A night of silence.
When Han Zhen woke up, it was already bright outside the window.
I got out of bed and stretched out. As soon as I opened the door, I saw Fang Sansan standing by the door like a door god. It seemed that he had been standing there for a long time.
Seeing Han Zhen, Fang Sansan's round face immediately had two dimples: "Alang is awake!"
Han Zhen raised his eyebrows: "What are you doing standing here so early in the morning?"
"I'll help Alang wash up!" Fang Sansan said matter-of-factly, blinking his eyes.
Hearing this, Han Zhen waved his hand: "I don't need your service, so don't come here in the morning."
"oh!"
Fang Sansan nodded, but did not leave. Instead, he followed Han Zhen.
Han Zhen washed up while she chattered beside him.
"Alang, Mrs. Shen made steamed buns this morning, stuffed with leeks and chicken."
Pooh!
After spitting out a mouthful of blood, Han Zhen felt helpless.
Just now, the force was a little too strong, and the gums were broken again.
Taking a handful of well water and gargling his mouth, Han Zhen asked, "Are Ma Sangou and the others up?"
Fang Sansan replied: "The young gentlemen left early, in such a hurry that they didn't even have time to eat the steamed buns."
Han Zhen nodded, knowing that they were going to pick up Monkey and Xiaochong's families.
"What time is it now?"
"It's three o'clock in the morning."
Han Zhen did some calculations in his mind, it was past eight o'clock and almost nine o'clock.
Arriving at the front hall, Fang Sansan immediately ran to the kitchen and diligently brought steamed buns and rice porridge.
The Northern Song Dynasty was a period of great food explosion. In the past, steamed buns only had mutton fillings.
Nowadays, steamed buns with various fillings are available.
And now there is also the concept of steamed buns, but unlike the steamed buns of later generations, the fillings are wrapped in lotus leaves, commonly known as vegetable buns.
The steamed buns of later generations were originally called steamed cakes in the Northern Song Dynasty. Later, in order to avoid the taboo of Emperor Renzong Zhao Zhen of the Song Dynasty, the steamed buns were changed to cooking cakes.
Well, it is the cooking cakes sold by Wu Dalang in "Water Margin".
Picking up the steamed bun and taking a bite, Han Zhen couldn't help but nodded. Chef Shen's skills were quite good.
Halfway through eating, he suddenly asked: "Where is my sister-in-law?"
"The eldest lady and the fourth lady went to tend the vegetable field." Fang Sansan said, staring at the steamed buns in Han Zhen's hand without blinking.
In fact, she had already eaten and was very full, but now seeing how sweet Han Zhen's food was, she couldn't help but want to eat it.
To put it bluntly, this is a mental illness.
In the past, I couldn't eat enough every day and was hungry, so I had a morbid obsession with food. Now I can suddenly eat freely, and I can't control it for a while.
At this moment, there was a knock on the side door of the outer courtyard.
Before Han Zhen could say anything, Fang Sansan immediately went to check on his short legs.
Soon, the little girl came back, "Alang, the tenants are here and they want to sign some kind of deed."
Han Zhen ordered: "Oh, let them come in."
After a while, Fang Sansan led more than 20 people in.
This was the first time for these tenants to enter the Second Courtyard. In the past, Wang Yuanwai would only let them stand at the gatehouse. Now they all looked very reserved and didn't know where to put their hands.
Several children looked around curiously, but were grabbed by their adults.
The leading middle-aged man did not dare to enter the hall. He just stood outside the door and said slightly nervously: "Young gentleman, let's sign the contract."
"Not urgent."
Han Zhen said, turning to Fang Sansan and telling Fang Sansan: "Take them to the kitchen to eat."
Yesterday, Han Zhen said that he would be paid 300 Wen per month and would also take care of two meals, but these tenants were unsure.
In the past, Wang Yuanwai also said that he would feed them, but what was the result?
They were given three bushels of grain every month, which was not enough for the whole family, so they could only add a lot of wild vegetables when cooking. But even so, they would often fall into the dilemma of having no food to eat for a few days at the end of the month.
I can only find some wild fruits and grass roots to satisfy my hunger, and try my best to survive until next month when the food is ready.
Now seeing that Han Zhen was actually in charge of the food, everyone was overjoyed.
The tenants' breakfast was rice porridge, but of course there was no steamed buns.
But they didn't care, they were satisfied with a bowl of rice porridge.
When they took the bowl from Chef Shen, their eyes widened in disbelief.
Although it is rice porridge made from grains such as chestnuts and sorghum, it is not mixed with wild vegetables, and the rice porridge is so thick that it does not fall over with chopsticks.
More than twenty tenants squatted at the door of the kitchen, eating rice porridge in a hurry.
Chef Shen held the wooden spoon and said loudly: "If you are not full, come here and add more porridge."
Can you even add porridge?
One tenant didn't care about scalding it, drank up the rice porridge in a few gulps, and immediately walked up with the bowl in hand, shouting: "I want more, I want more!"
A breakfast completely dispelled all the worries of the tenants.
After finishing their meal, they looked at Han Zhen as if they were looking at a Bodhisattva.
While the tenants were eating, Han Zhen called Fang Sansan to get paper, pen and ink pad from the study and quickly wrote down seven lease deeds.
After they finished eating, Han Zhen said, "One person from each household will sign."
Hearing this, seven men stepped into the hall.
"The deed is signed once a year. If you want to change it to paying rent next year, let me know in advance."
As soon as Han Zhen finished speaking, he saw the group of people shaking their heads: "I won't change."
"I won't change either."
Seeing this, Han Zhen didn't say much. He asked their names, helped them write their names on the deed, and then directed them to press their fingerprints.
After the meal was eaten and the deed was signed, Tan Qiang, the middle-aged man in charge, said with satisfaction: "Young gentleman, let's go to work."
Han Zhen waved his hand: "Go ahead and call the chief here."
After a while, the chief came in a hurry.
Eaters are soft-mouthed, but takers are short-handed.
Since he accepted the salary from Han Zhen, the director there would naturally take notice.
"Why did the young man call the old man?"
Han Zhen said sternly: "From today onwards, I will check the household registration, measure the fields, and register the land. I need the cooperation of the village chiefs."
This is the basis for his control of Xiaowang Village. Everything can be postponed, but this matter must be put first.
He must know clearly how many households there are in Xiaowang Village, how many people are in each household, how old they are, how many acres of land they own, how much their expected income is, how many craftsmen there are, and how many people can read and write.
If you don't even understand these things, how can you manage them? You're going blind.
Hearing this, the chief was slightly startled.
After coming back to his senses, he was seen looking at Han Zhen in surprise.
Compared with ordinary villagers, the village chief has more knowledge.
Originally, he thought that Han Zhen and others were just rogues who used force to kill the king and occupied the village.
However, what Han Zhen said just now really shocked him.
Is this something a rogue can do?
Counting household registrations and measuring fields are all things done by the government. It seems that this young man has a big plan.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Han Zhen half-smiled but said, "Why is the chief so surprised?"
The head of the village cupped his hands and said, "Young old man, I didn't see Mount Tai before. I hope you won't be surprised."
Han Zhen ordered: "In the future, don't call me little husband, call me village chief!"
village head?
The mayor was stunned, this title was somewhat similar to the previous Muramasa.
At this time, Han Zhen asked: "Are there any scholars in the village?"
After thinking for a moment, the head of the village replied: "There is one. He lives in the west of the village. His name is Zhu Zhengze. His father used to be a teacher at Xiaowang Village School. His father died of illness a few years ago. In order to treat the illness, the family owed money After spending a lot of money, he stopped studying and kept farming to support his old mother."
Han Zhen asked: "What is this person's character like?"
The head of the village said truthfully: "He is a bit dull and withdrawn. Many people in the village say that he has ruined his brain by studying."
Han Zhen nodded and immediately ordered: "Fang Sansan, go and call Zhu Zhengze."
Fang Sansan responded and walked out with his short legs.
