Heavy snow almost covered the entire wasteland.
In the white snow, only at Yunjian Farm can you see the emerald green pine trees and wintersweets blooming in the wind.
After the Lingquan is upgraded, five kinds of plants can be freely exchanged. Ye Nuan exchanged them for bougainvillea, snowberry, kale, wintersweet, and saffron, which are cold-resistant vegetables and flowers.
Bougainvillea was planted on the east side of the main building. In just a few days, it climbed up to the terrace on the second floor of the small wooden building. The fiery red and passionate plum blossoms climbed a full circle along the wooden fence of the terrace.
The red plum blossoms against the snow are particularly eye-catching.
After the vegetable plot in the yard was purchased, cold-resistant snow cabbage, kale, saffron, cabbage, spinach, green onions and garlic were planted.
We will try to have a harvest of vegetables even in winter.
The farmhand had never seen anyone growing vegetables or flowers in the middle of winter. He had never seen such a variety of vegetables before, so he asked Ye Nuan curiously while planting.
"Miss Ye, are you sure you can really grow it? When it's coldest in the wilderness, even horses can freeze to death!"
Ye Nuan smiled and said, "Of course!"
When Jiang Ji came, she was dripping spiritual spring water into the pond. It was a snowy day, but the pond was not frozen and the water was strangely warm. The lotus leaves inside were lush and green and full of vitality.
Sitting on a camel, Jiang Ji was wrapped in fox fur, wearing a velvet hat, and deerskin boots. The golden abacus around her neck swung back and forth. She asked in surprise, "Why are there lotus leaves here?"
She looked around the farm again, her face even more surprised: "It doesn't feel like winter here except for the snow all over the ground!"
Suddenly I don’t want to go back.
Ye Nuan didn't seem surprised that she came. She stood up and said, "Why? Pavilion Master Jiang has been staying away from everyone, so you came to my place."
Jiang Ji was upset, but she couldn't get angry. She forced a smile and said quickly, "Would you like me to come in and sit down?"
Ye Nuan asked: "Master Jiang, are you here to discuss business?"
Jiang Ji: "Of course."
"Master Jiang, please come in." Ye Nuan took a step forward, and Jiang Ji followed her in. In front of the patio was a low table with wine warming on it, and two charcoal basins were placed around it.
Ye Nuan sat down first, picked up the wine jug and poured himself a glass, then filled Jiang Ji's glass again, and said with a smile: "Master Jiang, try it, this is the farm's own wine."
Jiang Ji sat down obediently, picked up the wine glass with her slender fingers and took a sip. The tip of her tongue was sour, but there was also a smooth, slightly sweet fruity aroma. It was not as burning as ordinary strong liquor, but it warmed her stomach when she drank it. It was clear with a mellow and rich aroma.
What a special taste!
It tastes quite good!
She couldn't help but say, "More."
Ye Nuan poured her three more glasses before she said with a smile, "You're a good person. You have the same demeanor as I did back then. I came here today to discuss business with you."
"How do we talk?"
"Do you want to go inside?"
Ye Nuan's eyes flickered slightly: "I was exiled here, Shen Tianguan will never let me in."
Jiang Ji waved her slender fingertips in front of her and said mysteriously, "Rules are dead, but people are alive. As long as you belong to me, Jiang Ji, you can pass."
Ye Nuan didn't comment, took a sip of wine and said with a smile: "The wilderness is also good, our family lives a happy life there, but going to the interior would make us less free." There is no household registration, no system, no bureaucracy in the wilderness, and the snowfield is vast, which can be cultivated endlessly.
How nice!
Jiang Ji continued to tempt him: "No matter how good the wasteland is, there are not many people. You can only sell your goods to the villagers of Dahuang Village, the bandits and Luomu City. If you expand your production next spring, I'm afraid these things will rot in the fields."
Moreover, there is no one who does business who doesn’t want to expand the scope of business and make more money!
"My business is all over Beichen. As long as you cooperate with me, I can sell it at the best price in Beichen. At the same time, I can forge an identity for you, allowing you to enter and exit the customs freely with the caravan."
Ye Nuan turned the wine glass in her hand, her eyelashes drooping slightly, "How do we cooperate?"
Jiang Ji felt that she was about to be tempted, so she put more effort and said, "I will lower the price you offered by 10% and buy fruits and vegetables that are not available in the interior of the country and then sell them back at a higher price." These fruits and vegetables will definitely be bought by local officials at a high price and sent to the palace as tribute.
It doesn't matter where she makes money, she will make it as long as she can.
"It's nothing to lose for you."
Ye Nuan pondered for a moment, and Jiang Ji was waiting for her answer.
She raised her eyelids, her eyes curled upward, and spoke in a clear and light voice: "What if I just want to drive the Creation Pavilion out of the wasteland?"
Jiang Ji was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing: "Little girl, you're so arrogant! Even if you can provide food, can you provide weapons?"
Luo Mucheng and the two major bandits would bring in a lot of weapons from her every year. Whoever had the strongest military force would take over the area. The desert had always been a place of frequent fighting, for food and territory.
The situation stopped for a while after Wei Qian's death, but it was said that Weijia Village had a new leader, who was also a smart, brave and aggressive man.
Ye Nuan ignored her ridicule and said, "How do you know that the Wasteland won't one day be unified like Beichen? By then, everyone will be farming, every family will live in harmony, and there will be no need for weapons!"
"Impossible!" Jiang Ji used to think she was smart, but now she thought she was just daydreaming.
"Of course not! The reason the wilderness is divided and there's conflict is because of poverty and hardship. If everyone could have enough to eat, it would be a completely different scene."
Jiang Ji looked at her like a fool: "You are too naive. Where there are people, there will be desires, and where there are desires, there will be fighting. When people can eat their fill, they will want power! If you don't cooperate with me, you will sooner or later become a victim of the struggle, and Qi Wuze will not be able to protect you."
"The Creation Pavilion has been able to stand firm in the Wasteland for over a decade, and no one dares to touch it. This must be because of its background. As long as Yunjian Farm and the Creation Pavilion become one, no one will dare to touch you. You and I are both so smart. Not only will the Wasteland be the richest place, but we will definitely become the richest man in Beichen in the future."
Ye Nuan thought about her words: It seems that there is some truth in it.
"To be honest, I admire you very much. I, Jiang Ji, swear on all my money that I sincerely want to cooperate with you."
Seeing that she didn't answer for a long time, Jiang Ji looked her up and down with suspicious eyes, and suddenly asked: "You don't want to cooperate with me because of a man, right? Do you like Qi Wuze?"
Her eyes widened, and she looked disappointed in him: "Are you kidding me? Men are nothing! Money can buy hundreds or thousands of men!" Although City Lord Qi was a little more heroic, handsome, and a nicer person, he was still just a man. How could he be as good as money!
Ye Nuan shook her head, and after a while she said seriously, "I'm wondering if I can control the food supply of the entire wasteland and have enough military force, can I control the entire wasteland?"
"Are you crazy?" He dared to think even more than her.
"Maybe! Don't paint me a rosy picture first. Be practical. How about letting me become the richest man in the wilderness?" Everyone is good at empty talk. This reminded Ye Nuan of the blueprint for the future her boss told them when they first entered the society.
The wallet is still empty, it’s useless!
It would be better if the year-end bonus was more generous!
Later, she made her fortune by relying on Lingquan. She was very generous to the workers who came to help on the farm, either raising their wages or giving them supplies!
Jiang Ji frowned: After listening to her for so long, are you kidding her?
She stood up suddenly, her smile completely gone: "You don't want to cooperate at all?"
Ye Nuan sat upright, her eyelashes curved. "I'm sorry, Pavilion Master Jiang is too shrewd. He's afraid you'll sell him out, but he's still helping you count the money!"
Jiang Ji's chest heaved, and the golden abacus around her neck jingled. She said angrily, "If you don't want to cooperate, just say so. You're wasting my time. Do you know how much money I could have earned by wasting your time?"
Ye Nuan shrugged, looking like she was asking for a beating. "I told you last time that a good horse never turns back. Besides, the Creation Pavilion shouldn't be doing any business right now, right?"
"You——" Jiang Ji gritted her teeth.
This guy has been with Qi Wuze for too long, and his tongue is very sharp!
The two of them, one sitting and the other standing, faced each other for a while. Suddenly, a fierce wolf howl was heard outside the yard. It was Huajuan's howl. Ye Nuan's right eye twitched violently twice, and she had a bad feeling.
She stood up immediately, and a shadowy figure rushed across the yard and rushed to her feet, biting the corner of her skirt and dragging it away. A closer look revealed that Hua Juan's hair was dirty, and there were knife wounds on his left front leg and back, both of which were bleeding profusely. He must have been in a fierce battle.
Huajuan has always been with Aya, and Xiaohu is also with Aya. Huajuan came here with such a serious injury, so something must have happened to them. Aren’t they in Luomu City?
How could that be?
Ye Nuan's mind was a little confused. She followed Huajuan to the stable and shouted to the kitchen, "Mom, please take care of the farm. I'm going out for a while." Su ran out only to see her riding away on her horse.
Wu Tu stood outside the yard, scratching his head. "Master, what should we do now?"
Jiang Ji's eyes flickered slightly, her beautiful face lit up with a smile. "Follow them and watch the fun!" Hua Juan, the beast, had been following Qi Ya since childhood. To be in such a state of disgrace, something must have happened. Ye Nuan had been quite impressive just now, wasn't she? She'd go see if he'd ask for help later.
She got on the camel and ordered the twenty or so masters behind her, "Hurry up and follow!"
The weather was freezing cold, the wilderness a vast expanse of white. A wolf and a horse raced across the snow-covered red rocks, and the camel caravan fought tooth and nail to keep pace. As they rounded a raised snowdrift, corpses appeared on the previously empty snow, and the air was thick with the smell of blood.
Ye Nuan's right eyelid was still twitching. She dismounted and looked around, becoming increasingly frightened. These people were all soldiers from Luomu City, and some of them were incredibly familiar faces. She stumbled, and looking down, she saw Xiao Hei lying on his back in the snow, his jet-black fur stiff and stiff, clearly dead.
Huajuan ran to a lying person and howled loudly, scratching his back with his claws.
Ye Nuan didn't have time to feel sad, she quickly ran to the lying person and recognized him as Gao Zangfeng at a glance!
The snow around him was stained red with blood. His back, hands, and neck had been stabbed several times, and the wounds were still bleeding. Ye Nuan felt a chill in her chest. She turned Gao Zangfeng over and squatted down, her fingertips trembling - could he be dead?
At this time, he led his men towards the farm, not to transport grain, but most likely to bring Aya and Xiaohu back.
Xiao Hei is dead, and Hua Juan is already here!
The more Ye Nuan thought about it, the more frightened she became. She felt as if she were falling into an ice cellar. Her fingertips trembled as she reached for Gao Zangfeng's neck. The skin beneath her fingers was still warm, and a faint pulse was beating. Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, Gao Zangfeng, who had originally kept his eyes tightly closed, suddenly opened them. The moment he saw her, he excitedly pumped twice, and blood gushed out of his neck.
Seeing that he was about to die, Ye Nuan pressed the wound on his neck and said anxiously: "I know, I know they are in trouble, don't move, don't talk, I will definitely save you!" Her throat choked with sobs, and her eyes were sore that she wanted to cry.
Jiang Ji and her group watched from afar. Wu Tu pointed at Gao Zangfeng and asked, "Pavilion Master, he was stabbed by a scimitar. I'm afraid he won't survive this injury."
"Can't survive?" Gao Zangfeng was Qi Wuze's right-hand man, having grown up together. If he died, the wilderness would probably erupt in fighting again. It was freezing cold, snowing heavily, and life was already difficult. And this group of people... humph!
Wu Tu was puzzled: "Isn't Wei Qian dead? Could it be that Chu Xuesong did it?"
Jiang Ji shook her head: "I don't know, the bandit's lair is in chaos right now!" As she was speaking, she saw Ye Nuan take something out of the cloth bag she was carrying and feed it to the seriously injured Gao Zangfeng.
She frowned and looked carefully. It seemed to be sliced ginseng?
Tsk, the person is almost dead, no matter how good the ginseng is, it can’t prolong his life!
However, the next moment, Gao Zangfeng, who was originally pale and twitching all over, had his wounds healed quickly. His neck, back of his hands, and face instantly became red. He coughed twice and actually staggered to his feet.
Jiang Ji was stunned and rubbed her eyes. The people who followed her out from the Creation Pavilion were also in disbelief, and their eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets.
Gao Zangfeng is alive!
Wu Tu was stuttering a little: "Pavilion Master, he, he, he stood up!"
Jiang Ji: “!!” After a while, she looked at Ye Nuan with extremely hot eyes.
Gao Zangfeng, who was rescued, didn't feel anything was wrong. He stood up and immediately said anxiously: "Miss Ye, Xiaohu and Aya were kidnapped by horse bandits." He gestured and cried. The 1.9-meter-tall man had blood all over his face and cried very ugly.
A letter fell from his arms. Ye Nuan bent down to pick it up, and only glanced at it twice, with a gloom in his eyes!
"What's written in the letter?" Gao Zangfeng, who was illiterate, became increasingly anxious.
"The letter said I should go to Weijiazhai alone before dark, otherwise Xiaohu and Aya would be killed!"
Gao Zangfeng clenched his fists: "Weijiazhai, Lu Hao wants to avenge Wei Qian?"
Ye Nuan shook her head. She stuffed the letter into Gao Zangfeng's hand and said, "I'll go to Weijia Village and hold them back first. Now I'll go back to your city lord and ask him to get to Weijia Village before dark and find a way to sneak in and rescue them!"
"Okay!" Gao Zangfeng turned around and left, but immediately turned back and said anxiously, "No, how can you go to Weijiazhai alone? You're just going to die. If the city lord knew I let you go alone, he would definitely kill me."
"You go to Luomu City, I'll go to Weijia Village first!"
Gao Zangfeng was a blockhead. Ye Nuan angrily said, "Stop talking nonsense! Just go when I tell you to!" Her eyes were too cold. At one moment, they actually looked a bit like the city lord. Gao Zangfeng was stunned and obeyed her orders for the first time.
"My horse..."
"Ride my horse!"
The wasteland was covered with endless snow. Gao Zangfeng said in surprise, "How can that be possible? Weijia Village is still a long way from here. You can't reach it before dark."
Ye Nuan turned her head to look at Jiang Ji who was not far away and said, "Just go, I have my own way."
Gao Zangfeng followed her gaze and met Jiang Ji's interested face. He gritted his teeth and without hesitation, he jumped on his horse and rode away in the snow.
Ye Nuan ran towards Jiang Ji with all her might, ran under the camel and said to her: "Master Jiang, lend me a horse, I owe you a favor!" Jiang Ji saw how he saved Gao Zangfeng just now, and she would definitely repay him this favor.
As expected, Jiang Ji waved her hand and the expert behind her immediately took out a horse and led it to Ye Nuan.
"Thank you!" Ye Nuan climbed onto the horse without saying a word and rode away!
Wu Tu hesitated and said, "Pavilion Master, is it so easy to give it to her? What if she doesn't acknowledge it?"
Jiang Ji laughed and said, "It's just a horse!" Ye Nuan seemed to be more capable than she imagined.
Although that girl is difficult to deal with, her character is not bad. Just based on what she did just now, this favor is definitely worth it!
A cold wind howled, the white snow blinding the eyes. Ye Nuan followed Hua Juan all the way to the Wei Family Village. Her horsemanship wasn't particularly impressive, so she didn't dare whip the horse too hard. The sun moved westward, disappearing behind thin clouds. The afterglow of the setting sun penetrated the clouds and shone onto the snow. A deep ditch, three feet wide, appeared ahead, and beyond it stood a tall, towering wooden wall.
Two patrolling bandits were standing on the wooden wall. Seeing Ye Nuan approaching alone, they immediately lowered the drawbridge. Behind the drawbridge was a straight, empty corridor.
The patrolling horse bandit shouted loudly: "Miss Ye, please dismount. Our boss has been waiting for you for a long time!"
Ye Nuan tightened his grip, finally loosened the reins, dismounted, and walked slowly towards Weijiazhai.
Weijia Village was divided into two camps, the front and the back, and at its peak, it had a population of 3,000. A long set of earthen steps led past the corridor. Just as Ye Nuan paused, someone on the wooden wall shouted, urging her on. She had no choice but to continue forward. After crossing the steps, she suddenly saw a vast, bustling parade ground. People were bustling about, all looking very festive.
The wooden stakes, dead trees and houses in the village are all hung with colorful silks, and it is obvious that there is a happy event.
Ye Nuan: What are these bandits doing? They just kidnapped her brother and A Ya, and now not only don’t they give her an explanation, they actually hold a wedding for her!
In the open space ahead, two middle-aged women in gaudy clothes and red flowers on their heads were walking back and forth, as if waiting for someone. When they turned and saw her, they immediately came over with joy, stretched out their hands to pull at her clothes, and kept on congratulating her.
"Hey, the bride is finally here."
"Look at this! It's so beautiful, unique in the wilderness!"
"The boss has a good eye!"
The bride? She!
Ye Nuan was shocked and suspicious. She pushed the two women hard and shouted, "What nonsense are you talking about? How can I be the bride?"
The woman was very strong and pulled her clothes without any care. Another woman came running with a red wedding gown embroidered with gold and said anxiously, "Change it quickly and don't miss the auspicious time." With the combined efforts of several people, Ye Nuan's outer clothes were taken off.
The sun has set and the wind is blowing with a chill.
She was about to struggle, but the woman holding the wedding dress suddenly turned cold and said, "Miss Ye, you'd better be obedient. Your brother is still a guest in the village!"
Ye Nuan froze immediately. All she could do now was wait and see. Not to mention that the fluorescent algae only germinated at night, even if snakes and other animals were attracted, they wouldn't necessarily be able to find her brother and A'ya. Even if they did, robbing them wouldn't guarantee their safety.
Her spiritual spring can save the seriously injured and dying, but it cannot save the dead!
Ye Nuan, dressed in her wedding gown, was shoved toward the lobby by the crowd, who pointed and laughed at her. The gongs, drums, and suonas roared, and the crackling of firecrackers made her eardrums hurt.
The door of the lobby was open. Lu Hao, also dressed in wedding clothes and with well-developed limbs, stood in the middle of the lobby. Four vigorous old men in their fifties and sixties were sitting side by side on the upper floor, looking at her with dignity.
Ye Nuan was pushed to Lu Hao's side by the onlookers behind. Lu Hao's big fat face was smiling so hard that his eyes were invisible. He handed her a piece of colorful silk and held the other end of the silk.
This is forced marriage!
Ye Nuan's eyes were filled with disgust. While Lu Hao wasn't paying attention, she snatched the colorful silk and threw it far away. As if the noise wasn't loud enough, she quickly took the nearest chair and smashed it on the ground. The loud noise made everyone in the hall quiet down.
Ye Nuan stood alone in the bandit's den and asked the four elders sitting at the top, "Where are Xiaohu and Aya?"
Everyone was silent for a moment, then they all stared at her with smiles on their faces, seemingly not taking this delicate and beautiful girl seriously. Lu Hao even took two steps closer, grinning, and took her hand.
"Madam, don't..."
Ye Nuan lowered her eyelashes slightly. You all look down on her, right?
As soon as Lu Hao's hand touched hers, he was kicked hard. He could almost hear the sound of his legs breaking, and he squatted on the spot with a twisted face. Before he could recover, he was hit hard on the head several times, and a sharp dagger was placed on his neck.
"Where are Xiaohu and Aya?"
Her movements were too agile, completely out of the reach of a weak woman. The Fourth Elder stood up in shock, pointing at her and demanding, "Do you know Kung Fu?"
"No!" He had only learned some self-defense skills. Qi Wuze had secretly learned a few tricks when he was teaching Xiaohu.
She couldn't win in a head-on confrontation, but she could still surprise and attack someone's weak spot. She could only blame them for underestimating her! However, she seemed to have underestimated Lu Hao as well. The dagger only stayed on his neck for two seconds before she twisted her hand behind him.
Fortunately, she reacted quickly and retreated in the opposite direction. She simply put the dagger across her neck. Lu Hao wanted to move forward but was shouted back by the elder. He had to retreat with a look of reluctance.
The Great Elder, holding his dragon-headed staff, looked at Ye Nuan with a stern face, "Miss Ye, you must marry into the bandit village today, otherwise there will be no peace on Yunjian Farm!"
Ye Nuan sneered and questioned, "Are you from the Elders' Hall? Yunjian Farm can provide food for the wasteland, and we also provide food for the two bandit camps, and the price is only 30% of the Creation Pavilion. What good will it do you to force me like this?"
"Benefits?" The Great Elder snorted coldly: "I'm afraid City Lord Qi will get more benefits. Miss Ye has special abilities, so she can only belong to the bandit village!"
Ye Nuan frowned. She hadn’t even revealed her abilities to Chu Xuesong, so how did these old men know about them?
"You have to accept this marriage today, whether you agree or not!" Since ancient times, women have been subordinate to their husbands. As long as she marries a horse bandit and gives birth to a little horse bandit, the little boy will naturally think of the horse bandit.
The Great Elder winked, and a group of horse bandits slowly approached. Ye Nuan's grip on the dagger gradually tightened. Just as everyone was about to pounce, someone outside the crowd suddenly chuckled, and then another group of horse bandits rushed in with knives.
The people in the hall were pushed back repeatedly to make way. Chu Xuesong, dressed in red with cloud-like sleeves and with a handsome face, appeared beside Ye Nuan. He pulled the dagger from her hand and said to the elder, "If you must marry the bandit, why Lu Hao and not me?"
Everyone was stunned. Ye Nuan was confused and tried to discern something from his gentle and modest features. Her hand was gently pressed, with a soothing force.
Ye Nuan's throat moved, but she didn't say anything.
The elder frowned and stared coldly at him, who was also wearing a bright red wedding dress: "Chu Xuesong, what do you mean by this?"
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