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"You're finally back!" Yan Yuan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Cheng Xi.
Although someone had come back to report the situation, and he knew what had happened in Tingzhou, he felt uneasy because he hadn't seen anyone.
After all, Cheng Xi was dealing with the ghost scholar Ning Fu, a venomous character like that who was not easy to provoke.
Cheng Xi raised an eyebrow: "Why, what happened on the island?"
Yan Yuan sighed, "Nothing else is as important as your safety. Boss, from now on, it's better to leave such dangerous missions to us. As the saying goes, a general shouldn't fight in battle. As the leader of a gang, how can I be the first to rush into battle?"
This was actually true. As a commander, how could he put himself in danger? However, the special forces under her command had not yet been trained, so she had to worry more.
With a slight smile, Cheng Xi said: "If you are afraid that something will happen to me, you will have to practice harder. However, this time it happened for a reason, and it can be considered a great gain."
There must be gains. Yan Yuan immediately said, "I have already sent people to Panyu. I think Shen Feng will get the news soon. If there is a fight, it will probably be this summer. If we can't end the battle quickly, when the Changjing Gang arrives, both our families will be in trouble."
The most feared thing at sea is being attacked from both sides. Once Shen Feng hears about the movements of the Changjing Gang, he will probably not be able to sit still.
Although the summer naval battle has some risks, it is better than the Long Whale Gang launching a large-scale attack and disrupting the situation in the South China Sea.
At that time, the Qingfeng Gang would not only be isolated and helpless, but also have to guard against the Changjing Gang swallowing up the Chiqi Gang and moving eastward to encircle and suppress them.
If things really get to this point, the Qingfeng Gang will have no choice but to give up their foundation and seek refuge in Japan.
This point naturally goes without saying, but Cheng Xi pondered for a moment and suddenly said, "Perhaps we can buy a little more time. If the Changjing Gang had the spare capacity, Ning Fu wouldn't have gone to Tingzhou in person."
Yan Yuan was stunned. "The Long Whale Gang can't spare any effort? That's a good thing. We'll have more time then."
The Red Flag Gang is developing at a rapid pace nowadays. If we can have another half a year, we will be more confident in defeating the Long Whale Gang.
Unexpectedly, Cheng Xi shook his head: "The more this happens, the more we can't relax. If one plan fails, Ning Fu will definitely come up with another one. That's the only way to prevent it."
As the saying goes, it is easy to dodge a spear but hard to guard against an arrow from the dark. Yan Yuan felt helpless when he heard this.
He was confident in dealing with other pirates, but he was afraid that only Fang Tianxi could deal with a guy like Ning Fu who was full of evil intentions.
It’s a pity that the old guy ran off with someone else again, and now he’s in a difficult situation.
After thinking for a moment, Yan Yuan said sternly, "It would be better for me to lead the team to the Qingfeng Gang this time. You stay in Luoling Island to take charge of the overall situation."
This time, Cheng Xi had no intention of fighting for it and nodded in agreement.
It is possible to help Shen Feng, but it would be embarrassing to go there in person. As far as naval battles are concerned, Yan Yuan's command level is not inferior to hers. It would be better for her to stay in Luoling Island.
After thinking for a moment, Cheng Xi added, "We need to have Zhong Ping pay more attention to the situation in Panyu recently, especially Lu Jian's side. If there is anything wrong, we need to report it as soon as possible."
Yan Yuan frowned: "Could it be that the Lu guy will join forces with the Changjing Gang?"
After all, Lu Jian's base is in Hepu. Once the Changjing Gang occupies Qiongzhou, the sea routes along the way will be cut off, which will have a significant impact on Lu Jian.
As a businessman, Lu Jian is not very trustworthy, and it is hard to say whether he will turn against us.
Cheng Xi shook his head. "Lu Jian is a man of deep thoughts. He may not be willing to join forces with the Changjing Gang, but we must also be on guard against the ghost scholar interfering. During this period, Panyu must pay special attention."
She did not inform Lu Jian about her trip to Tingzhou this time, and Fang Tianxi probably wouldn't say anything.
However, after accomplishing such a big thing, Sun Yuanrang must inform Lu Jian.
To put it bluntly, the purpose of this trip was to destroy the Lu family's foundation. Now that it's done, the favor is owed.
This is still secondary. The most important thing is that the Red Flag Gang not only teamed up with the Minoyi Gang, but also wanted to join forces with the Qingfeng Gang. Both of them are Lu Jian's allies and have common interests. He will not abandon them so easily.
Yan Yuan understood what Cheng Xi meant. Lu Jian, who even dared to betray his own father, would most likely not be inferior to others. However, it was hard to say whether the ghost scholar would use any underhanded tricks.
However, even if something happened to Lu Jian, it should not cause too much of a problem. Cheng Xi had already negotiated a deal with the Xiao family of Tingzhou, and the backup grain route was also ready. Coupled with the output of Dongning, the foundation of the Red Flag Gang was becoming more and more stable.
Feeling a little relieved, Yan Yuan said, "Before the Qingfeng Gang arrives, let's go and train our troops nearby. Pirates are rampant right now, and we still have the final say in the South China Sea."
There are too many winds and waves on the sea in summer, which is not the season for fishing. Fishermen who are idle have to change their livelihoods.
It has been a while since the last sea raid. It is indeed time to send the troops out for training and re-establish the Red Flag Gang's dominance in this sea area.
This also relates to the collection of protection fees in the future, which is something Cheng Xi values very much. She nodded slightly and said, "Let's practice first. When the new guns arrive, we'll start practicing artillery battles. Firearms will be used more and more on the ship in the future, so everyone needs to get used to it first."
This guy really won't give up, Yan Yuan sighed in his heart.
In fact, even the imperial court officials and soldiers don't use firearms much these days, so why is Cheng Xi so focused on running here? If you invest money here, it really won't be enough to burn. Fortunately, there are still a few workshops on the shore that can make money.
But if they really master it, even if they have fewer ships, they will still be able to fight against the enemy.
Thinking of this, Yan Yuan didn't say anything more and nodded in agreement.
Cheng Xi asked again: "Is there anything else happening on the island recently?"
Yan Yuan thought for a moment and suddenly said, "Oh right, the sweet potatoes I planted earlier are ripe, and the harvest looks pretty good."
Cheng Xi suddenly became interested: "Let's go and take a look first."
Knowing that she cared about this, Yan Yuan smiled and took people directly to the village.
Those acres of land had been harvested long ago, and all Cheng Xi saw were a pile of sweet potato lumps with the tops removed and covered in mud. They looked a bit like the Liuao sweet potatoes in the south, all of which were thin and long, but not very big.
Cheng Xi squatted down and looked through it with great interest, then looked up and asked, "How does the sweet potato taste?"
Yan Yuan coughed and said, "The taste is similar to that of taro, a little sweeter, but it's not good to eat too much."
Cheng Xi laughed and said, "Did you pass gas from eating too much?"
Yan Yuan looked at her helplessly. How could a girl say such things casually?
Cheng Xi, however, didn't care at all. He stood up, clapped his hands, and said to the Li people around him, "Can we grow two crops of sweet potatoes in a year?"
"Yes, it can be planted for two seasons, but the harvest from summer planting is not as good as that from spring planting." Li Ren also knew Cheng Xi's identity and quickly replied.
"Will there be insect pests if we plant them continuously?" Cheng Xi asked again.
"Yes, there are some. We rotate it with rice." The Li man was also experienced in farming and answered very straightforwardly.
If intercropping and rotation were still necessary, Cheng Xi asked again, "When will the beans be ripe?"
"It will take another month." The Li man added, "It looks like the harvest should be good."
This is really a reliable farmer. Cheng Xi looked at them and suddenly said, "Are you willing to go to the shore? Each of you will be given ten acres of land, and you can plant at least one season of sweet potatoes and one season of beans every year."
Several people were shocked. At first, no one believed Chief Sun when he said they could be like ordinary farmers. But after staying for a long time, they relaxed a little, thinking that as long as they concentrated on farming, they could get rid of their slavery.
Unexpectedly, the gang leader told them that not only could they be freed from their membership, but they could also get land, and it was good land on the shore!
Some people couldn't believe it, but some people just shouted out, "I'm willing to go!"
"Ah! I'm going too!" "Thank you, boss..."
A chorus of grateful voices filled the air. Cheng Xi smiled and said to them, "These things are very useful. As long as you work hard on your crops, I won't be stingy. Forget about the beans, pick out the sweetest sweet potatoes for seeds. Record when to plant, when to fertilize, and when to harvest. Whether the yield increases or the sweetness improves, you'll get a reward."
These words made the group of people extremely excited. If they were somewhere else, they would probably be no more valuable than the oxen working in the fields. They worked hard all day and could not even fill their stomachs, so who would care about anything else?
But now, we have fields to plant and food to eat. All we have to do is be careful and take good care of the crops. If we have some snacks, we can even get some tips. Who wouldn’t be happy about such a good thing?
Yan Yuan frowned and whispered to Cheng Xi, "It's fine that we can produce oil from beans, but do we really need to use so much land to grow sweet potatoes? The yield isn't that great, so it's probably inappropriate to make a big fuss."
Although the harvest is not bad, sweet potatoes do not have much advantage over taro. Taro will not cause bloating or stomach acid when eaten, but sweet potatoes are far inferior to this.
"It's a kind of food at least, and it can be used as a supplement. And I heard that it's very drought-resistant and can be grown in sandy land. It may not be so noticeable in the south, but it may not be so in the north." Cheng Xi certainly didn't just think of it as a supplement. Sweet potatoes can be a lifesaver in years of disaster, and they can be stored for a very long time if they are properly stored.
Of course, these advantages cannot be fully utilized in the south, but the situation is completely different in the north.
Yan Yuan was not convinced: "But this stuff is from overseas, and ordinary people may not be able to eat it."
Every place has its own customs, just like people in the south are not used to eating wheat and people in the north are not used to eating rice. Even if you put in so much effort and really produce a bunch of sweet potatoes, you may not be able to sell them at a good price.
Cheng Xi smiled slightly: "If we sell sweet potatoes as food, they will definitely not fetch a high price, but it's different if we eat them at home. We have to support the army, so we have to make good use of the food. As for the taste, I have heard of a good method."
After picking a few sweet potatoes, Cheng Xi walked to the edge of the field, picked up a few stones at random, built an earthen stove, added some firewood to heat the stove, stuffed the sweet potatoes in, and covered it with some charcoal ash to suppress the open flame.
Yan Yuan was a little confused. Aren't sweet potatoes supposed to be steamed or cooked in rice porridge? Why were they being roasted?
However, a moment later, when the rich fragrance wafted out from the earthen stove, this thought was immediately thrown out of the window.
Not to mention Yan Yuan, even the soldiers following him were drooling and their stomachs were almost rumbling.
After a while, the sweet potatoes were cooked. Cheng Xi dug out the dust and dug out a black, steaming ball from it. He blew on it, picked up one, and threw it directly to Yan Yuan.
Yan Yuan did catch it, but it was like a carbon ball and burned his hands badly. He couldn't hold it or throw it away.
He could only blow on it and turn it over, and he couldn't put it into his mouth for a long time, which made the fragrance spread further.
Cheng Xi almost laughed out loud. After letting it cool down for a while, he broke open a small one and took a bite.
It was steaming hot and fragrant. Although it was not particularly sweet, the taste in my memory still came to my mind.
With a smile on her face, she asked, "How is it? Does it taste good?"
The longer sweet potatoes are stored, the sweeter they become, and this sweetness is what makes them most special.
In ancient times, sweetness was a luxury. Since ordinary people couldn't afford sugar, wouldn't a sweet potato be just as good? Perhaps it would take time to cultivate a truly superior variety, but once she did, she was confident she could sell it and promote it.
Looking at the man with dust on the tip of his nose and smiling happily, Yan Yuan was stunned.
At this moment, even though she was wearing men's clothes, he could clearly tell that this was a young woman.
No matter how meticulous and courageous she is, she still has a feminine side that will bloom like a flower.
With a sudden shock, Yan Yuan lowered his head in embarrassment, broke off a piece of sweet potato and stuffed it directly into his mouth.
He couldn't tell whether it was fragrant or sweet, he just felt that the mouthful was like fire, burning directly into his stomach.
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