Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 771 It's been a long time since I've felt this at ease.

Although the seaside is filled with the smell of the sea in late spring and early summer, it is also the best season of the year once you get used to it.

It's that time of year again to eat ribbonfish. Xia Lin and Dong Niang sat in the best restaurant in Ningbo Prefecture watching them auction off today's king of fish. The price of fifty taels was a bit expensive, but for wealthy gourmets, it was worth it to be able to taste it.

If you can invite three or five friends to enjoy it together, along with Shaoxing wine from Kuaiji County and eel from Hangzhou, you can drink and sing to your heart's content. The sea rises with the tide, and talking about money becomes a lowly thing.

Xia Lin knew that this was called emotional value. Emotional value was also a kind of value. Going to a brothel and spending a night with a top courtesan would cost a thousand taels of gold, while gathering with three or five friends would only cost fifty or sixty taels. The pleasure gained was about the same, so it was a reasonable deal.

The man who bought the King Fish today didn't look particularly wealthy; he was quite ordinary. Even he himself said that he had saved up for three years to afford this dish. As he spoke, he called his page to bring back his wife and children who were shopping. The family sat down and savored the expensive King Fish, their smiles beaming.

Dongniang propped her head up and looked at the family. Although she didn't speak, her eyes were full of envy. Xia Lin knew what she was envious of. Even though the revenge had been taken and all the people involved had been sent away, the dead could never come back. The departure of loved ones was a lifelong sorrow, and there would never be a day when she could let go of it.

Xia Lin didn't interrupt her reminiscing. He just quietly arranged the tableware in his hands. Eating in this place was elaborate, with a whole bunch of messy utensils. Even eating raw oysters and clams required different utensils. He was worried that Dong Niang wouldn't be used to them, so he patiently arranged them neatly for her.

But what happened when Dongniang came to her senses and started eating was both funny and sad.

"Fish have bones on their bodies. How do we deal with these bones? Well, we need to understand how fish move in the water."

While muttering to herself, Dongniang used chopsticks to pick out the bones from the spiky crucian carp in front of her, one by one. Keep in mind, it was a crucian carp, but she dissected this monstrous creature into pieces without a single bone, just like a skilled butcher carving up an ox.

"Oh, you..."

“I started out as a coroner.” Dongniang silently raised her head to look at Xia Lin: “Then I went to the medical school, and during that time I also had to help the government solve cases. When the wronged die, they may only have one last chance to clear their name when they come to me. If there is any mistake, it will ruin their life. So I can’t afford to make a mistake. I practice every day, and that’s how I became like this.”

Xia Lin didn't reply, only chuckled, quite helplessly. But there was nothing she could do; Dong Niang had always been like this. She was a master of ruining the atmosphere, and she hadn't changed much from beginning to end. But thinking about it, it made sense. This type of person deals with the dead more than the living; her poor social skills probably stemmed from childhood trauma deep in her bones. This was an unchangeable melody that would inevitably run through her entire life.

"Do you want beef?" Xia Lin suddenly asked. "Is it legal to eat beef here?"

"I'm not eating it," Dongniang shook her head and said, "I don't really like food with a strong gamey or fishy smell."

After saying that, she silently began to eat some stir-fried vegetables, and didn't even touch those delicacies. At most, she would eat two eggs and tofu as a protein supplement.

Xia Lin felt a little regretful... but she respected it. After all, she dealt with meat every day, so it was understandable that she couldn't eat meat. If it were her, seeing the trembling yellow fat on the beef ribs would remind her of those disemboweled corpses, and no one could eat like that.

The streets outside were unusually noisy today because the main venue for this sports meet was in Ningbo Prefecture. There were many events, from wrestling to rowing, about thirty or forty in total. Everyone was very interested in these things. People were all concerned about the competition and the importance of friendship. Dozens of betting odds were set up, so it was a nationwide event.

What might be difficult to determine on the battlefield could be decided here. The athletes on the field were giving it their all. In this competition that staked national honor, whoever came in first place was more important than money; their children and grandchildren would be protected by the team.

Of course, in addition to the prizes awarded by each country, the prizes from the organizers are also exceptionally generous. Basically, as long as you win the championship prize once, the prize money alone is enough to live comfortably in your old age.

The first event was on a grand scale; it was more like the world's number one martial arts tournament than a sports meet. After all, those who could win in these events were basically destined to be the bravest warriors in the future. So, everything depended on whether this first event could get off to a good start.

The place where they ate was not far from the competition venue. Today should be several high-intensity competitions, so you could hear exclamations and shouts coming from the venue from time to time, which was quite interesting.

After hearing the shouts, Dongniang looked up and glanced at them, then lowered her head again and ate silently. She still didn't say much, but Xia Lin didn't find it boring. After all, they weren't new acquaintances. She had been like this since Xia Lin was just an ordinary county magistrate more than ten years ago.

"By the way, where else would you like to go for a stroll later?"

Upon hearing this, Dongniang shook her head, indicating that she didn't want to go anywhere. Xia Lin didn't ask any further questions, which could be considered a tacit understanding.

To be honest, it's very simple. My relationship with Dongniang is very simple. She doesn't know how to express her needs and feelings, nor does she understand how others express themselves. But if you look at it from another perspective, it's easier to get along with her than with anyone else.

As those who know, know that as you get older, there are only two ways to shut up your female friends or partners: either they dislike you, or you put something in their mouths.

For most men, being able to accept that someone doesn't mind you not having to put food in their mouth is a blessing.

In truth, Xia Lin's days were somewhat empty. His work was basically finished, the expeditionary fleet had set sail, and all that remained was the distribution of spoils. The sports meet and celebrations had been held, most of the people who needed to be killed had been killed, and the movement of sending scholars to the countryside had entered a stable period.

Most decision-making matters can be put on hold for now. However, he, being the kind of person who is like a donkey, feels restless once he stops and always wants to stir up trouble. But the current overall situation has reached a delicate balance. He absolutely cannot cause trouble before others do so, otherwise the gentry and aristocratic classes, which are currently in a dog-eat-dog phase, might join forces to launch a counterattack.

That's not a good thing. Sometimes, you can't solve the fundamental problems by force alone. These problems that have been rooted for thousands of years require a huge mass base. But now, the propaganda efforts have increased, but the propaganda methods are still the same, and there are still a large number of people at the bottom who have not been reformed.

Stability is the foundation of all development; for now, the best solution is to remain still if possible. "Where are you going after you're done here?"

"Let's go home." Xia Lin reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Dong Niang's ear. "I haven't been home for quite a while."

"Hmm," Dongniang replied, "How long will you be staying this time?"

“It’s been a long time.” Xia Lin poured her a glass of rice wine: “The third five-year period is almost over. The basic work has been done very well. In the fourth five-year period, I will really start to exert my efforts.”

"Is this just the basics?"

Dongniang looked up in astonishment. In her mind, this was the best era she had ever experienced and read. No period in the past could reach the heights of the present. Not to mention anything else, from last year to this year, a total of 47 counties in 5 provinces have suffered from floods, windstorms, and droughts. For example, last year, the entire Henan province was on the verge of a complete crop failure due to the flooding of the Yellow River.

In previous years, people would have resorted to cannibalism, but this year there wasn't even a mass exodus of people; the overall operation was remarkably stable. It's worth noting that the medical school always sends personnel to disaster areas immediately after a disaster, as mentioned in last year's report. Despite the disaster affecting over 3.7 million people, there were no large-scale peasant uprisings, exodus, or even famine. Taking Luoyang as an example, grain prices before and after the flood only increased by less than 20% due to storage and transportation costs, and there was no risk of supply disruptions. Other severely affected areas received immediate subsidies from local grain reserves. In fact, this year's disaster relief grain hadn't even been distributed; local grain reserves had largely solved the problem, and further donations from wealthy merchants and large households filled the gap.

What a magnificent sight this is!

Dongniang was just quiet, but not stupid. Did she really think that the rich people had become better? Of course not. They were afraid of the emperor's authority, afraid that someone above would raise the butcher's knife against them.

Even after all this, he still says he's only laid a foundation?

If these are all basics, then what is it that is not basic?
"The three foundations are people's livelihood, industry, and education. If we want to go further, we must solidify these three foundations. Otherwise, all our pursuits are castles in the air. What we see now is just okay, but it really is just okay. First, let's talk about people's livelihood. We have only solved the problem of hunger and cold. There is a big difference between not being hungry and being full, and there is a big difference between being full and eating well."

Dongniang nodded gently: "Yes."

"My next step is to ensure that people are not hungry enough to eat, and then to eat well. As for industry, it's really just a makeshift solution. We see all kinds of products, and the market is overflowing with goods. But what is the fundamental purpose of industry? It's to allow everyone to enjoy the convenience brought by the times. For example... well, everyone can have a horse-drawn carriage."

Not to mention Dongniang, even the diners next to her burst out laughing when they heard this, and said to their friends, "This guy is drunk and spouting nonsense in front of a girl. Who does he think he is? Commander Xia?"

Dongniang glanced at the person next to her and said with a smile, "It's too big...you've asked for too much."

"Not much, not much," Xia Lin said, resting his chin on his hand. "Let's not discuss the idea of ​​everyone having a carriage for now. Just ask yourself this: if everyone had a carriage, would the roads be enough? Where would the horses come from? If that's not even possible, can't we develop more efficient transportation?"

Dongniang nodded silently: "I understand."

"And then there's education." Xia Lin lowered his voice slightly. "Education remains a huge problem. At present, most grassroots areas are still managed by clans, gentry, and local elites. Education can reach upwards, but it's difficult to penetrate downwards. Tell me, aren't there still cases of people drowning pigs in cages in many villages? And isn't the problem of village feuds still unresolved?"

"Ah."

"That's right. The existence of vigilante justice means that the state's reach hasn't extended to the grassroots level. The next step is to extend control to the countryside and the grassroots. Let's put it this way: we can compare Nanjing to the heart, and the villages and towns in various places to the capillaries. What happens if the blood can't flow down?"

"Limb necrosis can backfire and harm the body."

Dongniang immediately realized what was going on, since it was related to her field of expertise, and she understood everything at once.

"You're really smart." Xia Lin tilted his head back and took a deep breath. "You all thought I was going to put an end to this, but actually this is a new journey. And let me tell you, this journey is never-ending. Once you relax, everything you've experienced will come back to haunt you."

Dongniang couldn't help but shiver. She looked at Xia Lin with worry, while Xia Lin helplessly spread his hands and lowered his voice to begin explaining: "Rather than saying that I'm going to train students, I'd say I'm going to train warriors, to return the right to resist to the people. All our achievements have been obtained through struggle—struggle against poverty, struggle against disease, struggle against disasters, struggle against corruption, struggle against unhealthy tendencies, and struggle against bullying. This is endless."

The key is that Dongniang really fell for it. If it were any other younger sister, she might have said, "I don't care what you say, don't say things I don't understand." But Dongniang is definitely a member of a highly educated group, and she immediately understood the meaning behind it.

"So I'm part of your fight against the disease, right?"

"You can say that."

Dongniang visibly cheered, nodding vigorously: "I will try my best to do better."

The others didn't hear Xia Lin's entire speech, but they'd seen too many scholars spouting such lofty pronouncements these days, and it wasn't anything new to them. These poor, pedantic scholars just expressed their ambitions and talked big every day. But this scholar today was somewhat capable; after all, others said these things to a group of drunken men, but he was saying them to a beautiful young woman.

This can actually bring some real benefits.

(End of this chapter)