Chapter 51 A Trip to the Yamen
"You said you got a—no, two crops that are extremely high-yielding, drought-tolerant, adaptable to different soils, filling, and taste amazing?"
After Master Shao finished saying this series of sentences in which he added many adjectives before the word "crop", not only could he not help laughing, but the idle yamen runners who were standing guard and eavesdropping with their ears perked up also chuckled.
It’s true that you can’t judge a book by its cover.
Look at this young country girl, she is dressed neatly and cleanly, and she looks pretty. She doesn't look like a stupid or ignorant person. Why does she speak so outrageously?
Master Shao was even more at a loss for words. If it weren't for the fact that Dong Weng always had a lot of ideas and insisted on organizing some kind of folk reward, he would have ordered the servants to politely ask the man to leave.
Since Xu Zhichun dared to stand here, she must have had a plan in mind. She offered the bamboo basket: "Master, I brought some sweet potatoes and potatoes. Some can be used as seed blocks raw, and some can be eaten steamed. Can you please taste them? If so, can you please taste them too? This may sound incredible, but I did buy these two things by accident. To be honest, Master, I have tried them and they taste really good. In Liangjia Village where I live, every household now grows these sweet potatoes and potatoes. I dare not deceive you."
Master Shao was stunned and couldn't help but look at Xu Zhichun carefully.
This country woman is a little different from ordinary country women. Is what she said true?
Xu Zhichun smiled again and said, "Let me know, Master, the gray tofu and gray bean shreds sold in the East City market are my business."
This time, not only did Master Shao look at him differently, but the yamen runners who had pricked up their ears and eavesdropped also opened their eyes wide in surprise.
"Ah, those gray tofu and gray bean shreds are actually sold by her family!"
Someone exclaimed softly.
Of course, they've all bought this kind of fresh food at home. Whether stir-fried with meat, vegetables, or served cold, it's delicious. The shredded gray beans are especially delicious, topped with plenty of chili peppers or stewed to soak up the broth. These days, many families buy it every now and then.
Master Shao became more serious and nodded. "So you're the one selling the gray tofu and gray bean shreds? So you're pretty lucky."
And got such a good crop?
It turns out that he is a man who can do some small business. No wonder he has the courage to come to the yamen.
Master Shao signaled his attendant to take the basket from Xu Zhichun's hand, pinched the ordinary-looking sweet potatoes and potatoes, and tasted the steamed ones.
One is soft and sweet, the other is soft and sticky with a sweet aftertaste.
Shao Shiye's expression grew more serious as he looked at Xu Zhichun, "Are the yields of these sweet potatoes and potatoes really that high? And they're not picky about the soil and are drought-resistant?"
This time Xu Zhichun was much more cautious: "Master, that's what the two merchants said. They said these two things are delicious. We tasted them and they are indeed good, so we thought that what they said about other things should be correct. I dare not deceive you. I am actually a little selfish. I originally wanted to wait until I planted a season and harvested it before reporting to you, but I was afraid that if someone reported it first, I would feel wronged. So I came here now. If the result is not as the two merchants said, please help me explain to you, and please don't blame me."
Since Xu Zhichun dared to come, he must have already made many calculations in his mind.
Just based on the smell of sweet potatoes and potatoes, even if the county magistrate didn't believe her at the moment, he definitely wouldn't punish her. As a country woman, she was afraid that someone else would get there first, so she couldn't hold back and came to the yamen to report it first. This was also normal.
Although the village head has ordered the villagers not to pass on the sweet potatoes and potatoes, there are nearly four hundred people in the village. Who can guarantee that there are no smart people among them?
It’s not necessarily the case that no one in the village knows about the teahouse’s promotion.
If someone else had taken advantage of this, Xu Zhichun would have been really depressed.
She could make gray tofu and gray bean shreds, so she had some precautions in mind. Master Shao didn't think it was strange at all. He smiled when he heard it and said, "You're right to think so. Wait, I'll go report to you, Master."
"Thank you, Master!"
Xu Zhichun was delighted, knowing that the matter was almost done.
Not long after, Master Shao came over with a smile on his face, "Xu, right? The master wants to see you, come with me."
"Thank you, Master!"
"Don't be nervous. Grandpa is always kind. Just answer whatever he asks truthfully."
"Thank you for the reminder, Master."
"Um."
Seeing that she was reasonable and measured, Master Shao nodded, quite satisfied.
Xu Zhichun didn't expect County Magistrate Lu to be so young. She only dared to take a quick glance at him out of the corner of her eye. He was about thirty years old, no more than thirty-five, with a handsome appearance and the gentle and elegant demeanor of a scholar.
With her current status, she naturally had no right to look County Magistrate Lu in the eye. As she knelt down to pay her respects, she laughed at herself in her heart: Just take it as a matter of adapting to the local customs.
Magistrate Lu looked her over and smiled. "These are red, sweet potatoes, right? They taste quite good. I've never tasted them before. Please tell me in detail how you bought them. Don't be nervous. Stand up and talk."
"Yes, thank you, sir."
Xu Zhichun had already prepared the story, and he told it very fluently, including a very detailed description of the two "merchants".
There is no way, one lie will eventually be covered up with countless lies.
She's almost become a skilled worker.
Seeing that County Magistrate Lu was listening attentively, Xu Zhichun was afraid that he would probably send people to the provincial capital or surrounding counties to look for him, so he could only pretend not to know.
After questioning, Magistrate Lu said, "These sweet potatoes and potatoes are indeed delicious. They are truly something new that I have never seen before. You are so generous in sharing them with your fellow villagers to grow. You deserve a reward. After the autumn harvest, I will personally inspect the results. If they are indeed high-yielding and drought-resistant, there will be another generous reward. When you return, take good care of the sweet potatoes and potatoes in the field. If anything unexpected happens, please come back to the yamen and report to me. Master Shao, please remember this."
Master Shao bowed and said yes.
Xu Zhichun was also relieved. "Thank you for the reward, sir. Please rest assured, I will take good care of the fields after I return. I will also urge everyone to take good care of the potatoes and sweet potatoes. I will not let you down when the autumn harvest comes."
Magistrate Lu laughed heartily. "Excellent, excellent! Master Shao, escort Xu out properly."
"Yes, sir."
Not only did Shao Shiye personally escort Xu Zhichun out, he also gave her the 100 taels of silver awarded by County Magistrate Lu.
"Madam Xu has made great contributions, and this is what she deserves. If the potatoes and sweet potatoes are indeed high-yielding and drought-resistant during the autumn harvest, there will be a generous reward. I hope those two merchants did not deceive Madam Xu, and I hope Madam Xu will be lucky enough to receive this generous reward."
Waiting for the results today
(End of this chapter)
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