Ch 33: The Regent’s Farmer Husband

The steward of the Lin family was named Lin Fu. Seeing two men standing at the entrance of Jiang Ji’s courtyard—and the county yamen’s carriage parked nearby—he immediately recognized it. Those two must be county officials.

He had just listened to Jiang Ji’s public talk and asked some of the Shanqian villagers about the situation before coming. He hadn’t expected that the magistrate himself would still be here; clearly, this matter was of great importance to him.

Lin Fu quietly pondered how best to present himself when he went inside.

Jiang Ji came out and saw a middle-aged man of about forty, dressed in the manner of a steward, standing beside a carriage. Smiling, he said, “Hello, are you the steward of Master Lin’s household?”

Lin Fu returned the smile. “Yes, my name is Lin Fu. My master heard that your family is selling new rice seeds and sweet potatoes. He happened to mention it today and sent me to learn more, to discuss purchasing some seeds with you.”

“Steward Lin, please come in. Let’s sit and talk—it just so happens Magistrate Xu is here too. We were discussing seeds.”

Lin Fu hesitated for a moment, then said, “Of course. Since the magistrate is present, it’s only proper to pay my respects.”

The two entered the house. Lin Fu greeted the magistrate formally, then took a seat on a low wooden bench near the side.

Jiang Ji’s home had only one square table with four long benches around it—and at the moment, all the seats were taken.

Jiang Ji poured water for Lin Fu, and as he did, Magistrate Xu asked, “Steward Lin, is your master also interested in these new seeds?”

Lin Fu rose and bowed. “Yes. Yesterday, one of our servants heard from relatives that new seeds were being sold here. My master sent me to take a look.”

“Sit, sit. No need to stand,” Magistrate Xu said, gesturing for him to take a seat. “So, you heard what Jiang Ji said earlier?”

Lin Fu sat down properly and replied, “I did. I came to discuss matters with this young man.”

“Oh, then you two go ahead.” Magistrate Xu took a sip of water.

Lin Fu hesitated—how was he supposed to negotiate with the magistrate right there?

After a brief pause, he asked, “Young man, I heard you say these seeds were brought from the south?”

“That’s right,” Jiang Ji replied.

“From which part of the south? I hear the south produces many fine goods—must have been difficult hauling them such a long way.”

Jiang Ji looked at him and smiled. “I don’t know exactly where. I contacted a traveling merchant, but he didn’t tell me the exact source. Probably afraid I’d go fetch them myself.”

Lin Fu: “…”
Magistrate Xu: “…”
Everyone else: “…”

While most people would circle around their intentions, hiding their motives, Jiang Ji simply laid everything bare without hesitation.

Off to the side, Jiang Yan’s eyes twitched with amusement.

Jiang Ji asked bluntly, “So, Steward Lin, which seeds are you interested in buying?”

“All of them.”

“How much?”

Glancing briefly at the magistrate, Lin Fu ventured, “However much you have, the Lin estate can take it all.”

“All of it?”

“Yes.”

Jiang Ji blinked, exchanged a quick glance with Jiang Yan, then met Magistrate Xu’s eyes.

Lin Fu, watching closely, sensed something subtle in their reactions and began wondering what the magistrate was thinking.

“Well then, Steward Lin,” Jiang Ji asked tactfully, “how much land does your master own?”

Lin Fu didn’t give an exact number. “Several hundred mu.”

Jiang Ji smiled. “And does your master plan to plant it all himself—or buy up all my seeds to, say, resell them… exclusively?”

Lin Fu froze. That was exactly his master’s plan—to buy up the supply, plant some, and sell the rest at a marked-up price. Ideally, he’d also find out the source of the seeds.

But this young man was sharp. He’d sidestepped every trap and even seen through the Lin family’s little scheme.

Surprised, Lin Fu took a good look at Jiang Ji. A bright-faced young man, tanned from labor but full of spirit, smiling mildly yet with eyes that seemed to see right through him.

Lin Fu glanced at the magistrate again—Magistrate Xu didn’t look his way. Realizing it was unwise to expose such intentions in front of the county official, Lin Fu carefully chose his words.

“Of course, we intend to plant them ourselves.”

He had already asked around. Every household in Shanqian Village had pre-ordered seeds, and Jiang Ji had promised to supply them.

With over eighty households there—and Jiang Ji’s own forty mu of farmland—the remaining seeds couldn’t be much.

And with several other villages coming today, the total acreage was no small matter. If he delayed, everything might be claimed by the villagers.

Lin Fu asked, “Young man, how many seeds do you have left? Our Lin estate is willing to buy them all. Price is negotiable.”

When Magistrate Xu turned his gaze toward him, Lin Fu quickly added, “I see so many villagers wanting to buy—I’m just worried there won’t be enough for us to plant.”

The magistrate and his aides remained silent, listening. Magistrate Xu didn’t know exactly how much seed Jiang Ji had, but he was slightly worried—if Jiang Ji sold everything to the Lin family, what would the other villages do?

Still, he wanted to hear how Jiang Ji would respond.

After a short pause, Jiang Ji said, “Don’t worry. If the Lin estate intends to plant all its fields with the new seeds, there’s enough.”

Lin Fu relaxed a little. “That’s good to hear.”

Jiang Ji smiled and took a sheet of paper from the table, handing it to him. “Steward Lin, I can sell you enough for all your estate’s fields. Here’s a price list for each type of seed, with how much you need per acre. Calculate what you’ll need and send someone with the payment. I’ll reserve the amount for you.”

Lin Fu read through it carefully, then asked, “Can we also buy cotton seeds?”

“Of course,” Jiang Ji replied. “We’ll just need to sign a planting contract—whatever you grow, you’ll sell to me afterward.”

Lin Fu frowned slightly. “…And if we don’t sign?”

“Then I’m sorry, not for now,” Jiang Ji said. “But if you buy a large quantity of other seeds, I can give you a two-wen discount per type. Two wen might mean nothing to the Lin estate, but to us, it’s a big sum. Please tell your master—it’s my gesture of goodwill.”

The Lin family didn’t care about such a small amount, so Lin Fu nodded. “You said ‘not for now.’ Does that mean later we can?”

“Yes—once I’ve signed enough planting contracts with the farmers, you can buy normally.”

“How much is ‘enough’?”

“A few hundred mu’s worth.”

Lin Fu was taken aback. So much cotton? At the yield he’d claimed earlier—fifty to sixty jin per acre—Jiang Ji would have hundreds of mu worth of cotton to process. Was he planning to sell it elsewhere?

But at market price, wouldn’t that mean no profit?

Suppressing his doubts, Lin Fu nodded. “If you ever have excess seed, please contact us. The Lin estate is willing to buy it all.”

“Alright,” Jiang Ji agreed readily. “But I doubt there’ll be any left—many villagers will need some too.”

The meaning was clear enough, and Lin Fu understood. He rose to his feet. “Alright, it’s getting late. I’ll take my leave.”

“Why not stay for lunch before you go?”

“No need, no need. I have to return and report this matter to my master.”

“Alright then, please wait a moment.”

Jiang Ji went into his room and exchanged a bag of sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, and rice from the system. Bringing the bag out, he handed it to Lin Fu.

“Steward Lin, please take this back to Master Lin so he can try the new crops. Just steam them over water for two quarters of an hour. The potatoes can also be cut into chunks and stewed with meat, or sliced thin and stir-fried with a bit of vinegar—just peel them first. The taste is pretty good.”

Lin Fu smiled broadly as he accepted the bag. “You’re very thoughtful, young man. Thank you.”

After bidding farewell to the magistrate, Lin Fu climbed onto the carriage and left.

Jiang Ji returned to the main room and asked Magistrate Xu, “Sir, does the Lin estate do textile or fabric business?”

“I recall they have a cloth shop,” said the magistrate.

Magistrate Xu glanced at the clerk, who nodded. “Yes, their family mainly deals in grain, oil, and tea. They also opened one cloth shop.”

“No spinning, dyeing, or weaving workshops?”

The clerk shook his head. “None.”

Jiang Ji exhaled in relief. “Good.”

Magistrate Xu chuckled. “What’s this? You seemed quite bold just now.”

“Well, that’s only because you were here, sir. You give me confidence,” Jiang Ji said with a sheepish grin.

The magistrate smiled faintly but said nothing more.

Jiang Ji poured him another cup of water and asked, “Sir, could I borrow a few men?”

“For what purpose?”

“I want to make some flyers—to send around the villages. They’ll explain that there are new seeds for sale in Shanqian Village west of town, list the benefits of each crop, the potential yield, and details about the cotton-planting contract. But I can’t reach all the villages on foot, and I’m not familiar with every area. If you could help me gather the village chiefs and elders for a meeting, that would work too.”

It had been a surprise that the magistrate came today, and since he clearly cared about this matter, Jiang Ji thought it would be smart to use the county’s authority for help. Otherwise, traveling to give speeches one by one would exhaust him.

If the village heads and elders came to hear him, they could spread the message much faster.

Magistrate Xu considered, then nodded. “Alright. But do you have enough seed? Enough for the whole county?”

Jiang Ji had already thought it through. “There’s enough rice seed for the entire county. As for cotton—you know I’m having farmers sign contracts. Once I reach the required amount, if there’s any left, I’ll sell the rest. Sweet potatoes can go in stages: I’ll sell the first batch now, then when the vines grow, others can buy cuttings to plant. You can keep planting through May, so it’ll spread countywide. For potatoes and corn, I’ll sell as much as possible.”

He added, “Besides, sir, as you know—most people won’t switch completely to new seeds in the first year. They’re cautious and like to test small plots first. The demand won’t be overwhelming right away.”

The magistrate nodded, already aware of that. Still, he looked surprised. “So you have enough seed for the whole county?”

“Yes.”

Hearing that, Magistrate Xu immediately agreed. “Alright, I’ll gather the village heads. Once your flyer is ready, let me know.”

“Will do, thank you, sir.” Jiang Ji cupped his hands in gratitude.

After lunch, the magistrate and his men left, promising to arrange a meeting with the county’s wealthy landowners once Jiang Ji was prepared.

When they were gone, Jiang Ji rushed back inside and grabbed Jiang Yan. “Jiang Yan, quick, help me write the flyer.”

Having overheard their conversation, Jiang Yan asked, “What should it say?”

“Let’s think. We’ll introduce the advantages—what benefits each seed brings, the expected yields—and then put the price list at the end. Let’s draft it first.”

Jiang Ji took out his notebook, and the two discussed while writing. Eventually, they settled on a final version, and Jiang Yan copied it neatly.

*

Meanwhile, Lin Fu returned home and reported everything to Master Lin. Since Jiang Ji had said quite a lot, Lin Fu only repeated the key points he remembered.

Master Lin looked at the bag Lin Fu had brought back, picked up a sweet potato, and asked, “So this is it? You’re saying this can really be eaten?”

“It can, truly. I tried a piece myself—it’s good.”

Master Lin said, “Have someone cook it. I’ll taste it myself.”

Lin Fu called a servant over and explained how to prepare it. The servant took the bag away.

“You said that boy, Jiang Ji, is asking villagers to plant cotton and sign some kind of contract?”

“Yes, a planting contract. He sets the price before planting, and says that if the yield is under twenty jin per acre, he’ll compensate them three taels of silver.”

Master Lin drummed his fingers on the table, frowning. “He’s that confident? Then the cotton must really yield well. Where did that poor boy get his methods?”

“He wouldn’t say. And with the magistrate sitting there, I couldn’t push further,” Lin Fu said, then suggested cautiously, “Perhaps we could meet him privately again? Use a bit of pressure—he’ll talk.”

Master Lin shot him a sharp look. “He already announced he’s selling seeds under the magistrate’s eye. If we seize his supply and resell it, it’d be like banging a gong to tell everyone we stole his business. How would we explain that to the magistrate?”

“But sir, you and the magistrate are on decent terms, aren’t you?”

“The magistrate keeps good relations with all the county’s major families. All of them. Which means—none of us are special.”

Lin Fu: “…”

Master Lin shook his head. “No. This concerns the county’s food supply. If it succeeds, it’ll be a real political achievement. The magistrate might even earn a promotion. He won’t allow anyone to sabotage it.”

Lin Fu said, “Then what if another household tries to snatch the idea?”

“The clever ones,” Master Lin said calmly, “won’t try.”

Lin Fu said, “…So we’re just leaving it at that?”

“We’re not getting involved,” Master Lin nodded. “By the way, he’s collecting that much cotton—does he plan to sell it elsewhere?”

“He didn’t say, but he’s buying it at the current market price. If he ships it out to sell, he’d lose money.”

Master Lin thought for a moment, then looked up at his steward. “Could it be that he plans to spin and weave the cotton himself?”

“With that much cotton? Could he even handle it? Most of the thread and cloth in town are made by the Zhang family. The rest are all brought in from outside.”

Master Lin gave a cold laugh. “If that Jiang Ji really is planning to spin and weave it himself, then that’s perfect.”

The Lin and Zhang families had been at odds for generations. If someone came along to compete with the Zhangs, Master Lin would be delighted.

Lin Fu hesitated. “But he’s just a peasant from a small village. Could he really manage that much?”

“Who cares, as long as he doesn’t compete with us.”

“You’re right, Master.”

The master and servant looked at each other and laughed.

*

The next morning, Jiang Ji took the flyer Jiang Yan had written and went to the county office to see the magistrate.

The magistrate read it through once and found no issue with it, then ordered the staff to print copies. The county yamen regularly issued notices to villages and had a full set of movable-type printing blocks.

“They’ll distribute them all today and tomorrow. I’ll have the village heads come the day after tomorrow. You come that morning.”

“Alright,” Jiang Ji said with a smile. “Thank you, sir.”

He left behind two large bags of sweet potatoes, corn, and potatoes. “For the brothers going out to the villages—let them have a taste.”

“Take them back, take them back. Save them for the villagers to plant,” Magistrate Xu refused.

Jiang Ji scratched his head. “Then how about this—after the meeting the day after tomorrow, I’ll treat everyone to food and wine. That’ll be fine, right?”

The magistrate gave him a sidelong glance but said nothing. “Do as you see fit.”

Jiang Ji understood and left with a grin.

When he returned home, several village chiefs were in the main room, along with a few representatives from different villages copying down the planting instructions at the table.

“Uncles, are you here to register, or do you still have questions?”

One of the village chiefs laughed. “I came to deliver the registration list. I’ve already filled it out just as you said.”

“So fast?”

Jiang Ji was a little surprised. He took the list and glanced over it—sure enough, it was densely filled in. Besides rice and sweet potatoes, quite a few people had signed up for cotton as well.

“This is only half. People were worried the seeds would run out, so they pushed me to bring this first batch right away. I’ll bring the rest tomorrow.”

Jiang Ji smiled. “Alright. Please let everyone know that when we sell the cotton seeds, we’ll also sign the planting contracts.”

His own village chief was there too, and Jiang Ji asked, “Has everyone registered?”

The village chief nodded with a cheerful grin. “Every household has.”

Jiang Ji raised his brows—not too surprised.

Watching the people copying at the table, he suddenly thought of something.

These handwritten planting guides were far too slow to copy one by one. He could have them printed and sell them to the villages instead—especially since he’d eventually be promoting this nationwide.

He wondered if the magistrate would be willing to take that job.

He’d ask him about it the day after tomorrow.

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