But on second thought, this village only has a little over 500 people. They're busy selling bamboo and making radish cubes. Excluding the elderly and children, there isn't much extra labor available.
Living modestly is enough; it would be great if these 500 villagers could lead a self-sufficient, prosperous life.
By the time Lin Yi had finished all his arrangements, it was already the afternoon.
It should be time for a midday rest, but he didn't feel sleepy at all.
"Nan Yi, bring the writing materials."
Lin Yi wanted to write a letter to the Emperor. As there were no signal towers in Nan Zhao, and radio communicators couldn't be used, the only option was to write a letter.
Lin Yi wanted the Emperor to arrange for a court official to come to the small Shiku Village to order radish cubes to be sent to the troops stationed far away at the border.
"Let's go take a look at the sandy land."
According to Lin Yi's plan, they had to progressively expand the area for planting large white radishes. Only by doing so could they produce more delicious and dried radishes.
Led by the Clan Leader, Lin Yi and others arrived at the sandy land to the east of Shiku Village. Naturally, Luoluo followed along.
The sandy area was vast and windy. When a gust blew by, the sand hit Lin Yi and the others' faces mercilessly, making it difficult for them to open their eyes.
Watching Lin Yi's hair get tousled by the wind, Luoluo stepped forward considerately and wiped the sand from his face with a handkerchief.
The moment her gentle hand touched Lin Yi's cheek, his heart instantly became restless.
'Little girl, you're playing with fire.'
Suppressing the heat within him, Lin Yi squatted down, plucked a radish from the ground, and crisply bit into it right there and then.
The radish was fresh from the sandy soil, and even though it had a little grit, Lin Yi didn't mind at all.
At least, this naturally grown produce was a hundred times healthier than those grown with pesticides and fertilizers in future generations.
But truth be told, the radish's slight sweetness really was quite satisfying.
"En, the radishes grown from this land indeed taste good." Lin Yi praised while continuing to walk forward with the Clan Leader.
This endless stretch of sandy land was much wider than imagined.
The Clan Leader told Lin Yi that only a third of the sandy land was used for planting large white radishes; the rest was still vacant.
Given that Shiku Village was situated in a hot and wet area with large temperature differences, and just the rainfall from the rainy season was enough to grow so many large, white radishes, why not plant even more?
"Clan Leader, next season, plant white radishes all over this sandy land. Once harvested, you'll be able to make plenty of radish cubes."
However, the Clan Leader expressed his concern, "Even if we can grow that many large white radishes, our entire village only has 500 people. Just making the small cans, we wouldn't have enough hands."
"To make a small can, it takes at least an hour at its fastest. I'm afraid we might grow these radishes but not have enough cans to store them in."
Hearing the Clan Leader's worries, Lin Yi remembered that when he demonstrated how to make the small cans, they used common tools like sickles, which certainly weren't efficient.
"Clan Leader, just do as I said. I have a super simple method that will allow us to make small cans quickly and well."
With Lin Yi's assurance, the Clan Leader was immensely grateful. He knew that if Lin Yi said something could be done, it would definitely be achieved.
Luoluo, on the side, seemed troubled as she muttered softly, "After growing the large white radishes, we still don't have a large enough place to dry them."
"Clan Leader, in our village, we only have two empty bamboo houses that are specifically for drying radishes."
"You're right," said the Clan Leader, suddenly caught between two dilemmas. He was wondering if he had been too hasty in agreeing to Lin Yi's suggestion to plant large white radishes across the entire sandy land.
Lin Yi noticed the Clan Leader's concerns and suggested taking a look at those two drying rooms.
The Clan Leader suddenly stopped, giving Luoluo a meaningful glance.
Upon receiving the hint, Luoluo inexplicably blushed.
"Cough cough, Great General Lin, this old man has walked through much of the sandy land and can't walk any further. How about letting Luoluo take you to the drying room instead?"
"This girl is very familiar with the drying room. It's only appropriate for her to show you the way."
Lin Yi looked at Luoluo's flushed face in surprise, instantly understanding the Clan Leader's intentional arrangement.
'Nice, you crafty old man. Very sly indeed, but I like it very much.'
Although delighted inside, Lin Yi had to pretend to be serious outwardly.
"It's quite the effort for the Clan Leader to accompany me out this time, Nan Yi, you all take good care of the Clan Leader on your way back, the young Miss Luoluo and I will head to the drying room for an inspection."
Nan Yi was initially startled, but the next second, after understanding Lin Yi's intention, quickly shrank back and scurried to the Clan Leader's side.
Five burly men carefully supported the Clan Leader, their brawny figures almost squishing him flat.
Lin Yi watched this comical scene and somewhat regretted not preparing a stretcher for the Clan Leaders.
Originally a slow walk back for the Clan Leader would have just been tiring, but now it turned into being squeezed back by the five brawny men.
This trip back, oh, it's not just exhaustion now, it's quite possible that their bones might be squeezed crooked by these robust men.
'Alas, it's true that brawn does not always couple with brains, the ancients did not deceive me.'
Before Lin Yi had finished his reflection, Luoluo's gentle little hand reached out to him proactively.
"Mr. Lin, the two drying rooms are over there, follow me."
Luoluo pointed to two small bamboo buildings isolated nearby, those were the drying rooms.
Thus, Lin Yi let Luoluo lead him by the hand, looking towards the bamboo houses not far away, feeling utterly comfortable within.
'Heh heh, it really is the perfect timing, location, and harmony among people, the drying room is truly a Feng Shui treasure.'
"Luoluo, who chose the location for these small drying bamboo buildings? The position is truly excellent, indescribably perfect."
As he spoke, Lin Yi tightly clasped Luoluo's hand.
"My grandfather chose it, he often stayed inside, then it was my father, and finally it was me. My dad worried that I would get tired in there, so he specifically fitted a small wooden bed for me."
After saying this, Luoluo suddenly realized her slip of the tongue and in a flurry, she pulled away from Lin Yi's hand and ran into the nearby drying bamboo building.
Watching the prey flee from in front of him, Lin Yi wasn't angry at all.
Moments later, he also arrived at the drying bamboo building. The empty shelves did not contain a single strip of dried radish; instead, they were imbued with a faint floral fragrance.
It turns out that Luoluo, in her leisure, liked to pick flowers from nearby to dry, and over time, the room became filled with the aroma of flowers.
Lin Yi looked around and surprisingly did not find Luoluo's silver.
'The little girl, is she playing hide-and-seek with me?'
Lin Yi walked further inside and found Luoluo bowing her head, arranging the dry flowers.
Some flowers are more beautiful dried than when fresh, and Luoluo specialized in collecting those kinds of flowers.
But at this moment, in Lin Yi's eyes, the most beautiful flower was Luoluo herself.
In the evening, the purple jasmine on the hillside was blooming gloriously.
And inside the bamboo building, Luoluo was also blossoming with her own beauty.
Lin Yi was adept not only at evaluating the structural design of the drying bamboo buildings but also at appreciating the beauty of flowers.
Only when the night fell completely did Luoluo, dragging her weary and worn-out body, slowly descend the bamboo building with Lin Yi's support.
"Here's a piece of candy, eating it will help you recover."
Lin Yi offered the candy and water, his eyes filled with pity.
He clearly knew that he might only visit Shiku Village once in his life, and some things can't be left behind when they truly can't be kept.
Luoluo obediently swallowed the candy and bid farewell to Lin Yi.
"Great General Lin, if there are any more guidelines for making diced radishes in the coming days, please let the Clan Leader know first. I'll be able to after a few days of rest."
It was clearly a matter between two people; how could it need to go through a third person's hands.
Lin Yi suddenly felt a sense of self-reproach.
'No, my woman, even if she cannot return to the capital with me, must not be wronged.'
[Ding ding ding, Host has successfully purchased the Secret Recipe for Soy-scented Diced Radishes. Host has paid 30,000 Heavenly Bead Coins, and the item has been delivered to the Host's pocket.]
Lin Yi pulled out the recipe from his pocket and handed it to Luoluo.
"Luoluo, this is the secret method for making soy-scented diced radishes. As long as you follow it, you'll be able to make the most delicious diced radishes in Dayou."
...End of chapter...
PS: Added chapter!
If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.