Chapter 90: Distributing Grain Seeds

When Xingnong returned to the village, the sun was already about to set.

As she passed by Gu Yuxia’s family’s house, she happened to hear Gu Ping walking out impatiently: “Mother, are you going to help me borrow it or not? If you don’t, you’re ruining your granddaughter’s future.”

Gu Yuxia came out: “No, your aunt is right. There must be something wrong with the Yao family. You should give up on this idea. Your mother and I will never help you borrow it.”

Gu Ping was furious and couldn’t help but say: “How can grandparents hinder their granddaughter’s future? If Yingying loses this good marriage opportunity, I won’t come back! You only care about helping my younger brother’s family, and you don’t think about me. You save all the good things for your sons, grandsons, and granddaughters!”

Gu Yuxia and Song Shi were furious when they heard this.

What kind of talk is this?

Gu Ping stormed out and happened to see Xingnong passing by. Her eyes lit up: “Xingnong, Cousin, can you lend me your imperial jade Ruyi for a while? I’ll return it to you in a few days! I’m not feeling well lately and want to borrow some good fortune to recuperate, hehe.”

Before Xingnong could speak, Gu Yuxia and Song Shi hurried out.

Gu Yuxia: “Xingnong, don’t lend it to her! You can’t lend imperial gifts to others!”

Song Shi nodded: “Yes, she can go see a doctor if she’s sick! The jade Ruyi is not a doctor, nor is it medicine. It can’t cure her illness!”

Gu Ping was furious. She couldn’t help but shout: “Father, Mother!”

Xingnong nodded to Gu Yuxia and Song Shi: “Great-Uncle, Great-Aunt, I know. Lending out imperial gifts is a capital offense. Don’t worry, I won’t lend it.”

Gu Yuxia nodded: “Yes, don’t lend it!”

Then he said to his daughter: “The jade Ruyi will not be lent under any circumstances. Give up on this idea. Find Yingying a suitable marriage, and don’t think about those unrealistic things! Do you understand?”

Song Shi nodded: “Your father is right. Alright, it’s getting dark. Didn’t you say you were sick? Go back and lie down!”

Really, they were still reclaiming wasteland, and she had hurriedly dragged them back like this. They thought something big had happened!

Right now, nothing is bigger than reclaiming wasteland!

Gu Ping was so angry that she turned and left. She swore that she would never come back!

What kind of parents are these, who don’t want their daughter to have a good life?!

After Gu Ping left, Gu Yuxia said to Xingnong: “Xingnong, hurry up and go reclaim the wasteland. Your grandmother and the others have all gone!”

Song Shi picked up a hoe and handed it to Xingnong: “Yes, yes, yes, our village has decided to reclaim all the wasteland near Peach Blossom Village and Plum Blossom Village tonight. These lands are close! Tomorrow we’ll go reclaim the wasteland further away! You should hurry up and go!”

Xingnong took the hoe and nodded: “Okay.”

After saying that, the robust elderly couple hurried back to reclaim the wasteland.

That night, all the villagers of Peach Blossom Village, except for children under ten years old, worked through the night reclaiming wasteland.

If it hadn’t started drizzling in the middle of the night, everyone would have been reluctant to go back to sleep.

The rain was heavy that night, waking everyone from their sleep. Everyone’s hearts were in their throats.

The rice in the fields was starting to turn golden yellow, and everyone was planning to start harvesting in two days. They didn’t expect it to rain heavily!

In the latter half of the night, many people barely slept, praying at home for the rain to stop quickly.

Fortunately, the rain stopped before dawn, and the sun came out.

Many people, without any prompting, rushed to the yamen to inquire about the high-yielding grain seeds.

Li Yong had just posted the notice. He addressed the villagers who came to the door: “Fellow villagers, the notice about the high-yielding grain seeds has been posted. It’s right here! Starting today, you can bring your household registration documents and red deeds to the yamen to exchange for high-yielding grain seeds…”

Li Yong read out the contents of the notice.

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The villagers were just as shocked as the villagers of Peach Blossom Village. They all asked if it was true. How could there be so many seeds for everyone to exchange?

Li Yong said: “The official document of the yamen has been posted, and it has the official seal of the County Magistrate. How can it be fake? Everyone, hurry up and go home, bring your household registration documents and grain, and come to exchange for the seeds!”

After saying that, Li Yong went back to report.

Soon, batches of villagers came in front of the official document. Those who could read read it to those who couldn’t. Everyone was very excited.

Within half a day, the news spread throughout Futai County.

The villagers rushed to the yamen with their household registration documents and red deeds to exchange for high-yielding grain seeds. Those who only had white deeds, in order to exchange for high-yielding grain seeds, all went to the yamen to exchange them for red deeds.

The Assistant Magistrate was in the latrine when he received the news. He was so shocked that he ran out without even pulling up his pants to confirm.

Didn’t the batch of high-yielding grain seeds from Funing County last time get exchanged at a high price?

How come there are still high-yielding grain seeds available for villagers to exchange?

Moreover, based on the exchange method written in the official document, how many high-yielding grain seeds would that be?

Although Futai County is a small county, it has at least ten to twenty thousand mu of farmland, not to mention the wasteland!

But the official document actually encourages reclaiming wasteland and even gives away high-yielding grain seeds for free?

Where did these high-yielding grain seeds come from?

He hurriedly ran to Ren Zilin’s office.

“Your Excellency, is what’s written in the official document true? Do we really have so many seeds to exchange for the villagers? Why didn’t I know about this?”

Ren Zilin was writing this month’s County Magistrate’s log. He nodded without looking up: “Of course, otherwise how would I dare to post such an official document?”

The Assistant Magistrate asked urgently: “Your Excellency is truly amazing. I wonder where did you get so many high-yielding grain seeds?”

“Naturally, I bought them! Is this what you came to ask? Is this matter very important to you?” Ren Zilin finally looked up at him.

The Assistant Magistrate’s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly said: “I’m just curious how Your Excellency is so amazing! You actually managed to get so many high-yielding grain seeds for the villagers of our county! Hehe, this is really great!”

Ren Zilin lowered his head: “This official has many amazing things! You’ll know in the future. You may leave.”

“Yes!” The Assistant Magistrate rolled his eyes inwardly, replied, and then retreated.

Then he couldn’t help but glance at Chu Tiankuo, who was sitting not far away reading a book. Could it be that the Shiye lied to him last time? Did the County Magistrate buy more than just those twenty thousand jin of high-yielding grain seeds?

No! Even if it wasn’t just those twenty thousand jin of high-yielding grain seeds, and they had other preparations, it’s impossible to have so many high-yielding grain seeds to exchange for the villagers!

To satisfy the entire farmland of Futai County, including the wasteland, it would take at least one hundred thousand jin, right?

Even the imperial court could only get a few hundred thousand jin of seeds from the Zhao Kingdom. How could a small county magistrate like him get one hundred thousand jin of high-yielding grain seeds? How is this possible?

He hurriedly left and went back to his room to write a letter.

Ren Zilin asked Chu Tiankuo: “How much grain did you exchange with Prime Minister Liang for those twenty thousand jin of fake high-yielding grain seeds from Futai County?”

“Not much, just twenty jin of grain for one jin of seeds.”

Ren Zilin calculated in his mind: “So he used all the grain he bought from us at a high price to exchange for those fake seeds?”

“More or less.”

Ren Zilin: “… Prime Minister Liang must be furious this time, right?”

“That’s nothing. What comes next is more important.”