Chapter 157 Poor Paige
Xu Zhenying sat down alone, and the people around him also found seats and sat down one by one. The small stall was soon crowded with people.
Everyone passing by couldn't help but wonder, but then they saw those familiar faces and felt that this small stall was flourishing.
It's rare that so many important figures from Lan County gather here.
Xu Zhenying looked around and saw that although the stall was small, it had everything it needed. When it comes to food, hygiene is the first priority, and taste is the second. Old Liao's stall did a good job of hygiene, but he didn't know how it would taste.
It is said that Lao Liao was silent during the days he was imprisoned, but his younger brother kept insulting him.
Xu Zhenying was actually concerned about this former defeated opponent and asked with a smile, "Why do I only see you? Where is your brother?"
Lao Liao's attitude made it difficult to understand what Xu Zhenying meant.
At the beginning, the two of them did not get along very well. Now, Xu Zhenying has not only completely absorbed the thousands of people under his command, but also taken over the affairs of the entire Lan County and become the king of the mountain.
Xu Zhenying's acceptance was different from Lao Liao's original acceptance of refugees.
When Lao Liao was in charge of his subordinates, most of them gathered together for the purpose of keeping each other warm.
But Xu Zhenying was different. She divided the land and firmly held these thousands of refugees in her hands.
Old Liao knew very well that after the land was distributed in the spring, these 5,000 people would be absolutely loyal to Xu Zhenying, and he had no chance of seizing power at all.
Let alone having this opportunity, Lao Liao doesn't even dare to think about it now.
The two of them were worlds apart now. Furthermore, after witnessing the black powder Xu Zhenying used to blow up the city gates, Old Liao naturally felt apprehensive about Xu Zhenying. "To answer the City Lord, we two brothers set up this stall together. Last night, there were many customers, so he closed up a little late. I'll let him rest at home today."
"Don't be nervous, I just happened to see someone I know and came over to say hello." Xu Zhenying felt a little annoyed when she saw Lao Liao's fearful look. In addition, she was sitting at someone else's stall, and the customers outside were afraid to enter. Xu Zhenying could only smile and stand up. "Lao Liao, I admire you as a man. You are also capable. I am still short of people. If you have any ideas, you can come to the county government office to find me. This wonton stall is too small to accommodate a big Buddha like you."
Old Liao didn't know whether Xu Zhenying's words were true or not, so he didn't dare to speak rashly. Seeing this, Xu Yinxi smiled slightly and said soothingly, "Old Liao, our city lord has never been a stingy person. He is eager to seek talented people. Although our two families have had unpleasant things in the past, that is all in the past. Now you and I are both in Lan County. If you encounter any difficulties, just come to our city lord."
"Hey, hey, I understand. Thank you, City Lord." Old Liao bowed hurriedly, as if he didn't know where to put his hands and feet.
Xu Zhenying saw that Lao Liao was uncomfortable, so he had to take his people away.
After walking a distance, Xu Zhenying shook his head and complained to the people around him, "I thought I was still very friendly. Why does Old Liao avoid me like a monster? We used to have a very close relationship."
When Xu Zhenying asked this question, everyone around him turned their eyes away unnaturally.
Amiable?
Would a kind-hearted person just blow up the city gate of Lan County?
Would a kindly person kill the entire Chen family and hang them on the city gate to intimidate other wealthy families?
Would such a kind person throw Lao Liao and others into jail for several days and nights without saying what to do with them, causing Lao Liao to think his head was going to be chopped off and almost go crazy in jail?
Perhaps the people of Lan County think Xu Zhenying is amiable, but if his subordinates also think so... then they are really naive and ignorant.
Xu Yinxi coughed softly, "The City Lord is right. This old Liao really has no vision."
Okay, the first secretary has spoken.
Fang Xun also quickly said: "Old Liao... he might be shy."
Damn.
No one expected that even Fang Xun, who had always been the most honest and upright, had learned to lie with his eyes open.
The crowd walked slowly to a house, which was built in a secluded place in the city. The previous owner had fled, so Fang Xun requisitioned it and converted it into a pigsty.
There were four big characters "Lan County Pig Farm" hanging above the gate, which was a direct expression of the author's feelings. As soon as you entered the door, there was a small yard, which was specially used for storage, transportation, activities, etc. Unlike farmers raising pigs at home, anyone with a discerning eye could see that they were very close to the pigpen, but could not smell anything.
Someone immediately asked before Xu Zhenying could, "Master Fang, how many piglets are there in this pig farm?"
"Currently, there are 87."
"Oh, that's quite a lot. How come you don't smell any stench at all?"
Jiang Yongkang looked around and immediately found the key point. He pointed to the plants planted nearby and said, "These are all spider plants and ivy. It's best to remove the odor."
Everyone suddenly realized, "So that's how it is."
Fang Xun also added with a smile: "It's mainly because the wind blows from the southeast here, which provides good ventilation. The smell doesn't linger here for long. Therefore, even though there are many piglets, the smell is not as strong as the body odor of pigs raised by farmers."
Xu Zhenying suggested, "We've been talking for so long, let's go in and take a look."
As they walked and looked, they found that the pig house was just a few large sheds with adobe walls underneath, dividing it into countless small grids. Each small grid was only a few square meters and could just accommodate five or six pigs.
At this moment, the piglets in each small cell were white and tender. They arched their backs and made grunting sounds when they smelled the scent of strangers.
At this moment Fang Xun came forward with someone.
The man was fat, with big ears and fair skin, and strong arms. He was tall and sturdy. As soon as he saw Xu Zhenying, he hurriedly introduced himself with trepidation: "City Lord, I'm Ma Dashu. I live at the entrance of the big willow tree in Fengyi Lane. I... I... my family is a butcher... I'm twenty-eight years old, I have an elderly mother, three children... and a wife who is my cousin..."
Seeing the butcher stuttering, everyone couldn't help but laugh. Xu Zhenying also smiled and comforted him: "Don't be nervous. Do you know why we invited you here?"
Cutting to the point, Butcher Ma was noticeably less nervous. Instead, he exuded the confidence of a seasoned butcher. He patted his chest and said, "Young Master Fang said my knife skills are among the best in the city, and I never shortchange you on weights. I'm not exaggerating, but in Lan County, if I'm not number one in the pork business, I'm at least number two! I didn't specify what I do, but since it's related to pigs, that's my trade!"
"So, Brother Ma knows every structure of a pig like the back of his hand?"
"Of course. I know everything about pork neck, pork belly, pork belly, and pork front leg. I know exactly what's on a pig and how to cook it to make it delicious!"
Xu Zhenying really wanted to say: Stop talking!
If I say any more, tears will start to flow from my mouth!
"Okay. Since Fang Xun didn't tell you, let me tell you a few words. Brother Ma, have you ever heard of purification?"
"Cleaning?" Ma the Butcher was stunned. Then he felt a chill somewhere in his lower body. He smiled awkwardly, "City Lord, you don't want me to cleanse the pig, do you?"
Not only the horse butcher, but everyone else had the same expression.
Seeing this, Xu Zhenying said righteously: "Yes, it's just what you think."
Seeing that Xu Zhenying was dressed like a young man and spoke politely, and Xu Zhenying had a good reputation, Ma Tuhu was not nervous at all this time. Instead, he said in a casual tone, "City Lord, I, the butcher Ma, have been selling pork for many years, and I've never heard of anyone wanting to castrate their pigs. This piglet is so small. What if the wound festering and dies from the knife? This piglet is worth at least one or two taels of silver, and I have no experience in castrating pigs. Who will be held responsible if this piglet dies or is injured?"
A couple of hired ladies nearby chimed in, "Yeah, that's too cruel! These piglets are still so young and need careful nurturing. And yet they're being slaughtered! They're definitely not going to survive. Wouldn't this whole pigpen be wasted?"
Fang Xun immediately scolded him, "You're being unruly. Since I've paid you to do what the victim tells you to do, just follow their instructions. I'll cover you for anything that happens."
Seeing that everyone except the person behind her had a look of disapproval on their faces, Xu Zhenying had no choice but to signal Fang Xun to calm down.
"Just because no one has done it before doesn't mean it can't be done. As we all know, pigs have a strong odor, and no matter how you cook them, it's unavoidable. This is why the people of the Zhou Dynasty preferred mutton."
At this point, Ma the Butcher nodded in agreement, but he still said, "This is something pigs are born with, and there's nothing we can do to avoid it."
Xu Zhenying laughed: "Of course there's no way to avoid it. Now I'm going to teach you how to get rid of this smell, right?"
Seeing that the butcher Ma was looking at her with some confusion, Xu Zhenying continued, "The reason I castrate pigs is because castration has four advantages: preventing pregnancy, making them easier to manage, allowing for rapid weight gain, and providing better meat quality. Let's talk about them one by one. As for preventing pregnancy, I'm sure everyone knows that, with the exception of breeding pigs, if other pigs are not castrated, after a certain period of time, the sows will become pregnant, disrupting the normal breeding patterns of the pig farm."
When Xu Zhenying said this, Ma the Butcher looked at some people in surprise. Xu Yinxi and Fang Xun took out the notebooks they carried with them and wrote something quickly.
Wang Sanniang and Zhou Bo were extremely familiar with this kind of scene.
I remember when Xu Zhenying came to the military camp to teach evening classes, he would occasionally mention a certain knowledge point, and his colleagues would be eager to write it down on the spot.
At this moment, everyone in the Xu family who didn't have pencils just looked at each other, and secretly vowed in their hearts that they must ask Xu Zhenying to get them some pencils.
Only after I got a pencil did I realize how inconvenient writing brushes are. Not only is it inconvenient to carry a brush, you also have to carry the accompanying ink and inkstone. Furthermore, writing with a brush is also very particular about the writing surface, requiring it to be written on a smooth, flat surface.
Like Xu Yinxi and others, they can take out a pencil, put the notebook in their palm and write immediately.
This means you can record anytime, anywhere.
How could they not be envious of all this?
What surprised Wang Sanniang even more was the Xu family's enthusiasm for learning.
It was okay in the military camp, because we were told from the beginning that there would be a small test every week and a big test every month. All the girls studied very hard, fearing that they would be left behind by others.
But the Xu family team has long been the rulers of Lan County, yet they can still maintain such a high enthusiasm for learning.
The most shocked person was of course his fellow traveler Sun Qingchen.
Every time I saw the group of people under Xu Zhenying, they were completely different from the officials of the imperial court. Unlike the lazy, ignorant and snobbish officials under him, although the members of Xu Zhenying's team all came from humble backgrounds, they were very diligent in learning, even to a pure degree.
Not to mention that Xu Zhenying would read a few more books before taking a break after finishing his official business, even Ming Xiaoshuang, Xu Yinxi, Qian Zhenniang and others under Xu Zhenying would have to study late into the night after a hard day's work.
Such a person... Such an efficient political system... Such a united team from top to bottom... Such a ruler who is so self-disciplined that he is almost self-abusing...
Sun Qingchen treated Xu Zhenying as a formidable enemy as he had never treated him before.
He no longer bothered about the fact that Xu Zhenying was a woman!
Only foolish and ignorant people would look down on the enemy because of their gender. In Sun Qingchen's opinion, Xu Zhenying is several times more terrifying than 100,000 cavalrymen!
He only hoped that the letter for help could reach Jinzhou Prefecture as soon as possible!
If Jinzhou Prefecture had acted any slower, the people of Lan County would probably only recognize Xu Zhenying and not the Great Zhou Dynasty!
Xu Zhenying, oblivious to the changes in their expressions, continued, "Secondly, it's easier to manage. If boars aren't castrated, they'll become aggressive, easily sparking fights and even brutally killing each other, causing losses. Anyone who has raised pigs should be aware of this."
The people around the butcher nodded in agreement. "That's right. After a while, the pigs start to go crazy and become violent. Sometimes they even break out of the pen and bite people!"
"Yes. That's right. Castrated pigs are relatively calmer and more docile. They get along well with each other, fight less, and are easier to manage. This is the third and most important point."
Xu Zhenying paused.
At this moment, everyone looked at her thoughtfully, waiting for her next words.
Wang Sanniang discovered that Xu Zhenying had this kind of magical power. Once she started talking, no matter if the people around her questioned, ridiculed, or looked down on her, they would eventually listen to her carefully.
He seemed born to be in power.
There is always a power in him that makes people want to follow him unconsciously.
"The third point is rapid weight gain. I'm sure you've all noticed that female animals tend to be fatter than males. Female birds and sows appear rounder, while males appear more robust. Therefore, castrated pigs, fed the same diet, will grow faster! It used to take us at least one or two years to raise a pig, but after castration, if it's fast, it only takes six months to reach the same weight!"
The butcher stood there in shock. "Six months?! Over a hundred pounds? City Lord... you... I'm not well-educated, don't try to trick me!"
Xu Zhenying continued with a smile, "One last thing. Castrated pork tastes delicious and meaty, without that fishy smell. If you don't believe me, we can give it a try!"
Ma the Butcher's worldview seemed to have been shaken to its core. He shook his head, then nodded, "City Lord, is this true? How come I, Ma the Butcher, have been butchering pigs for so many years, yet I've never heard of these benefits to castrated pigs?"
Xu Zhenying thought that the gap of thousands of years could not be made up by intelligence alone.
She is just standing on the shoulders of giants.
"I read all this in a mysterious ancient book. As for whether it will work or not, let's give it a try now. If it does work, you, Ma the Butcher, will have made an invaluable contribution!"
When Butcher Ma heard that Xu Zhenying learned this from a book, he immediately expressed his conviction. People in ancient times had a natural and blind worship of scholars.
Not only that, Ma the butcher was quick-witted and immediately thought that if the castration method the city lord had in mind could really be successful, not only would he have made an indelible contribution, but if this technology became popular in the future, wouldn't every household raising pigs have to ask him to do the castration?
In this way, he, the butcher, became the best butcher in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Is he still afraid that the God of Wealth will not come to him?
After figuring this out, Ma the Butcher immediately became full of energy. "City Lord, you're right! Just tell me, what do you want me to do?!"
Xu Zhenying then asked, "How old are these pigs?"
Without waiting for Fang Xun's reply, Ma the Butcher took a quick look and assuredly said, "City Lord, these piglets are newly born. I think they are less than ten days old."
"Then remember, if you need to castrate a piglet in the future, it should only be done around 10-20 days after birth. This way, the piglet's wound heals faster and its survival rate is higher."
Ma the butcher didn’t understand what survival rate meant, but he heard a key word: more than ten days!
The 10-20 days mentioned in the book must be correct!
Xu Zhenying never imagined that one day she, a young girl, would go to another dynasty and establish great achievements.
The first step to achieve great success is to hold down the chubby white pig in front of you.
Xu Zhenying grinned in his heart, Paige, it’s decided to be you!
Although she has lived in the city since she was a child, her grandparents are from the countryside. During her glorious childhood, she was either raised by Xu Ma or raised freely in her hometown.
She has done things like taking bird eggs, fishing in the river, and catching earthworms!
She coughed softly and continued, "Castration is like farming. It depends on the weather. Choose the cooler hours of the morning or evening. Remember not to castrate in hot or rainy weather, because the wound needs to heal. High temperatures can easily cause infection, and rainy days are humid, which is not conducive to wound recovery."
After listening to Xu Zhenying's clear and logical explanation, Ma the Butcher finally realized that although the city lord was not a butcher, he was really good at it.
No wonder everyone in the city guessed that the city lord must be a scholar, either a tongsheng or a xiucai.
"Before castration, the piglet's physical condition should be checked to see if it is energetic and not sick. The castration instruments must be sterilized at high temperatures, and the castration site must also be sterilized, preferably with a high-concentration liquor. Also, it is not advisable to cut directly with a knife; scraping and pulling should be used to prevent heavy bleeding."
Xu Zhenying had only seen others castrate pigs in the countryside before, but he had never done it himself. So he said to the butcher, "Butcher Ma, you hold it down. You're more experienced in butchering pigs. I'll tell you the key points, and you can try it yourself. Don't worry, if the piglet dies or is injured, I won't bother you. As long as you master this castration technique, not only will I not hold you responsible, I'll even give you a bonus!"
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