Ch 97: The Regent’s Farmer Husband

On the first day of the New Year, since everyone had stayed up late, they all woke up a bit later.

Jiang Ji and Lu Huaizhou were woken by the noise of Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei.

The little ones were building snowmen in the courtyard, but as they built, it turned into a snowball fight, shouting and laughing with great enthusiasm.

Jiang Ji opened the livestream system to check the time. It was nine in the morning.

Lu Huaizhou had grown a bit of stubble, short and rough, giving him a kind of rugged, wild handsomeness.

Jiang Ji stared, a little lost in thought.

Lu Huaizhou suddenly opened his eyes, and their gazes met.

“Happy New Year,” Lu Huaizhou said.

“Happy New Year,” Jiang Ji replied. “Sleep a bit more.”

He had only just returned yesterday, traveling day and night for several days. He had to be tired.

Lu Huaizhou listened to the sounds outside. Zhao Ru was calling Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei, telling them to go play outside the courtyard so they would not disturb their sleep.

Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei ran toward the gate. Lu Huaizhou sat up. “Get up. We should go pay New Year greetings to Aunt.”

Jiang Ji: “…”

The two got up. The snow had fallen until morning before stopping. The courtyard outside was covered in thick, white snow. Icicles hung sparkling under the eaves.

In the middle of the courtyard, three snowmen were only half-built, just three large piles of snow standing there, with small footprints scattered around.

Jiang Ji and Lu Huaizhou washed up in the back courtyard, then went to the main hall to pay their respects to Zhao Ru.

“Mother / Aunt, we wish you a happy New Year, good health, and long happiness.” The two knelt and bowed to her.

“Good, good, good. Get up quickly.” Zhao Ru smiled as she helped them up and stuffed red envelopes into their hands.

Sister Guihua brought breakfast over. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. The two sat by the fire eating, but before they finished, Lu Shun came in to say that the village head and clan elders had come to offer New Year greetings, followed by many villagers.

Jiang Ji and Lu Huaizhou quickly finished their food and wiped their mouths.

Jiang Ji whispered, “Good thing we got up.”

Lu Huaizhou nodded. “Mm.”

The villagers entered and, upon reaching the hall entrance, all knelt together to greet them.

The two quickly asked them to rise, returned the greetings with smiles, and invited everyone inside. Several large tables were set up, with tea and snacks served.

Since Lu Huaizhou was now the Regent, the villagers were initially somewhat reserved, letting the village head and elders do most of the talking.

After a while, when Lu Huaizhou began asking about their households himself, they saw he was still the same as before in the village, and gradually relaxed, chatting and laughing.

Before long, the gatekeeper came in to announce that the county magistrate, the deputy magistrate, and even Lin Yuanwai had come to pay New Year greetings.

Jiang Ji quickly had Lu Shun bring them in.

The house grew even livelier. After exchanging greetings, the villagers gave up a table for the officials and Lin Yuanwai, then left, leaving the village head and elders to accompany them.

At noon, Jiang Ji invited the magistrate and the others to stay for lunch, along with the village head and elders. Everyone drank and talked cheerfully.

Jiang Ji and Lu Huaizhou even specifically toasted the deputy magistrate Zhou Lin. When Jiang Ji had been kidnapped by bandits, it was Zhou Lin who had led the rescue alongside Lu Huaizhou.

Zhou Lin was extremely excited. Being a martial man with a bold temperament, he raised his cup and said, “To have fought side by side with Your Highness and the Duke, my life is already worth it!”

The three clinked cups and drank.

They reminisced about the past, and that night remained vivid in everyone’s memory, drawing many sighs at how dangerous it had been.

Under the table, Lu Huaizhou held Jiang Ji’s hand tightly.

Jiang Ji knew he was recalling how badly injured he had been, thinking he might die.

Jiang Ji squeezed his hand back and whispered, “If you think about it that way, that day could also be considered the day we fell for each other.”

Lu Huaizhou: “…”

Yes. That was also the day Jiang Ji had asked him to be his wife, and he had agreed.

Lu Huaizhou looked at him with a deep expression.

Jiang Ji patted the back of his hand and smiled at him, full of reassurance.

After the meal, while the magistrate and deputy magistrate were still present, Jiang Ji said, “Gentlemen, after the New Year, our family will soon move to the capital. Before that, I’d like to discuss the development of our county.”

The magistrate and deputy magistrate immediately straightened. “Please, Duke.”

The village head and elders pricked up their ears. Jiang Ji did not avoid them, clearly intending for them to hear as well.

Lin Yuanwai and the others also listened attentively.

Jiang Ji said, “Our county’s land is very fertile, ideal for crops. In a while, I’ll be going north. Before I leave, I’ll leave some seeds at home. They can be distributed to each village. There will be watermelon, chili peppers, tomatoes, and other new vegetable seeds. I’ve organized all the planting methods. You can have them printed and distributed.”

“Chili peppers and watermelons can be planted in larger quantities, but tomatoes are harder to store and transport, so people should plant them in moderation.”

Everyone nodded. The magistrate said, “I’ll remind the farmers.”

“Also, encourage people to plant more cotton and make use of the wasteland.” Jiang Ji glanced around, especially at Zhang Yuanwai. “Around next year, I plan to release the designs of new textile machinery. If our county can become a major cotton textile hub, that would be excellent.”

With a two-year head start, Jiang Ji believed his factory could maintain its advantage.

Besides, he still had a task to promote the textile industry. Completing it would bring a significant reward: more advanced papermaking technology.

Everyone present looked at Jiang Ji in shock, especially Zhang Yuanwai, whose hands clenched slightly, trembling with excitement.

Lu Huaizhou watched Jiang Ji with smiling eyes, filled with pride.

The magistrate’s voice trembled. “Duke, you mean you will make the machines from your textile factory public for everyone to use?”

“Yes.” Jiang Ji nodded. “To make our people prosperous, the first step is to fill their stomachs. The second is to develop commerce, so people have work and can earn money. Food and clothing are the most essential parts of daily life and also the most profitable industries. Let’s start from there.”

The magistrate could already envision it. Once the machines spread across the county, workshops of all sizes would produce soft cloth like Changping Textile Factory. Selling that cloth elsewhere would make every household wealthy.

“Duke!” The magistrate immediately stood and knelt before Jiang Ji. “On behalf of the people of the entire county, I thank you!”

“Please rise,” Jiang Ji said, helping him up.

Everyone present was deeply moved.

Especially Zhang Yuanwai. If the machines were made public, with the Zhang family’s experience, they would surely recover and even surpass others.

He felt both excited and ashamed.

If he were in Jiang Ji’s position, with such machines, he would never share them. Wouldn’t it be better to earn immense profits alone?

He sighed inwardly. As expected of a Duke. Such generosity was beyond ordinary people.

Jiang Ji went on to discuss specific details and precautions. Afterward, the magistrate and Lin Yuanwai took their leave. Jiang Ji then kept the village head and several elders behind.

“Village Head, elders, I kept you here to discuss some family matters.”

“Go ahead,” the village head said.

“First, I will provide the village with different varieties of chili peppers and watermelons. Everyone can try planting them.”

The village head and elders’ eyes lit up. They all understood what that meant.

When the time came, if the entire county planted the same varieties of watermelons and chili peppers, but their village grew different ones, wouldn’t that make them stand out? That was how they could sell for a better price.

The village head said happily, “Good, thank you, Duke.”

Jiang Ji continued, “Second, after spring begins, I plan to rent out all of my family’s farmland. Uncle Tugen’s family will rent three mu of paddy fields and three mu of dry land. For the rest, if your families want to rent, you’ll have priority. The rent will follow the market rate.”

The village head was surprised. “You’re not farming anymore?”

“Mm. We’ll probably move to the capital in early March and take most of our people with us. The ones left behind don’t understand farming, so we won’t have them do it.”

The wedding was set for the eighteenth of the fifth month, so they had to move at least two months early to prepare.

The village head thought for a moment. “Alright, my family will also rent three mu of paddy and three mu of land.”

With the new seeds Jiang Ji had just mentioned, and considering how much the village head’s family had earned last year growing watermelons, tomatoes, and chili peppers, they had already planned to expand planting this year.

The other clan elders also expressed their intention to rent more land.

Jiang Ji nodded. “Good. I’ll prepare the lease contracts. You can come sign them then.”

He continued seriously, “Third, after some time, the textile factory will be expanded, and more workers will be hired. After we move, the factory will be fully managed by Uncle Meng. He’s from the capital, so he may not be familiar with local customs. I’d like to ask you to look out for him.”

The village head smiled. “Rest assured, Duke, we’ll protect the factory well.”

The elders also nodded in agreement.

The factory belonged to Jiang Ji, and most of the workers were from their village. After expansion, even more people would be hired. Being able to earn money without leaving the village meant it had to be well protected.

Moreover, it was the Duke’s factory. No one would dare cause trouble.

“Then thank you all.” Jiang Ji stood and bowed. The village head and the others quickly returned the gesture.

After sitting down again, Jiang Ji said seriously, “Of course, I’ll also instruct them not to cause trouble in the village. If anyone uses my name to stir up trouble, I won’t tolerate it. The same goes for the village. I hope everyone conducts themselves properly when outside. Keeping a low profile is how you make money. I want our village to grow better and better. I’ll come back to check on things when I can.”

Hearing this, the village head and elders immediately understood Jiang Ji’s meaning.

The village head stood and cupped his fists. “Duke, Regent, don’t worry. We won’t cause trouble for you. If anyone dares to use your name to cause issues, we will deal with them according to village and clan rules.”

Jiang Ji nodded. “Good. Then I’m at ease.”

After discussing these matters, Jiang Ji let the village head and the others leave.

Jiang Ji’s family did not have many relatives. Zhao Ru was an only child, her parents had passed away years ago, and on Jiang Ji’s father’s side there were no siblings, only a branch of distant clan relatives. So there were no relatives to visit.

Still, many people came to offer New Year greetings, making the house lively.

On the second day of the New Year, Jiang Ji took the two calligraphy pieces to town to have them mounted. Then he and Lu Huaizhou went to Master Zheng’s house to pay New Year greetings.

When Master Zheng opened the door and saw the Duke and the Regent visiting in person, he was startled. He quickly invited them in and brought out his best tea and snacks.

Seeing him about to send his son out to buy even better tea, Jiang Ji quickly said, “Master Zheng, please don’t trouble yourself. I came to discuss something.”

“What is it?” Master Zheng asked, still standing.

“Please sit first.”

Master Zheng sat down.

Jiang Ji asked, “Are you busy with work right now?”

Master Zheng replied, “Two families have already booked construction after the New Year, both from your village.”

“About how long will it take to finish?”

“Their houses aren’t as big as yours, but with interruptions in between, it will take about two to three months.” Master Zheng looked at him. “Duke, are you planning to build something?”

Jiang Ji nodded. “I want to expand the factory, on the ten mu of land next to my house.”

“All ten mu for the factory?” Master Zheng asked in surprise.

“Yes.” Jiang Ji took out the blueprints. “Something like this.”

Master Zheng looked at them. “That wide?”

“Yes.” Jiang Ji asked, “After you finish those two houses, can you come build my factory?”

With work available, Master Zheng was naturally pleased and agreed with a smile. “Of course.”

“That’s great. In a month, I’ll come back to finalize the blueprints with you before I leave for the capital.”

“Alright.” Master Zheng had been working in Shanqian Village for a year and knew about Jiang Ji’s upcoming move.

“Then I won’t disturb you further.”

“Duke, wait.” Seeing Jiang Ji about to leave, Master Zheng quickly stopped him. “Didn’t you give me a formula for mortar before?”

Jiang Ji had almost forgotten. Then he remembered he had given Master Zheng the method for making cement.

He quickly nodded. “Right. How did it go? Did you manage to figure it out?”

“Come take a look,” Master Zheng said.

Jiang Ji and Lu Huaizhou followed him to the backyard. There, several short brick walls stood along the side, each just over a meter high and about two meters long. Each wall was marked with numbers written in charcoal.

Jiang Ji walked over and looked. Seeing the gray cement color, he was pleasantly surprised. “You succeeded?”

Lu Huaizhou also examined the walls curiously.

Master Zheng said, “We tried many formulas at first, but most failed. Later we managed a few workable ones and built these walls to test them. From here to there, there are six walls, each using a different formula ratio. The longest-standing one has been there for four months, while that one has only been up for half a month. We need long-term testing to see how well they hold up against wind, frost, rain, and snow.”

Jiang Ji nodded. “That’s true. Building materials need time to prove their durability. Safety comes first.”

“Exactly.” Master Zheng pointed to the fifth wall. “From my judgment, this one is the best so far. Duke, take a look. Do you think this matches the mortar you had in mind?”

Jiang Ji could not tell by sight alone, but he had the system.

He asked, “Master Zheng, do you still have samples?”

Master Zheng nodded. “Yes. Come with me.”

The three of them went into the storage room next door. Master Zheng lifted the lids off several wooden barrels by the wall. “They’re all here.”

Each barrel was labeled with a number. Inside were the cement samples Master Zheng and his team had developed. It was clear that from the first barrel to the fifth, the color became increasingly similar to modern cement. However, the powder was still a bit coarse and could not be ground as finely as modern cement.

Jiang Ji asked in his mind, “2977, scan these six barrels of cement for me. Which one is the best? Which is closest in composition to modern cement?”

He examined them one by one, even picking some up to rub between his fingers and smell, making it easier for the system to scan.

Soon, 2977 answered: 【The fifth barrel is the best. It is closest to modern standard cement.】

“How close? Percentage?” Jiang Ji asked.

【Eighty-five percent.】

Jiang Ji asked again, “What’s lacking?”

2977: 【No permission to disclose.】

Jiang Ji: “…” So he couldn’t trick it.

He asked, “Can the cement from the fifth barrel be used in construction now?”

【Yes.】

“Is it strong? Will it be easily eroded? How long can it last?”

【Host, concrete mortar depends on the ratio of sand, gravel, cement, and water. It cannot be generalized.】

Jiang Ji: “Alright then. Tell me this. Compared to the mortar they currently use, is the concrete made from this fifth barrel better?”

【About the same.】

Jiang Ji: “…”

He looked up at Master Zheng and said honestly, “Master Zheng, the fifth barrel is indeed the best. It should perform about the same as the mortar we currently use. But it’s not the best yet. It’s still lacking a bit. I’m not sure exactly what, so you’ll need to keep experimenting with the formula.”

Master Zheng nodded. “Alright, we’ll continue researching.”

“Also, it needs to be ground finer. That will improve the mixing effect.”

“Got it, I’ll remember.”

“Mm, thank you for your hard work.”

After leaving Master Zheng’s house and getting into the carriage, Lu Huaizhou asked quietly, “The immortals didn’t tell you the exact formula?”

“Well, they…” Jiang Ji started to answer, then paused, remembering that the cement method had actually come from his own discussion with the viewers, not from the system. But he couldn’t say that he knew it himself.

However, Jiang Ji recalled that cement was tied to a special task. Back then, he couldn’t accomplish it, so he had asked the viewers instead.

What was that task again?

Jiang Ji couldn’t remember, so he asked in his mind, “2977, bring up the task related to cement.”

2977 quickly replied: 【Special Task 199: Complete it to obtain beginner-level cement production skills.】

Jiang Ji pulled up Special Task 199: Suggest to the Emperor the establishment of a women’s academy, allowing women equal access to education.

Jiang Ji’s eyes lit up. Before, he had thought he would never meet the Emperor, so the task seemed impossible.

But now…

Jiang Ji looked at the Regent beside him and said, “If I complete the immortals’ task, they can give me the exact formula.”

Lu Huaizhou asked, “What task?”

Jiang Ji replied, “Suggesting to the Emperor that women’s academies be established, so women can have equal educational opportunities.”

Lu Huaizhou thought for a moment. “I’ll find a way.”

Jiang Ji quickly shook his head. “No, no, I have to tell the Emperor myself.”

“I understand. When we return to the capital, go meet him,” Lu Huaizhou said.

“Mm.” Jiang Ji smiled happily. “If it works out, that would be two good things at once!”

Looking at Jiang Ji’s smile, Lu Huaizhou did not tell him that such a proposal would certainly cause a storm in court. But it didn’t matter. He could handle it.

He took Jiang Ji’s hand and held it. “If you have any tasks in the future, tell me. I’ll help you accomplish them.”

“Sure.” Jiang Ji grinned. “After we move to the capital in March, let’s go fishing with the Emperor first.”

Lu Huaizhou: “? Is that also a task?”

“Yes.”

Jiang Ji leaned close and whispered a few words into his ear. Lu Huaizhou rarely showed such a shocked expression. “Really?”

“Mm.”

Lu Huaizhou fell silent for a moment. “Then we’ll go fishing as soon as we return to the capital.”

Jiang Ji: “…It’s not even spring yet. Where would we find fish?”

“There are fish in the Imperial Garden.”

“Isn’t the lake frozen?”

“We can break a hole in the ice.”

Jiang Ji: “…Alright then.”

On the fifth day of the New Year, Jiang Ji retrieved the two mounted calligraphy pieces and sent them to the selected viewers.

The next day, Jiang Ji saw viewers saying that the “1.9-meter guy” had already contacted his country’s national museum and handed the calligraphy over to the curator.

Jiang Ji felt relieved.

He and Lu Huaizhou stayed at home for a few more days, enjoying a relaxed and carefree time. Soon after, they prepared to set off. The court would resume after the Lantern Festival, and Lu Huaizhou needed to be present.

Worried he might not return in time after spring began, Jiang Ji left all the seeds at home and gave detailed instructions to Lu Shun.

On the ninth day of the New Year, Jiang Ji set out for the capital with Lu Huaizhou.

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾