Back to Ming Dynasty with Industrial Revolution System

Chapter 1516 Yizhou's Agriculture

"Which one are you?" Xiao Xiu'er has been away from Yizhou for 7 years, and she can't think of such a person for a while.

The dark-skinned scholar showed a wry smile helplessly: "That's right, Miss Xiaoxiu'er has been away from Yizhou for a long time, and it's normal to forget me, a worthless guy. Xiaosheng is Ouyang Jie, the son of a stupid Hong Kong immigrant. When you left Yizhou, I also said that you can go to the capital to take the examination for fame, and you can meet Miss Xiao again."

After being reminded by the other party, Xiao Xiu'er remembered that when she left Yizhou, a group of children from the Xinxing family who came to Bengang to reclaim wasteland had indeed pursued her.only……

"Master Ouyang, you have changed so much in a short while, I can't recognize you at all."

"It's a long story. At that time, I did go to the capital to try to obtain fame, but now the proportion of the Four Books and Five Classics is too small, and the new learning takes up a large part. Arithmetic, physics, law, these are very difficult to understand. I After staying in the capital for two years, I still had no confidence to pass the entrance examination. At this time, my father in Yizhou asked someone to send a letter from his family. It said that the imperial examination had been changed. If he was really not confident, he could come back here to cultivate new fields. , the government is willing to lease the newly reclaimed land to us for planting crops, and only needs to collect a certain amount of land rent from the government every year. I had no confidence at the time. Although I knew that the girl was also in the capital, the husband has no fame and cannot fulfill the original promise. What face will I see again, girl? Thinking of this, I came back to Bengang, took care of the family’s fields with my father, and hired tenant farmers to reclaim wasteland to build a farm. My skin was burned black by the scorching sun during the process of reclaiming wasteland. Fortunately, this The weather has been good for a few years, the scale of the farm is getting bigger and bigger, and life is getting better."

Ouyang Jie told Xiao Xiuer, whom he had not seen for a long time, about his experience in these years. His own experience is also a microcosm of the immigrants from Yizhou. The immigrants here are mainly engaged in agriculture and agricultural product trade.As an island that has not been developed much, there is a large area of ​​farmland that can be reclaimed.

Xiao Xiu'er listened to his story carefully, and did not show a trace of impatience. It would be better to say that such a story is more representative.In an ancient country that pays more attention to humanistic morals such as loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, righteousness, propriety and wisdom, there are still many people who cannot accept new learning such as mathematics, physics, and chemistry. They can only engage in the familiar work that their ancestors have passed down for generations-farming.

But even though they didn't realize it, the farming at this time was not each other's farming, and the small farmers' economy was greatly damaged. They began to pursue larger-scale farms to obtain economies of scale, employ a large number of laborers, and at the same time purchase government-run factories. Fertilizers, or sea guano transported by some merchants from Southeast Asia, are used as natural fertilizers to increase production.

"By the way, the farm owned by the food company run by our family is not far from the Atayal tribe. If you are not in a hurry, I can invite you to visit our big farm. It is a huge piece of farmland." Ouyang Jie excitedly Said.

"Food company?"

"That's right. Due to the prohibition of land mergers, we can only lease these wastelands from the government in the form of establishing a company. It is difficult for one person to manage such a large piece of land with capital, let alone bear the risk of unsalable crops. Individuals or dozens of people join forces to contribute, and several of them are responsible for daily management or hire brokers to manage. This kind of efficiency is much better than going door-to-door and ordering them to plant specific crops on their own fields. It will cause small farmers to go bankrupt. How about it, are you interested?" Ouyang Jie asked.

Xiao Xiuer and Ge Ya looked at Yu Cheng who was escorting them back, as if they were asking for his opinion.

Ouyang Jie also found Yu Cheng and several burly men, all of whom seemed to have extraordinary skills.

These people are actually members of Chu Yun's guards. Each of them has a good background and carries muskets, but on the surface they look like ordinary warriors.

"We have plenty of time this time. If this son's big farm happens to be on our way to the Atayal tribe, then it doesn't matter if we spend some time." Yu Cheng saw that this man named Ouyang Jie and Xiao Xiu'er were old acquaintances, and He didn't have anything to do with his wife, but he felt much more at ease.

"Could this man belong to Miss Xiao?" Ouyang Jie asked tentatively.

"Hey, this is my husband. Sister Xiao is not married yet." Goya said quickly.

"So that's how it is..." Ouyang Jie couldn't help feeling a little thankful, but also a little cautious and hesitant.

Ouyang Jie temporarily put down the affairs in hand, and warmly invited Xiao Xiuer and Ge Ya to visit the big farm in Yizhou.

"What do you plant on your big farm?" Xiao Xiu'er couldn't help asking on the road.

"In the past, rice was grown, but now it is mainly rice. The government has cultivated rice that can resist lodging. The ability of rice to resist strong winds has been greatly enhanced, and grain production can also be greatly improved. Exporting rice every year can bring a lot to our farm. After all, some places will lack food due to drought and locust plagues. There is also sugar cane, which can be sold to sugar factories as raw materials for sugar production, which is very profitable. Our sugar factory in Yizhou has begun to become famous. The province’s sugar is supplied by our Yizhou and Nanyang provinces.”

Ouyang Jie seemed to have remembered something interesting: "Westerners also brought a fruit called pineapple from a distant place called Brazil. This fruit grows in the leaves, and the peel is like jackfruit and yellow in color. It is sour and has green leaves at the tip that look like phoenix tails, so it is named pineapple. Our large farm has also grown this fruit in the past two years, and some of us have tried to add this fruit as a filling for cakes, called phoenix cakes.”

Xiao Xiu'er heard that there is a rare fruit called pineapple, but she has never seen it: "The name of phoenix cake is simple and clear, but it doesn't seem very elegant."

Ouyang Jie said helplessly: "It's not an easy thing to get someone who is both trustworthy and elegant and catchy."

"Sister Xiao, this Ouyang Jie seems to have been interested in you before, but now he seems to be the young master of a grain company. I think his qualifications are not bad, but he is a bit darker now." Goya whispered to him privately. Xiao Xiuer said.

"Don't talk nonsense." Xiao Xiu'er frowned slightly.

"Sister Xiao, do you really want to never marry for the rest of your life? Even I'm married, sister, you still want to be alone forever?" Goya asked.

Xiao Xiuer just shook her head.

(End of this chapter)