Great Tang Idyll

Zhang Xiao'bao stopped flipping his book and thought about this matter. This was indeed a problem. It was clear that there should be a higher income, but the residents wouldn't dare to ask for more. He really didn't care about this small amount of money. However, if the grains were sold as seeds next year and they still gave the residents only five times the amount, then they would be exploiting the residents a bit too much.

After thinking for a while, Zhang Xiao'bao began to discuss with her, "This year we're building houses for the residents. Construction can begin once they're done with the work in the mountains. We also need to make clothes, repair the roads, and invest more into medical care and education. This would probably be better."

"What about next year? Can you figure out next year's output? After they buy the seeds and go back and then find out that the output is not as high as ours, will they not buy it again next year? All of this has to be considered." Wang Juan reminded him.

"Next year? Next year's output should be higher than this year. As for whether they will come to buy it or not, I don't know. Actually, the account cannot be calculated like this. Our family also has to ensure the safety of the residents. If this was another master family, things won't turn out as well. We even gave the residents a chance to raise poultry and livestock, and helped them obtain the fiefs.

These are the efforts of the master family. Someone bought the seeds this year so we did not reduce the rent. No one will buy seeds next year, so we should collect less rent. We don't need to rely on this little amount of money to live. I think the relationship between us and the residents is more like a company and its employees. It used to be a division of bonuses. "

Zhang Xiao'bao frowned and analyzed the situation. Wang Juan's eyes lit up as she listened, and then said, "Yes, under normal circumstances, giving employees divided bonuses meant that the employees can create more value for the company. Or they can be given stocks. However, this does not apply to us. The land belongs to our house, and the residents only need to plant crops.

However, in terms of earning income, we contribute the most, so why should we share it with them? In this way, the income of the company is distributed to ordinary employees. Because of the effects of certain problems left behind in history, the residents can be given good treatment, but they must be worthy of this treatment. "

Zhang Xiao'bao picked up the brush and wrote down ‘divided bonuses' and "treatment". He shook his head and put down the brush, and said, "No, they have one more thing, that is, to help the master family keep secrets. They also have a lot to do. For example, if you call them at night, they have to get up.

"What you just said might very well be possible. People are always thinking of living a better life. For example, if we gave them all of the money this time, every family will have a lot of silver and they can do some business elsewhere. Actually, this is impossible. They signed a lifelong contract with us. It wasn't like this before, but after we arrived here, we got them to sign it."

Wang Juan thought for a while, then shook her head.

Zhang Xiao'bao put his forehead on the table, and kept muttering "What to do, what to do."

Just when Wang Juan was feeling frustrated, Zhang Xiao'bao suddenly raised his head and said, "There is a way."

"What way?" Wang Juan asked.

"Get them to give up farming and do other things instead. Let's find some new farmers and get the newcomers to sign another contract. This will solve the problem of grain production that is too high and too valuable. Our residents know how to do some craftwork, so we at least don't have to worry.

A portion of the people can be assigned to manage the manor's affairs and assist Housekeeper Zhang and Housekeeper Wang. Another portion can be assigned to open small shops in various places. They can be given a share of the small shops and let everyone be small shop owners. Using a company as an analogy, then originally, there was only upper-level and lower-level management at our manor; there's no intermediate-level.

Let them be the intermediate-level. We don't have to be scared that they won't do well, I can guide them, or let other people help teach them. The contract has to be edited to give them greater benefits, higher wages, and at the same time, higher compensation needs to be paid if they want to terminate the contract and leave. "

Zhang Xiao'bao finally resolved the problem and started talking excitedly. Wang Juan listened to him and she thought about the number of people in their manors, and asked, "Are there enough jobs to give to them? There are so many people."

"Yes, Little Luo'shui is our place and there are so many shops there. There will be enough for two to three hundred people. We can promote Xiao'hong's, Shi'liu's and Ying'tao's statuses. Other than preserving the secrets of growing fungus and hatching eggs, divide the livestock farming into sectors and let the residents manage it.

Magistrate Cheng is about to enter the Capital city. Although the Capital is prosperous, it is not filled with only large shops, there are also small ones. Pick around ten to twenty clever residents and let them take a spot in each of the industries there. The goal is not to earn a lot of money--in fact, it is fine even if it operates at a small loss. They don't have to operate large businesses, it's enough to be able to maintain normal business.

After Zhang Xiao'bao said these things, Wang Juan did not try to find flaws in his ideas. She was thinking about how life would be better in the future. Their family could go around and have fun, plant some fruit trees, and eat their own fruits.

After resolving these issues, the two studied. Madam Zhang-Wang looked at the lighted room from outside the courtyard. She called Housekeeper Zhang over to speak to him and then she went to find Father Zhang again.

Father Zhang was also studying, but more diligently. He had always wanted to gain a title through the Imperial Examination so that his family could become better.

Madam Zhang-Wang brought a bowl of sweet white fungus soup and put it on his desk. She waited for Father Zhang to finish writing a few words before she said, "Husband, it's perfect to drink this right now. I heard people say that the first two rounds of exams held here are easier to pass, but when you get to the Capital, you need to have some fame. How about you take some time to write something out, and then let people publicize it."

"Yeah, I do need some fame, but gaining knowledge is more important. There's no need to worry about publicizing it. When I'm done writing it, I will give it to Xiao'bao. His business focuses on doing this kind of thing. Sigh~! Everything inside and outside of the household has to be managed by my wife and little children."

Father Zhang was now accustomed to his son's abilities. Even the food at home was much better than before. In the past, how could they even dare to eat white fungus and lotus soup? Lotus seeds can be bought, where can white fungus be bought from? There were a lot of good things in his son's special ‘cold storage'. If they wanted to eat beef, then they could take beef out from there and eat it.

With such a comparison, it seemed that himself, the master of the family, was the most incompetent one. Feeling gratified and sad, he could only wait to gain a title through the Imperial Examination, and then improve his family's life. The most important thing was to be able to show his face in front of the people who looked down on him at the beginning.

Hearing her husband sighing, Madam Zhang-Wang smiled and said, "My husband, you don't have to worry about this. Those people who are always managing this and that, aren't they nothing more than a minor businessman? My husband is greatly talented. Within a radius of over ten li, there is no one who can compare to my husband. In my opinion, even a scholar in the Capital is not as good as my husband.

We won't be able to make it this year, so take the exam next year. Let's take a look first. If you don't pass the exam, you can take the exam next year. You will definitely be able to pass the exam, and then you can come back... Let's not talk about this anymore. Drink the soup quickly. Later when you're tired of reading, there's still warm wine over there, and there's also a dish of sliced beef tendon that Bao had specially saved for you.

I'll drink a little with my husband. Oh, there's also fresh cucumbers. It was just picked. They were planted at a different time, so there will be cucumbers to eat until next year when the ground can grow cucumbers again. I will go make a plate of mixed dried tofu shreds for my husband. "

Madam Zhang-Wang persuaded him with a few words and she saw that her husband was feeling much better than before, so she turned around, and planned to get some side dishes and wine.

Madam Zhang-Wang smiled. She did not say anything, and she opened the door and left quietly.

*

Early the next morning, the merchants in the Between The Water And Cloud Restaurant made their way to the Zhang Manor. Just when Housekeeper Zhang was about to greet them according to yesterday's plan, Zhang Xiao'bao called him over.

"Young Master, what orders do you have for me?" Housekeeper Zhang didn't know what his Young Master planned to do at this time.

"It's nothing significant. When you go to talk to them later, the price must be set at seventy-five coins per catty. It can only be more but not less than this amount. Disregard the price of sixty coins that I mentioned yesterday. Once they agree, or when the deal falls through and they want to leave, you can tell them that it can be cheaper, but they won't have to pay with money."

After discussing with Wang Juan yesterday, Zhang Xiao'bao felt that it was too late to call Housekeeper Zhang over, so he had to wait until now.

Housekeeper Zhang looked puzzled, "Young Master, you don't want their money? What do you want then?"

"I want shops. Shops in Chang'an, the capital city. The shops don't need to be too big, but it must include all types of businesses. I want every kind. When the time comes, you can take the shops into consideration and give them a discount accordingly, and make it cheaper for them. That is all. I'll trouble Housekeeper Zhang to this."

After Zhang Xiao'bao said this, he followed Wang Juan out. They called over two people to accompany them up the mountain so that they could see the progress there and get some exercise.

Carrying a mind full of puzzlement, Housekeeper Zhang invited those merchants to Between The Water And Clouds for a discussion. In the future, he had to try his best to not let other people enter the master's yard.

"Xiao'bao, that person with the surname Han, why hasn't he done anything yet? I don't think he is the kind of person who can do nothing and remain calm." Wang Juan was holding a wooden stick and poking at the yellow withered grass. She suddenly thought about the manor near them and smiled as she asked Zhang Xiao'bao.

Zhang Xiao'bao also smiled. "He's probably taken away by the Emperor's nephew to do other things. For example, the ideas we gave to the Emperor's nephew. They're all neighbors. How could he not call him over? I wonder how exhausted he would be now?"

"Then he should thank us for giving him a chance to exercise and come into close contact with the Emperor's nephew." Wang Juan spoke with irony.