Chapter 2162

Gaoxie Village currently has more bayberry groves than rice-growing farmland, and the planting and picking of bayberries is no longer a "sideshow" for local agricultural production, but has gradually become a major income-generating project for Gaoxie Village and even the entire Baiquan Town.

.

The scale of planting in Gaoxie Village is increasing year by year, and the local labor force is no longer enough during the picking season every summer. After all, after picking these bayberry fruits, they must be processed within a short preservation period, otherwise they will easily spoil and be lost.

value, so a large amount of manpower needs to be concentrated during the picking period to complete the work.

In the past few days, in addition to mobilizing the whole village, old and young, Wang Dagui also hired many helpers from nearby villages to complete the picking work with low technical content. As for "free helpers" like Xiunian, Wang Dagui took advantage of the opportunity.

No need to use it in vain.

Xiu Nian was also curious about the deep processing of bayberry, so he took the initiative to ask Wang Dagui that he wanted to see the processing place. Wang Dagui felt that Xiu Nian was an official sent by the town office, so he didn't think there was anything wrong with such a request.

After finishing the things at hand, I took him to the village.

Xiunian noticed that almost all the houses in Gaoxie Village were tile-roofed houses, and there were even some brick houses that were rare in rural areas. This showed that the economic situation here was indeed not bad. He asked Wang Dagui whether the new immigrants would

You can also have such living conditions.

"According to the regulations from above, the village must provide basic housing for new immigrants. Our standard in Baiquan Town is a unified thatched house. The place has been selected and will be built when the work is done in the past few days. They only need to work hard and earn one or two

After two years, you can spend some money to renovate it into a tile-roofed house. As for the brick-tiled house and the large yard, the construction cost is high, so it will probably take a few more years." Wang Dagui did not hide it, and said happily.

He told Xiunian the actual situation.

In fact, there is no need for Wang Dagui to lead the way. As long as you follow the cart transporting bayberries, you will find a place where bayberries are processed. This place is a row of large tile-roofed houses. The picked bayberries will be sent here to be concentrated, cleaned and then processed into different

The products are then sent to different rooms for storage. After a few days, merchants will come to the village to pay and pick up the goods.

Because the labor intensity is relatively lower than picking work, almost all the people working here are women. They clean the freshly picked bayberries and then carry out further processing according to different uses.

"Let me take you to see how bayberry cans are made! This is a high-end product exclusively for the capital!" Wang Dagui proudly pulled Xiunian to one of the processing points and explained the production process to him. But Xiunian did not

Now that I know what a can is, I am very curious.

Farmers remove the branches and leaves from the bayberry fruits, wash them with clean water, and then soak them in light salt water for a stick of incense. Then they put the bayberries into steamed jars and add boiled sugar water.

Then screw on the iron lid, put it in a steamer and steam it over high heat for a stick of incense, take it out and tighten it again while it's hot with a towel, and it's done.

"After these cans are made, they are placed in a cool place to dry. When the iron lid collapses on its own, it means it is sealed. But we usually turn it upside down to see if there is any leakage. As long as there is no air leakage,

If the lid doesn't bulge, the can can last at least half a year, enough to be sent from Zhoushan to Beijing for sale." Wang Dagui introduced the production process in detail.

Of course, he did not understand the various scientific principles involved in this production process, but this was a "secret method" taught by agricultural technicians. If Xiunian was not from the town office, he would not explain the details to Xiunian.

.

Of course, although Xiunian could see and hear clearly, like Wang Dagui, he also knew what was happening but did not know why. He did not understand the principle of preservation of the canned bayberry at all. However, Xiu Nian noticed that the can was

There are two types of containers, one is a clay pot, and the other is a completely transparent glass jar that looks very luxurious. I immediately asked Wang Dagui curiously what the details were.

"The clay pot is made locally in Baiquan Town. There is nothing unusual about it. However, this glass jar is a high-end product shipped from the south. It was specially customized from China because of General Shi's favor. This glass jar is the best.

The number of bayberry fruits is limited each year and they are not available in the market." Wang Dagui said while giving Xiunian a "you know" look.

But Xiunian really didn't understand, and then asked: "Such high-quality things can definitely be sold at a good price, so why not sell them on the market?"

"This is a special offer! A special offer!" Wang Dagui could only shake his head and express contempt for Xiunian's shallow knowledge: "This is for the dignitaries in the capital to enjoy. Without that status, even if you have money, you can't eat it!"

"That's it!" Xiunian suddenly realized.

In fact, similar things are not uncommon in Hirado. Some high-end goods imported from foreign countries, such as high-end silk products from the Ming Dynasty and glass handicrafts from Haihan, are given priority to the capital or Edo for the upper class in society.

Enjoyment. This is a manifestation of class differences in material life, and no country is exempt.

Of course, not selling in the market does not mean that there is no income from these high-end agricultural products. In fact, these high-end products that are not sold publicly bring much higher income to Gaoxie Village than ordinary products, because these products are all imported from Sanya.

The logistics department ordered it specifically for the enjoyment of time-travelers, so they only looked at the quality and did not consider the cost at all. In addition, Shi Diwen also deliberately fought for some conditions for the local industry, and the profit margin for processing costs was still very considerable.

of.

Product grading methods like this also appear in other deeply processed products. Dried fruits, jams, and fruit wines are each divided into several grades and supplied to different markets and consumers.

This relatively mature agricultural product development and experience model is far ahead of the social development of this era, and Haihan is unrivaled in this field. These operating methods are for Xiunian, who has some business knowledge in the past.

It simply opened up a whole new world.

"Village Chief Wang, may I take the liberty to ask, how much of the income from the processing of bayberry fruit can account for the income of the people in Gaoxie Village?" Xiunian thought about it for a while, and then asked a bold question. He estimated that he would have no problem anyway.

As an official, Wang Dagui would not blame himself for being too abrupt.

Sure enough, Wang Dagui only hesitated for a moment, and then answered his question readily: "It's hard to say what percentage it is. The rice grown in our village is barely self-sufficient, ensuring that all villagers will not go hungry. As for income, it is basically dependent on

The bayberries are planted.”

Seeing that the other party was willing to answer, Xiunian asked again: "Then the output of each family must be very different. How should it be distributed?"

"The bayberries in our Gaoxie Village are public property. How much they sell each year is divided equally according to household registration, so every person in every household who can work has to contribute." Wang Dagui paused and added.

He said: "Part of the land where grain is grown is privately owned, but when it's time to harvest bayberry, you have to finish working on the bayberry before you can take care of your own land."

Like most overseas colonial areas in Haihan, agricultural production in Zhoushan is still dominated by collective farms. Although immigrants who are naturalized and settled can also be allocated private land, they still have to give priority to completing corresponding labor for collective farms.

, can enjoy various benefits as Haihan citizens. As for the twenty Japanese immigrants who were assigned to Gaoxie Village yesterday, they are not yet qualified to obtain private land, even if it is given to them by the village

The houses built are all public property and can only be transferred to an individual after naturalization.

There has never been a large-scale plantation or farm with private capital in Gaoxie Village. This is thanks to Shi Diwen's control over the local agricultural development process in Zhoushan. Someone has long had an idea for a planting project with stable profits like Gaoxie bayberry.

, but just as Wang Dagui showed off, the variety of Gaoxie bayberry is resistant to water and soil conditions. On the entire Zhoushan Island, only the hillside near Gaoxie Village can produce bayberry fruits of this quality. Those who want to start a bayberry plantation

The only option for businessmen is to contract out the local forests.

However, Shi Diwen considered that this kind of agricultural product with local characteristics is one of the few special commodities in Zhoushan, so it cannot be allowed to become an industry controlled by individual businessmen, so as not to affect the stability of the annual supply to Sanya.

Nature. Therefore, although the bayberry grove in Gaoxie Village is somewhat famous, it is not anyone’s private property, and local farmers can also rely on the production of this fruit grove to obtain huge profits.

The reasons why Shi Diwen did this may not necessarily be clear to the people below, but the actual benefits it brings can be felt by everyone. Although ordinary people are not very good at expressing, they know very well what they should do.

Whatever you do, just follow the arrangements of General Shi and the government.

Xiunian had just arrived, so she didn’t know much about the agricultural development model and the government’s power structure in the Zhoushan Colonial Zone. Naturally, she couldn’t empathize with the people in Gaoxie Village. However, from what she saw and heard in Gaoxie Village, Xiunian realized

Haihan is not a reckless man who only sends troops to fight. Even in areas governed by military attachés like Shi Diwen, agricultural production is carried out vigorously, and it is closely integrated with the maritime trade that Haihan is best at. This is why he

A development method that had never been heard of in the Hirado Domain before.

However, what made Xiunian feel a little regretful was that Wang Dagui did not invite him to taste these very attractive-looking bayberry products. According to Wang Dagui, these semi-finished products in the process of production were not in the best condition, but Xiunian felt that

He must be worried about money and doesn't want to continue to buy such good things for free.

Xiunian's idea was obviously a bit of a villain's idea. After visiting the bayberry processing plant, Wang Dagui took the initiative to invite Xiunian to stay for dinner, and also claimed that he would let him try the local bayberry wine.

Xiu Nian thought that she could save a few steamed buns that she brought from the town, but you must not drink this bayberry wine. You have to go to the next village today. If you drink too much at noon, you will definitely miss something.

Fa went back to revive Jiang Zian.

Eat on the mountain and eat on the sea. Gaoxie Village is located in the coastal plain. The ingredients on this table are mainly seafood. Xiunian had already had the idea of ​​​​returning to secularism before leaving Seogwipo, so the food does not avoid meat and fish.

Now, he could let go and have a good meal. However, he firmly declined Wang Dagui's offer to drink, which made Wang Dagui think highly of him.

"Monk, for those people who came to Gaoxie Village yesterday, just don't worry. They will starve to death here and won't freeze. I still count on them to work, and I will definitely make them have no worries about food and housing. Don't you say you will be here in the afternoon?

Are you leaving? After dinner later, I will take you to the ancestral hall where they are temporarily staying to have a look, so that you can feel at ease."

After hearing this, Xiunian quickly thanked Wang Dagui, thinking that she had successfully completed her errands in the first village she came to. The village chief was also easy to talk to, so she seemed to be lucky. Then she asked, "Village Chief Wang"

, I am going to the nearby Fuqiang Village in the afternoon, can you tell me about the local situation?"

Wang Dagui nodded and said: "Fuqiang Village is very close, just over three miles southeast. The people who came to pick fruits today are helpers from Fuqiang Village. Just find someone to take you there later."

"In Fuqiang Village, most of them, including the village chief, are immigrants. Their village chief is an immigrant who escaped from Shandong Province. He used to make pottery, so in addition to farming, Fuqiang Village also learned the village chief's crafts and specialized in making pottery.

Jars and jars. The various pottery jars and jars you saw just now where bayberry fruits are processed are basically produced in Fuqiang Village."

Xiunian said: "In that case, Fuqiang Village has followed Gaoxie Village to become rich!"

"That's not necessarily true!" Wang Dagui did not take advantage of Xiunian's flattery. He shook his head and said: "The pottery made in Fuqiang Village is not only supplied to our village, but also sold outside, and the pots and jars are of no choice.

It’s in season and can be made and sold all year round, so their business is better than selling bayberries in our village, and there are more wealthy households than our village.”

After all, every village has its own industry! After listening to this introduction, Xiunian couldn't help but feel a little emotional about Haihan's agricultural development model. He remembered that when he was in Pinghou, farmers seemed to have no other work except taking care of farmland.

If you really have some free time, you still have to complete the official duties. If you are a little troublesome, you may even be drafted as a peasant soldier. Unlike the farmers in Haihan, they still have the energy to run some profitable side businesses.

"Village Chief Wang, don't all the villagers have to do corvee service?" Xiunian couldn't help but ask.

Wang Dagui responded: "The fields and fruit groves we usually farm are owned by the public, so we are already doing corvee work! We also dig canals, repair roads, and build some public facilities, which are also doing corvee work. I know you want to ask

What, corvee belongs to corvee, but generally it will not hinder everyone from working and making money. Otherwise, do you think that such a big Dinghai Port in the south can appear out of thin air? "
Chapter completed!