After dressing as a widow

After the journey back and forth, they brought these people back to Lizhou. By the time Kong Zheng and the others returned to the capital of Lizhou, it was already early November and winter had officially entered.

The weather was so cold that the more than 400 people who followed him complained to the sky. They had never experienced such a cold. If Kong Zheng hadn't hung them with big cakes one after another, they might not have been able to stand it long ago.

And when they set foot on the cement road built from the state capital, the expressions on their faces were exactly the same as when the road was just repaired, with their mouths wide open, their eyes wide open, and they squatted down to touch it with their hands, jumping and jumping on it. .

Then they asked Kong Zheng how the road was so smooth, how the stones they used had no gaps, and how big the stones were to polish such a wide slate.

Others found that they were not slabs at all, and asked what they were.

Wearing the same clothes as when he went there, Kong Zheng finally felt like he had come home when he saw the cement road, and said to the people behind: "The one who built this road is a material made in our factory, called cement. If you If you can enter our factory, you have to make this kind of material.”

Yang Gui and the others were amazed that such a thing was actually made, even if Kong Zheng said it was created by a god, they would believe it.

After walking for more than 20 miles on the concrete road extending from the state capital, more than 400 people finally arrived outside the city gate of the state capital.

Just happened to meet another wave of people who went out for publicity and brought people back. The two waves collided, and Kong Zheng and the others tacitly said hello and led them into the city.

As soon as they entered the city, Chen Gui and the others were shocked by the bustling scene in front of them. It was clear that the outside of the city was covered with ice and snow, but there were many shops in the city, and the peddlers were dressed thickly, selling local specialties from Lizhou, nuts, herbs, fur .

The ones in the shop are more complete and the quality is better. The merchants with different accents took advantage of the money to hand over the money to the shopkeeper, and let the people below hold the goods in exchange for the goods.

It is cold in Lizhou, and the animal fur here is richer, softer and denser than other places, which is a rare top grade.

At this time in previous years, merchants would also come here to collect furs, but they were not as lively as this year, and the amount received was not as large as this year.

Kong Zheng and his hundreds of people merged into the crowd and quickly walked through Changping Street. Kong Zheng pointed to the bright and spacious Lin's shop, which was obviously different from other shops: "This is Boss Lin's shop. It sells products from the workshop. Yurong powder toilet water lipstick and cream."

Among the people who followed, there were also women and brothers who were with the family, such as Yang Gui's daughter-in-law, looking at the thickly dressed, pink-faced and peach-cheeked women and brothers who were well-fed and housed at first glance, A little envious.

I thought that if I could work in the workshop mentioned by Guanshi Kong, I would be able to earn more than 100 Wen a month, at least the children would not have to go hungry.

According to the yamen's previous instructions, people who come here must first register with the yamen, and provide them with an identity certificate, so as to avoid accidents after people get mixed up and no one can be held accountable.

When Kong Zheng and Yang Gui and their group passed by, they happened to hear a person wearing official robes say: "Since our state government has a cooperation with Lin's Commercial Bank, any family with more than three members can spare one person to work in the workshop below Lin's Commercial Bank." Next year, the cultivation will be the same as that of the local people in Lizhou. As long as the wasteland is opened up, there will be no need to pay taxes within five years, and we can first borrow credit from our state government office for plowshares and grain seeds that can cultivate land faster. Just go to the state government office."

"And those who came to Lizhou alone and just looking for work have to pass the test of Boss Lin. Those who are not in good health and can't do much heavy work can't go to the cement factory. They need to go to other workshops to see. "

As soon as the official's words came out, Yang Gui and Yang Gui's wife's eyes lit up. The whole family came, and it was confirmed in advance that one person would go to work in the cement factory or other workshops, and the wasteland that Yang Gui's wife told the official said was open Not paying taxes within five years is tempting.

Yang Gui's daughter-in-law hurriedly teased Yang Gui, ran to the front and said to Kong Zheng, "Boss Kong, we are a family!"

Kong Zheng said: "Family go there and line up, it will be very fast."

"Thank you, Steward Kong, thank you, Steward Kong." Yang Gui's family hurried to bring their children, obviously a family team that came to Lizhou.

There were quite a few people in front of them, but the people who did the work were fast, and it was their turn soon.

"What's the name of the head of the household?"

"Yang Gui."

"What's your wife's name?"

"Lin Hua."

The official raised his head because of the surname, looked at Yang Gui's family and said, "You have the same surname as Boss Lin, Yang Gui, right? I think you have a good physique, and you can work in the cement factory."

"Recently, Boss Lin has repaired a lot of factory buildings made by workers, which can be provided for a family like yours to live in. You can go and have a look."

"But correspondingly, some wages will be deducted. Don't worry, Boss Lin is a kind person and will not let you suffer."

"Here, here is your household registration certificate. Don't lose it. Go over there and register with the steward under Boss Lin's hands, and wait for the arrangement."

Yang Gui took a thin piece of household registration certificate with the seal of the yamen, and walked to the back of another line with some anxiety in his heart.

He thought about what the official said just now. Their family has now confirmed that one person can work in Boss Lin's factory, and the official also said that there is a house for the family at the cement factory, which solves the problem for Yang. Gui and Yang Gui's wife are most worried.

Originally, they had all planned to come here for a while, and wait for the couple to find work, and then slowly save some money to build a thatched cottage.

Who would have thought such a good thing would happen.

It was Yang Gui's turn. Yang Gui tried his best to straighten his back to make himself look more energetic, and handed the household registration certificate to the middle-aged man behind the table.

The middle-aged man confirmed his identity, saw that he was still healthy, but with a thin physique, wrote and drew on a piece of paper, and then returned it to him along with his household registration: "It's ok, you The workers in our cement factory are paid 220 yuan a month, one meal is provided at noon, and overtime is paid separately.”

"Let me tell you a few words first. The work in the cement plant is heavy. It is not easy to mine limestone, pull materials, and fill materials."

"You have to assess your own body. If you can't bear it, you can go to other workshops, such as gouache workshops, soap workshops, soap workshops, cream workshops, and pig slaughterhouses."

Yang Gui felt as if he had been hit by a pie, and said eagerly: "Steward, I can do this job. I work every day at home, and I'm in good health."

"Okay," said the manager in charge of recruiting at Lin's Commercial Bank, pointing to the side, "Wait there, our firm has horse-drawn carriages, and we will take you to the cement factory when the ten carts are full. If you hurry up, you can start working tomorrow." .”

"Thanks steward."

Yang Gui's family went through the process very quickly, and those who came alone felt sorry for each other, thinking that it would be great if they brought a few members of their family, and they could go directly to the factory like those who brought their families with them. It is not bad to pay taxes after leaving the state for five years, and to be able to borrow grain plowshares on credit.

They will come here, and it is really difficult to live in the original place, and it is almost the same everywhere.

Yang Gui, his wife, and two children looked at the people who were in the same village as him, but had to wait in a longer line. The whole family looked at each other, and they all felt lucky that they all came.

Suddenly, the driver called them: "Get on the bus to Lin's Cement Factory!"

Yang Gui and his wife quickly took a child with each hand and climbed into the carriage. Now they went to the cement factory like them, and they also took the whole family with them, and helped them carry their worthless luggage.

The carriage walked on the magical concrete road for an hour and a half. Suddenly, the driver of the carriage said: "There is a cement factory ahead. Look, those are the factory buildings where you live."

The people in the carriage stretched their necks to see, and saw gray houses standing one after another on the white snow, covered with gray tiles, and not far from these houses, there were some bigger, There are taller and more houses, with billowing white smoke coming out of the chimneys, and there are men working in the gaps of the houses, all of them are very busy, and their feet seem to be on hot wheels.

The closer they got to the factory buildings and cement factory, the more they saw the appearance of these houses. They were all made of miraculous cement that paved the road, row after row, forming a back shape, with a large open space in the middle.

Dozens of children are not afraid of the cold, making snowmen and snowball fights in this open space, and their voices are very happy.

Yang Gui's two sons looked at their peers who were well dressed and playing with snow, with envy in their eyes.

……

The propaganda teams that went out came back one after another, and more and more people were brought back. Surrounding the perimeter of the state capital, the number of people was densely visible to the naked eye.

The workshops and coal mines of Lin's business are also open in winter. This is not only to create output, but also to reassure those who have just come to Lizhou and show them the vibrant side of Lizhou.

Time passed slowly, and Gu Lin came back a few times on the way. When he completely handed over the border affairs to the Deputy Qianhu, Lizhou ushered in the farming season.

It was still a little cold in Lizhou in May, and the autumn clothes were covered with a thin layer of cotton. This year's cultivation was not only around the state capital, but also involved the entire Lizhou.

The new round of Lizhou bonds, the credit of Quyuan plow and grain seeds, and the counting of wasteland reclamation started a month earlier. When it is the best time for farming, no matter where you go, you can see the land being plowed, The sight of sowing.

The smell of compost and manure wafts over Lizhou.

"Drive!" Lin Zhen rode a horse and led a group of people to the cement factory.

The concrete floor hurts the horse's hoof, and the horse can't stand it after many years, so Lin Zhen asked someone to make a shoe shoe, which can make the horse feel better, and it will knock on the concrete floor.

Soon, they saw the thick white smoke that comes standard in the cement factory, and a cup of tea arrived at the factory gate.

"Woo." Lin Zhen reined in the horse and pedaled off.

The factory manager knew he was coming, and walked out quickly with a group of small stewards from the cement factory: "Boss."