In the fields, Lu Mingjing was shirtless, loosening the soil with a hoe. He, who rarely sweats, was already sweating profusely.
This is the farmland in Xiaohuling Village. Commissioner Zhang responded to General Lu’s call and went into the fields to help the farmers with their farm work.
Yesterday, General Lu issued a document, hoping that civil servants at all levels would go into factories, mines and farmlands to truly understand the sufferings of the people. He also proposed that civil servants at all levels of departments take out eight hours each month to work with farmers and workers and truly go among the people.
In fact, Lu Ming also knew that this kind of thing could easily become a formality.
The further development of the East China Sea model, the improvement of the system and the strengthening of the law are the real medicine for a healthy society. If one only relies on one's own prestige and administrative orders to require officials at all levels to do something, once one is gone, the society will be restored to the old state in a matter of minutes.
However, in the Northern Territory, there is really no soil yet to fully implement the East China Sea model, so we can only take it slowly.
Requiring officials at all levels to go to the fields and factories is to break the people's mysterious perception of "officials".
If ordinary people can often see a high-ranking official and realize that he is just an ordinary person, the mystery of the official will naturally be diluted.
The higher up they are, the harder it is for ordinary people to see them. The media is not allowed to report and supervise the "officials" in a real and everyday way. The more sacred the "officials" are, the slower we will return to the dynasty era. The social model may be different, but the way of thinking will not be much different.
Of course, the move he implemented in Montenegro was earth-shattering and overturned too many traditions. He didn't know how many senior officials would be dissatisfied with him.
But he did it anyway, taking advantage of the fact that the area he controlled was not large, the number of officials was not large, and his prestige was at its peak, and he pushed it through forcefully. He called it an initiative, but in fact it was an administrative order, requiring officials at all levels to carefully review the articles written by officials at the next level about their experiences of "working with the people."
If he doesn't make up his mind now to take these dangerous actions that may threaten the foundation of his rule, he will not have the opportunity to do so in the future even if he wants to.
Nowadays, as long as the policy is promoted and carried out without encountering systematic resistance, officials will gradually get used to it. They are ordinary people too and have the same adaptability as ordinary people. Once they are manipulated, they will slowly get used to it.
In fact, as "Commissioner Zhang" was a member of the military system, he did not have to participate in the "Working with the People" movement. However, as General Lu's trusted and beloved general, he had to take the lead in supporting General Lu's initiative with practical actions.
Just like that, I came to Xiaohuling Village.
Of course, there are other purposes for selecting Xiaohuling Village as the research site for Commissioner Zhang to "work with the people".
Originally, Lu Ming had no intention of drinking, but after a day of farm work, he felt relaxed all over. He used to sweat very little, but now he was drenched in sweat and felt extremely comfortable.
"Sir, sir, enough, enough!" A farming couple standing next to them was terrified and fearful. They were the owners of the fields nearby.
The male head of the family is called Zhuzi, and the female is from Zhuzi's family. The real name is a bit indecent.
Zhuzi and his wife were so shocked that their jaws almost dropped.
This Chief Zhang is even more useful than an ox. He is so strong and powerful. How much soil did he loosen today
Lu Ming smiled at them, stretched his arms to loosen up his muscles, looked at the fiery clouds in the sky, and said with a smile: "You guys will work for a while longer, right?"
It is September now, and although the midday heat in the North is not very hot, the farmers still feel more comfortable working in the morning and evening.
After hearing what Officer Zhang said, Zhuzi and his wife looked at each other and didn't know how to respond. Normally, they would have to work for a while before finishing the work, but the work they did in five days was not as much as what Officer Zhang did in one day. He was simply a bull.
No, it is more capable than that wild bull. Unfortunately, there was a bandit incident a while ago, and several cows of wealthy families that were confiscated by the village office were all killed. Now I really miss that wild bull. I should have been nicer to it when it was alive.
Lu Ming picked up the hoe and said with a smile, "I'll work on it for a while."
On the small path along the ridge of the field, two graceful figures who were originally at the edge of the field came over. They were Pei and Zou.
Lu Ming brought the two of them here to attract the attention of the bandits' spies, and came to Xiaohuling Village by himself.
It would be great if we could lure the bandits down the mountain. If we can't, we still have a backup plan.
Over there, looking at Lu Ming's sweaty naked upper body, Pei and Zou's beautiful eyes were filled with wonder. It turned out that this devil was not only vicious and terrifying, but also had a horrifying physique.
"Master, you should take a rest..." Zou took a handkerchief and wanted to wipe the sweat off the master of the family, but her slender white hand with bright red nail polish stretched out the handkerchief halfway and then retracted it. In the end, she did not dare to touch this devil.
Pei whispered "Uncle" beside him.
They both wore cloth clothes and cloth pants. In fact, when Zou heard that they had to go to the fields to work, she wanted to cry but she had no choice but to follow them.
Fortunately, the devil finally found his conscience and did not make the two of them go to the fields.
“Master…” A slender figure ran over from the ridges of the fields. It was Xiangling, the girl that Lu Ming rescued from the Eighteen-Breaking Cave.
Her parents are both dead, and she is now living with Zhuzi and his wife, who are her cousins.
"I prepared some sugar water for you..." Xiangling was holding a green military kettle that came from nowhere. The paint on it had peeled off and it was flat. According to the military, it was considered scrap.
Lu Ming took it and could see that the spout had been polished to a shine. He smiled at Xiang Ling and said, "Thank you!" He picked it up and took a sip. It was saccharin water, but Lu Ming still gulped down several big mouthfuls.
Xiangling smiled happily.
"Let's go, stop working and go back to the village!" Lu Ming smiled.
In the surrounding fields, several young men in baseball caps quickly approached.
Zhuzi and his wife called these young men "bosses" with great trepidation, knowing that they were all soldiers.
The country folk like to use the honorific "boss" to address the soldiers, although in the entire Wanzhou area, only Commissioner Zhang can be called "boss".
…
There was a bonfire burning next to a few simple tents at the entrance of the village, and a group of villagers, including men, women, young and old, were sitting around it.
During this period, Xiaohuling Village was filled with misery and sorrow. Only on the day of the public trial, when Liu Taisui was sentenced to death and executed on the spot, cheers were heard everywhere in the village. However, with so many people dead, it would take time for the village to heal its wounds and return to peace.
The headman is a middle-aged man in his forties with the surname Li. Almost everyone in Xiaohuling Village has the surname Li. Headman Li is a prominent figure in the village. The old headman who was killed during the bandit incident was his father.
The villagers all sat properly.
Commissioner Zhang, who was speaking, was the benefactor of the entire village, so everyone listened carefully to what he said.
But no one expected that Commissioner Zhang would suddenly mention that many silver dollars were seized from Liu Taisui during the bandit suppression campaign. All of these silver dollars would be used to compensate the victims of Xiaohuling Village and all the villagers. Each victim would receive a pension of 50 silver dollars, or 500 imperial coins.
Everyone looked at each other, having never thought about it.
Moreover, there was no family in the village that had been wiped out by the bandits, so the families of the victims could get the compensation.
"We helped to contact the rest of the money and purchased twelve cows and some farm tools." Lu Ming said, glancing at Li Baozhang. "However, these things will not be managed by the village office. Instead, they will be sold to you at a preferential price. You can come together to buy them. I have seen the statistics. There are still 75 households in Xiaohuling Village, right? You can voluntarily come together to buy them. You can write IOUs, no interest, and pay them back slowly."
If these means of production are handed over to the village office and stated to be collectively owned, then Li Baochang will be responsible for allocating them to each household.
It can be imagined that those who have a good relationship with Li Baochang and are close relatives will definitely benefit from it. Even if it is not a blatant usurpation, that kind of power and inequality will become an unfairness visible to all the villagers, until they get used to it and try to build relationships with Li Baochang.
Especially when it comes to farmers’ right to use their most important means of production, there is a high possibility that some shady dealings will occur.
Not to mention the storage of farm tools, the feeding of cattle, etc., these are public property that are not their own, so no one will feel bad about it.
Therefore, letting them "buy" it and making it the common property of several households and their own property has a completely different meaning.
The villagers listened stupidly, totally not understanding what the great commander meant.
Do I have to pay for it? IOU? It sounds like a disguised form of taxation.
But Commander Zhang saved so many people in the village, he can be said to be the living Bodhisattva of the village. Even if he wants some hard work pay, military donation or the like from the village, he should have a share.
Then someone took the lead in cheering, and then applause broke out and the cheers continued.
Lu Ming sneered in his heart, they will naturally understand it slowly in the future.