Grass and mustard reign supreme

Chapter 51 Yang Canli

"Is that plow really so effective?"

Zhang Yunyi stood up from behind his desk in surprise and asked Tian Jian Peng Jin.

Peng Jin nodded repeatedly and excitedly described the scene of the trial plowing to him.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yunyi immediately had an idea.

This kind of magical agricultural product is a tremendous achievement!

Especially since the Yu family's livelihood is based on agriculture, this contribution is particularly significant.

If I, the master of this estate, can get even 10% of the credit, wouldn't that be a get-out-of-jail-free card?
However, this has nothing to do with me!

Zhang Yunyi was feeling frustrated when Peng Jin said, "Master, the people are going crazy."

Spring plowing has just begun this year, and manufacturing this curved plow is not difficult.

Although we can't use these new plows on all our land this year,

However, if construction is expedited, it can be used on a large area of ​​land.

These words immediately reminded Zhang Yunyi.

"Quickly, gather all the carpenters and blacksmiths in our village right away."

"Hmm, go recruit more in Tianshui City, and borrow craftsmen from other estates..."

Peng Jin said, "Master, it's easy to deal with the people on our estate, and it's also easy to hire people from Tianshui City."

But we can borrow people from other estates..."

The six major estates were equal in status and had the same position.

Lending someone isn't done by order, but by personal favor.

However, there is competition among the six major estates, so whether they are willing to lend money is another matter.

Peng Jin suggested, "How about we ask Deacon Yang to give the order? Just one command from him..."

"idiot!"

Zhang Yunyi glared: "If I let him give the order, how much credit do I still have?"
You just go ahead and do it; the craftsmen who were borrowed will learn how to make new plows.

"They can't use their estate this year, do they not want to use it next year either?"

Peng Jin suddenly realized what was going on, quickly agreed, and hurried off.

News of the new plow spread so quickly that it reached the entire Feng'an Village like the wind.

The area in front of Li the blacksmith's shop was already crowded with villagers.

Those crowding at the front were all free people and hereditary households.

They came to order new plows.

The tenants don't need to buy them, and they can't afford to.

They are "working class" workers, and all means of production are provided by their employers.

Of course, they are also the most exploited, with most of their hard-earned harvest going to their employers.

They had barely enough to survive, but even so, they were overjoyed.

Because the landlord's oxen and plows were limited in number, and their allocation to each household was time-limited.

They dared not overuse the owner's animal power, and feared that they would not be able to finish cultivating the fields within the time limit, so they had to supplement it with manpower.

As a result, not only did all the able-bodied men in the family spend their time in the fields, leaving them no time to do anything else to supplement the family income, but they also all developed various illnesses from exhaustion.

Now that we have this amazing tool, at least one able-bodied person in the family will be freed up.

This will make their lives a little easier from now on.

"Don't push, don't rush. My master said that the plow must first meet the needs of the manor lord before it can be your turn."

Li Yue's young apprentice stood guard at the entrance to the workshop, looking as imposing as a great general.

"Oh? Then my family won't need it this year?"

"We may not need it this year, but we'll definitely need it next year. Doesn't that give us something to look forward to?"

Immediately, some tenant farmers who had been watching began to offer him words of comfort with smiles.

Originally, among these farmers, tenants had the lowest status.

But these tenants suddenly discovered that they also had priority in some matters.

At least in terms of the use of this new plow, they were ahead of the free people and serf households who were of higher status than them.

I am a beast of burden, and I am proud of it.

Just then, a large group of people marched into Feng'an Village.

Qingmei, accompanied by two stewards, two nannies, seven or eight large carts, and over a hundred people, drove into Feng'an Village.

They quickly took over the Li family's blacksmith shop.

"Don't be in a hurry. This magical artifact, 'Yang Canli,' was developed by Steward Yang of the Yu family's eldest branch."

Our eldest daughter-in-law said this is a miraculous artifact that will benefit countless people. Look…”

The one speaking was Zhao Hongyu, the purchasing agent for the eldest branch of the family; he had a very loud voice.

With a single sentence, he named the plow "Yang Canli" and clearly acknowledged the eldest son's contribution.

Suo Chanzhi sent Zhao Hongyu, the purchasing agent for the eldest son's family, and Ma Sanyuan, the granary manager, over.

These two people were members of the Suo family that she brought from her maternal home; they were her absolute confidants.

Zhao Hongyu waved his hand grandly, and the people who were crowding in front of the workshop, eager to buy "Yang Canli," all turned to look at him.

Seven or eight large trucks were parked on the side of the road, filled with all kinds of blacksmithing and woodworking tools.

Those surrounding the cart were mostly blacksmiths and carpenters who had accompanied it.

Steward Zhao said, "Our young mistress has gone to great lengths to make Yang Canli as soon as possible so that it can be ready for this year's spring plowing!"

The young mistress has hired many craftsmen, and they all brought their tools. At least! At least, our Feng'an Village will definitely be able to use 'Yang Canli' in time, so everyone can rest assured.”

Upon hearing this, the free people, Yu's retainers, and the tenants present were all overjoyed.

The two stewards and two nannies who came this time were all urgently transferred from the eldest branch of the family.

As for the craftsmen, they were recruited by Suo Chanzhi through his second uncle, Suo Hong.

After the two families formed a marriage alliance, as one of the conditions for the marriage proposal, the Yu family allowed the Suo family to conduct business freely on the Yu family's territory without being subject to the Yu family's control.

Currently, Master Suo has successively opened a number of trading posts on the Yu family's territory.

Trade is not just about making money. In the process of opening these trading posts, the Suo family gained a foothold, connections, and informants in the Yu family's territory.

Otherwise, how could the Suo family have recruited so many craftsmen in such a short time on the Yu family's territory?

Suo Chanzhi wanted to firmly pin this great achievement, which benefited the entire Yu family and even the whole world, on the head of the Yu family's eldest branch.

Merit is often coveted.

But now that Suo Chanzhi, as the young mistress of the eldest branch of the family, has promptly dispatched a large number of people, this achievement cannot be stolen by others.

When Zhang Yunyi arrived at Li's blacksmith shop with his men after hearing the news, Ma Sanyuan, the granary manager, was beaming as he announced:

"The young mistress instructed that 'Yang Canli' should be quickly promoted to all the Yu family's estates."

"Encouraging Farmers Monuments" should be erected in various farms.

The young mistress wants to have this precious agricultural artifact, which originated from her family, engraved on it so that it may be admired by future generations.

The young mistress also instructed that from now on, every autumn harvest season, our eldest branch of the family would contribute money.

What were they doing? They were holding "farmer appreciation banquets" in each village to reward everyone on the farms.

As soon as these words were spoken, many of the people who had been crowding in front of him couldn't help but kneel down and sing his praises once again.

At this point, the mission was accomplished, and the momentum was established.

Zhang Yunyi stopped in his tracks, his face as dark as the bottom of a pot.

Even if I work the hardest, how much credit will I actually get?

……

What angered Master Zhang even more was that the young mistress had sent a stonemason as well.

These stonemasons were quite diligent; they carved four "Encouraging Farmers Stele" on the second day.

Then they placed them along the roadsides at the four entrances to Feng'anzhuang, in the east, west, south, and north.

The "Encouraging Farmers Stele" begins with a consistent message such as "Agriculture is the foundation, encourage farmers to work diligently."

Then, the invention of "Yang Canli" was described in great detail.

This is no "monument to encourage farmers"; it's clearly a monument to achievements.

Moreover, this achievement has been firmly in the hands of the eldest son's wife and Steward Yang.

Every autumn harvest season, Changfang Changmai funds a "Farmers' Appreciation Banquet".
Then it should be the head of the eldest son's family who takes charge.

Many rural families never leave the area within ten miles of their homes in their entire lives. How much sky have they ever seen?

Therefore, Zhang Yunyi, as the head of this manor, could say whatever he wanted and become the local tyrant.

However, once the eldest son's family can openly and legitimately use the "Feast for Farmers" to intervene in the affairs of the village and come into contact with the villagers, those ignorant people will realize that "there are heavens beyond heavens".

From this point on, they will clearly understand that above their manor lord, there is another being who can manipulate the manor lord.

They weren't unaware of this before, but they used to be like farmers living in remote mountain valleys.

Those farmers knew that there were emperors and county magistrates in the world, but what did that have to do with them?

They would never cross paths; the only ones who could truly intimidate him were the local landlords and powerful figures.

Now, Zhang Yunyi's supreme authority is about to be shattered.

Before Yang Can could even do anything specifically to target Zhang Yunyi, his foundation was already shaken.

The blacksmiths and carpenters sent by the eldest son's wife quickly became the main force in forging "Yang Canli".

The technology itself is not difficult to master; the difficulty lies in the fact that no one has ever thought of it.

After these craftsmen figured out the forging process with the help of Li the blacksmith and his apprentice, the second batch of craftsmen sent by the young mistress arrived.

So Li Yue and his apprentices continued to act as masters, instructing these new craftsmen on how to forge "Yang Canli".

The first group of people who already knew how to build it had already set off to other farms.

Although it is no longer possible to popularize the "Yang Can Plow" on all of the Yu family's lands this year, the Yu family's estates, including but not limited to the six estates under Yang Can's management, can all witness its advanced technology, which far surpasses that of the straight-shaft plow.

Next spring, this new plow will be used on all the land in Yufa.

At that time, not only will grain production increase, but the large amount of manpower and animal power saved will also bring about earth-shaking changes to the areas ruled by the warlords.

Zhang Yunyi is the "heaven" of Feng'an Village, the "local emperor" of Feng'an Village.

But he discovered that his "sky" was almost no longer able to cover this yellow land.

His prestige as a local tyrant was gradually losing its uniqueness.

This made Master Zhang feel extremely uneasy and uncomfortable.

He felt he had to do something.

Yang Can isn't targeting him right now; he's just trying to boost his own reputation.

However, objectively speaking, Yang Can's actions did shake his rule over Feng'anzhuang.

This behavior not only shook his rule over Feng'an Village, but also the other villages.
Surely the clan leader wouldn't want to see any signs of the eldest branch of the family slipping out of his control?

Perhaps, I can make a move on this point!

Zhang Yunyi stroked his beard, his gaze gradually darkening.

(End of this chapter)