After finishing her gossip, He Youyou, as a career-oriented woman, would never forget that she and Zhao Changqing still had serious business to discuss.
She explained to Zhao Changqing the details of the government renting cattle for land reclamation.
Military settlement and land reclamation have always been of paramount importance.
Zhao Changqing naturally supported her idea.
He Youyou was very happy.
Although Zhao Changqing can be a bit awkward at times, he's generally quite easy to communicate with.
Moreover, it seems that communication has become easier lately.
But why is there a hint of shyness on his face?
Little did she know that Zhao Changqing, listening to her advice, was already thinking, "The woman I've set my sights on is indeed extraordinary."
Even the way he looked at her seemed to hold something.
However, He Youyou's mind wasn't on this, and she didn't have time to analyze these things; she had important matters to attend to.
She then introduced Zhao Changqing to the proposals of "cattle trusteeship" and "trade-in of old cattle," which Zhao Changqing shyly agreed to.
Um……
That's pretty strange.
However, now that she had achieved her goal, she stopped overanalyzing.
(Zhao Changqing: No, why don't you... analyze it?)
He Youyou, of course, did not overlook Zhao Changqing's purpose in coming.
Zhao Changqing came to procure provisions.
The border regions are short of food, and Ji Province is also short of food. It can be said that this year, the entire northern part of the Daqian Dynasty is short of food.
In contrast, the Central Plains and the Jiangnan region enjoy favorable weather and relatively normal climate.
Food shortage...
What are some effective solutions?
He Youyou regretted not having read more history books sooner.
Humanities subjects are her weak point.
She couldn't help but stroke Zhao Wenqi's head, her fingers even ruffling his soft hair.
This child's hair grew from his baby hair, and he never had his hair cut since he was little. The texture of his hair is incredibly nice.
It's so soft and fluffy, you can't put it down.
"Wenqi, let's be honest, it's really tough not being able to concentrate on your studies. But you never know when you'll need the knowledge. I regret not reading more before. Now when I need it, I find myself with no knowledge reserves, my mind is blank, it's so painful. No matter what you want to do in the future, try to read as many books as your teacher is teaching you and requiring you to read. Read as many as you can, you never know when you might need them."
Seeing his aunt's serious expression, Zhao Wenqi blinked and said, "Okay, I'll try my best. But what if I keep forgetting what I'm reading?"
He Youyou thought for a moment: "If you read ten sentences and forget nine, then there's still one left in your mind, right? At least something will remain, so it's not like you've gained nothing."
"What if you read ten sentences and forget all ten?"
"Even if you forget everything, the next time you see this phrase, you'll remember what it means, right?"
Zhao Wenqi scratched his head: "That's still manageable. I can't memorize the books the teacher assigned, but if I see a sentence in the book, I can still remember two or three parts of its meaning."
"That means you've learned something! Even if you didn't memorize it, you understand the principles behind it. If you understand a little today and a little tomorrow, you'll understand quite a bit over the course of a year."
"Okay, Auntie, I'll try to learn a little bit every day."
"It's not bad to learn a little bit every day. Some people can eat a whole watermelon at once, while others can only eat a small bite. They are naturally big eaters with strong digestive abilities, so we shouldn't compare ourselves to them. Just compare yourself to yourself. If you know a little more today than yesterday, that's progress."
“Okay, Auntie, I’ll write down what I learn each day. I’ll take a look at it during the New Year and see how much I’ve learned.”
"Wow, wow! Did Wenqi come up with such a clever idea? That's amazing! Quick, Uncle, write it down."
His uncle, Zhao Changqing, was very cooperative. He immediately asked for pen and ink and wrote a big red certificate on the spot to reward little Zhao Wenqi for his "brilliant idea".
Laughter and cheerful voices filled the courtyard of the He residence.
Faint sounds of laughter could be heard coming from next door.
That night, after dinner, He Youyou took a lantern and went to Cheng Tingrui's courtyard.
As the temperature gradually warmed up, Cheng Tingrui, wearing a thin shirt, met her in the study.
There is a main hall in this house, but Cheng Tingrui doesn't use it much to entertain He Youyou.
He preferred to meet her in his study—the place where he usually spent the most time.
He Youyou came to find Cheng Tingrui for a very simple reason.
She doesn't read many history books, so let's ask someone who reads a lot.
As soon as He Youyou sat down, she went straight to the point and asked, "Minzhi, Youzhou and Jizhou are short of food. Based on past historical experience, what do you think the government will do?"
Anticipating national policies is an essential skill for any businessman.
Cheng Tingrui didn't seem surprised by her question; he appeared calm and confident.
He smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping over her face: "Youyou, besides eating, what else can grain be used for?"
He Youyou didn't understand what it meant for a moment.
Cheng Tingrui was unusually mischievous today.
He didn't reveal the answer directly, seemingly wanting to tease her.
He held his sleeve with his left hand, picked up a cup with his right hand, and waved it in front of her eyes twice.
He Youyou was speechless: "Master Cheng, you're really intrigued, playing riddles with me?"
She looked at the cup, frowning in thought.
cup……
food?
The contents of the glass!
She suddenly realized.
Seeing her like this, Cheng Tingrui smiled even more happily: "If I had known that Youyou was so smart, she would have been able to guess the answer."
"You mean... the imperial court might ban the use of grain to brew alcohol?"
"It's just a guess, and we can't be sure. It's unlikely to be banned nationwide, but Youzhou, Jizhou, and some surrounding prefectures are very likely to restrict grain for brewing. Even if it's not explicitly banned, if the government tightens its grip, the amount of grain available for brewing by the people should be reduced by more than half compared to previous years."
The cost of grain collection is limited. After paying the government grain tax and keeping enough for rations and seeds, how can there be any surplus grain to sell to merchants?
The government also controls state-run wineries. If they are not allowed to use grain, it is just a matter of the government office saying a word.
He Youyou asked again, "Are you still keeping the sorghum liquor I asked you to stock up on last time?"
Cheng Tingrui nodded: "Grain-based liquor production isn't limited to sorghum. Many places in the north also use rice to brew spirits. If there's an opportunity, we can also purchase some spirits in advance."
"If grain-based liquor production decreases, then fruit wine prices will rise. Why don't we stock up on some fruit wine?"
“We don’t produce fruit wine locally; most of it comes from the Western Regions and the south. It relies on long-distance trade, and I’ll make a plan to see how to arrange it.”
"Okay, Minzhi, you can decide these things."
As for inside information from the government, she had Zhao Changqing and Prefect Xie, so she could always find out some things.
Moreover, if there's no inside information, then create it.
There is a type of political activity called "lobbying".
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