It was already cold in Suzhou in October.

Jiang Wenyuan sorted out the affairs of the government and made arrangements.

With only a coachman and a little servant Ah Ping and two entourages plus his baby daughter who was not at ease, he left the capital city of Suzhou in a light car and went out to inspect.

Officials cannot always sit in the public court, but must often go to the people to see the local customs and customs, and see what the people eat and what they lack.

Suzhou has 17 counties under its jurisdiction, and the capital city is located in the central region. The southeastern flatlands are dominated by wheat. In the middle, except for a small amount of wheat and cotton, there is barley.

The northern part is full of grasslands, and there are a small number of herders who make a living from grazing. Not to mention the land on the northwest border, it is full of large areas of the Gobi Desert and barren land.

Although the whole of Suzhou is dry and rainless, there is a large river that runs through the whole territory from west to east, so there is no shortage of water.

Lianjiang River originates from Lianyuan Mountain, which is transformed by the snow water of Lianyuan Mountain Range, and the water is abundant. There are countless tributaries below, nourishing and nourishing countless creatures in this land.

Jiang Wenyuan decided to go west to protect first. The first stop is Dengyong County.

Along the way, there are large barren grass beaches, and only the fields near the village are opened. Jiang Wenyuan stopped the carriage and carefully inspected the fields, and it was indeed very barren.

A few miles away, there is a river, which seems to be a tributary of the Lianjiang River. However, it is far away from the fields, and there is no reliable irrigation method for water diversion, and the mere reliance on manpower to carry water shows how low productivity is.

The terrain is too flat to be dammed. I had to think of a way to pump up the water in the river.

There you have it, the waterwheel.

This thing is a powerful tool for pumping water and watering the ground. In the small garden of the hospital's inpatient department, there is a garden made of water wheels. It is also a favorite place for patients, and there are even many photos taken there.

I'll get it when I get back in the evening.

At noon, Jiang Wenyuan led her and knocked on the courtyard door of a farmhouse. It was an old woman who opened the door. She asked, in a thick dialect, "Who are you?" ”

I heard that I was just passing by, and I came in to ask for a bowl of hot water to drink. The old woman greeted them very warmly into the house, and called on her family to bring hot water to the guests.

The room was full of women and children, each with chopsticks, apparently having lunch. Seeing this group of strangers coming in, he hurriedly stood up and gave up his seat.

In the middle of the table is a small bowl with very dark pickles in it. Each person has only a fist-sized nest head in their bowl.

The old woman saw that Jiang Yuqing had been staring at the dinner table, thinking that she wanted to eat. However, there is only one of them in each family, and there are no more.

After wiping her embarrassed hand on her shabby clothes, her mother-in-law broke off the half of her nest head that she hadn't bitten and handed it to Jiang Yuqing.

Jiang Yuqing paused slightly, then took it with both hands and sincerely said thank you.

At this time, Jiang Wenyuan handed over a burden and said: "Old man, we have dry food with us, can you ask your family to help us warm it up, we will give us money." ”

The mother-in-law said that it was just a hot dry food, and where would she ask for money. When I opened the baggage, I saw a bag full of white-flour steamed buns, and I couldn't help but be stunned.

Her daughter-in-law took the initiative to take the burden and went into the kitchen.

The re-steamed steamed buns, which are soft and have the unique fragrance of refined grains, make the children drool and see their eyes straight.

Jiang Wenyuan took out his own share, and gave the rest to the children. The mother-in-law was very embarrassed and said that she had taken advantage of them. I turned around and went to the kitchen again and cut a plate of pickles.

Jiang Wenyuan talked to his mother-in-law while eating steamed buns with pickles, and asked the children in the family what they were doing for a living. What is planted at home, and what is the harvest.

The mother-in-law said: "My three sons have gone to Suzhou Mansion to find change. The climate in our place is not good, so we plant some barley and cotton every year.

This year, God gave face, and it rained a few times, and the barley harvest was not bad. Cotton is no longer good, worms are born, and the cotton peaches are few and small, and they can't be sold for much money. ”

The mother-in-law said again: "Housheng, I don't hear your accent like us from Suzhou, where did you come from?" ”

Jiang Wenyuan smiled and said: "I am from Lingzhou, and I came to Suzhou to work for people." My family also farms. ”

The mother-in-law smiled: "Zero State is south." How nice it is to the south, the climate is good, and it still produces rice.

Why don't you think you come to work in our place, Suzhou is so poor, and from time to time there are Hun Tartars to rob it, where is there any good work. Officials don't want to come! ”

Jiang Wenyuan said meaningfully: "Suzhou is poor now, and it may not be poor in the future." I like Suzhou, Suzhou is very good. ”

The mother-in-law smiled very happily: "Housheng, you are the first foreigner to say that we are good in Suzhou." ”

Jiang Yuqing also choked his neck and swallowed half of the nest.

It was made of soaked dried wild vegetables mixed with a small amount of barley flour, and it almost choked her to death. I poured a bowl of water before swallowing it.

It's the kind of food they can only eat two meals a day. Eat dried at noon, that is, the head of the dry wild vegetable barley nest, and at night it is simply half a bowl of wild vegetable barley paste.

Something like white-flour steamed buns, only during the Chinese New Year, each person can get one. On weekdays, I can't even think about it.

While the other children were holding the steamed buns and devouring them, the little girl sitting next to her put the steamed buns up and continued to gnaw on the nest head. Jiang Yuqing asked her, "Sister, why don't you eat." ”

The girl whispered, "I want to leave it to Daddy." ”

Jiang Yuqing was stunned for a moment, then smiled, and broke off the half of the steamed bun that he didn't bite into and gave it to her: "Sister, I can't finish eating, you can help me eat some!" ”

The girl took it shyly and thanked her gratefully.

After eating, Jiang Wenyuan said goodbye and left. The mother-in-law and her grandchildren kept sending them outside the door. When I turned around, I heard my daughter-in-law say, "Mother, that noble man seems to have lost money just now." ”

The mother-in-law saw the small silver ingot in her daughter-in-law's palm and asked, "Where did you pick it up?" ”

The daughter-in-law said, "It's on the bench where the distinguished guest sits." ”

The mother-in-law took the silver with tears in her eyes: "You Ha'er, where did he drop this, this is obviously due to the difficulties of our family, and he deliberately stayed." We've met good people. ”

In the evening, the group stayed at the only inn in the town.

When Jiang Wenyuan went to the backyard to wash, Jiang Yuqing entered the spiritual realm and carefully measured the size of each part of the waterwheel. When you come out, lie down on the table and draw.

When Jiang Wenyuan came back, she was almost finished. Her father didn't bother her, just stood behind her and watched her draw.

After the drawing, Tuanzi handed the drawing to his father, and when he found that his father's eyes were bright, he knew that his father had understood.

"This thing is for irrigation, right?"

Jiang Yuqing nodded vigorously and said mischievously: "Those who know me, Daddy too."

This thing is called a waterwheel, and if it is erected in a suitable place in the river, it can use the impact force of the water flow to continuously pump the water in the river to a high place, which can save a lot of manpower. It is suitable for use in the south.

However, the climate here in Suzhou is cold, and the river surface will freeze in winter, and the wooden windmill boards are easily damaged during the freezing of the river and the thawing of the next year.

I wondered if we could change it to make it more suitable for the climate here in Suzhou. ”

Jiang Wenyuan said: "Don't worry, after I go back, my father will find professionals in water conservancy and carpentry to find a way together."

No matter how bad it is, my father will use flying pigeons to pass on the book and send it back to the capital to let the adults of the Ministry of Industry give it a detailed reference. Surely they can. ”

The dumplings touched two more things, pointed to the oval fruit, and said, "Daddy, this is called a potato." The yield per mu is 2000-3000 catties, which can be used as a staple food or a dish.

When cooking, frying, frying, stewing, and boiling are all delicious. Moreover, they are easy to grow, easy to live and easy to manage, and drought tolerant, fresh potatoes can be stored in the cellar for several months, and if they are sliced and dried, they can be stored for a longer time. It can be planted all year round.

However, the climate in Suzhou is most suitable for planting from mid-April to early May. However, it also has drawbacks, it is poisonous after germination, and it can no longer be eaten. ”

Tuanzi picked up the corn again and said, "This is called corn, also called bud grain." If it is planted in coastal or inland areas, the yield per mu will be higher, and if it is planted in Suzhou, there will be a yield of about 1,000 catties per mu if it is well managed.

When it is tender, it can be boiled and eaten directly, and the taste is fresh and sweet. When you are old, you can dry and thresh and grind it into powder, which can be used to cook porridge or paste cakes, which are delicious. It is also a staple food. ”

After Jiang Wenyuan listened, he was stunned. After a long time, he took his daughter into his arms, rubbed his big head against her small forehead, and said, "Good baby, you must be an immortal sent by God to save all people." ”

The dango then giggled, like a silver bell.

Jiang Wenyuan asked her, "Is this also taken out of your spiritual realm?" ”

Tuan shook his head: "No. I discovered these two things by accident when I was in the capital. Not long before you went to Beijing.

There was a man who was poisoned by eating the wrong thing, so he pulled the donkey to our hospital and let us treat it.

I asked him what the donkey had eaten wrong, and he told me that he had eaten a strange root in front of a seed shop. And said that kind of root like look.

I was suspicious at the time, and I followed where he pointed and found the few potatoes left. In the seed shop, I found a bag of corn seeds.

The shopkeeper didn't know the goods, and the cabbage price was half sold and half given away. After I got it back, I planted it in the spiritual realm and improved it. Now it has developed into a boss.

Next year, we will plant in Suzhou, and after that, the people of Suzhou will no longer be afraid of starvation. ”

"Good baby, thank you on behalf of the people of Suzhou!"

Tuanzi smiled and said, "You're welcome! ”

The father and daughter walked west, looking and taking notes along the way. When you encounter injustice, you will act when it is time to act.

If the parents and officials in the county do not act or know the law and break the law, Jiang Wenyuan will not give any face, he will masturbate when he says he will take it, and he will take it when he says he will take it, and he will act vigorously and resolutely.

For a while, when the county magistrates heard the news, they all tightened their skins, and they all checked for themselves whether they had done anything excessive.

If so, hurry up and think of filling it in, otherwise the black yarn will not be a small matter, and serious lives will have to be taken here, and the family will have to be affected.

This big man is not a good fool, and he who holds the sword of the Son of Heaven has the right to cut first and then play. Sun He, who is in a different place, is a lesson from the past.

After walking for another six or seven days, the group came to the westernmost Yumen County. Yumen County is the most remote, poor, and least populated place in Suzhou.

Out of the west is the Yumen Pass.

In the last years of the previous dynasty, the court was mediocre. The Xiongnu Tatars often invaded the border, burned, killed and looted, did all kinds of evil, and even used the people of the Central Plains as military food, calling them "two-legged sheep".

Yumen County is the first to bear the brunt, ten rooms and nine empty, and the scourge is not good.

It wasn't until after the establishment of Great Xia that the court sent heavy troops to guard this place, and the situation was better. Even so, every few years, the Xiongnu would lead troops to invade the territory, and occasionally there would be small-scale battles.

Therefore, there are not many people in Yumen County, and most of the people living in the county seat or in the surrounding neighboring places are the families of senior generals in the military camp, and the people are fierce.