!5;O=5  D>@<8@CNB  >A=>2C  20H59  M:>=><8:8.   #1548B5AL,   GB>  C  20A  4>AB0B>G=>5  :>;8G5AB2>  A5;O=  4;O  ?>445@60=8O  15A?5@51>9=>3>  ?@8B>:0  @5AC@A>2,   >4=0:>  ?><=8B5,   GB>  >=8  15770I8B=K  2  1>N.   @8:068B5  20H8<  A5;O=0<  ?>AB@>8BL  ?>3@510     B>G:8  A1>@0  4@525A8=K,   7>;>B0  8  ?8I8,   0  B0:65  !04K,   ?@8=>AOI85  < l i n k = " t o p i c : F a v o r " > 1;03>A:;>==>ABL< / l i n k >   1>3>2  8  4@C385  @5AC@AK. 
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 F a r m i n g   a n d   l a b o r i n g   p e a s a n t s   b y   f a r   m a d e   u p   t h e   h i g h e s t   p e r c e n t a g e   o f   a n c i e n t   C h i n a  s   p o p u l a t i o n .   A c c o r d i n g   t o   l e g e n d ,   i t   w a s   S h e n n o n g   w h o   f i r s t   t a u g h t   t h e m   t o   t i l l   t h e   s o i l   a n d   s e p a r a t e d   C h i n e s e   p e a s a n t s   f r o m   t h e   b a r b a r i a n s   s u r r o u n d i n g   t h e m .   C h i n e s e   v i l l a g e s   f i r s t   c l u s t e r e d   i n   t h e   h i g h l a n d s   s u r r o u n d i n g   t h e   Y e l l o w   a n d   W e i   R i v e r s ,   a n d   t h e   i m p e r i a l   b u r e a u c r a c y   w a s   r e s p o n s i b l e   f o r   k e e p i n g   t h e m   a b r e a s t   o f   t h e   l a t e s t   f a r m i n g   t e c h n i q u e s   a n d   t e c h n o l o g i e s   s o   t h a t   t h e i r   p r o d u c t i v i t y   m a t c h e d   t h e i r   e x p l o s i v e   p o p u l a t i o n   g r o w t h .   N e v e r t h e l e s s ,   d r o u g h t   o r   r i v e r   f l o o d s   c o u l d   w r e a k   h a v o c   o n   t h e s e   v i l l a g e s ,   a n d   r e g u l a r   l a b o r   d r a f t s   f o r   t h e   s a k e   o f   i r r i g a t i o n   c a n a l   a n d   d y k e   i m p r o v e m e n t s   w e r e   t h e   n o r m . 