Lu Da didn't know why Lu Qiqi had asked about the previous situation in the five villages, but he still honestly told her.
The first village mentioned is Tianshui Village, which was wiped out.
Tianshui Village has always been characterized by a large population and limited land, with mostly earthen hillsides surrounding it, making it unsuitable for growing vegetables and grains.
There is only one narrow path leading from the village to the hillside, too narrow for even an oxcart to pass.
For generations, the villagers of Tianshui Village have relied on their strength to carry loads at the docks or to do hard labor, such as quarrying stone mountains and mining iron ore for the government.
But it's too late to say anything now. The villagers of Tianshui Village were conscripted for three years, and it is said that when the border city fell, they all died, with not a single one surviving.
The remaining elderly, women, and children were also infected with the plague and were ordered by the government to be burned to the ground.
Now the hillside is covered with weeds, which are almost taller than a person.
Upon hearing this, Lu Qiqi felt a mix of emotions, as if something was blocking her heart, making her feel suffocated.
Upon hearing this, Li Changlong's face also turned pale. He and his family had fled the famine all the way to Luzhou Prefecture, and he clearly understood the despair of not being able to see the light of day.
It's no exaggeration to say I feel the same way.
"Now Tianshui Village has nothing left but a century-old well."
After saying this, Lu Da poured himself a bowl of wine, his eyes slightly reddening. He drank it all in one gulp and said, "Let's talk about our Tianxin Village."
The five villages, when connected, form a five-pointed star.
Tianxin Village is named so because it is closest to the city gate of Heshun Prefecture and is located at the very top corner of the five villages.
"Our village doesn't have many mountains, land, or water, and now there aren't many people either. The only things we have in abundance are bamboo and trees."
The ancestors of Tianxin Village knew that their village did not have a geographical advantage, so they planted bamboo and trees by the pond.
Over time, passed down through generations, it transformed into bamboo groves and forests.
It is also a good thing for them to survive.
The village elders will pass on their skills to the clan members, such as making oil-paper umbrellas from bamboo and weaving bamboo baskets.
The timber was used to make coffins and roof beams, and with this skill, everyone lived a prosperous life.
Since the Great Jin Dynasty suffered from floods in the south and droughts in the north, everyone's lives have been difficult. Oil-paper umbrellas were loaded onto ships but could not be transported to the north.
War broke out in the north, and the people suffered terribly.
Making coffins and buying roof beams isn't enough to pay taxes, let alone make a living.
Now the village has just suffered another disaster, and the villagers have just recovered from the plague. They really can't think of any good way to make a living.
Hearing his elder brother's words, Zhao Xiaodong secretly wiped away his tears before forcing a smile and asking Lu Qiqi, "Miss Lu, you didn't come here just to ask what these five villages did before, did you?"
As he spoke, Zhao Xiaodong became agitated, tears streaming down his face. "Miss Lu, you are knowledgeable and experienced. Could you please help me think of a solution? My elder brother is going to sell the village and lead the villagers out to make a living. Where can we find a good life these days!"
Zhao Xiaodong cried harder and harder, and Lu Da said, "Stop crying. You're a grown man, don't you know how to be shameful? We have hands and feet, we won't starve to death."
Then, Lu Da explained to Lu Qiqi, "I heard that the magistrate of Luzhou Prefecture is a good official. Luzhou Prefecture has a small population and a lot of land. When we go there to reclaim wasteland, life will be hard at first, but there will be hope later."
Lu Da's idea was good: sell the village and lead the villagers to make a living on a new piece of land.
However, his wishful thinking was destined to fail. According to Lu Qiqi, many refugees had fled to Luzhou Prefecture to settle down, and now there was no extra land to cultivate.
There is another important reason why Tianxin Village cannot be sold.
Lu Qiqi said, "I'm afraid Tianxin Village cannot be sold."
"Why?" Lu Da asked, puzzled.
Li Changlong said with a proud look, "The emperor personally bestowed upon Qiqi the title of Lord of Kangle Township. The five villages now afflicted by the plague are all the fiefdoms of the Lord of Kangle Township."
Since it was the fiefdom of the village lord, the control of the land naturally belonged to the village lord.
She could even formulate regulations on her fiefdom, appoint and dismiss village chiefs, and control taxation and conscription at her whim.
Upon hearing this news, Lu Da and Zhao Xiaodong exchanged a glance, still not understanding the situation.
They only went to the government office this morning, and unexpectedly, a complete upheaval occurred.
Lu Da was the first to react. He immediately knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and bowed to Lu Qiqi.
"This humble subject greets the Lord of Kangle Township."
In his confusion and panic, Zhao Xiaodong followed Lu Da's example and knelt down to pay his respects to Lu Qiqi.
Lu Qiqi watched Lu Da's bowing posture for a moment, then said calmly, "No need for such formalities, please rise."
It's not that Lu Qiqi felt superior just because she became the head of Kangle Township.
On the contrary, now that she has this identity and is in charge of this land, there must be rules. Otherwise, if she continues to act as casually as before, it will be difficult for her to establish authority in the future.
Instead, let everyone know from now on that her status is different now. She is kind and approachable, but she is not a pushover to be bullied, so that the kind of thing that happened to Zhao Liuzhi and the other two will not happen again in the village.
After Zhao Xiaodong got up, he looked like a child being punished, keeping his head down and not daring to look around.
He never expected that Lu Qiqi's identity would change so drastically in just half a day.
He was just sitting at the same table drinking with Lu Qiqi. If word got out, he could brag about that for a long time.
However, I'll keep this to myself and just enjoy it. Otherwise, I might unknowingly say something that could lead to trouble, and then it will be too late.
Lu Da also stood aside. Knowing Lu Qiqi's identity, he was just a commoner and naturally could not sit with the village head. Without the village head's permission, it was better for him to stand.
Lu Qiqi found it somewhat amusing to see that the two had different postures and expressions, but she had to remain composed and not burst out laughing.
She said, "Please sit down, I have something important I need your help with."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xiaodong watched his elder brother Lu Da sit down before daring to sit down himself.
"What can I do for you?" Lu Da asked.
Lu Qiqi was a little stunned when she heard the word "you" (您). She didn't expect Lu Da to get into the mood so quickly and change his way of addressing her.
She said, "Now that this place has become my fiefdom, I naturally have no reason to ignore it."
"Not only do I have to manage them, but I also have to make good use of all five villages and make them even more prosperous than before."
Lu Da and Zhao Xiaodong didn't know what Lu Qiqi was planning, but Lu Qiqi and the doctors had cured them of the plague, and based on that alone, they believed that Lu Qiqi could definitely do it.
For a moment, the two of them were filled with excitement, thinking about following Lu Qiqi and making a name for themselves.
Zhao Xiaodong and Lu Da, their eyes gleaming, said in unison, "We are at the mercy of the Lord of Kangle Township."
The words of ambition, when heard by Lu Qiqi, seemed to make her feel as if the path to wealth was right in front of her, within reach if she simply stretched out her hand.
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