After the flood, the imperial court carried out disaster relief in full swing. Not only did the imperial court provide money and grain, but the five major families in Beijing also generously donated billions of money each to help with disaster relief.
Deeply moved, the sage personally led all the officials to the fields to help the villagers clear silt, remove dirt, sow seeds, and plant rice. He also personally selected the five major families to accompany them and personally observe their work, demonstrating the gentry's compassion for the weak and cherishing the people.
The Ministry of Works, however, demoted some and fined others for their poor flood control efforts. Qian Yi, who had barely even taken up his post as a doctor in the Ministry of Water Resources, was suddenly replaced overnight.
He was demoted to the position of Du Shui Cheng and was not promoted for six years. His newly built house had to be sold because it did not meet the standards. The sedan chair and horses rewarded by the court were also taken back. From then on, he lived a life of running around in various villages and towns.
The luxurious and extravagant Liuyuan Book Fair was washed away by the flood, revealing only its lonely bones, a far cry from its former glory.
Many bookstores and bookshops in the capital had to select materials, engrave plates, submit books, and print them all over again because all their new books were bought out, so the price of paper and labor remained high for a while.
On that day, more than a dozen bookstores and bookshops, including Xu Jiang, Wu Qingchuang, and Dan Si, refused to sell stereotyped books. They exchanged what they had with each other, expanded their product categories, and their business was booming.
In addition to old customers, Xu Jiang Bookstore also welcomed many new customers. In addition, with the "New Collection of Elementary Education" as the base, it has become quite famous among the numerous bookstores in the capital. If someone asks, he can also tell you a thing or two.
At the same time, the largest book-worming fair in the capital kicked off with great fanfare under the auspices of the Imperial College.
This book-drying party is hosted by Lin Qinnian, and the venue is in the disaster-stricken villages, and the books dried are the books of the earth.
All the teachers and students of the Imperial College, including the officials in charge of the college, took off their clothes, changed into coarse linen clothes, went into the fields, and helped the villagers to replant the land.
Led by the Emperor and the Imperial Academy, many scholars and academies also joined in with their students and went to various villages to help.
In order to prevent people from blindly following trends and causing trouble for the villagers, Lin Qinnian set rules for folk academies and private schools.
First, participation in this book-boring club is entirely voluntary, and schools are not allowed to force students to participate.
Second, the academies involved in the bookworm-damaging project were led by teachers and students from farming families. They would contact the township, li, and village heads. After obtaining their approval, they would go to the fields and must follow their instructions and commands, not making their own decisions.
Third, those who participate in the book-boring club must bring their own dry food and are not allowed to ask for any compensation, including food, from the villagers. Once discovered, they will be flogged twenty times.
Although these three rules scare away many students, they also save a lot of trouble.
After the book-worming meeting is over, the students who participated in the book-worming will be awarded the orchid plaque with the word "De Xin" by the Imperial College.
Zeng Zhui and Xu Jiang would bring a group of fair-skinned children into the village every morning, and return in the evening with a group of mud monkeys whose faces could not be seen.
None of the students complained about being tired; they were all full of energy and high-spirited.
His family members had few complaints and were instead relieved that their child had become much more obedient after his trip to the countryside and had gotten rid of his bad habits of being picky about food and wasting money.
It's just that the clothes are a little difficult to wash.
The resentment caused by the flood was calmed down before it could even become a big deal, thanks to the example set by the emperor and the officials.
It’s just that there is prosperity in adversity, and adversity in prosperity.
The five great families lost face and fortune this time, which aroused the resentment that had been suppressed since the previous emperor, and made them think of being disrespectful.
A letter with the family seals of the five major families quietly floated out of the capital and flew towards the Anxi Protectorate.
When it comes to Grain in Ear, the canals are cleared and water is poured into the fields, green rice seedlings fill the fields, and all things grow.
The Bookworm Society came to an end with the tearful farewell of the villagers and students.
The students who did not participate in the Bookworm Club sat high up in the restaurant, watching their classmates covered in mud passing by below amid the praises of the people on the street, and they could not hide their contempt and jealousy.
Three days later, the Imperial College held a ceremony to award the plaques, and wearing the orchid plaque with the word "De Xin" on the waist became a fashion among scholars.
At this time, the scholars participating in the Bookworm Club did not know that this "De Xin" orchid badge would become an item to enhance their moral character assessment in the future.
The seedlings and seeds they plant during Grain Full will bring them sweet and simple rewards after the autumn harvest.
Lin Qinnian's reputation also grew due to this incident.
Xu Jiang is stewing meat.
After hard work, the best thing to eat is meat, and the most delicious one is pork cheek.
Under Liang Mo's slightly horrified gaze, Xu Jiang walked into the backyard carrying the head of a black boar.
The nobles in the capital did not like to eat pork, and mostly ate beef and mutton to show their noble status. If they wanted to eat pork, they would only take the best part of the shoulder and neck, or use the bones to stew soup.
Ordinary people do eat pork, but pig heads are rarely eaten. They are usually used for sacrifices, or after the New Year, they are steamed and eaten on the second day of the second lunar month of the following year, symbolizing the dragon raising its head.
Because they are difficult to handle and look horrifying, pig heads and offal are the hardest to sell at the market.
When Xu Jiang heard that Manager Wang had returned from the West Market and said that someone was selling wild boar meat, she hurried over to buy a pig leg, but she was too late and only a hideous pig head was left.
She didn't want it at first, but the hunter was in a hurry to sell it and go home, so he kept trying to persuade her and offered a low price, so Xu Jiang was tempted.
"If this lady is knowledgeable, she would know that the most fragrant part of the pig is the pig's head. If it is stewed well, the aroma can attract the delicious Zhang Guolao from heaven."
"That's true. But it's difficult to deal with. Not to mention the stray hairs are hard to remove, it's even harder to clean the seven orifices."
"But it smells delicious! And this is wild boar from the North Mountain area. There are yams and kudzu roots everywhere in the forest. The meat of these pigs is different from that of pen-raised pigs. I bleed them cleanly, and after stewing them, there is no fishy smell. I guarantee that after you eat this, you will want to eat it again. Besides, it's only fifty coins, which is equivalent to a twenty-pound wild boar head. You won't be cheated!"
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