"Boss, our cotton is getting whiter and whiter day by day, and the flowers are turning more and more. There is little rain here, which is very suitable for growing cotton. It doesn't require much water."
"Yes, cotton is suitable for growing in the north. I didn't expect that even though we have visited so many places, there are still not many people planting it."
"We asked the villagers about this when we were chatting with them before. They said it was really difficult to take care of, and that it wouldn't grow as much as we do. They would plant it even if it could grow a third of the way, because their own crops couldn't compare to growing food."
"Boss, the village headman approached us before, saying he wanted to join us in growing cotton. We said we couldn't make the decision since you were away, so we pushed it off. Now that you're back, I think he'll come looking for you."
Everyone who sees their cotton harvest wants to learn how to grow cotton from them. Currently, the regional cotton production is low, the price is high, and it is profitable. If more people grow cotton in the future and it becomes less profitable, people will no longer be so eager to do so. However, this process will probably take several years.
"Let's wait until they find one. Given the current situation here, it's hard to say how to arrange things for next year."
"I heard from the villagers that this area was once occupied by King Chen, and all the useful men in the village were drafted into the army by King Chen's troops. The villagers had fled before, but it was later recaptured. A year later, they gradually returned and settled down. Now they don't want to flee anymore. They say it's okay, since most of the men and children are dead anyway. If God doesn't let them live, then just take them away."
No wonder she felt the houses here were shabby when she came here before. She thought it was because they were too poor and didn’t want to repair them.
Seeing them chatting, some villagers came over to talk to them. They asked Chunxiao what the situation was like outside and how much a pound of cotton cost. In short, they asked everything they could think of, and gradually everyone became familiar with each other.
Dongsheng came again two days later, and seeing that Zhuangzi had nothing to do, he left in a hurry.
On September 10, Zhuangzi started the first round of harvesting. Everyone was busy. The cotton was spread out in the yard, and special people picked the cotton seeds and packed them into bags. Almost ten thousand kilograms were harvested in a day, and everyone was immersed in the joy of the harvest.
On this day, everyone was working in the fields when a group of soldiers arrived. The leader was obviously a general, and Dongsheng followed behind him. Although soldiers could often be seen patrolling around the village, few of them entered the village, and everyone was shocked.
Ersan went up to ask questions, Dongsheng gestured for him to call Chunxiao over, and a group of people entered the yard.
Xiaohua and a few other women were removing cotton seeds in the yard when they saw a group of soldiers and were almost frightened to death.
"Don't be afraid, little flower girl. This is our lieutenant general. We have no ill intentions and are just here to talk to you. Why don't you go to the backyard first?"
Xiaohua and a few others quickly took their things and left. Not long after, she ran over again, and several soldiers were looking at her.
"I, I, I'm waiting for our young lady. She's used to having me accompany her." He was still trembling as he spoke.
Lieutenant General Mo Ming laughed, "You are a little bit of a mountain rat, but you know how to be loyal. Why, Captain Xu is here, are you afraid that I will do something to your young lady? Don't worry, although we look a little rough, we are all good people."
"Well, then I'll go make some tea for you all." Xiaohua wanted to stay here and watch Chunxiao.
Not long after, Ersan came with Chunxiao.
Chunxiao glanced at Dongsheng who was standing beside him.
"Master Yan, this is our lieutenant general. He is here today to discuss official business."
Chunxiao spoke in a businesslike tone. Seeing Dongsheng's expression, she asked the group to sit down. "Commander-in-Chief, are you here today to harvest cotton? We've only been harvesting for a few days, and the first round isn't even finished yet."
The lieutenant general put away his smile and said, "Yan Dongjia, let me cut to the chase. I'm here today to requisition your cotton farm."
Chun Xiao was shocked. Requisition and expropriation are two completely different concepts. "How to requisition? It's harvest time here. How do you want to requisition, sir?"
"In a few days." He winked at the soldier beside him, and the soldiers went everywhere. The woman who was working at the back of the yard was also driven out, and even Xiaohua was driven out. People were also arranged to guard the door.
The soldier sighed. "This war has been going on for years, with heavy casualties. It's time to call it a day." He looked at Chunxiao. "We've planted our men on the enemy's side. We're setting an ambush. Your cotton is perfect bait, as are the granaries. This place," he glanced at Dongsheng guiltily, "I'm afraid we can't hold it. As the saying goes, you can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a lamb."
Chunxiao felt very disappointed. People were going to use her farm to set an ambush. If a fight broke out, the cotton in the field would naturally be lost. But did she have any choice? She had no choice at all.
"How can this be possible? This year's harvest will be gone." Chunxiao said nothing, but Ersan started to get anxious.
Dongsheng felt particularly guilty when he saw Chunxiao's silence. If he had not bought this farm, he would not have encountered such a thing. It was all because of his selfishness.
"When?" In fact, she knew that Dongsheng must have given her this favor by coming here specially to tell her. What he said were combat secrets, and he would not tell outsiders easily unless it was necessary. But now he told her in advance and gave her some time to prepare.
"Boss Yan, we'll give you five more days. On the fifth day, our people will take you and the villagers to evacuate. After this battle, we will compensate the manor for its losses, but it will definitely not be as much as your cotton income. We can only do our best."
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