It was getting dark, but the people were in a very lively mood, and they were still talking about what the boss had announced.
Zhang Yanling knew that there would be no end in a while, and there was no time to announce the details today, and there was no need to ask for their opinions. There were many people talking, and it would be impossible to sort it out until dawn. Besides, what needed to be done now was to get rid of the pests as soon as possible.
Implement it.
"Everyone, you have to eat one bite at a time and do things one by one. The things I announced will be discussed later. Now that the sun has set and it is getting dark, we still go to observe the pest control. Let you see
Let’s see the results, then tomorrow night we can all take action to exterminate the pests on a large scale.” Zhang Yanling stood up and said.
Everyone said yes, and a large group of people followed Zhang Yanling and others out of the village to the rice field at the east end of the village. Zhang Yanling had someone set up a pest-killing device in the middle of a rice field, and waited with everyone after they came ashore.
Twilight fell, and the sky soon became dark. The surrounding fields were dark, and only the light in the rice field was on. Everyone stood on the roadside of the field and waited. Many people still can't believe that the thing can be extinguished.
Bugs, but they can only wait patiently.
This time Zhang Yanling extended the waiting time by half an hour, which made the waiting people quite anxious. However, after an hour and a half later, when the insect-catching device was brought back to the shore, all the people who saw the effect were shocked.
This time, more rice planthoppers were caught than last night. There was a thick layer of black bugs floating on the water surface of the tub, and there were countless numbers of them. These bugs fell into the water, and their wings were contaminated.
They are thick liquid, so they cannot fly at all, but most of them are not dead yet, and they are densely squirming and look numb.
"As you can see, this method is really effective. So, when you go back, fellow villagers, prepare a few sets of tools, and you will go back with twenty candles from each household. Tomorrow night, everyone will do a big sweep to eliminate pests.
Do you understand the action?" Zhang Yanling said with a smile.
All the people loudly agreed with surprise and excitement, and were overjoyed that they had finally found a way to get rid of the pests.
…
At the second watch, Zhang Yanling had just finished bathing and changing clothes. It was supposed to be time to rest, but there were a lot of things going on today, and Zhang Yanling was also a little excited, so she didn't feel sleepy for a while, so she went to the courtyard to enjoy the cool air.
Unexpectedly, Tan Ruqing's master and servant didn't sleep either. Just as Zhang Yanling sat down on the chair that Xing'er brought, Tan Ruqing and Xiaozhu appeared in the corridor, as if they had made an appointment.
When Tan Ruqing saw Zhang Yanling also in the yard, she was about to turn around and leave, but after thinking about it, she walked over slowly.
"The night is really nice. It's very quiet outside the city. It's not like in the capital city. At this time, the streets are probably full of cars and horses, and the lights are bright. It's lively, but it's a pity that it's a little noisy, making it difficult to sleep well." Zhang Yanling shook her head.
He looked up at the starry sky with his folding fan, as if talking to himself or talking to Tan Ruqing.
"Although the night is nice, it's time for you to rest." Tan Ruqing walked slowly, waving a round fan in her hand, and Zhang Yanling smelled the faint fragrance on her body.
"Didn't Miss Tan sleep too? We are each other."
"I'm different. You are a patient. You should rest early after a hard day's work. Don't blame Ruqing for talking too much. I am a doctor and this is my responsibility." Tan Ruqing stopped a few steps away and said softly.
Zhang Yanling nodded and said, "Thank you, Doctor Tan. I'll go and have a rest in a while. I'm just a little busy today and I just need to clear my mind."
Tan Ruqing said: "Today is really busy, and Ruqing has also broadened her horizons."
Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "How do you say this?"
Tan Ruqing said: "I didn't expect Mr. Zhang to be really willing to do these things for the people. He also exempted them from rent. It's really surprising."
Zhang Yanling chuckled and said, "I understand the implication of Miss Tan's words. She is just saying that I, Zhang Yanling, had a bad reputation before, was arrogant and domineering, and was a playboy."
Tan Ruqing smiled and said: "I didn't say it, you said it yourself."
Zhang Yanling said: "So, does Miss Tan have a different perception of me? Do you think I'm not what the rumors say? Do you think I didn't save the wrong person?"
Tan Ruqing said: "How can you tell a person's character from just these two days? Besides, it doesn't matter what I think."
Zhang Yanling smiled slightly, nodded and said: "That's right. People are the most complex, and it is not easy to understand a person's true character. Knowing people, knowing faces, but not knowing the heart, people are best at pretending and deceiving. However, your opinion is not unimportant.
At least it’s important to me.”
Tan Ruqing's heart moved. She looked at Zhang Yanling and found that he was looking at her with a half-smile but not a smile. She suddenly felt panicked in her heart. What did he mean when he said he was very important to him? Could he be hinting at something?
Tan Ruqing instinctively wanted to run away again.
"Tomorrow night you can see the bright lights all over the field." Zhang Yanling changed the topic.
Tan Ruqing sighed in relief and nodded: "I'm looking forward to it, it will definitely be beautiful."
Zhang Yanling smiled and nodded: "The stars in the sky and the lights on the ground complement each other. It is naturally beautiful. But in fact, the most beautiful thing is not this scene, but the spirit of the people behind it fighting for survival. Every light is to protect the seedlings.
, to have a full stomach. Simply put, it is to survive. That’s the meaning.”
Tan Ruqing looked at Zhang Yanling in surprise. She didn't expect Zhang Yanling to say such words. Her opinion of Zhang Yanling has indeed changed a lot in the past two days. She felt that Zhang Yanling's rumored image was very different.
It can be seen from his words, deeds and actions. Although it only lasted for two days, it was enough to support her judgment. And now, she found that Zhang Yanling was more thoughtful than she thought. A dandy and an unscrupulous nobleman.
How could he say such a profound truth? This really shocked her.
"You are right. This time Ruqing has also seen the hardship of the people's lives. The people in Baizhifang are already suffering enough, but I didn't expect that the people here are even more suffering. It really makes people feel uneasy. Fortunately, they have you.
He is a good employer and actively does something for their sake. It is really great." Tan Ruqing nodded and said softly.
Zhang Yanling shook his head and said: "To help them is to help myself. In fact, there is nothing to say. After tomorrow night, I will return to the capital, and they have to rely on themselves to handle matters here."
Tan Ruqing nodded slightly and said nothing. Zhang Yanling's words suddenly touched Tan Ruqing's heart. She suddenly thought of something. After returning to the capital tomorrow night, she would not have the opportunity to talk to Mr. Zhang at such a close distance.
.His injury has actually healed, and he has no reason to have contact with him anymore. This seems to be what he hopes for. Doesn’t he just hope that Zhang Yanling will recover soon so that he can get rid of the relationship? But for some reason, Tan Ruqing
There was a feeling of melancholy permeating my heart.
"Why doesn't Dr. Tan speak?" Zhang Yanling asked.
Tan Ruqing said softly: "It's late at night, Ruqing is going to bed. Mr. Hou, please rest early."
Zhang Yanling chuckled and said: "Doctor Tan, will we meet again after returning to the city?"
Tan Ruqing was stunned and shook his head: "I don't know. Let's meet again when we are destined. Your injury has actually healed, and I, as a doctor, can be considered a complete meritorious deed."
Zhang Yanling chuckled and said: "That's right, then we'll meet again by fate. Miss Tan, please rest, I have to sit for a while longer."
Tan Ruqing bowed slightly, turned around and left.
…
The whole next day was busy. Starting from the morning, people from each village came one after another to receive the candles for lighting the night. Some people didn't understand how to make the device, so they came here to ask. The girl Axiu was very enthusiastic.
, took the initiative to take on the task of teaching people how to make devices. That thing is not complicated at all, and it is not difficult at all. Some people came to ask about how to reclaim wasteland and contract barren mountains. It seems that last night, several villages in the entire Xishan Manor
The tenants all spent a sleepless night. Many people who are quick-thinking and want to change the status quo have already decided to do these things.
However, Zhang Yanling had not yet thought clearly about the matter of reclaiming wasteland and contracting wasteland and ponds. He only told everyone not to be anxious, and that the matter would be done step by step. The current pests would be solved first, and then the dam would be built, and then the next step would be taken.
At noon, Zhang Yanling, the old blacksmith and others once again went to the previously selected dam site to confirm the site. This time, Zhao Laoji and others knew that this was no longer a joke, and they all surveyed the terrain seriously and put forward opinions.
And roughly calculated the required man-hours, materials, silver and so on. It’s not that I didn’t know, but I was shocked when I calculated it. According to Zhang Yanling’s idea, I built a six-seven-foot-wide and five-foot-high building across Wild Dog Ridge and the hillside opposite the river bend.
The dam body actually required nearly 8,000 taels of silver. This was 3,000 taels more than Zhang Yanling's previous rough estimate. Spending such a large sum of money on this matter not only made the old blacksmith and others feel excited, but also the housekeeper Ma Quan.
He also looked extremely ugly.
Seeing an opportunity, Ma Quan reminded Zhang Yanling in a low voice: "Master Hou, we don't have so much money in our house now. We only have three thousand taels in our account. Have you forgotten? This will be our house for the next half year."
The cost is high and low. Do you really want to build this dam?"
Zhang Yanling waved her hands and said: "What are you talking about? Do I mean what I say? Let alone 8,000 taels, even 18,000 taels will be built. This is for future considerations. For the tens of thousands of acres of land in the manor, don't think about it.
Be short-sighted.”
"But this money..." Ma Quan smacked his lips.
"It's okay. I'll go back to the capital tomorrow to borrow some money. My brother must have some spare money, so I'll just borrow it first to use it," Zhang Yanling said.
Ma Quan said in astonishment: "Can I borrow it from the Grand Marquis? I hope I can borrow it."
Zhang Yanling heard his strange tone and asked, "You mean, my brother won't lend it to me?"
Ma Quan said hurriedly: "I didn't tell you. I will know after you try it."
Zhang Yanling didn't want to pay attention to him. It would be outrageous if his own brother couldn't even borrow eight thousand taels of silver from him. His brother Zhang Heling was pretty good to him, so he probably wouldn't refuse.
We were busy until the afternoon, and many things were finalized. Ma Quan and Zhao Laoji were responsible for building the dam respectively. Ma Quan was responsible for providing materials and silver, while the specific project progress and manpower deployment were led by the old blacksmith.
Responsible. At the same time, based on the old blacksmith's suggestion, each village selected a person with a good reputation to serve as the village's manpower supervisor and convener.
Regarding the progress of the specific project, Zhang Yanling put forward his own suggestions. To put it simply, in order to ensure the progress of the project, Zhang Yanling suggested that each village should divide the construction area according to the number of manpower, and then assign the responsibility to each person.
The villagers were organized into groups. A group of ten people formed a construction team, so as to prevent the behavior of foreign workers who work in vain to make up for their work.
Of course Zhang Yanling does not want to be a cruel oppressor and squeeze the people's labor force. But he knows that although the people are in poverty these days, they are not very aware. Relying on self-awareness is not enough. Some pressure, rewards and punishments must be given, otherwise it will be
It's a mess. People need to organize themselves. Once organized, things will be much easier to handle.
The old blacksmith deeply agreed with Zhang Yanling's opinion. He would not blame his boss for being harsh. On the contrary, he was more familiar with these people. He knew that the matter was actually not easy to handle. There would inevitably be cases of cheating, slipping and playing tricks to make ends meet.
As a fellow villager, he is not very good at speaking harsh words. Therefore, it makes him worry less to operate according to the boss's ideas. It will be much better if everything is laid out clearly and everything is done according to the rules.
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