Chapter 359: Ming Dynasty Animal Husbandry

This was the first time in Bu Erwa’s life that he had eaten such delicious food and slept in such a comfortable bed.

When he woke up early the next morning, he still felt unreal.

After changing into clean clothes, he sat on the stool and stared at the bed he slept on last night. Then an idea popped into his mind. While it was still early, he should go cut five baskets of pig grass and give them to Lord Ou as a thank-you gift!
If you want to do it, just do it. Bu Erwa went out barefoot with a sickle in hand.

When Ou Zanghua arrived at the meeting hall of the Qingning Palace, several people were dealing with the hay piled up at the door.

"What are you doing?" Ou Zanghua looked a little dazed. This was the first time in his life that he had seen a door blocked by fodder.

The secretary quickly stepped forward to explain, "To answer your question, I don't know what the crazy Bu Erwazi has done. He got up before dawn and cut a large area of ​​pig grass, which is piled up here."

Seeing that Ou Zanghua was still a little hesitant, he continued, "Please rest assured, sir. I have already taught Bu Erwazi a lesson. He will not do it again."

"Let him come to see me, so I can have a chat with him." Ou Zanghua nodded and gave the order casually as he walked into the conference room.

"Yes!"

The secretary responded and retreated.

After Ou Zanghua sat down, he saw a stack of paper on the table. This was the product he had asked the paper mill to produce in order to reduce costs.

I picked it up and touched it. It felt very rough and broke into pieces after just a few rubs.

Sure enough, it doesn't work
He sighed secretly, wondering if industrialization was really necessary to produce suitable toilet paper?
At this moment, Bu Erwa was led to the meeting room by his secretary. He was dressed neatly and walked barefoot on the bluestone slabs, looking a little uneasy.

Seeing this, Ou Zanghua smiled gently and waved for him to come in.

"I pay my respects to Lord Ou!"

"No need to be polite," Ou Zanghua said in a gentle but powerful voice, with a hint of encouragement, "Bu Erwa, I heard that you were busy early in the morning and cut so much grass for the pigs?"

Bu Erwa nodded. Seeing that Lord Ou treated him as usual, he smiled naively and said, "Yes, Lord. I slept very well last night, and when I woke up I thought about how to thank you. I thought that the old pig woman liked to eat this very much, so I sent you a large handful."

When the secretary at the side heard this, his face turned pale. What did this idiot think of Lord Ou?

He quickly said, "Master Ou, Bu Erwazi he he."

"It's okay," Ou Zanghua waved his hand, looked at Bu Erwa and asked, "Erwa, do you like raising pigs?"

"like!"

Bu Erwa said cheerfully: "Seeing the pigs eating happily makes me happy too!"

"Good good..."

Ou Zanghua responded repeatedly and asked, "Can you read?"

Upon hearing this, Bu Erwa shook his head in a naive manner, with a simple smile on his face.

Ou Zanghua's eyes flashed with encouragement, and he continued to ask: "So, do you want to learn to read? Words can help you distinguish right from wrong and let you see a wider world."

Bu Erwa was stunned for a moment, as if he had not expected such a question. He scratched his head and answered resolutely, "No!"

Ou Zanghua was slightly startled, then a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "You are quite honest."

Bu Erwa laughed twice, and it was not known whether he understood or not.

"Everyone has their own aspirations. If you don't want to learn, then don't learn!"

Ou Zanghua did not force it, but said: "I will send someone to follow you and record your pig-raising experience. Then, according to your requirements, the pig shed will be expanded. I need you to feed a thousand pigs at the same time. Can you do it?"

Bu Erwa's eyes widened: "One thousand?"

"Indeed." Ou Zanghua nodded in response.

"How much is that?"

"How many pigs do you have now?" Ou Zanghua asked calmly. "Four, three of which were born last year before the Chinese New Year. I delivered them myself!" Bu Erwa said proudly.

"One thousand heads means you have to feed the four heads two hundred and fifty times." Ou Zanghua said, and then added: "But don't worry, I will send someone to assist you."

"Well." Bu Erwa thought for a while before saying stiffly, "Sir, I have never raised so many, so I don't know how to answer you."

When Ou Zanghua heard this, he sighed inwardly. In this situation, there was no need to ask for his opinion. All he had to do was put him in a suitable position.

"Then let's try it out first!"

After figuring it out, he said directly: "Let's start with 200 heads and then slowly expand the scale."

Afterwards, he asked the secretary to take Bu Erwa downstairs to rest.

Pigs are truly the best gift that nature has given to mankind.

Meat, bones, and internal organs can all be used. Pig hair can be processed into brushes, and bristles are widely used to make paintbrushes and musical instrument bow hairs because of their hardness and toughness. Even pig manure is an excellent agricultural fertilizer.

As early as the Han Dynasty, the way of pig farming gradually changed from family-based pig farming to intensive pig farming.

During the Tang Dynasty, there was an organization called "Gengzhe" in Shaanxi that raised pigs. The number of pigs they raised was incalculable, and they even used the grassland outside the city walls as a pig-raising site.

In the Song Dynasty, pig farming had become a large-scale industry. As pig farming technology increased significantly, many specialized pig farming institutions emerged.

There are rumors that the pig farming industry, which was gradually prospering, suffered a devastating disaster during the Ming Dynasty and never recovered.

Because the emperor's surname was Zhu, which sounds the same as "pig", raising pigs was prohibited, and even killing pigs was considered disrespectful to the ruler.

Was there a ban on killing pigs in the Ming Dynasty?

Yes, and the person who gave this order was Ou Zanghua’s current boss, Emperor Zhengde.

In December of the 14th year of the Zhengde reign, it was forbidden for the people to keep pigs, and all pigs were slaughtered far and wide.

In March of the 15th year of Zhengde's reign, the ban on pigs was abolished despite opposition from all sides.

It lasted only three months, and apart from adding a joke to Emperor Zhengde's life, it can be said that no one was injured.

Ou Zanghua sat in the study, turning a brush in his hand, looking out the window with unfocused eyes.

He recalled when he was very young and lived with his grandparents. There was no Internet at that time, and there was only a big TV at home.

My grandfather would watch the agricultural and military channels in the evening and learn knowledge from the experts on TV about raising pigs, sheep, fish, etc.

It's a pity that I was too young to remember what was said on TV.
"Mr. Ou"

"Master Ou!"

"Huh?!" Ou Zanghua came back to his senses and saw Cheng Zhirou standing beside him, looking at him gently.

Putting down the pen hastily, Ou Zanghua said with a wry smile, "Sorry, my mind was wandering! Miss Cheng, what can I do for you?"

"It's okay. It's my fault for disturbing Lord Ou's rest."

Cheng Zhirou smiled and said softly: "I have been staying in the capital for almost two months."

“It’s been so long!”

Ou Zanghua sighed, knowing why the girl came to him, and could only say, "Miss Cheng, since you intend to travel south, could you please collect some books on pig farming along the way?"

"Raising pigs?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Zhirou was slightly surprised at first, then she smiled gently and said, "Master Ou's entrustment will be kept in mind and I will definitely pay attention to collecting it."

Ou Zanghua smiled and added, "Thank you. If there are any experts in this field, please help Miss Cheng to communicate with them. If anyone is willing to come to the capital, the Honglu Temple will offer a high salary."

Cheng Zhirou nodded, thinking that the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites seemed a little disrespectful.
(End of this chapter)