Oh, My County Magistrate [Farming and Infrastructure]

[Sweet, hardworking county magistrate bottom × Scheming, devoted county lieutenant top] Sanbao, a ge’er, has never enjoyed a single day of comfort in his life. His parents died when he was four. At five, he was beaten until his leg broke for giving his younger adopted brother a bowl of cold, watery porridge. At six, he was sold into the black market. At nine, his childhood sweetheart went off to war and was presumed dead. At ten, he became a child laborer. His days were always the same: hunger, beatings, and scolding. But Sanbao is strong. His motto: Work hard and never give up. His goal: Live until his childhood sweetheart returns from the army, then rent a place in the city with him. After finally making it to sixteen, his adoptive mother sets him up and sells him to a lame old bachelor. Sanbao snaps. Fate, have you taken a good look at what you’re doing?! Change things for me! Or I’ll die just to spite you! Fate: ... With a thunderclap, an appointment letter drops from the sky onto his head, ordering him to become magistrate of an impoverished county. The worst possible start: barren fields, local bullies, and a town so poor it doesn’t even have a pot to clang. Sanbao perks up. “Hey, things are looking up again!” He hauls his childhood sweetheart off toward the poor backwater. Bullies? Beat them! Canals? Build them! Wasteland? Plant it! Shops? Open them! Neighboring counties that look down on him? Annex them! By the seventh year, the poor county has become rich! His admirers stretch from the land of the living all the way to the underworld. And right then, in front of everyone in the county, Sanbao wraps his arms around his strapping childhood sweetheart and loudly announces: “This county magistrate is getting married!” The first time his childhood sweetheart Erniu sees Sanbao, he swears to protect him for the rest of his life. Later, when Sanbao falls gravely ill, Erniu sells his house and land. In the end, he even sells himself to a family and takes someone else’s place on the battlefield. After eight years of war, Erniu fights his way up through the ranks. When the Hu people cut off one of his fingers, he finally earns military honors. His reward is an appointment as magistrate of a poor backwater county. Erniu looks at the appointment letter and smiles. “I have someone even better in mind!” Later, after Sanbao becomes county magistrate, Erniu slings a bundle over his shoulder, wraps himself around Sanbao’s leg, and begs, “I’m a poor man! Please keep me!” Once he gets his way, he follows Sanbao straight to the poor backwater. Sanbao farms; he trains soldiers. Sanbao digs canals; he builds roads. Sanbao manages money and grain; he handles the town’s defenses. When a group of villains makes trouble for Sanbao, Erniu leads his army to blow up their stronghold. “Erniu? The county tyrant? He controls both the lawful and the lawless. You dare mess with him? You’re dead!” “My Niu Niu is so cute and gentle, such a well-behaved boy.” “Yeah, right! I’m exactly that cute and well-behaved!” 1. Loosely inspired by the Eastern Jin dynasty, not intended as a historically accurate work. 2. Neither has been with anyone else. All sweetness, no angst, and plenty of comedy. They have children, a pair of twins. Happy ending. Theme: Work hard to get rich, and never give up