Ch 53: The Regent’s Farmer Husband

That day, Magistrate Xu came to see Jiang Ji, beaming as he said, “Brother Jiang Ji, the water pumps you asked for have been finished and delivered!”

Jiang Ji was pleasantly surprised. “They’re done?”

“They are! The craftsmen first made a smaller version to test—it worked perfectly. Then they made two full-sized ones for you.” Magistrate Xu pointed to the mule carts behind him. “There, take a look.”

Jiang Ji ran to the back and indeed saw two mule carts, each carrying a wooden Archimedean screw-style water pump. The lower ends were made of iron poles to prevent the wood from rotting too quickly when left in water.

Behind them were two large stones, each with a deep, slanted hole in the middle—meant to fix the pumps securely.

Magistrate Xu asked, “These two are made according to your measurements. Do you want them installed here at your place?”

Jiang Ji asked back, “Sir, are you in a hurry to leave?”

“No, not at all.”

“Then would you like to see us install them?”

“Sure.”

“Please, you and the guards go inside and rest a bit. I’ll go fetch the village chief.” Jiang Ji turned to Jiang Yan. “Jiang Yan, keep the official company.”

Then Jiang Ji hurried off to the village chief’s house. The chief was out watering the fields, on the high patch of newly reclaimed land where they had planted sweet potatoes and corn.

“Village Chief!” Jiang Ji shouted. “Stop watering for now—come with me, I’ve got something important!”

“What’s going on?” the chief asked, walking out.

“Good news! Gather five or six able-bodied men and come to my place. The official had a water pump made for us—let’s get it installed quickly. Once it’s ready, we won’t have to carry water up from below anymore. We might even be able to flood the fields directly.”

The village chief was shocked. “Really?”

“Yes,” Jiang Ji said, glancing at the people still watering nearby. “Let’s call them too.”

The chief trusted Jiang Ji completely now. Putting down his water ladle, he shouted, “Qiangzi, Daguei, Xiao’an—everyone here, stop watering! Come with me to Jiang Ji’s place!”

Qiangzi asked, “What’s up, Uncle?”

“Something good. Just come—you’ll see when we get there.”

On the way, Jiang Ji explained the plan. Qiangzi was skeptical. “Really? That stream is more than three meters lower. Translated on Hololo novels. Even a waterwheel doesn’t work well. You think this thing can lift water that high?”

Jiang Ji said mysteriously, “You’ll see soon enough, Brother Qiang.”

When they arrived at his house and saw the coiled, wooden contraption at the gate, the men circled around it curiously.

“This is it?”

“This thing can lift water? I don’t buy it.”

“You’ll know once it’s installed,” Jiang Ji said, calling toward the house, “Sir, we’re taking the carts over now!”

“I’ll come take a look too,” said Magistrate Xu as he stepped out, Jiang Yan following behind.

Everyone was intrigued by the strange device. More villagers gathered after hearing it could raise water uphill.

“Village Chief,” Jiang Ji said, “take the big one to the reclaimed field. Someone come with me to fetch wooden stakes and rope. Qiangzi, you and your group bring hoes and shovels. Oh—and machetes, ladders, carrying poles, and thick ropes—we’ll need them to move the big stones and the pump.”

“Got it.”

The group divided tasks efficiently and soon gathered at the edge of the reclaimed field.

This field was at the base of the mountain’s far side. A small mountain stream ran below, about three meters wide with shallow water but steep banks, sitting roughly three meters below the reclaimed land. Before, they had dug a dirt path with steps down to fetch water manually—a tiring chore.

The large pump had been built to match the height of this upper field. Using the slope, it would lift water directly up to the surface, eliminating the need to carry buckets.

Once the placement was chosen, Jiang Ji and several young men carried the pump to the stream. They tied one end with rope while the men above lifted and steadied it upright.

“Alright, the height’s perfect—this is the spot. Lift it aside for now. Village Chief, clear out that patch of thorn bushes, just cut them down. Leave the grass though—it’ll help prevent landslides. Qiangzi and I will bring over the stones.”

“Got it.”

While the chief led people to clear the thorny brush, Jiang Ji and the younger men carried over the large stones for anchoring.

The stream wasn’t deep enough, so they dug a pit on the opposite bank to set the stones securely, using the slope for extra support.

They built a small water pit and hammered wooden stakes into the higher ground above to make a frame for the top of the pump.

After all the prep work was done, Jiang Ji inspected everything, then shouted, “Alright, bring the pump over!”

Working together, they carried the heavy pump over and set its lower end into the stone groove. Half of the pump sat underwater, while the top rested on the wooden frame above.

“Okay!” Jiang Ji shouted up. “Village Chief, give it a try! Turn the handle to the right—keep turning, don’t stop!”

Everyone watched intently—including Magistrate Xu and Jiang Yan.

The chief gripped the wooden handle and began rotating it.

“Can this really draw water up?”

“The trough isn’t even sealed—it doesn’t look like it’ll work.”

“Probably won’t lift much.”

Jiang Ji and Qiangzi were down below watching. As the wooden screw turned, water began to rise little by little.

Qiangzi’s eyes widened. “!”

“Wait—it’s actually coming up?” another man exclaimed.

Moments later, gasps erupted from above. They could see water suddenly gushing out from the top of the trough—and it kept flowing, steady and strong.

“My heavens, it’s bringing up water!”

“Is it really working?”

“How’s that possible? How did the water come up?!”

“How does turning that thing lift the water?”

“This is incredible!”

Magistrate Xu had already seen the small version once before, but watching this full-sized one in action still filled him with awe. “Truly unbelievable.”

Jiang Yan stared at the pump, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Down below, Jiang Ji noticed that the stone base was still wobbling a little as the village chief turned the handle. He said to Qiangzi, “Brother Qiang, we’ll need a couple more big stones to stabilize it.”

“Got it, I’ll get some.”

Qiangzi led a few men upstream and fetched two large stones, placing them beside the original one for reinforcement.

Jiang Ji saw the base stop shaking and snapped his fingers with satisfaction. “OK, done!”

Qiangzi and the others blinked in confusion. “What did you just say?”

Jiang Yan also looked over, wondering what strange words he’d used this time.

Jiang Ji laughed. “Nothing—just means it’s finished. Let’s go up.”

Above, everyone was still marveling at the “water pump,” all of them delighted.

“No more hauling water now!”

“Should we put a big jar here to collect it?”

“Better to build a trough—then we can channel the water directly.”

“Good idea, we could even dig a small basin right here.”

“Village Chief, can I try turning it?”

The chief laughed happily. “Go ahead.”

The man took over and began cranking. As he watched the water slowly rise, his eyes lit up in amazement.

Many people tried it in turn, including Jiang Ji and his team once they climbed up.

Qiangzi turned the handle excitedly. “Who came up with this? That’s some genius thinking!”

Magistrate Xu stroked his beard and smiled. “It was Jiang Ji’s idea.”

The villagers were shocked.

“Jiang Ji?”

“What? Jiang Ji, you thought of this?”

Everyone turned to stare at him. Jiang Ji blinked and said, “Not me—I heard it from a traveling merchant from the south. He said it was invented by someone named Archimedes, so this kind of pump is called an Archimedean screw water pump.”

Jiang Yan: “…”

“Archi… what?” the crowd echoed blankly.

“Archimedes,” Jiang Ji explained. “It’s probably a foreigner’s name.”

“A foreigner?”

“Must be. Only foreigners have such strange names.”

They murmured among themselves for a while before Jiang Ji said, “Doesn’t matter whether he’s a foreigner or not—what matters is that it works. Now, let’s go install the other one. The western fields are hard to water too, so I plan to put it there.”

“Alright, that spot then,” said the village chief, waving his hand. “Let’s move.”

The group picked up their tools again and went to the west side, installing the second pump.

Once it was set up, watering the fields became far easier. The whole village was overjoyed, and nearly everyone came to try it out.

Back home, Zhao Ru had already prepared the meal. Magistrate Xu stayed to eat with them.

Jiang Ji asked, “Sir, how’s the threshing machine coming along?”

“It’s more than halfway done. Should be finished in about a week,” said Magistrate Xu.

Jiang Ji’s eyes lit up. “Sir, don’t forget my two units.”

“I know, yours are first,” Magistrate Xu laughed. “We’ve brought in several carpenters, and they’ve also built the rice-drying racks. They turned out quite good, so we’ve already distributed the blueprints to all the villages. Oh, and the winnowing machine is nearly done too—we’ll deliver it to you once it’s ready.”

“Perfect,” Jiang Ji said with excitement. “As long as it’s here before the rice harvest.”

After the meal, Jiang Ji asked, “Why didn’t Lord Chen come this time?”

“He went to inspect the other counties—wanted to check their crop growth.”

“Oh, that’s a lot of traveling. Must be tiring.”

Magistrate Xu later went to check the fields again. The rice had entered the tillering stage—each seedling that once stood alone now had several lush stalks clustered together.

The little fish and ducklings had grown, swimming leisurely through the paddies. Occasionally, a bird would swoop down, only to be scared off again by the spinning scarecrows turning in the breeze.

By this point, the difference between the fields with ducks and fish and those without was becoming visible.

Jiang Ji’s paddies had almost no weeds, while the others were overgrown.

“There really are far fewer weeds here,” Magistrate Xu observed.

“Mm. Give it a little more time and the difference will be even clearer.”

“Have any of the fish been eaten by birds?” Magistrate Xu asked curiously.

Jiang Ji nodded. “Some, inevitably. Unless we put nets over the fields. Once the rice grows taller and blocks their view, it’ll be fine.”

After another look around, Magistrate Xu left.

Not long after he was gone, Uncle Tu Gen came over. He had been weeding his watermelon patch nearby and, glancing at Jiang Ji’s field, asked, “Xiao Ji, is it too late for us to release ducks now?”

“Huh?” Jiang Ji was surprised. “Uncle, didn’t you say you weren’t going to for the first rice crop?”

Uncle Tu Gen said, “That’s what I thought before—but look at your field. There’s definitely less grass, and your rice looks healthier than ours. Is it still possible to start now?”

Jiang Ji thought for a moment. “You could, but if you want to set up nets and such, it’ll take a few days. I had mine made in advance, along with the stakes and water ponds. At this point, the weeds are already quite tall, so the ducks won’t clear them as effectively—but it’ll still help fertilize the field. It’s up to you. If you do buy ducks, get slightly older ones. The little ones can’t peck through this tall grass anymore.”

Uncle Tu Gen nodded. “I’ll go back and discuss it with your aunt.”

The next day, Uncle Tu Gen came to ask Jiang Ji who had made his nets.

“You’ve decided to raise ducks?”

“Yes, we’ll try it with one field first.”

After getting his answer, Uncle Tu Gen hurried off. Later, when Jiang Ji went to the fields, he saw Aunt Xiufang and their eldest son, Xiao An, digging a pond at the edge of their paddy.

Three days later, Uncle Tu Gen’s family had fenced off a field and bought ducks to release into it.

Some villagers were puzzled. “Isn’t it too early or too late for that? Will it even work now?”

Aunt Xiufang replied, “Doesn’t matter. We’ll give it a try. Look at Jiang Ji’s field—his rice is taller than ours, and there are barely any weeds. It must be helping. We’ll just raise ducks on this one mu to start and learn from it.”

After some time, as the rice entered the late tillering stage, the differences among the fields became even clearer.

Jiang Ji’s field still had almost no weeds—just a few stubborn ones that ducks and fish didn’t like to eat, easy to pull by hand.

Most importantly, his rice plants had more tillers and grew slightly taller than everyone else’s.

Each clump looked lush and vibrant—a beautiful sight.

The field where Uncle Tu Gen had released ducks also showed results, especially in weed control. Compared to fields without ducks, the water plants were much shorter, pecked down by the ducks.

Now there were three kinds of fields for comparison: those that had ducks and fish from the start, those that added ducks later, and those without any animals at all.

When Lord Chen returned from his inspection tour, he came to record these results carefully.

Upon seeing the watermelon patch, he exclaimed in surprise, “They’re already blooming!”

“Yes, some have even started to bear fruit.” Jiang Ji squatted down and pointed at a plant. “Look, sir—this green one here is a baby watermelon.”

Lord Chen looked closely at the small green fruit, its surface patterned with darker stripes. “Oh, so that’s how they look.”

“Mm. Later, they can grow this big.” Jiang Ji demonstrated with his hands.

“That large?!” Lord Chen marveled. “These melons really grow fast.”

Then he looked up and saw Jiang Yan not far away, picking a flower and brushing it against another. “What’s Jiang Yan doing?”

“Hand pollination. Look, sir.” Jiang Ji plucked a flower beside him. “This one’s the male flower, this one’s female—you just brush them together like this.”

“Oh, every flower needs that? Aren’t there bees?” Lord Chen noticed Zhao Ru and Jiang Yan doing the same thing nearby. “Isn’t that a lot of work?”

“It ensures successful pollination. There aren’t that many bees, and they miss some flowers. This increases the yield,” Jiang Ji explained. Then he added, “But later, if too many fruits set, we’ll have to remove some.”

Lord Chen felt like he had learned something new and even tried it himself.

The two of them squatted among the melon vines, pollinating the flowers, when Chen asked, “I heard your restaurant is opening soon?”

“Almost ready—probably another half a month or so.”

Lord Chen smiled. “With all this going on, how do you manage to keep up?”

“It’s fine. I hire help for weeding, watering, and fertilizing. Otherwise, our family couldn’t handle it all.” Jiang Ji looked up at him. “When our restaurant opens, you must come support us, sir.”

“Of course. I’ll be there.”

*

The renovation of Jiang Ji’s restaurant was nearly complete, and staff training had begun.

He left the farm work to Zhao Ru and went to the city to discuss hiring with Manager Lü. Aside from the head manager and kitchen staff, they still needed to recruit everyone else.

After posting the hiring notices, Jiang Ji asked Manager Lü if he had any recommendations.

It would be best to find experienced waiters to lead the new ones. Since Manager Lü had managed this restaurant before, he likely had some contacts.

Manager Lü thought for a moment. “Would the owner mind hiring some of the old staff who used to work here?”

“I don’t mind,” Jiang Ji said. “As long as they’re capable and have good character.”

“Then I do have someone in mind,” Manager Lü said. “His name is Shi Xiaoshan. He used to be a waiter here—very clever and with an excellent memory. When the old place shut down, everyone was let go, and he went home to help his mother sell vegetables.”

“Would he be willing to come back?”

“I’ll contact him and arrange for you to meet.”

“Sounds good.”

Then Manager Lü remembered something. “By the way, quite a few people have been asking about our restaurant—when we’re opening, and who the new owner is.”

“Oh?” Jiang Ji raised an eyebrow. “Competitors?”

Manager Lü nodded. “Even someone from Xiang Man Lou came by—I know one of their waiters.”

“That’s normal. I’d ask too if I were them.” Jiang Ji thought of Master Tian from the Tian household and asked, “Did you tell them?”

“Yes. You said once hiring began, there was no need to keep it secret anymore, so I did.”

“Good. They’d find out sooner or later anyway.”

*

Across the street, the manager of Xiang Man Lou reported to Master Tian, “Sir, that new restaurant has started hiring.”

Master Tian, who was reviewing accounts, raised his brows. “Oh? That soon?”

“Yes, and they’re hiring quite a few people.”

“Tell me the details.”

“They’re taking twelve waiters, three food runners, two dishwashers, two cleaners, one greeter, and one head waiter…”

“Wait,” Master Tian interrupted, frowning. “What’s a ‘head waiter’ supposed to be?”

The manager hesitated. “Maybe… a supervisor?”

Master Tian waved his hand. “Go on.”

“Yes, and they’re also hiring someone to manage the carriages and stables.”

Master Tian frowned slightly. “With that many staff for a place that size, they’re clearly planning for a full house.”

The manager nodded. “Yes.”

“What’s their monthly pay?”

The manager replied, “Waiters get one tael of silver a month. Dishwashers, cleaners, and stable hands get eight hundred copper coins. The greeter earns nine hundred, and the head waiter earns one tael and two maces.”

Master Tian raised his eyebrows. “That high?”

“Yes, it’s a bit higher than ours.”

“They didn’t hire a head chef or kitchen assistants?”

The manager shook his head. “No.”

Master Tian thought for a moment. “That means they already have a chef and apprentices. Any way to find out who the chef is?”

“No, nothing’s been heard,” the manager said, shaking his head. Then he added, “Sir, I heard this place is owned by that Jiang Ji—the information slipped out from that Manager Lü today.”

“Him?” Master Tian’s brows furrowed immediately. “If it’s him, that complicates things.”

Seeing his expression, the manager cautiously asked, “Sir, should we try to find out more about their head chef?”

Master Tian considered, then shook his head. “No, let’s wait and see how their opening goes. If their chef isn’t good enough, the place will fail on its own. Prepare a congratulatory gift—I’ll visit in person on their opening day.”

“Yes, sir.”

*

In the village, Jiang Ji told everyone that the restaurant was hiring and explained the available positions, basic requirements, and approximate pay. Anyone interested could come to the interviews in two days.

Word spread quickly. Every household was talking about it—waiters would earn a full tael of silver per month, so anyone who fit the criteria wanted to try.

Even Aunt Xiufang was tempted. “Maybe I should try too? I could wash dishes or help clean—it’s eight hundred coins a month.”

Uncle Tu Gen gave her a sideways look. “You want to do everything.”

Aunt Xiufang slapped his arm. “Who doesn’t want to earn money?”

Uncle Tu Gen said, “That job’s all day long for just eight hundred coins. You’d be better off making a few pieces of clothing in your spare time. What’s the point?”

Aunt Xiufang thought for a bit. “That’s true. Then Xiao An should go. He could work as a waiter.”

Xiao An nodded. “I’ll go.”

On the day of the interviews, Jiang Ji dragged Jiang Yan along, saying he wasn’t good at judging people and needed Jiang Yan’s help.

When they arrived, a long line had already formed outside the restaurant.

“Whoa, so many people?” Jiang Ji said as they entered with Jiang Yan. “Looks like our place really is attractive.”

Manager Lü chuckled. “Sir, you’re paying better than most.”

Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan sat behind the table. Jiang Ji smiled. “Alright, let’s get started. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can go home. Manager Lü, you lead the questioning.”

Manager Lü nodded and called the first person in.

The first candidate was the one he’d recommended earlier—the waiter named Shi Xiaoshan.

As soon as he entered, Shi Xiaoshan bowed politely and introduced himself with a smile. “Good day, sir, good day, manager. I’m Shi Xiaoshan, twenty years old. I’ve worked as a waiter for three years and would like to apply for the same position.”

Jiang Ji glanced at the young man before him—slim but lively, with a cheerful expression and quick, intelligent eyes.

Introducing himself first—definitely confident and sociable.

The manager said, “Sir, this is Shi Xiaoshan. You can ask the questions.”

“Alright,” said Jiang Ji, thinking for a moment. “Did you come early today?”

Shi Xiaoshan hadn’t expected that question, but quickly smiled and answered, “Yes, sir. The manager told me yesterday the restaurant was hiring and that you didn’t mind taking on previous staff, so I came right away. I’ve got three years of experience.”

Jiang Ji asked, “What do you think is most important in being a waiter?”

Shi Xiaoshan replied, “First, you have to be friendly—always greet guests with a smile. Second, you need a good memory—remember the dishes we serve so you can introduce them to customers, and remember what each guest orders so they don’t have to repeat themselves. It helps to remember what regulars like to order, too. A sharp memory is key. Third, you need to be observant—eyes and ears open, ready to respond quickly so guests feel comfortable and want to return.”

Jiang Ji almost laughed. This really was an experienced server with genuine professionalism.

He looked at Jiang Yan, who then asked, “How many people in your household? What do they do? Any debts at home?”

Jiang Ji blinked in surprise. That sounded more like a census. If it were him being interviewed, he’d have walked out.

But Shi Xiaoshan didn’t mind at all and answered readily. “There are six of us—my grandmother, parents, my wife, our daughter, and me. My grandmother’s elderly and helps at home taking care of the child. My parents sell vegetables in the west of the city. My wife takes care of our child and grandmother at home. We don’t owe any debts.”

Jiang Yan nodded. “Alright, I’m done.”

Jiang Ji cleared his throat. “Okay, register with the manager and wait to hear back.”

Shi Xiaoshan nodded, signed his name, and left.

After he was gone, Jiang Ji turned to Jiang Yan. “Why did you ask all that about his family? That’s like a census! Isn’t that a bit much?”

Jiang Yan looked at him seriously. “If you don’t find out clearly, what if someone in his family’s a drunkard or a gambler? If they owe money, he could be easily bribed or coerced.”

Jiang Ji paused. “…That actually makes sense.”

“Alright then, we’ll ask from now on.” He scratched his head, then frowned. “But what if someone lies?”

“People who lie usually give themselves away,” Jiang Yan said. He glanced at him and added quietly, “For example, when you lie, your eyes tend to look to the right.”

Jiang Ji rubbed his nose. “Huh? Do I really do that?”

Jiang Yan watched him touch his nose, the corners of his lips curling slightly. “Yeah, that’s a pretty obvious guilty tell.”

“Oh, fine. Then you ask the questions next time.”

The two of them worked together with Manager Lü, interviewing one candidate after another. They even met quite a few young men from their own village—most applying for waiter positions.

After two full days of interviews, nearly two hundred people had been screened. They narrowed it down twice before finalizing the hires. Shi Xiaoshan and Aunt Xiufang’s son, Xiao An, both got the job.

Once everyone had been gathered, Jiang Ji had them sign employment contracts, then immediately began organizing training.

Although Jiang Ji had never personally worked in the restaurant business, he’d experienced plenty of service himself. Drawing on modern service standards and combining them with the customs of this era, he and Manager Lü established their own set of restaurant service guidelines.

They trained everyone on how to greet customers, take orders, and serve dishes, as well as kitchen cleanliness standards and procedures for handling unexpected situations.

Jiang Ji also had Han Qingshan’s team prepare every dish from the menu so the staff could taste each one, memorize the flavors and features, and be able to describe them fluently to guests.

After everyone became proficient and passed their evaluations, Shi Xiaoshan proved to be the best performer, so Jiang Ji appointed him as head waiter.

Once the restaurant’s renovation was complete—tables, chairs, kitchenware, and all supplies in place, and the staff fully trained—Jiang Ji’s restaurant was finally ready to open its doors for business.

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