Chapter 949
Correction
Cao Jixiang's heart skipped a beat: "Owed wages? Are there many people outside who owe workers their wages?"
Pan Yun said quietly, "Lord Cao often resides here and is also the head of the Maritime Trade Office. I thought this was not a secret between the two of you, but it turns out that Lord Cao did not know either?"
Cao Jixiang, who was trying various methods to apply eye drops, blushed slightly, feeling somewhat embarrassed that the eye drops had ended up on him.
Lu Mingzhe's face was even redder than Cao Jixiang's. He hurriedly said, "I will immediately send someone to investigate. If there is any case of unpaid wages to workers, I will punish them severely."
“Look, Lord Lu,” Pan Yun pointed to the laborers in short shirts and shorts, wearing only straw sandals, hunched over and with their heads down, carrying boxes of things off the ship. “They put in the most effort and earn the least money. This is money earned with their bodies and lives. They even owe the workers money. They are not worthy of being called human.”
Lu Mingzhe's expression was solemn, and he nodded in response, "Yes."
Pan Yun said meaningfully, "Where there is oppression, there is resistance. Lord Lu, the case of Deng Maoqi has only been settled for half a year. Quanzhou is not like Ninghua. If something happens here, the court's plan will be ruined, and you will have to pay with your life."
After saying that, she turned to Cao Jixiang and said, "Lord Cao, shall we go and see them clear customs?"
Cao Jixiang snapped out of his daze and quickly stepped aside to invite Pan Yun to accompany him.
Lu Mingzhe quickly followed. After inspecting the dock and returning, Lu Mingzhe immediately summoned all the officials under his command, especially the magistrate of Jinjiang County, the seat of government.
Lu Mingzhe flew into a rage: "A bunch of greedy scoundrels who are obsessed with money! How much of the workers' wages do they owe? They're even shortchanging them! Investigate! Investigate every business, shop, and workshop at the dock!"
Yan Tongzhi, standing to the side, sneered: "I have long said that merchants are driven by profit. The new policies are too lenient towards merchants, yet the court continues to indulge them. This year, in order to make things easier for merchants, several tax collection points have been abolished, and many officials have been dismissed for this purpose. In my opinion, we should follow the ancestral system, emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce. My lord, many farmers around the prefectural city have stopped farming and come to the city to work. It is impossible to check their records at the city gates. Those people are very cunning. People from outside the county also come here to work without even a travel permit. If this continues, the travel permit system will become a mere formality."
Zheng Tongzhi said softly, "Travel permits restrict the movement of people, but now Quanzhou's commerce is booming and there is a greater need for laborers. In that case, why not relax the requirements for travel permits at the checkpoints?"
Yan Tongzhi was furious: "Zheng Tongzhi, I was arguing that the court should prioritize agriculture and suppress commerce, and should not be so lenient towards merchants. How could you do the opposite?"
Zheng Tongzhi said gently, "I don't agree with you. Everyone can see that commerce is beneficial to Quanzhou. At this time, we should support commerce and make it develop more smoothly."
"Foolish!" Magistrate Yan slammed his fist on the table and said, "Merchants are driven by profit. They dare to delay paying workers' wages even though we've only just started. If this continues, won't they turn the world upside down?"
“Then let’s manage it,” Zheng Tongzhi said. “If a problem arises, we’ll correct it. We can’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Besides, all businessmen who aspire to grow big and strong prioritize integrity. Yan Tongzhi, businessmen pursue profit, but they also prioritize trustworthiness. Otherwise, how would private banks have been established?”
He said meaningfully, "Isn't the Prefect going to investigate the issue of unpaid wages? It's a good opportunity to compile a list and see who is behind on their wages."
Lu Mingzhe narrowed his eyes slightly: "Does Zheng Tongzhi know?"
Zheng Tongzhi solemnly replied, "This humble official does not know, but Magistrate Cao and Magistrate Wu should know something, right? If the workers don't get their wages, they can't just endure it for a while; they will eventually appeal to the yamen."
Lu Mingzhe looked at the silent Magistrate Cao and Magistrate Wu, who were bowing their heads, and said coldly, "Speak!"
The issue of unpaid wages has existed since ancient times.
Before Quanzhou's commerce and trade flourished again, the majority of the time, landlords and gentry owed their long-term laborers money.
For example, if you harvest rice for twenty days, you are only paid for ten days' work, and the remaining ten days' wages will be paid at some later date.
Anyway, the landlords and gentry were powerful, and the farmhands still had to herd cattle, build houses, and farm for them to make a living. They could run away, but they couldn't run away. As long as they didn't starve to death, the landlords and gentry didn't dare to ask for their wages.
If the people do not report it, the officials will naturally not investigate.
This habit carries over to the workshops they run, such as dye workshops, where they routinely delay paying their workers' wages for two months.
In contrast, workshops and shops run purely by merchants are more trustworthy. They will pressure workers in other ways, such as by assigning more work or quietly extending working hours, but they will still pay wages on time.
However, when commerce and trade in Quanzhou were underdeveloped, the workers had no choice, information flowed poorly, and people had no way to compare, so naturally, the matter did not escalate.
However, starting last year, Quanzhou's commerce began to develop, especially after the lifting of the sea ban, merchants from all over the country flocked to Quanzhou.
The huge business opportunities have brought about a large number of job opportunities.
The wages of dyers in Quanzhou, which hadn't increased by a single penny in decades, rose by five pennies per day in one year because of a labor shortage!
In feudal society, news traveled slowly, and there was a large amount of idle labor in the countryside, but they did not receive any news. Even those who did receive news had no guides, and few dared to go to the city to find work.
In such a situation, merchants compete for the limited labor force, causing the price of labor to rise.
Whether they are outsiders or locals, aside from those who specialize in swindling money, they are all trustworthy and at least do not delay paying their workers' wages.
What a joke! As a businessman, who would dare to delay paying their workers' wages?
Especially for outside vendors, if they anger these workers, the workers might swarm them and do something to them or their goods, which would be a huge loss.
Therefore, the merchants were relatively polite to the workers, at least they dared not delay paying the promised money.
However, the local landowners and gentry had not yet recovered from their previous situation, and they continued to follow the old rules.
With the development of maritime trade, everyone knew that it was profitable. Landlords and gentry poured their money into it, and they were used to using servants and semi-free labor, without reserving wages for the workers.
Some of these are reserved for when someone has money at home, but I just won't give them to you.
Good practices require long-term influence to be learned, but bad practices, because they have a short-term self-serving effect, are quickly learned.
Soon, some businessmen with limited resources or short-sighted vision followed suit and learned from him.
The workers used to put up with it, but now they have more options.
If this place doesn't want me, there are plenty of other places that will. They're not as submissive as they used to be. So if they're owed money for too long, they'll try to get their employers to pay. If the employers still don't pay, they'll take it to the authorities.
At first, Magistrate Wu treated it as an ordinary case and ruled accordingly. Those who were entitled to money were given money, and those who insisted on not giving money were simply dealt with by sealing off their homes or punishing them with flogging.
However, he used to receive fewer than three cases of unpaid wages in a year, but now he can receive three cases a day.
Magistrate Wu glanced at Magistrate Cao, then stared at Lu Mingzhe's unpleasant face and whispered, "There are simply too many. I also noticed something was wrong, so I wrote an analysis for you, sir. Didn't you see it?"
Lu Mingzhe looked at his advisor: "Did I see that?"
The clerk immediately shook his head: "Reporting to you, sir, I have not seen any articles related to this matter."
Lu Mingzhe glanced around and sneered at the silent Prefect Gao.
He usually handles tasks like document screening and review.
Pan Yun liked to travel at night. When she sneaked into the Pu family home with Miao and Tao Yanbai to treat Mrs. Wu and Pu Yue, Lu Mingzhe was in the government office throwing a tantrum.
The next day, all the yamen runners from the prefectural and county governments came out and went door-to-door to find the employers who owed wages, carrying the list compiled by Magistrate Wu.
At the same time, Lu Mingzhe summoned the magistrates of each county, as well as the village chiefs of Jinjiang County, along with local gentry, merchants, and other dignitaries, to the government office to discuss matters.
Managers of major businesses in Quanzhou are also among those invited. Wang Cong, who owns three boats and has Pan Yun, the Imperial Advisor's uncle, as his backer, is also among those invited.
So he went to the government office to attend a legal education class. At the same time, Lu Mingzhe also took the lead in asking all sectors to make a commitment not to delay workers' wages, and to raise the minimum wage for workers...
When he returned to the villa after leaving the government office, Wang Xiaojing, who had been busy all along, ran over and said, "Brother Cong, we've almost finished selling our goods. There's a little left. Should we sell it ourselves?"
Wang Cong: "Pay it yourself?"
Wang Xiaojing nodded, her face slightly flushed, and said, "Didn't you say that we might not be able to go to sea again until the end of August? I was thinking, why don't we ship out the remaining cargo ourselves, heading towards Longhu Mountain, and ship as much as we can along the way?"
Wang Cong tapped his forehead and laughed, "You're homesick, you want to go home, right?"
Wang Xiaojing nodded shyly: "Didn't you also do business on the job, Brother Cong, all along the way?"
"That's right, but that's too hard work, and you only earn hard-earned money."
Wang Xiaojing: "I'm not afraid of hardship, and neither are my brothers!"
Most of those who are going to sea with Wang Cong now are his brothers who rebelled with him before. They are all miners in the mountains. They are strong, resilient, and not afraid of hardship!
As long as they can earn money and go home to see their families, they are not afraid of hardship at all.
Wang Cong thought about it. Last night, after observing the celestial phenomena, Miao Zhen said that a strong wind might be coming in the next few days, so it would be better to go home and check on things than to stay here.
He nodded: "Okay, we won't go into the rest. Have someone pack your things, and you and Dalin will head to Jiangxi tomorrow. I'll give you a route map."
He said, “There are many ways to get home. Some cities are suitable for doing business, while others are not. I know this route well. I will draw a map for you and give you a helper to take you there.”
Wang Xiaojing nodded excitedly and asked curiously, "Brother Cong, aren't you coming back with us?"
Wang Cong mumbled, "You guys go first, I'll come back later. Be careful on the way, and if you encounter any robbers, your life is the most important thing."
Wang Xiaojing and his group weren't afraid at all; they were from a rebellious background.
Wang Xiaojing turned to leave, but then remembered something and turned back, saying, "By the way, Brother Cong, I think I saw Miaozhen and Miaohe this morning. Weren't they supposed to stay in Japan?"
The three of them did not return by boat with Wang Cong. Wang Xiaojing always thought they had stayed in Japan and had not returned. He did not even know that Pan Yun had gone to Japan.
Wang Cong chuckled and patted his head: "Yes, they're back. Junior Uncle picked them up."
Wang Xiaojing's eyes lit up: "Junior Uncle!"
"That's right, it's Junior Uncle."
Wang Xiaojing ran back to tell Song Dalin.
After Song Dalin gathered his brothers together to discuss the matter, they decided to pool their money to prepare a sumptuous meal to entertain Pan Yun.
They've made a lot of money now.
Of course, in the eyes of the rich, their money is insignificant, but in their own eyes, they have really made a lot of money.
Song Dalin's net worth exceeded three hundred taels today, and he still has some goods he has hoarded that he hasn't sold off yet. Once he sells them all, he should be able to get another twenty or thirty taels back.
The frugal Song Dalin had already made up his mind: he would keep the three hundred taels and use the twenty or thirty taels he had on this trip ashore, which would be more than enough.
It could be said that he could quit at this point, take the three hundred taels back to his hometown, buy a piece of land, build a house, get married, and live a comfortable life.
Others earned less than him, but even so, they still had a hundred taels in savings.
Wang Cong was very strict in managing his subordinates. Many people went to Japan with him. In total, he took nearly 500 people with him on three separate trips, including some who were fond of eating, drinking, gambling and whoring.
Wang Cong could tolerate eating and drinking, but once they got involved in gambling and prostitution, he resolutely refused to let them accompany him on the ship.
You can't make this much money just by mining.
But following Wang Cong is an option.
Whether they were miners in Dasen Township or workers who were fortunate enough to be chosen by Wang Cong to go on the ship, they were all extremely grateful to Pan Yun.
Because she was the one who blazed the first trail, and she was the one who led them out of Jiangxi.
So when Song Dalin mentioned it, everyone immediately agreed and started throwing in money, one tael here, one tael there.
Having scraped together over a hundred taels, Song Dalin immediately took several of his brothers out to purchase ingredients and also to hire a chef from their usual restaurant.
The task of inviting Pan Yun was left to Wang Xiaojing.
Wang Xiaojing followed closely behind Wang Cong, squeezing into their courtyard, where he rested his chin on his hand and waited for Pan Yun to return.
"Brother Cong, what exactly did Junior Uncle and the others go about?"
Wang Cong said helplessly, "Seventy-six, you've asked me seventy-six times already. You're so free, have you packed your things yet?"
"It'll be quick. The goods are all neatly arranged. We'll load them onto the truck tonight and they can leave first thing tomorrow morning. Brother Cong, does Junior Uncle have time to have dinner with us?"
Finally, Wang Cong had no choice but to point him in a direction: "Go that way, turn right after you reach Ping'an Inn, and wander around there. When Junior Uncle comes back, he will definitely pass by there."
Wang Xiaojing jumped up and ran towards Ping An Inn.
Wang Cong shook his head helplessly.
Pan Jun and his group were not far from Ping An Inn, sitting at a stall eating roasted pig's trotters while watching the commotion.
Across the street was a silk shop. The owner owed the dyers their wages, and the authorities came to seal up the shop. The shopkeeper was trying his best to stop them: "The dye shop owes money, go seal up the dye shop! Why are you sealing up the silk shop?"
“They’re all under the same owner. Even if the dyehouse is closed, you’ll still sneak over the wall to start dyeing. The dyehouse is outside the city, and we don’t have enough manpower to keep an eye on it. Since this silk shop is also under the same owner, it’s the same! You can only open the silk shop when the workers’ wages are paid!”
The shopkeeper was devastated. How could the daily profits of this silk shop compare to those of the dye house?
This is on the main street of Quanzhou! How much is the rent per day?
The shopkeeper was extremely disappointed in his employer, unable to understand his thinking. The wages were barely enough for two meals; why was he delaying payment? (End of Chapter)