Chapter 20: The Oath is Made
Yun Ye always felt like a pioneering ox, wanting to live comfortably in this new world. Everything had to be done by oneself to obtain it, and it could not be solved by being in a high position.
In terms of living standards, the common people of the future will definitely live more comfortably than the average bureaucrat. Wealthy families can show off their good fortune by eating two meals of meat on the first and fifteenth of the month.
Not knowing the taste of meat in March is a common standard of living. When I think back to the time when I often threw pieces of fat meat into the gutter, I blush. If I do that here, I will be drowned in spittle.
April is the most comfortable season in the capital, with moderate temperatures in the morning and evening. As long as he is not in the academy, in the evening, Yun Ye will take Wangcai to the village to stretch his legs.
The farmers gradually became familiar with the young master of the village. From the initial fear of meeting him to the familiarity of the present, it was a slow process. After Yun Ye broke the leg of the master of the Hu village, an elderly man would approach him when he was walking his dog to say hello and ask if his grandmother was well. Yun Ye always thanked him with a smile, which earned him a friendly and approachable image in the village.
Wangcai played a perfect role as a bridge here. The Yun family never tied Wangcai up, so he wandered around the village when he was not busy, and did not need a groom to follow him. When he saw the sorghum ears hanging on the wall of a farmer’s house, he would pull some to eat a few bites, and then wait with his neck outstretched for people to take money from their pockets. At first, no one knew, and seeing that it was the master’s family’s BMW, they had to accept their bad luck, because the sorghum hanging on the wall was the family’s reserve grain for disaster relief.
It was not until Wangcai ate the wheat that the guards of the Zhuangzi family had dried that the guards waited until Wangcai had eaten enough to scratch his belly and took out a few coins from the money bag hanging under his neck that the farmers realized that Uncle Wangcai never ate for free and that he just didn’t know how to take money.
From then on, Uncle Wangcai became the most popular animal in the village. No one treated him like a horse. No one had ever seen such a smart horse. First, the children in the village would cut the freshest grass from the mountains, wash it, feed it to Wangcai, then scratch it all over, and then take a coin from his pocket and buy some candy.
The children of the farmers were all simple and honest. Those who did not get to feed the horse would rather watch the other children eat candy with their fingers than take money from Wangcai’s pocket.
Seeing the farmers squatting in the corner of the wall, holding an old bowl and scraping rice into their mouths, my heart ached. These are the most industrious people on earth!
I have to do something for them. It’s useless to build airplanes and cannons. The most important thing is to improve the living standards of these people, and it has to be done quickly and for a long time.
Potatoes are a good choice, but now even he doesn’t know where Li Er planted the potatoes. The Yun family specially found the best farmer for these five seedlings. Grandma can watch them eight times a day, so Yun Ye doesn’t have to worry. As for the problem of seedling degeneration , Yun Ye has faith in the wormhole. He firmly believes that since fate sent him and a few seeds, it will not give him only a vague hope. Yun Ye does not expect to see the Great Tang fleet circumnavigate the globe in his lifetime, and run to the Americas to bring back corn seeds.
Please invite a few old gentlemen to the house, and by the way, invite Zhao Yanling over.
Yun Ye himself cooked seven or eight dishes, boiled a large pot of wine, and stood at the door of Yun’s house waiting for people.
They arrived quickly. The old servant came to the door with a bullock cart. Yun Ye helped the four old men out of the cart and invited them into the house.
“If you are not being overly attentive, you must be up to no good. Your food is not very good, so let’s get it straight. I’ll only be in the mood to enjoy the delicacies if you tell me the truth.” Li Gang swallowed his saliva in front of the table of delicious food, but still said in a principled manner.
“You are overthinking it. I have seen how hard you have been working these days, and it is not that I am not satisfied with my heart, but I am specially rewarding you.”
Mr. Yushan is a man of few words. He grabbed the wine bottle and drank three glasses of wine in a row, then picked a piece of chicken that looked good and put it in his mouth. He didn’t say a word, and he was determined to just eat and not respond.
Yuan Zhang and Li Shi, sharing the same aspirations, sat cross-legged on the kang and ate in silence.
Zhao Yanling was confused, not knowing whether to sit or stand.
He helped Lao Li onto the bed, poured him a glass of wine, and then sat Zhao Yanling down on the bed and said, “Today, we won’t talk about the chaotic state of affairs in the court or the confusion in the academy. We’ll just eat and drink.”
“Really?” Old Li asked, grabbing his chopsticks and looking doubtful.
“Of course it’s true. I’m going to leave the affairs of the academy to you gentlemen and do something else.”
“Hmph! Do you think I’m an old fool? The academy is the hope of your life. Would you give it up? Tell me! What are you planning to do that is more important than the academy?” Li Gang asked, taking a sip of wine. The other four also put down their chopsticks and looked at him.
“Of course I won’t give up the academy, but if I don’t do this, I won’t be able to sleep or eat.”
“Oh? Tell me, is there anything that would be difficult for you to do?”
“I’m going to be a farmer for a while.”
“Be a farmer?” The five of them stood up in surprise and looked at Yun Ye in puzzlement.
“What kind of farmer do you think I will be if I become a farmer?” Yun Ye looked serious.
Mr. Li Shi took a deep breath and said, “I don’t know if you will be a good farmer, but you will definitely be the smartest farmer.”
“This is the problem. Our Tang Dynasty boasts of its emphasis on farming, but it puts its best people in the court. This mistake is not unique to our Tang Dynasty, but has been made by all dynasties. I just want to try if I can make the whole Zhuangzi prosperous by becoming a farmer myself.”
Li Gang laughed heartily, tears coming to his eyes. He pointed at Yun Ye, unable to catch his breath, and quickly helped the old man catch his breath. If he ended up like Niu Gao, it would be tragic.
After a long time, Li Gang calmed down, wiped away his tears, and asked hoarsely, “Are you really going to be a farmer?”
“Of course. If I don’t make everyone in the village rich and let every family have meat to eat, it won’t be over.”
Old Li solemnly extended his palm, and Yun Ye also extended his palm. The two old and rosy palms hit each other three times, sealing the pact.
“From tomorrow onwards, you don’t have to worry about the academy. I will watch over the academy with my life, this is my promise.”
“No matter what happens, Yun Ye will make the whole village rich. If there is still one person who is not well-fed, I will be a farmer for another day. This is my oath.”
The six of them were eating in silence. Li Gang picked up a few chopsticks and put them down, asking, “When did you get this idea?”
“Yesterday, I wandered around the village and found that the lives of the villagers were really miserable. Although the boy’s life was miserable, under the protection of his master, he had not suffered any injustice. Even the life of the royal family was miserable. I don’t know how the villagers have endured for thousands of years. I just want to try to let them live a good life and taste the joy of being human.
“You are the most peculiar person I have ever met. Perhaps the ideas of a genius are beyond our reach, but I know that once you succeed, you will be credited with great achievements for the country and for all eternity.”