He Yiwei also saw the two people in front of him. He thought that Wang Juan and Xiao Bao were deliberately scheming against him, so he didn't immediately go over. Instead, he looked at Wang Juan and Zhang Xiaobao. Seeing that the two were also puzzled, he sent someone over to ask. He also sent the housekeeper over.
It didn't take long for the two people to return. They told their families what they had heard and seen.
"Master, look carefully. One of them is Japanese and the other is from our Great Tang. Both of them are from the Huainan Dao's Four Seas Academy. They want to sign a contract with the local people. In the autumn, they want to use money to buy the leftover rice from them. The price they are offering is not low."
He Yiwei's housekeeper told the master what he had learned.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan also understood.
"What do they want the rice straw for? Is it to make fertilizer? Make things to sell? Isn't the Four Seas Academy a place that the imperial court set up to cheat people? If I want to collect the rice straw, what would I do? Yes, I can burn it to ashes and then boil it with alkali, but the cost is too high. It's not worth it. "
Wang Juan didn't know what to do with the rice straw, but she knew that the more simple-minded it seemed, the more unusual it was. Just like Zhang Xiaobao, when he was scheming, he would give people a feeling of a heavenly steed soaring across the sky.
Zhang Xiaobao also narrowed his eyes and thought, "Maybe the international friend wants to help. He knows that the people of this county don't have it easy, so he raised the price to collect the rice straw. Moreover, as long as there is rice straw, he must sell it to them. Otherwise, he will pay ten times the compensation. It's like forcing others to benefit.
"Then let's go and take a closer look." Wang Juan saw that Zhang Xiaobao couldn't say anything, so she pulled Zhang Xiaobao forward.
He Yiwei also walked over. He wanted to understand what the Japanese and the Tang were planning to do. Could it be that collecting rice straw could make them rich? The price was too high. A carriage full of ordinary carriages was worth six copper coins, and a carriage full of firewood was only worth five or six copper coins. Could it be that straw was more valuable than firewood?
When the three of them approached, two people from the Four Seas Academy were currently persuading the farmer. "Big Brother, don't worry. We will definitely accept this price. We have money. Later today, we will go and discuss with the county magistrate. We will first put the money used to collect the straw in the yamen. When the time comes, we will have no choice but to accept it."
"Your price is too high. I'm scared." The farmer was very honest. If others gave him too much money, he would be even more worried.
"It's not that high. We need the straw for great use. Usually, a cart can be sold for three or four copper coins. We want the straw to be very dry. That's why we're paying six copper coins."
The Japanese explained in a very fluent language.
The farmer originally wanted to ask more, but suddenly saw the three people coming over. His eyes lit up. He knew them. The county magistrate, the registrar, and the deputy county magistrate actually came together today. He quickly bowed. "County Magistrate He, Deputy Wang, Registrar Zhang, you three are here. These two people said that they want to use the high holidays to collect the straw after this autumn harvest. I don't know if I should agree."
After speaking to the three people, the farmer turned to the two people and said, "This is County Magistrate He of our county. Just now, you said that you want to put the money in the yamen. Ask the county magistrate."
As expected, the two people looked at He Yiwei. He Yiwei was stunned. He wanted to hide at the back, but he was sent to the front by the farmer. He met the two people's eyes and coughed reservedly. He said, "I am the county magistrate of Baoxin County. Why are you two collecting the straw?"
"Your Excellency? Is it really your Excellency? " The Tang person looked carefully and saw that He Yiwei was indeed wearing an official's robe. However, the other two children who were also wearing official's robes were too young.
"Can a county magistrate be fake? If you don't believe me, I will take you two back to the yamen. Where are the yamen runners? " He Yiwei couldn't discuss the issue of face. When he threatened, the yamen runners immediately responded. They were indeed wearing yamen runner's robes.
This time, he actually brought two yamen runners. The yamen runners were very respectful. Although they knew that the county magistrate didn't have the final say, they still stood out to help. When facing outsiders, internal strife should stop first.
"Yes, yes. Since Daren is here, we will tell Daren. We want to use the straw to make a profitable business. We can't say it now, but Daren will know when it's done. We are willing to pay six copper coins to buy a cart of dry straw and deposit two thousand strings of coins in the county office. We hope Daren can help us."
At this time, the Japanese man came over and said respectfully. There was sincerity in his eyes.
"Make a lot of money with straw? Wait, let's talk about it after the officials of our county discuss it. " He Yiwei couldn't figure out how to make a lot of money with straw. He asked the two people to wait, and then he went to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan and whispered.
"Xiao Bao, help us. How can we make a lot of money with straw? I know who you are. You are the person behind the economic war in Jiannan Circuit. What do you think? "
He Yiwei was very modest. After a few days of understanding, he had already obtained a lot of information, especially the things that happened in Jiannan Circuit. In the war that killed people without spilling blood, it was his own county magistrate, Zhang Xiaobao, who commanded and killed the Tubo people until they lost everything. No wonder County Magistrate Ma was so scared.
"County Magistrate He, you are a county magistrate. You can't just rely on exploiting the common people without accomplishing anything. You have to act like a county magistrate and make the decision. Uh, if something happens, come to me and Cuckoo. Don't be afraid. You are an official of the imperial court and the backbone of the common people. You have to act like a parent official. Otherwise, how can you take on great responsibilities in the future? "
Zhang Xiaobao didn't intend to intervene immediately. Besides, he couldn't see anything right now. Perhaps the other party really did have a way to make straw valuable. There were indeed many ways to use straw.
He Yiwei saw that Zhang Xiaobao pushed the matter back, but was still willing to take responsibility for it. He gritted his teeth and turned back to the two people. "Good, good. That's good. When will the two thousand strings of money be sent to the yamen? When will you be able to work with the local farmers?"
"Thank you, Sir. Thank you, Sir." The two people repeatedly expressed their gratitude. They seemed very happy.
At this time, Wang Juan said, "County Magistrate He, Shangniu Village doesn't have enough manpower for the spring plowing. Why don't we help plant the seedlings? We also know the suffering of the common people."
"Good, good. That's good." What else could He Yiwei say? Let's do it.
The three of them brought their subordinates into the field to help plant the seedlings. Zhang Xiaobao asked someone to bring the boots to everyone. After putting them on, he jumped into the field to help.
Half of the twenty people didn't know how to plant the seedlings and had to learn on the spot. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, because of their height advantage, planted the seedlings very quickly. Both of them knew how to plant the seedlings. They had Zhuangzi at home, so they used to watch from the side of the field. Later on, they personally participated.
He Yiwei, on the other hand, didn't know how to plant the seedlings. Although his family didn't have a good life, he was wholeheartedly studying. His parents didn't let him do the tiring work at home. He followed the example of others. He grabbed a handful of seedlings with one hand and separated two to three seedlings with the other hand. He pressed them into the water along the line.
"Hiss!" After pressing the line for less than ten times, He Yiwei took a deep breath. It was cold, really cold. He was wearing boots, but it still couldn't stop the cold air from penetrating his body. There was also a bone-piercing feeling in his hands. It traveled up his arms and up his neck.
He raised his head and looked at the farmer's bare feet in the water. He gritted his teeth and continued to insert the seedlings. His fingers were rubbed by the mud, and his fingers hurt.
Wang Juan and Zhang Xiaobao also felt uncomfortable, but the two of them could endure it. They put in two after one step. Unexpectedly, they were not slower than the farmer. Out of the four people sent by Gao Lishi, two of them also knew how to do farm work. The other two people had to carry the seedlings. Two of them were carrying the seedlings, one in front and one at the back. Walking on the muddy and narrow ridge of the field, it was really slippery.
In this field, there was only a man and a thirteen to fourteen year old girl working. The two of them were really tired. The girl didn't know why the three highest officials of the county came over. Now that she saw them planting seedlings in the field, she was stunned and didn't know what to do.
Officials, the three highest officials in the county were planting seedlings in her family's field. The two best officials were about the same age as her, but they were so skilled. Could it be that she just let them do it?
"Girl, quickly go home. Let grandma boil the ginger water. The adults' bodies are precious, we can't let them fall sick." The man urged his daughter.
"I know." The little girl turned around and ran. She didn't even put on the shoes that were placed by the side of the field.
After inserting the seedlings, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan felt their body heat up. They rolled up their trousers and took off their shoes. They began to walk barefoot in the water. It was not that they were not afraid of the cold, but the shoes were too troublesome. The ground was wet, and the mud was sticky to their feet. When there were places with different depths, the shoes would tilt, and the water would pour in. When that happened, they would wear the shoes again. After walking two ridges, there would be blisters.
He Yiwei still didn't know. He still couldn't bear to take off his boots, so he rolled up his robes to his waist and bent over to insert them. As he inserted them, water started to enter his boots. At first, he felt a little uncomfortable, but after Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan inserted six ridges and he inserted one and a half ridges, he finally realized that something was wrong. It hurt, the water had entered his boots and actually rubbed his feet.
He took off the shoes and saw that there were blisters. There was a hint of red in the white.
The housekeeper beside him came over. "Master, why don't you go up and rest?"
"Rest? Can I rest? Do I dare to rest? General Gao's son and daughter-in-law are soaking in the water. You want me to rest? Then it's not a matter of whether I can be an official or not. I have to think about it. We are not alive, and we are barefoot. I just found out that Zhang Xiaobao and Cuckoo are not wearing the same thing as us. They are wearing something that directly covers their feet. It looks very thin. "
He Yiwei didn't dare to go up. He found a problem. That is, the things that they wear on their feet are different. Some people wear shoes and boots barefoot. Some people use cloth to wrap their feet. He also made something that can be worn on his calves. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan wear another kind of thing. It's not thick, and it can be pulled down easily. It's just above the ankle. What is this? It looks very convenient.
"Master, what about the blisters on your feet?" The housekeeper said worriedly.
"I will go back and choose. I don't believe that the two children can do it, but I can't. It's so cold." He Yiwei also learned from Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. He directly stepped into the water and clenched his teeth and continued to insert the seedlings.
The others also didn't dare to complain. They could only share the joys and sorrows.
Some of the commoners who passed by saw this scene. The three highest ranking officials in the county were helping out in other people's fields. They worked until noon and didn't even eat.
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