, not fully rewarded. My loyal heart is like stone, to whom can I confide? My wandering soul roams the nine provinces in vain.' It almost scared Qin Hui out of his wits, so he simply stopped banning it." Lu You said in a low voice, "But if someone recited it at a gathering, they would be arrested by the Imperial City Guard."
"I played it in the store that day, and Cao Wenda heard it. Will I be in trouble?"
"There's probably nothing to worry about." Lu You glanced at Lin Zhou: "Brother Lin, you're the son-in-law of a Jurchen. If I didn't know your character, I wouldn't even bother associating with you. Don't even mention playing 'Man Jiang Hong'. Even if you impersonate General Yue, people will just think you're mocking him. General Yue's disciples will definitely kill you."
"Holy crap..."