"Take out a loan to repair the river, and repay the loan for a fee?" Hai Rui was stunned for a moment when he heard this, then shook his head and smiled: "You kid, you can always give me some new tricks." ”

With Haigong's ingenuity, of course, he will understand the doorway here as soon as he hears it - in addition to the river can discharge floods and divert water, it is also an excellent transportation channel. The Jiangnan Group first lent money to the government to repair the river, and then the government authorized them to set up cards to pay off their debts. It's very simple and easy to understand, and it's not elaborate at all. But the first person who thought of this method was an out-and-out genius.

Niu Mo has no lines for several chapters, so he hurriedly echoed: "Zhao Gongzi's ideas are endless, he is really a genius." ”

"Don't say that," Zhao Gongzi took a sip of tea with a smile and said modestly, "I'm just standing on the shoulders of giants." ”

"That's really an idea," he said. Hai Rui ignored his habitual mouth, pondered carefully for a while, and said: "It is also reasonable for the government to borrow money to repair the river first, and then use the future income of the river to repay the loan. ”

After a pause, he raised his head and looked at Zhao Hao fixedly: "But what if you engage in the set of 'if you want to cross this road, leave the money to buy the road' and charge a high toll?" ”

"Hahaha, Zhongcheng can rest assured." Zhao Hao shook his head and laughed loudly: "Jiangnan Group will never do that kind of stupid thing to fish with all its might. ”

After a pause, he said with a frank face: "In fact, we want the right to collect river tolls, not for the sake of tolls, but for the sake of less tolls. ”

"To charge less?" Hai Rui and the three of them were stunned.

"Yes. Haigong rectified the excessive taxation and miscellaneous taxes in Chun'an, and it should be best known that although the imperial court did not have the power to collect transit taxes from counties, the bad habit of plucking the feathers of geese has accumulated for a long time. For all transit business travel goods, the inspection department shall draw points, and the river berth shall collect ship materials; And those sluice officials and dam officials...... But whoever can stretch his hand to the river will extort silver taels from the merchant ships and civilian ships that pass through the locks. ”

"Although each group of people did not collect much, there were many people who could not hold back their hands. Cargo ships often travel from Wuhu to Shanghai via the Wushen Canal, and the taxes and fees paid by them even exceed the value of the goods themselves, which seriously hinders the development of commerce in the south of the Yangtze River. Zhao Hao said with a sad face:

"If only the money was taken for the people, it would be for the people. But if all of them are filled with their own pockets, what good will it do to the country and the people? ”

After speaking, he spread his hands and said: "In this case, Zhongcheng might as well package the right to charge to us." We can guarantee that only one percent of the loan will be repaid each year, in addition to the cost of river maintenance. In this way, each river receives less than 2,000 taels of silver per year on average, so what else does Zhongcheng have to worry about? ”

"Really?" Hai Rui was a little incredulous: "What can you do with this little silver?" ”

"Let's earn personal labor expenses." Zhao Hao smiled and said: "It's still the same sentence, what we want is circulation, and we want to let the goods flow smoothly in Jiangnan, which is the most valuable for Jiangnan Group!" As for the loss of Jiangnan Bank, Zhongcheng does not have to worry, the group will give subsidies, and will not pass it on to the people of Jiangnan. ”

Niu Yanshi and Zhang Ji's old faces were slightly hot when they heard this, they understood what Zhao Gongzi said - Jiangnan Group would rather post money to the government, just begging them not to cause trouble......

"Well, let's do it." Hai Rui nodded, since it was good for the court and the people, he had nothing to worry about.

~~

The Wusong and Huangpu projects, Hai Rui has completed the inspection, he originally planned to spend a month to gather the people, raise materials, and start construction on the third day of the first month of the fourth year of Longqing.

It took less than a month to gather more than 100,000 people, mainly relying on Hai Qingtian's strong appeal. And this appeal comes from his single-mindedness in being the master of the people, which really reduced the burden on the people - since Hai Jui implemented a whip law, the burden of the people has been greatly reduced, and all kinds of additional assignments have been canceled. ’

The common people accepted his affection and knew that Haigong was sincerely for their good, so naturally an order was given, and many responders gathered.

Now, coupled with the mature recruitment system of Jiangnan Group, the assembly time of people and materials can be shortened by half, and work can start before the year.

As for the other four projects, they will be carried out in accordance with the principle of preparing one place and launching one place, and strive to complete the main project of 'Wusong-Huangpu-Baimao' before the end of March of the fourth year of Longqing, and the 'Loujiang-Taipu-Wangyu' project before the rainy season, so that the Wuzhong area can be completely shaken off the floods.

After the discussion was established, Hai Rui left Pudong non-stop and went to Baimao River to inspect. After finishing the work, I will continue to inspect the Taipu River, Wangyu River and Loujiang River, and it would be good to be able to go home before the year.

Zhao Hao also declined Zhang Ji's invitation and returned to Kunshan County by boat.

Perhaps because he was going home, the hard work he had accumulated non-stop for a year finally broke out, and he suddenly felt tired.

In order to hide quietly, Zhao Hao asked Secretary Ma to pass the word back, don't pick up the wind and don't greet him, let himself rest quietly for a few days, and reunite in Suzhou on the fifteenth day of the lunar month.

Zhao Gongzi first sent Gao Jie to Jiangnan Hospital and handed him over to Wan Mizhai and Li Shizhen for diagnosis and treatment. As soon as they saw Zhao Hao, several divine doctors had their eyes lit up, and they pulled him to the laboratory.

"There have been a lot of new discoveries this year, so you'll have to take a look!" Li Shizhen's face flushed with excitement and said: "It's all an amazing discovery, the kind that is enough to subvert medical books!" ”

"Let me rest for a few days and take a breath." Zhao Hao hurriedly broke free. Let these three hold on, and don't think about going home until dark. "I'll be in Suzhou for the whole year next year, so it's not bad for a few days."

To put it mildly, the three of them let him go.

~~

When he returned to the boat, seeing that the wind outside was warm on weekdays, Zhao Hao and Zheng Ruozeng stood on the bow of the boat, watching the boats on the Xiaoli River come and go, and the two sides of the strait were becoming more and more prosperous.

In addition to the Jiangnan Hospital, cotton spinning farms, carpentry yards, farm tool shops, blacksmith shops, rice and flour grain and oil shops, and livestock shops have been built on both sides of the strait...... There are nearly 100 shops and dozens of businesses in the river, becoming a town that stretches for miles.

In fact, in order to prevent environmental pollution, no workshops are allowed to be opened within one kilometer of Jiangnan Hospital. Moreover, the procurement standards of hospital materials are extremely strict, and they cannot be produced by these shops in towns outside the city.

Initially, it served several nearby farms. The farm is centrally managed, and the farm is purchased in a unified manner, such as the purchase of farm tools, the use of ploughing cattle, and the purchase of farm fertilizer. In fact, the destruction of a completely self-sufficient small-scale peasant economy would generate a large amount of external demand.

Where there is demand, there is a market, and the people of Jiangnan with a keen sense of smell will naturally not let go of this business opportunity, and a number of workshops, shops, and markets have also come into being in the town of Luhe. Farms and agricultural workers also sell surplus agricultural products such as beans, wheat, vegetables and vegetables, chickens, ducks, goose eggs, lotus roots, water chestnuts, and handicrafts such as rattan weaving, coarse cloth, and bamboo utensils.

The peasant workers had money in their hands, and they had to buy furniture and daily necessities. As a result, it further evolved into an exchange market for agricultural and sideline products, handicrafts and daily necessities, which in turn attracted people from all over the country to come here to buy and sell and do business, making Xiaolai River another emerging Jiangnan town.

The industrial and commercial town is one of the important symbols of the development of the commodity economy in the south of the Yangtze River. These large and small towns outside the major cities in the south of the Yangtze River are the link between the city and the countryside. They are often located on both sides of important rivers and bridges across rivers, and can be easily transported by ship without being bound by the walls of the four sides, allowing them to develop at will.

In addition, there is less harassment from the government outside the city, and the proximity to the countryside means that it is easy to obtain agricultural products and raw materials, so in Jiangnan, there are many towns with dense business populations, prosperous streets, prosperous markets, and developed industry and commerce, and the degree of prosperity is not inferior to that of the cities.

For example, Shengze, Pingwang, and Weiting in Suzhou; Nanxiang in Jiading, Nanxun and Wuzhen in Huzhou, and Wangjiangjing and Puyuan Town in Jiaxing, etc......

Although compared to those famous giant towns in the south of the Yangtze River, this town on the banks of the Xiaoli River can only be regarded as a younger brother. But its growth from scratch is itself a sign that Kunshan's economy has finally begun to flourish!

"Originally, there was nothing on both sides of the strait." Zheng Ruozeng, a native of Kunshan, naturally felt a lot of emotion. "Such a prosperous town has also appeared in our Kunshan."

"Yes, our people in the Ming Dynasty are the most industrious and intelligent in the world." Zhao Hao nodded with a smile and said, "As long as they are given a relaxed and safe environment, they will live a prosperous life." ”

"Oh, I'm ashamed." Zheng Ruozeng sighed. Relaxation and safety are simple to say, but after so many years, it is the first time that it has come to Kunshan County.

"Thanks to the old parents and son-in-law......" he sincerely sighed.

"Hey, it's all home, so don't be polite." Zhao Hao smiled and waved his hand, and Zhengjiazhuang was in front of him. "Mr. Kaiyang, go home early to rest, we will go to Suzhou again in a few days."

"Let Childe bother." Zheng Ruozeng nodded with a smile and said, "Childe, go back and rest early." ”

Soon after Zheng Ruozeng got off the boat, the county seat of Kunshan was in sight.

But the normal way to enter the city in a quarter of an hour, Zhao Hao spent an hour.

Because of the Lou River, which flows from the south of the city, it actually blocked the boat......

"What's going on?" Looking at the river blocked into a pot of porridge in front of him, Zhao Hao was inexplicably a little irritable, this feeling of being at home and not being able to return home was really unpleasant.

"Childe is angry." Xiong Dianshi, who made a special trip to the county border to welcome him home, helplessly explained: "Since the sea has been opened, it has been blocked like this from time to time. The river is too narrow, there are too many boats coming and going, and there are boats going into and out of the city, so it is strange that it is not blocked. ”

After a pause, he added: "These two days have been particularly blocked. ”

"Oh." Zhao Gongzi nodded, somewhat understanding that this was actually his pot. "It seems that it is imperative to widen the Loujiang River."

The straight Loujiang River leads to the Yangtze River from Suzhou Loumen through Kunshan and Taicang, which is a very busy waterway. After the grain was shipped by sea, the number of ships transiting through it increased sharply several times, and it was strange that there was no blockage in such a place as the county seat.