Three people dressed as wealthy businessmen came in and saluted Du Zhongxiao and Liu Zhuo.

Liu Juan said: "This is Zhu Yuanwai, that one is Jian Yuanwai, and that one is Wen Yuanwai, all of whom are rich businessmen in Yexian County." A few days ago, it was the three of them who threw themselves into the form and crushed the slag in the iron prison to pave the road. Two days before the verdict, they said that they would raise livestock and poultry and grow vegetables and vegetables, and these three members learned the news and were willing to work. ”

Du Zhongxiao looked at the three of them and said, "I heard that you transported the slag out, picked out the iron from it, and sold it to the iron merchant at a low price?" After you did this, all the small smelting furnaces in the vicinity could not be cooked, and many people lost their capital. ”

Zhu Yuanwai hurriedly surrendered his hand: "Official, there is iron in the slag, wouldn't it be a pity to throw it away?" The little ones hired someone to pick it out of it and exchange it for some money. With this money, we are willing to pave the way for the yamen and not collect any additional money. ”

"So much for the best. Those small smelting furnaces are digging and mining everywhere, and the iron smelted is useless, so it is better to shut it down. Since you are willing to pave the way for the yamen, then you will not shirk. From tomorrow, the paving will begin in the iron prison, and within a month, the road to the barracks will be paved. ”

The three members of the staff said yes together. They relied on scrap iron from the slag and made a lot of money these days. It was a windfall, and everyone felt that it was a fluke, for fear that the Iron Supervisor would disqualify him. This kind of livelihood, according to the habits of this era, is all real-name bidding, that is, bidding contracting in later generations. The term is one year, after which it will be extended or replaced.

With the gathering of the population, the production of the iron supervisor has entered the right track, the supply of non-staple food in the surrounding area is insufficient, and the price has risen, which directly leads to the fact that the living standards of the workers who have spent a lot of money on the iron supervisor cannot rise. This problem must be solved, otherwise, it will be equivalent to increasing the operating costs of the iron supervisor. According to Du Zhongxiao's plan, the iron supervisor himself will open up the fields to grow vegetables, and at the same time raise pigs, cattle, sheep and chickens to supply the internal canteen. However, it is inevitable that the cost is too high and the effect is not good, so it is necessary to rely on social forces. These three people got the news and took the initiative to ask for help.

Du Zhongxiao said: "Since the iron prison was opened here, there are suddenly many more people, grain and rice can be transferred from other states, but it is not easy to eat vegetables, melons and fruits, poultry eggs and meat." In a few months, the price of meat outside has more than doubled, so can it go on like this? The Iron Supervisor will open a vegetable garden and raise pigs and sheep, but this is far from enough. Now we need a few big families with responsibilities to open up land nearby to grow vegetables, raise more pigs and sheep, and let the price of meat go down. Can the three of you get this done? In other words, I don't care how much you produce, I just see if the price outside can be lowered. Well done, the yamen will not treat you badly. As you know, you can make a lot of money just by picking scrap iron from the slag, and there are many more such things. ”

The three of them hurriedly bowed their hands together: "The official ordered, the little ones dare to disobey!" As long as the yamen buys, the small ones will definitely try to do a good job. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded, and said to Liu Liang beside him: "Now in the iron prison, the canteen serves two meals a day, breakfast and dinner. I have heard people say that because of the heavy workload, many people have to eat another meal at noon, and they don't do it in the canteen, which makes it inconvenient for them. Later, it was changed to three meals a day, and the breakfast was simpler, with steamed buns and fried rice porridge, and there were more variety. Lunch and dinner should be hearty. Doing things in the iron prison is different from farming, you can't go out early and return late, you can only eat two meals a day. The vegetables and meat used can be served by the three members to see how it is done. ”

Liu Zhuo said yes. In this era, it is customary to have two meals a day, breakfast and dinner. This is the habit of the agrarian society, because the peasants go to work in the fields, work at sunrise and rest at sunset, and do not go home at noon. Of course, industry is different, especially in places where iron is supervised and smelted, and the workers work in shifts for twelve hours a day. The intensity of the work is high, and if you don't eat at noon, you won't have the strength to work in the afternoon.

The canteen with thousands of people is very large, and the supply of meat and vegetables can give birth to a few employees.

Because of the rise in prices, although you have to charge money to eat in the canteen, it is always cheaper than outside. Now most of the people who work in the iron prison do not have a gang, and the whole family buys food from the canteen. Food is subsidized, and it is not a way for the iron supervisor to continue like this.

Zhu Yuanwai and the three of them discussed a few words in a low voice, and arched their hands: "Official, most of the good land in this area is from a nearby Qian Yuanwai's family. We had to grow vegetables, so we had to buy his land. This man is not easy to speak, and if the yamen comes forward, it will be much easier for us to build a few canals and reopen the land. ”

Wasteland is not open as soon as you want to, it needs the approval of the yamen. Otherwise, just like the money clerk, the land is opened and planted, and when the yamen confirms it, let the tax be made up, and no one can stand it. With the example of Qian Yuanwai, even if the population of the Iron Prison has increased recently, the nearby idle fields do not dare to be cultivated, preferring to farm the land farther away and sell it here.

There must be sufficient water to grow vegetables, and Zhu Yuanwai said that he was building a canal, which actually meant that the yamen allowed the development of idle fields, and they diverted water by themselves. Fields are opened along the Li River, and the water source is convenient.

Hearing this, Du Zhongxiao said: "Speaking of money, he is really unlucky this year. First of all, the land selected by the iron supervisor, he had to say that it was handed down from his own family, and he made up the taxes. He opened a smelting furnace again, and he didn't make much money, and he came across you selling iron from the slag. After these things, he was taught a lesson, and he didn't think he would do it again. You must give him a way to live, and since he has land, you can take him and do it with him. If you don't rent his land, can you buy his food? You bought it, and sent it to the iron prison, and he made some money. In addition, on the north shore below the ferry, you can open a few hundred acres. Remember, go to the county to register your accounts and pay your taxes in time, and don't be sloppy! ”

The three of them said yes together, thanking Du Zhongxiao.

Out of the yamen, Zhu Yuanwai said: "That Qian Yuanwai, this year has gone to memorize words, and recently looked for death and life." He is a native of this place, and he has the most other families. Originally, an iron prison was built, and a windfall should be issued. But he didn't want to get dizzy, so he first planted idlely, and if he wanted to extort money from the yamen, he lost more than 700 yuan in vain. He opened the furnace to smelt iron, but the capital has not been recovered, and when we sell iron, we can no longer open it. Originally, I thought that while he was now unlucky, we would use some means to buy all his Zhuangzi and land. Alas, I don't want to be an official but want to protect him, which is really annoying. ”

Jian Yuan said: "No. Look at a good piece of meat, but you can't eat it in your mouth! Speaking of which, the three brothers of the Shi family who helped him smelt iron were really unlucky. Baba came from Longxing County, but encountered this kind of thing. ”

Wen Yuanwai said: "What is the bad luck of their three brothers! There is craftsmanship, but the money clerk is not good there, and the three of them have entered the iron prison, and now I don't know how comfortable they are. Iron supervisors not only smelt iron, but also make ironware, which is their strength. ”

Zhu Yuanwai shook his head again and again: "No matter what, it's just that Qian Yuanwai's family property can't be eaten in his mouth, and he is a little unwilling." ”

Jian Yuanwai said: "He is reciting words, thinking that he has offended the gods, so he has suffered so much." As long as we use some means, we will let him hand over the family property. His family sells lacquerware, and he sells the fields here to us, and he is dedicated to that business. ”

Zhu Yuanwai sighed: "The judge opened Chrysostom and asked us to pull money outside, how can we swallow his property?" Offended the judges, and our good days came to an end. Forget it, if you want him to be transferred, I'll help him. It's just that we have to hold this matter firmly, and we can buy food from his house, but we send it to the yamen. This is the head snake here, once he gets on the line with the Iron Prison Yamen, the harm is not small! ”

Wen Yuanwai smiled: "What a snake! When there was no iron prison, there was no such person as him in this county! In the county, the business of the three of us is the largest, and the rich man in the countryside is nothing! ”

Zhu Yuanwai said: "That's not what I said. The Qian family has lived in the neighborhood for decades, not to mention their own villagers, and the villagers in this area have a lot to do with his family. It's easy to offend people badly. ”

Seeing the ferry, Jian Yuan said: "The Qingyu Building on the opposite side is getting bigger and bigger, and we went to drink two glasses of wine." In the future, we will really grow vegetables for the yamen, and these restaurants will also use our meat dishes. The business in front of you can't be let go. ”

The other two said yes and crossed the ferry together.

When I arrived at Qingyu Building, the little maid led me to the small pavilion on the second floor and served wine and food.

After sitting for a short time, He Yuanwai got the news and came over to greet the three of them. There are only a few big families in Ye County, and everyone is familiar with them.

After the salute, Zhu Yuanwai said to He Yuanwai: "It's just right for the staff to come outside, we have something to discuss with the outsider, so it's better to drink two glasses of wine together." ”

After three rounds of drinking, He Yuanwai said: "The three of them have been on the errand of the iron supervisor, and they have recently made a fortune, and they are proud." I don't know what kind of livelihood there is, bring my little brother? ”

Zhu Yuanwai said: "Since the opening of the iron prison, the cheapest one is your restaurant, how can you say such a thing?" The three of us are just helping the iron supervisor to dispose of the scum and garbage and make a little money, how can we compare to your family. ”

After speaking, without waiting for He Yuanwai to speak, Zhu Yuanwai said again: "We just came out of the yamen and got another errand. Because the price of meat and vegetables in this area has risen recently, the iron supervisor can't bear it, so he wants people to open up the field and grow vegetables. The three of us took over this business, and remembered that there was a restaurant outside the staff, and there must be a lot of meat and vegetables, so I said. Wait a few days, in addition to selling our meat and vegetables, you can also use your restaurant. ”

When He Yuan heard this, he shook his head and said, "It's unfortunate that the meat and vegetables I use here have already been supplied." ”

Zhu Yuanwai was stunned: "I don't know which one?" With such an eye, you can see this business. ”

He Yuanwai said: "It's none other than Qian Yuanwai in the neighborhood." He originally smelted iron in the furnace, and he didn't want to be robbed of business by the three of them, so he couldn't do it anymore. A few days ago, all the nearby land was changed to vegetables, and I was told about it in the past few days. ”