Chapter 499 Drunk Talk
After enjoying the delicious soup and lye bread, Ace began his day's work. As a weaver, he had to work sixteen hours a day.
Even with this year-round work, he could not earn 120 florins a year, and because Austria had greatly improved the efficiency of machinery, the price of cloth fell again and again.
Therefore, the wages of weavers were also suppressed again and again. By 1844, they were less than 60 florins. At the same time, coupled with the fact that the gold shipped from the Americas was diluted by Franz with all of Germany, although it did not cause social unrest, it was certain that prices would rise to a certain extent.
All this has exacerbated the suffering of these people, and the weavers group has become synonymous with laziness and theft under the propaganda of some people.
In a tavern, Mr. Philpot was drinking wine and confiding his depression to the forest officer, accompanied by the tavern owner's beautiful daughter.
"Damn it, you know? Those lazy guys made me lose money. Damn it. Why is one of your dogs missing? You also made me lose money, do you know?"
In fact, Forester Willgang and Mr. Philpot were friends, but the former also lost money, so he looked very unhappy.
The beautiful girl on the side who was born in the tavern can naturally see all this and hurriedly advises.
"Jie Lang, you've drunk too much, can I go with you to rest?"
Master Philpot slapped the beautiful girl on the cheek, and the latter's face suddenly swelled up.
"Who are you? How dare you call me Jie Lang? You are a free bitch! Do you think that you are mine if you sleep with me? I have slept with too many women! Get out!"
"I was wrong, please forgive me." The girl begged and was still making her last attempt, but Mr. Philpot didn't show mercy and kicked her away.
The girl could only cry and ran out, but was stopped by a merchandise salesman who had admired her for a long time.
"If you don't mind, let's have a drink together."
The girl nodded, thinking it would be nice to have a spare tire.
However, the two of them hadn't even had a few words to chat before the salesman drank a few glasses of wine and the topic turned to the weavers again.
"I'm curious about these guys who always say they have no money and no food. But look at the funerals after those guys die. It's so grand. There's an orchestra, and there are so many priests here. I don't know what you think. It’s the funeral of William IV!”
The girl with some redness and swelling on her face thought seriously.
“What these people did was a bit excessive, but maybe it was out of respect for the deceased?
I know of a country where when people die, their relatives will hold a grand funeral for them, even if they have no money, they will do so even if they are in debt.
Although I appreciate everything these people do for their deceased relatives, I also feel that it is a bit bad. After all, life is already very hard.
Still spending so much money on dead people and even going into debt. So what should the living do? I felt it necessary to talk to their parish priest about this. "
The girl's white lotus speech attracted the salesman opposite to say yes.
The drinker on the side sneered.
"No wonder you can't sell your products and can only drink here. No wonder this girl gets beaten for cheating."
"What do you mean?!" the two said in unison.
"I tell you, the parish priest is the culprit. You all know that funerals need to be conducted by priests, but have you ever thought about where the priests' money comes from?
That's right, it's a funeral. The grander the funeral, the more the priests earn! "
After saying that, he ignored the two people who looked at each other, and the drinker left the tavern.
Downstairs is the place where the "untouchables" live, and a few people are talking about the strange things that have happened recently.
"Yesterday a weaver was beaten to death by rangers who burst into his home."
"I know, it's old Pete. He's a good man. He has no children. He spends all his time spinning and weaving, and he never gets sick."
"Didn't you say he was mentally ill?"
"Nonsense, he is crazy and can he still knit something every day?"
"Fart, you're not crazy, who can knit things every day?"
"Drink!" Several people toasted together.
"Why should you shoot him?"
"It is said that he stole the wood from the baron's forest and injured the dog."
"It's no wonder, he is a thief after all!"
"But this is too harsh! Shooting just for a few pieces of firewood."
"You can't say that. If everyone steals, wouldn't the world be in chaos?"
"If you can afford it, who would steal it!? Now we weavers can't get enough of it!"
"Hey, the dam broke again. My house and fields were destroyed. Now I have to work non-stop every day, otherwise the bank will take away my land and house."
“Why is this dam repaired every year and bursting every year?”
"Nonsense, are they building a dam? I saw with my own eyes that they built a swimming pool for the Earl's house!"
"Fart, how will they make money if they don't fix it!"
"Drink!" Several people toasted again.
"By the way, why didn't the Austrian dam burst?"
"You haven't noticed that all the people living under the dam are local officials and their relatives. There is no need for the central government to send people to inspect every year. Those people start moving on their own."
"Look at our Prussian adults. When they come, they stay in the most luxurious hotels with a few lovers, find a few prostitutes for their honeymoon, and then go back to Berlin."
A farmer who was drinking at a nearby table said this when he saw the group of self-pitying weavers feeling very irritated.
"Is it useful for you guys to complain here? This is all destined by God, we must accept reality!
When life is not going as you want, you always blame others, believing that you are too useless! What are you doing when the year is good?
Don't just eat, drink, whore, and gamble. If you worked hard to save some money at that time, you can use it to save money when you are in trouble now! There is no need to steal wood and be chased away by dogs! "
The weavers at the other table were not to be outdone.
"Farmers are farmers. Even if they do nothing, the wheat in the fields will sprout. They can go to bed early and get up late every day, just like noble gentlemen!"
"Yes, yes," the other weaver responded.
"These gentlemen will find a shed to rent to a weaver who has no place to live, and then charge a high rent and use him as a slave. If the latter dares to say no, the consequences can be imagined. Farmer They are all a bunch of snobs, and they will talk to whoever is stronger!"
In fact, the life of Prussian farmers in this era was indeed pretty good.
After all, there are tariffs between Austria and Hungary, so the former often imports large quantities of grains, feed and other crops from the latter, which in turn increases farmers' income.
In the past, Silesian weavers were indeed superior to others, and there were cases where weavers looked down on farmers, so the two sides have looked down on each other for a long time.
But that goes back to before Theresa's time.
"What are you talking about!? You useless trash! Can you use a plow to pull a ditch? Yes! You might pull a twisted ditch and get your ass kicked by your own donkey!"
Will the wheat be bundled and thrown into the carriage?
You are just a bunch of trash, you know nothing, yet you have the nerve to complain here! "
said the farmer angrily.
His views represented the social attitude towards weavers at that time. Mr. Philpot upstairs even whistled for his wonderful "speech".