Anti-Qing: Starting from the Jintian Uprising

Chapter 472 Pain and Price

If it were during the Qing Dynasty, based on the prices in the capital, a cotton coat would cost at least one or two taels of silver.

That's just one or two silver dollars!

If it is winter, the price may go up.

But now it is different.

With the outbreak of the Industrial Revolution in the Tang Dynasty, the development of the textile industry entered the fast lane and the scale of the industry soared.

Driven by the scale of the industry, the prices of textiles such as cotton-padded clothes have almost experienced a cliff-like drop.

A cotton coat costs 42 cents, and it is more than half cheaper than before, especially since it is winter now.

The decline in textile prices, though, has, to some extent, destroyed the structure of the small peasant economy.

However, it has also brought considerable convenience to people's livelihood.

Clothing and food are some of the needs that cannot be avoided in life.

If clothing and food become cheaper, the cost of living will naturally decrease, which is naturally beneficial to people's livelihood.

What about the traditional weavers and embroiderers who have lost their livelihoods due to the drop in textile prices?
Well, this is the pain of economic transformation and it is unavoidable.

It is impossible for Li Yi to stop industrial development in order to protect the livelihoods of weavers and embroiderers.

For Li Yi, industrial development always comes first.

Only with the development of industry can productivity improve and people's lives become better and better.

His rule will be secure!

All he can do now is to provide job opportunities to the unemployed as much as possible.

So as to avoid any trouble!
Liu Jiang returned home holding the new clothes he bought for his wife.

His family lived in the outer city of the capital, but the house was not his own; he rented it from a landlord.

I have to pay fifty cents rent every month.

However, although the rent of this house is not cheap, it is not a good place either.

It's just a single room in a large courtyard, and it's in the shade. There is little sunlight all year round and it's very humid.

The entire single room is only about 20 square meters.

The four of them squeezed in there, it was damp and crowded, and they felt very uncomfortable living there.

As soon as Liu Jiang entered the compound, he smelled the fragrance of food.

It’s almost time for dinner, and many people are cooking at home!
To put it nicely, this slum is full of the atmosphere of life.

But in reality, it is noisy and chaotic, and no one would want to live in such a place unless they have no other choice.

When he walked into the house, Liu Jiang saw his wife was also cooking.

There was an iron pot on the stove, bubbling with sweet potato porridge cooking in the pot.

As the steam rose, the whole room became warm.

Liu Jiang put the bag of clothes in his hand on the table and then sat down at the table.

Seeing this, his wife, who was watching the pot, came over and poured Liu Jiang a cup of hot water.

"Boss, drink some water first, the meal will be ready soon."

Liu Jiang smiled, picked up the teacup and took a sip.

The hot water entered his stomach, and he couldn't help but let out a comfortable hum.

Liu Jiang took a sip of water, then pointed at the bag on the table and said to his wife.

"Wife, what do you think this is?"

Seeing this, Liu Jiang's wife was a little curious, but she still went forward to open the bag and check.

When the bag was opened and Liu Jiang's wife, Sun, looked at the large flowered jacket inside, she couldn't help but cover her mouth in surprise.

"Boss, is this for me?"

Liu Jiang nodded.

"Of course!"

"Put it on quickly and try to see if it fits!"

Sun picked up the clothes and tried them on herself while asking.

"Boss, how much did you spend on this big flowered coat?"

Liu Jiang smiled and then said.

"Not much, only 42 cents."

Upon hearing this, Sun couldn't help but widen her eyes.

"Forty-two cents isn't much? This is too expensive!"

Liu Jiang waved his hand indifferently.

"What's the big deal? Isn't the purpose of making money to be spent?"

"I'm willing to spend any amount of money to buy clothes for my wife."

Upon hearing this, Sun couldn't help but come forward and kiss Liu Jiang on the cheek.

"You are so nice to be the head of the family!"

After being kissed, Liu Jiang showed some arousal and wanted to do that.

He looked around the room, but didn't see his two little kids, so he couldn't help but ask.

"Wife, where are the two babies?"

Sun said with a smile.

"Didn't it snow the day before yesterday? They went out to help others clear the snow."

"I heard that not only are meals provided, but wages are also paid!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Jiang stepped forward, hugged his wife, and ran to the bed.

Sun was startled by his sudden action, but did not resist, she just said.

"Don't! Don't!"

"Lock the door first. The two kids may come back at any time."

"If they catch us, I, as a mother, will be too embarrassed to face anyone."

Upon hearing this, Liu Jiang hurriedly ran to lock the door, then threw himself back on the bed, taking off his clothes while speaking.

"Then let's hurry up and finish it before the two kids come back..."

After a while, the clouds and rain in the room disappeared.

Liu Jiang held Sun's naked body in his arms, looked up at the dark beams of the house, and looked a bit like a Buddhist.

His eyes were narrowed, as if he was wondering why this beam was just like this...

At this moment, Sun reached out and poked Liu Jiang's strong arm, then said.

"Boss, the coal at home is running out."

"Remember to go to the coal station and bring some back later, otherwise we will have to spend the New Year in the next two days in the cold..."

In order to protect the environment, Li Yi issued a ban on cutting down trees for firewood after he ascended the throne.

We want to protect vegetation and conserve soil and water.

Especially in the northwest!
Shaanxi and Shanxi, as the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River, need to conserve water and soil to reduce the sand content of the Yellow River.

Instead, the court began large-scale coal mining in an effort to replace firewood with coal.

Overall, the effect of this administrative order in the capital city was quite good.

The forests in the hills surrounding the capital had long been cut down, and the people of the capital had long been accustomed to burning charcoal and coal.

This order from the court only accelerated the process.

Of course, this is only being implemented well in the capital and other major cities.

As the imperial court promoted afforestation, some green areas began to appear around major cities.

But in counties where the imperial court has no control, as well as in the wider countryside and villages, the people still do as they are supposed to do.

Compared to coal which requires money to buy, firewood which can be burned with just a little effort is undoubtedly a better choice.

As for environmental protection?
Haha, ordinary people don’t care about this!

Li Yi had no good solution to this problem and could only increase supervision efforts.

Liu Jiang heard this and nodded.

"Don't worry, I understand. I'll go to the coal station later."

As they talked, the two of them were affectionate for a while and then began to put on their clothes.

Not long after the two of them put on their clothes, the two children of the Liu family came back.

The two children are not very old, the older one is twelve and the younger one is just ten years old. All factories do not want babies of such a young age.

Therefore, the two of them could only do odd jobs to supplement the family income.

At night, the family sat around a table and had dinner.

Halfway through the meal, there was a knock on the door.

Liu Jiang put down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up and opened the door, and saw a man standing in front of his house.

"Brother Dahai, is there something you want to talk to me about so late at night?"

Liu Jiang asked.

Upon hearing this, Ma Dahai nodded and said.

"There is something I want to discuss with you."

"Come on, let's talk outside."

As they were talking, the two of them walked out of the house one after the other and came to the porch.

Ma Dahai took out a pack of cigarettes from his arms, and gave one to himself and Liu Jiang.

After lighting the two of them with matches, Ma Dahai spoke.

"Jiang Zi, I came to see you today because I have something to discuss with you."

Liu Jiang took a puff of his cigarette, the cigarette butt flickering in the darkness, and he began to speak.

"What's the matter? Brother Dahai, please tell me."

"As long as my brother can help, I will never refuse."

Ma Dahai said with a smile.

"My second uncle is an official in the court."

"I heard from my second uncle that after the New Year, the imperial court will issue a ban prohibiting cattle, horses and other livestock from entering the capital city."

"I thought, this might be an opportunity!"

"The imperial court does not allow cattle and horses to enter the city, but the people in the city all have the need to travel?"

"Horse-drawn carriages and ox-drawn carts are no longer acceptable. The powerful and influential may be able to ride in sedan chairs, but what about the middle class?"

"So they can only think of another way?" "So I thought, let's raise money to buy a few rickshaws, open a rickshaw dealership, and specialize in doing these middle-class businesses in the capital."

"I can't say how much more, but in a year, it's definitely more than what you can earn as a freight carrier."

After hearing what Ma Dahai said, Liu Jiang's expression showed some movement.

But he still asked.

"This...can this really work?"

“A rickshaw isn’t cheap, is it?”

Looking at the hesitant expression on Liu Jiang's face, Ma Dahai spoke.

"It's not cheap."

"I went to the rickshaw factory to inquire. A rickshaw costs at least thirty silver dollars."

"This is still the most common one. If you want to add any other configurations to the car, you will have to spend extra money..."

"However, I have talked to the car manufacturer. If we buy more cars, more than 30 at a time, they can give us a preferential price."

"25% off, silver dollars a car!"

Liu Jiang looked hesitant.

"Brother Dahai, I can't afford it even if it's on sale. It's 25 silver dollars..."

Seeing this, Ma Dahai continued.

"It's okay if we can't afford it. We can go to the Tang Royal Bank to apply for a loan. With a down payment of five silver dollars, we can take the car away."

"Just pay the remaining money monthly!"

"It's hard for us to take out 20 or 30 silver dollars at once, but if we can pay back the loan with a few silver dollars a month, wouldn't that make it less stressful?"

Liu Jiang was attracted by the bright prospects described by Ma Dahai, and was visibly moved.

Seeing this, Ma Dahai continued to strike while the iron was hot.

"I have already recruited 29 people, and you are the only one left to make up the total of . Dajiang, don't hesitate, follow me and do it together!"

Liu Jiang was still a little hesitant and said with a frown.

"Brother Dahai, are you sure that the imperial court will issue a ban after the New Year holidays, prohibiting cattle, horses and livestock from entering the city?"

“Is this reliable?”

Upon hearing this, Ma Dahai said with a firm look on his face.

"Of course, brother, why would I lie to you?"

"My second uncle said this. He is currently serving in the imperial court. How could his words be false?"

Liu Jiang heard this and said with gritted teeth.

"Okay, in that case, I'll do it with you, Brother Dahai!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Dahai patted Liu Jiang on the shoulder.

"Hahaha, good brother."

"Let's get rich together in the future, haha!"

……

Nanyang, Java City!

During the Dutch rule, this place was called Batavia.

However, after the Tang Dynasty occupied it, Batavia was renamed Java City.

As the New Year approaches, the New Year atmosphere in and around Java is extremely strong.

Many shops along the street have hung red lanterns and posted couplets.

The faces of the pedestrians on the street were all filled with joy.

In a restaurant on the street, the two brothers Weng Tong and Weng He were drinking.

"Brother, this deal was made possible thanks to you!"

Weng Tong raised his glass to toast his elder brother, then drank the wine in the glass.

Upon hearing this, Weng He just smiled and said.

"You're too polite, kid."

"I am just helping you to make connections. If the quality of the factory's products is not so good, I am afraid that even if I help you to make connections, this deal will not be concluded."

Weng Tong laughed loudly.

"Haha, no matter what, I still want to thank you, brother..."

After the Tang Dynasty regained Java, Weng Tong opened a food processing factory on the island of Java.

Specializing in the production of compressed biscuits, canned foods and other foods.

Just now, Weng He stepped in to help Weng Tong negotiate a military supply order.

The military wants to order a batch of military supplies worth 5,000 silver dollars from the Weng family’s food processing factory.

Including compressed dry food, canned food, candy, chocolate, etc.

Although the military kept the price very low, for a business worth 5,000 silver dollars, the Weng family could only make a profit of 300 to 500 yuan at most.

However, since the military needs a lot of goods and the supply and demand are stable, payments are made quickly and never in arrears.

Therefore, this is still a good business.

At the very least, it is an extremely high-quality order for a factory that was established not long ago and urgently needs orders to run in its machines, train its production capacity and workers.

The two brothers toasted each other with heartfelt smiles on their faces.

After clinking the glasses again, Weng Tong asked.

"Brother, the court purchased so many military supplies at once. Are we going to go to war again?"

As a qualified businessman, Weng Tong has a very keen business sense.

He guessed that the court might be going to war again based on the court's sudden large-scale purchase of military supplies.

Upon hearing this, Weng He did not say anything explicitly, but just spoke.

"Don't worry, we're not on the front line here."

There was a thoughtful expression on Weng Tong's face.

Since Nanyang is not the front line, then where is the front line?

All he could think of was India...

"Brother, but what about India?"

Weng He did not answer Weng Tong's question, but did not refute it either. He just continued speaking.

"Now that we have the order, you should start production and deliver the goods as soon as possible."

"The court needs it urgently, the sooner the better!"

Upon hearing this, Weng Tong nodded immediately.

"Don't worry, big brother. I understand. I'll explain the matter later."

After saying this, Weng Tong asked again.

"By the way, brother, after the Chinese New Year, I plan to go back to my hometown to visit my father."

"Do you want to come along?"

Upon hearing this, Weng He just shook his head.

"No, I'm very busy with government affairs here."

"The imperial court will establish the Nanyang Governor's Office in Nanyang to manage all Nanyang affairs. At that time, the corresponding officials under the Governor's Office will be selected from the first batch of officials sent to Nanyang."

"Whether I can make further progress in officialdom depends on this time."

"I really can't spare the time recently, so I'm sorry to trouble you with the things at home!"

"Say sorry to dad for me!"

When the Tang Dynasty wanted to send officials to Southeast Asia, many people were unwilling to come.

However, Weng Tong and others took the initiative to sign up and made many contributions to the Tang Dynasty's conquest of Southeast Asia.

In this case, the imperial court will naturally reward them, and promotion and wealth are all as they should be.

Upon hearing this, Weng Tong nodded to show that he understood.

"Thank you for your hard work, brother."

"I'm sure my father will understand."

The two brothers continued to drink and eat in a happy atmosphere.

……

After finishing a day's hard work, Joseph dragged his tired body towards his home.

Looking at the red lanterns hanging everywhere on the streets and the couplets and window decorations posted on every household, Joseph's expression was a little complicated.

Whenever he saw these, he would suddenly realize that Batavia no longer belonged to the Dutch.

These Dutch people living in Batavia are actually living under someone else's roof.

It's really hard to feel like a dependent.

After returning to his home, Joseph collapsed directly on the bed, not wanting to move at all.

He has been carrying bags on the dock lately.

The work of carrying bags and unloading goods at the dock is typical heavy physical work, which consumes a lot of physical energy.

After a tiring day, Joseph now doesn't even have the strength to move a finger.

In the past, the dirty and tiring work of carrying bags at the docks was usually done by Chinese or indigenous people.

As the rulers of Batavia, the noble Dutch people would naturally only do decent, leisurely and high-paying jobs such as doctors, lawyers, engineers and teachers.

Or just do business in Batavia!
But it’s not possible now!

Ever since Batavia was captured by the Tang Dynasty, the Dutch lost their privileges.

Even those decent jobs have all gone to the Chinese.

The Dutch people could only do dirty and hard work like carrying bags at the docks, polishing shoes, and cleaning sewers.

By selling one's own labor, one can barely make a living!
There was only one oil lamp lit in the low and dilapidated house.

The dim light was not enough to illuminate the entire room, and many places in the room were in darkness.

His wife, Griffin, was heating up a meal for Joseph.

After the food was heated up, Griffin served it to her husband.

Joseph sat up from the bed and began to eat the food in big mouthfuls.

Corn soup and whole grain tortillas were obviously very crude foods, but Joseph now ate them with great relish.

Mrs. Griffin's heart was filled with pity as she watched her husband eat.

You know, Mr. Joseph used to be very picky about eating even soft white bread.