Chapter 269 Night Visitor
It was completely dark when Shen Lie and Shen An returned home, and there were two guests behind the two brothers.
Daxing Village was safe because they knew that the next day was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the first day of the provincial school. They knew that they would definitely come back tonight, so they left the door open.
At this point in time, the two guests entered the courtyard and did not go any further.
"You are so abrupt. Please go in and tell the local lord first. We will come in later."
The visitors were none other than Zeng Sanlang and Chu Qichang. It was not appropriate to let the guests stand in the courtyard at night. Chen Lie said, "It's okay. Come with me to the living room and sit down. I don't know if A'Luo has fallen asleep yet, so I think I should ask you two to wait for a while."
After hearing what he said, Zeng Ziqian did not refuse, and the four of them entered the second courtyard together.
Thinking that there was a small noise when the gate was opened, Shen Yin put on his inner clothes and poked his head out of the east wing to check. Seeing that it was Shen Lie and Shen An, he lowered his voice with a bit of joy: "Big brother, second brother, you are back!"
Just when I wanted to ask if they had finished dinner, I saw someone else: "Are there any guests?"
He shrank back in a flash, and after a moment he put on his coat, tied his belt and opened the door while coming out.
Seeing his quick movements, Shen Lie said, “It’s cold at night, go back and sleep, your second brother and I will entertain you.”
Seeing a dim light on in the main bedroom, but no sound, he wondered whether Sang Luo and the child were asleep or not, so he asked Shen Yin, "Is your sister-in-law asleep?"
Shen Yin scratched his head and said, "Ayao and Qianbao were making a lot of noise just now, but they have just quieted down. I think they have just been coaxed to sleep. Maybe my sister-in-law is still awake?"
Shen Lie nodded and led Zeng Ziqian and Chu Qichang into the hall to sit down. Seeing that Shen An and Shen Yin had already gone to boil water to make tea, he said something and went into the house to look for Sang Luo first.
Chen Lie and his companions spoke in low voices. The materials used in the Shen family's house were solid, and the sound insulation was good. However, Sang Luo still vaguely heard some noises and guessed that Chen Lie had returned. Qian Bao was already sleeping soundly, but A Yao had a habit of lying on her chest when she coaxed him to sleep at night. At this moment, she had a finger in her mouth, and from time to time she would move her lips and suck it. I don't know what good things she was dreaming about, but she grinned, revealing a row of toothless gums.
Sang Luo found it funny, and fearing that she was not asleep yet, she did not move for a while, and only looked in the direction of the door. After a while, the door was carefully pushed open from the outside, and who else could it be but Chen Lie who walked in under the cover of night?
As soon as the couple's eyes met, Sang Luo put her index finger to her lips, signaling him to speak in a low voice.
Chen Lie was thinking about his wife and children. Seeing Sang Luo half leaning against the head of the bed, he went over to take a look. Qianbao was already sleeping soundly. Ayao was lying in her mother's arms, sucking her fingers and sleeping in a very silly manner. All the hard work from the past few days of running around was gone in an instant.
But at this moment he did not have time to look at the child a few more times. He whispered to Sang Luo, "Inspector Zeng and Secretary Chu are here. They are in the main hall and are here to see you."
"See me?" Sang Luo was surprised.
Chen Lie went to the countryside with Governor Zeng this time. Firstly, Governor Zeng wanted to check on the people's livelihood, and secondly, the state government had to purchase grain on behalf of the court. The government had already visited the Shezhou area last winter, and because several counties under it could hardly buy much grain last winter, Governor Zeng, along with Chu Qichang and a group of minor officials, went to the county to check the situation in person within a few days after the government opened the new year.
Naturally, he also took the brothers Shen Lie and Shen An with him to give them special treatment. Looking at the economy and people's livelihood was quite a training exercise, especially when it was related to government affairs. After Shen Lie asked Zeng Ziqian for his opinion, he also brought Wei Qinghe with him.
Why did I have to go back to Daxingzhuang to see her when I bought some grain?
She had a lot of questions in her mind, but considering the child in her arms who was not yet asleep, she didn't want to ask right away. She carefully sat up a little straighter, put Ayao on the bed very slowly, and tucked in the quilt.
The little girl sucked the finger that was near her mouth and moved it, then she sucked it with her lips and fell asleep again.
Sang Luo then went to the side to put on her coat, tidied her hair, and left the room with Chen Lie. There was a side hall next to them, so Chen Lie decided to wait for a while before talking.
When they entered the hall, Sang Luo had not yet greeted them. Zeng Ziqian and Chu Qichang saw Sang Luo coming out, and hurriedly stood up and clasped their fists, saying, "It is really rude to visit you in the dark of night. Sorry to bother you."
The two men were still wearing official robes, and their official boots were covered in yellow mud. It was obvious that they had just returned from the countryside, and they probably hadn't even entered the city gate yet.
Sang Luo shook her head: "It's okay. I heard from Chen Lie that the two adults are here to look for me? I wonder what it is about?"
Although Zeng Ziqian was anxious, he was still calm at this time. He invited Sang Luo to sit down first, and then said, "Do you know the purpose of our trip?"
"I know a thing or two." But how does this have anything to do with her?
Zeng Ziqian saw Sang Luo's doubts and said, "This trip to buy grain was not smooth. Except for the area around Shezhou, it is difficult to buy much grain from ordinary villagers in the counties below except from the wealthy families."
Sang Luo raised her eyebrows, "Isn't this right? The price given by the government is not bad. If you were afraid of starvation before, the court gave you a lot of land. Last year, no land tax was collected. The grain produced by the land is yours. If you keep enough food for your family for two or three years, there should still be some surplus food, right?"
The price of grain is 190 wen a dou, which is much lower than the 300 wen a dou of old grain in the first month of last year. This price is also more than three times that of normal years.
It can be expected that by the time of autumn harvest this year, if the court's policy of supporting the people can still be implemented and there are not too many places experiencing natural disasters or man-made disasters, even if grain prices do not fall, they are unlikely to rise even higher. There is actually no need to keep too much grain on hand.
The imperial court exempted taxes for three years, so it was obvious that there would be a shortage of food. If the government was willing to spend money to buy food, how could the people not want to give back to the imperial court? So last year, when the government came to buy grain and the newly harvested yams, in the area around Daxingzhuang, every family kept two or three years' worth of food for their own family, and sold any surplus.
Even though Sang Luo and the Chen family originally planned to use yam to make some by-products, the imperial court bought them to distribute to various counties for use as seeds, and the government gave a fair price, so the imperial court naturally came first.
Zeng Ziqian chuckled when he heard this, and Chen Lie explained to Sang Luo, "The people in the counties and villages of Shezhou don't have much surplus grain."
This sentence stunned Sang Luo.
“People come out late, so less land is opened?”
This was the only possibility she could think of.
Chen Lie shook his head: "Yes and no, those who came out late have less land to plant, but in fact, those who came out early have not planted all the land."
This sentence confused Sang Luo.
Chen Lie said, "The fields are divided into three categories: upper, middle and lower. The fields we were given when we first came out were all upper fields. Although they had been abandoned for many years, they are still good after they were cultivated. As for those who came out later, because of the small population nowadays, there are no lower fields. There are middle fields, but the soil fertility of middle fields is not up to par. Usually, they need to be left fallow for one year after planting. Otherwise, even if they are planted, the harvest will not be very high. If they are planted for a few years, the fields will be useless."
"So the court distributed a lot of land, but the people couldn't actually plant all of it. Depending on the condition of the land, most people only planted half or a small part. Moreover, I have asked the villagers in various villages in detail, and they harvested about 260 to 270 kilograms of rice per mu of their well-cultivated land last autumn."
The area around Daxingzhuang used the mulberry composting method. The yield per mu of middle and upper fields was about 310 to 330 kilograms, with a difference of about 40 kilograms per mu. After Daxingzhuang used the composting method, the soil fertility could keep up. Even the middle fields in the hands of the surrounding villagers did not need to be cultivated for one year and then left fallow for one year.
This is the reason why the villagers in various counties dare not sell grain. The surplus grain in the hands of the villagers in the surrounding counties and the surplus grain in the hands of the villagers near Shezhou City are completely different.
"Composting?" Sang Luo was stunned for a moment before she reacted. She covered her forehead with her hands and looked annoyed: "I actually forgot about this completely."
Chen Lie said calmly: "It's not your fault, you are too used to it. Xiao An, Qing He and I also followed Master Zeng in the countryside for a few days before we reacted."
Zeng Ziqian quickly replied, "Yes, this is not your fault. I heard from Chen Lie that you taught this method when you hid in the mountains. After so many years, not only the villagers of Daxing Village, but also the surrounding mountain people have learned to use it for several years. After they came out, they all lived near you, and everyone used it this way. It's common for things to be taken for granted, and sometimes you don't think of them at the moment."
Especially Sang Luo, Zeng Ziqian knew exactly how many great things she had done in this year. A woman, who became pregnant, gave birth to twins, offered recipes for improving the plow and making paper twice, and also took care of the family's fields and business. To be honest, if this kind of thing happened to the mistress of an aristocratic family with a group of useful people under her, it would not be surprising that she could do other things besides improving the plow and making paper.
But for a poor family, being able to manage so many things in an orderly manner is a skill.
Sang Luo calmed down and said, "Yes, fortunately it's not too late now. We can hurry up and make it this spring. The composting method is not difficult. Didn't Chen Lie tell you, sir?"
"I have already taught it in all the counties, so I came back so late. But I asked Chen Lie about the farming situation in your village in detail, and I still have some questions to ask you."
"Master Zeng, just ask. I am not proficient in farming, but as long as I know, I will tell you everything I know."
Not proficient in...
Chu Qichang didn't dare to speak.
Zeng Ziqian thought Sang Luo was just being modest. As it was late at night and the Shen family had children, he stated his purpose directly.
"According to what I have learned from the old farmers, if a piece of land is planted for several years in a row, even if manure and green manure are applied regularly, the soil will become hardened, grain production will decrease, and various diseases and insect pests will increase. Is there no problem with planting twice a year like in Daxingzhuang?"①
Sang Luo shook her head and said, "Daxing Village has two crops a year, but they use the method of water-land rotation. Water-land rotation can balance the fertility of the soil and to a certain extent, the pests can be drowned. I don't know if they are drowned, but in general, there will be a lot fewer pests."
"And the different crop rotations..." Sang Luo paused. She was not an agricultural student, nor did she study agriculture. Most of the knowledge she knew came from her own practice or observation. To put it bluntly, she was a half-baked person.
After organizing his words, Fang said, "I don't know how to put it. It's probably because different crops have different demands on the land, and can give different returns to the land. If you choose the right crops for crop rotation, the fertility of the land will not be consumed by a single crop. It will be relatively balanced and can be adjusted. Therefore, soil compaction, yield reduction, and the occurrence of pests and diseases will be greatly reduced."
"On the other hand, if you choose the wrong crops for crop rotation, there will be many problems. I don't know many varieties that can be rotated, and it takes a long time for someone to study, experiment, and observe to confirm them."
Do crops absorb nutrients in different ways? Aren't they all grass ash and manure?
Chu Qichang was confused when he heard this, but that did not stop Sang Luo from talking. He kept memorizing what she said in his head, not daring to miss a single word.
Zeng Ziqian had a good memory and understood most of it after listening to it once. He then asked Sang Luo: "What crops do you know that are suitable for crop rotation?"
"So far, the crops I have tried and have not found any problems with are rice, beans, rapeseed, wheat, and astragalus. I'm not sure about the others."
The same is true for sugarcane, but she has never seen it in Shezhou area and has never tried to grow it, so she didn't say anything.
Even though Zeng Ziqian had already heard Chen Lie's general explanation before, he was so excited that he tightened his hands on his legs when he heard Sang Luo explain the principles in detail.
Not much grain was bought, but Sangluo's composting and crop rotation methods were more helpful than helping the court buy ten thousand shi of grain.
He resisted the urge to stand up and thank him immediately, and then asked Sang Luo: "Do you have any suggestions for promoting composting and crop rotation?"
suggestion……
Sang Luo thought for a moment and said, "I don't know if the court has agricultural officials. If I have any suggestions, I suggest that the court can set up agricultural officials to specialize in planting and breeding. In addition, the basis of composting is to have enough fertilizer. Human feces alone is not enough. In rural areas, I suggest that people raise one or two sheep in addition to chickens and ducks if conditions permit."
"Sheep are different from pigs. Pigs cannot live without bran and bean dregs, but sheep do not need much concentrated feed. They grow better with concentrated feed. In fact, they can be raised with grass without concentrated feed. As long as the family is diligent, this can also be an income. Fermented sheep manure can make excellent soil fertilizer."
"The reason why Daxing Village and the surrounding villagers can get manure is actually because we brought a lot of sheep, chickens and rabbits with us when we came out of the mountains earlier, and later we bought pigs to raise. With the combination of farming and breeding, we have much more manure than the villagers in other counties."
Zeng Ziqian laughed when he heard this, looked at Chen Lie, and said, "You two are indeed husband and wife, and your suggestions are the same."
Chen Lie knew Sang Luo a little bit, and after hearing that the previous sentence was a suggestion for the countryside, he asked, "Does the state capital have any suggestions as well?"
Sang Luo chuckled and nodded, "Yes, state and county towns can set up public toilets, separate for men and women, with one set at a certain distance. First, it will be convenient for the people; second, with public toilets, the city will definitely be much cleaner, and to a certain extent it can even reduce the occurrence of epidemics; third, the manure collected can also be used by rural people for farming."
In the time and space where Sang Luo used to live, the streets of medieval Europe were famous for being dirty, but in fact, China was not much better, and this problem was not solved very well during the Ming Dynasty.
She couldn’t remember where she had seen this sentence before: There are two things that I hate on the roads of Chang’an: black hats all over the ground, and feces and filth that touch my nose…Occasionally I was defecating on the side of the road, and just as I was unbuttoning my pants, I suddenly met an official who came and chased me to two or three alleys, and I almost fell into my pants.②
The same is true for the Da Qi in this time and space. The main streets are okay, but if you walk towards the corners of the side alleys, the risk is a bit high and you have to watch your step.
After hearing this last point, Zeng Ziqian thought about the current situation of the provincial capital. Not to mention Shezhou, even the capital was the same. This suggestion would definitely be adopted.
No, it's all the suggestions made by Sangluo.
He stood up and bowed solemnly to Sang Luo: "I thank you on behalf of all the farmers in the world."
The author has something to say:
①The author actually doesn’t know what rice and wheat look like. He learned the content related to farming from Baidu. Please mark the source of the information.
② Found this when searching on Baidu. Couldn’t find the specific source yet. It’s not original, so it’s specially marked.
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