Chapter 84
Ye Jia had never imagined that the bag of 'pebbles' turned out to be sweet potato seeds. She had always believed that sweet potatoes didn't have seeds, and modern agriculture favored planting them from vine cuttings. Perhaps sweet potatoes had seeds, but the environment limited their seed set rate. Generally speaking, crops planted from cuttings often have poor seed production or low germination rates, but Ye Jia had to admit, she was incredibly lucky.
The packet of sweet potato seeds not only sprouted and grew vines, but also seemed to be growing well. Ye Jia thought for a moment and called Lingling and the children over.
Sun Jun ran in front, carrying a small bucket and shovel, and rushed to Ye Jia's side. The seven-year-old boy had grown taller, and his dark eyes looked at people with a particularly focused look. He looked up at Ye Jia expectantly: "Boss!"
"Okay, good boy." Ye Jia responded and reached out to rub the little boy's soft hair.
The child's eyes were shining and his face was red.
According to Ye Jia's understanding, if a crop like sweet potato is to have a good harvest, it must eventually be transplanted. Now that these seeds have grown such lush vines, of course, this good fortune cannot be wasted.
Only after Lingling and the two children arrived did Ye Jia instruct them to place the vine branches and leaves. I still remember watching a video about this in biology class in my previous life. These vine cuttings were planted in the soil using various methods, using different cutting methods depending on the fertility and moisture of the soil. The survival rate was very high.
It wasn't a difficult task, especially since the children had been hanging around in the vegetable garden since last year. They were incredibly skilled at picking vegetables and pruning vines. Ye Jia explained the procedure in detail, and the children soon gathered a large bundle of stems and leaves.
Ye Jia couldn't recall the specific methods for planting cuttings, but he vaguely remembered that they were inserted diagonally into the soil, at least four to seven centimeters deep, or about a palm's length. As Ye Jia was talking, Old Man Sun happened to return from dropping off Zhang Changli. Turning to the backyard, he saw a few children working like clay figurines and came over to help. He also listened to Ye Jia's instructions on how to plant.
"Do you plan to plant it in your backyard? Will it be too crowded?"
Old Man Sun wasn't sure what kind of crop these sweet potatoes were, but if he planted them in the backyard, they would take up too much space. This plot of land was already planted with vegetables like peppers, radish, winter melon, and melon, and he'd also planted some of the usual white cabbage and radish. If he planted sweet potatoes again, he'd have to choose one of the vegetables and leave it out. "...These grasses also need land. If they're too full, they won't necessarily yield a good harvest."
Ye Jia was stunned by what he said and turned around to look at Old Man Sun.
Old Man Sun was right. Adding another sweet potato to this plot of land would indeed make it too crowded. Just like people need space to live, so do plants. Ye Jia glanced around the vegetable garden, thought for a moment, and made a choice.
"Let's move the radish plot to plant sweet potatoes." Now that the Zhou family's livelihood no longer depends on the radish cake stall, there's naturally no urgent need to plant radishes. "Uncle Sun is right. This plot of land is indeed a bit small. But my original intention was to try planting it in the backyard and see how it goes. I'll make a decision after the sweet potatoes bear fruit. If the seeds don't yield well, we won't have to devote too much attention to growing this crop. If the harvest is good and the fruit is good, then we can consider whether to plant it on a larger scale."
However, even though it was a trial planting, Ye Jia couldn't bear to waste the many stems and leaves the children had picked. There were so many acres of land at the bottom of the valley, and there was still some spare land between plantings. He thought he'd discuss it with Zhang Changli so they could make arrangements.
Ye Jia ordered Lingdang to put away the vines properly, and Ye Jia went to the bottom of the valley that day.
Most of the crops in the valley had already been planted, but some of the fields on the hillside were still unplanted. Ye Jia hurried to the farm to look for Zhang Changli, but he wasn't there, wandering around the fields again. Ye Jia took the veiled hat Ling Ling handed him, put it on, and followed the people from the farm to the fields.
The northwest sun was truly scorching. Zhang Changli had been working the fields for over a month, and now he was as tanned as any of the local tenant farmers. Ye Jia, peering from the ridge, couldn't tell who was who. If the guide hadn't called Zhang Changli over, Ye Jia probably wouldn't have found him. Zhang Changli, hands behind his back, slowly crossed the ridge. Before he even got close, he asked Ye Jia what he was doing in the fields again.
"Look at what you said, old man. Can't I come?" Ye Jia changed into a short suit so that he could come over easily.
Zhang Changli frowned at her attire, muttering to himself that the women of Beijing all wore elegant long skirts and never touched a speck of dirt. While he was criticizing Ye Jia for her unrefined manners, he led her to his usual spot: "Let's talk in the shade. The sun in May is the hottest. Don't let your face get tanned like charcoal!"
Ye Jia laughed as he listened, and followed him obediently.
Ye Jia had brought the sweet potato stems and leaves directly with her. Worried that they would be affected if they grew too long after being picked, Ye Jia had Lingling sprinkle water on them and cover them with a damp cloth.
Zhang Changli squatted before the stems and leaves, picked up a sweet potato stem, and examined it for a long time. The traditional planting technique today is, of course, to plant the seeds and wait for them to germinate, bloom, and produce seeds. While crops like rice, wheat, and sorghum already have seedling-raising techniques, the others still rely on traditional planting methods. There's a saying, "Looking at a three-foot-tall tree clearly reveals its true form." Zhang Changli had heard of Ye Jia's proposed method of planting by stem and leaf cuttings. However, this method had always been used on plants and had never been applied to crops.
Old Man Zhang frowned deeply and looked at Ye Jia suspiciously: "How did you know that this thing should be planted like this?"
"Of course I saw it in a book." Ye Jia blinked, meeting Zhang Changli's scrutiny without a trace of fear. After all, Zhou Jingchen and Yu had both tacitly agreed to Ye Jia's proposal, so she didn't need to worry about Zhang Changli's suspicion. "Teacher, tell me if this is okay, okay?"
"Yes, of course."
Seeing that Ye Jia wasn't panicking at all, Zhang Changli snorted and retracted his gaze. "But how do you know this thing will definitely yield a good harvest?"
"I don't know." Ye Jia was very frank and honest. "It's just foreign seeds I got for free, so it's okay to give it a try. It doesn't require much care and management, and it's much more hardy than rice. If the trial is successful, it will be a good food to feed people in the future."
Old man Zhang Changli had spent his entire life worrying about how to increase grain production and the fact that the people of the world were starving. Ye Jia's words struck a chord with Zhang Changli. He felt strangely excited, looking up at the uncultivated fields not far away, lost in thought. After a moment, he nodded solemnly and agreed, "Okay, you go back first. I'll get someone to do this."
These stems and leaves would only cover an acre of land, or perhaps even less. Call a man over and he'll be done with them in a day.
Ye Jia watched from the edge of the field for a while, but seeing Zhang Changli's arrangements were so orderly, he stopped watching. After planting a large bag of stems and leaves, it was already afternoon when Ye Jia returned to Zhou's house.
Yu had returned from the workshop and was teaching a few children to read and write under the grape trellis in the front yard. Ye Jia had built four or five trellises in the front yard and planted some grapes. The vines were now completely covered in them, and beneath the lush leaves were ripe, tender fruit. Ye Simei and Qiuyue hadn't returned yet, and Ye Jia felt a little puzzled. Could it be that business was slow again today? It was already 1:30 PM and the stall hadn't closed yet.
"I guess it's not good." Yu went to the shop to take a look before returning. "I see there aren't many people here today."
This situation has been going on for three days now, starting the day before yesterday and getting later and later. Ye Jia thought to herself, could it be that the diners in town are tired of her food, or maybe there's a new cooked meat shop in town?
Ye Jia was muttering to herself when suddenly there was a loud noise outside the yard, as if several cars were dragging past the door. She and Yu exchanged a glance, and sure enough, there was a knock on the door. No one in the yard had spoken yet, when a familiar voice rang out from outside. At first, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law couldn't figure out who it was, but when the person announced his name, they realized it was Ajiu who had returned!
"Is there anyone in the yard? Come and open the door."
Old Man Sun didn't delay and went forward to open the bolt. Ah Jiu rode on a horse and came in with Lin Zeyu pulling a cart.
The carriage was filled with a collection of bizarre Western specialties, the bulk of which was Western spices. Ajiu dismounted swiftly. Having not seen him for over four months, he looked a lot stronger. His skin seemed darker, but he still looked sharp. Lin Zeyu, who was following him, had grown considerably taller, now tall and thin, and he looked much more cheerful.
The two of them came over immediately when they saw Ye Jia, and Lin Zeyu bowed respectfully. Ah Jiu was wearing clothes with some Western characteristics, and his deep features made him look like a medieval European.
He glanced around the yard and was stunned when he didn't see Ye Simei.
"Fourth sister is in the shop." Ye Jia guessed what he was thinking as soon as he saw his expression. "After fifth sister left, fourth sister took over the business of the food shop. She's usually not here during the day and only comes back at night. It's almost time now, she'll be back soon."
Ajiu nodded, and she and Lin Zeyu unloaded the cart. Boxes upon boxes of spices, special herbs, and seeds. Beyond that, the bulk of the cargo was naturally gold and silver. This time, Ajiu accompanied the Cheng family in transporting over three thousand pieces of fragrant soap, traveling through several countries and taking three or four months to get there and back. The price of fragrant soap there was completely different from that in Dayan; to say the price was exorbitant was an understatement.
But even though the prices seemed ridiculously high to Ajiu, the items shipped by Dayan were still easy to sell. This was probably because scarcity made things valuable.
The experiences of this trip to the Western Regions cannot be fully described in a day or a night, so Ajiu picked out a few important things to talk about.
Firstly, after the Cheng family severed ties with the Central Plains fragrant soap merchants, the supply of fragrant soap became extremely scarce. This time, in addition to accepting over 3,000 pieces of fragrant soap from the Zhou family, the Cheng family also received over 2,000 pieces of fragrant soap from a Luntai fragrant soap workshop, as well as over 1,000 pieces of precious fragrant soap from the Central Plains. These goods were clearly priced, and the trade naturally followed suit.
This time, Ajiu went with the Cheng family not only to prevent information asymmetry, but also to learn more about the market situation in the Western Regions.
Ye Jia didn't need to explain these things to Ajiu specifically; he knew them all. After handing the large box of gold and silver to Ye Jia, Ajiu took the opportunity to tell him all these things: "Although it's easier to trade with low prices, the Western merchants who do business with the Cheng family are all dealing with high-ranking officials. Compared to low-priced goods, high-quality goods are obviously more popular."
This time, the Cheng family brought over so many goods. Let’s not talk about other rouge and powder, but just talk about these three kinds of scented soap.
The precious fragrant soap from the Central Plains was the most sought-after. Once this stock had sold out, the local wealthy merchants reluctantly accepted the Zhou family's shipment. The over 2,000 pieces of fragrant soap received from Luntai weren't sold out until April. The local nobles were both more wealthy and more discerning than expected. Ajiu carefully observed the Cheng family's responsible person for this shipment and suspected that the next time the Cheng family sent goods to the Western Regions, they would reduce the amount of goods purchased from the Luntai workshop.
"Sister, can't the Zhou family's scented soap be made more exquisitely?" Ah Jiu had personally witnessed the difference in sales results between different types, and her most intuitive understanding was clear. "Last time we went to Luntai to buy goods, didn't the Su family's bath beans also sell for one tael of silver per pound?"
In fact, even though Ah Jiu didn't mention this today, Ye Jia also had plans to turn her bath beans into premium products. She previously made affordable products to cater to the local market. Now that the market is saturated, she needs to look beyond.
From this northwest region, there are only three directions to look outward. East, to Jizhou and south to the Central Plains. West, to the Western Regions, to expand trade routes. South, to the Anxi Protectorate and below. These three directions represent three different levels of supply requirements.
In Ye Jia's words, the Western Regions are considered exports, so the quality of their products needs to be above average, perhaps even high-end. Going to the Central Plains, they can only pursue a low-price, high-quality approach. After all, the Central Plains' fragrant soap production technology is more mature and the supply is better. The Zhou family's fragrant soap can only be sold at a low price. Anxi Protectorate is below Beiting Protectorate, and the people's living standards are actually better than those in Beiting, so prices can be kept at par.
Ye Jia's original intention was to set the price based on the market's consumption level and choose a targeted sales method. She had already been planning this before Ajiu came back, and Ajiu's words only confirmed Ye Jia's idea: "It's natural."
Ah Jiu had just returned and was exhausted from the journey. After briefly explaining a few things, Ye Jia sent him back to his room to rest.
Ye Simei and Qiuyue returned from closing the shop just as it was getting dark.
When the two entered the courtyard, the lights in the house were on. This dinner was prepared by Ye Jia and Lingdangxi, and her cooking skills were naturally inferior to those of Ye Simei. While a group of people were waiting for dinner, Ye Simei went back to the house and never came out again. Ye Jia was a little surprised that it took so long and was about to ask someone to check it out. Yu slapped her wrist and said, "Forget it, let's eat first."
Ye Jia was stunned. When Yu said that they were going to have dinner, she naturally followed her lead. When Lingdangxi came and put all the dishes on the table, Yu said again, "Leave some rice in the pot for Yuanniang and her husband."
After saying this, the two girls in the room blushed.
Especially Qiuyue and Lingling, their faces were red as hell. Ye Jia froze for a moment before realizing that he was confused: "..."
...A short separation is better than a new marriage, and she is not that slow-witted.
After a quick meal, Xilai cleared the dishes and went to the kitchen to wash them. The problem became finding a place to accommodate Lin Zeyu.
The room where Lin Zeyu had slept before was now Lingdang Xilai Qiuyue's room. The room in the back room, occupied by Ye Simei and her husband, was already crowded, with their family of four crammed in. Old Man Sun's room next door was also cramped, with two elderly men and two children. After Lin Zeyu returned, he had no place to stay, so he had to temporarily clear out the utility room, set up a simple wooden bed, and ask someone to sleep there.
"We'll make arrangements tomorrow." Ye Jia stared at Lin Zeyu for a long time.
This kid has grown a lot in the past four months. Maybe it's because he was tempered by Ajiu. He seems to have become much calmer.
After a brief arrangement, Ye Jia called Yu into the house. This trip to the Western Regions, he had sold over 3,500 pieces of fragrant soap for over 6,300 taels of silver. Ye Jia had agreed with the Cheng family to a 40% commission. With the three taels of silver per piece of fragrant soap, even after the Cheng family took 40% of the profit, there was still this much money left. Ye Jia immediately understood.
"It seems the trade in the Western Regions is truly lucrative. No wonder so many merchants risk their lives to ship goods there. The profits are staggering." Yu couldn't help but sigh. Those who know how to make money are truly blessed. Those who don't, working themselves to death, can't even earn enough to feed their families.
Ye Jia knew she was thinking back to her time as an embroiderer at an embroidery shop in Libei Town, so she smiled and said, "This is because she benefited from the Cheng family's business. If a new and unknown merchant had gone there with their goods, their entire cart would have rotted in their luggage."
The Cheng family has been traveling to Dayan in the Western Regions for many years, and the reputation they have built up for their sincerity and reliability is an intangible asset.
"That's true." Yu nodded after thinking about it.
With the six thousand three hundred taels of silver in hand, plus the three thousand taels saved at home, the Zhou family had quietly saved ten thousand taels of silver in this humble courtyard. Yu Shi hadn't felt it before, but when Ye Jia took out the savings and put them together, Yu Shi breathed a sigh of relief: "It's only been a little over a year, and our family has saved so much silver?"
"Yes." Ye Jia's heart was beating very fast, making her feel excited. "We must take over this trade route in the Western Regions."
Yu was still lamenting the rapid income, but her heart skipped a beat when she heard Ye Jia's words. Yu, a person without much ambition, couldn't help but get excited, her expression suddenly becoming stern. "Really? I'll eat it no matter what."
Not to mention that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were determined, Ye Jia pondered for a moment and made a decision: "Mom, I'm going to Luntai tomorrow."
Since she had decided to thoroughly execute the business, there was no point in delaying. Now that things were back on track in the town, it would be fine for her to leave for a few days. However, thinking of the trouble the Wu family had caused earlier, Ye Jia urged Yu to be more cautious before leaving. Yu knew this, and Ye Jia had already given her a lot of energy. Ambition that hadn't surfaced in decades was now surfacing.
"I saved it. Be careful on your way." Libei Town had stabilized, and many troubles had been cleared by Zhou Jingchen, so Ye Jia no longer had to worry about traveling. However, considering that poor places with bad waters often produce unruly people, Yu still urged Ye Jia to be more careful.
Ye Jia naturally wouldn't leave alone. Zhou Jingchen had already arranged for someone to take care of her before she left. If Ye Jia wanted to leave, she could just go find the person he had arranged to take her away. Ye Jia even specifically asked Diandian to come along.
Diandian stood majestically on the mule cart, scaring the mule so much that it didn't dare to kick.
"Mom, I put a small box on the dressing table in the room. Remember to give it to Ajiu." Ajiu didn't take a commission or mention this matter because she trusted Ye Jia. Ye Jia would naturally return the favor. He couldn't let him work for four months in vain.
Yu understood immediately and held Ye Jia's hand, unwilling to let go: "I know what's going on. I'll see to the arrangements."
The man driving Ye Jia was a soldier from the garrison who had accompanied Ye Jia during his days in Libei Town. Ye Jia felt he looked familiar and asked for his name. Si Nan was a renowned warrior in the garrison, known for his skill and martial arts. The other was Zhan Lin. He didn't show it on the outside, but the glint in his eyes revealed a wary individual. Yu Shi was naturally concerned about two men escorting Ye Jia, so she arranged for Xi Lai to accompany them.
It wasn't the first time Xilai had seen Diandian, but seeing such a large wolf right next to him still frightened him. He huddled in a corner of the mule cart, not daring to get close.
Ye Jia didn't force her. She leaned on Diandian's belly and closed her eyes to take a nap.
The mule cart moved at a breakneck pace, and to avoid traveling at night, they made few stops. They spent the night in the town of Luosang and set off again the next day. After three days and two nights, they finally reached Luntai.
Ye Wumei had received the news of Ye Jia's arrival in Luntai long before. As soon as the mule cart entered the city, she saw her waiting at the city gate. However, Ye Jia didn't hear her move, and she had to follow the mule cart for a distance before she found her.
He took the person into the car and hurried into the city.
The mule cart stopped before reaching the inn's door. Zhan Lin pulled the cart back, and it slowly came to a stop halfway down the street. Ye Jia felt a little strange. She lifted the curtain and saw a handsome man standing in front of the cart. He was dressed in military uniform and looked to be around 28 or 29. He had sharp, clear features, a slender figure, and an air of heroic beauty.
The man opened the car window curtain and saw Ye Jia, and a smile immediately broke out on his face. He walked over quickly and called out, "Third sister."
Ye Jia didn't know at first, but upon hearing this, she immediately realized that this person must be Ye Qingshan, the eldest brother of the Ye family who had been transferred to Luntai as a lieutenant. She blinked and looked the man up and down. "Big brother?"
"Yes, it's me." Ye Qingshan curled his eyes, "Fifth sister is in your car, right?"
Ye Wumei also stuck her head out. He reached out and knocked on Ye Wumei's head, then looked at Ye Jia and said with emotion: "The little girl has grown up, and has become a graceful and elegant lady..."
Ye Jia didn't know what to say, so she could only smile.
I have to say, Ye Qingshan's facial features are quite different from those of the Ye family. I can't believe the Ye family could have given birth to such a son. But then I think it makes sense. Apart from their inner qualities, the Ye family are all born with good looks. Not only Ye Jia herself, but also the fourth and fifth sisters Ye and Ye Jia both have good looks. Judging by their appearance alone, they are undoubtedly siblings.
But when he thought of this as the eldest brother of the Ye family, Ye Jia's mind unconsciously emerged with the appearance of Ye Zhang. Thinking of Ye Zhang, and then looking down at Ye Qingshan in front of him, Ye Jia shuddered.
“…”
"Have you arranged accommodation in Luntai? How long will you stay?" Ye Qingshan said in a low voice, sounding like a clear and logical person. "Shall we go to Big Brother's house to settle down?"
Ye Jia was about to speak when a clear and pleasant male voice came from the side: "Brother, there is no need. It is natural for me to take care of Jia Niang when she comes."
The voice couldn't be more familiar. Zhou Jingchen had arrived without me noticing.
At this moment, he was not far ahead, wearing a white robe, his hair tied in a wooden hairpin, sitting astride a fine horse. Seeing Ye Jia looking up, the cold and distant expression on his face melted away like ice. A carriage, luxurious and spacious, was parked beside him. The curtains facing Ye Jia were drawn first, and a man inside looked over with a frown, "Is this woman the one you've been sleeping with here?"
"She's not the one in the room," Zhou Jingchen's eyes swept across his face, sharp for no reason, "She's the wife I married in a formal ceremony."
The man choked and tried to say something, but Zhou Jingchen ignored him. He flicked the reins gently and walked over to Ye Jia, dismounting swiftly. He then knocked on the carriage door.
Ye Jia stuck her head out of the car window and looked at him, speechless: "...I saw you, why are you knocking?"
Their eyes met, and Zhou Jingchen smiled with the corners of his eyes curved: "Then why don't you open it?"
Not to mention Zhou Jingchen's overly mild temper, which caused everyone around him to be stunned into silence, as if Zhou Jingchen's behavior was unusual. For example, the car door opened with a click, and as Ye Jia leaned out, Zhou Jingchen reached out and unceremoniously grabbed Ye Jia's waist and carried her down.
Ye Jia stared at his sudden action in a daze. When she came to her senses, she was already placed on the horse's back.
Ye Jia: “???”
Zhou Jingchen climbed up and sat behind her. His arms slipped naturally under Ye Jia's armpits, gripping the reins. He enveloped her in a hug. The expressions of the people in the carriage were like dry, cracked earth, their gazes fixed on Ye Jia with intense scrutiny and suspicion. They seemed puzzled as to why the hard-hearted Zhou Jingchen could be so close to this woman.
Ye Jia felt the gaze and glanced over curiously: "Who is that person?"
"An old acquaintance from Yanjing."
"Old acquaintance?" Ye Jia frowned. "Gu family?"
"Yeah." Zhou Jingchen covered half of Ye Jia's body with his wide sleeves, and slightly turned his body to block the prying eyes of the side. His voice was low, but every word was clear: "Don't worry about him, he is not important."
Ye Jia raised her eyebrows, but Zhou Jingchen smiled slowly: "Jia Niang, remember, unless the person I bring to you is worthy of your attention, as for other people who bump into you for no apparent reason, you should just follow your own heart and deal with them. It doesn't matter."
Zhou Jingchen has only brought back a few people so far, including Liu Yuan, Guo Huai, Bazatu, Sun Yushan, and Chen Shiqing.
His words were arrogant, sounding a bit contemptuous. But Ye Jia liked it.
Ye Jia smiled slyly: "Did you say that?"
Zhou Jingchen pulled the reins, and the horse neighed. He chuckled softly, "Yeah, I said it."
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