Chapter 53 Chapter 53 New Pill——Xia Houying…
After working in the fields all day, Lu Zhi finally came back. Widow Cao, who came back early, prepared dinner, and the family sat down at the dinner table in the dim light.
Lu Zhi did not see Liu Ji and did not ask about him. She had long been accustomed to him not coming home often.
It was Widow Cao who took the initiative to say, "He came back during the day and said that he had been busy with work at the county office recently, so he went to stay at Fan Kuai's house."
Lu Zhi nodded expressionlessly.
If it were in the past, she would definitely have put on a sarcastic smile. When was Liu Ji not busy, and when was he busy with serious matters?
But now, excessive fatigue has broken her spirit and destroyed her language ability. She can't even make a superfluous expression.
Liu Ying, who was sitting down, looked disappointed when he heard this: "Father went to Uncle Fan's house again? Why didn't he take me with him?"
She glanced at Lu Zhi carefully again and said coquettishly, "Mom, I miss my father. Can you take me to see him?"
Lu Zhi ignored him and lowered her head to eat.
Liu Ying pouted, looked at the food on the table, and said dissatisfiedly, "Auntie, I don't want to eat corn rice and wild vegetables. I want to eat meat."
Widow Cao was a little embarrassed and tried to coax him, saying, "Ying'er, we don't have much money left at home. Just make do with this for a while. When your mother and I sell the cloth we weave, we'll buy you some meat."
"I don't want it." Liu Ying pushed the bowl away. Children are naturally good at reading adults' expressions. Unlike his fear of Lü Zhi, he had no scruples about Widow Cao. He said confidently, "I want to eat meat. Go buy me some meat now."
"This..." Widow Cao looked hesitant, but still stood up.
Lü Zhi frowned and snatched the bowl of corn rice that Liu Ying had pushed away. "Don't worry about him. If he doesn't want to eat, let him starve."
"Mother!" Liu Ying looked at Lu Zhi in disbelief.
Lü Zhi sneered, "Aren't you going to look for your father? Go ask him for some meat."
After all, it was Lu Zhi who was in charge of the family, and there was really not much money left at home. Widow Cao hesitated and sat down again, lowered her head and ate the corn rice silently, not daring to say more.
After finishing Liu Ying's bowl of corn rice, Lu Zhi still felt hungry, but she knew there was no more.
There was not much food at home, so it had to be calculated. Each person had a fixed portion for each meal, and once it was eaten, there was no more.
She picked up the bowl and went to the kitchen, and Liu Yue quickly followed.
She finished eating before her mother and was also hungry, but she was older than Liu Ying and had seen the hard work of her mother and aunt at home, so she was more understanding and tolerant.
When I got to the kitchen, I saw my mother clearing the dishes and quickly said, "Let me do it."
Lu Zhi glanced at her and said nothing. She was indeed very tired today.
The next day, Lu Zhi went to work in the fields early in the morning. When she came back for breakfast, she saw that the yard next door was very lively.
Many strong men came, demolished the original house and dug a new foundation.
She was a little confused: "What happened?"
Widow Cao didn't understand either, but Liu Yue, who had been raising pigs and cleaning up after her husband, knew what was going on. She explained, "A few days ago, a nobleman came and bought the Wang family's house and land. They moved to the city. I heard they're planning to build a workshop here, but I don't know what a workshop is."
She looked envious, thinking that it would be great if this noble man wanted to buy her house and land, so that they could move to the city.
Not to mention eating meat every day, corn rice is certainly enough to fill you up, and there is no need to mix corn rice with bean rice.
If her family really was a group of orphans and widows, and a neighbor suddenly moved in, Lu Zhi would definitely be alert and ask around about the neighbor's situation, but they were not.
Although Liu Ji was as good as dead, he was still alive and had a group of brothers, so no one dared to bully them.
Lu Zhi was busy preparing the land before spring plowing and had no energy to pay attention to her neighbor.
After a few days, Xiahou Ying and Fan Kuai came to help Lu Zhi. Liu Ji, who had been missing for a long time, finally returned home and gave Lu Zhi a bag of money.
Lu Zhi went to the market to buy meat and prepared a table full of dishes. When she heard their discussion, she realized that the neighbor who bought the food from the next yard was actually the imperial teacher who came from Xianyang.
She misunderstood Liu Ji. He had not been hanging out with his bad friends during this period.
I had taken the money from home to send the prisoners to Mount Li. Although the food and drink along the way were paid for by the government, I still had to have some money on hand to support myself.
Now the prisoners no longer need to be sent, they have all been gathered together to open up new land for the national teacher. Liu Ji has been busy with this these days.
Lu Zhi was in a delicate mood.
Most of the time, she was in charge of the family's fields. Usually, Liu Ji would invite some of his brothers to come and plow the fields like he did today, but Liu Ji himself was not often there.
When asked, he said he was busy and didn't know what he was doing.
After becoming familiar with Liu Ji's brothers, Lü Zhi became much more polite and treated them to two meals, which were not bad.
Many times, Lu Zhi felt that compared to Liu Ji, his brothers were more competent and took on the responsibilities of the family.
Liu Ji hid away before the spring plowing just to avoid being lazy.
Unexpectedly, he couldn't escape after all and had to open up wasteland for the nobleman. Lu Zhi cursed in her heart that it was his due.
At this time, Widow Cao, who had also heard their conversation, whispered, "Madam, what do you say, I go cook for them and make some money?"
Lu Zhi was stunned. It was almost spring plowing time, and she was too busy to handle the work in the fields by herself. But with the help of Liu Ji's brothers, Widow Cao could indeed make time to be a cook.
She had just heard that the work of building workshops and constructing houses was not easy, but cooking for the workers who helped was possible, and the wages were paid daily, and the pay was quite good.
So Lu Zhi nodded and said: "Then you go, Yue Er and I will take care of the housework."
Widow Cao quickly waved her hand: "Cooking is not tiring. I'm used to it. We're close to each other. I'll come home after I'm done."
Widow Cao also did odd jobs in the city, but usually during the slack season.
Spring plowing is urgent now. If she wasn't close by and had someone to help her, she wouldn't have come up with this idea.
"I'll talk to my husband and ask him to arrange for you to go there." Lu Zhi thought for a while and said.
Although Widow Cao was Liu Ji's concubine, she had no hostility towards her.
When Liu Ji was out fooling around, it was Widow Cao and her who supported the family, and her son Liu Fei was also a good brother.
They were both capable laborers at home, jealousy, framing? Those were the precious things that only rich families gave birth to when they were well fed.
Widow Cao hesitated a bit: "Is this okay? Will it cause any trouble for my beloved?"
"Don't worry, he's very cunning." Lü Zhi snorted coldly, "After all, he's working for the Imperial Master now. It's just a small matter."
Although Liu Ji didn't care much about them, he would not give up such benefits that could bring income to his family.
Liu Ji is generous, but he also has his own standards in his heart.
However, to Lü Zhi's surprise, Liu Ji hesitated and said, "I have to ask Yun Bazi about this matter."
"Yun Bazi?" Lu Zhi didn't understand.
"Yun Bazi is the female official that the Imperial Master brought with him from Xianyang. She is responsible for all matters concerning the Imperial Master in Pei County. I was fortunate enough to meet her several times because I led prisoners to open up wasteland for the Imperial Master."
Lu Zhi immediately understood Liu Ji's thoughts. She was just a cook responsible for cooking for the workers, and would not alarm the steward of such a level. He just wanted to use this opportunity to get close to Yun Bazi.
Lu Zhi would never interfere in such interpersonal relationships. Liu Ji was much more shrewd than her. He was best at making friends and taking advantage of opportunities.
The next day, when Lu Zhi saw Liu Ji coming back in a somewhat dejected state, she thought she had failed and wondered why he was so useless now. However, she heard Liu Ji tell Widow Cao to go to work today, learn from the people there first, and get the hang of it as soon as possible.
He instructed, "Be careful when you cook. The Imperial Master likes cleanliness and hates dirt. She says that illness comes from the mouth, so you must be extremely careful. Just watch how others cook and don't make your own decisions."
Widow Cao quickly agreed, quickly went back to the house to pack up, and then went next door with some trepidation.
Seeing this, Lu Zhi understood that the matter was done, but Liu Ji did not achieve his goal of getting close to Yun Bazi. She sneered in her heart and didn't bother to care about him.
Lü Zhi didn't expect that after returning, Widow Cao would change her usual reserved and silent self and excitedly say to her, "Madam, I learned a lot of new dishes today, all of which I have never seen before."
"No wonder this Imperial Master is so trusted by the King. She actually has real talent. You and I both know that bean rice is unpalatable, but she's actually used beans to create a unique dish called tofu, which is fragrant, tender, and smooth..."
Lü Zhi was just listening nonchalantly at first, but her expression changed as she listened. "The Imperial Master actually let you guys make tofu. Did she teach you the method?"
She was also surprised by tofu, a food that had never appeared before, but she knew that wealthy families had some guaranteed secret recipes. Just because she didn't know about it didn't mean it had never existed before.
But making this secret recipe public so that everyone can learn it is completely different.
Widow Cao didn't have Lu Zhi's political literacy, so she only realized what was happening after hearing her reminder. "Yes, not only tofu, but also several tofu-related recipes. The chef taught us all the recipes without reservation. The heat, the time, the amount of seasoning to use—not only did he tell us, but he also gave us pointers."
"I've only been there for a day, but the dishes I cook already have six-tenths of the flavor of a master chef. He also encouraged me to learn more, saying I'm smart. Once I master it, he'll hand over the kitchen to me, and my salary will increase..."
Lü Zhi was silent for a long time before she said, "You should study hard."
"My lady, I know I will learn all the skills of the chef as soon as possible." It was rare for Widow Cao to speak so confidently, her face full of excitement.
Lu Zhi looked at her steadily and suddenly felt a little regretful.
If she had known this, she would have applied for the job next door. This imperial teacher from Xianyang was a little different.
Lu Zhi was shaken and decided to observe the next door. She also told Liu Ji to remind her when there was another recruitment opportunity.
Liu Jisheng mocked Lu Zhi verbally, but still agreed.
However, the couple did not expect that this job opportunity would come so soon. After recruiting cooks and construction talents, the neighbors started recruiting farmers.
Lu Zhi felt that she could definitely give it a try.
The other party does not have any age or gender restrictions, only experience is required.
In the past, Lu Zhi, as a young lady in the boudoir, had no experience, but after marrying Liu Ji, her experience in farming increased many times, among other things.
Lu Zhi thought that no matter whether it would succeed or not, she should give it a try first. What if the imperial teacher took a liking to her?
So Zhu Dan saw Lu Zhi at the recruitment site in this beautiful way.
In fact, she had secretly observed this family and had thought of some ways to make friends with Lu Zhi naturally, but she had too many things on hand recently.
She had to survey the situation in Pei County, determine the experimental fields, find materials for refining elixirs using Xiahou Ying's luck, and also write back to Xianyang.
Zhu Dan used Lantian County as a pilot and developed a series of infrastructure products, including food centered on tofu, building materials centered on cement, cleaning and sanitary products centered on soap, salt factories, glass factories, and paper factories... all of which could be vigorously developed.
So after the beginning of the year, Ying Zheng was extremely busy.
Zhu Dan came up with the idea, and the related promotion and operation became the responsibility of him and a group of court officials.
This is also why Ying Zheng actually wanted to come to Pei County with Zhu Dan, but he had no time at all.
Even great emperors like Qin Shi Huang were held back by the rapid development of industry.
Every day there are countless problems waiting for Daqin to solve. Zhu Dan can only deal with technical problems, but cannot deal with the various social problems faced after the promotion of technology.
For example, should education be developed? Zhu Dan had already developed pinyin and simplified Chinese characters, and was also preparing relevant imperial examination textbooks. Even Qin Shi Huang would be reluctant to give up on him.
For example, if a workshop seems to have great potential, who should be put in charge? How should the profits be distributed?
…
Not only Ying Zheng, but also Li Si, Meng Yi, Shaofu and other people familiar to Zhu Dan had a lot of questions and wrote to him.
This question not only raises technical issues, but also asks how future generations will handle these social issues. They really need reference.
So Zhu Dan could harvest a large pile of bamboo slips almost every day.
Because she was illiterate - even after six months, she could understand some small seal characters by guessing and asking questions. Don't underestimate the learning ability of a cultivator, but Zhu Dan was sincerely resistant to this complex text.
So she must bring Yunqiu with her.
Yun Qiu also had to deal with matters in Pei County, so the two of them were quite overwhelmed.
Zhu Dan had no time to meet Lu Zhi by chance, so he just let things take their course and got to know her. Unexpectedly, she took the initiative to apply for the job.
So what else is there to say? We definitely need to recruit people.
Zhu Dan even decided that even if Lu Zhi knew nothing about farming, she would still give her a backdoor.
He can even manage a country, so helping her manage a workshop in Pei County is just a small exercise.
However, Zhu Dan soon discovered that she had underestimated her. When it came to farming, Lu Zhi spoke very knowledgeably, and even when she went to the fields to practice, she was no less capable than the several veteran farmers she had previously admired.
Zhu Dan was very surprised and announced the employment on the spot.
She originally wanted Lu Zhi to start from the workshop, but now, she changed her mind: "You stay with me for the next few days and run through all the experimental fields with me."
"If you are capable enough, I will let you be the chief steward in this area. You don't have to worry about your food, clothing, and wages. I will draw the line for you, just like Yun Qiu."
Lu Zhi looked at Zhu Dan in disbelief, Yunqiu?
Of course she knew who Yun Qiu was, the Yun Bazi that Liu Ji was desperately trying to get close to. But she ended up surpassing Liu Ji and Yun Bazi and caught the eye of the national teacher first?
Moreover, all her treatment is actually comparable to Yun Bazi's. Doesn't this mean that she will be Yun Bazi's colleague?
Lu Zhi's heart, which had been dormant for so long, suddenly became hot. At that moment, she seemed to have returned to her youth. At that time, under the influence of her parents, she was determined to marry an unparalleled hero. In the end, her father actually chose Liu Ji for her. Before she married him, she still held out hope. After she married him...
"I will do my best, Imperial Master." After Lu Zhi said this, she realized that her voice was so dry.
She looked at the Imperial Master, who seemed unaware and told her with gesticulation what he was going to do next.
The land has been prepared, and the next step is to plant the seeds, but the seeds cannot be planted randomly in the ground. Zhu Dan plans to grow seedlings first.
This is when you need to use some technology and work hard.
"I need to find Xiahou Ying to help me refine this seedling-raising pill. If you're interested, you can come and watch."
When Lü Zhi returned home, Liu Ji was waiting for her. As soon as they met, he smiled and asked, "How did it go?"
Lü Zhi didn't answer, but instead asked, "Have you heard of the seedling-raising pill that the Imperial Master wants to refine?"
"Seedling-raising pill?" Liu Ji was puzzled. "I haven't heard of it. I've only heard of the Rejuvenating Pill, which was originally announced along with the Imperial Master's edict. It's said that the King's chronic illness was cured with this Rejuvenating Pill, and he returned to youth."
He told Lu Zhi everything he knew very frankly.
This was also Liu Ji's advantage. He recognized Lu Zhi's talent and would not deceive her and lock her up in the backyard.
Suddenly realizing something, Liu Ji's pupils shrank. "Could it be that the Imperial Master is planning to make a seedling-raising pill in Pei County?"
Lü Zhi nodded gently: "Yes, she said she needs Xia Houying's cooperation."
"Xiahou Ying? How can he cooperate?" Liu Ji's expression turned grim as he paced around the room. "Could it be that she deliberately approached Xiahou Ying? No, I have to tell him about this."
As Lu Zhi watched his receding back, she understood in her heart that the news was deliberately told to her by the National Master so that they could communicate with Xiahou Ying in advance.
Not long after, Widow Cao, who worked next door, also came back, carrying a basket and smiling happily: "Working for the Imperial Master means eating three meals a day. I saw some cooks bringing food back, so I asked the chef."
"The chef said there's no problem, but he needs to eat enough. If he doesn't have enough to work, he'll be fired."
She placed the basket on the table, took out the bowls from it, and said as if presenting a treasure, "Look at this dish, it's so rich. I'll bring some back to share with you and cook some more corn."
Lü Zhi looked over and saw that it was indeed a rare meat dish. In a dish of fish stewed with tofu, large chunks of fish could be seen. "You are so thoughtful. Let's stop it today. You don't need to bring it back in the future. Go and learn more from the chef."
"I've got a job too. I'll start tomorrow. With the money we get, we can buy some fish and meat for the children."
"Really?" Widow Cao was overjoyed, clapping her hands and laughing. "My wife has always been capable, so this must be true. Our family's life will get better and better."
Lu Zhi rarely smiled. Yes, after wasting many years, she finally saw hope.
At this time, on the other side, because of the news brought by Liu Ji, Xiao He and others gathered at Xiahou Ying's house to discuss how to deal with it. How exactly do they cooperate in alchemy?
Zhou Bo, furious, couldn't help but exclaim, "Who knows what kind of uncanny method that imperial teacher uses to make the elixir? Why don't we run, run into the Glauber's Salt Mountain?"
Xiahou Ying smiled innocently: "It shouldn't be that bad. I think the Imperial Master is very kind and doesn't seem like a cannibal."
Fan Kuai worriedly said, "You can only know a person's face but not his heart. Who knows what she is thinking?"
He then looked at Liu Ji and Xiao He, asking for their opinions: "What do you think?"
Liu Ji had completely calmed down and looked thoughtful.
Xiao He spoke first: "Do you know how the rejuvenation pill is made?"
Everyone was stunned and didn't understand why he said this.
Xiao He explained, "Just like the Nurturing Pill requires Xiahou Ying's cooperation, this Rejuvenating Pill also requires the cooperation of someone else. This person is none other than the eldest son Fusu. I heard that the king's favorite youngest son, Hu Hai, was not spared either."
After a pause, he cautiously expressed his guess: "If nothing unexpected happens, everyone in Daqin has participated in alchemy, but so far, no shocking incidents have been reported. I think this cooperation should not be a big obstacle."
Liu Ji finally spoke up at this time: "I agree with Xiao He's opinion. The Imperial Master doesn't mind us watching him make the elixir."
This reason convinced everyone, and they all decided to go and watch, but they almost couldn't squeeze in.
Because there are so many people who are curious about how the national master makes elixirs.
As soon as the news came out, people started trying to find connections in order to gain a foothold.
Similar things happened many times in Xianyang, and Yunqiu arranged them very smoothly.
Naturally, the alchemy went very smoothly this time.
Not to mention how surprised and horrified the people of Pei County were when they saw the national teacher conjure up a cauldron out of thin air and create fire underneath, and how they knelt down and kowtowed after being horrified, treating Zhu Dan as a god. After Zhu Dan extracted Xiahou Ying's luck and refined it into the seedling-raising pill, he immediately went into the simulation room.
This is the status that the seedling pill should have. Without exploring its effectiveness clearly, Zhu Dan will never be used in reality.
Zhu Dan was also very satisfied with the final result.
After soaking the seeds in the liquid of Yu Miao Dan, the germination rate can reach 100%.
After spraying the diseased and weak seedlings with medicine, the plants grown are visibly superior to the original varieties.
Zhu Dan also saw at a glance that the reason why there was no comparison was that its superiority was a bit unscientific.
Take the most common soybeans for example. Zhu Dan didn't know how big the original plant could grow, but after being soaked in the liquid medicine, the plant was as tall as her, and the soybeans that grew were as big as grapes!
With such obvious behavior, anyone can see that something is wrong.
The yield of soybeans as big as grapes has increased several times. Regardless of whether the oil yield has increased or not, and regardless of whether the actual performance is several times lower than that in the simulation room... the prospects are very good.
What surprised Zhu Dan even more was that this seedling-growing pill actually broke the three-generation curse of Li Si's Nirvana Pill, stabilizing the mutant traits of the plants that appeared after three generations!
For example, Zhu Dan used Nirvana Pill to turn Cornus officinalis into chili peppers. After three generations, the characteristics of the chili peppers degenerated and even mutated. Some of them regressed to Cornus officinalis seeds, and some turned into other sweet or salty seasonings.
If the mutated seeds continue to be soaked in the seedling pill, the characteristics of the seeds will not change and will remain in a fixed appearance, but they will be weaker and more prone to disease.
But as long as generations of people soak in the seedling pill, this weak trait will become stronger from generation to generation.
Although it takes a long time, Zhu Dan doesn't mind at all.
Is the point a question of time? No, the point has always been that traits cannot be fixed and species can mutate.
As long as she doesn't mutate, it means that Zhu Dan has permanently acquired this gene and can grow peppers from generation to generation without going out to sea.
At this moment when we are temporarily unable to go out to sea, the combination of the Seedling Pill and the Nirvana Pill is simply a magical weapon, a perfect match!
Haha, there is hope for the local domestication of potatoes, sweet potatoes, peppers, and cotton.
This huge surprise made Zhu Dan even want to hug Xiahou Ying's rough and weathered face and give him a big kiss, thinking that this might be the blessing of Xiahou Ying's faithfulness and loyalty to the Liu family?
From jumping out of the car again and again to save Liu Ying and Princess Lu Yuan, to later working for Lu Zhi, and then to welcoming Emperor Wen of Han Liu Jing to the throne, he overcame the difficulties of the founding of the country and laid a good foundation for the prosperity of the Han Dynasty.
During the Han Dynasty, countless people in later generations claimed to be Han people. Isn't this a stable trait that runs throughout the entire history?
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