The Peach Blossoms White by the Village Edge

Chapter 102: Settling In

In February, the Jiangnan region experienced light, drizzly spring rains. While the weather gradually warmed in the south, the Central Plains remained cold and harsh. The farther north they went, the stronger the north wind and the colder it became.

Zhao Changxia and Qu Qingjiang had their "winter warmers and summer coolers," so they didn't suffer as much as newcomers from the south often do when faced with the cold. However, they saw dead bodies, frozen to death and wrapped in straw mats, left by the roadside. Each time they saw such scenes, Qu Qingjiang's heart, once eager and excited as they approached the capital, grew colder.

Although she knew it was a drop in the ocean, Qu Qingjiang decided to do what she could. They had originally brought two large sacks of fine rice. Along the way, they had exchanged one sack for two sacks of coarse rice, which they distributed to some impoverished families.

Zhao Changxia, though not vocal about it, also gradually realized the importance and urgency of widespread high-yield grain crops. Besides traveling and sleeping, she devoted most of her time to learning how to plant various grains in experimental fields.

The term "five grains" refers not just to five types of grain but to a category of grains. To complete her task, Zhao Changxia needed to plant one type from each of these five categories in the experimental fields and master their cultivation methods.

She chose the most common northern crops: wheat, millet, and sorghum, planting them in three different experimental fields.

The growth time for experimental crops is ten times that of real crops, with wheat having the longest growing period of about twenty-two days per cycle. Fortunately, Zhao Changxia had started learning about these crops as soon as she received the task, and now she was in her fourth cycle. By the time they arrived in Bianjing, the results of the fourth cycle would likely be available.

The results of the first three cycles had been less than ideal. They either failed to anticipate natural disasters or encountered issues with pests and diseases. This time, Zhao Changxia applied the lessons learned from previous cycles and adjusted for differences in the northern environment, soil, and water sources, so she had not faced major problems yet.

After a few more days of traveling, as signs of poverty diminished and traffic increased on the official roads, they knew Bianjing was near.

"Mrs. Qu, Mr. Zhao!"

Outside the Xin Song Gate, Zheng Yang rushed toward Qu Qingjiang and Zhao Changxia, clearly excited.

After Zhao Changxia helped Qu Qingjiang down from the carriage, she looked Zheng Yang over and smiled, "You've changed a lot in the six months we've been apart."

Zheng Yang touched his clean clothes and smiled shyly, "These are from the Ministry of Agriculture. When working in such places, one can't appear too shabby."

Although Zheng Yang had been brought to Bianjing without an official position or duties, his role as an assistant to the Ministry of Agriculture was neither high nor low. However, since he was brought by a patron of the Ministry who benefited from Zhao Changxia, he was not neglected. After consulting with him, they had him take a clerical position at the Ministry. Once Zhao Changxia took office, there might be a chance to transfer him to her team.

"The journey must have been tiring; you should rest for a while. The house I found for you isn't far, just around here..."

Zheng Yang had not dared to find a place within the inner city due to its exorbitant rental prices, unaffordable for anyone but high officials and nobility. Even outside the inner city, rental prices were high. Public rental housing had an average daily rent of around one hundred and fifty coins, totaling about four thousand five hundred coins a month.