frightfiction Chapter 15 The real beasts of burden have arrived!
Chapter 15 The real beasts of burden have arrived!
As our ancestors once said, money can make the devil turn the millstone.
The people of Ningyang County used to cut grass, sort and bundle it, as a way to repay Yang Shaofeng for allocating land to them while they were farming. It was basically a side effect, like killing two birds with one stone.
However, when they discovered that cutting grass, sorting and bundling it could make money, the people of Ningyang County immediately erupted with 120% enthusiasm.
To be honest, money was practically useless in Ningyang County. Firstly, due to the war, there were few shops, restaurants, or peddlers in Ningyang County, so even if people had money, they couldn't spend it. Secondly, apart from salt and iron, people had virtually no other expenses, and the idea of enjoying life was never on their minds.
However, ordinary people still hope to have money in their hands, because buying salt and hoes both require money. Except in times of chaos, money is always a person's greatest source of confidence.
So, let's make money by mowing the lawn.
According to the old man, whoever cuts the most grass will receive the most money in the future.
What else is there to say?
As soon as the sky begins to lighten, as long as it is not completely dark yet, as long as there is a glimmer of light, you can see people cutting grass in the fields of Ningyang County.
It wasn't until one day, when they heard that the dozen or so yamen runners Yang Shaofeng had sent to deliver fodder to Chang Yuchun were returning that day, leading dozens of cattle and horses, that the people who had been frantically cutting grass finally stopped their busy work.
According to the village elders, the cattle and horses that the yamen runners brought back today were given to the people of Ningyang County by that man named Chang Pingzhang.
I don't know how the master will distribute them, or whether my family will have a chance to get one.
But it doesn't matter. We should trust the master. Even if it takes several families to share one plot, they can take turns using it. The speed of tilling the land is still much faster than relying on manual labor.
It was this idea that caused the people who were originally busy cutting grass to swarm to the roadside, standing on tiptoe, craning their necks, and eagerly waiting for the yamen runners to drive the cattle and horses to arrive as soon as possible.
Seeing the huge crowds lining the roadside, Yang Shaofeng, who had rushed over after receiving the news, immediately turned grim and said to Lame Wu, "Tell those commune leaders and village chiefs to disperse quickly and go about their business. If they really want to watch, they should stay away. If they startle any of the cattle or horses, I won't let them off the hook!"
The people of Ningyang County were willing to obey Yang Shaofeng's orders, especially after the village head and neighborhood chiefs said that getting too close might frighten the cattle and horses, so the people spontaneously moved back.
No one was willing to leave.
If I can't see those cattle and horses entering the city today, I'm afraid I won't be able to eat for the next three days!
Finally, accompanied by a clear "moo," a cloud of dust gradually rose in the distance.
The people who had already retreated unconsciously took two more steps forward, craning their necks and staring wide-eyed, muttering repeatedly, "They're here! They're here!"
"finally come!"
When the yamen runners and their oxen and horses finally appeared, the onlookers became even more excited.
"Look at that ox, it looks powerful!"
"These horses are far inferior to the one that the master rides."
"What do you know? The master is riding a warhorse. These are just for hauling things. Of course, they can't compare to the one the master is riding."
"The master said to divide up all the oxen and horses so that we could use them to plow the fields. My God, this is really, really."
"..."
Although Yang Shaofeng didn't need these oxen and horses as much as the common people, nor did he need them to plow his fields, he still couldn't help but feel a little excited when he first saw them.
Forty-eight oxen and twelve draft horses!
With these oxen and horses, farming became easier for the people, and many of the county magistrate's ideas could gradually be realized.
For example, how about setting up a livestock farm?
After secretly making plans, Yang Shaofeng had the lame man summon all sixteen village chiefs and eight commune leaders to the county government office after the yamen runners drove the cattle and horses into the city.
"The cattle and horses given by Changpingzhang were not many, only about fifty at most."
Yang Shaofeng cut to the chase: "If we divide it equally according to the number of 'lü' and 'she', a 'lü' or 'she' can only get a maximum of two-thirds of the land. However, some 'she' have dozens of households, while some 'lü' only have a dozen or so. Moreover, some households have many people, while others have few. Therefore, equal distribution is definitely not feasible."
"Furthermore, Chang Pingzhang said that these cattle and horses would be given to the people of Ningyang County, so it is impossible for them to be distributed to any one person."
"Moreover, I have just inspected them myself, and several of these cattle and horses appear to be pregnant cows. They not only cannot work during this period, but also require careful attention. If we are not careful, problems can easily arise."
The commune leaders and village chiefs immediately shouted, "We'll do as the master says! We'll divide it however the master says!"
Yang Shaofeng chuckled and said, "How about this, after deducting the few cows that are already pregnant with calves, the rest will be divided according to the number of households. I just calculated that, including the draft horses, on average, every ten households can get one."
"Later, each village and community will take back the cattle and horses that were allocated to you. You, as village and community leaders, will feed them. I will go and check on them from time to time."
"Let me make this clear in advance: there will be no reward for feeding you well, but if you feed you until you are thin or cause health problems, I will hold you accountable."
"As for those cows pregnant with calves, they can stay in the county for now. I will find a few strong women to take care of them, just like the chicks and piglets."
"We'll distribute them gradually once more calves are born."
Yang Shaofeng planned to use these pregnant cows to start a livestock farm—the cows were given to the people of Ningyang County by Chang Yuchun, but the calves born were not!
Anyway, there are plenty of wild grasses outside Ningyang County, so just a little bit will be enough to feed them.
The village chiefs and community leaders naturally had no objections to Yang Shaofeng's proposal.
Although the magistrate said that the cattle and horses were given to the people of Ningyang County by that man named Chang Pingzhang, the village chiefs and heads of the community knew in their hearts that if the magistrate hadn't sent the fodder to the army, that man named Chang Pingzhang probably wouldn't have thought of the people of Ningyang County at all.
As for the claim that the oxen are too thin or have developed health problems... don't be ridiculous. These days, we rely entirely on oxen for deep plowing. Every family with an ox treats it like a treasure, even if it means going hungry themselves to cut grass for it, they would never let the ox become thin!
After the rules were set, Yang Shaofeng kept the head of the commune from Heshan behind: "I'll go to Heshan with you later to see how your commune is doing with spring plowing."