Chapter 99: The Final Response on Wages and Prices, Skeptical Readers Welcome!
Chapter 99: The Final Response on Wages and Prices, Skeptical Readers Welcome!
Some readers in the book reviews have raised concerns about the prices and wages in this novel, particularly the high wages of the large pot makers at the tile factory. Some even argued that a large pot maker couldn’t possibly earn such high wages, citing that a skilled worker at a quadrangle courtyard only earned a hundred or so yuan a month.
Here, the author would like to address the wages of the large pot makers. The author’s father graduated from high school in 1979 and started working at the tile factory in 1980. At the beginning, he was tasked with carrying clay from morning till night, earning 1.5 yuan a day. Later, he moved on to kneading the clay, which earned him 2 yuan a day.
At the time, he noticed that the large pot makers only worked half a day but could easily earn several yuan, enjoying meat and alcohol daily. Driven by ambition, he used his free time to observe the large pot makers. After a while, he started practicing with some clay.
It’s worth mentioning that the author’s father had a natural talent for this work. He learned the craft of making large pots in just over a month. However, even if you knew how to make large pots, you couldn’t work independently without a master’s endorsement.
So, the author’s father found a master to apprentice under, though it was more of a formality, and the master didn’t actually teach him much.
From then on, the author’s father became a large pot maker. Due to his exceptional talent, he worked much faster than other large pot makers. While others could earn six to eight yuan a day, the author’s father could earn eleven to twelve yuan, almost double the income of his peers.
This was one of the few high points in the author’s father’s life, and he often reminisced about it. The author, while writing this book, also consulted his father in detail. Therefore, those who doubt the wages of the large pot makers at the tile factory can now close their mouths.
After all, the author has been writing for fifteen years and wouldn’t write without thorough research. It’s not like the author just makes things up off the top of their head.
As for the concerns about other prices being unrealistic, the author isn’t sure what specific prices are being referred to, but it’s likely the seafood prices. The book clearly states that sandworms and squid sell for about three yuan per pound, but these are dried seafood. It takes ten pounds of fresh sandworms to make one pound of dried sandworms and five pounds of fresh squid to make one pound of dried squid. On average, fresh sandworms cost just over three jiao per pound, which is cheaper than eggs. Even fresh squid, on average, costs about seven jiao per pound, which is cheaper than pork. So, where’s the unrealistic pricing?
These prices are based on the 1988 Bo Bai County Annals, which state that dried squid cost 70 to 90 yuan per kilogram, averaging 40 yuan per pound. In 1980, it’s selling for just over three yuan per pound, a reduction of more than ten times. Saying that the author’s prices are from the 1990s is simply laughable.
For dried sandworms, in 1988, they cost 50 to 70 yuan per kilogram, averaging 30 yuan per pound. Now, they sell for 3.3 yuan per pound, a reduction of about nine times. If anyone doubts these prices, please provide evidence to contradict the author.
The author doesn’t claim that every price in the book is 100% accurate, but any discrepancies are minor. Each price is derived from extensive research, with the primary reference being the Bo Bai County Annals, as the book is set in Bo Bai County.
Some readers have questioned the use of county annals, but if the prices in the annals can’t be trusted, what other sources can be used?
Do you prefer unverified history over official records?
Moreover, those who raise these concerns, do you truly understand the prices of that era? Your doubts seem to be based on assumptions rather than facts.
For now, this is all the author has to say. If there are still doubts, please provide evidence. Don’t just make vague statements about unrealistic prices without specifying what you’re referring to. It’s like playing a guessing game.
(End of Chapter)
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