After dressing as a widow

The villages around the state capital ushered in an unprecedented bumper harvest. Families opened seven or eight acres of wasteland and moved bag after bag of grain into the house. Children jumped around and adults laughed from ear to ear. .

Immediately afterwards, news came out from the state capital that Boss Lin was recruiting people to work. Although no food was provided, he was paid seven cents a day.

But the job is manual work, no girls are recruited, and the strong brother can try it with the man.

In addition, the state government office is also recruiting people to work, saying that it is going to a certain place to dig a kind of black stone. Because of the risks, the wages are higher.

After the autumn harvest, the farmers all put their energy into compost for next year's cultivation. Once the compost is piled up, there is not much work to do. When they heard that Boss Lin and the state government office were recruiting, they all had thoughts.

If you have work, do it well, and if you have work, you will get money. During the Chinese New Year, you will be more generous, add two more dishes to the table, and buy a piece of cloth for the children to make clothes.

All of a sudden, many men and brothers flocked to the state capital.

Some of them have been to the state capital before, but they feel that the state capital is not quite the same as before. They are still at the gate of the city, and they see many well-dressed gentlemen sitting in carriages, and there are many people behind them. Less fresh stuff.

There were also carriages of unknown contents coming out of the city, and the drivers of the carriages all had smiles on their faces.

After entering the state capital, I found that the changes inside were even greater. There were many more shops selling various things, and there were densely packed small stalls and hawkers on both sides.

The illiterate men who came to look for jobs were shocked by the bustle in front of them, and some dared not step forward.

The man who had been to the state capital was also a little confused, so he dared to stop a passerby: "Uncle, where is Boss Lin in the state capital recruiting workers? We just came from the village and are not familiar with the road."

The uncle who was stopped looked at them and said with a smile: "Our state capital has changed a lot in the past few months, and it's normal if you don't know the way. Boss Lin recruits workers at Guangshun Lane, along this street. Go straight ahead, enter the second alleyway, and go forward to Guangshun Lane."

"We don't call it Guangshun Lane anymore, it's called Lin Lane!"

"Thank you uncle."

"No thanks, my son also went to Boss Lin's place to register and apply for the job two days ago, and he's already working in Sanwazi today."

These men knew Sanwazi, not far from their village, and if they worked there, they could go home at night.

The men bid farewell to this uncle and walked towards Guangshun Lane. On the way, they met people who were looking for work like them, and there were more people after 200 meters.

Those who are determined to do this job will register their name, home address, and family demographics, and will follow the carriages to Sanwazi to work that day.

Lin Zhen is here in Sanwazi. A few days ago, he accidentally discovered that there was something like limestone on the pig's trotters that he took back. After going there himself, he found that there is a large amount of limestone storage here, and it can be developed into a cement production area. .

The summer in Lizhou is short and the winter is long. In another month, there will be heavy snow everywhere, and the soil will be frozen. It is best to take this time to get out the shell and try to pave the cement road in next summer.

Moreover, cement can be used not only for paving roads, but also for building houses and city walls, so there is no need to worry about sales!

Wrapped in autumn clothes, he said loudly to the workers holding all kinds of digging tools: "Before October, I can still work for a month, everyone, work harder."

"Alright, Boss Lin!"

As soon as October came, the state capital was covered in a person-deep snow overnight. These days, he almost lived in a cement factory, and Lin Zhen, who was afraid of going on business, was wearing the winter clothes that Lu Lu had made for him in advance, and was covered by the overwhelming presence of the people outside. Snow was startled.

With such heavy snow, it's no wonder that the soil in Lizhou is harder than rocks.

"Where are you up, my lord?"

After sleeping for two days in a row, Lin Zhen woke up very early today, and because of the snow outside, he couldn't tell what time it was.

Lulu opened the lid of the tan stove, looked at the coal fire still burning inside, poured the warm water that had been smoked on the tan stove into a basin, and put a veil in it.

Lin Zhen brought the washing water by himself, looked at the first batch of clay stoves, and asked Lu Lu, "Is this thing much more useful than the previous stoves?"

"That's not right!" The first batch of clay stoves were still in the trial stage, so there were only the state government offices, a few officials' homes, and some people who were drawn to the state capital.

Before using it, Lin Zhen gave repeated orders and strict warnings that the doors and windows cannot be closed, and the pipes above must be checked at any time to ensure that the mouth of the pipe extends out of the window.

Lulu doesn't know how other people use it, but she really thinks this thing is good, convenient and clean, and it doesn't need to be kept on attention at all times like firewood, and it needs to be re-ignited when using it.

And there is no annoying smoke, and it is warm and comfortable.

Lulu used an iron stick to make the fire eye bigger, and said to Lin Zhen: "Such a useful thing, there must be many people buying it when it goes on sale."

"It is indeed convenient to burn coal, but remember not to close the doors and windows. If a person inhales the gas emitted by burning coal, he will be unconscious at least, and even die at worst."

"Slave remember, check it every day."

"By the way, boss, when the servant girl just opened the window and saw the waiter enter the adult's room, the adult must have woken up."

Lin Zhen nodded, since Gu Lin woke up, he also knew what time it was.

He looked at the yard that had been cleared out by the servants, and soon, he saw Gu Lin in black clothes coming out of the house with a sword in hand, practicing every move.

Lin Zhen just watched, watching the tall and long-legged Gu Lin wrapped in the wind and thunder, the snowflakes that were about to fall were blown away by his sword wind.

Lu Lu suddenly walked up to him, "Boss, when will you and your lord get married?"

"..." Lin Zhen looked at her.

Lu Lu said frankly, "I think adults like the boss very much. They never smile in front of outsiders, and they are scary, but it is different for the boss. They will bring food to the boss, talk to the boss, and talk to the boss. That's what adults do."

Lu Lu imitated Gu Lin's expression, but she had a small round face, so she was inexplicably dumbfounded when she learned it.

Lin Zhen couldn't help laughing: "When it's time to get married, you will naturally get married."

Lu Lu said: "After that, the servants will have to take care of the boss and the adults, and play with the little master for a while."

"..." Good guy, this is going too far. When we talk about getting married, we jump to taking care of the children.

With his pregnancy mole, the child is almost invisible.

And at such a distance, Gu Lin's ears must have heard it. Lin Zhen looked at Gu Lin, only to see that Gu Lin had withdrawn his sword at some point and was walking towards him.

"Not cold?" He looked at Gu Lin's clothes, which were obviously only covered with a layer of cotton, not very thick.

Gu Lin, who was not cold, nodded.

Lin Zhen said quickly: "Then go into the house and change clothes."

Gu Lin supported the coffin by the window with one hand, before Lin Zhen saw how he came in, he stood in front of Lin Zhen.

Lin Zhen could only say to Lu Lu: "Go to the adult's room and get the adult's clothes."

"Yes." Lu Lu has always been a little afraid of Gu Lin, if there is no Lin Zhen, he would not easily go to Gu Lin.

With the wash water he just used, Lin Zhen casually twisted the veil and handed it to him: "Do you use the coal stove in your house?"

"using."

"How do you feel?"

"Very good." Gu Lin took the handkerchief and wiped his face, then poured the washing water into the small ditch specially reserved in the yard outside the house.

Lin Zhendao: "The batch of coal stoves we use is made of solid materials, and the coal consumption should be larger. The batch sold to the common people can have several models for them to choose from."

When the house gets bigger, the firepower of the small coal stove is not enough to keep the temperature.

But for those people with small houses, smaller ones are better, which is not only convenient, but also saves coal.

A lot of coal reserves were discovered, but due to the distance from the state border, tunnels had to be dug in after the coal on the surface was excavated. The coal would not be very cheap, and at first it might have been just supplies for people with a little money in the state capital.

It really falls on the heads of every common people, and we have to wait for more coal to be mined to balance supply and demand.

The Lulu who went to get the clothes came back soon, it was only October, and the yamen had things to do as usual, so they took crimson official robes and black gauze caps.

Gu Lin took the clothes and walked behind the screen, and came out after dressing herself.

Suddenly, just when Lin really wanted Lulu to get some food and have breakfast with Gu Lin, a yamen servant seemed to know that Gu Lin was here, and almost ran over: "My lord!"

"The county magistrate of Luoran sent someone to report that the small villages around the Luoran River were attacked by Che Luoguo and suffered heavy losses."

Lin Zhen and Gu Lin looked at the yamen servant at the same time, Lin Zhen frowned, and Gu Lin asked the yamen servant: "How much do you know about the specific situation?"

The yamen servant said: "The person who came to report the letter has been exhausted and passed out. He only said that the Cheluo people who robbed Luoran County this time are a little different from those in previous years. .”

Lin Zhen has been in Lizhou for so long, so he can roughly figure out the place in Lizhou. Luoran is a small place in the north of Lizhou, some distance from the border. It is named Luoran because it produces a blue dye.

According to previous experience, Che Luo Kingdom generally would not plunder Luo Ran.

Could it be that Che Luoguo still wants to occupy more than a dozen villages in Lizhou like last year?

Gu Lin said to the yamen servant: "Immediately notify Deputy Qianhu and ask him to count out 1000 people, follow me to Luoran, and immediately call people to the counties and counties around Luoran to make the people more vigilant."

The matter was urgent, and it would take four days to travel from the state capital to Luoran Kuaima. Gu Lin turned back to Lin Zhen after speaking with the yamen servant, "Uncle Lin, I'm leaving."

"More than 1000 people must bring enough food and grass. Away from the surrounding state capital, Luoran and other counties have not implemented this year's new farming policies and methods. The harvest is not good, and the food that was originally planned to be allocated for relief has not yet been delivered. I may not be able to provide you with temporary food supplies if we have time to allocate them."

The matter was urgent, and it was too late. Gu Lin and the others could only pack lightly, and they couldn't bring much. The food needed could only be delivered two days later.

The servants serving Gu Lin had already come over with capes and bamboo hats, and the group quickly walked into the courtyard where the snow was still falling, and disappeared in a blink of an eye.

Lin Zhen looked away, and said to Lu Lu: "Just ask the kitchen to cook a bowl of noodles. After eating, let's go to the slaughterhouse to have a look."

"To the slaughterhouse?" Lulu didn't understand what he was doing there on a snowy day.

Lin Zhendao: "A lot of pigs in our pig farm have been slaughtered, and a lot of lean meat after removing the fat has been sold, but there are still some leftovers. I asked them to make dried meat and let them try to make some canned food. I don't know if it will work."

When Gu Lin goes to Luoran, there is a high probability that he will face the people of Che Luoguo. When Lin Zhen talks about grain and grass, he thinks of these two things he made.

He thought about it, if there is no problem in making the things, ask the food transport officer to bring some to Gu Lin and the others, and treat him as a businessman to add some food to the soldiers, it seems to be okay.

Thinking about it this way, Lin Zhen didn't even have time to eat noodles, so he stopped Lu Lu who was going to the kitchen: "I'll just eat two pieces of pastries, take a carriage, and we'll go to the slaughterhouse now."

The snow is still in the same momentum, as big as a thumb, and the weather is too cold, it will not melt immediately when it falls on people.

The roads in the state capital and the twenty or thirty miles in the suburbs have all been paved with concrete roads, and they will no longer be wet when it rains or snows like before.

When the hard and flat cement road was just repaired, people would look at it every day, touch it and step on it. They wished to move their houses to this road and study it all the time.

Until now, this trend in the state capital has passed, but the convenience it brings still amazes people.

Lin Zhen and Lu Lu took a carriage to the slaughterhouse not far from the pig farm. From a distance, the thick snow on the roof was like pieces of cotton candy, almost submerging the slaughterhouse inside.

Lin Zhen found the steward of the slaughterhouse, "How about the jerky and canned meat that I told you to make from lean meat?"

The steward said: "Back to the boss, according to what you said, the jerky has two flavors: spiced and spicy. I tried it with the big guy, and it tastes very good."

"Two batches of canned food were also made. The jars were steamed and sealed with wax after filling."

"Have you opened the can?"

"Look, it hasn't changed."

The main reason is that the weather in Lizhou does not allow it to change its taste, and it is frozen tightly.

Most of the canned meat is the meat picked from the pig's head. Although Lizhou is poor, the probability of eating this food is higher than that of Anyuan Town, but there are good meat that is not expensive, and there are not many people who choose pig's head.

Lin Zhen said to the steward, "Take me to have a look."

"Yes." The steward didn't dare to delay, and led Lin Zhen to the warehouse.

These finished cans and jerky are packed in wooden boxes and piled up in a large pile.

The steward bent down and took out a can. It took a lot of effort to remove the lid of the can, and showed Lin Zhen the frozen can inside.

The weather was too cold, without any measures to keep warm, and the canned food was frozen hard. Lin Zhen used the tip of a knife to get some crushed ice from the canned soup and tasted it. Soon, he tasted a slightly salty, but salty juice. .

"That's right, bring me thirty boxes of canned food, and thirty boxes of jerky, and I'll take them right away."

"Good boss."

Lin Zhen brought the canned food and jerky with him, and when he arrived at the government office, he asked someone to find out. The person who was in charge of transporting the food this time was a small official under the hands of the official friend.

He went to find this person himself, and when he got closer, he realized that he knew this person himself. He was a small official who sat at the same table with Gu Lin and the others when Gengyang was eating.

The little official who was asking people to count the grain saw Lin Zhen and wanted to stand up to greet him. Lin Zhen walked over quickly, not daring to delay his business, but said: "My lord, I don't know if we can add something to the escort. The shop under my name has produced some dried meat and canned meat, and I want to give the sergeants a taste."

The little official didn't expect that Lin Zhen came here for this matter, and said: "The same journey, the same transportation, and sending more things is not a hindrance. Boss Lin can take out these things, it is the sergeant's blessing."

Lin Zhen waved his hand: "As long as you don't delay your business, I'll ask someone to bring it here and load it into the carriage."

"No problem," anyone in Lizhou's state capital who says they don't know Boss Lin will probably be dragged to sit down and talk for three days and three nights.

The gouache workshop, the soap workshop, the soap workshop, and the cream workshop, together with the pig farm behind, the slaughterhouse, and the miraculous cement road where the petty official squatted down and stroked, which one is not worth taking out? People have a good talk about it.

And Lin Zhen is also recognized as a rich man in the state capital of Lizhou.

The petty official has been in charge of this matter before, knowing how much grain there is in the granary of the state government office this year, and how it compares with before, he said: "To tell the truth, Boss Lin, this is the easiest time for me to dispatch grain. When I asked for food, I looked at the granary that didn't even visit the rats."

"The days are getting better and better. This year is the first year, and there are still many years to come."

Lin Zhendao, suddenly, he asked the little official: "Since it is okay to bring some extra food, it is also feasible for me to bring some other food?"

"feasible."

The little official nodded, "But Boss Lin, these grains are enough for the 1000 people led by Mr. Gu."

"I'm thinking about the people in Luo Ran. They didn't implement the new farming policy this year, and they were looted by the Che Luo Kingdom. I'm afraid life will be difficult."

"If my lord can bring it, bring me some food and grass, so that they can live better, at least they can get the relief food from the government."

"If it's possible, I'll go to several food shops on Changping Street immediately and ask them to deliver food."

The petty official knew that he made a lot of money every day and was not short of silver, but he was not the only one who was not short of silver, Lin Zhen, there were others, and he was the only one who could stand here and say this.

The little official clasped his fists together: "I first thank Boss Lin for his kindness on behalf of Luo Ran's people. By the way, Boss Lin, if you are interested, you can also go to Luo Ran with us."

"The cavalry looting is no different than when the two armies are facing each other. They usually only start along the small villages on the side, and leave after making a fortune. They will not be surrounded by our assembled troops and will not go deep into the back. We are still very safe."

"I won't cause you any trouble, will I?" Lin Zhen was afraid of delaying their business.

The little official said: "No, it is because there is not enough food and grass to be transported, so there is no need to conscript corvee, otherwise some common people will be conscripted along with them."

Lin Zhen, who didn't think about going to Luo Ran before, but only wanted to send something there, thought about it and decided to go.

It's been cold recently, and business matters are going according to the process, so you don't need to worry about it yourself, it's good to go and have a look.

Lin Zhen said to the little official: "Then I will go to the grain store now and ask them to bring the grain."