Oh, they provide meals!
These craftsmen were encountering a host who provided meals for the first time; in the past, even when performing corvée labor, they had to bring their own dry rations.
Actually, Zhu Ci didn't think the treatment was all that good; even with the food provided, it was only one meal a day at noon, while they had to manage their own breakfast and dinner, at most being provided with a bit of hot soup.
This hot soup was made from large bones; if there were no large bones, it would be egg drop soup with a bit of salt, which could also warm the body when the weather was cold.
As a result, once all the work was completed, the craftsmen began to ask him one after another if there was anything else for them to do.
Zhu Ci indeed lacked manpower, but unfortunately, he did not know the background of these people; they were people Zhu Ying had brought in, so he would not be using them for the time being.
After this batch of craftsmen left, he said to Fu Chunsheng, "Go find the Baochang and ask him to see if there are any suitable for working at the Coal Production Factory. Make sure they are honest and have simple characters; I need at least forty people."
Fu Chunsheng immediately went to find Xi Ping. After hearing this, Xi Ping thought for a moment and said, "There are enough people, but.. did the Young Master say they must be from this village?"
Fu Chunsheng glanced at him. "As for that.. the Young Master didn't specify. Do you have other candidates?"
Xi Ping fumbled with his cane and said, "It's that I have a distant cousin. He used to be in Lishui Village, but later.. sigh, the Young Master knows what happened. Now he has nowhere to go, so I was thinking of finding him a livelihood, so long as he has something to eat."
Fu Chunsheng said cautiously, "I cannot decide on this matter; I must report it to the Young Master."
Zhu Ci found it strange after hearing this: "The people of Lishui Village didn't go back?"
Sea Bandits usually retreat back to the islands after a raid, most villagers would return; the remains of their loved ones are there, their homes and lands are there.
In this era, land is the lifeblood of the common people; no matter what happens, they will return to guard their land, dry their tears, continue living their lives.
Fu Chunsheng said, "It is said that it's still not possible to farm right now, Lishui Village itself is closer to the coast and consists mostly of thin soil; most people rely on fishing for their livelihood."
The Sea Bandits not only killed people and looted goods, but they even stole the fishing boats.
Without fishing boats, they have no means of livelihood left.
Zhu Ci couldn't help but sigh after hearing this; even if these villagers were lucky enough to survive, they likely wouldn't last much longer.
He thought for a moment and said, "Have Xi Ping count how many people are currently homeless, if there are any refugees, count them as well."
Although Xialiang was somewhat remote in its location, refugees whose houses had collapsed due to snowstorms would still occasionally come by to beg for food.
Xi Ping immediately counted the number of people and then personally went door to door.
Zhu Ci pointed out how Xi Zhenliu should hold his horse stance while asking, "What happened?"
Xi Ping glanced at Xi Zhenliu and said, "Young Master, this old man heard that you only wanted forty people this time, but the number of refugees currently counted is about fifty. What do you think.."
He spoke with some concern, fearing that this Young Master would use only these refugees instead of the people from the village.
He knew that these refugees were in a miserable state; some were traveling with their families, while others were left entirely alone. However, the people in the village also needed to earn money. Many families were already on the verge of starvation, no one knew when spring would finally arrive.
Zhu Ci glanced at him and said, "Don't worry, I have other uses for these people."
Xi Ping breathed a sigh of relief and handed two lists to Zhu Ci; one was for this village, the other was for the victims from nearby villages.
Zhu Ci took the lists and glanced at the names, feeling somewhat surprised to find that the handwriting on the lists was actually quite good. He couldn't help but ask, "Does anyone in your family know how to write?"
He remembered that Xi Ping was illiterate; well, it wasn't that he couldn't read at all, he could only recognize some simple everyday characters, but he couldn't write, the others in his family were much the same.
Xi Ping bowed and said, "An old scholar drifted here two days ago, seeing how pitiful he was, I took him in."
Zhu Ci's mind shifted as he asked, "Where is he from, does he intend to settle in Xialiang?"
He is said to be from Wuying Village. Last winter, his entire family failed to survive, leaving him as the only one left. To bury his family, he incurred significant debts, so he thought about going to the prefectural city to find some work. Unfortunately, he has no official rank, combined with his advanced age, it has been difficult to find a suitable livelihood. He planned to return to his hometown, but his travel funds were stolen by thieves on the way, leaving him with no choice but to beg along the way. It seems he will likely have to return eventually.
After hearing this, Zhu Ci felt that this old gentleman had a run of terrible luck; not only had he lost all his kin, but he had also been left with nothing.
He said, "I want to meet this old gentleman."
Setting everything else aside, this man's calligraphy is truly beautiful; one could feel that just based on his calligraphy, he shouldn't have trouble finding work to make a living.
Once he met the man, he knew why. This old gentleman had certain physical flaws.
Not only were his eyes uneven in size, but he also had a scar on his face. He was very tall, likely over 1.8 meters, but he was extremely thin, looking almost like a bamboo pole.
When he saw this old gentleman, Zhu Ci's first reaction was: Thin Monk.
The portrayal of this character from Jin Yong's novels in the film and television adaptations had truly left a deep impression on him.
By the standards of the government's facial recognition in this era, this man's career in officialdom was effectively blocked; it was even difficult for him to become a magistrate's counselor, considering that even the counselor beside the Magistrate of Jiading was elegant and possessed well-proportioned features.
Xi Ping had clearly already told that man about Zhu Ci's identity, which was why the old scholar looked extremely constrained as he cupped his hands and said, "I, Qiu Jingfu, greet the Young Master."
It was clear that Qiu Jingfu's family had once placed great expectations on him.
Zhu Ci showed no emotion regarding his appearance; after all, he had seen all sorts of strange-looking people back in his day.
He did not stand up, but instead reached out his hand and said, "Please, sit."
Qiu Jingfu only sat on half the chair, after Fu Qiulu served the tea, he asked cautiously, "I wonder why the Young Master wishes to see me."
He had not expected that a golden phoenix would actually live in this mountain den; he dared not even imagine that he could actually meet the Young Master of the Earl's Mansion.
Zhu Ci said, "The reason I invited you here is to ask whether Scholar Qiu would be willing to come to my place to serve as a teacher?"
“What?” Qiu Jingfu couldn't help but widen his eyes. His small eye saw his pupil, his large eye.. er.. it felt as if his eyeballs were going to pop out.
With such disabilities, it is indeed very difficult to make a living. In this era, there is no protection for the disabled; let alone protection, it is good enough if the social atmosphere allows them to survive.
Moreover, Qiu Jingfu's condition wouldn't even be considered a disability; even in future generations, he wouldn't be able to receive much in the way of subsidies.
Qiu Jingfu glanced cautiously at Zhu Ci and asked, "Is the Young Master teasing me?"
Zhu Ci said in a gentle voice, "Of course not. It is just that I took in an orphan a while ago. He is quite young, but quite clever. Having lost his parents at such a young age, I thought of teaching him to read and practice martial arts for his future sake, so that he might at least have some skills to rely on. However, I have been too busy with my affairs to teach him myself. I had originally intended to find someone in the county town, but since you are here now, it saves me the trouble."
After hearing this, Qiu Jingfu said with emotion, "The Young Master truly has the heart of a Bodhisattva."
Taking in an orphan was one thing, but to actually teach him reading and martial arts—this child has truly been blessed with great luck.
However, he still said with a bitter smile, "To be honest with you, Young Master, I am a man of limited knowledge and failed even the scholar examinations. I fear I have delayed your family's young master."
Zhu Ci replied with an air of indifference, "No matter. He has not yet begun his formal education and only knows a few characters. Your knowledge as a scholar is already sufficient. Moreover, I find your handwriting to be elegant and ethereal; you are clearly a person of extraordinary character who perhaps simply does not suit the worldly examinations, rather than lacking in learning."
Qiu Jingfu felt a sudden surge of excitement upon hearing this, feeling as if he had finally met a kindred spirit.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Zhu Ci: It's not easy to come across someone who has actually studied; I can't let him go! *Cat quickly closes the door and window. jpg*
Next update tomorrow morning at six o'clock~
Chapter 44
Although failing to earn official rank caused Qiu Jingfu repeated setbacks, he was still very proud of his calligraphy.
This calligraphy would be praised wherever it was taken, but it would inevitably be followed by comments on what a waste his appearance was.
This Young Master, however, didn't seem to care about these things. Qiu Jingfu immediately stood up, bowed deeply, said, "Thank you, Young Master."
Zhu Ci stood up to help him up and said, "Master Qiu is too polite. Since Master Qiu has agreed, you might as well stay here. Qiulu, go prepare a room for the Master to stay in."
After he finished speaking, he had Fu Chunsheng call Xi Zhenliu over.
Master Qiu, this is your student, Zhenliu. Come and pay your respects to the Teacher.
Xi Zhenliu walked over, performed a formal bow, said, "Xi Zhenliu greets the Teacher."
Xi Zhenliu, Xi Zhenliu, washing one's mouth with stones.." Qiu Jingfu nodded and said, "It truly is a wonderful name.
Zhu Ci smiled with restraint, "It was just a name I came up with on a whim; it's nothing special."
Once the Teacher and student met, Zhu Ci began discussing the arrangements with Qiu Jingfu. He had already looked into this matter; the stipend was similar to what was given in the county seat, but the difference was that after the stipend was given, the student would go to the Teacher's home to study.
And Qiu Jingfu would stay here, he wouldn't have to worry about his three meals a day or his clothes for all four seasons.
Qiu Jingfu could not stop smiling at this moment, feeling as if a massive windfall had just fallen from the sky right onto his head.
He looked at Zhu Ci, who was negotiating with him like a little adult, his mind began to race with new ideas.
This Young Master was not old, but he was very organized in his speech and actions, he also had a soft heart. This was his benefactor, he had to hold on tight to his thigh.
Even if his appearance was flawed and he couldn't become an official, as long as he could stay by this Young Master's side, why should he fear not achieving rapid success?
Zhu Ci was also very satisfied; lately, he had preferred to teach Xi Zhenliu martial arts rather than teaching him literacy, mainly because his own handwriting was too ugly.
To master brush calligraphy, one certainly needs to practice through imitation; his handwriting.. he was practically misleading the younger generation.
Moreover, he would be extremely busy in the coming days and wouldn't have time to look after the child's studies. He had originally intended to have Fu Chunsheng teach Xi Zhenliu, but Fu Chunsheng had his own arrangements.
Sigh, there still aren't enough people at hand, otherwise he wouldn't have had to use even the Fu siblings.
Or rather, there still aren't enough people under his command who can read.
As Zhu Ci thought, he began to arrange the work for the Coal Production Factory and the coal furnace factory. The coal furnace factory would start a bit later, but the Coal Production Factory was getting underway quite rapidly.
Zhu Ci directly ordered Fu Chunsheng to oversee the Coal Production Factory, while several people with relatively clean backgrounds were assigned to the mixing room. The steps of coal pressing and drying were both left to Fu Chunsheng to arrange.
Fu Chunsheng was stunned for a long time after being suddenly entrusted with such a heavy responsibility: "This.. this lowly one.. I'm afraid I won't do it well."
Zhu Ci seemed somewhat distracted: "You'll be ready once you're familiar with it. Remember, you must keep the formula a secret! Go on."
After Fu Chunsheng left the study, his face was filled with confusion. He couldn't help but run to Xia Lei to ask, "Why is the Young Master.. why is he doing this?"
The Marquis said that the Young Master had always suspected them and was waiting to catch them in a mistake, so they needed to lie low for a while.
Fu Chunsheng did not doubt the Marquis's judgment, but he was somewhat puzzled now; since he was being suspected, why was he still being entrusted with such an important mission?
Xia Lei could now attempt to walk on the ground; after lying down for a month, he felt that his legs were a bit stiff.
After hearing Fu Chunsheng's confusion, Xia Lei glanced at him and said, "There are two possibilities. First, His Highness thinks you are a once-in-a-lifetime talent and wants to win you over."
After hearing this, Fu Chunsheng immediately rolled his eyes. "I'm not joking with you!"
“I'm not talking nonsense, I'm just saying it's a possibility.” Xia Lei held up a second finger and said, “There is another possibility: that this is a trap, he wants you to keep passing the recipe along so he can follow the trail to find..”
Xia Lei stopped talking at this point; as for who they wanted to find, they both knew it clearly in their hearts.
Fu Chunsheng's expression turned solemn: "It seems it is the latter."
Xia Lei couldn't help but exclaim, "This Young Master has such incredible courage. I heard that some of the beehive coal Xi Ya made previously has already been transported away and is selling quite well. Even the Garrisons are buying them in large quantities; this is going to be massive business."
Even though this winter is coming to an end, as long as the reputation of beehive coal spreads, there will be no shortage of business in the future; ordinary people might just find it tempting.
However, they would never steal such things.
His Lordship is so wealthy that he could rival an entire nation; why would he lack this much money? It would be a waste of effort to start a new business, especially when he would have to compete with this young Crown Prince.