Chapter 45 Encouraging Agriculture and Sericulture (1)
Magistrate Meng said, "The biggest difference between a Juren (举人) and a Xiucai (秀才) is that a Juren who fails the imperial examinations repeatedly can be recommended to become an official. An official, on the other hand, directly enters politics and governs the people of a region. He needs to be down-to-earth and do practical things. Being pragmatic is the most important thing. The current emperor also prefers pragmatic people when selecting officials. Qi'er, you should strive in this direction in the future."
Meng Guanqi's expression changed slightly. If what Magistrate Meng said was true, then his essay was more ornate than practical. If he encountered an examiner who didn't like this style, he would probably be rejected immediately.
Meng Guanqi bowed and said, "Father, now that you have become my teacher, please hold me to the same high standards as a teacher. If there is anything wrong, you may punish or scold me, and I will not dare to complain. I am afraid that you will be too kind to me and not be able to correct my shortcomings in time."
Magistrate Meng helped him up and said with a smile, "It's not that serious. The article is beautifully written and there's nothing wrong with it, as long as it's not empty and meaningless. You're still young, and it's really not easy for you to write such an article. It's normal for it to have some shortcomings in practical application. I knew long ago that you didn't know much about practical matters, and I had already arranged a teaching plan. Starting tomorrow, you will come with me to inspect the countryside. The autumn planting season has arrived. Since I came to Biyang County, I have been preoccupied with other matters and have not yet officially started inspecting the rural agricultural affairs. It's a good opportunity for you to come with me to personally understand the people's livelihood here, which will be more beneficial than you being busy with paperwork all the time."
Meng Guanqi's eyes lit up: "Can I stay by Father's side?"
Magistrate Meng said, "Of course, Biyang County is short of public officials. I am short one clerk, and you can temporarily fill the position."
Meng Guanqi was still quite childish. Although he could sit still and study, he was tempted by the opportunity to go out and explore, which would benefit his studies. He couldn't help but beam with excitement: "Yes, I will certainly live up to Father's expectations."
Magistrate Meng laughed and patted him on the shoulder: "It's very sunny in the countryside, and inspecting the farm work is also very hard work. Tell your mother to prepare the things you need. We'll set off promptly at Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow."
Li Xiaoxiao was overjoyed to hear they were going out, but Meng Guanqi hesitated for a moment and said, "Xiaoxiao, everyone traveling with us this time is a man, it would be inconvenient for you as a woman. Perhaps—" we could go another time...
Li Xiaoxiao hurriedly interrupted him: "No! Young master, didn't you transfer me here to protect you? How can I protect you if I'm not even by your side?"
Meng Guanqi hesitated for a moment. He was going out with Magistrate Meng this time, and there was also a large group of yamen runners accompanying him. There shouldn't be any security problems, right? Just as he was about to refuse, Li Xiaoxiao said, "Isn't it just that you think it's inconvenient for me to be a woman? I can just dress up as a man and go out, can't I?"
Ah Sheng knew how crazy Li Xiaoxiao had become while she was locked up, so he pleaded for her: "Young master, please let Sister Xiaoxiao go. She's dark-skinned, and she'll definitely look more like a man than a man himself when she dresses up as one..."
Li Xiaoxiao's murderous gaze swept over Asheng. Meng Guanqi's lips were pressed tightly together, afraid that he would laugh out loud. Li Xiaoxiao raised her hand and slapped Asheng on the back of the head: "How can you talk like that?"
Ah Sheng cried out and covered his head, tears streaming down his face from the pain: "Sister Xiaoxiao, I was speaking up for you, why did you hit me?"
Li Xiaoxiao said with a straight face, "Then you'd better not help. The young master didn't say he wouldn't agree."
Meng Guanqi coughed, pressing his fist to his lips, and swallowed his smile: "Since that's the case, then you can dress as a man and come with me. Alright, Asheng, you two go and tell my mother to prepare the things we'll need for tomorrow's trip..."
Li Xiaoxiao and Asheng exchanged a glance and squeezed through the door to enter the inner courtyard.
Li Xiaoxiao felt her heart was about to soar. It was wonderful; she could finally go out.
Early the next morning, Li Xiaoxiao, dressed as a servant, followed Meng Guanqi to the front courtyard of the government office after having breakfast with Asheng. They then joined Magistrate Meng, Constable Shi, two constables, Zhao Jian, and coachman Yu Dayong, forming a large group of nine who headed towards the countryside outside the city.
Magistrate Meng and Meng Guanqi sat in the carriage. Since Da Yong was driving, everyone else walked on the side of the carriage. Their first stop was Hexi Village and Hedong Village, which were not far from the county seat.
The carriage traveled along the village road and finally stopped in front of a five-room brick and tile house. This was the home of Tian Lizheng, who oversaw the villages on both the east and west banks of the river.
Tian Lizheng had already received the news and had been waiting at home for Magistrate Meng to arrive.
Finally, the person arrived. He came out of the house with his eldest son and respectfully invited Magistrate Meng into the house.
After getting off the bus, Meng Guanqi looked around and found that apart from the five brick and tile houses of Tian Lizheng's family, which were not bad, the surrounding houses were basically all mud-brick and thatched-roof houses, and many of the houses were deformed and looked like they were about to collapse.
His heart sank. If the two villages on the west and east sides of the river, which are closest to the county seat, are in such a state, what must the other towns and villages far from the county seat be like?
Tian Lizheng said, "Sir, the sun is very strong right now. Why don't you rest at my house for a while and then take a stroll in the fields when the sun is about to set?"
He had received several county magistrates who came to the countryside to encourage agriculture and sericulture. The process was basically the same. How could an official really go to the fields to dry in the sun like a farmer? Half an hour in the scorching July or August sun would almost bake a person dry.
Unexpectedly, Magistrate Meng thanked him for his kindness: "I came here to encourage agriculture and understand the people's situation. How can I hide under the roof to rest because I'm afraid of the heat? Please lead the way, I want to go and see how the refugees are being resettled."
Tian Lizheng had no choice but to lead the group out of the courtyard and head towards the north of the village.
After turning a corner and leaving the village, I walked along the path beside the fields, and a field came into view. The rice planted in the field was already as long as my hand, a green expanse stretching as far as the eye could see. People were everywhere in the field, weeding, digging ditches, replanting, turning the soil, and many women with children were tending to the kudzu and hemp planted along the field ridges. The children were barefoot, chasing and playing around in the field, looking quite content.
Magistrate Meng looked at the busy figures in the fields and asked the field manager, "It's already the end of July. Will this season's rice be harvested before the end of October?" In November, the temperature in Biyang County will drop sharply. If the rice doesn't ripen before the end of October, there probably won't be a good harvest.
Tian Lizheng said, "The harvest is almost all finished around that time. In the villages west and east of the river, only the land along the big river is fertile enough to grow rice. The land a little further away is left to grow winter wheat. By rotating the crops like this, if there is no natural disaster, the harvested grain can be enough to make us half full after tax."
Do you work hard all year round only to be able to eat half full?
Magistrate Meng felt uneasy and asked, "The villages of Hexi and Hedong are near the river. How were the harvests in previous years?"
Tian Lizheng said, "The yield of rice is about 200 catties per mu. If the wheat is good, it will be about the same. If it is not good, it will only be 170 or 180 catties per mu."
Magistrate Meng sighed, "The yield is still too low. With such a low yield, we still have to pay taxes. After paying the taxes, families with many members won't have enough to eat."
He changed the subject: "The imperial court recently distributed disaster relief grain, which included a lot of seeds. I instructed Constable Shi to distribute them to the villages a month ago. Have you distributed them to the villagers? This batch of new seeds is from the Ministry of Agriculture, so the yield may be better."
Tian Li lowered his head, his eyes flickering: "They've already been planted, but we'll have to wait and see what the yield will be like at the end of October."
Magistrate Meng nodded and walked a little further. He noticed that the rice seedlings in several fields were growing exceptionally well. While other rice seedlings had only three or five sparse stems per stalk, these seedlings had seven or eight stems per stalk, making them look very healthy. Magistrate Meng was delighted to see this. Just then, he saw an old farmer working in a nearby field. He went down into the field and spoke to the old farmer: "Uncle, did you plant all the rice in this area?"
The old farmer looked up in surprise at the group of people who had appeared at the edge of the field.
The village chief shouted, "Chen Lao Er, this is Magistrate Meng. He's asking you a question, so answer him honestly."
Chen Lao Er was immediately trembling with fear. He never expected to encounter the county magistrate in his own field! This was the highest-ranking official he had ever met in most of his life. Holding his hoe, he didn't know what to do with his hands and feet.
Magistrate Meng smiled and said, "Uncle, don't be nervous. I was just asking about the crops in the fields. I see that your crops are growing very well, much thicker and stronger than others. What good method did you use?"
Chen Lao Er looked bewildered: "Good? My crops aren't good. The ones in the fields are the best!"
He pointed to the patch of exceptionally robust rice seedlings in front of him: "See? This patch that used to grow so well all belonged to Tian Lizheng's family, while the patch next to it that's sparsely growing is mine."
He looked at the village head with envy: "I heard the village head got some good seeds. Look how thick these rice seedlings are! When the harvest is at the end of October, the village head should save some for everyone to exchange for seeds!"
Tian Lizheng's face turned ashen on the spot. He hadn't expected that Chen Lao Er would expose his secret withholding of seeds from the villagers. There weren't many seeds, and even if they were distributed, each household would only have enough to cultivate two or three-tenths of an acre. So he was careful and didn't distribute any, planting all of them himself.
If the yield is really good, he plans to keep the seeds to sell for money. The price difference between ordinary millet and seeds is ten times. These few acres are growing well, and he is waiting to make a fortune after the harvest.
Who would have thought that the county magistrate would actually come to the fields to inspect them in person? He also never expected that his act of secretly intercepting rice seeds would be exposed on the spot.
Seeing that everyone's eyes were on him, Tian Li quickly came up with a plan and said, "Sir, this land is not for my family to cultivate. It is to save seeds and plant them specifically for the people in the village."
Seeing the puzzled look on Magistrate Meng's face, he quickly said, "The county government only allocated about a hundred catties of seeds to me. I thought that if we distributed them, each household would only get half a catty or a catty, which wouldn't even be enough to plant a few acres. It would be better if I allocated a few acres to plant them, and then distributed them to the villagers as seeds after the autumn harvest, so that everyone could plant more."
Magistrate Meng smiled slightly, as if he appreciated Tian Lizheng's actions: "That's very good. Tian Lizheng has considered things very thoroughly and should be a role model for all the village heads in Biyang County. If all the village heads in the county were as selfless as Tian Lizheng, how could the villagers worry about not having enough to eat?"
Tian Li was ashamed and muttered in agreement.
Magistrate Meng said, "However, planting these seeds has taken up several acres of Tian Lizheng's land. Here's what we'll do: Shi Yi, remember to come and help Tian Lizheng harvest the seeds at the end of October. Let the villagers exchange them with Tian Lizheng on a one-for-one basis, so that Tian Lizheng doesn't suffer any losses."
The head constable replied loudly, "Your Excellency, please rest assured. This matter concerns the rice harvest of Hedong and Hexi villages next year. I will certainly keep it in mind."
Tian Lizheng felt as if he had drunk bitter juice in his heart, wishing he could slap himself hard. He had put a lot of good fertilizer and good labor into this seed field, but in the end, he was only able to exchange it for grain.
But he dared not refuse to change, otherwise he might not even be able to hold onto his position. The county magistrate had personally given the order to Constable Shi that there would definitely be yamen runners guarding the fields during the harvest, so he wouldn't dare to cheat.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he could only force a smile and nod in agreement.
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