Traveling through time as a peasant girl to turn things around

As soon as Ye Heng arrived in the city, he rode his horse quickly to the palace and met the emperor alone in the imperial study. "Brother, the thresher has been made. It can be used on large plots of land to produce more seeds quickly. But the raw materials are hard to find. In addition, glass can be mass-produced. The raw materials are easy to find. Glass has a wide range of uses and many processes. The profit of glass alone is considerable. I am afraid that someone will take advantage of it. The workers have signed a confidentiality agreement. Brother, you need to send experts to protect them. The technology must not be leaked." The emperor: "Let my secret guards go." Ye Heng, "Your safety is the most important. I can't." The emperor: "It's okay if fewer people go." Ye Heng: "Brother, ask your people to go to my house tomorrow. I'll find a few more." The emperor: "You can arrange it." Ye Heng: "I know. I also want you to have a shop to sell glass for Xiaodong. Originally, Guoguo wanted to buy it for Xiaodong, but it was me who asked for the shop." The emperor: Yes, I can give all my shops to Xiaodong." "Brother, the child is still young and he doesn't have that much time, just give him a few." The emperor: "Okay, okay." The emperor brought out a box with land deeds and house deeds in it, and gave them all to Xiaodong. The emperor: "When will Xiaodong's name be changed back?" Ye Heng: "It can only be written secretly on the land deeds and house deeds. His household registration certificate is in Taohua Village. I will go there to change it later. You can also add it to the family tree, but don't announce it to the world for the time being. Or two identities will be fine." The emperor thought so too.

"Your Majesty, is the rice delicious?" The emperor said, "Ah! Delicious. Smells good." Ye Heng said, "Just tell your son what you want to eat." "He knows how to farm." Ye Heng said goodbye! !

Ye Heng notified the retired veterans overnight to come to the palace tomorrow.

The next day, a large group of wounded veterans arrived at the palace. Some had lost a leg, some an arm, some an ear—in short, all of them had injuries sustained while fighting with him. When Ye Heng arrived, the butler had already prepared breakfast for these veterans: white rice, meat, and vegetables. Ye Renwen had already given these people a general idea. When he saw the prince, he said, "Your Highness, what are you asking us to do? I have to say that we brothers will never regret following you. Even if we risk our lives, we will do it. People who should have died have lived for so many years. They have earned it." Ye Heng looked at his soldiers: "I am reluctant to let you die. Everyone's life is life. Everyone must live well. I do have something for you to do, but I don't want you to risk your lives. You have all sacrificed and paid the price for the Great Yan Kingdom. From now on, I want you to live, and live well, and get better and better." The old soldiers in the yard knelt down and kowtowed to Ye Heng, "Thank you, Your Highness, for thinking about us." Ye Heng: "Everyone stand up and talk." Ye Heng said, helping the people in front of him, "Everyone stand up. What I want to say is a bit hard, but not dangerous." I'm going to clear a hilltop and build houses, lots of houses, for you to live in. I'll also arrange work for you. Earn some pocket money. Working the hilltop is very hard work right now, so I'll see if you're willing to do it. Do whatever you can. "Your Highness, what can I do with one hand missing? Alas." Ye Heng: "There's always work for you. Boil water, weed with one hand, feed the chickens with the other... In short, do whatever you can." "So we're not short of work. Okay, let's get started." "Your Highness, we'll all go. No matter how hard it is, it won't be as hard as on the battlefield. It's better to fight than just endure it like this." "Okay, everyone's done." Ye Heng: "Okay, we'll take you there right away." Ye Renwen: "Write down the list of people, and arrange for two cooks to bring in some food, vegetables, and more meat. We'll go buy them at the best shop in the world." Ye Renwen: "I've got it. I'm going right away." Ye Renwen arranged for the carriages to bring the goods, and the servants to bring the food. He arranged for the men to take the carriages to the hilltop outside the city. Anyone with tools should bring their own. Those without should buy some. We'll meet at noon. Right in front of the palace, Ye Heng contacted Guoguo's family cook, and they'll all have lunch at Guoguo's house. It'll be a delicious meal.

Simei was left in the shop to watch over the food while the others went home to eat. In the hall, everyone, regardless of their status, age or gender, sat at the table. The chef performed at his best and Xiao Naibao also taught them how to cook. So on the dinner table today, there were foods that many people had never seen before. Two lambs were roasted, and each table had more than half of one, emitting an enticing aroma. There were also braised pork, roasted eggplant, stewed potatoes with meat, stir-fried meat with green peppers, cold vermicelli, cucumber with peanuts, sugar-coated tomatoes, clear-boiled fish, four-happiness meatballs, watermelon, a large plate full of food, and apples and pears in large bowls. Everyone enjoyed the meal to their heart's content. "This is even better than Chinese New Year. Even blind Old Zhang's death was worth it." Little Milk Bag said, "Uncle One-Eyed, you're still young. Who knows? Maybe in a year, you'll make enough money and even be able to get married. You're hardworking and ambitious. Your eyes are your sacrifice for the Great Yan Nation. You're defending your country, and you should be proud of them. No one should look down on you." Everyone said, "Yeah. What's wrong with being disabled? This is an honor. Not everyone can have it." Ye Heng said, "Okay, well said. Cheers to the future!"

Afterward, they ate fruit and drank tea. No break at noon. Pots and pans were loaded onto the carts: white flour, yellow flour, sweet potato flour, soybeans, cabbage, pumpkins, and two slaughtered pigs. Hoes, sickles, plowshares, and other farm tools were loaded onto the carts, and the cattle and sheep were driven off. A large group of people followed, loading a large cart with fruit alone. They set off in a mighty procession. This time, Xiao Shunzi was there, the second-in-command.

Ye Heng recruited several people from the Ministry of Revenue to oversee the construction. He also recruited masons from outside the city, with Xiao Naibao drawing the blueprints. They began by building a large courtyard halfway up the mountain where they had rested the previous few days. Large windows were left in the front walls of the five rows of bungalows. The carpenters, two men from the Ministry of Works who had returned from a trip to Taohua Village, had been hired to oversee the work. They had seen the windows of the Chai family. They hired skilled carpenters from a village outside the city, near the top of the mountain. The wages were fifty wen a day, with veterans receiving forty. Construction workers were paid fifty wen a day. Local residents, regardless of age or gender, were paid thirty wen a day. Children under ten mowed the lawn for fifteen wen a day, with two meals a day provided. Children could not be forced or beaten, no matter how much they worked. They could even come to jump around and serve tea. Notices were posted at intersections near the top of the mountain, and the next day, a large number of residents, including their families, arrived. When Little Milk Bag saw this, he clapped his hands with joy, laughing, "They've all taken over the mountain. This is a big family." Chai Zhen: "It's like seeing Taohua Village again. Men, women, and children are all working together to build their home." "Grandpa, we have to build the house first." "Yes." Ye Heng: "Look, that's the brick delivery guys." Not far away, ox carts were approaching. "The first three rows of houses are built as rooms, each housing six people. The last two rows are built as small courtyards, each housing a family. Those who are too poor can live here." Elderly people who are alone go to the pig farm to raise pigs, chickens, and sheep. They can guard the gate and mow the grass. There's work for them. Farming can be divided among able-bodied people, with a certain amount of land allocated to them and wages paid. They can also be given private plots. Private plots are used for their own consumption, not paying the public tax. Each person has one mu of private plot. This is called land contracting. We hire people to farm, and we provide the oxen, plowshares, threshers, and flour mills, with one person to look after them. Anyone can come to the mill and help with the grass and firewood, free of charge. Ye Heng thought of an acquaintance, a man who had no ambition, neither civil nor military talent. He was Xing Hong, the son of the Minister of Rites. He told his men to call him over and ride faster.

Back in the city, a crowd of people, beating drums and gongs, followed by someone carrying something in front, and ordinary people followed behind to watch the bustle. They arrived at the gate of the "Number One Shop Under Heaven." Jiaxing hurried out and stood at the door. Minister of Rites Xing Wencheng approached and said, "This is a plaque awarded to your shop by the Emperor. Please kneel and accept it." Jiaxing and his staff all knelt and kowtowed in gratitude. Xing Wencheng peeled back the red cloth, revealing an exquisite plaque with the words "Number One Shop Under Heaven" inscribed on it. It gleamed with gold, crafted from sandalwood. The Ye Di seal was engraved in the lower right corner. A member of the Ministry of Rites helped replace it. The moment Jiaxing saw it, his future looked bright. Written by the Emperor himself, with his own imperial pen. Jiaxing presented two ingots of silver to the Ministry of Rites staff, saying, "Please have a cup of tea, everyone." The Minister of Rites nodded to his staff. The staff accepted the twenty taels. Jiaxing said, "Everyone, go in and take a look. There are discounts for those who want to buy. Please."

The staff from the Ministry of Rites walked around. "It's just great. There's all sorts of delicious food, many of which they've never seen before." As they left, everyone was carrying food in their hands. They were in high spirits. Jiaxing stood at the door, clasping his hands in farewell. "Come back again. Come back again."

Jiaxing asked, "How much discount does Yingchun give me?" Yingchun said, "10% off." Jiaxing said, "Okay. That's not bad money." They both smiled. Jiaxing said, "There are always situations like this, it's a favor!