On the third day when the fleet was stationed, Xue Rengui hurried back.
When I arrived at Fang Jun's ship, I saw a bunch of grape wine that Fang Jun had put on the table. I was not polite. I grabbed it and drank half of the jar in one go. Then I put the jar down and turned to Fang Jun.
A military salute.
"Xue Li reports to you!"
Fang Jun looked at Xue Rengui with a smile. Although Xue Rengui's clothes were messy because he was in a hurry, the strong spring breeze on his face could not be concealed. "A little farewell is better than a wedding. Why didn't Xiao Xue stay for two more days? Anyway, the army is here."
If you want to stay for ten days, just rush back before departure."
Liu Renyuan, who was checking Xue Rengui's name on the list to prove that he had returned to the military camp, said sourly: "My brother and sister have reunited with you after a long separation. If you don't feed me, if you are hungry and thirsty, you will be taken advantage of by those rough guys inadvertently."
If you enter, that would be bad..."
Men in the army don't pay much attention to etiquette and often make fun of each other by making dirty remarks.
Xue Rengui was not angry either, and laughed loudly with his handsome face: "Mrs. So-and-so is the most loyal woman. She is a real lady from a famous family. She is totally devoted to old Xue. How could she do such a thing? Brother Renyuan, don't be envious. You
The future mother-in-law will definitely be good. But finding a mother-in-law often depends on luck. Even though you appear to be very talented and brave, if you find someone who is easygoing, you have to accept your fate, right?"
What he said almost made Liu Renyuan angry to death!
But what Xue Rengui said is true. If you know people well but don't know their hearts, who knows what kind of character your future mother-in-law will be? There are many ladies in the world, but not all of them are well-educated and virtuous.
Everyone in the Navy knew about Xue Rengui's situation and were very envious of him for marrying such a virtuous wife like Mrs. Liu. Although Liu Renyuan was rude in his words, he also admired Mrs. Liu whom he had not yet met.
After joking with Liu Renyuan for a while, Xue Rengui said to Fang Jun: "The general just met the Rudong County Magistrate and his party at sea and said they were coming to pay a visit to the chief manager."
Fang Junqi asked: "Why did he come to visit me?"
Xue Rengui said: "I don't know about the general, but the people have probably arrived. The general's warship is fast and he is one step ahead."
Just as he was talking, someone outside shouted "Rudong County Magistrate" and came to visit.
Fang Jun ordered Xue Rengui to go out to welcome him in, and he sat still. It was not Fang Jun's fault. His official title was ten blocks higher than that of a county magistrate. If the gap between him and his subordinates was not big, he could go out to greet him. If word spread, he would be called easy-going.
We are friendly, but the difference in status is too big, so we can't be too casual.
After a moment, someone stepped onto the deck and entered the cabin.
A lean man in his thirties, wearing a light green official robe, looks like a big praying mantis...
This man bowed and paid homage: "Sun Cheng'en, the magistrate of Rudong County, has met the Marquis."
Fang Jun slightly cupped his hands and said with a smile: "No gifts, no gifts, please sit down and watch tea!"
Sun Chengen was a little embarrassed. He picked up the tea cup and took a sip, then put it down and stopped drinking. He sat there and hesitated to speak.
Fang Jun is quite funny, can he be an official with such a temperament? I'm afraid he will be bullied severely by the old officials and local tyrants in the countryside. He is too soft-faced. Officials may not be domineering, but if they are thick-skinned
None, that’s not possible.
This man is as thin and dark as Fang Jun himself...
The official robe was washed very clean, but the boots under his feet were a little worn. It was obvious that his family background was not good. Are you an official from a poor family?
Fang Jun was thoughtful and said bluntly: "If you have something to say, Magistrate Sun, you might as well say it directly. After we talk about the business, I will leave you to dinner and let's have a few drinks. Let me tell you, I have the best here." The grape wine from the Western Regions is the kind that is hard to find."
Sun Chengen quickly thanked him, then looked at Fang Jun and said: "Master Suwen is the best master of making money in the world. He was known as the 'God of Wealth' when he was in Guanzhong. When he arrived in the south of the Yangtze River, he even turned stones into gold. The lower officials admired him greatly. .I took the liberty to come here today because I really have something to ask for. I hope that the Marquis can show you a way to make money in Rudong County, so that the people of Rudong County can have food and clothing, not sell their children, and have a way to survive!"
He spoke sincerely and looked at Fang Jun, full of expectation.
That look in his eyes is like that of Guanyin Bodhisattva who saves the suffering in every situation...
Fang Jun was surprised and said: "Why is this so?"
Rudong County is close to the sea and now has abundant seafood. Even though the fishing industry is underdeveloped due to the backwardness of fishing boats and nets, it is difficult to make a fortune, but it is not difficult to go out to the sea to catch a few fish every day and have a full meal. Bar?
Are you still selling your sons and daughters?
It's deceptive...
Seeing Fang Jun's disbelief, Sun Cheng'en didn't seem to be surprised. He smiled bitterly, full of sourness and guilt: "I am an incompetent official. I am the parent of the people of Rudong, but I can't seek prosperity for the people under my jurisdiction. I really feel ashamed of Your Majesty." , I am ashamed of the imperial court, and even more ashamed of the people of Rudong..."
He had already expected it. If Rudong was close to the sea, how could he not even have a meal to eat? Not to mention that others didn’t believe it, he himself couldn’t believe it!
Yet this is indeed the case.
This place in Rudong County did not exist before the Spring and Autumn Period. It was just a vast ocean. Later, the mud at the river mouth silted up into a sandbar and gradually became land. Only then did people live. It was called "Fuhaizhou" in history.
At the beginning of the Western Han Dynasty, it was the fiefdom of Liu Bi, King of Wu. Liu Bi "boiled sea water in the east to make salt" and was the first to fry salt in the Huaihe District. The first batch of "salt cubes" appeared in the east. During the Three Kingdoms period, Jianghuai was the front line of the war between Cao and Wu. The residents who migrated to the Jianghuai area were the first to establish a county here.
However, sandbanks are mostly saline-alkali land that does not produce food and makes people's lives miserable.
Originally, it was possible to go to sea and rely on fishing to supplement the household income and exchange for some food. However, Rudong County is really too poor. There is no wood produced here. If you want to build a ship, you have to go out to buy wood. The people cannot afford it...
The only few fishing boats in the county are small and dilapidated sampans, and they can't catch a few fish even if they go out to sea. In addition, this year there are always sharks in the offshore, causing harm to more than a dozen fishermen, and there is no one left. Dare to go fishing in the sea.
Fang Jun pondered for a while, Rudong has been cooking salt since ancient times, so developing the salt industry is not a bad strategy.
"Magistrate Sun, do you want me to speak for you and ask the court to allow the establishment of a salt farm in Rudong and issue a license?"
The salt farm in Huating Town has made all the coastal states and counties jealous. Rudong County is so poor. If there is a salt farm, the county's finances will definitely be greatly improved. Not only can it get rid of poverty in one fell swoop, it can even become a coastal province of Suzhou and Yangzhou. Star County.
Unexpectedly, Sun Chengen shook his head and said: "The Marquis has misunderstood the meaning of the official. The official came here shamelessly because he wanted to ask the Marquis to help the people of Rudong County and point out a way for everyone to have enough food and warm clothes, instead of For the sake of Xiaguan’s future. It’s not that Xiaguan is noble, but for the sake of the people, it’s okay for Xiaguan to kowtow to you. But if it’s for himself, Xiaguan can’t even lick his face to beg you. Furthermore, Rudong County now boils the sea into salt. Nine times out of ten, if you are carrying work for a wealthy family, you will still starve. To put it bluntly, carrying work for the imperial court is no different from carrying work for a wealthy family. Even if you set up a salt farm, you will still need a lot of money. If you take it away, what else will be left for the people?"
Fang Jun suddenly stood in awe, and his originally casual posture became more serious, straightening his back to show respect.
This is a good official!
If Fang Jun asked the court for permission to set up a salt farm in Rudong County, there would be almost no problem. After all, he invented the method of drying salt, and everyone would have to give him this face.
But Magistrate Sun had already seen the essence of the matter.
The establishment of the salt farm caused the GDP of Rudong County to increase rapidly, reaching an unprecedented height in a short period of time, even surpassing some wealthy counties in the interior. However, this did not have much to do with improving the living standards of the people...
In later generations, China’s GDP ranked second in the world, and what was its per capita income ranking?
More than seventy people...
If Sun Chengen could not plan for his own political achievements, but only care about improving the lives of the people, he must be more responsible than 99.9% of the officials in later generations. Only such officials can be called "the parents of the people" "!
The people of Rudong County are so lucky!
Liu Rengui, Liu Renyuan, and Xue Rengui on the side also stood in awe of this unassuming county magistrate.
Fang Jun looked at this county magistrate who was probably the first to "attract investment" in history, and he made up his mind to come up with a good way to get rich for the people of Rudong County. That is, for the poor people, Even more so for the parents of this noble-minded common man in front of me!