Hello, time again for CRI's weekly feature, Chinese Folk Tales.
I'm Tianhong.
Today we'll hear a story from the Miao people.
The Miao nationality is one of the ethnic groups in southwest China.
Once there was a farmer whose name was Fan Qiangshan.
Fan worked for a landlord.
Every day he got up at dawn and returned from the fields at dusk.
He was very hardworking, but was given only the poorest kind of food.
Every day Fan could just eat boiled corn with a little bit of salted peppers.
Fan Qiangshan knew he was underpaid for his labor, and had long felt anger toward the landlord.
At planting time, Fan decided to ask for better food.
He knew the landlord had a fat pig, and Fan wanted to eat it.
One evening when the day's work was over, Fan had a talk with the landlord.
You have too much land, he said, and the work of planting is too much for one person.
Why not get some help?
But, said the landlord, Hiring more farmers would cost me too much, and I can't afford it.
I have confidence in you.
I'm sure you won't mind making a stronger effort.
Fan warned him by saying But you must know, if the rice seedlings are not planted in time, you suffer a great loss.
I wonder, the landlord questioned.
If there are farmers who are willing to work only for meals.
Yes, said Fan Qiangshan.
I know some who are willing to work for no pay, but they want to be well fed.
If you could feed them with your fat pig, I'm sure they will come to work for you.
I have kept the pig for my New Year feast, said the landlord shaking his head.
And you want me to kill it for ordinary farmers?
You're crazy.
Well, whether to kill the pig or not is up to you, said Fan.
But I only want to remind you that without meals of pork, no one will work for you.
The landlord thought for a while and agreed, but rather reluctantly.
Next day, Fan Qiangshan had a huge pot full of roast pork ready.
He was about to take it to the fields when the landlord came to make sure that his pig hadn't been culled in vain.
Have the workers all arrived? the landlord asked anxiously.
Fan pointed to the fields in the distance.
The landlord saw there really were people in the fields, some wearing straw hats and some turbans.
He stopped worrying and let Fan Qiangshan take away the food.
As soon as Fan reached the field, he sat down for a solo feast.
But what about the other farmers?
There were none.
What the landlord had seen were actually straw figures Fan Qiangshan had rigged up the night before.
For many days, Fan Qiangshan had the delicious pork for his meals.
And the planting?
Well, He did it himself, but of course the progress was slow.
One day the landlord came to the fields to see how the farmers were getting along with the work.
He went through the fields but could see nobody, and many of the fields hadn't been planted yet.
Where are the workers?
The landlord roared to Fan Qiangshan.
The workers all suffered from food poisoning and returned home, Fan answered calmly.
Why did they all suffer from food poisoning? the landlord asked suspiciously.
Your pig meat wasn't good, Fan explained.
Why then were you not sick? asked the landlord.
I'd had so much of your salted peppers, said Fan.
My insides were so hot that the germs didn't have a chance.
The landlord couldn't say a word and went home filled with silent anger.
Well, that's it for today's Chinese folktale, a story about a clever farmer and his landlord.
I hope you've enjoyed it.
I'm Tianhong.
Bye for now.
