A small soldier of the frontier army in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 651 Farmer

Soon, everyone stopped in front of a house. The house was next to a mountain. There were a lot of birch trees on the mountain, and the scenery was very nice.

And in the courtyard in front of you, there is a small gate tower standing on the wall, above the lintel, there is a wishful-shaped floral decoration, and inside the gate, there is an exquisite screen wall. This is Zhao Rongsheng's newly purchased residence, which can be described as grand and spacious. From now on, Zhao Rongsheng can be considered a wealthy family.

Although Zhao Rongsheng is young, only in his twenties, he already has one son and two daughters. His wife, Yang Shi, is the child bride-in-law who has been at home since he was a child. Da, life was difficult in the past, and there was no money or food for marriage.

However, not long after Zhao Rongsheng joined the army, he married the Yang family. Looking at the veterans of the Jingbian army, most of them are like this. Only the second-class army with 5000 soldiers in previous years will be slightly relaxed about whether they will get married. But now, They are basically married.

Yang is two years older than Zhao Rongsheng, and most child brides-in-law are like this. She is a virtuous woman, and her children are well-behaved. She is very satisfied with her current life, but like every wife, she is always worried about whether her husband will return from the expedition.

Seeing Mrs. Yang, everyone dared not neglect them. Luo Liangzuo and Lai Dexiang called sisters-in-law, Han Kaihui and the others hurriedly called their wives, and offered some small gifts they brought. Mrs. Yang accepted the gifts very happily, and said a few polite words, After talking to Zhao Rongsheng a few more words, he retreated to the backyard and left the living room for her husband to entertain guests.

Luo Liangzuo and Lai Dexiang were quite restrained in front of Yang, but when the woman left, they immediately showed their true colors and showed their airs. Luo Liangzuo raised his legs, looked around the hall of the house, and said enviously: "Old Zhao, this house is really nice. I'm afraid it's at the B level?"

Lai Dexiang said: "It must be, the price is expensive, and only Lao Zhao can save it."

Zhao Rongsheng leaned comfortably on the chair and said, "My auntie has suffered with me since she was a child. When she has money, let her enjoy it."

Luo Liangzuo clapped his legs and said, "That's right. I bought a Grade C house. Damn, after my aunt came over, she cried for three full days. Howling like a bird? People who don't understand think that my house is in It's a funeral."

Everyone laughed and discussed with each other, not to mention Zhao Rongsheng, such as Luo Liangzuo, Lai Dexiang, Mou Dachang, Han Kaihui, this kind of team officer level, after buying the house, they all hired servants. Hiring a coachman, a groom, and a housekeeper are also considered by everyone.

Wu Dingguo, Liu Lie and other people at the rank of chief executives also hired servants after buying a house. As for housekeepers and the like, they are still considering.

Everyone was in high spirits, full of longing for the future life, Luo Liangzuo suddenly patted his legs again: "No, I just care about being happy, my old Luo family is small, how to cultivate these hundreds of acres of fertile land? Could it be that the fertile land is going to waste? Over there?"

Lai Dexiang is a shrewd person, and he has thought about this matter for a long time. He said: "Don't worry, right now the East Road farming team, mining team, blacksmithing team... are all over the place, and the logistics department will also take this into consideration and will contact the farming team for us The team and the grazing team collect some wages and expenses every year, and I don’t need to work hard, just sit and collect the grain.”

Luo Liangzuo felt relieved: "It's a good feeling, but is the wage expensive? If it is expensive, I would rather find someone to farm it myself."

While the discussion was in full swing, a black and strong woman came in, but it was Zhao Rongsheng, a distant relative who had gone through countless generations. Seeing that she was honest, she stayed as a helper.

He, Zhao Rongsheng, has become a leader since he became a leader, especially now that he has all the relatives who are usually out of touch with the general manager. Zhao Rongsheng never thought that he has so many relatives, but why has he never seen them since he was a child?
This woman Zhao Rongsheng called her aunt, surnamed Sun, but she knew the rules. She held a name card in her hand, and when she came in, she said: "Master, there is a businessman named Zheng outside the door asking to see him. This is his name card." .”

Zhao Rongsheng took a look and saw a rectangular "famous post" in front of him, about seven inches long and three inches wide, in the style of red paper, with several major events inscribed "Zheng's Agricultural Bank, Zheng Chen".

On the "name post", the word "Zheng Chen" is particularly large. This is a custom at this time, which means humility. If the name is small, it will be regarded as arrogant. From cabinet ministers to women in brothels, almost everyone and everywhere are using it.

"Zheng's Agricultural Bank?"

Zhao Rongsheng murmured, as if he had heard of it before, and he ordered: "Let the one surnamed Zheng come in."

Soon, a businessman in his 40s, with a mustache on his chin, of medium height, shrewd and kind, came in. Seeing so many officers in the hall, surprise flashed in his eyes, and he saluted Zhao Rongsheng politely: "My lord Zheng Chen of Zheng's Agricultural Bank, I have seen Captain Zuo, and I have seen all the captains."

It turned out that this Zheng Chen was a steward of Zheng's Agricultural Bank, and Zheng's Agricultural Bank was a newly established farm business.

The current land sales in the East Road are strictly restricted, and it is even more difficult to merge with each other. For farming, Wang Dou has a lot of favorable conditions. The production of commodity grains and the operation of livestock farms are also things that can make money without losing money.

Moreover, for businessmen, in addition to meritorious service, it is not easy to obtain land and pastures outside the Great Wall. Therefore, many businessmen saw business opportunities and figured out ways to rent land from soldiers of the Jingbian Army in Baoan Prefecture and other places. Both parties are mutually beneficial.

In particular, Zheng Jinglun, the current chairman of the Sanjin Commercial Bank, first established a large-scale commercial firm specializing in farms, and rented fields and pastures to officers at all levels of the Jingbian Army who had allocated a large number of fields and had no spares for farming.

Many powerful businessmen followed suit and sprung up like bamboo shoots after the spring rain. Farms, ranches, and agricultural banks were established one after another on East Road and in Xuanfu Town.

"The proprietor of the despicable business is Zheng Jinglun, the chairman of the Sanjin Commercial Bank. He has dozens of plowing teams, herding teams, and mining teams. The strength is strong... In the past two months, there have been Koreans from all over the world. Lieutenant, Captain Gao Shiyin Gaoshang, Captain Zhongdiaoyang Zhongzuo, Captain Xie Shangbiao Xieyou, etc. They all agreed and agreed to hand over the fields, pastures, mines, etc. under their names to the base camp... ..."

"Reputation comes first in despicable behavior, and I solemnly promise that the dividends I get will definitely be [-]% higher than that of ordinary farming teams for rental..."

Zheng Chen was eloquent, and took out an exquisite little abacus from his arms, clattering, and introduced it earnestly. If everyone in the hall rents the farmland and grassland under his name to their Agricultural Bank, the annual profit will definitely be better than his own. Cultivation, or handing over to the plowing team to cultivate, is much higher, and it does not require hard work.

Moreover, the Agricultural Bank of China has filed a record with the Town Fu Department and the Civil Affairs Department, so it must be innocent and dare not lie to everyone.

Under his hard-working introduction, Zhao Rongsheng and the others were all moved. It's a good feeling. They don't need to do it themselves. They just sit and collect food every year.

Lai Dexiang was shrewd, he winked at Zhao Rongsheng, Zhao Rongsheng understood, and said: "Well, let me think about it."

Zheng Chen smiled and said: "Of course, I will visit you another day."

Not long after Zheng Chen left, everyone in the hall was still debating whether to hand over the land to Zheng's Agricultural Bank for management, but Aunt Sun came in at this moment and handed Zhao Rongsheng a name card: "Master, outside the door A businessman surnamed Lai asked to see him, and this is his name card."

Soon, a fat man dressed luxuriously and smiling came in, but it was Lai's Manor, under the name of a steward.

"My lord, Lai Man of Lai's Manor, I have seen Captain Zuo and all the captains."

"The despicable proprietor is Lai Mancheng Lai, vice president of Sanjin Commercial Bank, with strong strength..."

"Despicable solemn promise, the dividends you get..."

On this day, Zhao Rongsheng and others received a total of six waves of farm and livestock merchants.

This scene also happened in the residences of many officers of the Jingbian Army who had acquired land. Capitalist farmers were unknowingly born on East Road...

……

The vast North China Plain.

It's almost summer, but when you look up, you can still see desolation everywhere. In the distance, there seems to be no vitality. The towns along the way are all lifeless. This fertile land has lost its vitality.

Baoding Mansion, not far from the Yishui River, came a group of refugees with their families, all of them ragged and unkempt, but looking at Yizhou in front of them, they all had hope in their eyes.

Among the crowd, there was a family with about seven or eight members. The oldest one was over sixty years old, with messy white hair, wrinkled face, and the padded jacket on his body was riddled with holes. The youngest one was less than ten years old. age.

A yellow and thin little girl, she was hugged by a woman, her limbs curled up weakly, she moved, and said softly: "Mother, Yaya is so hungry!"

The woman comforted: "Good boy, when you arrive in Yizhou and enter the Zijing Pass, it is not far from the East Road of Xuanfu Town, Yaya can have enough to eat."

The little girl, Yaya, hummed obediently.

Looking ahead, among this group of people, a few middle-aged or young men holding sticks also showed anticipation in their eyes. They only hoped to reach Xuanfu Town East Road as soon as possible, so that their own family could live on. .

At the same time, they were also afraid, afraid, that the Xuanfu Town East Road would not be as it was said in the legend, in that way, their family would come to a dead end.

"Finally, it's almost here, and I don't know how the baby is doing in Xuanfu Town."

Among the crowd, there were some chariots and horses, which were quite attractive. In one of the big carts, a middle-aged woman was sitting, and three younger women were holding children in their arms. They all looked like It is quite similar to Han Kaihui.

There are also some men walking around the cart, but they are Han Kaihui's family members in Zhending Mansion, several brothers-in-law, and their fathers and sisters.

After receiving Han Kaihui's letter, considering that the surrounding environment was getting worse and worse, full of hungry people who wanted to eat big families, Father Han made a decisive decision, sold the rural house that had been passed down from generation to generation, and moved his family to the East Road.

This really requires a lot of courage. How can the Han family have a hundred acres of fertile land in the local area, and there are some loyal servants guarding the courtyard? The proprietors have left, and they have moved along with them, so there are many young and strong in the group. , Long-distance travel, somewhat self-protection.

(End of this chapter)