Cutting over the end of the Ming Dynasty: a dog-leg knife at the beginning

Chapter 179 Promotion
When everyone had enough fun, Xue Siming introduced his friends to Han Peng and Qi Hu: "Han Fu Qianhu, old man, these are my good friends, Zhong Ning, Cao Jun, Qin Mai, Wang Rui, I want to go to the military camp I wonder if you are interested in asking for food?"

These two immediately sized up the four young men with critical eyes, yes, they are tall and strong, although they are not as beastly as Wang Tiehammer and Xu Meng, but they are also very good, their eyes are piercing, with a hint of The indifference of people who have experienced killing is not bad.The four of them immediately handed over the letter of introduction from Yang Menglong, and Qi Hu took the letter and said with a smile: "I won't read it if you believe it. Your Excellency's handwriting is too scribbled. I'm afraid the old man will spoil his eyes. You can get in." His discerning eyes must have a unique skill, and it is more than enough to enter this barracks."

Zhong Ning said humbly: "The old man is too much."

Qi Hu asked: "What's your name?"

Zhong Ning said: "The junior Zhong Ning, from Yulin, is the same age as Xue Sanlang. He can draw a strong bow with one stone and five buckets on horseback, and he can also swing a saber a few times."

Qi Hu nodded: "No one who can shoot a powerful bow with one stone and five swords on horseback can save fuel. Even I didn't have such ability when I was young. What a terrible future!" He looked at Cao Jun: "What about you?"

Cao Jun said: "Junior Cao Jun is from Yulin. Xiao Sanlang is one year old. His riding skills are passable, but he is not as naturally gifted as Sanlang and Wulang. He can only draw a strong bow with a stone on horseback, but he can handle the saber well." Yes, you can ride on the back of a galloping horse and split a berry hanging in the air in half with a single blow."

Qin Mai said: "The junior Qin Mai has no other skills. He can dismount immediately. He can use all kinds of long and short weapons, but he is not very skilled."

Wang Rui said: "Junior Wang Rui, my ability is the worst among the five brothers..."

Xue Siming said: "He had a serious illness when he was a child, which left the root of the disease. His body is relatively weak, but his mind is very flexible. In terms of scheming, the four of us combined are not as good as him."

Han Peng clapped his hands and said with a smile: "It seems that none of you are idle characters! Great, with your joining, our Wuyang Guard can be said to be even more powerful!"

Qi Hu said: "You are here just in time. Go there tomorrow to apply for the military loan. In a few days, the potatoes will be harvested. Once the potatoes are harvested and the wheat is planted, winter training will begin. You are just in time."

Zhong Ning and the others were overjoyed and bowed to the end: "Thank you, old man, for your support!"

Qi Hu helped them up one by one, and said: "Get up, get up, the old man didn't guide you, you are all rare good soldiers, and you won't worry about being wanted wherever you go. Sanlang, you can arrange a place for them. The old man is still a little bit old." If you want to tell an adult about something, you should go ahead!"

Han Peng slapped his head: "That's right, I also have something to ask the adults, ahem, you guys should disband and continue training, the old man and I will take a step ahead!" He actually dragged Qi Hu away!

Xue Siming curled his lips and said, "Look for an adult to talk about business? If you want to have a meal, just say so!" He took four friends to find the dormitory.

Over at Qianhu House, the mutton and potatoes were already simmered, and the thick soup was bubbling, exuding a mouth-watering aroma.Yang Menglong tasted a piece and said, "Okay, serve them all." The old servant immediately brought a clean wooden basin and served the potatoes and mutton.Yang Menglong brought a bowl of sea food to himself and filled it with a spoonful. Xiao Jun poked his head in from the kitchen door and shouted: "Master Cheng is back!"

Yang Meng didn't raise his head, and continued to serve: "Pour him a cup of tea, and I'll be right there."

Jun Xiao said, "Grandpa Qi and Deputy Han Qianhu are here too!"

Yang Menglong scolded: "Cengfan comes pretty fast! Let them wait, I'll eat a bowl first!"

Jun Xiao continued: "The magistrate and the magistrate are also here!"

Yang Menglong was stunned for a moment, and scolded: "Damn, why are they all rushing here! I can't even have a good meal with my wife!" Putting the bowl on the stove, he walked out angrily, twisting He glanced at Xiaojun's face.

Sure enough, the living room was full of guests. Cheng Ji’s face was full of tiredness. After returning to Henan, he changed into a carriage and slept while walking. When he entered Wuyang territory, he simply changed into a sedan chair. He slept happily, but still There are two dark circles under the eyes, just like a national treasure giant panda.He was drinking fragrant tea, telling Fang Yizhi and Zhang Tong what he saw and heard outside the Great Wall with witty words, and the two listened with great interest.Han Peng and Qi Hu only drank tea and didn't eat snacks. They obviously planned to save their stomachs for good food, which is really hateful.Seeing Yang Menglong running out with a face full of ashes, Fang Yizhi was quite calm, but Zhang Tong couldn't calm down, stood up and asked, "Your Excellency, did you cook yourself?"

Yang Menglong said, "Yes."

Zhang Tong said sternly: "The sage said: A gentleman stays away from the cook. As an official of the imperial court, you should stay away from the cook, and cultivate yourself!"

Yang Menglong said angrily: "I just want to cook a delicious meal to eat with my wife and friends. How can there be so many unreasonable reasons?" He bowed his hands to Qi Hu and Han Peng: "Old man, Deputy Qianhu, long time no see, you guys are fat It's gone!"

Han Peng looked surprised: "Fat? Why do I think we have lost a lot of weight during this time?"

Qi Hu smiled bitterly: "As soon as you leave, the army of more than 2000 people will have all the big and small affairs to fall on us. Even if we drink lard every day, we won't gain weight!"

Yang Menglong said with some embarrassment: "Hehe... You have worked hard during this time. You have managed the guard very well. I personally cooked a big meal to thank you!"

Han Peng snorted: "I hope so! If it doesn't suit our taste, don't blame us for throwing the plate!"

Yang Menglong said with a smile on his face: "How can it be? I guarantee that you can even swallow your tongue!"

Cheng Ji said: "My lord, I heard from Master Fang and Master Zhang that you picked a few potatoes in the field at random, and then you pulled out a big bag. It can be seen that the yield of this product is very considerable, but I don't know how it tastes? I really want to Try it."

Yang Menglong said: "It must taste good! Uncle Zhang, go and bring the food!"

The old servant named Uncle Zhang responded, and brought out a large pot of vegetables. In the pot, potatoes and mutton pieces were piled up into a hill. The aroma was so strong that everyone present couldn't help swallowing.Yang Menglong didn't talk nonsense, and said: "Hurry up and eat, it won't taste good when it's cold!" He took the lead to fill a bowl and ate it.The few present here have all had dinner with him, knowing how terrifying this guy's ability to snatch food is, they couldn't care less about being polite, each filled a big bowl full for himself, and tasted it.This taste is incredible, the potatoes are really fragrant, soft and soft, the aroma of the mutton has penetrated into the potatoes, it makes people appetite!Needless to say, the mutton is fat, tender, and a little spicy, so you will never get tired of eating it!
Qi Hu swallowed a piece of mutton and said, "It's really a great enjoyment to eat such a bowl of stewed mutton with potatoes after a day of practice!"

Han Peng agreed: "Yes, yes, this potato is more fragrant than rice. The best thing is that it is a potato. Even if it gets wet in the rain, it will not go bad. It will be much more convenient to carry it with you when marching and fighting!"

Cheng Ji picked up a piece of potato and said, "It's delicious, and the yield is amazing. With it, many people don't have to go hungry anymore!"

Yang Menglong said: "The yield is not as high as you think. This year, if you can harvest two thousand catties per mu, it will be enough... It is the first planting, and I am not very skilled, so the yield is almost reasonable."

Before the words fell, everyone was choked and coughed loudly!
Xu Meng sat in the kitchen with a small wooden bucket in his arms, and used a wooden spoon to dig out a spoonful of potatoes from the small wooden bucket and stuff them into his mouth.

Everyone had a delicious meal and was very happy, but the specific way to be happy was different from each other.Han Peng and Qi Hu were happy because the stewed mutton with potatoes was really delicious. So many potatoes were planted in the military field, and Yang Menglong brought back so many sheep. There must be opportunities to eat such delicious food in the future, so happy!Cheng Ji was in a good mood because Yang Menglong did not brag, the yield of potatoes is really scary, two thousand catties per mu, the yield of one mu is equivalent to the total yield of more than ten mu of wheat!Processing potatoes into potato powder and selling them all over the place, the profit...don't be too scary!He made the right bet. He seized this first-line business opportunity before everyone could react, and invested decisively. In just a few months, his investment began to pay off. For a businessman, there is What could be more gratifying than this?

However, Fang Yizhi and Zhang Tong were the happiest.Potatoes are delicious and have a high yield. If they are popularized, the people in Nanyang will no longer be hungry. This is a great political achievement.The only regret is that at present Yang Menglong knows how to grow potatoes, even if other people can get the seeds, the yield will definitely not be as good. We have to find a way to get the best of both worlds!
Yang Menglong introduced while eating: "Potatoes have many benefits. First of all, they are rich in nutrition and balanced. A person can get comprehensive nutrition just by eating potatoes and drinking milk. Of course, eating too much will definitely make you tired; secondly, the storage time Very long, fresh potatoes piled up in the cellar for months without spoiling in winter. Of course, I don't recommend this because it will germinate after a long time, and once it germinates, you can't eat it anymore, and it's poisonous Yes. The best way is to grind it into flour, and it will not be a problem to store it for a year or so. Potato flour can be processed into noodles, bread, steamed buns, cakes, and anything that can be made with flour. Finally , and most importantly, it grows very fast, and it can be harvested in about three months. After harvesting the wheat, you can plant another season of potatoes and then sow winter wheat. The land that is not suitable for wheat can also be planted in spring and A variety of potatoes in autumn can also fill your stomach."

Fang Yizhi smiled happily and said: "As long as potatoes are popularized, the people of Nanyang will no longer have to suffer from hunger. There is no great good!"

Zhang Tong said: "The official will definitely promote it vigorously, so that the people in Wuyang County can plant potatoes after harvesting wheat!"

Cheng Ji said happily: "In this way, Wuyang has become an important source of grain, and I can buy more surplus grain, so I don't have to worry about the price but no market!"

Yang Menglong said: "Don't be too happy first, potatoes are not perfect!"

Fang Yizhi's heart tightened: "What are the shortcomings of such a perfect crop?"

Yang Menglong said: "Potatoes are very productive and easy to take care of, but they are easy to degenerate, the yield decreases year by year, and may eventually lose the harvest completely. It must be detoxified every few years, and a batch of seedlings must be replaced. Ensuring a good harvest. Too bad, even I don't know how to detoxify..."

Everyone's expressions were stunned. If they really lost their harvest, it would be terrible!Cheng Ji asked nervously, "How should the potatoes be detoxified?"

Yang Menglong scratched his head and said: "I remember picking small potatoes, cutting off the heads and planting them in the ground to let them germinate, and then choosing the best-growing seedlings... Anyway, it's quite complicated, and I know it too. However, I don’t know why, but just thinking about it gives me a headache!”

Cheng Ji breathed a sigh of relief: "There is a way, and the rest is nothing more than throwing money away!" He looked proud, as if telling everyone present: Brother is not short of money!
Yang Menglong said: "It's not that simple. It's hard to distinguish poisonous seedlings from non-toxic seedlings... Hey, I get a headache just thinking about it!" Using the kind of seedlings that have been seriously degraded and accumulated a lot of toxins, it would be hell to not lose the harvest!Potato detoxification is a relatively complicated technology. He only knows a little bit, and he can't handle it if he asks himself.

But Fang Yizhi and others didn't think so.Anyway, the north can only grow one season of wheat or rice a year. The great thing is that wheat and beans are the same species, and a little more beans are harvested. After the wheat is harvested, the fields are basically idle. It takes until early October to plant winter wheat and the next season of potatoes. That's called extra income. It's best to have a good harvest. Even if the harvest is lost, at most it's a waste of work. For farmers who have already harvested a season of wheat, it seems that there is no loss.Fang Yizhi suddenly remembered something, drank a glass of wine, smiled and said to Yang Menglong: "Master Yang, your military exploits in exterminating the bandits in Tongbai Mountain has inspired the court. If the news I got is true, the reward will come down soon. .”

Yang Menglong snorted: "How about a reward method? Can you reward me with real money or something?"

Fang Yizhi laughed and said: "According to the news from Kaifeng Mansion, the Holy Emperor was extremely angry at Nanyang Guard's misdeeds of instigating the enemy and raising bandits. He had ordered Liu Jintang, the traitor, to be executed. At the same time, he had ordered the disbandment of Nanyang Guard and the removal of Nanyang Mansion. All the defense of Wuyang Guard will be handed over to Wuyang Guard. Wuyang Guard will be expanded to five thousand-household stations with 600 people and horses according to the establishment of Nanyang Guard. All military fields, military households, and craftsmen households will be brought under the jurisdiction of Wuyang Guard. Mr. Yang , you’ve been promoted!”

Han Peng, Qi Hu and Cheng Ji raised their eyebrows with joy and shouted in unison: "Okay!"

But Yang Menglong jumped up and shouted: "I won't do it!"

(End of this chapter)