He forced himself to calm down and looked at the sloping land except for the fertile farmland.
The housekeeper was a little embarrassed when he started to speak: "These sloping lands have little yield from cultivation. At the beginning, they were cleared out and cultivated for a few years, but they have been stopped recently."
Jiang Changxi looked around and saw that this was a hilltop with a not very steep slope. She could have her own hilltop inside Zhuangzi. It was a gift from God.
Different from the old housekeeper's dilemma, Jiang Changxi was very excited: "It's a pity to leave it uncultivated like this. It would be nice to go back and find some fruit trees and make an orchard."
Housekeeper: “I don’t know if grandma planted fruit trees to provide for her family, or to do something else.”
The old accountant then said: "Fruit is not easy to store, but such a big mountain will be covered with fruits, and it will not be easy to sell them all at once."
Needless to say, everyone should understand the difficulties involved.
Jiang Changxi: "Take your time and don't be in a hurry. People have come up with the methods. We need to have fruit trees first before we can think about the market."
It's really a bit redundant to think about smashing your hands before you even see the fruit. But if you don't worry about the future, you will have to worry about the near future, right?
The housekeeper and the accountant were all hesitant to speak. They said in their hearts that they are still young. Their plans are not long-term.
Jiang Changxi also understood that it was a long-term plan for the housekeeper to work with the accountant, so he comforted him: "The roast duck and chicken you eat are Dagui's craftsmanship. Who can say for sure whether Dagui can make chickens and ducks? She can't."
Make the fruit."
The housekeeper and the accountant said to themselves, Madam is really naive, she dares to even think about this. What can be made from the fruit?
Old housekeeper: "If it can be made into preserves, it can be kept longer. But poor people can't afford it. Richer people make it themselves."
Jiang Changxi nodded. Everything the old housekeeper said was right, but she really had a better way, so she had better plant trees first. After all, it will take several years before the trees can bear fruit. Why don't we really be in a hurry?
The housekeeper and the accountant secretly worried that they would not listen to the advice. Fortunately, it was just a hilltop, and it was not worth planting fruit trees.
What Jiang Changxi didn't expect was that there was living water flowing on Zhuangzi.
Jiang Changxi: "With such a piece of running water, is it enough for Zhuangzi to divert water from the farmland?"
Old housekeeper: "When there is a drought, the villages upstream and downstream of our village need to be irrigated, but the river is not so rich. I heard that there are fights between villages over the water."
In an era where we rely on the sky for food, water is our life.
However, no one from Zhuangzi dared to come and intercept the flow. After all, the Zhou family had a fourth-rank official.
This is why the tribe takes such good care of Zhou Lan, because Zhou Lan's father has indeed protected the tribe. Whenever it is time for farming and irrigation, the Zhou tribe does not have to compete with other villages for water.
Jiang Changxi understood the importance of water at this time: "Starting from tomorrow, we will mobilize the strong labor force in Zhuangzi to dig two ponds by the river to store water."
The housekeeper's jaw dropped in shock. This was too decisive: "That is a big project."
Jiang Changxi: "It is always necessary to store some during the rainy season so that you will not be blinded when there is a drought."
When the accountant heard these words coming from the grandmother's mouth, he always felt that peace was maintained. Even the old farmer may not have such insight. The key is this courage.
Jiang Changxi: "Dig the pond to store water before the dry season. Don't cut off the water source downstream during the dry season." This is very thoughtful.
Housekeeper Zhou: "I'll make arrangements now, grandma, just don't worry."
Jiang Changxi: "The drainage on the entire Zhuangzi must also be done well."
Butler Zhou: "Young man understands. Grandma, don't worry."
If you don't understand something, you have to ask someone to clarify it. The housekeeper suddenly realized that if he wanted to work under the grandmother, he had to learn a lot.
After walking around the hilltop, Jiang Changxi had a more direct understanding of his identity as a big landowner.
There are tenants who rent land in nearby villages, and they have started working in the fields this season.
Knowing that it was the eldest lady on the farm, the tenants didn't dare to come forward. I heard that the women of wealthy families were very particular, and they were afraid of getting into trouble.
However, a lot of dried vegetables, fruits, or eggs were delivered from home.
It can be seen from the gifts that farming is not easy and life is difficult.
Jiang Changxi asked people to take everything back, and said to them: "Just farm with peace of mind, I just came over to take a look. There is a doctor in the village, and she will come here tomorrow to collect medicine. Let's tell each other, okay
Let the doctor take a look at it. The doctor can't see difficult and complicated diseases, but it can still be done if you have a headache or a fever."
When the people in Zhuangzi heard this, regardless of whether they were tenants or not, they all saluted Jiang Changxi: "Grandma is kind."
Jiang Changxi: "We are all neighbors. If you say this, you will be alienated."
Well, the saying that everyone is a neighbor makes a person from Zhuangzi excited.
Since when have they become neighbors with the Zhou family? They have a thatched house and a village, but they don't dare to climb high.
No wonder she is a grandma, she is so good at talking.
When Jiang Changxi got on the carriage and left, the people in Zhuangzi still had to go a long way.
Housekeeper Zhou: "Grandma is kind, people in Zhuangzi are not willing to see a doctor if they can't bear it any longer."
Jiang Changxi: "It's not easy, and the doctor doesn't know much. It would be nice if she could help a little bit."
Jiang Changxi also saw more than ten acres of beach land and was very moved: "This is a good place to grow melons."
The old accountant blushed, he didn't understand. I didn't expect the grandma to understand this.
Old housekeeper: "If grandma thinks it's okay, I'll ask someone to find melon seedlings and plant them later."
Jiang Changxi smiled when she looked at the butler. The butler is not the head of the farm, so he cannot be expected to know how to farm, so Jiang Changxi said tolerantly: "Let's go back and find a head of the farm."
The old housekeeper and the accountant all said, "What do you mean?" Jiang Changxi smiled again.
When Jiang Changxi returned home, the old housekeeper and the accounting clerk found someone who knew how to farm, and then they realized how ignorant they were and how embarrassed they were in front of the eldest grandma.
Fortunately, the eldest grandma didn't say anything. The old housekeeper's face was so hot that he should just shut up like the old accountant.
The old housekeeper felt that he had not dared to see the eldest grandma recently. Of course, he had to improve his farming knowledge to save himself from embarrassment next time.
Jiang Changxi also asked people from Zhuangzi and other villages whether there were any other high-yielding crops.
We even have to discuss the issue of retting with experienced farmers.
To be honest, when I went out with Grandma, whether it was the old housekeeper or the old accountant, it really didn't matter whether the house was divided into the inner courtyard or not. After all, Grandma was really knowledgeable.
Especially when it came to Zhuangzi's governance, they were convinced and wanted nothing more.