Chapter Nineteen: News with Both Good and Bad News
The matter of red bricks, the matter of building kang (heated brick beds), the matter of assembling men and women to work together to take on kang-building jobs...
Shen Zhiyi explained in an orderly manner. Seeing that they were listening attentively, as if she had returned to the time when she was training interns, she added, "Now everyone can express their opinions, and you can ask questions if you don't understand anything."
Seemingly accustomed to Shen Zhiyi's way of speaking, everyone began to talk to each other in hushed tones, while some frowned in thought.
Everyone is involved in these activities, and the sense of collective honor is rapidly increasing.
"I have no objection to any of these things!" Deng Ashun declared loudly first. "Our Cuihua is second to none!"
Deng Ashun's smugness was not concealed at all. The villagers were used to seeing him like this, and they all said, "No problem."
"Now I'll announce the list of those who will learn to play the kang (heated brick bed)..." Shen Zhiyi held the list and began reading the names. She even prepared a message for anyone who disagreed to explain their reasons.
But she never imagined that after reading the list, no one would ask "why wasn't I on it?", and no one would throw a tantrum. It was as if they would all obey her arrangements.
When exactly did her words begin to have such power in the village?
"When will we learn how to build a kang (heated brick bed)?" someone asked.
“It’s getting dark, and we have to harvest the wheat tomorrow. Let’s rest for a couple of days after that before we start,” Shen Zhiyi replied.
No one objected to this, after all, harvesting wheat is a tiring job that takes several days, and being able to rest for two days before learning is already a great relief.
As each issue received feedback, the hearts of the entire village were united, and everyone's face was filled with vitality, brimming with anticipation. Shen Zhiyi, watching this scene, felt inexplicably moved.
For the next few days, the sun shone brightly, and the fields were filled with hardworking villagers who were diligently working. They would even pick up the fallen wheat husks to see if they were empty husks. If not, they could even pick up a few grains of rice.
The village chief, returning from the county town, also brought good news—
No taxes will be levied on newly reclaimed land this year; taxes will only be levied in the seventh year.
Furthermore, this year the land tax was reduced by 10%. Given the condition of the wheat in the fields, they could still keep 15% of it. They could then exchange that 15% for coarse grains and still make a living.
Of course, the most important thing is the chili peppers that can be sold in the wasteland!
The growth is influenced by the location, moisture, and sunlight of each plot of wasteland. Fast-growing peppers have already turned from green to red and will be ready for harvest in about ten days. Slower-growing peppers will take about twenty days, meaning they can be harvested just before the end of the month.
Shen Zhiyi's second batch of chili peppers grew even faster, and she harvested them in the last couple of days.
Compared to the first crop, the plants are slightly smaller, but the number is the same. In preparation for the third crop, a lot of fertilizer needs to be applied, and old leaves at the bottom of the plants need to be removed to prevent them from competing with the plants for fertilizer.
She was originally worried about not having enough fertilizer, but when she went to the county town again, she learned that San Tou had gotten a job collecting night soil, and the county government provided a donkey cart for her to travel back and forth, so she could get some fertilizer every day.
Six coins per cart was the price negotiated between the two parties, which also meant that Shen Zhiyi's savings were decreasing every day, but she did not feel panicked. On the contrary, she was even happier!
This means that with more compost material being added, more is being "fed" to the fields, and the plants will grow better!
"Zhiyi, the waiter from Jufu Restaurant is looking for you!" Tang Huaya's voice came from outside.
These past few days, with all the moving and carrying, Shen Zhiyi hadn't closed the courtyard gate whenever she was home. So she got up and lifted the curtain, only to see Fu Duo looking over with a restrained smile, saying in a flattering tone, "Oh, Miss Shen, it's been so long, why haven't you come to the restaurant to visit! Our boss and Chef Dong are both thinking about the chili peppers you've been making!"
"I was just sorting the chilies, about to let the restaurant know when I had time, and then you showed up," Shen Zhiyi said gently. "Did Chef Dong tell you what kind of presentation you wanted?"
“Fifty-six coins will be enough, that is…” Fu Duo suddenly became hesitant as he spoke.
"Just say it, we're all family here," Shen Zhiyi said considerately.
“If Master Dong wants to use other types of chili peppers, he can buy a few ounces, at the price Miss Shen sells them for outside…” Fu Duo said slowly, while carefully observing Shen Zhiyi’s side.
"Hey, that's nothing! It's just that fifty-six pieces of chili peppers is a bit too much. Can the restaurant really handle it?" Shen Zhiyi asked in return.
Fu Duo immediately straightened his back and said confidently, "The boss said that we'll take as many chilies as you have, even if they're only 56 coins each! Our restaurant isn't just in Pixian; we have branches in other counties and even the prefectural city! Don't worry, young lady!"
"That's good!" Shen Zhiyi was completely relieved. She chose Jufu Restaurant because she valued its strength. "How about we load some of it onto the truck today and come back at the end of the month to collect the rest? We can't just make a wasted trip."
"Yes, yes, yes! Thank you for your trouble, Miss Chen." Fu Duo smiled sincerely.
"No trouble at all," Shen Zhiyi said, showing all the sacks to Fu Duo, clearly distinguishing each one. Finally, she tied up the largest sack, "This is the one with fifty-six coins. It's a bit heavy, I'll ask someone to help you."
"No need, no need!" Fu Duo said, stepping forward to grab the sack and deftly slinging it over his shoulder. When he saw the surprised expressions on Shen Zhiyi and Tang Huaya's faces, he couldn't help but explain, "Don't let my current job as a waiter fool you, I used to be a porter at the docks, doing all the hard labor!"
Fudo's arm muscles were clearly visible, proving that appearances can be deceiving.
"Amazing!" Shen Zhiyi exclaimed.
Fu Duo felt embarrassed and quickened his pace to leave.
"Hua Ya, I'll go to the county first." Shen Zhiyi instructed, then grabbed a handful of chili peppers from the eighty-coin and seventy-coin bags respectively, making up two jin (1 kg) of chili peppers. She then wrapped them into bundles with scraps of cloth according to their quality before chasing after Fu Duo.
"Okay, go and come back soon," Tang Huaya called out worriedly.
Shen Zhiyi nodded and then got into Fu Duo's donkey cart, which was a little faster than an oxcart.
On the way, they encountered an old man's oxcart. Even with two carts between them, the passengers were able to chat with Shen Zhiyi. It was all thanks to her previous meeting with Lord Lu that her "fame" spread so quickly, which was quite unexpected.
“Zhiyi, my dear girl, I am Aunt Song from Shanggou Village. I have a scholar in my family who is a good match for you…”
"Don't push! Don't push! Chen girl, my relative is the perfect match for you..."
"Oh dear, he's not as ambitious as my grandson..."
These aunties and older women all had incredibly loud voices, yet they all spoke in strikingly similar ways.
"I have something to do, so I'll be going now!" After saying that, Shen Zhiyi quickly winked at Fu Duo, who was driving the carriage.
The clatter of hooves swept away all the words.
Once the oxcart was out of sight, Shen Zhiyi turned her gaze back. Fu Duo, seeing this, said with curiosity, "I heard that Ge Er Mazi in the city has his eye on you, and he's spreading the word that you're the young lady he's set his sights on and is determined to marry you. Miss Shen, you'd better be careful when you go to the city in the future, lest you get harassed by those local ruffians."
"Huh? Who is Ge Ermazi?" Shen Zhiyi asked in surprise. She had been staying in the village for most of the time and hadn't noticed these strange things.
"He said he saw Miss Shen at the city gate that day, and then went to act as a witness and even met the county magistrate," Fu Duo said slowly.
Shen Zhiyi rummaged through her memories and finally remembered what the so-called "witness" was. After ruling out the scholar Feng Yuanzhou, the answer was obvious.
However, before doing so, she still asked to confirm, "The man with the black mole on his right cheek? Ge Ermazi?"
“Yes, that’s him!” Fu Duo seemed to remember something and added, “Some time ago, I don’t know what he did wrong, but he was locked up in the yamen for a few days. He kept saying that he was innocent, but he didn’t dare to go to the yamen to cry out for justice.”
Shen Zhiyi didn't have a good impression of this person. He blocked her way several times as if he were sick, and he ruined her reputation in public. He was very hateful!
Seeing that Shen Zhiyi's expression was not good, Fu Duo quickly said, "I definitely believe that Miss Shen has nothing to do with him, and that he is just talking nonsense."
"What's the point of taking him to court to ruin someone's reputation like this?" Shen Zhiyi couldn't help but ask. She didn't know much about the law, and besides, in her current semi-literate state, she wouldn't be able to understand even if she were given books about the law!
"Huh?" Fudo was surprised. After thinking about it carefully, he said, "It doesn't seem to be of much use, otherwise it wouldn't be called a scoundrel."
Shen Zhiyi couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
According to Fu Duo, Ge Er Mazi started ruining her reputation after he returned. He was a scoundrel, so it was only natural that he would come to the village to cause trouble. Her family's fence and courtyard walls were naturally no match for such a villain.
But during this time, she was perfectly fine at home, and she didn't hear anything again at night...
Suddenly, something flashed through Shen Zhiyi's mind, and she asked, "When was Ge Ermazi put in jail?"
"On the day the magistrate returned to the city," Fudo replied earnestly.
Shen Zhiyi's eyes lit up. This answer matched her guess, but she couldn't figure out why the other party would stand up for her.
The donkey cart slowly came to a stop at the back door of Jufu Restaurant. The door creaked open, and a smiling young man stepped out, flicking a string of water droplets from his hands. He called out, "Brother Fuduo, I knew it was you as soon as I heard the sound! Here, let me help you with this."
"Go away, this stuff is precious. Your hands are all wet, don't touch it." Fu Duo said coldly, hoisting the sack onto his shoulder and walking inside with an air of nonchalance. "San Fu, you take Miss Chen to the backyard to sit and wait."
The boy, who had been somewhat disappointed, immediately perked up and laughed, "Alright, Brother Fudo."
He turned to Shen Zhiyi and said, "Miss Shen, come with me."
Shen Zhiyi knew that this meant she would inspect the goods in the backyard. She was confident that her own goods were of good quality and would be tested by fire!
Of course, if she were to be falsely accused or shortchanged as a result, she would naturally not cooperate with that company again, since business should be done with honest people.
So she was able to follow Sanfu to the backyard to rest without any lingering resentment.
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