Drive to the Tang Dynasty, where supplies are refreshed daily!

Chapter 109 The Whole Village Shares the Profits!

Li Lizhi smiled and said, "Young master, this is the money from selling coal. Ten catties sold for 12 coins each. This is all the profit."

"When did they start selling? So fast?"

“They were all bought by my father; he said he would need them.”

Xiao Ran suddenly realized that Li Shimin could buy it with just a word.

They hadn't been selling before, so this sudden change must be related to yesterday.

"How much is it in total?"

"Of the 120000 coins, I kept 48000 coins according to the division. These belong to the young master and Kaolao Village."

The expenses for transportation and sales were borne by Li Lizhi, while the expenses for coal mining and washing were borne by Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran called out, and Zhang Dalang, Li Ke, Cheng Chumo, Qin Huaidao, and the others came over to move things.

"So much money?" Li Ke also saw it.

No questions asked.

"This is the money for the coal, and this is the money from home. Have Second Aunt find a place to put it; keep these in the yard for now."

Zhang Erya was also startled when she saw it; she had never seen so many Kaiyuan Tongbao coins before.

Xiao Ran's many possessions are far more valuable than these Kaiyuan Tongbao coins, but the sheer number of them together creates a significant impact.

Xiao Ran didn't want to manage the money; Zhang Erya took care of it.

To help with accounting, Zhang Erya learned some Arabic numerals.

Simple statistics are fine, but anything too complicated won't work because I can't read.

Realizing the importance of literacy, Zhang Erya will learn from Zhang Jinhe.

I don't know many characters yet.

During this period, illiterate people at the bottom of society began to learn to read, but there was no unified "standard process".

However, the core logic is to start from practical life, rely on simple tools and oral instruction to gradually master basic Chinese characters, rather than systematically learning radicals and components first.

Start with "essential words for daily life" and skip over complex theories.

The purpose of literacy for ordinary people is to "use" it – such as keeping accounts, recognizing names, and remembering simple objects.

These characters are mostly simple pictographic or ideographic characters. Their shapes are intuitive and easy to remember through "character shape association with meaning". There is no need to learn the radicals first.

Based on introductory textbooks, the main approach is "recitation plus copying".

Although there was no pinyin in this era, there were mature primers, such as the Thousand Character Classic, the Quick Primer, and the Essentials for Beginners.

These reading materials are mostly in four-character phrases, rhyming and easy to read, and contain everyday characters. For example, the "Jijiupian" is divided into categories such as "surnames", "objects", and "animals and plants", which makes it easy to classify and memorize them.

This is completely different from the systematic education of "learning pinyin first and then learning radicals" more than a thousand years later, and is closer to "fragmented accumulation driven by survival needs".

After Zhang Jinhe arrived, Xiao Ran explained the situation.

"Young master, what should we do with this money?" Zhang Jinhe asked Xiao Ran.

“My idea is to leave a portion for the village head and several elders to keep together. This is not because I don’t trust the village head.”

After listening, Zhang Jinhe smiled and nodded: "Young master's consideration is reasonable, this method is appropriate."

Li Lizhi, who was standing next to her, also said, "There are more than 30 households in the village, and every family has its own troubles."

"Some families are better off, and some are even counting on this money to buy a cotton-padded coat."

“If only the village head is in charge, no matter how fair he is, there’s no guarantee that someone won’t gossip about whether he gave too much to someone or whether the money was tampered with.”

"People's mouths have two skins; too much gossip can easily damage the harmony in the village."

Zhang Jinhe wholeheartedly agreed, “Grandpa, with my great-grandfather and his generation, plus the young man, no one else in the village should be able to say anything more.”

Although Xiao Ran is not of a high generation, his words carry weight.

“It would be even better if the young master were here.” Li Lizhi could tell that Xiao Ran was unwilling to participate, but she hoped he would be present.

"Okay!" Xiao Ran agreed, leaving it to the old guys to manage normally.

“Then leave 6000 coins as a reserve fund, and divide the remaining 34 households equally.”

Xiao Ran and Zhang Dalang and Zhang Erya, a brother and sister, are from the same household, so they only need to receive one share.

"Six strings of cash is about right." Li Lizhi nodded.

Once the matter was settled, Xiao Ran arranged for someone to deliver the money to the coal mine, where there were many people, so the money could be divided up later.

When Zhang Jinhe went to find Zhang Mingde, the village head would definitely be there.

There are also some people who are not there, so we need to inform them to go over.

Zhang Mingde, who had just gotten up, saw Zhang Jinhe and asked, "Jinniang, why are you back again?"

"Grandpa, the coal that Wu Niang sold earlier has been sold for about the same price as the charcoal, and she's brought the money over." Zhang Jinhe was very happy when he talked about this.

“Good, good, good, this is a good thing. Although we and the rest of the village believe in the young man, it’s not the same as having real money in our hands.” Zhang Mingde was equally happy.

"Fifth Sister said the total was 120 strings of cash. The young master and Fifth Sister each received 48 strings, and the rest belonged to Kaolao Village."

"24 strings of cash, that's not a small amount, not a small amount at all, enough for 34 households."

"Grandpa, the young master said he'll keep a portion as a reserve fund. It can be used in case of emergencies in the village. The reserve fund will be kept by Grandpa and a few elders in the village, and together with the young master, the rest will be divided equally."

After listening, Zhang Mingde's eyes shone as brightly as if stars had fallen from the sky, and even his voice trembled slightly:
"This...this young man has truly seen through the very roots of our Kaolao Village!"

"The thing we farmers fear most in life is being in a rush."

“Every family has its share of misfortunes. Last winter, your fifth uncle’s son got frostbite on his feet and had to go to three different places to borrow money for medicine before he could get the money.”

"It's not that the villagers are heartless, it's just that every family is struggling financially. They're sweating from holding onto their coins, so how could they dare to use them easily?"

"Young master's idea shows that he has already taken our village's difficulties to heart."

Zhang Mingde stroked his gray beard, his tone full of emotion, "With this six strings of cash, if someone's roof leaks, their child is sick, or they run out of food for the winter, they don't need to blush and beg anyone. They can just talk to us old folks and get things done."

"It's not about the money; it's about putting a weight on the hearts of everyone in the village, making us feel at ease!"

Zhang Mingde looked up at the sky and said, "There are more than thirty households. They can still talk to each other. If we didn't have this reserve fund, we would be happy to distribute the money today, but if someone runs into trouble tomorrow, someone might be grumbling, 'Why should I use my money to help him?'"

"Young master, you've nipped the problem in the bud. You're not only bringing immediate benefits to everyone, but you're also paving the way for the future. You've thought much further ahead than us old folks who've lived most of our lives."

Zhang Mingde recalled how he almost drove Xiao Ran away based on his appearance when Xiao Ran first arrived.

Looking back now, I'm so glad Xiao Ran stayed and I didn't drive him away.

The coal mine operations have been temporarily suspended, and everyone is taking a break.

A large group of people were chatting.

I still don't know what happened.

People from the village continued to arrive one after another.

Make sure that at least one adult is in each household.

Not everyone needs to come, but at least one should.

It's like a village meeting.

With most people present, Xiao Ran walked up to Zhang Mingde and said, "Grandpa, Jinniang has told you, hasn't she?"

Zhang Mingde smiled and nodded, "Yes, yes, I said it, I said it."

“Grandpa, why don’t you tell us?”

Zhang Mingde is the village head, so it's appropriate for him to speak on this matter. Zhang Mingde waved his hand, "Young man, you can say it; you understand."

Xiao Ran's willingness to ask questions showed Zhang Mingde considerable respect.

Whether you say it or not is one thing, whether you ask it or not is another.

"Okay!" Xiao Ran didn't stand on ceremony.

Upon hearing this, Sun Simiao put down his Compendium of Materia Medica and strolled over alone.

I had been reading the Compendium of Materia Medica in my room.

Xiao Ran walked to the mound of earth at the front of the crowd, and the others knew that something was about to be said, so they immediately fell silent.

The people of Kaolao Village couldn't find fault with Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran had no conflicts of interest or friction with the others.

He brought benefits to the village time and time again, and people genuinely respected Xiao Ran.

Although Xiao Ran Coal Mine makes a lot of money, I'm not actually envious.

Hatred of the rich refers to hatred of the rich who are heartless, which is clearly not the case for Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran stood on the mound of earth, his gaze sweeping over the throng of people. The yellowish-brown wind swirled coal dust around his clothes, and his voice, though not loud, was sincere: "Thank you all for your hard work these past few days."

"Our coal mine has been open for a while now. From digging the first shovel of coal to now being able to wash out decent coal, there haven't been any major problems. It's all thanks to everyone's help."

Xiao Ran glanced into the crowd and saw several men who were always swinging pickaxes on the steepest part of the road. He smiled and nodded, "I distributed some coal to each household for heating a while ago. I'm sure everyone has tasted the benefits—this stuff burns well, lasts longer than charcoal, and is better than firewood."

Some people in the crowd laughed in response, and a woman bent down to tuck the clothes of the baby in her arms, her eyes filled with warmth.

Xiao Ran changed the subject, tilting his head towards where Li Lizhi was standing: "Regarding the coal, Fifth Sister helped find a buyer, and the money has already been delivered."

He paused, then raised his voice slightly, "A total of 120 strings of cash were sold. According to the agreement, our Kaolao Village should receive 24 strings of cash."

As soon as he finished speaking, a low commotion arose in the crowd. Someone quietly tugged at the sleeve of the person next to them, their eyes shining with disbelief.

"Of these twenty-four strings, six strings are set aside and managed by the village head, Old Man, and several elders. If a family is short of food for the winter, a child falls seriously ill, or a leaky roof needs repair, they can borrow from here without having to be embarrassed to borrow."

Xiao Ran's gaze fell on Zhang Mingde and several white-haired old men. "The remaining eighteen strings of cash will be divided equally among the thirty-four households. Each household will receive more than five hundred coins, enough to buy some cloth and some good grain."

The moment the last sentence landed, the crowd erupted like dry tinder being ignited, creating a deafening roar.

"Can it really be divided this much?" a man asked in a gruff voice, his pickaxe slamming onto the ground without him even noticing.

I already knew, but I'm still very excited that we can actually split it.

Cheng Chumo and Li Ke lifted a box, and those who were close enough could see the Kaiyuan Tongbao coins inside.

The people nearby stared intently, and cheers echoed continuously.

Sun Simiao, standing at the back of the crowd, stroked his beard and nodded in satisfaction.

I'm growing to love this feeling more and more. "Being rich makes me feel better. It's wonderful!"

After everyone had finished celebrating, Xiao Ran said again, "Alright, now each household, send one person to line up and collect the money."

A long queue formed immediately.

There was no scrambling or cutting in line.

Because everyone knows that it's something everyone has, it's just a matter of sooner or later.

Princess Yuzhang, Li Kecheng, Chu Mo, and Qin Huaidao helped count the money.

Zhang Jinhe was responsible for registering the information.

Li Lizhi can register, but she is not familiar with the process.

Zhang Jinhe is the most suitable candidate.

Zhang Mingde and the other elderly men sat on a nearby mound of earth, chatting happily.

The line moved slowly across the open space of the coal yard like a long, winding snake. No one spoke, but the crisp sound of copper coins rolling in the wooden box could be heard, like a string of broken gold.

The air was filled with the smell of coal dust, mixed with the suppressed whispers of the crowd—rough fingers repeatedly rubbed the edges of copper coins, polishing the characters "Kaiyuan Tongbao" until they gleamed.

A woman tucked money into her inner pocket, pressing it repeatedly until her knuckles turned white, her smile impossible to hide.

Some elderly people trembled so badly when they received the money that they squinted at the sun as they counted it, sunlight filtering through their fingers and shimmering on the string of coins.

The people in front of them, after receiving their money, couldn't help but glance back at the queue as they turned around, their eyes brimming with warmth. When they met the gazes of those behind them, they would exchange a smile, saying nothing at all.

The sun slowly climbed overhead, casting short shadows that clung to the black soil of the coal yard, swaying gently with each step.

Occasionally, a copper coin would slip through someone's fingers and fall to the ground with a "clink." Immediately, someone would bend down to pick it up and hand it back. When the two hands touched, both were sweaty, but their smiles were brighter than anyone else's.

Many families can't save that much money even after a whole year.

Zhang Jinhe's family was relatively wealthy from their business. Zhang Jialin had an oxcart and could find work, but the others did not.

We can only honestly farm the land.

A bushel of millet only costs 3 coins, and now you're receiving 530 coins all at once—it's impossible not to be excited.

This money would need to be earned by selling 176 bushels of millet.

Zhang Jinhe was writing a bit slowly, so Li Lizhi said, "Jinniang, you tell me, and I'll write it!"

“Okay!” Zhang Jinhe stood up and handed the pen to Li Lizhi.

Upon seeing Li Lizhi's handwriting, Zhang Jinhe gasped.

Zhang Jinhe's handwriting is not good, but you can tell that Li Lizhi's handwriting is excellent.

Even though Xiao Ran didn't understand, he still found it pleasing to the eye.

The three little girls also lined up, following at the very back of the line.

The little princess leaned forward and stretched out her little hand.

"Sizi, what are you doing!" Li Lizhi looked at her younger sister.

"I need some money too~" The little princess smiled happily.

Seeing everyone else happy with their money, the little princess wanted to get some too.

Li Kecheng and the others standing nearby were also amused.

“Sizi, only those who work get paid. The three of you didn’t work, so you won’t get paid,” Princess Yuzhang said with a smile.

"Although we didn't do any work and didn't get any money, we can get persimmon cakes and sesame cakes when we get back." Xiao Ran rubbed the little princess's head.

The little princess accepted this with "Mmm-hmm~".

After everyone had received their gifts, Li Lizhi counted, "32 households, two households haven't come yet."

“It’s because Jinniang and Dalang didn’t take it,” Xiao Ran said.

Zhang Dalang looked a little confused, as if he were wondering, "Is there a share for me?"

Xiao Ran nodded, and Zhang Dalang also received a share.

"No work today, let's rest and talk about it tomorrow," Xiao Ran added. "Wages will be paid as usual!"

Another cheer erupted.

A group of people left one after another, clutching their money.

The remaining amount is less than 6000 coins, more than 5900.

After discussing it, we decided to temporarily store the items at Zhang Mingde's house and entrusted them to several elderly people.

(End of this chapter)