Portable Space: Small Peasant Girls Farm to Get Rich

Chapter 346 Not giving in
Two days before leaving Feichi City, the howling cold wind made people's bones ache, and cold snowflakes fell one after another, without any of the decadence we saw in Feichi City. The trees in the distance were blown to and fro by the strong wind, and the trunks were covered with thick snow.

The surrounding earthen houses were almost submerged in snow. There were few pedestrians on the wide official road, and the snow made a creaking sound when their feet stepped on it, as if it was the wail of a cold winter.

After trekking for five or six days in the freezing cold and heavy snow, Liu Qingcao and his group finally reached the city gate of Beiwu Prefecture.

There were refugees at the city gate, but not as many as in the other cities. The people guarding the city were not yamen runners, but soldiers in armor. They were pale and skinny, with heavy armor on their bodies, as if they were suffering from iron torture, which made their bodies sink a few inches unconsciously.

Liu Qingcao's carriage and the long line of sleds behind it attracted the attention of the surrounding refugees as soon as they appeared.

Liu Xiao stood on the last sled board and swept his sharp eyes over the refugees below.

Liu Xiao and his six companions have seen many refugees along the way, and they have their own way of dealing with them.

Liu Qingcao got off the carriage and walked to the gate guard. He nodded to the soldier, smiled, and asked in a gentle voice, "Big brother, how much is the fee for entering the city?"

The soldier's serious gaze fell on Liu Qingcao's face, and his momentum softened a bit. He replied calmly, "Ten copper coins per person."

Liu Qingcao tightened the purse in her sleeve and put it back into the space.

"I would like to ask you again, big brother, why is the entrance fee here so much lower than other cities?"

The soldier looked at Liu Qingcao cautiously, his breath suddenly sank, he snorted contemptuously, opened his eyes angrily and shouted, "The general has a kind heart and is unwilling to go along with those dog officials."

Liu Qingcao smiled as she calmly moved aside and said to the soldiers guarding the city without changing her expression, "My name is Liu. I came from Qingzhou Prefecture. I heard that the soldiers in the north were short of food and clothing, so I brought 30,000 kilograms of food and clothing with me. I hope that big brother will tell General Yang."

After saying that, Liu Qingcao took out seventy copper coins from her sleeve and handed them over. The soldier guarding the city did not take them. He just looked at the sled board behind Liu Qingcao and said excitedly, "Miss Liu, wait a moment. I will tell the general right away."

After saying this, the soldiers guarding the city ran away.

Another soldier stepped up, took the silver from Liu Qingcao's hand and put it into the box, then turned aside with a somewhat naive smile, "Miss Liu, the general will be here soon, please go into the city and wait for a while."

Liu Qingcao nodded, waved to Liu Xiao and the other six, then got on the carriage and followed the soldiers into the city.

When you enter the city, you can see soldiers shoveling snow and sweeping the streets. Most shops are open and there are many pedestrians. When you pass by a grain shop, you will see a "Sold Out" sign hanging on the shiny wooden door.

After passing the grain store and walking another thirty meters forward, the soldier stopped and waited beside the carriage.

Liu Qingcao lifted the curtain of the carriage and came down, taking a look at where the soldiers were staying.

"Military Lane?"

"Miss Liu, this is where our soldiers who guard the city sleep at night. The city is very safe, don't worry."

Liu Qingcao nodded, smiled, and took out a small bag from the carriage, "I have a small bag of dry food here, you can take it and eat some with those big brothers to fill your stomach first."

The soldier guarding the city looked at the cloth bag in Liu Qingcao's hand, swallowed unconsciously, his eyes red but he did not take it.

"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Liu. We cannot accept food from the people without permission." The soldier guarding the city looked at the cloth bag and refused word by word, as if he was enduring something, which made him feel very painful.

Liu Qingcao was puzzled. Why did this person refuse to accept the things even though they were right in front of him?
"Here, eat something to keep you warm on this snowy day."

Liu Qingcao tried to persuade them, but the soldiers guarding the city still did not move. Liu Qingcao had no choice but to get back into the carriage under his resolute gaze. When she came out, she had a pot of hot water in her hand. She handed the hot water to him and looked at him with a smile.

"I think you must have some concerns that you don't want to take the food from me." Liu Qingcao paused, raised the kettle in his hand, and said with certainty, "You will not violate military law with this kettle of hot water!"

The soldier guarding the city nodded and took it, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Thank you Miss Liu."

Liu Qingcao pursed her lips, smiled, shook her head and said nothing.

Not far away, a somewhat skinny warhorse, carrying a tall man on its back, was galloping towards the military lane with its hooves stepping on the snow.

Then a burst of cheerful neighing of horses was heard, and a man and a horse stopped in front of Liu Qingcao.

Liu Qingcao looked up and saw a man with thick eyebrows and fierce eyes. He had a thin jawline and a dense black beard. He had an upright posture, held a spear in his hand, and was wearing iron armor. He stood among the crowd like a pine or cypress.

He had a head of black hair tied up, and even though his cheeks were a little sunken due to hunger, he still exuded majesty.

Liu Qingcao realized that this person was the one she was looking for.

Yang Jingyong looked down into the distance from a high position, retracted his gaze after a few breaths, and swiftly dismounted from his horse while Liu Qingcao was waiting. His tightly knitted brows relaxed a lot the moment he looked at Liu Qingcao.

"Little girl, you said you came from Qingzhou City?"

Yang Jingyong's deep voice sounded, his aura was as strong as an ancient bell, murderous intent filled his body, and his eyes were fixed on the little girl in front of him.

Liu Wu tightly grasped the software at his waist, always on guard against Yang Jingyong's actions to hurt people.

Liu Qingcao smiled indifferently and nodded slightly.

She knew why the general did this, so she was not angry.

Seeing that Liu Qingcao didn't look angry at all, Yang Jingyong couldn't help but soften his tone, "Miss, are you from Qianfeng Town?"

"General Yang, I came to Beiwu from Qianfeng Town. I was also entrusted by someone to deliver food. I wonder if General Yang has received any news from that person?" Liu Qingcao had inquired about the news in the north from the beginning, so she naturally knew who was in power here.

Yang Jingyong was stunned for a moment, then laughed and shook his head, "We did communicate with the person Miss Liu mentioned through letters, but I don't know who he is."

"Thank you, General Yang, for telling me." Seeing that he didn't want to mention it, Liu Qingcao tactfully stopped talking and talked about other things.

"30,000 kilograms of food and 1,000 sets of winter clothes and cotton shoes have been delivered. When will General Yang receive them?"

Yang Jingyong glanced at Liu Qingcao in surprise. He didn't expect that the girl would just not ask.

It's really not his fault, because that person had warned him in the letter not to reveal his identity. Otherwise, who would be willing to deceive the savior who had traveled so far to come here?

"Come here, pull these wooden carts to the mansion." Yang Jingyong waved his hand and called his men. Looking at the strange sled boards, he paused before he took a good look at the object.

The soldiers had been there for a while, waiting for the general to speak. When they heard the general's order, a group of people quickly moved. When they looked at Liu Qingcao and the other seven, they smiled and their eyes were full of gratitude.

After all the sleds were carried in front, Yang Jingyong led Liu Qingcao to walk behind.

"I'm sorry to trouble Miss Liu. Although our Beiwu City is safer than other cities, if the refugees outside knew that there was food here, I'm afraid they would rush in without any scruples."

Yang Jingyong did not use his status to suppress Liu Qingcao. He was sincerely grateful for Liu Qingcao's coming. If he still had to show himself as a general, it would be inappropriate.

Seeing that Yang Jingyong had no intention of hurting anyone, Liu Wu slowly withdrew his fingers from his waist.

Yang Jingyong caught a glimpse of Liu Wu's actions and looked at her again.

When Liu Xiao and others came closer, Yang Jingyong finally understood.

No wonder Miss Liu was able to reach the North safely in this world, there were no fewer masters around her than him.

If he could use him, he would have a better chance of winning the battle against the Northern Di. But this person is not someone he can just take away.

Yang Jingyong felt a little regretful and finally had to sigh and give up.

Liu Qingcao saw that he was staring at Liu Xiao and the others without saying a word, with a look of deep admiration. Her eyes flashed, and she understood more clearly that this general had such a vicious eye.

But Liu Xiao and the other six had already sold themselves to her. Even if he wanted to be a mentor, he could not get past her.

So, Liu Qingcao smiled calmly and said teasingly, "General Yang, you don't want to keep the people who escorted me back to Qingzhou City. I don't mind, but without the six of them, the next batch of food can't be transported."

Yang Jingyong had no intention of forcibly occupying the six people. He just felt a little regretful that he could not use them. But when he heard that more food was coming, his regret was immediately thrown out of the window.

He turned around, his beard trembling with excitement. He clasped his fists towards Liu Qingcao and said in a resounding voice, "This general would like to thank Miss Liu for sending food on behalf of the northern soldiers."

"General Yang, this is unacceptable. I was entrusted by someone to deliver this food. You should thank him if you want to."

Liu Qingcao quickly stepped aside and waved her hands. She didn't dare to accept this gift. Although he looked easy to get along with at first glance, it was just an appearance.

She knew very well that human hearts were unpredictable and that one could know a person's face but not his heart. She had only met him once and he held such a high official rank, so how could she have the courage to accept his courtesy?

When Yang Jingyong saw Liu Qingcao retreat, he knew that she was a smart person and stopped making things difficult for her.

"Well, Miss Liu is so kind-hearted, I can't let you suffer any loss."

Yang Jingyong hesitated for a moment and said, "Gold, silver and jewelry are no longer of much use. So, I will make you a promise. If you need me in the future, I will never refuse as long as I can do it. What do you think, Miss Liu?"

Liu Qingcao nodded.

Compared to gold, silver and jewelry, she wanted a backer more. Although it was only a one-time thing, it was better than any money or objects.

"I, a humble lady, thank you, General." Liu Qingcao bowed to Yang Jingyong like the maids from wealthy families.

Yang Jingyong laughed and became even more satisfied with the girl Liu Qingcao.

"Go, go home."

Liu Qingcao followed General Yang and walked slowly, and finally arrived at the gate of the mansion.

The mottled gate had been beaten and eroded by the wind and snow, and its color had long since changed, but fortunately it was strong enough and had not rotted. Seeing that the general's residence was like this, I thought the soldiers' residence would not be very good either.

After entering the house, there was a vast expanse of white snow with not many trees in sight. The mansion was not small, but it looked a little desolate. There were only a few servants inside, who were responsible for the cleaning and daily life of the mansion.

Walking further in and passing the courtyard gate, General Yang brought them to the dining hall. The dining hall was very large, with three large tables. One of them was blocked by a screen, which was probably the table for the female family members to eat.

"Miss Liu, you have worked hard on the journey. After lunch, I will immediately arrange for someone to take you to your room to rest."

"Thank you, General Yang." Liu Qingcao smiled politely. She knew that General Yang would not keep them any longer.

"General Yang, I won't bother you with this meal. I brought some snacks with me. General Yang, will you give me a taste?"

"Oh? I'm quite curious about the snacks that Miss Liu mentioned. Why don't you take them out and have a look." Yang Jingyong smiled and asked the nanny in the mansion to bring the food tray.

Liu Qingcao gave Liu Wu a look, and Liu Wu understood. He put the bundle in his hand on the table, opened the bundle, and took things out one by one.

General Yang looked at the table filled with unfamiliar food of varying colors, aromas and flavors. His mouth was watering and his eyes were red.

After Liu Wu put the last item on the plate, Liu Qingcao stood up and introduced it.

"General Yang, these are steamed buns. They are golden in color and have a variety of flavors. The most important thing is that they are not frozen on snowy days." Liu Qingcao picked up a piece and broke it in half, putting half in the bowl and keeping the other half in his hand.

"This steamed bun can be eaten in many ways. It fills you up very quickly. General Yang, take a look."

Liu Qingcao took the kettle from Liu Wu's hand and poured it into the bowl. The steaming hot water flowed out from the kettle. The steamed buns in the bowl quickly expanded to twice their size when they came into contact with the hot water.

Liu Qingcao picked up the chopsticks and stirred it. The hot water and the soaked steamed buns instantly mixed into a bowl of batter, and even the aroma became more intense.

Yang Jingyong was secretly excited when he saw this scene. This steamed bread was a good thing for marching and fighting.

With it, soldiers no longer have to worry about eating dry, hard and cold steamed buns when they are hungry.

"General Yang, please try it and see how it tastes."

Liu Qingcao gently placed the bowl on General Yang's desk, raised her eyebrows and spoke.

Yang Jingyong would not refuse. He picked up the bowl and drank without even using a spoon.

It has a delicate and soft texture when you put it in your mouth, and the unique aroma of noodles mixed with oil and salt spreads in your mouth, leaving you with an endless aftertaste.

"Good, good stuff." Yang Jingyong put down the bowl and praised without hesitation.

"General Yang, please try this dry steamed bread slice." Seeing that he was satisfied, Liu Qingcao reminded him again.

Yang Jingyong looked at the steamed buns on the plate, picked them up with chopsticks and put them in his mouth. The taste was completely different from when he had just soaked them.

One is delicate and soft, the other is crispy and salty, both are equally good.

He liked it very much.

"Good, one thing with two uses, it's really a good thing." Yang Jingyong once again gave a positive evaluation.

Liu Qingcao smiled and explained, "General Yang, this steamed bun is actually steamed buns that have been fried in a frying pan and then coated with seasoning. If the conditions are difficult, frying flour is also feasible."

After hearing this, Yang Jingyong suddenly realized that this noodle can be fried and drunk with hot soup. It is convenient and saves trouble. It is simply too good to be true.

Just this one thing made him very excited.

It seems that this little girl is not only here to bring them food.

"Okay, I'll have someone write this down and start hyping it up when we get back to the barracks."

After saying this, his eyes fell on the colorful broken leaves in Liu Qingcao's hand. How could he eat these tiny crumbs? Could they be horse fodder?

Just when he was puzzled, Liu Qingcao grabbed a handful of it and put it into the kettle, and asked the cook beside him to put it on the stove to cook. After a while, a light fragrance wafted out.

Yang Jingyong, who hadn't eaten vegetables for a long time, stood up and walked to the stove.

He opened the lid, and the fragrance hit his mouth and nose, making him squint his eyes.

"General Yang, this is dried vegetables. Ordinary country folks usually dry and store the leftover fresh vegetables so that they can have vegetables to eat in winter."

“It’s just that ordinary people don’t waste land to grow too many vegetables, so there are rarely large quantities of dried vegetables sold.

Especially the peas, which are only available in Qingzhou. Are you satisfied, General Yang?" Liu Qingcao introduced calmly, and at the end she picked up the soup spoon and scooped a spoonful into Yang Jingyong's bowl.

How could Yang Jingyong not understand at this moment that this girl had something else to say?

"Not bad." Yang Jingyong let it cool down, took a sip, and gave a very pertinent evaluation.

Liu Qingcao was not in a hurry. She continued to pick up another thing on the plate and looked at Yang Jingyong with a smile, "This is a potato. It can be fried, stir-fried, deep-fried, stewed or grilled. It can be used as a dish or as a staple food."

"General Yang, would you like to try my cooking skills?" Liu Qingcao's eyes flashed and the corners of her lips rose slightly.

Yang Jingyong was so angry that he laughed at Liu Qingcao's behavior. He had never seen anyone come to negotiate a deal with him when he was at a loss.

Yang Jingyong glared at Liu Qingcao and waved his hand unhappily, telling her to go away.

After half an hour, Yang Jingyong was dumbfounded when he saw the dishes on the table.

He never thought that a potato could be cooked in so many ways, and each one looked extraordinary.

When Liu Qingcao came out with the last pot of potatoes and meat stew, she saw this scene. She raised her eyebrows and walked over with a smile, saying nonchalantly, "General Yang, what happened?"

Yang Jingyong came back to his senses after hearing the voice, laughed heartily, and praised, "Miss Liu really has a pair of skillful hands. Today I have really opened my eyes."

"General Yang, thank you for your praise. My cooking skills are just ordinary and I cannot stand your praise." Liu Qingcao smiled modestly and was not stupid enough to admit it directly.

"General Yang, eat it quickly while it's hot. If it gets cold later, it won't taste good." Liu Qingcao watched the fire basket under the table dim, and didn't want to say anything more to urge him.

Yang Jingyong said "hmm" and picked up his chopsticks to taste the dishes one by one. He liked every dish, especially the stewed meat with potatoes, which made him ate with tears in his eyes.

If Liu Qingcao had not been hungry for a long time and was afraid that he would hurt his body, she would remind him to eat in moderation, but he would not be satisfied until he had eaten everything.

After the meal, Yang Jingyong made his point clear without waiting for Liu Qingcao to speak.

"Miss Liu, according to what you said, your potatoes are really a good crop. After we get through this snowstorm, I will try to raise money to buy these potatoes for the farmers to plant."

"Miss Liu, you can't demand a sky-high price from me like you did just now!"

Liu Qingcao twitched her lips, but refused to give in. She calculated the price with him, "General Yang, 20 wen per pound is not a sky-high price. You know, in Qingzhou, potatoes cost 200 wen per pound. I have to hire someone to go to Beiwu, and the wages, food and lodging are not small. I am reluctant to give up because of General Yang and the soldiers who are defending our country. General Yang, you can't bargain anymore."

Yang Jingyong choked and felt embarrassed for a moment.

Twenty wen per pound was indeed too high for him. The military pay from the court would not be paid until next year, and the money in his subordinates' pockets had long been sent back home.

Where will this money come from?

Yang Jingyong had a worried look on his face. Potatoes were grown well in the north and could save many lives.

But now, he couldn't come up with such a large sum of money.

It really doesn't work...

Yang Jingyong gritted his teeth and looked at Liu Qingcao with determination, "Miss Liu, I want these potatoes. When the ice and snow melt, I will bring a batch over. I will make up the money then.

I have fifty taels of silver in my hand, which I will use as a deposit first."

Liu Qingcao blinked and was confused.

She remembered that the soldiers in ancient times were not so poor! ?

Yang Jingyong saw Liu Qingcao's confusion and explained with a sigh, "Fifteen years ago, we soldiers had a pretty good life. Until the late emperor fell seriously ill and passed away, our lives have been much worse than before. We even have to rely on the people in the city for help. Alas!"

"..."

Liu Qingcao rolled her eyes silently in her heart. This general who was fighting in a war actually played the sympathy card with her. It is said that business is business and there is no business without profit.

Will Liu Qingcao play this emotional card?
of course not! ! !

Since you have no money, you have to think of a solution yourself. If it doesn't work, she can give you an idea.

"General Yang, the people have had a hard time these years. Did you know that Shihe Village in Qingzhou Prefecture was where refugees gathered after the disaster ten years ago? The villagers there can't even eat half their fill every day, and can only make up half of the annual tax due from the court. The rest of the tax is paid by the town government.

Only this year, the villagers planted potatoes, and their lives have improved a little, but not much better. Everyone is counting on the money from the women to go back and have a good New Year. "

Liu Qingcao said this with tears in her eyes, looking so pitiful.

Liu Xiao and the other six people on the side lowered their heads and dared not look up. Yang Jingyong had a frown on his face, but he knew what the situation of Shihe Village that the little girl in front of him was like.

Forget it, since he can't come up with the money, he can just raise it together with the people in the city.