I heard the news of Xu Shouhui again. In March of the following year, Qishui County, the capital of Tianwan, was broken. .
At this time, it has been the fourteenth year of Zhizheng, and the news received is the news at the end of last year.
"The situation on Liu Futong's side is not bad." Lin Yuan smiled.
The Yuan army assembled several provinces to deal with Xu Shouhui, which is enough to prove that the Yuan army attached great importance to Xu Shouhui.
However, in other respects, the Yuan army did not take advantage of it.
In the 12th year of Zhizheng, an army of 300,000 troops attacked the area of Runing Mansion where Liu Futong was located, and the result was repeated defeats and heavy losses.
In the thirteenth year of Zhizheng, an army of 100,000 people came to attack Gaoyou, but they were finally defeated and lost nearly 60,000 people.
There were not many people in Xu Shouhui's hands, but the court still failed to annihilate him in one fell swoop.
Zhu Yuanzhang said at this time: "Yuanting is exhausted, and we can go further this year."
Lin Yuan smiled at him: "That's what I mean too."
They have now occupied Taizhou, Gaoyou, Changshu, Changzhou and Songjiang. Lin Yuan stood in front of the map and said to everyone, "Everyone, come and discuss."
Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Bosong have very unified opinions. They believe that now their troops are strong and their morale is high. The original 50,000 soldiers have been increased to 300,000. Lin Yuan still thinks this increase is very terrifying. Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Bosong are responsible for recruiting troops. , these two people did not show an articulate side in front of him, but judging from the number of people, their eloquence must be very good.
Or maybe they have good staff in their accounts.
They think they can take Pingjiang Road directly now.
Song Shizhao, however, thought that instead of just taking Pingjiang Road, it would be better to go both ways, take Pingjiang Road all the way, and take Pingjiang all the way.
Pingjiang Road was the administrative division of the Yuan Dynasty, which included Kunshan, Changshu, Wujiang and Jiading.
Pingjiang is a separate place name, which is later Jiangsu Suzhou.
Brother Dao couldn't understand, and while looking at his fingernails, Lin Yuan glanced at him, and he quickly said, "I can do it, I don't choose!"
Everyone in the room laughed.
Yang Zian said, "I can lead a group of people to Pingjiang."
Zhu Yuanzhang: "I can go to Kunshan."
Chen Bosong: "Jiading."
Brother Dao: "... Then, only Wu Jiang is left?"
Lin Yuan smiled and said, "I'll leave it to you. If you think it can't be done, just tell them and ask them to exchange with you."
Brother Dao waved his hand: "That's not necessary."
Lin Yuan set the battle time at the end of the year, which is winter.
Although it seems that this time is not conducive to war, it is beneficial to them. Most of the financial expenditures are now on the purchase of cotton. Lin Yuan did not let the people under his rule plant cotton, and would rather spend money to buy it outside.
He wants to ensure the source of food for the people and to ensure that his soldiers have an adequate supply of food and grass.
Before winter, they had to work overtime to prepare.
The garment factory is busy now.
Women work almost six hours a day, which is just the basics, and sometimes even more than seven hours. In modern times, someone would definitely accuse Lin Yuan of squeezing laborers.
But in this emergency period, no one will feel hard, and the women are sitting in the house, protected from the cold wind outside.
In summer, there is an ice tub in the house.
The ancients knew how to make ice for a long time. The craft of making ice with saltpeter has always existed, but poor people have never seen ice in summer. Fortunately, Lin Yuan has a lot of saltpeter now. .
He doesn't want to lose anyone now.
The soldiers had to train outdoors, and almost everyone of Yang Zian and the others led a team out to kill bandits and bandit villages.
The larger stockades were not able to escape, and in the place under Lin Yuan's rule, there is almost no danger in the wild.
Businessmen also like to do business in Gaoyou more and more, and many of them even come to Gaoyou to settle down with rich family resources.
As long as someone comes, someone spends money, and someone earns money, the economy can develop.
Aunt Qian was sewing cotton-padded clothes. The weather was getting warmer. She was wearing a thin cloth, but she still felt stuffy. Sweat dripped from her forehead quickly, making the cotton-padded clothes feel wet. Fortunately, it was only a little bit.
Just after Aunt Qian was so hot that she poured a cup of cold tea—it was said to be cold tea, but now the tea is still warm no matter how long it has been kept.
Finally, the girls cheered and jumped from outside.
"The ice is here! Today's ice is here!"
"We need at least three dans!"
"Come on, how many people do you have? How about my thirty or so! I have to take five dans!"
The young man who drove the ox cart to deliver the ice knew them well, and smiled at this time: "Aunts, please forgive me, and the manager said that there are more than 10 people but less than 30 people for three loads, and more than 10 people but less than 60 people. five dans."
Women bargain: "My girls are big!"
"One can top three!"
The young man was helpless: "Then what I said is useless, the person in charge has to peel off a layer of my skin."
Seeing that the steward didn't come with them, the women could only ask someone to bring the ice back to the house.
As soon as the ice arrived, the women in the house felt much cooler. They rolled up their long hair and held them with wooden hairpins, and they did the work faster. Every house had a female teacher who taught needlework. The manager and the manager, whoever does a good job will get more rewards, but if she is rich and oppresses the employees, there will be an anonymous complaint box in the manager's office. Parade.
No one dares to do it even for the sake of face, especially women's skin is thinner than men's, and now life is getting better and better, and the income of women's teachers is not low, so the complaint box has not been received yet. An anonymous complaint.
The room was full of snow-white cotton and navy-blue fabrics, the women's stitches were well collected, and the cotton-padded clothes they made were getting better and better.
The previous straw velvet clothing was replaced. After all, straw velvet is not as good as cotton, it is just a stopgap measure.
They chatted while working, and there were also work-study children who brought them tea and water.
"It's a good day." Aunt Qian said to the young girl beside her, "I didn't even dare to think that I would be able to live the current life. At that time, I couldn't eat enough. Who cares about hot and cold."
The young girl smiled at her: "My wages can also buy some ice for the family."
"How is your father?" Aunt Qian asked her.
This girl's father fell and broke a leg a few years ago. He became a lame man. He couldn't go to the ground or do heavy work. It was painful to walk a few steps. Fortunately, both of her family members were able to earn money. The days are not difficult.
The young girl said, "My father can walk around the yard now."
Aunt Qian sighed: "Fortunately Nan Bodhisattva is here, otherwise..."
The girl also looked happy: "Otherwise, my family would not be able to survive."
The house where people work is always very lively. There is a kang in the house. Winter is better than summer. When the kang is burned in winter, the whole house is warm, but it is a little bit useless.
"time to eat!"
When it was time to eat, the women stopped their work one after another, and some were still working on it. They walked out of the house in twos and threes and went to the cafeteria to eat.
Now they eat sweet potatoes and potatoes the most, but there are many ways to do it. Their favorite is mashed potatoes, which can be eaten as rice with some salt and sauce.
The vegetables are stir-frying, and there are special oil mills for oil extraction. Now a lot of rapeseed flowers are planted in the fields outside the city. After the rapeseed seeds are harvested, the oil supply has become larger. The owners of these oil mills are basically businessmen. , Lin Yuan did not directly monopolize these channels, businessmen want to get it, let them get it, as long as they pay taxes.
And because there is a chamber of commerce, the oil prices in the places under Lin Yuan's rule are the same, and no one maliciously lowered the price, nor maliciously bid up.
As for how much they sold outside, Lin Yuan didn't care, as long as the tax looked good.
In this world, people who can still afford oil are basically big families, and poor people are still struggling to fill their stomachs.
"This is delicious." Aunt Qian said to the young girl, "You didn't know that this kind of wild vegetable is the most fragrant when fried."
The young girl ordered a plate of wild vegetables, ordered a bowl of mashed potatoes, and ordered sweet potato rice, and sat down with Aunt Qian at an empty table.
They are always in the best mood when they eat.
Aunt Qian eats very slowly. She used to be so hungry that now she eats a little faster and feels sick to her stomach.
The young girl eats very quickly. She eats cleanly without wasting anything. If it hadn't been so bad, she probably would have to lick the dishes again.
Aunt Qian said in surprise: "I see that you are so thin, yet you can eat so much."
The girl's face was a little red: "It's always bigger than others, I'll make you laugh."
Aunt Qian said quickly: "What's the matter? When I was your age, if I hadn't had to eat, I might have eaten more than you."
"I think you're fifteen this year?" Aunt Qian suddenly asked.
The girl nodded: "I turned fifteen last year."
Aunt Qian looked at her lovingly: "Is it allowed?"
The girl shook her head and said shyly, "I can't live without people at home."
If her family were missing her, her mother alone would not be able to support her.
If you marry someone else's family to be a daughter-in-law, and then go to subsidize your parents' family, you will always be stabbed in the spine.
Aunt Qian said quickly: "I have a nephew, his family is on the way to Gaoyou, and his parents are gone. If you want, I will match the two of you, and then you can ask him to come to your house, as long as you have a son. After leaving his surname for his family, everything else will be yours."
The girl was taken aback for a moment, obviously not expecting this option.
She thought that her future was to become an old girl and marry someone at random.
Aunt Qian looked at her face and said, "It's okay to use your family name. I'll talk to him later."
The girl lowered her head and said in a low voice, "Auntie, you go to my house for dinner at night."
Aunt Qian said repeatedly: "Okay, I'll go after work."
She is the only daughter in the girl's family. Her father hurt his body when he was on the road and couldn't have any more children. He was worried about this for a long time. Now that he could have a son-in-law who came to the house, he gave birth to all children except one with his family name. , her father agreed almost immediately.
On the other hand, her mother was more cautious and asked Aunt Qian, "I don't know how that child is talented? I'm afraid that my girl is soft-natured. If I recruit someone with a big temper..."
Aunt Qian: "My nephew is a man with a straight heart. He is strong, can eat anything, and doesn't talk much. I'm not boasting. He is now a blacksmith apprentice. ."
Her mother: "I'm afraid my family won't be able to keep such a good talent."
Aunt Qian said with a smile: "His parents are gone, and now living alone, I just want to find someone who knows the cold and the hot, has a home, doesn't pick on others, and is filial. If Mrs. Zheng doesn't worry, I'll take you tomorrow. go see."
Then her mother said, "It's better to meet."
The girl blushed by herself.
If she was recruited, she wouldn't have to leave the house, she would be able to support her parents, and she wouldn't have to be stabbed in the spine.
At the beginning, recruiting children was not a popular thing. After all, people pay attention to raising children to prevent old age. The more sons, the better. Even if everyone starved to death together, they must have sons. If one is not a son, then continue to give birth. , to live to old age, must have a son.
Even in modern times, many impoverished mountainous areas and places still have a patriarchal mindset.
In order to give birth to a son and avoid fines, even when family planning was implemented, people with jobs in the city tried their best to give birth to sons.
Only when the economy is more developed, the society is more stable, people are more advanced in thinking, and work is more equal to men and women, will there be less preference for boys over girls.
Lin Yuan still remembered reading a scholar's discussion before.
In addition to the patriarchal society, the original reason for the preference for sons over women was that in ancient times, there were no machines and all rely on human power. Men were born stronger than women, and their voice in the family came from their ability to earn money.
In the areas where patriarchy is the least important, the reason is that most of these areas are not agricultural areas, and most of them rely on handicrafts to earn money. Handicrafts have the lowest differentiation between men and women, and women can also earn money to support their families.
Economics determine gender status.
The more developed the economy, the smaller the difference in earning ability between men and women, the more equal they are.
And Gaoyou, now the difference between men and women is getting smaller and smaller, because women can find jobs, and Lin Yuan has also given them the right to own private property.
Once women have private property, they will also be more discerning when choosing a partner.
In many families, they only have an only daughter, so many people choose to recruit children.
Recruitment prevails.
But it is probably to make men not too conflicted. This kind of recruiting is generally that men do not need to change their surnames, and they will have a child with a man's surname, and everyone is happy.
The common people have the wisdom of the common people. In order not to let the children of men, that is, children who do not follow their own family names, get all the family property, they also made regulations, saying that when dividing the family property, it must be as even as possible, and no one can have more or less.
This wind first blew in Gaoyou, and then blew to other cities.
The Zhao family in Changshu was the first family in Changshu to recruit children.
Father Zhao originally had three sons and two daughters, but all three sons died, and only one of the two daughters survived. He himself was fifty years old. Seeing that he would not be able to give birth to a son, he was about to end up with himself. Without relatives, he couldn't even adopt, if he adopted him, he felt that his family's wealth was given to outsiders.
His daughter was getting older, and when he was old enough to marry, he often couldn't sleep, couldn't close his eyes all night long, had pustules on the corners of his mouth, and was absent-minded at work.
Seeing that he was restless, his co-workers asked a few questions. He was not a person who could hide his words, so he explained his thoughts.
The co-worker said to him, "Then why don't you recruit children. I heard that Gaoyou recruits a lot of people. When the daughter has a child with your family name, it will be rooted."
Father Zhao: "Can this be done?"
Since ancient times, not many men are willing to "marry" to a woman's house.
Worker: "Why can't you do it? Look at those poor people who have seven or eight sons, and they can't support them. You can give their family a betrothal gift at that time, won't you do it?"
The co-worker just said it casually, but Father Zhao took it into his heart. He couldn't sleep at night, so he said to his old wife, "Second mother is too old, it's time to talk about her family."
The old wife: "I can't bear her... She is the only one. Thinking of her getting married and being scolded by her husband's family, my heart is like roasting on the fire... "
Father Zhao's eyes lit up: "I can't bear it either, I'm just such a girl, you say, how about we recruit?"
The old wife was a little scared: "Our family is old and weak, if we hire someone who doesn't obey discipline, then aren't we..."
Father Zhao didn't expect this, and when he heard the old wife, he was also a little worried, he sighed: "I will ask the matchmaker tomorrow, I heard that a matchmaker has just returned from Gaoyou, Gaoyou recruits a lot of children, she may have something wrong. ."
The matchmaker naturally had his own way. She smiled and said to Father Zhao, "Don't be afraid of this. In the past, there were divorces from wives and husbands. The Women's Federation, the Women's Federation, if he dares to do anything to your daughter, he will be sent to prison, beaten up, and keep him honest."
"Gaoyou has recruited a lot, and there was a Hugh before."
Father Zhao was startled: "Then can she still find it?"
Matchmaker: "Why can't I find it, this man is not easy to find?"
Father Zhao whispered, "It's not clear!"
The matchmaker was surprised: "How many years old Huang Li is, how much is innocence worth? Those bachelors have never seen a woman, they dislike others for being innocent, and they still despise him. Tell me, there is no shortage of men now, but there is a shortage of men. woman."
"There used to be two families who married a girl together." Seeing that the matchmaker could make a match, she naturally kept talking, "If you can trust me, I will find one for you, and promise to be honest."
Father Zhao said quickly: "Then I'll trouble you, and..."
Matchmaker: "What else?"
Father Zhao looked around, making sure no one could hear him, so he whispered, "It's better if you have a big weapon, if you can have a son."
The matchmaker covered her mouth and smiled: "That's natural, I'll ask my boy to take a look at that time, and keep you satisfied."
As a result, the "big" men's market situation has improved immediately. As long as they are not the boss of the family, they are basically willing to recruit, and the family agrees. Besides, even if you don't recruit children, there are so many sons in the family, and you can't marry a wife.
If the son has stayed for a long time, he can also stay as an enemy, and there are some bachelors without father and mother, they are more willing.
The matchmaker quickly found someone and led him to Father Zhao.
"This kid's surname is Li, and he is the most honest person." The matchmaker first praised him, and then said, "His family doesn't want dowry, as long as your family treats him better."
Father Zhao first looked at the other person's stature, and then looked at the other person's physique. Although he was thin, he did not look weak.
He whispered to the matchmaker: "Have you seen that thing?"
The matchmaker also whispered: "My boy has seen it and said it has a finger and a half."
Father Zhao is satisfied.
Li Si probably guessed what they were talking about, and his face turned red.
There are six brothers in his family. Although life is better now, he can't marry a wife.
Even the eldest brother has no daughter-in-law.
This time, the matchmaker came to the door, although it was a recruit, but his father agreed after smoking a few cigarettes.
He was also afraid that his parents would refuse. He was eighteen this year, and he was too young to think about a woman. Besides, with so many brothers in the family, he was not taken seriously.
Although it is said to "marry" and go to someone else's house, when you give birth to a son, you still have a surname that takes your surname, and you don't need to change your surname.
He couldn't live in his house even after he married his wife.
- Not to mention that you can't marry a daughter-in-law!
Before they got married, they invited relatives and neighbors to have a meal, and the young couple lived in the same house.
Li Si is very satisfied with this wife. She has a good temper and earns a lot of money. She is gentle and considerate with him, and she doesn't look down on him because he is in the family.
After six months of their marriage, the wife became pregnant with a child.
The first child was a boy, and the wife ignored the parents' obstruction and asked the boy to follow his surname.
Li Si was even more determined to his wife.
There are more people in Changshu.
However, in the past, women were afraid of being divorced from their wives, and no matter how hard it was, they could endure it. Now men are afraid of being divorced from their husbands. Now that there are so few women, who can marry a daughter-in-law? Play a lifetime bachelor!
So the people who recruited them were doing pretty well.
When Lin Yuan found out, he still felt that his thinking was too outdated - he was a man and knew the psychology of most men. He thought that many men would not be able to accept this kind of thing.
But looking at it now, it's actually pretty good.
There are also two men who are fighting for a wife, fighting over who gets married, and they are still brothers.
Lin Yuan understood, they were already crazy about women.
Brother Dao said next to him, "Why is no one looking for me?"
Brother Knife frowned and said, "I'm also a bachelor!"
No one introduced his daughter-in-law to him, and no one asked him to marry him. He asked Lin Yuan, "A good man like me can't get in their eyes?"
Lin Yuan: "...Or do you think you have a woman?"
Brother Knife: "..."
He seems to have shown off to the soldiers under his command, saying that he is more popular with women.
As a lad, Brother Dao looks like a big man, a big man, and a general. Everyone thinks that he will definitely not be short of women, not to mention that Brother Dao himself runs the train with his mouth full, so he can call himself a reading girl. Countless.
God knows he just said it casually.
The family who originally wanted to marry his daughter to him completely lost his mind when he heard this.
After all, apart from Brother Dao, Zhu Yuanzhang, Chen Bosong or Yang Zian seem to be much more reliable than him.
Brother Dao: "... Can't they hear me bragging?"
Lin Yuan looked at him.
Lin Yuan said to him, "It's really a bachelor based on his strength."