Meng Zhao was also calculating in his mind at this moment. Taking the village head as an example, his family had a total of ten mu of fertile land, and in previous years the harvest was one and a half shi per mu, which was a total of fifteen shi.
At that time, one shi of grain was equivalent to one hundred jin. Even if a family worked from dawn till dusk and took good care of the grain for half a year, they could only harvest 1,500 jin of grain.
In addition, 15% of the tax must be deducted, leaving 1,275 catties. Two harvests a year yield 2,550 catties.
The grain store's purchase price for wheat was only six copper coins per pound in good times. Even if they didn't keep any seeds or food for themselves and exchanged it all for silver, it would only amount to 15,300 copper coins, or 15 taels of silver.
Don't be fooled by the fact that fifteen taels of silver may seem like a lot at first glance. In this village, how many families can afford ten acres of fertile land like the village head?
Most families own very little land, scattered and fragmented, amounting to only a few acres of meager fields. The grain produced from that little land is barely enough to support a family.
Moreover, the village head's family is quite large, with three sons and one daughter. The daughter is already married, leaving only the village head and his wife, three sons, three daughters-in-law, two grandsons, and two granddaughters, totaling twelve people. The entire family's food, clothing, and daily necessities depend on these fifteen taels of silver.
In previous years, if they were lucky enough to have good weather and abundant harvests, they could barely make ends meet. But if they encountered a famine and reduced grain production, their family would go hungry.
That's why the village head was genuinely happy when Meng Zhao proposed setting up a workshop in the village. For the farmers, this was a rare opportunity to have an alternative source of income.
But who would have thought that Meng Zhao not only built a workshop in the village, but also had such a good method for fertilizing the land. One mu of land yields three shi of grain, and ten mu of land can yield a surplus of thirty taels of silver a year. Even if they don't go out to work, they can still eat and dress warmly with these thirty taels of silver. Who wouldn't be excited?
Meng Zhao wasn't so satisfied. In modern times, a mu of wheat yields at least seven or eight hundred jin, but now a mu yields only three hundred jin, and the village head is already so excited. It's just that life was too hard in the past.
But no matter what, it has had some effect. Everything takes time, after all, you can't get fat overnight.
So he happily said, "That's wonderful! I was just trying it out, I didn't expect it to actually work."
Seeing Meng Zhao like this, the village head felt a little guilty, but he really had no choice. The villagers were living a very hard life. They worked hard all year round and could barely make ends meet. If they encountered illness or famine, the better-off ones would sell their land and houses, and the worse-off ones would sell their children. Meng Zhao was willing to open a workshop in the village, which was already a lifesaver for the village. So he really couldn't bring himself to say what he was about to say.
"There's one more thing...that is..."
Meng Zhao was perceptive and, seeing the village head's conflicted expression, guessed what he wanted to say. So he took the initiative to ask, "Is the village head asking about the fertile field's recipe?"
The village head nodded guiltily. His family wasn't the only one participating in this trial; several other households in the village were also involved. It was impossible to hide this from others, but he really couldn't bring himself to reveal such a good method.
Meng Zhao saw through his thoughts and said with a smile, "I found this method of fertilizing the fields by chance. If it can help more people have enough to eat, it will be a blessing for me. So I am willing to teach it to everyone."
Upon hearing Meng Zhao's words, the village head's eyes welled up with tears. "Really?"
Meng Zhao nodded. "Actually, the method of fertilizing the fields is not complicated. Everyone can find the materials in the village, but there may not be enough of them. If you want to do it yourself, then do it yourself; if you don't have the materials at home and want to buy them from me, that's fine too. We're all neighbors, so I'll definitely give everyone a good price."
Pig manure is a source of revenue for pig farms. Recipes can be shared, but pig manure naturally cannot be provided for free.
The village head nodded eagerly, "Yes, yes, I will definitely tell the villagers about this."
After the two chatted for a while, Yu Mei's voice came from outside, "Dad, Zhao Zhao, are you finished talking? The new bride should be here soon, don't miss her again."
The wheat harvest had just been completed, and there was plenty of time. Neither Meng Zhao nor the village head were in a hurry, knowing they had plenty of time.
As soon as Meng Zhao arrived at Aunt Feng'e's house, Aunt Feng'e warmly grabbed her hand, saying, "Zhao Zhao, I'm so happy you could come!"
She knew Meng Zhao was usually very busy, so for her to take the time to come over was a huge favor.
"My aunt has been talking about her daughter-in-law all the time. Today I finally have a chance to meet her. How could I not come and see her!"
Hearing this, Aunt Feng'e couldn't help but laugh. What she said was true. Her two sons, who had never been able to find wives, had caused her a lot of worry. Today, she finally had one less thing to worry about, and it was all thanks to Meng Zhao.
Aunt Feng'e led Meng Zhao and the three children into a new room. "There are too many people outside, so please don't disturb them. This room is newly renovated. You can sit here."
After the spring planting season ended this year, a wave of house building swept through Shenjia Village. Aunt Feng'e naturally did not want to be left behind, and built four new houses at once. Two rooms were given to each of her two sons, so no one could say anything about it.
After Meng Zhao sat down, she said considerately, "Auntie, you're the wedding offspring today. You probably have a lot of things to do outside, so don't worry about me. Go and get busy."
Aunt Feng'e nodded, poured her some tea, and told her to take whatever she wanted to eat before going out to continue her work with peace of mind.
Although Aunt Feng'e found her a quiet place, one person after another came looking for her. They wouldn't say anything directly, but insisted on establishing some connection first, and then openly or secretly inquired about Feitian's affairs. She never expected that she could actually connect with her father's relatives in Shenjia Village, which left her speechless.
“Zhaozhao… there’s something I really don’t know how to say. What was that stuff you had someone water the fields with the other day made of? I don’t mean anything by it, but the harvest at home this year is poor. I was thinking that if we could buy some of this stuff to water the fields, maybe we could harvest an extra two bushels of grain by the end of the year.”
The lively crowd that had been gathered in the room just moments before had fallen silent. After all, everyone had come here for the same purpose, and when someone finally asked the question, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Meng Zhao said unhurriedly, "Actually, I figured this out myself from a book. I even tried it out in the village before, but I wasn't sure about it at first."
Upon hearing this, some people lowered their heads even further. The village head had inquired about the experimental field beforehand, but some of them were worried and did not agree.
Meng Zhao paused for a moment and continued, "Actually, this method is very simple, and the things used are all common and readily available. I have already taught the method to the village head, and he said that after this year's grain tax is paid, any family that wants to learn can go to him to learn together."
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