Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 404 Living in Chang'an is Not Easy
"Haha, the fact that he didn't beat you up is already a sign of his good manners."

In the Zhang family's guest room, when Zhang Dai heard Dou E vividly recount the scene of being kicked out of Wei Heng's house, he couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh.

"I'm just following your orders, and you're laughing at me? Let me ask you, do you really have the ability to subdue Wei Heng and force him to submit?"

Seeing Zhang Dai's reaction, Dou E immediately asked with a look of shame and anger, "I have suffered such a great humiliation. If I cannot get what I want in the end, I will become a laughing stock. How can I continue to live in the capital region?"

"Don't worry, it won't be long before Wei Heng obediently invites you to his door!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai smiled confidently and said...

Seeing his certainty, Dou E was naturally very curious. He grabbed Zhang Dai's arm and kept asking him questions, which annoyed Zhang Dai so much that he immediately ordered his family to kick the boy out, telling him to go home and wait for the day he could go to Wei Heng's house to show off.

Not long after Zhang Dai dismissed Dou E, Chen Dong came to the door again. After entering the hall, he bowed to Zhang Dai and said, "Reporting to the Lord, the families of the criminals in the neighborhood have been going to the West Market to borrow money to pay off their debts, and the criminals who were arrested have also been returning home one after another. Only some families are still hesitant and have not yet taken any action. I hope that after seeing the criminals who have returned home, we can dispel their dissent. After a short rest, the criminals who have returned home can return to work in the coming days."

"There's no rush for the construction. Let them rest at home for a few more days and get back to work when they're feeling better."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai said, "The Jinwu Guards have always been very brutal in their methods. These people have been suddenly arrested and imprisoned for several days, and their bodies and minds must have suffered greatly. They won't be able to recover without a few days of rest."

Some people were willing to accept help, while others remained hesitant, which did not surprise Zhang Dai.

Although he meant well and was doing a good deed, he should know that this part of their debt was a gift that the imperial court had promised to give them years ago, and now they were trying to collect it. If the imperial court could go back on its word, what chance did he, as an individual, have? Those people were like frightened birds, and it was understandable that they didn't believe that someone would help them for no reason and without expecting anything in return.

Zhang Dai took a natural approach to this, without forcing anyone. He would lend a helping hand to those who trusted him and accepted his assistance. If they harbored doubts about him or kept their distance, he couldn't force them to accept his help; he simply let them find their own solutions.

The disciples still had their doubts: how would they be able to redeem and repay this portion of the goods in the future?

Chen Dong pulled out another receipt from his pocket and asked Zhang Dai for clarification. Not only were the recipients of the aid confused, but Chen Dong himself was also somewhat puzzled by it.

Instead of lending money directly to these people through the money exchange, Zhang Dai signed a contract to rent their transportation services.

These people are currently on leave for the border region. They will return to the frontier next year after the leave ends. Zhang Dai gave them certificates of goods and asked them to help transport the goods to Longyou in exchange for waiving their loan.

He didn't intend to enslave these people, but they were soldiers with sensitive identities, and Zhang Dai was helping more than just one or two. Without a seemingly fair and reasonable contract, it would inevitably arouse suspicion when so many people were being assisted.

According to the standards set by the imperial court for land transport, the cost for transporting 100 catties (50 kg) over 100 li (50 km) by land was 100 coins, and the cost for transporting by cart was 90 coins. If the road was a rugged hilly or mountainous route, an additional 20 or 30 coins would be added.

The one-way distance from Chang'an in Guanzhong to Lanzhou Jincheng in Longyou is about 1,500 li, and the freight cost for 100 jin of goods would be around 1,500 coins. These people each owed between ten and ten guan of debt, so according to this standard, they would need to be issued freight contracts for several hundred to over a thousand jin of goods.

However, if Zhang Dai really wanted to transport large quantities of goods to Longyou, he would definitely need to arrange his own wagons and packhorse teams. He wouldn't need these people to transport the goods themselves; they would only need to escort them along the way.

Therefore, Zhang Dai essentially spent the money now to hire a security team for the caravan that would depart in a few months. With these Longyou soldiers escorting them along the way, the caravan's safety would be greatly guaranteed.

After listening to Zhang Dai's explanation, Chen Dong felt much more at ease and immediately said, "After I return, I will definitely explain to these families in detail how kind-hearted you are, so that they can quickly accept my good intentions and stop causing themselves trouble!"

“Not only those acquaintances in the city, but also those from the surrounding counties and villages who have suffered similar hardships, can be led to the West Market to borrow money.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai laughed and said that he was not short of money, and it was nothing for him to cover the debts of thousands of border soldiers.

He was initially resentful because he felt his money had been extorted by people like Wei Heng through making things difficult for Bian Shi. Now that he had a plan to extort money from Wei Heng in return, he was naturally more willing to pay.

“Recently, quite a few villagers have come to the city to inquire and seek information, so I instructed my disciples to explain and guide them.”

Chen Dong quickly replied respectfully, "People are naturally happy and positive when they do good deeds." After a pause, Zhang Dai continued, "If you have some free time recently, you can measure the land in Tongguifang and other places, and draw up a draft of the residential area."

"Master, are you perhaps planning to acquire land in the south of the city to build a garden as well?"

Chen Dong was taken aback upon hearing this, and then hesitantly asked Zhang Dai.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai shook his head and explained, "My family has our own house and garden, so there's no need for us to compete with the other residents for land. However, living in those shacks and shacks is really inconvenient. It's alright in summer and autumn, but I imagine it will be even more difficult in winter and spring."

I plan to build some residences and inns there, which can be allocated to the residents of the neighborhood for housing, and also rented or sold to subsidize the travel expenses of those visiting the capital. If the residents are willing to contribute their land for this purpose, that would be even better. After renovation, they could rent out their properties while also living in them, thus securing a stable livelihood.

He visited Tongguifang sometime later, and the appalling living conditions there left a lasting impression on him. Therefore, he also wanted to build some low-rent communities there, consolidating the residents' land for systematic development.

While the residents have new homes, he also acquires land to build warehouses, shops, hotels, and other profitable establishments. He uses this income as a fund to expand his cash reserves and provide dividends to the residents to supplement their household income.

Although these southwestern districts are relatively remote and it is somewhat inconvenient to enter and exit the core urban area, they are still within Chang'an City.

Establishing affordable rental communities would definitely be a viable business opportunity. Poor officials like Du Fu, who held positions in the capital but whose families had to be relocated to more distant suburban counties, would certainly be extremely happy to live in the city at very low rents.

"Your plan is good, but the biggest hardship for the poor families in the southern ward is not their housing. Living in the city is difficult in every way, and money is needed everywhere, yet income is scarce. If there were a better place to go, they would have already fled the city!"

When Chen Dong heard Zhang Dai's plan, his eyes lit up at first, but quickly dimmed again.

The cost of living in the city is far higher than in the countryside; even buying water alone is a huge expense for these people. Their only means of income are manual labor, weaving, and accepting government contracts, which are far less stable than farming, and there is always the risk of financial ruin if something goes wrong.

Therefore, their biggest predicament is not the poor living conditions, but the series of problems caused by their meager income.

Although Chen Dong also wanted to help the people of the neighborhood improve their living conditions, since he had become Zhang Dai's disciple, he naturally had to explain the problem to his master clearly. He should not waste money because of a momentary impulse, which would not only fail to improve the lives of the people of the neighborhood but also cause huge financial losses.

"Renovating the house is only the first step; many other things will follow. I have a large area of ​​mountains and fields in the south of the city that needs landscaping and planting, and I need to hire many laborers. It will be hard work, but the pay will be good. If you work hard, it won't be difficult to support your family."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai smiled and said, "As for your worries about drinking water, that's not a problem for me. First, make a detailed plan in the market according to what I've told you, and then you can start when the time is right."

He already considered the Wei family's Xiaoyao Garden as his own. Once he acquired the garden, he could take over a significant portion of Fengqi Plain. At that time, he would need to immediately begin land reclamation, garden construction, and tea planting, which would naturally require manpower.

The border guards in Nanfang have already had a good relationship with him, and it would be best if this could continue.

Although these border soldiers would return to the border after their leave, their families still needed to stay in Chang'an to make a living. It was appropriate for Zhang Dai to invite these family members to work in the tea garden to support their families.

Hearing Zhang Dai's words, Chen Dong couldn't help but feel a little ashamed. He was used to thinking about problems from the perspective of the lower classes, but he had forgotten that his master was a member of the top elites in the capital. What was incredibly difficult for them, Zhang Dai could easily solve with just a few words.

"Please rest assured, my lord, I will plan carefully and present the draft to you as soon as possible!"

He quickly bowed again and said that he would not dare to take on such a big responsibility if it were other things, but civil engineering was his profession, and he had Zhang Dai, who could provide him with strong support, so he had a blueprint in his mind that needed to be planned!
"Do your best, and don't worry about the cost of money and materials. Just make sure things go smoothly and try to get everyone in the neighborhood into their new houses by the end of the year!"

Zhang Dai enjoyed the feeling of spending money like water. Seeing that Chen Dong was also enthusiastic and positive, he smiled and encouraged him.

After Chen Dong left, Zhang Dai took out the various materials that Wang Yuanbao had helped him collect and organize in the early years of operating public offices in the market, and sorted out his thoughts while looking through them.

Since you're investigating old accounts, finding only a few thousand strings of cash is far too little. Since you don't know how to audit accounts, I'll do it for you!
(End of this chapter)