A newly established film and television base attracted a large number of people: tourists, extras, vendors, and film crews. Among them was Jun Qiulan, who came from ancient times.
Others migh...
Chapter 74 Speculation
When buying sweet potato seedlings, Jun Qiulan was still asking about the price.
Someone patted his shoulder.
"Xiaojun-san?"
Jun Qiulan turned around suddenly and saw that it was Liu Yue.
"Why are you here?"
The two said in unison.
Liu Yue answered first, "My parents are in the agricultural trade. Didn't they tell you before? This is my family's shop."
Jun Qiulan smiled and said, "No, we haven't talked about it."
Liu Yue also laughed. "That seems to be the case. Hey, what are you doing here? Buying seeds? Or something else?"
Jun Qiulan hesitated for a moment and said, "I want to buy some sweet potato seedlings."
Liu Yue: "Ah? You're still farming?"
Jun Qiulan was a little hesitant and didn't know how to explain this matter.
Liu Yue also had his own ideas. Could it be the villager who made folding fans before?
Yes, she always thought that anyone who could make handmade folding fans at such a cheap price must be an ordinary family in the village who could make some money.
Fengcheng is very poor.
Even though a film and television base has been developed, it is still very poor.
It was even poorer in the past, to the point where it was designated as a poverty-stricken area by the country.
The average annual income of villagers is not high. Although they are not unable to afford food like in ancient times, they definitely do not have much income or savings.
Most young people choose to work in other places, which has led to the aging population of Fengcheng.
It was only after the opening of the film and television base that young people like her gradually returned and began to seek ways to survive in their hometown.
That’s getting off topic.
She just thought that Jun Qiulan bought sweet potato seedlings today to buy seeds for those people who made folding fans.
This thing is not expensive either.
She waved her hand, went into the store and found her, and said, "My friend wants to buy rice seedlings. Please give them a discount. We are a good friend."
Uncle Liu smiled chubbyly, "How much do you want? If it's less, I can just give you a few baskets. This stuff is not worth much."
Liu Yue thought that Jun Qiulan might not have farmed before, so after a moment's thought, he asked, "How many acres do you need to plant? Let us calculate it for you."
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers were waiting to fill their stomachs.
It was the first time to plant, and with the possibility of drought, the normal yield per mu was about 5,000 kilograms, but his yield per mu could only be about 4,000 kilograms.
We also have to be prepared in case the drought continues next year.
The last point is that Huo Lian now has feelings for him.
Build high walls and store up abundant food.
Even if there is no conflict with the court so soon, food is still the top priority.
He estimated it and felt that it was too much, so he might have to go somewhere else to buy a batch.
He said tentatively, "I need about thirty or forty acres of rice seedlings. Uncle Liu, please give me a discount."
He tried to say as little as possible, but the father and son still gasped.
"Thirty-four acres of land? What are you buying so much for? Which village would grow so many sweet potatoes?"
Jun Qiulan smiled awkwardly, "Uncle, please settle the bill for me."
He did not answer the question directly.
If it were any other merchant, they would probably just hope that the buyer would buy more and would not ask roughly how many acres of seedlings were needed.
It was just a coincidence today.
Uncle Liu thought, maybe they were planning to grow sweet potatoes and make them into supplementary food?
He didn't ask any more questions.
"Okay, you want a large quantity. Uncle will give you a good price and even deliver it to the village. Remember, after cutting the seedlings, it's best to plant them within three days, otherwise the survival rate will be affected."
Jun Qiulan gave Uncle Liu the address of the rented warehouse and said, "Just deliver it to this address."
After a few exchanges, the deal was done.
Only Liu Yue stood beside him, deep in thought.
After a while, she spoke, "There are many crops that can be planted this season. Corn is in the right stage of seeding, and we have grown some seedlings that can be planted right away. Would you like some? And potatoes, the potatoes we have are specially grown for seed, which is much more cost-effective than buying them directly from the supermarket."
Jun Qiulan also pondered for a moment, "Then let's just bring a small amount, just about one acre of seeds and seedlings will be enough."
All three of these grains are high-yield grains.
If we can grow it this season, we can start promoting it among the people next season.
Liu Yue lowered her eyes to settle the score with him, but a hint of disbelief and disbelief flashed in her eyes.
She didn't say much and gave Jun Qiulan a price.
Jun Qiulan happily paid.
Fortunately, food is cheap in this world, so I don’t feel bad about spending a lot of it.
Uncle Liu contacted the greenhouse and asked, "Is this a warehouse? I guess it will be delivered tonight. I'll contact you then. Or can you just give me the key directly?"
Jun Qiulan thought for a moment and said, "Just contact me when the time comes. I don't have my keys with me."
"Okay, then go ahead and get busy."
Liu Yue smiled and said, "Come on, I'll take you out. This farmers' market is quite big. If you keep going around, you'll feel dizzy."
Jun Qiulan thought that she might have something to say, "That would be troublesome."
As a result, Liu Yue didn't say a word as they walked out.
Jun Qiulan asked, "How are you doing with the extras? You didn't go today?"
Liu Yue waved her hand. "I don't go there often anyway. I only go occasionally to earn some pocket money. I haven't decided what I want to do yet."
She paused. "Aren't you planning to set up a studio? How's it going? Ask me to be your assistant. Hehe, I'll give you a living. Don't worry, I'm very tight-lipped. When the time is right, I can also be a little deaf and blind. Think about it."
Jun Qiulan couldn't help laughing. "Of course, we can, but our makeshift team needs at least three people. Me, the artist, and you, the assistant. We also need an agent, right? We can't just find anyone."
It is linked to his future income.
He doesn't want to hire those gold medal agents who have their own resources. To put it bluntly, he can't afford them.
At the very least, you should hire someone who has experience as an agent, right? At least someone who knows how to communicate with production companies and investors.
Liu Yue waved her hand. "Look for Sister Xu Su. She has an agent's license. She used to work for an agency for a while and managed a small star. But that star failed, and she was fired by the company. In the past few years, she's either been at home taking care of the kids or going to the film and television base in Hengcheng with Brother Zhang Li. She hasn't been involved in the agent industry since, but she has experience."
The little star’s scandal had nothing to do with her, but she was also implicated.
Jun Qiulan was stunned. "There's such a thing?"
Liu Yue nodded vigorously. "But Sister Xu Su was also hurt at that time. I don't know if she is still willing to work in this industry."
She slowly told the love story of Xu Su and Zhang Li.
The two were classmates and got married after graduation.
Zhang Li's family background is actually pretty good, and can be considered a well-off family. If he lives under the care of his parents, his life will be smooth and he can live a contented life with a small fortune. However, he has his own dream and wants to venture into the entertainment industry.
Xu Su also gave her full support, even though she knew that Zhang Li only had decent looks among ordinary people, and it would be difficult for him to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry where there were so many handsome men.
She still supports her lover without hesitation.
I also consulted several small companies at that time, but they were not very willing, or their development directions were different.
Then Zhang Li devoted himself to acting as an extra.
There are many people who started out as group performers and worked their way up step by step, eventually becoming famous. He doesn't need to step onto some big international stage, as long as he can get a role to play in the future.
It's a serious role.
It is impossible for a TV series to be filled with only handsome men and beautiful women.
Later, Xu Su came up with an idea. She went to apply for a job at an agency and started as a junior agent.
Once she has a certain amount of connections and abilities, and has a little say, she can sign Zhang Li.
As a result, that incident happened. The little star was hooking up with a rich woman and was exposed.
After several hints, the young star said it was his agent who did it.
This also led to Xu Su being fired and cyber-bullied that year. Coincidentally, she also had a child. Zhang Li actually had a good opportunity that year.
It was a low-budget comedy film with a low investment, and the actors were all young. Zhang Li auditioned and got the role of male No. 6.
But in order to accompany his wife, Zhang Li turned down the opportunity he had finally gotten and accompanied his wife through that difficult time.
And then that movie blew up.
Liu Yue sighed, "The story is quite complex, but if it were a Banxia novel, it wouldn't even be considered a heart-wrenching love story. However, the couple has a good relationship. If Xiaojun wants to find an agent, he can talk to them."
Jun Qiulan really considered it, "Let's make an appointment tomorrow to talk together."
"Okay." Liu Yue smiled. "Then I won't see you off. I'm going back to help my mom with the accounts. Oh, and if the studio doesn't have a finance manager, I can also work part-time. I have an accountant's license."
Jun Qiulan couldn't help laughing, "Okay, I'll trouble Sister Yue when the time comes."
Liu Yue smiled and waved to him, but after turning around, there was still a look of disbelief on her face.
In the past, she joked that Jun Qiulan was like a nobleman who had traveled through time from ancient times, but that was just a joke.
But why does it feel more and more real to her today?
When she has nothing to do, she likes to read online novels, where people travel from modern times to ancient times, from ancient times to modern times, and so on. She has seen too many similar settings.
And isn’t this three-piece set of sweet potatoes, corn, and potatoes a must-have for time travelers?
But even if it is true, Jun Qiulan is wearing modern clothes, and they don’t lack food in modern times.
Wear it back and forth?
Liu Yue was amused by his own imagination.
It's unlikely, it's too dramatic. It's probably just that her train of thought is too divergent and she's read too many novels.
These three grains are very common in modern times, and villagers also like to grow them, so it’s no big deal.
Liu Yue still felt that he was overthinking it.
As for Jun Qiulan, after returning home, she quickly bought the things she promised to her younger sister online.
Online shopping is really convenient.
Also, the weather is getting warmer, so the solar panels that we had considered before can be installed. Then we can get a refrigerator back home. Otherwise, when he has to go out for a few days, the vegetables he bought for the family will go bad the next day. That would be such a pity.
The refrigerator is also a great invention.
As for air conditioning, it depends on whether it can be powered by solar energy. If not, it would be nice to get a few electric fans, at least there will be some wind.
This border town is cold in winter and hot in summer.
The wall of their courtyard is high, which can keep out the wind in winter but makes it stuffy in summer.
There is nothing you can do about it, each has its own pros and cons.
After buying everything, he went home to say hello to his parents. It was after eight o'clock in the evening when Uncle Liu called and said that the goods would be delivered soon.
Jun Qiulan quickly took the keys and took a taxi to the warehouse.
“You…”
Uncle Liu was confused.
It is true that this place is on the outskirts of the city, but there is no village in front and no shop behind.
He has lived in Fengcheng for fifty years and can tell how many villages there are in each direction with his eyes closed.
Jun Qiulan remained calm and said, "They will come here on their tricycles to pick it up. Uncle Liu, don't worry."
Uncle Liu didn't ask any more questions. After all, it was just a sweet potato vine, not a contraband item. It couldn't be used for bad things.
"From now on, if you need to buy any grain or vegetable seeds, come to your Uncle Liu. Apart from anything else, our family has been doing this business since my father's generation. The fact that we have been able to build a business in this small place only proves that our family is honest."
Jun Qiulan smiled and said, "Okay, I understand."
Originally, that piece of wasteland was intended to be used to grow peppers, but the situation changed, so I had to give up my previous plan.
But people can't not eat vegetables.
Several aunts next door have already turned over the land behind their house, and my mother is asking them if they want to plant some too.
It's just a vegetable garden, so it doesn't take much effort.
Let’s forget about today. It was hard work for them to deliver so many seedlings to him so late at night.
I'll take some time in a few days and go there again myself.
After the seedlings were ready, Jun Qiulan felt a little troubled.
Now there are people living in Song Yan’s store every day to prevent thieves. Everyone knows that there are many good things brought in from other places.
We can't leave that place without someone.
So he couldn't just transport the seedlings to the store like he did with the sweet potatoes before.
Put it at home?
Doesn't this seem even more outrageous?
Although he guessed that Huo Lian probably guessed something as well, this problem was the same as his and Su Changxun's.
You know that I know, and I know that you know that I know, but we don't ask each other.
Just keep a balance.
Su Changxun wanted to read the book he brought, and Huo Lian wanted the grain seeds he had.
But the concept is different.
The books were so light that he could just hide them in his arms and bring them to Su Changxun.
So many seedlings...appeared out of nowhere in the house, and Huo Lan couldn't carry them away alone.
So many soldiers saw it, would they have other guesses?
Jun Qiulan thought about it for a while and decided that he would just have to let Huo Lan and the others work a little harder.
It is better to plant seedlings early rather than late.
Don't waste time.
He slipped away and went home.
"Dad, please go to the General's Mansion in an hour and tell General Huo to go to the forest one mile southwest to plant sweet potato seedlings. Have him bring a few trustworthy people with him."
Jun Yu understood what it meant after a little thought.
"Don't worry, Dad will definitely help you get things done."
Jun Qiulan smiled, "Thank you for making this trip so late at night, Dad."
Nine or ten o'clock is indeed considered midnight here.
In modern times, the nightlife has just begun.
After explaining everything, Jun Qiulan went out into the woods.
He remembered that there was a naturally formed sandy and rocky area in the direction of the forest.
Oh, according to the saying, this piece of land should be called quartz sand, which can be used to make glass.
Don’t say that physics and chemistry may look boring, but they are actually useful after you learn them.
No wonder people over there say that if you master math, physics and chemistry, you won’t be afraid to travel around the world.
With his liberal arts brain, he can only learn the basics. If he learns anything deeper, he will really get a headache.
When they arrived at the place, Jun Qiulan started to move the seedlings.
This is a sandy and rocky land with no grass or wild vegetables growing on it. Usually, not many villagers come here, so it is safe at night.
They are all tied up, in bundles.
Jun Qiulan didn't even need to pick it up. He just grabbed the straw rope that tied the seedlings, and in the blink of an eye, he had brought the things back.
The next step is to repeat the transportation.
He is a porter between two worlds.
After moving all the things, he was very tired, so he simply leaned against the tree next to him and waited for Huo Lan to bring his men over.
At the same time, he was also observing.
Digging deeper wells can indeed have a certain degree of effect. At least in the short term, people will not have too much difficulty in getting water.
Unless there is such a severe drought for two or three years.
However, it is still difficult to irrigate with living water.
Or... could he get some water?
Find a suitable place and dig a few large ponds. Although the water will evaporate during a severe drought, it should still be useful, right?
But water resources should be precious everywhere.
He also can't just put tap water in his house.
One has to pay for tap water every month, and when the official agencies see him using a large amount of water in a short period of time, they will definitely become suspicious.
Water from rivers and lakes? That doesn't seem realistic either.
Unless there is a severe flood in a certain place nowadays, and he goes there to move the water away, it can still be considered a good deed, right?
I don't know if I can carry this water or how to carry it. If I really ask him to carry it bucket by bucket, he will be exhausted to death and it will be impossible to do it.
Jun Qiulan sighed and decided to go back and try to see if there was any solution.
He looked at the night sky. The moonlight was very bright tonight.
He knew that it was reflecting the sun's light.
Thinking of this, Jun Qiulan couldn't help but laugh.
He clearly wanted to pray to the mysterious power that brought him across time and space to save the people here, but he didn't expect that the first thing he thought of when he saw the night sky was the relationship between moonlight and sunlight.
Then he felt relieved.
This mysterious power probably wants to save the world, so it gives him such ability.
No matter what, just give it your best shot.
"Mr. Jun."
General Huo's voice was heard in the forest.
Jun Qiulan looked over in the moonlight and saw that Huo Lan was followed by a dozen strong men.
As expected of a military man.
Only when they were so close did he hear footsteps.
Maybe I was just too engrossed in my thoughts.
"Where's the grain?"
The soldiers brought over were all not far away and did not come forward. Only Huo Lian came over.
Huo Lian had not expected that the matter he had just agreed on would have a result in the evening. He had already gone to bed when his subordinates came to inform him that Jun Yu had arrived.
He was so shocked that he couldn't even put on his clothes.
After hearing the news, he brought only ten palace soldiers and rushed here, not daring to alarm others.
He originally thought that he would have to wait for two or three days at most.
This was not prepared and it happened too suddenly.
Jun Qiulan pointed to the large pile of seedlings on the ground and said, "This is it. I got the seedlings directly, so you don't have to waste time breeding them."
Huo Lian was overjoyed. This was truly unbelievable.
How is this done?
It was really what he guessed, there were gods helping in this forest?
With so many seedlings, it shouldn't be a problem to plant dozens of acres of land.
The soldiers' rations were secured.
Huo Lan's face was full of smiles.
Jun Qiulan: "There are potatoes over here, not many, probably enough to plant about one acre of land. You can plant them as you like. There are enough sweet potatoes, but don't eat the potatoes. Save them all for seeds. And these little seedlings in the cup are called corn. They have a high yield too. Save them all for seeds. I'll write you the planting instructions later."
There is no need to say much about how to grow sweet potatoes. The people in the border town all grow them. As for potatoes, he had already given them to Huo Lan.
According to Huo Lan's personality, it shouldn't be a problem to take so many sweet potato seedlings from him tonight, help him plant two more acres of land, and then help him promote it later.
"Okay, okay." Huo Lian agreed quickly.
He added, "You are simply a living Bodhisattva."
If the soldiers and civilians really knew that these grain seeds were obtained by Jun Qiulan, then if Jun Qiulan wanted to start a rebellion, it would be a simple matter of making a call from a high place.
The people's thinking is very simple. They can fill their stomachs by following Jun Qiulan.
Also, the pigs raised using the previous method were indeed fatter and the meat no longer had a fishy smell.
All of these are merits worthy of being enshrined in the Taimiao.
Jun Qiulan waved his hand and said, "General Huo, you have a very sharp eye. Let's have the brothers move things quickly so that we can plant them as soon as possible to ensure their survival rate."
Huo Lian didn't waste any more words. He waved his hand and ordered the palace soldiers to start moving things.
"Everyone, be careful. These rice seedlings are crucial to whether we can have enough food this year. Don't damage them."
When everyone heard this, they slowed down their movements.
Although they are just palace soldiers, they are also General Huo's soldiers.
There are so many things, and he doesn’t have enough people with him. It will take at least two or three trips to move them.
I don’t know how Jun Qiulan managed to get these things back by himself. It must be a magical method.
Alas, it’s a pity that Jun Qiulan has to keep a low profile.
Before going to bed at night, Huo Lian chatted with his wife about Jun Qiulan.
He instigated Jun Qiulan to rebel in broad daylight, so he certainly couldn't hide it from his wife.
What happened was that his wife was more excited than he was.
Said it should have been done a long time ago.
The lady has long been resentful of the court's actions.
The current emperor is not worthy of their loyalty. The only reason they can continue to guard the border diligently is for the people.
The Rongdi outside the Great Wall are not as civilized as the Han people. If they really come to attack, women and children will be the most tender two-legged sheep in their eyes, and all men will be killed directly, leaving only a few thin ones as slaves at most.
Let them not cause any trouble.
Huo Lian was a military general, and his wife was a native of the border town. How could they have witnessed such a tragedy?
If it could be replaced by Jun Qiulan, it would definitely be much better than the current situation.
Before the emperor had his own son, how many ministers praised Jun Qiulan's intelligence?
But they only had an army of over 100,000, and among them were tens of thousands of old, weak and disabled soldiers who could only do some logistical work and could not participate in fighting.
If there really was a rebellion, Huo Lian calculated that he could mobilize at most 100,000 soldiers.
The remaining old, weak and disabled soldiers, as well as other soldiers, must be stationed in the border towns to prevent the Rongdi from taking advantage of the opportunity.
Thinking of this, he actually had a headache.
He had the opposite idea, which was to give the land a new leader who was both capable and kindhearted, and he did not want to point his weapons at other soldiers.
Although they each serve their own masters, there is still a hurdle in their hearts.
It would be great if other generals could lead their troops to surrender.
Oh, that’s difficult.
This kind of thing probably has to be left to civil officials like Su Changxun, who are very good at talking.
Maybe he can be persuaded.
It would take some time to transport the seedlings, so Huo Lan simply sat down next to Jun Qiulan.
By the way, I started the conversation by continuing with the question he was thinking about.
Jun Qiulan didn't know what to say.
"General Huo, build high walls, store up abundant food, and slowly claim the throne."
This one sentence stunned even Huo Lan, a rough man.
This makes so much fucking sense.
"As expected of a cultured person, you summed it up perfectly in one sentence."
Jun Qiulan couldn't say whether this was a classic historical quote from another world.
Huo Lian didn't care who said it, it was a sentence that became more and more interesting the more he chewed on it.
They now have to fight a battle against natural disasters.
If we cannot win this battle, how can we wage war against the imperial court?
If we start a high-profile rebellion now, the imperial court will definitely send troops directly.
Fighting a war requires not only military capabilities but also financial resources.
As the saying goes, food and supplies must be prepared before troops move forward.
Even though the imperial court always claims to be short of money, the country's tax revenue is not a small amount.
If a war really breaks out, we will definitely have more financial resources than them.
Huo Lian sighed again. No matter how he listened, he could understand that Jun Qiulan actually had the intention of rebelling against the court.
But why do you appear so indecisive?
Jun Qiulan asked him to go talk to Su Changxun, but Su Changxun was not at home.
Wait a minute, the most urgent thing now is food.
Take your time with everything else.
There were quite a lot of seedlings, and ten soldiers went back and forth, moving them out of the woods and putting them on carriages, then coming back one after another to continue carrying them.
Jun Qiulan originally said that he could go back and wait.
However, Huo Yan disagreed. The issue of grain seeds was a serious matter, and he would not feel at ease unless he saw it with his own eyes.
"This general has them send the seedlings back to the barracks and try to plant them tomorrow."
Fortunately, there are many villages in the border town, and there are dozens of acres to grow sweet potatoes, which is not a problem at all.
It was spring planting time, and the land had been plowed.
In short, Huo Lian arranged things in an orderly manner.
Jun Qiulan didn't care, since he had already delivered the grain seeds.
The waiting time was boring, Jun Qiulan didn't talk much to Huo Lian to avoid bringing up the topic of rebellion. Huo Lian simply walked deeper into the woods.
About half an hour later, he came out with a few wild rabbits in his hands. He threw them to Jun Qiulan and asked him to take them back for a meal.
"No wonder you always liked to run into this forest. There are quite a lot of rabbits here, but they're not as fat as the ones you caught."
Jun Qiulan couldn't help laughing, and suddenly thought that it had been a while since the last time-travel experiment.
At that time, he could bring about 30 kilograms of living things. Now, after so much time has passed, he still works hard to transport grain seeds. And the papermaking and printing techniques that I asked Mr. Su to spread before should also add some merit to him, right?
I just don't know how much weight it can hold now.
Got to try it sometime.
If something really happens, the family will face even greater dangers.
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The author has something to say: I will update 7,000 words today, and then add another chapter for you in the evening.
There are some things going on at home this weekend. I hope my little cuties can understand.
I will definitely update everyone before 9pm at the latest and post it as soon as I finish writing it. [Heart]