Chapter 89: Going To The Countryside
“This candy isn’t bad.”
Shang Wuyang popped a lemon candy into his mouth.
“It tastes like lemon.”
I just don’t know how it’s made. Maybe I can find someone to try. This kind of candy would definitely be very popular.
“Daddy, how many seeds do we need to buy?”
She mumbled about the new seeds that had been added as well.
“Now we also have wheat, rice, and grape seeds.”
Xie Chong’s eyes lit up: “What’s the yield of wheat?”
“It says the yield is 3000 jin per mu.”
Qin Wanwan’s memory was still quite good.
Hearing this, Xie Chong’s breathing grew heavier, and his excitement was unimaginable.
Wheat is a staple food. Currently, even for top-tier fields, the wheat yield is only a little over two shi.
Qin Wanwan’s mentioned yield of 3000 jin per mu, when converted, is 25 shi!
Shang Wuyang was equally shocked.
They looked at Qin Wanwan, what a great treasure she was, and a great treasure who found them to be her parents.
“But it says the taste isn’t good, and it attracts insects. The seeds need to be kept near Wanwan for a while before they become tasty.”
“What insect?”
“Locusts.”
Hearing this, Xie Chong’s expression changed.
Locusts, wouldn’t that easily lead to a locust plague?
But the yield of 3000 jin per mu was too tempting.
“It’s okay, let’s take it slow. This wheat can only be planted after some time.”
Regardless, they had to try. If they could find a way to solve the harm caused by locusts, that would be even better.
It was now past the season for planting spring wheat; they would have to wait to plant winter wheat.
“Can this wheat survive in winter?”
Qin Wanwan didn’t know either, so she looked at Keke.
“Yes, they’re mutated. What environment can’t they grow in?”
Mutated plants are hardy; they can survive most conditions, whether it’s a severe drought or extreme cold. It’s just that the taste is definitely not very good.
Plant growth also follows natural laws. What is gained must also be lost.
One can’t have everything they want; where in the world is there such a good thing?
As for rice, Xie Chong and Shang Wuyang recognized the rice Qin Wanwan mentioned as something good, but it was too delicate and difficult to cultivate.
So, for now, they wouldn’t buy this.
Xie Chong decided to stick with what they had before and exchange for potato, pasture grass, and soybean seeds first.
In fact, it was a bit late to plant potatoes and soybeans at this time, but as long as they didn’t encounter any disasters, harvesting about a month later wouldn’t be a problem.
The next day, Qin Wanwan spent almost all her merit points, exchanging them for thirty mu of potatoes, twenty mu of pasture grass, and the remaining for three mu of soybeans.
Soybeans have many uses now, so planting more is naturally good.
However, this batch of soybeans would likely all be used for seed.
Qin Wanwan had used up most of the merit points she had gained recently.
Looking at the pitiful dozen or so merit points, Qin Wanwan exchanged them for three grape seedlings.
It was three seedlings per merit point.
She took her little hoe and went to the courtyard to dig holes and plant them.
“Keke, look, the snacks have changed!”
On the mall interface, the snack picture that was candy yesterday had become egg tarts and coconut milk tofu today.
Keke leaned over and took a closer look, noticing a small line of text under the snack picture.
“Snacks update randomly every day!”
Qin Wanwan was overjoyed and happily giggled: (?˙▽˙?)
Both egg tarts and coconut milk tofu are super delicious. She couldn’t wait to exchange for them.
But… she had no more merit points.
The little milk bun’s upturned lips immediately drooped.
Not giggling: (*’へ’*)
For the sake of her snacks, Qin Wanwan decided to do good deeds herself to earn merit!
Then, she greeted Father Shang and, taking a group of animals with her, ambled out.
Shang Wuyang only asked the shadow guards to follow.
Qin Wanwan was accompanied by a great lion and three wolves.
Although the wolves hadn’t grown up yet, they already exuded a majestic aura.
There were few people in Shahe City, not even a beggar.
Because beggars couldn’t find any food here.
Those with hands and feet were all sent to reclaim wasteland.
“What about children? Are there child beggars?”
Qin Wanwan asked, standing at the city gate.
The guard shook his head: “There are many places that need labor in the military camp. They can’t do heavy lifting for building the city walls, but they can help pick up stones. Now, they also need to reclaim wasteland for planting. The General has asked those homeless beggars to help as well. As long as they don’t slack off, they can at least get a full meal for the day.”
So, Father had already done good deeds.
“Then let’s go to the villages in the outskirts.”
If there was nothing to do in the city, they would go and see the villages in the countryside.
The nearest village was still a two-hour journey from Shahe City.
Of course, that was by foot.
Qin Wanwan rode a horse, with Wolf Fang and a person in soldier’s uniform following to protect her on the sides.
As soon as they arrived at the village, the villagers thought a high official had arrived, and they were all extremely apprehensive.
“You all continue with your work and don’t mind us.”
The reason for having a soldier accompany them was that in remote areas with fierce local customs, it was easy to be targeted by malicious people.
But people feared officials. With a soldier accompanying them, no one would have the idea to harm them.
Of course, three-year-old Qin Wanwan didn’t think of these things. This was all arranged by a captain at the city gate who heard Qin Wanwan was going to the village.
Qin Wanwan dismounted from the horse and looked at the people working in the fields.
“Now that we’re reclaiming wasteland, what should we plant?”
Qin Wanwan asked.
Although she was a three-year-old child, she arrived riding such a fine horse, and with the accompanying soldier and fierce beasts, the village chief dared not underestimate her.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, the village chief quickly said, “It’s too late to plant wheat now. We’ll first cultivate the land to let it rest, and then we’ll plant wheat next year.”
“Digging soil is so slow and tiring for people. Why don’t you use oxen?”
Qin Wanwan, having received some of the legacy, had some understanding of farming.
The village chief smiled bitterly: “Where can we afford to buy oxen?”
Not all oxen can be used for plowing.
Oxen are actually quite ill-tempered. If they get angry, being gored by their horns or trampled by them can take half your life.
The oxen used for plowing must be a docile breed that has been domesticated for a long time.
Grassland people are skilled in animal husbandry and also have cattle.
However, they are mostly raised as beef cattle.
They also have cattle in this border region, but one ox is very expensive, and ordinary people simply cannot afford it.
Qin Wanwan looked around. Apart from giving candy to a few dark, thin children, there didn’t seem to be anything else she could help with.
Until she saw a donkey.
The donkey was tied to a tree and looked very listless.
An old man sat beside it, sighing.
The village chief dared not neglect the noble person and followed, introducing everything along the way.
Seeing such a beautiful young lady, like an immortal child serving under an Imperial Consort, showing no disdain and even giving candy to the village’s dark children, who looked like donkey dung, they were no longer so afraid of them.
“Old sir, what’s wrong?”
The sudden, tender little voice startled the old man.
Seeing Qin Wanwan and the people behind her, he quickly knelt: “Noble one.”
Qin Wanwan waved her hand: “I’m not a noble one, I’m just a little child. Please get up.”
“Dashun, get up. The noble one is not angry.”
Hearing the village chief’s voice, the old man breathed a sigh of relief and slowly got up.
The village chief quickly said, “This is Liu Dashun from our village. He’s sitting here sighing because his donkey fell ill two days ago and hasn’t recovered since. It can’t eat, and it’s visibly getting thinner from hunger.”
Anyone would be worried in such a situation.
This donkey was equivalent to the pillar of the family’s labor force.
