Chapter 153: Factory Recruitment

"Ah."

Without any hesitation, Lu Tong pulled out his precious sword and charged toward the army ahead.

"Bang, bang, bang." Several bullets struck his various joints.

Lu Tong, who had just been holding a sharp sword and charging at them with fearless bravery, now lay powerless on the ground like a severely wounded beast, letting out a mournful and painful howl.

The astonishing penetrating power and destructive force of the bullets not only shattered the joints in Lu Tong's body but also tore his flesh and blood beyond recognition, forming a large, gruesome wound. His body trembled in pain, and his blood stained the surrounding earth red.

The disciples behind him, watching the neatly arranged muskets before them, trembled all over; at this moment, they realized how ridiculous the martial power they had relied on before was in the face of an army.

Facing such enemies, they did not even have the courage to resist and were taken away so easily; Lu Tong was severely injured but not dead, and such a famous figure should be handed over to the people for a public trial and then executed according to the law.

Lu Tong, who had already become a useless person, was taken by the revolutionary army to their prison, which was already overcrowded; inside were not only past criminals of heinous crimes but also gentry and Jurchen nobles undergoing labor reform.

The labor reform for these people was very simple: teaching them to read and write; what surprised him most was that the students of these masters were actually the dirt-poor peasants he usually looked down on.

He knew that in his daily life, whenever he saw these masters, he had to bow and scrape; there was no way, as for thousands of years the status of the scholar had always been the highest.

Even he had to kneel and kowtow when appearing in court, yet these people did not have to; as for those dirt-poor peasants, not to boast, even the subordinates under his subordinates did not deign to pay attention to such lowly people.

However, the gentry masters in the prison were always impatient in teaching them; it was said that they had to complete the quota given by the prison.

Those dirt-poor peasants were completely uninterested in the Confucian and Mencian doctrines taught by the gentry masters, saying only that it was feudal dross and refusing to learn; they wanted to learn Marxist-Leninist philosophy, as only that was useful; whether applying for factory work or becoming a member of the revolutionary army or later a cadre of the people's government, Marxist-Leninist theory was required for the exam.

The disciples who came with him were all taken out and shot without exception; only he was left here, and the prison warden told him that a leader of the most notorious black evil forces with such high prestige as him should be placed last for the people's public trial.

But he no longer cared; his heart was dead, which was his current state; all his family, his wife, and his children had been blown to pieces by cannons, and the enterprises he had struggled for half his life had been taken away.

All his joints had been shattered; a martial arts expert and hero of the Jianghu was now merely a cripple.

Even if he lived and got out, what would be the point? Death was the best choice for him.

Imprisoned for three months, the entire prison had been in a state of overcrowding, even while people were constantly being taken out and shot.

The madam of the brothel and her enforcers, those responsible for lending money at usurious rates in the city—all were taken out and shot without exception; only some petty rascals whose crimes were not serious underwent labor reform before being released.

"Hey, I didn't expect it; the people of the People's Government are really generous; after getting us in here, they even let these masters teach us poor devils to read and write. Brothers, once I get out of this big prison, I don't plan to sit around doing nothing like before; I must hurry up and prepare for the factory entrance exam." The person speaking was named Ma Sanban, a small-time thug in the prefecture who usually made a living by stealing chickens and dogs.

"Brother Ma, being a craftsman is a hard job; it's not only bitter but also tiring; the government not only delays paying wages but also makes your descendants become workers forever." A nearby rascal quickly advised.

"Hey, I usually say you guys have no vision; let me tell you, the world in our Song Dynasty has changed; the highest status is no longer held by the masters who used to bark orders, but by the revolutionary army soldiers and workers. Do you know how much money a worker in the factory can earn every month? Two taels of silver per month!" After Ma Sanban finished speaking, the rascals in the prison couldn't help but draw a sharp breath of cold air.

Since the time of Song Zhenzong, silver has been scarce, and the price of silver has continued to rise; basically, more than two thousand copper coins could be used as one tael.

One tael of silver could buy at least six shi of rice; one shi was about 66 kilograms; calculated this way, one could buy at least eight hundred jin of rice per month.

Hearing that workers' wages were so high, they were extremely envious in their hearts; how wonderful it would be if they could also enter the factory.

"Tch, you're already envious? This wage is only one of the benefits of becoming a worker; after becoming a worker, there are many welfare benefits; there is a canteen for meals; let me tell you, the food is very good, with a configuration of four dishes and one soup; sometimes there are buns, dumplings, and so on."

"The dormitories for accommodation are four people per room, clean and hygienic; if you get married, a couple's dormitory will be assigned, and even housing will be allocated; if children go to school, there are children's kindergartens and primary schools; during festivals, the factory not only gives holidays but also distributes good things; besides rice, flour, grain, and oil, there are also special items for the festival; mooncakes with five kernels are distributed during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and zongzi, meat zongzi, are distributed during the Dragon Boat Festival."

"Near the factory there is a labor park, with a swimming pool and a bathhouse; when you have nothing to do, you can take your family there to exercise, swim, take a bath, and so on."

Listening to Ma Sanban's narration, everyone around was extremely envious, thinking that if they could pass the exam and get in, they would definitely have a blessed life for the rest of their days.

"Third Brother, giving workers such high treatment and distributing land to farmers must cost a lot of money; where does the revolutionary army get the money?" A person in the crowd stood up and asked.

"That hits the nail on the head; let me tell you, not a single benefit or wage enjoyed by workers is spent sparingly; let me tell you, entering the factory requires undergoing their training to learn great skills before becoming a worker; the literacy test before the exam is just the foundation; before entering, you must undergo training; after training, they will see if you can do the work in the factory before deciding whether to hire you."

After Ma Sanban finished speaking, everyone around asked: "Third Brother, you're telling us this so openly; aren't you afraid we'll compete with you for your bowl of rice?"

"Compete for what bowl of rice? Let me tell you, the factory side wants to recruit as many as possible; they are urgently recruiting people, afraid there aren't enough; the more, the better." After Ma Sanban finished speaking, the people around slapped their thighs and quickly said: "We can't miss such a good thing; we must strive to learn to read well and go take the exam; even if we are not hired in the end, we can still learn a lot of skills; if we were to become apprentices and learn a craft, we would have to work for someone for free for several years anyway."

Seeing the lively appearance of the crowd, Ma Sanban couldn't help but feel a trace of relief in his heart; fortunately, when the Jianghu gangs recruited people before, they did not recruit him; otherwise, not to mention entering the factory to work, his head would have been shot right through by a gun.

The actions of the revolutionary army and the police station during this period had terrified them, these hooligans; all those who had acted as black gloves were taken out and shot; not a single survivor remained.