The Jiang family’s cotton was finally harvested.
Zhao Da's child also recovered completely. Jiang Sanlang was very satisfied with Zhao Da's help. He gave him a handful of gourd seeds and asked him if he was willing to stay and work. After all, it was quite a lot of work to peel the cotton seeds from thousands of kilograms of cotton.
Zhao Da originally wanted to stay, but it was the busy farming season and the beans and rice at home had to be harvested. After the harvest, he had to plow the land and plant wheat. Only after planting the wheat, selling the grain and paying the taxes would he have time to do other things.
Jiang Sanlang knew his dilemma and did not force him.
In the following days, adults and children of the Jiang family joined together to start peeling cotton seeds.
Chunniang and her two sisters-in-law used spinning wheels to spin thread, preparing to weave cloth in winter.
Not long after, the county magistrate Wu Shi arrived.
He was accompanied by Mr. Liao, two clerks and a dozen yamen runners.
The county magistrate's visit caused a sensation in the entire East and West Chen Village. Sun Lizheng, Chen clan leader Chen Sanyou, and village chiefs from several surrounding villages accompanied him throughout the visit.
The most excited one among them is Yingbao.
"Uncle Wu, you're finally here. Come and see the big gourd I left for you."
Yingbao pulled Wu Shi's sleeve and brought him to her main room, where she saw three huge gourds stacked in two large frames against the wall.
Wu Shi was also surprised.
To be honest, he had never seen such a huge gourd.
But no matter how surprised I was, I didn't think I had ever told this girl that I liked gourds.
I don't know how this little girl knew that I liked this thing, but she insisted on giving it to him. Alas, I feel helpless.
Yingbao said proudly: "Uncle Wu, look at the gourds I planted. When you go back, take two back with you."
Wu Shi laughed, "How can I take your things for free? Why don't you name a price and I'll pay for it."
"No, no, this is worthless." When Yingbao said this against her will, she caught a glimpse of Jiang Quan hiding behind her and sucking his teeth.
Chief Chen also agreed with a smile: "There are many gourds like this in our village. Don't refuse it, Mr. Ming. It's just a little gift from a child."
Sun Lizheng, who was standing next to him, glanced at him and wondered if what Patriarch Chen said was true. His son, who was doing business in the county, had long wanted to have a gourd king as his signboard.
"Haha, then I'd better obey your command." Wu Shi only asked for a giant gourd and asked the servant to carry it to the carriage, but Yingbao picked up another smaller one and put it on the carriage.
Afterwards, Wu Shi went to see the huge pile of cotton that the Jiang family had harvested.
The snow-white cotton had not yet been seeded and was all piled up in a room, filling it up.
Wu Shi picked up a ball of cotton and looked at it, then sighed, "This cotton is really good. Jiang Sanlang, can you sell the cotton seeds to the county government?"
Before Jiang Sanlang could say anything, Sun Lizheng became anxious and stepped forward and said, "Ming Fu, there are many villagers in our village waiting to buy cotton seeds. You can't..." Buy them all.
Several other villagers also looked anxious, but they did not dare to interrupt.
Wu Shi smiled and said, "I just want to buy the cotton seeds and distribute them uniformly. You don't have to worry, Mr. Sun."
"Haha, so that's how it is." Sun Lizheng smiled awkwardly.
Jiang Sanlang: "My elder and second brothers also harvested a lot of cotton. Other families in our village also planted it. They should also have a lot of cotton seeds."
He said this with no ulterior motive, simply to tell Li Zheng Sun that there was no shortage of cotton seeds.
Wu Shi thought about it and said, "How about this, let your village give priority to growing cotton, and the remaining cotton seeds will be sold to the county government."
This thing is precious. If I don't intervene, I'm afraid a wealthy family will come to buy it at a high price soon.
In this way, the cotton will flow into the hands of the nobles, and ordinary people will not be able to grow it.
What he wanted was to plant cotton throughout the entire county, rather than letting the aristocratic families monopolize the business.
Chen Sanyou was delighted when he heard this, and hurried forward to say, "There are a total of 28 households in our village, and we have already decided that each family will plant 20 acres of cotton next year."
If we assume that one mu of land produces ten kilograms of cotton seeds, then their village would need more than five thousand kilograms of cotton seeds. No, in fact, it would require ten thousand kilograms, because there are more than twenty households in Dongcun, but half of them have not actually been divided into households.
Chen Sanyou was just regretting his quick words, saying that there were only 28 households in the village, when he heard Jiang Sanlang say, "If every household in our village plants cotton, it will probably take 10,000 kilograms of cotton seeds, and the rest will be handed over to the master to deal with."
Wu Shi nodded with satisfaction and asked the clerk beside him to count the cotton harvest in Dongcun.
While they were discussing something, Yingbao went to pick grapes.
Jiang Quan followed and complained in a low voice: "Why did you say that gourds are worthless? Then how can we sell gourds in the future?"
"fool!"
Ying Bao said, "We sell our gourds to people from other villages and towns. Who in our village would buy them? If I say gourds are valuable, when we sell all the gourds, will you be able to buy gourds in the village in the future?"
Jiang Quan suddenly realized and said with a chuckle, "Bao'er is still the smartest."
"That's right." Yingbao said without any shame: "I am a unique little fairy child."
"Hahaha, yes, you are a unique little fairy child." Jiang Quan had long been accustomed to his little cousin's shamelessness and actually felt that what she said made sense.
Several children followed Yingbao to pick pears and grapes. They ate them as they picked them and spit out the grape skins all over the floor.
Yingbao carried a bamboo basket to hold grapes and picked a full basket of red and purple grapes.
It’s a pity that all the peaches were eaten, otherwise I would have picked some for Wu Daozi to try.
After this wave of picking, there are only a few grapes left, and the only unripe pears left are a few in the middle of the tree.
Ying Bao planned that in the spring of next year, she would transplant the newly grown grape seedlings, pepper seedlings, and Chinese prickly ash seedlings in the cave and expand her orchard. Oh, and there would also be apple seedlings.
The apple tree only produced a few apples this year, which Yingbao picked a while ago and gave to her family to eat. She kept the apple seeds and planted them in the cave.
"Yingbao, the basket is heavy, I'll help you carry it." Chuchu took the bamboo basket from Yingbao's hand.
She claimed to be Yingbao's little helper and refused to go home no matter what, even though her family was living a much better life now.
Since Yingbao gave her family the fungus strains last time, after two rounds of breeding, Chu Yan has grown 400 golden ears. As long as these 400 golden ears are harvested and sold, Chu Chu's family's life will improve by leaps and bounds.
But Chuchu just wanted to stay here, taking time to learn to read and write with Yingbao, and playing with Da Ni and Er Ni in her spare time. It was very comfortable.
Yingbao let her do whatever she wanted, asking her to do some work for him every day and still giving her three strings of cash every month.
What's more, with Chuchu accompanying her daughter, Chunniang felt much more at ease about her daughter running around every day. Sometimes she even allowed the two of them to go to the town to buy things. Of course, at this time, either Jiang Quan or Jiang Cheng would accompany them.
"Yingbao, why aren't you afraid of the great official from the Ming Mansion?" Chuchu asked curiously.
When she saw the high-ranking county magistrate, who was being treated like a celebrity, her calves began to tremble. She didn't even dare to look him in the eye, let alone chat with him.
Yingbao: "Why should you be afraid?"
Even in her previous life, she had never been afraid of anyone, not even those subordinates of the governor whose hands were stained with blood. As long as they dared to offend her, she would pick up anything and smash them at them, making them run away in fear and never dare to provoke her again.