county seat.
On the other side of County Magistrate Lu.
The confidant said, "Sir, there are indeed many locusts in the fields, but this has happened many times in previous years. I've found an old farmer for you; ask him."
County Magistrate Lu nodded: "Thank you for your thoughtfulness."
Old farmer: "Does Your Excellency have business with me, sir?"
County Magistrate Lu asked seriously, "With so many locusts, is there a possibility of a locust plague?"
The old farmer said seriously, his wrinkles trembling, "Although there are locusts, given how many there were last year, it's unlikely to break out. This is just my deduction; we'll have to ask God for the specifics."
Well, it's like saying nothing at all.
County Magistrate Lu chased the man away.
He paced back and forth in his study, wondering whether he should also draft a memorial to the throne.
The advisor said seriously, "If we draft a memorial now, it will be just copying others and following in the footsteps of the magistrate. If there is any credit, it will all go to Magistrate Su. I think you should try to remain silent, or be more decisive and bold, so that people don't take it to heart. A few locusts don't matter. Grain yield is the most important thing."
County Magistrate Lu hesitated for a moment.
"Then let's not move."
Locust plagues are such a strange thing.
Even the imperial court didn't remind you, so what makes you, Su Yong, think you can predict this?
A trusted confidant came from outside.
"Sir, the laborers outside are saying that the city wall is too difficult to build and too tiring, and they are demanding a raise of five coins a day."
County Magistrate Lu chuckled, “The lowly people are never satisfied. I provide them with jobs, and they are still not satisfied. They still pick and choose, and they want to find a few leaders to teach a lesson. If a few leaders jump out from the bottom, and I give the leaders an extra ten coins, they will exploit their own people even more.”
"Transfer their hatred for us to themselves."
"They cherish their jobs even more and are afraid of the county government."
The confidant tentatively asked, "Sir, if we find a few leaders and pay them extra wages, what about the county government's losses?"
County Magistrate Lu chuckled: "Naturally, we'll deduct from the salaries of those who disobey. This way, we can actually save some money."
The confidant smiled obsequiously: "Brilliant, sir, you are brilliant."
The advisor beside him was also laughing heartily, and he felt a chill run down his spine.
Harshly punishing the people is not a way to govern well in the long run.
Subconsciously, I quietly moved away from this person.
Qingxia Village.
The entire Chen family was bent over harvesting wheat in the field.
Standing in the field, Zhang Daguang sneered, "Hey Dazhu's dad, why are you in such a hurry? The weather's so nice now, why don't you wait ten days or so before harvesting?"
With plenty of sunshine, the wheat stalks bent over and swayed in the wind.
The only drawback is that there are still a lot of green wheat ears mixed in in the field, which are obviously not yet ripe.
Chen Xian: "Yeah, I'm a timid person. I listen to advice, especially to the old village head."
Zhang Daguang chuckled lightly: "Alright, I'm going home to sleep."
The fifth day.
Except for a few families who are still persisting, most villagers have begun to slowly harvest wheat.
Chen Xian's family has almost finished harvesting.
There's only a small patch of land left.
Some people joked, "How come Da Zhu's family is so advanced this time? Looks like they're planning to be the first family in the village to harvest their crops."
At the same time.
Magistrate Su received an urgent official document from the prefectural government.
He ordered his subordinates to get to work and head to the countryside to urgently harvest the wheat.
He personally came to Qingxia Village.
If any young men are fast runners, quickly inform the village head.
Chen Gui quickly dug it out and knelt down, saying, "Your Excellency, what brings you here?"
Su Yong nodded, his expression serious.
"I arrived as soon as I received the news. The court has approved my memorial. How many villagers still haven't harvested their wheat?"
Chen Gui forced a smile and said, "I suggest that everyone harvest the wheat two or three days earlier, except for our family and Da Zhu's family, who are almost finished harvesting, while the lazybones in the village only start harvesting now."
Su Yong said seriously, "Hurry up and have them work overtime to finish harvesting. The imperial court has sent people to the fields to investigate; a locust plague may really be happening."
"ah?"
Chen Gui was somewhat surprised.
Only then did he suddenly remember something, and he chuckled dryly, "It was Da Zhu's father who suggested harvesting the wheat ahead of schedule."
Su Yong nodded.
"Take me to his house."
"Yes, his whole family is in the fields right now."
In the fields of Chen Xian.
The whole family sat together, their faces flushed red.
Unfold the dishcloth, and you'll find a golden-brown fried dough stick rolled with scallions.
Take the kneaded dough, heat the oil, roll it up with chopped scallions, and fry it directly in the oil.
After being baked, the pancakes turn golden brown and become crispy. However, these pancakes should be eaten while they are hot; when they cool down, the texture deteriorates and they are harder to chew.
Fortunately, the Chen family had been busy since early morning and were already very hungry, so they finished a fried pancake the size of a face plate in just a few bites.
He gulped down a large bowl of water, let out a satisfied burp, covered his face with a straw hat, and lay down to rest in the shade.
As the last few days approached, the whole family ran out of energy, and their work efficiency decreased. Fortunately, there was nothing urgent, so they could work at a leisurely pace.
In the distance, the villagers had already started cooking.
Wisps of smoke rise from the chimneys.
The cicadas chirped all around, and the noise from the lucky beans was making people feel irritable.
"Brother Xian, this is the county magistrate."
Chen Gui quickly told Chen Xian to get up.
Chen Xian got up and stood obediently to the side.
Chen Gui said in a low voice, "It would be best to kneel down and pay respects."
Su Yong chuckled: "I'm not here to adjudicate cases in the county government, so please be casual."
Chen Xian nodded: "Thank you, magistrate."
Su Yong felt something was missing, but he chuckled and thought it was probably because the villagers were too honest.
How did you spot the locusts?
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