Chapter 138
He was busy at the front, and Yingxiang wasn't idle either.
She has already started asking Chunyu to go out and inquire if there are any vacant shops for rent in the vicinity. If so, she will rent two of them to use for business.
You don't need to do anything else, just continue running the wine shop. The recipes are all ready-made, and the prices are lower than in the capital, but you still won't fail to make money.
Summer is here, and the liquor store business will only get better in winter. Many people have the habit of drinking before bed to warm themselves up.
In today's society, men are superior to women, but fortunately there are not too many restrictions on women's behavior, such as prohibiting them from engaging in business, nor are there any explicit regulations on what age they must get married.
When evening came, Wen Shi came over, and the couple ate together.
"Wife, have some soup."
Wen Shi's expression softened. Yingxiang took the chicken soup, took a sip, and praised it highly.
He smiled and decided to tell her about what happened in court that day.
"These two are shameless. Even a doctor wouldn't lift someone's clothes up like that unless there are obvious external injuries. And they want to sue? Have they been beaten senseless?"
"After hearing that the counterclaim had failed, his punishment was compounded, and he slunk away again."
"I hope this kind of despicable man will have bad luck in everything he does in the future."
He smiled upon hearing this, but said nothing.
Are you still busy later?
"No, that's enough for today."
"Alright, after we finish eating, let's go for a walk in the back to digest. I've been thinking about this town for the past few days. I think it looks pretty good. Husband, I'm planning to open two wine shops."
"That's fine, but we need to be careful about taxes."
"rest assured."
Yingxiang was very familiar with this. Shops in the county were cheap, so there was no need to buy them. Renting would be more convenient. If Wen Shi was transferred, she could go directly with him.
The capital city was vast, and although she was an official's wife, she wasn't particularly noticeable. To those high-ranking officials and nobles, she was completely inconspicuous.
But it's different in smaller places; the aroma is strongest there.
"In a few days, I plan to visit the villages and towns under my jurisdiction. It may take ten days to half a month. I will come back as soon as possible."
After hearing this, Wen Shi helped his wife pick up some food with his chopsticks. He had had this idea for a while, but opportunities were hard to come by, and he had a lot to do. If he went away for a while, he would inevitably have some cases piling up, which he would definitely have to deal with when he returned.
This is his first year in office. As far as I can see, Magistrate Cui has no ulterior motives. I have no worries about entrusting things to him.
"Go ahead, I'll wait for you to come back."
Yingxiang wasn't worried. After all, Wen Shi wanted to make something of himself. He was never one to just drift along. It was also important for him to get to know the local conditions.
There's still some time before the autumn harvest, and sometimes hearing about it from others is one thing, but seeing it for yourself is quite another.
Three days later, Wen Shi set off. Of course, he did not deliberately hide it, after all, he was a county magistrate.
Go down and see the daily lives of the local people; there's nothing wrong with it.
After Wen Shi left, Ying Xiang checked in that day. She was lying in bed, half asleep, but she was stunned when she saw the items in the mall.
She rubbed her eyes. It was just getting light, and the servants wouldn't easily come into the house so early in the morning.
What is a "pregnancy-boosting pill"?
The literal meaning is understandable, as is the case with Yingxiang.
After she asked the question, the system immediately gave her a reply.
"This pill is a reward. The host has been in the Great Qi for many years and now only has one child. After taking this pill, you will get pregnant very quickly, and you will not experience any discomfort during the process. The delivery will also be smooth."
"To better assist the host, if you take this pregnancy-enhancing pill, the child you give birth to will be very healthy and will be a young master."
You should have given me this a few years ago.
Yingxiang blurted out subconsciously, "When did I ever look forward to having children? I haven't been married to Wenshi for that long, the system doesn't provide that much assistance, and I don't have any money. When I discovered that Wenshi was actually quite good, I wanted to live a good life with him."
She first examined the glittering golden pill, then browsed the shop, only to find nothing particularly delicious or valuable.
After some thought, she chose the Pregnancy Pill and put it in her system inventory. She wasn't under much pressure at the moment, and after careful consideration, she realized that if she could know the gender, having another child might not be so bad.
She didn't want to have children before, mostly because she lacked confidence in the future. In addition, Wen Leqian was still young, and she and Wen Shi might not have the energy. But to be honest, the situation is different now.
Realistically speaking, Wen Shi had already been promoted, the two of them had left the capital, and their salaries had increased, more than before.
Although he was a local official, he had real power.
Her shops in the capital earn quite a bit each year. Maybe when they go back in a few years, with the salary Wen Shi has accumulated, they can buy a house in the capital.
Thinking of this, her previous resistance vanished completely.
Wen Shi went to the villages and towns and conducted a serious investigation. He visited the fields most often because food is the most important thing for people. If the people can eat their fill and stay warm, that would be the best thing.
The national treasury is now full, and the country is not short of money.
Within Ping County, there are several dikes, and Wen Shi inspected them all without missing a single one.
It's impossible to visit every village, but he went to several and had a general idea of what they were like.
By the time he returned, more than half a month had passed.
The first thing he did upon returning was to go to his study and write a memorial to the emperor, clearly explaining the situation in Ping County and hoping that some funds could be allocated.
The county government's public coffers didn't have much money. After paying taxes each year, all the officials' salaries were distributed, and the surplus was limited and couldn't be touched easily.
Wen Shi went down this time and found that several dikes needed repair. Better safe than sorry. Some small bridges and roads also looked dilapidated, full of potholes and swaying. For the safety of the people, we can't ignore them.
In addition, there are some extremely poor families, consisting of only orphans and widows, or grandparents and grandchildren, with little money or land, and whose houses are not sturdy and are at risk of collapsing at any time. When Wen Shi saw this, he also wanted to help.
He was very fair and did not exaggerate. Thinking of his superior, Wen Shi did not hide anything and had someone send him a letter.
It wasn't like they were directly asking the government for money. The prefect didn't say anything after receiving the letter, and he had no objection to Wen Shi either. Being able to get money from the emperor was his skill, and besides, he was still young and wanted to make a name for himself, which was understandable.
If he's willing to do it, then let him do it. If he does it well, his superior won't lose face either, since he's still one of his subordinates.
Compared to those lazy officials, Wen Shi is not bad; he is willing to do things and has not caused any trouble for him.
Half a month later, Yingxiang's two wine shops opened. She couldn't personally oversee them, but she arranged for quite a few people to manage them, so she wasn't too worried.
At first, it's just an investment, but I expect the returns to be quick, since the taste is guaranteed.
A month later, the emperor sent back the memorial he had approved for Wen Shi.
After reading it, I felt pretty good.
Emperor Jingyuan replied that, given the situation, half of Ping County's taxes would be waived this year, and the remaining half would be used to lead the local soldiers and people to solve the problems he had seen one by one, such as repairing bridges and roads, and helping the poorest families to build houses and benefit the people.
With a reply, things became much easier.
This year's taxes still need to be collected. Before the autumn harvest, Wen Shi discussed with County Magistrate Cui and County Lieutenant Su about collecting all the taxes first. However, as the weather gradually gets colder, it is impossible to start all the repair plans. We should focus on the most important things first.
"Sir, there are more than 500 soldiers in the county. Apart from those who guard the city walls and conduct routine inspections, the remaining 400 can be directly conscripted."
"Okay, but in addition to that, we also need to recruit some laborers from the people to repair and reinforce all the dikes before winter."
Although the weather has been favorable these past few years, natural disasters are unpredictable. If nothing goes wrong, all is well, but if something does happen, those fertile fields might end up with no harvest at all.
The people have not yet achieved a good life, and we absolutely cannot allow them to go hungry; otherwise, there will be unrest.
"There's no need for forced conscription. After the autumn harvest, most people are idle. We can post notices in various villages and towns, offering meals and money to anyone who is tall and strong enough to help with the construction."
"This year, you will continue to be responsible for transporting the remaining half of the taxes to the prefectural government office and handing it over to the prefect."
County Magistrate Cui nodded; he was the one who transported the grain there every year.
County Commandant Su did not resist. Wen Shi was his superior, so he did whatever he was told. Besides, it was all a good thing. He had no grudge against Wen Shi, and His Majesty knew about this matter.
If things go well and word gets out, it might not be bad for him.
Wen Shi had met the prefect before, so it wouldn't matter if he didn't go; it would be the same whether he went or not. Right now, Wen Shi's focus is on people's livelihood.
He wasn't the kind of person who secretly sought to exploit the people and get rich quick through officialdom; he didn't act one way in public and another in private.
On the contrary, Wen Shi never said any high-sounding words, but he always did practical things.
He was very different from his previous boss, who would avoid doing anything if possible, and of course, wouldn't dare to embezzle or accept bribes. He smoothly passed through several years of his term.
In this regard, the lives of local people will be much better in the next few years.
"Put the remaining half of the tax revenue into the treasury, register it, and make sure the accounts are transparent and detailed."
"The rest, after the spring of next year, will be sent by officers and soldiers to repair bridges and roads in various villages, so as not to delay the people's spring planting."
"yes."
"In addition, find an officer or soldier skilled in riding and archery to teach me how to ride a horse."
Wen Shi was a civil official, and he didn't know how to ride a horse. County Commandant Su wasn't surprised. Learning to ride a horse would be entirely beneficial, and if Wen Shi wanted to learn, he had plenty of people under his command.
It's a bit difficult at first, but it's very simple once you learn it.
Not long after the notice was posted, many people came to sign up. This was a great thing for the people. This time, they wouldn't work for free. It was already good that they were provided with meals, and they were also paid. There was no reason not to do it.
Dikes are mainly used for flood control and water storage. In drought years, they can also irrigate fields. It takes some effort, but having water is always better than having none. As any older generation knows.
The news brought joy to many.
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