Promotion Letter for the Chief Executive

In fact, the prosperity of these two villages cannot represent the vast countryside at all.

Because of the proximity to the city, the people in these two villages do not rely on the land to survive. Instead, most of them will choose to work in the city or learn a craft, or they can start a small business.

Relying on the city, they lived a prosperous life.But in fact, although they live in the village, they are no longer real farmers.

But in fact, this is the scene that Ping An hopes to see. People in the village come out to get in touch with the outside world, broaden their horizons, and learn new survival skills, instead of completely relying on the land.

They set off from the county seat, which was quite eye-catching. The carriage was not gorgeous, and it looked like an ordinary country gentleman traveling.At first, Zhao Can was quite satisfied with what he saw, but gradually, the farther he was from the county seat, the more difficult the conditions became, and the relief on Zhao Can's face gradually disappeared.

In fact, life in the two medium-sized villages selected by Ping An is not too difficult.Although they can only farm for a living, it is probably because of the feet of the emperor, so these fields have not been occupied by rich households, but still belong to these common people.Having my own field, although it is hard work, but after paying taxes, the things grown are enough to feed the whole family, and occasionally there is some surplus.

Especially after the promotion of new grain varieties in the past two years, the output has increased. Every year, the fields produce more, and there will be more leftovers. During the New Year festival, we can also buy some good things to improve our lives.

In addition, there are mountains around the village. Although the medicinal materials and mountain treasures produced in the mountains are not expensive, they can be saved and sold in towns or county towns, and can be exchanged for some money to subsidize the family.After the concrete road was repaired, it was much easier for them to go out, and some people would go to the city to work to earn money during the slack season in the village.

In the two well-off villages before, many people can say a few words about the new policies of the imperial court. Although they don't ask for a deep understanding and are full of mistakes, it is still rare.People in the village even bought one or two newspapers to pass the time when they went to the city occasionally, and their conversations were quite insightful.

But here it is different.Ping An asked about the new policies, except for the promotion of grain varieties, tax reduction and exemption, and the construction of cement roads, other villagers did not know about them.

But for the three points they knew, when they opened their mouths, they praised repeatedly, such as "the emperor is wise", "the imperial court did the right thing", and so on.They knew few words, and their words were so straightforward that even Zhao Can couldn't bear it, and felt uncomfortable being praised.

Fortunately, all in all, they are convinced of the imperial court.

Moreover, the New Deal can be recognized by the people, which is also a happy thing.The common people may not understand many principles, but they know what is good for them.They like these changes now, with beaming smiles on their faces.

In order to let Zhao Can experience this kind of ordinary rural life, Ping An plans to stay here for a few days.

——There was no need to live in the village where life was no different from that in the city before, so they only stayed for one day, visited and inquired, and then continued on their way.And the three villages to go to next are in the mountains, so there is no problem to live in, but it is not convenient for official documents.

After all, Zhao Can is an emperor, and there is really no need to condescend like this, so Ping An feels that it is a good choice to live here and experience it.

On the second day of their stay, they were invited to join the library in the village.

Because he thought this group of people were very wealthy country gentry, the village chief was very polite, even a little flattering in his attitude.

The library is obviously newly built.It is said to be a library, but it is actually a small independent building with a yard in front of the door, a library upstairs, and tables and chairs downstairs, where you can read books.In the future it will also become the basic school in the village.

——Of course, no one knows these now.

The construction drawings of the house were given by Ping An, and the library only thought it was a small library, let alone the people in the village.

But in fact, the library is now empty.Because there are not many literate people in the village, only three people can barely read, but there is one scholar.Now he is the only one who uses the library, and the three who can read and write will occasionally follow him to learn something.

On the contrary, the yard was very lively.

Ping An turned around, walked to the bed, and looked out through the window.A dozen or so children were playing games in the open space in the yard.Ping An watched for a long time but didn't understand what the rules of their game were. Anyway, it was very lively with you chasing each other.Or the rules of the game are always changing, and you can do whatever you want.

He looked at it for a while, then turned his head and said to the village chief, "Actually, since there is a scholar in your village, you can open a private school and let the scholar teach the children something."

"Who said it wasn't?" The village head sighed bitterly, "It's just that the scholar of our village will be admitted for the examination in the future, so how can he waste his time? Besides, the people in the village can't afford this burden." build……"

"So, if you don't practice confinement and have a teacher, you are very willing to let the children learn something?" Ping An asked.

The village head nodded repeatedly, "Of course. The dolls are our future backers. They are promising, so how can we disagree? And they are young, so they can't help much." He also glanced out the window, "The whole God is so stupid, how can it be better than going to school?"

These days, many people in the village will even grit their teeth and send their children to be apprentices, just to learn a craft, not to mention the conditions that Ping An said are so good?

The apprentices at this time are different from those in later generations.The apprentices of the later generations not only take care of food and housing, but also pay wages. They can't be beaten or scolded.But in this day and age, if you become someone's apprentice, your life belongs to the master, and it has nothing to do with your family.This is a contract!

Apprentices have to undertake all the miscellaneous work in the master's house, which is similar to being sold to a rich family as a servant.And most of the masters will not take the initiative to teach you, let alone at this time, even in later generations, the craft is a guy who eats for everyone, and it is impossible to teach others easily.After all, it has been said since ancient times that the disciples of the church starved to death of the master.

So you have to be capable and smart to be able to learn some skills, and wait until ten or eight years to be a teacher before you can use your skills to make money.You can't compete with the master for jobs, but how many handicraft jobs can there be in a village?Even most of the surrounding villages can only support one person, so if they want to live well, they have to go out for a living.

Even if it is so difficult, it can actually be regarded as a good way out.Because once you are a teacher, you can bring rewards.

Of course, what Ping An wants to build in the school is not a craft, and even if you learn it, you can't rely on it to make a living.But for these people, reading is a great thing, and scholars should be respected and understand a lot of truths.

Therefore, let children read rationally, and they are willing if conditions permit.If you don't spend money, it would be even better, if you don't take advantage of the advantages, don't you take advantage of them.

"Yeah, it's better to learn some skills." Ping An said, "But are you willing to let girls go to school too?"

"Oh, how can this work? This school is going to put a portrait of Confucius, so how can girls enter?" The village chief waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no, no..."

Ping An looked back at Zhao Can, and sure enough he was right.

He had heard a story before, saying that a rural man picked up a piece of paper on the ground, so he took it back to his home with great care, and stored it away.Because in ancient times, paper was a rare and precious thing, and the writing on it was even more extraordinary.You can get the blessing of Wenquxing every time you pay your respects!As a result, some scholars saw it, and only then revealed that it was actually a flyer for anti-thieves, and the villagers were so frightened that they quickly threw it away.

The more ignorant you are, the more backward you are, the more backward you are, the more ignorant you are. This is pitiful, sad and ridiculous.

But... isn't he here to change the status quo?

So Ping An did not show a strange expression because of the behavior of the village chief, but continued, "What's wrong with the girl? It's Confucius, who also visited Nanzi back then. Oh, Nanzi is the Marquis of Wei." It can be seen that women are not inferior to others, besides, the girls in front of the young lady of the rich family are also somewhat talented, why can't the girl dolls be able to read and study?"

"That...that's all nobles, how can we wild girls stand up to it?" the village chief said in a low voice.

noble people.Yes, although the village chief doesn't know much about the truth, this sentence points out the reality. In this era, reading and writing is a matter for noble people.Poor, rich and military, in order to support a scholar, this kind of ordinary farmer's family, even if the whole family devotes their efforts, is not enough.This is true for men, let alone women?

That's why there are aristocratic families, and that's why the court and the entire notification class are firmly controlled by these people.Even if the dynasties change and the emperor starts from the grassroots, this status quo cannot be changed.Because reading is a very luxurious thing, poor people can't afford it.

"You don't have to say that, maybe when the court will have grace?" Ping An said, "If there is a chance, let the girls go to school, at least to gain some knowledge." He joked here, "I will tell you later Maybe it's easier, too?"

"The nobleman is just joking, we don't have such a reason..." the village head said, "This girl who has studied has a high spirit, and it will be difficult to marry!"

Ping An laughed, girls must be high-married has become a reason for them not to study.He said to the village chief, "But when the time comes, won't all the boys in the village have been educated? There is no need to distinguish who is superior and who is inferior."

The village chief was stunned.

Think about it carefully, it seems to be such a truth!

Ping An didn't continue talking, anyway, it didn't happen overnight, and he couldn't tell the past from village to village, when the time comes, it's enough to force everyone to attend the one-year study class.A three-year program is optional.

Speaking of it, the village chief didn't mention that men and women cannot sit at the same table, and that it would be difficult to have classes together, but Ping An was relieved.It seems that the wind of keeping festivals in the countryside is not so strong, otherwise, the resistance to this matter will be even greater.

After living in this village for a few days, they all ate with the village head's family in Ping An.

This is the meaning of Ping An, although the people who followed thought it was inappropriate for Zhao Can to eat these, but Zhao Can himself did not have any objections.It's just that the longer he lived, the more silent he became. At first he would ask some questions, but later he realized that these questions were inappropriate, so he stopped talking.

Obviously, even though the condition of the village in front of him is considered good, it is still unimaginable for Zhao Can.

Ping Anxin said that the more unimaginable is yet to come, so take it easy.

Then they set off and continued to walk in.

Ping An can see that even the cement road has become very reluctant to repair here.

After all, there are no road-building methods of later generations, such as bulldozers, excavators, stone blasting, etc., and if you encounter obstacles and cannot go around, you can only use the original mountain roads to take a rest.

Therefore, although the road is very smooth, it is impossible to walk with a carriage.

Riding a horse was barely possible, so they could only abandon the carriage in the end, take some necessary items, leave people to guard here, and then move on.

It's just that the mountain road is steep, and it's too dangerous to ride a horse through many places, so we still have to go down and walk for a while.

In this way, the speed is greatly slowed down, and there is no need to be bored in the carriage, so you can see a lot of mountain scenery.

The mountains in summer are literally full of treasures.

Both Zhao Can and Ping An couldn't help but recall the experience they had in the Luozhou Palace.At that time, the two often went up the mountain and found many interesting and delicious things.Now this road, although the products are different, it seems to have revisited the road we traveled at the beginning.

This feeling makes the long journey seem less hateful.

However, the two young men Ping An and Zhao Can could stand it, but it didn't mean that the old ministers who followed Zhao Can could also stand it.

They were old and tired, they thought Zhao Can was just wandering around the palace, so they followed happily.As a result, Zhao Can actually traveled so far. Although the carriage ride in the past two days was not bumpy, it still made people feel sore and backache.The beds in the village are not used to sleeping and resting well, and they will soon be unable to hold on.It is really miserable to have to trek on foot now.

But he couldn't lose his dignity in front of the imperial court, so he could only hold on.Especially seeing Zhao Can's energetic appearance, are they going to admit that they are more delicate than the pampered king, and can't stand such hardships?

Those who can follow here have their own plans, knowing that Zhao Can's coming to the palace to escape the summer heat is obviously not for sightseeing, but for serious business.Because of this, they followed desperately, just to find clues from it.

They ate and lived together these few days, and they already knew a lot of news, so they thought they could be ahead of everyone else.

At this time, naturally, he would not be willing to give up halfway.

When they finally arrived at the first village, they collapsed on the ground from exhaustion, unable to exert any more strength.

Ping An and Zhao Can looked at each other and smiled, both felt that the effect was good.Let these officials experience for themselves that it is not easy to live here, so that they will support the improvement of the living conditions of these villagers in the future.Whether it is literacy, or other measures are the same.

Because sometimes, if you are not on the scene, there are many things that you can't understand at all just by listening to words.

That's why there is a story about the emperor who heard that the people couldn't afford to eat, and asked "why not eat minced meat".In fact, the emperor can't be blamed, because he hasn't seen it, so he doesn't know.Those who should be ashamed are those who taught him.

However, Zhao Can and Ping An did not relax for long, because the village in front of them had completely appeared in front of them.

It is said to be a village, but in fact there are only a dozen or so families living here.Because living in the depths of the mountains, there is a high possibility of wild beasts coming from the mountains, so many simple defense measures were built in the village.Although the real big guys can't be stopped, some small beasts are fine, and there are even more harvests in the traps from time to time, which will give everyone extra meals.

The houses of these dozen or so families are all built with wood from the mountains, and then covered with straw roofs, which look very weak.And where the eyes can see, these houses have no decorations, and they all look gray, showing the living conditions of the owners.

Walking around the village, the group couldn't help but feel heavy.

The people in this village, it is said that their ancestors moved here to avoid disaster.The specifics are no longer testable, and it is not important. The important thing is that they have established a firm foothold here, spread their branches and established a small village.

Ping An has to marvel at the great ability of human beings to survive, no matter what kind of place they are in, they can gain a foothold.

Even though the land in this mountain is barren, the annual production is hardly enough to feed themselves after paying taxes, and most of them have to pick some wild vegetables and dig some tree roots to mix and cook to make enough food, but they still live on.

In fact, this is the true face of most villages in Dachu.They always have to continue to face poverty for various reasons.For example, in this village, because the land is too barren, and there are limited areas on the mountain that can be reclaimed, even if good grain seeds are distributed, the output of the grown things does not increase much.

Ping An didn't even ask the villagers about sending their children to school.

Because the children here are sallow and thin, children at the age of four or five have already learned to help with housework, and even go to the mountains to pick wild vegetables and fruits to eat. For them, the most important thing at present is to have a full stomach.There is no way to solve the problem of survival, let alone other things?

Canglan really knows etiquette...

But there are more than 100 villages in Shannan County alone, and there are thousands of villages in Dachu. Even if he wants to help these people get rid of poverty and become rich, it is impossible to help them one by one.

So in the final analysis, Ping An feels that these things still depend on themselves.It's just that basic education is probably not easy to implement in such a village.

Then they went to two other villages, one of which was similar to this one, with more than a dozen families living together, barely maintaining food and clothing.Ping An couldn't hold back this time, and asked why they didn't consider moving to another place.

The answers given by the villagers surprised Ping An.

It turns out that people at this time are very xenophobic. Basically, in a village, everyone is related to each other.People who move in from outside will naturally be excluded and suppressed.

That's not counting, after all, the land around each village is limited, and in the mountains, even the water is limited.Natural villages have been formed for thousands of years, of course, for their own reasons.The land and water supply around a village can often only support the people in this village.

If other people move in, these resources will naturally not be enough.At that time, there will inevitably be conflicts.At this time, the atmosphere of fighting with weapons in the countryside was still quite popular, especially in this kind of villages that were close to the mountains, because they had to go hunting in the mountains, so the men had all their strength.For them, it is only right and proper to use force to protect their place of survival.

Because of this reason, these villages naturally cannot be moved to other places rashly to attract people's attention.But it is also impossible to find a better place than the present where no one lives.After all, the ancestors chose this place for a reason.

So even though he knew that he could barely eat enough to stay on this land, at least he could still live, right?If you leave here, you may not even be able to preserve your name.So they still live here from generation to generation.

Besides, the homeland is hard to leave. For ordinary people, their ancestors' graves are buried in this place, and if they want to move to other places, they are naturally worried.

Ping An looked at the thin and malnourished villagers, and it was difficult to combine them with the image in the story that they would fight when they disagreed.But he also knows that the harder it is to survive, the more inevitable this kind of thing is.It's perfectly normal to raise your fists at each other for one bite.

And Ping An will soon have the opportunity to see the scene mentioned in the story.

The last village they went to was called Zhoujia Village. As the name suggests, the people in this village were all surnamed Zhou, or related to Zhou.Because of such an intricate relationship with each other, even if there is no friction and contradictions internally, they are quite united externally.

——This kind of contradictory and united relationship strangely reminds Ping An of the civil servant group, and they seem to be similar to ordinary people in Zhoujia Village.

The prosperity of the world is all for profit, and the ancients were sincere and did not deceive themselves.

Compared with the previous two small villages with a population of less than a dozen households and less than 100 people, Zhoujia Village can be regarded as a real village, with more than 50 families living here.And the place where their village is located is also the place where the land is the most fertile and produces the most in this mountain forest.

Occupying such a good place, it is inevitable that people will covet it, no wonder they are so united with the outside world.