Chapter 21 Swineherd

The next morning Lin Yuan wakes early. He goes to open the window in his underclothes but shivers when the cold wind blows in. He pulls on his cotten coat quickly not expecting the temperature to drop this drastically over night.

“Young master.” Er Liang comes in with a water basin and says, “master just asked me, where will you be eating breakfast, and has me tell you not to go to the dining hall….”

Lin Yuan:”I know, I will eat at home.”

Lin Yuan understands old father Lin’s meaning. Being the landowner must have a landowner’s airs. If you are too friendly and approachable then no one will be willing to listen to you. It is much easier for people to offend a person with good temperament because this kind of person would not get angry.

This is true in the modern times too. Your boss can be friends with you in private but during work he is your superior. A good temperament does not mean others will obey you.

He can treat the tenant farmers well, but only through the land rent and the provision of food. If the tenant farmers cross his boundaries then he must act according to his status as a landowner.

Similar to how emperors of ancient times refer to themselves as the son of heaven and claiming their birth was accompanied with auspicious signs. This would be a type of spiritual rule which is especially effective in the ancient times where most of the people are ignorant and uneducated.

Like Li Congrong, who actually sincerely believes every emperor to be the human counterpart of divine dragons.

Jiang Gui does not believe that they are dragons but definitely agrees they are not mortals.

Yang Zi’an thinks that emperors are human beings but human beings with a fate destined for out of the ordinary.

Lin Yuan tells them:”The emperor is also human except he is able to sit on the highest ruling seat. Otherwise, how would you look at fallen dynasties? The emperor of a destroyed empire is still an emperor.”

Li Congrong and the others say sincerely:”That is because they did not do the job right so heaven punishes them. How can you say they are mere mortals?”

Lin Yuan:”……”

Lin Yuan feels that the path of rebellion is rather difficult.

The thing that most shocked him was when he found out Zhu Yuanzhang also believes that the emperor is the son of heaven, just not all emperors are true sons of heaven.

He thinks that only the founding emperor is but all the rest that succeeds him aren’t.

This kind of thinking Lin Yuan could only be convinced.

Lin Yuan is born in modern China and grew up under its red flag. The education he received is also atheistic. He believes that there are things unexplainable by science but he does not believe in the existence of ghosts or gods. Time travel can also be explained by science.

When two time lines approach and become parallel lines and a magnetic field appear between these two parallel lines, or due to some other reason these lines will form an hourglass shape. Then certain people from the line on the top will fall down into the timeline on the bottom, essentially time or space traveling.

Lin Yuan already forgot where he saw the theory, maybe it was on CCTV science channel.

He thinks that he was coincidentally an unlucky fellow who was in a certain place at a certain time. Indeed, the White Lotus is rather convenient, rebelling whenever they want, their faith not in the emperor but in the head of their sect. Their leader says the emperor is the son of heaven, they must support him, then the members will believe the emperor is the son of heaven. Leader says no, everyone should overthrow him then the members will actually stand up and start a rebellion.

Just what kind of executive power is this?

Lin Yuan thinks only the army has such absolute speed and decisiveness in carrying out orders.

No wonder all the dynasties treat the White Lotus as a threat.

The food was all placed in the cellars, and not just one cellar, like a rat who digs several holes, they stored the food in spread out cellars.

“Set up a watchtower.” Lin Yuan already gave up convincing them to rebel. Once the fires of war begin to burn, even if they don’t want to rebel they would have no choice. Besides, convincing others to rebel is quite tiring.

There are some beliefs that are as deep as roots, not something he can change by just talking.

Brother Dao lets out a relieved sigh, he says:”I will immediately have people on it, it will only take 2 to 3 days.”

Lin Yuan asks:”Now every night there is someone to keep watch?”

Brother Dao nods.

Lin Yuan says:”This evening we’ll have a meeting, call all the men.”

Brother Dao asks:”What’s wrong? Only men? Did something happen?”

Lin Yuan says:”I would like them to all to take up their own specific duty. Ten people in a team, one team will be responsible for patrolling and lookout on the watchtower. Another team will focus on cutting firewood, and a third for fishing and hunting. The last team will continue farming.”

Brother Dao is surprised:”Fourth brother, you have such organized plans. Where did you learn it?”

Lin Yuan says:”In the books.”

Specializing can increase production. Not only does modern people know this, the educated people of the current era must know as well.

Only in this era not many people are educated.

“What books? Let me have a look too?” Brother Dao says with an ingratiating smile on his face.

Lin Yuan does not make excuses, only saying:”I did not bring the books with me, and you know what happened to my old home……nowadays where can we even buy books?”

Brother Dao:”…..That’s right.”

“After the men have a meeting, women and the elderly will also have a meeting.” Lin Yuan also says.

Brother Dao is even more surprised:”They…..they can actually be of help?” He had thought Lin Yuan had only took them in out of kindness.

Lin Yuan:”Also separate them into teams, specializing in cooking, knitting, and farming.”

Brother Dao nods, in the countryside women and the elderly must also farm. When it’s a busy farming season even children had to help in farming.

Every person is a source of wealth. The people Lin Yuan currently took in are not a lot so every one of them is valuable, and must perform their purpose.

Lin Yuan press his lips together, if the foodstuff still has remains by early spring then he can add more people.

Next year in the winter, he wants to besiege and capture Wu city.

The farmstead can only be a temporary shelter. It would not be likely to live here forever, completely separated from the world.

The men has no problems with having a meeting in the evening, after all the work on the fields is currently not a lot. Besides, they are all eating communal feeding——and in order to prevent the equal treatment from affecting their motivation Lin Yuan implemented a scoring system.

Every 10 people has a team leader who at every week can give the people under him a most outstanding score. In order for the team leader to get the most outstanding score all team members must agree. Getting the most outstanding score will mean that in the weekends the person will get two pounds of meat and a bottle of oil as well as salt and pickled vegetables.

The final audit will be agreement from brother Dao and Yang Zi’an.

Every month there will be a most outstanding team, the team’s members will all get a reward.

“Hei, that will definitely be our team!”

“Nonsense, the fishing team is also really capable! “Don’t be too quick in your words.”

…….

Even more people just swallowed profusely.

Two pounds of meat, two pounds. Not two taels but two pounds. They almost fainted in excitement.

Lin Yuan whispers to Jiang Gui:”Ge, where can we buy pigs?”

Jiang Gui:”…..”

Bro, you dare to make promises when there isn’t even a sign of meat?

Lin Yuan smiles in embarrassment. He got too excited and forgot that he currently does not have any livestock or source of meat.

But he can’t go back on his words so he can only think of a solution.

Raising sheep is not likely as herding is too dangerous now. Pigs are the best, once he buys some piglets he’ll experiment how to raise them fatter. They can also buy some sheep to make bacon which can be used as rewards. But the pigs must be raised bigger so that there will be meat in the future.

Lin Yuan did not expect that his plans of rebellion has yet to have any signs of showing, instead he will likely first become a swineherd.

TN: regarding the time/space travel theory the author actually saw it on a science channel but it had been a long time so she doesn’t remember the specifics.