Steel Dynasty - Chapter 867

[Chapter 865 Brandon comes again]

“Your Majesty, this bicycle is really interesting. With just one pedal step, you can go out ten meters. And you won’t feel tired even if you ride it for several miles. This is the first time that I have lived for such a long time.” I never saw such a magical thing.”

Pang Yukun and Fiji stood in front of Xiao Ming in the imperial study room. After reporting some government affairs, they began to praise the beauty of the bicycle.

Fiji was even more direct, “I’m getting older now, and I still walk every time I go to and from court. It would be really wonderful if I had a bicycle instead.”

Xiao Ming reviewed the memorial sent by the two of them. He picked up the pen, ticked some things, and returned them to the two of them.

At this time, he looked at the two of them and felt a little funny. It had only been twenty minutes since Niu Ben left the imperial study, and the two of them had arrived before he returned to the harem, which was extremely punctual.

“Didn’t Mr. Fei Ge often say that walking can exercise your body? Why do you feel tired today?” Xiao Ming teased, he already understood what they meant.

Fiji sighed, “Your Majesty, after all, the old minister is getting older day by day, and his body is also failing. This walking and fitness thing is still suitable for Pang Shoufu.”

Pang Yukun’s eyes widened when he heard this, and he thought, you can’t take it either. I acted as a supporter, so I said: “Your Majesty, I am quite young. Although I am younger than Feige, my food and drink expenses are not comparable to him. My body does not need to be much stronger than his.”

Xiao Ming was already used to the two of them sarcastically talking about each other, so he said: “Okay, I understand what you mean, but the number of these bicycles is limited. I can’t give one to every official. You go back and tell the officials not to be jealous. I want to If you want to get a bicycle, you have to work hard for me. Only if you pass the year-end assessment every year will you have a chance to get it. Of course, there is another way, which is to buy it with your own money. However, this bicycle is expensive. I am thinking about how I can get a hundred gold dragons. “

One hundred gold dragon coins?” Pang Yukun and Fiji were surprised.

Since the currency reform, the country of Chongqing has begun to use a new currency from top to bottom. Because the dragon coins are made of real gold and silver, coupled with the publicity of Confucianism among the people, the dragon coins have been implemented well. Now the new currency is already on the market. circulation.

And their salaries also began to be changed to dragon coins. According to the previous standards, a first-grade official’s annual salary was three hundred taels of silver. If converted into the new currency, it would be two thousand silver dragon coins and two hundred gold dragon coins.

How could they not be surprised that this bicycle was basically half a year’s salary for them, but for ordinary officials whose annual salary was eighty gold dragon coins, they would need more than a year’s salary to buy one.

“The price is already very low. Manufacturing this bicycle is very troublesome. Just the spare parts require different lathes to manufacture. But this is still the early stage after all. When industrial capabilities improve in the future, the price of this bicycle will naturally come down. “

Xiao Ming still remembers that the price of a bicycle in the 1970s was about 120 yuan. At that time, factory workers only earned 20 yuan, and it took half a year’s salary to buy a bicycle.

Therefore, the current price and wage levels in Great Chongqing are somewhat similar to those at that time, but because the industrial foundation is relatively poor, prices will be higher.

“I see, this bicycle is extremely precious,” Pang Yukun said.

“Of course, otherwise I wouldn’t take it as a reward.” Xiao Ming laughed and said, “But you are cabinet ministers, so you have a share of this bicycle, but you have to learn to run like a bull with a bicycle. To promote bicycles, if the demand for bicycles among the people is high, I can build more factories,” Xiao Ming said looking forward to it.

Now that the people in the north are rich, Xiao Ming has to think about promoting consumption. Only in this way can Dayu have enough tax revenue, and with tax revenue he can do more things.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Pang Yukun and Fiji immediately became happy when they heard this.

While the three of them were talking, Niu Ben rode his bicycle all the way to his mansion, with his soldiers running behind him panting.

The people of Qingzhou along the road were shocked. They stopped one by one and stared at the bicycle Niu Ben sat on, dumbfounded. If there weren’t so many types of machinery in Qingzhou now, they would have thought they had seen a ghost in broad daylight.

Niu Ben had a proud look on his face, he was in a happy mood, this thing is really amazing.

And not long after Niu ran by in a hurry, the people on the street saw Fiji and Pang Yukun riding this thing and heading towards their mansions.

“The magical country of Chongqing.”

A pair of blond Dutch businessmen in the crowd opened their mouths in surprise. Among the businessmen, Brandon was very proud. He said to the businessmen: “I said, you will definitely not come here. I will regret it. This is a magical country.”

“I hope we can achieve more trade with Great Chongqing this time. The opportunity for the Netherlands to revive is right in front of us,” said a businessman. They are all big businessmen from the Netherlands.

“Believe me, I won’t let you down. Next we should go see the steam locomotives in Qingzhou.” Brandon couldn’t wait any longer.

As soon as he arrived in Qingzhou, the Dutch negotiation team stationed in Qingzhou told him about the changes in Qingzhou in the past two years, which made him excited for a while.

Nowadays, the British and Portuguese are targeting Dutch merchant ships at sea, and their maritime trade has been further compressed. Now they need a strong friend to face the enemy together. This is also one of the purposes of his coming here. Of course, he can buy some precious commodities. It would be even more wonderful to go back.

A group of thirty-six people walked along the street to the station in the north of the city. Brandon was a little dumbfounded along the way. Unlike the city layout two years ago, Qingzhou Neiminfang was now demolished and much worse.

What replaced the folk houses were exquisite masonry buildings. Some tall buildings even used steel bars and concrete. However, these buildings retained the traditional architectural image of Dayu and still looked like carved beams and painted buildings.

What used to be the East and West Market in Dayu is now a farmer’s market selling chickens, ducks, fish, vegetables, etc. Shops such as clothes and watches are arranged in a special area, and merchants call this area a commercial street.

In addition to shops, many merchants from Great Chongqing have also settled here. Such things make Brandon sigh. In his opinion, the urban construction of Great Chongqing has finally made progress.

The group of people soon arrived at the station, when a steam engine locomotive made a loud whistle and began to slowly move forward.

There are fifty carriages connected to the back of the steam locomotive, each carriage is twelve meters long, as spectacular as a long dragon.

(End of chapter)