"Cotton?"
"My Song Jiang prefecture has been relying on silkworms for a living for generations. We grow rice in the fields and silkworms in the villages. Mo Jiazi's mulberry fish pond is indeed my favorite. However, if we were to plant cotton in the fields, what would we eat?" One of the farmers shook his head firmly.
As a farmer, it was natural to plant food in the fields. Although the Mo family had promoted the benefits of cotton, Song Jiang prefecture was already a silkworm plantation. They were not in a hurry to plant cotton. Secondly, cotton was a new species. The people of Song Jiang prefecture were naturally against it.
Mo Da patiently explained, "This old man is overthinking. Cotton can be woven into white silk. Although it is not as exquisite as silk, it is definitely better than linen. As long as the old man plants the cotton, my Mo family will immediately buy it at a high price. The harvest will definitely be higher than the old man's rice."
"As for the food problem that the old man mentioned, Old Zhang only needs to plant the rice introduced from Johor. It will be able to mature two to three times a year. Based on this calculation, even if the old man's harvest does not decrease, there will still be an additional season of cotton. That is an additional season of high harvest." Mo Da persuaded.
"Johor's rice, please forgive the old man's stupidity. I am afraid that he will not be able to take care of such exquisite crops." When the farmers heard the Johor's rice yield, they were not moved at all. They stubbornly believed that the japonica rice that they had planted for generations was the best.
Mo Da could not help but be silent. The scene in front of him was not out of his expectations. He did not know how many times he had experienced the same situation.
"I wonder what is the harvest of the old man's one mu of land in a year?" Meton suddenly asked.
Sang Nong proudly said, "The Old Man is the best farmer in the area. It is enough to mature two times a year. The harvest per mu is at least two and a half loads of rice."
The old farmer did not lie, but he also did not speak the truth. The two and a half loads of rice that he mentioned was in a year with good weather.
Mo Da suddenly smiled and said, "If that is the case, the Mo family can pay the old man five loads of rice per mu of land. The price is to rent the old man's land for a year to plant cotton and Johor rice. However, the old man will be responsible for taking care of the land. In this way, the old man will not lose out. If the harvest is good, there will be a bonus. What does the old man think?"
"There is such a good thing?" Sang Nong was surprised.
Mo Da confidently said, "If the old man does not believe me, the Mo family can pay half of the rice as a deposit."
Faced with such a good opportunity, the mulberry farmers naturally wouldn't reject it. The two of them signed the agreement and got Li Zheng to be the witness. Immediately, this matter caused a sensation in the surrounding villages. More and more mulberry farmers came to Moda to sign the agreement and compete to plant cotton and Johor rice.
"Big Brother, although this move of yours is good, you are giving out rice and bonuses. In the end, the one who will suffer a loss is our Mo Clan." A Mo Clan disciple said with a bitter face.
Mo Da shook his head and said, "Then you're wrong. I'm giving the mulberry farmers their own money. If the mulberry farmers were to switch to cotton and Johor rice, their annual income would be exactly five dan of rice and the bonus. I'm just giving them the money and rice that they originally deserved. Of course, this trick only needs to be used once. As long as the mulberry farmers know about the high income of cotton and Johor rice, the Mo Family will not need to do this in the future."
Mo Jiazi's brother did not know whether to laugh or cry. Previously, the Mo family tried their best to promote the farmers to plant cotton and Johor rice. However, no one responded. Mo Da just changed the method and did not spend a single coin. He actually made the farmers take the initiative to plant cotton.
"This is really a land of treasures."
Mo Da looked at the fertile land of Song Jiang prefecture and the abundant water. He could not help but mutter to himself. Jiangnan's climate was suitable. The trees were green all year round and there was sufficient rainfall. It was the best place for agriculture.
"This is really a land of great danger."
Far away, Mo Wu looked at the river water in front of him and said with lingering fear. Who would have thought that such clear water with green ripples would actually contain the terrifying Schistosomiasis.
"Doctor Mo, what's wrong?" A Jiangnan doctor quickly asked.
"This place also has Schistosomiasis! Pass down the order to immediately put up a sign stating that there are Schistosomiasis in the water and that fishing is strictly prohibited. "Meton said solemnly.
"Yes!" The Jiangnan doctor immediately nodded and turned around to pass down the order. Immediately, a village chief began to put up the notice.
Looking at the calm river water, Mo Wu could not help but sigh. Along the way, they did not know how many water sources they found with Schistosomiasis. The Schistosomiasis was widespread and the number of people infected was simply chilling.
"Doctor Mo, medicine to treat the Big Belly Disease." The Jiangnan official who had been following them urgently said. The Big Belly Disease was the local name for Schistosomiasis. The doctors called it Gu. But Mo Wu knew that the Gu was just an insect that could not be seen with the naked eye.
Mo Wu shook his head and said, "The doctors do not have the right medicine."
The Jiangnan doctor could not help but frown, "Even the Azure Dragon True Medicine is not effective!"
Hearing the name of the Azure Dragon True Medicine, everyone could not help but rejoice as they looked at Mo Wu with hopeful eyes.
Mo Wu shook his head and said, "When this Mo came to Jiangnan, the first thing I did was to use the Azure Dragon True Medicine on the patients. Unfortunately, no one was effective.
Immediately, everyone felt a wave of disappointment. The Big Belly Disease was a nightmare that loomed over Jiang Nan's head. Who would have thought that even the famous Green Dragon True Medicine would be ineffective against it?
"Could it be that our Jiangnan is going to let this Gu wreak havoc?" The Jiangnan doctor sorrowfully said.
"That's not the case. Although the School of Medicine did not find the cure, they did find the culprit behind the illness." Mo Wu changed the topic.
"Really?!" The Jiangnan doctor immediately rejoiced. If they really found the source, they only needed to cut off the source. Then wouldn't that mean that they had a solution to Schistosomiasis?
"Doctor Mo, please enlighten us." The Jiangnan official excitedly said. Naturally, he also thought of this method.
"This is it!" Mo Wu did not keep them in suspense. Instead, he used a pair of tweezers to pinch out a tiny snail from the grass.
"This is a field snail!" The Jiangnan doctor looked at the familiar object in front of him and exclaimed. One must know that Jiangnan was filled with water, and field snails were innumerable. If the source of Schistosomiasis was a field snail, then it would be impossible to eradicate it.
"Impossible! This official often eats field snails, and even went into the water to catch one when I was young. How could I not have contracted the Big Belly Disease? "The Jiangnan official frowned.
Mo Wu shook his head and said, "This is not a field snail, but a nail snail. The body of the nail snail is small and slender, similar to the nail produced by the Mo Family. Thus, I named it the nail snail."
"That's really the case!" The Jiangnan doctor looked at the nail snail in Mo Wu's hand and suddenly sighed. Even so, he knew that these snails were widely distributed, and it would be extremely difficult to eradicate them.
"According to the doctors' research, only this snail has the same Gu as the Big Belly Disease. In addition, there were oncomelania snails in every area where potbellied disease appeared. Mo Wu can deduce that the Big Belly Disease is caused by this snail. Wherever this snail is produced, it can infect people. "Mo Wu said with certainty.
"And after a person is infected, their stomach will slowly swell and their limbs will become thinner. At the same time, the Gu eggs will be expelled from their feces and dumped into the rivers and lakes, infecting more snails and causing the Gu to spread further. If this disease did not appear during the Pre-Qin period, and when it reached the Tang dynasty, the number of people infected would increase to millions. If it is not treated, then Jiangnan's population of millions would face the threat of this disease." Mo Wu said with lingering fear.
The Jiangnan official could not help but feel awkward. The people of Jiangnan were simple and honest, and there was indeed a bad habit of dumping night incense into the river. However, they did not expect that it was this action that caused the Schistosomiasis to spread further.
"When this official returns, I will immediately issue an order to stop this bad habit." The Jiangnan official said firmly.
Mo Wu nodded and said, "This disease is extremely complicated. This Mo has given Jiangnan three suggestions to control this disease. First, all rivers and lakes with snails are prohibited from entering the water. This will reduce the number of people infected as much as possible."
"Second, all the feces of people infected with Schistosomiasis are to be buried. They are not to be dumped into the river, or to be dumped casually, to prevent it from threatening the water source."
"Third, immediately eliminate the snails. Whether it is through poison or human extermination, do not allow the snails to run rampant and allow the Schistosomiasis to spread."
The Jiangnan doctor nodded heavily. He had devoted his life to medicine, and his biggest headache was the Big Belly Disease. Now, he finally saw the hope of curing it.
"In this way, in less than twenty years, the Jiangnan Schistosomiasis will be contained. At that time, Jiangnan will no longer have any worries." Mo Wu took a deep breath and said.
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