Chapter 701 - 703: Terraced Fields
Chapter 701: Chapter 703: Terraced Fields
Ancient Wen Heng led a large group of officials up the mountains to survey the land, where he explained how to select slopes suitable for terraced farming, combining theory with real-world examples.
Having traversed so many mountains, he knew that while some weren’t suitable for farming, they could still be used to grow fruit trees, providing an additional source of income for the local people.
Seeing the officials’ eyes gleam with excitement, Ancient Wen Heng hinted that if they were clever, they could easily envision many related industries for this land, such as cultivating medicinal herbs or raising livestock in the forests.
"Mr. Gu," Liang Gen Sheng, the Magistrate of Henan County, stepped forward, gritting his teeth. "Henan County is nothing but deep mountains, and the forests are teeming with wild beasts. It’s not just that it would be unsafe for the people to work there. Even if they were fortunate enough to get crops planted, the animals from the mountains would destroy them all."
The Lord Inspection Officer was in high spirits and held a Holy Decree. If this project failed on his watch, Liang Gen Sheng knew it wouldn’t end well for him, so it was better to voice his concerns now.
The work here on this mountainside was proceeding with great fervor, but when the time came to implement this in Henan County, he suspected few would be willing to participate.
"I’ve already had someone look into the situation in your mountains," Ancient Wen Heng replied. He always made sure to investigate from multiple angles before pushing a project forward. "I have already arranged to borrow a contingent of men from the Border Guard General. When the time comes, take my personal letter to him, and his troops will help you conduct a sweep of the mountains."
It was Cao Xiangqian who had given him the confidence to do this. As it turned out, the Border Guard General was a man Cao Xiangqian had personally promoted. When Wenheng had written to him earlier, the general had readily agreed.
The officials present became even more deferential. ’The Lord Inspection Officer has only been in Yi Province for a short while, yet he can already command a border general. The connections at play must be incredibly deep.’
"In that case, I must thank you, Mr. Gu." Liang Gen Sheng sighed in relief. He was also secretly hopeful. ’If they can really clear out some of the beasts in that region, the people will have a brighter future to look forward to.’
Seeing Liang Shenggen’s problem resolved so quickly, the magistrates of the other three counties exchanged glances. They slowly gathered around Ancient Wen Heng, each hoping he might be able to help with the various difficulties they faced in their own jurisdictions as well.
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The experimental plot quickly showed results. The orderly, staggered terraces transformed the entire face of the mountain.
Many old farmers would even stop their own work just to come and walk a lap around these new fields each day.
Seeing the reservoirs dug into the mountainside slowly filling with water, everyone grew more confident in the terraced fields.
They had previously survived solely on the flat, low-lying lands. With these new mountain fields, they could only imagine how much bigger the annual harvest would be.
What they prized most was that this newly reclaimed land was tax-exempt, giving them some much-needed breathing room.
Everyone could do the math, and a fire of enthusiasm slowly kindled in their hearts.
Many people stopped waiting on the sidelines and went straight to the local government office to inquire about reclaiming land.
Even if they weren’t eligible for subsidies or extra rewards, they were willing to rely on their own hard work to secure a stable future.
The local government had already been briefed and couldn’t have been happier about this development.
With people now taking the initiative, the various county governments were not stingy with their support. All day long, the government office stewards and their subordinate clerks were ceaselessly busy.
Every day, they had to survey and mark out dozens, even hundreds, of acres of mountain land, wearing out countless pairs of shoes in the process.
Even the mountain bandits, who had been watching from their strongholds deep in the mountains, could no longer sit still.
According to the notices posted by the government, if they were willing to return to their villages, they would be treated just like any other citizen. In fact, some of the new regulations were even skewed in their favor.
Previously unregistered individuals would be re-issued official household registration.
The temptation was immense.
Life as a mountain bandit wasn’t easy. In these poor, remote mountains, it was difficult to rob anyone of value. What’s more, most of them had relatives in the nearby villages, which tied their hands and made them hesitant to act.
Though they were called bandits, they mostly just robbed passing merchants. But merchants had gotten smarter these days and traveled with the Big Escort Agency, leaving the bandits with very few opportunities to strike.
On most days, aside from hunting on the mountain, they often had to forage for wild vegetables just to fill their stomachs.
None of them were truly vicious men. They were content just to be able to get by day to day.
Now that there was a chance to live an honest life out in the open, many of their hearts began to waver.
Besides, the rainy season was fast approaching, and the deep, old forests were no place to be. Every year, many died from disease, to say nothing of those killed by wild animals.
Take Lai San, for example. The moment he came down the mountain and entered his village, he was hauled home by his cousin.
His aunt and several of his cousins were waiting inside, staring at him. The sight of it all made him want to turn and bolt.
"Aunt Lai. Cousins. What’s the occasion? Why is everyone at home?" Lai San began to shuffle backward cautiously. ’I haven’t caused any trouble recently, have I? I haven’t come down the mountain with Boss Wu in ages. Even if there was a robbery, they couldn’t pin it on me! He gritted his teeth. Don’t tell me Boss Xiao from the next mountain pulled a job and we’re getting blamed for it. It’s happened before. That guy has no honor.’
"You, get over here and sit down," Aunt Lai said, patting the stool beside her. "Why are you standing so far away? You think your aunt is going to eat you?"
Lai San glanced cautiously at his cousins standing behind Aunt Lai and forced an ingratiating smile. "Aunt, I do nothing but sit around on the mountain all day. I’m tired of sitting, really. I’ll just stand.
Aunt, just tell me what you need. If it’s something your nephew can do, I’ll get it done for you."
"You haven’t been back in so many days. Is life on that mountain really so comfortable?" Aunt Lai glared at him. She really didn’t know what to say about this nephew of hers.
’He was the only boy left from her side of the family. As his aunt, of course she wanted to help him.
But unfortunately, her own family was poor, so there was little she could do.
Who would have thought he’d quietly fall in with those mountain bandits? By the time she found out, it was too late to stop him.
Still, following those bandits all these years, living hand-to-mouth, had at least kept the boy alive.
But it was a constant weight on her heart. He was getting older. If he didn’t marry and have children soon, her family’s line would end with him.
She felt it was all because she, his aunt, was useless. She couldn’t earn enough Silver, and even her own sons were still bachelors. She wanted to help, but she couldn’t.
Now, with this golden opportunity right in front of them, Aunt Lai was determined to make her nephew stay today, no matter what she had to say.
If he didn’t settle down here in the village, he’d have no hope of ever marrying a wife and continuing the family line.
"What are you talking about? We just ran out of salt up on the mountain, so they sent me down to trade for some with the villagers.
See? We bagged some game a few days ago, so they had me bring it down to trade," Lai San said, pulling the wicker basket at his feet closer. "I came to you first, Aunt. See if there’s anything you want. Our family gets first pick."