Farming Beneath the Changbai Mountains

Time flies so fast, in the blink of an eye, it has been more than a month since Zixuan and Jinghan came here. In the past month, Jinghan sent Anfu, Changshun, and Changan to inquire around and inspect the areas belonging to Zhendong County. In addition, Jinghan also got a general understanding of this place through Zixuan and from the people in the county government.

After knowing the specific scope of Zhendong County, Jinghan was really shocked. This is not within the scope of a county. There are obviously six or seven counties. This is all within the jurisdiction of the state. Looking at the limited manpower in the county government, Jinghan is really powerless.

The eastern part of Zhendong County has a mountainous and hilly landform with vast forests. The central part is a plain with flat terrain and fertile soil, while the west is a grassland with excellent quality pasture. Moreover, there are many large lakes scattered between the plains and grasslands, as well as many wetlands and swamps. Within the entire county, there are nine main rivers and countless other tributaries, and the water resources are extremely rich.

When Jinghan learned this, she pointed to a simple map on the table and sighed, "This is no remote country. This is simply a cornucopia. Really, I don't know what the former magistrates did for food. "It's so stupid that such a good place can be so poor." Jinghan couldn't help but mutter. You know, in such an environment, with all-round development of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, sideline fishery, how could the people be poor?

Zixuan looked at Jinghan with a smile, "Do you think everyone is like you? All you think about is getting rich? This place has only been owned by the imperial court for five or six years, and it was snatched from the Northern Yuan Kingdom. . The county magistrate here is worried about the attack of Bei Yuan Kingdom all the time. How can he have time to care about how the people live? But with my wife, the people here are blessed, aren't they? "Zixuan loves to watch Jinghan look like she is full of energy when she has a good idea.

"Huh, why do you have to say that? Is it hard for such a trivial matter to upset your wife and me?" Jinghan raised her head and looked at Zixuan deliberately pretending to be very contemptuous.

Zixuan was fascinated by her cute appearance. He put his arms around Jinghan and kissed her on the red lips. "My little wife is the most powerful. No matter what idea you have, your husband will definitely help you do it." Zixuan looked at Jinghan's look and knew that Jinghan probably had an idea in mind.

"Well, as for you, first give a memorial to His Majesty the Emperor. Just say that this place is too poor, and ask for a tax exemption for one or two years to allow the people to recuperate. In addition, I beg the Emperor to send some prisoners who have been exiled from various places. What we are most lacking right now is manpower. Look at such a big place, there are only tens of thousands of people here, and even if they are guarding gold and silver, they can’t even move back home. " Jinghan has a very detailed understanding of this place. , knowing that this place used to be the border area between the two countries. Due to war and other reasons, the sparse population is pitiful.

"Look at this area, it's all fertile farmland. As long as it is reclaimed, the food output will be very considerable in the future. And here, with so many lakes, wouldn't it be good to keep them for breeding? Not to mention the pastures over there. I said, you can raise horses, cattle and sheep as you like. Oh, I want to see such a beautiful place with my own eyes." Jinghan pointed to the pasture on the map, feeling longing for it.

"If Madam wants to take a look, wouldn't it be easy? Wait for the day when it is convenient for Madam, and the husband can just take Madam with him." Zixuan didn't take it seriously. When he first arrived here, he should go to various places. Just take a look. "Madam, wherever you want to go first, we will go there in the next few days."

"Let's go to the grassland first. I want to see the grassland and experience the feeling of seeing the cattle and sheep when the grass is blown by the wind." Jinghan said, pointing to the western region on the map.

"Okay, then I'll go get ready. We'll go in two days." Zixuan hurriedly went out to prepare.

Jinghan also became busy here, "Ruyu, help me prepare some clothes that are easy to move around. Just like those worn by the women outside, suitable for riding horses." This place originally belonged to the Beiyuan Kingdom, but it was later returned to the country. court, but the residents here still wear their original clothes. Beiyuan Kingdom is a country that is mainly nomadic, so the clothes worn by both men and women are more suitable for riding horses. Jinghan saw it several times and thought the clothes looked good, so she made a few pieces, which came in handy.

"Madam, you and the master are going out together, what about us? Aren't you taking us with you? What about madam's food?" Ruyu asked.

"You don't know how to ride a horse, how can I take you with me? It doesn't matter, the master and I are used to doing things by ourselves. How can we use you for such a trivial matter? Just prepare some dry food for me, and you can do the rest. Don't worry about it. Just stay at home and wait for us to come back." Jinghan waved her hands. She didn't know anything. She didn't want to take these girls with her when she went out. They were too cumbersome.

Jinghan had a fiery temper, and although Zixuan was steady, he wanted to please Jinghan, so he did things very quickly, and the two of them went out on horseback the next day. This time they brought Anfu, Changshun, and an agent from the yamen. There had to be someone who knew the way, right?

Jinghan can still ride a horse, but Zixuan is worried, so Jinghan can only ride on the same horse as Zixuan. The terrain here was flat, and the horses broke away and galloped westward. In the afternoon, we arrived at the grassland in the west.

Jinghan looked at the endless green grass in front of her, and her mood was simply indescribable. "It's so beautiful. Look over there. There are really cattle and sheep. What is there? Is it a shepherd's tent?" Jinghan was so excited. If it weren't for the fact that her status was different now and she wouldn't be embarrassed in front of her subordinates, She really wanted to lie down and roll on the grass. But this can only be imagined, she can't do that now.

Zixuan still smiled gently. Although he was also shocked by the scenery in front of him, compared with the ever-changing expressions on the face of his little wife in his arms, no matter how beautiful the scenery was, it was not as attractive as Jinghan. "Come, let's go forward and see what the herdsmen are doing." Zixuan clamped his legs on the horse's belly, and the horse moved forward.

Arriving in front of a felt tent, Zixuan dismounted and helped Jinghan down as well. The catcher at the back followed up and communicated with the shepherd in front of him. Fortunately, this place used to be the border between the two countries, and the languages ​​​​are mutually accessible, so Jinghan can understand the words of these shepherds.

As soon as they heard that the magistrate and his wife were coming, the shepherds invited them into the felt tent with great enthusiasm. Everyone went inside, and there was a thick felt blanket on the ground, and everyone sat on the floor. The hard-working hostess served milk tea to the distinguished guests from afar.

The policeman on the side quietly reminded him to pick it up with his right hand. Jinghan and others heard it, took the milk tea with her right hand, and took a sip. This milk tea was not the ones Jinghan had seen in her previous life. It was a favorite drink among people in pastoral areas. Take a sip of the fragrant and refreshing milk tea and feel that the flavor of milk and tea are perfectly blended together. There seems to be other things in it, and there is also salt, which is really salty and delicious.

Next, the hostess brought in fried rice, milk skin, cheese and other foods for Zixuan and the others to eat. Jinghan and others thanked him repeatedly.

The shepherds here are very enthusiastic, and the male host keeps urging everyone to drink tea and eat something. While everyone was eating and drinking, they were chatting about the surrounding situations.

According to the introduction of the male owner, there are about 3,000 herdsmen here now, not many, and they usually live in pursuit of water and grass. However, since this place was assigned to the imperial court, some herdsmen began to learn to settle in one place. Anyway, the pastures here are huge, and with so few people, there is no need to worry about insufficient fodder.

Speaking of which, the lives of these herdsmen are basically self-sufficient. They raised cattle, sheep and other animals, usually for their own consumption. What they eat the most is, of course, dairy products. Except for a small part of the fresh milk that is consumed, the rest is made into various dairy products for easy storage.

People here raise the most sheep, and the animals they raise are full of treasures. The wool can be rolled into felts, the mutton can be eaten, and the goat milk is a good thing, and can be used to make various delicacies.

Jinghan couldn't help but ask, "Brother Batu, do you only use wool for felting here?"

The male host was a little strange, "Really? If wool is not used for felting, what else can it be used for? Look at our felt tents and blankets on the ground, aren't they all made of wool felting?"

Jinghan nodded, but thought of something else. Wool can also be spun into wool, and it can also be spun into finer threads for weaving cloth, that is, woolen materials. These are much better than just felting. Of course, you can also knit blankets. It seems that there are still many things that can make a fuss here.

The herdsmen are very hospitable. Some people nearby heard that the magistrate and his wife were coming, so they rushed over. It just so happened that the sky was getting dark, so everyone took out the food they had collected at home and had a meal with Zixuan and the others. Of course, drinking is also indispensable. This season is a good time to drink kumis.

The host brought kumiss and offered it to the distinguished guests. Zixuan and others, under the reminder of the policeman, happily took the wine, dipped their ring fingers in the wine and nodded it in the direction of the sky, the earth, and the stove, and then drank. You must drink this wine and cannot refuse it, but those who are not good drinkers can dip it to express their gratitude. Jinghan's drinking capacity was pretty good, so she didn't care about that and took a sip. Everyone next to him gave Jinghan a thumbs up. "Madam, you are well done. She is not inferior to the women on our grasslands."

Naturally, the highest-standard whole-lamb mat was used to entertain guests. The hostess had already prepared the mutton with the help of her neighbors. The hot and fragrant mutton was brought in and delivered to Zixuan and Jinghan. Of course, it came with long ribs. This is the rule for hospitality.

Jinghan had never seen such a way of eating, so she had to imitate others, pick up the mutton with her hands, and put it in her mouth. The very fresh and tender feeling in the mouth made Jinghan fall in love with this way of eating, so she was not polite and ate it vigorously.

The hostess sat next to Jinghan and was very happy to see that Jinghan liked to eat. In their opinion, if the guests don't eat, it means they are disgusted with them. On the contrary, the more they eat, the better.