Chapter 9: When will the wages for ten acres a day be paid?

It was raining continuously in Songyang County, and several people were still walking in the rain on a rural road outside the county seat.

These people were all from villages in Songyang County. They had heard from the village head that the new magistrate would be teaching how to make new farm tools, so they secretly set off early without telling their husbands.

"Big sister, do you think the new magistrate will be willing to teach us?" The woman who spoke had a haggard face, her rain-soaked hair clung tightly to her face, and her tone was full of worry.

"I don't know." The woman called Da Niu was in no better shape than her. Her linen clothes were soaked, her face was pale, and she gritted her teeth and persevered, her eyes shining with a defiant light.

"Whether the magistrate is willing to teach us or not, I'm going to give it a try." Da Niu glanced at her. What was the use of worrying? They had already gone halfway and couldn't turn back. In order not to disturb their families, they didn't even wear raincoats.

Da Niu has only one daughter. Her husband abandoned her and her daughter during the locust plague last year and fled on his own. Since then, she has considered herself a widow who has lost her husband.

The land is dry and hard; she can't manage just a few acres by herself, even if she works with a hoe every day.

The new county magistrate was talking about new farming tools, and the old woman could use them to plow five acres a day. Whether what she said was true or not, she had to try it out.

The village head said he wanted to find a man who knew carpentry. Da Niu's father was a carpenter, and she had been exposed to carpentry since she was a child. Her skills were no less than those of a man.

"We'll be there soon. Even if I have to kowtow to the magistrate, I'll learn how to make new farm tools. I won't let my daughter go hungry or cold again." As she spoke, a few more drops of rain trickled down Da Niu's face, but she wiped them away as soon as they fell.

Having learned how to make new farm tools, she could use them to plow the fields or sell them. In any case, having a skill would allow her to support herself and her daughter.

When they arrived, there were already a few people in the county government office, all of them women. Although there weren't many, a single spark could start a prairie fire.

They waited anxiously for the new magistrate to walk in, awaiting their impending judgment.

When Django stepped across the threshold, they were still somewhat incredulous, finding it hard to believe that the new county magistrate was so young.

A slight smile.

It felt like the whole room had brightened up.

"Why aren't you wearing a raincoat?" The women in the house were all soaked. In this weather, they might catch a cold, which would be a loss.

Jiang Ge instructed Erwang to brew some ginger tea, which would at least help them ward off the cold.

The women inside thanked them one after another.

"Magistrate, I would like to ask if it is permissible for women to come and learn how to make new farm tools?" Da Niu asked boldly.

"From the very beginning, this county magistrate said that learning the new agricultural tool-making method is open to both men and women. Women should not be ignored just because of their gender." Jiang Ge frowned. This must have been the work of those old men. He wondered if all the village heads were like this.

Hearing Jiang Ge's words, Da Niu and the others felt a huge weight lifted off their shoulders.

As soon as they finished speaking, they became angry at the village head for concealing the matter.

They actually deliberately concealed this!

"Which village are you all from?" We need to find out which village these women are from in order to deal with this matter properly.

"Xiaomin is from Daliushu Village."

"My lord, so do I, a commoner."

"Sir, I am from Huangniba Village."

........

These women were mostly from Daliushu Village and Huangniba Village. Jiang Ge didn't have any particular impression of the village heads of these two villages.

“After you return to the village, you can inform the others that the county government will teach them how to make the new farm tools, regardless of gender,” Jiang Ge repeated.

I really don't know what these people are thinking. When they're working in the fields, they don't distinguish between men and women, but when it comes to teaching skills or talents, they tacitly exclude women. It's amazing how men's sense of unity has remained unchanged for thousands of years.

Jiang Ge clicked his tongue inwardly, but didn't show it on his face.

Although not everyone had arrived yet, Jiang Ge had already taken out the blueprints for the curved plow.

While Da Niu and the others were still basking in their joy, they heard Jiang Ge say:

"Does anyone here know how to do carpentry?"

"I!"

With a determined look in her eyes, Da Niu rushed up to Jiang Ge and volunteered, "I know carpentry. I can make benches, mechanisms, and beds."

Django was deeply impressed by this man who was soaking wet but had a determined look in his eyes.

When I entered the room, the person looked at me with bright, hopeful eyes.

Django solemnly handed her the blueprints in his hand.

"I'll give you the blueprints. There's wood and tools available for you to use. I hope you won't disappoint me."

It's supposed to be a teaching program, but the blueprints for the curved plow show every step clearly, so it's better to let someone skilled in carpentry do it themselves.

Then teach it to others.

Django felt that this girl was perfectly capable of doing the job.

The moment Da Niu saw the blueprints, she was completely absorbed in them. She was surprised to find that the method for making such a convenient new farm tool was so simple. She even explained each step of her making process to others.

Before long, a crowd of people surrounded him.

When the ginger tea was served, Da Niu had already made the plow.

Eleven parts, not particularly difficult to make, but the most difficult one is the plowshare.

Jiang Ge had already handed over the method of making plowshares to the blacksmith shop in the county town. The blacksmith was named Li Ping'an, a muscular man who was taciturn but worked very efficiently. He saw the business opportunity in the curved plow and didn't ask for money this time, on the condition that he be allowed to sell plowshares.

There was nothing to disagree with; Jiang Ge had already prepared to distribute the blueprints to everyone. However, he had one more request: the method of making the plowshare could not be made public, so as not to affect Li Ping'an's business.

When it came to business, Jiang Ge talked with Li Ping'an for an entire afternoon. She hoped that if Li Ping'an planned to sell curved plows, he could buy parts of curved plows from the people of Songyang County, regardless of gender or age, as long as the parts were of good quality.

The price of a curved plow should not be too high, so that every ordinary person can afford it.

For this, Li Ping'an specially worked overtime to make a plowshare for her. He worked hard all night and already had a sample of the plowshare in his hand, but only one. He estimated that the others would take some more time.

Others arrived intermittently, and Django continued to distribute the blueprints to those skilled in carpentry, instructing them to explain the process of making the curved plow.

We need to find a skilled person to make one of the components, and try to make the first curved plow as soon as possible.

The people in the courtyard were busy as bees, some sawing wood, others doing other work, so Django didn't need to do anything in the middle.

She clicked her tongue twice as she watched this scene, realizing that professional matters should indeed be left to professionals.

Look at that woman, she's radiant when she talks about wood, is that the power of professionalism?

The method of making this curved plow is simple, and with so many people on site, the ten parts were quickly made.

The ten parts were laid out on the ground, but the plowshare was missing.

Django put the plowshare and other parts together and then assembled them by hand.

Thus, the curved-shaft plow was completed.

A large group of people stood in the courtyard, staring intently at Django.

The curved plow has been made, but they don't yet know how fast it can plow the land.

They wanted to see it for themselves.

“Erwang.” Jiang Ge waved to Erwang, signaling him to demonstrate.

Erwang looked down at his empty sleeves. Although he didn't know why Magistrate Jiang had asked him to go up and demonstrate, he believed that Magistrate Jiang wouldn't make fun of him.

The courtyard is paved with blue bricks and stones, so demonstrations can only be done in the open space outside.

Erwang carried the curved plow outside with one hand, found an open space, and began to demonstrate.

Even when a strong young man pulls the plow with one hand, he can plow the land with ease, without pausing his steps even once. That's the charm of tools.

It looks lightweight and effortless.

Not to mention five mu a day, ten mu a day would probably be no problem.

After Hei Fu finished his shift, a streak of light flashed, and he appeared in the Qin camp.

As usual, the camp was crowded with soldiers watching the spectacle. General Wang Jian stood in the crowd, Jing following behind him. Seeing Hei Fu return, he asked, "Have you had a good day? Any new discoveries?"

Hei Fu hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Magistrate Jiang has been working on a farming tool these past few days. It is said to be convenient for clearing land, and it can easily clear ten acres a day."

Reclaiming wasteland?

Ten acres a day!

The Qin Dynasty inherited the policies of Shang Yang's reforms, promoting "emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce," and regarding agriculture as the foundation of the state. Reclaiming wasteland was seen as an important means to increase grain production and replenish the national treasury.

The farming tools used by farmers to reclaim wasteland were mostly iron plows and hoes; ox-drawn plows were not yet widely used. With the implementation of the "land allocation system," the state allocated state-owned wasteland to households (approximately 100 mu per household), and farmers were required to complete reclamation and cultivation within a certain number of years. Faced with vast tracts of wasteland, farmers might cooperate as family or neighborhood units to clear and till the land together.

With more convenient farming tools, the speed at which farmers in the Qin Dynasty could reclaim wasteland would certainly increase significantly.

Thinking of this, Wang Jian couldn't help but smile, and then asked, "Hei Fu, do you remember how this thing is made?"

Hei Fu had witnessed the entire process of making the curved plow and had memorized all the steps. When asked about it, he remained calm and nodded, "I remember. Magistrate Jiang did not hide it from me when he was making it."

This statement also serves as a signal; the fact that Django didn't avoid Haf suggests that he might not care if Haf leaked the recipe.

“Magistrate Jiang values ​​you so highly, you must not let him down. Do your job well.” Wang Jian patted Hei Fu on the shoulder, signaling him to explain the method of making the new farm tools so that the soldiers who were good at drawing could draw them.

What is the name of this new farm tool?

"Magistrate Jiang said this thing is called a curved plow."

Hei Fu began to describe in detail how the curved plow was made. As he spoke, he gestured with his hands, trying to explain every detail clearly. The soldiers quickly drew up the blueprints, their pens gliding across the silk fabric, outlining the shape of the curved plow. Wang Jian stood to the side, his eyes fixed on the blueprints, nodding occasionally, clearly very satisfied with Hei Fu's description.

"The key to the curved plow is its curved shaft, which makes it more flexible than a straight plow and requires much less effort when turning," Hef continued. "The plowshare has also been improved, using a harder iron material that can easily break through hard wasteland soil."

Wang Jian listened intently, his eyes gleaming with excitement. He couldn't help but ask, "Can this thing really clear ten acres of land in a single day?"

Hei Fu nodded: "Magistrate Jiang personally tested it, and it is indeed true. Moreover, the curved plow is not only suitable for land reclamation, but also for deep plowing, which improves soil fertility."

Wang Jian took a deep breath, secretly calculating in his mind. If this substance could be widely adopted within the Qin Dynasty, the reclamation of wasteland would accelerate significantly, and grain production would increase accordingly. This would undoubtedly be a timely help for the Qin Dynasty, which was currently engaged in numerous wars.

"Hei Fu, you have done a great service!" Wang Jian patted Hei Fu on the shoulder, his tone full of praise. "If this product can be promoted, it will surely bring huge benefits to our Great Qin."

Hei Fu lowered his head modestly: "General, you flatter me. This is all thanks to Magistrate Jiang. I merely brought back his invention."

Wang Jian shook his head: "You don't need to be modest. If you hadn't observed carefully, how could you have brought back such an important farming tool? I will report this to the King immediately and ask for credit for you."

After saying this, Wang Jian turned to the soldiers beside him and ordered, "Immediately send this drawing to the workshop and order the craftsmen to work through the night to make a sample as soon as possible."

The soldiers obeyed and left, and the atmosphere in the tent immediately became lively. Everyone discussed it animatedly, full of anticipation for the curved plow's effectiveness. Wang Jian then walked to Hei Fu's side and asked in a low voice, "Did Magistrate Jiang mention any other uses for this thing? Or are there any other novel inventions?"

Hei Fu thought for a moment and replied, "It seems that Magistrate Jiang is still researching a crop, which is said to have a high yield. However, it is not yet fully developed, and he has only mentioned it occasionally."

A hint of surprise flashed in Wang Jian's eyes: "Crops? If they really are high-yielding, that will be another great blessing for the people of my Great Qin!"

He patted Heifu on the shoulder, his tone firm: "Heifu, you will remain by Magistrate Jiang's side and make sure to record his every move. If there are any new inventions, bring them back to the military camp immediately!"

Hei Fu nodded solemnly: "General, rest assured, I will certainly live up to your expectations."

Wang Jian nodded in satisfaction, then turned to the soldiers in the tent and said, "Gentlemen, today's events must be kept secret. The widespread adoption of the curved plow will take time, and before that, no outsiders should know about it."

The crowd responded in unison, and the atmosphere in the tent became solemn once more. Wang Jian looked at Hei Fu, his eyes filled with anticipation: "Hei Fu, you are a meritorious official of our Great Qin. I will certainly petition the King for credit for your work with the curved plow!"

Hei Fu was thrilled and quickly cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, General!"

"By the way, Hei Fu, did Magistrate Jiang say when you'll get paid?" Wang Jian asked about his salary even after his initial excitement. He had been looking through the product catalog of the system's online store these past few days, and just looking at each item made him anxious and restless.

Hei Fu calculated the time and said uncertainly, "It should be soon, right?"

A note from the author:

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I'm coding....