Chapter 251 Planning and Fireworks
The aroma of tea wafted through the private room. Gu Jiayue tapped the tabletop with her fingertips, her gaze fixed on Zheng Qinghe. "The land will be reclaimed by the state. Everyone else, whether they are landlords, nobles, or peasants, who want to farm will have to rent it from the court."
She picked up the teacup and took a sip. The warm tea slid into her throat, but it couldn't suppress the surging thoughts in her heart.
The cold wind howled outside the window, blowing up dead leaves and hitting the window frames, but the atmosphere inside the house was solemn.
Zheng Qinghe's pupils shrank slightly, and the teacup in his hand hung in the air for a long time without falling.
He stared at Gu Jiayue and saw that she looked calm, with a slight smile on her lips and a look of shocking determination and courage in her eyes.
"Actually, the principle is the same as with the salt and iron industries. Once they are under state control, a large number of contradictions and conflicts can be eliminated." Gu Jiayue continued, her voice steady and powerful. "Of course, this assumes that this is a healthy country. If treacherous officials are in power, it will create a breeding ground for greed that is even more convenient for those parasites."
Therefore, we need a more powerful state apparatus. For example, military power must be in the hands of the emperor!
Zheng Qinghe put down the teacup, frowned, and fell into deep thought.
His fingers unconsciously stroked the rim of the cup, but his thoughts drifted far away.
The open and covert struggles in the court and the suffering of the common people flashed through his mind. "So what's your plan?"
He raised his eyes and asked, his gaze full of inquiry and expectation.
Gu Jiayue smiled broadly, a cunning glint in her eyes. "My plan is this, Zheng Qinghe, let's work together. You rent the land to me in the name of the court, and we'll sign a contract. When I really make some progress, we'll split the profits. Wouldn't that give the county government extra income? You won't have to beg for anything you want to do."
She paused, leaning forward slightly, her expression growing increasingly eager. "You can even promote this model to other landlords and chieftains without even understanding private land. I think they'll be happy to give you this favor. Once they've tasted the sweetness, the resistance you'll face when implementing other reforms will be much smaller."
Juzhou was a particularly suitable place for this model, as it was vast and sparsely populated, leaving much of the land untapped. Unlike places like Jiangnan, where the landowners already controlled most of the land, any intervention by the government would be limited to tampering with the already-divided pie.
But Juzhou was different. Within the vast mountains, there were countless treasures yet to be discovered. As long as the government could get hold of these things in advance, a short-term win-win situation with the landowners and nobles was possible.
It can even give the people some breathing space.
Why not?
Zheng Qinghe stroked his chin, narrowed his narrow eyes slightly, and looked at Gu Jiayue from top to bottom with a scrutinizing gaze.
There were huge waves of excitement in his heart. Such a bold idea was full of opportunities but also hidden risks.
However, when he thought of the possible political achievements and changes that might be brought about, the desire in his heart grew like weeds.
After a moment, he exhaled heavily, his eyes firm: "Okay, I agree with your plan."
Gu Jiayue secretly breathed a sigh of relief, her heart finally settling down.
But she remained calm on the surface, except that the rhythm of her fingertips tapping the table became a little lighter.
She knew very well that if she could buy the land, she would solve the problem once and for all, but that would undoubtedly put herself in the spotlight.
When a powerless woman suddenly owns a large piece of land, she will surely attract countless covetous eyes, and then all kinds of troubles will follow.
Therefore, cooperating with the county government and renting land at a low rent is the safest option.
Of course, the reason he chose to do this was because Zheng Qinghe was a gentleman.
Gu Jiayue pulled the long-prepared plan and contract from her sleeve. The white paper was faintly scented with ink, the product of countless nights of furious writing by lamplight. "I've written down the details and bound them together. Lord Zheng, please take a look." She gently pushed the documents toward Zheng Qinghe, her movements graceful and confident.
Zheng Qinghe took the document and casually set it aside, a smile on his face. "Okay, I'll discuss this with County Magistrate Zhang after we get back and give you an answer. But I don't think it's a big deal, because your idea is so good. No official with ideas or ambitions would be unmoved."
His scorching gaze fell on Gu Jiayue, and the admiration and love that was about to overflow burned Gu Jiayue.
"Then I'll wait for good news." Gu Jiayue smiled back, gently and appropriately.
The two of them continued to discuss the details enthusiastically, completely forgetting the passage of time. It was not until Gu Zhigeng timidly reminded her that she realized that it was already the time she had agreed to meet with her mother.
Gu Jiayue quickly stood up. "Sorry, it's getting late, and my family is waiting for my sister and me. How about we talk about this another day?" she said apologetically.
"Okay, my carriage is downstairs, I'll take you back." Zheng Qinghe also stood up, with a barely perceptible reluctance in his tone.
"No, no. This place is not far from the city gate. My sister and I can walk there. Lord Zheng, please stay." Gu Jiayue politely but firmly refused, dodged Zheng Qinghe's outstretched hand, and left faster with Gu Zhiku.
Zheng Qinghe stood there, watching the two figures moving further and further away, until they disappeared around the corner of the street, then he slowly withdrew his gaze.
He sat alone in the empty private room, looking at the still noisy crowd in the West Market downstairs, and then looked across at the seat where Gu Jiayue had sat.
He smiled self-deprecatingly, his smile full of bitterness and helplessness.
"Sir, the wealthy businessmen in the city have been waiting for you for two hours. Do you still want to see them?" Chen, the yamen runner, pushed the door open cautiously and broke the silence.
Zheng Qinghe withdrew his thoughts, his eyes instantly becoming as sharp as an eagle: "Yes, why not? I have prepared a big gift for them."
When he stood up, his clothes fluttered, showing his majesty.
Chen, the yamen runner, hurried forward and respectfully tidied his clothes.
Zheng Qinghe put on his cloak and glanced at the almost untouched dim sum on the table. He said, "Many of the dim sum on the table are untouched. Ask the waiter to pack them for you and take them back for your family to try."
Chen Yayi was flattered and a bright smile appeared on his face. "Well, thank you for your consideration, sir."
He stole a glance at the exquisite refreshments, swallowed, and wondered how long these snacks would keep his family happy.
"Well, after sending the tea and snacks home, you can go and help me with something. You go..." Zheng Qinghe whispered a few words in Chen's ear. Chen nodded repeatedly, with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
On the other side, Gu Jiayue and her sister hurried towards the city gate.
The cold wind howled, making their cheeks red, but it did not reduce their eagerness to return home.
On the way, I ran into my aunt who was returning home with a full load. Her backpack was heavy and she was holding a few bags of mung beans in her hands, but her steps were still brisk.
"Aunt, why did you buy so many mung beans?" Gu Jiayue hurried forward, took the heavy bag, and asked with concern.
My aunt-in-law was grinning from ear to ear, her eyes crinkled with joy. "Hey, didn't you sprout bean sprouts before? Your sister-in-law loved them. I thought they weren't particularly expensive, and since she liked them, I'd make some for her. There aren't many other vegetables in the winter anyway."
She kept on talking. Gu Jiayue and Gu Zhigeng followed quietly beside her, nodding in response from time to time as they listened to their aunt's account of the latest happenings in the county town.
By the time they returned to Taohua Village, the last glimmer of sunset light had faded. Grandma stood at the doorway, hands on her hips, glaring at them angrily: "What took you so long? Are you trying to buy back the entire county?"
My aunt put down her backpack and enthusiastically shared what she had seen and heard today: "Mom, you don't know, the county town has changed a lot."
She described the new county magistrate's reform measures in vivid detail, which amazed everyone.
Grandpa stroked his beard and said with emotion, "I never thought that the young county magistrate would have such ability."
Grandma nodded, then looked at Gu Jiayue and sighed.
Hey, why doesn’t Jiayue like such a good young man?
Gu Jiayue pretended not to see it and ran to the kitchen with dried fruits in her hand. "Mom, teach me how to make Laba porridge.
Grandma sighed helplessly. When will this girl finally come to her senses? That Jiangshan is not a bad guy either, but he's a little old.
But older people are more caring, and the way he looks at Jiayue shows that he cares about her.
But I don’t know whether this girl is pretending to be ignorant or she really hasn’t realized that Jiang Shanchang likes her.
This Jiangshanchang is also like a saw-mouthed gourd. You have to ask whether it can be successful or not. How can you know if you don’t ask?
Oh, it’s really heartbreaking.
Gu Jiayue had no idea what her grandmother was thinking. She was now completely focused on the Laba porridge made by Li.
In the kitchen, Li had soaked the beans in advance before going out in the morning, and they were ready to use now.
She scooped up the beans and poured them into the pot with skillful and gentle movements.
Gu Jiayue stood aside, watching her mother's every step carefully.
The fire burned brightly, and the water in the pot quickly boiled, bubbling upwards. Li lowered the heat and patiently simmered it, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent it from sticking.
"This year's Laba porridge is particularly rich." She looked at the ingredients boiling in the pot and murmured to herself, her voice filled with satisfaction and emotion.
"Mom, what are you talking about?" Gu Jiayue asked as she got closer.
Mrs. Li just smiled and shook her head, continuing to focus on the cooking. She knew that this year, with so many happy events happening in her family, her life was getting more prosperous, and this Laba porridge seemed even sweeter than in previous years.
Li meticulously removed the cores from the lotus seeds and the pits from the red dates, attending to every detail meticulously.
As the various ingredients were added to the pot, the kitchen was filled with fragrance. The sweetness of red dates, the fragrance of longan, the freshness of lotus seeds, mixed with the richness of grains, filled the air.
When the porridge thickened, Li added an appropriate amount of sugar and a few drops of cooking oil, stirring gently. Suddenly, the sweet aroma became even more intense, making people's appetites whet.
Gu Yuhe covered his rumbling stomach and came over pitifully: "Mom, I'm hungry."
Mrs. Li looked up at her son and said with a smile, "Wait a minute, I'll cook two more dishes."
She turned around and became busy again, cutting vegetables and cooking with quick movements.
After a while, a dish of stir-fried sour beans and stir-fried dried tofu was made.
The sourness of fried sour beans, the freshness of fried dried tofu, and the sweetness of Laba porridge are intertwined to form a warm winter food picture.
"It's time to eat!" Li's voice rang out.
In an instant, the family members who had been scattered around started moving. Some were serving dishes, some were carrying bowls and chopsticks.
The whole family sat around the table, and grandma distributed the Laba porridge to everyone.
The winter chill was dispelled amidst laughter and joy.
Outside the window, the cold wind is still howling, but inside the house, it is warm as spring, and the aroma of fireworks drifts into the distance.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
