Chapter 325 Old Shen's Lucky Hour Has Arrived
The night wind was chilly.
Magistrate Shen and his advisor Yuan returned to the county office by carriage overnight.
He didn't have time to sleep. As soon as he entered the study, he started writing a memorial. First, he wrote about the troubles caused by the refugees and the subsequent resettlement and handling. Then, he wrote about the losses caused by the snow disaster, the damage to farmland, the casualties, and detailed some of the measures taken by Ping'an County. At the end of the memorial, he emphasized Dahe Village. It was still the same Dahe Village that had preserved itself in a unique way during the disaster.
After the memorial was finished, the sky was already beginning to lighten.
Master Yuan, who had been grinding ink on the side, said in a low voice, "Sir, go back and get some sleep. Have someone send this memorial to Huzhou."
Magistrate Shen stood up: "I'd feel more at ease if I went myself. Prepare the carriage."
"My lord, there's no rush." Master Yuan said with a headache, "Let the cook prepare some light meals first, and we can eat something before we leave."
After a busy night, Magistrate Shen was indeed hungry. He quickly ate a bowl of porridge and two steamed buns, then got into his carriage and headed towards Huzhou.
Huzhou is not far from Ping'an County; you can arrive by noon if you set off early in the morning.
A little over a month ago, Huzhou was besieged by refugees. The people who came were all ragged and emaciated. In just over a month, Huzhou has returned to its former tranquility and prosperity.
On the eighth day of the first lunar month, every household in the city still had red couplets pasted on their doors and hung up big red lanterns, the festive atmosphere of the New Year still lingering.
Magistrate Shen's carriage stopped in front of the Prefect's residence.
The servant at the gate already recognized Magistrate Shen and invited him inside.
"Old Shen, I've missed you dearly after a month." The prefect was in a good mood. "Someone, bring tea to Lord Shen."
After bowing, Magistrate Shen handed over the memorial he was holding.
The prefect opened the memorial, nodding repeatedly: "Regarding this refugee crisis, Ping'an County and Hekou County each received nearly two thousand refugees. I have already written down your and Lao Fu's merits in the report. Especially regarding this plague, if it weren't for Madam Sui's research into methods of control and treatment, the plague wouldn't have been quelled so quickly. I have also reported Madam Sui's contributions in full. If nothing unexpected happens, His Majesty's reward will arrive again within a month..."
The prefect paused and said, "Old Shen, you should thank Ping'an County for producing a Lady Sui. With her rank rising, your status will also rise accordingly. If you are willing, you can get promoted this time in June."
Magistrate Shen shook his head: "My current achievements are all thanks to Madam Sui. In fact, I haven't done anything for the people. If I were to be promoted, I would be unworthy of the position. My lord, please put my matter aside for now. There is something more important: a coal mine has been discovered in Ping'an County..."
The prefect then read the last page, his face filled with disbelief: "Ping'an County is truly a blessed land..."
Magistrate Shen took out a black lump of raw coal from the bundle and respectfully placed it on the table.
The prefect was from the north, and his hometown had a coal mine. Every household in that area worked on the coal mine to make a living, so he naturally recognized it.
"This is indeed black gold stone. The imperial court uses it as fuel for iron smelting and weapon forging, providing a continuous source of heat. However, it mostly grows in the north," the prefect sighed. "I can only say, Old Shen, your luck has finally turned!"
Magistrate Shen cupped his hands and said, "The black gold stone was discovered when the mountains were blocked by heavy snow. The villagers ran out of firewood and took some. I beg Your Excellency to forgive these villagers in consideration of their merits in Dahe Village."
"In the north, black gold stone is everywhere and not a rare thing. The imperial court forbids its use by the common people because it is poisonous," the prefect said slowly. "Have some villagers in Dahe Village died from poisoning because of this?"
Magistrate Shen was shocked. He had no idea that this thing was poisonous. But then he remembered that Dahe Village was filled with joy last night, and Zhao, the village head, had said that no one had died in Dahe Village in the past two weeks. So he said, "No one has died from poisoning."
"That's strange," the prefect said, stroking his chin. "In my hometown, people die every year from illegally burning black gold. Sometimes, a whole family of more than ten people loses their lives because of this stuff. Therefore, the imperial court has tightened its control over black gold. Fortunately, no one has died, which is a great thing. Now that a coal mountain has been discovered in Dahe Village, then this mountain should be designated as the property of the imperial court... If a portion of Dahe Village's land is taken away, then corresponding compensation must be given. Let me take a look at the map of Ping'an County first."
The servant next to him handed over a topographical map.
In those days, the land was vast and sparsely populated. The villages were surrounded by mountains and wastelands, and the two closest villages were at least half an hour's walk apart.
The prefect pointed and said, "From here to here, the entire area is to be assigned to Dahe Village."
The villagers of Dahe Village were unaware of the private conversation between Magistrate Shen and the Prefect.
On the eighth day of the lunar new year, Cheng Wanwan announced that the lotus pond project would resume. All the men in the village who didn't have any regular jobs were to come and help dig the pond. They would be paid thirty coins a day, which was quite a lot of income.
And the soap workshop has also started operations.
Once the road is open, they can go to the city to buy fatty pork, goat milk, and honey. As for wood ash, in the past half month, every household has been burning firewood for cooking and heating, and has stored up a lot of pure wood ash, all of which Cheng Wanwan has bought up. As soon as the wood ash and pork arrived, the workshop became bustling with activity.
Because of several consecutive days of missed work, some customers might experience supply shortages when they arrive at the agreed time to pick up their goods. Therefore, Cheng Wanwan recruited another twenty workers. It can be said that as soon as she released this news, everyone was eager to sign up. However, this matter was handled by Old Mrs. Zhao. Everyone knows that Old Mrs. Zhao is impartial and incorruptible. No matter how good the relationship is in private, she will not show favoritism to any relatives or friends when it comes to the interview.
After careful screening by Grandma Zhao, the final selection was made.
A man from Xindahe Village named Bao Hong was selected. He had a wife and a five or six-year-old child. He was honest and hardworking. Whenever there was a collective matter in the village, he was always the first to rush to the front. Old Mrs. Zhao liked men like him who could do a lot of hard work, so she selected him without hesitation.
The villagers all cast envious glances their way.
“Bao Hong’s good days are coming. He’ll be working in the soap workshop. That’s a secure job.”
"Eight hundred coins a month, two sets of work clothes, and the occasional cheap pork cracklings for a treat—isn't that a good life?"
"Even the former refugees can work in the soap factory, so why can't we be selected? We still need to perform well and let Old Lady Zhao see our abilities!"
Bao Hong straightened his back as he walked, and suddenly felt a sense of pride and triumph.
The other residents of Xindahe Village also realized that they had truly integrated into Dahe Village, and that as long as they were diligent and hardworking, they would definitely be able to settle down and build a career here...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
