Chapter 58: Excellent Alternatives
Led by Village Chief Chen, the oxcart was driven to the easy path outside the wasteland. Shen Zhiyi and Zhao Daya carried the bundles of straw and moved them one by one into the wasteland.
When thirsty, she drinks water from bamboo tubes; when hungry, she eats baked flatbread. When Shen Zhiyi gets busy, she only cares about finishing her work as soon as possible.
“These leaves are indeed rare,” Village Chief Chen said slowly, his muddy hands carefully touching the white fuzz on the leaf stems. “They’re not prickly though.”
“When it grows up, the white down will fade away,” Shen Zhiyi said calmly. She looked up and saw the waterwheel not far away, recalling the scene when she and Lu Jingbai drew blueprints on the ground.
Seeing that Shen Zhiyi was staring at the waterwheel without saying a word, Village Chief Chen thought that this was someone the county magistrate valued, so he said, "This waterwheel is really useful. It doesn't need to be pushed; the water flow can move it. It's just that it's so precious that we need to send someone to guard it to be at ease."
"We can also use water power and water-powered mills to reduce manpower," Shen Zhiyi reminded.
Village Chief Chen's eyes lit up, and he immediately asked, "Please tell me exactly how to do it, young lady?"
“This is very simple, it’s just…” Shen Zhiyi picked up a stone by the edge of the field and began to draw on the ground as she spoke, and a simple diagram of the water mill appeared before her eyes.
“But here and here…” Village Chief Chen asked.
Shen Zhiyi patiently explained, and then she made things clear to the other party.
"I see! This girl is truly wise!" Village Chief Chen praised sincerely, and at the same time, he had even greater confidence in the seedling!
"The water's here!" Zhao Daya's voice rang out at that moment.
Shen Zhiyi quickly went over to take the bucket of water. Village Chief Chen brought over another bucket of water, explaining that after transplanting, the soil should be thoroughly watered so that the roots can drink their fill of water.
She had explained everything she needed to, and even had Village Chief Chen repeat it to her to confirm that everything was correct before leaving Shunshui Village.
On the way back to Xiaba Village, Shen Zhi noticed that the old man driving the cart hesitated several times before saying something in a casual, conversational tone: "Uncle, do you know that our Xiaba Village is famous for growing chili peppers?"
Although she doesn't know if she's famous now, Shen Zhiyi had always thought of using this as a way to make the village famous since she first started selling chili peppers, so it doesn't feel like an exaggeration to say it so frankly now.
"Of course, the news that your village's chili peppers are selling for a good price has spread far and wide," the old cart driver said enviously.
"It's also because of chili peppers that every household in our village has started to live a more comfortable life." Shen Zhiyi sighed, and after feeling that she had laid the groundwork enough, she added, "And something as good as chili peppers certainly can't be sold only in one county town; it has to go to other counties, and even the prefectural city..."
“So relying solely on the small plot of land in our village to grow chili peppers will definitely not achieve this goal,” Shen Zhiyi explained gradually. “We need more people to grow chili peppers.”
“However, it’s not reassuring to let people from other villages do the planting, so our village came up with a compromise. First, they have to be of good character; second, they have to have a guarantor; and third, they have to sign a contract. Of course, the contents of the contract are…” Shen Zhiyi explained carefully, while also observing the other party’s reaction. Seeing that the other party looked very serious, they must also be thinking deeply about this issue.
"Girl, is it really as you said about the chili peppers?" the old cart driver asked uncertainly, his voice trembling slightly.
"Uncle, she's Shen Zhiyi! She's the one who talks big in our village!" Zhao Daya said, giving a thumbs up. "She's also our next village chief! And the news about getting people from other villages to plant chili peppers has only just started circulating, so you'd better hurry up."
Unbeknownst to her, Zhao Daya had already taken on the role of the "atmosphere team".
The old cart driver seemed to have made up his mind, and said carefully, "Young lady, my surname is Niu, and I live in Fushan Village. My wife's surname is Yang, and we have a son. He was naughty when he was young and broke his leg. We didn't have the money to treat him, so he became lame. He's strong enough to farm, but he can't find work outside. Our harvest is 20% higher than other villagers, which shows how carefully he tends the land..."
When talking about his son, Old Man Niu mostly lamented the poverty of the time, otherwise his son wouldn't have been left with a disability.
The subsequent conversation confirmed Shen Zhiyi's guess: Old Man Niu fully met the conditions for planting chili peppers in the other village. However, everyone has a painful past, and it was only when he spoke that he realized that the matter was still in his heart.
Zhao Daya burst into tears upon hearing this, even more heartbroken than Old Man Niu himself. Between sobs, she said, "Old Man, you've really had a tough time. Seeing you like this reminds me of my father..."
Shen Zhiyi, who was standing nearby, was slightly taken aback when she heard this. How could she have made that connection?
"During the time my grandfather was seriously ill, my mother also fainted from exhaustion. My father had to take care of this person and that person, and you were just as overworked. Later, I sold myself..."
"But I couldn't save my grandfather and mother. Later, I was redeemed..."
As they talked, Zhao Daya explained her situation clearly. Old Man Niu was a good listener, and seeing that the two of them were having a pleasant conversation, Shen Zhiyi did not interrupt.
On the way back, they became close friends despite their age difference.
"As long as we plant chili peppers, everything will be alright!" Zhao Daya concluded earnestly.
"Okay, let's plant them!" Old Niu said excitedly. Then he turned to Shen Zhiyi and asked, "Girl, can I plant chili peppers given my condition?"
“Sure! But we still have to follow the procedure. We need to find a guarantor and then sign a contract,” Shen Zhiyi said seriously. The rules couldn’t be broken just because they were acquaintances.
“I understand, I’ll come tomorrow,” Old Niu said repeatedly.
As they arrived at Xiaba Village, Zhao Daya and Uncle Niu's chat came to an end. In the distance, they could see the group of people at the village entrance. As they got closer, a figure came running towards them at high speed, accompanied by a triumphant voice: "I knew my Daya would come back soon!"
Zhao Sanxing happily helped Zhao Daya down from the oxcart, and then helped Shen Zhiyi down as well.
On the way back, the atmosphere became exceptionally lively.
As the sun and moon rise and set, the dewdrops gleam in the rising sunlight, and Xiaba Village is already bustling with activity.
The village chief's gate was banged on countless times before he finally opened it.
Shen Zhiyi was originally staying at Ge Niu's house next door to enjoy some peace and quiet, but the village chief still dragged her over to "register". Although she was temporarily using charcoal to record the words, and her writing was incomplete, she remembered them very quickly and was able to accurately repeat them later.
However, some entries were filtered out during the recording process, and a small number were declined because the descriptions of the soil were deemed unsuitable. Shen Zhiyi carefully noted down the names of the villages and the soil conditions, planning to visit them when she had time.
The soil for chili peppers must be sandy loam, and the temperature is also crucial.
After several days of additions and subtractions, the number of people selected was still more than she had expected. It seems that everyone really wants to get rich.
That day, Shen Zhiyi finally finished her assignments and was surprised to see Zheng San come over, accompanied by the familiar San Tou.
“Sister Chen, this kid insisted on following me after hearing that I was going to another county to sell chili peppers. I’m so annoyed by him. Can you help me talk him out?” Zheng San said, rarely so fed up. “He’s always loitering around the village with me, even following me to the outhouse.”
Shen Zhiyi looked towards the three heads and asked, "What about Ye Xiang's job?"
“With Brother Da Mu and the others, and some criminals working for me, I have time to come out,” San Tou said earnestly. “It’s not that I dislike the job of emptying chamber pots; I just want to go out and see the world, to try something new. I want to earn a lot of money so I can build a good grave for my mother and she won’t have to stay stuck in this mass grave anymore…”
The third person's voice was choked with emotion.
"Have you figured it out?" Shen Zhiyi asked.
"Yes! Sister, I want to try. I will definitely not cause any trouble for Brother Zheng!" San Tou's eyes were full of determination. He didn't want to suffer from poverty anymore and be easily despised by those people!
“Alright, you can go with Brother Zheng San.” Shen Zhiyi replied, thinking about the determination Zheng San had mentioned, she figured that no matter how much they tried to stop her, she would probably sneak off with him anyway.
It's better to be clear from the start, to avoid any unforeseen problems.
Zheng San breathed a sigh of relief, then said sternly, "Since you're going on a long trip, you need to prepare..."
The three heads listened attentively, nodding occasionally.
This was probably the only chance this boy would have to go out into the world, and thankfully, he seized it through his own efforts.
Shen Zhiyi looked up at the sky. She had seen the outside world, so she preferred to stay rooted in the land, where she felt more at ease.
In the following period, she did the work she was most familiar with—visiting and inspecting the soil, with the "both literate and martial" Zhao Daya by her side, and was well protected.
Meanwhile, Zheng San and his group left the village with three small bags of sample chili peppers, and everyone was waiting for them to bring back good news.
Whether or not they can open up sales channels for chili peppers is also an important factor for them.
A month or so later, when Shen Zhiyi's charcoal pencil was down to the size of a fingernail, they returned to Xiaba Village. As they passed a horse-drawn carriage at the village entrance, before she could even see the people inside, Zhao Daya called out, "Brother Xuan! I'm here!"
The wind carried her voice forward, and the carriage slowly came to a stop, revealing Xuan Yan's head. Although he was travel-worn, he couldn't hide the smile in his eyes: "Da Ya!"
Shen Zhiyi, who was between the two, quietly moved to the side.
"Brother Xuan, where have you been all this time?" Zhao Daya asked hurriedly. "I went to the county government office to ask, but they said you weren't there either."
Indeed, about two weeks ago, Zhao Daya suddenly said she was craving wontons. Coincidentally, she happened to be passing through the county town at that time. However, instead of eating wontons, she went to the county government office to inquire about Xuan Yan.
Shen Zhiyi felt a belated admiration for Zhao Daya's enthusiasm.
“I went to the capital to pay my respects to the emperor and his wife on New Year’s Eve…” Xuan Yan said, then abruptly changed his form of address, “so I returned a little late.”
Seeing Zhao Daya approach, Xuan Yan called out, "Come on up."
"Alright!" Zhao Daya replied loudly. Before getting into the carriage, she turned to look at Shen Zhiyi and said, "Zhiyi, you go first."
I don't really want to eat dog food.
Shen Zhiyi thought to herself, but Xuan Yan's next words made her change her mind.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
