Chapter 327 Square like a chessboard, round like chess pieces
The house belonging to Manager Yan was requisitioned just like that.
The village head sent someone to the city overnight to inform Manager Yan about this matter. Manager Yan did not show any dissatisfaction. The fact that a sixth-rank official had taken a liking to his house meant that his house was beautifully and grandly built. It was a blessing for the Yan family that an official was willing to live there. So he said that he would move later and it would not cause any trouble.
Since He Yan settled in, Magistrate Shen naturally had to stay with him as well.
With two officials suddenly residing in the village, the villagers were filled with unease and dared not speak loudly, for fear of startling the officials.
"Dahe Village is going to prosper." Shen Zheng still had a joking expression. "To operate this coal mine, we need to build shafts and transportation channels, which will require workers. Will the people of Dahe Village still have to worry about not having a place to make money?"
Cheng Wanwan also agreed with this idea. Even a small coal mine would take at least six or seven years to operate, let alone a medium-sized coal mine. At the very least, it would take more than ten years. With the coal mine, the roads in Dahe Village would be built. More importantly, it would attract people, and with people, the economy would gradually develop.
In ancient times, rural areas were dominated by small-scale farming; people either starved or became wealthy. Now that a market economy can be developed based on coal mines, we must seize this opportunity.
Cheng Wanwan's mind had already started working.
Just as she was thinking about this and that, the village head's voice rang out: "Grandma Dashan, do you have anything good to eat at home?"
He walked in, took off his hat, and his forehead was covered in sweat.
It's not spring yet, and the temperature is still very low, so you can't sweat that much after just one walk.
Cheng Wanwan brought over a glass of warm water: "Uncle Village Head, what happened?"
"It's all because of that Lord He!" the village headman said in a low voice. "It's mealtime right now, and Lord He told me to bring out all the best food in the village. So I killed a chicken and bought a rabbit from Hunter Zhao. I even had my eldest daughter-in-law prepare it carefully before serving it. But Lord He only took one bite before he threw it all on the ground, saying I was just trying to fob him off with pig feed. Our village's pigs never get such good treatment. That Lord He is truly cruel. My heart feels like it's been fried in oil; it's unbearable."
"This Lord He has quite the airs!" Shen Zheng slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "The discovery of the coal mine in Dahe Village was a blessing, how did it bring disaster instead! What about my father? What does he say?"
“The county magistrate is one rank lower than Lord He, so what can he say? He just offered a few words of advice.” The village head sighed. “Lord He said that if the food prepared next is still pig swill, he will deal with it according to the law. I’ve been thinking about this all the way here, but I can’t figure out what law I’ve broken. It’s really worrying me to death.”
Cheng Wanwan smiled.
Dahe Village has received many blessings, so it's normal to occasionally encounter one or two scoundrels.
The other party is a sixth-rank official, so he will probably only stay in the village for a while at first. As long as he doesn't do anything too outrageous, we should just tolerate it.
There's nothing that can be done if you can't tolerate it. The people can't fight against the officials; if you become their enemy, you're doomed.
She said, "Uncle Village Head, I'll be in charge of Lord He's meals for the time being..."
“Auntie, how can this be?” Shen Zheng was the first to object. “He is a sixth-rank official, while you are a ninth-rank lady personally appointed by the Emperor. Why should a ninth-rank lady cook for him? Who does he think he is?”
“The square is like a chessboard, and the round is like a chess piece. Being in it, there are some things that must be done.” Cheng Zhao’s voice was low. “Second Aunt, I’m here to help you.”
Cheng Wanwan nodded with some relief.
Zhao'er, who used to be unyielding, has also come to understand these principles of life.
When faced with power, one should always be more tactful. A head-on confrontation is like throwing an egg against a rock; why invite trouble upon oneself?
Wu Huiniang wiped her hands and followed them into the kitchen to help with the work.
Since Lord He was from the capital, Cheng Wanwan prepared some northern-style dishes: roast duck, stuffed cabbage rolls, shredded pork with sweet bean sauce, braised chicken with scallions, stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, and tofu, minced meat, and vegetable soup. The dishes were quite plentiful, and the presentation was exquisite and beautiful, truly a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.
The village head, smelling the delicious aroma, drooled, "Auntie Dashan, your cooking skills are truly unparalleled..."
"It was all made by the women from the mountains. I'm good with words, but when it comes to actually doing it, I'm a complete mess," Cheng Wanwan said with a smile. "Uncle Village Head, hurry up and send it over while it's hot, it won't taste good when it gets cold."
All the dishes were covered with small bowls, placed in a basket, covered, and carried to Manager Yan's house.
As dusk fell, the village head returned with a beaming smile, bringing the bowl: "Auntie Dashan, Lord He is very satisfied. He said he will eat these dishes tomorrow as well. This is the meal allowance given by the county magistrate."
He held a ten-tael silver ingot in his hand and placed it on the table.
Cheng Wanwan nodded. It was just cooking a few dishes; it wouldn't take her much effort.
The night passed quietly, and the next day at noon, Magistrate Shen announced an imperial edict from the Prefect—
The barren mountains behind Dahe Village, totaling more than 2,000 mu, were all allocated to the imperial court. At the same time, 4,000 mu of land extending dozens of miles to the west were all compensated to Dahe Village and incorporated into its jurisdiction.
The villagers were all beaming with joy.
"Go west for a few dozen miles, and you'll find Wangjiadun. Our village and Wangjiadun are neighboring villages."
"The land that Dahe Village has been granted in total is probably larger than the combined land of ten villages."
"Last time we only took in about three hundred refugees. If you ask me, even if there were a thousand refugees, our village could handle it without a problem!"
"..."
Cheng Wanwan and Li were looking at the new map of Dahe Village.
“Once the coal mine is confirmed to be mined, a special management bureau will definitely be built here on the south side, and the officials’ residences will also be built here.” Cheng Wanwan marked it on the map. “Here, a main road will be built, connecting to the main road of our village, to transport the coal out. This road will be widened a bit. There is wasteland on both sides of this road, and it belongs to Dahe Village. We can make a lot of money from it.”
The village head couldn't understand, but was greatly shocked: "Big Mountain Mother, quickly tell me your idea."
"Coal Hill is so big, how many workers do you think it will need, Uncle Village Head?" Cheng Wanwan smiled. "The soap workshop currently has a hundred workers, and this coal hill will probably need at least five or six hundred. Where will these people come from? Men from the neighboring village, laborers from the town, and management personnel who have come from the north... Just by doing a quick calculation, this coal hill can absorb at least eight hundred people. What does it mean to have people?"
The village head was completely bewildered. He could understand every word and even a single sentence, but he couldn't fathom what conclusion the mountain woman was trying to reach.
"Where will eight hundred people eat and sleep?" Zhao Ergou chimed in, speaking eloquently. "People from the neighboring village come to work. They can go back to sleep at night, but they can't possibly go back for lunch. Some might bring dry food or biscuits, but that can't go on every day. So they'll have to spend money to buy food, right? As for those who live far away, they need a place to stay. The cheapest inn in Ping'an County costs more than a hundred copper coins a night. That's a lot of money."
The village head's eyes widened: "I...I think I understand."
Food and lodging are always the primary needs. Their village must secure these two things before the coal mine officially starts construction. Then making money will be a piece of cake.
“This matter must be arranged privately and not made public,” Cheng Wanwan said. “If word gets to the ears of those with ulterior motives, they will come to buy land and build houses in advance. Will there still be any share for our Dahe Village?”
No sooner had she finished speaking than Zhao Anjiang rushed in, his face bruised and swollen: "Dad, something terrible has happened!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
