"Guo'er, it's okay. I'll wash it for you later." Ding Youtian was glared at by Jian Ning after he finished speaking. "I'm only washing you, Guo'er, right?" He narrowed his eyes and sent a wink at Jian Ning. "Of course, I'll wash your eyebrows as well."
Humph, that's better. "I'll go back to my room to put my things away." Jian Ning took two steps, then paused and looked back at Ding Youtian. "There are quite a lot of houses here. Brother Tong and Brother Shi can each have one, and Jia Jia and Yao Yao can have one."
"No need, Brother Tong and I can just stay in one room, and we can talk at night." Erlangzi said.
"That's fine, you can choose whichever room you want to live in." Jian Ning was generally quite satisfied with the place. Although the house was dilapidated, it was much better than when they first moved into the Ding family's old house. At least the roof didn't collapse and the walls didn't leak. After some renovations, it would be a pretty good house. After all, it was a government office.
Since the county magistrate and the chief clerk had already done a general cleaning with the yamen runners, it would take more than one day to clean all the details in each room. Jian Ning only cleaned the rooms where they lived. With the help of Ding, Youtian and the other two, it was finished in no time.
"Brother Tong, I see that each house has a fire wall. When the weather gets cold, we need charcoal to burn. In the next few days, please harness the cart and go to the neighboring county with Brother Shi to buy more charcoal and firewood to prepare for the winter." Jian Ning saw that each house had a fire wall, and thought that the office room in the front yard of the government office must also have one. Charcoal and firewood must be prepared in sufficient quantities, and this money cannot be saved.
"Okay, the mountains in our county are mostly made of strange rocks, and there are few trees. Even if there are any, they have been cut down long ago. We must go to the neighboring county as soon as possible to get some dry firewood and charcoal, otherwise the house will be like an ice cellar in winter and it will be uninhabitable."
"It's not enough to just cut down trees without planting. You two should go out and find out more about which trees are cold-resistant and easy to grow." Ding Youtian said as he looked at Jian Ning. He thought of asking Ma Fuquan to buy saplings in the capital. Money can be transferred through Baicaojian, but he was not sure if the same can be done for saplings?
Jane Ning understood what he meant, but she didn't know either. She had to try it to see if it would work.
She shook her head slightly.
"The backyard is almost cleaned up. Let's go to the front yard and wipe down the tables, chairs, and benches." Jane Ning washed a few rags and handed them out to them. "I'll get a bucket of water and bring it over. You guys go ahead and clean it up. The two stone lions outside should also be rinsed."
Tong Bajin smiled and said, "While Madam was cooking, my brother Erlang and I had already cleaned the stone lions outside the yamen."
"The dust and dirt in the eyeballs have been brushed clean, don't worry, ma'am." Erlangzi also grinned.
Jian Ning sighed apologetically, "You two were originally the master's attendants, and I wronged you to do these chores. I will cook some snacks tonight, and you can accompany the master for a few drinks."
"Madam, please don't say that." Tong Bajin was frightened and hurriedly bowed to her. "Your Excellency is extremely wise. It is a blessing for the two of us to follow you. Let alone doing some work, even if it means going through fire and water, I will not refuse!"
"Me too." Erlangzi also clasped his fists and bowed.
After everything was tidied up, Jian Ning looked at the time and saw that it was still early, so he discussed with Ding Youtian and asked Tong Shi and the other two to take Erniu and Sanniu out of the yamen, intending to take a walk around the streets. The four spirit pets also followed them out.
Danyang County covers a slightly larger area than Jin County, and there are many towns and villages around it. However, most of the houses in the county are empty, and some streets and alleys have iron gates connecting several households, which makes it look rather desolate and bleak.
Tong Bajin couldn't help sighing. He smacked his lips and said, "The streets used to be bustling with people. Back then, I was still a child, following my father into the city to sell local produce. We passed by the government office. Seeing the officials coming in and out, I felt an indescribable majesty. I never imagined it would be like this now."
"My wife once said that everything depends on human efforts. With green mountains and clear waters, there will be mountains of gold and silver." Ding Youtian seemed very confident. Rather than taking over a county town that was well managed by others, he enjoyed building something from scratch with his own hands. It was like the sense of accomplishment that he and Jian Ning worked together to finally support their shaky little family after the family was divided.
He is no longer the scoundrel Ding who only wanted to rely on his parents, brother and sister-in-law to survive, but the Lord Ding who is eager to make great plans and realize his ambitions!
"As long as the people of the city and the government are of one mind and work together, we can definitely restore the former prosperity. Just wait and see. If nothing is achieved in the next three to five years, I would rather resign and return to my hometown to farm!"
He looked calm and composed. His confidence and composure came from Jian Ning. Even if the apple grafting failed, Ma Fuquan and Tian Erge had an escort agency in the capital. He could ask them to help him buy apple seedlings and other cold-resistant seedlings when traveling far and wide.
He was very optimistic about what Jian Ning said about the efficacy and functions of apples, especially the apple paste that could relieve cough and reduce phlegm.
Yunshancui can help the villagers of Dingxian Village live a good life, and he believes that apple paste can also make the people of Danyang County rich.
With a way to make money, why worry about the indigenous people in the county not returning home?
But after Jane Ning's initial excitement, she became secretly worried. They went to the fields west of the county town and saw large areas of frozen wheat fields. She frowned.
"We have to find another way to make money first," she told Ding Youtian when she got back. "Even if the apple seedlings can survive by watering them with spiritual spring water, even if they grow quickly, it will take at least a year and a half from flowering to fruiting. Putting aside other things, how are we going to get through this winter? How can we ensure that no one starves to death?"
"Don't worry, Madam." Ding Youtian smiled. "I've taken care of the people's grain bags so that the relief grain will arrive in Danyang before it's empty. As early as the day we left Yancheng, someone from the Ding family had already passed my husband's handwritten letter to the capital, and it has now reached His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
Jian Ning felt relieved, then raised his fist and struck his arm, "I tell you everything, but you don't tell me your own problems. Don't even think about eating the food I cook tonight. Eat air!"
She turned around angrily and went to the kitchen to wash rice and cook. Then she remembered that she didn't know how many children the county magistrate had in his family. She was about to go to the west yard to ask when the county magistrate's wife came over. As usual, she stuck her head out and met Jian Ning's gaze. She smiled stiffly and walked into the kitchen.
"Auntie, you've come just in time. I was just about to ask you, how many people are there in your family? Are you used to eating rice? If not, can I knead some dough and roll some noodles?"
The county magistrate's wife paused for a moment, then said, "We've made a lot for lunch, so the kids and I will go home to eat. I'll help you cook and then I'll go back."
She hadn't planned to come. Food was so precious, how could the whole family come to the county magistrate's house to eat? If the county magistrate hadn't asked her to come over to help, she wouldn't have planned to come to Jian Ning at all.
"Aunt, one meal won't make me poor. Let me tell you something. This year, I guarantee that no one in the county will starve to death! Just tell them to come over and live in the same government office. We'll see each other every day. We should visit each other more often and not be so distant."
"Hurry back and say hello to them. They'll all be here soon so the two families can get to know each other. Auntie, don't you want my husband to go and invite your kid in person?"
Seeing that she was still hesitant and motionless, Jian Ning had no choice but to bring out the big Buddha of Ding Youtian. She nodded hurriedly, turned around and left in a hurry.
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