In the courtyard, aside from the two young grandsons who didn't understand what was happening, everyone's eyes were red.
Ma Feng looked at his thinly dressed family and instructed his wife, "Tomorrow, go to Gofeng County town and buy some household supplies."
He Shui Village was closest to Shanguan County, but word had it that Shanguan County had only just been built, and many shops weren't open yet. For now, it was better to go to Gofeng City for a wider selection.
Remembering something, he gritted his teeth against the pain and said, "Buy some paper and brushes too. The officials said this winter we need to... sweep... sweep something."
Ma Huan snorted with laughter: "Sweep away illiteracy. We'll have to go to He Shui Academy for the literacy drive. After spring starts, the six-year-olds will be going to the academy for school."
"I asked the constables—the tuition isn't expensive," she added with a sigh of wonder. "This place is wonderful. There's an academy right in the village. Can we farmers really learn to read and write?"
The eldest daughter-in-law looked at her eldest daughter beside her: "Are the girls going too?"
Ma Huan nodded, glancing at her ten-year-old niece, "Both boys and girls go. I hear if you study well, you can even take exams to become officials."
Ma Lin shook his head, "I don't want to be an official. I want to join the army. I wonder when they'll recruit. It's strange—there's no forced military service here. It's all voluntary, and you have to pass a test to enlist."
Silence fell in the courtyard.
Ma Feng had fathered eight children, but only four sons and one daughter had survived.
His second and third sons had been forced into military service and never returned. He knew well enough—they were probably long dead.
Poor third son had died before he could even marry. Second son had been luckier; he'd left behind two children, so at least his line would continue.
But his second daughter-in-law had suffered terribly all these years, living like a widow.
Ma Feng wasn't a harsh father-in-law. He'd urged his wife to persuade the young woman to remarry, but she had refused.
His wife glared at their youngest son: "What's so good about being a soldier? Merciless blades and arrows spare no one. If something happened to you, how could I go on living?"
But Ma Lin didn't care: "If everyone thought that way, who would protect such a good place?"
Ma Huan rolled her eyes dramatically: "Don't make it sound so noble. You just think the soldiers here look handsome in their uniforms, tall and imposing."
Ma Lin refused to back down, "And what of it? If you're so capable, you can enlist too."
Ma Huan paused, her eyes lighting up, "That's right—they have female soldiers here!"
Ma Feng's heart sank. He quickly said, "Why would a girl want to be a soldier? Stay home and work hard starting next year."
She was his only daughter in his whole life, and he couldn't bear to lose her to the army. If something happened to her, he didn't think he could bear it.
Ma Huan curled her lip but didn't argue. Instead, she changed the subject, "I'm going to the city tomorrow too. This place is completely different from the village we lived in before. You need not only money to buy things, but also coupons."
The officials had issued them coupons for grain, cloth, and meat. They'd had to ask several times to understand how they worked.
Ma Feng sighed with emotion, "With all this disaster and chaos, we'll just follow the officials. A planned economy is fine—grain is cheap here. If there were no limits, people would buy it up and sell it elsewhere..."
Ma Huan snorted, "How can some people have no conscience?"
Ma Feng smiled and shook his head, "You, child... human greed knows no bounds. Anyway, it's better to be prepared."
Ma Lin grinned, "Father, tomorrow buy an iron stove and some coal briquettes. I've seen the Jinyang Army using them—they're very convenient."
"Right, right," Ma Huan agreed. "Buy some coal slag too; it's cheap. It's so cold, we don't have time to go up the mountain to chop firewood. I'm afraid we won't have enough prepared."
"We'll see if we have any money left tomorrow," Ma Feng decided.
---
The next day at noon, Jiang Jin galloped back to Gofeng. From afar, she could see the long line of commoners waiting to enter the city at the city gate.
"Wow, so many people—I can't even count them," Yun Chengxuan exclaimed.
Jiang Jin smiled, "The people from Sizhou must have arrived and are preparing to enter the city to buy household goods."
She felt relieved. Finally, the city was beginning to look lively and prosperous. It hadn't been easy.
"This year, the academy is going to be busier than ever," Xia Chanyi teased.
Not only had two more cities been added, but also three large villages. Thinking about literacy education for so many people was mind-numbing.
Fortunately, that was Chen Xi's headache now, haha.
Jiang Jin tugged on the reins and headed toward the West Gate. Since there were so many people, there was no need to crowd in; entering through the West Gate would do just as well.
When Luo Qingci saw her, she was both surprised and delighted, "Lord, you're back?"
Jiang Jin nodded, "Have the newly arrived Sizhou commoners been registered?"
Luo Qingci replied, "Yes—23,000 people in total. Our three counties now have a population of over 100,000."
Jiang Jin instructed, "Make sure the literacy work is done well. I don't expect everyone to become literate, but at least half of the able-bodied adults should be able to read characters."
With a larger population, management would not be as easy.
Excluding the elderly and very young children, if more than half of the working-age adults could read, that would already be excellent.
True education and literacy would still depend on the next generation. In a few years, the academy's students would become the real backbone.
Remembering something, Jiang Jin looked at Xia Chanyi, "Have the family members of those sailors all arrived in Gofeng?"
She was referring to the sailors from Ze'a Commandery who had been declared "dead" after going to sea. Their families, along with a number of aunts, uncles, and relatives, had also come.
Speaking of this, Xia Chanyi couldn't help but sigh, "They've all arrived—over 2,000 people in total."
She had received the list from Chen Bing, who was still stationed at the dock, and they had contacted these people before smuggling them out of Ze'a Commandery.
Most of them didn't live in the city, so "leaving" had been relatively easy.
Just as they were talking, Dong Si and Mu Ning hurried in, "Lord, you're back."
Jiang Jin nodded and looked at Mu Ning, smiling, "You did well."
Mu Ning's eyes curved into crescents, "I was honored to succeed."
Jiang Jin was satisfied. She checked the time, "Let's have a meeting this afternoon."
"Call Yao Ji and Qiu Liao back to Gofeng," she added.
Dongzhi and Xu Qian immediately went to make arrangements.
She turned to He Qiuchi, "Are the padded armor and military uniforms finished?"
He Qiuchi quickly replied, "They're all done. Most have been distributed to the military department."
Jiang Jin nodded, "Is there any cotton left over?"
He Qiuchi shook his head, "Not much."
As Jiang Jin's close attendant, he needed to know the general situation of the city so that Jiang Jin could stay updated at any time.
Jiang Jin sighed, "We still need to plant more cotton next year. I hope every commoner can wear cotton-padded clothes."
Mu Ning hesitated for a moment before asking, "Lord, regarding Lady Hua—what do you plan to do? Let her start as the lowest-ranking soldier?"
