Chapter 160 Cutting Sugarcane

CHAPTER 160: CUTTING SUGARCANE

Back in Red Mountain Village, Meng Wan felt completely at ease. The sugarcane in the fields had ripened. Before even entering the village, he ran into a sugarcane field by the roadside, picked a stalk with the yellowest leaves, and cut it down with his small dagger.

Then, he skillfully handed both the sugarcane and the dagger to Xue Sheng. "Xue Sheng, peel a stalk for me to taste."

Xue Sheng took the sugarcane and dutifully peeled it for Meng Wan.

"What do you think you're doing! Don't you know these sugarcanes can't be cut? Go away, go away." A villager guarding the sugarcane field, seeing someone brazenly cutting the sugarcane they'd worked so hard to grow, rushed over and shouted.

Ever since the sugarcane started to ripen, without Meng Wan needing to say a word, the villagers of Red Mountain Village and Red Mud Village had spontaneously formed teams to guard the fields day and night.

After all, they were earning a lot from Meng Wan. This year, the villagers of both villages not only had enough to eat but even occasionally went to town to buy two pounds of meat. The children ran around the village laughing more than in other villages, and the adults were gentler and more tolerant.

When those villagers ran over, they first recognized the Tao brothers, the yamen runners, and then realized it was their master.

"So it's Meng Fulang! Sorry, we were too far away to see clearly, so we thought you were a sugarcane thief." The villagers said to Meng Wan apologetically.

"Everyone is dedicated to protecting the sugarcane. I should be the one thanking you."

Meng Wan took the peeled sugarcane from Xue Sheng and bit into it. The sweet juice filled his mouth, carrying a fresh, grassy sweetness. "So sweet!" No wonder it's the fine variety Old Gan carefully selected.

The villagers said apologetically, "A while back, we weren't sure if the sugarcane was ripe, so we cut a couple of stalks to taste them. They were sweet." As they spoke, they stole glances at Meng Wan's expression. Even though they knew Meng Wan was generous and wouldn't mind a few sugarcanes, they couldn't help feeling nervous.

Meng Wan waved his hand generously. "Tomorrow, start cutting from the fields with the most ripe sugarcane. After we finish up in the next few days, each household can take two stalks home as snacks for the children."

"No, no, that would be several hundred stalks! We can't accept that." The villagers quickly declined.

They might be blunt and single-minded, but their gratitude toward their benefactor was genuine.

Meng Wan stayed at Tong Shun's house again. Thanks to Meng Wan employing him, the young boy had managed to save a small sum of money.

Knowing that Meng Wan loved chicken, on the day they arrived, Tong Shun secretly slaughtered two chickens he'd raised for nearly a year, stewed them with mushrooms in a big pot, and the aroma traveled far and wide.

The village chief laughed the moment he stepped inside. "You're quick, boy. I was going to invite Meng Fulang to my place for a meal. Well, then, tomorrow it is."

Bi Yun and Huang Ye took out the bedding Meng Wan had left last time to air it. Meng Wan sat in the yard, chewing on sugarcane.

Having been nourished lately with pig trotters and chicken stew from Chang Jinhua, he just wanted something plain. "No need, Village Chief. Don't go to any trouble. I just want some wild mushrooms and greens from the mountain. Oh, and we start harvesting sugarcane tomorrow. I've brought some oxcarts with me. After harvesting, we'll haul it straight to the sugar workshop in the county town. These days will be rough on everyone."

Once harvested, sugarcane loses its sugar quickly. Fresh transport cuts that loss. After it arrives, we'll cut, wash, and prepare it, and then it can be crushed and the sugar extracted.

Seeing how polite Meng Wan was, the village chief waved his hand. "This is nothing to call hardship. The whole village is grateful to you, Fulang. It's only right that we do this. Please don't be so polite."

Meng Wan discussed some details with him while Bi Yun and Huang Ye, having finished airing the bedding, went to help cook in Tong Shun's kitchen.

Last time, they'd brought their own rice, leaving half a sack behind for Tong Shun. This time, Meng Wan also brought his own polished rice, but Bi Yun found Tong Shun had already steamed some.

The boy said shyly, "It's from what Meng Fulang left last time. I couldn't bear to eat it. I stored it carefully—neither damp nor infested."

Not wanting to take advantage of a child, after the village chief left, Meng Wan had Bi Yun bring out the hand-me-down clothes they'd brought to give to Tong Shun. The fabric was good, with no patches—practical items the boy could use.

After a night's rest, it was barely light the next morning when the soft murmur of Tong Shun instructing his grandmother came from the yard.

Meng Wan, worried about his child at home, hadn't slept well. Even Tong Shun's quiet voice woke him.

As he stirred, Bi Yun, sleeping on a cot in the outer room of Meng Wan's bedroom, also woke.

"Fulang?"

Meng Wan got out of bed and replied, "Hmm. Go wake Huang Ye too. We'll make a simple breakfast and head to the sugarcane field after we eat."

Bi Yun and Huang Ye first went to the kitchen.

Tong Shun had already left. The boy was thoughtful; there was cooked white congee in the kitchen pot. The fire had been extinguished, and the leftover warmth kept the congee hot. Under a bowl on the stove sat some pickled bamboo shoots and a few boiled eggs.

"Oh, Fulang, Tong Shun has already made breakfast!" Huang Ye called out.

Meng Wan had changed into a short work outfit and soft cloth shoes. After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he tied his hair high with a cloth strip casually, letting a few strands fall over his forehead without bothering—he'd be in the fields soon anyway.

"Eat up quickly. You two, don't wear any jewelry; you might lose them in the fields."

Huang Ye stared in surprise at his practical outfit. "Fulang, are you going into the fields too?"

Taking the congee Bi Yun handed him, Meng Wan said, "Since I'm here, I might as well take a good look. Eat quickly; the villagers have probably already left."

Hearing this, Huang Ye sped up his eating.

Yesterday, Meng Wan and the village chief had roughly planned things out. They would start harvesting from the fields at the foot of the mountain. The men were split into two groups: one started cutting from the village entrance, the other from the far end.

The women and xiaoge were also split into two groups. One group stayed in the village to bundle the sugarcane for loading, while the other group accompanied the carts to the county town to wash and cut the sugarcane in the sugar workshop.

Those who went to the sugar workshop with the carts were carefully picked by the village chief, because Meng Wan had said that if they did well, they might even get regular jobs there.

The village chief had never heard of "regular jobs," but from what Meng Wan implied, even after the seven-month employment with Red Mountain Village ended, these women and xiaoge could stay on at the sugar workshop and continue earning.

This was an incredible opportunity. His first instinct was to push his own wife, daughter-in-law, and youngest son into these positions, but he retained enough sense to be more self-aware than the leader of Water Harmony Village.

After all, Meng Fulang had said they would be selected; it wasn't just for Red Mountain Village—Red Mud Village was also involved. If his clumsy family members took the spots and then were dismissed, and Red Mud Village outperformed them, it would be embarrassing.

The village chief kept no selfish motives and carefully selected over twenty nimble workers to follow the carts to the county town's sugar workshop.

Meanwhile, a group of carters was left in the village. Every fifteen loads, they would haul the sugarcanes to the county seat. The yamen runners Meng Wan had brought provided escort on the road, and Xue Sheng and Qin Jiao took turns accompanying the carts. At the county seat, they would be relieved by a new set of runners.

After the three finished eating, they walked along the path toward the sugarcane field at the head of the village.

The sugarcane field was bustling with activity. The villagers were cutting the sugarcane with great enthusiasm. By the time Meng Wan arrived, the first two plots were already cleared. Women and xiaoge were removing excess leaves and tips from the sugarcanes, bundling them up, and hauling them onto the carts.

As the village chief patrolled the fields, he also pitched in to help.

Meng Wan picked up a small cleaver, eager to try. "Bi Yun, take Huang Ye to help trim the leaves. I'm going to the front fields."

Bi Yun said worriedly, "Fulang, be careful."

Without looking back, Meng Wan plunged into the sugarcane field. "Don't worry."

The physical labor was simple, and Meng Wan caught on after a few tries. But he overestimated his stamina after not having worked for so long. By noon, he was exhausted.

"Bi Yun, I'm done cutting. You two come back with me to rest," Meng Wan said listlessly, carrying his cleaver out of the field.

A villager resting nearby said kindly, "Meng Fulang is already quite impressive. The landlord from town probably can't even hold a cleaver properly."

Speak of the devil. Just as Meng Wan, dead tired, was about to take his pages home, a carriage drove up from the village road. The eldest of the Tong family, his weathered face forcing a fake smile, said, "Meng Fulang is truly capable. Looks like this year's harvest is bountiful!"

Even as exhausted as he was, Meng Wan didn't let his manners slip. "Our land in He Mountain is good—plenty of rain and sunshine. The brothers and sisters of Red Mountain Village are excellent at tending crops; they catch on quickly. It's thanks to their hard work tending the sugarcane that we have such a good harvest."

It was noon. The women had gone home to bring meals, and families were eating by the sugarcane field, curiously listening to the exchange. After all, one was the old landlord who used to rent them land, and the other was their new master.

In the past, when the harvest was good, they thanked heaven or the

A group of farmers wolfed down plain rice, their hearts warmed by Meng Wan's words, making them feel completely refreshed and not the least bit tired, filled with energy, as if they could cut down another three acres of sugarcane right away.

Tong Laoda naturally didn't know about the villagers' change in mindset, and even if he did, he wouldn't care. With an ambiguous tone, he said, "Everyone has always known that sugar is expensive, and the land south of the Yangtze is fertile—whether for growing rice, raising silkworms for silk, planting tea trees for tea, or cultivating sugarcane for sugar, it's all naturally endowed. Who would have thought that even our mountain valleys in He Mountain County could produce such bountiful sugarcane?"

Meng Wan smiled on the surface, but cursed inwardly, "You didn't think of it because you're stupid. Why come and talk shit to me? Give you an inch and you take a mile, who do you think you are, my boss?"

His eyes darted, and he suddenly chimed in, "To make money, you need to be bold. Without the first person brave enough to blaze a trail and seize the treasure amidst the risks, later generations can only eat the leftovers."

He came to He Mountain County with Song Tingzhou not to make money. He knew how to make soap, and he was also good at writing books. As for money, having enough was fine; having more than he could spend was pointless.

Song Tingzhou wanted to pursue an official career. If he didn't want to get stuck in Lingnan, achievements were particularly important.

Although Senior Brother Lin was kind to them, they couldn't rely solely on others' help.

An official should at least have the people's best interests at heart. Song Tingzhou was much more benevolent than him, and was genuinely willing to do real things for the people.

As for Meng Wan, in the past, just surviving had been enough trouble; earning money to stay alive was his only wish.

Later, when life stabilized, after experiencing what happened with Yan Changsheng, he gained a deeper understanding of the cruelty and ignorance of this era.

So he always thought about doing something for the people in this world, leaving his own mark.

Making money while providing relief to refugees was not a long-term plan. Even if he drained himself dry, he couldn't fill the huge hole in Lingnan.

All he could do was give these people a way out, a hope, and gradually elevate the status of vulnerable groups subtly.

Considering all these, everything he did had to be linked to government affairs and the people's welfare.

Renting the Tong family's land was to weaken the image of the country gentry among the farmers, and also to set an example for them.

The land in Lingnan is fertile, with good sunlight, even more suitable for growing sugarcane than areas south of the Yangtze.

Once they gained experience growing sugarcane, they could plant it on their own land in the future to sell for money.

"Meng Fulang truly deserves his reputation as an official from Shengjing; your insight is something we small-town folks cannot match. I heard that there was an Old Gan before, I wonder if he is still in the village?" Tong Laoda's gaze swept over the dense sugarcane fields, his eyes filled with shock and greed.

"So much sugarcane, how much sugar could be squeezed out? This is huge profit! And all this land belonged to his family!"

Meng Wan said with a smile, "Old Gan? He is very busy and has already returned to the south of the Yangtze." (Old bastard, his reach is quite long; I'm afraid the news about growing sugarcane has already reached his ears, after all, Lu Yun Town is Tong's stronghold.)

Tong Laoda showed a trace of disappointment on his face, and asked halfheartedly, "As expected, Meng Fulang has extensive connections, able to invite such a figure. But may I ask where Old Gan's hometown is?"

Meng Wan said casually, "Yangzhou, of course. The people there are warm and honest. I met Old Gan when I bought sugarcane seedlings. Having grown sugarcane all his life, when he saw me buy so many seedlings from him, he was afraid I might not plant them well and insisted on coming to He Mountain to personally guide me. It was hard to refuse his enthusiasm, so I agreed."

Tong Laoda didn't quite believe this, but then he remembered what the villager who had tipped him off had said, and it seemed to match Meng Wan's story.

He was torn inside, looking at the boundless sugarcane with extreme envy, and finally exchanged a few more rambling words with Meng Wan, came for no reason, and left hastily in the end.

After he left, the villagers felt uneasy. Someone set down their bowl and came to ask Meng Wan, "Meng Fulang, then... will you hire us to grow sugarcane again next year?"

Meng Wan assured them, "As long as the Tong family's land is still leased to me next year, I will hire everyone at this year's price. Rest assured."

No matter what the villagers thought, Meng Wan was exhausted. After speaking, he took Bi Yun and Huang Ye and went back home. Tong Shun had left in the morning with a few steamed buns and hadn't returned by noon. Bi Yun prepared to cook, while Huang Ye boiled a large pot of water. Meng Wan bathed and changed into fresh clothes. He couldn't do any more cutting that afternoon—he'd worry about that tomorrow. The three had lunch, and Meng Wan took a nap in the room. When he woke up, his whole body ached so much he didn't want to budge an inch.