Back to the marriage proposal, helping the incompetent husband to rise to the top

Chapter 255: Making Wedding Dresses for Others
Chu Anlan said happily: "If you don't know how, just learn it. What, do you still need me to teach you?"

The cook opened his mouth and said, "But this thing really looks disgusting..."

"Then try to make it less disgusting." Chu Anlan clapped his hands: "Come here, bring a few stoves and pots."

Today, he must cook these locusts!

Soon, the stove and pots were moved into the yard, and even the shelves were filled with seasonings.

The cook had no choice but to go ahead.

Looking at the basin full of locusts, the cook felt dizzy and had no idea where to start.

However, a group of people looked at him eagerly.

Ye Wanqing said: "Just do this the same way as bee pupae and silkworm pupae, you don't need to feel too stressed.

If you fail, it's not your fault."

The cook secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "Silkworm pupae and bee pupae have always been fried directly. I have never tried other methods."

"Then, let's fry the locusts too."

Ye Wanqing looked at the locusts running densely in the wooden basin and trying to fly, and her scalp felt numb.

She looked away and said, "Everyone come and help. First, remove the wings of the locusts, and then squeeze out the internal organs."

The timid maid was afraid of insects and would tremble violently when she looked at them for even a second, so she had to let the servants do it.

Ye Chenting came back and was stunned when he stepped into the courtyard: "What are you all doing here?"

Ye Chenxi looked up: "Second brother, you are finally back! We caught a lot of locusts and are going to cook them!"

Ye Chenting couldn't help but laugh when he heard this: "I thought you were just talking, but I didn't expect you to really do it?
The 'miracle doctor' who spread rumors in the city is one of your people, right?"

"It was An Lan's idea." Ye Chenxi looked strange, but after a while, he said to Ye Chenting with a red face, "An Lan said that eating locusts can be very nutritious..."

Ye Chenting was stunned for a moment, and a faint blush appeared on his face: "The people...seem to believe it."

"Is this true?!" Ye Chenxi was surprised.

Ye Chenting looked a little unnatural, and he coughed lightly: "I heard a few words when I passed by...

In short, some people believe it.”

"It will be easy if someone believes in it." Chu Anlan counted on his fingers and said, "Even if it is a panacea, it will take time for it to take effect after taking it.

As long as a large number of people believe in it, they can always catch fewer locusts in the fields."

"That's true." Ye Chenting replied.

Ye Wanqing asked: "After Second Brother returned to the government office, did the officials come up with any other way to deal with it?"

Ye Chenting sighed lightly: "They said that they would send people to dig ditches, and bury the locusts in the ditches when it rained.

This method is the fastest and most effective.”

"Buried in soil..." Ye Wanqing frowned: "If someone is sneaky and digs the ditch too shallow, or buries it too shallowly, wouldn't it be a waste of effort?"

"Yes." Ye Chenting said worriedly, "I am also worried that if some of the eggs are buried in the soil, what will happen if they come back next year?"

"If we can ensure that most of the locusts are buried deep in the ditches this time and the crops are saved, what if we can turn the soil over deeply and burn it before the autumn harvest and next spring plowing?" Ye Wanqing asked.

Ye Chenting said: "That is a method, but it still requires the cooperation of the people."

"Expect them to cooperate?" Chu Anlan said, "It would be better if the government directly supervised them and forced them to turn over and burn the land.

The government also sent people to supervise the digging of ditches.

Haven't you seen those farmers? They are just trying to drive away the locusts as if they were playing with ghosts, chasing them from one field to another.

After chasing them around, the locusts became so tired that their appetites whetted.”

Ye Chenting paused: "Really?" "It's true!" Ye Chenxi said seriously: "They also quarreled for a long time because they drove the locusts to other people's fields!

Although I have never farmed, I know that it is wrong to drive locusts to eat other people's crops!
Besides, how can they guarantee that the locusts will not eat other people's crops if they eat other people's crops?"

Ye Chenting sighed: "Even so, digging ditches and burying the insects is the fastest way to get rid of locusts.

How much food we can save depends on fate."

Hearing this, Chu Anlan looked at Ye Wanqing: "Qing'er."

Ye Wanqing understood what he meant, so she said softly with encouragement: "Sir, go ahead and speak."

Chu Anlan immediately said happily: "Okay."

Ye Chenting asked: "What's wrong?"

Chu Anlan cleared his throat and said seriously, "We went to the fields today. In addition to asking the 'miracle doctor' to spread rumors and lead everyone to catch locusts, we also thought of another way.

Lin'an has abundant water resources, and most farmers raise ducks.

So we thought we could have farmers drive ducks into the fields to eat the locusts.”

After saying this, he had an expression that said "seeking praise".

Ye Wanqing found it funny, but still agreed with him: "Your Highness is right.

It should be more applicable if combined with the method given by the government office.

When the locusts become a plague, even if they are buried, there will inevitably be many that slip through the net. It is just right to release ducks in the fields and chickens in the land to catch them.

When the locusts are inactive, people can be organized to burn them...

If the people could catch some, there would be fewer.

The rest can only be burned after the autumn harvest and when the land is turned over, and then burned again before the spring plowing next year."

Ye Chenting thought thoughtfully: "Although it is troublesome, it is feasible."

Ye Wanqing looked at him again and said: "The locusts did not become a disaster overnight. If possible, it would be best to have the emperor issue an edict that all cultivated fields in the Great Zhou should be burned after the autumn harvest.

Places where locusts have been present should be burned again before the next spring plowing."

Ye Chenting agreed: "I have the same idea."

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and write a memorial and send it back to the capital!" Ye Chenxi said excitedly: "This is a good opportunity to get promoted!
When writing the memorial, can I include my sister, An Lan and me as well?

If the emperor is happy, he can just give me an official position, and I won’t have to participate in the next spring examination! "

Ye Chenting said with a hint of apology: "Sorry, I can't deliver this memorial."

"Ah?" Ye Chenxi was puzzled: "Why?"

Chu Anlan also frowned: "Why?"

Ye Chenting glanced at his calm sister, then looked at his elder brother and brother-in-law: "I work in the Hanlin Academy. I came to Lin'an this time and was seconded to the Ministry of Works to participate in the site selection of the palace and the summer corridor.

He offered advice on how to control the locusts because, as a fellow court official, he was receiving a salary from the emperor and could not just sit back and watch.

However, if I hand the memorial directly to the emperor, it would be an act of usurpation."

"Are we going to give this credit to others for nothing?" Ye Chenxi felt cold: "Are we going to spend so much time and effort just to help others?"

Chu Anlan was also so angry that he laughed: "If those good-for-nothings take the credit and get promoted, won't it bring harm to more people?"

"Is that so?" Ye Chenxi and Chu Anlan responded, "The current county magistrate of Lin'an, Cheng Qiu, originally came to Lin'an through marriage.

His cousin was the second wife of Prince Liang.

He came to Lin'an because Lin'an was rich and had a stable political system, so he could return to Beijing for promotion in a few years...

Giving him the credit would be exactly what he wants, wouldn't it?"