Chapter 7 - Flesh to Dust

Brother Dao is a person who adheres to the spirit of loyalty and brotherhood. Peoples of all trades in Wu city are willing to associate and give him respect. He is also of poor origins so doesn’t go around oppressing his fellow neighbors and other common people. Other than helping people collect their debts, he also takes his guys up the mountains to gather firewood which is only worth one coin per bundle. And not many people buy it anyway. Other than some wealthy families who would buy it, the average common families gather firewood themselves.

Nowadays, the society is breaking down, even gambling parlors are not as grand and busy as before with only some wealthy people playing inside. As for those gambling addicts who need to take out high interest loans, they have decreased considerably.

“We’re here.” Brother Dao lead Lin Yuan to the city’s eastern part.

Compared to the northern part of the city, the eastern part can be considered a refugee camp. Only people who have no regular jobs live here, relying on taking manual labor or selling some small trinkets as a means to maintain livelihood.

When walking through, Lin Yuan even witnesses a group of children fighting over a dry bean curd cake. This type of food is cheap and able to fill the stomach, but it is awfully difficult to eat, just a few and your throat will be feeling uncomfortable. During better times, it is used to feed livestock.

Lin Yuan turned his head, unwilling to look further.

The sight tugs on his conscience but as for helping, he has yet to have the ability.

Brother Dao remains expressionless. When he first came to Wu city he also lived in the eastern part, he is very familiar with the situation in this part of the city.

“The brother I mentioned, his surname is Yang, looks very dignified and has an indomitable spirit. Although he is poor, it would be unwise to belittle him.” Brother Dao said to Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan replied sincerely with cupped hands:”I wouldn’t dare to.”

Being born in this time period, living a life of fighting with animals over food, and yet be responsible for maintaining your life. Lin Yuan may be an orphan but he had never lacked for food or warm clothes in the orphanage. The biggest grievance he had to face was losing in a fight over snacks and candies with other children.

Thinking this way, Lin Yuan feels that he must be considered one of the fortunates.

Brother Dao shouted a greeting outside the place they stopped at:”Brother Yang, I’ve brought someone to visit you!”

Coincidentally, Brother Yang was at home that day, Lin Yuan hears footsteps and then the creaking of the door.

The person is wearing a tight sleeved shirt but compared to brother Dao, had a leaner physique. One hand is carrying a bundle of firewood as if about to send it somewhere. He had upturned monolid eyes that curled downwards in the inner corners which made him appear rather haughty, looking out of place in this run down area.

“Who might this be?” Yang Zi’an puts down the bundle of firewood and let them in before closing the door.

Brother Dao replied immediately:”This is my newly acquainted brother, surname Lin given name Yuan. He has a business proposal, is brother Yang willing?”

Yang Zi’an quirked his lips in a bitter smile:”Brother Dao, look at me, nowadays I am unable to sell any firewood, I don’t have any options for being picky.”

The way he spoke, as if even if it is murder and arson he is willing to participate.

Brother Dao sighs:”My situation is soon to worsen as well. The price for food is increasing, even if hungry none of us dare to eat, instead chew a few dry beans to allay hunger.”

Lin Yuan discovers that if he doesn’t say anything quick, these two will compete who is more miserable so he quickly explains his motive of hiring workers.

Yang Zi’an looks surprised:”20 people?”

Lin Yuan nods:”The business has yet to become stable, if it succeeds than I plan to hire more.”

Soybean oil is not a business he can do for too long. The most important thing is to make money then buy some more land, stock up the granary. The land he buys is also rather remote without any people nearby or important battle sites, extremely appropriate for staying away from the upcoming war and upheaval.

“Early spring I must find some people to open up the land for farming.” As he spoke, Yang Zi’an already led them inside to sit, only four bare walls. The houses in the eastern part are built by their dwellers themselves, originally grass huts, with the weather getting cold the only option was to find a way to reinforce it.

The wall is made up of mud and hay, the roof is thick sogon grass. This kind of dwelling is just barely able to live in, enough as a shelter. But cold in the winter and hot in the summer, truthfully not a good place to live in but there’s no other choice.

Lin Yuan:”Also need to find some tenant farmers.” He has no connections here so finding tenant farmers is not an easy task, it would be a headache if he were to stumble upon crafty troublemakers.

Yang Zi’an hears farm field and his eyes light up. The thing to put manual laborers at ease the most is farmland, anything else is empty.

“How much is the rent?” Yang Zi’an asks.

Lin Yuan:”50% of the harvest.”

Yang Zi’an swallows.

He has never seen such a generous landowner before. Nowadays, even the kindest landowner the most they would leave for tenant farmers is 40%. Ruthless ones just giving 20% is also reality. 20% grains is only enough for tenant farmers to maintain livelihood if they scrimp and save.

“Let’s do it.” Yang Zi’an says, “here I have 60 people, 20 people to extract oil, 40 to open up the land.”

Lin Yuan’s eyes widened:”It’s not yet spring, the earth is still frozen, can it even be opened?”

Yang Zi’an waves his hand:”We were originally farmers, relying on the land to live. Recently the weather has warmed a bit, the earth is not as hard so we can have the land ready before sowing the seeds.”

Lin Yuan knows nothing of farming but the people at Yang Zi’an’s side are all of farming origins, no one could be more professional than them in relation to farming and agriculture.

“If brother Yang say so then that is what we will do.” Lin Yuan says quickly, “I also need to have some people build a house.”

He prepares to build a communal building similar to apartment buildings for the tenant farmers. In this era, death is caused by a number of things but the most important is illness. A cold means death, not to mention other kinds. He has no desire for his tenant farmers to become disposable objects, every once in a while needing a replacement.

Anything else he has no ability for, but improving the living conditions is doable.

It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just three floors high. Only there is no concrete now . He can find a replacement for cement and bricks, though expensive, but Lin Yuan can still support the expense.

In short, as long as there is money, a building with only three floors, Lin Yuan is sure the artisans and smiths of this time will be able to build it.

Lin Yuan has never belittled the laborers of ancient times.

Everything discussed and agreed upon, Lin Yuan lead 20 people to the farmstead he rented for his temporary oil plant. Yang Zi’an also prepares to bring people to open up the land. They hadn’t discuss wages but both agreed, once the land is opened up the same people will be Lin Yuan’s tenant farmers. In other words Lin Yuan doesn’t need to give money or provide living quarters, only guarantee they have food.

Yang Zi’an even said:”We can set up a shack to live in, sleeping close at night, no one died from cold before.”

Lin Yuan:”…..Fine.”

Brother Dao also went back to pick up his guys, a total of 40 grown men stood in front of Lin Yuan but he couldn’t help sighing. Like brother Dao with a muscular physique is too few, he could tell that brother Dao must have had good days.

The average person, no matter how much physical labor they worked, if their diet is not good, then they wouldn’t be able to grow any muscles, instead they would just look malnourished. At least they are not too old and still have strength.

But once they grow older, then they will begin to suffer pains and ailments.

Brother Dao’s guys don’t have any dependents. They all came from the same village whose villagers scattered in all directions in their fleeing. The ones following brother Dao have lost touch with their own families. Now, they are just responsible for themselves. As for finding their lost families, they don’t dare to think of it.

The world is this large, once they have lost touch then it would be difficult to be reunited during ancient times.

Yang Zi’an’s people on the other hand does have dependents, their burden being greater. Hearing that there is work, every one of them laughed and smiled in joy. It has been a long while since they had not felt hungry.

A large group of people left for the oil plant. Normally, such a large crowd cannot be seen so the passerbys on the street looked at them in curiosity.

A small child drinking squash soup asks:”Mama, what are they doing?”

The woman also doesn’t know:”Mama also doesn’t know.”

Curious passerbys:”This many people, not carrying any weapons or anything, what are they doing?”

“You ask me? Not like I know.”

The farmstead is very big, but inside other than a few stoves and metal pots and wooden stools, there was nothing else. The backyard has a well so at least getting water is convenient.

Lin Yuan explains in detail how to extract oil. The day before must let the soybeans first ferment. Then on the second day will the process begin. Because there is no special chemicals the oil production cannot be compared to modern times but in comparison to squeezing oil from vegetables the situation is much better.

A group of grown men stared gaping at the pot of oil, their eyes disbelieving.

“So this is oil?”

“Oh my heavens, oil is actually not squeezed out.”

Some asked Lin Yuan:”Boss, how much is the oil?”

Lin Yuan:”10 coins a pound.”

“That cheap!” The men discussed with each other and decided to chip in and buy a pound worth of oil home so that their families can try some. After entering winter, they didn’t dare to buy any oil, their normal diet being a few mian wo (TN: Chinese doughnut) a day.

After learning the steps, they began to work, cherishing the opportunity since scattered work cannot be found anymore and firewood does not make enough. If there’s no money then they would starve.

If you starve for too long then you become bloated and death would not be long to follow.

Brother Dao supervises at the sides, after watching for awhile he couldn’t resist entering the fray. Watching water become oil is as if water produce money, makes one’s heart pound eagerly.

The sky gradually darkened and the last orange light disappeared with the setting sun. The farmstead was lit with oil lamps. Lin Yuan tried to convince them to rest for the day but this group of people were unwilling. They are still affected by the novelty. As more pots of oil came out their sense of accomplishment was no less then plentiful harvest after farming.

And this is much lighter work compared to harvest.

“Alright, then I will go back first, you all make sure to rest.” Lin Yuan notified them, finding out brother Dao did not want to go back either so he left first.

Brother Dao had two people send him home. Lin Yuan did not refuse. He had no choice, currently he is rather frail due to young age and lack of exercise. If he were to encounter a robbery then he would end up returning home stripped of everything.

The two fellows sending him home are still quite young, 17-18 years of age. At first they were rather reserved as Lin Yuan is their boss but soon they became more familiar and began to talk.

“I have never seen this much oil in my life!”

“You can even take a bath with that much oil!”

They excitedly ask Lin Yuan:”Boss, how did you know that oil can be produced this way?”

Lin Yuan told a small white lie:”In the north, a visiting merchant used the information to buy a house.”

“Boss, you weren’t afraid he was lying to you?”

“Merchants can be ruthless!”

Lin Yuan looked at their innocent and naive faces and sighed soundlessly. The history books would not record these regular people. The flesh and blood of the living will soon become dust in the wind.

TN: Next chapter coming up a little later.