During this period, the two of them had been eating with everyone.
The food was the same as everyone else's, both rice and dishes were the same. There was no opportunity for extra meals.
Although communal meals are delicious, you can't eat them every day.
At the beginning, Xu Han said in front of everyone that the meals would be the same as theirs from now on, and that Wei Yan should not cook separately.
They ate together every day, and Wei Yan never gave them any special treatment.
Today was a rare opportunity to avoid eating with them, and Wei Yan is also a very good person at handling things.
In addition to the large pot of beef stew with radish, I also made a few side dishes for the two of them.
People who were already starving became even hungrier when they saw the exquisite food on the plate.
"Let me see what delicious food this is!" Xu Han said, standing up impatiently to get a better look.
As Lu Chuan placed the food on the table, he said, "There's more soup and rice coming up. Guo Daya will bring it over soon. Go wash your hands first, and you'll be able to eat in a little while."
"Okay, I'm going to eat two big bowls of rice today. I'm starving, I feel like I could eat a whole cow."
Hearing Xu Han's exaggerated tone, Lu Chuan smiled indulgently, looking at his wife as if she were a child.
Xu Han held the bowl and ate one bite after another, unable to stop.
With food in his mouth, he mumbled, "Wei Yan's cooking is really good, even better than mine. This is truly authentic and delicious."
Xu Han often uses modern seasonings when cooking, which taste good, but they lack the original flavor of the ingredients.
Wei Yan's dishes are different. Not only do they taste good, but they also have the natural freshness of the ingredients. Xu Han really can't compare. As expected of a chef from a wealthy family, his skills are excellent and he has real expertise.
Seeing that he was enjoying his meal, Lu Chuan took the soup bowl and poured him a bowl of soup. "Don't just eat rice, drink some soup too."
"Okay, you eat too. Go to bed early after you finish eating. You've been getting up early and going to bed late these past two days, so you can finally get a good night's sleep tonight."
In the end, Xu Han still couldn't fall asleep. The reason was simple: Lu Chuan insisted on making her exercise.
The two argued until the moon was high in the sky before finally falling asleep.
The next morning, it was the last day of November, and there were still two days before the tavern opened.
Early in the morning, Lu Chuan and Xu Han dressed neatly, took the gifts they had prepared in advance, and went directly to the county government office.
The county magistrate lived directly in the backyard of the county government office. A few days ago, Xu Han had Li Wen deliver a visiting card.
Upon hearing that the person was being protected by the Taoist priest, the county magistrate readily agreed.
The gatekeeper, having clearly been informed of their arrival, led them directly to the main hall.
The servants served them tea and then withdrew.
Xu Han looked around at the room's decor. It was very simple, with no messy or expensive decorations, just a set of ordinary table and chairs.
Even on the way here, there were no special decorations, and there were few flowers and plants in the yard.
He thought to himself, "I wonder if our county magistrate is truly simple and honest, or if he's just putting on a show."
The two waited for a short while before the county magistrate arrived.
Xu Han and Lu Chuan first bowed to the county magistrate according to the rules. There was no other way in ancient times; commoners had to kneel when they saw the county magistrate.
Before Xu Han could kneel down, the magistrate quickly had someone help her up.
"Madam Lu, please rise quickly."
"Madam Lu is a woman of great wisdom; how can I accept your courtesy?"
Xu Han looked bewildered upon hearing this and glanced at Lu Chuan beside her, only to see that he also looked bewildered.
The two men were momentarily confused as to why the magistrate would say such a thing, and neither knew how to respond.
The magistrate, perhaps sensing their confusion, explained, "When I last met the Taoist priest, he told me that the method for composting manure was given to me by you, Madam. I admire your actions, Madam."
After the magistrate finished speaking, he gave Xu Han a slight curtsy, which startled Xu Han, who quickly moved away.
Who would dare accept a gift from a county magistrate? They'd be asking for trouble.
Xu Han smiled slightly and said, "Your Excellency is too kind. This is all I should do. I really cannot accept such a courtesy from you."
When the magistrate saw that Xu Han had dodged away, he was not angry at all; instead, he laughed even more happily.
He thought to himself, "It seems that this Madam Lu is very smart and composed. She did not show any obsequiousness when she met him, and she is also very generous in her actions. Not bad, not bad."
"Madam Lu is too modest. You may not know that it is precisely because of the composting method you provided that the grain production of every household in our Yuanqing Kingdom has increased by 30%."
"If it weren't for you, the people of our Yuanqing Kingdom would probably still be starving!"
Xu Han was taken aback when she heard this; she really didn't know about it.
When I gave the Taoist priest the method for composting fertilizer, I also wrote down the approximate time to apply the fertilizer to the crops in the field. I said that the crops would grow better and the harvest would be higher after applying the fertilizer.
I never expected it to work so well; it's truly beyond my expectations. It seems I really felt no guilt about taking the hundred taels of gold I was rewarded with!
Seeing her interest, the magistrate continued, "After His Majesty ascended the throne, he vigorously promoted the method of composting manure and even sent people from the Ministry of Agriculture to personally teach the people how to compost and apply fertilizer."
Now almost everyone in the country has learned how to compost, and in just one year, the method of composting has spread.
According to this year's autumn harvest statistics, grain production increased by almost 30% nationwide.
Xu Han sensed something was amiss when she heard the magistrate's words.
This method was given to the Taoist priest many years ago, but it was not until the new emperor ascended the throne that it was officially promoted throughout the country.
This... this is taking way too long.
I really don't know what those people in the imperial court are doing. Even a pilot program should have ended in a year, but such a small thing has taken two or three years.
Of course, Xu Han dared not say these words aloud; she could only mutter them to herself.
It seems I need to ask the Taoist priest about the follow-up of this matter sometime; he certainly knows the answer if I don't.
The three chatted for a few minutes and then stopped discussing the topic.
Lu Chuan took out the gifts he had prepared for the county magistrate from his basket and placed them on the table one by one.
Xu Han smiled and said to the magistrate, "The magistrate should know that my family are just farmers in the mountains. We don't have anything valuable at home. These are some mountain products that we picked ourselves. Please have a taste."
Then, pointing to the jars, he said, "These are all homemade wines."
I'm sure the magistrate already knows that my family is going to open a tavern.
These are all wines that the tavern is preparing to sell. I brought some out especially for you to try. They're all homemade and not worth much, so please don't mind."
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