Raising chickens and pigs and digging for wild vegetables, the county magistrate's promotion wa

Chapter 78 This Magistrate Yang is quite good, indeed quite good.

As soon as they entered the steamed bun shop, Erhu said to Bowu, "Fifth Brother, this is our boss, Master Ma. He came to Ningyang County this time to see if there is any business he can do."

Looking at the slightly turned figure of Emperor Zhu Chongba, Li Wu felt a cramp in his calves and even his knees felt a little sore.

What Limpy Five didn't expect was that Emperor Zhu Chongba stood up first and said to Limpy Five with a smile, "I am Ma Baoguo. I have long admired Brother Limpy Five's name. Today I am finally able to meet you. If Brother Limpy Five does not mind, why don't we sit down and have a chat?"

After calming himself down, Limpy Wu chuckled and bowed to Emperor Zhu Chongba, saying, "I am Limpy Wu, greetings to Master Ma."

Emperor Zhu Chongba smiled and pointed to the bench: "Brother Limpy Five, sit down."

Limping Wu bowed again, chuckled, pulled out a stool and sat down. Then he turned to the widows at the steamed bun shop and called out, "You all go ahead and get busy. There's no need for anyone to stay here."

After the young widows had all left, Lame Five asked in a low voice, "Sir, what brings you to Ningyang County?"

Emperor Zhu Chongba chuckled coldly: "Your Magistrate Yang has quite a reputation lately. On our way to Kaifeng Prefecture, we heard the ballad about how corrupt Magistrate Yang was so greedy. Didn't you hear it, you lame five?"

Limpy Wu was slightly taken aback, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead: "I deserve to die. It was my dereliction of duty. Please forgive me, sir."

Emperor Zhu Chongba gave a slight snort and instructed Erhu, "Tell this idiot everything."

After Erhu recounted how Liu Hongchang, Master Geng, and others went to the capital to file a complaint with the emperor, how they changed their route to Kaifeng Prefecture halfway through, how the spies from the Inspectorate in Yanzhou Prefecture heard the nursery rhyme and reported it, how he himself sent people to kidnap Liu Hongchang, Master Geng, and others halfway through, and how Emperor Zhu Chongba suddenly changed his route to Jining and transferred Chang Yuchun to Jining, Bo Wu's entire back was completely soaked with cold sweat.

Emperor Zhu Chongba narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "We've been to Ningyang County. This Magistrate surnamed Yang is quite good, indeed quite good."

Before Limpy Wu could speak, Emperor Zhu Chongba continued, "Take us to see those breeding farms, livestock farms and such, and also that lighter workshop, we want to see that too."

Limping Wu nodded slightly, stood up, and gestured towards the entrance of the steamed bun shop: "Master Ma, please."

"This is the lighter workshop. Because in the beginning, it was used by women from the widow village, so the lighter workshop is quite close to the steamed bun shop."

Leading Emperor Zhu Chongba into the workshop, Limpy Five pointed to different rooms and said, "This room is for making lighter casings. The casings are made of wood, and tung oil is applied inside to prevent leakage."

"This room is for installing a ignition mechanism on the shell, and for stuffing cotton thread and cotton into the shell."

"The oil refillers are in another yard, and the lighter casings will also be installed there. The county magistrate said it's unsafe for the oil refillers to be with these people, as it could easily cause a fire, so they need to be separated."

"A lighter can sell for twenty coins, and the cost of materials and the profit are roughly split in half."

“We can make about a thousand lighters here every day, and the profit is ten taels of silver. However, this ten taels of silver can not be called profit, because there are also the wages of the carpenters and women to be calculated, and the rent for these courtyards to be calculated. In the end, the amount that goes to the county is about ten taels of silver a month.”

Emperor Zhu Chongba suddenly interrupted Lame Five: "What do you mean by 'falling to the county level'? Doesn't Magistrate Yang intend to take it?"

Limpy Wu said, "Of course Magistrate Yang also took it, and he took even more than the county government. He said that this was the property he created, and he was entitled to the money."

After taking Emperor Zhu Chongba on a tour of the lighter workshop, Limpy Five then took Emperor Zhu to the breeding farm.

"Among them are thirty chicks that Magistrate Yang bought with his own money, as well as a thousand chickens and a thousand ducks bestowed by His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince."

“Magistrate Yang originally intended to distribute all the chickens and ducks directly to the people, but later he said that the chickens should be kept to lay and incubate eggs, and the ducks were released to eat locusts some time ago, so they were not distributed to the people.”

"However, the chicks and ducklings that have recently hatched have already been distributed, and the chickens and ducks that remain here will also be distributed to the people before the end of the year."

“The chicken and duck manure here is sent out of the city every day along with the pig manure from the neighboring pig farm to be composted into fertilizer. Magistrate Yang said that after autumn, the people will take the manure to fertilize the land.”

Limpy Wu quickly took Emperor Zhu Chongba on a tour of the breeding farms and livestock ranches, and also gave a detailed account of everything that happened in Ningyang County.

After Limpy Wu returned to the county government office to get the key and found an empty courtyard, Emperor Zhu Chongba narrowed his eyes and instructed Erhu: "Have the spies from Yanzhou Prefecture investigate and find out who is secretly helping Liu Hongchang and his gang. Report back to us as soon as you find out."

Erhu bowed in agreement. Emperor Zhu Chongba then instructed Bo Wu, "You will remain in Ningyang County. You don't need to worry about things in Yanzhou Prefecture for now."

"Besides, I'm just a merchant from Jiangnan named Ma Baoguo who's passing through Ningyang County and wants to do business in Jinan Prefecture. I'm not the Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. Go back and tell Magistrate Yang about me and see his reaction."

……

Ma Baoguo?

Jiangnan merchants?

Passing through Ningyang County, I'm thinking of going to Jinan Prefecture to do business?

After hearing Limpy Five's description, Magistrate Yang's first reaction was, "This is no ordinary merchant, he's a living bodhisattva who's come to bring money to our Ningyang County!"

My second thought was that I, as the county magistrate, had to meet him. I absolutely couldn't let this Master Ma leave Ningyang County so easily, otherwise, the living bodhisattva would become a passing god of wealth, and I would regret it to death!

Then, Magistrate Yang Shaofeng arranged for Lame Wu to meet Master Ma Baoguo at the steamed bun shop run by the young widows.

"I wonder what Mr. Ma is interested in?" Magistrate Yang smiled and poured a glass of water for "Ma Baoguo". "To be honest, although our Ningyang County is smaller and poorer than Jinan Prefecture, there are opportunities to make money everywhere. I would also like to welcome merchants like Mr. Ma to do business in Ningyang County."

Emperor Zhu Chongba laughed heartily, raised his water cup to greet Magistrate Yang, and said, "I, Old Ma, am a rough man, and the people I admire most in my life are scholars like Magistrate Yang. Today, to have Magistrate Yang humble himself and befriend me is a great honor for me, a great honor indeed."

After they each drank a glass of water, Emperor Zhu Chongba smiled and said, "Just now, Magistrate Yang asked us what kind of business we wanted to do..."

Emperor Zhu pondered for a moment and said, "The seven necessities of life are firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea. Firewood is obviously out of the question, the profit margin is too small. As for salt, it's not something a small merchant like me can get involved in. So, we're thinking of starting with rice, flour, and oil. However..."

Magistrate Yang Shaofeng asked, "But what?"