Several days after the chaos of the recruitment, thousands of farmers from around Fushun were appeased. It was just that Li Yongfang found fault with Zhou Qingfeng and fined him a thousand taels of silver to settle the matter. However, the aftermath of the incident did not subside.
Recruiting skilled craftsmen was Zhou Qingfeng's basic policy. He would not easily change it or give up halfway. Because the news of the incident had spread far and wide, the recruitment method had to be slightly modified. The recruitment point was placed outside the city, and the introduction fee was greatly reduced. Instead, special recruiters were sent to go deep into Fushun to conduct pre-selection.
The thousands of people who had arrived in Fushun were settled as much as possible. Those who could not be settled were given a certain amount of rice or money and allowed to go home on their own. Being able to meet and part on good terms and treat people amiably was seen as a good deed by the people, and it pushed Zhou Qingfeng's reputation to a higher level. As for some people who died, few people cared.
In general, there was a bit of a mess, and a lot of money and rice were spent, but the image of Zhou Qingfeng spread along with the people who returned home. Many people did not feel that they were at a disadvantage, but hoped that they could really be hired by this young master. However, those who had been hired were not all happy.
At night, Sang Carpenter was still sighing on the common bed.
Recently, the living conditions in the west of Fushun had become very tight. Sang Carpenter was originally the head carpenter who could live in a single room, but now he had to live with his sons. He stared at the oil lamp on the low clay table with a sad face, and did not say a word.
The sons of the Sang family did not sleep either. They sat around the low clay table and stared at a contract on the low table. Seeing that Sang Carpenter did not speak, the eldest son could not help but ask, "Father, look, this is a good thing. Just nod your head and agree."
Sang Carpenter did not raise his head, and just snorted coldly. He was unhappy these days, very unhappy.
In the chaos of the recruitment a few days ago, Zhou Qingfeng killed the village head in front of all the young and old men of the Sang Family Village. He also killed several of the village head's followers on the spot. These people were all from the same clan as Sang Carpenter, and they had come to Fu Shun City to look for work after listening to his words. In the end, they had all lost their lives. Sang Carpenter felt greatly humiliated.
"He killed our brothers, and the one he trampled to death was your clan leader. Do you still want to continue fighting with him?" When Sang Carpenter said 'him', his sons all knew who he was referring to.
The youngest son lowered his head and said: "Dad, do you remember that Village Chief Li is from the same clan as you? But when he invaded our family's land, did he remember that you were from the same clan as him? Has he ever been soft-hearted? "
"Little brat, you still dare to talk back?" Sang Carpenter banged his opium pipe on the short table. "You guys have only been in the city for a few days, but you've all learned bad things. When you go out, you have to take care of each other. Don't you understand this? "
The youngest son was 15 or 16 years old. He was the most rebellious one. He said: "Dad, what you said is reasonable. But when Village Chief Li and his lackeys bullied our family, did you get so angry? That bastard is dead, but you still feel injustice for him?
Isn't Village Chief Li just jealous of the money we earn? He said that he is the one in charge of the affairs of the same clan. If you really let him negotiate, can you get three silver coins a month? Can you eat meat every few days? The one who gives us money is Zhou Dongjia in the west of the city, not Village Chief Li who usually bullies us. "
The youngest son spoke loudly, so the other sons nodded and said yes. In the village, the head of the village is the local tyrant. Often, the life and death of the whole village is in his hands. If he only bullies people, he can be regarded as a good person. But it's not unusual for him to destroy the whole village.
It's just that the power of the clan is big, stubborn, and influential. It's not something that can be changed by killing a few people. Villages with the same surname often rely on the head of the clan to organize and fight with other villages for various resources such as water, land, and so on. Sang Carpenter felt that Zhou Qingfeng killing the head of the village was very wrong. He couldn't do anything to Zhou Qingfeng, so he wanted to go home and quit.
However, even though Carpenter Sang wanted to leave, his sons refused to do so.
In the eyes of Zhou Qingfeng, Fushun City is very rural. But in the eyes of these country bumpkins, it's a rare prosperous place. Other people want to work for Uncle Zhou, but they can't. So, why would they want to go?
Money is not hot, so they are happy to hold it in their hands!
However, Carpenter Sang was unwilling to stay, even after a few whimpers. His eldest son brought a piece of paper to discuss something with him tonight, but he didn't even look at it. Seeing that the deadlock, his eldest son could only plead: "Dad, can you listen to me first?"
Hmm … That's what Sang Carpenter said.
The eldest son grabbed the paper in his hand and said: "Dad, I just saw the notice posted by the owner, saying that we can allow people to buy houses. I asked, as long as a skilled worker has a certain level, they can buy a house in the city at a low price. Dad, you are qualified. Let's buy a house in the city. "
What?
Sang Carpenter suddenly looked up and stared. He really didn't know that his sons actually wanted to discuss this matter tonight. Buying a house in Fushun City is a big matter.
Sang Carpenter stared at the paper on the table and asked: "Do you know the words on it?"
The sons all shook their heads, but the eldest son still patiently said: "Dad, I have my eyes on a house. This afternoon, I took my brothers to see it. It has two entrances, a big yard, six rooms, and the house is bright. It's just that there is no furniture, but this is not a problem for our family. The key is that it is cheap, only 180 taels. "
"180 taels is cheap?" Sang Carpenter was so angry that he almost jumped up, "You black sheep, just a few good days and you want to buy a house? Are you all going to get married in a few days? In a few days, you will be clamoring to separate from the family. "
The sons all bowed their heads after being scolded, and all looked at the youngest who dared to speak up. The youngest son was really brave and retorted: "Dad, you are a carpenter, so you know the price of a house. This house with two entrances in the city is only 180 taels, it is really not expensive. The owner is only selling it at this price because he is taking care of himself. If it were someone else, it would be 240 taels.
Also, the house is really good. Eldest brother has been married for so many years, but the couple still sleep in the shack in our hometown. Sister-in-law and my two nephews don't have it easy. As long as we buy this house, eldest brother and sister-in-law can have their own house. Second brother and third brother won't be laughed at when they get married. Fourth brother and I can live more comfortably. "
The brothers lowered their heads and secretly gave the youngest a thumbs up.
But Sang Carpenter didn't agree no matter what they said. He just said, "I don't have money, I can't afford it." He sat cross-legged on the kang and sulked. After another period of silence, the eldest son bravely said, "Dad, why don't you lend me some money? I will buy that house."
What?
Sang Carpenter was more surprised than before, and this time he really jumped up.
The eldest son opened his mouth and became more courageous. He straightened his chest and said, "Dad, we really don't have enough money. But the owner's' casual loan 'provides a housing loan. I've asked, the interest is very low. "
"Why did you ask everything?" Sang Carpenter widened his eyes again, "It seems that you brothers are all prepared. What is a 'housing loan'? "
"It's to borrow money from the owner."
"Money from the owner?"
"It's not black-hearted money from the owner. The interest of this loan is very low."
"You really have grown up. How dare you borrow money from the owner. What else did you say at the beginning? Borrowing money from me? I'm not dead yet, and you're already thinking about my money? I'll beat you to death, you unfilial beast. You're getting bolder and bolder. "
Sang Carpenter grabbed his shoe in his hand and angrily smashed it on his eldest son's head. The eldest son of the Sang family immediately covered his head and scurried away. His brothers hurried to pull their father. As a result, Carpenter Sang started beating his remaining sons as well. The whole house was in an uproar, and there was a lot of banging and clanging sounds.
When Sang Carpenter was tired, the youngest son bravely stood up and shouted, "Dad, the money my brother borrowed is not the money he can't afford. It's the 'casual loan' provided by the owner. It's not the same."
"What's the difference? You're young and haven't seen how bad those black-hearted rich people can be. If you lend them a copper coin, you'll lose all your money in a few days. " Sang Carpenter acted like he had been through it all. He said domineeringly, "As long as I'm still the head of the house, you can forget about borrowing money from the owner."
"I've already borrowed it," the eldest son said weakly, holding his head that was full of bumps.
What?
Sang Carpenter was so shocked that he broke out in a cold sweat. He pointed at his eldest son with a trembling finger. His face was red, and he was furious. And you guys, are you trying to piss me off? "
Now that things had come to this, the eldest son stood up straight and said, "Father, I think the words of the cashier who said 'any loan you want' are very reasonable. He said that the owner has a lot of money. Our money is all given by him, and he doesn't care about us. The owner just wants us to work hard and work hard. He's actually helping us live a good life by lending us money.
In fact, we all knew that you wouldn't agree, so we signed a contract with the owner and borrowed money. I borrowed a hundred and eighty taels to buy that two-room house. I want to move my mother, my wife, my children, and my two younger sisters to the city. I don't want to live in that shabby house in the countryside anymore. From now on, I'll be a decent person. "
After the eldest son finished speaking, the second, third, and fourth children looked at each other and stood up, saying, "Dad, we also borrowed money. We didn't borrow as much as the eldest brother, just 100 taels. We want to open a carpentry workshop alone. We'll recruit workers ourselves and take work from the owner. The owner said that he wants us to make a living on our own. As long as we do a good job, he'll definitely make us rich.
Our family has been poor for several generations. No matter how poor we are, it can't be worse than before. We've all thought it through. From today on, we'll separate from the family and work hard. Even if we lose money, it'll be our business. With the eldest brother here, you can enjoy your retirement in peace. "
After the elder brothers finished speaking, the youngest one began to stammer.
Carpenter Sang was so angry that he didn't have any energy left. Looking at his beloved youngest son, he asked listlessly, "What do you want, brat? Did you borrow money too? "
"I didn't borrow it. My craftsmanship is not good, so I couldn't sign a contract with the owner. The owner won't lend it to me casually. " The youngest son first shook his head, then raised his head and said, "But I don't want to be a carpenter, nor do I want to farm anymore."
"Then what do you want to do?" Sang Carpenter asked in surprise, "You don't want to work, but you want to be a master?"
"I want to go to school." The youngest son said, "The owner wants to open a school, with technical and engineering courses, management courses, and preparatory courses. I want to study in the preparatory course, and then the management course. I've also inquired about it. As long as you do well in your studies, you can go to school for free. If you graduate from the management course, you'll be a master, and you can get at least 10 taels of silver a month. "
The monthly salary of 10 taels of silver was more than what Sang Carpenter got.
After listening to his sons' words, Sang Carpenter was completely speechless. He sat on the brick bed and suddenly began to cry and shouted, "You guys don't want to obey me, all of you don't want to obey me. I've raised you guys for nothing. After so many years, you all want to rebel. Since you don't want to listen to me, get out, get out! "
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