Read Novel Full Chapter 1111 - 137: Come to Swamp Prefecture_2
Chapter 1111: Chapter 137: Come to Swamp Prefecture_2
Whether it is Jimin Hospital or Jisheng Hospital, the government provides money and grain every year. Many merchants also donate.
The idea of donations was initiated by Zhao Yao. Nowadays, in many parts of Swamp Prefecture, construction is funded by donations, saving the Ministry of Revenue a significant amount of money.
Besides, free schools have long been established, and the medical center is also completed.
The "Swamp Prefecture First Medical Center" was established by the court, similar to public hospitals in the world of Zhao Yao’s dreams. The medical center is very large and has many doctors. Medical consultations and prescriptions here are affordable, allowing most people to access healthcare.
The pharmacy in the medical center is open all twelve hours, and citizens can get medicine anytime they visit. Doctors are also on duty at night. If someone falls ill in the middle of the night, there’s no need to worry about the absence of doctors at the medical center.
Apart from the medical center, the Medical College has also been completed, with many people studying inside, including foreigners.
In the schools of Swamp Prefecture, there are foreigners present. Among them, some are here for business and have their children, associates, or themselves attending schools to learn about the Great Zhou culture. Some are here solely for education. In other words, studying in Swamp Prefecture is open to both natives of Great Zhou and foreigners.
In Swamp Prefecture, females can also attend school. There are dedicated women’s schools within the free academies.
Near the school is a library, a free library built by Zhao Yao’s administration where anyone can read books without a fee, but the books cannot be borrowed.
Though the library is not open all twelve hours, it remains accessible until the evening (Hai hour).
Ever since the library was built, many people visit daily to read. Quite a number also transcribe books there. Although books in the library cannot be taken out, people are allowed to copy them down.
Many opened bookstores near the school because of the numerous schools. Consequently, this street filled with bookstores is called Reading Street by the locals.
Returning to the teahouse, this teahouse is at the heart of the commercial district. Nearby, there are shops of all kinds, some belonging to the Great Zhou, others to foreigners from Annan or Johor. It is bustling here, though not as vibrant as the docks.
After finishing tea and listening to some storytelling, Zhao Yao took Tong Xi to stroll around the dock.
The docks were crowded with people and various ships. People were busy unloading items from ships, others were selling goods, and some were preparing to set sail.
At the docks, various people of different skin tones can be seen. Ever since the successful trade conference, not only have countries nearby like Annan and Johor come for business in Swamp Prefecture, but even merchants from distant Western Regions appear here.
Despite the bustling activity, there is order amid the chaos. No one dares cause trouble here, as guards or soldiers patrol day and night.
The docks give a clear sense of the bustling life. Zhao Yao enjoys visiting here during his free time to observe the lives of the people.
Seeing some people resting nearby, Zhao Yao and Tong Xi approached them to chat.
Zhao Yao and Tong Xi deliberately disguised themselves to appear like ordinary citizens. Zhao Yao even darkened his face.
These people assumed Zhao Yao was seeking employment and enthusiastically introduced jobs to them, telling them how much they could earn in a day.
There is no shortage of work at the docks because there is so much to do. Most importantly, wages here are quite high. For instance, porters earn no less than fifty or sixty coins a day, and potentially up to one hundred.
The high wages are due to the shortage of labor. More precisely, the entire population of Swamp Prefecture is too small.
With many tasks and few people, wages naturally won’t be cheap.
In recent months, a steady stream of people from various places have arrived specifically to work in Swamp Prefecture. Hearing from friends and relatives working here about the high wages, the ability to eat well, and most vitally, to eat meat, they have come along.
After arriving, they fell in love with Swamp Prefecture and decided to settle down here.
To attract more people to Swamp Prefecture, Zhao Yao previously decreed that any citizens of Great Zhou arriving in Swamp Prefecture would be granted resident status. Moreover, no travel permits are needed to come here.
In Great Zhou, traveling everywhere requires a travel permit; getting caught without one means criminal punishment. Zhao Yao found the travel permit requirement troublesome and abolished it altogether.
After three years in Swamp Prefecture, one can obtain a residence register, effectively becoming a registered resident.
Becoming a resident of Swamp Prefecture comes with many advantages. First, opening a business has some tax exemptions. If farming, subsidies are available. Secondly, there are numerous educational subsidies. Thirdly, there are subsidies for childbirth, medical treatment, and old age care. Lastly, during festive occasions, like the recent Mid-Autumn Festival, the government distributes fruits, meat, mooncakes, and money to the people.
After the trade conference concluded, Zhao Yao’s administration made substantial profits; describing it as earning gold every day would be an understatement.
Outsiders never imagined they would receive money from the government, traditionally known for demanding money from them, not giving it.
The local residents told them not to be surprised, as Prince Han loved distributing goods to them.
The outsiders’ primary goal in coming to Swamp Prefecture was to secure a meal and merely survive. However, they unexpectedly discovered that not only could they eat, but they could earn considerable money and improve their lives significantly.