1905: Beer Hall Speaker

Page 85

This prosperity continued until the Wenxi Fire, but now there's no need to worry about that. No matter how muddleheaded Zhao Yan is, he won't order the burning of the birthplace of the uprising.

After finishing his meal, Luo Ming took his empty bowl back to the main room and sat down at the dining table. Only his father, his younger brother Luo Deng, and he were eating at the table; the women were eating in the kitchen.

"You're a soldier, how come you eat so little?" Father Luo Datian frowned as he watched his son not refill his bowl.

But Luo Ming ignored this and stared at the courtyard's skylight, muttering, "Dad, why don't we buy this house and settle down here permanently?"

Luo Datian was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then stared intently at his son and said, "Are you serious? This house costs over six hundred yuan, where are we going to get so much money? The land hasn't even yielded its harvest yet this year, why don't we wait another two years!"

Hearing the conversation outside, the mother in the kitchen quickly came out with a bowl of rice: "Eldest son, don't do anything reckless. It's much better to rent for a dollar a month. Why waste money buying it?"

"It would be better to save your money to get married. You're not thinking of marrying that North Korean woman, are you? I absolutely disagree!"

Luo Ming said helplessly, "Who I marry is my business, let's not worry about that for now. Let's talk about the house first. I feel that if we don't buy now, it will become more and more expensive in the future. If we wait another two years, we probably won't be able to afford it."

"Besides, renting a house is not a long-term solution. In the end, you still need a place to settle down and make a living."

"If something happens to me on the battlefield in the future, I will have a house and land at home so that I can be worry-free. My younger siblings will at least have a place to go."

Luo Datian put down his rice bowl, pondered for a moment, and then said, "You can make the decision. You are the pillar of the family now. The Luo family has been useless for generations, and now you are the only official. We'll listen to you!"

Luo Ming nodded: "Then it's settled. We'll buy the house. Don't worry about the money. We can just get a bank loan. I'm an officer, so I don't need any collateral for the bank loan. From now on, all my military pay will be sent home, and you can pay it back slowly."

"I'll take care of this after dinner. From now on, listen to Xiao Cui more often when you're at home. Although she's North Korean, she's literate and comes from a high-ranking family. She's much more knowledgeable than you."

After finishing their meal, Luo Ming took Cui Zhiying out to run errands, heading directly to Changsha city.

The city of Changsha still retains the old nine gates of the city wall, but the gates are no longer defended and have been widened and replaced with smooth cement roads.

The old city area is not large, but it is already at full capacity. Changsha's urban area is slowly expanding to the surrounding areas, and the population of the entire city has exceeded 700,000.

The urban area is expanding every year. It is estimated that by this time next year, Luo Ming's yard will be incorporated into the urban area. Anyone who pays a little attention and thinks more will understand this trend.

Walking on the paved cement road, Luo Ming looked at the bustling traffic and felt that there were people everywhere. He hailed a rickshaw and Luo Ming and Cui Zhiying rode into the city.

"Go to the Civil Affairs Bureau, just pick the nearest one!"

"Okay, sit tight!"

The rickshaw driver swung his legs, dragging the wheel as he sped along the road, skillfully weaving through various gaps and narrow passages like an eel. His superb driving skills allowed him to narrowly miss other carriages and roadside stalls as he raced past.

What would have taken half an hour to walk, the rickshaw took only ten minutes on foot to reach the destination.

"Shenghui, three cents for one dime!"

Luo Ming readily paid upfront, while Cui Zhiying frowned, feeling the fare was too expensive.

If you calculate it this way, if this coachman makes ten trips a day like this, he can earn at least one yuan and fifty cents a day, which adds up to more than forty yuan a month, even more than Luo Ming's income as a military officer.

"Alright, stop worrying about it, let's get down to business!" As a soldier, Luo Ming prefers to act decisively and doesn't like dragging things out or being indecisive. If he wants to do something, he should do it as quickly as possible.

“I feel like you’d be better off pulling a rickshaw at home than being an officer. You’d earn more and it wouldn’t be so dangerous.” Choi Ji-young’s Mandarin was a little broken, but her meaning was clear.

Luo Ming retorted irritably, "What do you know, you woman? You think the rickshaw driver earns so much a month? It's all pure income! The rickshaw was bought with a loan, and we still have to pay interest!"

"I still have to register the vehicle, buy insurance, and pay income tax. I earn forty yuan a month, and after deducting food, drink, living expenses, interest, loan payments, insurance, and taxes, I'm lucky if I can save a dozen yuan!"

"As an officer, I don't have to worry about food, drink, or even basic necessities. I don't have to pay taxes. My current salary as a captain is twenty-two yuan a month, all of which is pure income. If I retire, I'll also receive a retirement pension. I also have hundreds of brothers under my command. What can a rickshaw puller compare to me?"

After Luo Ming finished his self-praise, Cui Zhiying felt much better.

After the two walked straight into the Civil Affairs Bureau, the staff inside saw Luo Ming in his military uniform and immediately stepped forward to ask if there was anything they could help with.

People rely on clothes, and Buddhas rely on gold. Government officials may be arrogant and put on airs when dealing with ordinary people, but when it comes to the national defense forces in military uniforms, they are honest and dedicated to serving them.

Luo Ming immediately produced his military officer's ID, saying he wanted to go through marriage registration procedures, and his marriage partner was Cui Zhiying.

Choi Ji-young, the person involved, was incredulous after hearing this. She was a fallen woman, and she thought that being a concubine by Luo Ming's side would be enough, as long as she didn't have to serve other men all the time.

Unexpectedly, Luo Ming actually wanted to marry her; this was something Cui Zhiying never dared to even dream of.

But Luo Ming takes it all in stride. He feels he was given a second chance at life, and the fact that he and his family are living such a life is something he never dared to dream of before.

What Luo Ming valued most about Cui Zhiying was her literacy and broad knowledge. He wanted to keep her at home to take care of his family, since they had moved from the mountainous area of ​​Guizhou and were unfamiliar with the place. He worried that she might be bullied when he wasn't home.

Having a woman like Choi Ji-young at home makes one feel much more at ease, but how can one ensure that Choi Ji-young is completely devoted to protecting this family? The best way, of course, is to make her the mistress of the household.

"Stop thinking about anything else, just come over and do the paperwork with me. From now on, you're a member of the Luo family. When I'm not home, you'll be the lady of the house!"

Following the guidance of the staff at the Civil Affairs Bureau, Luo Ming and Cui Zhiying took photos and then presented their identification documents. Luo Ming only needed to use his military officer's ID.

However, Choi Ji-young had no identification. She was neither a local nor had local household registration. When she fled from North Korea to Northeast China, she also crossed the border illegally. She had always been a person without identity.

After asking a few questions and learning the specifics, the Civil Affairs Bureau helped Cui Zhiying complete the citizenship procedures on the spot. All she needed to do was take a single photo and register her personal information. Once her file was stored in the Civil Affairs Bureau, she would be considered a Chinese citizen.

When asked about her ethnicity, Choi Ji-young didn't realize what was happening and answered that she was Korean. After being stared at fiercely by the registration staff, she immediately changed her answer to say that she was Han Chinese.

After receiving a satisfactory answer, the registration staff became friendly again and quickly registered Cui Zhiying's citizen information. She could pick up her citizen ID card in three days. The total cost of the document and registration fee was six cents, payable on the spot.

The Republic has now begun registering the identity information of all its citizens and issuing citizen ID cards with black and white photos.

However, there are some unspoken rules that are strictly enforced in practice, even if they are not explicitly stated from above. One such rule is that all citizens must be listed as Han Chinese in their ethnicity information section.

It doesn't matter what your original ethnicity was, but after registration you must be Han Chinese. The will of the higher authorities is very clear: the Republic doesn't need fifty-six flowers, it only needs one outstanding one.

In theory, people of other ethnicities can register, but if you insist on writing that you are not Han Chinese, the Civil Affairs Bureau will find various reasons to make you an unregistered resident.

Without a citizen ID card, you can't do anything in the Republic, whether it's doing business, going to school, getting a job, joining the army, or taking the civil service exam.

More importantly, it's about citizenship. Without citizenship, you have no citizenship rights. If you're robbed, you can't even call the police.

Moreover, there are certain requirements for obtaining a citizen ID card. First of all, you must speak Chinese, whether it is a dialect or a local dialect, as long as you speak Chinese.

After you receive your citizen ID card, your personal citizen file will be kept at the local civil affairs bureau. Only then can you be considered a legitimate Chinese citizen. Otherwise, you will be considered an unregistered resident and will be ineligible for any registration or other matters that require you to show your ID.

Chapter 149 New Post-War Methods

After paying some processing fees, Luo Ming and Cui Zhiying received a marriage certificate recognized by national law.

Choi Ji-young treasured her marriage certificate, keeping it close to her heart. This certificate was the foundation of her life in the Luo family.

Currently, only a small number of young people in the Republic choose to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to pay for a marriage certificate when they get married. The vast majority of people in rural areas and at the bottom of society do not even have a citizen ID card, let alone a marriage certificate.

The mainstream thinking is still that marriages are arranged by parents and matchmakers, with relatives and friends witnessing the ceremony. It's enough to be a couple according to custom; not many people are willing to spend that money unnecessarily.

A citizen's ID card costs 60 cents to process, and a marriage certificate also costs 60 cents. Ordinary people angrily denounce the government's civil affairs bureau as the "60-cent bureau" because no matter what you want to do after entering the door, as long as you have your photo taken, you have to pay 60 cents.

In the simple values ​​of ordinary people, this six cents is considered a waste of money.

But what they don't know is what they ultimately get after spending those six cents? It's the endorsement of national laws and the civil rights that should rightfully belong to them!

In theory, once Cui Zhiying obtains this marriage certificate, if Luo Ming were to suffer any mishap on the battlefield in the future, Cui Zhiying would become the sole legal heir to the Luo family's assets.

Because none of the other members of the Luo family have citizen ID cards, even if they go to court, the government will only recognize marriage certificates stamped with the official seal of the Civil Affairs Bureau.

All of the Luo family's existing land and property are registered under Luo Ming's name, and Cui Zhiying, as the legally recognized spouse, has priority in inheritance rights.

Following a high-level decision-making meeting at the central level, the Ministry of Justice drafted a new Civil Code, which, while respecting traditional Chinese culture, incorporated certain modern Western advanced concepts and was revised accordingly.

The new Civil Code stipulates monogamy, which is a continuation of traditional Chinese culture. Even the emperor could only have one wife, but the Civil Code also retains the existence of concubines.

Even someone as powerful as Zhao Yan lacked the courage to abolish the system of polygamy; he could only recognize it through law and then try his best to protect the rights of his concubines.

The new law stipulates that wives and concubines have equal inheritance rights, and children born to wives and concubines are equal in a legal sense.

However, the Civil Code only stipulates the inheritance rights of sons, and does not clearly stipulate the inheritance rights of daughters. At the same time, the obligation to support is given to sons, while daughters are not bound by the obligation to support.

The same right to vote was only granted to adult male citizens; female citizens of the republic did not have the right to vote or be elected.

This set of laws is, strictly speaking, very unfair to women, but no one thinks it's inappropriate.

Women did not have many rights, but they also did not have many obligations. For example, women were naturally exempt from conscription. No matter what the situation, even if the enemy army reached Beijing and the country was about to fall, women would not be conscripted.

Men, on the other hand, are required to fulfill the service obligations stipulated by the Constitution. In theory, as long as the country needs them, they can be conscripted unconditionally. Service is not only military service, but also labor service and other obligations.

To enjoy rights, one must fulfill obligations; without obligations, there are no rights.

After Luo Ming and Cui Zhiying completed their marriage registration, they went straight to the bank to apply for a housing loan. Luo Ming was eager to secure a stable future for his family.

Although he seems normal now, eating and drinking as usual, he actually takes everything to heart.

He carried too many burdens on his shoulders and was destined to go to an uncertain battlefield in the future; he never forgot his hatred.

But before he could seek revenge, he needed to secure a future for his family, and a house was a necessity for that.

Luo Ming and his companion arrived at the Changsha branch of the Central Bank. There weren't many people conducting business inside the bank, and they received a warm welcome upon their arrival.

When Luo Ming mentioned that he wanted to apply for a housing loan, and that he clearly looked like a soldier, the bank was very welcoming to such a customer.

After providing relevant identification documents and a housing rental contract, the bank offered a very favorable policy. The Luo family's house was listed for sale at 675 yuan by the government's State-owned Assets Management Department.

The bank was willing to approve a loan of 600 yuan, and Luo Ming only needed to pay a small fraction of the amount as a down payment.

All procedures can be settled at the bank, because after the establishment of the central bank, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission authorized banks to put all the properties it had collected up for sale.

A loan of 600 yuan with an annual interest rate of 5% is similar to the interest rate of government bonds. Just looking at this interest rate, it's clear what the central government is planning.

Luo Ming didn't care about any of that and readily signed the loan agreement. He was confident that his salary would be more than enough to cover the loan, and even if something happened to him on the battlefield, the death benefits would be more than enough to cover the principal and interest.

The banks even offered incentives such as interest-free periods for the first year, exemption from purchase tax and stamp duty, as they also faced significant business pressure and had been given annual targets to meet.

Releasing money into the private sector through bank loans is also a means of massive monetary easing by the central government.

Simply issuing money is not very meaningful; on the contrary, it can disrupt currency stability and cause destructive damage to currency issuance, because the value of currency is tied to labor production.

When the government implements a loose monetary policy and injects liquidity into the market, it is not simply about giving money to the people, but about using the issued currency to stimulate market growth and labor productivity.

For example, if the Ministry of Finance prints 600-yuan banknotes and hands them over to the central bank, these 600-yuan banknotes will not generate any real value if they sit in the central bank's account, and may even be at risk of devaluation.

However, if this 600 yuan banknote is issued as a loan, as a housing loan, then this 600 yuan is doubly tied. First, it is associated with the value of the house, and the Luo family's courtyard is given an actual value of 600 yuan.

Furthermore, through a transfer from one hand to the other, Luo Ming did not actually receive the loan; it remained in the government's hands. However, the six hundred yuan had already been anchored to a second value by Luo Ming.

Because Luo Ming used his future military service salary as collateral for this money, it was no longer just paper; it was secured by housing and the value of Luo Ming's labor.

The government can spend this money with confidence, because someone is paying for its value.

Similarly, the government recruits a large number of civilian laborers to participate in various national-level projects and infrastructure construction. Unlike the previous unpaid labor service, the current republican government pays wages.

The money that is distributed is also tied to the value of the people's hard work. After all, people certainly don't think that the money they have worked so hard to earn is just a piece of waste paper.

These banknotes, issued by linking them to the value of labor, can be interpreted as work points, it doesn't matter, they have value anyway.

Once it enters the market, the general public will generally accept it, but if you just give people money directly, they will think it's just a few pieces of waste paper and not very useful.

Currently, the number of housing units under the management of the government's Ministry of State Assets is a total of 3.22 million, of which more than 95 percent were acquired through the massacres of the Manchus and the confiscation of assets from the Manchu imperial family and nobility.

Especially in the capital, a quarter of the properties in the city were state-owned, and the royal mansions and Manchu courtyards were all confiscated by the government.

The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission controls properties all over the country. It is conservatively estimated that these properties are worth about 1.7 billion Han Yuan. In theory, as long as all these properties are sold, the government's finances can immediately clear the deficit and turn a profit.

However, the current domestic market is still far from being able to absorb such a massive amount of real estate, and the central government is also cunningly holding onto it, hoping for future appreciation.

For example, many wealthy businessmen are trying to buy those grand mansions in Beijing, but the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission is holding on tightly and refusing to let go.

Some generals and officials also wanted Zhao Yan to show mercy and reward them with one or two mansions, but Zhao Yan refused to give them a penny. The state-owned properties in the capital were only for rent and not for sale, and the rents were exorbitantly high, which indirectly drove up housing prices in the capital.

In other regions such as Nanjing, Guangzhou, Jiangsu, Yangzhou, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, a large number of properties and lands are also held by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.

These are the government's last bargaining chips, and Zhao Yan will not easily let them go.

The current approach involves opening up some low-value properties and land to the market, in conjunction with the massive monetary easing strategy of fiscal reform, to act as a ballast for newly issued currency.

Luo Ming was one of the smarter people who managed to get on board during this precious window of opportunity.

Other, even smarter individuals mortgaged their government bonds to banks for loans in the form of Chinese yuan, and then used these funds to purchase large quantities of the properties and land listed by the government.

The exchange rate between Han Yuan and silver currently quoted by banks has increased from 1:0.5 at the beginning to 1:0.73 at the present, and Zhao Yan's land anchoring policy is beginning to show results.

As China's industrialization progresses, urbanization will inevitably follow. At that time, the value of the Han Yuan, which is anchored to the land, will increase even further. However, the central government will certainly not sit idly by while the value of the Han Yuan increases. The more the value increases, the more money will be released.

Zhao Yan had witnessed the power of land-based finance firsthand. Putting aside everything else, using land and real estate as bait to make 400 million people work like beasts of burden could be a viable strategy for twenty years.

The funds accumulated through land-based finance are more than enough to support China's industrialization process.

As for what to do when the real estate market collapses? That's just a matter of shifting the blame. We're all industrialized now, what am I afraid of? Just send out millions of troops and send the bombs to explode in someone else's house, isn't that enough?

As the saying goes, true feelings are fleeting, but tricks win people's hearts! To think that governing a country solely depends on genuine concern for the people is utter nonsense; when it's time to use tricks, you absolutely cannot hesitate.

The domestic elites were somewhat dumbfounded by the actions of the higher-ups. The elites are not stupid; they have already discerned some of the central leadership's intentions.

Holding onto a large amount of high-value fixed assets in the core area and continuously nationalizing a large amount of land in prosperous cities for future expansion, isn't this clearly a case of waiting for the right opportunity to sell?

The top leadership has become shameless in its pursuit of fiscal revenue, and the trend of acting as both player and referee is becoming increasingly apparent. By holding onto so many core assets, any policy that comes along will guarantee their appreciation.

But the elite class could only watch helplessly, since they didn't have the ability. But Zhao Yan did! Only he could forcefully turn all the Manchu bannermen in the world into the proletariat, and quietly complete the primitive capital accumulation of the new regime by taking advantage of the change of dynasties.

This kind of thing has never been seen in thousands of years. The assets controlled by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission would have been "royal assets" in previous dynasties, but no one has ever seen an emperor use royal assets for investment.