"If we want to explain why I say that changing from an agricultural country to an industrial country can fundamentally solve the contradiction between man and land, we must talk about the difference between an industrial country and an agricultural country. And the root of this difference lies in the word 'productivity'. ”

"Next, let's take a few breaths to briefly review the content of the first volume of the "Theory of National Fortune", about 'productivity'."

Jiang Xinghuo looked at his founding disciple Zhu Gaoxu.

Zhu Gaoxu said knowingly: "When Mr. Jiang was talking about the first volume of "Treatise on the Fortunes of the Country", I once asked why the first dynasty was established by Yu, who had meritorious service in controlling the water, instead of the Yellow Emperor, who won the battle of Zhuolu. ”

"At that time, Mr. Jiang told me that the reason is very simple, that is, the development of 'productive forces', so that I can temporarily understand 'productivity' as 'the ability to grow grain'.

"You studied very hard and answered very well." Jiang Xinghuo affirmed Zhu Gaoxu's seriousness.

When Zhu Gaoxu heard this, he immediately stroked his beard and smiled without saying a word, with a smug face.

Old man Zhuo pursed his lips, seeming to be a little disdainful.

Jiang Xinghuo then said: "So now we are focusing on the topic of 'productivity', from the perspective of agricultural countries such as the current Ming Dynasty, what are the important production activities of an agricultural country? ”

Zhu Gaoxu and Zheng He both heard it, Jiang Xinghuo's question today was mainly asked by Old Man Zhuo.

Although Jiang Xinghuo didn't ask Old Man Zhuo directly, he obviously threw the question to the other party.

The two of them looked at Old Man Zhuo in unison, waiting for his answer.

I saw Zhuo Jing pondering his beard for a moment before he slowly spoke: "Since it is 'important' rather than 'the most important', then the old man believes that the first thing is grain production, and the second is the production of textiles such as silk and linen cloth, after all, it is a meaningful thing for the people to be fed and clothed."

Zhu Gaoxu listened very attentively, and couldn't help but interject: "I think that in the current Ming Dynasty, production activities should refer to the production of grain, and the production of farm tools, cloth, and pottery is completely different from food. ”

Zhuo Jing was suddenly annoyed and turned his head to stare at him.

Zhu Gaoxu was not deterred at all, he still stared at Old Man Zhuo, looking like a dead pig who was not afraid of boiling water, and made it clear that he would fight with you to the end!

Old man Zhuo was so angry that he blew his beard and glared.

Seeing this, Jiang Xinghuo, who was leaning on the trunk of the tree, hurriedly said, "Okay, Old Master Zhuo, please continue." ”

Hearing this, Zhuo Jing restrained his anger and continued: "Again, the old man thought that he was raising livestock, such as cattle and chickens raised at home."

"You're wrong!"

Before Zhuo Jing's words were finished, Zhu Gaoxu suddenly spoke, interrupting the other party's words.

Zhuo Jing was stunned for a moment, and then glared at Zhu Gaoxu angrily: "What's wrong with the old man?" ”

Zhu Gaoxu said: "What kind of production is raising livestock? ”

"Alright, stop arguing."

Jiang Xinghuo helplessly helped his forehead and dissuaded.

Since Jiang Xinghuo had spoken, Zhu Gaoxu and Zhuo Jing naturally stopped arguing and looked at Jiang Xinghuo one after another.

"Master Zhuo said comprehensively, the important production activities of an agricultural country do include textiles and animal husbandry."

Hearing this, Zhuo Jing was also proudly silent.

But Jiang Xinghuo changed his words: "What he said is right, for agricultural countries, although they are all production, everything else can be without, and grain production is absolutely indispensable. To exaggerate, farmers can even use iron farming tools without clothes, but even slash-and-burn farming has to produce food. ”

"What does Mr. Jiang mean?" Zheng He was also a little stunned.

"This means that as I said earlier, 'productivity' can be temporarily understood as 'the ability to grow food', and the context of this sentence is 'the productivity of an agricultural country.'"

Jiang Xinghuo explained: "We need to explain clearly what is the difference between the productivity of agricultural countries and industrial countries, and I want you to understand what is the productivity of agricultural countries. ”

"Isn't the productivity of an agricultural country what you just mentioned?" The more Zheng He listened, the more confused he became.

"No, no, no, this is just an appearance" Jiang Xinghuo looked at Zheng He and said softly, "Don't look at it." ”

"What is the essence of the productive forces of an agrarian country?" Zhuo Jing couldn't help but ask.

Zhu Gaoxu also said in an urgent tone: "Yes, Mr. Jiang, if grain production is all appearances, then what is the essence? ”

Jiang Xinghuo was silent for a while, and finally began to explain: "This question is actually very easy to answer, let me ask you a question." ”

Everyone showed a look of deafness.

Jiang Xinghuo said: "How is the grain produced?" ”

Zhuo Jing replied without hesitation: "For the production of grain, the description could not be more appropriate, that is, 'plant a grain of millet in the spring and harvest 10,000 seeds in the autumn', and the harvested grain, in addition to paying taxes and staying for the winter, is used as seed grain for next year and continues to be produced." ”

Jiang Xinghuo bowed slightly, and then said.

In other words, the production process in an agricultural country, or the food production process, is actually a cyclical process, right? Farmers put the fruits of the past into the new production process of 'seed grain', and then produce a new production result of the next year's seed grain, and then put it into the next production process again, and so on, and so on. ”

Hearing this, Zhuo Jing twisted his beard with understanding.

Zheng He and Zhu Gaoxu, when they saw Zhuo Jing's appearance at this time, also subconsciously thought about it.

What Jiang Xinghuo said seemed to be no different from Zhuo Jing.

But they always feel that there is something very important hidden in them.

Zhu Gaoxu suddenly realized: "Oh! So that's it! I see! ”

Zhuo Jing frowned and said, "What do you understand?" ”

Zhu Gaoxu smiled: "I won't tell you." ”

"It's a 'loop.'"

At this time, Zheng He spoke.

Hearing this, Zhuo Jing fell into thought again, and muttered to himself in his mouth: "Cycle. Loop"

Zhuo Jing just had a flash of inspiration in his mind, and Jiang Xinghuo continued.

"And in addition to the cycle, there is also a part of the production process in the agricultural country, which is called surplus."

When Zhuo Jing heard this, he seemed to have touched something, and the inspiration that was about to burst out in his mind burst out in an instant.

"The rest is the food that is set aside for the winter after deducting taxes!"

Jiang Xinghuo nodded and corrected: "To be precise, the surplus is the part of each production process that exceeds the cost and is used to maintain the current consumption of members of society. In the production process of agricultural countries, the cost is taxes and seed grain, and the surplus used to maintain consumption or food is the winter grain. ”

"Then we can draw an obvious conclusion."

"The essence of the productive forces of an agrarian country consists of two parts, the first part is the cycle and the second part is the surplus."

After that, Jiang Xinghuo laboriously wrote this conclusion on the hard ground with a branch.

"And since we know the production process of the agricultural country, according to this production process, can we understand that . In fact, all other production activities in agricultural countries are brought about by the surplus of agricultural products? ”

Zhuo Jing fell into a long exam.

After a while, Zhuo Jing came back to his senses and said, "The old man thinks this statement is quite reasonable. ”

Zhuo Jing expressed his understanding: "The surplus products of agricultural countries are agricultural products, and the general surplus products are grains such as wheat and rice, and these grains have a storage period, and if they are left for too long, they will be inedible. On the plus side, surplus agricultural products will feed those who make agricultural tools, textiles, pottery, and other handicrafts if they are not eaten by the current population and the growing population of the future. ”

Zheng He pondered: "Further, can the remaining agricultural products also give rise to the production of calligraphy, painting, porcelain, pavilions, and pavilions?" ”

"Hey, isn't it just that there are too many people who are full, so they have the heart to do anything, why are you talking so complicated?" Zhu Gaoxu's simple brain can always simplify complex problems in one sentence.

"What if it's on the bad side?" Zheng He vaguely felt a little bad.

Jiang Xinghuo directly gave the answer: "On the bad side, if there are not enough surplus agricultural products, and there are too many people who need to eat agricultural products, once this situation appears, it also means that the contradiction between man and land has reached its peak, and it is often accompanied by chaos in the world and the collapse of the dynasty. After the sharp decline in population, the contradiction between man and land was greatly alleviated, and the next cycle began. ”

Old man Zhuo keenly caught a clue looming in it.

"So, because the production of an agrarian country consists of two parts, the cycle and the surplus, the cycle does not change, and the surplus is destined to disappear as the population increases."

Old man Zhuo's gaze suddenly became sharper.

"The essential reason why the contradiction between man and land has not been resolved for two thousand years is that with the passage of time, the 'surplus' part of the production process in the agricultural country will never be enough!"

"In other words, if you want to solve the contradiction between man and land, you have to create a new 'surplus'!"

But in the next moment, Zhuo Jingfu became distressed again.

"It's easier said than done, but how do you create a new 'surplus'?"

Jiang Xinghuo answered Old Man Zhuo's question: "It is not difficult to create a new 'surplus'. ”

"Not difficult?" Zhu Gaoxu and Zheng He were a little surprised.

It stands to reason that since the creation of a new 'surplus' can solve the contradiction between man and land, and no one has ever realized this and does not know how to create a new 'surplus', it proves that this should be very difficult!

But Mr. Jiang told them that it was not difficult!

Jiang Xinghuo didn't expect them to comprehend it immediately, but said: "If you want to create a new 'surplus', it's actually very simple, we just need to understand which social classes the old 'surplus' is flowing into. And if you understand how the old surplus flows and distributes it, you will naturally understand how to create a new surplus. ”

"I've named this method of analysis – class analysis."

(End of chapter)