After running around all morning, and by noon meal, Richard really felt hungry, he hadn't felt so hungry for a long time.

Stick noodle porridge and wowotou were really not hungry, so he found a restaurant outside the dock to prepare a feast.

These two days of experiencing the vivid life of the people at the bottom gave him a real understanding of the current level of economic development of the empire;

It's a thriving emerging economy, full of opportunities and a vibrant energy, but it's not as rosy and rich as you could have imagined.

Take, for example, the British Empire;

Britain from 1860 to 1870 is the most glorious peak of the Victorian period, in the past 10 years, every year the income of the British people has a rapid growth of about 10% ~ 15%, the overall income level has doubled and a half, and the ordinary working families have greatly improved.

In 1870, the overall growth of the British economy fell to about 1%, which brought the end of 10 years of high income growth, and what remained was a long period of decline.

Average it down

The income of ordinary people in the Tang Empire is about half of the level of Britain, almost the level of France, about double that of the Kingdom of Prussia, and there is still a lot of room for growth, but it is already at the top level of the world.

The value of the currency of the Tang Empire was pegged to gold, there was no inflation, and the purchasing power of the currency was surprisingly high.

One yuan was worth about one tael of silver during the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, and the average annual income of ordinary workers in the empire was 77.2 Tang Yuan, and the income level of Chang'an, the imperial capital, was higher, reaching 109.5 yuan per capita, worth about 28 pounds and 10 shillings, which was the city with the highest average income level.

In a dozen or so families in the compound

There are only three households with an annual income of more than 100 yuan, one of which is owned by a low-level government employee, one is a bakery, one is a senior mold turner of the Royal Chang'an Mint, and the others are under 100 yuan.

The reason why the average level of the imperial capital Chang'an is so high is because there are a large number of top magnates here, imperial government departments and world-class large companies, and the salary level has risen a lot out of thin air, and the common people belong to the average part.

Los Angeles, the city's second-largest city in terms of household income, has always been known for its affluence, with three of the empire's four major oil companies headquartered here, and the average salary per capita is only 91.2 yuan, which is much worse than the imperial capital Chang'an.

Mexico City is the last million-dollar city with the lowest annual income of residents, with a per capita salary of only 64.37 yuan, which is lower than the average annual income of the empire.

This is because in the vast central part of North America, in the more developed provinces of the Pacific coast, ordinary farmers and ranchers, as well as agricultural workers, have benefited from the booming grain market in recent years, and the average annual salary is not low.

These areas are less than 20% of the size of the empire, but the population accounts for more than two-thirds of the empire, and the average income is higher than the national level, with an average annual income of 84.6 yuan.

It lags behind in Central and South America, as well as several overseas provinces, where incomes are generally lower than the national average.

In restaurants

Richard ordered a potato stewed beef, a 4-pound braised large yellow croaker with green onions, grilled lamb chops and a plate of fungus assorted vegetables, plus a pot of Shaoxing rice wine, and a plate of toasted bread, all of which added up to only 1 yuan and 3 dimes, which was enough for 4 people to eat.

He sat alone in the private seat between the screens, and ate the soup dripping with joy.

The stewed beef with potatoes served in the casserole is generous, the large pieces of beef stew are soft and chewy, the potatoes that have absorbed the juice are soft and delicious, and the thick sauce is also very delicious with toast.

There is also a large plate of 4 catties of green onion roasted large yellow croaker, this is a real marine wild animal, garlic clove fish meat is extremely tender, this plate is only a dime 6 cents, how cheap?

In this era, wild yellow croaker was an ordinary thing to drink, and it was not unusual at all.

Not to mention how much it weighs 4 catties, it is more than 40 catties are common, and it is one of the largest marine fish species caught by fishing boats.

A single two-pound canned salted yellow croaker in Seattle is a brand-name product exported to Europe, and the price in London has reached 1 shilling and 6 pence, worth about 3 jiao and 3 cents, which is quite expensive.

This kind of canned yellow croaker has no spines, and only has a faint salty taste after salting, which adds to the fresh flavor of the meat, and is widely loved by the European middle class and aristocracy, and sells well.

Richard was feasting and listening to the chit-chat of the guests in the hotel, which can be regarded as a way to go deep into the grassroots to understand the situation.

The people who eat in this restaurant are all people around the pier, and the topics of conversation are naturally inseparable from the things on the pier.

There is a large wave of the type of relationship eating, some merchants are looking for warehouses, some shipping companies are looking for unloading schedules, some car owners are looking for words, familiar contact feelings, and unfamiliar ones are familiar with pushing cups and changing lamps.

There are also German merchants entertaining guests, and they are doing authentic according to the local customs, and everything is played according to the rules of the Chinese world.

After listening for a while, Richard also smiled and turned his mind to the window.

This time, he was still sitting in the front seat by the window, but on the second floor, from which he could see trucks and heavy wagons rushing out of their respective unloading warehouses.

There are many varieties of goods in the bulk cargo terminal, miscellaneous types, most of them are not resistant to open air storage, so there are many warehouses of all kinds, the streets near the wharf are warehouse areas on both sides, and the trading houses along the street are densely lined up, and I don't know how many.

There are many taverns, teahouses, inns, and prostitutes, forming a very lively neighborhood, where you can see all kinds of people, British and French managers, Italians and Irishmen pulling carts, Dutch shipowners or Fuso prostitutes.

The distinctive kimono of the Fuso women and the moon head of the men are very recognizable, but they are generally met with contempt on the streets.

The two patrol officers were bored, so they gathered more than 10 Fuso people, both male and female, together and bowed to the passers-by.

Pass a pedestrian and bow to see who holds on for the longest time?

As a result, it was only five or six minutes, and the long one lasted less than 10 minutes, and I was all tired and paralyzed on the ground.

The two military policemen seemed to have made a bet, but the one who lost the money angrily took out his baton and pumped several sticks at each of these uncompetitive Fuso people, causing the onlookers to laugh.

Those Fuso men with moon heads were short, and they didn't have the usual katana at their waists, and they nodded vigorously with wooden slippers on their feet and said "I'm sorry to disappoint the chief" and "I'm sorry to cause you trouble", but what is the use?

The traditional Fuso katana is not separated, but this does not work in the Tang Empire.

As long as the Fuso people walking on the street carry a knife at their waists, they will be stopped by the police, who will then be ordered to kneel and hold their heads in their hands to be examined.

Satanas were confiscated, beatings were severed and thrown into prison, and those who dared to resist were immediately killed, and they were not allowed to bring any weapons, including knives and guns.

Because they are not citizens of the Tang Empire, they have no right to hold weapons, let alone knives and guns, and longer wooden sticks have to be checked repeatedly.

While enjoying the smooth and delicious wild yellow croaker, Richard drank rice wine leisurely, looking at the bustle outside the window with relish, and had no intention of stopping it.

Isn't that great?

If the Japanese are afraid of power but not virtue, they should plant the seeds of fear in their hearts as early as possible. Take obedience as the first priority, whip with a whip, and don't hesitate to teach with a gun.

You treat the Japanese slaves as a person, and the Japanese slaves really think that they can do it.

Richard was thinking about the fact that the wharves were rich in oil and water, and that the tax revenue could be mentioned again, and the extra financial funds would be used for education or the construction of medical facilities.

Just like Pier 9, you can pluck out your leg hair at will, and you can build several more hospitals and more than a dozen schools every year.

The Tang Yuan currency of the Tang Empire was strong, and the imperial government had preferential policies for the construction of hospitals and schools, first of all, tax exemption for 5 years, and preferential or even free land allocation, which saved major expenses in Chang'an, the imperial capital of every inch of land.

To build a hospital, tens of thousands of dollars are enough.

To build a standard primary school, five or six thousand yuan is enough, that is, a dozen bungalows plus a playground in the middle, and the construction cost is not high.

The tuition fees paid by students can support the expenses of the school to hire teachers, and the basic expenses of public schools are partially subsidized by financial allocations, and a primary school with several hundred students is about 1,000 yuan, and the shortfall is solved by donations from enthusiastic people.

In today's Chang'an City

The total number of primary schools has reached more than 330, 47 middle schools, 18 universities and various junior colleges, forming a relatively complete education system, including royal charity education, government public education, private education, and religious charity schools.

Among them

Royal charity education and government public education both focus on universal education, and the high-end part of private education is elite education, which is also a place where famous teachers gather, and the same education cost is high, and ordinary families cannot afford it.

For example, the famous Moling College in Los Angeles is an expensive private school, with a student's annual tuition fee of more than 300 yuan, in addition to various additional expenses, all kinds of things, 600 yuan a year can not be afforded, and the average middle-class family cannot afford it.

The school has custom school uniforms embroidered with the name of Moling College, from hats to leather shoes, and the four seasons are different in spring, summer, autumn and winter. Exclusive sportswear for various sports is also required, such as riding jerseys for horseback riding, baseball uniforms for baseball, sailor uniforms for rowing, practice uniforms for dancing, and more.

One more sport you participate in, and you will have one more famous teacher's fee.

For example, the baseball class is taught by retired famous baseball players, and the salary offered by the private school is expensive, and the fees are of course high.

Don't look at the high price, people still have quota restrictions, and if the sports conditions are not good, they will not be charged!

Just ask if it's angry?

But the more arrogant they were, the more the aristocratic families of the empire flocked to it, and they sent their children to Moling School one after another.

(End of chapter)