Chapter 75
Although it was unclear what Zhou Jingchen had done in secret, in early March, a new magistrate took over in Kashgar. Ye Jia learned the new magistrate's surname was Guo, and suddenly something clicked. Guo Huai's first order of business was to hear a case.
Guo Huai was investigating an old case, a murder case that had been pending for fifteen years. The woman accused of her husband's murder was now imprisoned, and her widowed mother had been campaigning for justice for fifteen years, seeking justice for her innocence. His first act upon taking office was to accept the case. He decisively investigated the case and exonerated the woman. He also convicted the woman's husband of false accusations, punished the perpetrators, and confiscated their property, returning it to the woman and her daughter.
This case wasn't a difficult one, having been stagnant for years due to various reasons. Its resurfacing had caused a stir. Guo Huai had handled more than a dozen similar cases, earning him widespread renown. Rumors were circulating that the newly appointed Lord Guo was a good official.
The urban area of Kashgar County is not far from Dedong Town, and Ye Jia has heard of it.
Guo Huai's actions were quite dramatic, and each case was handled with great fanfare. Many cases that had been piled up due to the county yamen's indifference to practical matters surged forward. Guo Huai specifically opened a channel for submitting complaints, specifically to handle cases involving human life. The prestige of the county magistrate's yamen, which had previously enjoyed little prestige among the people, gradually returned thanks to his actions.
Not to mention the changes in Kashgar County Government, Zhou Jingchen also made big moves in Libei Town.
He built a watchtower and set up a camp at the northernmost edge of Libei Town, re-establishing a defense line. He abandoned the military system and deployment that had remained unchanged for over twenty years. Led by Zhou Jingchen, he reorganized the border defenses and established a new system and ethics for guards. Strict regulations were implemented for every soldier. Stations were set up every ten miles, so that any border invasion would be reported quickly, with each ten-mile node acting as a node.
Furthermore, the garrison now collaborated with the Kashgar County Magistrate, using force to enforce the county government's new decrees. They established numerous checkpoints between Libei Town and the easternmost town of Luoyun. They reduced local taxes and corvée labor, and focused on tightening control over merchants traveling east, collecting tolls.
The new decree not only strictly regulated the behavior of local merchants, detailing the specific types of merchandise that could be traded, but also meticulously categorized the goods subject to taxation. Among these, tolls were levied on profiteering industries, with profits accruing up to three levels. Ye Jia wasn't sure where Zhou Jingchen and his group came up with this trade decree, but after hearing about it, he carefully studied the new decree.
She couldn't help but feel shocked. This toll method was exactly the same as the tariffs in later generations.
Zhou Jingchen is busy, and Ye Jia's workshop is about to be completed.
Xilai and Qiuyue were brought back to the Zhou family by Ye Jia and moved into the house Lin Zeyu had previously occupied. They weren't experienced people like Fourth Sister and Fifth Sister Ye, so they were a little unskilled at first. But after working with Ye Jia for a few days, they gradually got the hang of things.
Xilai was incredibly strong. Ye Jia initially thought she was exaggerating, but later realized she was truly strong. Despite being a skinny girl, she could lift things that even Old Man Sun couldn't. She could chop wood and do rough labor. She also ate a lot, often eating the meals of two. It was said that she hadn't eaten a full meal in recent years to maintain her slender figure.
Qiuyue wasn't as skillful as Xilai, but she was certainly intelligent. She couldn't be said to be observant, but once inside the shop, she could do the work of two people. She was adept at greeting customers and a master at weighing and calculating. Aside from her knife skills, she was fine in every way.
Ye Jia had previously been struggling to find a new manager, but now she saw Qiuyue as a potential manager. With her in the shop, Ye Jia didn't have to constantly monitor it, and Fourth Sister Ye saved a lot of energy and effort. She also had her hands free to hold the child. While she was doing well so far, her character needed to be observed, and whether she could be a long-term employee would take time to prove.
The soap workshop had finally recruited all the staff: five women in charge of production and two men in charge of purchasing and delivery.
The five women who came to work were all around 25 years old. It was said that their husbands had gone to war, their elders were ill and unable to do heavy work, and with so many children, their families were struggling financially. The women had no choice but to work to support their families. Ye Jia's offer was slightly higher than what he had originally given Old Man Sun: one tael of silver per month. Food and lodging were not included.
The men were honest men from a nearby village, often working as temporary laborers for wealthy families. They were a pair of brothers. Ye Jia gave them a three-month probationary period. If they passed the trial, they would sign a long-term employment contract.
Putting aside what the employment contract Ye Jia mentioned was, the salary alone made these nervous people overjoyed.
Ye Jia also explained in detail the importance of the rules and the contract: "What you see and hear in the workshop must not be spread outside, and you must not mention it when you work for other families. If anyone breaks the rules, I will report them to the authorities and demand compensation."
As soon as the words fell, several women immediately showed fear on their faces.
If Ye Jia had mentioned filing a complaint with the government in the past, some might have scoffed. After all, the government office was practically useless. But now that Guo Huai had re-established the position of magistrate, some of the more erratic individuals were frightened.
"As long as you understand the rules and do your job honestly, the workshop won't fire you easily."
Ye Jia and Yu Shi jointly managed the workshop. Ye Jia took care of most of the work, and when he was busy with other matters, Yu Shi naturally took over. Speaking of which, Yu Shi had also been trying her best to negotiate with the old doctor at the herbal medicine shop. The old doctor himself was very stubborn and reluctant to cooperate with the Zhou family. He simply said that he was old and that making ointments for the townspeople was enough. Besides, as a doctor, treating the townspeople was his primary concern, so he didn't have the time to spend all day making pear blossom ointment.
Yu said all kinds of good and bad things to the old doctor, and the old doctor was so unhappy that he wanted to kick her out.
After several failed attempts at negotiation, Yu was deeply frustrated. Ye Jia, however, decided that since the partnership wasn't working out, buying the recipe and making it themselves would be a good idea. "Mother knows about pear blossom paste, recognizes the herbs, and understands their effects. Xiangpizi's workshop is now open. As long as we can find a supplier for the herbs, we can hire a few more people to make it ourselves."
This was a very good point, and Yu immediately agreed: "I'll go there again tomorrow."
Yu was clashing with the old doctor at the herbal medicine shop, and Ye Jia was rushing out the first batch of goods. The scented soap was supplied monthly to Linglong Rouge Shop, while Lihua Lane supplied it every two or three months. Ye Jia calculated that Ajiu would return from the Western Regions in a month or two. He felt a vague excitement, wondering how successful this trip would be.
After February, the weather gradually warmed up, and the weather became even warmer as we approached mid-March.
Generally speaking, March is the time for spring plowing and sowing, and July and August are the time for harvesting. Old Man Sun planted the various seeds that Ye Jia had saved last year. With the experience from last year's planting, Old Man Sun's planting went smoothly this year.
Although Ye Jia did not plant the crops himself, he was watching from the side.
Speaking of which, Zhou Jingchen's reward included a hundred acres of fertile farmland. However, after the deed to the land was handed over to Ye Jia, it hadn't been taken care of. The people in the northwest mainly rely on animal husbandry for their livelihood. Although some people grow crops, the number of people who do so is not very large. In other words, not many people know how to grow crops. However, there was no way a hundred acres of fertile farmland would just sit there unused.
If he left a hundred acres of fertile land uncultivated, Ye Jia would kill himself.
But the climate in the northwest favors wheat, sorghum, and millet. Ye Jia had considered planting some crops. First, last year's winter melons could be grown, and second, grapes could be grown, and grape wine could be made and sold commercially. The most important thing was food; after all, if one had their own food, one wouldn't have to constantly go to the grain store. But with only a few people in the family, all of them weak women, who could actually work in the fields?
"That won't work. We need to find a way." Planting the crops ourselves was out of the question. Hiring someone to do it was possible, but managing so much fertile land was a daunting task. Ye Jia not only had farmland but also a business, so he couldn't afford to keep an eye on the land all day.
After much thought, the only feasible method is to rent it out.
But how to rent it, to whom, and how to collect rent were all other issues. Most importantly, these were Zhou Jingchen's rewards, and Ye Jia's considerations still needed Zhou Jingchen's approval.
"If Jianiang is not busy recently, why not go to Libei Town? I'll be keeping an eye on the fragrant soap business, and Qiuyue and Yuanniang can handle Xishi Shop." Yu Shi only said this after hearing this. "If you have anything to say, you two can discuss it face to face. Spring plowing cannot wait, and any longer it will be too late. If you really can't make up your mind, Yun'an may have a solution."
Ye Jiayi thought it was true. Spring plowing was only a short time and could not be delayed.
Ye Jia didn't hesitate at the moment. Libei Town wasn't far away. The village below was a bit further away, but it could be reached in a day by mule cart. If they set out early in the morning on a less busy day, they would arrive in Libei Town by evening. However, after hearing Yu's complaints about Zhou Jingchen's poor diet over there, Ye Jia decided to make some snacks. Lingling was at home watching the children and helping her out.
The fried golden shreds I made last time were delicious, and Ye Jia hadn't cooked in a while. So, I decided to make some beef jerky.
Choose lean beef shank and cut it into fist-sized cubes. First, boil the cumin, aniseed, chili peppers, soy sauce, sugar, and salt in water and let it cool. Then, slice the beef into long, knuckle-thick slices and place them in the cooled brine to soak in the flavor. Marinate for at least twelve hours to achieve the perfect flavor. Once the marinated meat is done, place it on a plate and roast over a good fire.
The Zhou family didn't have that oven, but Ye Jia had seen the merchant's oven while eating steamed buns before, and after returning home, he also copied it. It was somewhat similar to the oven used to bake naan in later generations. Only Ye Wumei had used it to bake steamed buns, and this was Ye Jia's first time using it.
It’s really well roasted, and the beef is full of meaty aroma every time you chew it.
This stuff took quite a while to make, but Ye Jia managed to make a large bag, weighing nearly five pounds. She packed half of it into a box and saved the rest for the family as a snack. Yu Shi smelled the delicious food and ate a handful, nodding repeatedly. "This is good, this is good. Yun An will definitely like it. Jia Niang hasn't cooked in a while, but this is delicious right away."
Ye Jia ate one and thought it was okay. It didn't have five-spice powder, so it tasted a little worse than the ones sold in later generations. But it was better than nothing.
The next morning, Ye Jia went out with his bag.
As they drove by, Ye Jia lifted the car window and peeked out, realizing the town had truly changed. It wasn't that the people's lives had improved, but with the garrison troops stationed at the front, the residents of Libei Town looked much more at ease. The streets were orderly, with patrols occasionally leading groups. Life in the town had become much more peaceful.
Zhou Jingchen was in his subordinate village, Poluo, more than 20 miles from the town. It would take Ye Jia half an hour to get there.
By the time the cart arrived outside the camp, it was indeed evening. The sky was ablaze with clouds, but even in the evening it was still a bit chilly. Old Man Sun dismounted and asked the sentry at the gate. As soon as he heard they were Captain Zhou's family, the man immediately came over to lead the mule cart.
Ye Jia entered the village, looked at the newly built tents, the outer fences and the watchtower not far away, and silently followed the others into the main tent.
Zhou Jingchen was still busy, while four or five people were discussing matters in the main tent. When Ye Jia entered, the tent suddenly fell silent. Ye Jia realized something was wrong and was about to leave when Zhou Jingchen spoke up: "That's all for today, everyone go away."
After saying that, the people sitting in the tent rushed out of the tent without stopping.
Ye Jia felt a bit awkward standing at the doorway, so he quickly stepped aside and told the people to leave. Some of these people Ye Jia recognized, others he didn't. Regardless, they all knew this was the captain's wife. They politely saluted and then ran even faster. Zhou Jingchen also stood up at this point. While his expression was unremarkable, his hand swiftly grasped Ye Jia's wrist.
He looked a bit shabby and thinner, probably because the conditions here were tough and he hadn't taken good care of himself.
"Jia Niang," Zhou Jingchen had greeted Ye Jia early on, asking her to come visit him when she was free. But it had been over a month since he'd arrived, and there hadn't even been a sign of Ye Jia. After waiting for so many days, he was flattered to see her suddenly. "You're finally here?"
Ye Jia, who was carrying a bag, said: "..."
What do you mean finally here?
It was a rare occasion for them to meet, and Ye Jia didn't want to ruin the atmosphere. She swallowed the complaint that was about to come out of her mouth. The hand holding her wrist showed no sign of loosening. Ye Jia handed him the bag on her elbow: "I made you some food."
Zhou Jingchen took it and put it on the table, then took Ye Jia's hand and walked into his tent.
Zhou Jingchen's tent had two floors. The outer floor was where he would hold meetings. The inner floor also had a separate compartment with a bed, a table, some books, and paperwork. She pulled Ye Jia to sit on his bed. Zhou Jingchen stroked his hair, "It's so windy and dusty here, I haven't washed much. Wait a moment, I'll go wash up."
Ye Jia: "..." It's not even night yet, why bother washing up?
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