Chapter 200: Lu Yuan's family is truly crazy— an iron rice bowl that guarantees a harvest come drought or flood

Gu Qingwan's words left all the ministers present stunned.

They all began to mutter to themselves.

On the day the steam train was invented, many people present had gone to give gifts.

However, at that time Lu Yuan was sleeping at home, and no one woke him up.

Besides, no one had planned to wake Lu Yuan up.

Anyway, everyone knows Lu Yuan is a big shot in front of the Emperor.

No one was saying they'd immediately go curry favor or anything like that.

It was just sending a small gift, to keep in touch and get a familiar face.

We're all officials serving the same court; Lu Yuan produced something this big, giving a gift to congratulate him— isn't that perfectly normal?

Even if Lu Yuan had been awake, people basically just dropped off the gift and left.

This isn't really about forming factions, is it?

Sending a gift— that's hardly a big deal, right?

As for this, the Cabinet actually found it quite surprising.

Speaking broadly, this is factionalism.

Speaking narrowly, it's just officials of the same court exchanging congratulatory gifts— which is completely normal!

The Cabinet had long known about this, yet they never memorialized it to the Emperor.

After all, the Emperor is extremely fond of Lu Yuan right now.

Would the Emperor even bother with such a trivial matter?

There's no need to mention such things at all.

But the Cabinet never expected the Emperor himself to bring this up today.

Indeed, serving a ruler is like serving a tiger.

One cannot speculate about heavenly will.

Even if Lu Yuan is talented, getting involved in factions is absolutely not allowed.

Immediately, the hall fell into an eerie silence.

Meanwhile, Gu Qingwan sat upright on the throne, raising her head to look down at the crowd and said:

"Giving gifts is fine, but you must not send them to Lu Yuan's home.

His wife is pregnant— if you lot of noisy strangers go there, wouldn't she still have to serve you tea and water?

The people looked at each other, momentarily bewildered.

This...

Nobody knew before that Lu Yuan's wife was pregnant...

They only found out after going there.

However...

This isn't the point, is it?

The point is...

Afterwards, Gu Qingwan continued, looking down at the crowd:

"If you want to give Lu Yuan something in the future, prepare it ahead of time— don't go bothering his wife at home for no reason.

Having said that, Gu Qingwan rose and left directly.

Meanwhile, the people below just looked at each other.

This...

This doesn't seem right, does it?

And the Cabinet members blinked, somewhat dazed.

This... is that it??

You're not going to say anything else??

This...

At this moment, Lu Yuan was accompanying his wife to handle paperwork at the Threshing Machine Factory.

Su Liyan suddenly wanted to quit.

She had indeed made a splash at the Threshing Machine Factory.

After all, in this era, she was truly the first to give up the iron rice bowl of the Forging Bureau and quit outright.

That's extremely rare.

Of course, everyone also understands that Su Liyan now can indeed do that.

Who let her man be so talented and capable?

Her man is now a Baron.

Su Liyan can therefore truly be called Madame or Lady.

The artisan's elevated social status— Lu Yuan possesses all of that.

After all, the artisan's status was originally changed from that of a Baron.

I heard Lu Yuan plans to open a shop for Su Liyan in the future.

In the future, Su Liyan won't need to clock in daily; she can open the shop whenever she wants.

From then on, she'll be the shopkeeper.

In the future, she'll just sit at home in beautiful clothes— how comfortable that will be.

As for money, other men can casually invent something and make a few hundred bucks.

Do we still need Su Liyan to earn that much?

The female workers in this factory are really jealous.

It wasn't until after nine in the morning that these procedures were finally finished.

Lu Yuan also rode the vehicle, carrying his wife back home.

"From now on, you'll get up at eight or nine just like me, have breakfast, then go to the shop."

"This shop is ours, no rent, I don't care how much you earn—just earn enough to be happy, got it?"

Su Liyan, sitting in the back seat, put one arm around her husband, her exquisite face pressed against his back.

Hearing her husband's words, Su Liyan blinked and replied in a coquettish voice:

"Getting up at eight or nine every day… that's too late, isn't it~"

"Brother~ if I do that I'll become lazy~"

Lu Yuan, meanwhile, raised his eyebrows and said:

"Hey, what are you saying? I get up at eight or nine every day—are you saying I'm lazy?"

Su Liyan was taken aback, then quickly replied in a coquettish voice:

"Oh dear~ brother~~ I didn't say that~~"

Hearing his wife's movements, Lu Yuan couldn't help but burst out laughing:

"Anyway, from now on don't get up so early to work—wake up when you've had enough sleep, got it?"

Su Liyan knew her husband doted on her, and her heart felt indescribably happy.

She nodded repeatedly and replied in a coquettish voice:

"Got it~ from now on I'll have more time to wait on you, brother~"

Lu Yuan, hearing his wife's words, smiled and said:

"You don't need to do that; wait another ten days or half a month, then we'll call mother over—the shop won't be free for a while."

We'll have to wait over ten days before it's free, and even then we'll still need to do some renovations.

During this time there's nothing much to do; when mother comes, you can just take her out for a stroll at home.

"So she'll know where to buy vegetables and where to buy meat, right?"

Su Liyan nodded repeatedly and replied in a coquettish voice:

"All right, I'll go back today and write to mother, letting her know to come over~"

Lu Yuan nodded, and as he was bringing his wife back home, when they reached the East City Gate, Liu Shoucai was already waiting there.

This Liu Shoucai is now quite a busy person.

He runs around everywhere, and in a month he only stays in the Imperial City for two or three days.

The rest of the time he's out and about.

"Master, mistress."

Upon seeing Lu Yuan and Su Liyan arrive, Liu Shoucai immediately rushed over with a sweet talk.

He then handed over a box and said to Su Liyan with a smile:

"Mistress, this is the big malt sugar I brought back from outside—try some~"

Big malt sugar?

Lu Yuan, riding on the cart, asked curiously:

"Where is this from?"

Liu Shoucai immediately grinned and said:

"It's a specialty from the eastern coastal region."

Lu Yuan blinked, then said somewhat incredulously:

"You've gone all the way there?"

Liu Shoucai, meanwhile, chuckled and said:

"Over there a big shop owner hired us at a high price, paying us a ton."

Lu Yuan nodded and said:

"Sure, up north here we're waiting for the train more often, so you can go wherever you want—it's convenient."

After Liu Shoucai was taken aback, he immediately handed Lu Yuan a bag of cigarettes and a bag of alcohol, grinning as he said:

"As expected, Master is impressive—I've seen the railways and all that over there."

Lu Yuan laughed, casually hung the items Liu Shoucai handed him on the cart's handle, then immediately said:

"Come on, let's head home; let's have a drink at noon, and I also have something to discuss with you."

Liu Shoucai nodded repeatedly, got on his horse, and followed Lu Yuan home.

On the way, Liu Shoucai asked curiously:

"Mistress, aren't you going to work today? Why are you back so early?"

Without Lu Yuan needing to say, Su Liyan wrapped one arm around her husband's waist, held the malt sugar Liu Shoucai had just given her in the other hand, turned her head to look at Liu Shoucai, and said with a smile:

"My master dotes on me; from now on he won't let me work outside, he wants to open a tailoring shop for me. Today he just wants you to help out—help with the shop's renovation."

After Su Liyan finished speaking, Liu Shoucai, looking flustered, waved his hands on horseback and said:

"Oh dear, mistress, please don't say I'm helping—without my master I wouldn't be where I am today. Renovating your shop—what's that if not helping?"

All the way back to the courtyard.

Just as they entered the front courtyard, they saw Chen Taohua and Gao Xushi each carrying a basin of something, heading toward the back courtyard.

Upon seeing the two, Lu Yuan broke into a grin and said:

Hey, you're going to wash things in the back yard, huh?

Gao Xushi saw Lu Yuan and wasn't as hostile as before.

Although, they'll still speak ill of Lu Yuan behind his back tonight.

But for now, on the surface it's still okay.

After all, no matter what, Lu Yuan did teach his daughter-in-law how to use a sewing machine, didn't he?

Now his daughter-in-law already makes children's clothes at home every day.

How much money this saves!

As for Lu Yuan taking his own daughter-in-law…

That's also in the past now.

Now his daughter-in-law is pregnant, and she no longer thinks about past things.

Immediately, Gao Xushi nodded and said:

"Yeah, it's already spring; we're thinking of giving the winter clothes a good wash and then putting them away."

Lu Yuan nodded, then looked at Chen Taohua's big belly and curiously asked:

"Sister Taohua, you're almost due, right? How many months left?"

Unlike the Gao family, Chen Taohua felt upon entering that this older brother Lu was a good person.

Immediately, Chen Taohua also looked at Lu Yuan and smiled, saying:

"Just another one or two months~"

Lu Yuan smiled and nodded, then everyone headed together to the back yard.

And seeing Su Liyan following behind Lu Yuan pushing a cart, Chen Taohua curiously asked:

"Older brother Lu, why did Sister Liyan come back today?"

Lu Yuan was startled, then laughed and said:

"Your sister Liyan will no longer work at the Forging Bureau; she quit her job there, and I opened a tailor shop for her."

Saying this, Lu Yuan thought of something, and immediately looked at Chen Taohua and smiled, saying:

"Right, Sister Taohua, if you're free after having the child, go to Sister Liyan's shop and help her with some work."

"You also know how to use a sewing machine, so I won't give you less pay then."

Originally, Lu Yuan was looking for someone.

But initially, the person he thought of was Sister Yulan.

After Sister Yulan divorces Pang Kaige, she'll need to find a place to work and earn money, right?

To be honest, Sister Yulan's background makes it hard to find work.

After all, her father back then…

So, it just made sense to go to my daughter-in-law's shop.

My daughter-in-law is the proprietor; can the proprietor herself do the work?

So, Lu Yuan had previously planned to do that.

But if later the shop becomes busy, with more people and not enough hands, then bring Sister Taohua along as well.

And while Lu Yuan finished speaking, Chen Taohua didn't wait for any reaction.

Gao Xushi beside them looked bewildered and said:

"Ah?!!!"

"You made Su Liyan quit her job!!"

"You're crazy, isn't Su Liyan a third-grade worker?!!"

Gao Xushi's commotion was really big; in an instant, everyone in the yard heard the noise.

Immediately, they all gathered around.

Regarding Lu Yuan's decision, everyone thought Lu Yuan was crazy.

This... this is no longer just a matter of being crazy or not.

This is just a big idiot!!

In that factory, that's a lifetime iron rice bowl!!

Come rain or shine, guaranteed yield!!

Especially, Su Liyan has only just become a third-grade forging worker a few months ago!!

Thirty-six dollars a month.

You just say you won't work and you don't work?

If Su Liyan honestly keeps working at the Forging Bureau, not to mention far ahead, just wait until she's thirty.

At the very least she'd be a fifth- or sixth-grade forging worker?

By then she'd be making fifty or sixty dollars a month!!

Lu Yuan is truly crazy!!

This good life hardly came about, and you're rejecting this good life!!

Lu Yuan also didn't say much more to the people in the yard.

This matter, to outsiders, is indeed really stupid, downright stupid.

But, it's still okay.

Even if Lu Yuan doesn't have that hundreds of thousands of inheritance, even if Lu Yuan later has no patent fees or whatever.

The work in that factory is actually just like that.

Lu Yuan previously just wanted the title of an artisan.

This looks like the factory's guarantee of harvest come drought or flood, not false, and also like an iron rice bowl.

But in reality.

That's about it.

Just like in the 1990s on Earth, it wasn't that a large wave of layoffs appeared.

The Great Zhou Dynasty must also be like that.

This is the wheel of the times; no one can stop it.

Moreover, with the emergence of railways, in some northern factories, at that time some will definitely be transferred to the south.

After all, we also need to give some employment opportunities to people in the south.

Of course, this isn't saying the problem is how many factories there are; mainly, these state-owned enterprises have backward management, and many causes lead to low efficiency.

By then, it will definitely need to be reorganized.

For example.

Just like my wife's position, quality inspection.

This position actually doesn't need that many people, and besides, all day there is just idle chatting.

This is purely a waste of resources, eating the Imperial Court's money.

When the factory is reorganized, the first position to be reorganized will be my wife's kind of position.

Of course, with my ability, at worst I'll give my wife a lighter position.

But…

There's no need.

Now Lu Yuan is not the same as when he first crossed over.

So, taking advantage of my wife's pregnancy, it's just the right time to quit this job.

Then I'll just do it myself.

Lu Yuan also didn't say much more to these people.

He led his wife and walked toward the backyard.

And the people in the courtyard, watching Lu Yuan and Su Liyan's backs, all shook their heads repeatedly.

This Lu Yuan is really crazy.

He's started messing around again.

The key is that Su Liyan isn't just a woman who recently came from the village; she should know the stakes involved.

How can she just listen to Lu Yuan's words so confusedly!

Heard they want to open a tailoring shop?

A tailoring shop only earns a few coins a month!!

The whole family is crazy!

Thanks to Old Brother Ling Du Shang Chen for the reward of 5000 book coins, thank you very much~

Thanks to Old Brother makarov for the reward of 3000 book coins, thank you very much~

Thanks to Old Brother Shou Dao Jun for the reward of 1500 book coins, thank you very much~

Thanks to Old Brother Kong Deng for the reward of 100 book coins for Su Liyan, thank you very much~

Thanks to Old Brother A Quan for the reward of 100 book coins, thank you very much~

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(End of chapter)