met free Chapter 7: The Pig-Raising Magistrate?
Chapter 7: The Pig-Raising Magistrate?
Yang Shaofeng did indeed have the idea of raising chickens and pigs.
According to the salary standards set by Emperor Zhu Chongba, a seventh-rank county magistrate like Yang Shaofeng could receive about seven shi of rice per month, which is roughly equivalent to 1,200 jin of rice.
Based on an average intake of one pound of rice per person per meal, Yang Shaofeng eats three pounds of rice every day, and at most about one hundred pounds a month. Not to mention that Yang Shaofeng is currently in a special situation where he is the only one who is not hungry, even if Yang Shaofeng supports a family of five, he can still eat as much as he wants and still have some left over to sell.
Of course, salaries cannot be calculated in such a simple way. Officials in the Ming Dynasty also had to support staff, hire sedan chair carriers, servants, and maids, entertain guests, and pay tribute to their superiors. Many miscellaneous hidden expenses meant that the officials' salaries were simply not enough to cover them.
The reason for this situation is actually closely related to the background of Emperor Zhu Chongba.
As is well known, Emperor Zhu Chongba was first a cowherd, then a monk, and then joined the anti-Yuan rebels, eventually becoming emperor. Therefore, Emperor Zhu Chongba knew how tiring farming was.
In the eyes of Emperor Zhu Chongba, an official could earn more than a thousand catties of grain simply by writing in the government office without doing any farming. This salary was enough for an ordinary family of five to work themselves to the bone for several years. In addition, there was a considerable amount of land in the county government office that could be used to grow vegetables, so this salary was already quite high.
In contrast, the salaries in the Song Dynasty were much higher. This was because the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Da, came from a military landlord family. Although he was not extremely wealthy, he never lacked food or clothing from a young age and did not have to farm or herd cattle. Moreover, Zhao Da rose through the ranks step by step, serving as a prefect and military governor. He was well aware that officials needed to entertain guests, support staff, servants, maids, and sedan chair carriers. He understood the unspoken rules of officialdom, which is why Zhao Da directly set high salaries.
Thus, a situation arose where the officials of the Song Dynasty were indeed comfortable, receiving high salaries and not having to bear too much responsibility. However, the comfort of the officials meant that the burden on the people was heavier, and the people would live a very hard life. Therefore, during the three hundred years of the Song Dynasty, there were rebellions every year.
While the officials of the Ming Dynasty had little money and many responsibilities, and were always at risk of losing their heads, the common people in the early Ming Dynasty lived relatively more easily. However, the pen was in the hands of the literati, so the salary of the Ming Dynasty was the lowest in the history of the dynasty, and Emperor Zhu Chongba became a synonym for cruelty and bloodthirstiness.
Yang Shaofeng is now all alone, so he doesn't need to worry about whether he has enough money. All he has left to think about is how to eat well.
To eat and drink well, both meat and vegetables are essential.
Unfortunately, the Mongol Yuan dynasty had just fled, and the Ming dynasty had just been established. After a war that marked the transition between the Yuan and Ming dynasties, the country was not exactly devastated, but rather in dire need of rebuilding. The people had virtually no food reserves, let alone meat and vegetables.
That's why Yang Shaofeng thought of raising chickens and pigs.
Once the livestock industry reaches a certain scale, there will be a continuous supply of meat. With increased meat consumption, grain consumption will decrease, resulting in more grain to sell. By saving the money from selling grain, even if one no longer holds this lowly official position, there will be enough capital to buy more land.
In this process, chicken and pig manure produced from raising chickens and pigs are composted and used as fertilizer, which can increase grain production and benefit the people.
More importantly, we can start raising them now, and after the autumn harvest, when there's not much farm work, we can conscript laborers, find a few places to dig a few reservoirs for drought and flood prevention. By then, these chicks and piglets will be almost grown up, so we can slaughter one or two to make some bone broth for the able-bodied men who are doing the labor, which will also earn us a good reputation.
It's a virtuous cycle and a win-win situation; Yang Shaofeng really couldn't think of any reason not to do it.
At worst, he'd just be labeled a pig-farming county magistrate; it wouldn't cost him anything.
However, to Yang Shaofeng's surprise, when he asked to collect a batch of chicks and piglets, the twelve village chiefs looked hesitant.
A village headman from the east of the city said with a bitter face, "Sir, it's not that we are unwilling to search for chicks and piglets for you, but the Tartars caused a lot of damage to our Ningyang County when they retreated, so these things are not easy to find now."
"Moreover, raising chickens and pigs takes time. If you raise too many, and a disease suddenly breaks out one day, all the chickens and pigs will be wiped out, and all the money spent on raising chickens and pigs will be wasted."
"Or perhaps you could reconsider, sir?"
Yang Shaofeng waved his hand and said, "You don't need to persuade me anymore. Just go and search for them for me. No matter how many chicks or piglets you buy, I will pay you in full. I will not let you down."
Seeing that they couldn't persuade Yang Shaofeng, the twelve village chiefs could only exchange glances and bow in agreement.
……
Liumiao Village.
Just as Yang Shaofeng was thinking about raising chickens and pigs, the commune leader Liu Sanshier called all the heads of the 35 households in Liumiao Village to his home and said directly, "Everyone should work hard in the fields recently. No one is allowed to be lazy in agriculture, and no one is allowed to wander around."
"Don't touch those dirty things from the past. Although the new magistrate is young and seems kind, he doesn't seem easy to get along with. If you fall into his hands, I'm afraid you won't be able to get out of there."
Someone in the crowd spoke up first: "I would like to, but the problem is, where can we find anyone to mess with now? The Tartars and those rich old men have all run away long ago."
Someone nearby asked, "Has the new county magistrate mentioned taxes yet? How much tax do they want to collect?"
Thirty-five men, each in charge of the household, crowded Liu Thirty-Two's house to the brim. They started discussing among themselves, making it impossible for Liu Thirty-Two to hear a single word.
Liu Thirty-Two slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "Stop arguing, let's take it one step at a time. Liu Forty, you go first."
Standing in the crowd, Liu Sishi asked, "Has the new county magistrate mentioned the taxation? If he starts collecting taxes immediately, we won't have any grain to give him."
Liu Thirty-Two shook his head and replied, "He didn't say. I don't know if he forgot or if he didn't know. But he did ask how many elderly people, widows, or children were in the village. He also said that the people should live in harmony with each other, be filial to their parents, and not engage in gambling. He seemed like someone who cared about the people."
Liu Sishi clicked his tongue and didn't say anything more. Liu Sanshier then pointed to someone in the crowd and said, "Liu Wushisan, you speak."
Liu Wushisan squeezed forward and asked, "Has he talked about the land? There's so much wasteland in the village now, there should be some explanation."
Liu Thirty-Two shook his head again: "He didn't say that either. Besides, this wasteland is like the tax; it's not something that a county magistrate can decide. It has to be decided by the imperial court. However, the new county magistrate said he'll be inspecting the various villages in a few days, so it's not too late to ask then."
Liu Wushisan chuckled, his tone full of sarcasm, and said, "You believe what the officials say? Which of these officials doesn't just talk a good game? And which one of them has you ever seen who truly loves the people like their own children?"
Liu Thirty-Two said in a muffled voice, "Let's see first. What if this official is different from those officials of Yuan Gou? This is a peaceful life that we've been looking forward to for a long time."
Upon hearing the words "peaceful life," everyone in the room fell silent.
If people could live a peaceful and honest life, who would be willing to risk losing their head to become a bandit?
If people could live a peaceful and stable life, who would want to risk their lives to rebel?
Leaving aside others, just consider the Zhu Emperor in the capital. If he had been able to live a life of comfort with his wife and children, would he still have rebelled?
After a long while, Liu Thirty-Two finally broke the silence: "Whether you believe it or not, it's really not that big of a deal. Life goes on. Just be honest and diligent in farming during this time. We can't let the crops go to waste."