Lu Yan ignored Qiao'er's mutterings and continued to give examples.
“Take the pig farms in our county as an example. In the past, people raised pigs to eat themselves, or at most to sell to neighboring villages.”
"Now, I handle the purchasing and sales in a unified manner, and the prices are even higher than before, so everyone is more enthusiastic about raising pigs."
"With more pigs, meat prices will be cheaper, and ordinary people will be able to afford meat. Isn't that doing what's best for the people?"
"And the tofu workshops in our county, the tofu used to be so coarse and rough that nobody wanted to eat it."
"Now, I've introduced new technology, and the tofu I make is white and tender, tastes good, and is cheap. Everyone can eat fresh tofu every day, isn't that great!"
As Lu Yan spoke, he raised an eyebrow smugly.
Chen Qingwan finally couldn't help but laugh. This Lu Yan is really a weirdo.
She had expected him to list some achievements, but he only talked about trivial matters.
But these seemingly small things have genuinely improved people's lives.
Lu Yan picked up his teacup to moisten his throat and continued:
"Therefore, doing business and governing a county are the same; both require a focus on 'profit'."
"Only when the people can make a profit will they be motivated to produce; only when merchants can make a profit will they be motivated to trade; only when the government can make a profit will it be able to better serve the people."
"What Lord Lu said makes a lot of sense. However, how should we balance the concept of 'profit' in order to truly 'serve the people'?"
Lu Yan put down his teacup, leaned forward slightly, and looked intently at Chen Qingwan:
“A good question, Miss! The key to controlling the ‘profit’ lies in the ‘degree’ of it.”
"Too much of a good thing is bad, and things will inevitably turn into their opposites when they reach an extreme. We must ensure that the people and merchants can make a profit, but we must also prevent them from resorting to any means to pursue their interests. This requires the guidance and supervision of the government."
"I dare not say that my governance of Qinghe County is perfect, but at least I have a clear conscience."
"Everything I do is for the sake of the people living in peace and contentment, and for making Qinghe County more prosperous and thriving."
Chen Qingwan originally thought that Lu Yan was just a greedy and incompetent official.
But I never expected that he would have such a far-sighted vision and ambition.
She decided to temporarily set aside her prejudices and gain a deeper understanding of Lu Yan's policies, so she proposed:
"Lord Lu, why don't you take us for a walk around the county town?"
"Of course, that's exactly what I was thinking."
He called out to the door, "Someone, prepare the sedan chair!"
So, Lu Yan personally led Chen Qingwan and Qiao'er on a tour of the county town.
The sedan chair moved slowly down the street, with shops lining both sides one after another.
The vendors' cries rose and fell, creating a lively scene.
Chen Qingwan lifted the sedan curtain and curiously looked around at everything.
She found that the streets here were clean and tidy, and the houses were arranged in a pleasing and orderly manner.
When the people saw Lu Yan, they greeted him warmly, calling him "Lord Lu" repeatedly.
Their faces were beaming with smiles, a stark contrast to the impoverished counties she had previously encountered.
Chen Qingwan stopped in front of a stall selling silk flowers, picked up an exquisitely crafted silk flower and examined it carefully.
The stall owner was a middle-aged woman who enthusiastically introduced the materials and craftsmanship of the silk flowers to Chen Qingwan.
Chen Qingwan noticed that the goods here were not only diverse in variety, but also much cheaper than in the capital.
She couldn't help but feel even more impressed with Lu Yan's governance abilities.
They also inspected the newly constructed water conservancy facilities.
Clear irrigation ditches meandered into the fields, irrigating the surrounding farmland.
The lush green crops in the fields are growing well, indicating that this year will be another bumper harvest.
Lu Yan pointed to the irrigation canal and explained to Chen Qingwan the construction process of the water conservancy facilities and the benefits they brought.
They also said that these irrigation canals not only solved the problem of farmland irrigation.
It also prevented floods and greatly increased grain production.
Chen Qingwan looked at everything before her and couldn't help but sigh.
Lu Yan is truly a man of action.
As evening fell, they arrived at a newly opened restaurant.
This restaurant was luxuriously decorated and served exquisite dishes; it was specially arranged by Lu Yan.
He poured Chen Qingwan a full glass of wine and said:
"Miss Chen, you've had a hard day. Let me toast you!"
Chen Qingwan raised her wine glass and smiled sweetly:
"You're too kind, Lord Lu. I have also benefited greatly today."
The two exchanged a smile and drank it all in one gulp.
After several rounds of drinks, emboldened by the alcohol, Lu Yan boldly asked:
"Miss Chen, what are your thoughts on my 'governance of the county through commerce' philosophy?"
Chen Qingwan put down her wine glass and said seriously:
"Lord Lu, your ideas are indeed very innovative and have achieved some results. However, I believe..."
At this moment, Qiao'er muttered softly to herself.
"Your biggest problem is that you're too greedy!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Yan did not get angry but laughed instead.
He picked up the wine pot and filled Chen Qingwan's glass, then poured himself a cup.
"Miss Qiao'er, you have such keen eyes! You can see right through my little schemes."
"However, I dare not accept the label of 'greedy for money.' I am merely well aware of the importance of 'wealth.'"
He swirled the wine in his glass, his tone tinged with amusement:
"Without money, how can we repair water conservancy projects? Without money, how can we build schools? Without money, how can we ensure that the people live a good life? Qiao'er, don't you agree?"
Qiao'er rolled her eyes, speechless at Lu Yan's sophistry.
He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.
Seeing Qiao'er's embarrassed expression, Chen Qingwan couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.
This Lu Yan is truly a remarkable person.
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