As the war settles into a lull, a different kind of problem, not a matter of battle, lands before Yi Sun-sin.
Jeolla’s grain alone cannot feed both the troops and the refugees together.
Sowing Seed on Empty Ground
Yi Sun-sin takes notice of the empty land on Hansan Island and nearby islands. Land lying idle for lack of hands is everywhere.
He has military farms cultivated on this land. Soldiers and townspeople alike take up sowing and harvesting together.
What Is Made by Boiling Seawater
Grain alone is still not enough. He gathers people to boil seawater and make salt.
Herring fishing goes on alongside it. Salt and fish are soon sold, becoming the money that fills the gap in provisions.
What Can Be Given to Refugees
War refugees join this work as well. They had neither food nor work.
Yi Sun-sin brings them into the farms and the salt-making. It is a way of giving one person food and work at the same time.
What the Hands Do Changes
Hands that once handled cannon and bows now tally grain and salt. The commander’s days fill with household matters instead of battle.
These tasks, unremarkable as they look, are really no different from guarding the fleet. Without food, there is no fighting either.
Today, What Belongs to the Days Without Battle
A commander’s work does not end even on days without battle. If anything, this quiet time is what builds the strength to endure the fight to come.
The grain grown in the military farms and the salt boiled on the shore become, in time, the foundation that will let them endure the war when it begins again.