Da Ming Tai Shi

Chapter 529: All kinds of things in the world--Working

"Hurry up, move all the goods on the ship into the No. [-] warehouse before dark."

"Lao Li, hurry up, dawdle or something, hurry up and load the car."

At Pier No. [-] of Pearl Harbor, as an Arabian ship entered the port, hundreds of porters at the port immediately became busy. Cooperating with the boatmen on board, they began to unload boxes of goods from the cargo ship and load them onto the carriages. .

Afterwards, along the rail tracks that have already been laid in the port, they are quickly transported into the warehouse in the port area.

Lao Li is a worker in Pearl Harbor and has been working here for three years.

After loading the boxes of goods on the cart with familiarity, Lao Li urged the horses to the storage area, which he was very familiar with.

The people in the No. [-] warehouse are also old friends, and the person in charge is a middle-aged man named Lao Sun, who has been neighbors with Lao Li for many years.

As soon as Lao Li arrived with his carriage, Lao Sun directed the black slaves in No. [-] warehouse to unload the cart, and he called Lao Li to the side.

"Lao Li, here's something good for you."

I saw Lao Sun took out a small iron box from his arms, opened it, and there were a dozen small paper sticks lying neatly inside.

"What is this?"

Lao Li looked fresh, took one and turned it over in his hand for a long time.

Lao Sun laughed at Lao Li's ignorance, and then picked one up and put it in his mouth: "This thing is called a cigarette paper stick. It is a hot commodity made by the South India Company. Don't underestimate this thing. A small box Three hundred, just give you this one, and you will get twenty Wen."

Hearing that this thing is so expensive, Lao Li was taken aback, but he still asked suspiciously: "This is, food?"

"fart."

Lao Sun then took out another cardboard box. Lao Li knew this thing, matches.

Matches are not a new thing, let alone invented at this time. As early as 1000 years ago, during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, primitive matches had already been invented.

After the development of the times, in the Yuan Dynasty, matches were introduced into Europe.

But now, such gizmos have long been common in Guangdong.

Lao Sun took out the match and stroked it lightly on the gauze paper. With the burning of a pungent smell, a blaze lit up. Lao Sun stretched out the cigarette paper stick in his mouth and took a sharp puff.

The cigarette paper stick was lit, and a puff of thick smoke was spit out from Lao Sun's mouth.

Seeing the intoxicated look on Lao Sun's face, Lao Li also became curious, and followed suit, lighting the cigarette paper stick in his mouth and taking a puff.

"Cough, cough, cough."

With just one mouthful, Lao Li choked so badly that he choked up all his snot and tears.

"Ha ha ha ha."

Seeing Lao Li like this, Lao Sun burst out laughing.

"I was the same as you when I first learned this thing. I couldn't do it. It's okay. I'll get used to it after taking two more puffs."

"Choking someone to death."

Lao Li couldn't figure out what was so good about this cigarette paper stick. It was worse than standing by the stove, but seeing Lao Sun's swearing, he had no choice but to continue smoking dubiously.

In any case, there are more than 20 ones, so they can't be wasted.

Not to mention, after two more puffs, Lao Li suddenly discovered the joy of this thing.

"Old Sun, why am I so dizzy?"

"Is it comfortable?"

"Comfortable, so fucking comfortable."

Lao Li shook his head: "What is this made of?"

"Hibiscus flowers."

Hearing the hibiscus flower, Lao Li was startled, and subconsciously wanted to throw away the cigarette paper stick in his hand, but at that moment, Lao Li hesitated again, and then put it back into his mouth and took a deep breath.

"Damn, it's so cool."

"Yes, this is a good thing."

Lao Sun showed off his knowledge to Lao Li: "I went to India with the boat some time ago, and the thing sold there was only three hundred dollars. Do you know how much it will be sold in Zhongzhou after it enters the customs? One thousand!
There is also a kind of cheap cigarette paper. We don’t know what kind of grass it is made of. Anyway, those Arabs brought it to India from far away to grow it. That kind of cigarette paper is cheap, only 51 boxes.

I've smoked it before, but it's not as strong as ours that uses hibiscus flowers. "

He would tell the truth, tobacco was no match for poppies.

Lao Li smoked three puffs until there was only one butt left. He felt that his mouth was burning before throwing it away.

"How about, give you a box?"

Hearing this, Lao Li was a little moved, but when he thought of the price of three hundred, he felt embarrassed again.

"It's too expensive, I can't afford it, and I'm not as good as you who can make a warehouse. With a monthly income of [-] to [-] yuan, I can only earn four to five thousand yuan a month. Now that the prices are so high, it's hard to support a family. "

"Look at the way you search."

Old Sun glanced left and right, and whispered: "Don't blame my brother for not taking care of you, I will give you a job to make money, do you want to do it?"

"What work?"

"Do you know what is stored in our No. [-] warehouse?"

"The Nanyang spices written on the sticker."

"Fart, the hibiscus flowers processed by the South India Company."

Lao Li's eyes widened immediately, and his soul almost flew out of fright: "We all sell these things overseas, why are we still buying them?"

"Shh, keep your voice down." Old Sun stared for a moment, and then continued: "Let me tell you, this thing is not something that is seen in the light after all, and no one asks about it every now and then.

I have partnered with someone to resell this thing before, and a box is enough to sell for half a month. Now my partner has run away, saying that he is going to some Ryukyu Island to enjoy the blessings, so I need a helper, can you do it? "

Lao Li's face twitched: "Selling this thing will kill you."

"You are stupid, which of those Arab shops and those big shops in Guangzhou City don't sell them. It's their bad luck if the court really checks them up. They won't notice us small shrimps."

Lao Sun outlines a bright future: "Sell two boxes a month, and earn at least 10,000+ fucking. If we share it, you will at least pocket tens of thousands, which is worth your annual wages."

Lao Li was a little moved, but reason and fear of the law still prevented him from making a decision on the spot. He was hesitating when he heard footsteps in his ears.

"Jin Yiwei checks the warehouse!"

A Jin Yiwei scared Lao Sun and Lao Li almost to the ground.

After that, Lao Li watched with his own eyes that this team of Jin Yiwei took Lao Sun, who was the head of the warehouse, away on the spot after checking the warehouse.

"Starting today, Pearl Harbor will be closed!"

The port was closed, Lao Li also lost his job, and returned home in a daze.

I don't know whether it's because I lost my job and I'm at a loss, or because my grandson was arrested and I couldn't smoke the cigarette stick anymore.

After staying at home for three days in a row, Lao Li, who was forced to make ends meet, walked out of the house, planning to find a part-time job on the street.

But at the moment, the port area is full of workers looking for jobs, so there is no job for Lao Li.

"The port was sealed by the imperial court. If we want to eat, the imperial court must be responsible!"

Some radical workers chanted this slogan, and there was an overwhelming response.

At first, Lao Li didn't want to join in the fun and fight against the court?Old Li didn't have the courage.

But with the passage of time and the approach of the New Year's Eve, Lao Li, who has been without work for a long time, lost his composure.

What's more, he is now inexplicably starting to become irritable and irritable.

I always feel like there are bugs crawling deep inside my body.

The itchy cone is deep in the bone.

Lao Li couldn't bear this kind of suffering and walked into an Arabian firm.

"I want to buy, a pack of cigarette paper sticks, the kind made in India."

The clerk in the shop glanced at Lao Li.

"We don't have what you said."

"You must have it. It's the kind of iron box. I have a friend who said that your Arabian store sells it. He is in Mingzhu Harbor and is the warehouse head of the No. [-] warehouse."

The guy narrowed his eyes.

"What's his name."

"Sun Youfu."

"Wait."

The man left and went to the back hall, and returned after a short while, carrying the iron box that Old Li was familiar with: "One thousand and one boxes."

"Didn't you say three hundred?"

"Yo, I understand quite well. Three hundred is the price in India. Ours is one thousand."

Lao Li rummaged through his body, but in the end he only took out three hundred.

"I only have so much."

At this time, a bearded Arab came out, glanced at Lao Li, and murmured a series of words that Lao Li could not understand. The man nodded and translated.

"My second shopkeeper said that you can buy it for three hundred if you want, but you have to do something for us."

"You said."

"Call your fellow workers and make a fuss about resuming work."

"If you don't resume work in Pearl Harbor, you will have no money for a day."

"The bigger the trouble, the cheaper we can sell it to you, and we can even provide it to you for free. In this way, you can not only smoke it yourself, but also sell it to others to make a lot of money, as long as you do what we say."

Old Li hesitated again.

His eyes wandered to the cigarette case.

"You always have to eat, and you always have to support your family. If you have no money, how do you support your family and how do you get this cigarette stick?"

"It's the court that doesn't give you food or money."

"Shouldn't there be trouble?"

In the end, Lao Li stretched out his hand and grabbed the box of cigarette paper sticks.

(End of this chapter)