Poverty Alleviation in Qin: A Sky-High Review of "I Am the Female Prime Minister of All Time&qu

"If I dare to make a promise to my fellow villagers, then it's not a spur-of-the-moment decision."

"First, this farming method has already been proven to be feasible. Second, I can guarantee that it is perfectly suited to the soil here."

She held up three fingers, her expression serious: "Even if we really have to spend money to compensate the farmers, it's worth it."

"Is it worth it?" Xiao He asked, puzzled.

"Think about it, once the method is successfully implemented, the county's grain production will increase. The people will have enough to eat and live in peace, and taxes can be collected steadily, which will also be good for your future performance evaluation. Compared with the long-term benefits, this potential loss at present is nothing."

Xiao He fell silent. He understood the reasoning, but a weight remained in his heart.

"Are you sure that farmers elsewhere are seeing increased yields from using manure?"

"Sure."

"How much more can production be increased?"

"Income generally increased by 10%, and those with good crops could see an increase of 30%."

Xiao He stared intently at Song Ye's expression. Seeing that the other party was so open and composed, without the slightest hint of guilt, Xiao He's heart finally settled down a little.

"Sir, why don't we start with a small plot of land as a pilot project? Even if it doesn't work out, the losses will be minimized."

"It's all arranged. Uncle Wang's land, as well as the land of several other households that have signed up, are all part of the pilot program. We'll see how it goes after the autumn harvest. If the results are satisfactory, we'll roll it out on a full scale next year."

Xiao He nodded and stepped aside without saying another word.

Just thinking that there are still several months until the autumn harvest makes me worry that I won't be able to eat or sleep every night.

Zhang Liang, standing at the door, witnessed the entire conversation between the two, a faint smile playing on his lips.

This Lord Song's actions may seem unpredictable, but in fact, every step he takes is carefully considered. His courage and decisiveness alone far surpass those of ordinary officials.

......

The next day.

As dawn broke, the village where Uncle Wang lived came alive with activity.

Not only villagers, but also many people from neighboring villages came over. Some people signed up specifically to learn the new method.

Many people are simply there for the novelty: do you really need manure for farming?

This sounds strange, and I can't rest easy until I take a look.

Some people secretly wondered if the newly arrived magistrate was just messing around.

The three acres of land east of Uncle Wang's house had already been cleared, and the ridges were full of people.

Some people were carrying breakfast, some were holding children, and others were squatting under the shade of trees chatting. The scene was as lively as a market.

"He's here! Lord Song is coming!"

The crowd immediately and spontaneously made way for them.

Song walked along the ridge of the field, not wearing his official robes, but in a set of coarse old clothes. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, his trousers were rolled up to his calves, his cloth shoes were covered in mud, and his long hair was simply tied up with a wooden hairpin. A few strands of hair were blown by the wind and stuck to his cheeks, but he didn't care at all.

In this way, he blends in with the farmers and looks no different from any other ordinary farmer.

Uncle Wang hurriedly stepped forward, rubbing his hands together and saying with a smile, "Sir, you actually came down to the fields yourself!"

"I promised to come, so of course I have to keep my word." Song smiled and asked, "Is everything ready?"

"Everything is ready." Uncle Wang pointed to the edge of the field, where several wooden buckets and a wooden stick were neatly arranged, and the manure next to it was covered with a straw curtain, from which a faint odor wafted.

The onlookers instinctively took a few steps back and covered their mouths and noses.

Song Ye remained calm, stepped forward, lifted the straw curtain, picked up a wooden shovel, scooped up some fertilizer, and smelled it. "This fertilizer has been composting for quite a while. It will be even more effective in two months. Uncle Wang, you've taken great care of it."

Uncle Wang was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "I didn't expect you to know these things, sir."

Song planted the wooden stake into the ground, raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and said loudly, "Today I will demonstrate step by step, so please watch carefully."

She squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil, rubbed it, and held it up in front of everyone: "Let me first explain why we need to plow deeply. As you can see, the surface soil looks soft, but it becomes compacted and hard less than three inches down. If the roots of crops don't grow deep, they won't absorb enough nutrients and water."

"We turn over the hard soil and cultivate it thoroughly, making the soil loose so that the roots can grow deep."

"With a stable root system, crops are less susceptible to drought and less likely to fall over, leading to higher harvests."

Some people in the crowd nodded frequently, while others sighed softly, "That makes sense, but it's just too much effort."

After explaining the reason, Song picked up a wooden plow and began to turn over the soil. His movements were not particularly skilled, but his posture was standard. He dug very deep with each plow, turning over all the hard soil underneath.

After working for a while, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Let me tell you about the uses of manure." She walked to the manure pile, shoveled some manure, and spread it evenly on the newly turned soil. "Crops grow entirely from the nutrients in the soil. With each year of cultivation, the soil's fertility will gradually be depleted. Manure is used to replenish nutrients. Compared to wood ash, it is more fertile and easier for crops to absorb."

Many people frowned, covered their noses, and looked disgusted.

A young man at the back of the crowd shouted, "Sir, this stuff is filthy and smelly. If we use it to water the fields, will the crops still be edible?"

Song laughed upon hearing this: "Manure is used to nourish the soil, it doesn't come into direct contact with the grain. If the soil is nutrient-rich, the crops that grow will be plump and sweet, how could they not be edible?"

His words left everyone stunned.

Then Song asked Uncle Wang to bring some clean water, grabbed a handful of wheat seeds, put them in the basin, and stirred them well: "Finally, let's talk about soaking the seeds. Soaking the seeds overnight allows them to absorb enough water, resulting in faster and more uniform germination after sowing. Unlike dry seeds, which germinate at different times and are more troublesome to manage."

The young man who had asked the question earlier was still full of concerns: "What if it gets ruined after soaking?"

"Use clean water, soak it overnight, take it out the next day, drain it, and you can plant it. If you control the timing well, there won't be any problems."

Song straightened up and brushed the dirt off his hands: "Deep plowing, fertilizing, and soaking the seeds—just these three steps. Anyone who wants to try can go back and do it this way."

"I will never force anyone to be afraid or worried."

Just then, a thin, middle-aged man spoke up and asked, "Sir, you hold an official position, how come you are also skilled in farming? Have you ever worked in the fields?"

"I have farmed before. The place I used to live in was even poorer than Pei County. If I hadn't learned to farm, the people would never have been able to feed themselves."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at her with a more affectionate gaze.

A person willing to lower their status

An official who personally works in the fields is convincing enough simply by being genuine.

On the other side of the ridge, Li, a wealthy man from a neighboring village, stood with his arms crossed, wearing a worn silk shirt.

His family owned vast tracts of fertile land and had always looked down on such novel methods. He muttered to himself, "These young people have read a few books and dare to teach us how to farm? Isn't this ridiculous?"

After he finished speaking, no one dared to respond.

Master Li snorted again, "Just wait and see. When the autumn harvest is poor, let's see how she fulfills her promise of compensation!" With that, he turned and left.