Su was a little annoyed: "Who told you to call me sister-in-law?" She was a good girl and had not yet married. Even if she liked City Lord Qi, she would have to go through three matchmakers and six betrothals to marry him off.
Qi Ya looked at his eldest brother, then at Ye Nuan, and answered honestly, "Uncle Gao."
Qi Wuze silently blocked a few kicks from Gao Zangfeng. This was a good teaching.
"Really?" Ye Nuan smiled and said, "If you shout nonsense, you won't be able to eat sweet and sour fish later."
Qi Ya and Ye Xiaohu looked at each other and said in unison, "Sister."
Ye Nuan was very satisfied and raised an eyebrow at Qi Wuze. Qi Wuze touched his nose and walked to the kitchen, squatting in front of the stove to light a fire for her. However, the brave and invincible Qi Chengzhu couldn't even light a fire. Su sent him away and stood in a row with the two children.
Ye Nuan cut the grass carp into pieces, drained it with the scallion and ginger water, added salt and sugar, mixed well, added chicken broth, and finally coated it with dry starch. When the oil in the pan started to smoke, she put the whole fish in and fried it.
The fish's tail is fried until it is raised and bent, and then fried again after it is shaped. The fried surface is golden and crispy and can be directly picked up and placed on a plate.
The three people watching from the stove were drooling. There was still some oil in the pot. Ye Nuan picked two of the reddest tomatoes, peeled them, and chopped them, her hands working with great gusto. The tomatoes were so juicy that they accidentally splashed onto Ye Xiaohu's face. He grinned cheerfully and reached out to scoop up the juice.
Qi Ya rolled his eyes and said in a very light tone: "Can you splash me?"
Ye Nuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She casually picked up a tomato and split it in half, giving each of the two smaller ones half. She looked at Qi Wuze and casually threw the whole to him. Then the three of them ate tomatoes while watching Ye Nuan make the sauce.
When the oil is half cooked, stir-fry the carrot and onion shreds, add the rock sugar and simmer until the sauce turns red, then add the chopped tomato sauce, salt, vinegar, sugar, water and starch.
The sauce was bubbling, from large to small, until it turned deep red, and the sweet and sour aroma gradually filled the kitchen.
Ye Nuan returned the fried fish to the pan, coating it in a thick, sweet and sour sauce before serving it on a plate. She poured the excess sauce over the fish, turning it crispy and golden brown. A sprinkle of chopped green onions was a dazzling sight, and the color alone was irresistible.
The two children reached out to grab it, but Ye Nuan pushed them away and said directly to Qi Wuze, "Bring the fish over. You are responsible for watching over the two little ones. Fry two more dishes and it will be ready soon."
The tomato sauce was too bright, and Qi Wuze subconsciously asked, "Is it spicy?" The color looked a bit like chili peppers.
"It's not spicy." Ye Nuan chuckled: "Didn't you eat tomatoes before? They were sweet and sour."
He was relieved and left with the fish, surrounded by the two children. When Ye Nuan and Su came over with the rest of the food, the two children had already picked up their bowls and chopsticks and were looking at them eagerly.
As soon as Qi Wuze saw Su, he immediately stood up and served food to everyone.
"You can eat now."
As soon as Ye Nuan spoke, the two little ones immediately picked up their chopsticks and put the tender fish meat wrapped in the colorful sauce into their mouths. The fish meat had a crispy skin and was soft and tender inside. The sauce was sweet and sour and delicious. They wanted to swallow their tongues together.
Su said quickly: "Slow down, don't get stuck."
Ye Nuan nodded towards Qi Wuze, "Come and try it!"
Qi Wuze first picked up the carrots and ate them. The carrots were sweet, crisp and tender, wrapped in the sour and sweet taste of tomatoes, and the fresh fragrance of fish. It was a taste he liked very much.
He immediately took another bite of fish, his eyes brightening as he said, "We've made sweet and sour fish in the past, but the sauce was always made with sugar. The fish wasn't fresh enough, and the sauce wasn't rich enough. In short, it tasted far different from what you make."
A Nuan is so nice, everything about her is great!
Ye Nuan smiled and said, "If you like it, eat more."
Qi Wuze nodded, picked up another piece, and began to carefully pick out the fish bones. After picking out all the fish bones, he put it directly into Ye Nuan's bowl and smiled with the corners of his mouth curved: "You eat too, eat more, if you are too thin, it will be easily blown away by the wind."
He was talking about what happened in the desert last time. Ye Nuan smiled with her eyes curved: "No need to bother, I can find the fault myself."
Qi Wuze immediately said: "It's okay, I have a problem, I like to pick fish bones for people, Aya, right?" He winked at his brother.
Qi Ya was slow to accept it, so Ye Nuan smiled and said deliberately, "Then you can help A Ya and Xiao Hu pick them out."
Qi Wuze: "...Okay...ah..."
City Lord Qi began to pick out fish bones, but Ye Nuan found it quite amusing to tease the arrogant City Lord Qi. But in the end, she only offered him a piece of the fish tail, which immediately made him laugh.
In the afternoon, five people began to work in the vegetable garden. They all wore straw hats and squatted on the ground to pull out weeds and remove seedlings. When the people from Luomu City delivered the finished windmill and bamboo pipes to the farm, they saw their city lord raking manure with one foot deep and one foot shallow, and he did a good job.
Qi Wuze beckoned Ye Nuan to come over and show him how to turn the windmill. She brought her two children with her. The wooden shaft and blades were already made; they just needed to be assembled. Ye Nuan took the sketch and discussed it with the craftsmen, asking them to install the windmill on the second-floor terrace of the small wooden building. Whenever the wind was strong, the wooden windmill could be seen turning from a distance.
The rotating windmill will become the iconic building of Yunjian Farm from now on!
Qi Wuze swung the iron rake and looked up at Ye Nuan who was directing on the terrace. The more he looked, the happier he became. He thought to himself: How can Ye Nuan be so beautiful and so capable!
The horses in the pasture suddenly neighed. He was so focused on watching the people that he didn't notice anything. Only when the horses rushed out of the pen and out of the pasture did he react. Ye Nuan and the others were standing high up and could see the commotion in the pasture at a glance. Gao Zangfeng, who was standing nearby, shouted anxiously, "Oh no! The horses seem to be running wild. Go and chase them!"
The cattle, sheep, and horses had been untethered when they were brought here, and now, all of them were affected by the frenzy and began to run wild. Several of them broke free from the pasture and ran towards Crescent Moon Lake. Qi Wuze had lost his iron rake and was unsure which one to chase.
Ye Nuan and the others ran downstairs to the grassland and asked hurriedly, "What's going on?"
Qi Wuze frowned. "It seems there was a snake. The horses were frightened, and the rest of the cattle and sheep all ran away. Are there any ropes and copper rings for tying up cattle and horses on the farm? Let's take advantage of today to tie them up together."
Ye Nuan nodded: "Yes, I have. I prepared it beforehand, so I always have it ready." She looked Qi Wuze up and down: "The key is, is there anyone in our group who can do it?"
Gao Zangfeng laughed and said confidently, "Of course not. The people in the wilderness are poor. We have all helped to raise cattle and horses. Even the city lord has helped."
Ye Nuan hurried back to the house to get the rope for tying up the cattle and horses, so Qi Wuze and Gao Zangfeng spent the whole afternoon chasing the escaped cattle and horses. After the chase, they started to tie ropes on the disobedient livestock.
Even the grown men were exhausted and out of breath.
That night, Ye Nuan prepared a hearty dinner for everyone, instantly relieving them of the afternoon's fatigue. A few craftsmen looked at the thriving fruits and vegetables outside and couldn't help but ask, "Winter is almost here, Miss Ye. Can we come to your place to trade for food? Will the price be higher than at the Creation Pavilion?" After all, the Creation Pavilion didn't have many of the things Miss Ye grew, and even if they did, they wouldn't be as fresh and delicious as those grown on the farm.
Ye Nuan had been waiting for this day for a long time. He explained the price to them with a smile and said, "Anyone from Luomu City can come to exchange for food. For the sake of your city lord, we can even give you an extra portion of cabbage.
After dinner, Gao Zangfeng and his men returned happily. After returning, several people in the city began to talk about their experiences at Yunjian Farm. The city folk were already very familiar with the farm, and now that they heard the vegetable prices were so cheap, they decided to harness their mules and go check it out another day, and also prepare food for the winter.
The pasture fence was repaired, and the cattle, sheep, and horses were all driven into the pen. Qi Wuze put down his hammer and said to Ye Nuan, "How about building a few more separate cabins around the farm and hiring some long-term workers to take care of the ranch? Didn't you say before that you wanted to expand the farm and plant more trees and crops? We should hire more people so that they can help out in time when the cattle and sheep are about to give birth next spring."
Ye Nuan did have this plan. The farm was expanding, and the crops would begin to mature in a few months. It would be impossible for the people helping with the harvest to live outside or travel back and forth. It would be cold and inconvenient in the middle of winter.
"Okay, then you can help hire the craftsmen, and I'll pay for the money and supplies. I'll also build a few cabins and expand the granary. Once the cabins are finished, I'll start recruiting workers. You can ask Luomu City if anyone is willing to come."
It was already getting dark, and the two were talking when Ye Xiaohu hurried over and pulled Qi Wuze's clothes: "Brother Da Da, you promised to teach me Kung Fu."
Ye Nuan pulled her brother away and said, "Xiao Hu, I'm tired, go play by yourself!"
Xiao Hu was a little unhappy. This was what he got in return for calling him brother-in-law. He looked up at Qi Wuze, pursed his lips, and hesitantly said, "But, but... didn't you say to call me..."
Qi Wuze covered his mouth with his hand and smiled at Ye Nuan, "It's okay, I'll go teach him now." He quickly brought him to the first-floor terrace and began to explain martial arts to him. He talked for more than half an hour and finally concluded, "The basics of martial arts are the key. Let's start with the horse stance."
Then he lit a stick of incense and stuck it in the dirt beside him. He said seriously, "First squat for a stick of incense. See? Squat like this. Once the incense is out, it'll be fine. Squat for a while, and then you can go to sleep after you feel better."
Ye Xiaohu squatted unsteadily, clenching his fists tightly, and nodded seriously: "Yes, I will be obedient. Master, you go to sleep. I won't be lazy."
Qi Ya and Hua Juan squatted beside him to accompany him. Qi Wuze gave him a thumbs up and praised him, "Not bad, your kung fu will definitely be very good in the future!"
Ye Xiaohu was even happier after receiving the praise, and his shaking legs became stronger.
A cool breeze blew, and the dark sky was dotted with stars, a romantic and magnificent sight. Insects chirped and frogs croaked on the farm. Ye Nuan sat alone on the second-floor terrace, looking down with a faint smile on her lips. A moment later, Qi Wuze climbed up to sit with her, looking up at the sky.
The two of them sat quietly for a while, and Qi Wuze said, "The stars are too far away from here, shall we go to the roof?"
Ye Nuan looked up at the roof and asked in surprise, "How do I get up there?"
Qi Wuze raised the corners of his lips, held her waist and toes, and instantly flew onto the roof. The roof was not far from the second-floor terrace, but it was only one floor away, so the view on the roof was much wider.
Qi Wuze helped her sit down and pointed to the brightest star in the north. "See that star? That's the North Star."
Ye Nuan smiled and said, "I know. When we first came to the wilderness, we lost our way. It was with the help of the North Star that we found the direction of the Great Wilderness Village."
She looked up at the starry sky, her profile beautiful and warm. Qi Wuze felt a sudden pang of heartache for no reason and said in a calm voice, "It would have been great if you had met me on your first day in the wilderness."
Ye Nuan laughed twice and said deliberately: "That's useless. When you first met me, you were disgusted with me and even threw me off your horse."
Qi Wuze was a little embarrassed and stammered, "I, I... If I had known that I would like you so much, I would never have abandoned you."
Ye Nuan suppressed her laughter and said with a straight face, "Then you still say that I am greedy and lustful."
Qi Wuze scratched his head, his face flushed with anxiety: "Being greedy for money and lustful is not a problem. I have a mine, and I'm pretty handsome..."
Ye Nuan: As expected, it’s still the arrogant City Lord Qi!
"You still think I'm stingy!"
Qi Wuze tried to make amends: "It's good to be stingy, it's good to take care of the family!"
"you......"
Qi Wuze immediately interrupted her, pushed her face away and turned it towards the vast sky, "How about we count the stars? You start with Beichen, and I'll start with Yuheng?"
The change of subject was quite abrupt. Ye Nuan complained in her heart but did not expose him. She accompanied him in counting the stars for most of the night. As she was counting, she could not hold on any longer and closed her eyes and fell asleep completely.
When someone fell to the side, Qi Wuze immediately blocked the way with his hands and pushed the person towards him. Ye Nuan's head slowly rested on his shoulder, and her warm cheek even rubbed against his. The blush on his face never faded.
His hands and feet were stiff, his eyes darted around, and finally fixed on Ye Nuanrou's bright red lips.
I really want to kiss her!
Qi Wuze's throat rolled, his hand stroked her tender cheek, and he leaned over to kiss her.
Five inches, three inches, one inch...
"What are you two doing sitting on the roof?" Su shouted at the top of her lungs while standing on the terrace.
Qi Wuze, whose heart was already beating like a drum, staggered with fear, but immediately covered the ears of the person in his arms, then jumped down lightly with the person in his arms and hushed to Su.
Su looked at Ye Nuan and then at Qi Wuze, and her face immediately became stern. That look made Qi Wuze feel guilty, weak in the knees, and tense all over.
"Carry him into the house." Su lowered her voice and stared at Qi Wuze the whole time. She took a step for every one of him.
Qi Wuze began to sweat on his forehead. For some reason, he inexplicably began to be afraid of A Nuan's mother. He always felt that he was peeping into other people's treasures and might be beaten by her mother at any time.
Under Su's gaze, Qi Wuze carried the person into the next room in an extremely polite manner, not even daring to get close to the bed. He put the person down and left.
Su was helping to cover the quilt when she saw Qi Wuze, who had already left, standing in the corridor looking around. She immediately glared at him fiercely and asked in a low voice, "Are you not going to bed yet?"
Qi Wuze was embarrassed, touched his nose and turned around, and finally returned to his room helplessly.
The moonlight was cold and everything on the farm began to grow. As winter approached, the dew on the grass condensed into frost and the weather in the wasteland began to grow colder and colder.
The morning was foggy, frost covered the grass along the road, and the farm gate was banging loudly. The bamboo pipes that had been installed suddenly burst, spraying everyone's heads and faces. It was so cold that the group's clothes were hanging wet and their faces were frozen white.
With a trembling voice, he shouted into the courtyard, "Miss Ye, we are from the Creation Pavilion. Pavilion Master Jiang asked us to deliver some salt and to pick up the Liuguang Brocade and her golden abacus. Please open the door."
Xiao Hei and Hua Juan roared out, baring their teeth at the shivering, white-padded crowd. Ye Nuan donned her new cotton-padded jacket and rolled into a ball. As she stepped outside, she saw Qi Wuze, dressed in a single layer, squatting by the fire with two small children roasting sweet potatoes.
She called out, and Ye Xiaohu quickly ran to open the door. Someone from the Creation Pavilion ran in, his face trembling as he repeated what he had just said.
Ye Nuan checked the salt she had brought before taking her men to the warehouse to move the Liuguangjin (Flowing Light Brocade) and returning the golden abacus to them. She then sat down by the fire and began to warm herself, while Qi Wuze handed her the roasted sweet potatoes.
“Hey, this must smell good.”
The sweet potato's skin was burnt brown, and when you tore it open with your hands, the dusty surface was revealed, revealing a soft, red, fragrant interior. One bite warmed your whole body. The two children ate and praised it. The people from the Creation Pavilion, moving things back and forth, would glance over at them from time to time, their eyes drooling over the burnt, fragrant sweet potatoes.
The leading fellow couldn't help but come over and ask, "What are you eating?"
Ye Nuan handed one to him and said, "This is a sweet potato. It's not found in the wilderness. It becomes sweet and sticky after the frost in winter. It's delicious. Try it."
The guy's eyes lit up slightly. He thanked her and took it. He peeled the skin and took a big bite, imitating her.
The freshly baked sweet potato was too hot. He blew on it, tossed it back and forth twice, and swallowed it. Instantly, his whole body was warm. He shook off his clothes and praised, "This sweet potato is really delicious. Did Miss Ye grow it?"
Although the others were working, it was too cold and their bodies were soaking wet, making it difficult for them to warm up. Seeing their leader eating the hot and delicious food, they were all jealous. After the food was moved, they all came over and looked at the sweet potatoes at Ye Nuan's feet.
Ye Nuan was easy to talk to, offering one to each person. Twenty or so people gathered around the fire and began to gnaw on sweet potatoes. They were so fragrant and delicious! I wish I could eat them more often in winter.
One sweet potato wasn't enough to fill them up, and it actually whetted everyone's appetite. After the leader finished eating the sweet potato in his hand and looked at Ye Nuan again, Ye Nuan smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, the farm has limited food, and we have to sell it to other people in need."
Sweet potatoes are so delicious, especially when it’s so cold!
The leader immediately said, "I have money. How much are your sweet potatoes? Can you sell me some?"
The others also took out money and said, "Sell us some too. It's winter now and food is scarce." This thing can also fill you up.
Ye Nuan pretended to be embarrassed, "Don't you have any food to sell in the Creation Pavilion? If I sell it to you, will Pavilion Master Jiang be unhappy?"
The leading clerk immediately said, "The food in the Creation Pavilion is scarce and expensive in winter. We clerks don't have enough to eat without money. Sell it to us, and we won't tell the Pavilion Master."
Ye Nuan said, "Our farm sells things at prices outside the Great Wall. This sweet potato costs one pound of jade, and one pound is enough for you to eat for three days."
One piece of jade is enough to eat for three days!
So cheap?
More than twenty people in the Creation Pavilion happily took out all the jade on their bodies to exchange for sweet potatoes. Before leaving, they kept asking Ye Nuan if they could come to exchange next time.
Ye Nuan agreed with a smile on her face.
After everyone left, Qi Wuze raised his eyebrows and smiled, "You are quite good at business. If Jiang Ji knew that you took all the money from her servant's pocket, she would probably be furious."
"With winter approaching, fruits and vegetables are almost non-existent within the Great Wall. The Creation Pavilion won't provide fresh vegetables, but will instead sell the long-lasting rice they've stored, which they charge exorbitant prices. The entire wasteland is short of food at this time. Countless people die of starvation every year in the bandits, Luomu City, and Dahuang Village."
"You have food here and it's cheap. I guess people will come to buy it soon. After winter, Yunjian Farm will be completely open. Jiang Ji will be panicking then."
"Before that, you must store more food."
Ye Nuan chuckled, "The Creation Pavilion should have had competition a long time ago. Do you think they'll lower their prices?"
Qi Wuze paused for a moment and shook his head: "Even if the price is lowered, it won't be much. Jiang Ji came to the wasteland to make huge profits. If she couldn't make much, she would have run away long ago."
Ye Nuan was curious: "Last time I heard Jiang Ji say that there is a big boss behind the Creation Pavilion. Who is her identity? How can she enter and exit Shentian Pass at will and get salt?"
Qi Wuze shook his head. "The Creation Pavilion has been in the wasteland for more than a decade. The original owner was an old woman. It was only eight years ago that Jiang Ji took over. Jiang Ji is a profit-seeker, and her biggest love is money. She also revealed that there's someone behind the Creation Pavilion, but she doesn't seem to like that person."
Jiang Ji is not someone who listens to others.
His identity and background are really mysterious, and he has dealings with various forces in the wilderness.
Ye Nuan asked again: "How is the construction of the wooden house and the hiring of long-term workers going?"
Qi Wuze: "I sent Falcon back with a letter last night. Crazy will bring people here today, and they should be here soon. Didn't you say before that you wanted to go to the foot of Snow God Mountain to plant wood salt trees? Today is a good day to go."
If they go, Ye Xiaohu and Qi Ya will definitely want to go with them, but Ye Nuan is worried about her mother being alone at home, so she said, "Then let's wait until they come, then we can go."
Gao Zangfeng arrived quickly. Ye Nuan explained to everyone the number and locations of the wooden buildings to be built, gave him a detailed sketch, and finally asked about recruiting workers.
Gao Zangfeng said, "I received an order from the City Lord to post a notice in the city early this morning, but there are too many applicants, so I still have to screen them."
Ye Nuan said, "If there are many people who want to work, we can divide them into batches, with each batch working for one or two months before being replaced."
Gao Zangfeng nodded and smiled, "Miss Ye is really thoughtful. Winter is hard for everyone, and having a job will help support the family."
Qi Wuze gave a few more instructions before setting off with Ye Nuan and the two children. Qi Ya was originally supposed to take Ye Xiao and ride the pony, but Qi Ya didn't like riding horses and ran very fast after the wolves.
Ye Nuan asked him to carry Xiaohu, while she rode a black horse alone.
Qi Wuze was worried that she might fall, but Ye Nuan smiled and said, "I can ride a horse, and this horse is docile. It will be fine as long as you don't ride it too fast."
There were many horses on the modern ranch, and she had received professional training and could ride them twice. Although she was not as fast as a person galloping across the wilderness, she would not fall off the horse easily.
After running for a long time, Ye Nuan gradually adapted and began to whip the horse to speed up, with the purest smile on her face. Qi Wuze always followed her about a meter away, with a protective posture at all times.
After running for more than an hour, the towering Snow God Mountain came into view. The top of the mountain was shrouded in white mist, and the salt-alkali land below the mountain was also a vast expanse of white.
Qi Wuze dismounted first, and by the time he was about to help Ye Nuan, she had already jumped down. The sun shone on the hoarfrost on the ground, glittering brightly. She took out the farm tools for planting trees from her space and said to Qi Wuze, "We'll form a team of two and plant trees around the lake from this direction, and then water them after planting."
Winters in the wilderness are very cold, and logically, the wood salt tree wouldn't survive if planted this season. Ye Nuan planned to water the trees with spiritual spring water immediately after planting, so he only dared to work on such a large project with four people.
The four of them split into two groups. Not only Qi Ya and Ye Xiaohu wanted to be in the same group with Ye Nuan, but Qi Wuze himself wanted to as well. In the end, it was Ye Nuan who made the final decision: "Xiaohu and I will be in one group, and you brothers will be in the other."
Just kidding, Xiaohu doesn’t even need to do it himself because of his strength, he can dig a hole all by himself.
Qi Wuze realized that his two brothers had grown in vain. Ye Nuan seemed to be planting beans, scattering them as she walked, while they had to dig holes. In the entire circle, Ye Nuan and his friends had planted most of the seeds.
The two brothers looked at each other for a moment, their ears turning red with shame.
After the trees were planted, Ye Nuan took out two large buckets from the space, mixed with spiritual spring water. Only a small spoonful was needed for the trees to grow rapidly. As long as they could grow to her height, they would definitely produce salt frost in the spring of next year.
The two brothers gathered their strength and watered the trees quickly, trying to outdo Ye Nuan and the others. If anyone was there, they would have seen this amazing scene: the tree behind them had just been watered and immediately sprouted and grew, reaching higher than their heads at an astonishing speed.
This time, Qi Wuze was finally faster than Ye Nuan. When the four of them stopped, the saline-alkali land under the Snow God Mountain was already shaded by green trees, and the growth was gratifying.
Qi Ya opened his eyes wide when he saw the trees growing so fast for the first time, and his face became more lively.
The four of them stood on the high slope and looked down. Ye Nuan said, "When the salt is produced next year, you can send people to keep an eye on it. Although the salt production of the wood salt tree is small, it is enough for Luomu City to use for a quarter."
Qi Wuze nodded, and she continued, "Didn't we discover a saltwater lake in the desert before? We can have someone go get some when we have time, and we can make our own salt. Not only will it allow the people to have salt year-round, but it will also help lower the price of the Creation Pavilion."
"Okay, I'll send someone there tomorrow."
"What tools are needed to extract the salt? I can ask someone to prepare them in advance."
Ye Nuan thought for a moment and said, "Let's prepare some more large vats and filter gauze." They can be used for both boiling salt and drying tobacco.
"good."
On their return, Qi Wuze carried the two children, while Ye Nuan rode side by side, each on a horse. The setting sun illuminated the entire wasteland, crimson clouds swirled and piled, casting long shadows across the vast expanse. When they reached Yunjian Farm, they spotted a camel caravan gathered at the farm gate from afar.
The young man in the front was dressed in white clothes as white as snow, with a smile in his eyes. He waved at Ye Nuan and called out happily, "A Nuan." His voice was as clear and pleasant as a stream flowing over rocks, murmuring beautifully.
The setting sun cast a shadow over him, and he exuded a scholarly air.
Qi Wuze frowned: Why is Chu Xuesong here?
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