Taiheiki

Chapter 8 Commons
"Then, how did you all get by?" Wei Cong asked in a low voice.

"How did you get through it?" Wang Shou laughed. "How else can you get through it? Just endure it. If you can endure it, you live. If you can't, you die!" Then he turned his head and continued to look out the window, singing to the peasant woman by the roadside. The vulgar and somewhat vicissitudes of life singing now sounded different to Wei Cong.

"We're here, my dear, let's get off the car!"

Wei Cong followed Wang Shou out of the carriage and saw a vast sloping field beside the road, extending all the way to the coniferous forest several miles away. The slope was planted with wheat, but it didn't look very good. Wei Cong approached and picked a wheat ear at random, noting that at least a third of the grains were shriveled, and the remaining two-thirds were not plump at all. It was far from comparable to the wheat fields he had just seen along the road.

"Is this wheat field owned by Cai Youjiao? The harvest is not very good." Wei Cong asked with a frown.

"It should be said that this wheat belongs to Cai Youjiao!" Wang Shou asked with a smile. "As for the poor harvest, that's normal. This wheat field is only planted with seeds and no one cares about it. This year, the weather is good, so the harvest is good. On normal days, I would earn three times as much as the seeds!"

Wei Cong inquired and discovered that this sloping land was public land. Due to poor irrigation conditions, everyone depended on the weather for their livelihood. Whoever planted the wheat owned it; if someone else planted it the following year, it would become the property of the next person. After Cai Buyi became the head of the river, he had planted wheat on this sloping land for seven or eight years.

"Why don't other people occupy this land? Just because he is a roving patrolman?" Wei Cong asked.

“It’s not just that!”

Wang Shou laughed and said, "It's no use just planting. We need people. Even though this wheat field is usually unattended, someone has to harvest it, right? Harvest time is the hardest hit. Most people are lucky enough to be able to take care of their own fields. Who would have the time to harvest such a large field of wheat?"

"No wonder he caught those thieves and stayed to harvest the wheat before sending it to the county government. He's waiting here!" Wei Cong thought bitterly. He finally understood how Cai Buyi, a mere ranger, could afford a lakeside hunting retreat, complete with servants and maids. Not counting anything else, the wheat fields alone were at least three hundred mu (approximately 1,000 acres). Even if the harvest was low, one mu would yield eighty kilograms (approximately 100 jin) of wheat, adding up to twelve or thirteen tons. Land rents were low during the Han Dynasty, with only one-tenth of that required. That meant Cai Buyi pocketed ten tons of wheat. In ancient agricultural society, food was money, power, life, everything. He finally understood why the late Han Dynasty aristocracy could mobilize tens of thousands of troops.

Wei Cong was just thinking about it when a few people came running out of the wheat field. When they were still a dozen steps away, they all knelt on the ground and kept shouting, "God, save me." Wei Cong looked down and saw that it was the thieves who had robbed him before. They were all disheveled and their faces were covered with sweat. It was obvious that they had suffered a lot in recent days.

"Get out of here, get out of here!" Wang Shou saw this and quickly blocked the way, drawing his sword and shouting, "What are you doing, you deadbeats? Are you itching for trouble? Why don't you go and harvest the wheat?"

The men didn't retreat. Instead, they knelt on the ground and kowtowed, pleading that the work was too tiring and too heavy. They started working at dawn and didn't rest until sunset. They couldn't rest for more than three or four hours a day. If they continued like this, they would be exhausted to death. Wei Cong felt pity for them and asked the supervisor who rushed over, "Is what they said true?"

"Sir!" The overseer, recognizing his own carriage and seeing Wei Congsheng's dashing demeanor, dared not be rude, so he smiled and said, "It's hard work, but it's like this every year at this time. Harvesting the wheat, threshing it, drying it, and storing it in the warehouse—there's no time to delay. Otherwise, a heavy rain will soak the wheat and cause it to mold, and all our work will be for nothing. Besides, these guys are all thieves awaiting trial. According to their crimes, if they were sent to the government, the lightest punishment would be demotion to city prison. The work there is no less demanding than it is now!"

"Yeah!" Wei Cong nodded helplessly. He knew that the supervisor was actually telling the truth. He had seen the hard work of the farmers on both sides of the road along the way. Even in the world before he traveled through time, before the rural areas were fully mechanized, the "double harvest" in July every year in the south was extremely hard, no less than heavy physical labor such as construction and mining.

"My dear!" Wang Shou, who was standing nearby and saw Wei Cong's gloomy expression, said carefully, "I know you have good intentions, but this is how the world is. Everyone has their own destiny. Some are born to enjoy happiness, like you; some are born to suffer hardships, like the rest of us. You have no choice but to accept it!"

"The virtuous and the unvirtuous are like rats; what's the point of living in one's place?" Wei Cong sighed, feeling a pang of resentment. Ever since crossing over, he'd been obsessed with how to quickly integrate here, how to live a better life. He'd invented the carriage suspension damper only to gain fame and climb into the ranks of the ruling class. But today, after witnessing the hardships of the peasants, a thought flashed through Wei Cong's mind for the first time: perhaps in this era, I could use my knowledge to do something for them, to make their lives better.

Thinking of this, Wei Cong said to Wang Shou, "Wait here for a while. I want to take a walk around here!"

"Okay!" Wang Shou said with a smile. He pointed to a large mulberry tree nearby and said, "I'll have the carriage park under that tree. You can go over there when you get tired!"

Wei Cong nodded and strolled along the edge of the wheat field. He carefully observed the tools the farmers used to harvest, thresh and transport the new wheat. Comparing them with several simple manual agricultural machines he had seen on the Internet before, he was satisfied to find that the tools used by these farmers were much more primitive. If one or two could be manufactured and promoted, it would definitely reduce a lot of hard work.

Thinking of this, Wei Cong excitedly returned to the mulberry tree and said to Wang Shou, "Let's go back!"

"Go back?" Wang Shou had just had the maid spread a rush mat on the ground and was about to put some preserved fruits, cakes, or something on it when he was stunned. "So soon! Aren't you planning to stay and watch the situation?"

"What are you watching for? Let's go back quickly! We have something urgent to do!"

"Okay, you decide!" Wang Shou shook his head and helped the maid carry the rush mat onto the carriage. He seemed to hear Wei Cong muttering: "If it can be done within three days, it should be in time for the wheat harvest, right?" Xinye Cai's House.

That evening, when Cai Buyi returned to his courtyard, he felt an unprecedented optimism and hope for the future. Just as he was paying his usual visit to his father, he learned that he had just received a letter from his cousin, Cai Feng, in Xiangyang. The letter mentioned that Cai Feng's eldest son, Cai Mao, would be returning to Xiangyang from Luoyang after the autumn and might stay in Xinye for a few days, and asked Cai Buyi to take care of him and provide him with hospitality. At the end of the letter, this well-connected and prestigious cousin vaguely mentioned that Cai Mao was traveling with a young man of prominent family background, and if he wanted to advance his official career, he must seize the opportunity.

Cai Buyi had long heard of his cousin's vision and tactics. A few years ago, he had gone to great lengths to marry his sister to Zhang Wen of Nanyang, using favors and matchmakers to facilitate the relationship. It was said that he had given five million yuan in dowry alone. At first, everyone mocked Cai Feng for bringing shame to the Cai family of Jingzhou. They assumed his sister was too old and ugly to marry, so he had spent such a large sum of money. Even Cai Buyi was mocked several times by his colleagues at a drinking party in the county.

But as Zhang Wen's career climbed, especially after the Emperor exterminated the entire Liang clan in the second year of the Yanxi reign, his ascension was truly astonishing. In just a few years, he rose from a 400-stone official to the rank of Shangshu Ling. While Shangshu Ling was only a 1,000-stone official, less than the 2,000-stone official held by prefectural governors and prime ministers, or even less than the 2,000-stone official held by commanders and lieutenants, everyone knew that Shangshu Ling held a central position, handling confidential matters. Only the Emperor's trusted aides could hold the position, and his prospects far surpassed those of a mere prefect or prime minister. Zhang Wen's success in holding this position meant he could easily ascend to the rank of Three Dukes, and even a title of nobility was not out of the question.

By this time, those who had mocked Cai Feng for marrying off his sister had long since changed their tune, praising his exceptional ability to discern Zhang Wen's exceptional talent. Cai Feng, however, remained his usual unfazed self. His eldest son, Cai Mao, had been living with his uncle since he was seven or eight years old, frequently traveling between Luoyang and Xiangyang, socializing with the Eastern Han's most prominent nobles and scholars, and building his reputation.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that as soon as this Mr. Cai came of age, he would be selected as a filial and honest official by the Nanjun prefect, and would then serve as a guard at the emperor's side, perhaps bearing a halberd or participating in confidential affairs. A bright path to the imperial elite would open before him, and the Cai family of Jingzhou would also join the ranks of the empire's most prestigious families. And as a member of the Cai family, Cai Buyi would also get a share of the spoils.

"We must seize this opportunity!" Cai Buyi clapped his hands, then stood up suddenly. He knew, of course, that the key to Cai Feng's letter was the nobleman accompanying Cai Mao. Cai Feng hadn't directly stated the nobleman's identity in the letter, and there was a reason for that. Perhaps it was to avoid leaks and potential trouble, or perhaps the nobleman didn't want others to know his identity. Regardless, this cousin had undoubtedly considered more than he did. He only needed to consider how to entertain him and please him.

"Since Uncle Cai Feng said he has a 'profound family background,' his ancestors must have either produced three high-ranking officials, or been members of the imperial family, and have lived in the capital for many years! A nobleman of this background must have seen everything, from food to daily necessities. Even if I were to spend all my money, I'm afraid I still wouldn't be able to impress him! To impress him and win his favor is a real headache!"

Cai Buyi's mind raced at this thought. His family possessed four granaries (a granary holding approximately 3,000 dan of grain) and four to five thousand bolts of silk cloth, which was considered quite affluent for a small place like Xinye. But he couldn't possibly offer only grain and cloth to a nobleman from Luoyang, could he? To impress him, he needed rare treasures, cunning servants, and fashionable items—all of which were in short supply, especially in a remote place like Xinye, where even grain and cloth might not be readily available.

"Oh, how could I have forgotten about Wei Cong? He's most likely from Luoyang, and judging by his elegant writings, his backpack is filled with exquisite items. If I could just ask him to give me a few, wouldn't that be enough? Why am I sitting here brooding over this?" Cai Buyi clapped his hands and jumped to his feet. He immediately had the manager of his villa summoned and asked directly, "Has Lord Wei been staying at his villa these days? Where has he been?"

"Reporting to the master!" the steward bowed and said, "Lord Wei has hardly left the house these days. He only went out a few days ago to walk around the master's wheat fields in Lipo, inspected the harvest, and then returned!"

"Hmm!" Cai Buyi nodded. The steward's answer eased his initial worries. Wei Cong's behavior didn't seem like that of a ruthless thief, but rather a member of the Communist Party fleeing the imperial court. A faint smile appeared on his face. "Okay, okay, that's good. You must serve him well and don't neglect him!"

"As you command!" the steward replied. He hesitated for a moment and said, "Master, I have one more thing to report to you regarding this Lord Wei!"

"It's like this. This Mr. Wei has been busy at his villa—" The steward carefully recounted the story of Wei Cong's transformation of the carriage and the pedal thresher. Finally, he said cautiously, "I wanted to report this to you a long time ago, but I couldn't find you these days, so I've delayed it until now. I beg for your forgiveness, Master!"

"Oh? A horse-drawn carriage that doesn't shake, and a machine that threshes grain with pedals?" Cai Buyi suddenly became interested. "Did you try it yourself, or did you hear about it from others?"

"I've tried it myself!" the steward replied. "The carriage modified by Wei Langjun is indeed much less bumpy, but it shakes more violently. Sitting on it is a bit like a child's swing. Other carriages have two wheels, while his is four. And that pedal thresher is indeed a good thing. It is not only more labor-saving and faster than the original method, but also leaves far fewer grains behind! But -"

"But what?" Cai Buyi asked anxiously.

"Lord Wei said that his threshing machine was free for my family to copy and use, but he had one condition: if we were to use his threshing machine, the servants in our house would have to work one hour less each day so they could rest better. I thought about it and the benefits of using the threshing machine far outweighed the extra hour of work for the servants, so I boldly agreed!"

"Oh?" Cai Buyi pondered for a long time, then suddenly laughed. "He doesn't seek benefits for himself, but treats me well. I feel relieved. Go and have someone prepare the horses. I'll go to his villa now and thank him in person!"

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The riverside in the afternoon was like a huge blue-green emerald, with reeds growing in the shallows along the shore. Wei Cong saw a muntjac drinking water by the lake, with several egrets standing in the water next to it.

(End of this chapter)