Prequel to the Red Chamber: I Am the Second Wife

On the endless mountain road, only the sound of his own heavy breathing could be heard in his ears. Jia Zheng wiped the sweat from his brow, couldn't help standing still and said to Mr. Zhou and Mr. Qu: "Let's take a rest first, we can reach that village tonight That's it."

Mr. Zhou is a swarthy man with a round face and a pair of sly eyes rolling around.He stroked his beard and looked at Jia Zheng's panting appearance. He took out a water bag from his back waist: "Dong Weng should drink some water first. I think it's going to rain in this weather, just rest for a while." Let’s go. It’s not good to catch a cold while walking in the mountains.” Jia Zheng thumped his legs helplessly: “I’m really useless, and all the books I read before are for nothing. I know what it means to be useless. Use it as a scholar."

Mr. Qu raised the eaves of the bamboo hat: "I used to work with many river masters. I haven't seen Dong Weng, an official who is so hands-on and not afraid of hardships. According to Dong Weng's style, he will be promoted in the future. From now on Don’t forget us when Dong Weng gets promoted.” As soon as the local area settled down, Jia Zheng started to develop the county’s economy, and if he wanted to get rich, he had to find a way to get rich.In Shanyin County, there are many mountains and little land, and farming is useless. However, a Qingchuan River runs through the whole area and connects to the Huaihe River. Unfortunately, the current is so strong that it is impossible to take a boat.The river serves no purpose other than flooding.After all, Zili came from the modern society. She somehow knew that the most important thing for magistrates was to watch chicken farts. When the economy improved, everyone would be stable.Since you can't get rich by farming, you can only make money by logistics.Zili and Jia Zheng talked about developing commerce and dredging waterways.Although Jia Zheng has been raised by the family without knowing what to eat, but since he came out, Jia Zheng also knows what life means.

If you don't have money, you can't do anything, and if you don't have money, you can't even get together the county magistrates and servants, let alone maintain the county government and maintain the operation of the local government.Apart from other things, if the post station fails to operate normally and delays the delivery of important documents, Jia Zheng will be responsible for it.The common people were too poor, and they either fled the famine because they were hungry, or went up the mountain to raise a banner and become bandits.How can there be so much loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness in ordinary days, and it is not daily necessities.Jia Zheng also agreed with Zili's words. When he shared his thoughts with Mr. Zhou, Mr. Zhou and Mr. Shan immediately agreed.

Jia Zheng was immediately full of confidence, but it was difficult to actually start doing it.The first step is to have no money. Mr. Shan is indeed an old accountant who has become a master over the years, and he has thousands of eyes on money transactions.When Jia Zheng was worried about lack of money, he stroked his mustache unhurriedly: "Dong Weng doesn't have to stick to money. In fact, there are two ways to do water conservancy projects. One is that the emperor's order will naturally be followed by officials from the Ministry of Industry." Make a budget. There is a way to make a budget. It can neither embarrass the emperor and the Ministry of Households, nor make it difficult for the bottom to make money. One is that local officials or big households contribute funds just for the sake of doing things. Such work is usually a small project , the scale and budget are very small compared with the former one, and what we are doing is the latter one. The most important thing for the current plan is to make the blueprint of the project first, so as to calculate how much money and people it will cost.”

Mr. Zhou immediately echoed: "That's exactly the case. I would like to ask Dong Weng to give me a blueprint for the project now. We can also plan it."

"How can I know this. I have to learn from the beginning. I also ask the two gentlemen to help me make suggestions. I want to ask. If there are any famous craftsmen and water control experts, I will personally invite them to refer to them." It is a fool to study at the gate of the sky until he comes out to be an official.No practical experience kills people!Sometimes when Jia Zheng was helpless in the face of government affairs, he even began to blame his parents in his heart.Look at the children of the Wang family who entered the officialdom so quickly, with the same family background, but they were raised like idiots.I don't know whether his mother's doting is hurting him or hurting him.The bad Jia Zheng now has to spend more energy than others to make up for the courses that were left behind.

Mr. Zhou immediately recommended a candidate, Mr. Qu who came out with Jia Zheng this time.Mr. Qu is lean, black and thin, wearing coarse clothes all day long and wearing a pair of straw sandals on his feet. He suddenly thinks he is a woodcutter, but as long as Mr. Qu opens his mouth, he can tell that the person in front of him is a man who has read poetry and books. , smart people.

Facing Mr. Qu's praise, Jia Zheng's face showed a look of shame. He blushed slightly and then returned to normal: "Sir, you praised me absurdly. I just don't want to live up to the emperor's grace, so as not to shame my ancestors." That's all. Thanks to the help of a few gentlemen. I really don't know the bottom line about the current situation."

Speaking of Jia Zheng sighed, he felt as if he was riding a roller coaster. After a while, he went to the Jinluan Hall to become a student of the emperor, accepting the envy and praise of everyone. When he was in the capital and back to Jinling, Jia Zheng felt that he was a big winner in life.Since then, he has embarked on the road of success paved with flowers and red carpets, step by step, and easily realize his ideals in life.That feeling is the same as worrying about going to Peking University or Tsinghua University in the future when I was in elementary school. My heart is full of sweet worries.It's a pity that reality is the best teacher. The cruel reality of Shanyin County gave Jia Zheng his first life education lesson.Jia Zheng found that he had thought too much before, and now he only wanted to do the things in front of him well.There is enough silver in the warehouse called the county government office. I hope the remaining bandits can settle down, and I hope Zili can have a more comfortable environment to conceive their children.As for being in a high position, Jia Zheng suddenly realized that it was just a beautiful dream.Although deep in his heart he has not given up on his dream, but Jia Zheng will never daydream again.

Mr. Qu stood up and raised his eyes to look at the sky in the distance: "The clouds have come over, let's go quickly. There is a village ahead, let's stay in the village tonight. According to my plan, Dong Weng, please see The terrain here is steep and the water flow is fast down the mountain, but the water depth is too shallow. The water depth must be increased in order to sail safely. I am planning to build a diversion dam on it to divert the water from Qingshui Creek over there. This can irrigate thousands of people. Hectares of fields can also deepen the water here. In the future, it will be more convenient for ships to walk.” Some servants had already spread out the blueprints, and Mr. Qu pointed to the blueprints and talked about his own design with Jia Zheng.

Along the way, Jia Zheng followed Mr. Zhou and Mr. Qu while watching. In the village deep in the mountains, Jia Zheng saw those villagers with numb expressions and knotted clothes for the first time, and tasted what it was like to be hungry for the first time. For the first time, I realized that life is nothing in the eyes of God.

On the last night when they returned to the county, Jia Zheng and his party were blocked by heavy rain on the road, and there was still a long way to the nearest village. It is wet, and the rain can flow down the fingers.The oil coat on Jia Zheng's body was completely useless, and the horse he was riding had already been drenched by the heavy rain, shaking his head and moving his hooves impatiently, trying to find a place that was drier and not so wet. slippery place.However, the whole world seemed to be soaked by rain. Yan Xiaoer, a newly hired servant, held the bridle of Jia Zheng's horse and said, "Seeing that it's getting dark, the horse can't move anymore. Master, I'd better get down and take a few steps." Well, this horse has become more and more impatient, the master carefully watched the horse fall off its kick."

Jia Zheng also couldn't sit still right away. He hurriedly got off the horse and said to Mr. Zhou and Mr. Qu, "Let's go for a walk. I think we can't go any longer in this weather. Why don't we find a place nearby to rest."

Yan Xiaoer put on the bamboo hat and said with a smile: "There is a small temple on the mountain, but it can also shelter from the rain."

The small temple on the mountain had been abandoned for a long time, Yan Xiaoer and a few guards cut down branches and started a fire in the open space of the temple, as the flames rose, everyone's bodies began to steam.Jia Zheng finally didn't feel the cold anymore, Yan Xiaoer took a piece of ginger and put it in the pot hanging on the fire: "I bought this from the inn yesterday, let's make some soup and drink it to drive away the cold." Reminding Jia Zheng, he said to Yan Xiaoer, "There is a small medicine bottle in my bag, and it contains Yupingfeng powder. Take it and let everyone eat a little to drive away the cold." Xiaoer hurried to get it. Jia Zheng's luggage: "It's still that we are all used to hitting the sea, and it doesn't matter if it rains. But the master and the gentlemen are scholars who are more expensive than others, so what kind of medicine do they need to take? Let me say What good are those bitter pills? It’s better to drink ginger soup and sweat.”

Yan Xiaoer is an orphan, wandering around the town, once Zili took someone out to buy things and saw Yan Xiaoer lying on the wall and dying of illness.At that time, he was wearing tattered clothes, and he couldn't tell what color or style he was wearing.He was so thin and huddled up that he suddenly looked like a rock.Zili didn't see that he almost stepped on him.Seeing that Yan Xiaoer was dying, Zili hurriedly asked someone to take him back for a doctor's diagnosis and treatment.From then on, Yan Xiaoer became Zili's newly hired servant. Compared with the servants Jia Zheng brought from Jinling, Yan Xiaoer was more innocent, and he never complained about suffering.Jia Zheng also liked Xiaoer's simplicity and stayed by his side.Jia Zheng wanted to take Wu Qing with him when he came out this time.Unexpectedly, he ruthlessly sued with a frowning face, saying that he had been acclimatized since he came here, and he couldn't follow Jia Zheng for such a long distance.

Jia Zheng also heard the complaints to his servants, and seeing Wu Qing start cheating and cheating, he became more and more disgusted in his heart.He didn't show any dissatisfaction, he just told Wu Qing to rest, and left with Yan Xiaoer and a few servants. "I'm telling you to give it to Mr. Zhou and Mr. Qu. Don't be too brave. Just go and rest when your clothes are dry." Jia Zheng took the small medicine bottle that Xiaoer handed over and told him to go to rest.

Mr. Zhou looked at the small bottle that Jia Zheng handed over, he just stroked his beard with a smile, but he didn't reach out to take it. "Dong Weng is really a big hand. It's a great style to fill medicine in a high-quality Hetian jade bottle."

Jia Zheng looked at the things in his hand, and didn't think there was anything unreasonable at all: "Maybe Zhuo Jing put it away when he was preparing to pack. It's just a small thing that made me laugh." Mr. Zhou just glanced meaningfully. Jia Zheng: "I am the most ordinary person. I know that such things cannot be bought without hundreds of silver, and even if I have money, I may not be able to have them if I want them. According to Dong Weng's family background, such things are not worth buying." Nothing. I just saw this today and wanted to ask Dong Weng what his plans are for the future."