Raising chickens and pigs and digging for wild vegetables, the county magistrate's promotion wa

Chapter 13: Every sentence seems to be about money, yet every sentence is inextricably linked to mon

Yang Shaofeng glanced at Limpy Wu: "Could this thing be money?"

Limpy Wu chuckled and said, "Your Excellency, this thing is just grass in other people's hands, but it could be money in yours."

Before Yang Shaofeng could ask, Limpy Five explained directly: "The so-called fodder, fodder, grain is for the soldiers to eat, and grass is for the warhorses, packhorses, donkeys and mules to eat."

"I've already checked. Some of the grass here is of poor quality and can be fed to pack horses, donkeys, and mules, while some of the better grass can be fed to warhorses."

"Currently, Changpingzhang and Xu Xiang are leading troops to fight against the Tartars. The army needs countless fodder. Why doesn't the county magistrate write a letter to Changpingzhang first? If Changpingzhang's army is also short of fodder, wouldn't this be money?"

Yang Shaofeng frowned and said, "As the saying goes, 'An army marches on its stomach.' It is true that Prime Minister Xu and Chang Pingzhang's army need provisions, but the matter of provisions is extremely important. How could a mere county magistrate like me interfere?"

Limpy Wu said in a low voice, "If this were in the Jiangnan region, let alone a county magistrate, even a prefect would be unable to get involved. Chang Pingzhang might not even give them a second glance."

“But Your Excellency is different. We’re in Shandong—it’s much easier to transport fodder from Shandong to Henan and Hebei than from Jiangnan, right?”

"Moreover, Chang Pingzhang personally received the county magistrate and entrusted more than a dozen of us old brothers to him. This can be considered as a matter of friendship. As long as the county magistrate writes a letter, Chang Pingzhang will definitely consider it carefully. Even if it doesn't work out, it's just a matter of a letter."

"If Chang Pingzhang is willing to accept the grain and fodder from our Ningyang County, wouldn't the county have money?"

Yang Shaofeng's eyes lit up immediately.

Regardless of whether Chang Yuchun, that charcoal-faced man, buys fodder from Ningyang County, the people of Ningyang County still have to weed.

If the people of Ningyang County raised chickens, ducks, or mules and horses, it would be understandable that the fodder would be somewhat useful. However, the people of Ningyang County hardly raise any chickens, ducks, or mules and horses. Otherwise, the sixteen village chiefs wouldn't have only managed to gather thirty-odd chicks and two piglets.

Therefore, the ultimate fate of these wild grasses is to be dried and kept as firewood; they have absolutely no other use.

If it could be sold to Chang Yuchun, not only would the people of Ningyang County make money, but more importantly, the county could also retain a portion of the money for its own expenses, which would ease the burden on the poor county magistrate Yang Shaofeng.

After considering it for a moment, Yang Shaofeng called over the village head and instructed him, "Once we're done with today's work, have a few people deliver two bundles of each of these weeds to the county government. From now on, all the weeds should be sorted and bundled in the same way."

The village headman respectfully agreed. Yang Shaofeng then instructed Limpy Five, "Here's what we'll do: Limpy Five, go back to the city and have the brothers bring over all the village heads and leaders from the eight communities and sixteen villages of Ningyang County. I'll discuss this with them first."

Limpy Wu immediately accepted the order and left. When the sun began to set, the heads of the eight communities and sixteen villages of Ningyang County arrived at this piece of land west of Ningyang County.

Yang Shaofeng paced back and forth a few times, then looked at the heads of the eight communities and sixteen neighborhoods and said, "I have called you here to see how the people in these neighborhoods weed and how they sort and bundle the grass."

"When you get back, teach these things to the people in your community, and have them sort and bundle the weeds they've pulled up. I have other uses for them."

Yang Shaofeng didn't mention making money at all, but the sixteen village chiefs and eight commune leaders nodded their heads like chickens pecking at rice.

"Don't worry, sir, I will definitely watch carefully and learn well later."

"We'll do whatever the master tells us to do; we'll follow his orders in everything."

"That's right, that's right, we'll all listen to the master!"

Upon returning to the county government office, Yang Shaofeng immediately wrote a letter to Chang Yuchun.

In the letter, Yang Shaofeng first congratulated Chang Yuchun on his numerous victories, then expressed his gratitude for Chang Yuchun's recognition and support, and then changed the subject, saying that the people of Ningyang County were grateful to the Ming army for rescuing them from the Tartars, and had specially prepared some fodder for the army, hoping to solve the problem of food and fodder needed for the army's campaign against the Tartars.

money?

Although the people of Ningyang County live in poverty, many of them go hungry, and a family of several people may not even be able to afford a set of clothes. They may have to work in the fields naked in the middle of the night to save clothes. But the people of Ningyang County know how to be grateful and never mention money!

Therefore, since the people of Ningyang County haven't asked me for money, I won't ask you, Chang Pingzhang, for money either. We're talking about feelings; bringing up money would hurt those feelings.

Then, Lame Five rode his horse at breakneck speed and delivered the letter to Chang Yuchun's army.

"Tsk tsk, look at our county magistrate, he really doesn't mention money in a single sentence, but he can't stop talking about money. Isn't he obviously trying to get me to give him money on my own initiative?"

Chang Yuchun first made a complaint, then looked at the lame man and asked, "Are you sure he's alright?"

The lame man clasped his hands respectfully and replied, "Pingzhang, rest assured. I have been in contact with Magistrate Yang for some time now, and I am willing to guarantee with my life that Magistrate Yang is absolutely innocent and not a spy sent by the Tartars."

After thinking for a moment, Limpy Five added, "If I had to say something's off, it's probably a bit awkward. Maybe it's because I've been studying all my life and don't really understand the hardships of life?"

Chang Yuchun was immediately intrigued and asked, "What kind of twisted way is this? And how can you be so ignorant of human suffering?"

As Limpy Wu recalled, he slowly said, "The reason I feel awkward is that I feel Magistrate Yang seems to know a lot of things, yet he also seems to know very little about anything."

"Take raising chickens and pigs for example. Magistrate Yang can think of taking chicken and pig manure to compost and then distributing it to the people, but he doesn't know that piglets should be castrated or neutered after they are bought."

"And about the fodder, Magistrate Yang was able to think of asking the Chancellor for money on behalf of the people, but without my reminder, I'm afraid Magistrate Yang would never have thought of exchanging fodder for money."

Chang Yuchun pondered for a moment, then suddenly chuckled and said, "Who cares? As long as they're not spies sent by the Tartars, and can appease the people for the court, that's enough."

"Moreover, according to what you said, this Magistrate Yang is a good official who loves the people like his own children. He doesn't know how to farm, but he won't do anything reckless. Whether he understands the hardships of the people or not is not a big deal."

After thinking for a moment, Chang Yuchun waved the letter in his hand again: "Here's what we'll do. When you go back later, please pass on a message to us. Tell him that we have received the goodwill of the people of Ningyang County. It just so happens that the imperial court is having trouble transporting grain. If Ningyang County can solve the problem of fodder, it will be a relief for the army's urgent needs. Tell him to thank the people of Ningyang County for us."

Limpy Wu was secretly anxious and asked, "Then we won't give him the money?"

Chang Yuchun glared at the lame man: "Who said we're not paying? If we take the fodder from the people of Ningyang County and don't pay, what's the difference between us and the Tartars?"

"Here's what we'll do: when you go back, take the money for these bundles of hay with you, explain to him how much hay we need, and tell him that we'll pay him every time he delivers hay, so he can thank the people of Ningyang County on our behalf."