"Rice yield is affected by many factors, such as climate, soil, and whether the rice grower is dedicated. Therefore, the rice yield varies from year to year, from place to place, and even from person to person," Ye Jingchen said calmly.

This is a fact, which is why people in this era pay more attention to the right time, place, and people.

"Big brother knows so much!"

"That sounds really makes sense!"

"Brother is so amazing!" The little ones nodded in agreement.

"I read in a book that the yield of rice per mu in Dayuan in recent years should be around one shi, but for the specifics, we need to ask the local people," Ye Jingchen said seriously.

He remembered learning in school that during the Tang Dynasty, the yield of rice per mu was only about one shi (a unit of dry measure). The real leap in both the quality and quantity of rice production only occurred after the reform and opening up.

"Why don't we send my men to inquire with the local people?" Wei Yi suggested.

“No, let them ask themselves,” Ye Jingchen said.

They need to personally experience firsthand the hardships faced by people at the bottom of society, to witness firsthand how difficult life is for ordinary people. Only then can these young people gain a deeper understanding of the responsibilities they bear.

"But where are we supposed to find someone to ask?" Ye Jingshu asked.

After all, all they've seen along the way are children, so they can't possibly ask a child such a question, can they?

“Keep walking forward. Even if you can’t see people, you can see fields. And where there are fields, there will be people,” Ye Jingchen said.

The rice stalk I saw the day before yesterday is already ripe. There are no adults in the village; they've probably gone to work in the fields.

They continued walking and saw many children playing, but they didn't encounter a single adult.

The children we encountered before dared to come closer to look at the carriage, but these children showed no curiosity at all when they saw so many of them. Or rather, their fear outweighed their curiosity, so they only dared to watch from a distance and secretly.

"Why have we seen mostly boys along the way, and hardly any girls?" Ye Jingshu asked in confusion after walking for a while.

Indeed, along their journey, they saw almost exclusively boys, with very few girls.

"Probably—went to work?" Ye Jingchen guessed.

"Then why don't these boys have to do any work?" Ye Jingshu asked.

"Because boys are more precious," Ye Jingchen replied.

"What did you say?" Ye Jingshu glared at him angrily.

"Elder sister, it's not just me who thinks this way, it's the general consensus here. They all believe that boys are the ones who can carry on the family line, while girls are just a waste of money," Ye Jingchen said calmly.

Upon hearing this theory, Ye Jingshu's face turned red with anger, and she gritted her teeth and cursed, "Foolish people!"

“People’s deeply ingrained ideas over thousands of years are not so easy to change. The poorer people are, and the less educated they are, the more likely they are to have such ideas.”

This is a gap in understanding and perception.

In the capital, noble and wealthy families tend to raise their daughters very well, because if a daughter marries well, her contribution to the family is no less than that of a son.

For example, Yang Guifei is a real example of how one person's success can bring prosperity to their entire family. Otherwise, Bai Juyi would not have written in "Song of Everlasting Regret" that "Sisters and brothers were all granted land, bringing glory to their family. This made parents all over the world wish to give birth to daughters rather than sons."

After walking through the village for about half an hour, we finally reached the end and could see the golden rice fields in the distance, as well as the villagers harvesting in the fields.

After leaving the village, the road finally opened up and became much cleaner. The indescribable smell also faded, gradually being covered by the fragrance of rice.

Everyone felt as if they had come back to life.

Their arrival quickly attracted the attention of the villagers.

Before Ye Jingchen and his group could even ask around, someone came up to them.

An elderly man with dark skin, a hunched back, and so thin he was just skin and bones walked over and bowed to them.

"Young masters and ladies must be noble people from the mountain palace, right? Why would they come to such a filthy place as our Maple Forest Village?" the old man asked cautiously.

The kids all turned their gazes toward Ye Jingchen without prior arrangement.

They didn't know why Ye Jingchen had brought them here.

Ye Jingchen originally wanted them to talk to the old man, but seeing their bewildered expressions, he changed his mind.

They are still too young and have no understanding of the lives of ordinary people, so they probably don't even know where to begin their conversation.

“Don’t be afraid, old man. We just saw a village here on the mountain and came to check it out out of curiosity,” Ye Jingchen said with a smile.

The old man smiled ingratiatingly, "What's so interesting about this dilapidated place? It's just an eyesore for our distinguished guests!"

"Old man, you're mistaken. Look at the heavy ears of rice in the paddy field; this year should be a bumper harvest, right? A bountiful harvest always brings joy, and you should be able to have a good year!"

Upon hearing this, the old man's smile became even more bitter. "Young master may look young, but he knows a lot. This year is indeed a bumper harvest."

"If it's a bumper harvest, why is there no joy on the old man's face?" Ye Jingchen asked.

The old man chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Young master, you jest. We are all tenant farmers. Whether it's a good year or a bad year, what does it matter to us? We're just trying to make a living and avoid starvation!"

Ye Jingchen understood what a tenant farmer meant; it was a farmer who did not own his own land and could only rent land from landlords, paying them high rents.

But this is the outskirts of the capital, not some remote area controlled by powerful families and nobles!

"Don't you have your own land?" Ye Jingchen asked.

"Young master, you jest again. Land is so precious; how could we lowly commoners be entitled to own it?"

"Whose land is all this?" Ye Jingchen asked, pointing to the vast rice paddies.

"How could this old man know? He's just a nobleman from the capital."

"Then, when we entered the village, whose houses were those tall, large courtyards at the village entrance?" Ye Jingchen asked again.

"Those are the residences of the masters who are responsible for collecting rent for their families."

"Where are the brick and tile houses?"

"They all have some connection with the landlords who collect rent, so they can pay less rent."

In this way, the reason why the gap between the rich and poor in a village is so large becomes clear: because none of them own their own land.

When land is in private hands, not only do ordinary people struggle to survive, but the country's tax revenue is also affected. Without money in the national treasury, it is impossible to maintain national stability.

This is a vicious cycle.

If this continues, the country will inevitably descend into chaos.

The problems in Dayuan were far more serious than Ye Jingchen had imagined, but if they hadn't been chronic and incurable for so long, they wouldn't have fallen into such complete chaos in just over a decade.

If we don't find a way to solve these problems, things might change again before he even comes of age.

But he is still too young and trapped in the palace under the emperor's protection, unable to do anything. He still needs Xie Chang'an's help.