Zhao Qingyan was so focused on eating that she didn't even realize it. It was the first time she had ever eaten rice she had bought in her previous life since she transmigrated to the Divine Dragon Kingdom.

It tastes really good, with a soft and chewy texture and a fragrant rice aroma.

I wonder if the rice grown from those rice seeds will taste just as good.

Zhao Qingyan pondered to herself.

Breakfast was quickly finished, and the eldest and second eldest sisters-in-law were responsible for washing the dishes and cleaning up.

The boys and girls each carried a sickle and a basket. They cut grass, and picked up any wild vegetables, pheasant eggs, or duck eggs they found.

Although a safety check had been conducted here before, it would still be frightening if another snake swam over from somewhere.

So, the three brothers led the way, each holding a three-meter-long bamboo pole to sweep the surrounding grass.

Only then can the children in the back move forward to cut grass.

As a result, a pheasant might pop out one moment, a rabbit might dart out the next, and another bird might fly out the next.

Zhao Qingyan had no intention of touching the fruit trees in the valley.

Even if the fruit doesn't taste good, it doesn't matter; it can be canned or fermented into wine.

The goal is simply to separate the overly dense trees or cut off one that isn't growing well.

So that the other tree can receive more nutrients.

Not only that, but the fruit trees also need to be pruned and their crowns trimmed. After this treatment, the trees will not continue to grow taller, but will instead grow horizontally.

Developing the valley was a piecemeal and exhausting task. Fortunately, the Zhao family members were all hardworking.

Even Zhao Qingyi, who was about to get married, was no exception.

Before the girls started work, each of them was given a pretty straw hat and a pair of white knitted gloves.

This way, your face won't be exposed to the sun, and your hands won't become too rough from working.

Zhao Qingyan felt like a fairy, looking how thoughtful she was.

After the eldest and second cousins ​​finished cleaning up the stove, they gave Da Bao and Da Ya some food and drinks, and then let the two children play in the cave.

The outside wasn't fully cleared yet; there were broken grass roots everywhere. If a child fell on them, they would definitely make a hole.

Fortunately, Da Bao is a sensible child. He and his younger sister played on the straw mat in the house with the wooden toys that their aunt had given them.

For the Zhao family members in the valley, it was definitely a very fruitful experience.

"Ah, ah, there's a nest of wild eggs here."

"There are also nests of duck eggs here."

"Is this wheat? Is this wheat? It's all ripe."

Similar exclamations never ceased.

With many hands make light work, about 20 acres of grass in the valley were cleared in one day.

The cleared land still needed to be cultivated, and when the brown sugar was pulled out from under the cliff, everyone exclaimed in surprise.

Zhao Qingyan felt that ever since she came to the Divine Dragon Kingdom, she no longer blushed when she lied, and she could just blurt it out.

"I bought it. My grandma and I went to the county before, and someone was selling it, so we bought it."

As you all know, horses are very expensive, and we were afraid that if we brought them home, the villagers would ask us all sorts of questions, so we simply hid them in the mountains.

I brought it with me when I came over.

Surprisingly, none of the simple-minded people had any doubts; in their hearts, Zhao Qingyan was the most honest and straightforward child.

Children don't lie.

Brown sugar was very resistant to the idea of ​​using a plow, but Zhao Qingyan had a secret weapon: there was nothing a piece of maltose couldn't solve.

In order to earn sugar to eat, brown sugar has since shouldered a burden that it should not have had to bear.

Later, when Zhao Qingyan left the valley, Bao Kou would always leave a bag of maltose for Hongtang, otherwise it really wouldn't do any work.

Of course, these are all things to be discussed later.

The three Zhao brothers stayed in the valley for about a week. The land in the valley had been cleared out, and all that was left was to plant crops.

While clearing the land these past few days, Zhao Qingyan didn't forget to cultivate sweet potato seedlings.

Every night after finishing the work outside, they would cut potatoes into chunks and mix them with wood ash in the cave.

The first thing to do the next morning was to plant potatoes. Everyone was incredibly surprised when they heard that potatoes could yield three to four thousand catties per mu.

Therefore, great importance is attached to the cultivation of potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Hearing that there was also corn that could be used as food, the young soldiers were even more eager to try it.

Life in the valley is both busy and peaceful.

Here, there's no need to think about the potential dangers that may come, allowing one to live a completely natural life, working at sunrise and resting at sunset.

As male members of the family, the three Zhao brothers still had to leave the valley.

Zhao Qingyan wanted to go out, but was ruthlessly refused by the three elders.

"The elders will naturally take care of things outside. You, a young girl, should stay in the valley and keep your sisters and brothers company."

Besides, only you know how to plant those seeds; it's about feeding our family, our village, and even the entire county..."

This was Uncle Zhao's advice. Well, he'd laid out all the morals. What could Zhao Qingyan say?

She really wanted to go out for a walk, but after looking around, she saw that the three elders had left.

The valley is now filled with women and children who are completely defenseless. It's time for bodyguard Qingyan to step in.

During the week, the people in the valley lived a comfortable and carefree life, while those outside the mountains suffered quite a bit.

Since the county government office in Qingyang County was attacked by refugees, the city gates have been closed, both in the town and the county.

Despite the refugees' desperate defense of the city gates, no one opened them.

What to do when there's no food? Then you can only steal or rob.

Dawancun, the village closest to Qingyang County, was the first to be robbed.

The transformation of a refugee into a bandit can happen in the blink of an eye.

Two days before the three Zhao brothers returned to Zhao Village, the village had already welcomed a small group of refugees.

Fortunately, there were no casualties.

Liu Sanlin's family at the village entrance lost half a bag of grain. The dog belonging to Widow Zhang next door was slashed.

It was really thanks to Widow Zhang's dog; if it hadn't been for its warning, who knows how many families would have suffered.

There are always guards at the village entrance, and patrol teams patrol the entire village.

These refugees took a long detour, coming in through the woods.

The patrol team arrived quickly, and the neighbors, hearing the commotion, immediately grabbed their weapons and came out, blocking the more than twenty refugees in Widow Zhang's yard.

Widow Zhang was a fierce woman; upon hearing her dog barking wildly, she grabbed a kitchen knife and came out.

The vagrants who came to steal things initially mistook her for a woman and didn't take her seriously.

He dared to grope her, and Widow Zhang sliced ​​off four of his fingers with a cleaver.

The screams woke up more villagers, who all grabbed their weapons and came out.

Some people, upon discovering a thief had broken into their homes, would immediately confront the intruder; those whose homes were untouched would head straight for Widow Zhang's house.

When the number of people arriving at Widow Zhang's house increased, the displaced people tried to flee.

The big yellow dog saw that the man was carrying his master's grain sack on his shoulder, and it wasn't about to give way, so it went up and took a bite.

A piece of flesh fell off the buttocks of the refugee A.

Spitting out the meat in its mouth, the dog pounced again, taking a bite at the groin.

The refugee A, unable to bear the pain, retaliated and stabbed the dog. The dog couldn't dodge in time and was still cut open.