Chapter 115 Girls Can Also Farm
By mid-April, most of the wheat in the fields of Hedong Village had already turned yellow and was ready for harvest. Xiao Ji only had a little over half a month left before rice planting, yet large tracts of land around the palace were still covered in weeds.
Yesterday, Zhao Tong and Fugui brought back two bags of Champa rice seeds, and Xiao Ji couldn't wait to call the village head to discuss the rice planting plan.
He unfolded a topographic map of the area surrounding the palace—a simple map he had recently drawn based on Fugui's description and what he had seen with his own eyes.
The young man pointed to the area near Hedong Village and said, "Your village has a total of sixty-seven households. The land near the village will be handed over to the villagers for cultivation. Each household will receive half an acre of land based on the number of people they have. You can cultivate it yourself, and no rent will be collected for three years."
"It's not that I'm stingy with my land, but I'm worried about biting off more than I can chew. This Champa rice seed is hard-earned, so it must be cultivated carefully."
Qingwu stood aside, frowning slightly, but did not refute.
However, Xiao Ji waited for a moment but saw no response from the village head. When he looked up, he saw the village head standing awkwardly to the side, hesitant to speak, his face a mixture of joy and worry, a contradictory expression.
"What? Don't you want to?" Xiao Ji raised his eyebrows.
"No, no, no!" The village head waved his hands hurriedly, his dark face full of fear. "Why would I not want to? I and the whole village are grateful to you..."
Even so, he still hesitated, his old eyelids fluttering repeatedly, and finally hesitantly said, "What I mean is... for such a large piece of land, we should at least sign a contract."
This surprised Xiao Ji—no one had ever asked him to sign a contract. Seeing the atmosphere becoming awkward, Qing Wu, who had been silent for a long time, spoke up.
She sighed and said to the village head, "Let's sign a contract with him, so that if one party regrets it, there will be an explanation."
How could Qingwu not see the village head’s worry?
They lived in a temporary palace, and in the eyes of the common people, they must have been powerful and influential. Even if they had fallen to such a state, "a lean camel is bigger than a horse," and if they regretted their efforts after the villagers had worked hard to plow the land and sow seeds, the villagers would be helpless.
Xiao Ji was smart and had never been suspected like this before. After Qing Wu's guidance, he suddenly understood.
Thinking of this, a complex emotion welled up in my heart - the village head in the capital was still so uneasy, which showed that the oppression of the common people by the powerful was not uncommon. I wonder how many such chaos there are in the world.
The young man's excited heart seemed to have been poured with a basin of cold water, and gradually calmed down. The change in his expression caught the attention of the village head, making him even more uneasy.
Glancing at the village head's frightened face, Xiao Ji tried his best to slow down his voice and even praised him, "The village head is very thoughtful."
This is all thanks to the wife's teachings. If he continued with his previous style of behavior, Xiao Ji was afraid that this place would be scared to death by him.
He couldn't help but turn his head to look at his wife, his peach blossom eyes full of joy, and his affection almost overflowing, but in return he got a glare from the girl and his arm was twisted quietly.
It seems to be saying: Don’t do this outside.
The young man immediately withdrew his gaze and looked at the headman seriously. He was happy in his heart, knowing that the lady was shy, but he calmly picked up the brush and took out a piece of clean rice paper.
"Then let's write it down: These lands will be leased to Hedong Village for cultivation. No rent will be collected for the first three years. We will provide the seed for the first year. After three years, you will pay 20% of the harvest each year, and the rest will belong to you. Is this feasible?"
The village head, knowing full well that a written contract wouldn't necessarily bind the powerful, still summoned the courage to propose it. Xiao Ji was deeply impressed by his commitment to the villagers, and he wasn't reluctant to draft his first contract.
Upon hearing that the contract had been signed, the village head immediately bowed to express his gratitude, tears welling up in his cloudy old eyes: "Sir, you are so kind. On behalf of the entire village, I thank you for your great kindness!"
Xiao Ji nodded, no longer hesitating, and began writing. He wrote slowly, carefully considering each stroke and discussing each sentence with the village head.
Qingwu also made room to the side and stood inside to grind ink for him.
"One more thing." Xiao Ji suddenly stopped writing and looked up at the village head. "If there is a disaster year with poor harvest, the rent can be reduced or exempted as appropriate."
The village head trembled violently when he heard this, and was so moved that he burst into tears. He wiped his tears and was about to kneel down, but Fugui, who was standing beside him, cleverly held him back.
"That's not necessary." Xiao Ji said, "I asked you to farm, but it's not without requirements: what to plant and how to plant it must be reviewed and decided by me."
He wanted to use the ten miles of land around the palace to grow superior crops. Even if he failed to ascend the throne in the future, he would have done his part for the people of the world.
How could this little rule compare to the kindness Xiao Ji had shown me? The village head knew it well.
"This is a favor worth over a hundred acres of land... What do these rules mean..."
Finally, when he heard the head of the village mention the number of acres of land, Qingwu, who had been thinking for a long time, couldn't help but speak: "My dear, I have a suggestion."
The eyes of the people present instantly fell on Qing Wu. She was not intimidated at all: "I propose that not only the men in the village can own land, but the women should be able to do so as well."
Qingwu's voice was as clear as a stream, but every word was powerful: "First, I see there are many orphans and widows in the village. If we only give it to families with male children, those orphans and widows who have lost their husbands will have a harder time surviving."
She paused, her eyes sweeping over the crowd. "Life is tough in this world. A man working outside can easily lose his life. Not to mention being beaten to death by the powerful, even falling off a cliff for a rabbit or a wild boar can kill him. Leaving behind orphans and widows, without land to rely on, won't they starve to death?"
The village head was stunned when he heard this, and his rough fingers unconsciously rubbed the corner of his clothes.
Qing Wu was in no hurry to continue, but turned her gaze to Xiao Ji and met his eyes - rather than saying that she was speaking to everyone, it would be better to say that she was speaking to him.
Only with Xiao Ji's approval can her idea be realized.
Qingwu sometimes feels that he thinks too much and is too fanciful, but he still can't help but fantasize: If some ideas can be turned into policies and implemented throughout the country, how many girls can be saved?
Even though she felt a little scared, she still wanted to give it a try.
The young man didn't know what Qingwu was thinking, he just felt that she looked particularly dazzling standing in front of everyone and talking freely, so he couldn't suppress the affection in his heart, and his eyes were full of tender admiration.
Meeting that gaze, the girl felt a little more at ease. She took a deep breath.
"Secondly, in my humble opinion, the size of a country's population is of paramount importance. A country thrives when its people are numerous, and the same is true for a village."
Her voice gradually became firm. "But ordinary people all prefer sons, because they are strong and can farm and protect the family. Many baby girls are drowned and abandoned at birth..."
The village head couldn't help but interrupt: "Madam, there are reasons for those things. We really can't afford to support them..."
Qing Wu shook his head gently: "If you really can't afford to raise a baby, why only abandon the baby girl and not the baby boy?"
The corpses of the baby girls she had seen while traveling with her grandmother appeared before her eyes, and her voice unconsciously took on a deep sense of pity. "In the final analysis, it's because there are too few benefits to having a girl."
She turned to Xiao Ji, her eyes burning. "If girls can get a share of land, they can bring land as dowry when they get married. In this way, having a daughter will be a good thing - a daughter can get a share of land, and when she gets married, she will be respected by her husband's family, and the couple will live in harmony, and they will naturally be willing to have more children. In ten years, the village will surely be prosperous!"
As soon as the words fell, the corridor was silent. The tip of the pen that the young man had picked up touched the paper without him noticing, leaving a mark of ink.
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