“You young people can go ahead. I need to arrange some people to sell some sweet potatoes and potatoes so that ordinary people who are about to run out of food can have a little more to eat during the New Year.”
Shen Zhiheng dared to say this not only because of the confidence brought by the extra piece of land, but also because of the frighteningly high yield of sweet potatoes and potatoes.
Otherwise, he wouldn't dare mention it, for fear of exhausting his precious child.
When they harvested these two things, everyone except Shen Xingmian was stunned. They had never seen anything so productive that they could be used as a staple food and tasted quite good!
When setting the selling price, Shen Xingmian felt that since it was for the poor, it should be a little cheaper. When trade became possible in the future, it could be sold to merchants at a slightly higher price.
But these are minor matters, nothing to worry about.
Anyway, she has enough of this stuff in her space to feed the entire Northern Territory, so no one here will starve to death anymore.
The heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) was also promoted by Shen Zhiheng. Any family that was willing to use their land as an experimental field to grow potatoes and sweet potatoes the following year could apply for the benefit of having soldiers help build the heated kang.
Upon hearing that the seeds came from the General's Mansion, no one was unwilling and they all eagerly signed up.
Normally, let alone getting involved with the general's mansion, even just exchanging a few words with an ordinary soldier would make the people feel uneasy.
There was no way around it; he was terrified on the way to exile, and he would panic at the sight of any "official."
Some young people have not experienced the suffering of exile, but they have heard their elders talk about it a lot and it has left a deep impression on them.
Everything was going smoothly. After finishing her work on accelerating the growth of the crops, Shen Xingmian finally had time to go out and join in the fun.
She and Xiao Yanyue remained dressed in ordinary clothes, intending to continue to distance themselves from the General's Mansion.
Although nothing is certain, it would be more interesting if it did happen. Being cooped up at home every day, everything outside would seem new and exciting.
Just looking at so many people, she found it quite interesting.
In my cousin's words, it's like this: "Oh my, people are going crazy from being cooped up at home every day!"
However, her cousin was still able to fight Xiao Yanyue and expend some energy, while Shen Xingmian herself was even more listless, as she was expending energy silently.
The two soon arrived at the entrance of the county town. Yes, this market, which was held every two weeks, was not on the main street, but at the entrance of the town, and there were also markets outside.
Some of them are people from nearby villages who come to sell odds and ends in exchange for some food to take back home.
When they arrived, several stalls were steaming, instantly creating a lively atmosphere that made Shen Xingmian quicken her pace.
She deliberately didn't eat a full breakfast, leaving some room in her stomach, in preparation for trying some delicious food outside.
Upon closer inspection, she saw vendors selling wontons, noodles, and even a mutton offal soup. Wow, she had thought the area was so poor that no one could afford meat.
Shen Xingmian has a high tolerance for food; she can even drink mutton offal soup. However, worried that Xiao Yanyue wouldn't be able to stand the taste, she opted for wontons instead.
"Boss, two small bowls, please!"
After finding a seat, she called out to the stall owner.
"Alright, please wait a moment, sir!"
The owner was very welcoming, since there really weren't many customers.
Before long, two bowls of steaming hot wontons were served. I scooped one out with a spoon, and the cool breeze made it no longer too hot to eat.
Shen Xingmian couldn't help but complain, "This weather is ridiculously cold. If you eat too slowly, it will get cold later."
After complaining, she didn't forget to turn around and urge, "Dao Dao, eat quickly!"
The two of them quickly finished the wontons. And let me tell you, eating faster warmed up their stomachs and made them feel much better. It was definitely worth it.
When paying, Shen Xingmian was surprised to find that a bowl of wontons only cost five coins. The prices were really low.
Even at such a low price, not many people are willing to eat it.
She saw several people look at the stall, but they eventually left.
Because she herself had experienced similar hardship in her childhood, she could understand the feeling of reluctance to part with something.
Yes, eating a bowl of wontons won't make you starve, but the thought of replacing it with brown rice, enough to feed the whole family for several days, makes it hard to bear the thought of it.
When adults go to the market, they only bring back some snacks for their children, and they themselves won't touch them.
Such love is great, but also heavy.
She hoped that the kind people in the North could gradually live a prosperous life, and that as long as they worked hard, they would have no worries about food and clothing, and could even send their children to private schools.
Shen Xingmian did not dwell on the past, nor did she feel sad; instead, she felt full of energy.
She is certain that she can achieve this goal.
It's just a matter of time.
I believe that once trade with the outside world is established next spring, the situation will change dramatically, and then these people will be able to see all the efforts made by the General's Mansion.
The two looked around as they walked, and the county town was full of small vendors selling some interesting things. There were hair ties with not many varieties, wooden hairpins of various shapes, and sugar paintings with a rather artistic flair.
The largest crowd was in front of the sugar painting stall, mostly children clamoring to buy some. The parents were helpless but could only wait on the sidelines.
Shen Xingmian sighed inwardly, thinking how energetic the child was, able to endure the cold and wait. She wondered if he would catch a cold after returning home.
She scanned the area twice and found that there weren't many children on the whole street; they were all gathered here.
That's true, it's so cold, most parents wouldn't bring their kids out.
Further on, there were several pork vendors, who must have set up their stalls early to take advantage of the last market day before the New Year.
There were quite a few people in front of the stall. In order to have a good New Year, even poor families would buy some meat.
Hearing those accents that were very similar to Northeastern Mandarin, Shen Xingmian felt quite at home.
No wonder everyone was discussing it so enthusiastically online before. Some friends from Heilongjiang were shocked to discover that their home was actually in Ningguta, and some even said that they were "barbarians" themselves.
I listen to TV dramas every day and always think I'm on the protagonist's side, but it turns out I'm on the villain's side. How can I not be shocked?
As Shen Xingmian listened to the familiar local dialect, her sense of belonging to this place grew even stronger.
There are also shops selling homemade cotton-padded jackets here, but business isn't very good. After all, these are considered "luxury items" for ordinary people in the North.
Wealthy people wouldn't buy something that's poorly made.
Moreover, people with a little money have already bought their cotton-padded coats long ago and won't wait until the end of the year.
It seems his business can only open when someone suddenly decides to want to wear new clothes for the New Year.
Just as Shen Xingmian was about to walk away, she was suddenly pulled by someone, and Xiao Yanyue's voice came from beside her ear, "Mianmian, let's buy two of these cotton coats."
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