Chapter 386: Another Dam Burst
"Miss, I just received news that the Xiangcheng dike has burst again!" Jin Wu had just received the news and couldn't wait to come back to tell Xiao Jiuyue, saying, "This time it's the dike in Wu'an County, right above the Jinjiang dike. There's too much rain, and the Jinjiang dike was already under great pressure. Now, I'm afraid..."
"I just asked Hua Qing to tell my fortune." As Jin Wu finished speaking, Hua Qing ran over and said, "Miss, Xiangcheng has been hit by a disaster. I'm afraid many innocent souls will be lost again!"
"Call Chief Steward Jin, and Shi Lizheng." Xiao Jiuyue's eyes flickered slightly. After they left, she looked towards Xiangcheng and said, "There are probably hundreds of thousands of people living downstream of the levee, right?"
"Yes." Dong Gui responded, "Miss, if it is flooded, I'm afraid there will be many more refugees."
"Not only refugees, but also plague." Xiao Jiuyue's heart sank. When she saw the Jinjiang dike before, she felt that the dike collapse was a matter of time. Once the Fengshui period was reached, the water volume would be too large, and flooding and dike collapse would be too normal.
Building and repairing levees are only temporary solutions and not a fundamental solution. Unless we build levees like in later generations, they will collapse as soon as they encounter a flood!
I don’t know when my father will receive the information about diverting the flow of water and controlling it, but I can’t wait any longer.
Xiao Jiuyue turned back to the house and solemnly handed the plan for diverting the flow of water to Donggui, saying, "Donggui, give this to the Third Prince. It was written by my father!"
Dong Gui did not doubt it and solemnly took the book and said, "Don't worry, Miss. I will definitely hand it over safely to His Majesty the Third Prince."
"Miss." Steward Jin arrived quickly, and Xiao Jiuyue asked directly, "After we pay the taxes, how much grain do we have left?"
Manager Jin paused for a moment, gave a number, and said, "One hundred and twenty thousand jin!"
"Well, if all of us Xiao family members use it, how much food do we need in a year?" Xiao Jiuyue asked, then added, "After deducting the food we need ourselves, how much food will be left?"
"Eighty thousand." Chief Steward Jin's reply made Xiao Jiuyue pause. Her eyes seemed to ask, "There are only 120,000 kilograms of food left. How come so many of them only eat 40,000 kilograms of food a year?"
"Miss, there's still a lot of food left that hasn't been harvested. If we add another 40,000 pounds of food to the fields, it will be enough for everyone to eat."
Manager Jin answered, explaining earnestly, "We have a lot of good farmland, especially the land we bought from Mr. Xu. It's all top-notch farmland. Coupled with the eldest lady's method of increasing production, the yield per mu has reached 800 kilograms!"
"After the eldest lady took over the farm, she reduced the rent for the tenants by 10%. The tenants are more careful. If they carefully calculated every acre, I'm afraid there would be more than enough."
Chief Steward Jin's words reassured Xiao Jiuyue. She said, "I'm planning to donate 100,000 kilograms of grain to the imperial court. Go and prepare it. The oranges are almost all picked, so we can go to Shengjing!"
"Yes." Manager Jin didn't ask any more questions and immediately went to prepare.
Shi Li was running over. When he saw Xiao Jiuyue, he was about to greet her when Xiao Jiuyue asked, "Is there any food for sale in the village?"
Shi Lizheng was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said, "Yes, in previous years, after paying taxes, the grain left for everyone was not enough for themselves, but this year, the output has doubled, so everyone has more grain."
"Well, does anyone have any idea of selling food?" Xiao Jiuyue asked.
"Although we had a good harvest this year, who knows what next year will be like?" Shi Lizheng hesitated for a moment and asked, "Miss, is there something wrong?"
There are some short-sighted people in the village who want to sell grain, but most people will not sell grain. After all, if the grain is stored well, even if the harvest is poor next year, there will be no shortage of food and no hunger!
However, if the grain is sold and the harvest is poor next year, even if you have money, you may not be able to buy back the grain.
“…”
Xiao Jiuyue was stunned for a long time. She was not thoughtful enough. Now it was South Vietnam, a South Vietnam that relied entirely on God for food. It was common for the people to not have enough to eat and go hungry. Even if there was a good harvest this year, it would be impossible to sell grain!
"Miss, if you want to buy food, we can also sell it to you." Shi Lizheng's heart skipped a beat. Miss Xiao was so kind to them, why couldn't she buy some food?
At worst, they can go to the county to buy food back.
"No need. I can just go to the county to buy food." Xiao Jiuyue figured it out and said, "With food in hand, there's no need to panic. Shi Lizheng, I'm planning to send someone to Shengjing in the next few days. How are your oranges going?"
Shi Lizheng was just thinking about how the Xiao family had such a bumper harvest and how they probably had more food stored than the villagers, so how could they still be short of food? Then he heard Xiao Jiuyue talking about the oranges. Shi Lizheng said, "All the oranges have been picked, and we're just waiting to pick a time to send them to Shengjing."
"Okay, Shi Li is selecting people to send to Shengjing, and they will leave in the next two days." Xiao Jiuyue also started to get busy.
Xiao Jiuyue went to see Rong Xun on purpose and stayed in the county government office for half a day. When Xiao Jiuyue left the government office, he was in a good mood.
Donating 100,000 kilograms of grain, a plan to divert water flow, and Hou Jian's confession. As long as the action is taken well, the emperor may be able to overturn the verdict!
Once the case is overturned, it will be the Xiao family's chance!
My biological father, Xiao Fu, never embezzled disaster relief funds, so what does this matter have to do with my biological father?
…
"Yu'er, don't worry, I'm in the village. Just focus on the exam. No matter you pass or not, mother will be happy." Jiang's mother wiped her tears. She felt relieved that her son could pass the exam and die without regrets in her life. No matter whether her son could make another step forward and become an official, she would be happy!
"Mother." Jiang Yu took a step back, lifted his robe, and knelt down directly: "Your son is unfilial. When I return, I will definitely let you live a better life!"
He has already become a juren. Regardless of whether he can pass the imperial examination next spring, he can let his mother, who has worked hard all her life, live a good life.
"Okay, okay." Jiang's mother's tears were like a kite with a broken string.
Aunt Shi supported Jiang's mother and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Jiang. We will take good care of Mrs. Jiang. When you come back, we guarantee that not a single hair will be missing!"
Her son Shi Youchang was able to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar because he learned a lot from Mr. Jiang and gained a lot of experience from him. Aunt Shi is grateful to the Jiang family from the bottom of her heart.
"Yes, I will come to see your mother every day." Qu's mother also spoke. Since moving to Fu'an Village, Qu's mother was worried that she would have no job to make money and would have to rely on her son Qu Qingshu. Who knew that in Fu'an Village, she would live a better life than in the county!
Every day she went to the workshop to work with everyone and earn money. Qu Miaomiao worked with He Lian to make hair ornaments to earn money. The wages the two of them earned were much better than the rough work like washing clothes before!
"Thank you, fellow villagers. I, Jiang Yu, will definitely repay you in the future!" Jiang Yu bowed deeply to the villagers. Shi Lizheng and others repeatedly said that it was nothing, they were all neighbors.
Jiang Yu got on the carriage, and Manager Jin also got on the carriage. Also leaving with them were the oranges from Fu'an Village.
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