Zhao Daniu was seventeenth in line and had waited less than half an hour before it was his turn.

“Zhao Daniu, appointed in the third month of the second year of Cheng’an. From the tenth month of the fourth year of Cheng’an to the present, you are owed six months’ salary. Your original monthly salary was half a tael of silver, totaling three liang and six wen. Adding the underpayments from previous years, the total comes to five taels of silver.” Xiang Changqing clacked his abacus for a moment, then looked up. “Is that correct?”

Zhao Daniu’s heart was pounding. Five taels of silver—he couldn’t save that much even after two years of farming. He swallowed hard and nodded vigorously. “Right, right!”

Xiang Changqing made a few marks in the ledger, then wrote the same words repeatedly on two palm-sized pieces of paper. Zhao Daniu could only recognize his own name; he saw his name on both pieces of paper. Xiang Changqing handed him both and said, “Take these to the accounts office to collect your silver. Also, Magistrate Duan said that as long as you’re willing to return to duty, your monthly salary will remain the same. Starting this month, it will be paid on a monthly basis, with absolutely no delays. Are you willing?”

He carefully cradled the two sheets of paper in his hands and said, almost impatiently, “I’m willing! Of course I’m willing! Magistrate Duan is a man of honor and justice—I, Zhao Daniu, am selling my very life to the magistrate’s office!”

Xiang Changqing smiled and handed him another sheet of paper. “This is your letter of appointment. Put your thumbprint on it. Report for duty first thing tomorrow morning; Magistrate Duan has an important assignment for you.”

Zhao Daniu pressed his thumbprint onto the document, then took the two papers to the accounts office. Feng Xin weighed out the silver according to the amount listed on the papers, had him press his thumbprint on both, returned one to him, and placed the other with the papers bearing the thumbprints of the other recruits.

Holding the cool, heavy silver, Zhao Daniu felt lightheaded as he pressed it to his chest. His feet felt as if they were treading on cotton, and as soon as he left the county office, he headed straight for South Street.

He bought half a dou of white rice, one dou of brown rice, and eight liang of meat, then went to the pharmacy to get several days’ worth of medicine for his wife. As he passed a pastry shop, he hesitated for a long time, but finally gritted his teeth and bought a few pieces of the cheapest candy.

It cost him a whole tael of silver in one go, and the pain of parting with it made him gasp.

But when he thought of the woman at home who had been coughing for half a month, and Xiaoya, who was skin and bones, he felt it was worth it.

His home was situated on the very edge of Bailang Village, with fields bordering Shawei Village. Consequently, when the salt frost first began to blanket Bailang Village, it hadn’t yet reached his fields. But in recent years, as the salt frost gradually spread to Shawei Village, his fields could no longer escape its ravages.

As he neared home, he saw his wife from a distance, crouched at the doorway twisting a rope; her body, as thin as a sheet of paper, swayed in the sea breeze.

Zhao Daniu felt a pang of sorrow. He ran over in long strides, took the work from her hands, and shoved the medicine packet into her arms: “Hurry inside. I’ll boil the medicine for you.”

Yuanniang was startled: “Where did you get the money to buy medicine?”

Zhao Daniu recounted everything that had happened that morning from start to finish, then pulled out the remaining silver and the official document to show her. As Yuanniang looked at them, she began to cry, her tears falling in a steady stream onto the paper: “At last… at last there’s hope…”

Zhao Daniu pulled her into his arms and patted her back. His own eyes were reddening, but he quickly wiped his face and smiled. “Don’t cry. Magistrate Duan said there’s an important task tomorrow, so I need to rest up. Just wait here—I’ll go brew the medicine for you. Tonight, we’ll cook porridge with both white and brown rice. And where is Xiaoya? I bought her some candy too. You can have a piece after you take your medicine.”

Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Zhao Daniu put on his well-laundered constable’s uniform—patched in several places—and, slipping it on, set off for the county seat with a spring in his step.

When he reached the county town gate, he saw a dense crowd of people—at least forty or fifty of them—all former constables who had rushed over after receiving the news yesterday. They were all whispering to one another, speculating on what urgent matter Magistrate Duan had summoned them for.

At the third hour of the morning, the gates of the county magistrate’s office swung wide open, and everyone filed inside. Duan Jin was standing in the courtyard.

Behind him were his secretary, Xiang Boqiu, two constables, and the young prince dressed in luxurious attire. Zhao Daniu overheard someone nearby whispering that the young prince was the current emperor’s younger brother, titled “Prince of Gold,” and was a true nobleman.

Zhao Daniu didn’t understand all that talk of titles and nobles; he knew only one thing. This prince had handed over several thousand taels of silver in a single gesture—not only paying off their back wages but also offering to cover the entire cost of reclaiming the saline-alkali land. To give them land to farm—that made him a benefactor.

Duan Jin stood on the steps, his gaze sweeping over the crowd in the courtyard. He cleared his throat and spoke.

His voice was not loud, but it was clear, like a drop of water falling into a pond in the woods, each word distinct: “You are all veterans of the county office, so I’ll skip the pleasantries. You know the land of Wuyuan County better than I do. The saline-alkali land is widespread; nothing grows there. The common people have nothing to eat, the county treasury has been in deficit year after year, and your salaries have been repeatedly delayed. I have been in the office for a month now. My heart is in the right place, but I lack the means to act. I can only ask for your patience and understanding—this is my fault.”

With that, he bowed slightly to the assembly.

The courtyard was deathly quiet; not a single voice was heard among the dozens of people present.

Zhao Daniu felt a warm surge in his heart, and tears welled up in his eyes. He had served as a constable for several years, yet he had never seen a county magistrate apologize to his subordinates.

He wanted to say, “No, it’s not your fault. It’s all due to natural disasters and the man-made calamities caused by the previous magistrate—you can’t be blamed for this as a newcomer.” But his throat felt as if it were stuffed with cotton, and he couldn’t get a single word out.

Duan Jin straightened up and raised his voice slightly: “But things are different now! His Highness, deeply sympathetic to the people’s hardships, has generously opened his purse to donate funds for the reclamation of saline-alkali land in Wuyuan County. I will not squander a single coin of this silver; every last bit will be used for the reclamation of saline-alkali land! Starting today, your monthly salaries will continue as usual. Anyone participating in the land reclamation project will receive a monthly subsidy of two dou of brown rice, and those who perform well will also receive a bonus!”

The courtyard immediately erupted in commotion. Zhao Daniu heard someone beside him whispering calculations: “Two dou of rice every month? Doesn’t that mean one person working can support an entire family?”

“Quiet, everyone!” Xiang Shiye stepped forward to restore order. “Magistrate Duan hasn’t finished speaking yet!”

Once the crowd had quieted down, Duan Jin continued, “The first thing I intend to do is reclaim the largest stretch of saline-alkali land in Linhai Town. If those hundreds of mu can be turned into fertile fields, it will solve half the county’s grain shortage. Once these lands show results, I will include all the saline-alkali land in the county in the reclamation effort. I am determined to ensure that every household in the county has land to cultivate and food to eat!”

“Next, those with experience in gypsum refining or mining, line up with the secretary; those with experience in digging canals or dredging waterways, line up with Feng Xin; everyone else, line up with Liu Cheng.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd began to move slowly.

Next, Duan Jin reassigned the personnel based on the workload of each section and had them get to work.

The Wuyuan County jail was located west of the county government office—a row of low stone buildings with moss-covered walls. When the jailer, Old Wu, opened the iron gate, a stench of mold and human waste wafted out, making Old Wu squint.

The prisoners were herded out of the dark cells, each one gaunt and emaciated, clad in rags, their eyes squinting against the harsh sunlight.

Old Wu stood in front of the prisoners and shouted, “Listen up, all of you! The Magistrate has shown mercy and is giving you a chance to atone for your crimes through good behavior! Starting today, you’ll be working at the gypsum mine west of the city. Whoever works hard will be provided with three hearty meals a day! If you all do a good job during this time, you’ll even get your sentences reduced! Magistrate Duan said that since you didn’t steal much, your sentence is one year, but if you work for six months, you’ll be released!”

The prisoners, who had been hanging their heads in despair, all lifted their heads at the words “three hearty meals a day.” A young prisoner, thin as a rake, asked in a trembling voice, “Really? Will we get enough to eat? Can we have plain rice?”

Old Wu glared at him. “I keep my word! But if you dare slack off, don’t blame my whip for not sparing anyone!”

The Shouhou-like prisoner shrank his neck, but still couldn’t help licking his lips. Watching the look on these men’s faces, Old Wu felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

He recognized some of them; they all came from poor families. If they hadn’t been driven to the brink of starvation, who would have chosen to become bandits?

Old Wu had the nearly fifty prisoners line up in a single file, escorted by three jailers, and marched them toward the mine to the west of the city.

Duan Jin, the Young Prince, and Xiang Shiye led several constables with experience in dredging waterways, along with craftsmen living in the western part of the city, northward, while the rest dispersed to the villages of Linhai and Fufeng to read out the proclamation.

Zhao Daniu was in charge of the task assigned to his village. As soon as the authorities explained the contents of the proclamation to them, his heart swelled with enthusiasm; the bright red official seal stamped on it gave everyone a sense of reassurance just by looking at it.

In less than half a day, he was back in Bailang Village. Upon hearing the news, the villagers all came out to see the proclamation.

“Good heavens! I thought this county magistrate was just another talker who never followed through—he’s already issued the proclamation so quickly?” 

“Daniu, hurry up and read us what the proclamation says!”

Zhao Daniu stood under the old locust tree at the village entrance, beaming with joy. “The magistrate said that for this river dredging and saline-alkali land reclamation project, they’re hiring workers—the kind who get paid, not forced labor. They’ll even provide a midday meal…” He paused, then added, “And it’ll definitely be enough to fill you up.”

The crowd’s eyes lit up, and they asked in a flurry: “How much is the pay?” 

“Do we sign up here?”

Zhao Daniu replied, “Ten wen a day.”

Ten wen! And a hearty lunch to boot! If they eat their fill, they can even save their families a meal for dinner! 

Seeing this, everyone’s faces lit up, and they all jostled forward: “I want to sign up.”

Zhao Daniu said, “Everyone, don’t rush. One at a time.”

Zhao Daniu’s wife, Yuanniang, stood at the village entrance, watching the crowd gather beneath the old locust tree, watching her husband bustling about to keep order, and seeing a spark in his eyes she hadn’t seen in a long time. Suddenly, she smiled.

Similar scenes were unfolding simultaneously in Zhaojia Village, Liuhe, Dasunzhuang, Beiwang… and beyond. However… Zhao Daniu scratched his head; he couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d forgotten something. 

He’d laid out the most important details—hiring, wages, and meals—clearly and thoroughly. Even if he had forgotten something, it must be some trivial trifle.

“Daniu, what are you staring at? Hurry up and write my name down!” someone urged impatiently. “Coming, coming.” Zhao Daniu pushed that long-forgotten detail to the back of his mind once again.