Chapter 506 Did you hear it wrong?
“Hurry, catch it!”
In the freshly harvested wheat field of Chickpea Village, a black field mouse was running for its life, and several young The rat clung to its back and fled for its life with its mother.
"Squeak!"
A flying lead bullet accurately hit the target, the field mouse screamed, and the whole family died in front of Baron Turgot.
Baron Turgot just glanced at it and continued to watch the professional rodent exterminator team at work.
Rats have always been human beings' mortal enemies, spreading diseases and stealing food, making them the death of the entire species.
Humans have come up with various ways to deal with rats, from traditional rat poisons and cats to specialized rat-catching dogs. Now some villagers use guns to shoot rats. All available methods are used.
Nowadays, some people even mix cement powder, roasted wheat and oil as rat poison. When the rat eats it, the cement solidifies in the rat's belly.
But the most troublesome thing about rats is that they hide in holes in the ground. Sometimes they can survive underground for a while by storing food.
The wheat fields are about to be planted with sweet radishes and oats, and if the mice hiding in the fields are not cleared away, they will eat the seeds.
Recently, several professional rodent eradication teams have appeared in Weisenberg City. The team that came to Chickpea Village today used soft steel wire to push a bomb through the mouse hole, and then ran away and detonated the bomb. .
The mouse hole was basically destroyed by the explosion. Except for the mice that happened to be frightened near the entrance of the hole and ran out, most of the mice hiding in the hole were killed by the shock wave. They would have survived on the spot.
It was not so lively when the rodent control team went to work in nearby Lizi Village. They used dry ice.
Someone once wanted to use the newly discovered chlorine gas, but Psyche stopped him.
Baron Turgot looked at the field for a while and decided to go to the drying field. .
The owner of the bakery downstairs where Baron Turgot lives is coming here today to discuss the business of purchasing flour, so he also came to investigate.
When he first arrived, he found that this village was different from the village in his impression. The land here was in patches, not traditional strips of fields.
During this period, the village harvested the winter wheat planted last year and the spring wheat planted this year. The tractor in the village was parked next to the drying yard, and some villagers lined up in front of the threshing machine driven by the tractor.
More than a dozen people gathered not far from the thresher, some squatting on the ground and some sitting on the bundled straw. One of them was the village chief. Everyone gathered in a circle. It seemed that they were having a meeting. .
A farmer in his thirties said: "Now my family has too much land, and some of it can't be taken care of."
Another old farmer in his early fifties with a big nose also said: "Now my family is eldest and second. I have become a city dweller. There are only two elders at home, my wife and I. The third child still has to go to school and the farm can’t take care of him.”
After he finished speaking, many people nodded in agreement.
The old blacksmith next to him immediately said: "You might as well give up the rent and become a city dweller."
Big Nose shook his head and said: "Who knew that the boss and the second child were here? How are you doing in the city? If you don’t do well, you can still come back to farm.”
"Hey..." the old blacksmith glanced at him disdainfully, "If you have the ability, don't wander around the village wearing the new clothes sent by your son all day long with a thermos cup, telling your sons to buy less and save more."< br>
An old bald man in the village who had grown up with them saw them starting to quarrel again, and immediately said: "Okay, let's get down to business now, you guys, stop arguing."
He Then he said to the old blacksmith: "You envy his family's wealth, so you might as well let your daughter marry his son."
At this time, the village sent a message to stop the old blacksmith and Big Nose from beating up the old bald man, coughing twice. Then he said: "Stop arguing and get down to business."
"There is not enough manpower now, so there is nothing we can do about it. It is the same in other villages."
"Many people have told me in the past few days that the village should buy more machines. What do you think?" Farmers like Big Nose and Old Baldhead all nodded in agreement. It is too difficult to wait in line for machines now.
Seeing that there was no objection from the people who could speak in the village, the village chief said: "Now we are all selling flour, and there are not enough mills, so let's buy two large mills. , It’s easier to use than the small mill we use now, and it has its own engine without a tractor.”
The farmers nodded.
The village chief continued: "We also need to buy a threshing machine. This is related to the farming season. We can't save money. Let's buy three."
At this time, the old blacksmith said: "Village chief, how much wheat could grow in the field before, how much wheat can grow now, and there will be more and more wheat in the field in the future, so buy more."
Other villagers agreed, but the village chief rolled his eyes and said to them: "The more wheat in the field, the bigger the wheat ears will be. The thresher is allocated according to the size of the field."
The old blacksmith didn't plant any seeds. Guo Di doesn’t understand this, and the farmers pretend not to understand because an extra machine can reduce queues, but the village chief understands.
The village's public funds are composed of funds allocated in proportion after paying taxes, the income from all the workshops in the village, and the rent for the use of machinery such as tractors, mills and threshers. The money to buy agricultural machinery must come from here. , the quantity is limited, so don’t spend it randomly.
The village chief continued: "Three threshing machines are enough. I plan to buy a large tractor and a small tractor. The smaller one can be used in the vegetable field."
The villagers think this is not bad. Although there is one less threshing machine, it is better to have a small tractor. It is more convenient to cultivate the vegetable field and it can be used during the farming season.
At this time someone said: "Now we have to find someone to learn to drive a tractor. Who will pay for the tuition? Can the village borrow money?"
Now the income of farmers has increased a lot, but They don’t have much savings, so the tuition to learn tractors is a huge sum of money for them.
Some people want their children to learn, and if they can't afford the tuition, they use the village's public funds. Many people with the same idea agree.
"Let me take care of this matter." The old blacksmith raised his hand, "I can't make iron anymore. My two daughters must have a living. I saved some money and will send them there this afternoon. Oak City.”
As soon as the village chief heard that there was no need to use public funds, he immediately said: "Okay, I will give them a letter of introduction and they will have living allowances in the school."
Those who are interested in the village's public funds have nothing to say, they themselves For the money, there is no reason to object.
No one said that women can’t learn to drive a tractor. Angela from Lizi Village nearby was praised by Archduke Wesson in the newspaper for learning to drive a tractor. She also came to the village to help, and she worked cleanly and neatly, no better than men. Difference.
Seeing that the matter was almost done, the village chief said: "Two large mills, three threshing machines, one large tractor and one small tractor, that's all."
"I will go to the city tomorrow to ask for a price, and then the village will hold a meeting to decide."
Baron Turgot has been listening nearby. With his hearing level, he can understand what they are saying, but he seems to think that he heard wrongly.
He couldn't help but think of a major tractor-related incident that happened in Le Havre.
The Lord of Le Havre, Count Volpe, bought a tractor during last year’s World Exposition. Thanks to the fact that this city is a port city, this tractor became the first to be assembled in the Kingdom of Gaul. Tractor put into service.
Count Volpe was very attached to this tractor. Even when His Royal Highness Louis, who came back from the boat, wanted to touch it, he would take out his handkerchief and let the Prince wipe his hands clean first. Baron Turgot could only stay far away. For the sake of watching.
Later, it was even more lively when choosing the driver. The knights under Count Volpe were all gearing up, vying to conquer this steel machine.
What is the situation in this village now?
Buying two tractors at once, what’s more important is that both women can drive them?
Baron Turgot suspected that he had heard wrongly.
(End of this chapter)