BXBX NOVEL Chapter 262 - 262: Capture
Uncle Gu and the villagers widened their eyes and pointed at the hills excitedly. “Madam, if it really works, we can open all these dozens of hills. We won’t have to worry about not having food to eat.”
“Yes, as long as you work hard for a year and open up the land, you won’t have to pay taxes for the first few years. Everyone will have endless food in the future.”
A villager asked, “Where does the water come from?”
Li Yu smiled and said, “Dig a reservoir at the top of the hill and cut some thick bamboo. Open the bamboo joints and connect them. It’s best to apply tung oil on the bamboo tubes to make them more durable.”
Everyone understood after hearing this and gave Li Yu a thumbs up. “Madam, you’re too smart. It seems we went hungry guarding a treasure mountain?
“Remember, you have to dig along the terrain and build a good foundation.” Li Yu smiled and told them how to open the terraces.
She also told them how to dig for compost in the forest to create fertilizers. She even taught them how to raise earthworms with rotten vegetables and dry them to feed chickens.
It was as if a new world had opened up for the villagers. All of them were excited as they picked up their hoes and started working. They were all veterans at farming and quickly caught up after Li Yu’s guidance.
Li Yu stayed in the mountains for a day and watched them build terraces. The next day, after eating at noon, she prepared to go down the mountain and go home. The villagers took the mountain goods they had saved and insisted on giving them to Li Yu. Ji Xiang looked at the mushrooms and wood ears and thought that these were good things when they were brought to the capital. He smiled and said to them, “Everyone, you can pick up more and dry them. I’ll collect them when the time comes.”
“That’s good! Thank you, Brother Ji Xiang.”
Before Li Yu left, she said to them, “After you open the land, get someone to come to the Yunzhou government office to settle the title deed. I’ll get someone to inform them. No one will make things difficult for you. Try to open as many as possible. I’ll provide you with new high-yielding rice seeds and even get someone to teach you how to soak them.”
Uncle Gu said worriedly, “Madam, we know your good intentions, but we don’t have the money to buy new rice seeds. We’ve always used the rice seeds we left behind. The production has always been poor.”
Li Yu thought for a moment and said, “How about this! I’ll inform them and ask them to give you the rice seedlings first. When you harvest the grains, you can return them with grains of the same price.”
The villagers felt like they had received a fortune from the sky. They said excitedly to Gu Yu, “Gu Yu, what exactly is your Madam doing? Could it be that the heavens sent her to help us?
Gu Yu recalled Li Yu’s instructions and chuckled. “My Madam is a good person. You’ll know in the future!”
Everyone felt that they had seen hope again. They reluctantly sent Li Yu and the others to the forest on the mountain before stopping.
When they returned, Li Yu and Gu Yu rode on a horse. Ji Xiang led the way and descended the mountain at dawn. Ji Xiang said to Li Yu loudly, “Madam, let’s hurry up. We can still return to Yunzhou before the city gate closes.”
Li Yu replied, “Alright, then go straight to the inn and leave after putting on the carriage.”
Seeing that there were few people in town, Ji Xiang and Li Yu drove their horses quickly toward the inn at the end of the town.
When the innkeeper saw Li Yu and the others return, he gave the waiter a look and the waiter ran out.
Ji Xiang entered the inn and said to the shopkeeper, “Shopkeeper, feed the horse some grass. We have to hurry.”
“Alright.” The shopkeeper instructed the waiter to add fodder for the horses. Ji Xiang paid the bill and carried the luggage to the livestock shed in the backyard of the inn.
After a while, the waiter led the horse to Ji Xiang and helped him put the carriage on. They got into the carriage and Ji Xiang drove the carriage out of the inn.
As soon as they went out of the inn, Zhong Bao and the others stopped in front of the carriage and shouted aggressively, “The people in the carriage, get down. How dare you smash my place in Xingfu Town.”
The pedestrians on the street hurriedly hid in the grocery store and whispered,
“Sigh! These foreigners are going to suffer again.”
The shopkeeper shook his head and said, “Sigh! It’s a good town, not far from the city. Why isn’t anyone managing it?” Everyone sighed in unison. “That’s right! Why isn’t anyone managing it?”
Ji Xiang pointed at them with his whip and said, “Get lost! Don’t blame me for being impolite if you offend my Madam.”
“Hey! Let’s see how rude you can be.” Zhong Bao looked at Ji Xiang with a cheeky smile and said to Dachui and the others, “Go and drag the people off the carriage.” Dachui and the other two ruffians rushed toward the carriage. Ji Xiang swung the horsewhip at Dachui’s head. With a swish, Dachui was whipped from his forehead to his chin. The other two ruffians tried to climb onto the carriage but were kicked away by Ji Xiang. Swish! Swish! They fell to the ground, raising dust with their fall.
Ji Xiang pointed at them and said, “If you dare to come forward again, I won’t be polite to you.”
Li Yu said to Ji Xiang, “Ji Xiang, don’t waste your breath on him. He’s just a small town governor, but he actually dares to allow his relatives to roam the countryside and lord it over the people. Take them all back to the government office.”
“Everyone, go and kill this reckless thing.” Zhong Bao saw that they were at a
disadvantage and shouted loudly. He pulled out his dagger and rushed towards Ji Xiang with Brother Cai. Ji Xiang jumped up from the carriage and kicked at the two of them. Zhong Bao ducked but Brother Cai could not dodge in time. He was kicked away and lay on the ground motionless.
“Dachui, go back and call for help,” Zhong Bao shouted. Dachui covered his face and turned to run.
Zhong Bao stabbed at Ji Xiang, and Ji Xiang leaned back to dodge. The blade of the dagger cut through Ji Xiang’s thin jacket. Zhong Bao swung the dagger like a shadow, and Ji Xiang kicked the dagger in his hand.
“Brother Bao, let me help you.” A ruffian got up from the ground and stabbed Ji Xiang’s back with a dagger.
“Brother Ji Xiang, be careful.” Gu Yu exclaimed. The people in the shop opposite were so frightened that they opened their fingers and covered their eyes.
A thin-bladed dagger slid out of Ji Xiang’s sleeve. In the blink of an eye, the thin blade pierced the ruffian’s palm and knocked him to the ground. Zhong Bao got up and wanted to run, but he was stopped by Ji Xiang and knocked to the ground.
Gu Yu took a rope from the cart and helped Ji Xiang tie them up. She carried them to the cart and threw them in. Ji Xiang said to Li Yu, “Madam, what if one of them runs away?
“Don’t bother about him. Let’s go.” Li Yu pulled open the curtain and said coldly to the trembling innkeeper, “Shopkeeper, since you know how to leak the news, go tell the town magistrate of Xingfu that I brought these robbers back to the Yunzhou government office.”
When the innkeeper heard Li Yu call herself Madam and even asked him to inform the town magistrate to go to the government office, he knew that he couldn’t afford to offend her. He staggered in front of Li Yu and knelt down to kowtow. “Madam, if I don’t tell him that you’ve returned to the inn, my inn won’t be able to continue operating. I still have a family in this town. Please forgive me!” The innkeeper kept kowtowing and begging for mercy..