Ye Nuan and the others approached and looked suspiciously at the camel team behind Chu Xuesong, "What are you doing here?"
The person opposite her had an elegant face, standing tall like a bamboo tree, and smiled warmly at her: "Ah Nuan, I'm here to discuss cooperation."
"Cooperation?" What could she possibly cooperate with the bandits?
Chu Xuesong said sternly, "The reason why the Creation Pavilion has grown so big is that it accepts everyone who comes. As long as they follow the rules, they can do business with horse bandits. Yunjian Farm is open for business, so they don't lack this kind of grace, right?"
"The combined financial resources of Weijiazhai and Chujiazhai may not be inferior to Luomu City."
"Besides, we, the Chu Family Village, are good bandits and don't kill people. Ah Nuan, the winter in the wilderness is unbearable..."
Ye Nuan looked at the camel team behind him and asked, "What did you bring?"
Chu Xuesong waved to the people behind him, and He Xin immediately asked someone to bring up large wooden barrels.
"Didn't you want to make salt before? This place is full of salt water. From now on, the work of transporting water can be done by the people of Chujiazhai."
Qi Wuze immediately stepped forward and said coldly, "That's not necessary. My people can also handle transporting salt water."
Chu Xuesong looked at Qi Wuze, his peach blossom eyes soft but his voice sharp, "Luomu City is backed by the mountains, and Chu Family Village is backed by the sea of sand. The desert has always been a haven for bandits. We can make a hundred trips back and forth without casualties, can City Lord Qi do it?"
Can't do it!
Most of Luomu City's soldiers were defending the city, and they had hardly ever been to the desert, so they didn't know much about it. Previously, he had been unable to move during sandstorms, and if he forced his way into transporting salt water, there would definitely be casualties.
But for the sake of livelihood, casualties don’t matter.
Now, if someone wants to transport salt water, as long as they share a portion of the profits, this business can be done. Besides, if they don't agree, they will have to be on guard against attacks by horse bandits every time they transport salt water.
When Ye Nuan saw Qi Wuze was silent, she knew the answer.
She smiled, her tone polite yet distant, "So, how do you do this business? What do you want in exchange for the salt water?"
Chu Xuesong saw her expression and felt as if his heart was being pricked by needles. He felt very uncomfortable. He controlled his emotions and said, "We only need 30% of the salt produced each time."
Only 30%?
Ye Nuan was surprised. Transporting salt water was the most laborious and difficult part of the entire process. They volunteered to take on this job, and only wanted 30%?
Chu Xuesong kept a close eye on her expression. Seeing her hesitation, her eyelashes drooped, and her voice was filled with guilt. "I was wrong to lie to you before, but...A Nuan, can you trust me again? We need salt. Even 30% is better than buying it at the Creation Pavilion."
Although Qi Wuze didn't want him to get involved, he had to admit that this matter was beneficial to them! On one side were the people of the city, and on the other was Chu Xuesong, his competitor. Privately, he didn't want Ah Nuan and Chu Xuesong to have anything to do with each other, but as the lord of a city, he couldn't just consider himself.
He looked at Ye Nuan, waiting for her to make a decision.
"Deal." She would naturally do such a profitable business.
Chu Xuesong smiled with relief, had all the wooden barrels placed outside the yard, and then said goodbye tactfully.
Just as he got on the camel, Ye Nuan suddenly called him.
Chu Xuesong immediately looked up, a smile rippled in his eyes, and his voice was slightly happy: "A Nuan, have you forgiven me?"
Ye Nuan didn't respond to his words, but said, "Wait a minute, the new clothes I made for you are ready. I'll take them out for you."
After saying that, she jumped off the horse, went to Su to get the clothes, and then carried them out to him, pursing her lips and saying, "Don't get me wrong, this was made before. If you don't take it, no one in the family can wear it."
Chu Xuesong smiled, his eyes reflecting her figure. He reached out to take the clothes and said tenderly, "Well, thank you, A'nuan!"
Qi Wuze looked at the clothes in his hands, his face tense: two sets of autumn clothes and a winter coat, white and elegant, embroidered with green bamboo and black orchid!
He felt a little sad in his heart. A Nuan had never given him clothes, and the last time he wore Chu Xuesong's clothes!
Chu Xuesong put away his clothes and asked Ye Nuan, "When can I come to get the salt?"
"Maybe in two days." You can try to boil salt with this salt water.
Chu Xuesong nodded, waved to her, and disappeared into the depths of the wilderness with a group of people.
Qi Wuze asked Gao Zangfeng to take people to move the wooden barrel back to the yard, and asked him to call the workers to eat, work harder at night, and then rest directly on the farm.
Su had already prepared dinner: clear noodle soup with a few side dishes and two sweet potatoes per person. This was a truly sumptuous meal for the desert dwellers, who often went hungry in the winter. The workers remarked, "No wonder everyone who's been here says Miss Ye is so good."
The food is so good that I’d be happy to come every day without getting paid.
While everyone was eating, Ye Nuan checked the Lingquan space and found that the durian tree she had planted last night was lush and leafy, with ripe durian hanging from its huge trunk. The golden durian exuded a rich fragrance.
Of course, people who don’t like it won’t find it delicious.
She directly took out ten from the space and asked Xiaohu and the others to help carry them to the resting place. After everyone finished their meal and were about to get up, they saw Ye Xiaohu and Qi Ya, both covering their mouths and noses with cloth strips, frowning their facial features, and carrying in an oval, long, golden object with spikes.
They couldn't help but look curiously, and Ye Nuan called out, "Don't stand there, everyone go over and help move it. This is the latest fruit cultivated on the farm, and it's perfect for you to try."
When everyone heard there was something delicious to eat, they immediately ran to the main hall to help carry it. However, many people who came closer immediately covered their mouths and noses, looking as if they wanted to vomit. But they were too embarrassed to ask Ye Nuan, so they could only mutter to themselves: What kind of fruit is this? Is it edible if it smells so bad?
Gao Zangfeng was outspoken and only sniffed it twice before he pinched his nose and leaned against the wall to dry heave, yelling, "Miss Ye, what the hell is this? It stinks so bad I'm about to vomit!"
Ye Nuan: “.”
She explained, "It just smells bad, but tastes delicious." Then she said to Xiaohu, "Get a knife, I'll open it."
Ye Xiaohu covered his nose and ran back, and soon he got a knife. When Ye Nuan was about to start, Qi Wuze quickly took it and said, suppressing the urge to vomit, "You tell me how to cut it, I'll do it."
Ye Nuan gestured twice: "No need to cut, just split the surface and then break it in half."
"Yeah." Qi Wuze nodded, took a deep breath, pressed the knife on the hard durian, and then pressed hard.
Snap!
The golden durian cracked open, and the rich smell filled the entire yard. People who were originally standing far away instantly dispersed further away.
Qi Wuze put down the knife and used his bare hands to exert force.
Snap!
The durian was broken in half, revealing its golden flesh. He asked Ye Nuan, "How do you eat it?"
Ye Nuan leaned over, stretched out her hands, broke off the flesh of the fruit one by one, and placed it on the plate on the table. Then she took a bite as a demonstration for everyone, "Here, just eat it directly, everyone try it."
As she moved, the unique smell of durian wafted into the air, causing some people to run away with a nauseous retching. Qi Wuze, fearing Ye Nuan's embarrassment, was the first to pick up the durian and stuff it into his mouth, his handsome features wrinkling together.
It was soft, juicy, tender, and sweet. It was surprisingly delicious. He couldn't help but take another bite. His frowning features relaxed. As he ate, he said to the people on the terrace, "Try it. It's quite delicious."
Seeing that their city lord was eating so happily, the others came over and tentatively picked up a piece and put it in their mouths.
After tasting it, more than half of the people's brows relaxed, their faces painted with joy, and they said loudly: "This thing smells bad, but tastes good. No, it doesn't smell bad anymore after smelling it like this."
There was still a small number of people who were still not used to the taste of durian. They held onto the pillars and retched a few times, and their expressions became more and more distorted as they watched the people on the terrace feasting on the food.
How can something so smelly be delicious?
Qi Ya and Ye Xiaohu covered their noses and ate it up. When Ye Nuan handed it to them again, they couldn't help but take it and stuff it into their mouths. However, after just one bite, they both vomited.
Ye Xiaohu was still holding a large piece in his hand, not knowing whether to throw it away or eat it. In the blink of an eye, it was snatched away by Huajuan, and he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Ye Nuan sighed: It seems that durian is to her brother what chili is to City Lord Qi - he just can't swallow it.
Qi Wuze ate so deliciously that he broke off a piece and passed it to Ye Nuan, "You eat it too, this durian is so delicious!"
It smells really good!
Durian mille-feuille, durian pudding, durian pancakes, durian cake... just thinking about it makes me drool.
In the end, all ten durians were eaten. To make up for the hurt feelings of the few people who didn't like durian, Ye Nuan gave each of them an orange. Everyone was happy and worked even harder.
The wooden house was almost built in one day. If we work on it for another day tomorrow, the warehouse should be almost done too.
The next day, just as the sun rose, a hundred or so people showed up outside the farm. Upon asking, they discovered they were the people who had just signed up for the farm jobs the day before. Gao Zangfeng had screened them, and they had rushed to the farm before daybreak.
Ye Nuan asked everyone to pick up their number plates and wait. This time, they were only recruiting 30 permanent workers for a two-month period, and the positions would be determined by a lottery. Those whose names were drawn would register, and the rest could wait in line for the next round of draws.
The sky was clear and the air was fresh. About a hundred people were rubbing their hands excitedly while holding their sign cards. The sun shone on everyone's faces, and they all looked very happy.
Qi Wuze scanned everyone's faces one by one, his expression becoming more and more gloomy. He waved to Gao Zangfeng, who was maintaining order, took him to the corner of the second floor, and kicked him hard.
Gao Zangfeng was shocked and dazed after being kicked. He suppressed his voice and said in doubt: "City, City Lord, what's wrong?"
Qi Wuze's forehead veins throbbed, and he angrily cursed, "Is this the person you chose?"
"Hmm," Gao Zangfeng was confused. "What's the problem?"
Qi Wuze kicked him again and cursed in a low voice, "Why do you only choose those with good looks, tall and strong bodies?"
Gao Zangfeng looked innocent, scratching his forehead and hesitating, "I, I just thought Miss Ye is so pretty, I can't choose some ugly ones to offend her eyes. Only tall and strong can do the work, right?"
"Besides, Miss Ye should like Xiaobai, so I picked some with pretty faces who look easy to talk to!"
"...You!" Qi Wuze gritted his teeth and sneered, "Which eye of yours saw that she liked someone like Chu Xuesong?"
Their city lord seemed unhappy. Gao Zangfeng muttered, "Miss Ye already hired a farmhand before." Then he began to lament, "City lord, how come Xiaobai is the head of the Chu Family Village? He's a good young man... Miss Ye and the others must be very sad."
"...You!" Qi Wuze was so angry that he drew his sword. Gao Zangfeng was so scared that he pushed the handle back hard and begged for mercy: "City Lord, what's wrong? I'll change it! Isn't it okay?"
Qi Wuze put his thumb on the hilt of the knife and raised an eyebrow, "I heard you told everyone that I don't like Ah Nuan?"
Before Gao Zangfeng could react, he immediately said in a flattering tone, "City Lord, isn't that what you said? They misunderstood you, and I've tried my best to explain. Don't worry, as long as you try harder, everyone will definitely believe that you really don't like Miss Ye!"
Qi Wuze: “.” He looked Gao Zangfeng up and down, and said in a very sincere tone: “Crazy man, there is a reason why you don’t have a wife at your age!”
Gao Zangfeng felt that his city lord was similar to himself, but he didn't dare to say it.
Qi Wuze waved at him, and he hurried closer, then heard his city lord lower his voice and say, "I made a mistake earlier. If anyone asks you later, just say I like Ah Nuan."
"What! City Lord, you like Miss Ye!" Gao Zangfeng had already firmly believed that the City Lord did not like Miss Ye. Now that he heard the City Lord change his words, he was the first one who couldn't believe it, and his voice was as loud as thunder.
It was so loud that even the farmhands who were applying for jobs in the yard heard it.
Ye Nuan was stunned for a moment, then quickly said to the stunned crowd, "It's okay. Those who have received their name cards, come over and register your names. Whoever's name is called will stay and do the work. The rest of you can go back and come back in two months."
About a hundred people looked at the small wooden building and then at Ye Nuan, who had a beautiful and gentle face.
Well, if the city lord likes it, they have no hope!
Everyone registered their names one by one and inserted their own sign cards into a bamboo tube. Ye Xiaohu drew thirty cards. Those whose names were called out were excited, while those whose names were not called out were dejected.
After the cabins and warehouses were built, Gao Zangfeng took the remaining seventy people back home. Before leaving, he looked at his city lord, who hadn't returned to the city for a long time, and hesitated to speak.
Qi Wuze glanced at him and scared him so much that he ran away.
Ye Nuan said to the remaining thirty people, "From today on, you will all help work on the farm. The farm will provide three meals a day, and rations will be distributed every two weeks. If you want a monthly salary, that's fine too. You can take turns taking a seven-day break to visit your family in the city. As long as you work hard, you'll definitely have a good New Year. But if anyone slacks off, they'll be kicked out of the farm."
"The first thing to do now is to help boil the salt."
Ye Nuan had a dozen wooden barrels carried to the edge of the pond in the yard, and then had people start a fire and set up a vat, pouring the salt water in the barrels into the pond one bucket at a time.
Qi Wuze stood by and stared, asking doubtfully, "Can salt be made by boiling salt water like this?"
Ye Nuan nodded. "The salt lakes in the desert are naturally high in salt. All you need to do is boil it slowly in a pot until 90% of the water is boiled off, and the salt will precipitate out. Then, filter it with gauze and water, and you'll get clean salt. You just have to control the heat when boiling the salt to prevent it from burning."
"If you want to increase your yield, you can store a few acres of brine fields around the farm, expose them to the sun, and then process them to produce salt."
After she finished speaking, Qi Wuze's eyes became even hotter, "A Nuan, you are so amazing!"
How come his A Nuan knows everything!
He used to admire his mother very much, then he began to admire Jiang Ji, and now A Nuan's ability has exceeded his cognition.
How could Baili Zhuo bear to hurt such a Nuan! Thinking of her being disfigured and exiled, he felt sad, but also somewhat relieved.
I feel sad about the injuries she suffered, but I am glad that she met me after that.
He took a step forward, took the smooth wooden stick from Ye Nuan's hand, and said softly, "Ah Nuan, it's hot by the stove, you stand there and talk, I'll stir it."
Ye Nuan took two steps back: "Just stir it clockwise."
Qi Wuze asked: "How long will it take before we can see salt?"
Ye Nuan estimated: "It will take about two hours. When a layer of transparent white frost appears on the surface and there is not much water left, call me. I will take people to weed the fields, apply fertilizer, and have them plant more trees."
Later, more land will be opened one after another.
The rapeseed, sorghum, and rice planted earlier have gradually matured, and some of the vegetables in the fields can be harvested.
She can let everyone put the things into the warehouse first, and then she can hide away from everyone and put the fruits and vegetables that are easy to rot into the space, and take them out when people come to buy them. This way, she can ensure that everything she sells is fresh.
Ten people were left to help Qi Wuze boil salt, and Ye Nuan took twenty people to harvest the rice by the pond. The moment they touched the rice, the metal panel in Ye Nuan's mind kept rolling.
When the entire acre of rice was harvested, joyful female voices immediately rang out.
"Congratulations, host! The Spiritual Spring Space has been upgraded to level nine. Rewards include barley, broad beans, cotton, sunflowers, lettuce, tea seeds, mangoes, cherries, and Ganoderma lucidum, as well as eight pieces of land. Keep up the good work, host! Upgrade to level ten to unlock unexpected features!"
Unexpected features?
If nothing goes wrong, you will be able to upgrade to level ten after harvesting the large area of land on the left.
But after harvesting the rice today, she still had to thresh and shell the rice before harvesting other crops. She was a farmer and didn't want to be skinned during the week.
Ye Nuan'an suppressed his excitement and asked everyone to collect the rice first.
Luomu City was short of water, so they only grew sorghum and wheat. They had tried rice from the interior, but it was mostly stale and brown. Yunjian Farm not only thrived, but now had a bumper harvest, with heavy, golden rice grains, plump and round.
The workers who were harvesting rice not only did not feel tired, but were extremely excited. Holding the peeled snow-white rice grains, they asked Ye Nuan: "Miss Ye, how much is this rice?" The people who asked were cautious. If it was not expensive, they would also like to buy some to take home for their families to try.
Ye Nuan smiled and said, "It's not expensive. One piece of jade is worth two liters of rice. If you help me work, you can exchange it for ten liters of rice in half a month."
Everyone showed excitement on their faces: two liters of rice can feed a family of three for five or six days, ten liters of rice can last for more than twenty days, and if we make it for two months, it will be four dou of rice, which is enough to get through this winter!
"Miss Ye, we must do our best!"
Ye Nuan nodded: "Well, good job, I will prepare another New Year's gift for him when I go back."
Someone who was quick-witted asked on the spot: "Miss Ye, what are the New Year's goods?"
Ye Nuan blinked. "Keep it a secret. The New Year's goods will definitely be plentiful! You all work hard. I'll see it with my eyes. Then I'll work with your city lord to select the most hardworking one."
Now everyone worked hard.
During this time, Ye Xiaohu and Qi Ya came to bring water, and Ye Nuan followed them back. The smoke from boiling salt drifted far away from the pond, and the entire Yunjian Farm was bustling with activity.
Suddenly someone exclaimed in surprise, "Salt is coming out, salt is coming out!" The ten people who were originally boiling salt all ran over to watch. Pure white particles had already precipitated out of the first vat that was boiling salt.
Qi Wuze kept stirring with the wooden stick in his hand, his handsome face full of excitement.
The discovery of salt in a desert where there had never been any salt before was even more exciting than the discovery of iron ore. Although Ah Nuan had said that salt would definitely be produced, he was still overwhelmed with excitement when he actually saw the salt precipitated.
"A Nuan, come here and take a look, there's really salt!"
Ye Nuan quickened her pace and hurried over to him. When she reached him, he stretched out a hand and pulled her onto a high stool. Pointing at the pure white crystals on the surface, he excitedly said, "Look, it's really salt! Ah Nuan has produced salt!"
His whole facial features were smiling, his eyebrows and eyes were flying, and he could not hide his excitement.
"Yes, it's really salt." Ye Nuan was also a little excited. After all, they had been looking for salt for so long and almost lost their lives because of salt twice. How could they not be excited!
She tiptoed to look into the vat, then used a wooden stick to test the water level. She said to Qi Wuze, "Have someone turn off the fire, prepare the gauze and clean wooden barrel, and we can start dissolving the salt in this vat."
Dissolving salt means removing the excess impurities dissolved in water, leaving the clean salt which can be dried and eaten.
Qi Wuze quickly had the supplies prepared, with Ye Nuan directing the process. After filtering the salt back and forth several times, it became even cleaner and whiter, appearing even finer than the salt from the Creation Pavilion.
Qi Wuze held the snow-white salt in his hands, his eyes trembling slightly, and he was so excited that he couldn't speak. The farmhands who were originally working in the fields all gathered around, their eyes widened when they saw the salt, and then they saw their city lord dip his finger into the salt and put it into his mouth.
As his tongue slowly savored the salty taste, he exclaimed in surprise and amazement, "This salt is better than the one from the Creation Pavilion!"
The others also stepped forward to try it, their eyes shining as they praised: "Indeed, this salt has no strange taste."
The salt shipped from the Creation Pavilion is relatively rough, and the small amount of impurities in it are often not filtered out. Even if it is cooked in the pot for a long time, it will still have a strange smell, which usually affects the taste of the dish.
But the salt made by Ye Nuan is not like that, it is the purest salty taste!
"Miss Ye, you are so amazing, you can even make salt!"
"You must be sent by God to save our wasteland!"
Ye Nuan chuckled and said to everyone, "What are you waiting for? Get to work and try to get all the salt and rice out before dinner."
The people of Luomu City were very excited. The look in their eyes when they looked at Ye Nuan no longer had the disgust they had when they looked at the exiled criminals. Instead, there was only the purest admiration and passion in their eyes.
Qi Wuze's eyes and lips were still raised high. Ye Nuan took the salt from his hand and said with a smile: "Why are you in a daze? Hurry up and work. The salt needs to be dried. After it's dried, 30% will be given to Mr. Chu, and the rest is yours."
Take them all?
"No, how can I take all the salt you make?"
Ye Nuan: "The farm is what it is today thanks to you. We agreed that I would be responsible for Luomu City's food, and salt was naturally included. Don't be polite with me. I know you haven't had any salt in a long time. I'm sure the city is in great need of it right now, right?"
Her guess was indeed correct. Three months ago, Jiang Ji deliberately cut off Luomu City's salt, daily food and oil, and even weapons.
Some people can no longer afford salt.
Qi Wuze didn't refuse anymore and smiled brightly at her.
His A Nuan is so nice!
At night, Qi Wuze watered the withered flower roots again. After watering, he hugged the flowerpot with a warm and affectionate look in his eyes.
"You have to do your best!"
“It has to bloom quickly!”
Qi Ya saw his own family mumbling and grinning foolishly at the flowerpot through the crack in the door, and couldn't help but shudder.
Maybe his elder brother was infected by the little kid Xiaohu, and he likes to chat about the vegetables in the yard when he has nothing to do!
It is said that vegetables will grow in this way!
The sky was dark, the moon hidden behind black clouds. Everyone fell into a deep sleep, and a north wind raged across the wasteland. The faint sound of horse hooves faded away to the west of the farm. Qi Wuze woke from his sleep, startled by the smell of burning charcoal.
His right eyelid twitched wildly, he frowned, and decisively stood up to open the window. Thick smoke was billowing from the direction of the newly built cabin, and pinpoint flames were faintly visible in the smoke.
There are also farmhands living there.
Qi Wuze was startled, quickly got dressed, and slammed the door shut. Ye Nuan woke up to a series of rapid knocks on the door. Before she could regain consciousness, she was immediately hugged. Qi Wuze said anxiously, "Hurry up and get dressed! The farmhand's cabin is on fire!"
Ye Nuan woke up instantly, hurriedly put on her clothes in the dark, and ran out with him while putting on her shoes. Su Shi and the two children were also awakened, all wrapped in clothes and hurried out. When they ran to the small wooden building to the west, they found that the doors of the building were all locked. More than 30 farmhands were banging on the door, desperately calling for help!
This is obviously what someone could do, wanting to burn all these people to death.
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