When Lin Yuan returned to the mansion, it was already dark. Knowing that Lin Yuan had returned home, Lin Guangyuan did not let Lin Yuan wait longer, Lin Yuan had just entered the study with his front foot, and Lin Guangyuan followed him to Lin Yuan's courtyard.

"Uncle Lin is here." Yu Shichao Lin Yuanyu reports.

Lin Yuan nodded and said, "Let Uncle Lin come in, Cai Quan will go make a pot of hot tea." ”

Strictly speaking, this is the first time the two have met, they haven't seen each other for nearly ten years, when they left home, Lin Guangyuan was still in the prime of life, he had been away from the house for so many years, and he took care of the entire Guogong Mansion by himself, and now he has long lost the heroic spirit of the guards around his grandfather, and he is already old with white hair.

In Lin Guangyuan's eyes, Lin Yuan's changes are not insignificant, he has lost the childishness before leaving the house, and he has been in the past ten years, because he has been on the border all the year round, and he has not been hollowed out early like those aristocratic children in Beijing, on the contrary, he is heroic and has the demeanor of a general back then.

"I've seen my grandfather, and the old slave is here to congratulate my grandfather on his triumphant return." Lin Guangyuan knelt down and saluted, this behavior made Lin Yuan a little uncomfortable, and he still couldn't stand some of the concepts of dignity and inferiority in this era.

Hurriedly got up and helped Lin Guangyuan up and said: "Uncle Lin can't be like this, you watched me grow up, I haven't been home for many years, and the whole house depends on you to take care of it, nothing big happened, so many years of hard work." ”

Lin Guangyuan was a little moved when he heard this, he has been walking on thin ice for many years, this heart has not been in vain, the main family is really like an ancestor, sympathetic to his subordinates.

Lin Guangyuan stood up and said with a smile: "Respect and orderliness, the main family is generous, but the subordinates must not lose their manners." After sitting down, Lin Guangyuan looked at Lin Yuan and said: "The general Quanxia knows, the grandfather finally did not insult the family style, and he made great contributions at a young age, and there are successors to my Yasukuni Mansion." ”

Lin Guangyuan was originally Lin Yuan's father's personal guard, but due to his injury, he left the barracks to take care of the daily affairs of the Guogong Mansion. Lin Yuan smiled and said, "I heard the report below that it was a poor harvest this year, I don't know what the situation is?" ”

Hearing Lin Yuan's question, Lin Guangyuan frowned, and sighed: "The situation is more serious than expected, and there are too many reasons for this, this year's northern expedition, most of the main laborers in the village have gone out, and there is already little land for the old and weak in the village, and there are not many fertile fields in Zhuangzi, so the harvest will naturally be affected." Coupled with the floods in the south of the Yangtze River, the grain transported to the north this year has also decreased. That's what makes the situation happen. ”

After listening to Lin Guangyuan's analysis of the current situation, Lin Yuan frowned, the situation was more serious than he thought: "How long can Zhuangzi last?" ”

"There are only a few days left, and I was going to transfer some more grain from the house today. But it's a drop in the bucket, and there will always be a time when the food in the house will run out. Lin Guangyuan shook his head and said.

The armament of the Great Zhou Dynasty was not much different from the dynasties of the previous life, farming in leisure time and conscription in wartime. Typical ploughing and warfare policy. However, one consequence of this practice cannot be ignored is that the post-war labor force has been sharply reduced. In this battle, although Da Zhou won a big victory, it still suffered a lot of losses. There are not a few Zhuangzi under the name of Yasukuni, but it is much more serious than others.

Seeing Lin Yuan's sad face, Lin Guangyuan sighed, the Yasukuni Mansion has been like this for generations, every time after a major war, Zhuangzi always has to spend a few years, and the Guogong Mansion is unwilling to give up the injured people, all of whom are supported by the Guogong Mansion, and it has become a big burden for so many years. Looking at the entire noble mansion in the capital, which rewarded Zhuangzi has so many injured and sick people.

"How much silver is left in the house?" Lin Yuan asked.

Lin Guangyuan knew that money would always be needed to solve problems, and replied: "There is still some money, three hundred taels of gold and one thousand two hundred taels of silver." If you spend as usual, I am afraid that you will not be able to survive the spring of next year. ”

Lin Yuan exclaimed: "How did you spend money in previous years? As far as I know, two taels of silver is enough for a family of three to spend a month. ”

"What Grandpa said is not bad, but our Zhuangzi is a little special, there are many injured and sick people, and the medical expenditure in January alone is hundreds of taels." Lin Guangyuan smiled bitterly.

"Why are there so many sick and wounded people?" Lin Yuan asked.

"Most of them are people who go on the expedition, almost every family has them, and the Guogong Mansion has rules, and all those who are wounded in battle in Zhuangzi must be supported to death." When Lin Yuan heard Lin Guangyuan say this, his heart was silent.

After thinking for a moment, his mind recalled the charcoal brazier he saw in Luoxian Tower today, and thought about the feasibility of the plan, Lin Yuan then looked at Lin Guangyuan and asked, "Do you know how the people in Beijing keep warm in winter?" ”

Lin Guangyuan didn't know that Lin Yuan suddenly asked such a question, and thought for a while: "Most of them are charcoal pots, and a few powerful families will use earth fire dragons. ”

"How many blacksmith shops are near the capital, and there are powerful people behind it." Lin Yuan then asked.

"There are a lot of blacksmith shops, there are dozens of them in Guangdong City, and as for the iron-making business, the magnates did not interfere, but there are several powerful people in Beijing who own a lot of iron mines." Lin Guangyuan said.

"Iron ore is not nationalized?" Lin Yuan was a little curious.

Although I don't know how the word state-owned came from, but thinking that it means that it is under the control of the Great Zhou Yamen, Lin Guangyuan shook his head and said: "Among the six ministries, only the Ministry of Industry has the responsibility of supervision, but the imperial court does not dig iron ore. ”

"Idiot!" Scolding secretly, Lin Yuan asked, "Which ones are they, you say I'll listen to them." ”

They are the Marquis of Huaiyin, Xiao Guogong and the West Sichuan Chamber of Commerce. Among them, Zhang Gu, the Marquis of Huaiyin, is the general's old friend, Xiao Guogong is the contemporary head of the Wei family in Jizhou, Wei Ming, and the West Sichuan Chamber of Commerce is the largest Chamber of Commerce in Beijing. Lin Guangyuan introduced. Although the government does not do business, there are still necessary things to know.

Lin Yuan weighed the few families introduced by Lin Guangyuan, and then ordered for a while: "You send a letter of worship to the Marquis of Huaiyin, and I will come to visit you in the next few days." In addition, I revealed a message to the West Sichuan Chamber of Commerce, and said that I have a big business to talk to them about, young master. ”

"Yes." Lin Guangyuan didn't ask much, he knew that Lin Yuan would not ask so much for no reason, as for why he didn't go to the Xiao Guogong Mansion, Lin Guangyuan probably also knew that although he was also a Guogong, the family never looked down on the Lin family, which started from the end of the country.

Early the next morning, Lin Yuan stretched his waist, looked at the results of the night's struggle on the table, nodded with satisfaction, put away the drawings, and shouted: "Cai Quan!" ”

The door was pushed open, and the early morning sun shone in, Cai Quan bowed and said, "Grandpa, what are your orders?" ”

got up and walked to the door, stretched out in the early morning sunshine and said, "Prepare some breakfast." ”

"Yes." Answered. Seeing that there were still some people standing in the courtyard, Lin Yuan was a little depressed, and turned his head to look at Yu Shidao, who had been leaning on the pillar all night: "How come there is not even a woman in this huge big mansion?" ”

"Uncle Lin said that the Lin family rules are disciplined, and if the man is not as good as the crown, he must be matched with a maid in the house. The previous maids in the house all entered the palace with Niangniang. ”

"It's really my sister." Lin Yuan complained, and was just about to turn around and go back to the house, when he saw Lin Guangyuan hurriedly running into the yard, and said with a worried face: "Grandpa is not good, something happened in Zhuangzi." ”

Lin Yuan's heart sank, and he hurriedly said, "Uncle Lin said slowly, what's wrong?" ”

"Wang Tong in Zhuangzi committed suicide by poisoning last night." Lin Guangyuan said hurriedly.

"Who is Wang Tong? Why commit suicide? Lin Yuan frowned.

Lin Guangyuan then remembered that Lin Yuan could remember the old man in Zhuangzi clearly. sighed: "Wang Tong is a former guard of the general, four out of fifty this year, ten years ago he was seriously injured and broke an arm. For several years, it has been supported by the national government. Childless and daughterless, he was only found in the house this morning, leaving only a letter before his death. ”

"What does the letter say?" Lin Yuan asked.

"He said that he was ashamed to have been supported by the house for many years, and he was already a waste, and living would only drag others down, so it was better to die." Lin Yuan listened, and his heart was blocked.

Wang Tong wanted to know that the house was difficult, and in his opinion, people like him in Zhuangzi had become a 'burden' to the house. If it drags on, according to the situation in the Guogong Mansion in previous years, I am afraid that many people will be dragged to death by themselves.

"Take some money from the house, hold a funeral for him, and tell the people in the Zhuangzi not to do stupid things, things will turn around in a few days." Lin Yuan didn't want to hear this kind of news anymore, if he didn't solve the current problem soon, there would be more and more situations like Wang Tong.

"Yes, the old slave will go." Lin Guangyuan turned around and rushed out of the house.

"Is this human life so worthless?" Lin Yuan said in a low voice.

"Grandpa is too careful, people have their own way of living, whether expensive or cheap, Wang Tong broke an arm because of the war, and life is inconvenient, which may also be a relief." Yu Shi persuaded him, Lin Yuan was silent, and turned back to the house. After a while, a voice came from the house: "You go and help Uncle Lin." ”

"Yes." Yu Shi responded, looked inside the house, and saw that there was no movement, so he turned around and went out to help. Grandpa is good anywhere, but his mind is too heavy.