Reclaiming Wasteland: Carefree Mountain Farmer

Chapter 171 Loyalty
In the dead of winter, children in Luoyang can sleep in late.

They didn't need to get up early to go to school, nor did they need to help with chores at home.

During the autumn harvest and winter storage season, the people of the capital city enjoyed the highest standard of living, with every household having surplus grain and enough money to buy New Year's goods.

Compared to the small-scale farming economy where everyone had to do everything themselves, people in the capital city had nothing to do except go to work, so children could naturally play in groups around their houses.

Around three or four in the morning, newsboys from all over Luoyang gathered at the newspaper office.

This is a roadside courtyard that doesn't face the street. In front is a large room, in the middle is a courtyard, and inside the courtyard are several large printing rooms.

The printing and organization of newspapers were usually done here. The content of the newspapers was written by the scholars in the library, and sometimes they would also get information on the latest royal fashion from the concubines in the harem.

There are one hundred newspaper vendors in Luoyang. Each of them sells the same number of newspapers every day. They come here in the morning to pick up the newspapers and come back in the afternoon to pay.

Si Jiuba led his younger brother Xiaogua into the house, which was already full of people; there were no empty chairs left.

"How much longer?" 498 asked someone casually.

The person standing next to me, 496, said in a very bad manner, "It's just 477's turn. There are still 20 people left. It will take at least an hour."

Newspapers are printed slowly; those with earlier serial numbers are given priority to be sold, while those with later serial numbers have longer waiting times.

A girl of about twelve or thirteen years old walked up to 496 from nearby and looked down at Xiaogua.

"Little melon, are you here to learn how to sell newspapers too?"

Xiao Gua, the younger brother of the 498-year-old, looked up at his older sister, who was much taller than him.

"Sister Yan Yan, my sister said she'd bring me here to see."

Hu Yan is thirteen years old and is the younger sister of Si Jiu Liu.

Si Jiuba looked at Hu Yan curiously, then looked at Si Jiuba again.

"Don't you have a son? Why are you letting your sister learn to sell newspapers?"

Four-Nine-Six looked impatient. "What's it to you? What's wrong with my sister helping me with chores? Didn't you get your younger brother and sister to help you too?"

498 immediately retorted, "Look at your lazy dog ​​spirit! You're always slacking off and being lazy, just like a Han Chinese!"

Si Jiuliu got angry immediately and shouted, "Don't think I'll put up with you just because you're a woman! If you hadn't brought your brother with you today, I would have beaten you up!"

498 tilted his head back and leaned his face in, shouting, "Go ahead and hit me! Do you think I'm afraid of you?!"

A nearby woman warned, "Fighting in the team results in demerit points being deducted and a ten-day suspension from work."

"Ten days it is!" 498 wasn't afraid at all, staring at 496 and cursing, "Look at you, you coward! Bah! You're a disgrace!"

Si Jiuliu was so angry he wanted to hit someone, but he was held back by various invisible shackles. In the end, he swallowed his anger and said, "I won't bother with you, you little brat!"

498 looked at 496, who had fled, and said disdainfully, "Trash! Hu dog!"

Xiao Gua and Hu Yan reluctantly ran to a stove to warm themselves. There were several other children there, all of whom were the future successors of the newspaper industry.

Using child labor is not illegal, and having your own children do chores for you is also not illegal.

The household registration policy was originally designed with households as the primary focus. One household could support four or five people and still have surplus food and money for consumption. This was the original intention of the policy.

Policies are not static; what applies to Kitada Village may not apply to Kitahara Prefecture, and vice versa.

Those that fit the needs of Yamago Kyushu couldn't keep up with the subsequent rapid expansion of their territory.

There are no perfect policies; frequent changes in policies are the norm.

Sometimes the speed at which problems are solved cannot keep up with the speed at which problems arise.

With the Lunar New Year approaching, several people in the neighborhood are discussing their plans for the holiday.

"Are we getting year-end bonuses this year?"

"It should be. King Wu said that all workers' wages this year should be increased by one-tenth compared to last year. Our wages are fixed and cannot be calculated separately, so they are all included in the year-end bonus."

"I remember there were quite a few snowy and rainy days this year. Excluding the days I didn't work, there should have been about 300 working days. One hundred coins a day, which is 30 taels. Is the annual bonus three taels of silver?"

"It should be. Anyway, they gave more money. They gave 3,000 coins to those Han people who gave birth to three-year-old girls. They must have given some to us mountain farmers as well."

What's in today's newspaper?

"King Wu is going to issue paper money, one hundred coins a month, with 100,000 copies issued in each province. Anyone who makes counterfeit money will be put to death."

"Last month, heavy snow fell again in the Northwest. Yesterday, news came that the Northwest has been particularly cold in the last two years. The poorest people in the outer Northwest are barely any grass. Many tribes are planning to migrate south next year. We have encountered many Hu spies in the Wuzhou trade zone who are trying to find out what's going on."

"This year, 103 million children were born in the Mountain Farming Kingdom. His Majesty has given each registered child two strings of cash to buy food and drink, hoping that the children will grow up healthy. Holy Ruler!"

"Absolutely! I've never seen such a good emperor, and I've never even heard of one."

"Those who went out to work this spring will each receive three strings of cash before the end of the year to settle down and take care of their children. If there is no one in the family to take care of the children, one person should stay to take care of them, or they can be entrusted to neighbors or relatives. Next year, there will be no expansion of the workforce, so pregnant women can just rest at home."

"Girls born this year or next year will still receive three strings of cash after they turn three years old, but this will stop starting from the sixth year of the Wu Dynasty."

Si Jiuba stood quietly to the side, listening. After the person in front of him left with their newspaper, he also sat down in an empty seat to wait for his newspaper and read the latest news.

Of the seven pages of the newspaper, the least important section is fashion; at least, you can't see anything interesting in it.

Secondly, there's the military section. I usually glance at it when there's a major event, but I can ignore the small print.

Foreign news is generally quiet, except when there's a disaster.

Domestic news is the focus; all of King Wu's plans will be on this page.

People's livelihood section, a favorite of women and mothers-in-law, clearly shows prices for all kinds of goods, which usually don't change for several months. It's a purely wasteful section, also used for wallpapering, wiping bottoms, and as a clean backing page for calligraphy practice and note-taking.
Agriculture is generally not a major topic, as mountain farmers can manage their own agriculture. There are few reports on agriculture, but most reports focus on the development and utilization of arable land and related land and pastures.

Mountain farmers have always regarded farming as their own business, and they do not encourage others to farm, let alone teach others how to manage crops.

Commercial activities include advertisements and promotions from various shops.

[For Sale: Naan bread shop facing Chang'an Street, including oven, two bedrooms and backyard, annual rent 25 taels.]

[A boon for farmers! One horse-drawn combine harvester equals the labor of 60 men! Harvests 60 acres of wheat fields daily. Installment payment options available. Contact Manager Li at the Heluo Chamber of Commerce office on Chang'an Street. Limited to lords only.]

[Prestigious Residence in Guancheng for Sale]

Located two miles away from the Prime Minister's residence, the Duke's mansion includes eight bedrooms, a marble hall, a private stable, and a 12-acre landscaped garden. It is adjacent to the residences of two Dukes and the Minister of Personnel.

The owner is selling urgently due to taking up a new post elsewhere; the price is 3000 taels.

For inquiries, please contact: Liang Guogong Mansion, Zhengcheng. Prices are negotiable.
[High-paying job fair in Mongolia for martial arts bodyguards! Room and board provided, starting salary 5 taels per month. Many beautiful girls along the way. Scammers please stay away. Contact Chairman Liu of the Wuzhou Beiyuan Chamber of Commerce.]

***
The Wu Dynasty seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of money, but some people were indeed getting poorer and poorer.

"newspaper!"

"coming!"

498 and his younger brother carried the newspaper together on the table, and the ten other numbered people nearby also carried it together, weighing it down with an iron rod.

Little Gua asked, "Sister, what are you doing?"

498 casually replied, "Whether it's level or not, if they're all the same amount, then it's level, saving you the trouble of counting."

Little Gua learned a valuable lesson and watched the busy adults packing newspapers before setting off with her sister to sell newspapers.

Sijiu and Hu Yan also passed through the area and walked together toward the newspaper stand.

The weather was cold. After walking for a while, Sijiu forgot about the previous unpleasantness and smiled at Xiaogua, saying, "Xiaogua, how about I make Sanya your wife in the future?"

Xiao Gua immediately replied, "No need, I want to get married later and earn more money."

Si Jiuliu laughed and said, "Anyway, when you grow up you'll take over your sister's job, and you'll be making several taels of silver a month!"

Xiao Gua asked curiously, "What will my sister do then?"

"How would I know?" 496 smiled. "Anyway, I'll give my job to my son after I'm too old to do it anymore. Your family's position was earned by your father through hard work, and it's passed down to sons, not daughters. You'll definitely be the one when you grow up."

Unable to refute such a thing, 498 could only curse, "You son of a bitch! Mind your own business!"

Si Jiuliu smiled, seeing that she had calmed down after getting angry, and parted ways with the feisty girl with a smile.

"Hu Yan, you can just stand here and sell newspapers. Ten copper coins a copy."

Si Jiuliu handed over the newspaper-selling job to his younger sister.

Hu Yan nodded and said, "Okay, brother, you should go back and rest."

496 didn't want to be in the cold here, even though it was only for an hour or two, but he just couldn't bear the hardship.

After having his younger sister help with the chores, he would go back to his warm bed and snuggle up with his wife for a lazy nap.

When Hu Yan arrived at the usual newspaper stand, it was clear that this wasn't the first time she had helped out.

It's not easy for girls to find a job, so helping out at home can earn them some pocket money.

The mountain farmers don't object to women working in the streets. Hu Yan put the newspaper on the table and sat down to wait for people to come and buy it. Soon, people came to buy the newspaper. Because it was a limited edition newspaper, and it was the end of the year when many important people returned, the newspapers usually sold out within an hour.

Half an hour later, only a dozen or so of the two hundred newspapers remained. Hu Yan looked at the copper coins in the box and then at the bustling street nearby.

"The team is either full of women or men; there isn't a single newspaper seller my age."

“If there were a newspaper seller like me, I could help him sell newspapers. If he married me, I could help him with the work. Wouldn’t that be great? I wouldn’t have to be bossed around by my brother at home.”

Hu Yan thought about her future, hoping to find a young man with a good job, so she could wash his clothes, cook for him, and do chores, and the two of them could work together to support their family and have eight or ten children.

It was the dead of winter, yet spring was in the air, when I saw a young man a few years older than me walking towards me.

"Bring me a newspaper."

Beijiwu took five copper coins out of his pocket and placed them on the table, then reached for a newspaper.

Hu Yan glanced down at the newspaper, then looked at Beijiwu, who was already counting newspapers.

"Ten coins, ten coins for a newspaper."

Beiji Wu frowned, looked up at her, and asked, "Wasn't it five copper coins? Why has the price gone up?"

Hu Yan casually said, "Prices went up during the Chinese New Year."

"How come I didn't know the price had gone up?" Arctic Martial's voice immediately turned stern and intimidating. "What's your number!"

Hu Yan was being watched by Bei Jiwu, and when she heard him suddenly speak in a frightening voice, the astonishment on her face quickly turned into fear.

"Don't be angry, I don't want the money anymore, you can take it, just don't tell the higher-ups, okay..."

Hu Yan looked at Beijiwu cautiously and pitifully.

Hu Yan's womanly intuition told her that this person in front of her was definitely not someone to mess with.

Beijiwu frowned and glanced at her, then withdrew his hand and took back the copper coins from the table.

“Tell the person who was supposed to be selling newspapers here that his number has been cancelled and he will be reassigned from the public account to the private account.”

After finishing his sentence, Beijiwu turned and left, easily resolving a troublesome little matter.

Newspapers were an important propaganda tool for Beijiwu, and he repeatedly reminded his subordinates that selling newspapers was not for profit, but that the newspapers had to be distributed to more people.

The pay is usually quite good. The job of selling newspapers is very easy. There are holidays every week, and you don't have to work when the weather is bad. The printing machine also needs maintenance, so you don't deliver newspapers every day.

The monthly allowance is enough for a family of four or five, and they have always treated us like family, prioritizing our housing and children's right to education.

But people's hearts seem to be never satisfied. In just three or four years, some people have forgotten what kind of life they lived and what kind of food they ate before.

Hu Yan was terrified. She didn't even care about her stall anymore. Clutching the money box, she quickly followed Arctic Martial.

At six o'clock on a morning before the Lunar New Year, many roadside stalls were already full of people.

There were vendors selling mutton soup, steamed buns and naan bread, mixed noodle soup, and fried dough sticks...

Hu Yan quickly walked forward through the crowd, chasing after the man.

Beijiwu had already reached another street and heard the woman's shouts.

[Shan Nong Daily! Shan Nong Daily! King Wu is distributing money, and all the farmers are getting some!]

[Mountain Farmers Daily! Mountain Farmers Daily! Natural disasters continue, and the Hu people are migrating south!]

[Mountain Farmers Daily! Mountain Farmers Daily! New coins issued in the fifth year of the Wu Dynasty!]

Following the voice, Beijiwu walked to the stall where the voice was being called. There were only a few newspapers left, and the person calling out was a girl of about thirteen or fourteen years old with two braids on the left and right.

"How much is a newspaper?" Beijiwu asked about the price of the newspapers here.

Si Jiuba casually said, "Five coins a serving, and there are only two left. Judging from your accent, you don't sound like a local. You can only buy one serving at most."

The little boy sitting next to her saw the Arctic Empress and exclaimed excitedly, "Sister! This big brother treated us to candy yesterday!"

498 knew that yesterday a rich man had spent money to treat a group of children to candy, and he carefully watched Arctic Martial.

"Then I won't charge you. You're so rich, you must be from the south, right?"

Beijiwu took the newspaper and glanced at it; the contents were mostly things he already knew.

Overall, it's not worth reading.

While Bei Jiwu was reading the newspaper, Hu Yan carefully walked over with the money box in her arms and said to him cautiously, "Brother, I'll give you all the money, but please don't tell the higher-ups, okay?"

Seeing Hu Yan's terrified expression, Si Jiuba immediately defended her, saying, "Hu Yan, what's wrong? Did he bully you?"

Arctic Martial put down his newspaper and looked at 498. "What's your number?"

"498." 498 looked at Arctic Martial unhappily, "I am 115498!"

Beijiwu asked doubtfully, "98 is an even number, the largest even number among two-digit numbers. According to the inheritance law that prioritizes the deceased, you were assigned this position after someone in your family died, right?"

Si Jiuba put away his displeasure and looked blankly at Beijiwu.

"I...I don't know."

Si Jiu-ba doesn't know what a compound even number is, let alone what 98 means.

Xiao Gua immediately said, "This is my sister. My father died in the war, and our family went from being farmers to newspaper vendors."

498's father was not a newspaper seller; it was only after his death that Arctic Warrior gave him this job and number as a form of compensation.

Beijiwu nodded and glanced at the nervous and frightened woman.

"What about this one? What's its number?"

Xiao Gua replied, "Yan Yan's house is 496."

Beijiwu asked the little boy, "No one in their family died, right? I remember number 96 should be a man."

Xiao Gua thought this older brother knew a lot, so he honestly replied, "Sister Yan Yan sells newspapers for her brother, and her brother takes the newspapers and goes home to sleep."

Beijiwu roughly understood what was going on. Without even glancing at Hu Yan, who was pale-faced, he directly asked Xiaogua.

How many people are in your family? How old are they?

After eating the candy from this person, and sensing from the atmosphere around him that this person was no ordinary person, Xiao Gua honestly replied, "There are three people in my family. My eldest sister is thirteen years old, my second sister is nine years old, and I am eight years old."

Beijiwu nodded. "He can get work done now. From now on, 498 will continue to do things here, and you and your second sister will take care of things on 496's side."

498 sized up Arctic Martial, "Who are you? What's your number?"

You always encounter strange people in Luoyang. Si Jiuba is quite knowledgeable and has seen many strange people, but this is the first one he has ever met who is so frightening.

Beijiwu didn't answer, but casually said, "After you sell the newspapers, go have a hot meal, and then you can go home and wait for our call."

Hu Yan immediately knelt before Beijiwu, pleading, "My lord! Please have mercy! Don't tell anyone, I'll do anything!"

Beijiwu didn't even glance at her, and walked away calmly.

In the freezing cold, 498, who was terrified, was completely confused about what was going on. Seeing Hu Yan kneeling on the ground crying, he quickly helped her up.

"What's going on? What happened?"

Hu Yan cried and said, "I almost sold out of newspapers. He came over and asked how much a newspaper cost. I said ten coins. Then he asked me for the serial number. No matter how much I begged him, he wouldn't say a word."

Hu Yan wiped away her tears, feeling both wronged and scared.

498, mouth agape, cried out, "We're doomed! It's an inspection! I have to go tell the captain right now! I told you not to raise prices, but you wouldn't listen!"

Si Jiuba hurriedly ran to inform the team leader. Although she hadn't raised the price, many people in the team were violating regulations. Out of a sense of collective honor, Si Jiuba quickly went to inform the team leader.

However, it was already too late.

What Arctic Martial wants to investigate doesn't require him to personally intervene; he only needs to send someone to investigate, and the results, along with the punishment, can be obtained within an hour.

What has been done cannot be hidden; everyone is reporting on each other.

If someone doesn't listen, they'll be replaced. There are plenty of public households in each production team that need resettlement, and all the good jobs can be filled within a day.

What technical requirements are there for selling newspapers?
Loyalty, obedience.

If you can't do it, then get out.

Those who performed well inherited the permanent position of 498, while their younger brother, Xiaogua, became 496.

497 also broke the law, and the person who took over 497's work was... Zhang Xianglan.

With nothing to do at home, Zhang Xianglan quickly and discreetly took up a position, becoming a low-key "connection agent".

Internal matters were not reported, and the next day's newspapers did not contain any of yesterday's events. However, all the newspaper clerks in Luoyang obediently collected five coins to sell newspapers, selling one copy to each person, and not selling more than one.

(End of this chapter)