Chapter 183 The Labor Reformers' Thoughts
Troupe Leader Zhang pondered, *The Heavenly Lord was truly right. Our Zhang troupe only knows a few dozen plays. If we were in a populous place like the county town, we could perform these plays repeatedly, and there would always be new audiences who hadn't seen them yet.*
But in this peculiar little village, the number of villagers is so small. If we perform one play every day, we'll have gone through the entire repertoire in a few dozen days. Who will come to watch after that?
Would we have to tuck our tails and slink back to the county town? The people there already struggle to eat; who would watch our plays? Would we have to go back to collecting relief grain? No! Absolutely not! We've finally managed to earn money performing here; I'd rather die than return to the county town.
A fierce flame ignited within Troupe Leader Zhang: *I must write new plays. Immediately. Right now.*
Just then, his gaze swept over the dispersing crowd, spotting a Daoist priest among them.
Ma Tianzheng!
Troupe Leader Zhang was overjoyed. He darted forward. "Daoist priest, please wait!"
Ma Tianzheng bowed respectfully. "How may I help you, benefactor?"
Troupe Leader Zhang asked, "You just watched our Northern Shaanxi Daoist Opera, didn't you?"
Troupe Leader Zhang declared, "Northern Shaanxi Daoist Opera is mainly adapted from Daoist stories, and I... I want to adapt more of them into Northern Shaanxi Daoist Opera."
Ma Tianzheng was secretly pleased. Daoists also sought to spread their teachings, and he already loved telling Daoist stories to people. Since this man was interested and even planned to adapt them into plays for the common folk, that was a great good indeed.
A win-win with no losses, a mutually beneficial endeavor, naturally led to an immediate consensus.
There was no need to wait until tomorrow; they would begin tonight, conversing late into the night by lamplight.
After seeing everyone depart, Li Daoxuan finally turned off the colored lights and took them out of the box. These electrical gadgets couldn't stay in the box indefinitely. If some mischievous little scamp got itchy fingers and cut a wire with their "My Heaven Rabbit Rending Overlord Sword," there was no telling what trouble might arise.
No sooner had he put away the lights than he noticed a group of people leaving a corner of Gao Family Village's commercial district, looking dejected. They seemed out of place among the celebrating crowds.
Looking closer, he saw they were a group of labor reform prisoners.
This piqued Li Daoxuan's interest, so he focused intently on them.
At first, the surroundings were too noisy for Li Daoxuan to hear their words clearly, but once they reached the entrance of the Labor Offenders Village, away from the clamor, he could hear them distinctly.
One labor reform prisoner grumbled resentfully, "Sigh! Everyone else is tipping the opera troupe, but we have no money."
"Right!" another interjected. "Even if I had one copper coin, I would have given it. But I don't have any, and it feels so shameful."
"We're labor reform prisoners; what face do we have?" someone sighed deeply. "It's all our fault for attacking Gao Family Village back then. That was a wicked act that would have cost them their lives. The fact that they didn't kill us and even give us food is a blessing from above. We can't complain about anything now."
"I know, I'm not complaining," the first speaker said gloomily. "It's just, seeing even the later refugees who work as short-term laborers living better than us, it makes me sad. If only I hadn't followed Zhong Guangdao's foolishness back then."
"So you're from Zhongjia Village."
"Yes, my name is Zhong Gaoliang."
"Your name..."
Zhong Gaoliang sighed. "I'm truly not complaining. The Heavenly Lord and the people of Gao Family Village have treated us well. San Shier is also a kind-hearted man; he often secretly gives us extra food. I just regret taking the wrong path back then. If I hadn't made that mistake, with my strength, I'm sure I wouldn't earn any less than the short-term laborers."
"Sigh, that's true!"
"Who knows when this labor reform will end?"
A group of labor reform prisoners shook their heads and sighed, slipping into the plastic houses of the Labor Offenders Village.
Li Daoxuan listened silently until this point, then mentally calculated. *Hmm, it's been a while.* These labor reform prisoners were captured and thrown into the Labor Offenders Village in the eighth or ninth lunar month of 1627 when they attacked Gao Family Village. It was now the end of the third lunar month of 1628, meaning they had been labor reform prisoners for half a year.
Of course, for a crime like "attempted robbery and murder," this was actually a very short sentence. Under modern law, they would have been imprisoned for at least ten to eight years.
But...
There were, after all, significant differences in the general environment between modern times and the late Ming Dynasty. He couldn't simply apply modern sentencing guidelines.
It was about time to start organizing activities like "establishing labor reform models" and "reducing sentences for early release" to give them some hope, boost their motivation, and help them regain hope for their lives.
The next morning, very early.
San Shier was already up. Lately, he had been rising early and working late, for he was diligently researching a major undertaking.
That was the "wage categorization adjustment." Xing Honglang had mentioned it to him previously, and he had been planning it ever since: to list all current professions in Gao Family Village and then distribute "different types" of goods for each profession. This way, those who received rice but no oil would have to exchange rice for oil.
Those who received oil but no salt would have to exchange oil for salt.
All the goods in Gao Family Village would circulate internally, which would be a healthier economic system.
This was no simple task. He first had to calculate the approximate value of each type of good himself. Only then could he distribute a fair amount when paying wages, to avoid workers feeling that their wages were being withheld.
He was racking his brain over the calculations
when Gao Yiye knocked outside. "San Shier, are you awake? The Heavenly Lord wants me to tell you something."
San Shier's spirits perked up. He quickly opened the door. "What does the Heavenly Lord command?"
Gao Yiye asked, "You've been in charge of the miscellaneous affairs at the Labor Offenders Village, haven't you?"
San Shier nodded. "I oversee the general direction, and the details are managed by Tan Liwen."
Gao Yiye relayed, "That makes it easy. The Heavenly Lord said he remembers five new labor reform prisoners whose offense wasn't very serious. They apparently stole from Old Man Shi."
The incident wasn't long ago, happening after Padi Tu arrived, so San Shier remembered it clearly. "Yes, that happened on Lunar New Year's Day. Those five men struck Old Man Shi with a stick and stole his food. Later, Padi Tu brought people to catch them, and they were thrown into the Labor Offenders Village. It has been three months now."
Li Daoxuan secretly praised him: *This fellow truly deserves his reputation for years of community outreach; he remembers even trivial matters like this clearly. I'd forgotten it happened on Lunar New Year's Day, but he still remembers.*
"Yiye, tell San Shier that the offense of these five men was minor, and three months of labor reform has atoned for their sins. Have San Shier organize a grand 'release ceremony' for them. Release these five men in front of all the other labor reform prisoners, arrange for them to live in the Short-term Workers Village, and their wages will be paid as usual from now on."
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