The quantity of wood that Zhu Guoxiang dried in the shade was somewhat insufficient, so he spent money to buy some inventory from the Bai family.
He led people to get the wood back, handed over the budget for making high-rotating drum carts and digging ditches to his son and said: "A weir pond, a canal, and a high-rotating drum truck, if you spend all the money to hire villagers to do it,
, we don’t have much money left in our hands. It’s best to dig the second weir and pond next year, after all, we can’t use up all the money.”
Digging weirs, ponds and canals is a strenuous job, and even if we use work-for-relief, we will have to pay at least 25 Wen for the labor.
With more than two hundred people working at the same time, it would cost several dollars to pay wages every day.
High-roller trucks are also expensive and laborious. After all, the thing is ten meters high, and a wooden frame and diversion channel of the same height must be built to guide the river water down the hillside. Taking into account the labor costs and raw materials (including tung oil and other materials),
Don't even think about repairing it without 200 guan. Moreover, Zhu Guoxiang lacks experience and has to figure it out as he goes. If he makes a few more mistakes, he can probably get 250 guan into it.
It's so much money that I can't afford not to pay it.
The poor people Bai Sheng brought back from the county were no better than beggars. They had no food at all and relied on working every day to make ends meet.
The families who escaped from the mountains brought back by Zhang Guangdao did have some food reserves, but they could barely avoid starving to death and had to collect wild vegetables to supplement their food. Moreover, they had very few clothes and they hardly left their houses in winter, so they had to provide them with fabrics.
These two types of people account for nearly one-third of the village's population, and they have to be supported until next spring.
Relief for work is the most perfect solution.
"With the funds seized from the bandits, we will definitely be able to survive this year," Zhu Ming lit a flower. "If we continue to build water conservancy projects next year, it seems that we will have to use the corvee system. Only rations will be provided, and wages will not be paid.
Water conservancy is directly classified as public property within the village."
"Save it. It's the last few packs of cigarettes." Zhu Guoxiang lit one himself. "Will the villagers be resentful if the corvee is imposed?"
Ju Ming said: "There must be complaints. Just control them. You have been a vice dean and a professor for so many years. You should know how to use free labor."
"What do you call this? It makes me like Zhou Papi," Zhu Guoxiang said. "Even if corvees are used, the construction of the second weir and pond should be postponed until after the autumn harvest next year."
Ju Ming suddenly asked: "How many sweet potatoes can we harvest this year?"
Zhu Guoxiang said: "With improved sweet potatoes and chemical fertilizers, depending on the soil and climate, the yield per mu is between 4,000 jins and 10,000 jins, usually 5,000 or 6,000 jins. This is a net crop yield. If other crops are interplanted,
, the yield per mu is only about two to three thousand catties."
After shaking off the ashes, Zhu Guoxiang continued: "We brought more than ten kilograms of sweet potatoes and pinched out more than 1,100 potato seedlings, barely able to grow one acre. Because it is intercropping, there is no chemical fertilizer, and it is still a mountainous area.
From planting, I estimate that it will be good if we can produce one thousand catties. If we are lucky, we can at most produce one thousand two hundred catties. We need to save seeds for next year. Even if we use five hundred catties to eat, how many days will it be enough for the villagers?"
"Oh, just wait until next year. This year's main reason is that there are too many new people, and all the people attracted are poor people," Zhu Ming leaned on the chair and puffed away.
Rich, we have to find a way to make a fortune."
Zhu Guoxiang joked: "Go down the mountain and rob passing merchant ships."
"If there is a rebellion in the next two or three years, I don't mind being a bandit," Zhu Ming actually considered the matter seriously, "but if there is no rebellion within five years, being a bandit will not be worth the gain."
Zhu Guoxiang thought about it carefully and suggested: "We should stop going to the mountains, break off the BMW's reflectors, make exquisite frames out of wood, and sell them to Lu Guan people in the county."
"In such a remote county, you can sell it for a few dozen guan at most. There are tigers in the mountains, so I have to take people there, so I'm too lazy to make a trip." Zhu Ming refused.
After traveling through time, he discovered that the ancient bronze mirror, as long as it was finely polished, would have the same effect as a glass mirror, instead of blurry figures like in the TV series.
He walked around the streets sharpening scissors and also polished bronze mirrors part-time.
After smoking a cigarette, neither father nor son spoke anymore.
They are still too eager for success. Not only do they want to explode the population in a short period of time, but they also want to develop water conservancy projects. If they were replaced by old white people, they wouldn't be able to sustain it.
"Village chief, Brother Zhang is back and has brought more than 20 fugitives with him!"
Ju Ming was not happy when he heard this. He used to worry about the small population, but now he is worried about not having enough food.
He walked out quickly, took up the horse by the way, and when he saw Zhang Guangdao, he said: "Brother Zhang, don't recruit people for the time being. Wait until the corn is harvested next year to absorb the fugitives. I'll give you this horse. I agreed in advance."
.”
"good!"
Zhang Guangdao was so happy that he turned over and got on the horse.
Ju Ming quickly stopped: "Don't ride too fast, the mare is pregnant!"
"You should have told me earlier!"
Zhang Guangdao immediately dismounted, fearing that he might miscarry accidentally.
He is in his twenties and has never been married. Now he regards the mare as his wife, just like the horse carrying its own calf in its belly.
Zhu Ming went to bring the cornucopia over again: "I'll lend you this one for now."
Cornucopia's temper is getting worse and worse. He only recognizes Ju Ming and his son, and no one else wants to ride on him.
Zhu Ming stroked his mane to comfort him, Zhang Guangdao also tried to persuade him, and finally he rode on safely.
"Brother Zhang, I will serve as a spearman for you!" Bai Sheng had already returned to the village. After recruiting sixty people, he was given two acres of land and three guans of money, and he no longer went to the county to recruit poor people.
Zhang Guangdao has ridden that mare before and is familiar with the basic operation.
At this moment, he took the spear and used it as a carbine, but he did not dare to completely let go of the reins, so he could only hold the reins with one hand and hold the gun with one hand. Using one hand on the galloping horse, Zhang Guangdao always felt uncomfortable. He tried various postures and finally realized
Charge with a gun.
This style of play is very popular among European knights.
There are also records in ancient China, but they are not considered mainstream tactics.
Zhang Guangdao knew that his riding skills were not good enough, so he simply threw away his spear and just practiced riding. Bai Sheng stood on the sidelines and cheered.
The father and son ignored him and went down the mountain to the construction site together.
Meng Zhao is supervising the Yantang construction site. This is a new task assigned to him by Zhu Guoxiang.
It took more than a month to dig out the mountain wall, and the pond will continue to be dug. Once all is dug, watering and compacting will be required to prevent excessive water penetration at the bottom and walls of the pond.
Brothers Deng Chun and Deng Xia are leading a few masons to use hammers and drills to trim a strip of stone that will be transported to the barrel truck to lay the foundation.
Deng Chun was as strong as an ox, and he could feed two people by himself.
In late autumn, he was actually still wearing single clothes. His muscles were like muscles when swinging the hammer, and his iron drills on the stones were like embroidery. The stones he hammered out were the most regular in shape, which formed a strong contrast with his thick body.
The father and son observed for a while and then went to the bobbin truck construction site.
There are more than a dozen carpenters over there, who are preliminarily processing the wood. More than thirty villagers have been divided into digging holes by the river to prepare the foundation.
Zhu Guoxiang said: "I have to guard the cart. The sweet potatoes will be harvested soon. I need you to go to Shangbaicun to deal with it."
"No problem." Zhu Ming said.
Zhu Guoxiang said: "There must be some broken sweet potatoes, and some smaller ones. They can be transported back to Daming Village, dried into dried potatoes and sold. This stuff is rare. You can speculate it and maybe sell it at a high price."
The larger ones that are intact will be transported back to be used as potato seeds for next year. One pound of sweet potato seeds can be used to plant fifty to one hundred seedlings, enough to plant in the whole village."
A few days later, Ju Ming set off with his people and some money along the way.
Corn and sweet potatoes were grown by tenants, and they only had to pay rent to the Zhu family. If Zhu Ming wanted to take them away, he had to spend the corresponding money and grain, and by the way, he had to leave some seeds for the tenants.
When I arrived at Shangbai Village, I learned that the sweet potatoes were about to be harvested, so I personally led my servants to help.
After digging out the sweet potatoes one by one, Bai Zongwang asked, "How do you eat this? Is it the same as taro?"
Ju Ming said: "You can cut it into several pieces and cook it with the porridge. It's best to add some corn flour. It can also be roasted and eaten, and it can also be dried into dried sweet potatoes."
Bai Zongwang smiled and said: "Speaking of corn, I put corn flour in the flour and steamed the pancakes together, which gave it a different flavor."
"There are other ways to eat it. Young corn is good whether boiled or grilled." Zhu Ming said.
"That will have to wait until next year."
Bai Zongwang bent down and picked up a sweet potato. After cleaning the soil and examining it carefully, he felt that it was a taro with a different appearance.
Regardless, this stuff is filling and seems to be very productive.
Baskets of sweet potatoes were carried down the mountain and piled under the eaves of Shen Yourong's house. Several dozen kilograms were left for the tenants. Bai Zongwang also bought dozens of kilograms, and all the rest had to be moved back to Daming Village.
"When will Ms. Shen plan to go there?" Zhu Ming asked Shen Yourong.
Shen Yourong said: "Just these two days."
Grandma Yan looked at her courtyard: "I have lived here for decades, but I really can't bear to move."
Ju Ming comforted him: "I moved there, and I can come back and visit at any time."
"As you get older, it's not easy to go out." Grandma Yan walked to the door and stretched out her hand to touch the door frame, as if reminiscing about the past.
Her family's property, as well as that of her father and son, have all been sold to Lao Bai Yuanwai.
You definitely have to move, why do you stay here?
I am unfamiliar with the place and I am a little worried about my future life.
Ju Ming rented the Bai family's passenger ship and carried baskets of sweet potatoes aboard. Neighbors also came to help, bringing books, pots and bowls, quilts, farm tools and the like.
Grandma Yan held her grandson in her hands and turned back three times with each step, as if she was parting from life or death.
Shen Yourong has some expectations. Her heart is set on Zhu Guoxiang, and home is where her husband is.
"Brother, what does the new home look like?" Bai Qi asked, raising his head.
"The new home is in the mountains, and there are children there. You can make new friends," Zhu Ming said to Mrs. Shen again. "There are also young women over there. The wife of Meng Xiucai's family is about the same age as Mrs. Shen."
Shen Yourong smiled and said, "I recognize her. She grew up in a village. I went there to keep her company."
Many villagers spontaneously came to see him off. Zhu Guoxiang taught them how to farm, and Zhu Ming killed the thieves. Both father and son have high prestige here.
With the bamboo poles propped up, the boat left the shore and moved further and further away.
I don't know when Bai Dalang ran over, waving to the shore and calling: "My third brother is going home for the New Year, Dalang, come and sit down too!"
"Definitely, come and have a drink then!" Zhu Ming laughed loudly.