Cosma Empire

Working on the "dock" is not an easy job. A lot of goods need to be unloaded or loaded every day, and they work almost from dawn to late night.

The salary of this job is very low and the intensity is very high, so it is difficult to recruit enough people. This is why there is a breach of contract clause in the agreement that requires compensation of 50 yuan if you work less than half a year. As for why it is half a year instead of a year, two years or even longer, there are also reasons. This kind of high-intensity work may only bring people a feeling of fatigue at the beginning, but as the working hours continue to increase, the physical aspect is no longer as simple as being tired.

Lack of nutritional supplements, no comfortable rest environment, and steam locomotives passing by at night. Over time, these porters will suffer from some physical problems, such as "occupational diseases" such as bone deformities. . According to the ideas of the capitalists, these sick workers can no longer take on the heavy porter work. It is already a loss-making behavior to spend money to support them, and to feed and shelter them. The only way out for these workers is to be kicked go out.

But it just happened that things couldn't go so smoothly because of the existence of trade unions. Trade unions are something that makes all capitalists feel nauseous and want to vomit. They hate trade unions and cannot live without them. They can only pinch their noses to make themselves feel better. With care, avoid certain rules.

For example, occupational diseases are regarded as work-related injuries. Either the station pays a large sum of money to send workers away, or they support them until they are forty-five years old.

God is above, not to mention feeding them, even paying an extra five cents is a kind of meat-cutting behavior that can make them feel painful for the capitalists, so the agreement at the station is signed every six months. After the agreement expires, the station will issue a note to those workers who request to renew the contract. They can only continue to sign the agreement after they have undergone a physical examination to confirm that they are not sick or have bone deformities. As for the workers who have physical problems, they will be kicked out directly. After fulfilling the contract, whether these workers are sick from overwork or whether they are sick because of heavy physical work at the station has nothing to do with the station.

At that time, the trade unions will not have the power and excuse to cut knives at each other with the station.

Of course, Du Lin would not know this. In the eyes of Mr. Klein, this is a fool from the countryside. After six months, he threw it out and let him destroy himself! What? study? That is the school run by his daughter. Why not introduce the workers to learn a little bit of knowledge and increase their knowledge and education?

Du Lin came to the station early the next morning, and there was already a hint of autumn coolness in the early morning of late summer and early autumn. He wiped his arms with his hands, bringing some warmth to his body. When standing on the edge of the platform with oil lamps, there are already many workers around, ready to welcome the first steam locomotive.

"New here?", a man in his thirties who looked like a man-bear was wearing only a vest, with a cigarette in his mouth, he took another one, and handed it to Du Forest.

When they were in the country, the brothers would sometimes steal Mr. Kesma’s cigarettes, and each of them would take a puff, puffing up the smoke not necessarily for the pleasure, but purely for a joyful pastime. Facing the cigarette handed by a stranger, he hesitated to take it, and thanked him for it, "Thank you for the cigarette, I am Du Lin."

The human bear took out a match and rubbed it on Du Lin's collar, and a puff of thick white smoke suddenly rose. Both of them tilted their heads to avoid the supposedly poisonous white smoke, and then they moved to the burning match and lit their cigarettes.

The guy threw the match and threw it on the ground, stepped on it a few more times, crushed it, took a deep breath, and exhaled while saying: "Smoking is prohibited in the station. It is said that it has happened in other places. The disaster where the goods were burned due to smoking in the room." He stretched out his hand and grinned grinningly,

"My name is Graf. It's a pleasure to be your co-worker."

Du Lin stretched out his hand and shook Graff, feeling a lot closer. This is the charm of social interaction. Simple conversations and sharing that may not be regarded as gifts can quickly bring the relationship between two strangers closer.

"I'm very honored, sir." Du Lin was very polite, he nodded and took a puff of cigarette, then coughed.

Graf laughed loudly. He patted Du Lin on the back, and said with a smile, "Don't use the word Mr., it's only used by the big names in the upper class, just call me by my name. Also, is it strong enough?", He took off the cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth, and waved it in front of Du Lin with two fingers.

After coughing for a long time, Du Lin got up again. He didn't dare to smoke this cigarette anymore. He coughed so hard that his face turned pale. "What's in it?"

Graff seemed very happy and proud, "In addition to a small amount of tobacco leaves, there are straws, shredded dried rattan squash, and by the way, some blood orange peels and a little ground into flour. Pepper skin."

"Leave that kid alone, Graf, who can stand your thing?" Someone had noticed the situation here, and immediately some workers laughed and shouted.

Graf didn't care at all, put the cigarette in his mouth again, and squinted at them, "This guy can take it!" He arched Du Lin with his arm, almost knocked Du Lin off balance, and fell On the ground, "Do you think it's easy to smoke?"

In fact, most of the cigarettes smoked by the workers are cigarettes with some added stuff, because the money they earn is not enough to qualify them to consume expensive things like cigarettes. They usually pick up some cigarette butts with about one centimeter left from the station, pour out the tobacco leaves, and collect them. If these tobacco leaves are simply rolled into cigarettes, only two or three cigarette butts may be picked up for a day. But if you add a little material, you can more or less roll out a pack.

The upper class has the extravagance of the upper class, while the lower class also has the survival wisdom of the lower class. After trying many things, most people approve of the sun-dried shredded cane squash and sun-dried blood orange zest. As for the straw and paprika that Graff adds..., that's his personal preference.

Du Lin looked at Graff's sincere eyes and the expectation in his eyes. The kind and simple country boy could only bite the bullet and take another sip, his face almost turned pale, "Yes, yes!", and coughed again after speaking A few times, making Graf laugh out loud.

Du Lin could see that Graf was not teasing him, but really laughed happily.

At this time, the steam locomotive in the distance began to whistle, and the workers also began to pack up their tools and stood on the edge of the platform waiting for unloading.

When the steam locomotive arrived at the station, Du Lin discovered that the so-called "standard goods" did not mean a package, a sack or a box, but many, many. According to some of the knowledge he learned in his dream, there are almost four cubic meters. In fact, if you think about it, you are right. If you can give two cents for just running back and forth, I am afraid that the station does not need to recruit workers at all, and it will already be overwhelmed by workers.

Graff handed Dooling two ropes tied together at both ends, and then helped him pass them through his arms and put them on his shoulders, forming an X shape behind his back. Now, use this rope to stretch the two corners of the box, and you can use the strength of your whole body, which is relatively easy and does not hurt your body." He said, he punched Du Lin on the shoulder, "What you want to learn There's more, brother!"

The work in the morning was relatively easy, and there were not many steam locomotives driving at night. It was only in the afternoon that Du Lin felt the real fatigue. Steam locomotives continued to enter the station, and Mr. Klein also came out of the office, yelling at the workers and arranging the dispatch. He was busy almost from one o'clock to seven o'clock in the evening, before he had time to catch his breath.

His arms had already started to tremble, and Du Lin, who couldn't even clenched his fists, was sitting at the edge of the dining table, holding a piece of bread with trembling hands, and drinking the broth on the table with his head bowed.

Today, according to the workers, he earned twelve cents. If he continues at this pace, he can earn five yuan this month, which is not bad for a novice.

At this time, Graf also came over with a bowl full of broth and some bread. He sat next to Du Lin, biting the bread with big mouthfuls, so stuffed that he couldn't even speak clearly. , "Don't take a shower at night, go to bed with your clothes off, don't do other things, or you won't be able to do anything tomorrow."

Dooling always believed what experienced people said, and Graff didn't say things that made him feel ridiculous, just told him not to take a bath. It didn't take long for Dühring to decide to believe Graff's suggestion, and at the same time he asked a question.

"Mr. Klein told me that people from the union will come to me in a few days and tell me not to join the union. Should I join?"

A look of contempt immediately appeared on Graf's face. He glanced back at the lighted windows on the second floor, and sneered, "Don't listen to that liar, if you don't join the union, who can guarantee us low-level workers? rights? He just wants to take advantage of you and, besides, is the fifty-cent membership fee very expensive?"

Du Lin nodded, and drank the broth in the bowl in one gulp, and actually ate a piece of meat the size of a fingernail.

"I see!"