From then on, Qiao Jingjing had three or five servants sent by Magistrate Liu to monitor her. She was quite at ease, but Qiao Manman was not at ease.
Qiao Manman packed her bags that afternoon to accompany her.
"Sister, I'm worried about you living alone in the prefect's mansion. I've come to keep you company!"
Qiao Jingjing looked at her honest and simple-minded younger sister.
Foolish.
Her staying with Liu Xun is just a temporary measure; does she really intend to stay here for ten or eight years?
No, it won't.
Qiao Jingjing is an agricultural talent; she cares deeply about agriculture and the lives of ordinary people.
This was to solve her immediate problem and appease Liu Xun so he wouldn't make things difficult for her.
But Qiao Manman also got involved in this mess.
"Manman, now that you're here, what will happen to things at home? Will Qiao Er and Miao Miao be able to wholeheartedly raise our chickens and ducks and run the mulberry orchard?"
Qiao Manman frowned when Qiao Jingjing asked this question.
It's probably impossible to expect those few people in the family to work diligently.
“Manman, I understand you’re worried about me. Look, you’ve seen me. I’m all right, and they treated me with great respect; no one gave me any trouble. You should go back tomorrow morning and take care of everything at home. Our Qiao Er and Qiao San are a bit slow-witted, but with your supervision, they’ll surely do some work. Otherwise, when I’m done here and go home, there won’t even be a hot meal waiting for me. Besides, you don’t feel comfortable leaving Dad at home, do you?”
Qiao Jingjing had put it all out there, and Qiao Manman just couldn't bear to leave her sister.
"You! Don't even think about kicking me out. Just think my two brothers are fools. If they're really used to being idle, they'll just sit around and do nothing when you and I aren't around, so let them be. Anyway, I can't leave you here. I know how Liu Ajiao treated our family before. Now that you're staying here, who knows what kind of good intentions that prefect has?"
The two sisters had put their words to this point, and Qiao Jingjing should have been very touched.
But here, she not only had to deal with the powerful and tyrannical Prefect Liu, but also had to protect Qiao Manman.
Hmm.
Qiao Jingjing is Qiao Jingjing after all; she doesn't have that much needless worry and mental exhaustion. She does her work when she needs to and sleeps when she needs to.
Qiao Manman is here, so it's like having another person to keep her company while she sleeps.
Before going to sleep, she lit an oil lamp and made a careful plan for the task that Prefect Liu had given her.
Isn't it just doubling the grain supply?
Alright, Sun Ce isn't in Lujiang City; Liu Xun has just taken over. Right now, Yuan Shu in Shouchun is at the height of his power in the north, and Cao Cao and others can't do anything about him. Liu Xun, like a grasshopper in autumn, can still hop around for quite a while.
Prefect Liu will probably hold this position for some time.
The city of Lujiang must appear peaceful on the surface, with everything in need of rebuilding.
Qiao Jingjing took advantage of this seemingly peaceful and stable situation to formulate her farming plan.
Let's get right to it.
Based on her understanding of the daily routines of the people in Lujiang City, Qiao Jingjing conducted a comprehensive analysis of the climate and weather changes, rainfall, and sunshine intensity in Lujiang over the past few years.
Lujiang is suitable for growing rice. A single crop is planted: seedlings are sown in February or March after the dragon raises its head; in April, the fields are plowed and water is stored; in May, rice seedlings are transplanted; in June, field management is carried out, including weeding and fertilizing. A few crucian carp and common carp can also be raised in the rice paddies. In July, August, and September, careful management is maintained, and flood prevention measures are implemented to prevent the crops from being submerged. The harvest is then completed in October. After the rice is harvested, the remaining straw in the paddies is left to rot. At this time, some ducklings are herded into the fields. With the remaining rice grains, small fish, shrimp, snails, etc., these ducks are fattened up in three months, resulting in a bountiful harvest by winter.
Qiao Manman said she was very worried about Qiao Jingjing, but since she arrived, she has slept well all night.
When Qiao Manman opened her eyes the next morning, Qiao Jingjing had already washed and dressed, holding a thick stack of manuscript paper in her hand.
Qiao Jingjing said to her, "Manman, you wait for me here. I'm going to discuss important matters with the prefect."
Not feeling reassured after saying that, he gave it another reminder.
"Don't be reckless in anything, everything will be alright. Trust me."
After comforting Qiao Manman, Qiao Jingjing left the room and spoke a few words to the servants guarding her. The servants then properly led Qiao Jingjing to Prefect Liu's study.
Prefect Liu had just gotten out of bed early this morning.
With so many concubines in the house, it was noisy and everyone was jealous of him, which kept him up all night. He just wanted to come to the study early this morning to catch up on some sleep.
As a result, the beautiful Qiao family woman came to find him.
Prefect Liu was overjoyed.
Could it be that the pretty girl gave up after finding the task difficult?
Of course! You little beauty, you have no self-awareness whatsoever. Wouldn't it be better to be a proper concubine in his household, living a life of luxury, with a grand procession and attendants wherever you go? Why make things difficult for yourself? What kind of farming are you trying to do?
He even boasted that he would double the grain yield in Lujiang.
By this autumn, the number of people in the Qiao family, including all their servants and livestock, will not double. He will have slaughtered them all. Let's see if this beauty will still be so arrogant then.
Prefect Liu was as cunning as a fox.
As a result, Qiao Jingjing walked in with the same attitude, like a standard subordinate reporting to a superior, showing a very professional demeanor.
Of course, Prefect Liu didn't know what the demeanor of a professional woman was; he had never seen it.
But at that moment, he was trying to come up with an adjective to describe the woman in front of him.
This woman doesn't see herself as a woman at all!
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