47 Chapter 47
◎War breaks out, food is collected◎
When County Magistrate Huang sent someone, Cheng Mu happened to be taking Xiaoliu and Xiaoqi to a high place to look into the distance and saw it.
Two horses, three men, and a carriage.
One of them claimed to be Qiu Ming, the manager of Shangguan Horse Farm. The other two were Qingyu, an attendant of County Magistrate Huang, whom Cheng Mu had met a few times. There was also a ten-year-old child. They rode on the same horse with a rabbit hanging on its back, which they had shot on the way here.
The boy was the son of County Magistrate Huang, named Huang Chong, and nicknamed Chong'er.
County Magistrate Huang’s son has grown up so much.
County Magistrate Huang went to the horse farm for official business but also had some free time. He came to invite Cheng Mu, firstly for official business and secondly to chat with her.
Cheng Mu couldn't leave Xiaoliu and Xiaoqi behind, so she took them with her.
On the way there, Cheng Mu asked the horse ranch manager, Qiu, "There's a widow in our village who's a cousin of Wang San from your ranch. Living close together, they've always helped each other. She recently adopted a child, so she wrote to her third brother, but hasn't heard back. When you get here, could you please ask him to come see her so I can talk to him in person?"
Manager Qiu said, "When the former horse ranch owner left, he took all the elderly people with him. Didn't Wang San tell her about this when he left?"
"No letter."
"We don't know where the previous horse farm owner went after he moved the farm. Now everyone in the farm is a recent arrival. That lady has nowhere to ask. She can only wait for a letter from her cousin."
"If that's the case, that's the only way. Thank you for letting me know."
Cheng Mu was sure that they were all wiped out.
After meeting County Magistrate Huang, he explained that it was a formal transfer.
The county government has the documents archived, and the royal palace spent a lot of money to take over the horse farm.
Cheng Mu asked him if Shangguan Duan had done it personally, but County Magistrate Huang didn't know.
County Magistrate Huang had no idea what had happened or what the inside story was.
It would be more accurate to say that it was the owner of the Xu farm who borrowed County Magistrate Huang to invite Cheng Mu over than to say that County Magistrate Huang invited Cheng Mu over.
County Magistrate Huang originally planned to finish his business at the horse farm and then go to Zhaojia Village to visit Cheng Mu. However, Farm Master Xu suggested that he bring Madam Cheng over and treat her well. He was very sincere, so County Magistrate Huang did not refuse.
The fifty shi of grain seeds that County Magistrate Huang exchanged last year were harvested this autumn, and the yield was very good, with two to three shi per mu. County Magistrate Huang now wants to continue exchanging the grain seeds and plant Cheng Mi's grain seeds in all the barren areas of Puyang County so that every household can have a full granary.
He had heard about the regenerated wheat and also wanted to ask her about the wheat seeds.
The two are matched, rice is planted where rice can be planted, and spring wheat is planted where rice cannot be planted.
He also wants to promote Cheng Min's high-yield corn and sweet potatoes.
In the past two years, there has been drought in the north and floods in the south. The Central Plains has had no harvest, people in the two lakes region have been displaced, the harvest has been meager, there are starving people everywhere, and people have to trade their children for food.
In the second half of this year alone, a large number of refugees poured into Puyang City.
County Magistrate Huang was only an official in Puyang, and he could only take care of this place.
After knowing Cheng Mu's background, he knew she would not refuse, so he drew a detailed map of Puyang County for her, describing the terrain conditions of each place in detail. These were all things he had worked out step by step over the past few years.
County Magistrate Huang was a diligent agricultural promotion official. He was very fortunate to have met Cheng Mi, who could make all his ideas come true.
Cheng Mu was also very fortunate to have met County Magistrate Huang, who was dedicated to the people and did his best to ensure that everyone had enough food to eat and to bring the good seeds she had bred to where they should go.
While they were talking about business, Huang Chong took Xiaoliu and Xiaoqi out to play, Chen Hu and Li Yu followed, and Guier stayed with Cheng Mu.
When Mu Yun was brought in by Manager Qiu, he saw such a harmonious scene.
Gui'er was so bored that her eyelids were fighting, but she instantly perked up when she saw Mu Yun. "Why are you here? Haven't you written any couplets at home?"
The two people in the meeting room were so engrossed in their conversation that Mu Yun watched for a moment before asking Gui Er, "What are they talking about?"
"We've been talking about this seed and that seed for most of the day. Mr. Huang also came to ask for seeds."
When it was dark and time for dinner, Cheng Mu was holding Xiaoliu and only then did she learn from her that Mu Yun had arrived.
"It's tiring enough to write all day, why did you rush here?"
"I can't finish writing this year's couplets, so I won't write anymore. I want to ride the wind and walk on the snow, and I'll come here to pick you up."
"Why is your voice a little hoarse? Do you have a cold or fever?"
Mu Yun's ears felt a little hot. He took two steps back and shook his head.
But it was already dark outside, and Cheng Mu said, "The road is dangerous, let's go during the day."
That night Mu Yun also rested at the horse farm.
A foal was born at the racecourse that night, and the next day, Xiaoliu and Xiaoqi were taken to see the newborn foal.
The foal was able to walk soon after it was born. Xiaoliu pointed at the foal and said, "The baby horse's legs are so long."
The horse breeder brought the foal over and asked Xiaoliu and Xiaoqi to stretch out their hands so that the foal could smell their scent, but Xiaoliu turned away in fear and hugged Guier who was holding her tightly.
Cheng Mu encouraged her, "Don't be afraid, Xiaoliu. The foal won't bite you. It doesn't have any teeth yet."
Xiao Qi was very calm. He stretched out his index finger and gently poked the foal's nose.
As expected of a cub who has lived with tigers since birth.
Cheng Mu called Xiao Liu, "Look, the pony has remembered Xiao Qi. Do you want it to remember you too?"
Xiaoliu finally turned around. Cheng Mu was already touching the foal's neck. Cheng Mu smiled at her, "Do you want to try it?"
After the owner of the horse farm bought alfalfa seeds from Cheng Mu, he prepared a foal for her that had just been weaned and could be taken home to raise.
It had been brought over at this time, a chestnut pony with furry fur.
After Mu Yun took it, he stroked the base of its ears with his fingers. The foal looked very happy.
Cheng Mu said to Xiao Liu, "Daddy has Chengfeng. From now on, this pony will belong to you and your sister. What do you want to call it?"
I didn't ask Xiao Qi because he hadn't spoken yet.
Xiaoliu: "Snow."
At this time, snowflakes began to fall from the sky again.
Cheng Xi nodded, "Feixue, a very good name."
The owner of the horse farm, Xu, was more tactful than his previous Shangguan. Not only did he send the foal as a gift, he also stuffed a bag of bright oranges into his pocket when he left.
This is a rare thing, you can't find it anywhere in the north. It's a good thing that you can buy even if you have money but nowhere to buy it.
It can only come from the palace.
The orange is slightly more sour than sweet, and is a bit astringent in later generations, but it is very rare nowadays. The smell of orange is refreshing, and the sweet and sour taste makes people's appetite open.
Each orange slice has two or three seeds. Cheng Mu told everyone to spit them carefully into their hands and not to waste them.
She improved and improved in space.
Within a few days, the oranges grown in the space became much sweeter. She gave one to Mu Yun to taste and asked him to compare.
The first one's flesh is so sour that it makes you lose your eyesight when you first take a bite, while the second one's sourness only serves to enhance the flavor, and the juice is already very sweet.
"Come on, spit on my hand."
Cheng Mu carefully caught the seeds that Mu Yun was about to spit out. Mu Yun's heart tightened and he swallowed all the seeds in his mouth.
Cheng Mu's hands shifted from being spread out to patting him, and she said angrily, "Why swallow it? Aren't you afraid it'll sprout in your stomach?"
She treated him like a child and lied to him. This is what she said to Xiaoliu and Xiaoqi.
Mu Yun hid his increasingly prominent Adam's apple in his collar.
He has been concentrating on his work for the past six months and has been talking less and less. He also feels that his voice is a bit unpleasant now.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Cheng Mu gave everyone two oranges and wished everyone a happy new year.
The families who had given their land to Cheng Madam to farm by Santou River were watching with envy. They wanted to take the land back and farm it themselves. They only earned five dou per mu a year, but now it is different. They can now harvest nearly four dan per mu. They had an idea when they saw Madam Cheng's harvest last autumn. They had been secretly mumbling about it until the next year, when they saw that it was time to raise rice seedlings and plant the land again. They finally couldn't help it and ran to Mr. Zhao's place many times in the first month of the year.
Mr. Zhao Ba wanted to, but when Madam Cheng first acquired these lands, she had already made it clear, "Three years is three years, not even a day less."
Mr. Zhao Ba was just thinking about it. He advised the others, "We've signed the contract, and County Magistrate Huang personally witnessed it. If any of you want to break the contract, go and talk to County Magistrate Huang in person."
Who would dare to go? Zhao Linzi said, "Let's go and ask Madam Cheng. What if she agrees?"
Mr. Zhao glared at him sideways. "Ask? Go ask, and now you've instigated me!" He glanced at everyone. "Building dikes and weirs, digging ditches and canals, diverting water for salt washing—all of this was spearheaded by Madam Cheng. You didn't spend a penny and even earned money doing the work. Now you're jealous, eating other people's food and want to destroy their pots?!"
"Mrs. Cheng has all these skills. She doesn't have to farm in our Zhaojia Village. If you drive her away, who will suffer in the end?"
Zhao Afu muttered, "We are at a disadvantage compared to other families now..."
Mr. Zhao suddenly stood up, put his hands behind his back and walked away, not even bothering to say anything to them.
Zhao Linzi and Zhao Afu exchanged glances and asked silently, what should we do?
They didn't dare go to Madam Cheng's house and tell her about it themselves, especially after the county government sent people over.
Cheng Mu had prepared the quantity of seeds of various crops that County Magistrate Huang had agreed with her years ago. As soon as the people he arranged arrived, he had them weighed out one by one at the hill behind the mountain.
It’s still not a transaction, it’s a change of type.
In May of this year, the little emperor died.
In June, King Yanyun issued a punitive manifesto and sent troops south under the banner of "eliminating treacherous ministers and clearing the imperial court."
In September, the government collected grain from all over the country.
Although Cheng Mu's place was close to the border of the country, it was in the rear of the war and was not affected by the war at all. She had no idea how dire the situation was in the Central Plains and the capital area, and her life was still the same as before.
The only difference was that before, County Magistrate Huang came to exchange grain seeds, but this time he came to persuade her to donate grain.
She is now a major grain producer in the area. Every other household only needs to pay the amount assigned by the village head, but she was persuaded to donate more.
County Magistrate Huang, treating her as his own talent, gave her this idea. Based on his own rigorous judgment, he believed that Prince Yanyun would win, so he lined up his team and asked Cheng Mi to bet on it as well.
Xiaoliu held a big grape in his hand, with his hands behind his back, and asked Xiaoqi to guess which hand it was in. If he guessed correctly, he could eat it, otherwise he would get to eat it.
Yu was scolding Gui'er in the courtyard.
Cheng Mu asked Guier to take Xiaoliu and Xiaoqi out to play.
She asked Huang Xiancheng, "Senior, what are you pursuing?"
In front of others, everyone always called him "Sir", but now that she had dismissed everyone, she called him "Senior". Huang Nian'an knew that she was asking about his Dao.
They were in Yanbei, under the rule of King Yanyun, but all under heaven belonged to the king, so logically their position should be with the imperial court.
During the Republic of China, beset by internal and external difficulties, he was not afraid of sacrifice in pursuit of national independence and people's liberation. Now is not a time for national survival; the power struggles of feudal society recur every few hundred years, with chaos and order, prosperity and decline. In such a torrent, there is no soil for overthrowing the monarchy and establishing a republic, and he certainly does not have the ability to do so.
The time, place and people are all right.
All we can do is to do our best to reduce excessive taxes and levies and make people's lives easier.
He had been in this world for eighteen years and had visited many places. The powerful families in the south had annexed land, and the officials in the capital had usurped power. Only the King of Yanyun in northern Yan had made great contributions to the border defense and maintained a clean government. He now sided with the King of Yanyun because he had seen clearly that the people in power were very important. He was not afraid of greed, but of stupidity.
If he lacked the ability, how could he benefit the people? If the dynasty declined and society became turbulent, even if he could grow 10 dan of grain per mu, how much of it would reach the people? He was afraid that Cheng Mu was too idealistic.
Cheng Mu naturally knew all this. Huang Nian'an came to her specifically to collect grain, and since she had always been under his protection, she would definitely give it to him.
She was afraid that Huang Nian'an would be too obsessed with it.
Just help the country and benefit the people and don't forget your original intention.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
