Chapter 41: What if there were terraced fields?

Shen Zhiyi was unaware of the impact her words had on Lu Jingbai. Instead, she looked at the sunny slope and gestured with one hand, estimating the angle of the slope.

"We need to conduct a survey before we can determine if it's feasible," Shen Zhiyi said seriously, taking a step towards the sunny slope.

After walking a few steps and not hearing any footsteps following, he turned around and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Lu Jingbai only then came to his senses and hurriedly followed.

"Zhiyi, you're saying that you can carve land out of a hillside? This... this must be a genius skill!" Zhao Daya bluntly expressed her thoughts, walking quickly to Shen Zhiyi's side in disbelief. "If you really have such a skill, I'll be your slave for the rest of my life!"

Shen Zhiyi was startled by these words, because she knew the weight of them, so she politely declined, saying, "Your words make it seem like I'm doing this so that you'll be my slave, and that makes me seem impure."

Lu Jingbai, who had originally wanted to say something, silently shut up.

“My grandfather said that you have to follow capable people to make a name for yourself,” Zhao Daya said proudly. “My father also has to listen to my grandfather.”

The villagers had mentioned Zhao Daya's grandfather, saying he was a capable man. So Zhao Daya listened to what this capable man said and found nothing wrong with it.

Once you understand this point, you won't find anything wrong with what Zhao Daya says.

"Let's go and see the actual situation first," Shen Zhiyi said hastily, taking the opportunity to change the subject.

With Lu Jingbai leading the way and shielding her from the wind, and Zhao Daya taking care of her from behind, Shen Zhiyi walked with ease. Stepping onto the slope, she first checked the soil quality, then looked around to find the location of the water source.

To plan terraced fields, first consider the slope, then the soil quality, and finally the water source.

“This place is too far from the water source, it’s not suitable,” Shen Zhiyi said slowly. “Let’s go check out another slope.”

As Shen Zhiyi spoke, they looked at all the gentle slopes near the water source, and the only one that met all the requirements was the one they were standing on.

Shen Zhiyi squatted down beside him, using small stones she had picked up to do calculations on the muddy ground. Because she needed to explain to Lu Jingbai beside her, she used traditional Chinese numerals.

"This is written incorrectly," Lu Jingbai corrected, picking up a piece of wood to rewrite the numbers next to it.

“Then you write it,” Shen Zhiyi said calmly. Having gotten used to Arabic numerals, writing traditional Chinese numerals was indeed awkward, the gestures were clumsy and incomplete, so she didn't force him. “We're calculating the width of the field surface on this slope…”

In her matter-of-fact tone, she explained each step clearly, and seeing that Lu Jingbai was listening attentively, she couldn't help but explain in even greater detail.

"We need to bring the water from the water source to these terraced fields..."

"Drainage outlets must be installed on each level of the paddy field ridge..."

"Backfill topsoil..."

Behind every term lies a wealth of knowledge, and the experience gained through trial and error becomes invaluable at this point.

Lu Jingbai would humbly ask questions about anything he didn't understand, and Shen Zhiyi would patiently answer them.

Zhao Daya, who was listening from the side, frowned. Seeing the two of them exchanging words, she became even more determined to follow Shen Zhiyi, this capable person!

"I've told you everything I know. Is there anything you don't understand?" Shen Zhiyi asked seriously, treating Lu Jingbai like a graduate student.

Lu Jingbai was slightly taken aback, then said, "I understand, thank you, Miss Chen."

"No need to be so polite, we're all doing this so that..." Shen Zhiyi's words caught in her throat. Seeing that the people around her were dressed in ancient costumes instead of in her original time and space, she changed her words and said, "So that hardworking people can live a good life!"

“Great!” Lu Jingbai replied excitedly, “With your terraced field plan, many villages can solve their land reclamation problems, but I wonder…”

Shen Zhiyi understood the unspoken meaning and said cheerfully, "Since you've said it, it means you're going to use it! Please take care of it, Lord Lu, but it still needs to be kept secret."

"The young lady is truly righteous!" Lu Jingbai exclaimed, but he kept the matter in mind, waiting for an opportunity to bring it up with his superiors.

"Why keep it a secret?" Zhao Daya asked, puzzled.

“Because…” Shen Zhiyi pulled Zhao Daya’s arm and added in her ear, “People are afraid of becoming famous, just as pigs are afraid of getting fat. With our small arms and legs, how can we compete with those old men? Naturally, we have to keep a low profile to make a fortune!”

Although Zhao Daya didn't understand for a moment, it didn't stop her from being obedient. She nodded to Shen Zhiyi with utmost seriousness, knowing that she would have to be more careful in the future and protect people so that they wouldn't be framed by those bad people!

"Young Master! Miss Shen! Miss Zhao!" Xuan Yan's voice came from afar, and he rushed towards them. "The medicine and breakfast are ready."

A gurgling sound rang out at this moment, seemingly in response to what Xuan Yan had said.

Zhao Daya covered her stomach embarrassedly and said, "We always get hungry so promptly. Let's go back quickly. We need to eat to have the energy to work."

The group returned to Village Chief Xu's house, and the sunlight finally came out from behind the white clouds. They stepped into the courtyard, their shadows trailing behind them.

A three-year-old girl with ram's horns sat on the doorstep. When she saw them, she turned and ran inside, shouting something indistinctly.

A moment later, a young woman in her twenties came out and said with a smile, "You're back."

His language is simple and pleasant to listen to.

"Hey, Village Chief Xu, we're coming right now." Shen Zhiyi saw the basin of water placed at the door and took the initiative to scoop a spoonful with the ladle hanging next to it. Zhao Daya's hand reached out first, and she smiled and said, "Come on, wash one by one, and then we'll eat."

The water ladle is placed under a wooden bucket, so there's no need to worry about it being wasted.

After Zhao Daya finished washing her hands, she found Lu Jingbai following behind her in a queue for some unknown reason.

"Come and wash your hands quickly," Shen Zhiyi said naturally.

Lu Jingbai stopped being coy, but remained mindful of his boundaries.

The cool sunlight fell on the slightly dilapidated courtyard. After finishing breakfast, Lu Jingbai talked to Village Chief Xu about the terraced fields, while Shen Zhiyi sat beside him, nodding frequently. It seemed that the other party had completely understood and there were no mistakes in the relaying.

“As Lord Lu said, this matter is of utmost importance. I need to discuss it with the other villagers,” Village Chief Xu said thoughtfully.

“That’s natural. We need to discuss both the manpower and financial resources when the time comes,” Lu Jingbai said earnestly. “However, this is a matter that your village urgently needs to resolve, so it’s best to do it as soon as possible.”

"Please wait a moment, Lord Lu, I'll be right there," Village Chief Xu said quickly, getting up and heading outside.

After Village Chief Xu left, Shen Zhiyi's gaze suddenly met Lu Jingbai's, and everything was understood without words.

"Zhiyi, isn't this a good thing? Why does Village Chief Xu need to discuss it with others?" Zhao Daya asked, while swallowing back the words, "If it were our village chief, he would definitely agree immediately."

“You can never be too careful when it comes to land,” Shen Zhiyi said earnestly.

Lu Jingbai, who was standing nearby, nodded in agreement, unable to hide his admiration for Shen Zhiyi.

Then, the sound of hurried footsteps approached. Zhao Daya, who had been standing, suddenly sat down on the empty bench next to Shen Zhiyi, her eyes looking out the door with a hint of wariness.

"Hurry up, lest Lord Lu get away!"

"I saw his carriage was still there; he can't escape!"

"Oh dear, of course I have to agree to such a good thing right away..."

There were also some disorderly noises coming in. It was clear that the people of Peach Blossom Village were very interested in the terraced fields. However, a group of people rushed in, making such a big show of it that Lu Jingbai stood up and stood in front of them, saying, "Fellow villagers, if you have anything to say, please come to the courtyard. It's more open there, and everyone can speak freely."

Lu Jingbai led his men out of the main room, and Xuan Yan followed silently out, carrying the remaining benches.

"You scared me to death! Luckily, Lord Lu lured them away. Otherwise, if they had all rushed over, I wouldn't have been able to protect you," Zhao Daya said with a sigh of relief.

“Mm,” Shen Zhiyi replied softly, knowing it was no coincidence. “Let’s go out and listen too.”

As she spoke, Shen Zhiyi took the bench and walked outside.

When they came out, the villagers had already been seated in a semi-circle under Lu Jingbai's arrangement. There were still a few older villagers without seats, so Shen Zhiyi quickly gave up her bench and stood with Zhao Daya to listen.

"Lord Lu, how exactly do you plan to set up that field you mentioned? We're just a bunch of clumsy folks, and we're afraid we'll mess things up," the leading elder said impatiently.

“It’s terraced fields, according to…” Lu Jingbai patiently and earnestly explained the terraced fields again, and at the same time, he had a deeper understanding of the matter, so he put it into more simple and easy-to-understand language.

Shen Zhiyi was extremely satisfied after listening to the explanation of the terraced field principle again; the subtle changes made the wording even more precise.

This person seemed to shine in the crowd.

"Lord Lu is so reliable," Zhao Daya sighed softly.

Not only did they explain the terraced fields clearly, but they also estimated the manpower and financial resources involved. What was even more unexpected was that the county government would subsidize half of it, which was like sending charcoal in snowy weather!

"This is a wonderful thing!" the old man exclaimed, sliding off the bench and about to kneel down. Lu Jingbai reached out and helped him up, saying, "Old man, kneeling before me at your age will shorten my lifespan."

"But Lord Lu..." Before the old man could finish speaking, his heart heavy with unease, the younger men and women behind him all knelt down and said in unison, "Thank you for your great kindness, Lord Lu!"

"Get up right now!" Lu Jingbai shouted from the crowd. As soon as he finished speaking, he looked around with a stern face, displaying his official authority.

It seems that his cold expression was quite effective, as everyone rose to their feet with trepidation, their eyes filled with more reverence for the magistrate.

In the following time, Lu Jingbai and Xuan Yan led a large group of people up and down the slopes, and some impatient people began to tidy up.

Even Lu Jingbai, who is usually very clean, gets covered in dirt every day.

In contrast, Shen Zhiyi became the only idle adult in the village, taking herbal medicine every day, and finally recovered from her annoying cold!

Seeing that she was of little use here, and with her thoughts on the earthenware pots in her house, Shen Zhiyi discussed it with Lu Jingbai and then left Peach Blossom Village with Zhao Daya in a carriage.

As Lu Jingbai watched the carriage drive away, the gossipy villagers of Peach Blossom Village winked and whispered, thinking to themselves, "Is that the woman the magistrate likes? The carriage's already far away, and he's still staring at her."

"Of course, you don't know that the girl was very sick at the time, and the magistrate made a special trip..." someone else chimed in.

Lu Jingbai's ears turned red as he listened, and he coughed heavily a few times before interrupting the conversation.