Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 17 Oh, this place

There were smoke from small cooking fires here and there, and a winding green river. The scenery was nice, but the place where he was appointed was somewhat... shabby? After having been to a big city like Yangzhou, it was really hard to adapt to this place full of rural wildness.

Today's Xinping has just been separated from Poyang, and its population is only 3,200, which seems extremely inconspicuous in the vast land of China. And 3,200 people is just the total number of students in Xia Lin's primary school back then.

Although he is the village head, he is actually only responsible for the duties of a school principal.

When he arrived at the township government office, he almost couldn't help laughing. This office was not even one-third the size of the Yangzhou prince's villa. There were six people working inside, four constables, an accountant, and a jailer. There were four areas in the office, and the middle was the lobby for handling various civil disputes, because the township level could not handle criminal disputes. Murder, robbery, robbery, etc. had to be brought to the county government for trial, so the highest function of the township government was to deal with thieves and embezzlement.

This sounds scary, but if you put it simply, it's just the Li family taking a chicken from the Zhao family, and the Wang family taking a sweet potato from the Chen family. Anyway, they are all trivial matters.

To the left of the yamen is the rest area for the township chief, which consists of three large tiled houses and a pigsty. This is a configuration Xia Lin has never seen before, but it is quite scientific. After cleaning up the pigsty, Lao Zhang can live there.

On the right is the functional area of ​​the yamen, which includes the prison cell and firewood room, the yamen's canteen and toilet.

"This place is really shabby." Xia Lin looked up at the quaint yamen with his bag on his back. "Who knew it would become the only fifth-rank county yamen in the country in the future?"

"What are you talking about in your sleep? Are you suffering from a bad climate?" Old Zhang pointed at the entrance of the yamen and said, "You call it a fifth-rank county yamen? You are just a ninth-rank clerk who doesn't even have a proper official uniform. How can you call it a fifth-rank yamen?"

"It's decided. From today on, you will sleep in the pigsty."

Chuntao laughed when she saw the two people bickering, but she couldn't be happy at all when she saw this shabby little yamen. She still hated the young prince a little, but after all, they were master and servant, so she couldn't complain. It was just that the difference in treatment was like heaven and earth. How could she not feel sad?

The only consolation is that this young man is interesting and not necessarily a lustful person. Although Chuntao knows the meaning of the young prince giving her away, she still doesn't want others to touch her, especially ordinary people. After all, she has been in the wealthy families for a long time, so her horizons have naturally risen. She usually comes into contact with governors and provincial governors. Now, someone like Xia Lin is no different from a street pork seller in her eyes.

Walking into the township government office, there was no one inside, so Xia Lin could only start moving things by himself. He and Lao Zhang were people who were content with their poverty, and although it was a hard journey, they laughed and joked with each other while moving things, adding a bit of joy to this sad journey of exile.

"I saw a river ahead. There must be fish in that river. After I settle down, I will go and show off my skills. Let the peasant women here see what the Luoshui Fishing Saint is like." Lao Zhang carried the package and threw it on the floor of the room: "Luoshui Fishing Saint, do you understand the charm of this?"

"I don't know your grandmother's legs, this room is mine!" Xia Lin threw his own package at his feet and said, "Hurry up and cook. I'm starving."

"Don't you have a personal maid? Why do you want me to cook for you?"

Xia Lin didn't say anything, just sat down, took out the water gourd he carried with him and took a big sip. After three months on the road, it was already midsummer in July when he arrived here. Although there were mountains and water in this place, it was still a bit hot, and he would sweat profusely if he moved a little.

"I asked around about those runners, and they are all part-timers. They all go to work in the county in the summer." Old Zhang patted the dust off his hands. "The accountant went to Raozhou to help his son take care of his grandson. The jailer had his leg broken by a cow while herding cattle last month and is recuperating at home."

"Hey……"

Xia Lin stretched his arms and said, "Let's go swimming!"

"Let's go!" Lao Zhang threw the towel over his shoulder and said, "The Luoshui Swimming God is here again!"

After spreading the bed casually, the two of them went to the river outside. The river in this place was not deep and clear, and the two of them tossed in it like white sharks in the waves. However, because they did not warm up, Lao Zhang began to have cramps not long after going in, and almost left his life forever on the land of Ganpo.

"waste!"

Xia Lin had been scolding Lao Zhang for an hour since he rescued him. It was already dark outside, and Lao Zhang must have felt embarrassed. He did not say a word back and just stood beside the stove, cooking and frying.

"Hey, Daosheng. Since we came here, has your Chuntao never left the house?"

"Yes what's the matter?"

Old Zhang snorted: "You are just a servant, but you are so cocky here. You really don't know what you are."

"Don't be so mean. If it were you, you would be worse than her. Who does she serve normally? What is her standard of food, clothing and daily expenses? Look at the standard of food, clothing and daily expenses now. If you let her serve us lowly people under these conditions, it's normal for her to feel uncomfortable. Apart from anything else, have you ever seen a new official start his job by starting with the stove?" Xia Lin leaned over and said helplessly, "People go up and water flows down. Anyone who falls into the low place will be like this. Don't blame her."

In fact, at this moment, Chuntao was at the door. She was going to put some dried meat and salted fish left on the road in the kitchen. She happened to hear their conversation outside. At that time, she couldn't hide the grievance in her heart. Tears flowed out at the door. However, Xia Lin's words made her understand a little. She thought that she was just a maid. Whoever the young prince gave her to was her fate. In this way, the first day of the new official's appointment passed. They did nothing except cook a meal and then fished the Luoshui Swimming God out of the river...

The next day came in a blink of an eye. Xia Lin got up early and called Lao Zhang to stroll around the village. There were 3,100 people and 1,500 households, of which more than 500 were empty. After asking around, he learned that they had gone to work in various places, some to Jiangzhou and some to Huizhou. Anyway, most of those who stayed were the elderly, the weak, the sick and the disabled, and there were very few young and middle-aged people.

Although Xia Lin is a chatterbox, he is a very hardworking person. He started counting the registered people door to door in the morning and was busy from the moment he left home until sunset. While counting the number of people, he also surveyed the surrounding terrain.

He recorded every detail, including which mountain was suitable for reclamation and which piece of land was suitable for farming, and began to draw a map by comparing it with the future city planning on his mobile phone.

When they were hungry, they would sit in the ravines to cool off and eat some bread. When they were thirsty, they would ask the farmers in the village for a drink of water.

"What are your plans now?"

"Make money." Xia Lin pointed to an open hill and looked down at the scattered residents: "Since we are here, we have to prove ourselves, right? Master, you don't want to be looked down upon for the rest of your life, do you?"

Old Zhang crossed his arms and looked at the blue sky and green trees in the distance: "It's easier said than done."

"Have confidence in yourself. You may not even know what kind of Feng Shui treasure land this is."

Xinping Township has a radius of 50 miles. According to the map, it covers Fuliang County and Jingdezhen city and borders Qimen. It is said that the river flows eastward, but the river in this area flows westward. Its upper reaches originate in Qimen County and its lower reaches are as straight as Poyang. The water flow is gentle and the waterway is moderate, which is very suitable for navigation of small and medium-sized ships.

The porcelain green tea produced here in the future and the black tea from Qimen upstream can be transported downstream all the way to the Yangtze River and into the whole country. Let alone the porcelain alone, if we are lucky, the GDP of Wei can increase by at least 30% in three years.

So Xia Lin is really not afraid of this place being shabby, huh? Don't look down on the poor youngsters! Wait and see in three years, those blind people will be shocked!
They worked for about half a month in the scorching heat. Xia Lin became three shades darker and Lao Zhang lost a lot of weight. However, they turned the entire Xinping Township upside down with just their four legs.

Lao Zhang's drawing skills are truly amazing, and after Xia Lin taught him how to draw more detailed maps, he was able to draw the contour lines of every mountain.

"We will build two rows of workshops along the river and add a wharf here. We will first improve the lives of the people in our area, and then gradually attract outsiders to buy property here."

"So what do we do?"

"Look here, this part of Gaoling Village." Xia Lin pointed at the map and said, "This place can produce the rarest soil in the world, and it can make the best porcelain in the world."

"How did you know? With that treasure of yours?"

"Hey, why are you asking so many questions? I know what I know." Xia Lin squatted on the stool: "This is a Feng Shui treasure land, no kidding."

"Okay, I'm already on board anyway."

As they were talking, there was a knock on the door. After opening the door, they saw Chuntao standing at the door with two bowls of noodles in her hands. Although they were just plain noodles, this was the first time she had cooked for Xia Lin in these days.

"Master...it's time to eat."

Her voice was very low, but she did shout out the word "Master". Although this was not the first time she shouted it, it was the first time she shouted it without any resentment.

Xia Lin didn't know when she figured it out, nor how she figured it out, but being able to figure it out was at least much better than always being obsessed with it. So Xia Lin smiled and said, "Thank you, Sister Chuntao, and don't call me Master anymore. Just call me Daosheng like Lao Zhang."

Chuntao nodded slightly, then turned around and went back to her room. Xia Lin continued to plan this place with Lao Zhang.

"Old Zhang, let's go to the county government office tomorrow to ask for money." Xia Lin rubbed his nose and said, "I've calculated that the whole process from opening the mine to opening the kiln will cost about 1,700 taels. We have to find a way to get it back."

"You are dreaming... It's not that easy to get money."

"Let's give it a try. Tomorrow we will..." Xia Lin stopped talking, then he muttered, "Xinping Township... has no superior county government, it is directly under the jurisdiction of the state government, we have to go to Hongdu Prefecture."

(End of this chapter)