Chapter 179 Female Teacher
This statement caught Village Chief Fan and others off guard.
"Hmph, the City Lord is incredibly capable! There's nothing he can't do! Just wait and see, who knows? With the City Lord's composting method, this land might actually be growing food overnight."
At this moment, Xu Zhenying was sitting in a chair and sneezed several times.
She subconsciously looked up at the sky, then wrapped her coat tightly around her.
The weather is neither hot nor cold, but cool in the morning and evening, which makes it easy to catch a cold.
Seeing that the time was almost up, Xu Zhenying signaled Qian Zhenniang and others to gather the leaders of the refugee groups and the village heads from the two county towns together.
She carefully looked at the sorted compost information again.
Thanks to my ex-boyfriend.
Thanks to the love-brained self who insisted on working on a project with her ex-boyfriend.
Although she didn't know much about agriculture and production, she had seen composting too many times and knew how to make it with her eyes closed.
It’s a pity that there is no organic fertilizer. If some fertilizer fermentation agent is added, it will be more effective.
Qian Zhenniang gathered the leaders of each group, about a few hundred people, and everyone gathered in the direction of Xu Zhenying. Then a small cart brought pig manure, and the smell could be smelled from a long distance away.
Everyone covered their noses and looked disgusted.
The nearby mountains and forests have been cleared. Xu Zhenying had people collect the thorns and weeds in the mountains and forests, mix them with small stones and crushed soil, and burn them together, thus obtaining the initial base fertilizer.
This is what later generations commonly called wood ash.
"Now that everyone is here, I'll start teaching you how to compost the land. Wood ash is a good thing, rich in potassium, and is perfect for making base fertilizer."
Someone with sharp eyes immediately said, "This is used to pad the soil. We used manure back home, and the smell is terrible."
They say you can tell whether an expert is good or not by just looking at his actions.
Xu Zhenying probably didn't expect that with this foundation, most people present would believe that she was indeed capable.
Xu Zhenying briefly explained how to make base fertilizer and reminded everyone: "When making base fertilizer, don't use too little soil. Too little soil will easily burn."
Everyone was fascinated by what they heard and what they saw, nodding their heads frequently.
"This pig manure is also very good as fertilizer. Use pig manure as a base, then add rice bran and other ingredients in an appropriate proportion and mix well. It is best to add some straw."
"Dig a pit about the height of a person, two meters wide and two or three meters long. Pile the fertilizer inside and let it ferment. The weather is perfect now, neither too hot nor too cold, for the compost to be most effective. The moisture level must be controlled; neither too much nor too little is good. Keep it around 60%, or a little more than half. Too little will slow fermentation. Too much will result in poor aeration, slow temperature rise, and a tendency to produce odors. It's best to grab a handful with your hands. Water should be visible between your fingers but not dripping, and it should disperse easily on the ground. That's about right."
Xu Zhenying spoke slowly and calmly while someone demonstrated.
Xu Yinxi was beside her, writing as if possessed by God, recording quickly.
The village chief of the Fan family tugged at Qian Zhenniang and asked, "Little Miss Qian, what does the little girl next to the city lord remember?"
"She's going to write down everything the city lord says and post it outside the model village so everyone can see it."
"Alas, what's the point of posting it? Most of the refugees can't read."
"That's not necessarily true. Our notices are all marked with pinyin. As long as you learn the 63 pinyin characters, you can read them. To tell you the truth, there are many diligent and studious refugees here. They can read the notices a long time ago!"
When the village chief of Fan family saw Qian Zhenniang speaking so confidently, he was skeptical. Could it be that pinyin was really that magical?
How can someone read but not write?
Village chief Fan was so excited by what she said that he felt itchy inside.
Xu Zhenying was surrounded in the middle, and continued to explain with a megaphone: "During the fermentation process, it is important to pay attention to proper turning of the compost. If you feel the compost is getting a little hot, you must turn it over in time. Otherwise, the temperature will be too high and the nutrients inside will be burned, and the compost will be wasted!"
"Generally speaking, in this weather, fermentation should be complete within seven days. Come and check for yourself when the time comes. If the compost pile turns dark brown and the temperature is about the same as outside, it means fermentation is complete. If you feel that you added too much sawdust, wood chips, rice husks, or other auxiliary materials, wait another two or three days until the heat of rot dissipates and the compost is ready."
Seeing Xu Zhenying's clear and concise speech, even the experienced farmers didn't dare to say anything more. Wang Xingye stood in the crowd and shouted, "What are you all standing there for? Did the City Lord not explain clearly, or did you not understand?"
Someone brave enough immediately responded, "I understand. Even back home I've never seen anyone composting like this. Does it work?"
"Why doesn't it work? Are you still doubting what the city lord says? We'll know if it works or not if we try it. We just happened to have a few acres of newly reclaimed land here, so let's try it out on those acres first."
Xu Zhenying emphasized, "Don't just try it out. All the land we're reclaiming needs to be composted. Fertilized land will help crops grow quickly. Others take years to reclaim land, but with so many of us, we can only cultivate one acre at a time. We've already researched what to plant on the composted land, so now we need you to cultivate the land!"
Everyone had no choice but to nod in agreement.
Seeing that everyone was not very enthusiastic, Xu Zhenying had to give a few more instructions, and his voice became hoarse after a few words.
Alas, if I had known this earlier, I would have let Ming Xiaoshuang tell it.
He just likes to be in the spotlight and give speeches.
This kind of thing should be left to him.
Xu Zhenying was cursing in her heart when she turned around and was surrounded by dozens of old men. Xu Zhenying immediately recognized the village chief of Zhangjia Village, and then remembered that these should be the village chiefs she invited.
Qian Zhenniang winked at her, indicating that today's publicity work was done well. Xu Zhenying had no choice but to put on her signature smile. Before she could say anything, she was enthusiastically pulled aside by the village chief of Fanjia Village.
"City Lord—" The old man laughed so hard that wrinkles appeared on his face.
"City Lord..." Another cordial call.
Very good, now both your left and right hands are caught by the old man.
Xu Zhenying really can't escape even if he has wings.
"Gentlemen, let's talk it over. It's so unseemly to hold me like this."
"City Lord, we're all from Lan and Ye counties. Why are you being so partial? It's not enough that we can't recruit craftsmen from our village, we're not even eligible for recruiting soldiers. Now that even these outsiders are in school, why are our children still digging in the mud?"
"That's right, City Lord. Are the people in the city considered human beings, but us country folks aren't? You even distributed food to the people of Ye County. So many people in our village starved to death last year, and you didn't do anything about it?"
"City Lord, I don't care about my dignity anymore. You must give us an explanation today! If you don't give us an explanation, then give us a place. No matter if it's for the research institute, the barracks, or... the medical school, the medical school is fine! If you don't give us anything, I will kneel down before you--"
When the conversation got so exciting, some people actually tried to kneel down, but fortunately Xu Zhenying quickly pulled them back.
She finally understood the cause and effect of the village heads' complaints. It turned out that Qian Zhenniang's publicity work was too thorough?
She just wanted Qian Zhenniang to show the village heads the new Lan County and let them accept her policies, but she didn't expect that these old men would directly join the internal competition team!
Qian Zhenniang looked at the scene in front of her and was quite amused.
It's more of an inexplicable feeling of being moved.
There’s also a sense of achievement.
This world is getting better little by little because of Xu Zhenying and because of her.
It is conceivable that after today, the fate of many girls in the countryside will be changed.
Just thinking about this, Qian Zhenniang felt proud of herself.
Let’s do it.
Girl, let’s just rebel!
The world you want is the world I want, and it is also the world everyone in the world wants!
Xu Zhenying certainly understands the principle of playing hard to get.
Since ancient times, true love cannot be retained, but routines can win people's hearts.
So she acted very embarrassed and said, "My dear elders, you are really making it difficult for me. The reason why some benefits haven't reached your village is because I don't have enough manpower. I can't run my business yet!"
The head of Zhangjia Village couldn't help but say, "City Lord, let's not talk about anything else, let's just talk about this universal education. Since you said it's for everyone, even refugees, how can you leave out these villages under us?"
"Well, to be honest with you, universal education is a three-year plan I formulated, and we have to do it step by step. Don't worry, it will come to your village sooner or later anyway."
"How can that be?!" The Fan village chief, seeing Xu Zhenying's thin and gentle appearance, had long since lost the fear he had felt when entering the city. This young man was so handsome and seemed so easy to talk to. He had to ask the city lord to make a few spots available today. "If there's an imperial examination in the future, the kids ahead will have to study for several more years than the kids in our village! How can we afford to delay our studies?"
"That's right. We are still from Lan County after all. How could the city lord leave us out when he has something good to offer? This is too unfair!"
Xu Zhenying suppressed the slight curl of his lips and continued with a serious expression, "The problem is that there are not enough teachers. There are only a few female teachers who are free, but it's inconvenient for them. You can't let a girl travel across mountains and rivers to a strange place. What if something happens? What if rumors spread? What if those female teachers are going to survive?"
These village chiefs were all shrewd people, ready to exploit any opportunity. Upon hearing Xu Zhenying's words, they immediately patted their chests and said, "City Lord, we also want a female teacher. We'll send someone to get her! We'll take good care of her once she's brought back, and we'll make sure she doesn't suffer any injustice!"
"That's right, as long as they can teach pinyin, who cares whether they are boys or girls? Don't the daughters of wealthy families have female teachers? What's wrong with female teachers? City Lord, do you look down on women?"
Wow, you even resorted to provocation?
Xu Zhenying still frowned. "That won't do. It's really inappropriate. If a woman shows up in public, she'll be criticized. It won't be convenient without a male teacher. Why don't you wait until the male teacher finishes teaching this group of refugees?"
Qian Zhenniang and Xu Yinxi were having a hard time holding back their laughter.
It's rare for the city lord to be able to take this attitude of wanting to refuse but also to accept to such an extreme.
It was clearly she who wanted to open up employment opportunities for female teachers, but now the village heads are begging female teachers to come.
There is a big difference between a business that comes from being pursued and a business that comes from being begged for!
It is conceivable that as long as this loophole is opened, a large number of girls will be able to move around without being gossiped about, and at the same time, girls will surely begin to appear in all walks of life!
"Who dares to point fingers? If anyone dares to point fingers, I, Old Man Fan, will chop off his fingers with a knife! Teaching and educating is such a big deal. The female teachers are there for the children in the village. Don't worry, City Lord, I, Old Man Fan, will make it clear to you that as long as you are willing to arrange female teachers for us, I will definitely take good care of the people in the village and will never let them suffer any grievances. I will send them back to you in the same way they came here!"
Several other village heads immediately followed suit and expressed their opinions.
Seeing that the time was almost right, Xu Zhenying sighed and acted reluctantly, "Well, forget it, forget it. These female teachers are free now anyway, so let them go with you. But let me be clear, when these female teachers come to your village, they represent me, Xu Zhenying. Anyone who dares to be disrespectful to them, hmph, no one from your village will be allowed to enter the medical school, research institute, or army this year!"
When everyone heard this, they were so happy that they immediately patted their chests and made promises.
Xu Zhenying pretended to accept it, then called Qian Zhenniang over and instructed, "Alright, then take them to the county government office to register, see which female teachers are available, and ask if there are any willing to go to the countryside. If they really don't want to, don't force them."
Qian Zhenniang smiled and responded, "Old men, follow me."
Xu Zhenying watched Qian Zhenniang lead them away, and vaguely heard Qian Zhenniang say how lucky they were, that they happened to catch up with this wave of universal education, and that in the future they would get thirty cents a day's wages in the city, etc.
The village heads were so confused that they were stunned and their eyes became more and more passionate when they looked at Qian Zhenniang.
Xu Yinxi shook her head and laughed, "Zhen Niang's skills in making big promises are now comparable to those of the city lord. Who would have thought that the once most honest girl would now be best at deceiving people?"
Xu Zhenying laughed: "The one who is best at making cakes has been sent out by me to fool others."
"Feng'er?" Xu Yinxi nodded with a smile, then remembered something. "Speaking of which, City Lord, it seems Feng'er's letter has arrived. I saw a publicist deliver a letter to your special mailbox today."
"Oh, why didn't you tell me earlier? That girl got us so many farm tools last time, and I haven't written a letter of praise yet. She must have brought back some good news this time!" As soon as Xu Zhenying heard about Feng'er's letter, she immediately left the demonstration base. She hurriedly bent down to wash her hands, and regardless of everyone's enthusiastic attempts to keep her, she had someone drive the carriage towards the county government office.
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