GBP Chapter 106 Commercial Housing in the Ming Dynasty
Chapter 106 Commercial Housing in the Ming Dynasty
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While Liu Ye was racking his brains to find new sources of income, the magistrate of Lingao was wandering aimlessly through the streets.
Although the county magistrate had been released and was no longer under house arrest, he still felt aggrieved and depressed. Liu Ye, having suddenly gained power, stirred up a huge uproar in Lingao, demolishing the people's houses under the pretense of building a new city.
You can demolish people's houses if you want, but to go and demolish the county town walls, leaving only a bare county government office, is simply intolerable. As the county's magistrate, he was extremely angry. Where did this leave the county government and the imperial court's dignity? But what frustrated him even more was that he dared not and was powerless to refuse. It seemed that the only way to protest was to die to prove his innocence.
Having endured this long, dying now seemed even less worthwhile. The county magistrate chose to avoid seeing it, and whenever he had free time, he would change into plain clothes and go out through the back door of the county government office for a "private visit." He had been confined to the county government office for many days and now wanted to go out and see what kind of mess Liu Ye, this traitor, had made of the county under the rule of the Ming Dynasty.
The entire county town had been completely demolished, a far cry from the dilapidated scene the county magistrate remembered. Neat, uniform streets clearly divided the town, making it easy to distinguish between residences and shops. Walking on the flat streets, there was no longer the uneven feeling of the past. The county magistrate examined the road beneath his feet with surprise. It wasn't paved with flagstones, but rather appeared to be painted with grayish-white lime, yet it was as hard as iron and as smooth as water.
"What kind of sorcery did that traitor use to create this kind of road?" The county magistrate thought to himself with admiration, but spat out his contempt.
Many spaces along the street remained vacant, buildings that were planned but not yet constructed. After walking about a hundred steps east from the back gate of the county government office, the county magistrate saw the "resettlement housing" that the yamen runners had mentioned—uniform gray and white buildings, made of the same smooth and hard material as the street surface.
He examined the buildings closely. The biggest difference between these and traditional wooden structures was that they were all at least three stories high, some even four or five. In the county magistrate's memory, aside from towers, few people, whether high-ranking officials or poor commoners, owned houses with more than two stories. While marveling at the ingenious craftsmanship of these "high-rise" buildings, he couldn't help but feel a sense of disdain. Who would live in a "tower"? Going up and down the stairs every day would be such a hassle.
Although the roof tiles were still intact, the main structure had completely lost its wooden pillars. According to the officials, these houses were built with a substance called "cement" and bricks, without the need for wooden pillars or beams. Instead, dried bamboo strips were inserted in the middle, making them quick to build and unlike wooden structures, they were not susceptible to water damage.
The county magistrate knew that the yamen runners had been summoned to forcibly demolish the people's old houses. At the time, he thought Liu Ye was acting perversely and harming the people. However, to his surprise, new houses were eventually built for the people. In any case, although these houses were not very beautiful, they were far better than the old, dilapidated houses. They were weatherproof, sturdy, and durable, and the people happily moved into their new homes. He couldn't understand what Liu Ye was thinking. If he wanted to win people's hearts, why did he first act like a villain and forcibly demolish houses? If he wanted to exploit the people and seize their property, why did he spend even more money to build new houses?
Looking at the people coming and going in the new house, their faces beaming with joy, he spat. These common folk are ignorant and foolish. They are easily bribed with a little bit of profit. They have no regard for the court or the emperor.
Leaving the "resettlement housing," he strolled to a place where he found a large crowd gathered, making a great commotion. Curious, he went over and saw the crowd discussing a building that resembled resettlement housing. A wooden sign stood in front of the building with a notice pasted on it.
His eyesight wasn't very good, so he moved closer and read aloud in a low voice: "A notice to all craftsmen in the factories: In order to alleviate your suffering of being away from home and separated from your spouses, we plan to build a batch of houses, which will be available for purchase by you through low-cost or installment payments. The specific methods are as follows..."
The group consisted of craftsmen who had taken leave to come and inspect the site after hearing the news. When they heard the news, they were skeptical, thinking that it was unreliable for the employer to build a house for them at half price. However, they could not resist the temptation and took leave to come and see the so-called "model house"—which was actually a resettlement house that had not yet been moved into, for the craftsmen to refer to.
They had heard about the local residents in the county exchanging their old houses for new ones, but they never thought that such a good thing would happen to them. After all, the craftsmen were not from the local area; most of them came from Guangdong.
The notice was guarded and explained, but with wave after wave of people asking questions, the guard grew tired and simply showed them the notice. However, many craftsmen only knew their craft and were illiterate. Although they understood the general meaning, they were unsure of the complete message. Hearing that someone could read and could read the notice aloud, they all swarmed around, chattering excitedly:
"Sir, can you read? Please read it to us..."
"Look at the terms of this notice. Is it practically a half-price sale or a free gift?"
The county magistrate waved his hand to his nose; the stench of sweat on the craftsmen made him a little uncomfortable. However, he was also curious about the contents of the notice, so he pinched his nose and read it aloud:
"...There are two types of houses: three- or four-story buildings, each with a single room that can accommodate a family of five, priced at 50 taels of silver, payable in advance; and two-story houses with their own entrance and courtyard, priced at 300 taels of silver, payable in advance in advance. For both types of houses, the remaining balance can be paid monthly over three or five years until it is paid off. Once all payments are made, an official deed will be issued."
This design was tailored to the economic capabilities and realities of the artisans.
The craftsmen under Liu Ye's command generally earned more than the farmers who tilled the land. Although the prices of houses and detached houses were more expensive than most houses in this time and space—the prices of houses in the Ming Dynasty were surprisingly low—the fact that they did not have to pay in full was acceptable to the craftsmen. Moreover, this novel payment method gave them the illusion that the low price of the "payment" made them feel that they had gotten a great deal.
Such housing prices naturally couldn't generate the exorbitant profits of the real estate industry in later generations, but at least they could alleviate some of the financial pressure at this stage—installment payments could at least recover the wages and bonuses from the craftsmen, reducing expenses. The number of craftsmen and apprentices in the several factories had already exceeded a thousand and was still increasing. The simple dormitories could no longer meet the needs of the craftsmen with children; apartment buildings and detached houses were better choices for them.
Of course, people in ancient times may not have been able to adapt to this communal living style of multi-story buildings. As their economic capabilities improved and their families expanded, they naturally chose detached houses with their own courtyards. The two different housing structures were thus well integrated, meeting the needs of different groups of people.
The county magistrate was unaware of Liu Ye's original intention in designing this method of home purchase. After reading it aloud, he asked suspiciously, "What is the meaning of this payment?"
A well-informed craftsman told him that he would pay a sum of silver first, like a deposit, and then the house would be his; he could buy a house worth 50 taels of silver for only 5 taels.
After hearing the entire announcement, everyone began to discuss it. According to the craftsmen's income, those with good skills and high ratings could earn a fixed income of over ten taels of silver a year. With some bonuses, many could earn twenty or thirty taels, or even fifty taels a year. However, they all needed to support their families; they had wives, children, and elderly parents. It was impossible for them to go without food and drink for several years to buy a house. If they really wanted to buy, their previous plan was to save enough money to buy a house and land back in their hometown.
However, the temptation of this installment payment method is too great. Five taels of silver, if you save money, you can save it up in a few months. After that, you only need to pay a few hundred coins every month. This price is completely affordable.
One craftsman was clearly tempted: "If you ask me, I think it's a good deal to buy a house for five taels of silver. With a house, I can bring my parents, wife, and son to Lingao, and I can take care of my parents and see my wife and children every day..."
"You idiot, why don't you go back to Guangdong, where things are going so well? Are you going to stay in Lingao for the rest of your life? I think I'll save up and go back to Guangdong..."
"You're the fool. What does Guangdong have to do with anything? Can you afford a house in a good location in Guangzhou? And if it's in the countryside, how much better is it than Lingao? I think Lingao is pretty good. Look at how big a project the landlord has undertaken—demolishing and rebuilding the entire county town. Surely Lingao won't be worse than the Guangzhou countryside in the future?"
Some hesitated slightly: "But even the county town walls have been demolished. Won't the government punish us? If the landlord falls from grace, will the houses we bought still be valid?"
"You don't know anything! So what if it's the government? The city walls of Lingao have been torn down, would the county magistrate dare to utter a single word? The prefect sent thousands of troops to Lingao, and they were still utterly defeated..."
The county magistrate's face turned a deep purplish-red, he wanted to retort but couldn't open his mouth. He desperately wanted to shout, "The magistrate of Lingao County is here! This traitor who defies the imperial court will one day be punished!" But considering his situation, he held back. Besides, if he stood up now, wouldn't he become the "county magistrate who stands up and farts" that people were talking about?
The more experienced ones worriedly asked, "Isn't this considered a rebellion by the boss? Won't it implicate us?"
Someone mysteriously spread rumors: "You don't need to worry. I heard that the owner is preparing to accept the government's offer of amnesty. It's just that the price hasn't been agreed upon yet. Once he has the status of an official, the sale of this house will naturally be valid."
Everyone felt reassured and said, "That's good."
Then some people started thinking about big houses: "Since we don't have to pay for them all at once, why not borrow some money, scrape together 30 taels, and buy a detached house with its own courtyard? The monthly payment would be less than one tael. If we grit our teeth, it's not like we can't afford it..."
Someone chimed in, "Yes, it's a great deal, practically a free sale. Why not just buy a bigger one? Where else in Guangdong can you find such a deal? Pawning a house might be cheaper, but it's not your own house after all. The owner can always buy it back, so you don't feel secure living there."
The county magistrate couldn't help but speak up: "You ignorant fools, what do you mean by 'half-selling, half-giving away'? Not a single penny was shortchanged, it's just that the deadline for collecting payment has been extended..."
The craftsmen were displeased and retorted, "What do you know? A house for five taels of silver is practically a sale, a gift! The owner isn't doing charity; he's already being merciful by giving us only a few hundred coins a month. What more do you want?"
"You can read and write, so you're a scholar. Otherwise, based on what you just said, I'd beat you up, believe it or not!"
The county magistrate was furious, but unwilling to argue with them for fear of losing face, he left with the words, "You can't talk about ice with a summer insect!" and turned to leave.