Chapter Fourteen: Mission and Responsibility
Shen Zhiyi's gaze fell on the crowd rushing towards them. Fortunately, she had brought vegetable seeds with her to this world, otherwise there would have been another tragic scene in Yugou Village.
My sense of mission has grown stronger once again.
She suddenly understood why she had transmigrated to this world; a mission and responsibility had descended upon her at the same time, and it was also a test for her.
"It's good that you're back, otherwise we would have had to hitch up a carriage to look for you!" Grandma Qin said, pulling Shen Zhiyi aside and adding, "Lord Lu is still waiting for you, come with me quickly."
"Hmm?" Shen Zhiyi was surprised, but still followed Grandma Qin back.
On the way, Grandma Qin finally revealed the reason: "Lord Lu saw the seedlings you were drying and stayed there. He also said that the fire and the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) need to be thoroughly dried to see the effect, so he will be staying in the village for a while."
"I have a feeling he's up to no good," Grandma Qin whispered.
Shen Zhiyi couldn't help but smile upon hearing this.
"Don't just laugh, you need to be careful and not be fooled. Just say you found that seed by accident, and your village chief will help you find a replacement," Grandma Qin instructed carefully. "If you really don't know how to say it, just ask your village chief."
"Understood, Grandma Qin," Shen Zhiyi replied.
When she encountered other villagers on the way, she took the initiative to greet them, which made Grandma Qin's tone of voice become softer and softer, as if she was afraid of being overheard.
They talked furtively as they slowly walked back to the courtyard.
The courtyard gate was half-open, and a glimpse of a garment could be seen through the crack. Grandma Qin pushed the gate open first and entered. Upon seeing this, the village chief spoke up first: "The girl is back?"
Shen Zhiyi, following behind Grandma Qin, heard this and smiled, "That's right!"
She caught a glimpse of Lu Jingbai standing to the side with a serious expression, immediately put away her smile, and politely greeted him, "Lord Lu."
Lu Jingbai nodded indifferently, then got down to business: "Miss Chen, I find the plants you've placed on the ground quite strange. I wonder where they came from? The fruits hanging below look a lot like the 'ground bean' I've seen in ancient books. Its plant is short and bushy..."
"Lord Lu, can you speak in a way we can understand?" Shen Zhiyi couldn't help but interrupt, and was immediately met with reproachful glances from the village chief and Grandma Qin.
Lu Jingbai suddenly fell silent.
Upon seeing this, the silent condemnation that Shen Zhiyi felt intensified, rendering the dignified county magistrate speechless—she was arguably the first person in the village to do so.
"Lord Lu, please don't blame me..." Before the village chief could finish his attempt to smooth things over, Lu Jingbai finally found his voice and slowly said, "The plant is short but grows in clusters. The fruit grows underground, is gourd-shaped, and has a spider web-like surface."
"What is its purpose..." Shen Zhiyi hurriedly asked, but before she could finish speaking, Grandma Qin covered her mouth, leaving only muffled sounds.
She was asking about something important!
Lu Jingbai smiled, a rare occurrence. Realizing the situation was amiss, he turned his head and pretended to cough a few times before saying, "It's edible and can be used to make oil."
“But I’ve never seen this before, I didn’t expect to see it here.” Lu Jingbai’s gaze shifted to the peanuts drying in the sun.
Shen Zhiyi was still thinking about how to reasonably guide everyone to put peanuts and oil together, but she never expected it to be so easy!
That "ancient book" is the best excuse!
"Miss Shen, where did you get these ground beans?" Lu Jingbai asked.
This question has arisen again!
Shen Zhiyi thought to herself, but calmly replied, "It was dug up from the mountains."
The village chief, who was about to make amends, suddenly fell silent.
"Should I take the adults to see it?" Shen Zhiyi asked proactively. She knew this person's obsession with seeds, and if she didn't explain it clearly, she would be suspected. It was better to be open about it.
“Okay.” Lu Jingbai agreed without hesitation. “Let’s hurry and come back before it gets dark.”
"But the mountain road is difficult to travel, Lord Lu..." the village chief said, trying to dissuade him.
"It's alright," Lu Jingbai interrupted, already eager to walk out, and the servant who had been standing silently in the corner quickly followed.
Seeing the village chief's worried look, Shen Zhiyi reassured him, "It's alright, Grandpa Village Chief! You and Grandma Qin don't need to go up the mountain, I'm very fast!"
“How can a man and a woman go into the mountains alone? I have to go,” the village chief said hurriedly.
Grandma Qin, who was standing nearby, also said, "Chen girl, you're a grown-up now, you still need to avoid suspicion with outsiders."
Shen Zhiyi nodded repeatedly. Although she believed she could resist Lu Jingbai's "good looks," she thought it best to avoid trouble if possible.
So Shen Zhiyi went into the mountains with the village chief, while Lu Jingbai and his servant followed silently behind.
A mountain breeze swept by, stirring up a few fallen leaves that rolled over and landed at Shen Zhiyi's feet, making a crunching sound as she stepped on them.
It should be springtime, but the mountains retain the appearance of late autumn.
"It's right there." Shen Zhiyi pointed to the spot where peanuts had been planted before. After they were all dug up, the soil there was incredibly loose. "Be careful not to slip."
Lu Jingbai nodded in acknowledgment, took the wooden stick handed to him by the servant, used the stick to probe the way ahead, and then stepped firmly onto it to move in that direction.
Shen Zhiyi and the village chief followed behind. She was more interested in seeing if this Lord Lu could figure out something, so that she could explain her coincidences in a book.
The servant who followed Lu Jingbai left with light steps, somewhat like the light-footed skills Shen Zhiyi had seen on TV before. She couldn't help but ask, "Lord Lu, does your servant know martial arts?"
"I have studied martial arts for a few years," Lu Jingbai replied calmly.
"Wow, that's really amazing!" Shen Zhiyi praised without reservation. Just then, she saw the cold-faced servant return, and her eyes lit up as she stared at him.
Such blatant appreciation made the servant blush inexplicably, and he replied in a low voice, "No other findings."
“It seems that this is the only place where wild beans grow,” Lu Jingbai said slowly.
We specifically chose this planting method; of course, it's not available anywhere else.
Shen Zhiyi silently added in her mind, but on the surface she still pretended to be "unaware" and sighed, "I also looked around at the time, but I only found those three plants here. Maybe the environment here is conducive to their growth?"
After saying this, Shen Zhiyi couldn't help but look at the village chief beside her, who immediately said, "When I saw the leaves turning yellow, I thought it wouldn't survive! It was Shen girl who suggested digging it up to take a look, and when we dug it up, we found so many fruits hidden underneath!"
"After this experience, I have a better understanding of this flower and ground bean. It needs plenty of sunlight, just like this patch without any shade..." Shen Zhiyi spoke eloquently, as if she had the questions and answers all in her own hands and could answer them with her eyes closed.
What is said is all the key points, saving a lot of lengthy processes.
After Shen Zhiyi finished speaking, Lu Jingbai understood the growth period required for the root bean based on her words. Just as he was about to speak, the village chief reminded him, "Lord Lu, it's getting dark. Let's go back and talk about it later."
"Mm," Lu Jingbai replied, deliberately leaving behind Shen Zhiyi as he walked away.
As soon as they reached the foot of the mountain, he asked impatiently, "How long will it take for it to grow?"
“One hundred and ten days,” Shen Zhiyi answered immediately, then, realizing it was too precise, quickly looked at the village chief as if to make amends, “I remember correctly, Grandpa Village Chief?”
“That’s right, that’s right!” the village chief quickly chimed in. “Anyway, we can pick them as soon as the first yellow leaf falls.”
"Lord Lu, please come with me to my home. My wife should have prepared the food." The village chief hurriedly said. If it weren't for the county magistrate being here, he wouldn't have been able to afford three extravagant meals today.
He turned to Shen Zhiyi and said, "You've been running around all day, you must be tired. Come home with me for dinner."
Having gradually overcome her reluctance to trouble others, Shen Zhiyi stopped being coy and casually picked a cabbage from her own yard. Pretending not to see the village chief's pained expression, she said, "We can add another dish. Grandma Qin's cabbage is the best!"
Holding the cabbage, Shen Zhiyi followed the village chief, walking back in the last rays of the setting sun.
As the evening breeze passed, the dark clouds overhead dispersed, and the bright moonlight shone down, making the tranquility of the countryside at this moment all the more precious.
After dinner, Shen Zhi saw Lu Jingbai sitting alone in the courtyard looking at the moon. He knew that it would be a waste to talk to him at this time, but since the magistrate was still there, it would be a pity not to ask.
Just as she hesitated, Lu Jingbai pulled himself out of his reverie and slowly said, "Miss Chen, is there something you want to say?"
"That day I went to the county town to sell chili peppers and overheard a notice posted by Lord Lu about land reclamation... Is there any new policy or decree now?" Shen Zhiyi stammered, her mind racing to find the right words.
“It was a month and a half ago,” Lu Jingbai sighed. He never expected that the chili peppers he bought back then could change a village. “In the past, reclaimed land needed to be registered, and there were no miscellaneous taxes for three years, only one percent tax, until the sixth year when the normal tax of four percent was levied. But the current emperor is benevolent to the people and understands their suffering. As long as the land is reclaimed and registered, there are no taxes for six years, until the seventh year when the normal tax of four percent is levied.”
"No taxes?" Shen Zhiyi was shocked. Seeing Lu Jingbai's serious expression, she quickly added, "His Majesty is truly benevolent."
"But this matter is so important, why didn't Lord Lu say so sooner?" Shen Zhiyi asked, puzzled.
“I ordered people to post notices at the yamen gate, clearly stating the key points, but unfortunately, apart from your village, no other village is reclaiming the land,” Lu Jingbai said helplessly.
"Those gentry and wealthy landowners, didn't they reclaim the wasteland either?" Shen Zhiyi asked in surprise. For such an "advantageous" thing, those gentry had countless tenant farmers who could help them reclaim wasteland. In the six years after the wasteland was reclaimed, they would make a clean profit!
"Does Miss Shen think I'm a fool?" Lu Jingbai retorted arrogantly, then his tone turned icy. "They can forget about it! This decree was created to help the people, and it will certainly not become a tool for them to profit from."
Upon hearing this, Shen Zhiyi felt a tightness in her chest, truly sensing the oppressive aura emanating from Lu Jingbai.
Based on these remarks, she reminded him without any further worries: "Then Lord Lu's land reclamation announcement needs to be written properly. I have some suggestions that can provide you with some ideas."
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