Walking the Path of a Workaholic in Cliché Novels (QT) Chapter 83

An Yinong did what he had planned. He actually wrote a memorial, hoping to classify cattle into draft cattle, beef cattle and dairy cattle. Moreover, he also wanted to designate the black cattle with plump meat in Dingsha County as edible tribute cattle for tax deduction and promotion.

Gu Zhengzhong looked at An Yinong who was very excited, but he didn’t have much hope. In the previous dynasty, privately slaughtering a cow was a death penalty, because cows were mainly used for farming and walking. If a beef cow was suddenly produced, the court ministers might not agree.

A few months later, the welfare housing was completed under the noses of the people of Dingsha County and entered the distribution stage. The magistrate personally led people into a model room and showed everyone what life would be like if a family of seven moved in. The houses were all square, with less than two meters between two houses. Such a dense cluster of buildings could better withstand strong winds.

An Yinong led his people inside through the double-door main entrance, which was very beautifully built, with space reserved for pasting couplets and hanging lanterns. Extending out of the main entrance was a thick earthen wall that surrounded the house and could also block the wind.

As soon as they entered the main gate, they will see a large flat yard with a jujube tree in the yard and nurseries on both sides where they could grow some vegetables. There was also a pile of neatly stacked firewood nearby. One could tell that the man in the family was good at chopping wood.

Looking up, they could see two small rooms in the yard. They were animal sheds, where five or six sheep and a flock of chickens were kept. For poor households, two animal sheds were more than enough.

Next to the livestock house, at the corner, was the kitchen. The kitchen had two stoves, one for cooking and the other for preparing dishes, which was enough for the whole family. There was also a small hole between the two large stoves for placing a kettle to boil water using the residual heat. At this time, the firewood in the stove was burning vigorously.

Then An Yinong took them to the next room. There was a strange room next door. The room was divided into two sides. One side was empty, and the other side was a bed. It was very big and could accommodate seven or eight adults.

“Lie down and take a look?” He smiled and looked at the curious people.

The people hesitated, until finally a brave one came out and carefully walked over: “Eh?”

The expression on his face became very strange, and he couldn’t help but touch the bed with his hands again and again: “Hot? It’s warm.” As he said that, he took off his shoes, climbed up, and sat cross-legged on the bed, with a dazed look on his face, and smiled foolishly.

Others became curious and approached cautiously. In the end, the group of people sat cross-legged on the bed and refused to get down. This strange warm bed was a little hot to sleep on now, but in the coldest season of the year, it was a good thing to save your life.

“Sir, what kind of treasure is this? Why is it so warm?” a herdsman couldn’t help asking.

“This is a hanging kang.” An Yinong explained the purpose of the bed.

The main purpose of the hanging kang was to keep warm in winter. It used less firewood than a stove, but could provide warmth over the largest area. If a whole family squeezed in here during winter, they might still feel too hot. In addition, if they feel it is too hot or too cold and want to adjust the temperature, they can use the stove plug to adjust it. They could summarize the specific operation after use.

After hearing this, the herdsman touched the bed even more carefully: “A treasure, a good thing.”

The kang bed was so shocking that they didn’t pay attention when An Yinong introduced other rooms and the cellar. But in the end, he took them around and gave them a rough idea of how big the house was and how many rooms it had. There was no one who didn’t like this house. It was not cold in the winter, not hot in the summer, had many large rooms, could accommodate livestock, and was close to a well. It couldn’t be better.

“But such a nice house must be expensive, right? Can we afford it?”

So when the government posted the notice, people in the county almost didn’t dare to believe it. Could that beautiful house with a solid roof and a hanging kang really be bought for just a small price? If they don’t have money, they can pay it over three years? There was a big well for every 42 households, and the water was free?

So what are they waiting for? Grab it! People who had houses houses looked at the poor people who applied with envy and jealousy. But they were reluctant to apply for it.

“The house is good, but the house I have in the county is also good. If I apply for this house, will my whole family move out of the city and live in the suburbs? How inconvenient would that be?”

The housing distribution that seemed useless to those who owned good houses was a unique opportunity for those living in the slums. Even the laziest men in the slums got out of bed and looked for work to earn money.

“You want to buy a house with such a small amount of money? You didn’t have it before and you may never have it in the future. If you miss it, you will regret it for the rest of your life!”

When the drought turned to rain, the county posted notices and sent people beating gongs and drums to notify every household:

The brick and tile kilns run by the county continue to recruit workers, rubber grass and pine planting continue to recruit workers, herbal medicine farmers continue to recruit workers, house repairs continue to recruit workers, road construction continues to recruit workers…

“Not only that, the county is also recruiting people with experience in raising cattle and dogs, both men and women are welcome. Our master wants to raise cattle and hunting dogs and plans to sell them to other places after they are raised.” The yamen runner, with a completely different spirit, went to various places beating gongs and drums to make announcements, and his voice became hoarse.

This yamen runner was the first one to beat the young master of the Jin family. He was now glad that he had chosen the right person. Now he walked out in his yamen runner uniform, and everyone on the street gave him a thumbs up. He was so proud!

“Can cows and dogs still be sold to make money? Are they easy to sell?” The villagers didn’t understand.

“Whether it’s good to sell or not is not up to you, our county magistrate has the final say. Don’t you want to make money? A job that pays two taels of silver a month. Want to? If you want, why don’t you sign up?” The yamen runner looked around and lowered his voice, “I won’t say anything to ordinary people, but the county magistrate said that those who actively respond will be considered first for future benefits.”

“What? We can share the benefits in the future?” An old lady slapped her thigh, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I raised cattle, they are famous for being strong in the surrounding area, I will teach them how to raise cattle! How do I sign up?”

Others also got anxious: “And me, I have two hounds at home, they are so good!”

The yamen runner who was surrounded by people wiped his sweat and said, “Don’t worry, uncles and aunts, come to me to register, don’t worry, we have everything set up.”

The news from various places in Dingsha County were brought back by the little ghosts, summarized by the four “big secretaries” and written into the report. An Yinong listened carefully to the specific situations they reported, and they withdrew only when the moon was at its zenith.

An Yinong yawned, took out the two volumes of his storybook, and dipped the tip of the pen in ink: “By now, the first volume of the storybook should have been printed and put on the shelf, right?”

Gu Zhengzhong couldn’t stop him from staying up late, so he ground ink nearby. Fragrant mist came out of the golden incense burner, which contained not only spices but also some special spiritual objects that could strengthen the body. The demons outside smelled this and were ready to attack but they didn’t dare to do so. The county magistrate had a golden halo of murderous intent on his body. If they had any malicious intent, they would be injured.

“I don’t know how the response will be. After all, it is a vernacular novel written by the county magistrate. It can’t be completely silent.” An Yinong, who was writing a vernacular novel for the first time, was not so confident.

However, even if it failed, it would only be his own shame, not a huge loss. But if it succeeded, it will save him a lot of effort. In summary, the advantages outweighed the disadvantages, so even if he was nervous, he still chose to do it. After waiting for a long time, until the first batch of welfare housing quotas were settled, An Yinong finally received his letter.

Empress Qi first reprimanded him for writing a storybook as a county magistrate, and then changed her tone, saying that the court had approved the request of “differentiated cattle for breeding and differentiated treatment”, so Dingsha cattle could be raised, slaughtered, and sold as beef cattle.

“I was actually a little surprised that Empress Qi approved my request and did not hold me accountable.” An Yinong was filled with emotion. It was good to have a boss who shared the same goals with him.

Gu Zhengzhong thought back to the emperors he had met. Empress Qi was indeed easy to talk to, and allowed such an unruly thing.

“This is the harmony between the monarch and her subjects. Treat him like a national hero and repay him like a national hero.” An Yinong added.

For some reason, Gu Zhengzhong was a little unhappy. He didn’t want An Yinong to say this to others. But he didn’t say anything, just pressed his shoulder and said, “It’s also Empress Qi’s luck to meet you.”

Among the officials who passed the imperial examinations in ancient and modern times, many were able to write essays, poems, and talk about military affairs on paper, but only a few could truly govern the local areas and turn “poor mountains and bad waters” into “good places.” Such ministers who could get practical work done were exactly what many aspiring emperors wanted most.

“Sir, you are the one who is loved.” An Yinong put down his pen and leaned against Gu Zhengzhong with a rare indulgence. “Sir, you have worked hard these days. If I have any merit, half of it should go to you.”

As soon as he finished speaking, half of the golden light on his body, which he had obtained with countless efforts, was actually shared with Gu Zhengzhong. He seemed to be able to feel the warm love in the golden light. The black flames on his body rolled, but they miraculously merged with the golden light without hurting each other.

A person’s words could deceive, but his heart cannot.

“They are all wrong. It’s not that humans and ghosts have no future, but that humans and ghosts with ulterior motives have no future,” he thought.

An Yinong’s tenderness did not last long. He sat down at the desk again and said, “The standards for beef cattle have been approved, but the application for tribute cattle has not yet been submitted. I will write another memorial, one per month. Take your time. There is no rush.”

“……” Gu Zhengzhong began to suspect that Empress Qi must have committed a sin to meet such a minister.

The issue of housing distribution had caused a lot of excitement in Dingsha County. Now the second batch of welfare housing had begun to be built. Many people still went to see it and think that it will be their own house. As for the first group of people who moved in…it’s better if they don’t come and attract hatred.

Because the first batch of people who moved into welfare housing were basically from the slums, An Yinong was somewhat curious about the their current situation. So one afternoon, after carefully disguising himself, he went to the slums with Gu Zhengzhong.

The slums were still the same, with shabby houses and people in ragged clothes, but they had more smiles on their faces and looked much better. They were no longer holding small kettles in their hands, but carrying two buckets of water.

The old people at the door still gathered together, but they were not looking for lice on their hair to eat, but were rubbing beans and drying wheat. Many of them had their own land this year, so they also had a harvest. As they worked, they talked about the houses, with envy and jealousy gushing out of their words.

Such a nice house, warm in winter and cool in summer, can be used to raise livestock and grow some vegetables. It’s so wonderful! How can you not envy and envy the people who move in?

At this time, a man in special uniform walked out of a small house. This uniform was only worn by those who raised cattle and hunting dogs for the government. Those who wore it were senior breeders hired by the Dingsha County government at a salary of two taels of silver per month.

An Yinong thought he looked familiar, and after thinking back, he realized that this was the man who looked at him with a defensive look. But now he looked much softer, with more flesh on his face.

A little girl ran out of the house to bring a kettle to her father. An Yinong also remembered her, the little girl who was holding a piece of leather and tearing off the fat on it. Now the little girl was wearing pink clothes, with pigtails on her head, and what she was holding a piece of bread in her hand.

Before An Yinong had seen enough, a group of children ran out from the alley, holding a wooden pinwheel in their hands, and ran past him laughing. Some of them were ones An Yinong had seen before, and some were ones he hadn’t. These children were fatter and taller than when he saw them last year, and they were finally wearing proper clean clothes.

“Seeing them is like seeing my report card.” An Yinong suddenly felt emotional. He reached out and held Gu Zhengzhong’s hand, wanting to share this feeling.

“I feel kind of encouraged.”

Better encouragement than money, fame, or anything else.

At this time, the original ‘evil’ thought resurfaced. It is so boring to play around with pinwheels. They should carry small schoolbags, fly in the sky of knowledge, make friends with big characters and arithmetic every day. If they do well in the exam, they will be recognized as the best. If they do not do well in the exam, they will be stewed on a bamboo board.

This was the life that children should live.

“The Jin and Bai families have already been dealt with. It’s a pity to leave the houses they left behind. Do you think we should set up a charity school?” he asked Gu Zhengzhong.

“Charity school?”

“Hire a teacher, open a school, and provide free compulsory education to all children in the county, regardless of whether they are boys or girls, until they learn common characters and basic arithmetic.”

“No, not only will I make it free, but I will also give rewards to children who study well. Those who perform best in the exam can take home a piglet or a group of little yellow chickens.” This could not only motivate children to study hard, but also encouraged parents to send their children to school. Why not do it?

Gu Zhengzhong knew that many people would pay to buy school land so that the children in the clan could study for free. And there were also gentry who extended such good deeds to other children in the village. However, it was unprecedented that a county magistrate said that he would compulsorily arrange for all children in the county to go to school, regardless of gender.

He couldn’t even tell whether this move would be praised or criticized. Because many children were old enough to help out at home, their parents may prefer that they stay at home to take care of the children and do housework, or learn how to work and earn money.

“If they don’t want their children to go to school, they will have no part in future recruitment and welfare distribution.” An Yinong added, using the stick and the carrot method if they won’t listen.

“I am not afraid.”

An Yinong’s face was half bright and half dark in the warm light of dusk as he narrowed his eyes: “The blood of the Jin and Bai families has not yet dried, I wonder who dares to object?”