Qianlong: Qing Dynasty?What about my Daqing?

Chapter 337 Capitalist Agriculture

Sichuan, Daqiao Town, Luojiang County, Jinjiang Prefecture, the residence of Li Jiazu.

Li Zhongren sat in the room in a daze.

Although it is said that the Li family in Daqiao Town is also regarded as a family of gentry in the local area.

But the gentry's homes in the mountains around Sichuan are not the same concept as those rich men in the south of the Yangtze River.

Among the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River, which cellar did not hide blackened silver?
But in Sichuan, there is no chance for an ordinary landlord's family to make money.

They eat from the ground.

The Li family in Daqiao Town has gone through this catastrophe, and now they don't have many sons on hand.

In order to get him out of the prison, Li Zhongyi spent almost all the money in his family.

He also went to mortgage the field skin, only to exchange it for 100 yuan Mingyuan, and after a lot of management, he was acquitted and released.

But after this.

The wealth of the Li family in Daqiao Town has shrunk by more than half.

Nearly half of the land has also mortgaged the skin, leaving only the bones.

The so-called "field skin" and "field bone".

It is the right to use and own the land.

Selling the field skin means selling the right to use it.

It is equivalent to the land is still your own, but the right to use it belongs to others, and you can no longer collect rent.

But there are field bones in hand, and they can be redeemed in the future.

Li Zhongren sighed.

Originally, he had already figured it out.

Emperor Zhu took whatever exam he wanted.

The Four Books and Five Classics are also good.

New learning worth mentioning.

Anyway.

As long as you can take the test.

With his brain of a master, it is still very easy to be a scholar.

At the beginning, lard was deceived and went to make trouble with those people, so why bother.

But never expected.

Just got out of jail.

I couldn't take the exam myself.

Li Zhongren, who has lost his purpose in life, now even has the desire to die, and wants to follow Fan Jin's example of jumping off the stairs and settle everything.

If it wasn't for his younger brother Li Zhongyi to watch closely, maybe he would really have done this.
But now after returning to the countryside.

Most of this desire to die was extinguished.

Since I don't want to die.

Then you have to live well.

At any rate, he, Li Zhongren, was an "elite" who had been selected as a scholar and passed the Juren examination.

How could he live in a muddle for the rest of his life?
Li Zhongren took out the ledger at home and looked through it.

"160 mu of paddy fields, 190 mu of dry land, 90 mu of paddy fields and 100 mu of dry land were mortgaged, and the remaining fields were leased to 20 households. On average, each household planted less than eight mu of paddy fields and dry land."

Li Zhongren muttered in his mouth, already thinking about it in his heart.

Otherwise, Xueba's brain is good.

He discovered the problem immediately.

More than 100 acres of paddy fields and dry land.

Twenty tenant farmers.

None of the sharecropper households owned cattle.

Moreover, the leased land of less than eight mu per household is not enough for these tenant farmers to invest in the land.

"No wonder the harvest is dwindling."

Li Zhongren shook his head.

Just now.

Li Zhongyi pushed the door open and entered.

There was also a food box in his hand.

Inside are several Sichuan side dishes and a bowl of rice.

Although the Li family in Daqiao Town has some wealth, it is not a wealthy family after all.

Li Zhongren went in these days, and it took a lot to manage up and down.

So money is a little tight right now.

Therefore, these four small dishes are not expensive dishes. There are two dishes of raw materials. A plate of steamed eggs and a pile of Sichuan bacon are fried. Have an appetite.

This dish was fried by Li Zhongyi himself.

However, he went to the town, gritted his teeth and bought a pot of wine. He was like a brother who had just been released from prison and was hit again.

"Second brother."

Li Zhongren looked at the wine and dishes but only had one pair of chopsticks, and couldn't help showing a wry smile.

"Did you spend a lot at home during this time?"

"Fortunately, I borrowed some money from the elders in other houses, and mortgaged dozens of acres of land, and pooled a few hundred yuan to make connections." Li Zhongyi said.

"Return the lease of the rest of the land. Since you can't take the imperial examination, let's plan food in the field." Li Zhongren walked to the cupboard, took out another pair of bowls and chopsticks, and poured a bowl of wine for his brother , Pour yourself another bowl.

What is popular now is rice wine, not distilled wine.

So the degree is not high, but also a little sweet.

Li Zhongren drank a bowl of wine.

It seems that he has become more energetic in an instant.

Some of the chaotic thoughts before have become clear now.

"Brother, are you going to farm?"

Li Zhongyi was taken aback.

My elder brother has been smart since he was a child, and the family focused on training him to study.

I have never touched the handle of a hoe at all, and at most I have gone to collect rent.

He went to farm?

You won't lose money, will you?
"Why, don't you believe in big brother's ability?"

Li Zhongren took two slices of bacon, wrapped in red chili peppers, and he ate the oily bacon and chili peppers together, chewing until his mouth was filled with the aroma of bacon, and took another sip of rice wine, a smile appeared on his face.

"Although your eldest brother has never planted land, this kind of land is similar to doing business. You all pay attention to a good management, buy low and sell high. I have seen the world, and it is different from those peasants with mud legs. And our Li family , in Daqiao Town, there are also some contacts and no shortage of land, as long as you manage it well, not to mention making a fortune, making a little money is still easy."

Of course Li Zhongren didn't farm the land himself.

Instead, I plan to go to the elite land farm.

Hire people to plow the fields.

The Li family has more than 100 mu of paddy fields and more than 100 mu of dry land.

Even if the mortgaged land is not recovered for the time being, there are still more than 100 mu.

Now leased to sharecroppers.

You can also collect a little rent every year.

even though.

Li Zhongren collects rent at home, so he can live comfortably for the rest of his life.

But he didn't want to become a local rich man who lived on rent collection.

While young.

He still wanted to make a fuss.

He just did the math.

If you raise a few cows.

For a land of [-] mu, it is enough to hire five long-term laborers.

Hire laborers to work while planting and harvesting.

Five long-term workers, plus some short-term workers.

How much can this cost?

Besides.

I can build waterwheels for rice milling by myself, and I don’t grow crops on dry land, but raise some cattle and sheep.

There is also a brewery.

income at that time.

It must be more cost-effective than simply renting out the fields to tenant farmers.

"Brother, will the twenty tenant farmers all retire?"

Li Zhongyi asked hesitantly,

Retire?
That's going to be poked in the spine.

"That's right, let them plant our land, and sooner or later they will ruin the good land! These poor people can't raise cattle, can't plow deeply, and can't afford manure. It will be different if you entrust it to me, I am willing to invest the capital, this field, the fertilizer that can be raised, the yield will definitely be higher, not to mention."

Li Zhongren stood up.

"My brother can't take the imperial examination now, and studying is not interesting. I have to find something to do for the rest of my life."

Li Zhongyi nodded.

He has not yet realized the great significance of Li Zhongren's move - this is the beginning of agricultural capitalization.

(End of this chapter)