Because of the bandits, Zhu Guoxiang's wedding date was postponed, and he looked for Mr. Bazi in the coffin shop to calculate, and the other auspicious day was still half a month away.

Zhu Ming decided to go back to the cottage to have a look, but he didn't go with his father to see his father-in-law.

has been accompanying the envoy, Zhu Ming has not been back for several days, he is really a little worried, and he can be said to be like an arrow in a small boat.

However, except for the people's peace of mind, there has been little change in Daming Village.

It's just a matter of clearing out the burned ruins.

Zhang Guangdao was still running errands outside, and Bai Sheng temporarily took the position of deputy village head, and he happily came over to report his work: "Village chief, Third Brother Zhang went back two days ago and brought over more than 20 escapees. There are some empty houses at the bottom of the mountain, so I let these fugitives live in them temporarily. ”

"In the end, there are more than 20, be specific." Zhu Ming said.

Bai Sheng said: "Counting the nursing dolls, there are a total of twenty-six new ones. ”

"Good!"

Zhu Ming was very happy that the population of the village was less than 700, and there were 26 new people in an instant, and the population growth rate had exceeded 3%.

Bai Sheng couldn't help but say, "Village Chief, haven't you seen how miserable these escapees are. I used to be miserable, compared to the fugitive, it was the emperor's life! ”

"How miserable is it?" Zhu Ming asked.

Bai Sheng said: "Brother knows about brown hair, right? It's used to make clothes and mats. Those who fled didn't even have a few sackcloth, and they were still making clothes out of brown fur. The whole family of three or four people can wear a linen dress to go out, and they have to wear it to go down the mountain to buy oil and salt. In winter, the whole family huddled in a bed of hemp quilts, closed doors and windows and leaned against the fire. Freeze to death every winter! ”

"They don't grow their own hemp spinning?" Zhu Ming said curiously.

Bai Sheng said: "There are not many places in the mountains where you can get water, and there are not many fields that can be irrigated with water, where are you willing to grow hemp?" The food grown has to be carried down the mountain to change oil and salt, and it is considered lucky not to starve to death. ”

Zhu Ming was silent.

After crossing with his father, he came all the way downstream, where it was deserted. Cultivating land by the river is also a hundred times stronger than hiding in the mountains.

It can only be said that these fugitives are so afraid that they don't even dare to live by the barren river, for fear that they will be found by the government and will be taxed.

Zhu Ming instructed: "Every new escapee, give them six feet of linen, so that they can have clothes to wear." ”

"Brother is benevolent!" Bai Sheng couldn't stand it anymore.

Zhu Ming asked: "Did Third Brother Zhang say how many escapees he can take?" ”

Bai Sheng said: "It is estimated that there are two or three hundred." There are also fugitives who have a good life, they take up water in the mountains, and they gather together to become fugitive villages. People in this kind of runaway village, who usually have food and clothing, will definitely not want to come. ”

If two or three hundred escapees can be absorbed, the population of Daming Village is expected to exceed 1,000!

Not afraid of crowds, there are wastelands in the lower reaches of the Han River.

Zhu Ming instructed: "These twenty-six people are assigned to the six armor chiefs, and let them arrange houses and land. It is still the old rule that adult men are given one acre of land, and adult women are given half an acre of land, and then they are allowed to cultivate and open up wasteland. I provided them with seeds, and each of them was given three buckets of rations per month, and the rations were only distributed for half a year. Wasteland reclaimed is exempt from tax for three years. ”

You can't reward too much at once, you have to take your time, otherwise the local villagers will have ideas.

But such a small piece of land will definitely not be able to survive, and even if you go to tenant farming, it will be extremely hard, so there is the so-called land reclamation.

It was a kind of semi-barren mountainous land, which had been cultivated before and was confiscated by Zhu Ming after his death. You can only plant some sorghum casually, and you can't harvest a few grains of grain a year.

When corn and sweet potatoes are introduced, the life of the villagers will be much better, and two acres of mountainous land per capita is Zhu Ming's expectation.

This can ensure that after paying taxes, the villagers can barely eat and clothe themselves, and they must work hard to work as tenants. Only when the peasants need to work as tenants for a living, and the good land in the homes of the village chief, deputy village head, and baojia chief can they have enough labor force to engage in production.

If too much land is given to the villagers, they will not be able to cultivate their own land, and who will share the land of the rich households?

In addition, Zhu Ming also found a thorny problem, there is no doctor in the village!

"In the past, when everyone was sick, they all picked herbs to eat?" Zhu Ming asked.

Bai Sheng said: "I have asked, the bandit leaders are sick, and they usually go to the white market to invite Langzhong." As for the peasants, they either picked their own herbs or resisted. ”

Zhu Ming muttered: "No wonder the bandits have occupied this place for decades, and there are still outsiders joining from time to time, but this person has not been able to prosper. You'll have to get a doctor to settle down! ”

Bai Sheng had an idea and said: "Zhao Langzhong in Baishitou, in addition to his son studying medicine, there is an apprentice to help. The boundaries are too small to see a doctor. His apprentice has been studying for more than ten years, and he has been sitting in the clinic for several years, but he can't be a teacher. ”

"I understand, the place is too small, and if the apprentice is out of the school, he will smash the master's job," Zhu Ming said happily, "Give you an errand and invite Zhao Langzhong's apprentice." If he wishes to come, he will immediately give twenty acres of land. If his whole family comes, one person will be given another acre of land, and even the doll will have land. The whole family is here, and I will reward him with two acres of paddy fields! ”

"Then he's a fool not to come." Bai Sheng said with a smile, this task is too easy.

No matter how much mountainous land you give, it is empty, but two acres of paddy fields are extremely golden!

In Shangbai Village and Xiabai Village, some families own dozens of acres of land, but they don't even have a single acre of paddy fields, and all of them are controlled by wealthy households.

In the afternoon of the same day, Bai Sheng went to see a doctor.

Before the doctor came, Zhang Guangdao came back first.

Moreover, he brought back fourteen fugitives and a group of smugglers.

Zhang Guangdao introduced: "Village chief, this is Liu Peng and Liu brothers. He heard that the little white man was gone, and planned to come over to sell illicit salt. He also said, "Brother Liu, this is Zhu Ming and Zhu Dutou who killed Zhu Zongdao and Bai Zongmin, and led the troops to level Heifeng Village." ”

"Look up for a long time," Liu Peng flattered, "The name of Zhu Dutou, which hero in Xixiang County doesn't know?" There were two archers in my village who went home and brought a lot of rewards, saying that they were rewarded by Zhu Dutou. The big guys all said that Zhu Dutou is benevolent and righteous, and he will not suffer a loss if he follows Zhu Dutou to do things! ”

Zhu Ming laughed heartily: "Everywhere, it is the brothers who work together to kill the thief. Since they are their own brothers, they must not be allowed to suffer. ”

The position of the head of the archer, although it is only a temporary appointment, everyone likes to call it so.

Just like Wu Song fought the tiger and became the head of the capital, after he stepped down, some people still called him "the head of the capital".

A symbol of status, the common people eat this set, and even the heroes of the rivers and lakes are no exception.

Liu Peng didn't talk nonsense, and said straight to the point: "The little white man colluded with Zhu Er to occupy the private salt road here." He sells salt for 20 wen per catty, and he has to go to the white market to buy it himself. Now I transport salt to the river, only fifteen wen per catty! This is for the sake of Zhu Dutou's face, otherwise there will be at least 16 Wen per catty. ”

"Can't it be cheaper?" Zhu Ming also wanted to bargain.

Liu Peng said: "If Zhu Dutou doesn't believe it, you can ask Third Brother Zhang." Which of the county's private salt is cheaper than me? It is estimated that the price will have to rise next year, whether it is a new master book or a new county lieutenant, and those who sell illicit salt will have to pay tribute to him. ”

Well, this is still the anti-smuggling window.

Zhang Guangdao nodded secretly, indicating that the price was indeed very low.

Zhu Ming said: "I have been to Jiangnan, where the illegal salt is only sold for a few pennies. ”

"Can Jiangnan be compared?" Liu Peng said speechlessly, "All the salt sold here is Sichuan salt, which is transported from Bazhou, and you have to go all the way over the mountains and mountains." There are still a lot of inspection checkpoints to check, and you can't clear customs without spending money. ”

"I see," Zhu Ming said with a smile, "then fifteen wen per catty!" ”

Zhu Ming didn't want to lower the price, he just wanted to inquire about the origin of the private salt.

Now I have inquired clearly, the illegal salt is transported from Bazhong, and it is on the Micang Road, and it is necessary to cross the Micang Mountain.

Sichuan salt is not as easy to control as Huai salt, and if it can't be kept, a salt well will be drilled in the poor countryside. This kind of salt well is called Zhuo Tube Well, and the government cannot collect taxes at all, so the private salt in Sichuan is extremely flooded, and the Jin salt is directly squeezed out of the private salt market in Hanzhong.

Zhu Ming has a plan in his heart, and in the future, he must take Sichuan as soon as possible to rebel.

One is to avoid being stuck in the neck by salt, and the other is to be able to collect a large salt tax.

After negotiating the price of private salt, Zhu Ming warmly invited: "Brother Liu, please go to the village to eat and drink!" ”

"It's easy to say," Liu Peng was also in a good mood because of expanding his business, and greeted a group of smuggler salt dealers behind him, "Zhu Dutou, please eat and drink, and have a good drink today!" ”

This is a long-term cooperation, Zhu Ming not only entertained drinks, but also asked people to kill a pig, and called several captains to accompany him.

After a few bowls of wine, Tian Er bragged: "Brother Liu also saw it, killing the tiger is very dangerous, Third Brother Zhang led people to climb the mountain at night, and scared that Yang Ying was full of urine!" The village chief is even more adept, carrying a sword, and no thief is an opponent. Hack one to death with a single sword. In the past, Yang Jun, the owner of the village, was also in Shangbai Village and was stabbed to death by the village chief with a sword! ”

"The majesty of Zhu Du's head," Liu Peng was in awe, "I respect Zhu Du's first bowl!" ”

Zhu Ming laughed heartily: "It's easy to say, it's done!" ”

This group of smuggler salt dealers can barely be regarded as small salt lords, buying goods from big salt dealers and reselling them.

Zhu Ming seriously suspects that the biggest smuggler in this county is Lu Guanren, the richest man in Xixiang! He didn't have to come forward in person, he only needed to transport the illicit salt to Xixiang County, and naturally there was Liu Peng like Liu Peng who was responsible for distribution.

Drunk that night, Liu Peng patted his chest and said: "Zhu Dutou is a good man, what will be useful in the future, I will come over to help as soon as I say hello!" ”

"It's easy to say, they are all heroes, and they should help each other," Zhu Ming said with a smile, "If Brother Liu has any difficulties, just come to Daming Village." ”

This kind of salt dealer running around will be useful for rebellion in the future.

Yesterday, Zhu Ming was still accompanying the scholar to correct the scriptures of the scholars, and today he is a brother and sister to a group of smuggler salt dealers.

The style of painting is really changing too fast!

The next day was delivered, and the first transaction was reached, and 300 catties of salt were bought from Liu Peng.

In the future, if the villagers want to eat salt, they can come to the village to buy it, and Zhu Ming does not rely on this to make money, and it is enough to collect some costs and have a slight surplus.

Sending the smuggler away, Zhu Ming said to Zhang Guangdao: "Third Brother Zhang, don't rush out to recruit fugitives. You take twenty or thirty people and come with me into the mountains to get something. There are tigers there, and you are an expert at dealing with them. ”

Tianwang Jia, it's time to get it back.

(Let's talk about an interesting fact, Lao Wang's father's maternal great-grandfather used to be a smuggler of salt.) When the people's army came to liberate, they also donated a few hundred oceans, and later the land reform also became an enlightened landlord. As for Lao Wang's father's great-grandfather, haha, he smoked opium until he went bankrupt, and he was already a poor peasant at the time of the land reform. ）

(End of chapter)