Chapter 10 is showing initial signs of stabilization; go buy it now!
The Wang Family Mansion is located in Fengze County, not far from Songyang County.
"Master, we just received news that all of the Chen landlord's land has been plowed." The servant reported. The Chen landlord and his master were the two biggest landlords in Fengze County. They were usually at odds, but it was only on the matter of spring plowing that his master could finally show off.
Because the landlord was willing to spend money during the busy farming season to ensure the tenants were well-fed and watered, the tenants were also willing to put in their best effort.
That landlord Chen was stingy. He wanted his tenants to work without eating a single meal, and he was unwilling to spend any money on them. How could the tenants have the strength to work if they couldn't even get enough to eat?
During the spring planting season, my husband lost a lot of his share.
"I haven't heard that his family has acquired so many tenants. How come they work so fast?" Old Master Wang was also somewhat shocked when he heard this. He knew his old rival's personality.
They practically wanted to squeeze food out of the tenants' mouths. If the tenants weren't fed and watered, how would they have the strength to till the land for them?
"Master, the news has spread far and wide that the magistrate of Songyang County has developed a curved plow that can plow ten acres of land a day. I reckon that Master Chen bought the curved plow. No matter how stingy he is, he wouldn't be stingy when it comes to plowing land." The speaker was Master Wang's wife. She usually went out to socialize, and these past few days, her conversations had revolved around the magistrate of Songyang County.
He's young, handsome, and talented; he seems like a good official who cares for the country and its people. I really want to marry my daughter to him. If only I were a few years younger...
When Madam Wang's gaze fell upon Master Wang's large belly, her lips pursed.
That's all.
Even the youngest and most handsome young man will become a pot-bellied old man by middle age.
Master Wang was greatly alarmed upon hearing this. This curved plow was so powerful, yet he didn't even have one. He shouted loudly:
"Quick, go buy it!"
———-
Since the invention of the curved plow, the people of Songyang County have been busy plowing and clearing land, and the already empty streets are now even emptier.
Only Li Ping'an's blacksmith shop was packed with people.
"Mr. Li, why don't you take a look at my curved plow and see if it's well made?"
"Brother Ping An, take a look at mine first!"
"Why are you pushing? Don't you know any manners? I got here before you."
......
Li Ping'an inspected each part one by one, and only paid for those that passed the inspection. Each part cost ten coins, and it didn't take long to make one; if it was an old carpenter, it would be even faster.
The land needs to be plowed, but money also needs to be earned.
The people of Songyang County wish they could split a day in two; they are so fortunate. They wake up to work, and the money they earn is not only enough to feed their families but also allows them to save some.
I wish these days would never end.
Li Ping'an hired two more apprentices at his blacksmith shop to inspect the parts for the curved plow, as he was simply too busy to handle everything by himself.
The reputation of the curved plow gradually spread.
People from neighboring counties also knew of the reputation of this curved-shaft plow and came to Songyang County to buy it.
The price of 300 coins is neither high nor low; it's a fair price.
A typical farming family could afford one by tightening their belts. If all else failed, they could borrow one from someone else. Once the other person's land was plowed, they could borrow one to plow. After all, the curved plow was so fast that it wouldn't delay the plowing process.
Xu Da and Ding Yi are now firmly guarding the city gate, and they cannot leave for a moment. Traveling merchants and peddlers come to the city one after another to inquire about the curved plow.
Hei Fu patrolled the streets all day with a weapon. Most people in Songyang County knew about the curved plow, but no one was a fool. How could they give away the hen that lays golden eggs to someone else?
People who make parts for the curved plow at home do so secretly, behind closed doors, afraid of being seen.
One day at a time, living in seclusion.
In Fengze County, there was a carpenter family surnamed Chen. The whole family were carpenters, and they had been doing carpentry work their whole lives.
However, he didn't earn much money, and his family often went hungry.
The owner of this house was Chen the carpenter, who had two sons. The elder son was honest, while the younger son was cunning.
He said he was going to borrow a curved plow from a good friend, but he hasn't come back yet.
With a creak, the door opened.
"Father, your son is back." Chen the carpenter's second son was named Chen Xin, which means benevolence, righteousness, filial piety and trustworthiness. It is not hard to see Chen the carpenter's expectations for him from this name.
I hope he will become a good person.
Can.......
Chen Xin placed the borrowed curved plow in front of his father. The curved plow had a simple structure, and Chen, a carpenter, had been a carpenter for generations. He only needed to take a look and touch it.
That way, you can replicate it almost perfectly.
If this is done, it's like throwing mud at the Chen family's ancestral graves. His family has never stolen anything from others since they started as carpenters.
His generation should also uphold this principle...
"Dad, we're out of rice. Let whoever wants this reputation have it. We just want to eat our fill." Chen Xin had barely finished speaking when...
The eyes of the other family members were all fixed on Chen the carpenter. Among them were his wife, who had suffered with him for most of her life, and his honest and silent eldest son, who couldn't even afford to marry a wife because the family had no money.
Carpenter Chen puffed on his pipe, feeling heavy-hearted.
Finally, gritting his teeth and steeling his resolve, he said, "Let's do it, but let's not steal business from Songyang County; let's sell to more distant places."
"Dad, you've finally come to your senses." Chen Xin didn't care where his father wanted to sell the rice; as long as his father agreed, his family would never go hungry again.
After all, he had never seen a carpenter better than his father.
Carpenter Chen picked up the curved plow and examined it closely. He didn't know who made it, but the workmanship wasn't actually that meticulous.
In the art of carpentry, Chen the carpenter considered himself unbeatable, except that he couldn't come up with any new designs for chairs, tables, and the like, and he could only ever make the same old designs.
The carpentry work was exquisite and beautiful, and naturally, the price was a bit higher than others. Gradually, no one wanted to hire them anymore; everyone prefers things that are good quality and inexpensive.
Apart from the plowshare, which required some study, he didn't need to use his brain for anything else.
It's something you could do with your eyes closed, but it's a bit unethical.
Meanwhile, Jiang Ge also plowed several acres of land with a curved plow.
It was used as an experimental field for wheat.
She bought some wheat seeds from the system's store, not many, so she could only grow them herself and save the seeds.
Sow the last bag of wheat seeds.
Jiang Ge sighed. Although the land was only a few acres, the farm work was really tiring.
"Sir, I can do this job from now on." Erwang couldn't find Jiang Ge at the county government office, so he went to the experimental field.
These past few days, the county magistrate has been busy in the fields.
"Don't treat me like I'm made of glass. Everyone has work to do, and I don't want to be idle either." Jiang Ge wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"By the way, what did you want to see me about?"
Erwang took the things from Jiang Ge's hand, looked at his own county magistrate, and what he really wanted to say was that the county magistrate was too short and had no strength.
Fortunately, although Erwang is simple-minded, he knows what he should and shouldn't say.
Actually, Django is quite tall for a girl, standing at 1.7 meters. But what can she do when she's a "man" now?
Because of her height, Magistrate Xu and the others treated her like a child, not letting her do anything for fear of affecting her growth.
"Sir, Li Ping'an needs to see you. He's waiting for you at the county office," Erwang whispered a reminder.
"He took a lot of money."
Jiang Ge was wondering who Li Ping'an was, but when money was mentioned, she immediately realized that he was the blacksmith who made a fortune.
Jiang Ge had heard about the booming sales of curved plows in the county government office these past few days.
The main problem was that her four constables were quite dissatisfied with Li Ping'an, and they would whisper in her ear every day: "Sir, you made the design of the curved plow. You don't forget the well-digger when you drink the water. He has made enough money from the curved plow to buy a big house."
It wasn't that he was envious of the money Li Ping'an was making; he was simply dissatisfied that his own county magistrate had been forgotten. Without his county magistrate, where would they be living their good life now?
Li Ping'an came to see Jiang Ge today specifically because he hadn't been able to find the time the other day.
When Django arrived, he lifted the red cloth covering the object in his hand, revealing it to be full of strings of copper coins.
"Sir, this is the silver I sent you especially to thank you for your plowshare making method. From now on, for every curved plow I sell, I will share fifty coins with you."
Li Ping'an had thought about this for a long time. The main reason why the curved plow could be made was thanks to the new county magistrate. Without the new county magistrate, there would be no curved plow. In fact, Li Ping'an also had his own ulterior motives. With the name of County Magistrate Jiang on the curved plow, he would not have to worry about being envied by others in Songyang County.
Selling a curved plow for fifty coins is a fair calculation.
The county is short of money right now, so this money can be considered as the patent fee for the curved plow. Jiang Ge gave Erwang a look, and Erwang stepped forward to take the silver.
“I didn’t contribute to the making or sale of this curved plow. Fifty coins is too much, and I’d feel guilty taking it. Let’s make it twenty coins.” Jiang Ge directly reduced Li Ping’an’s offer of fifty coins to twenty coins.
Li Ping'an wanted to insist, but Jiang Ge waved him off.
"It's settled then!"
Before the money had even warmed his hands, Django had already figured out how to spend it.
She wanted to buy some chickens and ducks, and not only did she want to buy them, she also wanted to urge the people to buy some chickens and ducks and raise them.
Chickens and ducks can effectively prevent locust plagues.
Although we don't know if locusts will come this year, it's always good to be prepared.
Moreover, chickens and ducks are not a waste of money; they can lay eggs to supplement the family income, which is quite worthwhile for farmers.
Jiang Ge has been here for more than half a month, and this is the first time she has had time to visit the market in Songyang County.
At that time, the county town was incomparable to modern times. It was surrounded by mud-brick houses, and even wooden houses were rare.
There was still animal excrement on the road in the county town market from time to time. Jiang Ge almost stepped on it again, and he frowned subconsciously.
"Sir, I will immediately inform the residents of this street to clean it up." Erwang had been watching Jiang Ge's expression closely, and as soon as he saw her expression suddenly change, he immediately understood what the magistrate meant.
The hygiene here is truly appalling.
The magistrate finally got to go out for a stroll, but the roads were covered in animal excrement. I don't know how they manage the sanitation!
The hygiene in the market is so bad, they really don't respect the county magistrate. Erwang got angrier and angrier and turned around to inform the nearby residents.
"Wait, Erwang, I have a use for this." Jiang Ge stopped Erwang, suddenly thinking of a clever use.
Erwang's gaze shifted from the objects on the road to Jiang Ge's face; the magistrate must be furious.
What use is this filthy stuff?
A note from the author:
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I'm stuck on this... I'm not satisfied with anything I write...
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