Chapter 115
Chapter 115
After Ji Yuan came to Ning'an Prefecture, he visited the village, terraced fields, and government offices many times.
But I have never been to the forest on the mountain.
In modern times, wild forests can take people's lives, let alone a wild forest like this. If you walk into it, it is not an exaggeration to say that it is a primeval forest.
Ji Yuan couldn't help but wonder in his heart, he knew very well how rich the flora and fauna here were, how could he have forgotten it.
So when I saw the water melon tree, I was completely stunned.
The locals are too picky.
No, the locals may know about these things, and most likely have a vague concept in their minds, but if you ask them to explain the reasons, they are not very clear.
Just like everyone knows that eating certain foods will make you feel uncomfortable, no one can explain why, but everyone knows it.
Because this is the result of thousands of years of experience.
Ji Yuan sighed again, thinking that he should be more humble and should never think that he is much superior to the ancient people just because he came from later times.
When Ji Yuan climbed above the village and looked at the dense forest, he once again sighed that this place was truly a paradise and there were so many things waiting to be developed.
Let’s not talk about other things for now.
This rubber is refined.
That's useful for a lot of things.
For modern people, if we only talk about rubber, they may know that it is valuable and very useful.
But the specific value is ignored because it is too common and can be reproduced.
This thing, along with steel, coal and oil, is one of the four major industrial raw materials.
It plays a huge role in daily life, transportation, medical care, and even war and national defense.
But can the water melon tree replace the rubber tree that everyone knows is native to Brazil?
Of course not.
The rubber tree's unique natural advantages are truly second to none.
But, let's take a step back.
In such a humid and watery environment, having a pair of rubber shoes can reduce a lot of burden.
They can't go to Brazil now, so it's good enough to have such a good thing as a substitute.
Speaking of which, nature is indeed magical.
The water melon tree is suitable for growing in a humid environment.
Its leaves can be used to extract rubber, and things made of rubber can prevent moisture.
It seems that there is an antidote within five steps.
Ji Yuan excitedly stroked these common local trees.
The locals felt a little scalp-tingling after seeing this.
Such trees are so common here, is it that serious?
The new Ji Zhuangyuan must like this place too much.
However, everyone still felt an excitement that only locals could feel.
Look at them, any of their items can please Ji Zhuangyuan, the top scholar from the imperial court!
Ning'an Prefecture is indeed a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery!
After seeing the water melon tree, Ji Yuan felt more at ease. Next, it was also important to plant this tree.
However, even though the water melon tree grows fast, it still requires patience and time.
Ji Yuan went down the mountain with a smile on his face. Old Man Li, who was invited by the Dong family to help repair the water conservancy facilities, was already busy.
Old Man Li owed the Dong family a favor, so he was willing to help.
But after watching for the past few days, I realized that I don't have to worry too much about the local water conservancy planning. I just need to find the corresponding location to dig the pool and repair the canal.
He doesn't have to worry about the rest. People have already been sent to make the waterwheel and the barrel wheel.
There are so many bamboos and trees in this place that local carpenters can easily make it as long as they have the blueprints.
Old Man Li secretly said in his heart that he always felt that the planning here was better than that within Zhennan Pass.
In comparison, the method here is the most appropriate.
Old Man Li put away his frivolous attitude and started to work seriously.
He had to visit dozens of mountain villages and climb all nearby tributaries before he could decide how to build canals in each village.
I felt it was hard at first, but Wu Renhao said directly: "I'll carry you."
Wu Renhao is more than two meters tall, has a broad body and plenty of physical strength. He looked at the skinny old man Li and said this directly.
Ji Yuan originally wanted to stop him, but Wu Renhao was able to "pick up" Old Man Li with one hand without any effort.
In this situation, Ji Yuan just shut up.
With Wu Renhao following us, safety can indeed be guaranteed.
If walking is too tiring, Wu Renhao can still carry Old Man Li on his back and move forward.
In this way, the speed was greatly improved.
This made the people in the yamen amazed.
The three people sent from the capital are more powerful than the other!
Of course, the most powerful one is Ji Yuan.
They just need to act according to the plan of the era.
After visiting the water melon tree, Ji Yuan returned to the yamen and saw everyone gathered together, which was rare.
"What's going on?"
Ji Yuan asked curiously.
Now, the people in the Ning'an City government have long regarded Ji Yuan as one of their own.
But it’s still a bit embarrassing to talk about what’s happening right now.
Seeing that Ji Yuan was really curious, Lord Liu said, "Old Man Li is really good at what he does. The route of the canal he set is very reasonable. In the past few days, several villages have already started digging ditches."
Ji Yuan also nodded.
They came back from the third day of August.
Until today, the ninth day of August, I have visited two villages and found that the planning was very reasonable.
No wonder the Dong family recommended him here.
so what.
“So you have to pay me.”
Ji Yuan finally reacted and thought about the situation in Ning'an Prefecture.
We have no taxes here!
How could I forget this!
Generally speaking, in addition to paying the salaries of local officials, local taxes also had to be paid to the province, and then to the imperial court.
But Ning'an Prefecture is different.
The salaries of local officials all depend on funding from the Yunnan Prefecture, let alone other matters.
If you ask your superiors to come and do the job, the money required will naturally be paid by them.
But they won’t give it to anyone.
They invited Old Man Li from outside.
Or rather, Ji Yuan hired someone.
When doing government work, one also has to pay money.
Lord Liu was planning this when he saw Old Man Li.
But they didn't plan to let Ji Yuan give it.
Ji Yuan hired someone to help here, which was already a favor, so how could he be asked to pay more money?
Everyone gathered together to discuss how to pay Old Man Li!
For an experienced folk craftsman like him, the money required is quite a lot, and the construction period is visibly long.
Ji Yuan listened and couldn't help but shed tears.
This is really difficult for them.
He took out three hundred taels of silver from his pocket and gave it to him: "If it's not enough, I'll add more."
Since everyone is working for a living, he should do some work too.
Everyone looked at Ji Yuan.
How many?
Three hundred taels?
Ji Yuan must have a good background, right? !
But Lord Liu didn't want it.
Ji Yuan not only provided the plan but also the manpower. If he is asked to pay the money as well, what will happen to Ning'an Prefecture?
Ji Yuan said, "I am also a member of Ning'an Prefecture, and I should have considered this matter when I hired someone."
Since Ji Yuan asked repeatedly, he would definitely give it.
Isn't it just working for a living? He can do it.
The money was given by Prime Minister Li, so he didn't feel sorry at all.
Lord Liu spent a long time calculating the bills and took fifty taels of silver from Ji Yuan to make up for the final shortfall.
Even so, the silver given by Ji Yuan accounted for the majority.
"Once this year's funding comes in, we will definitely return it to everyone."
Only then did Ji Yuan realize that three hundred taels was already a lot in Ning'an Prefecture.
Yes, it was fine in the village and the county town, but after he moved to the provincial capital and the capital, it seemed like there was inflation.
He was a little careless in this regard.
In other words, Ning'an Prefecture is indeed poor.
Ji Yuan looked up the mountain again.
Those water melon trees are the secret to getting rich.
Ning'an Prefecture will definitely not be so poor in the future.
Of course, it will take time.
Things need to be done one by one.
People in the entire Ning'an Prefecture were busy because of this matter.
This year, because of the reminder from the government office, they harvested the rice early, and everyone in the family, young and old, men, women, and children, went to dig canals.
For the part on the mountain, every family is required to provide labor, and the number of people that should be provided depends on the amount of land each family has.
At the foot of the mountain, each family is responsible for its own part.
The former still requires supervision from the village chief, but the latter does not require any at all.
All canals must meet corresponding standards. It is not the deeper the better, nor the wider the better. They must be determined according to the terrain.
Craftsman Li Laodi had worked in Dianzhou Prefecture for many years and was very familiar with water conservancy. The positions he arranged were basically correct.
Coupled with the suggestions that Ji Yuan gave to Modern Ditch, the other party quickly absorbed them and combined them with what he had on hand.
By the end of August, half of the villages in Ning'an Prefecture had been planned.
Old Man Li still needs to take a rest, he is really too tired.
Although the remaining half of the village was anxious, they were also busy with another thing.
They first dug a large pit for fertilizer in the village, and then went to the mountains to collect water melon tree seedlings, which they transplanted temporarily and could be planted in the spring.
Of course, what they are most anxious about is the construction of the canal.
Ji Yuan looked at the results of the past month and discovered something important.
Building terrace ditches and preparing fertilizer are all easy.
But there is another thing that no one cares about.
That is the third part of the plan.
Symbiosis of rice, ducks, and fish.
This is particularly important. Fish eat weeds, ducks eat insects, and their feces can fertilize the fields. There is no better way of recycling than this.
When the harvest comes in autumn, the rice yield will definitely increase, and the fish and ducks will also be plump.
It's such a good thing, why doesn't anyone do it?
If money falls on the ground, someone will definitely pick it up.
If no one picks it up, it means there will be a price to pay.
The first thing Ji Yuan thought about was how difficult this matter would be for the people.
It’s not difficult to guess.
Ji Yuan fed Xiao Huang some food and touched its head, thinking that it had been working hard recently.
Why is it so hard?
Ji Yuan knew quite a few minor officials, as well as nearby farmers, who all used Xiao Huang to do their jobs.
Xiao Huang is strong and focused, so he is naturally very popular.
Ji Yuan is a local sixth-rank official after all, why do people dare to come and borrow his money?
Because I have no money.
When you have no money, you can do anything.
It's just borrowing a cow, everyone will definitely try to open their mouths.
If Lord Ji agrees, that’s another matter.
“If we don’t consider rice-fish-duck symbiosis, we also don’t have money.”
There is no money to buy fish and duck fry.
This is normal.
As for the locals, since they don’t have to pay taxes, they probably don’t have to worry about food and drink.
But because they have no worries about food and drink, every family has many children.
As a result, the crops grown are basically used for living, and not much is actually sold.
And the locals don’t like to communicate with outsiders.
Next door is Zhennan Pass, and many soldiers come and go at Zhennan Pass. Although it is not a big deal to go there once, ordinary people are still reluctant to walk any further. The soldiers in ancient times are very different from those in modern times.
Most people will be very scared.
In addition, trade is inconvenient because it is difficult to cross mountains and rivers. Food cannot be exchanged for money, nor can food be exchanged for fish and duck seedlings.
In addition, Ji Yuan’s suggestions also include raising fish in rice fields, digging fish ditches, widening and raising the embankments of rice fields, and making them very solid.
Overall look.
As for the latter, the locals are probably not afraid of hard work. They are not afraid of digging ditches, so why would they be afraid of widening the embankment?
I guess there’s still no money to buy fish and duck fry.
In the end, it all comes down to one word: poor.
Ji Yuan thought of the water melon trees on the mountain again.
Maybe this can be brought forward?
I originally wanted to wait, but now it seems that I really can’t wait.
Do what you say.
But the problem was that he only had a vague idea about extracting rubber from the bark of the water melon tree, so he had to experiment on his own.
Ji Yuan chose a place from a village where the canal had not yet been built. It would be best if he could live inside the village so that it would be more convenient to obtain the bark of the water melon tree.
He simply got the list of people who were going to build the canal from the government office, and Lord Liu and his men arranged the time according to the order, so that the people in the villages wouldn't have to wait.
The last village on the list is where Old Man Li last went.
"That's it, Baiyue Village." They were the last in line and had more time. According to the recent progress, Old Man Li would have to wait until October to go there.
The locals still wanted to build a canal, so Ji Yuan didn't want to disturb them too much.
The clerk who went with Ji Yuan to notify the rice harvest last time laughed: "We have been to this village last time, it was Grandma Bai's house."
It's her home.
Ji Yuan also likes the fermented glutinous rice wine she makes.
This minor official named Chai Feng is now helping Ji Yuan. He is full of energy at the age of 25. Since they are going to Baiyue Village, he must follow.
The Ning'an Prefecture government only supported Ji Yuan's ideas.
Although I didn't know what the rubber he was talking about was, I understood what Ji Yuan said, that as long as rubber was made, waterproof shoes could be made.
Waterproof shoes, are they?
really?
As long as it can be done, I will definitely support it with all my strength.
Before Ji Yuan went to Baiyue Village, he also went to the nearest village. The villagers were busy digging canals according to the method given by Old Man Li.
It's hard work, but everyone is willing to do it.
When Ji Yuan arrived, many people were still greeting him.
They all knew Ji Yuan and knew that it was he who brought these good ideas, so they had a good impression of him.
Ji Yuan looked at the mountain spring water flowing down and the plowed rice fields and thought the scenery was extremely beautiful.
Lord Liu and his men also went to various places to observe the situation. Fortunately, digging ditches only requires manpower.
Besides, it is the slack season during farming season, so everyone has time.
Wu Renhao followed Old Man Li.
Dahai is still teaching. He has almost summarized his teaching experience. He not only explains in class, but also takes people to learn on site.
So Ji Yuan took Xiao Huang and Chai Feng away together.
They were going to Baiyue Village to find a way to extract rubber.
Only by extracting this thing can the local people make money and buy duck and fish fry.
There is naturally a problem here.
Rubber must be very profitable, so will they just give up farming and focus on growing this cash crop?
So that the local area can change rice into rubber?
Of course not.
One is that business identity will limit everyone’s choices.
Second, farmers who rely on the land for their livelihood will not take such great risks.
The option of not growing crops is not something most people would consider.
There is one final reason.
Whether it was the Tianqi Kingdom or other ancient dynasties, they would stipulate the ratio of planting agricultural crops to cash crops.
Food security must be ensured at all costs.
Therefore, even though Jiyuan's rubber has not yet been refined, Lord Liu and his team are already thinking about what the appropriate ratio would be.
Ji Yuan felt that Lord Liu really trusted him too much.
He believed it even though he didn't even explain what rubber was.
In fact, Ji Yuan was completely wrong.
It was difficult for him to explain tires, but the example he used of shoes had already made Lord Liu excited.
Make a pair of waterproof shoes?
Will the price still be low?
After just a few words, Lord Liu became impatient.
He knew that if this thing could be really made, it would change local life.
It can also help local people get rich, just like Ji Yuan said.
Ji Yuan mentioned shoes, although it was just an example, but he did plan to start with shoes.
This is something everyone needs, and it doesn't involve more sensitive things, so it's definitely right to start with shoes.
But when it comes to the design of other things, they must also be included.
But such a complex design was beyond his ability to complete.
We need someone who is truly professional.
Someone from the Ministry of Industry?
Most of the people in their Ministry of Works cannot be ordered around.
As easy to talk to Lord Liu as he was to trust me, the people from Wuxin Mansion became more difficult to talk to.
If they don't even care about repairing the canal, there's no need to expect anything else.
Ji Yuan shook his head and went to Baiyue Village with the minor official Chai Feng.
Just as they were about to set off, Father Li, who was resting in the city, rushed over and said, "What's wrong?"
Ji Yuan came here at the end of June and it was almost September now, so he naturally understood where Old Man Li was asking him about.
Ji Yuan replied: "We have official business to attend to. We need to go to Baiyue Village."
"Are you coming back?" Old Man Li asked a little embarrassedly, and asked Ji Yuan when he would come back.
Even Ji Yuan couldn't say for sure about this matter.
He will come back when the rubber is extracted.
After much thought, Old Man Li decided to tell his story.
He came here on the third day of August and was busy until the next two days before he took a break. He planned to wait until the third day of September to continue planning the canals for other villages.
During the two days of rest in Ning'an City, the Ning'an Prefecture Government gave him half of his salary, and the amount was very reasonable, which was the market price.
Including time and technology, the total amount is 270 taels of silver, and half of it has been given now.
Old Man Li was relieved at first. He was originally worried that the government would not pay him! He even thought that if the government refused to pay, he could make up for the loss.
The way that Old Man Li wants to make up for the "loss" is.
Bring the good technology here to the outside world.
When seeing Ning Anzhou's proposal, Old Man Li was surprised at first, but he didn't feel it was eye-opening.
Although this kind of ingenuity is not easy to come up with, it is not groundbreaking.
But when a series of plans were put forward, Old Man Li was already excited in his heart.
He had been repairing canals for Wuxin Prefecture for such a long time, but he didn't know that the method could be so perfect.
So he thought it over.
If the local government does not give money or defaults on paying him, he will use this technology to make money!
But he didn't expect that although Ning'an Prefecture was remote, the money was given on time and the people were very polite to him.
Who would have thought that after receiving the silver, instead of feeling relieved, Old Man Li couldn't sleep at all.
Should he take this money?
Why does he feel that since the other party owes him money, he can make more money by taking the technology abroad?
Old Man Li was depressed. It was the first time that he wanted his boss not to pay him!
After thinking a lot, Old Man Li became anxious when he heard that Ji Yuan, who was in charge of the canal, was going out on official business.
Wu Renhao even carried him on the way.
Wu Renhao told Ji Yuan everything in a low voice without even taking a breath.
He even said it in front of Old Man Li.
Father Li: Ah?
Are you so disrespectful?
Ji Yuan was not surprised when he heard this. He said to Old Man Li, "What do you mean now?"
Father Li simply said, "How about this? I won't accept the government's reward, but I will take this technology out with me."
"You are quite smart." Ji Yuan heard the meaning and couldn't help but said, "This technique is far more than three hundred taels."
Old Man Li chuckled.
Of course he knew, otherwise he wouldn't have followed me out.
Ji Yuan thought for a moment and said directly: "Not only can you bring this method out, but you can also teach others. It's best to teach more people."
"Just do one thing."
"After finishing planning the canal for the last village, I will stay for a while and work with local officials to compile the Manual for the Construction of Terraced Field Canals."
"Then this book will be sent to the capital. Not only will it not affect your ability to make money, but it will also help you become famous."
What?
Old Man Li was dumbfounded.
He couldn't quite understand what Lord Ji was saying.
How could a ditch repairman become famous all over the world?
Even the minor official Chai Feng was dumbfounded.
If you write a book and present it to the court, will you become famous?
How come such a good thing didn't happen to him?
If the people from Wuxinfu Engineering Company heard this, they would definitely regret it.
With such a good book, the court will definitely notice them.
The people in Wuxin Prefecture are trying every means to leave Dianzhou Prefecture every day.
They didn't seize such a good opportunity.
Let a folk craftsman get it.
When they find out, they will be furious.
Ji Yuan looked at the sun. The Baiyue Village was quite far away. If they delayed any further, they might not be able to arrive before tonight.
It is not recommended to take mountain roads in the entire Dianzhou Prefecture.
Ji Yuan's action reminded Father Li, and he immediately said, "Okay! I agree! Stay and write, write a book!"
Old Man Li has been to many places, so he naturally understands the benefits of what Lord Ji said.
When the Dong family came to him for help, he thought he had finally repaid the Dong family's favor.
I just found out now.
It's clear that I owe the Dong family another favor!
Old Man Li was instantly full of fighting spirit.
Stop talking!
He doesn't rest!
He wanted to return the reward and leave immediately!
Ji Yuan had no choice but to say to Wu Renhao: "Both of you should take care of your health. If you are too tired, don't carry him. Look at Old Man Li. He can walk a hundred miles on his own."
Wu Renhao nodded immediately, but also said: "After we finish here, Dahai and I will come to find you."
"Okay, take care of yourself."
"By the way, if there is a letter from me, please remember to ask someone to give it to me in time."
Ji Yuan is still waiting for a reply from Lord Lin and Instructor Cheng.
After I realized the problem, I asked Dr. Yin to tell him not to investigate further.
We are all in different places, and it takes some time to receive letters and reply to them.
But he has been in Ning'an Prefecture for some time, so it should be soon, right?
In ancient society, it was fine if you didn't go out.
As soon as I go out, I miss the extraordinary convenient modern transportation all the time.
Wu Renhao naturally agreed, and Ji Yuan and the others were about to leave.
Xiao Huang didn't need to be led at all, and followed Ji Yuan. The clerk Chai Feng couldn't help but say, "You look like a natural-born Laman."
Ji Yuan looked over.
The other party continued: "You have a cowshed in your yard and you treat the cows so well. This is our local custom!"
Is it really like this?
Ji Yuan smiled and said, “My hometown also respects oxen, but the relationship between me and Xiao Huang is different.”
There's nothing wrong with that.
Ji Yuan concealed some things and only talked about his experience of having no bedding in winter and relying on Xiao Huang for warmth.
Chai Feng was dumbfounded when he heard this.
The local weather is warm all year round, but it is still cold in the morning and evening.
I was shocked to think that the temperature was freezing cold all day long, and the children had to rely on the cow to keep warm.
After walking for a while, Chai Feng said again: "That's not right. People in the government office all think that you, Master Ji, have a good family background."
Good background?
Where did this rumor come from?
When he found out that it was the pot of the three hundred taels of silver, Ji Yuan couldn't help but say, "Don't worry, these three hundred taels of silver will definitely not be sky-high prices in the future."
At least not the kind that I've never heard of.
Chai Feng nodded vigorously: "Master Ji, I believe you."
Do I need to say how reliable Lord Xiao Ji is?
When Ji Yuan and his companions went to Baiyue Village, they should have brought more people with them, after all, they were going to refine rubber.
But now there are too many things to do in the Ning'an Prefecture government office, and the first part of the plan written by Ji Yuan is enough to keep everyone busy.
Of course, even so, everyone was happy.
As long as Ning'an Prefecture is well, anything can be done.
So Ji Yuan planned to find someone to help him in Baiyue Village.
Anyway, this technology will be taught to the local people when the time comes.
Just like the construction of terraced canals.
Although they had worked hard to come up with a plan, they hid it from others, which went against Ji Yuan's idea.
Whether it is terraced fields or canals, they are beneficial to all people living in the mountainous areas.
Therefore, it is completely possible for Old Man Li to take these technologies to other places in Dianzhou Prefecture.
Not only should we take it to Dianzhou Prefecture, but also to Fujian and Sichuan. Any place with this kind of terrain can be used as a reference, and everyone can learn from each other.
This is true for the terraced canals, and the same is true for the subsequent rubber extraction technology.
Ji Yuan actually didn't remember how to extract rubber from the bark of the water melon tree. After all, later studies found that more than 2,000 species of plants can be used to extract rubber.
But people still use rubber trees from Brazil as raw materials.
There is no way, the names are all named after rubber trees, and the rubber trees are so blessed.
Ji Yuan knew this knowledge because of a scholar, Su Shi.
During the Song Dynasty, two strange events were recorded in Meizhou. One was that a sandalwood tree in Meizhou fell down, but came back to life overnight.
The second thing is that there are two alder trees in Meishan County, Meizhou. These two alder trees are like twins. Although they have different roots, they grow together and their branches are tightly attached.
Some people link these two events to the brotherhood between Su Shi and Su Zhe. At that time, they were exiled, but they still supported each other.
It is said that the twin alder trees are like the brotherhood between Su Shi and Su Zhe.
Although this connection was far-fetched, it actually made Ji Yuan remember this incident.
The alder mentioned at that time was the water melon tree.
It also has another name, red alder.
But most people say that red alder refers to the bark of the medicinal water wax gourd tree.
Ji Yuan and his companions finally arrived at Baiyue Village.
When the villagers of Shuidongguashu saw the government officials, they excitedly came over to greet them.
“Is it finally our turn to repair the canal?”
"Didn't we say we have to wait until around September 9th?"
Looking at everyone's excited expressions, Ji Yuan suddenly felt a little guilty and had to explain: "We didn't come here to repair the canal, we came here to do something."
Sure enough, everyone looked disappointed.
In some places, the canals have been under repair for almost a month, but for them, they have to wait until September.
The thought of building a suitable canal so that their food would no longer be flooded made them feel anxious.
Recently everyone has been doing the preliminary preparations, and everyone is just waiting for the craftsmen to come and mark out a place for them.
The village chief of Baiyue Village still had some rationality. He also had a good impression of these two officials. It was they who came when he notified the rice harvest last time.
"My Lords, what are you doing here?"
Someone shouted, "Are they asking us to pay the land tax?!"
This sentence turned everyone's disappointment into horror.
Chai Feng knew everyone's resistance and quickly said, "No, no, we want to come here to do some experiments, and other places are not suitable."
The word "experiment" was also said by Ji Yuan and remembered by Chai Feng.
When the village chief heard that Ji Yuan wanted to pick the red alder, he breathed a sigh of relief. He thought it was a big deal? It was just some bark.
sure.
But when Ji Yuan said he wanted fresh bark, and a lot of it, that was unusual.
The people in Baiyue Village were confused, but Ji Yuan and his friends still stayed there.
Going up from the village, there are many water melon trees. They live here so that it is convenient to find raw materials.
Besides, the locals don’t have much to do recently, so they can be hired to help.
Ji Yuan and his friends stayed in the house arranged by the village chief, which happened to be near Grandma Bai's house.
The village chief simply asked Grandma Bai to take care of their meals and didn't even mention paying them.
The village may not be wealthy, but it is enough to provide food, and they are not short of it.
The village chief also asked his wife to send some rice to Grandma Bai's house and asked Grandma Bai to help with the cooking.
Ji Yuan and Chai Feng stayed in two small houses. It was already getting dark, so other matters would have to wait until tomorrow morning.
Chai Feng originally wanted to explain to the villagers of Baiyue Village, but they were disappointed and frightened, so there was really nothing he could do.
Two things on everyone’s mind right now.
One wanted to build canals for the terraced fields, and the other just didn't want to pay land taxes.
But Lord Ji didn't care at all, and even took out two pieces of narrow-sleeved clothes from the package. It seemed that he had been prepared and came here just to do the "experiment".
The others don't care at all.
This Lord Xiao Ji really has no official airs at all, and is completely different from the foreign officials who came before.
The more Chai Feng thought about it, the faster he moved. Before Ji Yuan noticed, his bed had been made up.
Chai Feng laughed, and his face, which was not white to begin with, looked particularly honest when he laughed, and Ji Yuan was amused by it.
"Take your time." Grandma Bai smiled, holding dishes and chopsticks in her hands, with her grandchildren following behind her.
Her family is small, with only four people, and they all came here to serve food to Ji Yuan and the others.
"Man Man" means "rice" in the local language. Grandma Bai doesn't speak Mandarin, but her grandchildren are better and help translate.
The latter meaning is that I am very grateful to Ji Yuan and the others for helping me collect grain that day, but they left in such a hurry that day that I didn’t have the chance to thank them.
This time I cooked some delicious food to entertain them.
Ji Yuan quickly said that he was not worthy of the honor, it was just a small effort on their part and besides, so much time had passed.
Grandma Bai and her family were very grateful.
After everyone sat down to chat, Ji Yuan finally found out how all the strong laborers in his family were gone.
Grandma Bai has only one son.
My son works as a carpenter.
They go to the mountains to cut wood and bring it down to sell. Every year people come to collect the wood, so it is a regular livelihood.
They were not exchanging money, but exchanging wood for daily necessities.
A few years ago, Grandma Bai's son and daughter-in-law went to chop wood. Unexpectedly, they encountered wild beasts in the forest and were chased into the forest. When they were found, their bodies had been bitten beyond recognition.
Grandma Bai said it as a normal thing, and the three younger generations were used to it.
That's how chopping wood is, even in the entire Ning'an Prefecture, it's not worth mentioning.
After all, life requires not only food, but also other necessities of life, such as salt, oil, and many other things.
Ji Yuan felt uncomfortable listening to this. These sad things shouldn't be mentioned.
After hearing this, Ji Yuan didn't know what to say anymore.
He originally wanted to take Grandma Bai's grandchildren to cut down trees and get the bark for experiments.
This is not easy to say.
I didn’t expect Chai Feng to bring it up directly.
Chai Feng took the initiative to say: "We all grew up in the mountains. Mountains and trees are our gods."
“No one is afraid.”
When they heard that the two officials were going to take them to get tree bark, Bai Ada, Aer and Bai Xiaomei all nodded continuously.
They really aren't afraid.
They grew up in the mountains and they are the children of the mountains.
Granny Bai added: "You can build a canal, and I trust you."
Although Grandma Bai spoke in dialect, Ji Yuan still understood it.
He just gave the locals a plan, but the specific implementation was still done by the locals.
How could he be trusted by Lord Liu and even the old ladies in the village? How could he be so worthy of that?
He must refine this rubber.
Why didn’t I catch up on this knowledge before traveling through time?
How come others have systems when they travel through time, but where is his system???
Ji Yuan never thought about the system when he was in school, but now he wants it.
There are simply too many things to be solved right now, and they are urgent.
“Everything depends on human effort.”
Ji Yuan thought to himself, just give it a try, it will work.
September 1st.
The climate in Ning'an Prefecture is still warm in September.
Ji Yuan did not wear official uniform, but instead wore everyday clothes with narrow sleeves.
After the village chief learned of their purpose yesterday, he also found a few people to follow them today. These people, like Bai Ada's parents, make a living by cutting wood in their spare time.
Ji Yuan and his friends knew where the water melon tree they were looking for was.
When talking to Ji Yuan, the four or five rough-looking men and aunts felt particularly embarrassed.
The news spread throughout Ning'an Prefecture that the new Master Ji was the top scholar and had brought them the best method of building canals.
There will be fertilizers and methods of raising fish and ducks in rice fields to follow.
It is said that you can make more money.
When Ji Yuan looked at them, he was able to turn this expectation into motivation.
On the way up the mountain together, Ji Yuan said, "I thought you weren't going to raise fish and ducks. It seems that no one has taken action."
The people of Baiyue Village said embarrassedly, "No money."
“So I want to cut down trees to make money.”
"The method you mentioned is very good. If we can raise them together, we will have meat to eat during the New Year."
"When people come to collect the wood in November, we can exchange some."
As everyone spoke, they all switched to the local dialect, and when they saw that Ji Yuan could understand it, everyone was even more surprised.
It’s just that Ji Yuan sometimes speaks in a non-standard dialect, which makes everyone laugh, and the laughter is also very kind.
Ji Yuan finally understood.
Everyone remembered the three parts of his plan, but they just didn't have time to carry them out one by one.
This is a great encouragement to the era.
Speaking of which, he was anxious to experiment with extracting rubber from the bark of the water melon tree just to make everyone rich.
The simple people of Ning'an Prefecture thought that they would cut down trees carefully and wait for the wood collectors to come and exchange them for fish and duck seedlings.
Ji Yuan had indescribable feelings in his heart.
In his opinion.
Xiao Jiyuan’s parents, and Bai Ada and his parents from Ning’anzhou.
Although they are more than 5,000 miles apart, their languages and customs are different.
But they are essentially the same.
They are hardworking, kind, and possess all the excellent qualities of working people.
So they deserve better life.
Finally we reached the village, and it was pitch black in the dense forest.
The originally honest villagers became alert and placed traps in places where wild animals often appeared.
Then tie the bell with a thin thread.
They were afraid that when they were cutting down trees, wild beasts would attack them silently from behind. This was based on their daily experience.
Fortunately, the water wax gourd tree that Lord Ji wanted was easy to find.
Everyone moved in unison and started to work.
In the era, they were picking seeds under the giant water melon tree.
The water melon tree also drops its seeds when it sheds its leaves in autumn. After picking them up, they will sprout when you sow them in the spring.
The seeds also need to be planted near the terraced fields of Baiyue Village, so the more the better.
But it is not late autumn yet, so there are not many seeds to pick up.
At noon, everyone ate the local special Baba cake, and then continued to work.
Ji Yuan was looking at other trees nearby. He wanted to identify as many useful trees as possible, as they might be of great use.
After returning to the original place, Ji Yuan just drank a sip of water, picked up the seeds of the water wax gourd tree, and pinched them lightly with his fingers.
Wait a minute.
The oil content of this seed is a bit high.
Ji Yuan asked Bai Ada and Chai Feng: "Can this fruit be used to extract oil?"
Oil pressing?
Everyone was a little confused.
They don’t know.
Normally, people don’t pay much attention to the water melon tree. Even when they collect timber from other places, they mostly collect other trees.
Only when people who collect medicinal herbs come here will people peel the bark and sell it.
The biggest use of this tree for everyone is that its bark is used as medicine.
Some experienced mountain farmers also said that if you find this tree, it will be easy to find water.
I have never heard of oil pressing.
Ji Yuan went under the felled tree, found the fruit inside, and squeezed it with his fingers.
Sure enough, the oil content is extremely high.
This is good stuff.
Wait, it's not poisonous, is it?
Ji Yuan was unsure and looked at the traces of birds and animals gnawing on the fruit.
Almost all the fruits have been eaten.
This made Ji Yuan breathe a sigh of relief. The water melon tree was most likely non-toxic, otherwise birds and beasts would not come to eat it so often.
If the winter melon tree was really as he imagined, its fruit could be used to extract oil, its leaves could be used as fertilizer, and its bark could be used to extract rubber.
Well, we must have many varieties of this thing.
Ji Yuan looked at the mountain again.
This is a real mountain, this is clearly a golden mountain.
It is simply an inexhaustible mountain of treasures!
However, Ji Yuan also saw everyone's hard work. The water melon trees ranged in height from six meters to several dozen meters.
Although they tried to pick small ones to cut, it still took a lot of work to transport them to the village.
If it weren’t for the help of the locals, Ji Yuan wouldn’t be able to do it on his own.
When the trees reached the foot of the mountain, the village chief asked people to help cut down the trees and prepare to peel the bark.
There is no need for Jiyuan to explain this, Baiyue Village can provide one-stop service.
When this was done, the village chief said, "You really want so many colored alder trees not for medicinal purposes, right?"
In the eyes of the village chief, this tree bark can only be used as medicine and is useless for anything else.
Besides medicinal uses, what else can this thing do?
However, although everyone was confused, they still did things according to Lord Ji's requirements.
Ji Yuan was not sure what to say at this time, so he just asked people to collect the fruits of the water melon tree.
What is this doing.
Lord Ji seems to be very busy.
Although the villagers of Baiyue Village did not understand Jiyuan's purpose, they all did as he said.
Some people collected the fruits, while others began to peel the bark.
They felt that there would be absolutely no problem if they did as Lord Ji said!
Chai Feng was working very hard, chopping wood piece by piece, and the whole Baiyue village became busy.
Even the villagers of Baiyue Village don’t know what they are busy with!
Ji Yuan also rolled up his sleeves and crushed the fruits of the water melon tree over there and the bark over here.
That's right, he had figured out how to extract rubber from tree bark.
Inspiration comes from the oily fruit.
What should I do if I want to extract the oil from rapeseed and fruit?
First, crush the rapeseed and other ingredients, and then use steam to evaporate all the water.
Then squeeze out the grease inside.
This is a very traditional extraction process.
If you want the rubber on the bark, can you do the same?
Anyway, just break it down first and then find what you want.
The traditional method is a bit cumbersome, but it works.
Since they all decompose first, soaking them in water will actually make them decompose faster, and rubber is not afraid of water. Soaking the bark in water and using bacteria to decompose it will definitely be faster.
This method is derived from extracting the fibers needed for paper.
In short, Ji Yuan mixed up everything he knew.
He just didn't believe that he couldn't make rubber!
If he can't do it in one day, he won't come down the mountain!
During these days, Ji Yuan had nothing to do, so he would tinker with the bark, and then with the fruit.
It is indeed much easier to extract oil from fruits there.
When rubber was still not yet visible, the oil from the fruit of the water melon tree had already been squeezed out.
And they also fed it to rabbits for experiments.
This grease is non-toxic!
Okay, okay, although the rubber still needs to be put in for a while, there is enough grease.
Water Winter Melon, you are such a big treasure!
Ji Yuan is even more looking forward to the appearance of rubber, and the latex liquid will be decomposed quickly.
I don’t know if the water melon tree heard Ji Yuan’s thoughts.
Finally, on the morning of September 23, a white, sticky substance appeared in the water.
Grandma Bai, who got up first, thought the bark was rotten, and she was so scared that she hurried to find Ji Yuan.
Ji Yuan looked at the thing he had been thinking about day and night and almost hugged it and gave it a kiss.
If the water hadn't smelled so bad, he would have done so.
Rubber latex.
It is indeed rubber latex.
"It's done, it's really done." Ji Yuan was rarely so happy.
After finishing other things, Wu Renhao and An Dahai came to Baiyue Village and saw Ji Yuan holding a small bowl of white lotion excitedly.
An Dahai almost touched Ji Yuan's forehead: "Is Ji Yuan okay?"
Ji Yuan watched them coming over, and then watched the villagers of Baiyue Village excitedly surrounding Old Man Li, and then he realized that time flew by.
The villagers surrounded Old Man Li, naturally wanting to repair the canal as soon as possible.
As for this white stuff?
They really don’t understand!
Ji Yuan smiled and said, "It's time for me to go down the mountain."
"What I wanted has been accomplished."
The experiment is completed, and the next step is to make the finished product.
Soon, the villagers of Baiyue Village will know what these things are used for!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
