Since it was still early that day, on the way back, Chen Boshun took Jiang Qinyu to see three more wells.
Upon returning to the manor, Uncle Chen said, "We have a well in our manor, but the water is not much, just enough for the manor's drinking needs. The general said that unless absolutely necessary, our manor's well will not be open to the public."
Jiang Qinyu's lips twitched. Lu Yanzheng was quite something, he even knew how to hide his things, but it wasn't thorough enough. She would bet that if all the other wells in the city ran out of water, he would actually take the water from the mansion and share it with others.
Perhaps this is the difference between her and the native ancient people!
In any case, Jiang Qinyu definitely couldn't sacrifice herself to please others.
...
As evening fell, Lu Yanzheng returned to the manor, striding towards the inner hall while asking, "Where are Madam and the young master and young lady? How are they today?"
"Reporting to the General, the Madam and the two young masters are doing well!" Uncle Chen said with a smile. "Today, the Madam even had this old servant take her to the riverbank of a tributary of the Yun River, and on the way back, they also went to see a few wells..."
Lu Yanzheng paused, turned to look at Uncle Chen, and asked, "You said that Madam went to the riverbank today and also went to check on a few wells?"
Uncle Chen hadn't expected him to ask such detailed questions, but he still nodded and said, "Yes, Madam said she was a little bored at home and wanted to go for a walk."
Lu Yanzheng narrowed his eyes, feeling that Jiang Qinyu's behavior was a bit strange, but he couldn't figure out what she wanted to do by going to the river and the well.
“From now on, you can take Madam wherever she wants to go, without asking why,” Lu Yanzheng said decisively after thinking for a moment.
Whatever she does, she won't hurt anyone, so let her be!
Uncle Chen was a little uneasy just now, but he was immediately relieved after hearing this. He had been thinking, the general has 100% trust in his wife!
When Jiang Qinyu heard that Lu Yanzheng had returned, she also came to the flower hall where they were having dinner.
"You're back? Was the fire last night a big disaster? Is Sweet Potato alright?" Jiang Qinyu asked as soon as she saw him.
Lu Yanzheng's expression was somewhat solemn. "The fire was discovered in time. The damage to the granaries on the east, west, and south sides was not too bad. Only the north side, because it was a bit farther away, suffered more damage to the grain. Fortunately, the fire was put out later, otherwise the entire north granary might have been completely destroyed."
"As for the sweet potatoes, they were just transported back yesterday and haven't been put into the granary yet," Lu Yanzheng looked up at Jiang Qinyu and asked, "Speaking of which, how should the sweet potatoes be stored?"
Jiang Qinyu said, "If we dig a cellar, the food can be stored for a long time at room temperature."
Lu Yanzheng nodded, then spoke again, "I heard you also went to the vicinity of the granary last night?"
"Yes, I was worried about you, so I had Uncle Chen take me to check on things. Once we saw the fire was out, we went back home," Jiang Qinyu said calmly.
Lu Yanzheng's lips curled slightly. "Is Madam so concerned about me?"
"Of course," Jiang Qinyu said dismissively, "You're my only support in this border town. How can I not keep a close eye on you?"
Lu Yanzheng's smile froze, but he quickly shook his head with a wry smile, "Let's eat!"
He asked unnecessary questions.
However, there was something strange about last night's fire. After the fire at the northern granary was extinguished, he went to check the scene and found some powdery stuff on the ground, which looked like it had been sprayed out.
He had never seen those powdery substances before, but since some broken rice was sprayed with the powder, the military doctor found that the powder was non-toxic and the broken rice could still be eaten after washing it properly.
It was thanks to that powder that their losses were mitigated; otherwise, they would have suffered even greater losses.
Jiang Qinyu had no idea what he was thinking. She continued to serve food to the two children, and only started eating her own food after watching them eat half of it.
Lu Yanzheng glanced at Jiang Qinyu every now and then, eating absentmindedly.
He didn't believe that Jiang Qinyu went to the granary last night because she was worried about him.
So, was she the one who caused the fire in the northern granary to suddenly go out?
"Brother Zheng, now is the time to breed sweet potatoes. When do you plan to arrange this?" After finishing her meal, Jiang Qinyu asked about the important matter.
Lu Yanzheng only came to his senses at this moment. Hearing her question, he pondered and said, "The specifics still need to be discussed with the old farmer in the city... How about this, I'll have Qin Shen arrange it tomorrow."
“Okay, if these sweet potatoes are planted properly, we might be able to harvest a hundred thousand catties in the fall,” Jiang Qinyu nodded.
Lu Yanzheng was shocked. "A million catties? Can we harvest this much just from using 10,000 catties of sweet potatoes as seed?"
This amount, if calculated based on the minimum standard of one pound of grain per person per day, could supply 13,000 people for three months!
If you add some wild vegetables and tree roots, it wouldn't be a problem to feed 20,000 to 30,000 people!
Lu Yanzheng clenched his fists, looked intently at Jiang Qinyu, and solemnly said, "Qinqin, what you have brought to the people of the border town is not just a new food crop, but hope, the hope to survive!"
Jiang Qinyu felt embarrassed by his gaze and quickly changed the subject, "Actually, the sweet potatoes grown in the village are all free-range. If they were cultivated with precision and there was enough water, the yield of sweet potatoes would be even higher. That merchant Hu said that the highest yield of this kind of sweet potato can reach tens of thousands of catties per mu!"
"Tens of thousands..." Lu Yanzheng simply couldn't believe it!
A yield of over 10,000 jin per mu! What does that mean?
Jiang Qinyu quickly interrupted his thoughts, "I think what he said might be an ideal situation. We don't have that condition right now. Look, the water source in the border town is a huge problem..."
Jiang Qinyu analyzed the water situation in the border town for Lu Yanzheng, and then concluded: "If enough water for irrigation cannot be stored in ten days, these sweet potatoes can be planted, but the yield cannot be guaranteed."
She has already placed plastic hoses in several wells under the riverbed, and the tap water in the space has been kept running. She should see initial results in ten days.
For Jiang Qinyu, it meant there would be water to irrigate the land in ten days, but for Lu Yanzheng, it was a different story.
"I will have someone issue a notice tomorrow that, starting tomorrow, the border troops will take over all the wells in the city and distribute water according to the daily quota. Any excess water will be stored for planting sweet potatoes," Lu Yanzheng said earnestly.
Jiang Qinyu didn't know what to say, so she made an excuse that she needed to take the children to wash up and left first.
Lu Yanzheng did not stay at the mansion that night. According to Uncle Chen, the general went to the army to arrange things.
Jiang Qinyu was both amused and exasperated. This person's initiative was too strong! He couldn't even wait one night.
...
The next day, just as Jiang Qinyu was about to start eating breakfast, Lu Yanzheng returned.
Despite not having slept all night, he showed no signs of fatigue.
"Qinqin, you'll come with me to the military base in a bit. Qin Shen has found thirty old farmers, and they'll all be under your care. You just need to guide them on how to breed the crops," Lu Yanzheng said as soon as he entered the room.
Jiang Qinyu knew this matter couldn't be delayed, so she nodded in agreement, "Okay, you should come and eat first!"
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