Chapter 379: How can we, lowly people, compare to cows and horses!
Chen Li couldn't wait to ask: "Do you still have any strength left?"
Being able to plow the ground is not enough.
The reason why cattle farming can greatly increase productivity is not because it can cultivate land, but because of the efficiency, speed and quality of this farming method.
If just plowing a few inches of the ground is too much, then this Changan plow is not even as good as a shovel to them!
Tao Guang understood Chen Li's thoughts, with a bright smile on his face: "Master of the village, I am stronger than you!"
"As Mr. Jia said, it doesn't take much effort to pull this thing, I don't even need to Go all out!"
Wu Zhe nodded excitedly: "Me too!"
"I can still pull it!"
Chen Li laughed happily: " Color! ”
"Big win!"
"Please two brothers, please continue to pull until you can no longer do it!"
Tao Guang and Wu Zhe agreed loudly: "Only!"
Again Carrying the plowing rope on their backs, Tao Guang and Wu Zhe constantly adjusted their strength and speed based on experience, so that the plows turned from crooked to straight.
As the ridge continued to lengthen, Chen Li seemed to be under a spell of charm and unconsciously walked behind Chang'an Li.
Ignoring the mud on the ground, Chen Li lay on the ground, staring at the soil layer broken by the plowshare. His eyes were full of intoxication, and he murmured softly:
"It's so beautiful!"
For those who have enough to eat and drink, beauty comes in many forms.
It can be beautiful people, beautiful objects, and beautiful atmosphere.
But for people who are hungry and cold and struggling on the verge of death, the definition of beauty is single.
Hope of life!
And among the muddy ridges, Chen Li saw the hope for himself and everyone in Peng Lize to survive!
Other water bandits also followed Chen Li quietly, looking at the Chang'an plow and the ridges it plowed with fascinated eyes, and whispered softly:
"Aweng, this is What? How come you can make a ridge by yourself without using a shovel? "
"This is a plow! It's a plow! It’s been ten years since I’ve seen this place in Changlang!”
"No! It's different! This ridge is deeper and smoother than the ones we plowed before we escaped!"
Farming cattle are extremely precious resources that need to be taken care of carefully.
It is not something that a group of low-end bandits like Peng Lize Water Bandits can easily obtain.
More importantly, they are water bandits!
They were unable to use the flat terrain around Penglize for farming. They could only find small pieces of flat land on the small, rugged islands and cultivate and cultivate it with difficulty.
The two-oxen-leverage farming method simply cannot be implemented in this kind of terrain.
The combination of the two resulted in the water villages in Penglize being unable to raise ten cattle.
Many water bandits who were born and raised here have never even seen a cow in their lives, let alone the farming method of two cows competing against each other.
But now, Zhuang Jia directly placed the Chang'an Plow in front of them!
Their worldview has been plowed to pieces!
Only Zhuang Jia was still standing, and even pointed to the plow operator: "There are gravel fields ahead, which is inconvenient for farming. Why don't you turn around quickly?"
"Two heroes, please turn to the left."< br>
“There is no need to make such a big turn, just turn!”
Seeing Chang’an Li complete the turn easily under the control of Tao Guang and the others, the water bandits were in an uproar again:
< br>“The steering is so easy! Can’t we use this to plow the narrow fields in the mountain cols!”
"This is something that those plows carried by two oxen outside can't do. This thing can actually do it?!"
"In this way, how much more food can we harvest!"< br>
“Aweng, if we have this thing, won’t we need to work hard to clear the ground in the future?”
“Donghuang Taiyi is above! Dashui (God’s name) is above ! Thank you gods for blessing me! ”
For the Qin people, the lightness of the Changan plow can only make the cattle less tired and denser.
But for the people of Penglize, the lightness of the Changan plow has made the small fields in the mountains that were once impossible and unable to be cultivated become cultivable!
The Changan plow not only improved the farming efficiency of Penglize people, but even indirectly expanded the cultivable area of Penglize!
Some water bandits even knelt down on the ground, looking at Chang'an Li with reverence like looking at a god, and praying in their mouths.
Under the gaze of pairs of eager eyes, Tao and Guang gritted their teeth and tried their best, not relaxing even when their clothes were wet with sweat.
Finally, two hours later, Wu Zhe could no longer hold on and staggered to the ground.
Upon seeing this, Tao Guang lost the energy to continue and fell to the ground.
Two muffled sounds woke up Chen Li who was lying on the ground.
Chen Li quickly got up and ran to Tao Guang and Wu Zhe, held Tao Guang and Wu Zhe in his arms, and asked anxiously: "Are you okay?"
Tao Guang forced a smile. : "It's okay, it's just that I have no strength."
Chen Li couldn't help but angrily said: "It's just a test of plowing, why do you make yourself so exhausted!"
Tao Guang didn't care when he was scolded, and looked at Chen Li expectantly: "Master, how many fields have we plowed?"
When asked about this, Chen Li's lips trembled a little.
My eyes couldn't help but look at the large area of cultivated land in front of me, and I said with a trembling voice: "More than seven points!"
Everyone at the scene couldn't help but hold their breath and stare. eyes.
Seven points!
It sounds like a small amount, but what they are plowing is not fertile land, or even abandoned land, but pure wasteland that has only been burned by fire once!
In the past, if they wanted to cultivate seven percent of this land, they would have needed at least five young men to work for ten days.
This is also the fundamental reason why they prefer to rob and sell fish instead of farming.
The input is too large and the output is too low.
I didn’t get enough to eat.
But now, in just two hours, only three people have completed the reclamation of seven acres of land!
What does this mean?
This means that they can completely support themselves through farming!
Tao Guang held Chen Li's arm with his backhand and said excitedly: "Captain, let us rest for half an hour."
"No!"
"A quarter of an hour!"
"It's still early before sunset. Before sunset, we can at least plow out another acre of field!"
Other water bandits couldn't help it. , said repeatedly: "Zhai leader, although Tao Guang's arms are thick, I am stronger, so I will pull! Before sunset, I can at least plow one-third of an acre of field!" "Here I am!" I am stronger than an ox! I can plow at least an acre and a half before sunset!"
For more food, for the hope of survival.
All the water bandits rolled up involuntarily!
Chen Li laughed heartily: "Why rush?"
"Don't rush! Today is just for verification, everyone will have a chance in the future!"
"That time Don’t shout that you are tired!”
All the water bandits cheered: “Never shout that you are tired!”
Are they born to be water bandits?
No!
Most of the water bandits in Penglize were slaves of the former powerful people, and the smaller half were the descendants of the former slaves of the powerful people.
They do have a stronger spirit of resistance than ordinary slaves, but they are not cruel people who are born to be water bandits.
If they have a choice, they also hope to be able to guard one-third of an acre of land and live a stable life.
Once, they had no choice.
Slave owners oppressed them.
God doesn’t give me food to eat.
But now, a chance to choose is before them!
How could they not be excited!
Chen Li shouted in a deep voice: "Why don't you quickly thank Mr. Jia?!"
All the water bandits turned around and looked at Zhuang Jia.
All the vigilance and hostility just now disappeared.
Everyone looked at Zhuang Jia with reverence as if they were reborn parents, and shouted in unison: "Thank you, Mr. Jia!"
Even Zhuang Jia couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth a few degrees. .
After returning the gift, Zhuang Jia said seriously: "Although this plow is good, the verification method of the village leader Chen is not accurate."
"Although the two warriors plowed seven points in just two hours However, these two warriors are extremely tired.”
“If you don’t want to suffer from hidden diseases in the future, you must take a good rest before you can continue farming.” , Two strong men can only plow about an acre of land in one day."
Tao Guang wanted to argue.
His strength is so great!
But Chen Li knew that Tao Guang's state could not last forever, but farming was a lasting thing.
So Chen Li held Tao Guang down and nodded seriously: "Chen is taught."
"However, even if you can only plow an acre of land in a day, then It is also a great joy for us."
Zhuang Jia continued: "The land we are cultivating today is very moist, which makes farming easier."
"If we switch to dry land farming, the two strong men may only be able to plow nine percent of the land."
"According to a certain point of view, the two strong men are both brave men. If ordinary people pull the Chang'an plow, It’s not easy to plow one acre of paddy field and seventy-one acres of dry land in one day.”
Chen Li laughed loudly: “Is Mr. Jia worried that we will be disappointed and resentful of Mr. Jia after we actually use it?”
Zhuang Jia smiled and said nothing.
Zhuang Jia walks in the gap between life and death. Betrayal, killing and death are his companions.
Zhuang Jia is never afraid to speculate on human nature with the greatest malice. Zhuang Jia is just afraid that what he speculates is not dark enough!
Chen Li looked around at all the water bandits and said in a deep voice: "Brothers who were born in Penglize may not know the benefits of ox farming."
"With two strong oxen resisting the plow, we can plow every day Two acres of dry land!"
"With two horses fighting the plow, one and a half acres of dry land can be plowed every day!"
There was a noise in the crowd.
The water bandit who was born in Penglize widened his eyes in disbelief.
The water bandit who fled into Penglize sighed softly, his eyes full of nostalgia for the past.
Chen Li emphasized: "So Mr. Jia thought that we would wait because of this long..."
Zhuang Jia smiled and reminded: "Chang'an plow."
Chen Li Suddenly he said: "Yes, Chang'an Plow!"
"Mr. Jia thinks that we will despise the Chang'an plow because the Chang'an plow can only cultivate seven percent of the dry land in a day."
"Now, tell Mr. Jia, will we despise you?"< br>
Tao Guang and other water bandits laughed loudly: "Mr. Jia, we are by no means ungrateful people. This thing is truly a treasure!"
"Buying a cow costs seven thousand taels. 100 yuan, but only 4,300 yuan to buy a certain person. Isn’t it proper that a certain person pulls a Chang’an plow and is much inferior to an ox pulling a Chang’an plow?”
“How can we, lowly people, be compared with oxen and horses?” ! ”
The water bandits smiled and told a sad fact.
Buying an ox in Chu State costs seven thousand two hundred dollars.
But it only costs 4,300 yuan to buy off an adult slave, and only 2,500 yuan to buy off an underage slave!
Furthermore, after buying the cattle, they still need to be well cared for and cannot be killed, otherwise it will be a serious crime to behead their heads.
Looking at slaves? After buying it, you can kill it as you like!
Therefore, for the water bandits, Zhuang Jia's comparison with cattle and horses is not derogatory at all.
This is a compliment to them!
Chen Li looked at Zhuang Jia with a smile on his face: "In this case, can Mr. Jia feel at ease?"
Zhuang Jia handed over his hands in shame: "It is really Jia who judges a gentleman with a villain's heart. "Chen Li laughed happily: "Are we gentlemen? We are all villains!"
Chen Li looked at Zhuang Jia seriously: "Of course, we are villains, but we also value righteousness!"
"Mr. Jia took a huge risk to send such a treasure into our hands. I don't think so. I have nothing to ask for."
"Mr. Jia, you can speak out!"
"As long as I, Peng Lize, can do it, I will help Mr. Jia at all costs!"
< br> The prices of slaves and cattle in various dynasties and eras fluctuated greatly, and the price gap between wartime and peacetime was even more astonishing. If we do not strictly use the price of rice to make a simple comparison, during the Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, a strong male slave cost about 40,000 yuan. During the most frequent wars in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, a strong male slave could be purchased for only 1,000 or 2,000 yuan. , after buying it, you can use it or eat it as you like.
This paragraph gives a price that is more suitable for the current environment based on "Liye Qin Slips" and "Huo Shi Biography".
(End of this chapter)