Free Web NovelChapter 369: Chapter 146: The Way to Break the Deadlock
Zhao Jing was out for the entire day, only returning when night began to fall.
He had gone to the county government, but Chen Wanqing didn’t know the specifics of his business there.
She could guess, however, that whatever Zhao Jing was doing was definitely related to the promise he had made yesterday.
’I just wonder what plan he came up with. And does it really need the county government’s involvement to succeed?’
Chen Wanqing mulled it over, and an idea slowly formed in her mind.
Her theory was confirmed the following day.
The next morning, the entire Zhao Village was in an uproar. As soon as people stepped outside, they could see villagers everywhere, running around and spreading the news.
They gathered together excitedly, making their way toward the village entrance.
"Did you hear? Xiaoao Mountain is perfect for growing huangqi! The Lord County Magistrate posted a notice at the government office today! It says people from the villages around Xiaoao Mountain can clear land and plant huangqi under the village chief’s direction. Any land we clear will be tax-free for the first five years, and they’ve already arranged for a medicine merchant to come buy it from us every year!"
"Is this for real? How come we never heard anything about such a huge deal before?"
"Go ask Mr. Zhao! He must know about this. Man, Mr. Zhao is so tight-lipped. He hasn’t let anything slip to us this whole time..."
"Mr. Zhao is a man of principle. If we’d known beforehand and cleared all of Xiaoao Mountain, then people from other villages would have complained to the County Magistrate, and he’d have had no way to answer to him."
"What are we still talking for? Let’s go find Mr. Zhao!"
Chen Wanqing also stepped out of her house, where she met a group of the village women walking over from a distance.
They hadn’t even had a chance to head to work before hearing the news, and not a single one of them could sit still.
Growing huangqi? That stuff was ridiculously expensive. Could ordinary folk like them really grow it?
If they could, how much profit would they make each year? It would definitely be more than they made from odd jobs, right?
Was huangqi hard to grow?
They’d heard a while back that the Wanqing girl was secretly growing huangqi on the mountain. Could it be that the money she used to buy spices had come from that in the first place?
"Wanqing, come on! Let’s go take a look together."
"I heard the constables from the government office are here. Maybe your father is with them."
"Is huangqi easy to grow? You have experience, so why don’t you tell us aunties a bit about it?"
But they didn’t wait for Chen Wanqing to speak. The women pulled each other along and were quickly on their way.
Mrs. Zhao stood at the doorway, looking uncomfortable as she said to Chen Wanqing, "Qing’er, if you want to go see, you should go with them. I’m not going out. I’ll stay home and watch the house."
Chen Wanqing pretended not to notice the awkwardness on Mrs. Zhao’s face. She smiled lightly and said, "Our family doesn’t have enough people to clear land or plant huangqi. This doesn’t really have anything to do with us, so it would be pointless for me to go look."
But Mrs. Zhao was eager to do something for her. She came over and urged her, "It’s still good to go take a look. If this huangqi business is reliable and everyone starts growing it, who will have time to help you make incense? This has everything to do with us. Go on, go see."
Xiang’er ran out from inside the house. "Let’s go, let’s go! Sister-in-law, let’s go together. It’s so early, how come I haven’t seen my big brother? Is he studying? Let’s call him to come with us!"
Chen Wanqing said, "Your brother went out first thing this morning. He said he wanted to take advantage of the cool morning air for a walk on the mountain, just for some exercise."
The real reason was surely not that; it was likely related to the huangqi, but Chen Wanqing had no intention of spelling it out.
Xiang’er linked her arm through Wanqing’s. The young girl was at that curious age and couldn’t wait to see the excitement, so Chen Wanqing had no choice but to go along.
But the people of the Zhao Village weren’t at the village entrance anymore; they were all at Mr. Zhao’s house.
The constables from the county government were there as well.
Mr. Zhao had a large courtyard, but right now it was packed with people. Villagers had even climbed onto the rooftops and into the trees to get a better view.
In the very center of the large courtyard, a constable stood on a stool, explaining the business of clearing land and planting huangqi.
He explained everything from the medicinal value of huangqi to its growth cycle, then moved on to the uniquely favorable conditions on Xiaoao Mountain, which would allow them to get twice the results with half the effort.
He also said that the Lord County Magistrate had gone to great lengths to use his connections and procure high-quality huangqi seeds for everyone. Planted this June or July, they would have a harvest by next year. They could gather a batch of seeds in February or March and harvest the medicinal roots in the summer. As long as they tended to the plants well, they would earn more than from planting several acres of regular crops.
When they heard this, the faces of the people from the Zhao Village flushed with excitement.
They knew huangqi was a valuable medicinal herb that fetched a high price.
They had also vaguely heard that Xiaoao Mountain was suitable for growing it.
