Chapter 631: Chapter 403: A Nice Place
Commander Yang rode forward: "General Song, what’s going on here?"
General Song: "Wasn’t it me yesterday who meddled and told them that you all would first go and inspect the place today, and if suitable, bring them all over."
"And so, they insisted on coming along."
Commander Yang frowned: "General Song, have you investigated these people’s identities? You know, some matters can’t be taken lightly."
General Song waved his hand: "Don’t worry about that, all identities have been verified, this is Farmer Jiang Hu, I wouldn’t let anything happen in my jurisdiction, would I?"
Unless he didn’t want to live anymore.
Not to mention, his subordinates knew Farmer Jiang Hu was going to open up land, everyone was more serious about helping than he was, right?
Hearing General Song say this, Commander Yang felt relieved but still ordered a few personal guards to stay close to Lord Jiang Hu and the young masters and misses.
All five hundred imperial guards were on horseback, naturally, the victims couldn’t be allowed to walk either, it was quite a distance after all, and some people were not fully recovered yet.
Fortunately, General Song directly brought over a dozen carriages, everyone crowded in, but at least they all managed to get on.
Everyone had breakfast before setting off, but with so many for lunch, they had to go hunting.
Xiaomi and Wei Ziang’s archery skills were so precise, the imperial guards were greatly astonished.
There were plenty of wild rabbits around here, Xiaomi and Wei Ziang alone caught more than twenty, of course, the other soldiers weren’t lacking either, however, just eating these might still not be enough.
Luckily, General Song prepared food for five hundred people before they set off, cooking porridge and making some roast meat, each person could almost get half a roast rabbit.
After eating and drinking to their fill, they continued the journey, it was hot anyway, resting on the road was still hot, so it was better to reach the destination early and rest sooner.
In the evening, as the sun was setting, they finally arrived at Ning’an Village, and the people inside the carriage quickly got out for some fresh air.
"Mother, what do you think of this place? The official road is behind that mountain, coming from over there, it bends that way, no one would come behind this mountain."
Xiaomi rode forward, extending her arm to draw an arc.
The official road wasn’t straight but curved, the mountain was on the outer side of the curve, with Anning Village behind the mountain.
They were currently above Anning Village, just the right spot to see the whole village at a glance.
Second Aunt looked around at the surroundings, growing more satisfied the more she looked: "It’s good here, and the slopes are flat, no problem growing crops."
There were few tall trees, but the ground was covered with lots of wild grass, mostly thatch, which might be hard to clear, considering the deep roots of thatch.
Glancing out, it wasn’t endless, but even standing on this not-so-high hill, you could see far, unlike in Xiangmu Village and Fu’an Village, the feeling was completely different.
Most importantly, judging by the grass and trees even in summer, everything was lush and green, indicating favorable weather and fertile soil.
"Lord, are we settling here?"
Commander Yang also came over. If they were certain to stay next, they could set up camp here and plan the accommodations ahead.
No matter how much the family knew, in outsiders’ eyes, Xiaomi, only thirteen, always running around and rarely working on the land, definitely didn’t seem related to farming.
So for others, Jiang Hu as Farmer is undoubtedly true and solid.
Of course, no one in the family ever exposed it, they even seriously upheld Jiang Hu’s title.
Truth be told, although many seeds were improved by Xiaomi in her space, in terms of knowing where to farm and what to plant, even the combined family experience might not match Jiang Hu’s.
This was undeniable.
So Commander Yang consulting Jiang Hu happened after seeing Jiang Hu closely observing the village’s surroundings and nodding in approval.
"It’s quite good here, water and grass are abundant, I just checked, the soil is fertile and doesn’t waterlog, it’s loose and breathable, ideal for crops."
After speaking, Jiang Hu smiled again.
"Actually, you needn’t ask much, even if the village is ruined, the foundations and field ridges remain, one can imagine how prosperous the village once was. If not for the lack of land, how could there be so many people left?"
It was true, viewing from above at the remaining house foundations in the village, packed closely like this, with evidence of over a hundred households, proving the village was once populous.
And a booming population implies one crucial reason, sufficient grain supply.
Commander Yang nodded after listening and praised sincerely: "Worthy of Farmer Jiang Hu, recognizing so much at a glance."
Instead, it left Jiang Hu a bit embarrassed and shy.
But Commander Yang had turned and started giving his orders, preparing to set up camp.
Jiang Hu shook his head helplessly: "What sort of skill is this? Can’t all farmers tell at a glance?"
Not sure what Commander Yang was praising, probably just a habit, Jiang Hu thought.
Xiaomi meanwhile pulled Wei Ziang, hopping over to the victims’ side.
They were the most familiar faces here for everyone, now that they had arrived, they quietly stood aside, neither interrupting nor causing trouble.
Yet, seeing Xiaomi and Wei Ziang, everyone stood up and paid their respects.
After all, they were their lifesavers.
"Greetings to the two benefactors."
Xiaomi was startled by the formality and quickly waved it off after realizing.
"No need to be so formal. Right, we’re planning to cultivate the land here. These days, you all might have to rest in the carriages first, starting tomorrow, you’ll be helping build houses with them."
Mentioning this, Xiaomi gestured toward the imperial guards.
Thatch-roofed houses can be quickly set up; they’re planning on temporary living arrangements first, then taking their time.
Summers do bring lots of rain, though the weather has been clear these days, they’re hopeful it’ll stay dry for a while.
"Yes, thank you, Miss Jiang."
A woman with a scar across her face stepped forward: "Miss Jiang, shall we gather some firewood? It seems we’ll need to cook soon."
Xiaomi nodded: "Sure, right, we’ll all be here for quite some time, so no need to be too formal."
Though she said this, they still bowed again before going about their tasks.
Xiaomi sighed, while Wei Ziang chuckled: "Everyone’s still a bit unfamiliar now, it’ll get better in time, especially once we’re busy, there’ll be less time to dwell on such things."
Xiaomi realized the same.
"Good thing we bought several sickles yesterday and asked General Song for more. They should be delivered by tomorrow morning, and we’ll start working the land then."
Busy schedules indeed can help forget worries, sparing no time for idle thoughts.
Sickles are made of iron, bulk buying might hint at hoarding strategic resources, so they only bought ten in the market, pushing the limit.
But through General Song, they could have a batch made specifically, to be delivered first thing tomorrow morning.