Chapter 444: Chapter 418: Abundant Harvest (Double-Length Chapter)_2
Daohua took over the conversation, “It seems they have been called back now, the gold mine hasn’t been found yet. Xiao Yeyang said that finding the gold mine is a great accomplishment. Third Brother, Fourth Brother, we need to figure out a way to find the gold mine.”
Yan Wenkai and Wentao’s eyes lit up simultaneously, turning their gaze toward Xiao Yeyang.
Xiao Yeyang smiled and said, “Of course we have to look for the gold mine, but I need to wait for the reply from my royal uncle, and then see what to do next.”
He knew too little about the gold mine, and moreover, the Jiang Family was also searching. If he truly sent out a large number of people to search, it was very likely he would encounter the Jiang Family. He still didn’t know the intentions of his royal uncle so he had to wait for the orders to come.
Daohua replied, “Alright then, let me know once you have the letter. I’ve been out for quite a few days; it’s time to go back.”
Xiao Yeyang looked at Daohua, feeling a bit of regret as they had just spent two days together and now she had to leave.
Originally Daohua planned to return to the Yan Residence the next day, but that very afternoon, Yan Zhiqiang arrived with the old lady of the Yan Family, followed by Master Xiao.
Xiao Yeyang did not want the Yan Family to know he had been secretly interacting with Daohua. Wenkai and Wentao did not want their family to find out that they had not been to the army barracks during this time. The three exchanged glances and quickly slipped away through the back door of the villa.
“Grandmother, Third Uncle, Master Xiao, why have you come?”
Dohua helped the old lady of the Yan Family to sit down, then briskly poured a cup of tea for each of the three.
Yan Zhiqiang said with visible excitement, “Recently, the yams in the fields have been ready for harvest. A few days ago, I had the tenant farmers gather several acres and discovered that the yield reached more than ten stones per acre, which is quite considerable.”
“I immediately informed my elder brother who was very excited upon hearing it, and after discussing with Master Xiao for a while, he decided to invite the officials from Ningmen Prefecture to come see for themselves.”
Master Xiao picked up the conversation with a smile, “The territory under Ningmen Prefecture contains a vast amount of sandy loam soil, mostly lying idle, and it would be a waste not to cultivate it. The official wants to promote the cultivation of yams.”
As he spoke, he glanced at Yan Zhiqiang.
“Third Master said that the yams in the villa of the eldest miss are growing even better, so he suggested to the official to come over here. Today, I am here to take an early look.”
Daohua nodded and after a moment of silence said, “Master Xiao, it is true that yam yields are high, but they are not as easy to preserve as rice or wheat. Therefore, after the harvest, besides what is needed for personal consumption, we must sell them quickly.”
“If the father wants to promote yams, he must solve this problem. Otherwise, if the people’s hard-grown produce ends up unsellable, it could lead to trouble.”
Master Xiao grew serious, making a mental note of this issue to report back to Yan Zhigao. He then continued with a smile, “In Xingzhou, because of watermelon and grape sales, the Governor’s Office has had contact with merchants from various places. As long as the quality of the yams we grow is good, I believe this issue shouldn’t be hard to resolve.”
Daohua nodded and added, “Furthermore, the fertility of the sandy loam soil isn’t high, so it isn’t possible to plant yams successively. This point also needs to be made clear in advance.”
Master Xiao nodded again, “Eldest Miss, is there anything else we need to be aware of?”
Daohua thought for a moment, “It’s my first time cultivating yams, so these are all I’ve thought of for now. Other issues may only become apparent after trying to grow them.”
Master Xiao laughed, “When we first promoted watermelon and grape cultivation, the official approached it gradually. This time inviting the officials of Ningmen Prefecture to observe is not to encourage the entire jurisdiction to cultivate it immediately, but just to inform them about it. Probably only Sha County will be encouraged to plant next year.”
Daohua said with a smile, “Even if other counties want to cultivate, it depends on whether the soil is suitable, and besides, there aren’t many yams available for planting.”
Master Xiao nodded smilingly, “Indeed, I also visited some places when I was young and saw others growing yams, but the yields were not very high at all.”
Daohua cast her gaze downward; the high yield of the Yan Family’s yams was because the tubers planted came from her own space.
Immediately, Daohua pretended to sigh and said, “It looks like I won’t be making money this year. To support my father’s work, it’s inevitable that I must donate the thousands of acres of yams I have grown to him for seeds.”
Master Xiao hurriedly laughed, “That would be inappropriate. Although the Governor’s Office isn’t wealthy, it cannot just take things for free. However, it’s true that the eldest miss may actually earn less.”
Daohua laughed heartily, “If I earn less, so be it, as long as I don’t make a loss.”
Master Xiao smiled, picked up his teacup, and looked deeply at Daohua.