Ed dared not comment too much on the new worker, nor did he dare to ask too many questions.
He is currently working diligently on reforms to the cafeteria.
How can I change this behavior of occasionally not working one day, while I'm working for the territory every day before, and then going out to eat?
Actually, the oldest method could be used: simply issue a voucher, which is only issued during the workday and collected during mealtimes.
But Ed thought about it and decided against it. He decided to issue currency directly to avoid future troubles. This would not only be more convenient but also lay the foundation for future trade.
Anyway, he's far from the emperor's reach here, so he can do whatever he wants. Nobody can control him, and even if they could, he's not afraid. At worst, they'll have a real fight.
However, since there is no copper in the territory right now, iron can be used as a substitute. Iron is prone to rusting, but we can switch back to copper later if we find copper mines.
Strictly speaking, iron is now more valuable than copper, so there's absolutely no problem using iron, and it's not something that will be used for a long time anyway.
Ed took out the copper coin Will had brought back last time and looked at it. It only had a simple flower on it, probably because Carly's territory was in the Golden Flower Kingdom. That was all; it was really too simple.
At first, Ed thought it was some kind of high-tech product, but now that he looks at it closely, it seems to have been made by manually hammering a mold.
Ed put down the sample coin and took out paper and pen. He decided to design his copper coin, which was temporarily an iron coin, to look nicer.
On the front, he plans to use the territory's totem, and on the back, he plans to use the scenery of the beautiful lake, simply drawing some trees and water features.
As for the minting time, the time commonly used in mainland China will be used. At this point, the design of the entire copper coin is complete.
The next main issues are the minting of copper coins and how they are used; these require careful consideration.
"Adelaide, Carly, I've come up with a solution to yesterday's problem: use these copper coins to eat at the Peace Hotel. These coins are only given to employees. How many copper coins do you think would be appropriate for a lunch?"
Ed planned to ask the two girls for their opinions first, after all, three heads are better than one.
"Master, the food at the Peace Hotel is excellent; I think we need many more."
Adelaide had always been within the territory, so she wasn't entirely sure of the value of these items and couldn't give an accurate price.
"Lord Ed, I've been thinking about it. Before I came here, one copper coin could be exchanged for two loaves of black bread, but those loaves weren't as good or as big as the ones here. I think just one loaf of black bread would cost two copper coins, and fish and meat would cost at least four. Add in other things, and I think a lunch would cost at least ten copper coins."
Carly's analysis was fairly reliable. Ed planned to use Carly's approach as a reference price for now, and adjust it immediately if any problems arose later.
Regarding the issue of staff wages, he decided to temporarily set the daily wage for miners at thirty-five copper coins, for other workers thirty copper coins, and for those who did not work long hours, such as those in workshops or canteens who handled food for short periods, twenty copper coins a day.
The guards number forty per day, while some management personnel have a maximum of fifty.
The restaurant will also provide three meals a day, and the type and quantity of food, as well as how to eat it, will be determined by the diners.
For example, if you want to eat better and more, you can simply pay more copper coins.
Ed decided to leave it at that for now and adjust it later if problems arose. He believed the copper coin still had considerable purchasing power; it was just that the food he was providing was rather good. If it were just black bread, a day's wages could buy many loaves.
Carrying dozens of copper coins on your person every day felt heavy and inconvenient.
If it's inconvenient, it's inconvenient; there's nothing he can do about it for the time being.