Woye Province got its name “Woye” not because its land was fertile, but because after the Royal Capital finished naming all the provinces, they looked closely and realized there was still a vast wasteland up north that didn’t belong to anyone.
Since they’d already set up a separate administrative district, no matter how desolate or remote it was, they couldn’t call it the Wasteland Province, right? So the namer waved his hand and gave it such a completely misleading name.
Woye Province wasn’t so barren that not a single blade of grass grew. The thick-shelled Guazui Gu was nature’s gift to this land. It could run wild over the hills and valleys without anyone’s care, and when the sunny season came, the trees would be heavy with golden Guazui Gu, feeding every living thing on the ground.
Nature was just this strange sometimes: what you wanted to plant was hard to grow, but what you didn’t care for grew freely everywhere.
The only crop the locals could manage to grow was an extremely tough Wu Dou—what Jiang Zhuozhuo had recently been using to make Braised Beans, the cheap staple food.
Compared to the difficulties of farming, what was even more deadly was the long, drawn-out winter. Locals had to hole up indoors as soon as winter hit, unable to even step outside their doors.
There was a fishing village at the dock, where most people made a living building boats and fishing. That day, the young men who’d gone to the docks to earn money came home early, faces full of joy as they pushed open their doors and shouted to their families, “Look what I brought back for you!”
Some family members came out to bolt the door shut, scolding them for their carelessness: “How many times have I told you, close the door when you come back! What if the children catch a chill?”
Even with doors and windows sealed up tight, the firewood burned over a whole winter was no small amount. The women stayed home, bracing themselves against the cold by battening down every crack.
The elderly and children, who’d been cooped up for half the winter, couldn’t believe it: “Food like this could really be so cheap? You didn’t get swindled, did you?”
The young people who’d gone out would bring out the Braised Beans they’d bought and let the family taste a little. If it worked, they’d let the children have some too.
This kind of conversation was happening in every household in the little fishing village at almost the same time.
Ivan also lived in this village—the half-grown boy who’d sold Guazui Gu to Jiang Zhuozhuo a while back.
He’d used that silver coin to bring the best doctor from the neighboring village, who braved the bitter cold to treat his mother. Now, his mother’s health was improving.
The days were getting colder. Ivan listened to his mother and didn’t go out anymore. The two of them stayed home, working together to weave a thick, warm blanket. When it was finished, they planned to thank that kind-hearted lordling.
Ivan was diligently helping his mother when he suddenly heard the clear laughter of children outside. He paused, thinking he’d misheard, but after listening carefully, he realized there really were children playing outside.
What was going on? Weren’t they afraid of the cold?
Ivan couldn’t sit still. He ran to the window, lifted the heavy curtain, and pushed open the clumsy wooden window. Outside, he saw a bunch of kids rolling snowballs, some already locked in lively snowball fights.
Since winter set in, all the kids had been locked indoors, forbidden to go out. Why was it suddenly so lively?
Ivan shivered from the cold, but he refused to close the window. He called out loudly to the nearest kid: “Hey, aren’t you cold?”
The kid heard Ivan’s voice and ran over excitedly to share, “Didn’t your family buy Braised Beans? I’ll give you some—just pay me back after you get some!”
Ivan hesitated, “But we don’t have any money left.”
The kid said, “You don’t need money. You can use beans or Guazui Gu to trade for them! They taste great, and once you eat them, you’re not afraid of the cold at all! We’ve already agreed to go pick more Guazui Gu at the foot of the mountain to trade for Braised Beans. Do you want to come?”
Hearing this, Ivan accepted the Braised Beans his friend shared with him, then happily shut the window tight and turned to tell his mother all about it.
If they could go out even in winter, they’d never have to worry about winters being too long again!
Looking into Ivan’s expectant eyes, his mother nodded and agreed to let him go buy Braised Beans.
Could there really be such a miraculous food in the world?
Like so many people forced to stay indoors all winter, Ivan’s mother was full of doubt. But after her illness, she realized her child had grown into a young man who could support the family, so she decided to support Ivan in doing what he wanted.
Ivan had barely run out with a bag of beans when the old lady next door came knocking.
Ivan’s mother got up and opened the door a crack, only to see the old lady had come out too, smiling as she held half a bowl of fragrant Wu Dou.
She quickly opened the door wide and invited the old lady in.
“This is from my son,” the old lady said. “I’m afraid I won’t finish it before it goes bad, so I thought I’d bring you some. Look at your hands, they’re red from the cold! It must be awful. Eat a bit—once you do, you won’t feel cold anymore.”
So this was the Braised Beans that had brought so much excitement to the whole village!
Neighbors often shared food or helped each other out. Ivan’s mother didn’t refuse the old lady’s kindness and, at her urging, ate half a bowl of Braised Beans.
Almost as soon as the Braised Beans slid down her throat, Ivan’s mother felt a wave of warmth spread through her body with her blood.
It was nothing like the numbness that came from being cold for so long you couldn’t feel anything anymore.
She felt…warm.
Even the cold northern wind blowing in her face couldn’t chill her now.
She’d heard that the nobles in the Royal Capital wore thin dresses to banquets in the dead of winter and never felt cold, always looking their best. Did they…also eat food like this before going out?
If that was the case, it made sense.
Unless forced, no one wanted to hole up in a cramped place for months on end.
Even someone as hardworking as Ivan’s mother couldn’t help but suggest, “How about we go for a walk?”
She couldn’t wait to breathe in the fresh air outside.
Let her be willful just this once!
The two of them walked out together.
The icy air filled their lungs, but it didn’t feel uncomfortable at all.
Looking around, every household had flung open their doors and windows.
Joy filled everyone’s hearts.
Their new lord must be the wisest and kindest person in the world!
The world’s wisest and kindest new lord, Jiang Zhuozhuo, at this very moment was sprawled out like a flat bird, the whole bird slumped listlessly on Deputy Mei Yin’s office desk.
The usual sparkle had vanished from her eyes.
Here’s what happened: she’d blurted out at the docks that she’d give all her employees Five Insurances and One Fund.
Beautiful Mei Yin said nothing. Beautiful Mei Yin simply handed her a sheet of paper and a pen, instructing her to calculate the Five Insurances and One Fund for all the maids, manservants, and knights employed at the castle for this month.
“I can’t finish, there’s no way I can finish.”
The little round bird rolled back and forth on the desk, resorting to shameless tactics.
“I’m not doing it, I’m not doing it!”
Mei Yin poked her with a finger, pinning the dizzy little round bird in place, and smiled, “Your Highness, now you know how hard it is to calculate Five Insurances and One Fund?”
The little round bird hung her head guiltily. “I was wrong… How about we just don’t do it?”
Jiang Zhuozhuo had only started thinking about this because her job-hunting seniors kept complaining, “It’s so hard to find a job with weekends off these days,” and “Why are there still so many companies that don’t pay Five Insurances and One Fund?” She thought, as a boss, she should at least have some conscience!
She just hadn’t realized that here, everything had to be calculated by hand!
This was not the age where you could just type numbers into a spreadsheet and have all the results pop out instantly.
If she ever met an Alchemist, she’d have to ask if they could make her a computer! A phone! And connect the whole Empire to wifi!
You Alchemists are so amazing, surely you can do it, right?
If you can’t, then you’re not so great after all!
The bird looks down on you!
Mei Yin had no idea Jiang Zhuozhuo was plotting to stump those arrogant Alchemists. Seeing the pitiful little round bird admit her mistake, she lifted her finger from the bird’s belly and said seriously, “No, since Your Highness has already announced it, we must follow through.”
The little round bird wilted. “It’s too hard, I can’t do it.”
Mei Yin smiled. “Why would Your Highness have to do the math? We’ll take care of it. The reason I had Your Highness try it yourself this time was to hope that next time, if you have a new idea, you’ll discuss it with us before announcing it.”
Jiang Zhuozhuo nodded like a pecking chick, showing she understood.
After a whole afternoon of struggling through the calculations herself, Jiang Zhuozhuo had a deep appreciation for how much extra work she’d dumped on Mei Yin.
Jiang Zhuozhuo, self-taught, painted a bright future for Mei Yin: “Once our territory gets rich, I’ll give you a big raise, lots and lots of bonuses!”
When she said “lots and lots,” she even spread her wings energetically for emphasis, meaning it would be a huge amount.
Mei Yin glanced at the little round bird, now bouncing around again, and asked, “Before that, why don’t you tell me—what is Nine-Year Compulsory Education?”
Jiang Zhuozhuo: ?
What? Had she mentioned that too?
Mei Yin saw the confusion on Jiang Zhuozhuo’s face and smiled as she explained, “Your Highness never announced it publicly, but I happened to overhear you muttering about it once.”
Nine-Year Compulsory Education… it sounded even harder to manage than Five Insurances and One Fund.
Jiang Zhuozhuo quietly scooted back, then began explaining to Mei Yin what Nine-Year Compulsory Education meant.
Compulsory, she said, meant something every citizen was required to do. Specifically, it meant all school-age children in their territory had to go to school—from Primary School through Junior High School, for a total of nine years!
Not letting a child finish compulsory education was against the law!
Mei Yin pressed on, “So what does this Nine-Year Compulsory Education actually teach?”
Without hesitation, Jiang Zhuozhuo started listing the subjects: Mathematics, Chinese, History, Geography, Politics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Fine Arts, Music, Physical Education…
The smile on Mei Yin’s face gradually faded.
Why were some of these subjects completely unfamiliar, even to her, a former top student?
Jiang Zhuozhuo, oblivious to her dear Mei Yin’s changing mood, went on enthusiastically, “Physical Education is really important! Every child should have a happy time in PE class!”
Definitely the words of someone who’d tragically lost their PE classes before.
Then Jiang Zhuozhuo began explaining what each subject involved: that’s right, a mature Junior High School student should know astronomy above and geography below, have excellent language skills, a solid foundation in math, physics, and chemistry, and also develop a wide range of hobbies—striving for all-around development in morality, intelligence, physique, aesthetics, and labor!
Only when Jiang Zhuozhuo finished her grand speech did she notice Mei Yin’s odd expression.
The little round bird sidled over and asked with concern, “What’s wrong?”
Why wasn’t Mei Yin smiling anymore!
The bird was worried!
Meeting the little round bird’s worried eyes, Mei Yin put on a professional smile. “I’m just glad Your Highness didn’t announce this publicly yet.”
Jiang Zhuozhuo: .
Oh no, that smile is even scarier than not smiling at all.