In the seventh month, we harvest sunflower seeds and bean sprouts, in August we peel jujubes, and in October we harvest rice. This is the spring wine to promote longevity.
It is written in the Book of Songs that the ancient ancestors cooked sunflowers and beans in July, harvested red dates in August, and began to harvest rice in October. They used the extra grain to brew spring wine to pray for the longevity of the family in the coming year.
One pound of turbid wine requires several pounds of grain. This is a phenomenon that only occurs in times of good weather.
There was a disaster in spring this year. Many families who did not have enough food reserves ventured into the mountains to find food in the snow-covered spring day. Many cases were caused because of this, and there were many such things around the capital.
The governor of the capital sent many officers to deal with it. The key to the problem was that there was not enough food. If the food problem could not be solved, the people could not be stopped from entering the mountains.
If you plow one night in spring, your autumn harvest will be delayed. If you delay it for a few months, you will be hungry for several more months.
Amidst the laments of ordinary people.
Outside the capital, in a mansion somewhere.
Four old men in long robes sat under a waterside pavilion, facing each other in pairs. On the table in the middle were a pot of tea, several plates of snacks and several books. The correct farming notes were printed on the books.
After sealing it, a cool breeze passed by and the pages of the book were opened at random.
"...Since several of you have read the book written by the housewife, why should you remain silent here..." One of them looked at the youngest old man and stroked his beard. The old man was only three cents whiter.
He has a beard and his temples are covered with shiny black crow hair.
As soon as he said this, the other three people had different expressions.
"Ms. Huitian printed the family secret recipe in a book and gave it to the world. She is selfless and upright." Another old man said, with a bad expression on his face.
"...I see how ignorant this old woman is! How can she teach such a secret recipe to the common people! It is really an insult to her to make such a crude painting on it! It's a waste of paper!" an old man said angrily.
"Brother Wu, since it is an insult to politeness, how come I heard that you asked your servants to purchase dozens of volumes?"
"I... I did it just in case. I was worried that the books would be lost among the people, so I bought some and kept them at home!" The old man explained with some stuttering.
Several other people laughed a little after hearing this.
"When the Duan family became famous in the south, I sent people to take a look. The old lady of the Duan family distributed a lot of improved seeds to the people around them. The people who got the improved seeds had a much higher yield per acre of land. It's a pity that this paragraph
The old lady is very old, it would be much easier if she were younger."
"...Although the common people are illiterate, today's world is not what it was thousands of years ago. There are countless children from poor families and farmers who can read. Think about it! If the farmland in the world can really produce the same output as written in this book, the common people will
If everyone has enough food and clothing, we may no longer be able to keep the shelter in our hands!"
After hearing this, the other people looked a lot more serious.
The reason why the family has been able to stand for thousands of years is largely due to the shadow family under its control. No matter how the world changes, the shadow family has been in the manor for generations, and their descendants have farmed the land for the family owner. Apart from three meals a day, the family has been able to survive for thousands of years.
, the others belong to the head of the family and are isolated from the world.
Of course, aristocratic families will also train special guards to guard their estates.
In times of trouble and famine, some manors would gather the refugees as shelters and keep them in the manor to replenish the manor's population. In this way, from generation to generation, the heritage of the family would be strengthened.
If there is no shortage of food outside, to whom will the food produced by the family be sold? If there is too much food to eat, how can the common people continue to stay in the manor willingly?
The reason why the four of them are gathered here is because of this worry.
Each of these people is the elder of the clan. They grew up in fine clothes and fine food, read various poems and books, and are well versed in family affairs. They also know that the principles in this book are somewhat true.
Applying the strategies in the book to their fields will allow them to harvest more food and the crops in the fields will grow better, which is a good thing for them.
It's just that this book is not only in their hands, but also in the hands of poor families and common people. Hundreds of years later, the Duan family's secret strategy has been spread throughout Beijing, and everyone has enough food and clothing. Who will come to rely on the aristocratic family?
Several people have the same opinion. The book is a good book and the things in it are also good things. However, such secret recipes should be in the hands of aristocratic families, rather than handed over to the common people to let them expand their wings.
It's just that now that the book has been printed and sold a lot, it's hard to recover, even if you bribe Mrs. Duan, it won't help.
Nowadays, the court is no longer the exclusive residence of aristocratic families. There are many newly wealthy people from poor families in the court who would like to tear them down and replace them. Even the ministers who come from noble families and peasant families are even more difficult to chew.
Several people want to ban the sale of this book, but it is impossible.
Everyone talks about serving the country and the people when they go to court, but in fact most of them know it in their hearts. How can they be willing to fall into the mud and be lost to everyone if they can reach such a position and live a life of noble service and wealth?
Several people are of similar age and have similar family backgrounds. They all hold important positions in the clan and have a place in the court.
We gather here today to discuss the future of the family.
"...I have a plan! I wonder if any of you brothers would be willing to listen to it?"
"Speaking!"
"The intentions of Mrs. Duan can be seen from this book! The common people are illiterate, but the paintings are simple and vivid, and experienced farmers will know what they are encountering after just one glance. Mrs. Duan passed down this book to
The hearts of all peoples have long been..."
"Now that we have a farming strategy, the only thing we can start with is land. The common people have less food and more land because the food they grew before was not enough to eat. Now it is enough for them to eat, so naturally there will be less land!"
"As long as I have all this land in my hands..."
"Where is the harvest in this land?" one person asked puzzledly.
"Brother Su, what you said is wrong. As long as the taxes on this farmland are raised higher and the taxes are increased on a per capita basis, the people will not be able to pay the taxes and will give up their fields to make a living. At that time, a group of people will go to open up wasteland privately.
, farming..."
"First collect a batch of taxes and wait for the people to recuperate for a few years and then check again, and then you can get good land again. This goes on and on, and the state-owned land and farmland have their limits! Only by holding the land in our hands can we truly protect my family for thousands of years.
for a long time.”
Several people suddenly became enlightened after hearing this!
Even if Duan's wife has bred excellent seeds with a yield of tens of millions of kilograms per acre, there is nothing to be afraid of. As long as the land is in her hands, the family will remain the same as before and can be passed down for generations to come.
"There are still merits in this tax law. As long as you dissuade your majesty a little and let him know that the people today have enough food and clothing, we can levy some taxes and make the national treasury rich."
"But what about the officials and civil servants in the court?"
"If you can buy it, buy it. If you can't buy it, write down the name and deal with it together in the future. This is a long-term solution and cannot be solved overnight. I hope you can support me!"