Chapter 701: Making use of the topic
Zhang Xingyi and Guan Ji stood high and muttered.
Xu Xun stood below. Although he pricked up his ears, he still couldn't hear clearly what the two people were saying.
Just when he was wondering, Guan Ji turned to him again and asked: "Has your sister Xu Erniang ever been married to someone else?"
When Xu Xun heard this, his heart was startled, and then suddenly started beating loudly.
The daughter of the Li family just entered the Feng Mansion not long ago, so she must be the second mother...
Thinking of this, he quickly replied: "Sister-in-law, no, no, I haven't promised her."
Seeing him like this, Zhang Xingyi's eyes flashed with amusement, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
Guan Ji felt someone scratched her arm, and her expression did not change at the moment.
Then he raised his hand naturally and patted Zhang Xingyi's hand holding his own.
Xu Xun naturally didn't know about the secret communication between the two women. He was still thinking happily in his heart: The sister-in-law is really awesome. The brother-in-law found the right sister-in-law.
At this time, the second wife of the Xu family had been brought to several people.
She glanced at Xu Xun in surprise at first, as if she was surprised that he appeared here.
“I’ve met my wife, I’ve met Shang Gong.”
Xu Erniang gave Guan Ji and Zhang Xingyi a blessing in a polite manner.
Guan Ji nodded slightly.
Zhang Xingyi said: "Get up."
Xu Erniang then turned around again and saluted Xu Xun: "I've met my brother."
Xu Xun hurriedly said: "My second mother doesn't have to be like this."
Zhang Xingyi helped Guan Ji walk down the slope, and Guan Ji motioned for the Xu brothers and sisters to follow.
Then he said: "Second Madam, you have worked tirelessly these days to lead people to inspect the farming in Pingxiang. You have really worked hard for you."
Xu Erniang followed behind. Hearing this, she quickly replied: "This is my duty, so why bother?"
Guan Ji nodded and pointed in the direction Xu Erniang came from: "Second Lady, do you think there is any shortcomings in Pingxiang's farming?"
"Madam, the farming in Pingxiang is well planned and the students are well coordinated. In addition, the prestige of the monarch is very high, so the Qiang and Hu people all bow their heads and obey orders."
"There are also eight-oxen plows, high-barrel waterwheels and other things, making farming very easy. What I worry about is how to distribute pasture and cultivated land to prevent Han people from competing for land with Hu people."
Xu Xun followed behind. Listening to the questions and answers between Xu Erniang and Guan Ji, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. He thought his sister-in-law called Er Niang over for some good reason.
It turned out to be just asking these questions.
I heard Guan Ji at the front say: "There is no need to worry about how to distribute pasture and cultivated land. General Zhang has already led his people to inspect the counties and villages around Pingxiang."
"The governor's office of Longyou also agreed, saying that the land north of Pingxiang would be allowed to be settled by the Qiang guards. There are few people in Longyou, and even if there is not enough space in Pingxiang, they can continue to the north in the future. "
Xu Erniang nodded: "In this way, I can rest assured."
At this point, she hesitated before continuing.
“Madam, there is one more thing that I have always wanted to remind you, but I am not very sure. I am afraid that I will be wrong and be regarded as alarmist.”
“Speak out and see.”
"Yes. Over the past few days, I have seen locust eggs in the soil turned up in Pingxiang. I also heard that there was a drought in Longyou last summer and autumn."
When Xu Erniang said this, she glanced at Guan Ji who was walking in front.
Guan Ji walked slowly and leisurely, with an elegant posture.
“As far as I know, there are frequent locust plagues after severe droughts. Therefore, I suspect that there may be a locust plague in Longyou this year. Please make preparations as soon as possible.”
When Guan Ji heard her mention this, she finally stopped and waved.
Xu Erniang stepped forward quickly.
Guan Ji took Xu Erniang's hand, touched her palm, and then opened her own palm.
He sighed to Xu Erniang: "I also had calluses on my hands back then. Look, there is still a thin layer of calluses on my hands now."
Xu Erniang didn't understand why Guan Ji suddenly said this.
Guan Ji asked again: "I heard that in the past few years, you have worked hard in Nanxiang and brought out many disciples?"
Before Xu Erniang could answer, Zhang Xingyi interjected next to her.
"People with skills like Xu Erniang will have disciples following them in Nanxiang. I heard that there are also students from the school."
Hearing this, Guan Ji nodded: "It can be regarded as a meritorious service."
Xu Erniang's face turned red: "Madam, establishing meritorious deeds is a man's business. How dare I have such thoughts? Don't make fun of me."
Guan Ji's face straightened: "Am I making fun of you? Feng Junhou once said that women can hold up half the sky."
"Farming is the most important thing for the imperial court. You have summarized farming methods in Nanxiang. Now that you are transferred to Longyou, it is the time for you to show your skills."
“If you can make achievements in farming, you may become the second Li Mu.”
When Guan Ji said this, Xu Erniang had no reaction, but Xu Xun almost fell over with excitement: Sister-in-law, is there something in her words?
“Just because you just said that you should pay attention to the locust plague in Longyou this year, I know that you have great experience in farming. Let me ask you, is there any way to prevent this locust plague?”
When Xu Erniang heard the question, she glanced somewhere involuntarily and replied: "Madam, the best way is to take precautions before they happen."
“How to prevent problems before they happen?”
Guan Ji asked with great interest.
“Locust larvae mostly appear from March to April, which is the best time to exterminate them. Just raise more chickens and ducks and let them out to eat.”
“The locusts at this time have not yet been able to fly, so chickens and ducks can easily prey on them. In this way, not only can locust plagues be prevented, but chickens and ducks can also be fattened easily.”
“The second method is to use high-tube water trucks to transport water to soak the land. In flooded areas, locust eggs will not melt. Moreover, water-irrigated land will produce better grain than dry land. Kill two birds with one stone.”
Hearing her words, Guan Ji nodded and turned to look in the direction Xu Erniang had glanced at just now.
There are a large group of young poultry there, including chickens, ducks, and a small number of geese.
They are scattered on the grassy grass, like flowers all over the ground. Even if they are far away, you can still hear the noise of chirping.
“Go and call Li Tong over to me.”
Guan Ji gave the order, and after the maid went, she turned to Xu Erniang and asked: "How old is Erniang this year?"
“Back to Madam, I’m twenty-one.”
Xu Erniang lowered her eyes and whispered.
"Twenty-one, even in Nanxiang, this age is not too young." Guan Ji sighed, "I asked your brother, are you not married?"
"yes."
"That's considered delayed." Guan Ji took her hand with pity and said, "You can be regarded as a hero of Nanxiang. Now Nanxiang is prosperous whether it is raising pigs or growing vegetables."
"There is no shortage of meat and green vegetables in workshops and other places, and most of them are due to you. You are considered a hero of Nanxiang, so you can't be wronged! Is there anyone you like?"
Although the tone of these words was concerned, Xu Erniang's face suddenly turned pale after hearing it.
Seeing this, Guan Ji narrowed her eyes slightly.
Xu Xun was immediately anxious when he saw her. He wanted to step forward and speak for his girl who couldn't speak.
But from the side view, the tiger girl looks majestic. If she steps forward rashly, she is afraid of offending the tiger girl's authority.
So he had to stamp his feet secretly.
At this time, Li Tong could be seen not far away, following the maid with a sword walking towards him.
She suddenly said: "Sister, when I was in Nanxiang, I saw Li Tong sending honey water to the second lady several times in private."
When Xu Erniang heard this, her face turned even pale and bloodless, and even her body started to tremble slightly.
Guan Ji glanced at Zhang Xingyi angrily, as if blaming her for scaring Xu Erniang.
Then he patted Xu Erniang's hand and said gently: "If you don't like Li Tong, then I will find another good match for you..."
"What?" When Xu Erniang heard Guan Ji's words, she suddenly raised her head and looked at Guan Ji in disbelief.
She, who had always been calm, finally came to her senses and stuttered: "Husband... Madam, are you going to give me your concubine... to Li, Mr. Li?"
When she mentioned the word "Li Langjun", her face turned from pale to red.
“I’ve met my wife and I’m still working.”
Li Tong's voice just sounded at this time.
Xu Erniang was like a frightened rabbit, scurrying behind Guan Ji.
Xu Xun was dumbfounded when he saw everything in front of him. It was like a head of cold water was poured on his head, and his previous excitement suddenly fell to the bottom.
When he saw Er Niang's trousers stained with mud again, he felt that iron could not become steel.
You are a daughter of a noble family after all. You don’t want to imitate the daughter of the Li family, but you want to imitate the daughter of a peasant girl. Alas, no wonder even your brother looks down on you.
“Li Tong, how are the poultry in Pingxiang?”
“In reply to Madam, everything is going well. However, there is a lot of grassland in Longyou, and there are many wild foxes and raptors. Not only do we need to send more people to guard it.”
“More importantly, as the number of poultry increases, there is also a need for good dogs to guard the homes.”
Li Tong lowered his head and replied.
Guan Ji nodded: "That's a problem. Hu people are good at shooting. When the time comes, you can go find the secretariat."
“Just say it’s what I said and ask them to send some people over to help drive away the wild beasts and birds of prey.”
As she spoke, she turned to Xu Xun behind her and said, "Xu Dalang, after you return to Nanxiang, tell Duanmuzhe that Pingxiang needs a lot of dogs and let him think of a solution."
Xu Xun was gnashing his teeth. Hearing Guan Ji's words, he was excited and said quickly: "Yes, sister-in-law, I know."
It was Li Tong who suggested: "Madam, I heard that a lot of pastures are going to be built here in Longyou. I'm afraid that there will be more dogs than in Nanxiang."
“So I thought it would be better to build a dog farm in Pingxiang. Otherwise, Pingxiang is far away from Nanxiang, and it will be inconvenient to transport dogs from Nanxiang.”
"This is a good idea!" Guan Ji praised, "From this point of view, you are really serious about taking charge of Longyou's breeding."
Zhang Xingyi also spoke at this time: "When we were in Nanxiang, Li Tong had to go to the pasture of Caohuangzhuang often because of bees. I heard that he even learned herding from the shepherds who raised cattle and sheep?"
“When I returned to Shang Gong, I just felt that poultry and livestock were domestic animals, so I dabbled a little bit.”
As he spoke, he secretly wanted to look at Xu Erniang behind Guan Ji.
At the beginning, Zhang Shanggong promised himself that if he could do these things well, he would marry his second wife to him.
Otherwise, how could I be calm enough to study these things?
Could it be that Zhang Shanggong forgot his promise?
That shouldn’t be the case. If it weren’t for Zhang Shanggong’s acquiescence, how would he dare to go to Er Niang in private?
While he was worrying about gains and losses, he only heard Guan Ji say: "Your sister is now considered a member of the Feng family. Mu Niang once told me that she has always been worried that you are not good enough."
“It seems like you are more promising now than you were before.”
Li Tong's face was hot: "The villain was young and ignorant at the time, which made my wife laugh."
Li Tong, who was hammered by reality and had gained some experience over the past few years, blushed a little when he thought of what he had done before.
Guan Ji felt relieved when she saw him like this.
She glanced at Zhang Xingyi and it seemed that Siniang had trained this person well in the past few years.
Zhang Xingyi smiled at Guan Ji as if to show off his achievements.
“You two, sister and brother, came to Nanxiang together, and now your sister has found a good home.”
Guan Ji continued to say to Li Tong, "Your sister has been worried about your marriage. You are indeed not too young. Have you ever thought about starting a family?"
Li Tong's face twitched when he heard the first half of the sentence, and his heart ached a little: What's a good ending for someone as a concubine?
It's just that Guan Ji gave him a lot of prestige. Back then, he offended Feng Yong and was kicked by Guan Ji.
That kick nearly knocked him unconscious, letting him know that this tiger girl was really not easy to mess with.
So when he heard Guan Ji asking him about starting a family, he was surprised and wanted to look up at Guan Ji, but he didn't dare to look directly at her. His eyes fell on Zhang Xingyi and his lips moved.
Zhang Xingyi looked at him with a smile and said nothing.
The older she gets, the harder it is to guess her thoughts.
Li Tong saw that although Zhang Xingyi had a smile on her face, there was a cold glint in her eyes, and he knew she was making a decision.
Then he gritted his teeth and said, "I thank you, Madam, for your concern. I already have someone you like."
“Well, it seems like I can’t be a matchmaker.”
Guan Ji smiled and said, "It seems that I have to find another family for Xu Erniang. Her age cannot be delayed any longer."
Li Tong was stunned when he heard Guan Ji's words. He finally couldn't help but look behind Guan Ji, trying to see Xu Erniang's expression clearly.
Unexpectedly, he saw Xu Xun's angry face, glaring at him as if he wanted to eat him.
Li Tong doesn’t care about Xu Xun.
Because he knew that whether it was his sister, Xu Erniang, or even himself, they were just chess pieces sent to Nanxiang by the family in the beginning.
It’s just that my sister is the most talented and has turned from a chess piece into a chess player.
As for myself and Erniang, they are not yet capable of turning themselves around.
There are advantages to taking orders from others. For example, right now, great joy suddenly falls from the sky.
After thinking about this, Li Tong's body began to tremble.
He only felt that Guan Ji's words were echoing in his ears.
“Husband...Madam, if I am the second mother, I am willing.”
Afraid that Guan Ji would suddenly marry Xu Erniang to someone else, Li Tong stammered, "The lady's caring heart for the villain will be kept in mind by the villain!"
"You two, one is in charge of breeding and the other is in charge of farming, you can be considered a pair."
Guan Ji did not deliberately embarrass Li Tong, "It's just that Er Niang has already begun to bring out the disciples. As for you, you are still a little behind."
"This land of Longyou is your best opportunity. Do you understand what I mean?"
Li Tong nodded repeatedly: "I understand, I will definitely work hard and not let my wife down."
Guan Ji shook her head: "Zhang Shanggong mentioned this matter. If you want to thank her, thank her."
The prince and his wife have their own magnanimity, and they will not take on even this little thing.
“The villain thanks Shang Gong!”
Li Tong bowed deeply to Zhang Xingyi sincerely.
"The opportunity has been given to you. Whether you can seize it or not depends on yourself."
Zhang Xingyi raised his head high.
Guan Ji then turned around and asked Xu Xun, "Xu Dalang, what do you think of this marriage?"
Xu Xun, who had no say in the whole process, quickly replied: "Very good, very good!"
Although she cannot be a concubine, it is still good to be her younger brother's wife.
Noticing the faint warning in Guan Ji's eyes, Xu Xun knew that she was using her second mother's marriage to express her dissatisfaction with the Xu family, and he didn't dare to think about it at the moment.
(End of this chapter)