Zhang Xiaobao didn't like to eat garlic, but Wang Juan liked to eat it. Later, the two of them found out that the people here all liked to eat garlic. Some people even went to the restaurant and asked if there was any garlic. If there was, they would stay and eat it. If there wasn't, they would turn around and leave.
During the New Year, Wang Juan roasted some garlic. After roasting it, it was soft and slightly spicy in the mouth, but it was more of a delicate fragrance. For the sake of health, Zhang Xiaobao also ate some garlic under Wang Juan's persuasion. After eating it, he found that he still didn't like to eat it.
Zhang Xiaobao felt much better about the garlic sprouts. He was willing to eat fried garlic sprouts, boil soup, and even make some raw ones to grind his teeth.
Under Wang Juan's suggestion, the two of them came to the small courtyard at the back. There was a place covered with cloth. The cloth was sent to protect Auspicious Sign last time. They didn't throw it away after they used it. They asked Song Jinggong to bring it back. It just so happened that they could continue to use it.
This was the place to plant garlic. The garlic was peeled off and not planted in the soil. Instead, it was placed in a shallow groove made of wooden planks. A little fine sand was placed under the groove, and the garlic was placed in a row. A blocking rod, which was the outer layer of the sorghum stalk, was used to pierce through it. Then, water was put in.
A few days ago, the garlic sprouts were done. A stove was placed in the middle of the circle, and the garlic sprouts grew a lot in a day. "Okay, they can eat it.
One-tenth of it is enough for the farmers to drink soup at night. Add some eggs and more ginger, and it can also help to get rid of the cold. These people really don't want to live. The water is so cold, but they just mix it with fertilizer and plow back and forth in the field. If they don't take good care of themselves, they will be sick when they are old. "
Wang Juan touched the garlic sprouts with her hand and said with emotion. She was very satisfied with these farmers. When there was work to be done in the farmstead, they rushed to do it. Today, more than six thousand chickens were let out, and the farmers followed behind them. When the chickens finished eating the eggs buried in the soil, the farmers immediately used some water and fertilizer to get them into the fields and continued plowing.
Thinking of the chickens, Wang Juan felt very happy. Those chickens were finally able to eat something good. There was no need to worry that the eggs would not be discovered if they were buried in the soil. One by one, they used their claws to dig the soil. Not only were the chickens fed well, but there were also fewer eggs. The soil was also loosened, and each of them grew bigger than usual.
In the winter, there were no insects to eat, and the earthworms were still breeding. These chickens ate the fish and shrimp that Pomegranate brought back, the powder from the bones, and some other coarse grains. It seemed that in another month, they would lay eggs much earlier than the usual six months.
When the time came, the eggs would be given to Cherries to choose from, and the chickens would be hatched for the farmers to raise. When autumn came, there would be no need to worry about eggs, and more chicken would appear on the table of the farmers.
When Zhang Xiaobao heard Wang Juan's words, he fell into deep thought. After a while, he shook his head and said with a sigh, "It's a pity that we don't have the technology to deal with oil, and we can't find rubber trees here. Otherwise, we could make some water boots for them to wear, which would be very useful.
When we eat tonight, we can tell them not to stop working on the kang bed. At night, when they go back, they should use hot water to warm their feet. Ask someone to invite a doctor to take a look at them. If they are not in good health, they should be treated as soon as possible. "
"En, I think it's okay. We can find two doctors and let them stay in Zhuangzi. One will be responsible for treating people, and the other will be responsible for treating animals. When the cows give birth, we can secretly raise them and not report it. When the time comes, we can eat beef."
Wang Juan chimed in and made an extension of it.
After the two finished their discussion, one of them took a small pair of scissors and began to cut the garlic sprouts. After a while, they cut out the vegetables that were going to be eaten today. They carried them out and asked the servants to send them to the kitchen. Next, they had to deal with the wheat rice stones.
After calling Erniu and the other two who had finished eating, Zhang Xiaobao instructed, "Erniu, since the stones were brought back by you, then I'll leave them to you. Smash the stones for me, pick out the good ones, and pile the rest together. When you're done, tell us."
"Little Young Master, don't worry about this. We will definitely do it for you." Erniu nodded in agreement, even though he still did not understand why the stones were brought back.
After Erniu and the other two left, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan began to exercise. Dusk was slowly approaching.
*****
The sun in the west hid under the mountains, leaving only the red clouds that filled the sky, changing with the wind.
In a workshop in Sanshui County, Song Jinggong and Zhou Xihu were waiting for the curved plows to be made one by one. When the quantity was almost enough, Song Jinggong would go to the county yamen to find the county magistrate. This was a very important time. If they delivered the plows too early, they would not be able to make much money. If they delivered the plows too late, they would only be able to use them next year after the spring plowing.
"Hurry up. The more plows you can make, the more money you will get. If you can make 2,000 sets of plows before midnight today, this young master will treat you to supper tonight."
Zhou Xihu shouted at the more than two hundred people who were still busy. Among these people, there were blacksmiths and carpenters, all of whom he found from various places. The number of masters was small, and even these people's disciples were pulled in to do the work. This made the people who were plowing in the surrounding villages gnash their teeth in hatred. He pulled people over, and if other people's plows broke, they would not be able to find people to fix it.
This was also an idea that Zhou Xihu thought was not bad. It was to make those farmers lack plows. Otherwise, who would he sell the plows to? Every time he thought of this matter, he would proudly tell Song Jinggong about it.
These craftsmen also knew what kind of person Young Master Zhou was. Seeing that there was more money to be earned and that they could not offend this young master, all of them worked hard. They were very clear about what they were making. The apprentices only knew about the new plows, but they did not know how much better they were compared to the usual plows. It was just that one of the plows was curved, while the other was straight.
However, the old craftsmen were not like this. They had made many things, so they could understand the benefits of new things with just a glance. When they were making the plows, they were still lamenting about who was so smart to make this kind of plows. When the plows were used, the farmers would have an easier time.
These old craftsmen saw that their apprentices did not understand the benefits of the plows, so they explained to their apprentices as they worked. It could be considered as teaching their apprentices. They explained the structure of each place and what kind of use this arrangement would have.
The disciples all opened their eyes wide as they listened. Their hands were not slow either. In the end, they all understood that the curved plow actually had so many benefits. They all began to worship the person who made this plow. Some could not even suppress the curiosity in their hearts and turned to ask Zhou Xihu.
If it was a normal day, Zhou Xihu would definitely not answer this kind of question. However, Zhou Xihu was very happy today as he had another business. When others asked, he would answer. However, no matter how he answered, he would not say Zhangjia Zhuangzi. This was what Song Jinggong reminded him. Of course, Zhou Xihu did not know who made these things.
When it was midnight, these craftsmen really finished two thousand sets. Zhou Xihu did not say anything and immediately ordered people to prepare wine and dishes. He wanted to properly entertain the craftsmen.
At this time, Song Jinggong bid farewell and left. He brought another plough that was originally made to the yamen. He knocked on the door of the backyard and asked the gatekeeper to go in and report. The gatekeeper was dozing off. When he saw someone coming in the middle of the night, he wanted to refuse. However, when he saw that it was Song Jinggong, he did not say anything and ran to report. The magistrate had ordered that no matter what time this young master Song came, he was to be informed.
When Song Jinggong entered the living room, County Magistrate Cheng Lingxiang had already put on his clothes and was sitting there waiting with his sleepy eyes open. Someone had also prepared tea for him. When he saw Song Jinggong dragging a heavy thing over, he yawned and asked curiously,
"Zijin, why did you bring this thing here in the middle of the night? Come, sit down and drink some tea. It seems that Zijin has not slept yet. "
County Magistrate Cheng let Song Jinggong sit on a chair beside the table. Song Jinggong had taught him how to make this chair. Originally, he was either sitting on a bench or sitting on a cushion. It was far less comfortable than this chair.
"Magistrate, your eyes are as sharp as torches. As soon as I arrived, I knew that I came for the thing in my hand. Magistrate, this is a type of plow used for farming. Because the shaft is curved, I call it the curved shaft plow. Using this plow to farm is much faster than using a straight shaft plow. It also makes people feel more relaxed. Even if it is pulled by people, it is not much worse than a straight shaft plow pulled by animals."
Song Jinggong knew that this was not the time to be modest. Whether or not Zhuangzi could avoid the danger of being confiscated and whether or not he could obtain more benefits, the curved shaft plow would play a significant role. He believed that County Magistrate Cheng would understand how much this plow could bring him.
Sure enough, as soon as Song Jinggong finished speaking, County Magistrate Cheng, who was still sitting there, suddenly stood up. He stared at the plow that he had never seen before and asked with a trembling voice,
"Zijin, are you serious? Aren't you just trying to make me happy? Good heavens, a person pulling a plow is not much slower than an animal. This is a great achievement. This achievement …? "
"Magistrate, don't be anxious. Listen to me slowly. Ever since the auspicious signs appeared in Sanshui County, you have been thinking day and night about how to obtain more benefits for the people of Sanshui County. You want to let the farmers of Sanshui County have a good harvest. You can't drink tea well and can't eat well.
You've become so tired. "" Heaven is strong, and a gentleman should constantly strive to improve himself. Because of your hard work, you finally realized that if you want to have a good harvest in autumn, you need to do well in spring plowing. You know that it is too late to work on the seeds, so you can only find some improvements in the farmland. "
"Heaven does not let down those who work hard. Magistrate's hair has turned white. You finally realized that if you want to understand the matters of the farmland, you need to find someone who works on the ground. So, Magistrate, you found a Zhuangzi. Under your guidance, the Zhuangzi farmer suddenly became enlightened.
After a few days of pondering, he finally made the curved shaft plow that Magistrate wanted. After testing it in the field, the farmers all praised Magistrate for being awesome. At the request of the farmer, I brought one to Magistrate. Magistrate, take a look. Is there anything else that needs to be improved? "
Song Jinggong said a bunch of nonsense and then looked at County Magistrate Cheng with a smile.
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