Master Yuan, start!

"Stop talking nonsense. You built the canal, so there's never a shortage of water on the ground. So there's no need to use threats or inducements. You can just sit back and watch your neighbors suffer from water shortages and a complete crop failure."

"That canal was built by the peasants' association of my corps. You didn't participate in the labor, but instead wanted to reap the benefits. How can that be justified?"

"Do you think we don't want to build a canal? You've already taken up all the prime water diversion sites. We who came later put in 10% of the effort but only get 1% of the results. How can we build a canal?"

After hearing this, Yuan Xiangcheng knew why the two groups of people quarreled. The root of the problem was the construction of the canal.

The Corps’ Farmers’ Association was organized early and built quickly, and it had a good geographical advantage, so it started to divert water from both sides of the Yalu River and build canals early on and made good plans.

The canal built would definitely be the shortest and most convenient for diverting water. When farmers returned later, those who were unwilling to join the farmers' association would naturally not be able to share the canal.

If people built it later, the old canal would have already occupied the advantageous location, so building a new canal would be a bit ineffective.

Yuan Xiangcheng stood aside, wanting to listen, but did not interrupt the argument.

The lame soldier holding the gun was tired of standing. When he was about to move, he glanced and saw the chief instructor who was supposed to be in Seoul.

"General...!" exclaimed the lame soldier Zhang Zuotai.

"Shh!"

Yuan Xiangcheng signaled for silence. Seeing this, Zhang Zuotai quickly brushed off the dust on his body, used the long-handled musket in his hand to replace his lame right leg, and stood up straight.

The two groups were still arguing.

"Then why didn't you want to join the Farmers' Association when we asked you to? Now that this situation has happened, it's clearly your own fault!" The people on the farm retorted.

"What a shitty farmers' association! They're asking for membership dues before they even see any benefits. I think this is just a trick to rob people!

The imperial court doesn't collect so many miscellaneous taxes here. You only need to pay a land tax. How can this farmers' association have the nerve to charge fees? "The farmers' reasons are reasonable. Forcing them to pay without seeing any actual results is undoubtedly a challenge to small farmers.

"There is no such thing as a good thing that you can enjoy without paying any money. Do you think everyone is like Lord Yuan, who lets you take a free boat ride to Korea without charging any money?" As soon as the people on the farm said this, the group of self-cultivating farmers on the opposite side fell into a brief silence.

Just when Yuan Xiangcheng wanted to speak out to stop them, the silent party unexpectedly said something shocking: "Master Yuan can do it, why can't you!"

Hearing this, Yuan Xiangcheng was really at a loss whether to laugh or cry. How could they be addicted to taking advantage of others?

Yuan Shikai felt that the population in the Northeast was insufficient, so he recruited people from Zhili and Shandong to go to Liaoxi, Liaodong, Korea and other places for free.

Unexpectedly, not only did they not remember the favor, they also thought it was their due.

"Cough, cough."

"My fellow villagers, please do not argue. I am Yuan Xiangcheng, the Governor-General of Korea."

The sound was not loud, but it made the two groups quiet down instantly.

It was then that the civilians holding weapons discovered that a dozen soldiers with muskets had already surrounded them dozens of meters away, and there were three people in military uniforms in front of them.

"Yuan, Lord Yuan?" Some people still couldn't believe it.

"Sir Yuan, it's really Sir Yuan. I saw him from afar when I was working in Seoul. There's no mistake about this figure!" Someone recognized him.

"My Lord Yuan, you have to stand up for us. They are occupying the canal and not allowing us to draw water.

My whole family depends on the wheat in the fields for survival. What will we do if the harvest fails?"

Unexpectedly, it was the person who dug the canal secretly who came to complain first and knelt beside Yuan Shikai to ask him to seek justice.

The members of the nearby farm naturally glared at them and said that they were wronged.

Even though Yuan Xiangcheng was a well-mannered person, he was still a little angry when he saw the villain in front of him complaining first.

However, he still suppressed his anger and said to the people in front of him:

"Fellow citizens, drought is imminent in North Korea this winter. Without rain, we will have to rely on human intervention and irrigation. This canal is now available for your use!"

After hearing Yuan Xiangcheng's promise, the group of people who did not join the Farmers' Association immediately cheered. The group who joined the Farmers' Association were indignant, but facing the governor, they did not dare to show it and could only clench their fists.

But then Yuan Xiangcheng gave them a blow:

"However, those who do not join the farmers' association can only use this once, and they must pay 10% of the income from the land next year to cover the current water diversion costs."

Now it was the turn of those who joined the Farmers' Association to start praising Lord Yuan for his wisdom.

The man who had been debating with the farmers' association stood up and asked, "Master Yuan, is it really necessary to do this? We common people pay so much grain to the government every year, so why doesn't the government provide disaster relief?"

"In Korea, the imperial court is useless. Some of you came to Guandong on your own, and some of you came here on my ship. Did the government ever give you a single copper coin?"

Seeing everyone shaking their heads, Yuan Xiangcheng shouted again: "Since the court won't help, why don't you join the Farmers' Association?"

"The Farmers' Association distributes seeds and farm tools, and leads its members in building canals and cultivating land. It's a hundred times better than the government in Zhili and Shandong. Why wouldn't you want to join?"

"Master Yuan, I think this farmers' association is good, but you have to pay a fee to join, and it's a lifetime payment, so..."

"Okay, now I'll make a rule.

In the future, the farmers' association will not charge any fees in the first three months, and farmers will have the right to choose whether to remain after joining.

Is that okay?"

"Very good, very good!" The people who did not join the farmers' association waved their hoes happily.

"But I have to say this beforehand: because you haven't paid your dues, those who joined in the past three months only have the right to use the irrigation canals and receive farming guidance. They are not entitled to any benefits such as the purchase of agricultural products, the provision of farm tools and seeds, etc.

Furthermore, if you join a farmers' association and withdraw after three months, you will be banned from joining the association again for the rest of your life."

"Okay, now if any fellow villagers want to join the Farmers' Association, please raise your hands and I will send someone to count them."

Yuan Xiangcheng did not intend to let these farmers take advantage too much. Irrigation canals were a convenient thing, so he helped them. But the rest of the farmers' association privileges required payment.

Jiaoliu 9.58-7424:

We must not let them develop the habit of getting something without putting in any effort.

Although Yuan Xiangcheng said that there would be no membership fee in the first three months and that members could use the canal after joining, everyone was still hesitant.

Paying money every year for decades is a considerable expense, so only a small number of people raised their hands, and most people were still a little confused and didn't know what to do.

I want to save my crops, but I can't bear to pay the annual membership fee.

Zhang Zuotai, who was standing by, saw this and immediately yelled, "Fuck you! I'm so anxious! Don't you guys understand?

"Master Yuan said, whoever raises his hand first will get his name recorded first, and whoever records his name first will get to irrigate his land first!"

After Zhang Zuotai's encouragement, the group of people who did not join the Farmers' Association finally reacted. They hurriedly raised their hands and came to Xu Shichang, who had just taken out paper and pen.

"Remember me, sir, remember me first!"

"I raised my hand first. He ran ahead of me. Remember my name first!"

...

Seeing the farmers who had just gathered together disperse, Mingye and Xu Shichang came over and expressed their thoughts.

If we follow their method, of course we want to drive them out with military force, and we should teach these people a lesson.

But Yuan Xiangcheng told them that the purpose of the Farmers' Association was to include as many people as possible. Only in this way could the vast Chinese countryside provide sufficient support to the Jiashen Right Army and even the Red Confucian Society in the future.

"The villagers in the countryside only care about their immediate interests and are unwilling to follow the farmers' association. So let them suffer a hardship and jump into a pit. The agricultural members and cadres of the Red Confucian Association must also jump into the pit with them. We cannot go against them.

"After they've suffered, they'll naturally understand the benefits of the Farmers' Association and will return to it on their own initiative," Yuan Xiangcheng said earnestly to the two.

"This was also a test of Red Confucianism in the countryside. Benevolent governance is not only about light taxes and levies, but also about seeking the welfare of the people with a compassionate heart."

Ming Ye and Xu Shichang were also very impressed when they heard this:

"The Chief Instructor truly deserves to be called a national hero of East Asia. He is proficient in both military operations and writing, and he can even clearly diagnose trivial matters in the countryside."

At this moment, the lame soldier who had been standing aside also came over.

"Hello, Chief Instructor!" Zhang Zuotai saluted as standard as possible.

This was the principle of equality between officers and soldiers that Yuan Shikai promoted in the Right Army during the Jiashen Rebellion. When superiors and subordinates met, they no longer had to bow and kowtow like the Qing Dynasty did.

The subordinate only needs to salute the superior first, and the superior needs to return the salute.

"Hello!" Yuan Xiangcheng also responded to this person.

"What's your name? Why do you call me the chief instructor? When did you retire from the Right Army in Jiashen?" Yuan Xiangcheng asked.

Not everyone in the Jiashen Right Army could call him the chief instructor. Apart from the members of the Red Confucian Society, only the more than 1,000 officer cadets he taught during their initial training in Tianjin could be called that.

Most of the others still called him Lord Yuan.

"My name is Zhang Zuotai. I was fortunate enough to have taken several classes from the chief instructor. This leg injury was sustained during the drive against the Japanese in Busan."

"Are you the company-level construction team leader of this corps?" Yuan Xiangcheng asked.

"That's right. Thanks to the care of the brothers of the Right Army, a disabled person like me can continue to serve as the chief instructor." Zhang Zuotai replied.

"How many years have you been here?"

"My family moved here from Haicheng five years ago, but I came back because I was injured."

Haicheng?

Yuan Xiangcheng didn't quite understand why Zhang Zuotai had to go to Guandong twice and why he ran from the Anshan area in later generations to Korea.

"Why did you move from the vicinity of Shengjing to here?" Yuan Xiangcheng asked.

"My father opened a shop in Haicheng, but he was not doing well in business and owed people money. The creditor threatened to kidnap my three brothers and sell them as bandits if we didn't pay him back. We had no choice but to flee here." Zhang Zuotai explained his family's origins.

"Let's go to your house and have a seat." Anyway, it was getting late, and Yuan Xiangcheng didn't want to ride a horse at night. After ordering the guards to go to Yizhou Station to report safety, he suggested going to Zhang Zuotai's house to rest.

"Yes!" Zhang Zuotai replied.

Zhang Zuotai had a limp and walked slowly, so Yuan Xiangcheng did not ride a horse. The group talked as they walked, and Yuan Xiangcheng took this opportunity to learn from Zhang Zuotai about the political environment in the rural areas after he crossed the Guandong Pass.

"What is this land used for? Why is there no sign of cultivation?" Yuan Xiangcheng pointed to a place that obviously did not look like wasteland and asked Zhang Zuotai.

"Headmaster, this is the Farmers' Association's experimental field, specifically for growing corn."

"corn?"

Yuan Xiangcheng listened to Zhang Zuotai's introduction and began to have doubts in his heart.

Zhang Zuotai didn't notice Yuan Xiangcheng's strange expression and continued to introduce:

“In addition, there are also seven experimental fields for potatoes, three experimental fields for oats, and four experimental fields for trees, fruits and vegetables.

It is through these experimental plots that the farmers' association purchases high-quality seeds from various countries, measures annual yields, and selects and breeds high-quality varieties for distribution throughout the country."

Hearing this, Yuan Xiangcheng breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out to be an experimental field. This was good. Through trial and error, we could figure out what was suitable for growing in Northeast China. At least we could avoid the same situation as Yumi Xiaofu.

After walking for about quarter of an hour, we finally arrived at Zhang Zuotai's home.