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

"Hey mistress, come over here and help me write a few notices."

Zhang Liang was already numb to this form of address. "What kind of content does Your Excellency wish to write?"

Song also explained point by point: "First, the soil should be dug a foot deep, not just a shallow layer. Second, manure is better for the soil than wood fertilizer, so accumulate more farmyard manure and burn less weeds. Third, soak wheat seeds in warm water overnight before sowing, and the seedlings will emerge much faster."

After listening, Zhang Liang remained silent for a moment.

"Sir, is it really necessary to post notices for these routine farming tasks?"

Moreover, can manure really improve soil quality?

"Of course."

"Once it's written, take it and post it, prioritizing the most conspicuous spot at the county government gate. Make several more copies and have the village officials take them back and read them aloud to the villagers word by word."

"Just post it, but don't let everyone read it themselves?" Zhang Liang asked, somewhat puzzled.

Song glanced at him, his eyes looking at him as if he were a fool who knew nothing of the people's suffering, and said speechlessly, "There are very few literate people in Pei County to begin with. What's the difference between just posting it on the wall and a blank piece of paper?"

Zhang Liang was speechless.

The day after the notice was posted, a large crowd of people gathered at the entrance of the county government building.

Most of the people couldn't read; they were just curious and gathered around, asking each other what was written on it.

Just then, Song also came out of the courtyard and stopped when he saw the crowd of people gathered to watch.

"Come on, let me read it to you all." She cleared her throat and pointed to the notice, reading it aloud sentence by sentence.

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in chatter, with everyone discussing the matter at once.

"Wheat seeds need to be soaked in water? I've lived this long and this is the first time I've ever heard of such a thing."

"What if it gets ruined by soaking? A whole season's harvest is gone, who will take responsibility then?"

"And that farmyard manure, it's filthy and smelly. If you use it to irrigate the land, how can you eat the crops you grow?"

A young woman couldn't help but smirk, and the older woman next to her quickly tugged at her sleeve to signal her to behave.

The woman quickly suppressed her smile, but her eyes still showed disapproval.

Uncle Wang, sitting in the front row, his face full of wrinkles, leaned on his hoe and moved forward a little. His tone was sincere but full of confusion: "Sir, we understand the importance of deep plowing, but this work is extremely strenuous. It takes more than half a day to work on one acre. In previous years, some people have tried it, but the harvest didn't increase much."

"We ordinary people rely on just a few acres of land to make a living. We really don't dare to do something that would be a waste of our effort!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the people around him nodded in agreement.

"Yes, sir, you are an official and do not understand the difficulties we ordinary people face in farming."

"Besides soaking seeds, last year my wheat seeds accidentally fell into the water and soaked for half a day. When I took them out, they were moldy. If you soak them overnight, how can they possibly sprout?"

"Manure is even worse. If you pile it up in the corner to decompose, it will stink to high heaven. If you water the fields with it, the crops won't thrive. Instead, it will attract a swarm of flies."

"That's right. If someone really threw manure into the field, they probably wouldn't even be able to sit at the dinner table when they got home."

A soft laugh rippled through the crowd, creating a relaxed atmosphere, but it also clearly showed that no one wanted to believe this method.

Song listened quietly, without the slightest displeasure on his face, until the people realized that they weren't deliberately being difficult, but simply couldn't afford to lose.

A single harvest sustains a family's livelihood, and no one dares to rashly try farming methods they've never seen before.

Outside the crowd, a woman holding a child murmured, "It sounds reasonable, but I've never tried it. What if it doesn't work?"

These words resonated with everyone.

The group looked at each other, remaining silent, their hesitation and concerns clearly visible in their eyes.

Song took two steps forward, raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and said loudly, "I understand everyone's concerns. Farming to support a family is not easy. If it were me, I wouldn't take the risk so easily."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over everyone present: "Alright then, I won't force everyone to follow suit. Those who wish to try will not bear any risk. Everyone can choose a small plot of land to try, and if the autumn harvest is not as good as in previous years, the county government will make up for all the losses."

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd fell silent, and many people were moved.

"As for everyone's concerns about the seeds being soaked and the manure being dirty and smelly, I will personally go to the fields in the next few days to demonstrate the methods and ensure that the crops will not be damaged."

Uncle Wang gripped the hoe, his expression softening slightly. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Sir, are you truly willing to compensate us for our losses?"

"A promise is a promise." Song said firmly, "Fellow villagers, you can rest assured and give it a try. An extra harvest will make your family's life easier."

Upon hearing this, the people whispered among themselves, their previous resistance gradually dissipating, and many began to waver.

After all, there's no risk involved, and someone will guide you step-by-step; why not give it a try and see how it goes?

Zhang Liang saw all of this.

The news spread quickly, and within three days, the entire city and countryside of Peicheng knew about Magistrate Song's promise: any farmer willing to try the new farming methods would have their autumn harvest less than in previous years, and the county government would make up for all the losses.

The people who were previously hesitant are now becoming more and more interested.

Is Lord Song reliable?

"You still don't believe her? She said she'd build a road, and then construction started right away."

"That makes sense. Why don't we give it a try?"

"Let's give it a try. Even if production really decreases, someone will compensate us. What's there to be afraid of!"

Thanks to the reputation Song Ye had built up over the past two weeks, more farmers were willing to give it a try than expected. Although not every household could participate, several bold families in each village volunteered.

Old farmer Wang Bo, who had taken the lead in raising questions at the county government gate, was the first to sign up.

He and his wife discussed it all night, and arrived at the county government early the next morning.

"Sir, I believe you! You tell me how to cultivate those three acres of land to the east of the house, and I'll do it exactly as you say."

Song replied with a smile, "Uncle Wang, please rest assured, I will not let everyone down."

Uncle Wang rubbed his hands together and chuckled, his worries lessening somewhat.

Following that, more than a dozen farmers came to register.

Song also instructed Zhang Liang to compile the list one by one, planning to personally go to the countryside soon to teach everyone practical skills.

Unlike her composure, Xiao He remained restless, his brow furrowed with doubt.

"Sir, I have never heard of using manure as fertilizer in farming. Where did you learn of this method?" He spoke cautiously, his eyes clearly showing worry, as if he was afraid that the other party was just making things up.

Song didn't even look up, casually replying as he flipped through the documents: "In the places I used to live, farmers all cultivated the land this way. I've seen the actual results firsthand; it really works."

"Where did you previously serve, sir?"

Song paused, his hand holding the pen still, and glanced up indifferently: "It's a remote place; you wouldn't know even if I told you."

Xiao He wisely stopped asking questions, but he was still very uneasy.

He was willing to believe that Song was not just talking nonsense, but he still had countless concerns in his mind: would the soil in the two places be different?

What if the harvest is affected by a year of disaster or abnormal weather?

After much deliberation, Xiao He couldn't help but speak up: "My lord, even if the method works, what if a natural disaster occurs during the autumn harvest, leading to a poor harvest...?"

"I will take responsibility for whatever the outcome."

Upon hearing this, Xiao He was speechless for a moment.

However, this matter involves the entire year's harvest of more than a dozen households, and if compensation is required, it will be no small sum.

Thinking about this made Xiao He's scalp tingle.