36 – Flowers bloom on the continent (2)
Farming is fun. If you don’t enjoy it, you will have to repeat to yourself over and over again that you have to farm to survive.
From noble mtl dot com
It’s especially fun if it’s farming, which I don’t do.
Although I don’t farm myself, if I could live off the crops I produce from my own land, it would be the equivalent of paradise.
What is the secret?
“We lend them land and let them do farming instead.”
I have a large land, and I give my land to people to cultivate it for me.
“Isn’t it a perfect plan? They don’t have land, and I don’t have enough labor. It’s a win-win situation.”
“For free?”
“No. We agreed to receive one-fifth of the rice harvested in the fall in return for using the land.”
Instead, I decided to receive a share of the grain they harvested.
“How economically beneficial is this? If left unattended, it can produce hundreds of acres of rice on land that would otherwise have been overgrown with weeds.”
It is beneficial for me because I can use the huge land as agricultural land without having to waste it, and it is beneficial for farmers who do not have their own land because they can farm on their own land and harvest enough grain to eat.
How happy is it that this is a mutually beneficial situation? Now, mutual aid!
“Isn’t this hal too cheap? Oh, hal should be collected.”
My adoptive mother, Chaehyeon, was dissatisfied with my policy.
“How important is land?”
I understand.
“They say that the rice that comes from that land is really rich and good rice. If you ask them to give you 50% in exchange for letting you farm on that land, hundreds of men from Yangyang will volunteer.”
“Is the land that good?”
“Well then. So our family took over there.”
Although it is my land, it was originally the land of the Chae family, and Chae-hyeon handed over part of the land given to him to me.
“That’s too much, son. Couldn’t you have discussed it in advance. That the place will be given over to those who took refuge in Jyeongju.”
“I’m sorry. Their situation is unfortunate.”
Since I gave the land to the displaced people who took refuge in Hyeongju, Chae-hyeon may think that this amount is too small.
“No. Even 50% is too little. I need to take care of 60%.”
“Six percent? Are we taking four percent?”
“No. The landowner should take care of 60 percent. Aren’t they renting our land?”
“Mother, isn’t that too much? After all, it is the people who rent the land who do the farming, and they are the ones who harvest the grain. Sixty percent is too much.”
Human beings do not do anything unless they have their own greed.
And if you feel like you will suffer a loss, you may not have motivation, or you may have bad intentions and interfere with other people’s work.
Are you unable to take care of half of the harvest from the rice paddies and fields you have cultivated?
‘If it were me, I would never have done it.’
If I wasn’t starving to death because I didn’t have money to eat right away, I would never have chosen it.
“But Wolyeong, you are the only one who rents land near Shinya. If they say they don’t like your policy, you can just leave somewhere else.”
“Where else can they go? They have nowhere else to live, so they took refuge here.”
“Humans all make up their own minds about how they want to live. If they don’t like this place, they can just leave.”
“Whether it’s five percent or six percent, are you saying you’ll only accept those who are desperate enough to accept it?”
“okay.”
Chaehyun’s direction of thinking was completely different from mine.
“There are a lot of people. Those who don’t like this policy will leave on their own.”
“And what if someday, good land opens up in the neighborhood next door? What if it is a more stable place to live than Jingju and offers better conditions than what we are receiving?”
“Ha, will such a place ever exist?”
“It’s just what if. Aren’t they talking about whether Yuan Shao of Hebei Province, beyond the now chaotic central plains, may gain a victory and become somewhat stable? It is said that over there in Hebei, land is being lent to Sahal. Then, they might leave for Hebei. I am motivated. “They will leave this land, and when the absolute number of people decreases, there will be no grain left.”
“…Still, this amount is too small.”
Chaehyun put her hand on her chin and was in agony.
“Actually, the cost of using the land is okay. I’m worried that they will treat you poorly. You treated them with kindness, but as their power grows, they may eventually treat your land as if it were theirs. “At any time, you must enjoy authority as the owner of your land.”
“I see. I understand your mother’s thoughts.”
I didn’t really intend to fight with her over this, so I adjusted the numbers to a level that Chaehyeon was satisfied with.
“I understand. Let’s say 4%. Instead, for those who are good at farming and producing a lot of grain, we will reduce the amount by 30% the following year. That’s enough, right?”
“Three percent. That’s good. I can’t go beyond that.”
“Thank you, mother.”
Fortunately, Chaehyun understood my policy.
“Whew, I don’t understand why they gave the land to those who took refuge in Jingju.”
“Because this will all come back as assets in the future.”
“asset?”
“Yes. Where will the children they give birth to go? And will the parents go somewhere carelessly while raising the children? They will have to stay here while the children are born, and after they grow up, they will help their parents and work. “
People who will work for this land will form a village. Someday, if someone sinks their teeth into this land, they will be the first to step forward with their spears and swords to protect this land.
“It will be a great help to our house in the long run.”
“That’s right. Mother, do you have any thoughts?
“Hmm, that’s good. I’ll give it a try. However, I will take 60 percent as a demonstration. Those who are really desperate will follow even if I take 60 percent.”
“Thank you, mother.”
Now, not only the land that Chae-hyeon gave me, but also the land that Chae-hyeon owns, and the land of the Chae family, will be provided as farming land to the displaced people coming down to Jingju at a fairly appropriate level.
Thus, we can make huge profits by renting out land to play.
In addition to economic profits, enormous benefits can be gained in terms of material and human resources.
“…But Wolyeong, you should be punished for using the land for your own personal gain to gain financial gain?”
oh.
“mother?”
“I’m still considering it. But haven’t they already started clearing land in your land? Oh, I need to inform the Emperor right now. Who should I tell? Your uncle, the governor of Yangyang and governor of Jingju?”
“I will volunteer to the governor. Please save me.”
“Yes. Your mother will scold you loudly before it gets to Yu Gyeong-seung’s ears. Tonight, I will scold you for a long time, so don’t even think about going back to the academy.”
Chaehyun folded the fan and held it sliding down.
“It is the price of not accusing those who play for money with a country’s land. You become my friend tonight.”
I felt a chill down my spine at the gesture of her hand.
“…Mother, no way.”
“Yes. You will have to listen to my lament on behalf of your father.”
Instead of father.
“Father, didn’t you come home today?”
“Even today. He’s a guy who comes in two or three times a year. Ha. You haven’t met me yet, have you?”
“yes.”
I still haven’t met my adoptive father, Hwang Seung-eon.
“What are you doing these days?”
“I don’t know either. Not long ago, he went to a festival held on farmland for a month and ruined the festival three times. Now, he said he needed to collect gold and went down to the South Sea in May. They say they do something called trade. hahahaha.”
“…….”
Adoptive father, what kind of life are you living? When we meet, I really want to ask you seriously.
“I need you to listen to my story. These days, whenever Hyang comes here, she talks about gossip about Yoo Gyeong-seung. It gives me a lot of trouble, too.”
“Gossip?”
“Yes. They say that we must avenge the death of the boatman Jang-on, who killed Dong-tak, but Yoo Gyeong-seung refuses to move his troops, saying that Won-sul is still a problem.”
Jang On.
He was murdered for plotting to assassinate Dong Zhuo by conspiring with Yuan Shu. And he was a high-ranking official with close ties to the Chae family.
“Season Jang On… He was definitely my mother’s great-aunt.”
“That’s right. Dong-tak, that man, who was worth chewing on, also executed the adult of our Chae family who was in the funeral home.”
The nobleman, who was at the center of the most power in the family, was killed by Dong Tak.
Along with him, all of his relatives were killed.
“How can this be? As a man named Yoo Gyeong-seung, if he is the son-in-law of the Chae family, shouldn’t he at least pretend to move the soldiers?”
If we judge rationally, what Yupyo is doing is correct. Even though Jang On was beaten to death by Dong Tak, it was not a situation to raise an army.
“That’s right. If it were me, at least I would have been angry and sent the soldiers to the north.”
But I walked up to Chaehyun and held her hand.
“You must have been very heartbroken. But didn’t Yupyo have anything like that?”
“Yes. There was nothing. He didn’t move at all like a frog hiding in a well during the winter. Now that he’s married, it’s nothing, is it? hahahaha.”
Chaehyun pounded his chest with his fist and came towards me.
“Yes, I’m so glad you listened to me like this.”
“It was nothing.”
Chaehyeon is not looking for a solution. They just need someone to listen seriously to their story.
Now, I’m the only one who can do it.
“I put the flue in for Hyang, too. Let’s have a long talk with Hyang today.”
“…ha ha ha.”
A lament about the situation of two married women. I think it would be difficult to deal with someone with a decent mind.
“It’s really unfair. I don’t think this country will be able to stand upright before Dong-tak dies.”
“Mother, please believe. Dong-tak will die soon.”
“Are you sure?”
“Would you believe it if I read it?”
Chaehyun chuckled and patted my shoulder.
“It’s done. I feel relieved to be comforted like that.”
“Mom, why don’t you make a bet?”
“bet?”
“Yes. Dongtak, I will die within two years.”
“You b*tch? hahahaha, funny. Okay, if you win, I’ll grant you one wish.”
Chaehyun put his drink on the table.
“Yeah, whatever.”
* * *
Dong-tak died.