After traveling through time, I led the whole village to become rich!

Zhang Hubing snorted and pushed Zhao Heigou away. "If you dare to say that again, I'll kill you."

Zhang Xiaojun suddenly spoke up, "Zhao Heigou, don't forget, it was you who yelled at everyone to flee the famine. If you hadn't kept saying they would starve to death if they stayed in the village, I think many people wouldn't want to leave. You're the culprit. You're the one who killed so many villagers."

Zhang Xiaojun's words stunned everyone.

In one sentence, the villagers who returned to the village pointed their fingers at Zhao Heigou.

Yes, it was Zhao Heigou who was shouting in the village that he couldn't make it any longer and wanted to leave to escape the famine. He also said that we should all leave together, as it would be safer in numbers.

The eyes of the villagers who returned looked at Zhao Heigou with some changes.

Zhao Heigou also felt a chill down his spine as he was looked at.

Zhao Guoliang didn't want to cause any more trouble, so he quickly asked the villagers who had returned to go home.

These people had nothing at home, so Zhao Guoliang organized the villagers to donate some food to them as an emergency measure.

They were all villagers, and since the millet in the fields was about to be harvested, many villagers took out some things.

Those who had left returned home with a wave of sadness and regret. If they had listened to the village head and waited one more day, they would not have suffered this ordeal.

The more these people thought about it, the more they felt that what Zhang Xiaobing said was right. It was all Zhao Heigou's fault. If Zhao Heigou hadn't been instigating them, they wouldn't have left the village so early.

Zhang Hulan's home.

Zhang Hubing said to Zhang Hulan, "Zhang Hulan, the people who fled the famine have returned, and Zhao Heigou will bite you as soon as he comes back.

He actually asked me why I didn't tell them earlier that there was something edible on the mountain. I wanted to beat him up. I warned him that if he dared to say that again, I would kill him.

Zhang Hubing wanted to show off to Zhang Hulan. He was actually standing up for her. Shouldn't Zhang Hulan show some appreciation by treating him to a meal?

Zhang Xiaojun also spoke up, "Auntie, I told those who came back that it was Zhao Heigou who told them to flee the famine, and the village head even advised them to wait a little longer, but it was Zhao Heigou who insisted on leaving immediately. The way those who came back looked at Zhao Heigou changed."

Zhang Hulan smiled and patted Zhang Xiaojun's head, praising him: "Xiaojun is really smart, even better than your second uncle."

Zhang Xiaojun said, "It's all his fault. If he hadn't been stirring up trouble, the villagers probably wouldn't have left, and so many people wouldn't have died outside."

Zhang Hulan asked in surprise, "A lot of people died?"

"Yes, quite a few died. Only about a hundred people returned. They said they often fought with refugees from other villages for food along the way, and quite a few died. Some others got separated, and we don't know if they can come back."

Zhang Hulan sighed. Although she had no personal connection or affection with the villagers, she had seen them a few times. She felt a pity that so many of them could not return. They were all living people, gone just like that.

The villagers who fled famine gradually settled down after returning, and they were able to harvest some grain from the fields, so they felt at ease.

In the next few days, there were some rumors in the village, and everyone was blaming Zhao Heigou, saying that Zhao Heigou had done a lot of harm to people and caused them to suffer so much outside.

Zhao Heigou was very angry when he heard these rumors. But he didn't dare to go to the villagers to refute them. Now everyone in the village was dissatisfied with him. If he dared to speak out, he would probably be beaten.

Moreover, Zhao Guoliang also warned him that if he said anything nonsense in the village again, Zhao Guoliang would personally drive him out of the village, even though they both had the surname Zhao and were cousins.

……

The weather was very good in the next few days, and the villagers began to sharpen their sickles and go to the fields to harvest the millet.

Zhao Guoliang has been checking on the millet in the fields these days. The harvest is sparse, with at most only half of the previous yield, and in some cases only one-third.

However, the villagers are very satisfied with this. It is a great harvest to have such a harvest.

Zhao Guoliang looked at the rice in the field with a frown on his face. He was thinking further ahead.

We should not have to pay grain tax this year, but even so, the millet in the fields will hardly survive until next summer harvest, and the second half of the year will be equally difficult.

Zhang Hulan also often goes to the fields to check on the rice. She also thinks that the villagers may not have an easy time in the second half of the year.

In spring and summer, you can go to the mountains to find food to fill your stomach, but in winter, there is nothing to fill your stomach in the mountains.

Zhang Hulan has been thinking about regenerating rice these days. She even cut some dead rice stalks to check the roots. The roots are still alive, not completely dead; if she cuts off the dead part, it should be able to grow again.

It's only mid-August now, so it's still possible to harvest a crop of ratoon rice and then plant winter wheat. The fields would just need more fertilizer. Alternatively, we could skip winter wheat altogether and wait until after the Lunar New Year to plant spring wheat, followed by a crop of late rice. That way, we can complete the rotation.

But she didn't know how to tell Zhao Guoliang, mainly because she was afraid they wouldn't believe her. If the replanted rice didn't yield a good harvest, and then the winter wheat planting was delayed, everyone in the village would definitely blame her.

She has good intentions and is willing to do good things, but only if it doesn't affect herself.

For these villagers who have not received much education and do not understand any profound principles, if you help them, they may remember it and be grateful to you.

But you had good intentions, but things didn't work out well in the end, and you might have caused them some losses; then they might not care that you did it in the first place because you wanted to help them. They only know that the result was not in their favor, and they will blame you.

Zhang Hulan thought about it for a few days and finally decided to talk to Wu Deyong about the regenerated rice.

If Wu Deyong thinks it is feasible, then it is the government's business and has nothing to do with her.

Zhang Hulan said hello to Wang and then went to the county town.

……

At the gate of the county government office, Zhang Hulan stepped forward and asked, "Brother officer, is the county magistrate here?"

The yamen runner who had taken money from Zhang Hulan last time still recognized Zhang Hulan. He said, "The county magistrate is not here. He has gone to the provincial capital. If you have anything to do, please come back tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."

"Not here?"

Zhang Hulan was so depressed. It was just a wasted trip.

It would take half a day to go back and forth, and she was just trying to get away with it.

Not only did she waste half a day, but her legs were also sore.

But what can I do? I can only go back.

However, she still had to ask clearly when County Magistrate Wu would return, as she didn't want to make another wasted trip.

"Then, sir, are you sure you're coming back tomorrow or the day after tomorrow?"

The bailiff shook his head. "I can't say for sure when he'll be back. The county magistrate left yesterday and should be back today. But we can't just guess at his itinerary."

The bailiff asked, "Are you here to report a crime to the county magistrate, or do you have something else to ask him?"

If you want to report a crime, you don't have to wait for the county magistrate, just find the county magistrate.

When the county magistrate left, he instructed that if anyone in the yamen reported a crime, they should bring the case to the county magistrate for review."

Zhang Hulan waved her hand and said, "I'm not looking for the county magistrate to report a crime. I'm looking for something else."

"What's the matter?" A voice sounded from a carriage behind Zhang Hulan.