Chapter 784: Corn and Wheat [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Why are these two arguing?

It wasn't that Qian Yong enjoyed watching a spectacle; he was simply incredibly bored lately, spending his days doing repetitive, arduous work in the fields. He felt even his killing skills were becoming rusty. Since there was some excitement to kill time, he figured he might as well watch, and thus he became completely engrossed.

Qian Yong arrived late and was unaware of the events leading up to this, so other onlookers enthusiastically shared, "Alas, this cook is in trouble."

"Oh dear, could it be that he's been tempted by lust and violated military discipline?"

With Qian Yong's limited imagination, this was the only level of reasoning he could reach—military campaigns often involved tens of thousands of troops, and not everyone would obediently follow orders. There were always some who took chances, believing that as long as they acted discreetly and weren't exposed, they would be fine.

Those who were just watching the spectacle said, "How could that be?"

During the war, large quantities of dry rations were prepared, and during the ceasefire, soldiers were encouraged to eat something hot. Shen Tang provided ample military pay and made every effort to ensure that the soldiers were well-fed. Naturally, the logistics and kitchen staff also had to prepare a lot of food, as tens of thousands of hungry mouths needed to be fed.

There's work to be done whether my eyes are open or closed. I'm too busy with things that affect my upper body to think about things that affect my lower body.

Qian Yong then asked, "Was it because they gave us too little food?"

Since experiencing the shock of Shen Tang's gender reassignment, Qian Yong has become cautious, and the literary signature/martial courage tiger tally is no longer the sole criterion for determining gender. Shen Tang also has a female camp under his command, and female faces are not uncommon. Thus, another speculation arose.

Could it be that the cook, seeing that the person was a woman, assumed she had a small appetite and deliberately gave her less to avoid waste, thus angering her?

Those who were just watching the fun said, "No, not exactly."

Qian Yong was an impatient man: "Then why did you argue?"

The onlooker pointed to the increasingly anxious and seemingly tearful young woman and introduced her, "This is a clerk from the Revenue Department of Longwu County... She has an extremely valuable box. Unfortunately, the contents got mixed up with someone else's and were taken away by the logistics staff."

Qian Yong said, "If you take someone's things, you have to compensate them."

I reckon the box contains someone's belongings.

This is not "taking", this is "stealing"!

One onlooker remarked, "They probably won't lose money."

Qian Yong was puzzled: "How could they not be able to compensate? They were able to dispose of the stolen goods in such a short time? Is this the level of military management that Mr. Shen is capable of?"

The last complaint was said aloud, but kept inside.

The soldier who was watching the commotion clearly hadn't heard him and said to himself, "We can't compensate for it; it's probably already in the pot."

Qian Yong: "..."

The clerk in charge of household affairs lost a box of seeds.

Chaos erupted in Yanzhou, and local government offices began to shut down one after another. Officials with connections had already packed their bags and fled. Some displaced people, having nowhere else to turn, gathered and stormed the government treasuries. The Household Department was the poorest of all the departments, and its treasury was nearly empty.

However, those are all laymen's opinions.

When Shen Tang went on the expedition, Lin Feng sent a clerk from the Household Revenue Department to accompany him. The clerk was to collect any seeds that were not in their own storerooms, regardless of their type. This clerk was originally an ordinary peasant woman, but because of her years of farming experience, she was highly valued by Lin Feng.

After painstakingly collecting a whole box of treasures, the result was—

How could she not be trembling with anger?

The cook also felt wronged; the man before him was being unreasonable. His only responsibility was to prepare three meals a day for the soldiers; he did whatever the logistics delivered, handling far too many ingredients daily to remember. How could he possibly recall the box the woman mentioned? He couldn't produce the box, much less the seeds inside. The two argued endlessly over this, and their tempers quickly escalated.

The woman was so angry that she smashed pots and pans.

The cook retorted firmly, "No! We simply don't have it! You say there's a box, and you think there really is? Who knows if it's true? Even if it is, you might have lost it yourself and, fearing punishment from above, are blaming us as your scapegoats!"

The woman gritted her teeth and said, "Someone saw you take it!"

"You mean a person? Where is the person?" the cook asked, holding his spoon. "Brothers, has anyone seen them?"

The woman took several deep breaths to calm herself down, then put her hands on her hips, pointed at the cook, and said, "Fine, if you won't hand it over, I'll find it myself!"

After saying that, he tried to rush to the logistics warehouse.

The cook immediately stopped her and pushed her shoulder.

The young woman was just an ordinary person, while the cook wielded a wok weighing dozens of kilograms every day; his arm strength was naturally beyond her ability to resist. She was immediately pushed backward, almost losing her balance and falling to the ground. The cook said, "What kind of place is the storeroom? Outsiders can't just wander in!"

The young woman said angrily, "You won't look for it, and you won't let me look for it either—fine, just you wait here!"

After saying that, he turned and ran away.

Qian Yong smacked his lips: "That's it?"

He'd thought a conflict was about to break out, a real brawl between the two sides—what a boring sight. Qian Yong turned around, bowl in hand, and suddenly spotted several familiar faces—all his trusted confidants! One of them gave an awkward smile: "General, do you think that box is real?"

Qian Yong rolled his eyes: "Why are you meddling in so many other people's business?"

Even if it was true at first, it would have to be fake afterward. A box of seeds being treated as food—if those seeds were important, the logistics would be in dire straits. It's better to destroy the evidence and leave no room for proof.

After watching the play for a while, Qian Yong felt hungry again.

He sent his trusted aide to fetch another bucket of wheat porridge, pouring half a bowl of rich, dark brown meat sauce over it. The enticing aroma whetted his appetite, and just as he was about to pick up his chopsticks and stir it, another commotion arose outside. This time, Qian Yong went out carrying a bucket of wheat porridge.

A huge crowd arrived.

The young woman led about twenty strong and upright female soldiers over. He glanced at them and exclaimed, "Wow, they're all martial arts masters!" Although the strongest among them was only at the second-level upper stage, it certainly broadened Qian Yong's horizons, and the rice bucket in his arms tasted even better.

The female soldier in the lead drew her knife.

He said coldly, "Search!"

"What are you doing! What are you doing! You think you can just barge into the warehouse like that?" Seeing the female soldiers trying to force their way in, the logistics personnel also jumped up. Although it didn't escalate into a brawl, the commotion attracted people from the neighboring camp, and rows of heads crowded onto the wooden fence.

One of the heads looked very familiar.

Qian Yong: "..."

Is this how Shen Youli usually manages her troops?

Seeing that the situation was about to escalate, Chu Yao, who had heard the news, rushed over. The clerk in charge of the Household Affairs Office was nominally under the jurisdiction of the Household Affairs Office of Longwu County, but he was now with the army and should have been under Luan Xin's command. However, Luan Xin had been sent out to find Wu Xian, and this clerk was an official under his student Lin Feng, so Chu Yao took over the case.

What kind of behavior is this?

With Chu Yao's arrival, how could the logistics department dare to obstruct him?

Several female soldiers seized the opportunity and rushed in. After searching for a while, they finally found the box waiting to be washed among the food supplies prepared by the logistics department. The box had already been opened, and inside were only half a mouthful of messy seeds; some of them were already gone.

The young woman hugged the box and wiped away her tears with heartache. Not long after, the female soldier brought the two men out again, and the cook's face turned pale.

"What happened?" Chu Yao asked.

When he learned that the cook had mistakenly taken the clerk's belongings but was vehemently denying it and even planning to destroy evidence to shirk responsibility, his face immediately turned cold. He ordered his men to arrest the cook and others and bring them in for questioning. The cook was completely dumbfounded, not knowing how things had escalated so much.

He admitted that he had accidentally taken someone's things, but the box was full of food and contained no valuables. Plus, he handled so many things that he wasn't sure if the items had been disposed of. Fearing trouble, he insisted he hadn't.

As long as there's no evidence, he'll be fine. But if evidence is found, he'll be in serious trouble. The woman left in anger, and he thought the matter was over, but who knew there would be this turn of events? He was immediately terrified, his legs went weak, and he knelt down begging for mercy.

After the cooks and others were led away, the onlookers quietly dispersed, and Shen Tang crept forward furtively. Chu Yao had noticed her earlier, and seeing that Shen Tang was still holding a bowl, the corners of his lips softened, and he cupped his hands and said, "My lord."

Shen Tang gestured to him that there was no need for such formalities.

"I was eating at the next camp when I heard there was some commotion here, so I came over. How's the damage? Not bad?"

The last sentence was directed at the clerk in the Household Registration Office.

Perhaps due to years of working under the scorching sun, the young woman's skin was somewhat dark, but it was a healthy, radiant darkness. Her eyes were red-rimmed, making her look quite pitiful. Faced with Shen Tang's concern, she seemed slightly flustered: "It's alright, not very big."

Shen Tang glanced down at the wooden crates. Most of them contained ordinary grains, which explained why the logistics department had misunderstood...

but--

Shen Tang raised her hand to stop the clerk from closing the wooden box, and under her and Chu Yao's questioning gazes, picked up an item.

This thing was a long string, with fifty or sixty small, not very plump or lustrous "seeds" attached to it. The "seeds" were sparsely distributed and had a slightly hard outer skin. Shen Tang picked one, broke it open with a little force, and prepared to put it in her mouth to chew.

Chu Yao raised his hand to stop her, but Shen Tang stopped him, adding, "Don't worry, this thing is non-toxic."

Qian Yong leaned closer: "Is it good?"

Shen Tang casually said, "Raw, not tasty, dry, tastes like raw potatoes... What are you doing here?"

Qian Yong: "If you can be here, why can't I?"

If we don't eat here when it's mealtime, where should we eat?

Shen Tang nodded in agreement: "That's true."

If someone isn't enthusiastic about eating, there's something wrong with their thinking.

Seeing that Shen Tang still wanted to pick a "seed" and put it in her mouth, Qian Yong reminded her impatiently, "You are now the lord of a force, don't try to be like Shennong tasting hundreds of herbs. Even with your strength, you could still be poisoned to death..."

Unexpectedly, Shen Tang said, "You don't understand, do you? This thing looks familiar to me, and it might be able to solve our immediate problem."

What is her most pressing need right now?

Naturally, it was the spring planting in Yanzhou that had been completely ruined this year. She desperately needed to find a high-yield, short-term crop that could be planted in late spring and early summer, and the answer might be what she had in her hands. Qian Yong was a beat slower to react, but he also realized what she meant, and his eyes widened.

Taking advantage of Shen Tang's distraction, I stole one.

He stuffed it into his mouth, took two bites, and spat it out: "Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey—what the hell is this? It almost broke my teeth. How can you eat this stuff? It's bitter, astringent, and has a weird taste."

If the goal is to fill one's stomach with high productivity, taste can be disregarded.

However, even though Qian Yong was not familiar with farming, he could tell that the string of "seeds" in Shen Tang's hand was withered, thin, and sparse. Shen Tang's claim that this thing could solve his immediate problem was probably just wishful thinking.

He asked, "What is the yield per acre of this crop?"

Shen Tang replied, "It's too early to say."

Upon hearing this, Qian Yong rolled his eyes to the sky.

Chu Yao wasn't worried about the yield per mu (unit of land area). After all, with Lin Feng and Shen Zhi as his two powerful weapons, any grain variety could undergo dozens or even hundreds of generations of improvement in a short period, selecting the best among the best. As long as the soil fertility was good, the yield per mu wouldn't be low. He was curious about other things.

"My lord, what is this object called?"

Shen Tang said, "Jade sorghum."

"Corn sorghum?"

The name sounds a bit strange.

Shen Tang continued, "Perhaps it could also be called 'corn,' but I prefer to call it 'corn.' Don't let its current thin appearance fool you; with improvements, a single ear of corn can yield five or six hundred kernels. From sowing and germination to harvest, it only takes three or four months. In this part of the Northwest Continent, it could probably be planted in June or July. Don't you think it's important?"

After the introduction, she looked at the clerk.

Do you remember where you found it?

The young woman didn't realize at first that Shen Tang was talking to her, and nodded excitedly, "I remember, I remember!"

She found it by chance. It was planted in a dilapidated farmland, a large area still standing, but unfortunately, most of it had died after the flood. She carefully selected the most vibrant and vigorous specimens to collect.

"...According to local records, this plant is widely cultivated in the area, but it is not of much use..." If the local records show that the cultivated land is insufficient, they can only try their luck in the wild.

"I'll assign you a few men; go and bring them all back." After giving the order, Shen Tang sent someone to deliver the message to Sibao County at top speed, sending Lin Feng and Shen Zhi on a business trip. If the corn seeds were sent to Sibao County, it would be too late by the time Lin Feng and the others finished improving the crops. To ensure efficiency, she specifically found a military officer to be in charge of this matter, to ensure everything went smoothly!

He changed his mind again before leaving.

"Forget it, let's bring a batch with us."

Let Lin Feng and his team iterate as they travel.

Just as this batch of corn seeds set off, the troops sent to support Wu Xian arrived shortly after. Shen Tang had just returned from the fields when she received the news: "Wu Zhaode and the others have finally arrived? They've come at the right time. I don't have enough manpower to do the work."

She went to see Wu Xian without even having time to wash herself.

"Brother Zhaode, we've finally been waiting for you!"

Upon meeting, Shen Tang displayed boundless enthusiasm, while Wu Xian's reaction appeared rather indifferent.

Despite having prepared himself mentally, Wu Xian's expression still froze when Shen Tang's beautiful face came into view.

He felt slightly uncomfortable, but quickly regained his composure and said naturally and affectionately, "I was blind in the past and did not know that 'Brother Chen' was a beautiful girl. If I have offended you, please forgive me, Sister Chen. I apologize to you here."

Shen Tang smiled and said, "Brother Zhaode, you're being too polite. It was I who kept it from you first and didn't tell you the truth. If anyone should apologize, it should be me first. Was your journey smooth? Did you run into Huang Lie and the others?"

As the saying goes, experience is the best teacher. Wu Xian quickly relaxed and said, "Alas, Sister Shen, you don't know this, but if it weren't for your timely reinforcements, I'm afraid I would have suffered a great loss at Huang Xiguang's hands. As soon as the reinforcements arrived, he slunk away in the middle of the night."

Shen Tang humbly replied, "How could this be my sister's achievement? Brother Zhaode has a strong and well-equipped army, which Huang Xiguang has always been wary of."

To celebrate Wu Xian's arrival, a banquet was specially held.

At the banquet, toasts were exchanged.

I can't see this in the comments... Is it because the college entrance exam is coming up soon?

PS: Sigh, I feel like my brain is even less sharp after the second Yang. There's a big bug in this chapter; Luan Xin should be out on a mission, not here. |ω`)

(End of this chapter)