The reason for this delay was that although Gu Yun had rushed back and forth between the capital city and Jiangbei, there were still many things to be done in the front line, just in time to let Chang Geng rest until his daily routines were no longer hindered by the injuries, only then did the two men depart for their return.
On the way back, they happened to run into a busy area along the canal.
The factories under construction were always not very pleasant-looking, dust was everywhere. Coming in and out, whether it was the craftsmen working hard, or the officials and merchants who were sent down, everyone's faces were dirty, but they were still in order.
The workers had two meals a day. After noon, a group of young and vigorous refugees who had just laid down their butcher knives gathered together and fished out cakes from the tin cart to eat.
Gu Yun once wore disguises and walked around anonymously. He saw that after being broken apart, the filling of those cakes was very good, with proper millet and felt heavy in the hand. It was not comparable to the precious and rare delicacy on Qi Yuan Tower from the capital city in that year. It could not even be described as a simple meal, but a group of strong men who had just finished their work gathered together, each held one piece of dry food, dipped in soy sauce brought from the foreman's home, eating together, it could make one feel a peace of mind.
Near the outskirts of the capital, Gu Yun rode along with Chang Geng's carriage and chatted about this along the way. Chang Geng laughed and said, "The craftsmen may be invited from outside. They come to work as foremen to lead everyone in working. Most of the remaining workers are directly recruited by Master Du from the refugees. In the future, where they had carried the bricks is where they will make a living. For this reason, I heard that Master Du asked for a decree from the Canal Department, guaranteeing in the name of the court that unless one wanted to go, the factory would not drive people out. They will belong to this place for the rest of their lives."
No one was more eager to take root and build their own new homes than the refugees who had drifted away. In order to build their new families, they can do their work steadily and quickly without any trickery. Du Wan Quan only needed to manage their meals, even saving a lot of money for labor. Oftentimes, there were old grandmothers who would call him 'Charitable Du' behind his back, when they worshipped Bodhisattvas, there was always with his share. This God of Wealth was truly smart.
"This is a good thing," Gu Yun thought for a moment, and asked, "except for not reducing taxes, It's a bit like a military household. It's just that civilians are not the same as the army. What if there is someone who doesn't do their job or commits a crime?"
"Regulations have been issued by the Grand Council," Chang Geng said. "Before I left, I had instructed Jiang Han Shi. It has been sent along with the imperial decree. There are thirteen rules in it. After they finish their work every night, someone in charge will come to explain this to them. If the evidence proves to be correct, the local branch of the Canal Department can fire them... Why, do you still worry about workers being bullied in case of collusion between government and business in the future?"
Gu Yun was dumbfounded, then laughed and said, "What, there even is a solution for that?"
"Yes," said Chang Geng, "For people who have worked for the factory for over ten years, if half the amount of workers are willing to guarantee, the person can stay, moreover, they can bring it up to the Canal Department at the next level. In fact, even if we do this, after a long time problems are inevitable. When that happens, we can slowly make changes, it is impossible to finish in one time."
The reason for this delay was that although Gu Yun had rushed back and forth between the capital city and Jiangbei, there were still many things to be done in the front line, just in time to let Chang Geng rest until his daily routines were no longer hindered by the injuries, only then did the two men depart for their return.
On the way back, they happened to run into a busy area along the canal.
The factories under construction were always not very pleasant-looking, dust was everywhere. Coming in and out, whether it was the craftsmen working hard, or the officials and merchants who were sent down, everyone's faces were dirty, but they were still in order.
The workers had two meals a day. After noon, a group of young and vigorous refugees who had just laid down their butcher knives gathered together and fished out cakes from the tin cart to eat.
Gu Yun once wore disguises and walked around anonymously. He saw that after being broken apart, the filling of those cakes was very good, with proper millet and felt heavy in the hand. It was not comparable to the precious and rare delicacy on Qi Yuan Tower from the capital city in that year. It could not even be described as a simple meal, but a group of strong men who had just finished their work gathered together, each held one piece of dry food, dipped in soy sauce brought from the foreman's home, eating together, it could make one feel a peace of mind.
Near the outskirts of the capital, Gu Yun rode along with Chang Geng's carriage and chatted about this along the way. Chang Geng laughed and said, "The craftsmen may be invited from outside. They come to work as foremen to lead everyone in working. Most of the remaining workers are directly recruited by Master Du from the refugees. In the future, where they had carried the bricks is where they will make a living. For this reason, I heard that Master Du asked for a decree from the Canal Department, guaranteeing in the name of the court that unless one wanted to go, the factory would not drive people out. They will belong to this place for the rest of their lives."
No one was more eager to take root and build their own new homes than the refugees who had drifted away. In order to build their new families, they can do their work steadily and quickly without any trickery. Du Wan Quan only needed to manage their meals, even saving a lot of money for labor. Oftentimes, there were old grandmothers who would call him 'Charitable Du' behind his back, when they worshipped Bodhisattvas, there was always with his share. This God of Wealth was truly smart.
"This is a good thing," Gu Yun thought for a moment, and asked, "except for not reducing taxes, It's a bit like a military household. It's just that civilians are not the same as the army. What if there is someone who doesn't do their job or commits a crime?"
"Regulations have been issued by the Grand Council," Chang Geng said. "Before I left, I had instructed Jiang Han Shi. It has been sent along with the imperial decree. There are thirteen rules in it. After they finish their work every night, someone in charge will come to explain this to them. If the evidence proves to be correct, the local branch of the Canal Department can fire them... Why, do you still worry about workers being bullied in case of collusion between government and business in the future?"
Gu Yun was dumbfounded, then laughed and said, "What, there even is a solution for that?"
"Yes," said Chang Geng, "For people who have worked for the factory for over ten years, if half the amount of workers are willing to guarantee, the person can stay, moreover, they can bring it up to the Canal Department at the next level. In fact, even if we do this, after a long time problems are inevitable. When that happens, we can slowly make changes, it is impossible to finish in one time."
