Song Yuxi gently draped a sheepskin coat over Lü Tu's shoulders and said with concern, "Husband, you've been working hard these past few days. Please get some rest."
Lu Tu turned around and embraced Song Yuxi, stroking her increasingly protruding belly: "Wife, how much silver and grain do we have left?"
Song Yuxi seemed to have been prepared and answered fluently: "There is also two taels of silver, 20,000 catties of millet, 2,100 catties of wheat flour, 50,000 catties of bran, 52 warhorses, 35 cattle, and 460 sheep, including 30 lambs."
Lu Tu looked at Song Yuxi in shock: "You know so much about this?"
"Yes, I have people report to me truthfully every day, so the accounts are easy to handle."
Lu Tu knew, of course, how much effort it would take to grasp such detailed information in real time, and couldn't help but feel sorry for her, saying, "My wife has worked hard. After the spring planting, you can hand over the accounts to Jiang Wanyu."
Song Yuxi stroked Lü Tu's face with concern: "I'm not tired. My husband is carrying the livelihood of more than 1,800 people in four villages on his shoulders. What is this little thing compared to what my husband Yuxi is doing?"
Love welled up in Lu Tu's heart, and he couldn't help but gently kiss her forehead: "My wife, it is my blessing to have married you."
At this moment, Nangong Huiyu, who was already asleep, began to talk in his sleep: "Thief, take this!"
They interrupted each other, exchanged a glance, and couldn't help but chuckle.
The next morning, Lu Tu got up earlier than usual. Before dawn, he packed a few cornbread buns and went out. Before leaving, he kissed Song Yuxi and Nangong Huiyu on the cheek. So sweet!
Once outside, the villagers were all up early, as Lü Tu had already given the order that everyone must get up early on the Spring Equinox.
Lu Tu called Liu Yang over: "Take some men and fill sacks with those sweet potatoes in the corner of the warehouse, then come with me."
Liu Yang asked excitedly, "Big brother, are we finally going to plant sweet potatoes? Are they really that precious?"
While waiting for others to move the sweet potatoes, Lü Tu still didn't tell Liu Yang the whole truth. After all, things were done in secrecy, and he absolutely couldn't let others know the value of the sweet potatoes before the harvest was bountiful.
"It's not that it's precious, and the yield is about the same as millet and sorghum, but the taste is much better and tastier."
Liu Yang suddenly realized: "No wonder my brother cherishes it so much. I will definitely make sure to have someone take good care of the sweet potatoes."
Lu Tu nodded: "In the area where sweet potatoes are planted, select three experienced farmers to live there every day and build them a house for them to live in."
"clear."
The best land should be used to plant sweet potatoes, since they are the main food source in the future, and the planting must be done under Lu Tu's watchful eye.
Lu Tu had someone bring over manure, first filling the hole with fertilizer, then he personally placed a fist-sized sweet potato inside, covered it with soil, and then had someone water it before covering it with soil.
Previously, they had dug up this cartload of sweet potatoes from Aiying Mountain, weighing about 300 jin. Lu Tu had the others plant wheat and transplant rice seedlings, which he had Xiao Zhong prepare beforehand.
From before dawn until noon, Lü Tu had finished planting all the sweet potatoes by hand.
Nangong Huiyu skipped over and brought in lunch: "Husband, eat first, then we'll cook."
Upon approaching Lü Tu, she casually used her sleeve to wipe the mud off his face.
She took a bowl of noodles out of the basket: "Husband, my sister said you've been working too hard these past few days, so don't drink millet porridge, have some noodles instead."
"Xiaoyu is so kind, she even knows how to care for her husband."
Nangong Huiyu pouted: "Then why did you kiss your older sister last night but not me?"
Lu Tu asked in surprise, "You weren't asleep yet?"
"I was asleep, but I woke up when I heard you talking. I thought my husband would come and kiss me too."
Lu Tu wiped the noodle soup from his mouth and smacked Nangong Huiyu's pretty face, making her blush.
"Oh my, husband, there are so many people here."
"We're husband and wife, who can tell us what to do?"
"Hehe, that's right. Husband, eat slowly. I'll go back and get more if you're not full."
As a top soldier, Lu Tu ate very quickly, finishing his noodles in no time. He then handed over the bowl and chopsticks, saying, "Walk slowly on your way back, don't skip around. You're about to become a mother."
"I know, husband, you're even more long-winded than Aunt Chen next door."
At this moment, three old farmers walked over from a distance, bowed before Lü Tu, and said, "Sir, we have been sent to guard the sweet potato field."
Do you have family?
"No, all three of us brothers are single."
Lu Tu nodded: "Your task from now on is to guard this place and not let any people or livestock approach this land."
The three men replied solemnly, "Yes, sir. We have already discussed it and will take turns sleeping here. We will absolutely not let anyone trample on this place."
Lu Tu patted their shoulders and said, "From now on, the three of you will only need to water and fertilize this land. You will be given a pound of millet every day."
"Thank you, sir."
Lu Tu rode his horse to the shore of Xisha Lake. He had to admit that with the stone-paved road, the travel speed between the four villages was more than twice as fast as before.
The advantages are not very noticeable when riding a horse, especially when using an oxcart or horse-drawn carriage, where the advantages are more apparent.
With such efficient progress, many rice seedlings have been planted in the paddy fields along the Xisha Lake, creating a lush and vibrant scene that is a delight to behold.
Lu Tu did not disturb Xiao Zhong, who was directing the crowd, and went to inspect the saline-alkali land alone.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
