Chapter 389: Happy Labor Day! [Requesting Double Monthly Tickets]
The river thaws in February, and spring warms in March.
Fugu City is more vibrant now than it was last year.
A bustling crowd, a cacophony of voices, and children laughing and playing.
Under Shen Tang's governance, the river area was thriving, and many merchants would even make a special detour to do business here.
For no other reason than the excellent public security here, which gives them a strong sense of security. Because bandits, who are commonplace outside, have no place to survive in Heyin.
If you find any signs of bandit activity, report it to the authorities, and they will send people to level the mountain the next day!
Whistleblowers can also receive different levels of material rewards depending on the number of thieves and the size of the organization.
Of course, if a false report is made and it is found to be true, a severe punishment will be imposed to prevent the malicious misuse of limited manpower.
Even so, there are still stubborn people who refuse to believe it.
If they don't dare to rob people on the street, they'll resort to petty theft.
They specifically targeted merchants with accents from other regions.
result--
"Aaaaaahhhhhh—"
"Ouch, ouch, ouch—"
On the main street of the market, an ordinary-looking young man had his wrist grabbed by a white figure. The man winced in pain and released his grip, causing a heavy purse to fall to the ground with a crisp sound.
The incident attracted the attention of passersby and vendors.
"What's the use of crying out in pain now?" the newcomer sneered, mocking, "What were you doing just now?"
The arrested youth was in so much pain that his face turned blue, and the veins on his forehead bulged. He was both angry and afraid, and he opened his mouth to curse.
"Do you know who I am? If you offend me, you'll regret it. You'd better let go! Ah—"
The threats not only failed to make the newcomer let go, but also caused him even more suffering: "Who are you?"
The young man said, "My uncle is a government official!"
The onlookers gasped in shock upon hearing this.
It wasn't because of his youth, but because of what he said—didn't this guy even look at who had arrested him?
Well, with the young man's hands bound behind his back and unable to stand up straight, it's really hard to see.
The young man sneered and kicked his thigh.
The man staggered forward and fell face-first to the ground.
The young man thought his threat had worked and was secretly pleased. He was about to slip into the crowd when he was grabbed from both sides and lifted up like a chicken before he could even get up.
The young man who had grabbed him bent down and picked up the money pouch from the ground. He then spoke to the honest merchant, who stood to the side looking bewildered and anxious, and softened his voice slightly: "Although this little thief took this from you, according to the rules of the River Governor's Office, you must go with him. It will be returned to you after verification. It won't take you too long."
The merchant nodded repeatedly.
After selling his goods, he accidentally bumped into a young man on the road. When he came to his senses, the heavy money bag in his arms was gone, and his heart sank. His legs went weak, and countless chaotic and desperate thoughts flooded his mind. These included not only the money he had earned on this trip, but also the principal that his entire family had scraped together.
If the thief escapes, how will his family survive?
"Thank you so much..."
The merchants dared not take their eyes off their money pouches for even a moment.
His speech was shaky and unclear.
Looking up, one sees a young man with a rather heroic air, dressed in simple white robes, with two swords at his waist. His features are delicate, with exquisite eyebrows and eyes, resembling a beautiful young woman; at first glance, one could easily mistake him for a woman—but what woman could be so tall?
The merchant looked up at the other man, while the young man merely glanced at the petty thief he had just caught and said indifferently, "Take him away! Let him go back and recognize which one is his uncle!"
Our lord detests bullying others by abusing his power.
If it's true that a relative of an official is using this status to run rampant in the village, he should be severely punished! If it's not true, and the amount stolen by this petty thief is not small, he'll probably have to spend a year or two in jail.
The young man waved his hand and led his men away.
It wasn't until they left that the onlookers started talking about it.
A man with a non-local accent asked, "Who is this?"
The local replied, "He is a bodyguard under Lord Shen."
Simply put, they are government employees.
This petty thief was neither lucky nor unlucky. Not only did he run into someone while stealing in the street, but he also claimed that his uncle was a government official. Regardless of whether he was making it up, if it were true, his uncle was in for trouble.
The outsider exclaimed in surprise, "So young?"
Actually, he wanted to ask the young man why he was so thin.
Yes, thin.
The young man wasn't exactly slender, but compared to those who were either stout, short and fat, or fierce-looking, he appeared far too frail and thin. He didn't seem like someone who specialized in guarding or apprehending thieves; he seemed more like a registrar.
And then there are those who are unusually good-looking.
She is refined and beautiful, like a young lady.
A local chuckled, "He's young and capable. What's that word again? Something like 'having something'..."
"It's 'young and promising'!"
"Yes, yes, he's young and promising! With his youth and talent, which of the ladies and young wives in the surrounding streets wouldn't be envious?"
Doing business here at the market, seeing the young man leading a patrol makes me feel safe; even petty thieves don't dare to show their faces.
This little thief today is clearly a novice.
If you run into other patrols, you can escape for a while, but if you run into this guy, you're really asking for death!
This thief surnamed Bai is considered a "detective" by the common people! Fu Gu commits more than a hundred thefts a year. Not to mention petty thieves who steal on the street, he can even catch someone sneaking around and stealing eggs from an old woman's hen in her backyard.
At this moment, the person at the center of the conversation had a cold expression on their face.
What is your name?
The petty thief was terrified.
My legs trembled, and I was drenched in cold sweat.
He had come from another county and made a living by his superb thieving skills, specifically targeting small merchants who were not wealthy enough to afford guards. Every time he succeeded, he would indulge in a lavish lifestyle, and once he had spent all that money, he would steal again.
I came here because I heard that He Yin was quite wealthy.
Little did they know that their very first job would backfire.
He wanted to stubbornly refuse to confess, but the young man just stared at him coldly, as if an invisible pressure was suffocating him, and his mental defenses crumbled at the slightest touch. When he came to his senses, he was drenched in sweat, the cold, sticky sweat soaking his inner shirt.
They confessed, they confessed everything.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he'll be going to jail.
After checking the contents of his purse, the merchant successfully retrieved his savings, his excitement evident in his words.
Then--
And that was it. In Fugu City and the surrounding counties and towns, there were only a little over a hundred cases throughout the year, leaving Bai Su with nothing to do all day. She ordered her subordinates to continue patrolling and inspecting, then wiped her twin swords and headed straight for the military camp outside the city.
Even before we got close, we could hear the enthusiastic slogans.
It was Gong Shuwu and his group who were training troops.
"Shao Xuan, you've come at the right time." Gong Shuwu was scratching his head when he saw Bai Su and quickly waved, "I have something for you."
Bai Su asked, "Commander, what is it?"
Actually, it's not a big problem.
With spring plowing approaching, the common people of Heyin have begun preparations for the spring plowing season. The military camp also needs to send people out to check the irrigation canals, the artificial reservoir dug last year, and whether the waterway dug from Miaojiang is passable.
He Yin prepared ample wheat seeds and designated areas with convenient irrigation for wheat cultivation, accounting for 30% of He Yin's land area.
Water supply becomes of paramount importance. Insufficient water or poor drainage can lead to a poor wheat harvest in the fall, with severe consequences.
This matter should be left to Zhao Feng, an experienced hand.
But today he is nowhere to be seen.
Gong Shuwu could only capture Bai Su, a able-bodied man.
Bai Su said, "Okay."
This task is tedious and boring, but at least it's not idle.
On the way back, they happened to run into a group of people. The two figures at the head of the group looked very familiar. Bai Su stared at them, then waved and called out, "Is that Lingde over there?"
One of them turned his head.
It was Lin Feng, whose body had grown considerably taller.
At this time, Lin Feng was also dressed as a male wandering knight, with a sword at his waist. He did not deliberately groom his eyebrows. He was out and about all day, exposed to the wind and sun, and did not look like a young lady from a noble family.
She rode forward on her horse: "Brother Shaoxuan, what are you doing here?"
Lin Feng was standing next to Yu Zi.
Bai Su: "I'm busy with important business. When did you get back?"
Lin Feng said, "I just got back less than fifteen minutes ago."
Since it was such a coincidence, the group decided to travel together.
Compared to Bai Su, Lin Feng, who was much smaller than her, was only half a head shorter. He didn't look like a girl who was only eleven years old at all, but rather like a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy.
Ever since he learned swordsmanship from his teacher Chu Yao and asked Bai Su to forge a sword exclusively for him, he's dared to travel around with people. Now he's even taking Yu Zi along.
They are truly like a newborn calf that is not afraid of a tiger.
They ran, but not randomly.
His lord was a ruthless man who wouldn't even spare himself when he got angry, so how could he let Lin Feng go and let her wander around outside? Lin Feng went out on a mission to inspect the conditions of the fields, which would also help her cultivation.
Finally, they rushed back before the spring planting season.
"Was this trip fruitful?"
Bai Su asked casually.
Lin Feng said, "Yes, there is, but..."
She gave a sly smile and refused to say anything more.
Bai Su understood: "Only the lord can hear this?"
Lin Feng: "We should tell the lord first. If we say it now, it won't be fun anymore."
Bai Su looked at Yu Zi.
They were trying to extract something from Yu Zi.
Yu Zi shook her head vigorously, rode her horse to the side, and pretended to beg for mercy, saying, "Brother Shao Xuan, please don't make things difficult for me. If you tell him, your father might sever all ties with me..."
"Is it that serious?" Bai Su didn't believe it.
Lin Feng smiled without saying a word, his eyes curving into crescent moons.
Bai Su grew increasingly curious and eager to find out more. Her curiosity led her to shamelessly stay and listen to Lin Feng and Yu Zi report on their work to their lord. The content was tedious and lengthy, but fortunately, she was patient and could endure it.
Shen Tang looked at the graceful figure...
Ah no, the handsome and graceful Lin Feng filled me with a sense of pride, like a mother seeing her daughter grow up. Hearing Lin Feng say there was a surprise, I followed Bai Su to an open space in the government office—a space specially designated for growing vegetables.
Shen Tang disliked growing flowers and plants and had no patience to take care of them, so she had them all pulled out, intending to make use of the waste.
What are we going to demonstrate?
Shen Tang guessed.
Lin Feng took out a dozen plump wheat seeds from his pouch at his waist and casually scattered them on the open ground. The girl's profile showed a focused expression, her eyes clear and devout. Lin Feng's talent was quite remarkable; as expected of a second-grade upper-level Wenxin possessor, his cultivation progressed smoothly, and with the meticulous guidance of his teacher Chu Yao, he hardly took any detours.
She skillfully incorporated the light pink literary style.
Until the literary energy gathered in her hands and turned into a peach-red color.
At this moment, her rosy complexion turned slightly pale.
Shen Tang watched intently.
Lin Feng sensed it was about right and said, "Mao is the Mao that Zhou received. There are several kinds of wheat. Wheat is called Lai, which means the elder of wheat; barley is called Mao or Mao. They are all named after the fact that they are sown at the same time, have similar flower shapes, and are used for eating as flour."
Shen Tang and the others stared intently.
But I didn't see any changes.
Only Yu Zi, who had met him before, was mentally prepared.
The real show is yet to come.
As expected—
Lin Feng then recited: "The south wind rose last night..."
Her spiritual energy dispersed from her hand, transforming into a pale pink "wind" that gently caressed the wheat seeds in the open field. The previously orange-yellow seeds sprouted within two or three breaths, turning green, and then grew rapidly as if a speed boost had been applied…
Of the twelve bundles of wheat seedlings, three had stopped growing halfway through, while the rest continued to grow taller.
Until Lin Feng recited "Wheat covers the fields in golden yellow".
The remaining nine ears of wheat lay heavy under the weight.
Seeing this, Lin Feng breathed a sigh of relief, picked a wheat ear and presented it to Shen Tang with both hands, his eyes bright as if expecting something.
Shen Tang finally came to her senses and saw the expectation on Lin Feng's face. She barely suppressed her surging emotions and accepted the wheat.
He said, "Good! Very good! Excellent!"
The wheat ears in my hand felt just like real ones.
The plump grains, though not as good as those grown in fertile fields, were still of the highest quality, and they even had a wheat aroma when you got close.
Most importantly, this thing was planted just now, right in front of her, in the blink of an eye!
Lin Feng suppressed his excitement, far from his outward calm: "It is my good fortune to be able to share the burdens and worries of my lord!"
A few days ago, after finishing her usual busy work, she began to cultivate, immersing her mind in the "Literary Palace," which consisted of only a simple foundation, and concentrating on comprehending the "Essential Techniques for the Common People" that she had repeated countless times in her heart, guiding the energy of heaven and earth to gather in her dantian.
She had repeated this process countless times and was already very familiar with it. However, when she woke up from her cultivation the next day, she found several withered wheat seedlings beside her mat. She initially thought they were brought by the wind, but when she checked the doors and windows of her lodging, they were all tightly closed.
Yu Zi, who shared a room with her, also didn't get up at night.
Where did these wheat seedlings come from?
Later, she discovered that the wheat seeds given to her by the commoners had sprouted to varying degrees in her pouch! However, the sprouted wheat seeds, like withered wheat seedlings, gradually lost their vitality, and when she rubbed them hard with her fingers, they turned into a clump of residue.
At that moment, she noticed the remnants of her literary essence in the residue.
A bold idea began to take shape.
Lin Feng followed suit and tried it a few times.
She destroyed a bag of wheat seeds and exhausted all the spiritual energy in her dantian before finally managing to grow a single ear of wheat, but it was shriveled and malnourished. However, this was enough to make her ecstatic. Overwhelmed with joy, she gave Yu Zi a big bear hug.
Yu Zi still didn't understand what had happened.
Seeing the golden ears of wheat in her hand and learning the origin of the wheat, his mouth dropped open in astonishment.
Is this... real?
Logically, one shouldn't be so surprised, after all, their lord could easily turn wine, cakes, and green plums into anything.
We should get used to it.
But this isn't my lord!
It's Lin Feng!
Lin Feng nurtured wheat with just a few breaths!
This wheat can be used to make wheat rice, and it's edible!
The two of them also hulled and boiled the wheat.
The porridge was thin, and you could count the grains of wheat at a glance, but the two of them didn't mind and ate it together with relish.
They assured us that the wheat tasted almost exactly the same as the ones they grew... well, maybe it's because there was too much liquid in it that we couldn't taste it.
Shen Tang steadied himself.
Have the head chef process these sheaves of wheat.
Cook it into porridge!
Everyone under his command will receive a share!
Let them see how capable this little girl is!
|ω`)
Hehe, Happy Labor Day, my darlings!
(End of this chapter)
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