The five hundred and seventieth chapters do not suffer from widowhood but suffer from unevenness
Agriculture and animal husbandry are actually slightly related, but in this era they are quite contradictory. The land occupied by agriculture will definitely crowd out large tracts of pasture. It is also back to the fish and bear's paw issue.
There are both goats and sheep in the Song Dynasty, but in comparison there are more goats. Due to the restrictions of the terrain, goats are easier to breed on the land of the Song Dynasty, but goats have a fatal problem, which causes considerable damage to grass stems.
Seriously, Ye An has heard herdsmen friends say that one goat can do as much damage to the pasture as ten sheep. It takes a large pasture to balance it, but the pasture is limited.
Mutton was a precious commodity in the Song Dynasty. When long-distance transportation was not possible, live sheep were the only way to transport mutton.
Wool is what Ye An focuses on. Wool is the source of wealth. Why did later generations of Europe carry out enclosure movements? Isn't it just to "gather wool"?
Wool can be made into many wool products such as sweaters, blankets, gloves, and even scarves. There is no doubt that these wool products are warm and lightweight, which greatly improves people's daily needs.
And Ye An also holds a bigger trump card, cotton!
Although he had obtained cotton seeds from Rosanna, Ye An did not plant them immediately. These long-staple cotton from Xinjiang are excellent for keeping warm and a blessing to mankind. But what the Song Dynasty lacks now is not seeds.
But land suitable for growing cotton!
Except for the Western Regions, there were no places where cotton could be grown in the Song Dynasty, but the problem was that whether in the Yangtze River Basin or the Yellow River Basin, the cost of growing cotton was to occupy a large amount of farmland!
Cotton has always been grown on a large scale, and Ye An was unable to keep it a secret. Once the cotton secrets were planted, they would blow throughout the Song Dynasty like a howling north wind.
The effect...maybe as amazing as after potatoes and sweet potatoes are produced!
The only advantage Ye An has is the processing of cotton, how to turn cotton into cotton thread and finally into cotton cloth.
When the time comes, the demand for cotton will definitely be astonishing, and the merchants of the Song Dynasty are not fools. They will definitely actively carry out "research and development" and invest in this mighty textile war.
And when the time comes, the land full of cotton is completely different from the land full of potatoes and sweet potatoes. In an agricultural society, the result of land being occupied by cotton will inevitably be a reduction in food production, forming a vicious cycle.
Therefore, Ye An did not dare to take out the cotton at will, let alone plant cotton on the land of the Song Dynasty in advance. This was a business practice that was harmful to the country and the people. Hundreds of years later, there will be "sheep eating people"!
Raising sheep is different. Sheep can be eaten, and mutton is not an urgent need for the people of the Song Dynasty. Wool products are as good as silk at most, becoming the choice of wealthy families. As for ordinary people's families, the rich ones have sweaters, and those who don't have sweaters are the best.
Money is replaced by other textiles, which is not an unprecedented thing.
Coupled with the help of bean dregs, Ye An believes that animal husbandry will be of great help in the farm economy. After all, planting beans is a good feedback to the land and can increase a certain amount of output.
Late autumn and cold winter are slack seasons for farmers. After winter storage, there is not much farm work to do. After all, the plowing of fields in winter has already been carried out after land reclamation. As for weeding, then
You have to wait until spring when the flowers bloom before you need to get busy.
With hundreds of villagers living together, daily expenses are a big problem. Except for the mills and kilns that make money in Yejiazhuang, everything else has to be spent.
At noon, a group of people poured into the canteen. The large canteen is actually a large courtyard, filled with tables, chairs and benches. These things were temporarily built by the carpenters in the village and simply assembled using local materials.
That’s it, it doesn’t take much time to get there.
Wang Bang looked at the people eating and sounded the gong in his hand and said: "Listen up, this year, Lord Marquis will provide you with food and drink until next summer harvest. After the summer harvest, farmers will have to pay grain to the canteen before they can come to eat. As for the workers,
It’s all business as usual! Just eat like this!”
Following Wang Gang's words, the bookmaker below exploded. When you have been "free prostitution" and it has become a habit, and suddenly one day you are asked to pay, you must be very unwilling to do so.
"Why don't the workers pay for grain, but the farmers have to pay for grain?" Someone in the crowd began to shout. They did not dare to shout to the Wang Gang, so they could only express their grievances loudly.
Some people are grievances, and naturally some people agree: "Master Hou has long said that workers have no land at home and rely on physical labor to earn money, so they have to provide food and housing. This is... called welfare! That's right, it's called welfare!"
"We still have to pay rent to Zhuangzi every year! Why do we have to pay for food?"
"Nonsense, the rent you paid was on the land of the Marquis' family! That is a matter of course. You should have food when you eat. Don't you need rice to cook when you eat at home?! Not to mention the food we serve in the village.
Can you make it at home?!"
The workers' rebuttal left the farmers speechless. Although they felt something was wrong, they couldn't say anything.
At this time, they felt that the workers were living a better life than they were, making more money, and the villagers even provided food and accommodation. When they came back to their senses, the villagers finally realized that something was wrong. The workers could enjoy benefits, so why couldn't they themselves?
?!
Someone grabbed the Wang gang's arm, and a man said dissatisfiedly: "They are all working for Mr. Hou's family, and they are divided into three, six, and nine. Is this nonsense?!"
The Wang gang was not angry, but smiled and said: "Yes! You pay the rent, and the Marquis will give you land to farm. It is only natural. As for the workers, they work every day without a day off. They are so uncomfortable that they really can't bear it.
They only rested for a day or two, and then went to work again. Who do you think worked harder? They have no land, and food and housing are provided from the beginning. This is the rule set by the Marquis. What, do you mean to let the workers
We, like farmers, have to pay to eat? Besides, the Marquis is merciful and allows you to eat until next summer's harvest. Are you still not satisfied?!"
"Does this mean that food should be paid to the workers?"
Wang Bang nodded slightly: "Hey! That's what it means! Food and accommodation are included. This is what the workers in our village deserve. I chose it for you at the beginning. You want to rent the land yourself. Now you are greedy for other people's things. Why bother?!
Let’s just farm the land honestly, pay the rent, and the rest belongs to us, so what’s wrong? Let’s break up! Let’s break up!”
Ye An and his wife, who were eating in the crowd, smiled slightly. The Wang Gang is now good at doing things. At least they know how to use their own strength. Judging from what he said, many workers have already glared at the farmers. Fortunately, he only used it a little.
If the confrontation continues to create conflicts, Ye An is ready to come to the rescue.