Chapter 24 - To Make Preparations

Constructing a city wall is not a simple matter. You need bricks and cement but now there’s no place to buy bricks, let alone cement. Nowadays, building a house only uses a mixture of mud which may look alright but in truth it is not very sturdy.

As a humanities major Lin Yuan does not know the formulation for cement but even if he did, where would he even find the materials needed to make it? This kind of desolate countryside, there isn’t even a sight of plaster.

He was sighing to himself when Yang Zi’an passed by, sitting down next to him on the field. Yang Zi’an is different from brother Dao and the others, he knows how to read and write. Although he may not have studied the books of sages and scholars but he can not be considered illiterate. A couple days before when Lin Yuan first taught the people of the farmstead how to recognize simplified characters, he began ignoring Lin Yuan.

But it’s a good thing Yang Zi’an isn’t part of an aristocratic family, just a son of a landowning family, his irritation at Lin Yuan ‘butchering’ the words of sages soon passed.

In any case, these farmers won’t be going to take civil examinations and becoming officials. Knowing a few wrong words is not a big deal.

“Fourth brother, why are you sighing? Did you come across a problem?” Yang Zi’an asks.

Lin Yuan scratched the back of his head:”I’m thinking on the city wall issue. Although here we are surrounded by mountains but it is still not considered safe. The only weapons are just a dozen hoes. What would we do if something does happen? We would be finished if refugees came, let alone bandits.”

Yang Zi’an:”City wall?”

Lin Yuan says without expecting the other to give a good solution:”Bricks can’t be bought, even if there are bricks being sold we wouldn’t be able to afford it anyway.”

“I had thought it was a big problem.” Yang Zi’an waves his hand, “it’s just making bricks, right? This I know.”

The bricks used in his old home were made by his family’s workers, but they are just mud colored bricks, not as handsome as the blue grey bricks that are used by the wealthy and officials.

Lin Yuan’s expression when he looks at Yang Zi’an instantly changed, becoming exceptionally ardent and warm.

Yang Zi’an rubs his chin feeling a bit satisfied. As a boy he used to watch his family’s workers make bricks and even made some himself.

“We’ll set up a brick making team!” Lin Yuan decides, “second brother you’ll be the leader!”

Yang Zi’an is quite willing. Recently brother Dao became the leader of the hunting team. Even though they were at first unsure on what a team leader is but they soon realized the position has advantages.

Yang Zi’an currently manages farming but he doesn’t want to farm forever. The team leader of the brick making team sounds much more important.

After all it is a leader position and not just one of the managers of the farming team.

“We still need to find more people.” Lin Yuan says, “our manpower is too little.”

Currently the farmstead has about 100 grown men and about 100 women, children and the elderly.

The number of children is the least, including Gou zi, Er Liang, and Guo er in total not even near ten.

Lin Yuan doesn’t want to see this large group of bachelors harm the women, so normally they are separated when working.

But the relations between women and men cannot be completely controlled. These times etiquette and tradition are no longer as important. If a woman and man become attracted to each other then nature will take its course. Now there are already 3 women pregnant.

The ancient times don’t have much entertainment, when the sky darkens then there isn’t much to do. Bed affairs became the only activity left.

Lin Yuan now understands why ancient people have so many children.

Without any contraception and with bed affairs as the only entertainment, it would be strange thing if there weren’t that many children.

But because the bodies of these people are currently still weak, there are not as many pregnancies.

Especially the women, most are malnourished and hasn’t improved much even after this long.

Yang Zi’an:”I’ll bring people to go buy some more.”

The safest choice is still buying people. Allowing refugees to come can result in trouble if there is even one or two who harbor errant thoughts.

There are some refugees who have human life on their hands.

A thing like murder, as long as there is a first, your heart losing any reverence and respect for human life, then you would become increasingly twisted.

Therefore, modern soldiers who have been on the battlefield must have psychological checkups afterwards.

In the ancient times, soldiers who don’t heed the orders of their commander and massacre cities during war is not out of the ordinary.

“Fine.” Lin Yuan knows that now using money to buy people won’t work anymore, the currency already losing its value. He says quietly, “Use food to buy.”

Yang Zi’an nods:”I understand.”

Lin Yuan:”Bring some more people and take the ox cart. Take a couple hoes along too. If you could buy some kitchen knives and metal pots it would be great as well.”

After all that is metal, after melting it could be made into weapons.

Yang Zi’an also recalls this issue. Different from brother Dao and Jiang Gui, he thinks that they must have weapons and a city wall. His family had been landowners but when the bandits came they couldn’t even put up a struggle.

After all, whether they are servants or workers they all have their own families and don’t dare to use their life to fight. If their families lose their breadwinner staying alive would be a problem for the whole family. But bandits are different, they live with their heads tied to their belt, as if there is no tomorrow.

Even if bandits do not eat or live better than them, when they put their lives on the line no one is their opponent.

“Alright.” Yang Zi’an, “I will try to get as much as I can.”

When Yang Zi’an left he took with him 20 grown men who do not have families. In addition to having eaten well the whole year every one of them had gained muscle mass and would present a good intimidation.

Lin Yuan even made a mobilizing speech.

“If you come across bandits, fight back if you can, but if you can’t then just run away.” Lin Yuan says, “running away is not shameful!”

Lin Yuan:”But you cannot lead them to the farmstead, you must by-pass the area and disperse yourselves, understand?”

The men shouts:”Understood!”

Yang Zi’an left with the men, and didn’t return until 2 months later.

With no pressing matters, Lin Yuan focuses his attention on Zhu Zhongba. Now, Zhu Zhongba farms the fields everyday. Looking at his outer appearance he is just a normal farmer boy. He lives in the dormitories and quickly familiarized himself with everyone. When you’re smart you would be popular anywhere.

This Lin Yuan does not suspect after all he will be the godson-in-law of Guo Ziyi. At the time Zhu Zhongba also had nothing to his name.

Zhu Zhongba feels that the current days are quite good. He no longer need to live like a vagrant, everyday after work he can rest. There are even women who sees him young and healthy as well as hardworking and made both subtle and obvious advances on him. They were all ignored by Zhu Zhongba.

His heart still remembers the hate and vengeance he has of the imperial court.

At times when Lin Yuan has conversations with Zhu Zhongba he would notice his difference from others.

He is more acute and more daring to challenge traditional views.

But also more extreme.

“Corrupt officials bring disaster on the people.” Zhu Zhongba says, “they should all be killed.”

Lin Yuan asks:”What if they do not embezzle much?”

Zhu Zhongba:”Embezzling is embezzling. There is actually a difference?”

Lin Yuan is silent for awhile, then asks:”Do you know how much their salaries are?”

Zhu Zhongba pauses, he doesn’t know but as an official it cannot be low.

Lin Yuan:”Let’s say brother Jiang. He was a minor official in Wu city who manages the land and property. I met him when I was planning to buy land.”

“He needs to support his wife and son as well as his parents. Later he also brought his parents-in-law to live with them as well. Think about it, how much must his salary be in order to support this many people?”

Lin Yuan says, “this is just the basics. There is also gift exchange with friends and relatives and preparations on holidays. Just relying on his salary then his whole family would starve.”

Zhu Yuanzhang as an emperor, in order to eradicate corruption, had executed 150,000 people. But still corruption continued. When he died, Ming dynasty’s officials embezzeled the most out of all of the dynasties before and after.

He himself had suffered from corrupt officials so his methods became extreme. But during Zhu Yuanzhang’s reign, the salaries of the officials were very low. Some officials could not even compare in wealth with common people, let alone with the landowning class.

Even if they know embezzling will lead to execution, the officials still continued, otherwise they could not support their families or maintain their dignity.

Likely Zhu Yuanzhang could not understand, he executed this many people and yet they continue embezzling.

Do they not fear death?

Zhu Zhongba says sincerely:”But they shouldn’t embezzle!”

Lin Yuan:”When I was buying land I gave brother Jiang 10 taels and 1 guan of bribery.”

Zhu Zhongba:”…….”

Lin Yuan:”Do you feel brother Jiang is a bad man who leeches on the common people?”

Zhu Zhongba:”I…..”

Lin Yuan thinks a bit and says:”The human greed is endless. When they are poor they will want to eat full and dress warm. When they can eat their full and dress warmly they will want to eat meat and fish and other delicacies. When they can eat all the meat and fish they want they will want to be respected by others, and then after that they will want power.”

Zhu Zhongba does not say anything.

Lin Yuan says:”Putting up a wall is not as good as clearing away obstructions.”

Zhu Zhongba suddenly asks:”Boss, if you were to sit in that seat (TN: the emperor’s throne) what would you do about corrupt officials?”

Lin Yuan thinks, he is not a politician and only has superficial knowledge. Before he time traveled the country was currently undergoing a large scale anti-corruotion policy. As you can see, since ancient times a thing like corruption will continue despite repeated prohibition.

So Lin Yuan says with spread hands:”I am just a commoner, what kind of method would I have?”

But Zhu Zhongba fell into thought.

If it were him…..what would he do?

The sky was cloudy when Yang Zi’an returned. It did not rain but neither did the sun come out and made one feel depressed. Yang Zi’an walked in the front of the procession, the 20 men who left with him, only 12 returned relatively uninjured. There were 2 who had been injured and is laying in the ox cart.

“On the way we encountered bandits, half the people we bought died.” Yang Zi’an says, “6 of our men died.”

Lin Yuan almost stopped breathing.

“The 2 injured, I put some herbal medicine on them.” Yang Zi’an furrows his brows, expression dark, “it will be their fate whether they can make it pass.”

The herbal medicines are just herbs picked from the side of the road. The wilds often has them and can stop blood loss when pasted on wounds.

But those two injured men already came down with a fever.

Once the fever sets upon you then you are on the edge between life and death.

The people who arrived are all tired, every one of them had injuries. Against the bandits they were fearful and wanted to run but they could not; there were too many bandits every one of them with violence in their eyes.

Luckily, the bandits were all malnourished, otherwise they would not still be alive.

The people bought back are all extremely skinny and must recuperate a while before their health and strength improves.

Yang Zi’an says to Lin Yuan:”There are pots in the ox cart, and also weapons I took from the bandits.”

The bandits had originally been farmers, their weapons only being axes, hoes, and kitchen knives.

Lin Yuan asks:”The bandits all ran away?”

Yang Zi’an smiles at Lin Yuan:”All dead.”

Lin Yuan sighs, the world like it is, if you don’t want to die then the other must die.