Chapter 58: The Lean Months of April¹

On the road, Bailiff Zhang patted Zhao Mengcheng on the shoulder and said, “Brother Zhao, the Lord values you so much. If you rise through the ranks in the future, don’t forget us brothers.”

Zhao Mengcheng smiled and replied, “I am but a commoner. I will still need your care in the future, Brother Zhang.”

Bailiff Zhang laughed and whispered, “To be honest, since the County Magistrate wants to recruit you, why not just join him? It would make things much easier for you later.”

Zhao Mengcheng simply said, “If I truly agreed, I would have to stay in the Yamen all day, following Lord Huang at his beck and call. How could I have my current freedom?”

Bailiff Zhang didn’t understand. “They say a Sub-official Clerk isn’t a real official, but it’s still better than being a commoner. It’s an opportunity many people beg for.”

“To each his own. I simply cannot stand being restrained.”

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t think that way. If he entered the Yamen, he would be under Magistrate Huang’s watchful eye, forced to rack his brains for strategies and get caught in the power struggles of the County Yamen.

One Wan Family had fallen, but there was still the Bai Family. Zhao Mengcheng didn’t want to waste his energy on internal schemes.

Rather than wasting time and effort, he would rather stay in Qingshan Village and live his own life.

Furthermore, Lord Huang valued him now because he was useful. As long as he remained useful, it wouldn’t be hard to see Lord Huang.

Bailiff Zhang couldn’t persuade him. Privately, he felt it was a waste, yet he was also somewhat happy. “True, being free every day is something to be envied.”

Soon, the donkey cart arrived at the gates of the County Yamen. Bailiff Zhang personally led him inside, and they proceeded smoothly to the area outside Magistrate Huang’s study.

Magistrate Huang smiled upon seeing him. “Come quickly and take a look. See if this will do.”

Zhao Mengcheng entered the room and saw a sheet of gold paper spread out on the desk. It was indeed as thin as a cicada’s wing, looking less like gold and more like golden silk.

“It looks thin, but it is actually quite tough. When rolled up, it looks like a scroll.”

Magistrate Huang reached out and rolled it, quickly turning the gold paper into a scroll.

Zhao Mengcheng couldn’t help but praise it. “It is truly a masterpiece. I didn’t expect the craftsmen in our town to have such superb skills.”

Magistrate Huang stroked his beard and laughed. “Shanghe Town is remote, so there are no exquisite skills here. But since it’s just thinning gold, as long as one is willing to put in the effort and time, it can barely be done.”

Gold paper as thin as a cicada’s wing wasn’t that rare. What was precious was the meaning it carried.

Seeing this, Zhao Mengcheng simply reached out and pressed his thumb onto it. As expected, the gold was soft and left a shallow fingerprint.

“It’s a bit plain like this,” Lord Huang said.

Zhao Mengcheng’s mind turned. “How about this?”

He took up a brush and quickly wrote the character for longevity on a piece of white paper, writing a hundred different versions in one go.

“Why don’t you write a birthday wish on the gold paper? The commoners aren’t literate, so they only need to press their fingerprints next to the longevity characters. It would be beneficial for both sides.”

Magistrate Huang was indeed very satisfied. This way, it would highlight his role as the County Magistrate without letting the commoners overshadow him, and it would look much more dignified than a mess of fingerprints.

He nodded with a smile. “Then we shall do that. Once the spring plowing is over, I will send people to summon the villages in turn so the people can come and press their prints for the birthday wish.”

This meant waiting until the spring plowing was finished before handling the birthday gift, showing great consideration for the people.

Zhao Mengcheng bowed seriously. “Thank you for your consideration, My Lord. The villagers will surely appreciate your kindness.”

Magistrate Huang smiled, but a hint of worry appeared between his brows. “A while ago, I sent the High-yield Farming Method you wrote to Fengzhou. Unfortunately, it was like a stone sinking into the sea, with no news at all.”

Zhao Mengcheng wasn’t surprised that Magistrate Huang had sent the method up. He had planned for this when he brought it out. It was precisely because he saw that Magistrate Huang cared for the people and their livelihoods that he chose to cooperate with him.

“Why should you worry, My Lord? Man proposes, but Heaven disposes². You have already done your duty. There is no need to force the rest.”

Magistrate Huang sighed. “I understand that, but…”

“Lord Qian always thinks Fengzhou is a land of plenty, where every household has surplus grain and a year of flooding won’t hurt them deeply. But he comes from a wealthy background. How could he know the hardships of the common people?”

Magistrate Huang came from a poor background and had climbed his way up, so he understood the struggles of those at the bottom.

“At the end of last year, I saw things in Fengzhou. Those with land began to borrow money from landlords. Tenants without land began selling their children at the end of last year. Now is the leanest time of the year, and things will only get worse.”

Zhao Mengcheng understood immediately. Fengzhou was indeed a land of fish and rice, and the people seemed wealthy.

However, the taxes of the Great Zhou had been growing heavier over the years. The Emperor of Great Zhou was greedy for pleasure and ignored the livelihoods of the people.

In peaceful years, the people could still grit their teeth and persevere, but they had little surplus grain. Not to mention the disaster last year that led to almost no harvest. The Imperial Court not only failed to provide relief or tax exemptions but continued to oppress them.

Under such circumstances, it would be strange if the people’s lives were easy.

Since ancient times, the ability of people in the agrarian era to resist disasters was very low. Under natural and man-made disasters, there were only three paths: eat surplus grain, wait for relief, and when both paths were blocked, the people could only rise up and use violence to seize a chance at survival.

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t know the situation in Fengzhou, but he could guess. He thanked Magistrate Huang from the bottom of his heart. “Fortunately, Shanghe has you, My Lord. At least this place can remain stable.”

Magistrate Huang finally twitched the corner of his mouth and gave a short laugh. “Well, my position is low and my words carry little weight. I am powerless.”

Magistrate Huang was also frustrated and had no one to talk to. Seeing Zhao Mengcheng, he said a few more words, not expecting him to have a solution.

He patted Zhao Mengcheng’s shoulder and praised him. “I thought implementing the High-yield Farming Method would be extremely difficult. Since ancient times, the commoners have been ignorant and stubborn. Fortunately, you were here. I heard the nearby villages are doing very well.”

“You overpraise me, My Lord. I have only done my small part. It is because the people of Shanghe Town trust you and are willing to follow your orders that we have today’s results,” Zhao Mengcheng said modestly.

Lord Huang laughed. “You don’t need to be too modest. The High-yield Farming Method was your idea in the first place. I will remember your contribution.”

Furthermore, those methods were hard to implement. If Zhao Mengcheng didn’t have the reputation of the White Dragon and great prestige among the people, it wouldn’t have been put into practice so quickly.

When it was first introduced, the people were skeptical. Nine out of ten didn’t understand and just wanted to brush it off.

At that time, Magistrate Huang was also very anxious. He knew many methods were good, but getting the people to accept them was a major problem.

Who knew that before he could think of a good way, Zhao Mengcheng would solve it quietly.

With him leading the way and Qingshan Village as an example, the other villages, being superstitious about the village’s good Feng Shui and the presence of a divine person, followed suit one after another.

The High-yield Farming Method, which was expected to take years to implement, was put into practice in the very first year.

Lord Huang felt more and more that Zhao Mengcheng was useful and couldn’t help but ask again, “Are you really not considering coming to the Yamen to help me?”

“If you are worried about the Bai Family’s revenge, I don’t take them seriously right now.”

Zhao Mengcheng shook his head. “My Lord, I only have a bit of minor skill and an unrestrained personality. I am not fit for such a great responsibility.”

Lord Huang felt it was a pity, but he still said, “In that case, I will not force you.”

“However, in my opinion, you should still take the title of Agricultural Officer³ in the Yamen. It will make things more convenient for you in the future. It’s just a title. You don’t need to report for duty every day.”

Zhao Mengcheng’s heart stirred. He was somewhat tempted.

Lord Huang was very shrewd and naturally knew his thoughts. He said with a smile, “With this title, it will be much easier for you to move around the Yamen in the future.”

The Agricultural Officer Lord Huang mentioned wasn’t a formal official position of the Imperial Court. A formal Agricultural Officer required passing the imperial examinations and being appointed by the central government.

The position he spoke of was actually an “Agricultural Officer” selected from the people by local Prefects and County Magistrates for ease of management. It was a title without a salary or rank.

However, an Agricultural Officer had the power to report agricultural progress to the County Yamen, mobilize laborers to build and maintain farmland irrigation facilities, and resist natural disasters. It was equivalent to a “Village Chief” recognized by the government.

Although the Agricultural Officer was not a high-ranking position, it held great power and was usually held by local influential figures. It was a very lucrative post, as they assisted the Yamen Runners during tax and grain collection periods.

Zhao Mengcheng naturally didn’t plan on taking any bribes, but he felt the position was very useful.

He could directly mobilize laborers!

After thinking it over, Zhao Mengcheng decided to agree. “Thank you for the promotion, My Lord. I will do my best to ensure that Shanghe has a bountiful harvest every year.”

Lord Huang was very happy to see him agree. He immediately drew up the document and stamped it with the official seal, making it a formal appointment.

Zhao Mengcheng returned to Qingshan Village with the fresh appointment letter. The first thing he did was go to see the Village Chief.

When the Old Village Chief saw the appointment letter, he wasn’t jealous. He was only happy for him. “I didn’t expect our village could produce a Sub-official Clerk. This is a great thing. We must host a few tables to celebrate.”

“I knew you would be successful. It’s a pity your parents died early. If they were alive, who knows how happy they would be.”

Zhao Mengcheng stopped him. “Uncle, I didn’t come to celebrate. I have another matter to discuss.”

Seeing that he had something to say, the Old Village Chief sat down to listen. “What’s the rush?”

“I want to repair the Shang River,” Zhao Mengcheng said, dropping a bombshell.

The Old Village Chief was so startled he burned himself on his pipe. He hissed in pain before asking, “What? You want to repair what?”

“The Shang River.”

Zhao Mengcheng pointed to the river winding past their village. “I observed it carefully after last year’s flood. The reason the water level rose so drastically was mainly due to the accumulation of silt, which caused the riverbed to rise.”

“If we don’t address this problem, the flooding will only get worse in the future.”

The Old Village Chief’s brow furrowed deeply. “Mengcheng, I know a new official likes to start three fires⁴ to show his worth, but you can’t let this fire get too big. If it burns the whole mountain down, there will be no way to stop it.”

He spoke earnestly, “I’m not trying to stop you, but this is truly difficult to achieve. First, every household is busy with spring plowing. Where will you find the labor? Second, since ancient times, river work has been the hardest and most exhausting labor. The laborers taken away last year went to Fengzhou to work on the river, and not a single one returned.”

“It’s good for young people to have ideas, but if you propose this, I’m afraid no one will agree. You might even lose your newly appointed position as Agricultural Officer.”

The Old Village Chief was speaking from the heart, truly looking out for him.

Zhao Mengcheng naturally knew how difficult river work was, so he had already thought of a solution on his way over.

“Village Chief, let me finish first, then you can decide if it’s feasible.”

The Old Village Chief grew even more worried. With a somber face, he said, “Go ahead then.”

Zhao Mengcheng explained, “I want to repair the river not to make a name for myself, but for the sake of the villages along its banks. We all suffered during last year’s flood. If it happens again this year, all our hard work for the entire year will be for nothing.”

“No matter how good the High-yield Farming Method is, it can’t withstand natural disasters. Once the flood comes, all that effort goes down the drain.”

The Old Village Chief understood this well, yet he still sighed. “Repairing a river is too difficult. Even the Imperial Court struggles with it. What can a few of us do?”

Zhao Mengcheng continued, “When I say repair the river, I don’t mean we should try to do everything at once.”

“Uncle, look at this.”

He pulled out a topographical map he had drawn. “The Shang River winds down from the mountains, passing twelve villages along the way. We are in this section, and it doesn’t leave the Shanghe Town area until this point, where it flows into Fengzhou Lake.”

“The section we need to manage is only from here to here. It’s not that long, and the river isn’t too wide.”

The Old Village Chief looked distressed. “Not wide? It claims several lives every year.”

Zhao Mengcheng countered, “Since that great flood last year, the Shanghe Town area has seen more sun than rain. Aside from the heavy snow in winter, there hasn’t been any proper rainfall.”

“I’ve been to the riverbank; the water level has dropped significantly.”

The Old Village Chief quickly said, “Then this will be a drought year. Why bother with the river?”

Zhao Mengcheng shook his head in disagreement. “That’s exactly why now is the best time to manage the river.”

“Uncle, if we dam the water here, we can divert the Shang River into Qingshan Lake to store it for the dry season. Once the water is stored, the river level will drop even further, greatly reducing the risk of the work.”

The Old Village Chief only asked, “Can this really work? No one has ever done it this way. If it fails, people will die.”

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t waste words and went straight into analyzing the construction plan for the river.

As the words poured from Zhao Mengcheng’s mouth, the Old Village Chief felt like he was listening to a foreign language. He understood every individual word, but when put together, they made no sense to him. It was like reading a divine tome.

Zhao Mengcheng spoke until his throat was dry. He had spent a lot of time by the river lately, measuring data. But after explaining for so long, he looked up to find the Old Village Chief still looking completely lost.

“Uncle, do you understand?”

The Old Village Chief shook his head instinctively, then asked, “Did the Divine Dragon tell you this?”

Zhao Mengcheng was stunned.

The Old Village Chief felt he had guessed correctly. He muttered a prayer for divine protection and added, “No wonder you suddenly want to repair the river. Isn’t the White Dragon the deity in charge of the waters? It must have taught you to do this, right?”

“Since it’s the will of a deity, how can we mortals stand in the way? We should start as soon as possible. Once it’s done and the deity is pleased, we’ll have a bountiful harvest.”

Zhao Mengcheng’s expression was complicated. He hadn’t expected that all his surveying and measuring would be less effective than simply invoking the name of the White Dragon.

The Old Village Chief had already convinced himself. “Then we’ll do as the deity says. I’ll follow your lead.”

He believed that no matter how capable Zhao Mengcheng was, he couldn’t have come up with such a divine method. This wasn’t just repairing a river; it was shifting mountains and seas, commanding the clouds and rain, and turning the world upside down!

It could only be the work of a deity.

Zhao Mengcheng felt a mix of frustration and amusement, but he finally let out a laugh. At least the outcome was good. “Uncle, as long as you agree.”

“My agreement alone isn’t enough. All twelve villages along the river must agree before we can start the work,” the Old Village Chief reminded him.

Zhao Mengcheng smiled. “That won’t be difficult.”

He kept his plan to himself, leaving after finishing his tea without further explanation.

The Old Village Chief remained in silent thought. When Liu Bingkun returned a while later, he pulled his son aside. “From now on, stay close to Mengcheng. He is destined for great things.”

“Dad, he and I are like real brothers. You don’t need to remind me.”

Liu Bingkun gulped down some water and asked curiously, “But why bring this up so suddenly? Was he just here?”

The Old Village Chief chuckled. “He’s going to do something big, something the deity commanded.”

“Huh?” Liu Bingkun was bewildered.

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t go straight home with his appointment. Instead, he headed up the mountain.

Soon, his Mental Power picked up the trail of the White Snake. The fellow had spent the entire winter coiled up at the Zhao Family home, and now that the weather was just starting to warm up, it couldn’t wait to head into the mountains for a wild meal.

When Zhao Mengcheng found it, the White Snake was lazily sunning itself, happily munching on a fat vole.

Accustomed to Zhao Mengcheng’s presence, the White Snake flicked its tail in greeting and continued its meal.

Zhao Mengcheng stepped forward and patted its tail. Its scales were sleek and glossy; it seemed the fish and meat it had scavenged during the winter hadn’t gone to waste.

“You’ve been living and eating at my place for free all winter. Now it’s your turn to help out,” Zhao Mengcheng said.

The White Snake tilted its head to look at him, swallowed the vole in one gulp, and fixed its beady eyes on him, clearly plotting something.

Zhao Mengcheng knew what it wanted. “Do a good job, and I’ll make it worth your while.”

The White Snake was instantly satisfied and affectionately tried to nuzzle his cheek.

Zhao Mengcheng dodged. He had no interest in a head that had just eaten a rat.

After finishing his rounds, the sun was already setting by the time Zhao Mengcheng returned home.

“Dad, why are you only just getting back?” Zhao Xin was waiting on the stone steps by the door. She lunged at him the moment she saw him.

Zhao Mengcheng scooped up his daughter. “I got held up. Were you waiting long?”

“I wasn’t in a rush, but if Daddy doesn’t come back, Xin’er will miss Daddy forever and ever.” Zhao Xin hugged his neck affectionately.

Zhao Mengcheng chuckled. “I’m sorry for making Xin’er worry.”

Tang Tang had been sitting with Zhao Xin waiting at the door. He felt a pang of envy seeing the close bond between father and daughter, but he said nothing and silently followed them inside.

“Dad, dinner is almost ready.” Zhao Chun and his brother had already finished cooking.

Zhao Mengcheng looked at the table. It was another spread of wild vegetables, with the only meat being some cured pork stir-fried with greens. Clearly, the children hadn’t been idle while he was out.

“Dad, try some.” Zhao Mao had already served his food and handed him his bowl and chopsticks.

Zhao Mengcheng took a bite and nodded in praise. “Still very fresh and tender.”

“It’s just that there’s no meat. If there were meat, the vegetables would definitely taste better,” Zhao Chun remarked.

Zhao Mengcheng laughed. “You exert yourself a lot with your martial arts practice; you do need to eat more meat.”

A single egg a day wasn’t enough to replenish his energy. Since he started practicing martial arts, Zhao Chun’s appetite was beginning to surpass his brother’s and was catching up to Zhao Mengcheng’s.

Zhao Chun blushed. “Dad, I didn’t mean it like that. We already eat well enough.”

“I know.”

Zhao Mengcheng had already made plans. “Eating only meat gets boring. We haven’t had fish in a long time. Tomorrow, I’ll take you all to catch some fish.”

“Catch them in the river?” Zhao Chun was surprised.

Usually, Zhao Mengcheng forbade them from playing near the river because children drowned there every year.

Zhao Mengcheng nodded. “Yes. Since you have the day off tomorrow, we’ll all go together.”

Hearing this, Zhao Chun immediately grew excited. “I’ve wanted to go fishing for ages! The fish in the river are big and plentiful, but they’re so cunning. They’re usually really hard to catch.”

Zhao Mengcheng gave a meaningful smile. “They won’t be hard to catch tomorrow.”

Zhao Mao sensed something and tilted his head to look at his father, but he didn’t ask any questions.

Tang Tang had never caught a fish before. He asked with a rare touch of childishness, “Uncle Zhao, can I catch fish even if I don’t know how to swim?”

“How can you not know how to swim? Even my little sister knows how,” Zhao Chun teased.

Tang Tang fell silent, merely staring at him with wide eyes.

Zhao Xin patted his shoulder considerately. “It’s not strange that you can’t swim. I’ll teach you later, and you’ll learn in no time.”

“What are you thinking? The weather is still cold. How could I let you go into the water to catch fish? Besides, humans can’t swim as fast as fish. Even if you went in, you wouldn’t catch many.”

Zhao Mengcheng patted their heads and simply led them into the courtyard.

After a short while, a group of young men from the village arrived. Zhao Mengcheng had notified them after finalizing his plan.

Splitting bamboo to make fish traps, rafts, and nets, the group worked with great enthusiasm.

Liu Bingkun wiped away his sweat and asked, “Brother Mengcheng, will this work? If we throw these bamboo things into the river, won’t they just be swept away?”

“We’ll know tomorrow once we try. If you want to eat fish, hurry up and get to work,” Zhao Mengcheng said.

Liu Bingkun licked his lips. Of course he wanted to eat fish.

It wasn’t just him. He had just gotten married during the New Year, and his new wife was now pregnant and wanted something nutritious to eat.

However, the big fish in the Shang River were cunning. Every time he spent ages messing around with a fish trap, he only caught a few tiny shrimp and crabs, not even enough for a snack.

As soon as he heard Zhao Mengcheng was going to catch fish, Liu Bingkun was the first to respond, bringing people with him.

The news that Zhao Mengcheng was leading the villagers to catch fish spread as if it had wings. By the next day, everyone knew, and even people from several neighboring villages came to watch the spectacle.

It was currently the lean season when the old grain was exhausted and the new had yet to ripen. These barren months of spring⁵ were what the common folk feared most.

Qingshan Village was doing relatively well. Not even the families of Zhao Laoda and Liu Fengping had run out of food, and there was still grain to eat at home.

Other villages were far worse off. Last year’s grain was gone, and this year’s crops hadn’t matured yet. They could only survive on wild vegetables and mushrooms from the mountains. People were so malnourished they were dizzy, their faces were sickly, and even their waste was green from all the wild greens.

Hearing that Qingshan Village was going to catch fish, the outsiders were all tempted. Eating fish was much better than eating wild vegetables.

Standing on the banks of the Shang River, it was clear at a glance who was from Qingshan Village and who wasn’t.

The people of Qingshan Village were also thin, but their complexions were still healthy. It was obvious they hadn’t been starving.

Those from the neighboring villages, however, looked haggard and spoke without any energy.

They looked at the people of Qingshan Village with envy. A few who had daughters were already calculating how to marry them off here to enjoy a better life.

They noted that the young brides who had married into the village during the New Year looked very healthy, proving they hadn’t suffered or gone hungry.

The Old Village Chief, seeing so many outsiders for the first time since the New Year, found a village chief he knew and asked, “What’s going on with your village? You don’t look so good.”

That village chief glared at him crossly. “It’s because our village doesn’t have a Zhao Mengcheng, nor do we have the protection of the White Dragon.”

“I can’t talk to you if you’re going to be like that,” the Old Village Chief replied with a stern face.

The man quickly grabbed him. “Alright, alright, I’ll stop. Last year’s harvest was poor, and everyone has to tighten their belts. To be honest, my family has been eating nothing but wild vegetables for days. I’m starting to see green.”

The Old Village Chief sighed upon hearing this. No wonder the village’s tofu wasn’t selling. If people couldn’t even afford a meal, where would they get spare money for tofu?

The other village chief added, “Everyone knows there are fish in the river, but they’re incredibly hard to catch. One wrong move and you could lose your life. What exactly does Zhao Mengcheng plan to do?”

“Is he just relying on those few bamboo rafts?”

The Old Village Chief didn’t know what Zhao Mengcheng was planning either, but he couldn’t admit that. He simply put on a mysterious expression and said, “You’ll find out in a bit.”

“We’ve been friends for so many years, yet you’re still keeping secrets from me.”

The Old Village Chief sighed inwardly. He wasn’t keeping secrets; he just had nothing to say because he didn’t have a clue himself.

Looking toward the river, the Old Village Chief couldn’t help but worry. What exactly was that boy Mengcheng planning? Catching fish was one thing, but dredging the river channel was another matter entirely.

That boy better not mess this up!

Translator’s Notes