On the second day of the second month, the dragon raised its head.
Mo Jilian's group took a detour to Sanshui County from the beginning of the year. They were worried about their own people, worried about the future, and in the process of learning more about the Tang Empire, they finally arrived at Sanshui County.
There were not many people in the group. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan left behind one hundred guards. Xiao Bei and the others also followed with fifty guards. Then there were the leaders or important figures of the Turkic tribes like Mo Jilian. In total, there were about seventy people. As for their families, there were other arrangements.
Because the Yellow River had just opened up, the surging water was filled with countless ice cubes. Therefore, no boats could be seen on the river, and no one continued to walk on the ice.
This year, the 'several' section was not like usual. The people were afraid that the ice was too thick and would drown. They happily prepared for spring plowing. This was because an artillery battalion had been pulled over before the beginning of spring, ready to explode the ice at any time.
Mo Jilian and the others naturally could not see what had happened on the road they had already walked on. All they could see was the lively scene in Sanshui County.
As soon as he entered the territory of Sanshui County, Que Teqin was infected by the enthusiasm of the people. The sound of firecrackers, gongs, and drums shook the sky. Flags fluttered and ribbons fluttered. A big dragon held up by people meandered in the direction of the county.
"It's a good time. The second day of the second month, the dragon dance." As the local 'master', Zhang Xiaobao's face was also brimming with a happy smile. He introduced to Que Teqin and the others.
Mo Jilian watched the bustle and said regretfully, "I thought that Zhang Xiaobao had told us in advance to welcome us."
Zhang Xiaobao smiled and did not reply. When they came, they were disguised as merchants and did not raise a flag to symbolize their identity. That was why the people of Sanshui County did not personally welcome them. This was the rule of Sanshui County. When foreign merchants came and wanted to do business, they could only enjoy the same treatment as the local merchants of Sanshui County.
Perhaps thinking of this, Mo Ji sighed and said, "This trip, I have seen Zhang Xiaobao's ability to do business. Those who know will understand that you want to play along, but those who don't will think that you are so poor that you can't even pay for the reception. After deducting the expenses, you have earned about twenty thousand coins, right?"
"Thank you, thank you. I made a small profit." Zhang Xiaobao said modestly and continued to move forward.
Mo Ji was a few steps behind. He glanced at the silent Secret Service Officer Que and asked, "Left Virtuous Prince, how is it?"
Secret Service Officer Que squeezed out a smile and said, "I admire you. We have more than two hundred people. Starting from Feng Zhou, Zhang Xiaobao spent ten thousand coins to buy a lot of dry food and other goods. At that time, we thought that he wanted to bring back to the capital. Who knew that he was doing business along the way, selling what he bought and paying for our accommodation and meals. In the end, when we arrived here, he actually made twenty thousand coins.
It doesn't look like much, just twenty coins. But the food and accommodation along the way, even if they deliberately avoided Between the Clouds and the Water and Blue Sea Silver Sand, the place they arrived at was not bad. I estimate that it would not be enough for less than three hundred thousand coins. Also, he saw two carts of brocades shipped from Sichuan on the way and bought them.
If we had people like him, we would not be in this situation today. No wonder the Tang Emperor Li Longji values him so much. In fact, he doesn't have to show off to us like this. "
"He's not showing off to us, he's teaching his little sister how to do business. When those little guys grow up, they'll be extraordinary too. Our clan will be gone from now on." Mo Ji couldn't help but show a pained expression when he thought of his clan being scattered to different places.
As they walked forward, there were more people on the road. Some people who didn't want to join in the fun had already brought their tools to the fields to prepare for the spring plowing.
Zhang Xiaobao's team slowed down and looked at the fields on both sides. Occasionally, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan would stop and ask a person resting on a ridge.
After traveling for a few li, a few cars appeared by the side of the road ahead. There were also many people stopping in the fields. Zhang Xiaobao had the team stop as well. He leaned to the side and took out his Clairvoyance to observe the people there.
He saw an old man arguing with a middle-aged man. He looked very angry. Then, he walked to the side of the road. The middle-aged man lowered his head and followed behind. He seemed to be explaining something.
"Are they fighting?" Mo Ji asked Zhang Xiaobao.
Zhang Xiaobao shook his head. "There may be a problem with the spring plowing plan. It may need to be replanned. I hope it won't delay the plowing time."
"How do you know?" Mo Ji was puzzled.
"You will know later." Zhang Xiaobao walked forward.
It didn't take long before the old man came to the ridge by the roadside and sat on the ground angrily. The middle-aged man who followed him quickly took off his coat and asked the old man to stand up and spread the coat on the ground. Then he stood to the side and explained, "Uncle Wang, the land here is fertile. If we plant beans, there will definitely be a lot of yield. That's why when the county was first planned, this area was planned as a soybean field. Please calm down, I'll immediately find someone to discuss and see if we can think of a way to satisfy both sides. Is that okay?"
The old man obviously didn't buy it, but his expression softened. He said to the middle-aged man earnestly, "Second Boy, since you said so, do it quickly. You are the county magistrate. Why don't you know how to look at the big picture? Do you think I don't know that the yield of beans in the fertile land is high?
But if we plant beans, this land is close to the river. Do you still need water? If we do, all the beans will be washed away. If we don't, where will we get water for the rice fields? In the winter, when we collect manure as fertilizer, you are so careless. Look at the people you asked to add so much lime. If someone didn't see it, you would have burned all the land.
It's not that I want to criticize you, but we all know that you want to achieve something. But it depends on the actual situation. You have to come up with a solution within two days, or you can't be the county magistrate anymore. Do you hear me? "
Uncle Wang, you're right. I'll get someone to replan the land and find a suitable place to plant beans. But this year, all the land in the county has been allocated. I'm afraid we won't be able to make it in time. I'm so worried. Why don't we allocate some land on the mountain behind the first house in Linshui? I see a lot of empty land. We can allocate some land there and then the square beside the dock … "
Let's … "The middle-aged man tried his best to explain. Before he finished, he was interrupted by the old man again.
"No one can touch the mountain behind the first house by the river. Are you waiting for someone to steal the things you planted at the square of the wharf? The people in the county won't touch it. There are so many people coming and going. Are you waiting to catch someone to show off your achievements? "
"That mountain is useless. People who go to the mountain will see the beans. Won't it be another scenery?" The middle-aged man continued to argue.
"Nonsense. That mountain was bought by Zhangjia Zhuangzi. At that time, the Zhang family became famous there. Then the people in the county lived a good life. If you change that place, do you want to change the Fengshui of the county? Then hand in the seal today. We don't need you to be the county magistrate. "
"Wrong, Uncle Wang. I know I am wrong. I won't do anything to that place. Can you help me think of a suitable place to plant beans?"
The middle-aged man's waist was almost touching the ground as he begged.
Mo Ji and the others understood this time. The middle-aged man standing was the county magistrate of Sanshui County. The angry man sitting in the middle-aged man's clothes was a farmer in Sanshui County. The county magistrate was scolded because he made a mistake in his decision.
"Zhang Xiaobao, the county magistrate of Sanshui County doesn't have any authority? Is he scolding like a grandson? "Mo Ji felt sorry for the county magistrate. He was an official, but he didn't have any temper.
Before Zhang Xiaobao could speak, Xiao Bei sneered, "What authority? He should admit his mistakes. Sanshui County doesn't need to be so thick-skinned. An official who knows what he did wrong and continues to quibble is not a fool. No matter how much he quibbles, everyone knows the truth. "
"What if he quibbles?" Mo Ji asked Xiao Bei deliberately. He was also a little confused by Xiao Bei's cute appearance.
Xiao Bei stared at him and said even more cutely, "Quibbling and escaping will result in dismissal. Any official who is dismissed from Sanshui County can forget about being an official in Tang. Am I right? Look at me, I'm talking to you too."
Xiao Bei's voice was loud and the middle-aged man heard it. When he looked over, Xiao Bei saw him and questioned him.
"Yes, yes, admit your mistakes. I am not thick-skinned." The middle-aged man nodded.
At this time, the old man also turned his head and looked at Xiao Bei. He felt that Xiao Bei didn't look like a local, so he said unhappily, "Little kid, who are you? You don't need to talk about my Sanshui County's officials. County Magistrate Lu, don't worry about outsiders. I will find someone to discuss this matter. County Magistrate Lu, don't think too much. You have to do what you have to do. Who doesn't make a mistake in their life?"
This time, not only was Mo Ji surprised, but the other Tibetans were also curious. What kind of place was Sanshui County? The farmer had reprimanded a county magistrate as if he was his grandson, but in the blink of an eye, he was defending him. It was really confusing.
Xiao Bei didn't get angry. He turned his head and said to Mo Ji, "See, this is Sanshui County. Family matters are solved by family members and outsiders are not allowed to interfere. Old grandpa, I am also from Sanshui County. Do you want me to think of a good idea for you?"
"Little kid, who are you? Why are you with a group of outsiders?" The old man stood up and shook the clothes that he was sitting on. He put them back on the middle-aged man and asked Xiao Bei.
Xiao Bei smiled and showed two dimples, "How am I an outsider? They will be one of us in the future. My brother and sister will bring them back and they will become citizens of Tang. Who am I? I am the cutest and smartest little princess of Zhangjia Zhuangzi in Tuqiao Village of Sanshui County, Zhang Xiaobei. This is the stupidest Wang Xiaoyuan. Do you see? "
"Don't mention me. You can't elevate yourself by belittling me. Who are you? Just now you said you would think of a way. Think of a way." Xiaoyuan, who had been silent, was not satisfied.
When the old man heard Xiao Bei's self-introduction, he was suddenly shocked. He looked at Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan who were standing behind Xiao Bei. His eyes opened wider and wider. He looked carefully and asked tentatively, "Xiao Bao, Cuckoo?"
"Hello, Grandpa Wang." Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan saluted at the same time.
"Oh, it really is our cutest little princess, Xiao Bei. Come and let Grandpa give you a hug. I have heard of such a person, but I have never seen her before. I was wondering which family's daughter could be so beautiful, like a flower. So it is our Xiao Bei."
For a moment, the old man forgot about farming. His stern face turned into a flower as he picked up the already heavy Xiao Bei. He was extremely happy.
The County Magistrate next to him was nervous and did not know what to do. He wanted to go up and greet them, but he did not dare. He wanted to pretend that nothing had happened, but he did not dare. Not to mention Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's ranks, even if they were not officials, the whole County Magistrate would tremble when they stamped their feet in Sanshui County.
"This … that …." For a moment, the County Magistrate did not know how to express himself. He rubbed his hands anxiously but could not say a complete sentence.
"You are County Magistrate Lu, right?" Zhang Xiaobao turned to the County Magistrate and asked.
"Yes, yes, it is this official, Lord Zhang. Please give me your orders. Just now …. this year …. aiya." County Magistrate Lu did not know what to say. He knew that if they really wanted to remove him from his position, these two legendary figures in front of him did not have to do it personally. As long as Xiao Bei, who was being picked up, said something, not to mention a County Magistrate, even a Provincial Governor would have to be removed. The people of Sanshui County were very active in collecting information on Zhang Wang's family. As long as there was something going on, they would know.
At this time, the old man helped to speak up, "Xiao Bao, Cuckoo, and our cutest Xiao Bei, County Magistrate Lu is not bad. When he was a registrar, he did well in accounting. Last year, when he became a County Magistrate, he ran around all day. It can be said that he has done his best."
"Grandpa Wang, I did not say that I would do anything to him. He planted beans in the field last year. Can he continue to plant beans this year? Is that right, County Magistrate Lu? " Zhang Xiaobao naturally could not remove him from his position just because he made a mistake. Since he was an official approved by the people of Sanshui County, he would not be bad. The people's hearts were not so easily bullied.
County Magistrate Lu nodded vigorously, "Yes, during the planning, we planted beans in the field last year. This year, we will plant rice. Because we need to clear the silt in the river, after the rice is harvested, we will directly pluck the fields. The soil will be more fertile. But during the planning, we forgot …. what should we do?"
"What should we do? We can only mend the pen after the sheep is lost. This year, we will not plant beans in Sanshui County. Send people to Fengzhou to get seeds. This year, we will plant pasture in the barren lands of Sanshui County. You organize people to go there and buy cattle and sheep, especially those that need to give birth. During the summer, we will make milk products and send them to the Bohai Commander-In-Chief's Office to sell.
Since Zhang Xiaobao had encountered this, he could not ignore it.
County Magistrate Lu knew what was called secret farming. It was like the poppies that were planted in the past. When they were planted, they would be sent to the Deyi Medical School.
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