Chapter 126
Spring was the best time for planting trees. Over the past few years, Zhang Fangyuan had spent considerable effort managing the mountains he had purchased. While forests were not as directly profitable as farmland, they still saved a great deal on family expenses.
Daily necessities like firewood, charcoal, lumber, and fodder could all be sourced from their own mountains, eliminating the need to buy them from shops. The savings added up to no less than what they would have earned from farming.
During the off-season, tenant farmers from the village would help clear weeds and plant saplings on the mountains. Zhang Fangyuan also allowed them to gather firewood for themselves. In recent years, as the court had sold off public mountains to private owners, the number of communal mountains dwindled, leaving fewer places for commoners to collect firewood. By permitting those who helped tend the mountains to take firewood, Zhang Fangyuan ensured enthusiastic participation.
At the start of spring, Zhang Fangyuan bought fruit tree saplings for planting. He didn’t even need to hire extra hands, the tenant farmers who volunteered were more than enough.
When Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He arrived at the foot of the mountain, their carriage couldn't go further, so they switched to horseback. The once barren foothills had now been cleared and turned into farmland. With a wave of his hand, Zhang Fangyuan assigned these plots to the tenant farmers to cultivate.
Now that spring had arrived, everyone was busy plowing and sowing. Seeing how hard the farmers worked, rushing to plant crops while also sending laborers to the mountains to clear land for fruit trees, Xu He turned to the man guarding him and said, as he rode his horse. “We should pay those who came to plant the fruit trees a small wage.”
Zhang Fangyuan nodded. “As you say.”
The mountain air was colder, and the sudden drop in temperature was biting. Zhang Fangyuan tightened Xu He’s cloak. Though the weather was far from warm, the farmers worked energetically, creating a lively atmosphere.
When Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He arrived, the servant overseeing the tree-planting came to greet them and reported on their progress. The tenant farmers also paused their work to pay their respects.
Zhang Fangyuan announced, “My fulang has noted your hard work during this busy season. Once the planting is done, each of you may collect 120 copper coins from the overseer. If you prefer not to take money, you may exchange it for firewood or lumber to take home.”
Though the sum was modest, it was better than nothing. The tenant farmers were happy and thanked Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He profusely.
“Go on with your work.”
Zhang Fangyuan waved them off and took Xu He to inspect the newly planted saplings. They had also transplanted some bamboo shoots with rhizomes to the mountain. In a few years, they would be able to harvest bamboo shoots from their own land.
“Master, Fulang, we dug up some strange stones under the wild walnut tree up ahead.”
“What is this?” Xu He had gathered firewood in the mountains many times before and had seen all kinds of rocks, mostly plain or reddish stones. Black stones were rare, and this one was unlike the dark rocks exposed by years of rain. It was harder and more translucent.
Zhang Fangyuan inhaled sharply and asked the tenant farmer, “Where did you find this?”
Upon hearing that the master would pay wages, the tenant farmer had worked with extra vigor, swinging his hoe so hard it nearly sparked. But he hadn’t expected to strike a rock buried underground, which chipped the tool.
Iron farming tools were expensive. Afraid that the cost of the damaged hoe would exceed his wages, the tenant farmer decided to bring the offending stone to confess before the master was gone.
“Just up ahead.”
The honest tenant farmer led them to the spot.
The shrubs had been cleared, and a half-dug pit for a sapling lay exposed. The hoe, now with a notch, was stuck in the ground.
Ignoring the tool, Zhang Fangyuan dug into the soil and uncovered a large amount of similar stones.
He looked around. The soil here was thin, and vegetation sparse. Thick ferns had concealed the area, so no one had realized how shallow the earth was. Many mountain buyers avoided thin-soiled land because rocky ground made planting difficult.
When they had bought the mountain, they had been late to the sale, and the best plots were already taken. They had chosen this one only because it was close to their village.
The tenant farmer was uneasy. It was his first time clearing weeds on the western slope, and he had already hit thin soil and broken a tool. Today was truly unlucky.
But instead of anger, Zhang Fangyuan’s face broke into a smile as he examined the stone. “No need to clear here. Thin soil isn’t good for planting.”
Relieved, the tenant farmer ventured, “The hoe…”
“Tell the overseer to get you a new one.”
After dismissing the tenant farmer, Zhang Fangyuan immediately called the overseer aside for a whispered conversation. Xu He watched the tenant farmer leave, then turned to see Zhang Fangyuan grinning foolishly at the stone. “What’s so special about it?”
Zhang Fangyuan pulled him aside. “You’ve never done corvee labor, so you might not recognize this. This isn’t just any stone, it’s iron ore.”
Xu He’s brows lifted. “The kind that turns into iron?”
“Exactly.”
If not for the explanation, Xu He would never have known. It wasn’t his fault, the court monopolized salt and iron. Commoners like him only saw finished tools in blacksmith shops, which were made from iron bought from state-run foundries. Unless one had been conscripted to mine, few knew what raw iron ore looked like.
Iron was expensive. Many peasants couldn’t even afford farming tools, let alone visit blacksmiths often. Even those who did corvee labor weren’t always assigned to mines. For these reasons, most commoners wouldn’t recognize iron ore.
But Zhang Fangyuan was different. Since childhood, he had loved hunting and butchering, collecting a house full of iron tools. He had handled metal as often as chopsticks.
When one loved something, they naturally understood it better than most.
Unable to suppress his joy, he hefted the heavy stone. “This mountain was a steal!”
Thank you so much for the update!!
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