She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 91 - 90 All for the Snack Shop_2

Chapter 91: Chapter 90 All for the Snack Shop_2

Because the Jiang Family did not lack money, what they lacked were imperial appointed officials who could bring honor and benefits to the family. Presumably, the Jiang Family would still be very willing to spend money to earn administrative achievements.

In ancient times, oxen greatly benefitted agriculture and farming and were the only national-level protected animals. Imagine, if a large number of oxen appeared in Qingyuan County during Jiang Yifan’s tenure, then the farming in Qingyuan County could climb a small step. This step would be the increase in grain production, the increase in tax revenue, and also a hard index of Qingyuan County’s outstanding achievements.

Likewise, His Highness Prince Yu also didn’t care about the small cost of starting a cattle farm, but in the long term, if the cattle farm could be established in Yuyuan Prefecture, the biggest beneficiary would be Prince Yu, whose fief was in Yuyuan Prefecture.

One must know, a significant portion of His Highness Prince Yu’s income came from the taxes of Yuyuan Prefecture.

It could be said, this was a venture with large investments, rich profits, and one that benefited both the country and the people for the long term. The only downside was the high risk and the slow effect.

Given all these reasons, the more Ye Xinyan thought about it, the more she believed Jinrong and Jiang Yifan would be willing to undertake this venture.

Ye Xinyan said, "Although Yuyuan Prefecture is not exactly in a remote location, it is also not an area densely populated with people. These past few days, as I traveled between the village and the county, I saw our Qingyuan County has many unexploited lands. If Sixth Master is willing to invest silver, why not set up a cattle farm? With more oxen in Qingyuan County, naturally, we could reclaim more wasteland."

Jinrong did not quite understand Ye Xinyan’s point and asked, "If I invest silver in raising cattle, what does that have to do with Qingyuan County’s farmland? Do you mean the advice you’re giving is to let me buy wasteland for cultivation?"

He doesn’t seem to have that much free time, right? What a great benefit this seems to be. This has even less to do with Jiang Yifan. Even if the cultivated land increases, Prince Yu doesn’t have to pay taxes, and it has nothing to do with Jiang Yifan’s achievements.

Ye Xinyan explained, "If Qingyuan County had a cattle farm specifically for breeding, oxen wouldn’t be such a rarity, and perhaps even families with some savings could afford to buy an ox. Moreover, even if farmers can’t afford to buy oxen, Sixth Master’s cattle farm could rent out oxen. Anyone who wants to use oxen for plowing and reclaiming wasteland could rent them with grass or beans as payment. The county encourages farmers to reclaim wasteland, and if they can rent oxen with grass or beans, naturally, some farmers would be willing to cut grass and rent oxen to reclaim land. With the help of oxen for plowing, reclaiming land becomes much easier. Once farmers have their own fields and carefully cultivate grain crops, and since oxen are not expensive to sell, the cattle farm will have business."

This clear explanation immediately resonated with Jinrong. The two of them looked at each other, and indeed, not only was it a good thing for them, but it was also a good thing for the common people.

The county magistrate, who managed all the affairs of a county, would see an increase in farmland, growth in tax revenue, and wealth among the people under his jurisdiction, which would be his achievement. With annual evaluations and triennial assessments, excellence could be achieved. The scale of promotion following these achievements of excellence would also be considered.

Jiang Yifan’s eyes deepened as he gave Ye Xinyan a look, seriously pondering over the matter.

And for Jinrong, there was even less need to say. If Jiang Yifan’s achievements were good, it was very likely he would be promoted and relocated away from Qingyuan County. For Jinrong, however, Yuyuan Prefecture was his fief. Even though the political and military affairs of Yuyuan Prefecture were managed by his father, the revenue of Yuyuan Prefecture belonged to him.

After pondering a bit, Jinrong asked Ye Xinyan with a smile, "Lady Qi, are you sure you haven’t oversimplified matters? Do you know how much trouble is involved in raising large herds of cattle and sheep?"

Jiang Yifan also awoke from his contemplation. Raising cattle indeed was a bold idea. To have thought of this, Ye Xinyan had not suffered a loss in vain, showing improvement.

However, raising livestock was not such an easy task. There were many issues involved. How could a woman, who grew up in the inner court, understand the ins and outs of large-scale cattle farming? Even if she understood, he wouldn’t want to discuss this with her. He would need to go back and consult with his steward on how best to start.

As for Ye Xinyan’s proposal, he wouldn’t just take advantage of her for free that day. He would give her a generous reward—that would settle it.

What puzzled him now, however, was how Ye Xinyan came to think of this. How to enrich the farmers should not be something she could have thought of.

Ye Xinyan seemed to be moved by Jinrong’s question, and in order to successfully lure him into starting a cattle farm, she seriously thought for a moment before saying, "Raising cattle, well, it mainly boils down to the feed for the cattle. Aren’t cattle grass-eating animals? When starting a cattle farm, we could hire cowherds to tend the cattle, buy lush grass when the pastures are rich, and purchase and store wheat straw and corn stalks in large quantities during the autumn harvest. The bean feed could be bought."

"Then there’s disease prevention. The cattle farm could hire a couple of veterinary doctors full-time. Arrange routine inspections by the veterinarian every day, and isolate and treat any cattle showing abnormal signs early on. Additionally, dividing into separate pens and areas for feeding could prevent the livestock from infecting each other with diseases. Arrange to clean the cow pens daily and spray the ground with ash or lime water, which, I heard, can prevent disease."

In Ye Xinyan’s memory, when she was young, her family had occasionally kept a few sheep. These were all she could recall, and as for what a large-scale breeding farm entailed, she had only glimpsed a few things on television, so she didn’t know the specifics.

If Jinrong and Jiang Yifan wanted to go ahead with it, they would have to plan carefully and consult with professionals for better results.

This uncertain narrative from Ye Xinyan also startled Jinrong and Jiang Yifan.

Surprised, Jinrong forgot many things and asked, "How do you know about all this? You grew up in the capital since you were a child and only came out here not long ago. How could you know about raising livestock?" He completely forgot that Ye Xinyan now held the identity of Lady Qi.