Chapter 26: The Wisdom of Farmers

Chapter 26: The Wisdom of Farmers

The glaring sunlight streamed through the window, and Zhao An opened his eyes to find Hu Sheng already gone.

The atmosphere had been so perfect last night, yet Hu Sheng still left. Zhao An felt a momentary sense of loss. Both in soul and body, he was long since an adult, so why hadn’t his relationship with his boyfriend reached a critical breakthrough?

He could only blame the slow progress of their romantic relationship on the conservatism of ancient people, completely ignoring how busy he had been lately, barely having time to catch his breath. Seeing him so occupied, Hu Sheng naturally felt it inappropriate to tire him out further in other ways.

Zhao An got up and combed his hair himself. By now, he no longer needed help and could deftly tie up his long hair. After rising, he brushed his teeth with a custom-made boar bristle brush dipped in a rough tooth powder made from fine salt and soapberry powder, then washed his face with soapberry powder.

Breakfast was vegetable porridge paired with fried small fish and fermented bean curd. The small fish were a gift from villagers who had recently received bricks and tiles to repair their houses, and the fermented bean curd was made last month with high-proof distilled liquor bought after they received their share of the money from selling strawberry seedlings.

The price of liquor wasn’t cheap—ten taels of silver for only a small jar—and Zhao An had used half a jar to make the fermented bean curd. Oil wasn’t cheap either, basically only one-third cheaper than pork. So, although it was just simple fried small fish and fermented bean curd, before earning a large sum of money last month, these were luxuries Zhao An couldn’t afford.

Of course, after seeing the prices of liquor and oil, Zhao An couldn’t help but feel tempted, recalling some methods of brewing and oil extraction he had read about in novels.

However, he quickly dismissed the idea of getting involved in brewing. Like salt, liquor was a government monopoly. Although the regulations on brewing weren’t as strict as those on salt—private brewing was allowed for personal use but not for sale—selling liquor was a source of income for local officials. In some ways, the crackdown on bootleg liquor might be even stricter than that on illicit salt.

Zhao An had even asked Feng Shaoping about the brewing issue. Feng Shaoping said, "The brewery is managed by my father’s most trusted revenue manager. No one is allowed to take liquor from the storeroom privately. Perhaps only if my eldest brother, who is studying in the capital, passes the imperial examination will my father open the liquor storeroom to celebrate."

Zhao An thought about the brewing methods he knew—distillation, which wasn’t necessarily superior to the methods of this era. It was just that the cost of distilled liquor was at most seven or eight hundred copper coins per jar, making the profit margin so high that he was tempted. But after learning the reality, he immediately abandoned the idea of brewing.

As for oil extraction, he thought of using soybeans to produce oil, which should be cheaper than the rapeseed and sesame oil commonly used in Changxi County. However, after careful inquiry, he found it still impractical. Changxi County’s terrain consisted of low hills, and aside from paddy fields, the arable land was on semi-mountainous slopes. Paddy fields were used for growing rice, while the slopes were planted with hardy staple crops like sweet potatoes and corn. Soybeans were only sporadically planted along the edges of paddy fields as fresh seasonal vegetables, with each household reserving at most ten to twenty *jin* (about 11-22 pounds) per year for making tofu.

To extract oil from soybeans, he would have to buy them from shops in the city, where they were not only expensive but also scarce.

Thus, soybean oil extraction was only suitable for the drier northern regions with vast farmland. Unlike his quick abandonment of brewing, Zhao An still held onto some hope for oil extraction. Perhaps after successfully developing the village industries in Zhao Family Village, he could expand into the oil extraction industry in the north.

Compared to his initial state of merely wanting to fill his stomach when he first arrived in this world, Zhao An felt he had developed some ambition. After all, he was a transmigrator with many technologies beyond this era. Becoming a wealthy merchant in this world shouldn’t be a problem, right?

He had a boyfriend now and couldn’t always spend his boyfriend’s money. Zhao An put the hundred taels of silver Hu Sheng had left behind last night into his money pouch, vowing to earn money so he could someday casually pull out plenty of silver for Hu Sheng to spend.

Zhao An carried the bag filled with money to the kiln and found Liu Huan, who had been supervising there recently. "I see the water in the fields has dried up, and the crops aren’t growing well. I’m afraid this year’s harvest won’t be enough to feed everyone."

Liu Huan had been managing the earliest earthen kiln for firing bricks and tiles, which Zhao An had since donated to the village as communal property. Another new kiln, built with refractory bricks, was managed by a well-paid pottery master Zhao An had hired. The master mainly purchased wood from villagers and bought simply processed, cleaned clay free of gravel and impurities.

The number of people working at Zhao An’s private kiln wasn’t large, making it relatively easy to manage. Liu Huan’s job, however, was not so simple. He managed all matters, big and small, at the brick and tile kiln but received little profit. His only benefit was receiving a portion of the extra bricks and tiles whenever someone needed to build a house, and this portion was separate from the earnings his son received for helping out.

Liu Huan’s goal was simply to build a few more rooms for his family so his three sons could each have enough space. He worked tirelessly every day, sweating profusely and tanned by the sun without a care. When he saw Zhao An, his dark face broke into a smile, revealing a set of white teeth. Hearing Zhao An’s concerns about food, he maintained his smile and said, "No need to worry about food shortages. This year, everyone has money and can pay taxes with currency. The grain from the fields will be enough for everyone to eat."

This was why he always wore a smile. In the past, how could the village have spared so many hands to work at the brick and tile kiln? They would have long organized people to carry water and irrigate the fields.

Zhao An opened his mouth but ultimately didn’t mention the threat of war. On one hand, he needed to keep it confidential; on the other, he feared causing panic among the villagers. So he could only say to Liu Huan, "Even if we don’t need grain to pay taxes this year, I’ve heard that many places in the south are suffering from drought. If refugees flee into our county, the government might demand grain again. We also need to consider the safety of every household."

Liu Huan didn’t doubt Zhao An’s sources of information. The last time someone from the palace visited, the government had invited Zhao An to a banquet. The people he knew were certainly more numerous and well-connected than those of them who worked the land.

After hearing Zhao An’s description, this seemingly honest and simple old farmer suddenly grew vigilant. "Our village indeed needs to stockpile more grain and forge more sickles and hoes."

In fact, even without the threat of drought, many relatives from neighboring villages had recently come mooching. Zhao An didn’t live in the most populated part of the village and was unaware that several disputes had already erupted in those households. Some were about in-laws asking for money, while others involved married daughters returning with their husbands to work in the village kiln.

These matters were trivial in peaceful times, but if a large-scale disaster occurred, their village would become a target of resentment and jealousy. It wouldn’t be surprising if their village were targeted by either refugees or bandits.

Zhao An hadn’t expected Liu Huan to be more reasonable than he had imagined. Not only was Liu Huan willing to use the clan’s reserved five hundred taels of silver along with Zhao An’s hundred taels to buy grain in the prefectural city, but he also agreed to hire a blacksmith in the clan’s name to forge iron farming tools for every household.

When Zhao An proposed adding training drills for all those working at the kiln, Liu Huan fully supported the idea. For these ancient farmers, war was not as rare as Zhao An imagined. Every one of them would experience at least one war and several famines in their lifetime. Their alertness was comparable to that of people living in turbulent eras.

Moreover, these villagers were even more disciplined than people from such an era. After hearing from Liu Huan that large-scale famine and refugees might occur, most households supported Zhao An’s plans to stockpile grain, make iron tools, and conduct training.

Of course, no group could ever be completely unified. The money for buying grain would come from the clan’s communal funds, but each household had to pay for their own farming tools. Some who had received money from the strawberry seedlings but hadn’t worked at the kiln and had instead spent money on bricks and tiles to build houses now had no money left. They complained that spending money on farming tools was a waste.

About a dozen Zhao families, led by Scholar Zhao, refused to follow Zhao An’s orders. Since Zhao Tongming had gone to the capital to enjoy a life of luxury, he had entrusted his farmland to Scholar Zhao to manage, only requiring him to send money to the capital each year.

Thus, the Zhao family felt that since most of the village’s farmland belonged to them, even if a famine occurred, they could simply withhold the money meant for Zhao Tongming and distribute his grain among themselves. They saw no need to fear and were indifferent to Zhao An’s plans for stockpiling grain and defense.

Seeing Scholar Zhao’s smug, self-satisfied expression and the way he looked at Zhao An as if he were a fool wasting his effort, Zhao An nearly laughed in frustration.

He repeatedly told himself that the Zhao family members believed they were more resilient to risks than ordinary farmers, which was why they seemed so foolish. He refrained from calling them fools to their faces.

Zhao An, who had personally gone to Scholar Zhao’s home to persuade him, took a sip of tea to maintain his composure and said with a forced smile, "The village chief is right. Our Zhao family lacks neither grain nor farming tools. But I hope you won’t prevent the Zhao family members from participating in the training. When the Liu family youths become strong and robust through training, our Zhao family, being fewer in number, might inevitably get into arguments with them. Wouldn’t our Zhao children end up at a disadvantage?" Failing to persuade them directly, Zhao An resorted to provoking their competitive spirit.

Yet Scholar Zhao remained unmoved, calmly lifting his teacup and saying, "Our Zhao children are scholars. We have five *Tongsheng* under twenty and four scholars, including myself, in the entire clan. In this generation, we will surely produce another *Juren*. Young Master, as your elder, I advise you to focus on your studies. Those engaged in crafts and trade are of lowly professions. You are also related to the imperial family and might still have a chance to become an official. Don’t ruin your reputation."

It was clear they would not see eye to eye.

Dejected, Zhao An left Scholar Zhao’s home. As he walked through the village, he saw three men supporting each other, limping home, with women and children wiping tears beside them. Liu Huan followed behind, scolding angrily, "Enough! Stop crying! Go home and get money. Tomorrow, all three of your families must send someone to work at the kiln."

Liu Huan turned and saw the dazed Zhao An, immediately switching to a smiling face. "These guys were disobedient. According to clan rules, a good beating is all it takes to straighten them out."

Suddenly, Liu Huan’s stature grew in Zhao An’s eyes. He wished he could be like Liu Huan and simply drag out the disobedient Zhao family members for a beating.

Of course, he couldn’t do it himself, nor did he have the authority. Perhaps once news of the marauding soldiers spread, he could suggest to Feng Shaoping that the government raise a militia. Then, Feng Shaoping could focus particularly on the Zhao family members studying in the city.