Chongguan County is too poor, and with some tax exemption policies of the imperial court, the tax revenue and other income of the entire county in a year is less than 10,000 taels.

No, to be exact, only more than seven thousand taels of silver.

Although Lin Ruan was already mentally prepared, being poor like this really exceeded Lin Ruan's expectations.

Ma Xianling wiped his face embarrassedly, "There are several large expenditures in the county this year, all of which are used to strengthen the city wall and resettle the people......"

In fact, with the addition of those silvers, it is only more than 10,000 taels of silver.

And most of this silver comes from those big families in Chongguan County.

There is no way to do it, Chongguan County is really too poor, and the people are in a state of making ends meet all year round, even if the imperial court exempts most of the taxes, it still can't solve any problems, and every year they have to rely on the yamen to settle some displaced people. If there is a natural disaster, let alone taxes, the court will have to put money into it.

Lin Ruan rubbed his forehead and waved his hand: "I will ask the imperial court for the matter of lime mine funds, you go and organize manpower, do the preliminary work as soon as possible, and wait until the spring of next year to start mining." ”

The funding problem can be solved, and other things are not difficult for Ma County.

Chongguan County lacks everything, but there is no shortage of manpower!

So Ma Xian Ling excitedly rolled up his sleeves and began to recruit people.

The people of Chongguan County are all able to bear hardships and stand hard work, and with the presence of Lin Ruan, the call of the people to the yamen can really be regarded as a response.

The notice to recruit people to open the mine was posted only a day ago, and many people went to the yamen to sign up. In two days, the manpower for the preliminary preparation work was enough.

On the contrary, it took several more days to prepare the building materials for the mine.

Ma Xian Ling took these people to Matou Mountain first, and when Lin Ruan and the first batch of building materials were almost ready, he personally escorted the team away.

At this time, the bottom of Matou Mountain is very different from before, the front of the lime mine was chaotic before, and now it has been cleaned up in a neat and orderly manner. Because there was not enough space, Ma Xian Ling was leading people to dig the hill in front of him.

It wasn't really to dig up the mountain, but to dig as far as possible from the foot of the mountain to make a clearing enough for the lime mine to operate. Workers wielding hoes, shovels, and sledgehammers are full of energy, and the workers transporting the muck push the carts as fast as they can.

On the other side, rows of house foundations have been dug out, waiting for the bricks to arrive and start building houses.

At this time, it was almost mid-October, and it was already very cold in northern Xinjiang, and it was snowing in this part of Matou Mountain last night. But there is no cold at all on the construction site, and it is a hot scene.

Lin Ruan took a turn around the construction site and was very satisfied with the progress.

When Ma Xianling heard that Lin Ruan was coming, he hurriedly ran to greet him with a face of mud, "The lower official is late to take over, and I ask the princess for forgiveness." ”

Seeing his appearance, Lin Ruan waved his hand, "Ma County Order, you guys are very fast." ”

Ma Xian Ling raised his sleeve and wiped his face: "Everyone knows the importance of this lime mine, so it is not adulterated at all. ”

The people of Chongguan County are very simple, although they know that this lime mine belongs to the imperial court, but the Ma County Order told them that with this lime mine, everyone will have a place to earn money in the future, and they can have at least one or two silver incomes every month.

For this reason alone, these workers who come to work will not be lazy and do this job as if it were their own work.

When the hearts of the people are united, the progress will not be slow.

After Lin Ruan heard this, he was also very happy in his heart.

The most difficult thing about poverty alleviation is not poverty, but laziness. Once people's hearts are lazy, no matter how much they help, they can't help them.

And the people of Chongguan County, they are very hardworking, and they have a heart that is desperate to live a good life. As long as the imperial court gives them a glimmer of hope, they will firmly grasp it and work hard, regardless of whether they will succeed or not, but they will never watch the opportunity slip away from them.

With such a common person, Lin Ruan doesn't mind meddling more with his own affairs.

Lin Ruan came over this time, she was very low-key and dressed very plainly, if it wasn't for Ma County's order to salute her, many people would not know her identity.

Now that they know that she is the princess who protects the country, they all hurry over to salute her.

Lin Ruan hurriedly stopped: "You don't need to be polite, we will have more opportunities to meet in the future, so we don't need to salute." Let's work hard to build houses and sheds before the heavy snow arrives, and next spring, we will start mining. With this mine, the roads in our northern Xinjiang will be repaired to Kyoto smoothly! In the future, the melons, fruits and grains produced in our northern Xinjiang will be transported to all parts of Dazhou at the fastest speed, and then exchanged for silver, grain, and all kinds of things that everyone likes and wants, and then transported back! ”

"Good!"

The workers clapped their hands with excitement, they had grown up on this barren land for generations, generation after generation, struggling and working hard, for what? Isn't it just to make life better, so that the next generation can not suffer so much?

Now that the princess has come, it has brought them hope, the hope of a good life, how can they not be excited.

With this excitement, the workers worked harder.

Lin Ruan stayed at the foot of Matou Mountain for two or three days, holding the drawings he had drawn and instructing the craftsmen on how to work.

After returning to the county, Lin Ruan met Liang Twelve.

"You're really not going back to the barracks? Do you know what happened in the barracks during this time? If you don't go back, Xiang Ruyue will really turn the sky upside down. ”

Mentioning this, Liang Twelve was in a hurry.

Xiang Ruyue has been living a very prosperous life recently, although Xiao Jingchen has not officially recognized her identity, but after the incident with Mrs. Wu, Xiao Jingchen asked her to get a camp again, which was very comfortable. The steward no longer let her do things, and a mother-in-law came to serve her.

Although she was not given the title of concubine, the current treatment is no different from that of a concubine.

Everyone in the entire military camp knew that Xiang Ruyue was Xiao Jingchen's person. Everywhere she went, someone respectfully called her "Madam". Except, of course, for him and Shen Zhennan and those soldiers under Shen Zhennan.

Lin Ruan smiled indifferently: "What is there to worry about?" A handyman, worth my trouble? I can't finish my business all day, where do I have the time to play those jealousy tricks with her. ”

In fact, she knows Xiang Ruyue's recent movements clearly, the golden eagle will give her a few letters every day, Xiang Ruyue has been "planted" a group of "eyeliner" around her, that is, Xiang Ruyue dreamed a few farts at night, she knows it clearly.

She guessed that Xiang Ruyue was about to lose her control.