Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 39 Two Villages
Changtai Township is organized into villages, each varying in size, with Yuping Village undoubtedly being one of the largest.

Li Tong really likes the name "Yu Ping" because it's his hometown in Hao County.

At first, Li Tong did not understand why her father insisted on moving to the desolate Puxian County.

But now, looking at the bustling Li residence, Li Tong understood.

"master!"

A servant, bowing low, approached Li Tong and said obsequiously, "I've had quite a haul today."

"Oh, how much?"

"A full 50 taels of silver!"

The man opened his palms, his eyes gleaming, unable to hide his excitement.

Li Tong smiled faintly, not taking it to heart.

Although Changtai Township is located in a remote area, the people there all migrated from Hao County and still maintain the monetary values ​​of Hao County, using the currency of Heng State.

The Hang Seng Kingdom used three currencies: gold, silver, and standard copper coins.

The ratio of gold to silver was 1 to 50, while the ratio of silver to coins was 1 to 1000.

In Hao County, four taels of silver is enough for an adult to eat for a year.

50 taels of silver would be enough to feed you for twelve years.

This shows just how tempting this wealth is.

Even Li Tong was incredibly excited when she received the money on the first day.

But as he received between 20 and 50 taels of silver every day, he became accustomed to it.

Just then, an elderly man with a cane passed by the door.

Li Tong was taken aback for a moment, then quickly came out to greet him: "Dad, why aren't you at home? Why have you gone out?"

"Listen to what people outside are saying about you."

Li Jiong remained expressionless.

"Father, why do this?"

Li Tong was embarrassed to be scolded by her own father in public.

Seeing this, Li Jiong shook his head and left on his own.

"Wait a minute, Dad, you said someone insulted me? Which bastard did it, and what did he say?"

"What, you want to get revenge on someone else?"

Li Jiong turned around, his eyes filled with mockery.

"I"

Li Tong opened her mouth, but ultimately didn't say what was on her mind.

"Tong'er, I know you are doing things for the Immortal Master, but you must know that the Immortal Master is always high above. You and I, and other mortals, are the same kind of people."

Li Jiong said earnestly.

Li Tong lowered his head and remained silent.

"The place is always bustling with customers?"

Upon hearing Li Xiangqi's report, Li Xiangming seemed to be deep in thought.

In the past, the head of Changtai Township did not govern the villages, and many people had never heard of Li Jiong.

Things have changed drastically since Li Tong took over.

The reason was that Li Xiangming granted Li Tong the power to adjust the taxes levied on each village.

If Li Tong were to become unhappy, the original one-tenth tax could become one-fiveth, which would undoubtedly be a huge burden on the village.

Everyone feared the power in Li Tong's hands, but with the support of the Immortal Master, no one could do anything about him.

Gradually, this fear turned into flattery. The village raised money to bribe the new head of the township, not to ask for a reduction in tax rates, but only to ask that they not be raised. This practice became increasingly prevalent, from bribing once a quarter to bribing once a month.

Changtai Township has over a hundred villages, and Li Tong was making so much money that his hands were sore from collecting it.

"How's the revision of the household registration records going with Li Tong?" "He seems quite busy, but when I ask, everyone says it will take at least six months."

Li Xiangming frowned. The newly established government office had more than a hundred people. How could it take half a year for them to do anything?
Household registration is very important, and understanding the population situation in Changtai Township was one of the original purposes of establishing the Household Registration Office.

Only by clearly understanding the population composition under one's jurisdiction can a targeted population strategy be formulated.

In addition, clear household registration can effectively reduce the probability of spiritual root seeds being lost to detection.

"Recruit another fifty people and tell Li Tong that he must complete the task within three months, or he can forget about being the head of the village."

Li Xiangming showed no politeness whatsoever.

Li Tong's appointment as the head of the township was entirely due to his father Li Jiong's advanced age, and his own corruption and bribery had long aroused Li Xiangming's dissatisfaction.

The reason they tolerated him was because Li Tong was obedient and would do whatever they were told.

A while ago, Li Xiangming ordered the conscription of 5000 laborers to build a new settlement west of Changtai Township, which caused great suffering to the people. It was Li Tong who stepped in to resolve the situation.

Li Tong was much ruthless than his father. He would whip those who refused to go, and most of the villagers dared not speak out against him.

It wasn't that Li Xiangming wanted to cause trouble for these villagers; it was just that Changtai Township had exceeded the planned resettlement area and was showing a trend of disorderly expansion.

If we let them go down there, there will only be a manor in the east and a village in the west. Who knows, one day they might all end up at the foot of Tailai Peak.

Leaving aside the future, the more than one hundred villages in Changtai Township are already enough of a headache for Li Xiangming.

The village head issued an emergency order to visit a hundred places. How could anyone accept that?

Whether it's to make better use of the land or to improve management efficiency, Li Xiangming felt it was necessary to re-plan Changtai Township.

However, Changtai Township had only just settled down after several years of adjustment. Li Xiangming's sweeping reforms were bound to disrupt the existing order and cause turmoil.

Therefore, he petitioned Li Qianxiong to establish a new Changtai West Township west of Changtai Township, while renaming the original Changtai Township as Changtai East Township. By developing the West Township, he aimed to gently influence the existing East Township.
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Time flies, and March has passed in the blink of an eye.

Li Xiangming convened a meeting of the Shangji Office staff at Tailai Peak, and Li Qianbai and Li Xiangqi were present.

"How's Sang-seok doing?"

Lee Sang-seok was in charge of overseeing the construction of Changtai West Township. With the immortal master present, the laborers would work even harder.

"Progress is rapid; Saigo is already taking shape, but..."

"Just what?"

"But without farmland, it will be difficult to attract people."

Li Xiangming pondered, placing high hopes on Xixiang and intending to transform it into the main secular territory of the Li family. Therefore, he modeled the construction after Pucheng.

Of course, it's just an empty shell right now; only the east side of the city has been repaired, and it's not even halfway done yet.

Even so, it is enough to accommodate 20,000 to 30,000 people.

The problem is that people in Xixiang have houses but no land. We can't expect them to move to Xixiang to live and go back to Dongxiang to farm, can we?
After thinking for a moment, Li Xiangming slowly said, "Tell Li Tong that all villagers who are willing to move to Xixiang will be provided with grain, seeds, farm tools, and oxen by Danggui Mountain, with an annual interest of two percent on every hundred coins."

"If more than 20 mu of farmland is cultivated within three years, interest will be waived and the farmland can be used by the owner. If more than 30 mu of farmland is cultivated, interest will be waived and 70% of the principal will be repaid, and the farmland can be used by the owner. If more than 50 mu of farmland is cultivated, interest will be waived and half of the principal will be repaid, and the owner can choose up to 50 mu for personal use, with the remainder to be handed over to the government."

Upon hearing this, Li Qianbai was greatly encouraged, realizing that 50 mu of land was enough to support several families.

You can get it for free if you work hard.

They even sold their houses and land in Dongxiang and lived in Xixiang where it was free, which was equivalent to gaining a fortune for free.

Even he was tempted, let alone the villagers who made their living from the land?

"Grain and seeds are fine, but farm tools and oxen are a problem."

Li Xiangqi hesitated for a moment before speaking.

Li Xiangming glanced at him. It was truly remarkable that Li Xiangqi, at such a young age, could consider such things.

"Farm tools and oxen were rented from the eastern countryside, with compensation in the form of money and grain, and additional tax reductions were given."

Li Xiangming spoke softly, which was actually quite simple.

In the past few months, under Li Tong's leadership, Changtai Township has seen a continuous stream of government policies and regulations, and taxes have gradually returned to normal. Everyone is now terrified of taxes.

Hearing about tax cuts must have reduced the resistance by more than half.

(End of this chapter)