Chapter 241 New Immigrants

  Red River Valley Old Town

This is the area of ​​tenement buildings originally built. At first, it was limited by financial resources. Most of them were two-story wooden eaves tenement buildings. The streets were not wide. Compared with the glamorous stone-built mansions on the streets today, It looks a lot simpler.

  Not to mention the deep house compound of the big family, it is really carved with beams and painted buildings, winding paths are quiet, and the double-eave bucket pavilion hidden in the flowers and trees is so beautiful.

  Many well-developed families in the Tanglou District have moved out and built houses in other places. It is really more luxurious than one, and one is more luxurious, which is envious.

Residents in the Tanglou District have come and gone. They have changed several times in the past six or seven years, but Brother Yutou has always lived here, and he is reluctant to leave this lively street market full of fireworks.

Thanks to its good location, it is only a few hundred meters away from the city government and city council. Almost every household in the Tanglou District does business, sells breakfast, opens restaurants, operates daily grocery shops, grain and oil shops, and pastry shops. People are always a place where commerce flourishes.

   Approaching noon

Brother Yutou came back with a bunch of people with wine and vegetables in his hand. There were more than a dozen people, men, women and children. From their sullen faces and the strange eyes around them, the neighbors in the neighborhood knew that this was another bunch of new people. migrant.

  This is all caused by the requirement to cut the pigtails. The immigrants do not need to cut the pigtails, and they must return to the same place.

  The problem is that even if you want to return to the original place, you don’t have the money to buy a ferry ticket. You can’t swim back such a long distance, right?

   "Fish head boy, is someone from hometown?"

   "Yeah, yeah, Uncle Big Head, they are all close tribesmen in a village in their hometown. They wrote a letter a year ago to ask them to come over. Why don't you just leave the counseling camp? I picked it up early in the morning."

   "Look for someone from your hometown to help. It seems that you are planning to grow bigger. Are you planning to buy a ranch or do something for livelihood?"

   "Hey hey... How can I have the money to buy a ranch? Just in front of the street, I set up a shop, ready to open a small restaurant, there will be wine and food supply at noon and evening, the big head will open when the time is open, please appreciate it!"

  "Okay, waiting for your invitation!"

"sure……"

Brother Yutou greeted enthusiastically with his neighbors all the way, and brought a large group of people back to his early tenement. His white daughter-in-law was holding a breast-feeding child in her hand, and there was a three-year-old on her leg. The girl, watching a large group of people come into the house, opened her mouth and said, "Nihao, or Ying Dajiang."

  ? ? ?

  The first fifty-year-old man wearing a melon hat was taken aback, then inexplicably looked at the slightly younger man next to him. The two of them stared at each other, and they didn't hear what they said clearly.

   "Fish head boy, what did this lady say?"

   "Oh, second uncle and third uncle, this is my daughter-in-law Karen. She is saying hello to you in her native dialect."

"How to find such a mother-in-law, I really don't understand what she is talking about. I have to find a woman from her hometown after the days have passed. It wasn't me who said you, Yutouzi. , So as not to be pierced in the spine after going back."

  Second Uncle’s words reveal the self-confidence of the celestial kingdom. The young and Zhuang people from the hometown who came together frequently nod their heads, agreeing with this old man’s words.

Brother Yutou knows that one sentence or two can’t be said clearly, so he smiled bitterly and greeted everyone to sit down at the big table and put the bought stewed boiled vegetables on the table and open them one by one. Ears, beef in sauce, dried seeds in sauce, elbow in sauce, a strong fragrance immediately rushed to the face, which attracted everyone's salivation.

  This is not over yet

  Brother Yutou uncovered the lid of the big pot on the stove, good fellow, it was full of a big pot of boiled lamb, and there was no vegetable leaf.

  There are also big white steamed buns and steamed buns sold in the morning.

The second uncle and the third uncle looked at each other silently, and the shock was hard to conceal; "Yutouzi, the second uncle should know that you have this kind of filial piety. That’s fine. It’s enough to have two steamed buns every day. I usually eat some vegetables and dip some fishy oil for three to five days. It’s already a very good day."

   "You don't know the second uncle and the third uncle. Vegetable rice noodles are as expensive as meat in this place."

  "What? This is outrageous. Isn't this a robbery?" Everyone was shocked.

  How can the price of meat and the price of vegetables be equal?

In the Qing Dynasty, the price of pork is about one hundred wen per catty, while the price of beef and mutton is slightly lower, at least more than 70 wen of copper per catty, chicken, duck and egg 4 jin for one hundred wen, and flour 20 ren for a catty, and the price of vegetables is the cheapest. There are no more than two essays per catty, and the difference between the two is tens to hundreds of times.

  Brother Yutou knew that the clansmen would be wrong, so he was busy putting a big basin of boiled lamb in salt water on the table, opened a jar of old wine and poured it on everyone, and said with a smile;

"Second uncles and three uncles, brothers and sisters of uncles, Wan Li has come here to start a new life. This first glass of wine is for everyone. After you drink this sip, I will explain to you one by one. Ours here is completely different from the mainland. of."

"what's the difference?"

   "Hey, I will explain to you after I finish this cup."

"okay then."

  Looking at a group of people drinking this glass of wine, Brother Yutou knew that they didn’t understand the value of the Huitong gold ticket. He had already converted Australian prices into silver prices in the Qing Dynasty, so he put down his wine bowl and said;

  "Second uncles and three uncles, brothers and sisters, this place in Australia is vast, with herds of cattle and sheep, like the stars in the sky, it is really uncountable.

  So the mutton is extremely cheap, almost the same as the price of the vegetables, almost two copper pennies, one pound of mutton, one pound of vegetables, and one pound of flour, which is about 20 copper coins.

  Pork and beef are slightly more expensive, 30 liters of copper and iron per catty.

Therefore, the price of meat is not expensive, and the price of vegetables is not cheap. The main reason is that the labor in Queensland is expensive, which is much higher than in the previous years. Ordinary workers can get around two taels a month, twenty-four a year. Fifty taels of silver, about five pounds or so.

The income of the workers in the Lord Earl’s factory is higher. There are 30-40 taels a year. According to the calculation of the Huitong gold ticket, it is about 6 to 7 pounds. This is only the level of an ordinary worker. If you become a small supervisor, the annual salary is the least. Starting at 60 taels of silver, it is almost 13 pounds.

  Calculated like this, the price of meat and vegetables is very cheap, and ordinary people can afford it. "

  "The salary is so high?" His second uncle asked suspiciously.

"Yes, I have been in Australia for a long time. Originally, we Chinese were still oppressed in this place. The salary is only about 1/3 of the current level. We are often bullied by white cowboys. It all depends on Lord Earl's voice for our immigration and teaching us. Our compatriots must twist together to fight for the equal rights and interests of equal pay for equal work. Only now can the days become more prosperous. There is no full man here to get paid for nothing. As long as everyone is willing to work, there is no problem in living a good life."

  After some explanations, the tribe’s understanding of the Red River Valley became more vivid, and their emotions gradually increased. They ate mutton with fragrant hands and drank old wine, all kinds of problems kept throwing up.

   "Brother Fish Head, what do you mean let us do with you?"

"I hope this is the case. The so-called family does not talk about two things. After the restaurant is opened, the second and third uncles are all used to being chefs. I will give you the salary of both of you as a chef, 60 taels of silver each. Other uncles, brothers and sisters will start at 25 taels per year at their normal wages. When the year-end inventory is made, they will be offered with red envelopes, so they will never let their family members suffer."

   "Then we don't need to give so much. Our young and old can immigrate. Thanks to your letter of guarantee, or else we won't be able to get the immigration money. How much is the money?"

   "Father, our family is 100 pounds, and the third uncle's is 80 pounds."

   "Fish head boy, how much does this help?" asked the second uncle.

"Second uncle, silver is expensive these years, and the money is cheap. 100 pounds is about 450 taels of silver, plus interest is six hundred taels of silver. Your 6 people will make money in three years if you leave me alone, third uncle. Home is the same."

  Everyone was talking lively, the third uncle, who had been silent all the time, suddenly interrupted and asked; “Fishhead, since you have a small wealth here, why don’t you marry a decent wife?”

  Yes, why marry a fan?

  How do you answer this question? Brother Yutou's daughter-in-law, Karen, had a bit of dinner and had already taken her two children upstairs.

She was a little unaccustomed to the curious look of these people, and women could not eat at the table, Karen could only eat with two little girls on the stool by the fire, which made her feel contemptuous and silent insult .

  The huge difference in culture and nationality made Karen somewhat unacceptable and simply avoided it.

  "Second uncles and third uncles, that's the case. You must have seen that there are many boys and girls in this place in Australia, and many great boys cannot marry a wife."

   "No way, fish head boy, I think there are many girls on the immigration ship, most of them are fifteen or six years old. I am afraid there are at least four or five hundred people. They look good. This is not too small."

   "Oh, that's all from the media company."

   "What is a media company?"

"It is the meaning of the matchmaker introducing the company. We call it the bride company here. This is also a business that only started this year. The media companies can participate in some powerful big men, and each company has paid a deposit of more than 100,000 taels of silver. I heard that all the money is used for the construction of Renji Hospital, which is available in every town and township, and there are several in Honghe Valley here."

   "Oh my god, can you make so much money back?"

"Of course, you don't know how expensive it is for us to marry a daughter-in-law." Brother Yutou sighed deeply and patiently explained; "The place in Red River Valley is good, but there are too many bachelors. No one accompanies me to dare not let my daughter-in-law take to the streets, so only now has the articles of association of such a media company issued. Those who want to marry a daughter-in-law can pay a dowry deposit, ranging from twenty to thirty pounds, which is almost equal to one hundred and five. Sixty taels of silver. When the media company brings people over, you have to spend money to look at each other, money for the wedding, money for gifts, money for clothes, and finally a marriage certificate at the civil affairs department, so that the bride can be married back gracefully. It usually costs at least five or six hundred taels of silver, and there are more. I heard that there are thousands of taels. This is not something ordinary people can care about."

  After explaining these words, the people of the tribe gasped.

  My goodness, how can this be to marry a wife? This is terrible!

  But then again, if marrying a wife is so tight...

  Uncle San couldn’t help looking at his daughter sitting by the stove. The two girls were holding the bowls in their hands and eating deliciously. The red fire reflected the girls’ faces, full of youthful vitality.

  Uncle San felt that these two money-losing goods were so pleasing to the eye for the first time. How could these two girls be two cornucopias!

  If you think about it with your heels, you will know that if you are willing to spend hundreds of thousands of taels to marry a wife, that’s nothing wrong.

  (End of this chapter)