Chapter 618 Cocoa Fruit
Soon, not only were roads built near the dock, but many rural roads were also paved with cement.
The main thing is that cement can be repaired very quickly. As long as everyone contributes enough labor and works diligently, the ground can be repaired and covered with cement. It will dry quickly and the road will be passable.
Before the spring plowing, many villages repaired their roads.
Of course, we are building the main roads.
Xiao Yueyao and Su Xueyi also went to see it in person.
The two people said they came out to watch, but they just acted like they were playing.
"It's spring now, look, the willow trees are sprouting!"
Su Xueyi and Xiao Yueyao could feel the warm spring breeze blowing, bringing a hint of warmth as they walked on the country road.
Su Xueyi nodded and said, "Yes, the willow tree has sprouted!"
Looking at the smile on Xiao Yueyao's face, Su Xueyi couldn't help but smile as well.
It was like she was making trouble and he was laughing.
Su Xueyi walked on the cement road, watching the villagers passing by, talking and laughing, with a look of relief on her face.
Sure enough, the road was repaired and looked much wider.
Moreover, Su Xueyi felt very real when she saw the changes in the villages.
When Su Xueyi was seen pointing at the willow tree by the river, she also looked dazed.
It feels like returning to Liuhe Village.
There is also a river at the entrance of Liuhe Village. Villagers like to wash clothes by the river on weekdays.
In the village, everyone works from sunrise to sunset.
He still remembered that in the spring of the year before last, she suddenly became different.
Thinking of Yao Niang at that time, Su Xueyi's expression was gentle and grateful.
He was grateful that she came to him.
Xiao Yueyao had no idea what Su Xueyi was thinking at the moment. She just looked at everything around her curiously.
“This place looks similar to our Liuhe Village, but there are still some differences.”
"The layout of the village is different from ours. Most of the houses are wooden, and wooden houses don't have kangs!"
Su Xueyi said, "It hardly snows here in the winter, so it's not very cold. We don't have kangs, but many people now know about heated kangs, and some families are thinking of building brick houses. I guess when the villagers' lives get better, everyone will repair their houses."
Xiao Yueyao nodded. "Indeed, there was no snow last winter. If it were in our Liuhe Village, it would definitely snow heavily."
“Sometimes the snow is so heavy that the mountain will be closed.”
We stayed indoors almost all winter.
But with the heated kang, the house is very warm.
This reminded Xiao Yueyao of her life in Liuhe Village.
“I really want to go back and take a look.”
Su Xueyi said gently, "When we're almost done with things here, let's go back and take a look."
As if thinking of something, Xiao Yueyao said, "The manager we arranged over there has replied to my letter saying that Liuhe Village is doing well now, and the business of the workshop is also very good. The most important thing is that the commercial street in our village is very popular now, and many people come to look at the products and buy things."
“They’re just snacks, actually.”
Su Xueyi said, "The snacks you asked everyone to research and present are things you can't eat outside."
“Everyone naturally wants to try it.”
"The most important thing is that people who go there from outside might think that it's the food that the princess researched in the commercial street and want to go and have a look."
Xiao Yueyao pouted, "You also care about my status as a princess?"
Su Xueyi grabbed her hand and pulled her to her side, looking at her with amusement and said, "You clearly know that I'm not!"
Seeing Su Xueyi's nervous look, Xiao Yueyao couldn't help laughing.
Of course she could feel his concern.
Xiao Yueyao couldn't help but say that just now, just to see his reaction.
Seeing how nervous he was, Xiao Yueyao couldn't help but smile.
Looking at the sly smile on Xiao Yueyao's face, Su Xueyi felt helpless.
He stroked her hair lovingly, "Naughty!"
But it's rare to see her in such a refined mood.
Both of them were very busy before and didn't have time to relax and go for a walk.
Although this time we are going to see the cement road.
But in fact, the two of them were just looking for an excuse to go out for a walk.
It’s spring now, everything is reviving, and walking on the road will make you feel very good.
Xiao Yueyao said, "Oh right, my parents wrote to me saying they're building a commercial district outside the capital. Mom is currently leading the construction team."
Su Xueyi also knew about this, "Didn't you give them the design drawings?"
Yes, Princess Yan Ning told Xiao Yueyao about her idea and asked Xiao Yueyao to help her with the layout design.
Xiao Yueyao took the time to design the drawings and sent them back.
Xiao Yueyao nodded and said, "Not only did he send the blueprints, he also wrote down his suggestions in the letter."
"I feel that if I'm transferred back to the capital in two years, that place outside the capital will be completely changed."
Su Xueyi said, "I think this is a good idea. The gate of the capital city wall is indeed quite crowded inside, mainly because there are too many people. If we can build some buildings outside, merchants and people entering the capital can temporarily stay outside the city."
Xiao Yueyao nodded and said, "Yes, my mother has the same idea. Besides, the manor outside the city is cheaper. My mother has a manor of her own. We can build a residential area, a commercial street, shops, inns and other facilities there."
"Coincidentally, there are two major academies there, Lulin Academy and Yunting Academy. They will definitely develop there."
Just like in the technological age, first-tier cities are also divided into many areas.
In fact, as long as the supporting facilities are complete, life will be very convenient even if it is far away from the central area of Beijing.
Xiao Yueyao strongly supports her mother's idea.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing the changes in the capital when I return."
"Besides, my parents have something to do, so they will feel fulfilled in the capital."
"Otherwise, I'd be really worried that they wouldn't feel comfortable returning to the capital."
Speaking of Lulin Academy, Xiao Yueyao thought of something else and said, "Oh, by the way, you might not have thought that Shangguan Kang is actually my cousin!"
"He's my aunt's son."
“It’s really hard to imagine!”
Su Xueyi knew about this relationship ever since she found out that Yao Niang's father was Marquis Xiao.
Because he knew the past of the dean of Lulin Academy.
In the past, this man was also a talented person with great learning. He married the daughter of Marquis Xiao and they were very loving.
However, after the Xiao family encountered trouble, I heard that Shangguan Bin’s wife fell ill and has been in poor health ever since.
Later, when Shangguan Kang was still young, the woman left.
He really is Yao Niang’s cousin.
“No wonder he called you Sister Shen before.”
Xiao Yueyao smiled and said, "Now you should call me Sister Xiao, no, call me Cousin."
"When I first met Shangguan Kang at the entrance of the academy, I felt a sense of familiarity."
"I just inexplicably want to take care of him. When she calls me Sister Shen, I don't reject it at all. I even like him to call me that, as if I really treat him as a younger brother."
"Now that I think about it, it turns out we really are related by blood."
So I thought it was amazing at the time.
The two were walking on the road. Xiao Yueyao came to the entrance of a village and suddenly saw a road sign at the entrance.
The name of the village "Huaishu Village Station" is written on it.
“Is this Huaishu Village?”
Su Xueyi nodded and said, "Yes, there is a century-old locust tree in their village, so it is called Locust Tree Village."
"This is the bus stop that has been set up. However, the bus stop has just been set up, and the bus carriages have not been converted yet."
"That would require a lot of carriages."
"These villages have routes planned. Once the roads are repaired and the carriages are modified, they will be open to traffic. At that time, there will be one carriage running back and forth every day."
"The bus leaves in the morning and returns in the evening, so if any villagers want to go to the town or the provincial capital, they can go there and back on the same day."
Xiao Yueyao didn't expect Su Xueyi to be so fast.
All this was arranged so quickly.
You can imagine that horse-drawn carriages will soon be available here, making travel more convenient for everyone.
And people from outside can also come to the village here.
"This way, villagers can take a car to the town to buy anything they want, without having to worry about not having ox carts."
Xiao Yueyao has a deep understanding of this.
In the past, Xiao Yueyao had to walk from Liuhe Village to the town.
But it’s better because their village is closer to the town.
For those who live far away from the town, it may take a whole morning to walk to the town.
Xiao Yueyao was happy for the people here when she thought about how it would be more convenient for them to travel in the future.
When they walked into the village, no one recognized Xiao Yueyao and Su Xueyi because they were wearing coarse linen clothes.
They dressed like this when entering the village to understand the people's sentiments.
It was almost noon at this time.
Many people carried baskets and returned to the village from the mountains, talking and laughing along the way.
"There are still a lot of mushrooms in the forest after the rain."
"Yes, we can collect these mushrooms and make soup when we get home."
"There are also wild vegetables. We can make some wild vegetable soup."
"I've been busy with land reclamation recently, so now is the only free time I have."
"I heard that the county government will distribute potatoes and sweet potatoes in a few days. If we plant them in the fields and take good care of them, we can get more than a thousand kilograms of yield per acre."
"I'm happy just thinking about it. If the yield is really that high, we can have enough food to eat."
"The most important thing is that it will be more convenient for us to go to town in the future. The people in the county government said that there will be special horse-drawn carriages and ox-drawn carts to take everyone to town. There will also be cars coming to the village, and you can take a ride for only a penny."
"Then it will be convenient to buy New Year's goods during the Spring Festival."
"Last year, everyone walked to town, and it took two hours."
"It's mainly because our village is too far from the town."
"Once the road is repaired, it will be easier to walk and it won't take so long."
“It feels like our village has become much more spacious since the road was built.”
"With Lord Su governing us, the villages in our state will get better and better in the future."
"No, everyone believes that."
"Oh, the willow trees by the river have sprouted too. I'll go pick some to make dumplings and buns later."
…
Everyone went home talking and laughing.
Xiao Yueyao and Su Xueyi naturally heard what everyone said.
Seeing the villagers' faces filled with bright smiles, Xiao Yueyao and Su Xueyi were also happy.
Xiao Yueyao's expression changed as she said, "I almost forgot, let's pick some willow buds and make willow bud buns for everyone."
Su Xueyi smiled gently and nodded, "Okay."
Speaking of willow bud buns, it reminded him of his previous life in Liuhe Village.
At that time, Yao Niang would pick some food and bring it back to cook.
There are willow buds, locust flowers, and some wild vegetables and flowers.
Two men picked some willow buds.
"I feel the process of picking these things is quite joyful and very relaxing."
In Su Xueyi's opinion, as long as Xiao Yueyao is happy, that's all that matters.
I picked some Xiao Yueyao and put them in the space.
When the two were about to go back, Xiao Yueyao suddenly found vanilla seeds on the side of the road.
"Hey, there are vanilla seeds here."
"What can these be used for?"
Su Xueyi didn't know about this.
Xiao Yueyao explained, "I remember that I used to make chocolate in my time."
"You can make chocolate by adding vanilla seeds and some other things during the process."
"But the climate here probably doesn't allow for making chocolate."
“It requires a very hot climate.”
Yes, at this time Xiao Yueyao thought of cocoa beans.
But cocoa beans can only be found in very southern places.
"Don't you want to visit many places in the future? Maybe you can find cocoa beans then."
"Or maybe we can go to the dock market and take a look."
Now a large market has formed at the dock.
Many people set up stalls there.
After those merchant ships transported some goods, they would also choose to sell them at the dock market.
There are many things there and the prices are cheap.
So many people nearby like to go there to shop and buy some good quality and cheap things.
Sometimes you can really find good things there.
Hearing Su Xueyi's words, Xiao Yueyao's expression also changed.
"Indeed, let's go take a look, maybe we can find something good."
Su Xueyi said gently, "Well, it's just a good opportunity to take a stroll."
When Su Xueyi and Shen Yueyao arrived there, it was already evening.
Although it was evening, the shops on both sides of the market were hung with lanterns.
The streets are also lit by lanterns, so even in the evening, the place is brightly lit.
It will continue into the evening.
In the past, people were used to working from sunrise to sunset.
Since this place has become lively and there are many markets, the security is good.
Many people like to go out for a walk after dinner.
Even the women have a place to go.
They can all go to the milk tea shop, sit down, eat some bread and drink some milk tea, which is also very relaxing.
Some private rooms are also places for everyone to relax and chat.
Xiao Yueyao talked about this in her letter.
Princess Yan Ning in the capital also wanted to build such a place in the outer city of the capital.
A place where everyone can relax, shop and chat.
Needless to say, you should go back and rest as soon as it gets dark.
You can also come out and relax in the evening.
You can try many delicious foods.
Xiao Yueyao and Su Xueyi walked around inside and indeed saw a lot of new little things.
There are also some stalls selling spices.
It's just that the spices are expensive.
A customer asked in front of a stall.
After hearing the prices, they all frowned and thought, "These spices are too expensive."
"You don't know how expensive these spices are, but they are shipped from the Gulin Royal Court. Everyone knows how troublesome it is to ship spices from the Gulin Royal Court these days, so naturally they are expensive."
"The spices here are quite cheap. You may not be able to buy them in stores, and they are more expensive."
Hearing these words, Xiao Yueyao's expression changed.
I don’t know whether Ruoyun and Gu Lenghan have arrived at the Gulin Royal Court now.
At least she hasn't received Ruoyun's letter yet.
Xiao Yueyao walked over to take a look and found that there were indeed some rare spices.
Such spices can be used to make incense and various precious aromas.
The raw materials of spices are indeed precious.
But Xiao Yueyao didn't plan to buy these.
But when she looked at the surrounding customers, she found that quite a few people wanted to buy spices.
Xiao Yueyao thought thoughtfully, this is indeed a huge market.
She stood up and prepared to continue shopping when she suddenly saw cocoa fruits on the stall next to her.
"Cocoa fruit, it's really cocoa fruit!"
Xiao Yueyao was naturally excited when she saw the cocoa fruits on the stall.
Having cocoa beans means she can make chocolate.
Whenever you make delicious chocolate, you can give it to Su Ling, Su Yang and others to try.
And if chocolate could be mass-produced and put on the market, you can imagine how popular it would be.
This thing is not cheap in this technological age.
Su Xueyi looked at Xiao Yueyao's excitement and said, "Is this the cocoa fruit you mentioned on the way?"
I didn’t expect to actually find cocoa fruit.
Xiao Yueyao nodded and said, "Yes."
Xiao Yueyao walked up to the woman and asked, "Auntie, how much do you sell these cocoa nuts for?"
The woman became excited when she heard Xiao Yueyao's words, "Miss, do you recognize these fruits?"
"Yes, I know these fruits. How do you sell them?"
The woman said, "One cocoa nut weighs about two pounds, which is two cents each. If you buy more, you can get a lower price."
The woman was feeling a little uneasy as she spoke these words.
She has been setting up a stall here for a while, but no one has asked about this.
The main thing is that this thing really doesn’t taste very good.
She was still a little worried.
Xiao Yueyao became excited.
I didn't expect cocoa nuts to be so cheap.
If you make chocolate at this price, the cost is not expensive.
Then there’s the price of shipping cocoa beans from the south.
But if you buy it directly from the south, the price should be even cheaper.
Now Han Yunzheng’s water escort agency should also go to the south.
According to the plan, there will be a base in the capital city in the north, and a base should also be established in the south.
Although she is also the owner of the Water Escort Agency, Xiao Yueyao doesn't care much about the affairs of the Water Escort Agency.
Everything is managed by Han Yunzheng.
He managed it quite well, especially now that waterways are well developed and many people transport goods by water.
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