Guide to Traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty.

Chapter 101 0096 [Moving]

The amount of wood Zhu Guoxiang dried in the shade was not enough, so he spent money to buy some stock from the Bai family.

He took people back to get the wood back, and threw the budget for making high-drum carts and digging ditches to his son, saying: "If you spend money to hire villagers to build a weir pond, a canal, and a high-drum cart , We don’t have much money left in our hands. It’s best to dig the second weir pond next year, after all, we can’t use up all the money.”

Digging weir ponds and canals is heavy physical labor. Even if the labor is used as relief, the wages must be paid at least 25 yuan.

More than 200 people work at the same time, and they have to pay several dollars a day for wages.

The high-drum car is also costly and labor-intensive. After all, it is ten meters high, and a wooden frame and water diversion tank of the same height have to be built to keep the river water down the hillside.Counting wages and raw materials (including tung oil, etc.), it is impossible to repair it without 200 guan.Moreover, Zhu Guoxiang is inexperienced, so he has to fumble around. If he makes a few more mistakes, it is estimated that 250 pennies can be thrown in.

With so much money, I still have to pay.

The poor people brought back by Bai Sheng from the county are not much better than beggars. They have no food reserves at all, and they count on working every day to make ends meet.

The fleeing households brought back from the mountains by Zhang Guangdao did have some food in store, but they could barely survive starvation, and had to pick wild vegetables to supplement their food.Moreover, there are not many clothes, and they basically do not leave the house in winter, so they have to be provided with fabrics.

These two types of people account for nearly one-third of the village's population, and they will have to survive next spring.

Relief with work is the perfect solution.

"The funds seized from the bandits will definitely survive this year." Zhu Ming lit a Huazi. "If we continue to build water conservancy next year, it seems that we must use the corvee system. Only rations are provided, no wages are paid, and the repairs are completed." Water conservancy is directly classified as public property in the village."

"Save and smoke, the last few packs of cigarettes are gone," Zhu Guoxiang lit one himself, "Will the villagers feel resentful when the corvee is imposed?"

Zhu Ming said: "There must be complaints, just control them. You have been an associate dean and a professor for so many years, so you should know how to use free labor."

"What's this called? It makes me feel like Zhou Paipi," Zhu Guoxiang said. "Even if corvee is used, the construction of the second weir pond should be postponed until after next year's autumn harvest."

Zhu Ming suddenly asked: "How many sweet potatoes can we harvest this year?"

Zhu Guoxiang said: "According to the differences in soil and climate, the yield of fine sweet potatoes plus chemical fertilizers is between [-] catties and [-] catties per mu, usually five to six thousand catties. This is the net crop yield. If other crops are interplanted , the yield per mu is only about two to three thousand catties."

Shaking the soot, Zhu Guoxiang continued: "We brought more than ten catties of sweet potatoes, and harvested more than 100 potato seedlings. We can barely grow an acre of them. Because it is an intercropping intercropping and there is no chemical fertilizer, it is still planted in mountainous areas. , I guess it would be good to produce [-] catties, and if you are lucky, it will be [-] catties at most. Next year, if you have to save the seeds, even if you take out [-] catties to eat, how many days will it be enough for the villagers?"

"Well, it's good to wait until next year. This year, the main reason is that there are too many new people, and all the poor people are recruited," Zhu Ming leaned on the chair and swallowed, "A horse has no night grass and is not fat, and people have no windfall. Fu, we have to find a way to make a fortune."

Zhu Guoxiang joked: "Go down the mountain to rob passing merchant ships."

"If there is a rebellion in the last two or three years, I don't mind playing a cameo role as a bandit," Zhu Ming actually considered the matter seriously, "but if there is no rebellion within five years, being a bandit will not be worth the loss."

Zhu Guoxiang thought about it carefully, and suggested: "Don't go to the mountains anymore, break off the reflector of the BMW, and then make a delicate frame with wood, and sell it to Lu Guanren in the county."

"This kind of remote small county can sell dozens of guan at most. There are tigers in the mountains, so I don't bother to go there if I have to take people there." Ju Ming refused.

After time travelling, he discovered that as long as the ancient bronze mirrors are finely polished, the effect is the same as that of glass mirrors, instead of the blurred figures in TV dramas.

He grinds scissors in the streets and alleys, and also polishes bronze mirrors part-time.

After smoking a cigarette, the father and son didn't talk anymore.

They are still too eager for success, not only explode the population in a short period of time, but also want to promote water conservancy at the same time, even if it is an old white member.

"Village Chief, Third Brother Zhang is back, bringing more than 20 fleeing households with him!"

Zhu Ming was not happy when he heard this. He used to worry about the small population, but now he is afraid that there will not be enough food.

He walked out quickly, took the horse with him, and when he saw Zhang Guangdao, he said: "Brother Zhang, don't recruit people for now, wait until next year when the corn is harvested, and then go to recruit fleeing households. This horse is for you, as agreed in advance." .”

"it is good!"

Zhang Guangdao was so happy that he couldn't close his mouth from ear to ear, he turned over and got on the horse.

Zhu Ming quickly stopped: "Don't ride too fast, the mare is pregnant!"

"You said it earlier!"

Zhang Guangdao dismounted immediately, for fear of miscarriage.

He is in his twenties and has never been married. At this moment, he regards the mare as his wife, as if the horse is pregnant with his own cub.

Zhu Ming went to bring the cornucopia again: "Let me lend you this one first."

The temper of the cornucopia is getting bigger and bigger, and only recognizes Zhu Ming and his son, and others don't want to ride at all.

Zhu Ming stroked his mane for a while to comfort him, Zhang Guangdao also coaxed him, and finally he rode safely and steadily.

"Brother Zhang, the spear will be your spearman!" Bai Sheng had already returned to the village.He recruited sixty people, and was given two acres of land and three pennies, so he stopped going to the county to recruit the poor.

Zhang Guangdao had ridden that mare before, so he was familiar with the basic operations.

At this moment, he took over the spear and used it as a carbine, but he didn't dare to let go of the rein completely, so he could only hold the rein in one hand and the gun in the other.Using the gun with one hand on the galloping horse, Zhang Guangdao always felt uncomfortable. After trying various postures, he realized how to charge with the gun.

This style of play is very popular among European knights.

There are also records in ancient China, but they are not considered mainstream tactics.

Zhang Guangdao knew that his riding skills were not good enough, so he simply threw the pike and just practiced horseback riding. Bai Sheng stood on the sidelines and cheered.

The father and son ignored it and went down the mountain to the construction site together.

Meng Zhao is supervising the Yantang construction site, which is a new task assigned to him by Zhu Guoxiang.

In more than a month, the mountain wall has been dug out, and the pond will continue to be dug next.After all the digging is completed, water should be watered and compacted to avoid excessive water penetration at the bottom and walls of the pond.

Brothers Deng Chun and Deng Xia are leading a few masons to repair the stone with hammer and iron drill. This thing will be transported to the bobbin truck to lay the foundation.

Deng Chun is as strong as a cow, and he can eat as much food as two people.

In the late autumn, he was still wearing single clothes, his muscles were like horns when he swung the hammer, and the iron drill repaired the stone like embroidery.The stones he struck were the most regular in shape, forming a strong contrast with his bulky figure.

The father and son observed for a while, and then went to the bobbin construction site.

There are more than a dozen carpenters there, who are initially processing the wood.More than 30 villagers were separated to dig holes by the river to lay the foundation.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "I have to guard the bobbin cart. The sweet potatoes are about to be harvested, and you need to go to Shangbai Village to deal with them."

"No problem." Zhu Ming said.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "Sweet potatoes must have been dug up, and there are also smaller ones, which can be transported back to Daming Village and dried into dried potatoes for sale. This stuff is rare, so it can be hyped up, and it may be sold at a high price. The larger and undamaged ones will be transported back as seed potatoes for next year. One catty of sweet potato seeds can cut fifty to one hundred seedlings, which is enough for cuttings in the whole village."

A few days later, Zhu Ming set off with people and some money along the way.

Both corn and sweet potatoes are grown by tenants, and they only need to pay rent to the Zhu family and his son.If Zhu Ming wanted to take it away, he had to provide the corresponding money and food, and by the way, he had to leave some seeds for the tenants.

When they arrived at Shangbai Village, they learned that the sweet potatoes were about to be harvested, so the old white man led his servants to help.

After digging out sweet potatoes one by one, Bai Zongwang asked, "How do you eat this? Is it the same as taro?"

Zhu Ming said: "You can cut a few pieces and cook them with the porridge. It is best to put some cornmeal. You can also roast them or dry them into dried sweet potatoes."

Bai Zongwang smiled and said: "Speaking of corn, I put corn flour in the flour and steamed the pancake with it, it has a special taste."

"There are other ways to eat it. The tender corn is good both boiled and grilled," said Zhu Ming.

"That will have to wait until next year."

Bai Zongwang bent down to pick up a sweet potato, cleaned the soil and inspected it carefully, he felt that it was a taro with a different shape.

Either way, this thing fills up and seems to be producing a lot.

Baskets of sweet potatoes were carried down the mountain and piled under the eaves of Shen Yourong's house.Ten catties were left for the tenants, and Bai Zongwang also bought dozens of catties, and all the rest had to be moved back to Daming Village.

"When is Shen Niang planning to go there?" Zhu Ming asked Shen Yourong.

Shen Yourong said, "Just these two days."

Grandma Yan looked at her courtyard: "I've lived in it for decades, but I really can't bear to move."

Zhu Ming comforted: "I moved there, and I can come back to have a look at any time."

"It's not easy to go out when you're old." Grandma Yan walked to the door and touched the door frame, as if recalling the past.

Her family's property, together with that of the father and son, has been sold to the old white member.

You must move. What are you doing here?

It's just that I'm not familiar with the place of life, and I'm a little worried about my future life.

Zhu Ming rented the Bai family's passenger boat and carried baskets of sweet potatoes on board.Neighbors also came to help, bringing books, pots and pans, quilts, farm tools and the like.

Grandma Yan took her grandson by the hand, turning her head every step of the way, as if parting from life to death.

Shen Yourong was looking forward to it, she put all her heart on Zhu Guoxiang, and a place with a husband is home.

"Brother, what does the new home look like?" Bai Qi raised his head and asked.

"The new home is on the mountain, and there are children there. You can make new friends," Zhu Ming said to Mrs. Shen again, "There are also young women over there. The lady from Meng Xiucai's family is about the same age as Mrs. Shen."

Shen Yourong smiled and said: "I know her, she grew up in a village, she just happened to be with her when she went there."

Many villagers spontaneously came to see them off. Zhu Guoxiang taught them how to farm, and Zhu Ming killed the thieves. Both father and son have a very high prestige here.

With the penny propped up, the boat left the shore and gradually drifted away.

Bai Dalang didn't know when he came running, he waved and shouted from the bank: "My third brother is going home for the New Year, Dalang also come and have a seat!"

"Sure, come and have a drink then!" Zhu Ming laughed loudly.

(End of this chapter)