Chapter 44

### Chapter 44: A Promising Future Beckons

In the seventh year of Tianqi, it was undoubtedly a bad year for the common people. The early spring was short of rain, and during the lean period, there was hardly any rainfall. Digging wells was out of the question; the government did not care, and ordinary households had no money. Those who had some land had to pay their taxes in full, and the rent they owed could not be reduced by a single grain. A large number of self-cultivating farmers went bankrupt, and local gentry took the opportunity to consolidate land. They did not have to pay taxes, leading to a further reduction in the government's revenue.

In March, during the lean period, the magistrate of Chengcheng County in Shaanxi, Zhang Douyao, strictly enforced tax collection. The clerks were as fierce as wolves, and the starving people were everywhere. A man named Wang Er became a spark that ignited the dry grass of Shaanxi. He gathered hundreds of starving people, painted their faces black, broke into Chengcheng County, killed Zhang Douyao, and thus began the massive peasant uprisings at the end of the Ming Dynasty. The governor of Shaanxi, Hu Tingyan, was old and senile, and neglected his duties. Whenever there was a report of a peasant uprising, he would harshly reprimand the local officials. This governor was afraid of trouble; whenever there was news of a peasant uprising, he would scold his subordinates for making a fuss, saying it was just some starving people and things would be better after the spring.

As a result, the local officials did not dare to report anymore. It was not until the situation became uncontrollable that Hu Tingyan reported to the court. By then, the entire Shaanxi was in chaos, and the composition of the rebels had changed from just starving people to include border soldiers, starving people, bandits, and miners.

Shaanxi was too far away, and with Hu Tingyan's concealment, Shandong naturally had no way of knowing. Overall, although life was hard, Shandong was still manageable. Compared to Shaanxi and Shanxi, Shandong was a relatively wealthy province.

However, this wealth was very limited. Ordinary people were often hungry and cold, but they had not reached the point of rebellion.

As the New Year approached, Chen Xie's basic living facilities construction was completed. On the 25th of the twelfth month, the one-week project was declared a success. The past week had been a week of surprises for everyone in the large house except Chen Xie. The hand pump quickly won the favor of the servants, as it made drawing water much easier.

The hand pump was just a small matter; the real joy was yet to come. That morning, two strong women followed Chen Xie, their ears perked up and their eyes fixed on his fingers.

"This is a thermometer. See this red dot and this movable pointer. When you take a bath, align the pointer with this red dot, and then start the fire. To boil water, move the pointer to the last red dot. Remember, when it starts to hiss and steam comes out, you must stop the fire. Don't keep burning it. And here, this shows how much water is left. When the pointer reaches this position, you need to add more water." Chen Xie could not make these illiterate women understand Arabic numerals, so he had to transform it into a simple boiler. This cost a bit of money, but the technology was not difficult, just a pressure valve and a few pointer marks.

Chen Xie personally started the fire to heat the water. To accommodate Ming Dynasty customs, a wall was added to the women's bathhouse, and the doors of the men's and women's bathhouses opened in opposite directions, with the boiler room in between, leaving no room for any隐患 (hidden dangers). Besides, the so-called men's bathhouse was not open to the public; it was for Chen Xie's exclusive use. As the master, he had to have some privileges, right? It was just to avoid tarnishing the women's reputations.

Puff, puff, puff, the hot water bubbled in the tiled pool, with blue tiles as the base and white edges. Hongguo specially went in to test the water temperature and came out blushing, saying, "Master, the water is very hot."

Chen Xie smiled and said, "Did you all remember what I said?" The women nodded vigorously. Chen Xie, satisfied, handed the boiler to the two women and walked through a small door in the wall to the other side, ready to enjoy his first bath.

Just as he was about to close the door, he saw Wen Bajin waiting with a fawning smile. Seeing Chen Xie, he ran up and said, "Master, the tiles you brought, Lao Liu said he can make them, but he can't make them blue."

Porcelain from the Ming Dynasty was famous and valuable in modern society, but making tiles was not technically challenging. It was just that the people of the Ming Dynasty had not thought of using tiles. Now that Chen Xie had started, and given samples to Lao Liu, it was as simple as breaking through a window pane.

"Fine, if you want to start a tile factory, I don't object, just don't delay my project." Chen Xie waved his hand. He did not plan to make money from this. The tiles the Ming Dynasty could produce were limited in variety and quality, so it was easier to bring them from the modern era.

"No, I was thinking of inviting you to be a shareholder. Ideally, I would also like to invite Master Zhang to be a shareholder." Wen Bajin hesitantly explained his intentions. Chen Xie smiled and gave him a thumbs up. "Clever! Let me remind you, focus on your construction projects. Let professionals handle professional matters."

"Master, what does 'professional' mean?" Wen Bajin did not understand the new term. Chen Xie thought for a moment and said, "It means an expert. Lao Liu is an expert in kiln firing, so he is professional. You are not an expert, so you are not professional."

"Master, what about the hand pump..." Wen Bajin had big ambitions, but Chen Xie did not give him any face this time. He waved his hand dismissively. "Don't even think about it. Not only the cost of digging wells, but can you even get these things? And do you know how to find the water veins? Greed will only lead to your downfall. Get lost!"

Wen Bajin, though disappointed, was not discouraged and left with a smile. Chen Xie shouted from behind, "If you delay my project in the spring, watch out for your skin. I promise not to kill you."

This time, Wen Bajin was scared and trembled. The phrase "I promise not to kill you" was very popular now, meaning he would be left with just a breath of life, which was not much better than being dead.

For the people of Zhangjia Village, a promising future was beckoning. Any woman who could sew, aged between 14 and 50, could sign up to work in the workshop. They would first receive training to learn how to use a foot-operated sewing machine.

During the three-month training period, they would be provided with two meals a day, and at the end of the month, they would receive fabric to take home. Although the fabric was the same as what they used to learn the machine, they could take it apart and reuse it. Some clever women learned to operate the machine in just a few days. Along with those who could cut patterns, they were quickly confirmed to stay and start working, making school uniforms for the children.

The men had even more options. Those with extra labor at home could work on construction sites or in the brick kiln. There was no shortage of places to earn a living. Chen Xie did not even let Wen Bajin recruit people from other villages; he prioritized the people of Zhangjia Village, and only if there were not enough people would he recruit from outside.

It was precisely because of the villagers' hard work and difficulties that Chen Xie, the black-hearted landlord of Zhangjia Village, stood out. Of course, the villagers did not think of him that way; it was just Chen Xie's self-perception. Now, Chen Xie was afraid to listen to reports from Yuxuan and Yuzhu, as his conscience was being tested again and again.

Similarly, Hongguo and her sisters, who had formally left Chunxiang Lou, did not think of the divine doctor as a black-hearted landlord. Even without the divine doctor's intervention, Yingniang sent people to notify them that they could stay if they wished, and it was a blessing to be accepted by the divine doctor. They were encouraged to work hard and be worthy of the divine doctor's support.

When the sisters, holding the white iron basins (stainless steel) given by the divine doctor, entered the bathhouse, they were once again amazed by the divine doctor's kindness and compassion. Who would provide such a luxurious bathhouse for servants? Even the wealthiest families in Dengzhou did not have such a splendid bathhouse.

Hongguo stood in the changing room, looking at a sign on the mirror: "Caution: Slippery floor, do not go barefoot." The changing room had a row of wooden benches, only two feet high, and was kept warm by a heated floor. Each person was given a pair of wooden sandals. This item was not expensive, but the divine doctor still had Yuzhu provide them.

The women eagerly undressed, and the room was soon filled with white bodies. They laughed and played, touching each other's chests and private parts. Hongguo smiled and reminded them, "Stop fooling around. Hurry up and take a bath. After that, there's still training. If you don't learn well, you'll be sent back to Chunxiang Lou."

Hongguo's new role was the divine doctor's assistant. She did not know what an assistant did, but she knew the sisters were under her charge, and she was responsible to Yuzhu, who was responsible to the divine doctor. The hospital in Zhangjia Village was temporarily open only to the villagers. They were not very busy, as the main focus was on training. Every evening, the divine doctor would give them a lesson.

For the sisters, a promising future was truly beckoning.

As they lifted the heavy curtain, a wave of hot air greeted them. Several sisters were already soaking in the pool, their laughter filling the small space. On the wall, a faucet was turned on, and Hongguo, seeing this, angrily shouted, "Get out, all of you! Did you forget what I told you? Shower first, then get into the pool."

Without a word, Hongguo transformed into a demon, grabbing a ruler and entering the room. The three women who had entered the water first obediently lay on the wall, lifting their buttocks for her to spank. Each received ten solid strokes.

After the spanking, Hongguo cried, sobbing, "Sisters, this is the beginning of a good life. Treasure it! Remember, don't break the divine doctor's rules. Do you remember what the divine doctor said? Rules must be strictly enforced. Breaking them once seems easy, but breaking them twice leads to big problems, and by the third time, the rules no longer exist."

The sisters, feeling no resentment, only a sense of guilt towards the divine doctor, hugged each other and cried.

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**End of Chapter 44**