I heard that Yang Fan is leaving again, and all his wives will follow him to the capital.
During this time, Yang Fan was used to playing with them at home every day. As soon as the master said he wanted to leave, he couldn't bear to leave.
Yang Fan thought about it and said, "You can go, but you can't take the children with you. Let Aunt Mei and Si Xiang take care of the children at home. Anyway, there is milk powder at home, and there are so many aunts who care about them, so it's probably okay. Let's go to the capital to stay.
In a few days, I’ll be back when I’m done.”
Seeing that Yang Fan agreed, the wives happily packed their suitcases.
When Yang Fan went to deal with the mutiny, he couldn't just go there. He had to lead troops.
Therefore, just a few days after Zhang Geda came back, he had to immediately gather his family and prepare to go to the capital with his master.
On the school grounds of the new city, the Xinghe Regiment trained 7,200 cavalrymen from the Jia Ding Regiment and a battalion of 500 women's corps. After gathering, they set off from the new city under the protection of 3,000 temporarily requisitioned militia and baggage trains.
Matters in the new city are temporarily in charge of the administrative committee led by Song Yingsheng. They can ask Yang Fan for instructions at any time on major matters, and they will decide on their own meetings for routine work.
It was late autumn now, but the rivers south of the Great Wall would not freeze until December. Therefore, Ji Canal and Bei Canal were still navigable. Yang Fan decided to take the water route and take a boat to the capital for convenience.
To be honest, if conditions didn't allow it, Yang Fan would have wanted to take a boat during the Western Expedition.
After all, the conditions on the boat were so good that I didn’t suffer at all.
These ships were towed by steam engines and small steamer tugs, and formed a line with ten watercrafts, passenger ships, and cargo ships. They could accommodate people, horses, vehicles, weapons, ammunition, and grain and supplies.
Tens of thousands of people came to Beijing this time, so Huang Hao prepared more than thirty rows of tugboats.
In order to ensure the safety of his master and his family, Huang Hao dispatched three newly built shallow-water heavy gunboats to escort him.
The new generation of shallow-water heavy gunships is equipped with a main gun at the front and rear. The semicircular protruding platforms on both sides of the ship are equipped with four three-barreled light Gatling cannons. The caliber is 30mm. They are arranged on the main guns.
Both sides of the back.
On the top platform, six three-barreled 7.92mm Gatling light machine guns are also installed. The firepower is quite powerful.
Yang Fan's ship is an inland river gunboat with its own power and armor. It is about 450 tons and is the largest of these ships. It is equipped with two triple-expansion steam engines. There are gun positions at the bow and stern of the ship. There are gun positions on both sides.
There are machine guns.
The second floor in the middle of the cabin is a very well-decorated cabin. It is similar to a small yacht. It is very comfortable to live in. But for people of this era, the design concept is biased towards ancient times.
The decoration is all wooden flooring, which is suitable for sitting cross-legged on the floor. The coffee table and small table have short legs.
The window is also designed to be low. When sitting, you can just rest your arms on the window sill.
Xiao Niangpi, Lin Yueru, Mei Xiang and others like this design. It has a relaxing and cozy feeling at home. They like to lean on the cushions, half-lying and looking out the window to watch the scenery.
Make a pot of good tea on the small kang table, place four plates of dried fruits and refreshments. Eat melon seeds and roast chestnuts with sugar, and chat happily.
If I didn't hate the noise of playing mahjong, I could still play eight rounds.
But at this time, the weather was getting a little cold in the morning and evening, but it was fine at noon. You could still open the windows.
Yang Fan was wearing loose home underwear and robes, half-lying lazily, too lazy to move.
Look at where the wives are arranging flowers. They use scissors to trim the flower branches, add various kinds of grass, and then insert them into bottles. They play with them with their little hands.
Several people were chattering and discussing how to make the colors look good.
Yang Fan felt very comfortable. The wives wore cool clothes at home and in the bedroom. I have to say that ancient clothes, especially those worn in the boudoir, have a different kind of sex appeal.
Yang Fan looked at it with pleasure.
After finishing the flower arrangement, the little girl crawled over, lay on Yang Fan's chest, grabbed a strand of hair with her little hands, and played with Yang Fan's nose.
"Sneeze!" Yang Fan sneezed because of the itch and glared at her, too lazy to pay attention to her.
"Master, can you take out your Dahongpao and drink it? Okay." Xiao Niangpi shook Yang Fan's arm with her little hand and said coquettishly.
The six trees in Fujian were found by Yang Fan the year before last. He bought all the mountains and forests and moved fifty households of slaves there to look after the trees.
He is also responsible for picking and making tea. Yang Fan gave them all the relevant methods.
They were also asked to graft some and plant some new saplings around them. In a few years, these Dahongpao tea trees will have grown into a large tea forest. At that time, Dahongpao tea will be available in large quantities.
But it's not possible now. Those six trees can't harvest three kilograms of tea leaves in a year. Moreover, the six trees are not of the same variety and have different tastes. Each of them can only harvest half a kilogram of tea leaves.
Yang Fan is also very precious and usually puts them away.
Mainly because wives are arty and harm things.
They can't judge the quality of many things. They just think that these things are good, cherished and rare, so they use them. Yang Fan feels that good things have been spoiled.
In particular, Yang Fan has a piece of ink used by Su Dongpo. Yang Fan loves it very much. There is also an inkstone used by Huang Tingjian.
Among stationery, the most precious thing is a pen washer.
Azure glazed porcelain contains agate, giving it a green and lustrous color. The glaze juice is fat, moist and bright, like a pile of grease.
It looks like jasper, sounds like fresh flowers, and has a very good texture.
This thing is said to be "like jade but not jade, but better than jade". Its color is simple, elegant and natural, and it has the reputation of "the rain breaks the sky and the clouds break the virginity".
Yang Fan always keeps these things locked because he is afraid that his wives will harm them.
Use it to write arty poems and paintings.
Their work is simply appalling.
When Yang Fan was a child, he received a systematic education in calligraphy and painting from his grandfather. Although Yang Fan's second house was dilapidated, his grandfather's generation was still taught by the older generation's traditional private schools.
Lin Yueru's calligraphy and painting are just mediocre, and even Yang Fan can't look down on them, let alone a real master.
This is just to pretend to be a good-looking, clear-faced man. She has been practicing hard work since she was a child. Not to mention the little girl, her calligraphy and painting can make Yang Fan awkwardly dig out three rooms and one living room on the ground with his toes.
However, all the maids and ladies in the family gathered around to praise and brag about the Madam as if she was a great talent. Every time Chen Xi was around, she suppressed her laughter. She even said against her will that the Madam was already three-thirds of Zhao Mengfu's. It's charming.
The inkstone was not worn out, so Yang Fan didn't feel bad about it. She couldn't use the piece of Song ink much either.
However, we have already used something of this quality. How could we not use Yang Fan's pet, the brush washer from Ru kiln?
If they accidentally broke it into pieces, Yang Fan would cry to death.
Except for the firewood kiln, which has not been handed down, there is no authentic product that has survived. Among the five major official kilns, the most precious and rare is Ru porcelain.
During the Southern Song Dynasty, a minister presented Zhao Gou with a complete set of 64 pieces of Ru porcelain, which made the emperor extremely happy. It is rare to be awarded this title. This shows how much Ru porcelain is cherished.
A piece of porcelain can't match your wealth, but even broken porcelain pieces can be framed and hung on the wall.
If Yang Fan has any good things, he will definitely not be able to hide them from these people on his pillow. He is tired of being with them every day. Their big eyes are watching.
"Sir, are you okay?" The little girl will not give up until she achieves her goal.
"Okay, okay, I've been defeated by you." Yang Fan knew that if he didn't agree, the matter would never end. He had to get up, took out the key ring from his waist, found the key, and asked Xiangyi to take his small tea box. Come.
This small box is a lacquerware box from the Tang Dynasty. It looks like a Japanese style, but it is actually a Tang Dynasty style. Inside are three square tea barrels. Yang Fan added a modern lock to the box. It is always locked.
Xiao Niangpi and Lin Yueru are both masters at picking locks, which is part of their business. However, they still cannot open modern locks.
Otherwise, if Yang Fan was not at home, they would have drank all the tea.
Hearing that the master was making Dahongpao drinks for everyone, the wives cheered and ran to the small kang table. They sat down like ladies and waited while holding their own cups with their little hands.
"You can't use a stainless steel cup to make this kind of tea. Let's use a blue and white tureen instead," Yang Fan said.
Yang Fan sighed inwardly. He knew that this can of tea could not be saved. This kind of tea requires a large amount, and you have to put the tea leaves into half of the tea container. Four people would drink a lot at one time.
Fortunately, it is durable and can be brewed seven or eight times.
Yang Fan used snowflake charcoal and an iron kettle to boil water, washed the tea set with boiling water, and then used a modern tea set to make tea.
Yang Fan poured boiling water into the tea set, then quickly pressed the button, and the water rushed out. This is tea water, so throw it away.
Then pour 100℃ boiling water into the pot, let it steep for 5 seconds, and then pour it into the teacup.
Yang Fan handed the four cups to Xiao Niangpi, Lin Yueru, Mei Xiang, and finally took one cup for himself. This order cannot be wrong. This is a big question of right and wrong. This is in the Ming Dynasty, and wives are very hierarchical.
A strong aroma rose and filled the air.
The wives all held the tea bowls with their little hands, and first sniffed the aroma of the tea with their little noses. Then they stretched out their pink tongues and tasted it.
Good tea! Lively, sweet, clear, and fragrant in turn ripple on the tip of the tongue.
The little girl’s satisfied breast eyes are really a good thing.
Yang Fan discovered that Xiao Niangpi has a strong taste. She likes to eat Sichuan food, drink oolong tea, and also has a special liking for Pu'er tea. She also likes to put chili oil in her meals.
Lin Yueru is mainly light and likes to drink green tea and eat steamed fish.
The four of them sipped fragrant tea, chatted, and looked at the beautiful scenery outside the window.
At this time, it is the autumn harvest season again. The boat is walking in the river, and there are golden rice fields on both sides of the river. Farmers are busy harvesting.
The 500,000 acres of paddy fields here belong to the Yang family. But this is a flooded area.
At the end of this year, the reservoir will begin to store water. At present, the dam is basically completed. The reason why there is no water storage is because there is still a season of rice that has not been harvested.
"Master, these people are all the victims we have resettled. They have been planting rice here for two years. We have not collected their land rent. However, this is also the last season of rice. Next year, this place will become a lake." Xiao Niangpi
said.
Yang Fan looked at the bustling labor scene outside the window and felt a little emotional while sipping tea.
"Master, how to resettle these farmers? We can't let them leave. They have no land. Although we have had a good harvest in the past two years and we have made some money from selling grain, it is not a long-term solution." Xiao Niangpi sympathized with these people and whispered.
said.
"It's definitely not going to work here. The land between us and Jizhou was originally a planned inundation area. It was just a pity that it was abandoned, so we decided to let these disaster victims plant it temporarily. We don't charge land rent, we collect land.
How much of it belongs to themselves." Yang Fan looked at the smiling faces of the farmers and women, who were happy because of the bumper harvest.
There were many naked dolls running around and playing around. The big yellow dog at home was also catching voles and eating them.
For farmers, autumn is the happiest season.
But Yang Fan knew that although these people's faces were filled with joy of harvest, their hearts were still heavy. They also knew that after the autumn harvest in the dam, they would be given ten days to collect the harvest, and then the water would be stored.
The temporary shack they built and the land they had lived on for two years were about to be submerged.
And they have to leave this stable home for two years and continue to wander.
They have developed a dependence and affection for this place in their hearts. How wonderful it is here. With the protection of the Yang family, there are no government servants to collect taxes, and there are no assigned corvees.
But next year, they will have to go through the wind and rain again.
The owner was worthy of them. In two years, he planted two crops of rice and one season of winter wheat for free. He did not collect a grain of land rent, but only asked them to repay the interest-free loan to purchase farm tools, seeds, and fertilizers.
The yield of these seeds was frighteningly high. They had never seen such high-yield seeds in their lives. They all secretly saved the seeds.
They don't know what to do in the future, and they are too embarrassed to ask for help from their employer.
I just don’t understand in my heart, half a million acres of good land. Why would my boss just be willing to let it get flooded?
Yang Fan said: "It takes time to store water in the reservoir. During this time, we continue to buy land downstream. Downstream to the estuary, there are too many wastelands and dry land. We want it no matter what kind of land it is, including saline-alkali land. I have the ability to absorb saline-alkali land.
Plants can eat up the salt and alkali after three years of planting. These people can go to the newly purchased land we bought."
The reason why Yang Fan built this dam was to develop the entire river basin and turn the wasteland and saline-alkali land here into rice fields. One season of rice and one season of winter wheat.
As early as the construction of the dam, land was purchased on a large scale downstream where reservoir water conservancy could be utilized.
The price Yang Fan gave was good, twice the market price. He had already bought a lot of land. The rest belonged to the gentry and they were unwilling to sell it. Yang Fan did not force it.
However, if the land is not his own, Yang Fan will not provide water.
His water is transported through pipelines, and no one else can take advantage of it. Those wealthy landlords who think that the price of land will rise sharply after the water is connected can only dream.
"That's fine, anyway, these lands need people to develop them, and they need to collect stones and remove salt and alkali. As long as they are willing to spend three years preparing the land, we will rent it to them." Xiao Niangpi nodded happily.