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

"Da Niu, just keep being stubborn! Your fields and Uncle Wang's fields are next to each other, under the same sky and the same wind, so why is it that his harvest is so good while yours is just so-so?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Daniu's face instantly turned bright red. He spat out the grass stalks from his mouth, patted his backside, and stood up, forcing a defiant statement: "I... I just didn't take good care of it this year! Next year I'll plant properly, and the harvest will definitely be better than his!"

But the more he spoke, the softer his voice became, until finally, even he himself didn't believe it.

The good news from the countryside quickly reached the county town, and the person who was most restless in the town was none other than Master Li.

This wealthy man from Pei County owned hundreds of acres of fertile land, had farmed all his life, and had a very high opinion of himself.

When Song Ye promoted the farming method in the summer, he publicly scoffed at it, saying that young people don't understand farming and have no interest in following the trend.

But now his subordinates have come to report: this year, all the small farmers in the county who followed the new farming method have had a harvest that is half to one-tenth higher than in previous years. Only his family's hundred acres of fertile land have a harvest that is exactly the same as in previous years, with no increase whatsoever.

An increase in production of 50% to 10%!

One hundred acres of land translates to several acres of net income increase!

Master Li sat in the hall, his mind racing with calculations, the more he calculated, the more frustrated he became, and his face turned extremely pale.

The steward stood to the side, carefully observing his expression, and tentatively asked, "Sir, how about... we try the new method next year?"

Master Li wanted to mock the manure for being dirty and the method for using crude methods, but he swallowed the words back.

After all, the bountiful harvests of countless small farmers speak for themselves; facts speak louder than words.

After a long standoff, Master Li slammed his teacup down on the table, his voice heavy and somber: "I understand. You may leave now."

The steward bowed and withdrew, leaving him alone in the hall.

At that moment, he suddenly realized that his old experience was no match for that of a young county magistrate who had just arrived in Pei County.

So, relying solely on empiricism is a bad idea!

...

The dramatic changes during the autumn harvest spread throughout Pei County, but Song Ye, the person involved, remained unusually calm.

Occasionally, villagers would excitedly run up to share the good news, and she would simply nod gently and say, "That's good, the villagers' hard work this year hasn't been in vain!"

On the contrary, Xiao He was extremely excited.

For days, he has been running around collecting autumn harvest data from villages throughout the county. Looking at the reports of the gratifying harvests, he has never stopped smiling.

That day, carrying the latest accounting statistics, he rushed into the county government hall, his voice filled with excitement: "Your Excellency! Great news! This year, Pei County's production has increased by nearly 10%!"

"Several households in Liujia Village in the east of the city and Xigang Village have all seen increased harvests! Farmers in many areas have harvests far exceeding those of previous years!"

Song Ye looked down at the document in his hand, without raising his head, and said, "Hmm."

Seeing her calm demeanor, Xiao He couldn't help but ask, "My lord, such a joyous occasion, how come you aren't excited at all?"

"It was an inevitable outcome, something that was planned in advance, so what's there to get worked up about?"

Xiao He was taken aback, but then smiled with relief.

Yes, from the very beginning, Magistrate Song was convinced that the new law would be effective. However, the officials and the common people remained uneasy and hesitant for an entire summer until the autumn harvest and they finally believed it after seeing it with their own eyes.

Song put down the official document in his hand, leaned back gently against the chair, and raised his hand to rub his throbbing temples.

After a busy summer, my tense nerves can finally relax a little.

"Xiao He".

"My lord, what are your orders?" Song stretched his stiff neck and said, "Hold a victory banquet at the county court tonight, and invite all the officials on duty to come and have a hot meal together."

Xiao He was caught off guard: "Tonight?"

"Tonight."

"Yes! I'll take care of it right away!" After saying that, Xiao He turned around and muttered to himself, "I need to tell the kitchen to prepare more meat. Everyone has been working so hard lately, they need to be properly nourished."

Seeing his hurried manner, Song Ye couldn't help but chuckle: "Alright, alright, get back to work."

"Okay!"

Xiao He's steps were ridiculously light; at thirty years old, he ran like a teenager. He almost tripped over the threshold, but after regaining his balance, he ran forward excitedly again.

Song felt much relieved as she watched the man's retreating figure.

This year's autumn harvest was quite good; all farmers who tried the new farming methods generally saw yields per mu (unit of land area) increase by about 10% compared to previous years.

The numbers may not seem large, but their significance is truly profound.

This proves that the composting method is entirely feasible.

More importantly, this is the first thing she has done since she traveled to this era that has truly been implemented and brought tangible benefits to the people.

To say I don't feel a sense of accomplishment would be a lie.

However, given her position, she can't join in the boisterousness of her subordinates.

When leaders are overjoyed, they ruin the "wonderful" image of their subordinates.

She wanted to relax and have some fun, since it was a rare treat.

Song picked up the official document and tried to read a few more lines, but while his eyes were on the words, his mind was filled with thoughts of dinner.

In my past life, I often stayed up late and had irregular eating habits, which caused me to develop stomach problems at a young age, and I didn't have the chance to try many delicious foods. Although the food in ancient times was simple in this life, at least I am healthy and can eat and drink well, which is the greatest blessing in itself.

Thinking of this, Song simply put down the documents, got up and went to the backyard, intending to wash his face and change into clean clothes.

A victory celebration banquet should always be organized in a neat and presentable manner.

...

Meanwhile, the county government's kitchen became bustling with activity.

Xiao He rushed into the kitchen, startling Old Zhao who was busy at the stove.

"Xiao Gongcao? What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Great news! Incredibly great news!"

Xiao He slammed his hand on the stove, his voice booming, "Lord Song has ordered a victory banquet tonight! The autumn harvest has been bountiful; everyone has worked so hard, let's treat them to a good meal!"

"Take out all the meat we've stored, cook a few more dishes, and find some leftover wine—prepare everything!"

Old Zhao paused for a moment, then beamed and repeatedly replied, "Okay! Okay! I'll get started right away!"

The kitchen instantly became bustling with activity, with people chopping vegetables, starting fires, stewing meat, and cooking rice – a scene brimming with the aroma of cooking.

After arranging the kitchen, Xiao He immediately went to inform everyone.

Cao Shen was checking the prisoner roster in the jail when he heard Xiao He say there would be a victory celebration banquet that evening. Without even looking up, he simply replied, "Oh."

Xiao He glared at him: "You're the only one? That's too cold!"

After he finished speaking, Cao Can put down the bamboo slips. His face tightened, but he couldn't help but let a slight smile appear on his lips: "Otherwise what? Should I do a somersault to entertain you?"

Xiao He was too lazy to argue with him, so he turned around and went to find Xiahou Ying, Ren Ao and others.

After the message was relayed around, all the officials in the county were informed.

For the past two weeks, no one has had an easy time.

Lord Song set an example by doing everything personally, so his subordinates dared not slack off.

During the day, he traveled all over the city and countryside to promote new policies and collect agricultural statistics. At night, he worked at his desk organizing documents. He was so busy that he could barely stand. When he was tired, he would just fall asleep. He even dreamed about checking dimensions and compiling harvest statistics.

Now that the autumn harvest has been a great success, all the hard work has paid off, and a hot meal and a few cups of wine are the best comfort.