Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

The village at the foot of the mountain is a little dilapidated, looking just like Xiabai Village, and far inferior to Shangbai Village where life is better.

Especially for the new population, those who come early can be allocated old houses (the houses of the dead bandits). Those who came late had to build it themselves, and had to dedicate labor to earn wages. The thatched houses they built looked terrible.

"It's very poor here." Mrs. Yan muttered.

It's not that she dislikes it, she just expresses it out of emotion, fearing that it will be detrimental to her grandson's growth.

Zhu Ming said with a smile: "You will be poor this year and rich next year. It only takes one year to catch up with Shangbai Village. Once the big truck is built and the canals are dug, half of the paddy fields in the village can be irrigated. Half of the mountainside is still there Dig weirs and ponds, dig one this year and two next year, and strive to solve the problem of irrigation in the mountainous areas within three years."

Hearing this, Mrs. Yan also laughed: "Da Lang is very ambitious and is doing big things. I haven't dug irrigation canals in Shangbai Village for many years. I dug them once when I first got married."

The boat docked, not far from the drum truck construction site.

Zhu Guoxiang was discussing something with the carpenter over there. He talked for a while before coming over, and then they carried the sweet potatoes up the mountain together.

Back in the village, Dean Zhu handed over a stack of paper.

Zhu Ming took it and took a look and saw it read: Daming Village Three-Year Development Plan (Draft).

The plan is written in great detail, down to the level of manpower, material resources, and time required for each project. The approximate data is all clearly stated.

"Okay, Dean Zhu." Zhu Ming doesn't know how to plan. In other words, he has a more casual personality and has never been in the habit of doing this kind of thing.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "I didn't make detailed plans before because I didn't have enough understanding of ancient productivity. For example, digging a weir and pond can be done in a few days with an excavator, but I don't know how long it will take to rely solely on manpower. After the actual construction, I realized that I was too optimistic. , the actual construction period was longer than expected. Only after accumulating experience did I dare to make this plan."

Ju Ming sat down and looked through it carefully, and there was actually a tea-fried project for next spring.

There are several tea picking periods in spring. In Zhu Guoxiang’s vision, steaming tea will still be the main focus next year. While steaming the tea, some second-grade tea was used for tea-frying experiments, and four or five people were mobilized to do this.

There is also clearly written information on which land should be planted next year with corn and sweet potatoes.

When new crops are harvested, the whole village will be basically self-sufficient, and two more weirs and ponds can be dug next year. There is no need to engage in corvee work when work starts, only food is used to pay wages.

After the summer grain harvest in the third year, a simple wharf can be built on the riverside.

The villagers along the river asked them to grow more vegetables and poultry, and provide food and accommodation services for passing merchant ships. The distance from here to the county seat is only half a day with the current and more than half a day with the current. It can be used as a docking point for supplies.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "I haven't written the five-year plan yet, but I already have ideas. Within five years, the whole village will not only have enough food and clothing, but also form a small dock on the riverside. Seventy percent of the merchant ships passing by will be in Daming Village. Let’s rest and settle down. The wine made from corn and sweet potatoes will not be produced enough at first, so we don’t need to export it, and we can only provide it to those caravan guys.”

"Haha," Zhu Ming laughed, "By that time, I'm afraid Daming Village will become the wealthiest village in the county except near the county seat."

Zhu Guoxiang said: "There is no government oppression here. Daming Village is richer than the villages on the outskirts of the county. It must be the richest village in the county. By then, your militia team must be formed. Otherwise, the new county magistrate and the subordinate officials will I'm 100% jealous, and I might come one day to clear out the land and conduct a population census."

Ju Ming said: "I plan to train troops after the summer harvest next year, but only a few dozen elite soldiers. After the autumn harvest, we will select strong men on a large scale and use the slack time for training. This is your plan to dig the second and third weirs. , I’m afraid there are some conflicts.”

"Then change the plan. The third weir and pond will not be dug for the time being," Zhu Guoxiang said. "I finally understand that in this hellish age, the rich can only be slaughtered as pigs, and they must be equipped with corresponding armed forces."

Zhu Ming once again immersed himself in reading the planning document. After reading it, he basically felt confident.

The first two years were the construction period, and funds were obtained by selling tea and collecting grain, but most of it was used for village construction, and there was basically not much grain left.

The third year is the period of development, which can free up manpower and material resources to build the terminal.

Moreover, it is a black dock and refuses to be sent by the government to set up guardrails (tax dispatch agencies). Once the government intervenes, half of the dock will be destroyed, and force may be used.

Ju Ming closed his eyes and thought, he had more ideas.

After the third year, Daming Village will definitely have enough money and food. At that time, you can cooperate with passing merchant ships and let them recruit poor people along the way and continue to absorb a small amount of immigrants.

Only more than a hundred people need to be added every year, allowing them to open up wasteland along the river and continue to develop downstream. In a few years, Ju Ming's actual control area is estimated to reach 15 square kilometers. At the intersection of the tributary and the Han River, a T-shaped waterside force is formed.

It can even develop upstream and swallow up the other side of Xiabai Village. The arable area there is not large and the population is extremely sparse, but once occupied, it can be connected with Shangxiabai Village.

By that time, the Zhu family was an absolute status quo household, and no matter how envious the new county magistrate was, he had to treat them with caution.

Once an attack is launched, the county town will be breached in minutes!

Thinking of this, Zhu Ming said with a playful smile: "Dean Zhu, you are really my Kong Mingye. This planning document can be regarded as a rural version of "Longzhong Dui"."

"What a mess!" Zhu Guoxiang was too lazy to talk nonsense with his son, so he got up and went out to accompany his wife.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were tidying up the room, and Meng Zhao's wife Yu Shanwei also came to help.

There is also Yao Fang's widow Jiang Erniang, who has gradually adapted to the "new environment" and lives in the same house as Zhang Guangdao. The widow had an admiration for Zhang Guangdao, and she also had a attachment to the strong.

It's a pity that Zhang Guangdao is very dull in terms of emotions and always treats Jiang Erniang as his sister-in-law.

Bai Sheng's wife Li Youniang also came. She was originally Bai Sheng's sweetheart, but was snatched as a concubine by Xiao Bai's son. Bai Sheng was snatched back again, and he didn't care about anything. He got married the next month and even adopted Li Youniang's son (the grandson of Xiao Bai's wife).

A three-year-old child doesn't even know shit. If you raise it well, it's no different from your own son.

"There are wells on the east and west sides of the village," Yu Shanwei said while busy. "It's very convenient here, but the trip down the mountain is tiring. There are also some mulberry trees planted on the mountain, so you can raise silkworms in the spring."

Shen Yourong smiled and said, "Third sister came early. Please take care of me more from now on."

Yu Shanwei said: "I have only been here for a month, thanks to Jiang Erniang for taking care of me."

Jiang Erniang said flatteringly: "It's more lively when there are more people. Don't tell who takes care of whom."

Li Youniang has been silent, only burying her head in helping with the work. Because she was quite handsome, she was kidnapped as a concubine by paying her rent. She was bullied by the eldest wife in the home of a novice member and became less and less courageous.

Although he remarried Bai Sheng with his son, his temper was still weak and he didn't talk much.

A group of young women were busy, but Mrs. Yan was free. She looked at the house carefully and felt very satisfied: "There are nine rooms here. Although they are not elegantly built, they are also very spacious. Who lived there before?"

Jiang Erniang quickly introduced: "This is the house of the bandit leader Xu Da. His family used to be the tenant of Yang Village Master, and two generations of people have been bandits here. There are bigger houses in the village, but they have all been burned down. "

Grandma Yan went out for a stroll and found burned-out ruins everywhere. She felt very sad.

The ruins have been cleared, and the wood that can still be used has been moved down the mountain to build barrel trucks.

It was a feast for the housewarming night, and Zhang Guangdao, Bai Sheng and others came to celebrate. Zhu Ming valued Deng Chun, Deng Xia and Shi Biao very much and invited their whole family to dinner.

In the evening, Jiang Erniang hugged her child and followed Zhang Guangdao back.

The two of them lived in the same house, but slept in separate rooms, and there was a room in between to avoid suspicion.

"Sanlang, can you come in and talk?" Jiang Erniang said standing at the door of the bedroom.

Zhang Guangdao was a little embarrassed: "It's not convenient for me to go in. Sister-in-law, please rest early."

Jiang Erniang could only test in a roundabout way: "Sanlang is not young anymore. If you have a girl you like, I will help you be a matchmaker."

Zhang Guangdao said: "I haven't thought about it yet."

"How can this be done? When a man gets married, he should also start a family and pass on the family." Jiang Erniang said.

Zhang Guangdao had been thinking about rebellion and was afraid of damaging his family. He shook his head and said, "There's no rush. We'll talk about it in a few years."

"well!"

Jiang Erniang sighed.

Zhang Guangdao asked: "What's wrong with sister-in-law?"

Jiang Erniang said: "Brother Qi Yao is gone, my family are all thieves, and they were escorted to the government. If I am left as an orphan and a widowed mother, life will be difficult in the future."

Zhang Guangdao said: "As long as I am taking care of you, sister-in-law, don't be afraid."

It's strange that Jiang Erniang is not afraid. She has no relatives except her son, and only Zhang Guangdao can rely on. Zhang Guangdao had hinted many times before, but Zhang Guangdao was stubborn and decided to go all out at this moment: "Sanlang, I miss a man."

"Ah?" Zhang Guangdao couldn't keep up.

Jiang Erniang said: "I miss a man and want to remarry. But other men are unreliable and I am afraid that he will not be good to Brother Yao's son. I have thought about it for a long time, so I might as well marry Sanlang."

"This, this, this... how can this be possible?" Zhang Guangdao was already panicking. He had never touched a woman before and his emotional experience was completely blank.

Jiang Erniang said: "If I remarry Sanlang, Sanlang will definitely treat my son well. Isn't that right?"

"Brother Yao's son, I will definitely treat him as my biological son. It doesn't matter whether my sister-in-law marries her or not." Zhang Guangdao said quickly.

Jiang Erniang made a desperate move and threw herself directly into Zhang Guangdao's arms, opening her arms and hugging him tightly.

Zhang Guangdao became stiff and lost his ability to think.

When he regained consciousness, his sister-in-law's soft body had already caused him to have a physiological reaction. He was so shocked that he pushed Jiang Erniang away and hurriedly ran away, saying, "I'm going to bed, and my sister-in-law should also rest early."

"Idiot!" Jiang Erniang stomped her feet angrily.

Zhang Guangdao was an old virgin for more than 20 years. When he lay in bed, he felt hot all over his body. He tossed and turned and couldn't sleep most of the night. Whenever he closed his eyes, he thought of his sister-in-law.

It was almost winter, so Zhang Guangdao picked up the bucket in the middle of the night, filled it with well water and poured it directly on his body.

I was shivering from the cold, but I finally woke up completely.

After that, the two of them got along without even making eye contact. Jiang Erniang regretted being too impulsive that night.

The effect was still there. Zhang Guangdao occasionally peeked at his sister-in-law, and the more he looked at her, the more he liked her. He had never had such thoughts before.

Yu Shanwei was very smart and full of ideas, so he quietly said to Shen Yourong: "Zhang Sanlang is highly regarded by the village chief, but he has never had a family. I see that he and his sister-in-law are in love, so it is better for the second sister to come forward to bring them together. Zhang Sanlang must be completely devoted to the village chief." !”

The social atmosphere in the Northern Song Dynasty was open, not to mention that the relationship between the two was not really uncle and sister-in-law.

Shen Yourong was moved by the words. She wanted to be a virtuous wife. She couldn't take care of external affairs, but she could help with the marriages of her subordinates. She must not distract the men from the family.

She called Zhang Guangdao over and asked, "I think Jiang Erniang is an orphan and a widowed mother, and her life is inconvenient. I plan to find a matchmaker for her to remarry. What does Brother Zhang think?"

In the past, Zhang Guangdao didn't care about this, he was only worried about Brother Yao's son. Now he felt a little reluctant to give up and felt empty in his heart. He bit the bullet and said, "Let's wait for two years."

Shen Yourong felt that it was funny and said with a smile: "It's settled, let the second sister Jiang remarry the third brother Zhang, so that you can take care of each other."

"How...how could this happen?" Zhang Guangdao was suddenly overjoyed, but acted even more coyly. His heart beat wildly when he thought of his sister-in-law, and he felt that he was sorry for the dead brother Yao.

But thinking about it again, it seems to be the best solution. Otherwise, it will be very detrimental to Brother Yao's son if his sister-in-law remarries one day.

Naughty and hesitant, he was completely unlike the usually bold and free-spirited Zhang Guangdao.

Shen Yourong took the initiative and helped arrange the marriage, Zhang Guangdao half-heartedly agreed, and finally married his sister-in-law. He had no worries at all and could work in peace from now on.

Immediately afterwards, Shen Yourong began to contact other family members to straighten out the situation of the village's leaders.

She found that father and son regarded Shi Biao very highly, but Shi Biao was not married and had only his mother and younger sister at home. So Tian Er and Tian San were called to ask for suitable candidates. They must be honest and reliable women.

Within a few days, I found one in the village.

The two parties met soon, and Shen Yourong also took out some money to help Shi Biao give the betrothal gift.

The woman was average-looking, even a little ugly, and had a blue birthmark on her forehead. But he was more diligent and down-to-earth. He went to Shi Biao's house and helped him with the work.

Shi Biao liked this very much. He was stupid, clumsy, and could not say thoughtful words. But whenever I get something good, I always think about my wife first, wishing I could offer her to him as my ancestor.

My mother is also happy from ear to ear. She likes this daughter-in-law so much that she is as willing to work as she was when she was young.

The old woman said to Shi Biao: "Xianggong Zhu and the village chief are both good people. They took us in without saying anything, and even asked for your wife. From now on, you must work hard and listen to what Xianggong Zhu and the village chief say."

Shi Biao rubbed the back of his head and kept giggling: "I will definitely be obedient. I will do whatever you ask me to do, even beheading."

Shen Yourong not only arranged the marriage, but also went to the construction site to express condolences and help deliver food and water to the workers.

Gradually, women in the village began to come to Shen Yourong for mediation if they had any disputes.

Meng Xiucai's wife Yu Shanwei helped Shen Yourong come up with these things behind his back.

"Dean Zhu, your female apprentice is not simple." Ju Ming has been observing silently and has not interfered in these matters.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "I asked Meng Zhao to help keep an eye on the construction site over the weir pond, and it was Yu Shanwei who was helping her husband with ideas. When the riverside dock is built, Yu Shanwei can be asked to manage the inn."

Because his wife was so outstanding, Meng Zhao became an incidental addition.

In the Tang Dynasty, women could not hold a household alone, but in the Song Dynasty, female households appeared, and there were a large number of female household heads across the country.

These female heads of households have some assets, because it is difficult for women without money to survive independently.

It was no longer uncommon in the Northern Song Dynasty for female heads of households to take care of the family business, manage properties and shops, and even manage large businesses.

The Northern Song Dynasty was far more open than imagined.

(I may not have made it clear about sweet potatoes. Cut the sweet potatoes into pieces first and plant them in the ground to grow vines. The vines from one pound of sweet potatoes can be cut into 50 to 100 potato seedlings and used for cuttings.)