Go back to the Ming Dynasty to be a thousand households

Chapter 63 The Debate of Agriculture and Commerce in Taiyuan ([-])

Zhou Wendong said: "This year's situation is not good, and there is not much output from the fields. Besides, the grain a farmer gets in a year is not as good as the value of the goods made by a worker in a month. The value of the goods made by a worker in a month is not as good as The money a business gets in one day. Big profits come first, and ordinary people will make their own choices, no wonder everyone wants to go into business.”

Huang Laifu shook his head: "Small people are ignorant and short-sighted. They only care about the small profits in front of them, but they can't see the future. There are ancient sayings, gold, silver, pearls and jade. If you are hungry and can't drink, they are not as good as grains and hemp. The wind of chasing the end is booming." , Insufficient crops, coupled with major disasters and severe droughts, if a villain provokes it, there will be serious troubles.”

Huang Laifu didn't take Zhou Wendong's words very seriously, although he said that without work, you can't get rich, and without business, you can't live.But when agriculture is unstable, if everyone wants to do business, it is putting the cart before the horse.

Many people in later generations like to talk about the United States as the world's largest commercial country, and it is rich because of business.In fact, many people don't know that the United States is also the world's largest agricultural country and the world's largest industrial country.Even in modern Britain, if there is no affluent development of agriculture, it is absolutely impossible to have the development of commerce and handicrafts.

But the situation in Daming at this time was putting the cart before the horse. At that time, Daming had a strong sense of pursuing money, and it was very common for people to abandon agriculture and go to business.Suzhou Dizhi, "Excerpts of Siyouzhai Congshuo" Volume [-] has a saying: "In the past, there were still few people chasing after the end, but now there are three times as many people who go to agriculture and change to industry and commerce. In the past, there were no idlers, but today Two or three out of ten go to farming to eat while idle. Generally speaking, six to seven out of ten people have gone to farming.”

Yizhen County, Yangzhou: Volume [-] of "Jiajing Yi Zhenzhi": "Suxi merchants do not do agriculture...Tianqi is one of the tenth of the merchants, and the aborigines are one of the twenty." Huizhou: Jinsheng "Jin Zhongjie Official Documents Collection" "Volume [-]: "Those who can make a living in the land will not get one out of ten." "Wanli Changshan County Chronicle" Juanshan: "Those who are young and strong work hard to get the commission value of daily income... Work hard and work hard , has gone to fifteen." Shaanxi Sanyuan: "Chenghua Sanyuan Chronicles" Volume [-]: "The people who are at the end of the outside world are eighty-nine."

This deformed trend of abandoning agriculture and promoting business used to only occur in the commercially developed Jiangnan area. Unexpectedly, this trend has now spread to the north.

Zhou Wendong pondered for a long time, and said, "Isn't it still possible to transfer grain from Jiangnan?"

Huang Laifu shook his head, "Far waters can't quench near thirst, and the north is vast, so we can't all rely on the south of the Yangtze River, right?"

In fact, due to the development of commerce in the south of the Yangtze River at that time, the sown area of ​​economic crops in the south of the Yangtze River increased every year, while the sown area of ​​grain and rice decreased every year. The supply of grain in the south of the Yangtze River was in short supply, and there was not much spare capacity to supply the north.

Zhou Wendong had some disapproval on his face, and the two chatted a few more words. Although their views were somewhat different, they still got along pretty well.Huang Laifu asked about this old man. It turned out that he was also from Gujiao County, and he was a scholar. Seeing that this year's situation was not good, he planned to go to Taiyuan City to join his uncle who owned a silk and satin shop and work there as a tent.

Huang Laifu chatted with him for a while, and found that this old man had a lot of experience in accounting and bookkeeping, and he also knew some double-entry bookkeeping methods of Western red barbarians, which was already quite close to the debit and credit bookkeeping method of later generations.Huang Laifu couldn't help feeling sorry, he had more and more things to do on the various farms in Wuzhaibao, and was about to recruit a capable accountant to share the worries of Steward Yang, but he missed it unexpectedly.

The two chatted for a few more words, then parted ways and entered Taiyuan Mansion each.

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There is Xuanweng Mountain in the west of Taiyuan Prefecture and Mengshan Mountain in the northwest.In the east is Fenshui.In the southeast, there is Dongwoshui, which originates from Leping and flows down into Fen.During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, Taiyuan prefecture governed 25 counties, with 121043 households and 990450 people.

The Ming Dynasty was established in 1368 AD, and Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang named his third son the King of Jin and stationed in Taiyuan. The King of Jin asked his father-in-law Xie Cheng to expand the city of Taiyuan.Expanding to the east, south and north, a city wall with a circumference of 14 kilometers and a height of about 18 meters was built. It was built with bricks and had eight gates. The moat outside the city was 10 meters deep. , 4 enemy towers, making it a castle stronger than an iron urn.

Huang Laifu and his party entered through Zhenwu Gate and entered Taiyuan City, where they saw that it was extremely prosperous and full of shops.This is one of the important towns in the Nine Borders, and it is also the base camp of Shanxi merchants. Naturally, it is a gathering place for merchants and merchants, where goods and wealth converge.There are various grain stores, oil noodle stores, silk and satin stores, teahouses, and money houses along the street, and the market is full of prosperity and excitement.

Many streets in the city are named after industries, such as Dongmi City, Ximi City, Dong and Xiyang City, Guyi City, Cotton Lane, etc.Merchants everywhere are dealing in silk, cotton, cloth, porcelain, paper, grain, sugar, tea, dyes, medicinal materials, etc. Walking on the street, they are full of yelling.

The civic culture in the Ming Dynasty was already very mature, especially in Taiyuan, which was an important commercial city in the Ming Dynasty.All kinds of people are walking on the street, and the donkeys are carrying all kinds of goods, and the teahouse is full of customers every day.On the willow alley lined with green willows and smoky branches, there is a constant flow of people, and all kinds of accents can be heard.

Seeing all this in front of them, Gu Yunniang, Jiang Dazhong and others were dumbfounded. Where have they seen such a lively place?However, Huang Laifu just looked at everything in front of him with curious eyes, admiring the cultural customs of the commercial center of the Ming Dynasty at this time.In terms of prosperity, he has seen enough of Beijing and Shanghai in later generations.

They were walking on the street when they suddenly heard a pleasantly surprised voice beside him saying: "It turns out that it is really Young Master Huang, the little one finally waited for the young master."

Huang Laifu looked at him, but a man dressed as a servant was nodding and bowing to him authentically.

Huang Laifu asked suspiciously, "You are..."

The man said: "The young one is a clerk of his old boss. That day in Wuzhai Fort, the young one gave gifts to the adults."

Huang Laifu remembered that this person was a servant of Qu Tingzhu and Qu Liangwan that day, a character who was responsible for carrying the silk gift box.

The man said with a smile on his face: "My boss has always ordered that the younger one must wait here until Young Master Huang. The younger one has been waiting for many days, and finally he did." His words were filled with great joy.

Huang Laifu nodded, remembering what he promised Qu Tingzhu in Wuzhai Fort, he was just talking casually at that time, but he didn't expect Qu Tingzhu to actually send someone to wait here, so it saved him the money spent on the inn.

Huang Laifu said a few words to Gu Yunniang and the others in a low voice, and said to the person: "Thank you for your hard work." He rewarded him with a piece of silver.

The man was even more joyful, and said repeatedly: "Thank you, young master, thank you young master." Then he said attentively: "Young master, please come with the young one."

He took a look at Huang Laifu and led the way. He saw Gu Yunniang, Jiang Dazhong, Yang Xiaolu and others beside Huang Laifu kept looking around, like bumpkins. He didn't live in a small impoverished military fort, but like a capital. He couldn't help but secretly marveled that this Young Master Huang didn't respond at all when he arrived in the provincial capital.

Under the leadership of that person, everyone walked through the streets and alleys. Huang Laifu looked all the way, and his eyes were full of amorous feelings. This kind of walking through the streets and alleys can better appreciate the life of ordinary citizens.

Walking to the side of a street in Nanguan City, this area is full of courtyard houses, all of which have high walls and rich gates, with large doors.

When we arrived at a courtyard, it was his family's house in Taiyuan.The man said to Huang Laifu: "Please wait here for a while, the younger one, go in and report to the old master."

Huang Laifu nodded, and the man went in.Soon, Qu Tingzhu came out with Qu Liangwan and others.

Qu Tingzhu moved his fat body, cupped his hands and said with a chuckle: "After leaving Wuzhai Fort, the old man has been waiting in the house, and today I finally waited for the young and old to come to Taiyuan." Qu Liangwan beside him also smiled He cupped his fists and saluted Huang Laifu without a smile on his face.

Huang Laifu was not polite, he just cupped his fists and said, "I'm disturbing my old shopkeeper when I come here this time."

Qu Tingzhu said with a chuckle: "Young Master, you are too polite, please come inside."

At present, Huang Laifu and others entered the courtyard, and the horses of Huang Laifu and others were naturally taken away by the servants of the Qu family to serve them.

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"Hehe, young master, please try this squid roll with fried fish maw. It was made by a chef from the capital himself."

Qu Tingzhu said to Huang Laifu with a smile, Huang Laifu nodded slightly, stretched out his chopsticks and tasted it.

During the dinner, Qu Tingzhu specially prepared four sets of banquets for Huang Laifu and others.These four sets of banquets are fish bones in clear soup, shredded chicken rolls, sea cucumbers with fresh shrimps, a little wheat, tendons with squid, fish maws with squid rolls, scallops with braised sauce, shark's fins with braised sauce, steamed fish skin, sliced ​​chicken, braised bird eggs, deep-fried Bergamot, stewed three silks, pearl balls, fish slices, meat fire, rice noodles with meat.

A total of four tables were invited, all of them were some merchants and famous people in Taiyuan who had good friends with the Qu family, and some important figures of the Qu family.Another Shanxi clapper was invited to sing opera.In addition to these, there are more than a dozen maids standing around the luxurious hall, serving everyone attentively.

Seeing all this before him, Huang Laifu couldn't help sighing inwardly, people say that at that time Ming merchants competed in extravagance and boasted about their wealth and beauty, which was really good.Looking at the extravagant situation in front of me, and seeing the refugees gathering everywhere, it is really emotional.

"Master, do these dishes suit your taste?"

Qu Tingzhu glanced at Gu Yunniang, who was eating happily beside Huang Laifu, and laughed at Huang Laifu.The dishes in front of me are not available to ordinary people in Taiyuan City. The people from Wuzhai Fort, whether it is Gu Yunniang in the banquet, or Jiang Dazhong, Yang Xiaolu and others in the side table, all eat them uncomfortably. Happy, only Huang Laifu looked indifferent.

It seemed that these dishes were just ordinary things to him, which made Qu Tingzhu a little surprised. Isn't this Young Master Huang from a poor military background?Even in a thousand households, you can't eat such a good product, why doesn't he feel it at all?But he didn't know that such dishes were nothing special to Huang Laifu of later generations.

Huang Laifu nodded, and said with a smile: "Not bad, Qu Tingzhu is very kind." Huang Laifu was surprised that Qu Tingzhu valued himself so much as a small family, and invited so many people to accompany him.

"Hehe, that's good, that's good, as long as the elder and younger don't blame the old man for his poor hospitality." Qu Tingzhu laughed.He was enthusiastic, only Qu Liangwan next to him managed to maintain a smile and occasionally raised his glass to Huang Laifu.

Huang Laifu drank another glass of wine. A girl about fifteen or sixteen years old came to fill Huang Laifu's wine, wearing a light blue shirt and wearing buns on her hair. A faint fragrance came, and Huang Laifu glanced at her unconsciously. , could not help being slightly surprised.

It's not that this girl is very beautiful, but that this girl has clear eyes and looks very pure, which makes Huang Laifu very surprised that such a pure person will come out of a place of merchants in the Qu family.

He only heard Qu Liang and Wan Liang who was beside him scold in a low voice: "Fifth Sister, how could you come here so casually?"

(End of this chapter)