Sibao County, Xiaocheng.
When the war between Yanzhou and Qianzhou spread, Sibao County, Longwu County and Minfeng County were unusually peaceful. Specifically, it should be the first two that were peaceful. Minfeng County had a riot more than a month ago, but it was quelled before it became a big deal.
In the shade, the refugees who wanted to flee to Minfeng County had bitter faces.
"Why did Minfeng County become chaotic?"
Due to the shortage of manpower and financial constraints, the government announced that no refugees would be allowed to enter Minfeng County until it was truly stable, in order to prevent bandits from gathering and causing chaos. Those who violated the order for the first time would be expelled; those who violated the order again would be punished with caning; those who refused to change after repeated warnings would be beaten to death!
Faced with an iron order, few people knowingly violate it.
"Why do we have to go to Minfeng? Sibao is not good enough?" The old lady who was resting in the shade felt uncomfortable after hearing this.
Among the three counties, Longwu County was the safest, but it no longer accepted refugees; Minfeng County had the fewest people and was the poorest; Sibao County was somewhere in between. Although it was in a position neither high nor low, the government offices began to be vigorously reorganized, and everything was thriving.
Where can I find such a good government office
The leading refugee looked embarrassed.
Sibao County was naturally good. They had fled from Yanzhou, and some died of illness, some died of starvation, and some were killed by bandits along the way. Less than 30% of the entire village was left. The village had a relative in Minfeng, and they were going to go and seek refuge there.
I don't want anything else, just a meal to eat.
I came here with a strong belief.
How could they not be upset when they were told that the boundary marker of Minfeng County could not be crossed? They couldn't just go back home, could they? They also wanted to settle down in Sibao County, but they had no money and no land to live on. How could they survive in a strange place
The local women felt a little sympathy when they saw the poverty and hardship of these twenty or thirty people - the soles of their straw sandals had long been worn out, but it was fortunate that the government had built a road and leveled the land. If it were still the old road, the soles of their feet would have been damaged sooner or later.
"You are all strong, so why worry about not being able to stay?" The local woman stood up and brushed off the dust on her butt, handed the farm tools to an old sister from the same village, and said, "You look pitiful, too. Come with me."
The refugees looked at each other in bewilderment.
The local villagers who were enjoying the cool air laughed and said, "You are so lucky. The daughter of the widow Zhuo is promising. She has studied under a famous teacher and is a scholar. If she is willing to go out and say a few words, she will definitely let you stay and maybe even get a share of the land."
Widow Zhuo was a good farmer, working as hard as men, and walking briskly. She led the 20 or 30 refugees to a small shed at the entrance of the village, where a bearded clerk sat.
After listening to Widow Zhuo's description, the clerk nodded.
He took out twenty or thirty blank bamboo pieces from the bamboo basket behind him.
He said to the refugees, "Everyone line up."
The clerk carefully asked them their names, ages, family members, places of origin, and reasons for fleeing, and then stamped them with a seal. These bamboo slips are very important, whether you are temporarily living in Sibao County or want to settle in Sibao County, this item is indispensable.
The refugees who had fled could also use bamboo sticks to get three days of dry food at nearby relief centers, and they would arrange work for everyone within three days. When the refugees heard this, they all looked miserable. What do you mean by arranging work? Isn't it just conscription for corvée labor
They still remember that every time the authorities imposed forced labor, there would always be people who died of exhaustion or illness, and those who were lucky enough to survive would lose a lot of weight.
A strong man can become thin and strong.
Widow Zhuo asked, "Do you give money and food for the corvée labor?"
The refugee shook his head when he heard this.
Widow Zhuo was very proud: "Our county magistrate will give it to you."
The rewards were mainly old grain, fine salt, kudzu cloth, grain seeds, silkworm seeds, and occasionally a few pounds of fat meat. It was not much, but if you worked hard, you would not starve to death. In addition to the above rewards, the government would also give people work points, which were contributions to the construction of Sibao County. The more work points you had, the more contributions you had made to Sibao County. Refugees rented cheap temporary housing with their work points.
If you don't have work points, you need to pay the full amount for the lease.
Of course, the full amount is not expensive.
Even though the temporary shelter is simple, it can at least shelter you from the wind and rain, which is much better than the refugees having to sleep in the open air along the way.
As for leasing land, you need to wait in line.
Once the land is allocated, the refugees’ household registration will be moved to the corresponding county, town or village, and they will also have to move there.
Muramasa was overwhelmed by the dense information. When he heard the word "land", he was shocked: "Can we still divide the land?"
Widow Zhuo corrected her: "It's rented by the government office."
The government provided land, and the refugees used it to farm. After deducting the land tax from the annual harvest, the rest was theirs. If the refugees did not have their own farm tools, oxen, and grain, they could rent them from the government, but they had to pay a small rent to the government.
When Muramasa heard this, his mind calmed down.
He carefully inquired about the land tax.
Widow Zhuo said, "You are outsiders. For the first three years, you are officials at five and civilians at five. From the fourth year on, officials at four and civilians at six."
This ratio would have been high in a peaceful and prosperous era, but in today's world, providing land and a quiet environment for common people to cultivate the land is not a bad ratio, not to mention that the government gave 10% in the fourth year. However, Muramasa was not carried away.
He also asked about land rent and other miscellaneous taxes.
Widow Zhuo was obviously not dealing with such a problem for the first time. She said directly: "Without those, how could we say that our county governor is a good man? My daughter also said that those messy things were all included in the land tax..."
The son behind Muramasa gasped.
If there was only the land tax, and no other miscellaneous taxes, and no rent, this land tax ratio would be very attractive. They thought this was the biggest surprise, but when they went out to ask around, they accidentally found out about the harvest in the neighboring Longwu County last year. It was said that after a commoner paid the land tax, the grain left was more than their family's harvest in two years.
As long as the family is hardworking and capable, they can have enough to eat all year round, and some families can even have several jars of grain left over.
Muramasa smacked his lips.
"My goodness, what kind of crops do they grow?"
Which farmer doesn’t bend over and tend to the fields all year round
I am afraid that if the weeds are removed too slowly, it will affect the growth of crops.
Doing the same work, but the results are very different.
I went out and asked around and found out the reason.
First, the seeds provided by the government are good; second, the weather in the area is good, with no floods or droughts; third, if the fields are not fertile enough, the government will teach you how to make compost to nourish the land. It is said that those who have supernatural powers will also use their supernatural powers...
Muramasa was so excited after hearing this that he tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
You say, we are all human beings, why should people here live like human beings, but they have to leave their homes and lose their wives and children
The old village chief had his back to his son and was secretly wiping away his tears.
But he was still a little worried.
If they get the land, will their village be broken up? They have been in the same village for many years, and they can't take care of their relatives in a different place if they are separated. If they offend other villages one day, they are few in number and are outsiders, so they are easy to be bullied.
Laocunzheng's worries were unnecessary.
In order to reduce conflicts, acquaintances would be placed together first. Even if they could not be put into the same village, they would be neighbors.
Lao Cunzheng was completely relieved when he heard the news.
Similar scenes were played out all over Sibao County.
Sibao County, the household office.
The clerk holding the official document saw Shen Zhi coming and bowed, but was stopped by the latter: "Have you seen Lin Hu Cao?"
The clerk replied, "Lin Hu Cao has gone out of the city to offer sacrifices."
Shen Zhi asked: "When will you be back?"
The clerk estimated: "The Forestry Department said it would take at most an hour. Judging from the time, he should be back soon."
Speak of Cao Cao and he will appear.
Lin Feng appeared at the door of the government office. She was carrying a bamboo basket with some unused funeral candles in it.
Her own scroll was buried deep in the mountains outside Xiaocheng.
In the past, she didn't have the opportunity to worship and clean, but now it's convenient. She would go and talk to them every ten days, and recently she was asking about the relocation of the grave. If she had more time, she would also take the time to go further and help her senior brother Tu Rong clean up his part.
When I came back, I saw Shen Zhi looking for me, and I thought it was urgent. After asking, I found out that he was asking about cotton seeds.
Because the trial planting effect this year is quite good, the government intends to vigorously promote cotton in Sibao County next year, and cotton seeds need to be prepared in advance. Lin Feng is the main force of this task, and Chen Zhi is urged by Qi Shan to come over as a supervisor every now and then...
Lin Feng put down the bamboo basket, led Shen Zhi to her own government affairs office, lifted her skirt and sat down, with a worried look on her face: "Cotton seeds are a small matter, I have run into other troubles."
Chen Zhi: "The trouble you are talking about is Gongxi Langjun? Didn't Doctor Dong say that it's only a matter of time before his eyesight is restored?"
About a month ago, Lin Feng went out to pay tribute to his relatives. Passing by a cliff, he picked up a dying man.
The man was Gong Xichou, who was seriously injured and on the verge of death.
The man was saved, but he was blinded in one eye.
Lin Feng shook his head: "It has nothing to do with the benefactor. I just suddenly remembered something - it is easy to promote cotton planting in the country, and it is easy to get high-quality cotton seeds, but how to remove the seeds after the cotton is harvested? You can't just peel it slowly with your hands, right?"
The best way is to make a targeted agricultural tool.
But it is easier said than done.