The New Year is approaching, and for most of the Ming people, it is a happy day, and the rich families have replaced themselves with brand new lanterns, adding joy to this cold winter.

But for the craftsman Hu Liu, the New Year has nothing to do with him.

Because the pot could no longer be opened at home, the two children were crying and crying hungry, and the mother-in-law at home could only beat and scold them for being ignorant.

Hu Liu sighed and went out with the carpentry box.

He was a carpenter, a 'hereditary' artisan registered in the imperial court.

The craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty were divided into shifts and shifts, and the craftsmen who sat on the shift were long-term craftsmen, although such craftsmen were poorly paid and bullied by cool officials, but at least they did not starve to death.

Shift craftsmen do not have this treatment, not only do they not have any salary during their shifts, but they also have to take care of their own travel expenses.

Hu Liu is a shift craftsman, but in order to save the cost of going back and forth, he simply built a grass shed on the edge of the city and lived here with his family temporarily.

A few days ago, Hu Liu finished the task assigned by the workshop, ended this year's shift, and at the same time, the hard days began.

Originally, although the workshop did not pay salaries, at least he could eat a full meal, and the head of the prison was his fellow villager, and every time he got off work, he could secretly bring back some leftovers from the workshop to his mother-in-law and children.

Now that the shift is over, the 'good days' are over.

Hu Liu carried the carpentry box through the Golden Cap Hutong and came to the house of Zhang Da, the right senator of the General Political Division.

Yesterday, the housekeeper of Zhang's mansion found him and asked him to go to the mansion to make a set of jujube wood furniture, which was really worse for Hu Liu.

Because the official master asked them to work in shifts, they did not pay the wages, this is their privilege, at most they are in charge of a meal.

Originally, Hu Liu thought of taking advantage of the fact that there were still a few days left in the New Year to build some tables and chairs and sell them in the market, so as to earn some rice and grain for his family.

Although the people are poor, and no one may buy it, there is always hope.

Now it seems that how to let the mother-in-law and children at home survive this cold winter is a problem.

Hu Liu put away his thoughts and knocked on the side door of Zhang's mansion.

The door creaked open, and a middle-aged man with a mustache and thief's eyebrows popped out.

"It's you, why did you come so late, get in!"

"Steward Wang, the small house is a little far from here, so I came late, and the small one must come early tomorrow."

Hu Liu accompanied him, and followed Steward Wang into Zhang's mansion.

There were already several peers in the backyard, who just glanced indifferently at Hu Liu's arrival, and then went on to do the work in hand.

"Hu Liu, your task is to make a jujube wood table, four chairs, and six sets of coffee tables, all of which must be painted with red paint, and the wood is all placed over there, giving you three days is enough!"

Steward Wang spoke a little yin and yang, and the two handfuls of beard were also curled.

"Steward Wang, I'm afraid three days is not enough time for so many furniture, at least five days to ......" Hu Liu was a little embarrassed.

"Yo? Dare to bargain with me? If you can't finish it during the day, you will give me overnight processing, and the workmanship must be fine, and it must not be shoddy.

I'm asking you if you misunderstand the adult's business! Eyeless dog thing! ”

Steward Wang scolded and talked for a while before getting up and leaving.

Hu Liu sighed, and had to speed up the work in his hand.

It was not until after noon, when the hungry eyes of six or seven carpenters were glazed, that the subordinates of Zhang's Mansion brought today's meal.

A bucket of steamed black nest heads, a bucket of pickle soup without any oil and water.

Hu Liu grabbed a handful of snow on the ground and cleaned his hands, grabbed the head of the black nest and bit it hard, he had to eat quickly, otherwise he might not be full.

Hu Liu ate three black nests in one go, drank another bowl of soup, and finally felt a little strength in his body.

It may be that Zhang's estimate is wrong, there are only six or seven craftsmen in the courtyard, and this bucket of black nest head can't be eaten at all.

He saw several colleagues squatting aside to eat, so he took two more nests and secretly stuffed them into his arms while others were unprepared.

The subordinates who were supervising on the side didn't know what they were talking about, but no one noticed him.

Hu Liu was a little weak-hearted, but the children in the family had been hungry for a day, and the two nest heads were not enough, so he turned his head and peeked at it, and quickly put his hand into the bucket, this time he caught three.

"Ahh You cheap bones, you dare to steal steamed buns! A subordinate inadvertently saw this scene, and immediately rolled up his sleeves and walked over quickly.

Seeing this, another servant hurriedly ran to call Steward Wang, who stayed next door, and when he heard that some craftsmen were eating and stealing, he couldn't help but be furious, and trotted to the backyard.

"Boss, this guy surnamed Hu steals! You see, the little one just found five steamed buns from his waist! The subordinate held the black steamed bun that was warmed by Hu Liuti in his hand and asked Steward Wang for credit.

"Okay, you thief with the army, Master Zhang reads your hard work to give you food, you don't eat enough by yourself, you dare to steal, you really eat the bear's heart and leopard gall!

Come! Call me! ”

Steward Wang kicked Hu Liu to the ground and motioned for his subordinates to do it.

"Steward Wang, there are still wives and children in the small family, they have not eaten for a day and a night, and the little one is also forced to do so, please forgive the steward Wang, the little one will not dare to ...... anymore"

Hu Liu got up from the ground and knelt in front of Steward Wang to beg for mercy.

"Humph! My Zhangfu is not from Kaishantang, what does it have to do with my Zhangfu if your family can't eat enough? Don't pretend to be garlic with me here, stealing is stealing, call me!"

The two subordinates got the order of Steward Wang, and punched and kicked Hu Liu, and Hu Liu's wail suddenly came from the courtyard.

The beating lasted for half an hour, and he didn't stop until the two subordinates kicked and hurt, and Steward Wang scolded and let his subordinates drag Hu Liu and throw him out of Zhang's mansion.

Hu Liu lay on the ground with his head in his hands, his body hunched in pain, blood gushing out of the corners of his mouth and nose, mixed with the dirty snow on the street, his eyes were full of pain and despair.

After lying on the snow for a long time, his body finally regained consciousness, Hu Liu slowly got up, picked up the woodworking tools scattered all over the ground, and walked hopelessly forward with his aching waist.

Heaven and earth are not benevolent, take all things as dogs, and in the next life, even if you are a dog, it is better than being a craftsman!

Hu Liu walked through Tofu Alley and saw a lot of people outside the Chongwen Gate, so he paced over.

"Household Department Collection Notice:

Inheriting the emperor's will, An Guohou wants to requisition craftsmen for dispatch, and all the shift craftsmen registered in the household department can go to Xishan, and report next to the station of the thousand households in Banzai Mountain.

Those who pass the examination can stay here for Anguo to be sent, and at the same time, they can be exempted from the imperial court's shifts.

In addition, An Guohou explained that all craftsmen who have passed the assessment have moon silver, and the lowest one is limited to two taels, and I hope you will tell each other in the township! ”

Even those craftsmen who have been on duty for a long time in the workshop of the Ministry of Industry, the monthly silver is only one or two, and it has to be deducted by the cool officials several times, who is this An Guohou, who dares to say that the silver recruits craftsmen in two or two months, or the lowest.

Many people talked about it and commented on the post, but only Hu Liu's face was happy.

This is good news, no matter whether the moon silver set by Anguo is true or not, he doesn't dare to hope for two taels, even if he gives him five dollars of silver a month, he can also let him burn high incense.

Hu Liu decided to hurry home, so as to tell the good news to the mother-in-law at home, Hu Liu's rickety figure limped towards home in the sunset, and there was hope for life again.

Hu Liu is just a microcosm, the same scene was staged in Beizhili and Shuntianfu, and almost all the craftsmen who were struggling on the edge of life and death learned the news.

They marched in groups to the West Mountain, to the Thousand Households of the Banzai Mountain, in order to live, in order to survive.

PS: Late-night code words, the conscience of the industry, a human model, ask for support! Ask for a tip! Ask for a referral ticket!