Chapter 633 0628 [Zhao Kai's Carefree Life]

The Jishui River meanders eastward, and the river is full of sails.

Compared with the busy dock, Jinan City is much quieter.

Zhu Ming stood on the tower and looked out for a while, and couldn't help asking: "How many households are left in the outer quarters of Jinan City?"

Ling Guxu replied: "Just over 20,000."

Zhu Ming was silent after hearing this, the population was smaller than he had imagined.

It was difficult for the elderly to survive the war and famine, and the average population per household was estimated to be only two or three, and it would definitely not exceed four.

In other words, as the provincial capital of Shandong, Jinan only had 70,000 to 80,000 residents in and outside the city.

Zhang Shuye pointed to the distance and said: "Jinan City has been besieged by bandits many times, but it was only broken once. Every time the bandits failed to break the city, they plundered the towns in the suburbs. The nearby Liuhong Town, Sun Geng Town, Yaoqiang Town, Huihe Town... were repeatedly plundered by bandits five or six times. Although a large number of refugees were resettled last year, these towns are still sparsely populated. Even some big landlords can't recruit enough tenants and can only abandon their own land."

It's strange that big landlords can recruit tenants. The Shandong government encourages reclamation, and everyone can get land.

Why should you rent the landlord's land when you can grow your own land?

Nowadays, those landlords in Shandong treat tenants as Bodhisattvas, fearing that their tenants will quit. The reason why they can still retain some tenants is purely due to the high-interest loans they borrowed in the past.

But the Ming Dynasty court has launched a "rent reduction and interest reduction campaign" in the hard-hit areas.

The government does not recognize the interest of high-interest loans that are too old, which is equivalent to encouraging poor farmers to only repay the principal. For old debts over 20 years old, even the principal does not need to be repaid. For recent debts with too high interest rates, the government also sets the highest interest rate, and does not recognize the part that exceeds it.

Officials at all levels of the provincial government, prefectures, and counties send yamen officials to the countryside every month to repeatedly publicize policies on horseback and by boat.

More and more farmers know about these policies.

Farmers in debt rent half of the land of the creditor's family and the other half of the land allocated to them by the government, and then save money and repay the money owed by their ancestors in installments.

Due to the lack of tenants, the big landlords have no ability to defy the government and can only accept it with a pinch of their noses.

Once the landlords force too much, the tenants will directly choose to run away with their families. Anyway, all the prefectures in Shandong are resettling refugees, and they can get abandoned land by reporting to the government.

"Is there a Xin family in Jinan?" Zhu Ming asked.

Zhang Shuye had been an official in Jinan for many years and was very familiar with the place: "There was a Xin family who moved here during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of Song Dynasty and served as a judge in the Dali Temple. Four generations of ancestors and grandchildren all passed the imperial examination and were quite famous in Jinan. They lived in Yaoqiang Town in the east, which was plundered four times in a few years."

"How is it now?" Zhu Ming asked.

Zhang Shuye said: "I don't know much about other officials, but there is a Xin Zan in the Xin family, who was a Jinshi in the late Song Dynasty. Not long after he returned home to mourn, he was robbed by bandits and fled to the city with his family. He also helped me defend Jinan. I recommended this person to the court last year, and now he has been sent to Zhejiang to serve as a county chief."

The recommended Xin Zan was Xin Qiji's grandfather.

Grandpa had only passed the imperial examination for a few years, and he was in his prime. His grandson must not have been born yet.

Zhu Ming was too lazy to explain why he suddenly asked about the Xin family, and left the tower muttering in a low voice. Zhang Shuye and Ling Guxu faintly heard the prince reciting: "I look at the sword by the lamp while drunk, and dream of blowing the horn in the camp..."

The next day.

Zhu Ming rode to the eastern suburbs and saw large tracts of cotton fields.

Zhao Huan followed the chief officer of the Agricultural Promotion Office to pay a visit. He has been working here for more than half a year.

"Only the four of you?" Zhu Ming asked.

Zhao Huan's boss replied: "Reporting to Your Highness, there are only twelve agricultural promotion officials in Shandong for the time being, scattered in Licheng, Juancheng and Zhucheng."

Zhu Ming asked again: "There are only four people here, can you handle it?"

The official replied: "Although there are only four agricultural promotion officials, more than ten clerks have been recruited. Usually, we go to the fields to farm and pay nearby farmers to help."

Zhu Ming walked into the cotton field and looked at the cotton trees more than two meters high: "Is this cotton?"

The official said: "These are tree cotton, and there are also grass cotton over there."

"Can this thing be cultivated into a dwarf?" Zhu Ming asked.

The official said, "We can only give it a try. Every year, we will select plants with short plants, early flowering, and large flowers for seed. We will also select some and crossbreed with cotton."

Zhu Ming asked the guards to bring silver coins as rewards: "Thank you for your hard work."

"Loyalty to the emperor and love the people is not hard work." The four agricultural officials were very happy.

After watching the cotton experimental field for a while, Zhu Ming just watched the fun. He chose a place to sit down and only called Zhao Huan to come to him. The others were very discerning and walked away on their own.

"Sit down." Zhu Ming said.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Zhao Huan did not hesitate and sat on the ridge of the field.

Zhu Ming asked, "Are you used to it?"

Zhao Huan replied, "Since I came to Shandong, my colleagues are very tight-lipped. Few people know me. It's much better than being pointed at in Tokyo."

"That's good." Zhu Ming didn't know what to say.

Zhao Huan was a person who had been suppressed for a long time and had no opinion. It would be a disaster for him to preside over major events.

Now that he has changed his living environment, his emotions are no longer suppressed, and he doesn't have to make his own decisions. He can just do agricultural research every day, which makes Zhao Huan feel particularly relaxed and comfortable.

He only brought one wife and one concubine, who were the former queen and imperial concubine. The rest of the concubines were left to find their own way out. Some of them have now remarried to military officers in Tokyo.

Zhu Ming made small talk while observing Zhao Huan's expression: "You only grow cotton in Licheng?"

"There is also the cultivation of 虙虙菜." Zhao Huan said.

"What is 虙虙菜?" Zhu Ming had never heard of it.

Zhao Huan explained: "The government said that 虙虙 is a word used by the Hu people, and when it was introduced to China, it was taken from its similar pronunciation. The people also call it 牛PIcai and thick-skinned vegetables, which can be eaten by both humans and animals, and can grow new leaves after being broken off. The government's intention is to cultivate the leaves of Echinacea as big and thick as possible."

The yield of cabbage is much higher than that of cabbage, and it can continue to grow new leaves after being picked.

The young leaves are eaten by people, and the old leaves are used to feed livestock. In ancient times, the economic value was extremely high, so it was cultivated by Zhu Guoxiang.

Zhu Ming carefully observed Zhao Huan's micro-expressions and found that this brother did not seem to be pretending. He was really very satisfied with his current life and work.

Zhao Huan was able to be in this state purely because he had been suppressed for too many years. He finally shook himself up, but was attacked by Zhu Ming and the Jin people. All his confidence and faith were crushed, and he had the idea of ​​lying down and loving whoever he wanted. After arriving in the new environment, he had no desires.

This former Song emperor was the fastest reformer among the Zhao brothers.

The one who really found it difficult to accept reality was Zhao Kai, because he had been in glory for too many years and had never suffered any setbacks.

…

Tokyo.

The management of the former royal family became more lax as the south was pacified, and they were even allowed to enter and leave the city gate at will.

The court no longer gave money and food subsidies every month, and these old nobles had to be self-reliant.

The living conditions quickly polarized!

Most people had no skills and could only live by farming honestly. They would not starve to death, but lack of money was the norm. They had to save money when buying oil, salt, and cloth. If they were not careful, they would not have money to buy medicine.

A few people were really capable of tossing around, and they were doing well in Tokyo with their former royal status.

"Sir, take care!"

Early in the morning, the servant sent Zhao Kai to the gate of Fanlou.

Zhao Kai has been able to afford Fanlou through selling calligraphy and paintings, and he is often treated by others.

But recently, it has been declining, and people's novelty and curiosity about him are gradually weakening. The really prominent families are taboo about his identity and order their children not to associate with him.

There are fewer people who treat him, and fewer people are willing to buy his calligraphy and paintings.

But it is difficult to downgrade consumption. Although he has a beautiful wife and concubines at home, Zhao Kai still likes to spend the night in Fanlou.

"Sir, do you want to go home for breakfast?" asked the attendant and coachman.

Yes, Zhao Kai also hired servants, and he thought it was too cheap to have no one to serve him.

Zhao Kai said casually: "Go to Xu's Hutang Restaurant!"

Xu's Hutang Restaurant, across the street from Panlou, is a high-end restaurant in the inner city of Tokyo.

The master and servant entered the store, and the servant shouted: "Shopkeeper, the old rules!"

"Here we come!"

Hutang is a meat and vegetable soup, the main ingredients of which are gourd leaves, mutton, and green onions.

Zhao Kai also ordered a lamb chop, boiled in plain water, with shallots, coriander, soy sauce, and fruit juice as dipping sauce.

There was a special waiter who cut the lamb chop for him.

The servants stood by and served him, pouring wine for Zhao Kai from time to time.

After eating and drinking, he remembered to pack some for his family.

The shopkeeper came over and said, "Mr. Zhao, it's time to settle the bill this month."

"It's not less than yours, how much?" Zhao Kai was very unhappy.

The shopkeeper took out the account book: "Twenty-nine yuan and eighty-four coins."

The breakfast money for a month could accumulate to nearly thirty taels of silver. Zhao Kai's life was really comfortable.

Zhao Kai reached out his hand, but only took out six silver dollars. He threw them all on the counter and said, "The rest is twenty-four yuan. I don't have that much money on me. I'll bring it to you tomorrow."

The shopkeeper said, "Sir, you can ask your personal attendant to go home and get it."

Zhao Kai said angrily, "Can I still owe you a debt?"

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "It's a small business, please forgive me, sir."

Being detained in the restaurant was too embarrassing, Zhao Kai said, "Bring paper and pen, I'll draw a picture for you to pay off the debt."

The shopkeeper said, "Sir, Zhao's calligraphy and paintings seem to be unable to sell at a high price in the past two months."

"Draw a few more for you?" Zhao Kai became more and more angry.

This guy was detained in the restaurant and painted seven small-scale ink paintings in a row before he was finally let go by the shopkeeper with a roll of his eyes.

Sitting in the carriage, Zhao Kai became more and more angry, feeling extremely humiliated.

Well, this carriage was also bought by him, and it was not cheap, costing more than 100 strings of money.

Back at home in the southern suburbs, there is a small courtyard here. Zhao Kai paid for it. He had moved out of the thatched house long ago.

Too many people died the year before last, and the housing prices outside the city fell sharply, and even many houses were vacant. A dilapidated house with a poor location and no one claimed could be bought from the government for two or three hundred strings of cash (limited by household registration).

His wives, concubines, children, and even several male and female servants were all there.

Zhao Kai called his wife into the room and said, "Take out some money. I don't have enough on hand."

Zhu Ying was very unhappy that her husband had not returned for a long time. She brought a small wooden box and slammed it on the table: "That's all. If my husband goes to Fanlou again, the whole family will have to eat grass next month."

Zhao Kai opened the box and looked at it. He said in disbelief: "Is this all left?"

Five one-yuan silver coins, twelve five-cent silver coins, and seven ten-cent silver coins.

The rest were all copper coins, which added up to less than two strings of cash.

"How much do you think is left?" Zhu Ying asked back.

Zhao Kai pondered: "It doesn't match."

Zhu Ying counted: "Fifth brother borrowed ten yuan, sixth brother borrowed eight yuan, seventh brother borrowed... We told them not to lend, they would definitely not pay back. But you are so stubborn, you lend to anyone who asks, give as much as they want!"

Zhao Kai shook his sleeves and said calmly: "No problem, I will make a few more paintings and calligraphy, and I will have money when I sell them later."

Zhu Ying sneered: "In the first two months, people came to buy your calligraphy and paintings. This month is over, and no one has bought calligraphy and paintings. Your There are too many paintings and calligraphy on the market, and they are no longer valuable! Can you find a decent job? There are a lot of people at home waiting for food. "

"Women's views," Zhao Kai said contemptuously, "I am a noble, how can I find a vulgar job to make a living? You wait!"

Seeing her husband going out again, Zhu Ying hurriedly asked: "You just came back, where are you going?"

Zhao Kai turned his head without turning back: "Find those brothers to pay back the debt!"

Zhu Ying said unhappily: "It's useless for you to go, they didn't think about paying back when they borrowed money."