Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

The quantity of wood that Zhu Guoxiang dried in the shade was somewhat insufficient, so he spent money to buy some inventory from the Bai family.

He led people to get the wood back, handed the budget for making high-rotating drum carts and digging ditches to his son and said: "A weir pond, a canal, and a high-rotating drum truck, if we spend money to hire villagers to do it all , we don’t have much money left in our hands. It’s best to dig the second weir and pond next year, after all, we can’t use up all the money.”

Digging weirs, ponds and canals is a strenuous job, and even if it is a work-for-relief program, the wages must be at least 25 Wen.

With more than two hundred people working at the same time, it takes several dollars to pay wages every day.

The high-roller truck is also expensive and laborious. After all, it is ten meters high, and a wooden frame and diversion channel of the same height must be built to guide the river water down the hillside. Counting labor and raw materials (including tung oil, etc.), it is impossible to repair it without 200 yuan. Moreover, Zhu Guoxiang lacks experience and has to figure it out as he goes. If he makes a few more mistakes, he can probably throw in 250 yuan.

It’s so much money that I can’t afford not to pay it.

The poor people Bai Sheng brought back from the county were no better than beggars. They had no food at all and relied on working every day to make ends meet.

The refugees from the mountains brought back by Zhang Guangdao did have some food reserves, but they could barely avoid starving to death and had to collect wild vegetables to supplement their food. Moreover, they only have a few pieces of clothing, and they rarely leave the house in winter, so they have to provide them with fabric.

These two types of people, which account for nearly one-third of the village's population, must be supported until next spring.

Relief for work is the most perfect solution.

"With the funds seized from the bandits, we will definitely be able to survive this year." Zhu Ming lit a flower. "If we continue to build water conservancy projects next year, it seems that we must use the corvee system. We only provide rations and do not pay wages. Water conservancy is directly classified as public property within the village.”

"Save it. I have the last few packs of cigarettes." Zhu Guoxiang lit one himself. "Will the villagers be resentful if they are forced to do corvee work?"

Ju Ming said: "There must be complaints. Just control them. You have been a vice dean and a professor for so many years. You should know how to use free labor."

"What do you call this? It makes me like Zhou Papi," Zhu Guoxiang said. "Even if we use corvees, the construction of the second weir and pond should be postponed until after the autumn harvest next year."

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

Zhu Guoxiang said: "With improved sweet potatoes and chemical fertilizers, depending on the soil and climate, the yield per mu is between 4,000 jins and 10,000 jins, usually 5,000 to 6,000 jins. This is a net crop yield. If other crops are interplanted, , the yield per mu is only about two to three thousand catties.”

After shaking off the ashes, Zhu Guoxiang continued: "We brought more than ten kilograms of sweet potatoes and pinched out more than 1,100 potato seedlings, barely able to grow one acre. Because it is intercropping, there is no chemical fertilizer, and it is still a mountainous area. From planting, I estimate that it will be good if we can produce one thousand catties. If we are lucky, we can at most produce one thousand two hundred catties. We need to save seeds for next year. Even if we use five hundred catties to eat, how many days will it be enough for the villagers?"

"Oh, just wait until next year. This year's main reason is that there are too many new people, and all the people attracted are poor people," Zhu Ming leaned on the chair and puffed away. Rich, we have to find a way to make a fortune."

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

"If there is a rebellion in the next two or three years, I don't mind being a bandit," Ju Ming actually considered the matter seriously, "but if there is no rebellion within five years, being a bandit will be a waste."

Zhu Guoxiang thought about it carefully and suggested: "We should stop going to the mountains, break off the BMW's reflectors, make exquisite frames out of wood, and sell them to Lu Guan people in the county."

"In such a remote county, you can sell it for a few dozen coins at most. There are tigers in the mountains, so I have to take people there, so I'm too lazy to make a trip." Zhu Ming refused.

After traveling through time, he discovered that the ancient bronze mirror, as long as it was finely polished, would have the same effect as a glass mirror, and would not be as blurry as in the TV series.

People who go around the streets sharpening scissors also work part-time polishing bronze mirrors.

After smoking a cigarette, neither father nor son spoke anymore.

They are still too eager to achieve success. Not only do they want to explode the population in a short period of time, but they also want to develop water conservancy projects at the same time. It would be impossible for an old white member to hold on.

"Village chief, Brother Zhang is back and has brought more than 20 fugitives with him!"

Ju Ming was not happy when he heard this. He used to worry about the population being too small, but now he is worried about not having enough food.

He walked out quickly and took up the horse. When he saw Zhang Guangdao, he said: "Brother Zhang, don't recruit people for the time being. Wait until the corn is harvested next year to absorb the fugitives. This horse is for you, as agreed in advance." .”

"good!"

Zhang Guangdao was so happy that he turned over and got on the horse.

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

"You should have told me earlier!"

Zhang Guangdao immediately dismounted, fearing that he might miscarry accidentally.

He was in his twenties and had never been married. Now he regarded the mare as his wife, just like the horse carrying its own calf in its belly.

Zhu Ming went to bring the cornucopia over again: "I'll lend you this one for now."

Cornucopia's temper is getting worse and worse. He only recognizes Ju Ming and his son, and no one else wants to ride on him.

Zhu Ming stroked his mane to comfort him, Zhang Guangdao also tried to persuade him, and he finally rode on safely.

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

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

At this moment, he took over the spear and used it as a carbine, but he didn't dare to completely let go of the reins, so he could only hold the reins with one hand and hold the gun with the other. Zhang Guangdao always felt uncomfortable using a gun with one hand on a galloping horse. He tried various positions and finally figured out how to charge with a 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 spear and just practiced riding. Bai Sheng stood on the sidelines and cheered.

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

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

In more than a month, the mountain wall has been carved out, and the pond digging will continue. Once everything is dug, water and compact it must be done to prevent excessive water penetration at the bottom and walls of the pond.

Brothers Deng Chun and Deng Xia were leading a few masons to use hammers and drills to trim a strip of stone, which was to be transported to the barrel truck to lay the foundation.

Deng Chun was as strong as an ox, and he could feed two people by himself.

In late autumn, he was actually still wearing single clothes. When he was swinging a hammer, his muscles were like muscles, and when he was mending stones with iron drills, it was like embroidery. The stones he struck have the most regular shape, which is in sharp contrast to its thick body.

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

There are a dozen carpenters over there, preliminarily processing the wood. More than 30 villagers were divided and dug pits by the river to prepare the foundation.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "I have to guard the cart. The sweet potatoes are about to be harvested. I need you to go to Shangbaicun to handle it."

"No problem." Zhu Ming said.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "There must be some broken sweet potatoes, and some smaller ones. They can be transported back to Daming Village, dried into dried potatoes and sold. This stuff is rare. You can hype it up and maybe sell it at a high price." The larger ones that are intact will be transported back to be used as seed potatoes for next year. One pound of sweet potato seeds can be used to plant fifty to one hundred seedlings, enough to plant in the whole village."

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

Corn and sweet potatoes are grown by tenant farmers, who only need to pay rent to the Zhu family. If Ju Ming wants to take it away, he must provide corresponding money and food, and by the way, he must leave some seeds for the tenants.

When I arrived at Shangbai Village, I learned that the sweet potatoes were about to be harvested, so I personally led my servants to help.

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

Ju Ming said: "You can cut it into several pieces and cook it with the porridge. It is best to add some corn flour. It can also be roasted and eaten, and it can also be dried into dried sweet potatoes."

Bai Zongwang smiled and said: "Speaking of corn, I put corn flour in the flour and steamed the cakes together, which gave it a different flavor."

"There are other ways to eat it. Young corn is good whether boiled or grilled." Zhu Ming said.

"That will have to wait until next year."

Bai Zongwang bent down and picked up a sweet potato. After cleaning the soil and examining it carefully, he felt that it was a taro with a different appearance.

Regardless, this stuff is filling and seems to be very productive.

Baskets of sweet potatoes were carried down the mountain and piled under the eaves of Shen Yourong's house. A few dozen kilograms were left for the tenants, and Bai Zongwang also bought a few dozen kilograms. The rest will be moved back to Daming Village.

"When will Ms. Shen plan to go there?" Zhu Ming asked Shen Yourong.

Shen Yourong said, "Just these two days."

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

Ju Ming consoled him: "I moved there, and I can come back and visit at any time."

"As you get older, it's not easy to go out." Grandma Yan walked to the door and stretched out her hand to touch the door frame, as if reminiscing about the past.

Her family's property, as well as that of her father and son, have all been sold to Lao Bai Yuanwai.

I definitely have to move, why do I stay here?

I am unfamiliar with the place and I am a little worried about my future life.

Ju Ming rented the Bai family's passenger ship and carried baskets of sweet potatoes aboard. Neighbors also came to help, bringing books, pots and bowls, quilts, farm tools, etc.

Grandma Yan held her grandson in her hands and looked back three times with each step, as if she was parting from life or death.

Shen Yourong was looking forward to it. Her heart was set on Zhu Guoxiang, and home was where her husband was.

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

"The new home is in the mountains, 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 wife of Meng Xiucai's family is about the same age as Mrs. Shen."

Shen Yourong smiled and said, "I recognize her. She grew up in a village. I went there to keep her company."

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

The pennants were propped up, and the boat left the shore and moved farther and farther away.

I don't know when Bai Dalang ran over, waving and shouting from the shore: "My third brother is going home for the New Year, Dalang, come and sit down too!"

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