From Chief to Ball

It's not enough to be prepared to make a big splash.

It's just that this incident happened suddenly, and it was inevitable to be hasty when dealing with it. It was impossible to make perfect preparations, and we could only consider possible situations as much as possible.

If you can take advantage of this opportunity to hoard goods or use this opportunity to hit speculators who are hoarding goods and get some money from them, that would be the best.

On the pier in the evening, there were more than a dozen people on a small modified fast boat, and their destination was the mouth of the big river.

Chen Jian's previous fleet had to go to Turtle Island first, and then turn from Turtle Island to the city at the mouth of the river. After unloading, repair and maintain the ship, and then continue northward.

The incident happened suddenly, so I calculated that if the clippers were sent to the north quickly at this time, they should be able to catch up with the time when the fleet traveled from Turtle Island to the mouth of the river.

The mission of the dozen or so people on the Clippers was to go to the mouth of the river to buy a batch of grain, so that the fleet would leave a boat loaded with muskets and personnel to go north, and the rest of the fleet would unload there to buy grain, and immediately head south back to Fujian.

But instead of docking immediately, they moored in a port slightly north of Mincheng under the pretext of taking shelter from the wind.That port is under Chen Siwen's jurisdiction. Whether it is windy or not, whether to take shelter from the wind or not is a matter of one sentence.

In addition to the grain from these ships, Chen Jian also sent people to the upper reaches of the Min River to buy some grain from there and prepare for transshipment by boat.

This is his own private matter, just in case it is a business matter, if not just in case, then he can take the opportunity to squeeze a little oil from a few sharp-sense grain speculators, nothing can make money faster than this.

In the afternoon of the same day, a large number of young students mobilized from Lanxiang Technical School under the pretext that social practice is also a kind of learning, centered on the grocery store, soy sauce sales point, and New Year relief distribution point of the trading company in Mincheng, Bringing the calendar for next year that was just printed, he walked into the homes of the citizens.

Those who enter are the homes of the middle and lower classes. In the past two years, they have given out two catties of noodles and three catties of rice in the name of doing good deeds. There is no resistance to these young children related to the business company.

The children took the papers and pens they were handed out, and only said that this is an academic exercise, and it is also to arrange next year's production, so I came to ask about the situation in each family.

Those who can read write down their names. The number of people in the family, the habit of storing food, the annual income, and what work they usually do are clearly recorded.

Before leaving, send a month card for next year, and send a very early blessing in the early years.

When they were about to leave, the citizens who were interviewed realized that they should ask how much soy sauce they eat a year before they can plan their production?The questions I asked were all unrelated to making soy sauce, but I didn't think too much about it. I thought it would be good to get a month card for nothing, and it would cost some coppers. Although this month card is too simple, at least it can be used.

It's a free gift, so what else can you ask for?

This kind of investigation is not the first time. Many households have become accustomed to it. Since last year, members of the Mexican Party have been doing this kind of seemingly meaningless inquiry in some neighborhoods.

Especially in some impoverished neighborhoods, the community system has basically collapsed. In addition to tax collection, the grassroots organizations of the Mexican Party have replaced those things that should have been taken care of by the county and city but not done, with a small amount of low interest. Loans, relationship adjustment, assistance in litigation, mutual aid among neighbors, distribution of herbs to dispel heat in summer, etc. are the starting points, spreading block by block.

Some are members of the party, and some are just employees of charity companies. They spend a lot of money, but they are very effective.

The information he has at this time is definitely more accurate and complete than most speculators in Mincheng, and it can even be said to be unique.

Everything that should be prepared has been prepared, it is impossible to be perfect, and the rest can only wait.

……

While Chen Jian and others were secretly preparing, the coal mine alliance in Min County was not idle.

At the beginning, the other coal mine owners didn't care about what happened in that mine. On the contrary, they were secretly happy, so that they could squeeze out another colleague.

Coal mine owners are not monolithic, and there are internal conflicts.What happened in that mine, in fact, has happened similarly elsewhere. The way of death is different, the forces in different places are different, and the details of the handling are different, but the whole is similar.

Originally, the other mine owners could not be involved in the matter of that mine, but with the propaganda of Hu Lin and others and the wave of public opinion seeking sympathy, these mine owners couldn't sit still.

This is no longer a matter of that mine, but a matter of the entire Min County Coal Mine Guild. It must not be allowed to pass that regulation. Once it is passed, many things will be troublesome.

What I am afraid of is not those safety measures or safety requirements, but the establishment of trade unions. Once a group of scattered miners are organized together, it will be like a disaster for them. This is intolerable.

Especially after hearing people from the Wang family talk about the protests organized by the Employers Association organized by the Mexican Party, these mine owners became even more restless.

Today is the day when Hulin and some kind-hearted urban Qingliu submitted a petition, and the mine owners gathered together to make the final offensive and defensive alliance for this matter.

After discussing until it was dark, they finally came up with a solution.

"This petition must not be passed, and we are firmly opposed to it. None of it can be passed. As long as one is passed, these miners will be in chaos in the future. If you want to organize a trade union today, you may ask for a [-]-hour working day tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow. It is absolutely not allowed to compensate more money for death.”

"This head must not be opened. This is no longer the Wang family's own business, but it is related to the coal industry of our entire Min County. This group of people who are full are not easy to deal with. We must not start internal strife at this time. Let go of past unhappiness and conflicts."

"If anyone regresses at this time, then you will have no place to gain a foothold in the coal mining industry in Min County in the future. I hope everyone present will think about it, don't covet the momentary refreshment, but abandon the future. If you say that you betray, then It will face the unanimous condemnation of everyone.”

A few people from the industry guild warned all coal mine owners, large and small, that this was not just a verbal deterrent, but also an ultimatum within the industry.

Once anyone betrays, it is easy to be squeezed out by other people. This is the unspoken rule of the trade guild, a means of mutual concessions and mutual benefits.

As for the method, that is also discussed.

The top figures of the industry guild are responsible for finding some members of the council of Qingliu, who have close contacts with them, and ask them to concoct an article about the harm that can be caused after agreeing, and an article about the miners who are shameless and fighting. thing.

It would be the best if we can find a breakthrough point that everyone likes to see from some miners' next three roads, and these miners can be quickly stigmatized.After all, they are all human beings, and they are only for survival. No one is a saint. It is impossible to be so clean. If you want to find it, you can always find it.

If you can find stains from Hu Lin and other Mo party members, especially Xiasanlu stains, that would be the best, and make their words meaningless in one fell swoop.

At the same time, please ask someone to write an article, telling the miners that opposing the mine owner is harming others and themselves, and harming their own long-term interests. Think about your wife and children at home. You follow the people of the Mexican party, but they are impossible To support your wife and children.

I also asked the painter to draw a few pictures and print them in large quantities.

One is a woman holding a child, and the child asks when the father will be back.Write a few more words below, to the effect that my wife and children will turn around quickly, so as not to go astray.

In one, the mine owner and the miner are standing together, smiling, and the mine owner is holding a money bag and handing the miner a silver coin.It says that people should be grateful, don't forget who gave you food and clothing, those who are ungrateful are ruthless and ungrateful, no different from animals.

In addition, you have to find the rest of the industry guilds, get their support, and ask them to stand on your side.

The officials also jointly sent gifts, which also explained their bottom line and refused to accept any conditions.

As for the Wang family's proposal to close the alliance, it was rejected internally.

In the past, it was possible to force the miners to go back to work by relying on the alliance to go out of business, otherwise they would starve.But now that there are organizations involved, this method is not good for them. In the end, it depends on miners to mine.

In the past, if the alliance really went out of business, it was completely unnecessary to force the council to agree to their request. Both the officials and the council knew their power.Furthermore, doing so will offend officials and make officials feel that the mine owners are too powerful, which will be counterproductive.

In addition, in addition to coal for its own use in Mincheng, there are also coal ships that transport it to neighboring cities by sea, which is a lot of money every day, and no one can bear to not earn so much money.

So far, the guild seems to be united within the guild.

However, when the last proposal was made, differences still emerged.

Someone suggested that they also write a council proposal, calling for the prohibition of the activities of the Mexican Party.

This is a way to draw fire from the bottom of the pot. Once this proposal is passed, the Mexican party only needs to be disbanded.

However, many mine owners present did not dare to sign on it. This proposal would offend many people, and the offences would be so severe that they would never die.

The authorities can come forward to ban the activities, but they absolutely dare not and are not willing to provoke people like Chen Jian. Retaliation is not something some small mine owners can afford.

Once it has reached that point, the hatred is completely dead, and there is no possibility of unraveling it.

There is also a large workshop owner and factory owner with great influence within the Mo Party, who holds thousands of people in Fujian who are involved in the common interests of the shareholding system. is a positive review.

They really don't have the courage to fight against such a behemoth unless it is a last resort. Everyone present knows that this kind of thing is beneficial to them, but they will never make such a move.