221-230

Chapter 221

Since he has decided to go to Lizhou with Gu Lin, Lin Zhen will close the business of Jade Face Powder and Flower Dew that he has just started, and will go to the doorsteps of those customers who have bought Jade Face Powder and Flower Dew from him, as well as those who have placed orders but have not received the goods, to inform them of his upcoming move.

However, he still has to do this business. Once Lizhou is settled, he will deliver the goods to Kyoto immediately, and those who have placed orders but have not received the goods can cancel their orders or continue to wait for the construction period.

At the same time, Lin Zhen will also make corresponding compensation. The next new product, those whose construction period has been delayed, can purchase it first with this receipt.

When the customers who were obsessed with Jade Face Powder and Flower Dew heard that Lin Zhen was actually leaving Kyoto, they all thought that something had happened to Lin Zhen, and Mrs. Shi even called Lin Zhen to ask about it.

Lin Zhen looked at Mrs. Shi, who was somewhat sincere to him, and said, "Don't worry, ma'am. Even if we go to Lizhou, I will ask someone to send the Jade Face Powder you want to your house as fast as possible."

"It's my nephew. He is going to Lizhou to take up his post. I will go with him."

Mrs. Shi is not a woman who never goes out of the house. She often hangs out outside and has heard some words about Lizhou recently.

Mrs. Shi was a little curious: "Is your nephew the new champion and was appointed as the governor of Lizhou?"

Lin Zhen nodded, "That's right. Fortunately, Lizhou is not far from Kyoto. It will take only half a month for the Jade Face Powder to be delivered."

"It's good for you to go to Lizhou," Mrs. Shi said, "There are too many snakes, insects, rats and ants in Kyoto. Sometimes you can't do what you want. Although Lizhou can't be said to be far away from the emperor, it's definitely better to stay away from them."

"But it's cold in Lizhou. You and your nephew should prepare some warm clothes."

"Thank you, madam. Madam, you should also take care of yourself." Lin Zhen said this sincerely. Faced with Madam Shi's sincerity to him, he would naturally not be indifferent.

Lin Zhen continued to visit the addresses left by the ladies of each mansion on the list one by one, telling them that he was moving away, but continuing to do this business would only extend the construction period.

In front of other people, Lin Zhen naturally would not tell them clearly that he was going to Lizhou as he did to Madam Shi. He just said a few words roughly.

Most of the noble ladies were very disappointed that Lin Zhen had to go to other places and extend the construction period. They complained a few words, but they did not cancel the order. The effect of Yurong Powder was too amazing, and there was no substitute on the market. If they canceled the order, they didn't know when they could use it. If they didn't cancel it, they still had some hope.

Only a few people with bad tempers and bad words canceled the order.

But the canceled orders were a drop in the bucket compared to the remaining orders, and it didn't matter to Lin Zhen.

After finishing the business, he explained it to the owner who rented the house to them, packed his luggage, hired a few carriages, and loaded the raw materials for making Yurong Powder, the distillation equipment, and the porcelain boxes and bottles he bought.

And the twelve girls and boys he bought also had to go to Lizhou with him.

"Boss, someone is looking for you outside." Lin Zhen was directing people to dismantle the distillation equipment that had been used for more than two months, carefully wrap it up and put it in the carriage. The man who used to be a doorman ran in.

It was windy today, and sand got into Lin Zhen's eyes. He was about to say hello to the man, and turned around to see who it was, but Gu Lin grabbed his hand: "I'll go and see."

Lin Zhen thought about it, and realized that Gu Lin knew everyone he knew in Kyoto, so it was okay to let Gu Lin go, so he said: "Well, if anyone comes for the jade powder business, they will be rejected."

"Well."

Gu Lin walked out the door and saw a middle-aged man in good clothes standing outside the door. The moment he heard the footsteps, he raised his head, and there was still ruthlessness and calculation on his face. Seeing that it was not Lin Zhen, he was surprised: "Master Gu."

He quickly adjusted his expression and hid his malice that he had not concealed.

Gu Lin has been in the limelight these days. When he was paraded in the streets, the flowers thrown on him were so many that they almost drowned him. If this man had seen him at that time, it would be normal for him to recognize him.

Gu Lin stood in the doorway, looking at the man who was bending in front of him: "Why are you looking for Lin Zhen?"

Because of the Jade Face Powder, their group had already investigated Lin Zhen inside and out, and they also knew about Gu Lin, the new champion. The man said: "I am from the rouge and powder shop of Furong Pavilion in the city. I want to discuss a deal with your uncle. I wonder if Boss Lin is here. Can you come out to meet him?"

Gu Lin rejected him in one sentence, saying that Lin Zhen was here, but he would not meet him.

The Furong Pavilion man who was sent here froze. He didn't expect that the big man would not accept the toast and the small man would be ordinary. He sank his face and tried to force a smile and said: "My lord, our Furong Pavilion is an old shop in Kyoto. There are only benefits for Boss Lin to cooperate with us, and there is no harm to you."

"And the real boss of our Furong Pavilion... is extraordinary..." The Furong Pavilion man pointed his finger upwards, hinting to Gu Lin how extraordinary the real boss behind them was.

Gu Lin still had that look, unmoved.

The man didn't expect to hit a snag one after another, and he almost couldn't hold back the expression on his face. He killed Lin Zhen and Gu Lin countless times in his heart. A fifth-rank official was nothing in their eyes!

But because of Gu Lin's official status, the man held back and turned away.

The shopkeeper of Furong Pavilion, who was waiting in the carriage at the corner, asked him: "What's the matter?"

The man said angrily: "This big and small are not soft or hard. I revealed that the master's identity is not ordinary, but they still don't obediently hand over the recipe of Yurong Powder."

"In this case, let the master do it, let's go back." The shopkeeper of Furong Pavilion took a look at the house rented by Lin Zhen and Gu Lin, not knowing how to evaluate the uncle and nephew. No matter how

much money the recipe can make, it can be so big that it can save lives. With the temper of their master, he will never give up without getting blood on his hands.

After all, he is the younger brother of Concubine He, the only male in the eldest house of the He family. Now Concubine He is in great favor, who dares to make trouble in front of him.

The carriage of the shopkeeper of Furong Pavilion stopped in front of the He family's mansion and entered the He mansion after a while.

That night, Lin Zhen, who had packed up all day and was preparing to go to Lizhou with Gu Lin the next day, slept very soundly, so he didn't know that Gu Lin was hiding on the roof. He saw four or five people in black sneaking into the yard and walking towards where he lived.

But in the blink of an eye, four people in black fell to the ground. There was no trace of wounds on their bodies, but they were deader than dead. A little blood slowly flowed from their eyes, mouths, noses and ears.

The last one left was carried to the alley by Gu Lin, who covered his mouth with one hand and held his shoulders with the other hand: "What is the purpose of coming here?"

Gu Lin asked the man in black.

The man in black shook his head, but the first time he shook his head, his calf was stepped on by Gu Lin with a click.

Gu Lin looked at him with dark eyes: "Second time, the purpose of coming here."

The man in black hesitated for a moment, but still shook his head. The moment he shook his head, Gu Lin, who was holding his shoulders, suddenly pressed his body down and pressed his knee on his stomach.

"No third time." Gu Lin picked up the black-clothed man with a pale face and cold sweat on his face.

The black-clothed man nodded, and after Gu Lin let go of his mouth, he said: "According to the order of Mr. He of the Heguo Mansion, take away the man named Lin Zhen, burn down this courtyard, and eliminate all traces."

It turned out that since the shopkeeper of Furong Pavilion reported this matter to the son of Heguo, the son of Heguo, who always did things without scruples, directly asked people to kidnap Lin Zhen and hold him in his hands, so he could get any prescription from him.

Moreover, the lustful Mr. He heard that Lin Zhen was unusually beautiful, and not only wanted the prescription, but also wanted to get her to play with.

After hearing the black-clothed man say that he wanted to kidnap Lin Zhen, burn down the house, and destroy all traces, Gu Lin snapped the man's neck, dragged out the four bodies in the yard, and threw the five bodies into Mr. He's house like a roc spreading its wings in the night, and relit the extinguished candlestick and placed it on the bed piled with brocade.

Some firelight came out of the house, and only left after the fire became more and more intense, and came to the street where Furong Pavilion was located.

When Lin Zhen woke up the next day, he heard a commotion outside, not like the usual morning noise of fireworks, but panic and gossip.

He put on his clothes and went out. It happened that Madam Yu was also outside. He asked her, "Madam Yu, what happened? Why--"

Madam Yu came over and pulled him, shook her head, and whispered, "I heard that there was a fire in Dongcheng District. Someone's son was burned to death. A group of soldiers just passed by."

"Fire? Someone was burned to death?" Lin Zhen looked in the direction of Dongcheng District. At this time, he could still see some residual smoke. He didn't know how long it took to burn for such a long time to leave residual smoke.

But it had nothing to do with him. It wasn't him who did it. Lin Zhen was not very curious. He said a few words to Madam Yu and went into the house.

When he entered the house, Gu Lin just came out. Lin Zhen looked at him and reminded him, "The weather has been dry recently. If you read at night, you must make sure the candles are completely extinguished before going to bed. There was a fire in someone's house in Dongcheng District, and the smoke hasn't dissipated yet."

Gu Lin, who was wearing a rain-stained sky-blue robe, looked particularly handsome. Even the coldness on his body that kept people away had subsided a little. He nodded. He was about to reply to Lin Zhen when Huang Yuwen, Chen Xing, Zhong Yan, who came to see them off, as well as the old owner of the Qianhong Troupe, the actor who sang "Mei Niang", and Yu Niang's family all came and helped them put the packed bits and pieces on the carriage.

Lin Zhen was supported by Gu Lin's hand and got on the carriage. He looked at Huang Yuwen, Chen Xing, Zhong Yan, whom he had known for many years, as well as Yu Niangzi's family, whom he had just met in Kyoto, and the owner of Qianhong Opera Troupe and the actor who sang Mei Niang, and waved his hand: "We are leaving now, everyone take care."

"Take care, Uncle Lin, take care, Gu Lin!" Huang Yuwen, Chen Xing, Zhong Yan and the other three have the deepest feelings for them, and they are the most sad about parting. The

owner of Qianhong Opera Troupe stood beside the three people and waved his hand: "Boss Lin, maybe I will go to your place to perform in the future. By then, "The Legend of the White Snake" will also be arranged, and I will definitely ask you to take a good look!"

Yu Niangzi's family, who had been their neighbors for a short time, only felt a little unbelievable and slightly reluctant. Who would have thought that they would become neighbors with the new champion, and the lovely Mr. Lin, and they would never meet such a beautiful person in the future.

Chapter 222

Lizhou's capital is located in the east of Lizhou. Compared with the west and north, the climate is slightly better, and the summer is half a month longer.

But after nine or ten days from Kyoto, slowly entering Lizhou, Lin Zhen felt that the temperature was suddenly different from Kyoto, just like being thrown from summer to autumn. It was so cold in the morning and evening that goose bumps appeared on his arms.

After traveling for a few more days, Lin Zhen couldn't help but put on the cotton-padded coat filled with a thin layer of cotton that he had specially bought in Kyoto. Then he breathed a sigh of relief, lifted the curtain of the carriage and said to the coachman Niu Da: "We have been walking for thirteen days since we left Kyoto."

Niu Da, who was driving the carriage outside, was not as cold as Lin Zhen who was in the carriage. He had put on the thin cotton-padded coat that he and the other eleven servants had bought a few days ago. He respectfully replied to Lin Zhen: "It's been thirteen days. I just asked casually. We will reach the provincial capital in two days."

As he said this, a gust of wind blew on his head, making his face and skin tight. Lin Zhen took a breath and felt that Lizhou was really Dayu's natural freezer. It was still May, and Kyoto would need ice in another month or two, but it was still so cold here. What would happen when winter came?

Niu Dadao: "Boss, please go in quickly. It's very windy outside. It's getting cloudy. I'm afraid it's going to be a strong wind."

Lin Zhen's body is just a scum here, not even as good as a woman or an ordinary man. He nodded and went back to the carriage. As soon as he sat down, he heard the whistling wind outside, which made the carriage curtains hanging with wooden strips below unable to hold up and violently hit the carriage wall.

He quickly grabbed the wooden strips and stuck them into the buckles on both sides. Looking at the cloth curtains swollen by the wind, he saw the bad weather in Lizhou.

Two days later, six carriages arrived outside the state capital. It was noon now, but the sky was gloomy and it seemed to be raining.

A few people came in and out of the city gate. Not to mention compared with Kyoto, it couldn't even be compared with Luozhou Prefecture. It was a bit like Anyuan Town.

After entering the city, I saw low buildings randomly built along the streets, in a disorderly manner, and most of them were rammed earth walls. I was so tired that I could only see a few brick and stone buildings.

There were few street vendors, and they sold the most primitive food, wild vegetables, and game, which showed that the people here were still struggling to make ends meet and had no extra energy to develop entertainment.

His Yurong powder business and the former spicy hot pot milk tea business would definitely fail here.

If they couldn't even get enough food, who would care whether the Yurong powder looked good on their faces or whether the spicy hot pot milk tea tasted good?

For them, survival was the most important thing.

Compared with the gray low houses and the depressed streets, Lin Zhen and Gu Lin's six carriages were somewhat out of place here. The vendors selling things and the residents pouring water outside all looked at them.

Today the wind was not strong. Lin Zhen sat on the railing in front of the carriage. He asked the local who was selling three wild rabbits: "Brother, do you know where the prefectural government is?"

The clothes worn by the man selling wild rabbits were really tattered. The layers of patches could not mend the clothes well, revealing a little black and hard cotton, which was not very warm. The man

looked at the pale Lin Zhen, shook his mind and stammered: "It's just in front."

Lin Zhen looked at the place he pointed, and really didn't see the shadow of the prefectural government. They were all gray and low. He thanked the brother who was selling wild rabbits, and said to Gu Lin who was riding on a horse but not in a carriage: "The prefectural government is almost here. The previous prefect will have to wait for you to go and hand over before leaving. I think he may be waiting for you so much that he can't close his eyes."

The official title of prefectural government has two meanings. One is the prefectural government of Zhili Prefecture, and the other is the prefectural government of Sanzhou Prefecture. The status of the prefectural government of Zhili Prefecture is parallel to that of the prefectural government, while the status of the prefectural government of Sanzhou Prefecture is similar to that of the county magistrate.

Lizhou is a direct-controlled prefecture, but the harsh environment and sparse population mean that it is extremely difficult to make political achievements here, unless the emperor's biggest worry, Che Luo Kingdom, can be solved.

But in recent years, Che Luo Kingdom has become more and more rampant. Obviously, the governor who is about to leave here has no way to deal with the Che Luo Kingdom troops that invade the border, otherwise he would not have been demoted by two levels by the emperor and sent to a small place in the south to be a county magistrate.

But Lin Zhen felt that maybe the governor had been looking forward to this day.

Gu Lin rode his horse to Lin Zhen's carriage and reached out to put his hood that was blown off by the wind on his head: "Go to the mansion as soon as possible and settle down, and have a good rest for a few days."

After traveling all the way, Lin Zhen's spirit was not as good as when he was in Kyoto. Fortunately, Lizhou is flat and mountainous, and the carriage is much easier to drive than the road in Anyuan Town. The bones in his body are still in place and have not been shaken loose.

After Gu Lin finished talking to Lin Zhen, he tapped the horse's belly with his heel, and the horse followed his will and walked to the front of the team. Soon, they arrived in front of a courtyard with a plaque of the prefectural government office.

The walls of the courtyard were made of stone and bricks, and covered with tiles, but in some places, many stones and bricks had fallen off the walls, and the tiles had faded in color, looking like it had not been renovated for more than ten or twenty years.

When the old man guarding the gate saw their large group of people, he walked over hurriedly, trembling: "Who are you and what bring you to the prefectural government office?"

Gu Lin said, "I am the newly appointed prefect of Lizhou." As he said that, he showed the old man the letter of appointment with the seal of the Ministry of Personnel. The

old man's beard twitched, and he said to Gu Lin with the utmost respect: "So you are the new prefect!" He shouted to the government office behind, "The new prefect is here to take office, tell him quickly!" Before

he finished speaking, a man in his fifties wearing a dark brown robe and with a bitter face walked out quickly: "Your humble servant greets the prefect, please come in."

Wow, Gu Lin hasn't even put on his official robe yet, but he's already been called "Sir" by the former prefect of Lizhou. His bitter face is also smiling, as if a long drought has finally come to an end!

Lin Zhen was watching with great interest from behind. Suddenly, the former Lizhou governor, who was extremely happy, saw him behind Gu Lin and said with a smile: "This is your husband, right? My husband is in the yard. Why don't you ask your husband to go to the backyard to rest. He is tired from the journey and it would be good to rest for a while."

Hearing him talking about Lin Zhen, Gu Lin's eyes relaxed a little. He did not refute his words that Lin Zhen was his husband. He turned around and asked Lin Zhen: "You go and rest first. I have something to ask him in detail."

"... Yeah." After being mistaken for Gu Lin's husband again and again, Lin Zhen saw that he did not refute. After thinking about it, he did not refute and nodded.

The former Lizhou governor immediately ordered the servants around him: "Take your husband to the backyard to rest, and then ask someone to bring in the luggage of your husband and your husband, and serve them carefully."

The servants immediately did as he was told and walked beside to lead Lin Zhen.

Lin Zhen followed the servants through the main hall in front of the government office, and after passing through a straight corridor, he arrived at the backyard. There was a main house in front, with two small side rooms on both sides of the main house, and then the wing rooms. There were

corridors on both sides of the wing rooms, and there was another entrance in the back, as well as a place to store sundries and the back house where the servants lived.

It was estimated that the area was not small, but the house had not been repaired for many years and looked a bit shabby. Any courtyard on the streets of Kyoto would be more comfortable than this one.

Lin Zhen was just led into the backyard by the servants when a man with a medium figure and a round face came out. He was surrounded by two brothers and saluted him: "My concubine greets Mr. Gu."

To be honest, Lin Zhen was not used to being called a concubine by a face that was only a little tougher than a girl. He hurriedly said: "My husband and I have not reached this stage yet. My husband can call me Lin Zhen or Brother Lin."

The husband was stunned for a moment, obviously he didn't expect that Lin Zhen would follow Gu Lin to take office, and the two of them had not yet married, but he quickly said: "Then I am offended to call you Brother Lin. Brother Lin came from Kyoto, and he must be tired after sitting all the way in the car. First, wash up and have something to eat before resting."

"Xiaohong, go and make some food for Brother Lin."

Lin Zhen was really tired, and didn't say hello to him. He walked shoulder to shoulder with him into the yard. After walking a few steps, he saw the packed luggage and boxes piled up in the yard, which were piled up all over the floor. The

husband, who had changed from the husband of the governor of Lizhou to the husband of the county magistrate, hurriedly asked the servants to come and move these things to the corner, and said a little embarrassedly: "There are a lot of things, please don't be surprised, Brother Lin."

Lin Zhen really realized how much they wanted to leave Lizhou. If Gu Lin arrived a day later, these luggage would have been tied to the car by now, just waiting for the order to run away.

Lin Zhen waved his hand: "It's troublesome to move it around. You're leaving anyway, so just leave it here."

"Lulu, ask someone to bring our things in. Don't rush to unpack the things we use for making things. Just unpack the things we use on weekdays and put them in order first."

Lin Zhen saw bedding, pillows, and tea sets in the pile of luggage in front of him. The yard in front of him was just an empty shell. If he didn't decorate it, he would have trouble sleeping tonight.

The girl he bought responded sweetly, asked the rest of the people to unload the things, first looked at the layout of the yard, and then confirmed the room where Lin Zhen would sleep and cleaned it up first.

Fortunately, the former prefect and his husband did not plan to move away the tables, chairs, and benches. Lin Zhen sat on the chair, drinking tea and asked the husband, whose cheeks were a little red, and who felt that they were so anxious and a little embarrassed, "In which year did you come to Lizhou with the prefect?"

The round-faced husband said, "In the thirty-eighth year of Qianhui."

Lin Zhen: "That's eight years ago."

The round-faced husband nodded: "Yes, it's been eight years. I really couldn't adapt when I first came here. When I was almost adapted, I had to leave here again."

Although he said so, the tone of his mouth was not that he felt sorry to leave here, but that he had been here for too long. As the husband of a fifth-rank prefect of Zhili Prefecture, it sounded intimidating, but only he knew what was going on inside.

Chapter 223

"I'm sorry to make a fool of myself in front of Brother Lin," said the round-faced husband, "my concubine and I were both born and raised in the south. Later, I followed my master to serve as an official in various places and have been to almost all parts of the world."

"But it's still difficult to adapt to the climate in Lizhou." The round-faced husband really didn't like the weather in Lizhou, and his face showed a depressed look when he mentioned it.

Lin Zhen asked him, "How is the grain growth in Lizhou? Is it the same as in the south, with sowing in February and March and harvesting in August?"

The round-faced husband shook his head, "The soil here is frozen in February and March, and can't be dug with a hoe. We can only plant the seeds in May when the ice in the soil melts, and then harvest in August."

Lin Zhen frowned, "Wouldn't the growth cycle be shortened a lot? Wouldn't the grain yield and taste be greatly affected?"

"The most common crops grown by local farmers are wheat and beans. The taste is better than outside, but the yield is very low, with only more than 80 kilograms of grain per acre." The round-faced husband used to be a farmer. After her husband passed the imperial examination, she followed him around. And because her husband was an honest official who was serious and had some skills, she would hear her husband talk about these things on weekdays. Otherwise, it would be in vain for Lin Zhen to come here to ask today. How would the wife of an official who lives a life of luxury know these things?

Lin Zhen also realized that the governor of Lizhou who was about to leave was really down-to-earth. However, the basic conditions in Lizhou were too poor, and there was no room for him to display his talents. In addition, after the incident in Cheluoguo last year, he was able to save his life and was demoted two levels to be a county magistrate. This was a good way out.

The couple were from the south, so maybe they could return to their roots in the end. When

Lin Zhen heard about the yield of 80 kilograms per mu, his brows furrowed. In Anyuan Town, if the yield of one mu of land was 120 to 130 kilograms per mu, the local farmers would be starving and skinny, and that was when the weather was good and there were no disasters.

How many people could be fed with the yield of 80 kilograms per mu here?

"So is the per-acre yield tax also levied here?"

"Yes, according to the approximate per-acre yield in those years, a 40% tax is paid on one acre of land, and then a population tax is added. If you raise cattle and sheep, you have to pay cattle and sheep tax."

Lin Zhen asked very carefully, and took out the booklet in which he recorded things and wrote them down one by one. When he was talking to the round-faced husband about local specialties, the round-faced husband called the boy who went to cook in: "Husband, the food is ready."

The round-faced husband originally wanted to ask Lin Zhen to eat in the special dining room, but when he saw Lin Zhen writing and drawing, his brows softened a little, and he asked him: "Brother Lin, do you want to eat here?"

If it was someone else, he would definitely not ask, for fear of being impolite in public and leaving a bad impression on others.

Lin Zhen looked up and put the homemade charcoal pencil in the booklet, "Okay, husband, you can use some too?"

"I just ate it, brother Lin, please eat it, Xiaohong cooked a lot, and the servants you brought with you can also eat some later."

Lin Zhen put the booklet aside and took a look at the dishes on the table. There was a bowl of pork ribs stewed with cabbage and tofu in a large porcelain bowl, and next to it was a bowl of stir-fried vegetables, a bowl of stir-fried mushrooms, and a small dish of cold kelp shreds.

This was the first time Lin Zhen had seen kelp shreds since he came here. He quickly picked it up and tasted it. He found that it was indeed processed kelp shreds, but only salt, vinegar, sesame oil, and a little bit of bridal broth were added. The most important spicy taste was missing, and it lacked a bit of flavor.

But it was also kelp shreds!

Lin Zhen swallowed his stomach and asked his round-faced husband: "We are in Lizhou by the sea?"

He had seen the topographic map of Lizhou from Gu Lin. Only in Dongyang County was there an abandoned estuary, which was connected to an inland river. If you want to get out, you have to go around in a circle.

But Lizhou couldn't develop at all, and the river mouth was naturally useless. It had been closed for many years, so the origin of this kelp was a bit interesting.

The round-faced husband looked at Lin Zhen, thinking about the things he had remembered before, and finally said: "Our land in Lizhou is poor, and we can't grow much food, but we also have some special products, just like the fur, ginseng, and various shelled dried fruits that I just mentioned, which are better than those outside. If you have a way to get them, you can secretly exchange them with some small merchants at the river mouth for other things."

"My Lord has also discovered this matter, but he has people watching for a few days and that's it. Brother Lin, I and my Lord can still leave this place, but the local people were born and raised here. If they go to other places without money and land, they may live a harder life than here. So the days that we think are unbearable are already a rare stability for them."

Lin Zhen still wanted to ask him many things, and ate quickly. When he heard him say these words, he raised his head and said, "Don't worry, my family... Gu Lin is not the kind of person who sits on the top without stepping on the soil. We are also from a farmer's family. In the early years, we followed to dig the ground and carry water to do farm work."

The round-faced husband looked like this. How could it be possible? Although he didn't see what the new prefect looked like, Lin Zhen's appearance had nothing to do with a farmer's family.

Those eyebrows, that figure, and that dazzling white skin and flesh, can't be raised in a big family.

He looked at Lin Zhen and smiled: "That's good."

"The people here are still good. The farmers sent this seaweed for us to try."

After eating, Lin Zhen wiped his mouth, rinsed his mouth with tea, and continued to ask the round-faced husband with the booklet. Compared with the conversation with Lin Zhen just now, the round-faced husband was more detailed this time.

Soon, the sky darkened, and fine rain fell on the ground, stirring up a layer of dust.

If you say that you can still feel the temperature earlier, the temperature dropped sharply after the rain, making Lin Zhen think that winter has arrived.

The round-faced husband was already accustomed to it. He put on the fur vest handed to him by the maid and asked Lin Zhen: "I have any unworn vests. Can you give one to Lin brother?"

Lin Zhen shook his head. He knew the financial situation of the former prefect and couldn't bear to accept a piece of clothing from him. "I brought thick clothes. You can go back to the room and change."

"Then I'll light a charcoal fire for you."

"Thank you, husband."

Lin Zhen was thin and couldn't stand the cold. Seeing that the rain outside was getting heavier, as if it was wrapping up the last bit of warmth, she hurried from the corridor to the room cleaned up by Lulu and the others, changed into the clothes with white fur on the collar and cuffs, and added a thin cotton undershirt inside.

When he returned to the main room, the round-faced husband's eyes lit up, "Brother's appearance is beyond description, he is the first person I have seen in so many years."

Lin Zhen, who was used to this appearance, walked to the brazier and said, "He is good-looking, but he can't stand the cold and hunger."

The round-faced husband smiled with his eyes curved. In just one or two hours, he liked the husband of the new prefect. He was kind, humble, and sweet-mouthed. He could make people happy with just a few words.

If he were her husband, he would like him too.

The two sat for a while, and Lulu came to find Lin Zhen, saying that Gu Lin had already discussed the matter with the former prefect, and was just asking where he was.

While sitting by the fire and talking to the round-faced husband, Lin Zhen realized that it was getting late outside. The sky was about to darken. He stood up from his chair and said goodbye to the round-faced husband: "Just now I heard from the husband that he would leave early tomorrow morning. I wish you and the Lord a safe journey."

The round-faced husband smiled and said: "I also wish you and the prefect everything goes well."

Lin Zhen nodded and turned to leave. As soon as he walked to the door, he saw Gu Lin, who was still wearing the long robe he came in, walking over from the corridor. The corners of his robe were flying, and his long hair that almost reached his thighs was blown open by the wind. His face was solemn and cold.

He had long legs and wide steps. He came close to Lin Zhen in a few steps, put the fur-stitched cloak on his forearm on Lin Zhen's shoulders, and tied the silk ribbon.

The former prefect who followed behind him was a little out of breath. He looked at this scene and walked into the room where his husband was, tactfully not disturbing him.

The round-faced husband saw Gu Lin from the room. His first impression was that the prefect was too young. Although he was tall, he still had a little childishness between his eyebrows.

The second impression was that he was too unfeeling.

But he soon saw that the unfeeling prefect put the cloak on his wrist on Lin Zhen's shoulders and tied the ribbon skillfully.

He had been with the former prefect for many years, and he thought that their relationship was good, but it had never been like this.

The corridor was not wide, and it was a bit crowded for two people to walk side by side, so Lin Zhen walked ahead of Gu Lin and said to him: "You have been in contact with that adult for such a long time, have you found anything difficult?"

"No, although this person has no merits, he has no faults either, and the details he left behind are clear and obvious." Gu Lin walked on the outside, and some rain blown into the corridor by the wind floated on his shoulder. He looked at Lin Zhen who was walking on the inside, "It's not difficult to get started."

"That's good, I also saw some things when I was talking to his husband just now. This former governor just had bad luck, but he does have some skills, otherwise Lizhou would have been in chaos last year."

"By the way, I also asked her husband some things. Now is the time when the people in Lizhou start to sow. According to the taxes paid in previous years, there is very little land that can be reclaimed in the villages around the provincial capital. One reason is that the land is too hard and the cost of reclamation is too high. The other reason is that the people do not have much grain seeds. I thought you could take this opportunity this year to let the people reclaim more land. As for grain seeds..."

Gu Lin said, "From the river mouth."

Lin Zhen looked at him, "You think the same as I do. The people can get things from the river mouth, which means they have connections with the merchants outside. Ships are faster than land. If planned properly, this year's farming will only be delayed by a few days, and the harvest in August will be much more."

Lin Zhen handed the booklet in his hand to Gu Lin, pointing to the object he had just drawn on it, "This is a curved plow. It is lighter than the plowshare we use now and uses less manpower. If there is an iron sliding mouth on the front, it will be very easy to break the soil."

Gu Lin had been taught by Tai for many years, and he understood the great use of this object when he saw the perspective drawing on it.

Chapter 224

"Time is too tight. If we are slow, we will not be able to catch up with the farming. So I am afraid that we will have to start working on this tomorrow." Whether it is the curved plow or the grain seeds, they all need time to be worked on and gathered, just like a burning coal falling on the instep of your feet, you can't wait to grab it immediately.

Gu Lin memorized the appearance of the curved plow and closed the booklet he often used: "Okay."

"The charcoal fire has been lit in the room, you should have a rest first."

Lin Zhen looked at him: "Well, I just had a meal at Mr. Xu's place. You should not have eaten yet since you took over with Lord Xu."

"No, I will go to the kitchen to have some after you go back to your room."

Lin Zhen trusted Gu Lin in every aspect. He trusted that he could handle official business well and take care of himself. He trusted him as much as he trusted himself. He nodded when he heard him say that and yawned.

After half a month of bumps, even though the road to Lizhou was much smoother than that to Anyuan Town, it was still not as good as lying on the bed. Lin Zhen fell asleep soon after lying on the bed, with half of his face buried in the quilt, revealing only a small part of his nose and long eyebrows.

He was very lively when he was not asleep, and he was also amazingly beautiful when he was asleep.

Gu Lin bent down and placed a few kisses on his brow, eyes, nose and cheeks, and told the waiter Lulu to watch in the room and not leave for a moment, and then turned to go to the government office.

The staff in the state government already knew that Gu Lin was the new governor, and when they saw him striding over, they hurriedly saluted. As for what they thought in their hearts, only they themselves knew.

Xu Zhizhou had been in office for eight years, and he was not greedy for money or fame, and he was conscientious and hardworking. Everyone in the state government saw it, and naturally had different feelings towards Xu Zhizhou.

Gu Lin, this young boy, replaced Xu Zhizhou's position right after he arrived. They also heard that Xu Zhizhou would be demoted to a small place in the south to be a county magistrate. They looked at Gu Lin with a thorn in their eyes.

Gu Lin saw it, but didn't care. He just ordered: "Tomorrow, everyone in the prefecture must come here at 1:00 a.m. I have something to tell you. If you are not here at this time, you can tell them on my behalf."

Seeing that Gu Lin was young, they didn't take his words seriously, but Gu Lin's tone made them feel a little nervous. They put away their reluctance and laziness, bent down and said yes.

The next day, before dawn, some people came to the main hall of the prefecture government office one after another. The people who came looked at the people they knew in the past, and they felt a little embarrassed. After all, they were still together yesterday to express their gratitude to Xu Zhizhou for his kindness to them, but now they were called by the new Gu Lin, and they felt uncomfortable no matter how they thought about it.

Suddenly, a tall middle-aged man with a purple face walked in. He was wearing a green official robe and a black official hat, and looked quite respectable.

The people gathered here saw him and saluted: "Mr. Tongzhi."

"All are here," Guan Peng, the Tongzhi of Lizhou, glanced at them. Before he finished, he saw the judge Jiang Jing and the clerk Gao Tong, who often worked with him, walking in from the gate. The two saw him and saluted, "Mr. Tongzhi."

The prefect had Tongzhi and Panguan. Tongzhi was of the sixth rank, and Panguan was of the seventh rank. Tongzhi was in charge of salt, grain, disasters, water conservancy and other miscellaneous things in the local area. Panguan was a special position sent by the court to supervise local officials. Not only could he directly send memorials from local officials to the court, but he was also responsible for local taxes, corvée and military affairs. Although the prefect had the right to draft relevant decrees on taxes, corvée and military affairs, they must be stamped with the seal of the judge before they could take effect.

The prefect, the assistant prefect, and the judge complement each other and check each other to prevent the dominance of power.

The three of them were all veterans who had been here for decades. They did not ask each other why they came, but just stood calmly in the hall.

As soon as the three of them stood still, a figure walked in. The three of them fixed their eyes and saw that the person who came was a teenager of fifteen or sixteen years old. His stature was also outstanding among them. He wore a dark crimson official robe and a black gauze official hat.

The people standing on both sides made way for Gu Lin to walk up, and they all saluted: "Your subordinates pay their respects to the adults." The

assistant prefect, the judge, the clerk, the yamen runners, and other non-staff personnel, together more than fifty people, almost filled the main hall.

Gu Lin raised his hand and asked them to stand up. He put the things in his hand on the table and signaled the nearest yamen runner: "Give these three pre-approval documents to the Tongzhi, the judge, and the clerk."

When they heard that Gu Lin actually had pre-approval documents for them, except for Gu Lin, the prefect, the three Lizhou officials all murmured in their hearts. After the yamen runner handed the pre-approval documents to them, they lowered their heads and read them.

At first, they looked normal, but gradually they read faster and faster, and they even seemed to be impatient.

The strong and healthy Tongzhi, who looked pale, was the first to finish reading. He looked at the little Zhizhou, who was sitting on top like a pretty boy, with arms and legs not even half as thick as his own: "Did you write this preparatory book?"

Before Gu Lin could answer, he asked: "Is the curved plow really as you said above, that one person can pull and one person can break the soil? And the compost, is it really so useful?"

The clerk, who was slightly shorter than him and had a softer face, could hardly believe his eyes when looking at the things in his hands. Did these things really exist? Were they not written by those swindlers to fool people?

Only the judge looked at Gu Lin with some doubts, and looked down at the things in the preparatory book again.

Gu Lin, who had eaten some food yesterday and wrote the pre-planning book overnight, said: "In my hometown, compost has been used for six or seven years. The original yield of 120 to 300 catties of sorghum and buckwheat per mu now yields 350 to 400 catties per mu."

The Tongzhi and the clerk heard that the yield per mu had changed from 120 to 300 catties to more than 300 to 400 catties. They shook their heads while reading the pre-planning book, and they couldn't believe it.

But Gu Lin's expression was so calm and peaceful, as if he was not talking about the numbers that made the people below them tremble with fear and dizziness, but a normal sentence.

The Tongzhi, who was already looking more serious and scary than others, took a deep breath and bowed to Gu Lin: "Please explain it more clearly and carefully!"

Gu Lin glanced at him and started from the first thing in the pre-planning book in their hands, the significant effect of composting, and the point that composting was not timely now, and manure water was used instead, and large-scale composting would be done next year.

It was exactly the same as in Lin Zhen's booklet, except that the curved plow was bigger. This year, farmers could first go to the prefecture to buy grain seeds on credit, and repay them at a certain interest rate during the autumn harvest...

Everything was so clear that not only the Tongzhi and Limu, but also those who used to work as yamen runners but had farmland at home listened very carefully.

When Lin Zhen got up, he heard that Xu Zhizhou and Xu Fulang had left at dawn. He also heard Lulu say that Master Gu was busy in the front hall, and many people came in and out, all with different expressions on their faces.

Lulu and the others were servants, and they could not easily go forward without the order of Gu Lin, the prefect. Lin Zhen's external identity was not clear yet, and he did not plan to go forward. He would feel sleepy when he woke up while lying on the bed, so he asked Lulu to bring his booklet and continue to think about the things in it.

Lizhou had arrived, and his Yurong powder business could be rolled out. The several types of rice he brought were not many, and the finished product was about 600 boxes.

There is also flower dew. The climate in Lizhou is poor, and there are not many flowers that can survive here. Flowers are an indispensable raw material for making flower dew, so he has to investigate it himself.

Finally, he and Gu Lin thought of buying grain seeds from merchants through the river mouth yesterday. This matter is urgent and must be solved immediately.

Lin Zhen wrote several plans on paper, revised and scribbled, but in the end, there were not many that were really feasible. Lin Zhen,

who was thinking deeply, leaned on the pillow. His hair, which was not tied up with a headband, was scattered on his shoulders and back, with a little curl.

Gu Lin, who had given instructions for all matters in front and asked the Tongzhi to notify people in each village to come to the prefectural government office tomorrow morning to discuss the production of curved plows, the use of manure, and the collection of grain seeds, walked in and saw this scene.

He paused, walked in, and sat on the edge of the bed: "Have you had breakfast?"

Lin Zhen, who was thinking deeply, saw him coming and saw a little blue under his eyes at a glance, "Did you sleep late last night?"

"Well, I spent time writing a few preparatory documents. Spring plowing is urgent and can't be delayed." Gu Lin himself felt that it was okay and not very tired, but looking at Lin Zhen's eyes, he raised his hand and pinched the root of his nose.

Lin Zhen put his hand on his eyes: "Don't take advantage of your young age and don't take staying up late seriously. If you get some migraine or neuralgia, it will be unbearable."

"Come up and sleep for a while. It's just right that I'm full of sleep. I'll wash my face to wake myself up." As he said that, Lin Zhen got up from the bed, stepped his two jade feet into his shoes, and pressed Gu Lin onto the bed.

Gu Lin opened the quilt with one hand, and with the other hand pulled him, who had already stood up, into the quilt, and covered him tightly.

The waiter Lulu's eyes widened when she saw this scene. They were bought by Lin Zhen from a human trafficker. When they were in Kyoto, they knew that Lin Zhen and Gu Lin were uncle and nephew from the neighbors' way of addressing them.

But on the way from Kyoto to Lizhou, although their master and his nephew were not in a lovey-dovey way, the atmosphere when the two stood together made it impossible for them not to think in that direction.

But seeing it with their own eyes now is another matter!

"Get out." Gu Lin ordered directly without looking at Lulu.

Lulu had always been afraid of her master's nephew, now the prefect, for no reason. She bowed and walked out of the house, thinking for a while and closing the door.

"Squeak--" The sound of the door closing could be heard clearly in the quilt. Lin Zhen was wrapped in the quilt and finally came out. He looked at Gu Lin, "You're not honest even with dark circles under your eyes!"

Gu Lin put his arms around his waist, held him between his legs, and let him lie on his body: "I'll lean on you and rest for a while."

Lin Zhen was wrapped tightly in the quilt, his face was flushed, and Gu Lin was half leaning on the bed, holding the wrapped Lin Zhen on himself, with his clothes neatly arranged.

Chapter 225

Lin Zhen felt like he was wrapped up like a worm, but seeing that Gu Lin's eyes were already closed, with a slight bluish color under his eyes, he lay on him without moving.

Go to sleep, it's okay to sleep a little longer.

Lin Zhen, who said he had enough sleep, was warmed by Gu Lin's body temperature through the quilt, and soon fell asleep.

Noticing that his breathing became regular, Gu Lin opened his eyes with a hint of warmth in his dark eyes, and hugged him up with the quilt wrapped around him, let his head rest on his shoulder, and fell asleep again.

When the two woke up, it was lunch time. Lin Zhen came out of the quilt and said, "The curved plow we talked about yesterday is easy to handle. For their own sake, the local people will also get it out as soon as possible. Grain seeds are the most troublesome."

"Didn't we think of buying from the scattered merchants at the river mouth yesterday? I just thought about it carefully. How about I pay the silver and buy the grain seeds first, and then collect the new grain in the name of the prefectural government office during the autumn harvest. It will be considered as my cooperation with the prefectural government office." Lin Zhen saved some silver in the prefectural city. After arriving in Kyoto, he made some more money from the jade powder business. With the money from selling the "Legend of the White Snake" storybook, he now has about 17,000 taels in his hand.

Although it looks like a lot, for such a large Lizhou, the grain seeds bought with this little silver are nothing but a drop in the bucket.

But it's better than doing nothing.

Gu Lin had just arrived, and he had no family support. He was a lone commander. Even though the local tyrants were respectful to him on the surface, it was not easy to get money from them. Let's put it in their shoes.

Who would be willing to be cheated by a 15 or 16-year-old prefect holding a blank check to ask for money and food?

Only by doing something visible to the naked eye, letting them know that they can eat and earn money by following Gu Lin, will they come forward with money and food.

When Gu Lin heard that Lin Zhen was going to pay for the grain seeds, he lifted his feet and got off the bed: "I have had a rough discussion with the co-magistrate about this matter. The prefectural government will send people to contact the merchants at the mouth of the river in Dongyang County, and ask them whether they can accept the IOUs issued by the prefectural government. This IOU can be paid with the new grain this autumn, or with the local specialties of Lizhou, but the principal and interest ratio has not been calculated yet."

Lin Zhen turned his head to look at him: "When did you come up with this idea?"

Gu Lin put on his shoes, walked towards him, took over the work in his hands, and buttoned the row of pearl buttons on his collar from the thigh up: "I thought of it after you told me about the grain seeds yesterday."

"You little brat is getting smarter and smarter!" This is simply a simplified version of the national debt, with the prefectural government as a guarantee, and the merchants also have a certain degree of trust in it. As long as this year's grain seeds are solved, next year will be easy.

Standing in front of him, Gu Lin, who was buttoning the last pearl button, heard him call him a brat, and suddenly lowered his head and bit

his Adam's apple, which was smaller than that of a man. It didn't hurt, but the temperature left by his tongue was a little itchy. Lin Zhen still didn't react when he was bitten. After Gu Lin had straightened up and buttoned up his clothes, he said, "You can't do this outside. Although there are no acquaintances in Lizhou, you are in this position, and there will definitely be many people watching you."

"I know." Gu Lin buttoned up his clothes and adjusted his official uniform.

He looked at Lin Zhen: "It won't be long."

Looking back at him, Lin Zhen nodded: "Then you and I-"

"Zhenzhen is my Uncle Lin, and also my husband." Gu Lin leaned forward slightly and kissed the tip of his beautiful nose.

Lin Zhen had no choice but to kiss and touch people here and there whenever he caught them, and he also understood what he meant by that sentence.It was true that he raised him, and it was also true that he had called him Uncle Lin since he was a child. The reason for this was that he was Gu Da's husband when Gu Da died, and he was Gu Lin's stepfather at that time.

But Gu Da had been dead for so many years, and he had also announced to the public that Gu Lin was his nephew, breaking off their previous relationship. As long as Gu Lin and he did not marry openly, and his value in the eyes of others had not reached the point where they needed to start a fight from then on, others would not interfere in their affairs.

Lin Zhen also gave up the idea of ​​moving out. As a distant uncle, he followed his nephew to Lizhou to make a living, so it was fine for him to live together.

After they cleaned up, washed their faces and brushed their teeth, they quickly finished their meal and discussed the issue of the IOU issued by the prefectural government office. Lin Zhen took the opportunity to change the name of the IOU to a familiar one, Lizhou Bond.

And some modern things were incorporated into it, such as the principal and interest of the bond should be preliminarily estimated based on the current output of Lizhou to give the most reasonable number. For example, after purchasing Lizhou bonds, the corresponding taxes can be reduced or exempted in Lizhou. At the same time, the bonds and the bond holders should be compared to prevent the circulation of fake bonds.

The two talked and took notes, and finally took four or five pages. Gu Lin took what Lin Zhen wrote and said, "Uncle Lin, come with me to meet the Tongzhi."

"I go?"

"Uncle Lin is more handy than me in the bond matter. After finalizing this matter as soon as possible, I will take people to the river mouth at the latest tomorrow afternoon. If there is no accident, the grain can reach Dongyang County in eight days."

The boat departed from the river mouth of Dongyang County. If there was no bad weather, it would be just as Gu Lin said. Grain could be bought from Kyoto and brought to Lizhou in eight days, just in time for the end of this year's farming.

The farming time cannot be delayed. One day's delay will make the harvest different.

After hearing what he said, Lin Zhen didn't say that it would be bad for him, a person without a position, to go there. He got up and followed him.

Gu Lin had told the Tongzhi, Li Mu, and Panguan in the morning that they would continue to discuss things in the afternoon. When Lin Zhen and he arrived, the three and their subordinates were already waiting.

"Your humble servants are here to see you, sir." Tongzhi Guan Peng, Panguan Jiang Jing, and Li Mu Gao Tong bowed and saluted. Seeing that Gu Lin brought an unusually beautiful boy, Guan Peng frowned involuntarily, while Jiang Jing raised his eyebrows imperceptibly. Gu

Lin sat in the first seat, "This is my uncle, Lin Zhen. This morning, I discussed with the Tongzhi about the issue of IOUs by the prefectural government office. My uncle has some opinions. Everyone, listen to him."

Lin Zhen looked at the officials below who, considering Gu Lin's status as a prefect, did not turn hostile, but were obviously a little bit displeased, and explained what he had just said to Gu Lin in more detail.

It is difficult for a man to enter the upper class. Although he looks the same as a man and can make a woman pregnant, he is still looked down upon. Not to mention that there are no men in the court, even officials will not marry men as their wives.

Guan Peng and his companions thought that Lin Zhen was Gu Lin's wife or concubine at first, and then they heard Gu Lin say that Lin Zhen was his uncle, and then Lin Zhen threw out the word "bond".

Soon, the three of them understood what the bonds in Lin Zhen's mouth were, what they did, and the preliminary work before issuance, and the matters that need to be paid attention to during issuance...

This is the first time that bonds have been mentioned here. Guan Peng and his companions have never seen the real thing, but Lin Zhen has seen it in modern times. He picked up some cases and compiled them into simple and easy-to-understand stories. After a while, he explained the process inside.

The strange look they originally had when they looked at Lin Zhen changed. Tongzhi Guan Peng also asked a few questions, such as how to ensure the authenticity of bonds after they were issued.

Lin Zhen looked at the co-magistrate with such a purple face and thought that he asked a good question. He said, "The authenticity of the securities is very important. With the current output of Lizhou, the bonds that can be issued are limited. If there are a large number of fake bonds on the market, it will be unbearable for the prefecture."

"So when issuing bonds, it is necessary to register the information of the bond buyers in detail, record the buyer's facial features, and leave his fingerprints."

Lin Zhen raised his thumb and said, "Everyone's fingerprints are different. When the buyer goes to the state government to request an exchange, the exchange can only be made after the buyer, the bond, and the fingerprint are matched one by one."

As he spoke, Lin Zhen took the ink pad on the table, pressed his thumb on the ink pad, and took out a piece of paper and left a complete thumb print on it.

Guan Peng also looked at his thumb. His fingers were thick and his fingerprints were rough, which were easier to identify than the ones printed on paper by Lin Zhen: "Is what Mr. Lin said true? Everyone's fingerprints are different?"

"You can go and verify it, Mr. Tongzhi."

After Gu Lin finished explaining the principle of bonds, he said: "Today, the yamen runners can go through all the villages near the prefecture. Tomorrow, the people in the villages who are willing will come to the prefecture. So the bonds must be put out tonight. How much principal of the bonds can be put out by the prefecture and what the interest rate is, all must be listed out in detail."

"Gao Tong, you immediately take your people to settle the various taxes in Lizhou in the past three years."

"Yes."

"Guan Peng, you ask someone to inform the people in the prefecture. If they are interested, they can also buy bonds." Guan Peng felt that this was simply a scam, but the prospects given by Gu Lin were too good, so good that even if half of them were true, the benefits that the people of Lizhou could get would be enough.

Guan Peng took the order and went to work in a hurry like the clerk Gao Tong.

Jiang Jing, who was in charge of the supervision, was the one who had the most free time. When Gu Lin and Guan Peng Gao Tong were busy, he still had time to ask his subordinates to make tea for him.

Seeing Gu Lin busy in an orderly manner, Lin Zhen, who had shown up, wiped the ink on his thumb with paper and signaled to him with his eyes that he was going back to the backyard.

Gu Lin had his own things to do, and he also had to take care of the Yurong Powder Flower Dew lipstick. The goods from Kyoto could not be out of stock for too long.

"Lulu, call Niu Da to go out for a while." Returning to the backyard from the front, Lin Zhen looked at Lulu who was carrying a bamboo basket into the house and called her.

Lulu immediately put down the bamboo basket: "Okay, boss, I'll go call Brother Niu."

Niu Da and his family lived in the row of houses behind the government office, and soon followed Lulu. When they heard Lin Zhen say that they were going out, they immediately followed Lulu.

In addition to the two of them, Lin Zhen also called a servant in the government office.

These servants were purchased locally after Xu Zhizhou came to take office. Some of them did not sign a contract to sell themselves, but just came to work in the government office. Naturally, these people could not follow Xu Zhizhou and his wife to take office in the south. Their homes and relatives are here. After Xu Zhizhou and his wife left, these people were waiting to see if they could continue to work in the backyard of the government office.

One of them was the one Lin Zhen called out to go out with. Her name was Lu Xuan. She lived in the prefecture and had been managing the kitchen purchases of the prefecture office for the past few years.

Lin Zhen was wearing a shirt with pure white fur sewn on the collar and sleeves, his hair tied into a high ponytail, and his fair face was in stark contrast to the gray prefectural government office. He took Lu Lu, Niu Da, and Lu Xuan with him and walked out of the government office: "Lu Xuan, how many people are left in the government office now?"

After arriving yesterday, he talked with Mr. Xu until dinner, and then rested after dinner. Today, he woke up and slept in Gu Lin's arms until noon, and then explained the bond matter to the co-prefect and the clerk. Lin Zhen really didn't know how many people were left in the prefectural government office now.

Lu Xuan was a woman in her thirties. Her skin was not very fair. She was a little taller than Lin Zhen when she stood with him. She looked at the new master who looked like a fairy and said, "My dear, there are five people in the government office now, including me. I am in charge of the kitchen and purchases, Dacheng is in charge of the carriages, and the three brothers are in charge of cooking and cleaning." "

Call them to see me when you go back," Lin Zhen said, "If you still want to work in the government office, you can re-sign the contract."

"Yes, I will tell them when I go back." Lu Xuan couldn't help but feel relieved. Compared with other jobs, the work in the government office is relatively leisurely, and it would be best if she could stay.

It is not far from the prefecture. After walking out of the prefecture office for seven or eight minutes, you will reach the street where merchants sell things. There are also people carrying things on their shoulders and backs on both sides of the road.

It is similar to what Lin Zhen saw when he entered the city yesterday. They are all agricultural products that have not been processed. The most sold items in the shops are food, cloth, and some daily necessities.

Lin Zhen, who originally wanted to see if there were any fresh flowers for sale, looked around twice but didn't see any. After thinking for a while,

he asked Lu Xuan: "What flowers are produced in abundance in our Lizhou? In what seasons do they bloom?" Lu Xuan thought it was normal for such a beautiful boy like him to ask about these flowers, and said: "Wintersweet, iris, and iris are the most common and cold-resistant. They can bloom except when it snows heavily in winter. The others, such as Venus orchid and Xiuluan flower, have to be kept at home, and they require water and braziers, which are difficult to take care of."

"Wintersweet has bloomed now, and iris is not in season yet. The most common one now is iris."

Lin Zhen said: "Where

can you find iris now? Take me to see it." Lu Xuan didn't expect this husband to be so concerned about flowers and plants, and said: "iris can be found everywhere. It should be found outside the city. If you want to grow it, I will dig two pots when you go back later."

"It just rained yesterday, and the grass leaves are all covered with mud. Don't stain your clothes."

"No problem." Without fresh flowers, the work of extracting flower dew cannot be carried out. If it is delayed for one day, a lot of money will be lost. When estimating the price of grain seeds today, Lin Zhen found that his little money was not enough. If he wanted to do what he wanted, he was far from the old hat.

After hearing what he said, Lu Xuan stopped dissuading him and took Lin Zhen and Niu Dalulu out of the city gate.

There are four gates in Lizhou Prefecture. This time they went through the south gate. As soon as they came out, they could see a village that was so flat that they could almost see it far away like an ant. Smoke from cooking rose, and a group of birds flew slowly across the sky.

There were many people carrying baskets to dig wild vegetables and roots in the open space outside the city. When they saw Lin Zhen, who was dressed extraordinary, they hurried away, fearing that they would bump into him and get into trouble.

Lu Xuan bent down and searched the scattered green ground, and soon returned to Lin Zhen with two clumps of plants with slender leaves that looked not much different from weeds: "Husband, this is the Youcao."

Lin Zhen took the Youcao in his hand, but he really couldn't see how it looked like a flower. He raised it to his nose and smelled it. Suddenly, he looked at the Youcao in his hand and was a little surprised.

The name of Youcao is not for nothing. The seemingly ordinary leaves actually have an indescribable fragrance, a very high-end and seductive fragrance, which ranks first among the flower dews extracted by Lin Zhen.

Seeing his surprised expression, Lu Xuan said, "Only the flowers of the yu grass are fragrant. As long as there is a bunch of yu grass blooming in that piece of land, the whole place will be fragrant, but it is difficult for yu grass to bloom."

Lin Zhen smiled, "This fragrance is already very good," he looked at the endless land and scattered green grass, and felt that his luck was really good, "Let's go, use the yu grass first these days, and then slowly try other flowers."

When he came, the people who were digging wild vegetables and vegetable roots on this piece of land hid away. Lin Zhen handed the yu grass in his hand to Lu Lu behind him, and said as he walked to the city gate, "After I go back, I will write a notice to collect yu grass, and you can post it outside the government office."

"Yes." Lu Lu now basically serves him every day. Seeing him walk to the city gate, she followed him step by step, and Niu Da also followed.

Lu Xuan, who brought Lin Zhen here, didn't take it seriously when she heard that Lin Zhen wanted to collect yu grass. Although yu grass smells good, it can't be eaten. Only those who have a little spare money will pick some and boil water when they take a bath or wash clothes, so that they can smell good.

My husband probably took it back for this purpose.

But not long after returning to the prefectural government office, Lu Xuan heard Lu Lu and Niu Da who were walking out with a notice: "One cent per catty, 500 catties for now, and it will take a few days to receive them. Mei Zi and the others in the backyard are very nervous, and they feel sorry for the boss by eating and living for free."

Lu Xuan, who was walking towards the kitchen, thought she had misheard, and hurried to Niu Da and Lu Lu: "Lu brother, you said just now that your husband wants to collect the youcao?"

Lu Lu nodded: "Yes, our boss used to be in the rouge and powder business, and he bought some youcao seeds to make perfume. By the way, when I came out, the boss asked me to tell you, sister Lu, that I used to work in the government office, but now I want to do it again, and I need to go to him to sign a contract."

Lu Xuan thought that Lin Zhen just had a good-looking face, and was like the rich men and women outside, embroidering and drinking tea all day long. She didn't expect that he was actually a businessman. Moreover, from the sound of it, the 500 catties of youcao were only collected temporarily and would be needed in the future.

That was a great deal worth one or two taels of silver!

If it weren't for the fact that Lin Zhen wanted them to go over, Lu Xuan would have wanted to run back home right now and ask her family to dig up the herb right

away. Lu Xuan felt a little dizzy, and after saying something to Lu Lu and Niu Da, she turned around and called the three brothers who worked in the government office like her, and the man who was in charge of the carriages and horses, Dacheng, and walked towards Lin Zhen's house.

Lin Zhen was hot from walking all the way, so he didn't sit by the charcoal basin. He wore the same clothes he wore when he went out, and sat behind the desk writing and drawing, with his pretty eyes drooping.

Hearing the noise, Lin Zhen raised his head, put the charcoal pencil in the booklet, and said, "Come over."

"Husband." Lu Xuan led the four people and stopped three steps away from Lin Zhen, bowing to him.

Lin Zhen looked over and saw that except for Lu Xuan whom he had met in the morning, two of the other three brothers were younger, in their twenties, and one was older, in his forties. The man who was in charge of the carriages and horses should also be about forty years old.

It was the first time for several people to meet him as their new master, and they were a little reserved.

He said, "I won't say much. You were all recruited by Mr. Xu to do the work, and you are all experienced. I don't plan to fire you all and find someone who is not familiar with the work."

"But I have to say it before. I am easy to talk to, but if I know what I am up to, my previous good talk will not count."

Several people who planned to continue working here hurriedly expressed their loyalty: "Mr., we all want to stay and work, and we will never do anything to cheat you!"

Lin Zhen raised his hand: "Call me boss from now on, and put the title of husband aside for now."

"Yes."

Lin Zhen wrote five copies of the contract. Several people worked here. Except for Lu Xuan who was in charge of the kitchen purchases, the husband in his forties who cooked, and Dacheng who was in charge of the carriages, the other two cleaning guys started with a salary of one penny of silver per month, which was one hundred coins.

In Lin Zhen's eyes, it was a little less, but the money offered by Xu Fulang before was even lower than this, only 70 coins a month. In Lizhou, where it was difficult to be self-sufficient, this job was already a good one for them.

Even the strong men had no other way to make money except digging for food in the fields and hunting in the mountains and forests.

As for the three people who were in charge of some things, their treatment was slightly better than the two people. The monthly salary was 1 coin and 30 coins, and everyone had a set of clothes every season.

Several people were illiterate, and when they pressed their fingerprints, they wondered if they were dreaming today.

While the locals were here, Lin Zhen asked, "Can Lizhou produce some special rice, such as the green-stem rice and purple-heart rice in the south?"

After solving the raw materials for the flower dew, Lin Zhen was worried about the raw materials for the jade powder. When he came to Lizhou, he didn't bring much green-stem rice and purple-heart rice. First, the journey was long and the manpower and material resources were too great. Second, these rices had to be new rice this year. If he brought too much old rice, it would be useless. Now there are

only more than 600 boxes of jade powder made from the three kinds of rice, which is not enough to be distributed in Kyoto.

Moreover, he didn't plan to run a small workshop like he did in Kyoto. He wanted to recruit more people to increase production and divide it into high-end, mid-range and low-end products. He would completely treat Kyoto as a dumping ground for the three types of jade powder and firmly grasp the market in his own hands.

In this way, the amount of three types of rice needed would be very large. If it was transported in through the Dongyang County estuary, the cost would increase slightly.

If it could be solved in Lizhou, it would be the best.

Chapter 226

The three brothers and the man all thought that Lin Zhen was doing it for food. Only Lu Xuan knew from Lu Lu and Niu Da that Lin Zhen was using rice to make rouge and powder business, and hurriedly said, "Yes, although I don't know what the green-stemmed rice and purple-heart rice in the south are like, we have them in Lizhou, as well as black rice and oriole rice."

Lin Zhen became interested, "Do we have any in our house? Bring some to me to see."

"Yes, they are all rice collected last year." Lu Xuan was in charge of purchasing for the kitchen. No one knew what something was better than her. She went to the kitchen, grabbed a little bit of several kinds of rice, and put them on the table in front of Lin Zhen.

"This is green stem rice, this is purple heart rice," Lu Xuan pointed to the rice with a hint of green, and the rice that looked the same as ordinary white rice on the surface, but the core was light purple after being crushed, and then pointed to the other two, "Black rice and oriole rice have low yields after planting, and few people plant them, but they make sticky and soft porridge."

As soon as the rice was in front of him, Lin Zhen realized that it was slightly different from the rice he had seen before. The several types of rice in front of him, including the white rice, were better than those in Anyuan Town, Fucheng, and Kyoto. The grains were full, the rice fragrance was rich, and the color was also brighter.

Lin Zhen had made some experience in making Yurong powder, and the powder made from such rice must be better than before.

He asked Lu Xuan: "How much do these rices cost in the rice shop in the prefecture?"

Lu Xuan said: "White rice is five cents a dou, green stem rice and purple heart rice are seven cents a dou, and black rice and oriole rice are more expensive, eight and a half cents a dou."

A dou of rice is twelve and a half catties, which is half a pound higher than Kyoto.

No matter where you are, rice is a fine grain that only the wealthy can eat. Most people eat sorghum, buckwheat and wheat. Considering the poverty of Lizhou, it is reasonable to sell it at such a price.

However, the cost of Yurong Powder will be slightly higher, but compared with the huge profits of Yurong Powder, this cost is just a small part.

As long as a large number of medium- and low-end Yurong Powder flow into Kyoto, he can really make a fortune.

Just after returning for a while, the heat on his body was completely dissipated, and Lin Zhen couldn't sit still and got up and went out again, still with Lu Xuan. As soon as

the two stepped out of the gate of the prefectural government, they saw Lu Lu and Niu Da surrounded by a group of people, all asking about collecting Youcao.

"Are you really collecting Youcao? Are you kidding me?" An old man with a thin face and high cheekbones asked anxiously. He was carrying a backpack on his back and holding a child of about five years old in his hand. The child looked like he had been malnourished for a long time, with thin limbs and only a bulging belly.

The brothers who were also pushing in front of Niu Da and Lu Lu, but did not dare to push them, asked anxiously: "You are not lying, sir, one penny per pound?"

"Collect it!?"

"What I heard just now was Youcao, not something else, right?"

"..."

The anxious and noisy voices mixed together, and it was almost impossible to hear the questions they asked.

The surrounded Niu Da and Lu Lu shouted at the top of their lungs: "Collect Youcao, yes, there is a lot of Youcao in the field, one penny per pound!"

Suddenly, Lu Lu saw Lin Zhen from the gap, jumped and waved to him: "Boss!"

Everyone's eyes fell on him, and when they saw him waving to the crowd outside, they all looked at Lin Zhen, and when they saw Lin Zhen coming out of the government office, still dressed in a rich manner, they unconsciously stood back and stopped talking.

Lin Zhen walked over and said loudly: "I am the one who collects the Youcao this time. Everyone can bring the Youcao here. Someone will weigh it and pay you."

Seeing that a guy like him actually claimed to be collecting Youcao, the people were a little grumbling, but when they thought that Lin Zhen came from the government office, they believed him a little more than before.

When they thought that Lin Zhen only wanted 500 kilograms, they hurriedly took their family back, carrying a backpack and a basket, their eyes were as bright as lanterns, and they could only see the Youcao. After

sending them away, Lin Zhen took Lu Lu and Niu Da with him and went to several rice shops in the prefecture. In the end, because he promised that he would use a large amount, he asked the shopkeeper of the rice shop to save a few coins on a bushel of rice, and he would bring some rice to the government office tomorrow.

Lin Zhen was impatient and could not stand delays in doing anything. If it had not been dark when he came back from the rice shop, he would have wanted to find the landlord in the city to ask if there was a large yard around the government office that had not been rented out.

After all, this is the prefectural government office. It's okay for him to just pile up some materials now, but it won't work once he recruits people. There's no order for people to come in and out.

The next day, Lin Zhen got up early and planned to continue to go out to do things. He first found a suitable yard to serve as a place for materials to pile up and workers to work, and then started work as soon as possible.

He thought he got up early enough, but he didn't know that he heard a sound coming from the front as soon as he opened the door.

Niu Da, who didn't know what he was called to do in the front, was holding a lantern in his hand and was bending down to blow out the candle inside. When he saw Lin Zhen woke up, he hurried over to salute: "Boss."

"Why is there a sound in the front?"

Niu Da said: "It's the people from the villages around the prefecture. Some came in the middle of the night, and now some are rushing here."

Lin Zhen patted his head. He was so busy yesterday that he was dizzy. Gu Lin told him about this matter. The yamen runners went to the surrounding villages to talk to the people about composting manure and water, and the curved plowing and grain planting.

These people must have come to explore the situation. Lizhou is poor and the grain production is low. Everyone tried every possible way, but they couldn't fill their stomachs. When winter came, there were reports of people starving to death. If it could make their lives better, they couldn't help but ask.

Lin Zhen smiled and waited for Lulu to come in with water for washing his face and rinsing his mouth. After washing and changing clothes, he had breakfast and went to find Fang Yazi.

It was already bright in the sky. More and more people gathered in the front yard. Lin Zhen just walked out of the corridor connecting the backyard and the front yard, and saw that the yard in front of the main hall, which was originally quite spacious, was crowded with people. It was really crowded, even crazier than the people who asked Youcao yesterday. The yamen runners

who were responsible for watching these people to prevent any accidents had seen Lin Zhen and knew that he was the uncle of the prefect, so they quickly assigned someone to take him out.

Lin Zhen looked at the yamen runner's face, which was obviously sleepless, and asked, "How many villages did you notify this time?"

"My husband, because the adults were worried about the error in the transmission of the government order, we went to each village to notify them in person, a total of 36 villages."

There were not enough horses in the government office, and the few horses that Lin Zhen brought were used by the yamen runners to run errands. Thirty-six villages, in the vast and sparsely populated Lizhou, were the maximum range they could notify.

As for the more distant counties and towns, they could not make it in time this year, as the round trip was difficult enough.

Lin Zhen looked at the people who came from various villages to represent their villages, and said to Lu Lu behind him: "Go back and tell Lu Xuan in the kitchen to boil some water and bring it to the front."

"Yes, boss." Lu Lu turned around and walked to the backyard, and came to the kitchen to find Lu Xuan, "Sister Lu, the boss asked you to boil two pots of water and bring it to the front to quench the thirst of the people coming from the surrounding villages."

"Okay, Lu Lu, what are the people from the village doing in the government office?" Two large pots of water, there must be a lot of people, did something big happen?

Lu Xuan didn't know, she just felt that since the new governor and boss Lin came, the prefectural government office was like a wheel, running forward.

It no longer had the slow momentum when Xu Zhizhou was there.

In the front yard, Lin Zhen, escorted by the yamen runners, slowly walked out of the crowded yard, and heard the repeated words of compost, manure, plow, and grain seeds from time to time.

This scene was so familiar, and so similar to the first time I mentioned composting in front of Lin's father. That year, the Lin family used composting. The next year, all the farmers in Liyu Village couldn't wait to use it. The third year, the fourth year...

Such a scene of bumper harvest will reappear in Lizhou in the future.

There were also some people on the street outside the government office who were obviously working all year round. They stretched their necks to look inside, and some of them stood up and walked back and forth in a hurry.

"Do you think this is reliable? What composting, manure water, we have never heard of it before. We can't work hard for a year and get nothing, and let the whole family starve to death." The speaker was a villager from Yang Village. He was not very old, but his skin was dark. He worked all year round and looked more than ten years older than his actual age.

"I told you to stop wandering around, it makes me dizzy. Aren't the village chief and grandpa in there? We'll know what's going on when they come out."

"And didn't the official who went there yesterday say that this method has been used before and it brought good harvests."

The man who was dizzy because of the young man said, but he also looked straight into the government office, wishing he could see a hole so that he could see what was going on inside. God knows,

when they saw the yamen runners going to Yang Village yesterday, they thought someone had committed a crime and was going to be arrested and beaten in the yamen. Who knew that the yamen runners asked them where the village chief was. After learning that the village chief was sitting on the ridge next to them, they said a lot of things that they understood but didn't understand.

What compost and manure can increase the harvest, what plowshares can only be used by two people to plow the land, so that they can open up wasteland not only save effort but also speed up.

Finally, they even said that the new official in the government office allowed them to buy grain seeds on credit from the government office, and plant them on the land plowed with a curved plow, and pay them back when the autumn harvest comes this year.

These things are like a heavy mountain, pressing down on these farmers who have been farming honestly all their lives, and they are confused.

They didn't say anything until the yamen runner asked them if they understood. The yamen runner explained it twice again, and finally asked them to rush to the government office today to listen to the official in person.

Now that they are here, they feel like being bitten by ants.

Suddenly, they saw a yamen runner coming out with a group of people. It happened to be the yamen runner who went to their Yang Village yesterday. The young man couldn't help but run up to him. Just when he was about to speak, he saw Lin Zhen's clothes and appearance, and quickly shut up and stepped back.

This must be the family of the prefect.

Chapter 227

Lin Zhen looked at the people who came from dozens of miles away overnight, just wanting to hear and ask clearly, and said to the yamen runner behind him: "When the people in the backyard carry out the hot water later, you should watch carefully, so that no one will be scalded by the hot water." It

was still cold at this time, and although the breath exhaled did not evaporate obvious hot air, everyone was still wearing thin cotton clothes, and drinking some hot water would be more comfortable.

The yamen runner took the order, "Yes, husband." Perhaps because he saw Lin Zhen in person ordering the people around him to boil hot water for these people, he became a little bolder and asked Lin Zhen hesitantly, "Husband, has your hometown really used compost and manure? Is it really so useful?"

The yamen runner was on duty in the government office, but his parents and many relatives at home depended on the weather for their livelihood in the village. When the new prefect asked them to notify the villages to come here to discuss this year's farming yesterday, the yamen runners were not at peace.

If there is such a good way to make the grain output in the fields more, life at home will be better!

Lin Zhen could hear his uneasiness. "My family originally had 11 or 12 mu of land. My father, my brother, my younger brother, and the younger generation had more than a dozen people in total. It was difficult to get food. After using compost, the grain production increased a lot that year."

"But we were notified late this year by Lizhou, so we didn't have time to ferment the compost. We can only use manure water, which is less effective than compost."

When Lin Zhen spoke, the yamen runners listened carefully, and the people who were nearby also heard some of it. Their ears were pointed, afraid of missing a word or a sentence.

After hearing Lin Zhen's affirmation that compost and manure water were really effective, their eyes became hot.

They wanted to catch the village head and elders who were listening to the adults in the government office and ask them in detail about what was going on. When they

went out to find a house, Lin Zhen only took Lu Lu with him, and Niu Da stayed in the government office to wait for Gu Lin's orders.

Gu Lin did not bring anyone with him when he took office. He was alone. He could tell the yamen runners about official business, but for some small matters that could be done at any time, he still needed someone like Niu Da to be by his side.

The street was still the same as it was when Lin Zhen and his friends came out yesterday. The owner of the rice shop where he had ordered rice was very enthusiastic to see him and walked out from the counter with a smile on his face: "Boss Lin, please come in and have a seat. Thank you for taking care of our business yesterday. Please take care of us in the future."

This rice shop was one of the largest shops in the city. Wherever the owner went, people called him "Manager Ma". The old neighbors around saw him being respectful to a young man and felt grumbling in their hearts.

Lin Zhen said, "I'm busy, so there's no need to sit down."

"Boss Lin, you have something to do, why don't you tell me and see if I can help you a little."

Lin Zhen, who had been planning to find a landlord, heard him say this and said, "I want to rent two or three spacious courtyards, preferably connected together, closer to the government office. Does Shopkeeper Ma have any suitable ones in mind?"

Lin Zhen bought a lot of rice yesterday, including the green-stemmed rice, purple-hearted rice, black rice, and oriole rice, which are more expensive than white rice. Moreover, he did not hide it from Shopkeeper Ma. When Shopkeeper Ma asked, he clearly stated that he wanted to do the rouge and powder business. So when Shopkeeper Ma heard that he wanted to rent a few courtyards, he understood and said after a pause, "There are no suitable ones next to the government office. The people living there are all wealthy and prestigious people in the prefecture."

"But the one further away is easier to find. It's just behind our street, in Guangshun Lane. They used to do business here, but when the business wasn't good, they wanted to rent out the yard to make some money."

Lin Zhen was looking for the yard to process Yurong Powder, so it didn't matter whether the location was remote or not. He nodded and said, "Sure enough, I asked the right person. I found the place right away. It turns out that Manager Ma said yesterday that he was a know-it-all in the prefecture, and his knowledge is genuine, without any adulteration."

"Hehe, thank you for the compliment, Boss Lin. By the way, what's the other matter, Boss Lin?"

Lin Zhen said, "I need porcelain boxes and bottles for my business, and the quantity is quite large. So I wanted to ask Manager Ma where the kiln is in our prefecture, so I can go and make some custom products." Unlike in Kyoto, where there is only high-end products, now there are mid-range and low-end products, so the packaging must also be differentiated.

Otherwise, officials and rich ladies would not be able to bear the loss of spending different amounts of money to buy the same thing. Besides, sometimes people spend money to buy a sense of superiority. If everyone gets the same thing, it would be meaningless.

So Lin Zhen redesigned the packaging of the three products. The most high-end Jade Face Powder Flower Dew Lipstick is still plum red, but the pattern on the porcelain box and porcelain bottle is more exquisite, with a circle of flower branches in the middle and a small word "Lin" written by Lin Zhen and Gu Lin. The mid-range

one is rainy blue, without patterns, and there is also a "Lin" trademark on it.

The low-end one is the most ordinary white porcelain, the same as the mid-range one, with nothing but the trademark.

In addition, the high-end, mid-range, and low-end Jade Face Powder Flower Dew and lipstick are distinguished. The high-end Jade Face Powder is fully equipped. In addition to the basic flower dew, you can also buy flower dew that has been processed more deeply and lipsticks of new colors.

The mid-range and low-end jade powders available for purchase are limited, and the lipstick colors are only two of the colors that have been sold before. The flower dew is also slightly more hydrating than the high-end ones. The

family of the wife's brother of the shopkeeper Ma is a kiln-burning business. When he heard that Lin Zhen wanted to order something, he immediately recommended himself: "Boss Lin, my wife's brother is a kiln-burning business. The whole family has been doing kiln-burning for several generations. There is nothing bad about the things they make! If you want to see it, I will take you there in person!"

Lin Zhen's money is big, and it seems that it is a continuous business. Shopkeeper Ma doesn't care what Lin Zhen thinks about recommending his own family.

He didn't lie. His wife's brother did take over the kiln-burning business that his father-in-law's family had passed down for several generations. He is well-known in their state capital.

But that thing is used by rich people. Ordinary people use pottery at home. Pottery is not expensive, and the profit is not much.

When Lin Zhen ordered porcelain boxes and vases in Kyoto, he also compared prices from three different stores. He said, "Okay, when I come back from looking at the yard, you can ask someone to take me to look. But Shopkeeper Ma, although we have done a business and are acquaintances, if the product is not good, it should be put in front. If the product is not good, I really can't use it. I will compare it with several more stores when the time comes."

Shopkeeper Ma smiled and said, "It's the same reason. He didn't let Boss Lin take a liking to it because his skills are not as good as others."

"I'll ask the waiter to take Boss Lin to Guangshun Lane to look at the yard, so you don't have to ask for directions."

As he said that, Shopkeeper Ma of the rice shop called the waiter over and told him to take Lin Zhen to the two families who wanted to sell the yard.

Lin Zhen thanked him and was led by the waiter of the rice shop to Guangshun Lane.

"Old Ma, you have changed your nature today. Why are you bowing and scraping to this guy? It really makes us men lose face!" Before Lin Zhen's figure completely disappeared on the street, the old neighbor of the shop next door teased Shopkeeper Ma.

Shopkeeper Ma spat and said calmly, "Do you know who that is?"

"Who?"

"Isn't it just a guy who does some small business? People say that guys who do business will have bad luck. I think you should not flatter him, lest you get into bad luck one day."

Shopkeeper Ma's younger brother married a man, and the boy he gave birth to was filial and capable. After marrying to the man's family, he gave birth to a little grandson. When Shopkeeper Ma brought him back before the New Year, he saw that he was much more obedient than the naughty monkeys at home, and he loved the little boy a little.

Moreover, when he saw how Lin Zhen acted and talked yesterday and just now, he felt that this little boy was not simple, and he was probably more powerful than ordinary men.

He winked and said, "This is the amount of rice that the boy just bought from me." He stretched out his fingers and counted.

Another old neighbor said, "There's so much! Can you finish it? Won't it get stale?"

"Besides, the rice we buy is sent to the prefectural government office. The servants there are very respectful to him." Shopkeeper Ma withdrew his hand and leaned on the counter, eating melon seeds.

Several old neighbors who had originally teased him about fawning on Lin Zhen put away their disapproval on their faces. They had also vaguely heard the news that Xu Zhizhou was leaving and a new one was coming. They didn't expect it to come so soon. Even the family of the new Zhizhou had already started to go out to do business.

It was no wonder that Shopkeeper Ma wanted to fawn on him. The Zhizhou was the highest official in their Lizhou. If he could get some protection from the Zhizhou, wouldn't he be able to walk sideways in Lizhou?

The first person who spoke, and who spoke before Lin Zhen completely left, turned pale and blue. They lived better than the farmers who made a living in the fields, but they didn't dare to provoke the government officials. Who would have thought that he would offend such a big one.

Lin Zhen had already left, and he didn't know that he had been talked about by them for a long time. He followed the waiter called by Shopkeeper Ma to the three families who rented the courtyard.

The layout of the courtyard was similar. The main house was right after the door, and there were wing rooms on both sides. Since it was an ordinary residence, it was not divided into a first and a second entrance. The area was not particularly spacious, only about 140 square meters.

The other two families were similar. The three families were good neighbors. They had all been involved in the business, and now they rented a house together.

Fortunately, the three courtyards were in a line, two of them were separated by a wall, and the other one was only a hundred steps away. After looking around, Lin Zhen decided to rent it.

"How much is the rent for a year?" Lin Zhen withdrew his gaze from the empty courtyard and asked the three families standing together.

The three families were all nervous just now. If Lin Zhen didn't rent a house, the three families would be out of food. When he heard him ask about the price, the oldest one said, "Boss, how much is appropriate?"

and threw the ball to Lin Zhen.

Lin Zhen looked at the man and said, "Rent the three courtyards together for a year first, the rent is 70 taels. If it works, we will sign the contract. If not, I will look for courtyards in other places."

The three families originally had some family background, but after the business failed, they could hardly eat. 70 taels of silver was not much in their eyes, and it was also a little short of their expectations.

The leading man said, "To be honest with the boss, seventy taels of silver is really too little to rent our three families' yard. Look at this yard, it's spacious and nice. It was renovated a few years ago. The yard is rammed solid and the tiles are picked up again. You can move in and live there as long as you buy some things."

Lin Zhen offered a price of seventy taels, which was originally a bargaining chip. After all, he rented a house in Anyuan Town for about this price. No matter how poor the state capital was, it was the largest place outside the state, so the price was really a bit low.

In the end, Lin Zhen and the three families who were selling the house went back and forth and talked about several prices, and decided on a yearly rent of one hundred and ten taels. Lin Zhen gave the silver on the spot, and the three families promised to move out of the yard today and live in the old house in the countryside.

After signing the deed, writing his own name and pressing his handprint, Lin Zhen folded the deed and put it in his pocket.

He had completed one of the things he needed to do today. The only thing left was to determine the kiln for firing porcelain boxes and vases. Once this matter was resolved, he would be able to recruit workers to start work.

Lin Zhen really liked being busy. He felt that his mind and body were in a fresh state, and he had endless energy.

Today was only the third day since he and Gu Lin arrived at the Lizhou Prefecture, but they were busy with a lot of things.

His own Yurong powder business was about to start, and he had already gathered the people around the prefecture together. He was determined to sow the grain seeds that would give the people a good year this year before the end of the farming season.

Very good.

Lin Zhen returned to the rice seller Ma from Guangshun Lane. He didn't care about the changed looks on him and said to Ma, "Thank you for the introduction. The yard business is done."

"That's good," Ma said with a smile, "Then I will accompany Mr. Lin to visit my brother-in-law now?"

"Okay."

Ma's smile became more obvious: "I specially hired two sedan chairs. Let's go in sedan chairs to save some effort."

When Lin Zhen went out in the morning and returned to the state capital, it was almost dark. He got off the sedan chair arranged by Ma, rewarded the sedan bearer with some copper coins, and walked into the gate of the state capital with the sedan bearer's repeated thanks.

The people who gathered here in the morning were still here. The expressions on their faces were completely different from what Lin Zhen saw this morning. There was some red on their dark faces, and they were full of energy and spirit, as if they could kill a tiger with one punch.

The yamen runner who was maintaining order saw Lin Zhen coming back and hurried over: "Husband, I will escort you in."

"Call me Boss Lin from now on. Where is Master Gu? Is he still in the main hall?"

After these three days, everyone knew that he was Gu Lin's distant uncle, not the concubine they thought, so when the yamen runner heard Lin Zhen's request, he changed his words without any hesitation: "Master was here all day today, and even had meals with Master Tongzhi and Master Judge in the main hall."

"Then has any news come out?" Compared with Gu Lin, Lin Zhen felt that he was not worthy of the word "workaholic".

He was a person who had to complete a goal once he set it, just like he practiced sword and bow for many years, and he could practice the same action over and over again without getting tired of it.

The yamen runners' hearts were beating fast, and their faces were filled with excitement. "The Lord has issued several orders in succession, notifying the thirty-six villages in the yamen to report the number of acres of wasteland that the villagers want to reclaim and register them in a book. At that time, grain seeds will be distributed according to the number of acres in the book."

"In order to prevent people from falsely reporting the number of acres of wasteland, the Lord wants us two shifts of yamen runners to monitor the reclamation and planting of wasteland."

They have explained these things to the people many times, so there is nothing they can't tell Lin Zhen.

Lin Zhen walked in while listening. As soon as he walked to the corridor, he saw Gu Lin being surrounded by Tongzhi Guanpeng, Judge Jiang Jing, and Limu Gao Tong. He wore a black gauze official hat on his head, and the brim of the hat was just two fingers away from his forehead, which made his eyebrows look sharper and his nose bridge taller.

And the dark scarlet official robe of the fifth rank made his waist thin and legs long, and he looked very majestic.

There were many people between them, and Lin Zhen was still standing in the corner of the corridor. He locked onto Lin Zhen at first sight, looking at him with dark eyes.

Lin Zhen nodded at him and pointed his finger at the backyard.

Gu Lin nodded.

After walking through the people and reaching the backyard, Lin Zhen asked the yamen runners to continue doing their own things. Lu Lu, who had been busy with him all day, said, "These people haven't left yet? Where will they sleep tonight and what will they eat?"

Niu Da, who was left in the mansion, heard the voice and came out, saying, "When the master saw Madam Lu in the backyard carrying hot water to the front yard, he said that if the people could not return to the village tonight, they should greet the inn in the state government and stay overnight."

"Is the master so kind?" Lu Lu had always been afraid of Gu Lin. When she heard that Gu Lin actually asked the people to stay in the inn, she felt that she had misjudged the master. She didn't expect that the master was actually a kind-hearted person.

Niu Da also nodded, "That's right, our master is a very good person. He was so busy with the people's farming that he didn't even go to the backyard to eat."

Lin Zhen smiled and walked towards his room.

Chapter 228

When the noise from the front yard gradually faded away and everything returned to calm, it was already 2:45 PM. It was rare for Lin Zhen to be awake at this hour since he came here, and the charcoal pencil in his hand was a little slippery.

Suddenly, he heard a sound from outside, and then Gu Lin walked into the house.

Gu Lin was still wearing the dark crimson official robe, and the black gauze official hat on his head had been taken off, revealing his hair tied up high with a headband.

His hair was long and rarely trimmed. When he let it down, it would reach below his waist, almost to his thighs.

Fortunately, he was tall, so such long hair would not weigh him down.

"Is everything arranged?" Lin Zhen put down the charcoal pencil, walked outside the door and said to Lu Lu, "Go to the kitchen and ask Mr. Jiang to cook some vegetables."

"Yes." Lu Lu knew that her boss hadn't eaten either, so she ate some pastries to fill her stomach, and turned to find Mr. Jiang in the kitchen.

Gu Lin put the official hat on the shelf beside him with one hand, and rolled up his sleeves to his forearms as if he was not afraid of the cold.

"Is everything done with the people?" Lin Zhen poured him a glass of water, then poured himself a glass and took a sip.

Gu Lin hummed, "The general rules have been completed. Tomorrow, we will gather them together to teach them how to compost and what proportion of manure and water will not burn the seedlings. We can let them return to the village temporarily to count the acres of wasteland reclaimed by each village, and then report to the government office for the distribution of grain seeds later."

It was similar to what the yamen runners told Lin Zhen today, but Lin Zhen knew that the things inside were not as easy as they said, otherwise Gu Lin would not be so busy until now.

He said, "Then we will go to the river mouth of Dongyang County to discuss the use of bonds to raise grain seeds. It will take a day."

Only Gu Lin and I know the composting method and the proportion of manure and water. This thing is not difficult if you know it, but if you don't pay attention, it will cause trouble.

When Lin Zhen was a child, his family had fields. Even for old farmers who have worked for decades, sometimes a little more manure will burn the seedlings.

Especially for manure water that has not been fermented for a long time, the new seedlings will wilt due to the smell.

Suddenly, Lin Zhen looked at Gu Lin who had been busy all day and said, "The grain seeds cannot be delayed. Those merchants may not agree to raise grain seeds with invisible bonds quickly. I am afraid it will take some time."

"What do you think of my idea? Tomorrow morning, you will take people to the river mouth of Dongyang County and leave me a familiar face who showed up in front of the people today. I will teach those people how to make compost and add manure water." Gu Lin couldn't do the work of two people alone. His business of Yurong powder only needed to recruit workers. First, let Lulu and others find some good-looking people like the notice of collecting Youcao yesterday, and then he would choose them by himself, so that both ends would not be delayed.

Moreover, he asked Gu Lin to leave a familiar face for him to calm down.

He really didn't look like someone who knew the work in the fields. Having a familiar face seen by the people today could save a lot of time.

Gu Lin looked at him: "Okay, then I'll trouble Uncle Lin."

This was the unspoken understanding between the two of them. As long as one of them spoke, it must be that they had thought it through and it was the best for both of them.

Lulu brought Jiang Fulang and served the hot dishes. Lin Zhen and Gu Lin, who were both a little hungry, ate in silence and returned to their respective rooms after eating.

The next day, Lin Zhen was half asleep and felt the touch on his cheek. He opened his eyes and found that it was Gu Lin. He was wearing a black robe and his long hair was tied up with a white jade crown.

Maybe it was because he was lying on the bed and looking up, he felt that he was so cold at the moment that it made his bones ache, but the eyes looking at him were warm.

Lin Zhen looked at him who was dressed neatly, and sat up with his hands on the bed: "You left so early?"

He glanced at the sky outside. It was pitch black and the moon had not yet set.

Gu Lin pecked him on the lips: "It will be dawn when we reach Dongyang County. You sleep a little longer, I'll have someone call you."

"I'll get up too. I can't sleep anymore." Lin Zhen has never missed a nap since he came to Dayu. He feels very energetic after a short nap. He threw off the quilt and got out of bed, asking Gu Lin, "Are you going by carriage or something?"

Gu Lin, who had just stood in front of his bed, stood up and buttoned up Lin Zhen's clothes like last time: "Go on horseback, it's faster."

There is a distance from the prefecture to Dongyang. Riding a horse is indeed the fastest way of transportation now, especially for someone like Gu Lin who is good at riding, it can save a lot of time.

Lin Zhen nodded: "Okay, then I'll take you out."

He said he would take him out, so Gu Lin naturally agreed. When he walked out, while it was dark, Gu Lin's hand under his wide sleeves pinched his fingers, palms and wrists, and let go when they arrived at the gate of the prefecture government office.

There were already ten yamen runners and the Tongzhi official friend in front of the gate. After only two days, the Tongzhi had changed his opinion of Gu Lin. When he saw him coming out, he bowed respectfully and said, "Sir."

Gu Lin let go of Lin Zhen's hand when he was about to reach the gate. He tilted his head and said to Lin Zhen, "If I come across any new and interesting things in Dongyang County, I will bring you some back."

A dozen steps away were the official friends and ten yamen runners. The bright torches illuminated the area. Lin Zhen looked at Gu Lin's ears. Wow, he looked so fluent in his words, but his ears had already turned red. His thin earlobes were like red agate.

Lin Zhen knew that he didn't understand these things before. At first, he forgot about them. Then, after the relationship between the two broke down, he deliberately hid the things in this regard, fearing that he would put his excellent learning ability on this and take advantage of himself.

These days, seeing that he was getting more and more proficient in kissing himself, and playing with it without a teacher, he thought that this kid was used to it, but he didn't expect his ears to be so red.

Lin Zhen suddenly remembered that he seemed to have never noticed whether his face and ears turned red when he kissed him. He could study it carefully when he came back.

"Okay." Lin Zhen stood at the gate and answered Gu Lin.

There was a hint of warmth on Gu Lin's god-like cold face. He came down the steps with a few big strides, grabbed the saddle with his hands in his wide robe, stepped on the stirrups and got on the horse's back lightly.

He turned his head to look at Lin Zhen, pinched the horse's belly: "Go."

He rode to the front on the horse, and the officials and yamen runners hurriedly followed. More than a dozen people disappeared in the night.

Lin Zhen looked at the empty road in front of the gate of the provincial government office, turned around and walked back. The two brothers who were sweeping the floor saw him, their master, stepped aside and bowed to greet him. Lin Zhen

patted his face to get rid of the sleepiness he had just gotten up. After waiting for Lulu to fetch water to wash up, he ate some porridge and went to the yamen in front.

He arrived a little early. After a while, Gao Tong, the clerk who was ordered by Gu Lin to assist him, arrived. Gao Tong did not expect him to arrive first. He walked over with a little worry in his heart: "Mr. Lin."

Lin Zhen waved his hand: "No need to be polite, just call me Boss Lin from now on. I am used to being called like that."

"Originally, Lord Gu wanted to come and teach the people how to compost and mix manure water, but the grain seeds cannot be delayed, so I mentioned it and took this job."

"Don't worry, Lord Gao, I have done compost and mix manure water when I was at home, so I won't be in trouble."

Hearing him say this, Gao Tong was really relieved. If Gu Lin had not convinced him with what he did and said in the past two days, he would have thought that Lin Zhen was called here for fun.

With such a look and such skin, she is whiter than the girls in his family. I don't know how she can be raised by being spoiled.

But with such a face, Lin Zhen kept saying compost and manure water, which made Gao Tong feel torn for a moment, but he felt more at ease.

He bowed and said, "I'll just follow Mr. Lin's orders."

Lin Zhen smiled and said, "Mr. Gao, you're

too polite. I'm just an ordinary citizen, I wouldn't dare say that. I just understand this matter, and I took this job temporarily, but I still have to be led by Mr. Gao." Gao Tong couldn't help but smile, "Mr. Lin, you're too modest."

"Let's stop flattering each other and finish the job first, then talk," Lin Zhen said, "Have you found the sieve for sifting soil?"

Gao Tong just felt that Lin Zhen was very eloquent, and that it made people let down their guard and feel that he was easy to get along with. Hearing his question, Gao Tong said, "I found it, and I took some extra. The adults also asked for benches to be prepared."

"Then we're done. Let's wait for the people to gather here, and then try in a spacious place outside the city."

As it was related to their livelihood, the people actually got up very early, but worried that the adults in the government office had not gotten up yet, so they kept their eyes open until there was a hint of light in the sky, and immediately washed up and ran to the government office.

The shop owners got up early. They saw so many people yesterday and today, and they all lived in the direction of the rich and nobles. They couldn't help but hold a young man and said, "What are you doing? Why do you only go once a day? What happened?"

Yang Laoma, who was held, saw that he was falling behind. He was afraid that he would not be able to squeeze to the front if he was late. He pulled the man's hand and said, "Great news! The new governor taught us how to grow crops. One mu of land can produce dozens of kilograms more!"

Dozens of kilograms more was what Gu Lin and Lin Zhen said to the outside world after talking about this matter. Compost and manure have such a good effect in the warm south, but it is not necessarily the case in Lizhou. It is best to speak steadily, so as not to let everyone have too high expectations and be unhappy if the output is lower in the end.

If the output is higher than what they said in the end, it will also be an extra surprise.

The people in the state government who held the young man listened to his words and said, "Who is the charlatan who..."

Suddenly the man's eyes widened. Wait, the young man is talking about the governor, the new governor? !

Seeing that he had gone from being the first to being the last, the young man had no time to argue with this city dweller whom he had never dared to approach before, so he pushed his hand off and ran forward. The

middle-aged man he pushed off did not care to be angry, and looked at the farmer running to the prefectural government office, closed his shop and ran up.

There were many people in the prefecture like this middle-aged man, and they followed to see the excitement and see what was going on.

Anyway, they had to go outside the city, so Lin Zhen and Gao Tong stood directly at the gate of the government office. As soon as the sky was a little bright, they heard footsteps getting closer and closer, and then one by one, the people came.

They obviously ran here, but they changed to walking when they were about to reach the government office, their faces were red, and their chests were heaving.

When they saw Lin Zhen standing at the gate of the government office, they were stunned for a moment, and only when they saw Gao Tong next to him did they relax their brows. They had seen this adult before, and he was with the extremely handsome adult yesterday.

Soon, more and more people gathered here. Gao Tong took a glance and found that the number of people was about the same. He stepped forward and said, "Young and old men from all villages, Lord Gu has already told you yesterday that today I will teach you how to make compost and how to add manure water so as not to burn the seedlings and make the crops better and better."

"Because Lord Gu has a more important thing to do, he specially called Boss Lin to teach you. Boss Lin is Lord Gu's uncle and is from the same place as Lord Gu. He is familiar with compost and manure water, so you can rest assured!"

Suspicious voices and some not-so-harmonious murmurs suddenly broke out in the crowd, but Lin Zhen acted as if he didn't hear them. After Gao Tong finished speaking, he stepped forward and said, "I used to be a farmer, and I have made compost for more than ten acres of land at home. If I didn't have this diamond drill, I wouldn't take on this porcelain job."

"You are so delicate, you don't look like you have ever worked before." Because Gao Tong said that Lin Zhen was Gu Lin's uncle, many people were holding back their words in their hearts and dared not speak. Those were the crops they depended on for survival. If anything went wrong, who would they cry to?

But some people were still brave enough to speak in a low voice.

Lin Zhen glanced at the place where the voice came from and said, "Then I, Lin Zhen, hereby promise that if you really use my method and cause problems with the crops, I will compensate you for the grain of that acre of land, according to the current amount of 80 kilograms of grain produced by one acre of land in Lizhou!"

There were sounds of people gasping for air and chattering among themselves.

Gao Tong looked at Lin Zhen standing beside him and glanced at the confidence shown in Lin Zhen's words. It seemed that the prefecture master was relieved to hand over the matter to his uncle, and he really had something to rely on.

Lin Zhen knew that after composting and adding manure, the yield per mu of land would definitely exceed 80 kilograms, unless there was a natural disaster beyond human control. At that time, even if he had to exchange 80 kilograms of grain for the grain in their land, they would not do it.

Lin Zhen, who gave them a reassurance, asked them to bring the sieves for sifting soil, the benches for supporting the sieves, hoes, shovels, and dustpans, and walked out of the city in a mighty manner.

The city people who came with the farmers were confused and wanted to talk to this person to ask what was going on, but the farmers were busy listening to Lin Zhen and Gao Tong talking and had no time to pay attention to them.

When the group of people walked out of the city, the middle-aged man who still didn't understand what was going on tried to keep up with the others like he was stepping on a hot wheel. He grabbed a person and said, "What is compost? I know about manure, but can it be used after adding water? That thing is so dirty that I want to vomit at the sight of it."

"Why is it you again?" The young man he grabbed was the one he grabbed on the street before. Seeing that it was him again, he wondered what fate he had with this city guy.

However, there was still some distance to the outside of the city, so the young man had some patience to answer him, saying, "Compost and manure water are what the prefect said can add fertilizer to the seedlings and make them grow into good crops. There is not enough time this year, so we can't use compost, but we can use manure water." " And there

is also a plowshare that only two people can use to plow the land. What's it called...what..."

"Curved plow!" The farmer next to him looked at him for a long time without saying anything, and then added a sentence.

The young man clapped his hands and said, "Yes, it is the curved plow!"

"Master Gu said that he would convert the wood money and labor wages of the curved plow into the interest of this year and next autumn harvest. As long as the grain seeds, grain seed interest, and the silver for the curved plow are handed over during the autumn harvest this year and next year, it will be considered as a credit to us first."

When the shop owners in the city heard this, they subconsciously said, "Aren't you afraid that this compost is fake? You will still have to pay back the grain seeds and the silver for the plow when the time comes, and you will collapse."

The happy atmosphere on the young man froze for a moment and said, "What can I do? My family only planted four acres of land this year. The harvest was only more than 300 kilograms of grain. After paying the tax, we can't even make it to winter. Even if the prefect didn't cheat, we couldn't survive."

The farmer who had just talked to him next to him also looked wooden. Yes, why did they trust the new prefect so much?

Because if they didn't believe him, they would have no way to survive. If they believed him, at least there was some hope.

Chapter 229

More and more people followed the team. Many people didn't even know what they were doing. They just followed to watch the fun and marched out of the city gate in a mighty manner.

The soldiers guarding the city gate saw so many people at once and thought something had happened. They held their swords and stared at them. They didn't breathe a sigh of relief until they saw Gao Tong, the clerk, walking in front.

The clerk was the official they had the most contact with besides the yamen runners. From time to time, they could see the clerk coming in and out.

I just don't know what the clerk is doing with so many people today.

Lizhou is mostly flat land, and the mountains are not high. Once you get out of the city gate, you will feel the vastness of the world, as if you can see the end of the sky at a glance.

Lin Zhen stood in the open space and said, "Let's do it here." He took the long bench that was held by the people closest to him and turned it vertically on the ground, then put the sieve on the top, letting the sieve get stuck between the legs and the stool surface to form an inclined angle.

"Everyone has a long bench at home. If

you put the sieve on it, you can save a lot of effort when sifting the soil." "Come on, dig up a dustpan of soil first." Lin Zhen stepped on the leg of the bench to fix it, holding the sieve on it with both hands.

The farmer carrying a hoe and a dustpan said in a low voice: "Is the mud here okay? Why not find a richer one?"

Lin Zhen nodded: "Okay, just use the back of the hoe to knock the mud when digging it up, don't let it clump together. Mud clumps can't be mixed with manure, the effect is not good, and it will also crush the seeds." Seeing that

he was talking clearly, the farmers felt a little relieved. According to his instructions, they shoveled away the top layer of grass first, and then dug the soil.

They were all farmers who had worked for many years, and their arms were full of muscles. With one hoe, they shoveled away a piece of grass, but Lin Zhen looked at the area shoveled away by the hoe and had an intuitive understanding of the hardness of the land in Lizhou.

With this kind of strength, if it was in Liyu Village, they could dig a pit, but here they only shoveled away some grass, and this was during the farming season, after the ice in the soil melted, in winter they would probably only be able to chisel out a mark. No

wonder the land reclamation rate in Lizhou is low, it really takes too much manpower, and the lower-class people simply can't afford it.

The muscles on the arms of the farmer wielding the hoe swelled, and after a while he dug out a pile of soil, and broke up the mud balls as Lin Zhen said. Another farmer immediately put the dustpan in front of the mud pile, and waited for the person next to him to shovel the soil in, then lifted it up and poured it into the sieve.

"Hua La--" The dry soil smelled of grass, and Lin Zhen said, "Sieving the soil before composting is to reduce the stones and mud balls in the compost soil, so that the loose soil can be mixed with the manure water to the greatest extent, and the effect will be better after fermentation."

After speaking, Lin Zhen shook the sieve above, and the fine soil leaked through the mesh of the sieve, and the remaining stones and hard mud balls in the sieve were all stones.

Lin Zhen picked up a ball of mud and said, "It's like this. If you press it on the seeds, the seeds will be pressed down and can't come out when they sprout. After a long time, they will be spoiled by rain."

The farmers who surrounded him nodded. They have been tending to the crops for many years, and after a long time, they have also figured out some of the tricks. It is indeed as Lin Zhen said, the seedlings pressed by stones and mud balls basically can't grow.

Lin Zhen dried seven or eight dustpans of soil. There was already a pile of fine soil underneath. He looked at it and said, "That's all. Bring up the manure and water."

The things were ordered at the beginning. Upon hearing this, the yamen runners carried two full buckets of manure to Lin Zhen. The smell was unbearable for many farmers, and they covered their noses and retreated.

Lin Zhen rubbed his nose. He knew that the farming method of the guys was still relatively rough at the moment. They dug a hole in the ground, threw the seeds in, and waited for God to give them food.

Except for weeding, no manure was useful.

The city dwellers who followed the farmers thought it was inappropriate for Lin Zhen, a very beautiful guy, to fiddle with something as filthy as manure.

And the crops grown from this thing...

just thinking about it made me sick.

Lin Zhen asked the man carrying the empty bucket to come over, first scoop out half a bucket of manure, then add half a bucket of clean water, and then pour it on the sieved fine soil: "The manure used for composting can be thicker, and the fertility must be sufficient to completely soak the soil. When it is piled up and fermented, it can rely on the heat emitted by itself to make the soil more crispy and kill the tiny insects inside." After

pouring two buckets of manure, Lin Zhen asked the farmer to hand him a shovel and stir it to determine the moisture of the soil. "It's fine like this now. The soil can't be too wet. If it's too thin, the manure will seep down. If it's too dry, the fertility will not be enough, just like now," Lin Zhen shoveled a little bit of manure-soaked soil with a shovel, just stuck in the soil that would be wet a little more, and showed it to the farmers around.

"Okay, you guys do what I just did, and try it yourself, I'll go show the others." There were too many people, and unlike modern times, there were no filming equipment to record and broadcast it over and over again, and the speed of transmission was extremely fast. He was the only one here, and there were too many people, so the number of people who could gather around him was limited, so he had to teach in small groups.

The people in the back who were blocked from seeing jumped up anxiously, wanting to look over the heads in front to see how Lin Zhen would teach, but there were too many people who had the same idea as him,

so they only saw heads one after another, and saw nothing. Seeing Lin Zhen coming out of the crowd, they quickly surrounded him: "Boss Lin, we were standing too far back just now and didn't see it. Can you teach us again, just once?"

Lin Zhen smiled: "Don't worry, my task today is to teach you all!"

The farmers who thought Lin Zhen would only teach once showed surprise and gratitude on their faces. It was great, it was great!

The people were divided into groups and first learned how to make compost, and then how to mix manure and water. Since manure is not fermented for a period of time before being used directly on crops, Lin Zhen repeatedly warned them to use manure that has been there for a while, not fresh manure, otherwise it would burn the seedlings.

And if there is not enough manure, fresh pig grass and weeds that are easy to rot can be used, and the effect is the same if thrown into the manure pit.

Lin Zhen taught meticulously, and the farmers learned seriously. Those city people who came to watch the fun also understood what the government officials were doing. They were actually teaching the farmers how to farm, and they had to use such dirty things.

But they were also shocked by the effects of compost and manure. According to the government, after using compost and manure, each mu of land can produce 40 to 50 kilograms more on the basis of the original 80 kilograms in autumn harvest this year. 40 to 50 kilograms can feed a lot of people!

Who of them has a few relatives and friends in the village? Although they can't use it themselves, they can learn it and teach them back. After

a busy day, Lin Zhen, Gao Tong, and the yamen runners walked towards the city gate under the grateful eyes of the farmers who were about to return to the village.

Lin Zhen, who had worked for a whole day, could not even lift his hands, and his calves were trembling.

Seeing him like this, Gao Tong said in a very gentle tone: "Boss Lin, why don't you wait here? I will take a few yamen runners back and ask them to harness the carriage to pick you up."

"No need, it's not a long way anyway, we will be there in a while," Lin Zhen said, "It's a good time to get some fresh air and get rid of the smell on my body. You better stay away from me, don't let me suffocate you."

He was the one who smelled the most after dealing with manure all day.

Gao Tong couldn't help laughing out loud: "Boss Lin is tired today. We have all taken a serious look this time. If you have to do this job again next time, Boss Lin can take a rest."

The yamen runners were also friendly to Lin Zhen, who had been dealing with manure for a whole day, and dared to joke with him: "Boss Lin, you are very safe now. No insects or ants dare to pounce on you!"

Lin Zhen gave the yamen runner a thumbs up and said: "This is true."

He endured the pain in his calves and said, "Let's walk faster, go back early and rest early. We will have a lot of work to do after the people count the acres of wasteland and report it."

"Yes." Gao Tong and the yamen runners replied. Although they had been busy outside the city with Lin Zhen for a day, they were all in high spirits.

As for the farmers who were rushing back to their respective villages, some arrived at the village before dark, while others got home in the dark at night because of the different distances from the state capital.

Yang Village was a little far from the state capital. When the village chief took Yang Mazi and the others back to the village, it was already night, and the stars in the sky were shining brightly. Before

the five people entered the village, they saw two torches burning at the entrance of the village, and the figures of several people were vaguely revealed under the torches.

Yang Mazi had sharp eyes and recognized the brother he had just married last year. After walking dozens of miles on the mountain road, he still felt a surge of energy all over

his body. He ran ahead of the village chief and several elders to his husband: "Xiaoyuan, I'm back!" If it weren't for his tall stature and the look of strength that could scare off many people, the village chief would not have brought a junior with him. Seeing him rushing to find his brother in such a hurry, he showed a smile of an experienced person on his slightly tired face: "This kid, what are you rushing for? My husband can run away while standing there!"

Yang Mazi's husband was also happy to see him come back, but he was worried that there were acquaintances around, so he was embarrassed to show anything outside, and just stared at him closely: "Why did you come back today? Is things not going well?"

"It's going well, very well, Xiaoyuan. I'm going to open up a lot of wasteland, plant a lot of food, feed you fat, and buy you new clothes!" He was almost two meters tall and looked ordinary. On weekdays, no one in the village dared to mess with him. Now he was as happy as a large dog, his tail flying, circling around his husband.

The husband, called Xiaoyuandian, was slender, handsome, and his skin was considered fair in the village.

She looked at her husband, who was frowning when he left because of the possible poor harvest this autumn, but now exuded excitement, and said embarrassedly: "We are outside, calm down."

Yang Mazi had a few pockmarks on his face from chickenpox when he was a child. He was about to speak when the village chief and several elders in the village came up and said: "Go back to the village quickly, and talk about it when you get back to the village. Yang Mazi, you run fast, go to notify people from door to door to come to the ancestral hall, and we will discuss tonight to see how much wasteland each family needs to open up, report the land to the government office as soon as possible, and start planting as soon as the curved plow and grain are planted."

There are only a few days left before the good days of farming are over. As long as the villagers are not lazy, their fields have been planted. If they are not in a hurry, the yield in the autumn harvest will be low.

The business came, Yang Mazi did not stick to her husband for the time being, agreed and ran to the village.

Those who came here to wait for them were all family members. As soon as Yang Mazi left, his husband Xiaoyuan stopped talking and stayed quietly aside. The eldest son of the village chief was curious about Yang Mazi's appearance just now, and followed the village chief and couldn't help asking: "Dad, who did you meet at the government office? The compost and manure water, as well as the plowshares and grain seeds you talked about before must be fake. Pies don't fall from the sky."

The old village chief scolded him: "How could the prefect lie to us, they are all real!"

The village chief's eldest son: "???"

The younger generation of another family was also curious, "Village chief, the compost and manure water are real, we can really go to the government to get plowshares and grain seeds!?"

The village chief's rough old face was full of excitement, "I'll tell you when the people come, this is a great thing for us!"

Everyone who came here to wait for them was curious, but they could only wait. Soon, several people arrived at the village ancestral hall.

The villagers who had already gone to bed were called up. If Yang Mazi had not been tall and strong and could have picked them up, they would have beaten him up for disturbing their sleep. Then, when they heard that the matter of going to the prefectural government office two days ago had been resolved, they dressed in clothes and rushed to the ancestral hall.

The ancestral hall was brightly lit with oil lamps and torches.

The village chief stood at the front and looked at the villagers of Yang Village who had almost all arrived. He said loudly: "Fellow villagers, I and the villagers have just returned from the prefectural government and bring you some good news!"

The villagers below could not help but whisper. Everyone knew why the village chief went to the prefectural government two days ago. The master of the prefectural government office came in person to teach them how to farm and also gave them plows and grain seeds.

Could it be that this thing they thought was just a lie was actually true!

The villagers pricked up their ears and listened carefully.

The village chief said, "The prefect specifically asked Boss Lin to teach us how to make compost and manure. In a few days, we will also be given curved plows and grain seeds. The prefect said that the money for the curved plows and grain seeds will be counted in this year's autumn harvest and next year's autumn harvest, and converted into grain and sent to the prefectural government."

"And the prefect's uncle, Boss Lin, also said that if there is a problem with the grain because of the use of compost and manure, he will compensate us with grain according to the output of eighty kilograms per acre of land!"

"This is true!" a villager said immediately in surprise.

Others also dared not believe it: "Can it be done? What does the prefect want? He teaches us how to farm, sells us plows and seeds on credit?"

"Who cares? As long as we can fill our stomachs, it's fine! Village chief, my family is going to open up five acres of wasteland, right behind my house!"

"My family will open up five acres too!"

"My family will open up ten acres!"

The village chief looked at the family that wanted to open up ten acres of land, and laughed and scolded: "How many people are there in your family? You want to open up ten acres of wasteland. I think it's good for your family to open up four acres of land. The prefect said that although the seeds of the government office are not free for the time being, in order to avoid waste, the yamen runners will be sent to check. If you report so much and there is not so much wasteland, be careful to be spanked!"

The family that wanted to open up ten acres of land blushed, "Then do as the village chief said, four acres of wasteland."

Yang Mazi also raised his hand and recorded five acres of land with the village chief.

He was an orphan. He grew up eating at other people's homes when he was young, and then married his current husband. There were only the two of them at home.

But he was famous for his great strength and hard work, so the village chief did not say the same thing about him as he did to that family, and gave him five mu of wasteland.

The ancestral hall was more lively than ever before, even more lively than when they came here to worship during festivals. When they dispersed, it was almost dawn. Yang Mazi and his husband Xiaoyuan walked towards their home. Yang Mazi bent over and whispered to his husband, "After the wasteland is opened and the curved plow and grain seeds are obtained, I will go to the fields to work, and you can cook at home and send it to me. When the grain is harvested, I will buy two pounds of meat first, and then buy you some sweet candies and cakes. I saw someone selling them in the state capital, and they look delicious."

Xiaoyuan listened to him quietly. Although Yang Mazi was an orphan, he was tall and hardworking, and there were still girls who wanted to marry him, but he married herself, who was born weak and could not do much work when she grew up.

Xiaoyuan looked at him, with a smile on her handsome face.

It was great. She liked the way her husband smiled, which was more dazzling than the sun.

Not only in Yang Village, but other villages also had similar scenes. The villagers were gathered together to count the number of acres they would reclaim. Some had three or four acres, while others had ten acres. They all wanted to report the number of acres to the prefecture government as soon as possible so that they could plant grain as soon as possible.

Lin Zhen felt that he was completely soaked by the smell. He didn't know if it was a psychological effect, but he could still smell it after taking a bath... So he took another bath and asked Jiang Fulang to add some herb to the water when he boiled it.

The bath water with herb worked very well. Lin Zhen smelled his wrist and smelled a faint and refreshing fragrance, which was so good that he couldn't help but take a few breaths.

During the day, he followed Gao Tong and the others to the outskirts of the city to collect compost and manure. Lulu, Niu Da, the girl he bought, and his brother collected some of the yu grass that the people in the city dug and sold, about 100 kilograms.

Lin Zhen estimated that there would be more people selling yu grass tomorrow. Yu grass grows in a wide range and is easy to find outside the city, but this thing is not weighed, and one kilogram requires half a basket. The people who dug it to sell all use backpacks and pockets to carry it.

After two days, they dug more yu grass.

Tomorrow he will be able to recruit workers and start making jade powder and distilling yu grass flower dew.

Lin Zhen was tired all day and felt a little drowsy when he lay on the bed. Before going to bed, he thought about it and wondered if Gu Lin was doing well now. Would those cunning merchants agree to use bonds to raise grain seeds? Lin

Zhen closed his eyes completely and his breathing became even. Lulu, who was serving outside, came in quietly and extinguished the candles on the table, leaving only one to avoid bumping into Lin Zhen when he got up in the middle of the night.

Chapter 230

Overnight, the news of compost, manure, curved plows, and the government office giving grain seeds on credit to the people spread everywhere like wings. The first thing he asked when he opened the shop was to ask his old neighbor: "Did you go to see the new prefect's uncle yesterday? He taught the farmers how to farm. I heard that with the method he taught, one mu of land can produce 40 to 50 kilograms more grain!"

Shopkeeper Ma, who sells rice, went to watch the fun yesterday and saw Lin Zhen teaching the farmers how to compost manure. He always felt that the prefecture was very different from before.

Suddenly, when he was about to answer the old neighbor who didn't go outside the city to watch the fun yesterday, he saw seven or eight people carrying baskets on their backs and bags in their hands, and even children carrying baskets walking in front of the rice shop. The baskets and baskets were filled with the weeds that could be seen everywhere in their state.

They were also going to the prefecture office.

Shopkeeper Ma had a feeling that it must be the new prefect or Boss Lin who did it again.

Unexpectedly, Shopkeeper Ma remembered the news that came out two days ago. He heard that the government office was going to issue some kind of Lizhou bond. If you buy it for a year, you will get a certain amount of interest. Businessmen like them can also reduce the corresponding taxes.

Shopkeeper Ma never took it to heart before. He thought that anyone who could buy that thing was definitely a fool. Wouldn't it be like sending money to the new governor's bag for nothing?

But now it seems that that thing might really work!

When Shopkeeper Ma was young, he was hardworking and enterprising. He earned his current family business. When he got old, he thought about his children and grandchildren instead. He was afraid that the family business would be ruined and the family would live a hard life.

But now he was restless. He asked the waiter to watch the shop and walked towards the government office.

He remembered that the people in the government office said two days ago that if you want to buy bonds, you have to go to the government office to notify the registration. He went to take a look first. If there is no loss, he will buy some.

When Shopkeeper Ma arrived at the state government office, he happened to see the men, women, old and young who passed by his rice shop put down their backpacks and bags. Two brothers and a man were grabbing the grass inside to check.

"Very good, the leaves and roots are still intact, Brother Ping, weigh it for how many pounds," Niu Da said to the old man who came to sell the herb, "Old man, we'll take your herb and pay you after we weigh it."

"Hey, thank you, thank you!" A smile appeared on the old man's skinny face, and his hands, which couldn't stop shaking as he got older, shook even more violently.

The four or five-year-old child standing next to him also handed his small basket filled with herb to Niu Da: "This is... from spring..."

The child was a little shy, and hid behind the old man as he spoke.

Niu Da also took his small basket and said to Brother Ping, who was bought by Lin Zhen like him, "Weigh the ones in here with yours."

"Okay." Brother Ping and another brother first weighed the herb and the basket together, and then poured the herb onto the ground covered with sacks behind them, and weighed the basket and the basket again, and got the net weight of the herb.

Ping Ge'er looked at the scale and said to Niu Da, "Brother Niu, there are 27 catties of Youcao in total."

"Okay," Niu Da immediately counted out 27 coins from the box on the table and handed them to the old man, "Grandpa, take it, this is the money you get from selling Youcao this time, a total of 27 catties, 27 coins, we will charge the same price next time you dig it."

27 coins, the old man couldn't even fill his hand, but he was very happy. He put the copper coins carefully close to his body with shaking hands, and kept saying thank you to Niu Da and the two brothers. The little grandson who followed him to dig Youcao also stuck his head out from behind him in a baby voice and said softly, "Thank you."

The grandfather and grandson turned around and left with the basket on their backs. Other people selling Youcao lined up in an orderly manner. Niu Da and the two brothers weighed the Youcao and gave the copper coins as before.

Ma, the shopkeeper standing by, felt a strange taste in his heart. Suddenly, he saw the maid he had seen beside Lin Zhen come out with a piece of paper and paste in her hand.

Niu Da and his two brothers knew that she was now serving Lin Zhen closely, so they greeted her when they saw her: "Xiao Lu, what are you doing?"

Lu Lu took the bristle brush in the paste basin and brushed the wall, then stood on tiptoe to stick the paper on the wall: "The boss is hiring thirty girls and boys, and twenty men, to work in Guangshun Lane."

As she spoke, Lu Lu looked at the local people who came to sell the Youcao: "Uncles and aunts, if you have suitable girls or boys at home, you can also ask them to come and have a look. No matter they are boys or girls, the monthly wage is one coin and fifty cents."

"What? Girls and boys can come to work?" The old lady who happened to be at the front of the line widened her eyes. She wanted to go to Lu Lu to ask clearly but was afraid of missing the opportunity to sell the Youcao, so she leaned over to Lu Lu, "Girl, what you said is true! One coin and fifty cents a month!" The

people in the line behind her were just like her, staring at Lu Lu closely.

Lulu nodded and reassured them: "What our boss said could be false, but not everyone wants our boss. He has to be diligent and work skillfully, and he can't be the kind of person who is cunning and treacherous."

"Look at my brothers!" As soon as Lulu finished speaking, a man in the line pushed out the two brothers who were digging grass with him. "They are very hardworking and can do all kinds of work. Let alone 150 cents a month, 100 cents is enough." The two brothers who were pushed out

by their father were still a little confused, but they had the same idea as their father. It would be great if they could earn 100 cents a month so that the family could be better off.

Lulu looked at the two skinny, dark-skinned, young guys and said, "The wages are set by our boss, how can we change them at will? If you want to work, go to Guangshun Lane early tomorrow morning to line up, and you can stay to work if you are selected."

"By the way, our boss will provide lunch for those who work in Guangshun Lane. There is a lot of work, so we can't delay."

Every time Lulu said a word, the hearts of those present jumped.

A wage of 150 wen a month, and a meal at noon, is this some kind of god who came down to earth to save the suffering?

And the Youcao they dug now is also sold to this boss Lin.

Lulu posted the notice of recruitment and said to Niu Da and two other guys who were collecting Youcao here, "Brother Niu Da and Brother Ping and Brother Shu, the boss said that we can collect 500 more kilograms of Youcao. You can talk to the people who dig Youcao."

"Okay." Niu Da nodded.

After selling the yu grass, those who heard the news that Lin Zhen was going to recruit workers in Guangshun Lane hurried home. Nowadays, who doesn't have two daughters and a son at home? They all wanted to take this good news back and let them try.

If it can be successful, the family will have an extra income.

Meng Fulang hurriedly walked into the low door with an empty backpack on his back. When her husband, who had no work to do today, saw him coming back, he took the backpack and said, "All sold? I thought you were a liar. Yu grass is everywhere. I don't know what you are collecting it for?" There was

only one room in the house, but it was crowded with a couple, a son and a son. The stone beds were only a palm wide apart. As the children grew older, not to mention the couple, even the two children were embarrassed.

But what could they do about the embarrassment? In Lizhou, sleeping outside for a night would freeze to death. This was the only way.

"Where's Xiaomai? Why isn't she at home?" Meng Fulang asked her husband.

Her husband said, "He just got up a while ago and went to fetch water outside the city."

Meng Fulang said quickly, "Is he feeling better? He is fine, he is fine."

"He said he doesn't feel hot or sore anymore. Fortunately, he bought the shoes in time."

While the couple was talking, Maizi, who had gone to fetch water, came back. Seeing his father and grandpa in the house, he put down the bucket and poured the water into the water tank with the bucket: "Father, you are back. Have you sold all the yu grass?"

"I sold it and got 29 coins."

"So much!" Maizi opened his eyes wide and said with a burning heart, "I will go with you to dig yu grass tomorrow!"

Meng Fulang replied him immediately: "No, you should pack up well today and go to Guangshun Lane with your brother tomorrow. The boss who collects yu grass is recruiting workers there. If you are selected, you will get 150 coins a month and you can have lunch there."

Maizi paused with the bucket in his hand. He thought he had heard it wrong and looked at his father.

Meng Fulang looked at him and his husband: "I heard it with my own ears in front of the government office. They want to recruit 30 girls and 20 men."

Although digging yu grass seems to make more money at the moment, yu grass cannot be dug in winter, and it is unknown how many kilograms the boss will stop collecting. In the long run, it is better to work in Guangshun Lane.

In the evening, Meng Jiadalang, who went out to do odd jobs, also came back. He was doing mud work, following the team of masons to build houses for people.

But the masons were very defensive, and he didn't learn the skills, so he could only carry mud. He was exhausted after a day, and his young dark face was a little numb.

When he heard Meng Fulang and his father tell him to go to Guangshun Lane early tomorrow morning to see if he could be selected to work, some ripples appeared on his numb face.

He is already twenty years old this year, and many people of his age have married and have their own children. Because his family is poor, even his brothers don't want to marry into his family to suffer.

He doesn't want to drag others down, and he is mentally prepared to live like this for the rest of his life.

If he can get such a stable job that pays, he should be able to save a sum of money after working for a few years. It would be great to find an older brother and have his own children at that time.

The next day, many women, men and boys who knew from their relatives, friends and family that Guangshun Lane was looking for workers came early in the morning. The women and boys were accompanied by their families. Nowadays, many women and boys are not allowed to go out. Those who can appear here are those whose family conditions are really bad. They were tempted by the 150 copper coins and let them out.

But they were also worried that something might happen to them outside, so they followed them and wanted to see the situation.

Maizi and his brother came. They took turns to take a bath last night and put on their best clothes with only five or six patches early this morning. They were sent by Meng Fulang and his father.

There are many people like them, with the most men, the second most boys, and the least women.

When Lin Zhen walked into Guangshun Lane with Lu Lu, Niu Da, and eight other people, he almost thought he had taken the wrong road because of the crowded scene.

It was a bit exaggerated.

The people who came here to find work also saw him. For a moment, they felt a little dizzy. How could someone be so handsome and have such white skin? Then they reacted and stepped aside to make way for him.

Lin Zhen said to Niu Da who was beside him: "Tell them to stand in two rows, one row for girls and boys, and one row for men, and then go in one by one."

"Yes," Niu Da said loudly, "The boss said that those who want to work should line up in two rows, one row for girls and boys, and one row for men, and go in one by one, don't crowd!"

Seeing that there were too many people, Lin Zhen assigned two more people to help him maintain order, and took Lu Lu and the rest of the people into the yard.

The furniture in the yard had been moved away, leaving only the simple table and benches that Lin Zhen had people buy. There was a well in the middle of the yard.

Lin Zhen stood in front of the main house, "Here, Lulu, grind the ink, Ping Ge'er, watch at the door, and call the next one after I finish writing."

"Yes."

Lin Zhen asked quickly, writing down the name, age, and detailed home address on a piece of paper while asking, and then went to the side to do 20 squats to stretch his hands and feet. If the person looked good, he would decide on the person.

Thirty girls and boys and twenty men were quickly recruited. Those who were not recruited were very frustrated, and some even ran to Lin Zhen to recommend themselves.

But Lin Zhen really didn't need so many people at the moment. He said, "I will do other business in the future. Maybe you will come to work for me soon." No matter

how frustrated they were, those who were not selected had to leave, which formed a sharp contrast with those who were selected.

Maizi and his brother were both selected. The two brothers looked at each other across the crowd, and they couldn't help but feel nervous and happy.

Suddenly, Maizi heard the good-looking boss say, "I told you once when I recruited you, and I will repeat it to you now. The initial salary for you to work here is 150 coins. No more. I will cover the lunch."

"Correspondingly, the work here is not easy. The girls and boys are responsible for washing flowers and plants, spreading them to drip dry; washing rice, grinding rice slurry, filtering rice slurry, and drying rice noodles. You must wash your hands and wear a hat before working, and you must not bring dirt into the noodles."

"I will divide you into groups, and each group will have its own place to store the things they make. If there is a problem, I will only ask you." "

The men will be responsible for moving the goods, not only the things bought in, but also the things sold."

"Did you hear it clearly?"

"I heard it clearly." Maizi said along with the people around him, and he couldn't help but get excited. He wanted to start working now and get the money as soon as possible. Maizi

didn't know what the deed was, he just pressed his handprint on it, and then put the deed in his pocket under the boss's instructions, and went home with his brother.

The two brothers walked back side by side, looking at each other as they walked, just like when we were little and didn't know the taste of sorrow, you smiled at me, I smiled at you.

Just now the boss said that we will start working tomorrow, from the beginning of the morning to the middle of the afternoon, and then from the middle of the afternoon to the end of the evening.

After finishing this month, the first salary will be paid.

Anxiously waiting outside, Mr. Meng and his father saw their two children coming out, and hurriedly ran up to them: "How is it, is it done?"

Maizi took out the deed with his handprints and showed it to his father and father: "My brother and I have been selected, and we will start working tomorrow!" Then he told his father and father the working hours for the day.

Mr. Meng's eyes were moist, and he patted his two sons on the shoulders: "Okay, okay, from tomorrow you will come here to work, I will go to dig up the grass and sell it to Boss Lin, your father will still do odd jobs, our family will be better."

"It will definitely be." Maizi folded the deed again.

The next day, Lin Zhen came. The twelve people he had bought before, except for Niu Dalulu, Niu Da's mother, and Niu Da's wife, were all experienced workers, so he divided the thirty women and men he recruited into eight groups, with eight experienced team leaders leading the newcomers to work.

Except for the last group of only three people, the other seven groups were five people each.

These eight groups were responsible for different tasks, such as washing the flowers and plants for distilling the flower dew, washing rice, grinding rice slurry, filtering, and drying the rice slurry sediment.

The wall that originally separated the two courtyards was demolished after he consulted the opinions of the two families and added a little silver. The two courtyards were merged together, which was much more spacious, and it was more than enough to disperse these groups. As for the twenty men

, they were responsible for loading and unloading goods. The purchased rice was still in the government office. They would take a cart from the government office and push the rice over today and put it in a separate courtyard. They would move it here when needed.

The finished jade powder was sent to the government office, and Lin Zhen would color it before sending it to the brothers and women here to put in porcelain boxes. After Lin Zhen distilled the flower dew, he would also ask them to send it here and put it in porcelain bottles.

At this stage, the most important thing for Lin Zhen's business is the coloring of the jade powder and the distillation of the flower dew. He would never hand it over to others.

Lin Zhen responded in a tacky way, asked Niu Da to buy more than a dozen strings of firecrackers, and took dozens of brothers and women and men who were working, saying: "Let's start work. From now on, good luck and good fortune, and make a fortune every day."

The women, men and men behind him were also very happy, and shouted together: "Boss, make a lot of money!"

"Crackle, crackle, crackle!!!" More than a dozen strings of firecrackers were lit together, and the front of the two courtyards was instantly filled with red smoke. The women were afraid, and the men and men were talking happily, making a lot of noise.

The natives of Guangshun Lane rarely saw such a lively scene. They saw the excitement yesterday, and today they heard the noise.

Most people still thought that Lin Zhen, a man, would lose money if he led so many people to do business.

However, those who had gone outside the city to join in the fun and watched Lin Zhen teach the farmers how to make compost and manure water liked and favored him. They held their fists and said, "Congratulations, Boss Lin."

As long as they came to congratulate, Lin Zhen smiled back and chatted with them.

As soon as the firecrackers were set off, the men and women behind him immediately got busy. The men followed Niu Da to the government office to store the mira here. The men and women listened carefully to the team leader talking about what work they were about to do and what they should pay attention to. It was a lively scene.