Chapter 812:  Holding Hands

Translator: Atlas Studios    Editor: Atlas Studios

It wasn’t that Yu Youyao hadn’t considered this question before.

However, during this period of time, many more refugees rushed to Liancheng. After the Imperial Court issued the national policy, the number of refugees would increase even more.

Liancheng did not have much farmland, and the production of food was limited. They could raise silkworms and exchange them for food and money, but they also had to ensure that the local production could support so many people. Food was in short supply everywhere, and the key was to be self-sufficient.

Yin Huaixi said, “There are three county-level towns under Liancheng’s jurisdiction — Zhuanghe, Fuzhen, and Lianzhen. Even the silkworm industry in Liancheng is concentrated in Zhuanghe. Fuzhen and Lianzhen mainly engage in farming. There’s also an island county. The residents of the island make a living from fishing. A large portion of the seafood in Liancheng comes from there. Just based on the size of the area and the division of local supplies, the development of farming is more than enough to accommodate 200,000 refugees.”

From the looks of it, Liancheng’s development potential was indeed very great. Yu Youyao heaved a sigh of relief. “Liancheng doesn’t have much farmland, and agriculture is limited by territory and can’t develop vigorously. We have to prioritize the silkworm industry and seafood. However, food is the most important thing for the people. At the very least, we have to ensure that the local food production is self-sufficient.”

Yin Huaixi also knew her concerns and explained, “Raising silkworms is a delicate and cumbersome job. Not everyone is good at it. When the time comes, we’ll also arrange for some people to explore and plant sweet potatoes. We’ll also arrange for some strong people to go to the island county to fish for a living. Even so, most people will still raise silkworms. Raising too many silkworms will damage the forest environment. You have to pay more attention in the future and plan to maintain the forest.”

Yin Huaixi had a plan in mind, so Yu Youyao did not ask further. “Perhaps in the first two years, because there’s no farmland and they had left their hometown, there’s no other way out. Thus, there will be a large number of people raising silkworms to live.”

“In at most a year or two, when the refugees take root in Liancheng, they can try to find other ways to live. Some people who have really mastered the silkworm raising technique and benefited from it will continue to raise them. Some people who can only rely on raising silkworms to barely support their families and fill their stomachs will give up on raising silkworms and find another way out.”

Moreover, in the farmsteads of wealthy families, there were forest rangers who specially made plans to to maintain the forest. They would patrol the mountains regularly, cut wood, plant trees, raise trees, and build forests to ensure that the trees in the farmstead could be sustainable. Good wood had always been in short supply. This way, they could prevent the main family from suffering losses.

Yin Huaixi nodded. “That’s good. Farming and producing food is the most important thing. With one more person to explore, there will be one more person to produce food. Growing sweet potatoes is cheap work. They can even be planted in the wasteland. If they grow more sweet potatoes for a few years, the reclaimed land can be raised.”

He had decided to accept more refugees, not because of the money and food from the nobles, but because of sweet potatoes.

Sweet potatoes could allow people to live and nurture wasteland.

In two to three years, agriculture in the Liaodong area would develop.

Yu Youyao recalled that there were still more than ten counties in the Liaodong area that were going to open silkworm farms. Although there was the precedent of Liancheng, and the subsequent matters were easy to handle, she still asked about the situation with concern.

Yin Huaixi took off his outer robe and spread it on the flat ground. He pulled Yu Youyao to sit down. “I’ve already sent people to silkworm farms everywhere. Among them, Dandong is the largest. I’ll leave the bulk to you, as well as the soldiers of Dandong in the army, the local retail investors, and foreign merchants. Only then will the nobles be allowed to touch the rest.”

The individual investors were weak and could not win against the nobles.

Outside merchants had deep financial resources, but as they were outsiders and unfamiliar with the place, they would be ostracized and restricted by the local nobles.

The goal of bringing in foreign merchants was to divide the interests of the nobles. The retail and foreign merchants would each benefit, and together, they could keep the local nobles in check.

The two sides restrained each other.

Yu Youyao became the key to check and balance. Once one side harmed the local interests, Yu Youyao could join forces with another side and easily deal with the other.

Yu Youyao immediately understood the crux of the matter. “As the drought affected many areas of the Great Zhou Dynasty, there were riots and merchants suffered losses. Ever since the Imperial Court issued the national policy, many merchants have poured into Liaodong. It will definitely cause a certain impact on the local nobles. The interests of the nobles will inevitably be divided, weakening the influence of the nobles on the local area and further weakening their power.”

The Imperial Court’s national policy was clearly targeting the nobles, causing the merchants everywhere to acutely sense a business opportunity.

In addition, under Yin Huaixi’s protection, the North still maintained a peaceful scene, creating good development conditions for the merchants.

The North accepted refugees wantonly. More people also represented productivity and was beneficial to business development.

Only then did she realize the meaning behind the national policy.

She also understood why her maternal grandfather had deliberately reminded her of this. It was because the shrewd businessman had already predicted that this national policy would have a huge impact on the entire North. He also knew that a national policy could easily resolve all the problems Yin Huaixi faced in the North.

It went straight to the point.

At the same time!

Yu Youyao said excitedly, “The background of foreign businessmen represents a wider network, channels, and resources. It’s equivalent to importing external resources into Liaodong. The Liaodong area won’t enter a situation of internal strife under the control of the nobles and develop into exploitation of the commoners. This is very beneficial to the development of the North.”

While solving the problem, it would also create a good development advantage for the North.

Yin Huaixi smiled. “That’s right.”

Yu Youyao sighed softly. “Grandfather is really amazing!”

Indeed, having an elder in the family was like having a treasure.

Her maternal grandfather did not mention this because he had the intention to train her. When the matter of waiting for the country was settled, she would understand the series of benefits behind one thing, broadening her horizons and breadth of mind.

Yin Huaixi agreed deeply.

As a businessman, Old Master Xie knew better than anyone else how deep the water was among the nobles of the North. He knew very well about the matters between the nobles.

He also knew that dealing with the nobles was useless, be it through bribery or coercion.

Officials had their own paths, and business had its own trade routes. Thieves also had their own ways. What was related to the nobles was ultimately profits. There was only the word “business” left.

He that hides can find!

Business matters should still be resolved by business.

The Imperial Court had issued a national policy. Although it could temporarily suppress the nobles, it only dealt with the symptoms and not the root cause. The meaning of the national policy was that it gave other merchants a chance to take advantage of the situation.

The path down the mountain was too steep, so Yu Youyao did not dare to sit on a horse.

“The mountain path isn’t easy to walk on. I’ll hold your hand.” Yin Huaixi hooked her finger gently with his little finger. Seeing that Yu Youyao didn’t dodge, he immediately became bolder and quickly held Yu Youyao’s hand.

Yu Youyao blushed and couldn’t help but lower her head to take a few glances. The two of them intertwined their hands and whispered, “Okay.”

He had held her hand many times, but he had never held it so openly. It felt completely different. Yin Huaixi’s ears were a little red, but he pretended to be calm and said, “It’s easy to go up the mountain, but difficult to go down. I’m just worried that you’ll accidentally fall.”

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