GBP Chapter 120 Fusu Plants Sugarcane in Ouyue
Chapter 120 Fusu Plants Sugarcane in Ouyue
The next morning, sunlight streamed onto the streets of Xianyang, warming the bustling pedestrians. Ying Wuyou rose early and directed the guards to move the mountain of grain piled up in Fusu's courtyard to the entrance of the Great Qin Bank.
In front of the Da Qin Money Shop, people looked at this strange scene with curiosity, asking each other what had happened, but no one could give a definite answer.
Just then, Ying Wuyou came out holding a simple copper megaphone and shouted, "Everyone who came to take out a loan to buy grain seeds this year, come over here and listen to me."
As she called out, the crowd began to gather around her, one group after another. Ying Wuyou's gaze swept over the crowd, and then she said, "This year's free loans are directly converted into grain seeds. Do you all see these? These are the grain seeds." As she spoke, she pointed to several trucks loaded with grain parked at the entrance.
Someone asked in confusion, "Then how much is the grain? How much is one dan (a unit of weight)?"
Ying Wuyou smiled and replied, "It's 10 coins cheaper per dan than the market price."
Upon hearing the news, a joyful cheer erupted from the crowd.
Ying Wuyou continued, "Because the quantity of this batch of grain seeds is limited, only one hundred people can obtain these grain seeds. The others will still handle loan business in the same way as in previous years."
Upon hearing Ying Wuyou's words, everyone present immediately sprang into action and began queuing. Ying Wuyou looked at the crowd and said sternly, "No cutting in line! Anyone who cuts in line will be disqualified!" Hearing this, everyone consciously obeyed the rules and lined up in an orderly fashion. After giving the shopkeeper a few instructions, Ying Wuyou turned and left.
She had an even more important task to complete—distributing the remaining grain to various parts of the Qin Dynasty. Would this grain from the Baiyue region be able to play its due role and realize its true value on the land of Qin? Ying Wuyou was filled with anticipation.
Meanwhile, far away in Baiyue, Fusu was actively organizing people to prepare for plowing and planting. After a month of rain, the soil in Ouyue had become exceptionally soft, making it the perfect time for cultivation. Although Fusu had worked in the fields before in the Qin Dynasty, it was only occasional. This time, personally participating in plowing in Baiyue was a first for him. After a morning of hard work, Fusu felt exhausted, his back aching. He had never imagined that plowing could be so difficult and tiring.
Fusu wiped the sweat from his brow, looking at the fruits of his hard work, his heart filled with a sense of accomplishment. He turned to look at the people of Ouyue behind him; they were all exhausted, but their faces were beaming with simple, honest smiles.
Fusu realized with a profound understanding that the common people's needs were surprisingly simple. They didn't crave immense wealth or high-ranking positions; they merely wanted to fill their stomachs. Anyone who could meet this most basic need was considered a great benefactor, and they would willingly follow them. Even if that person wasn't truly a good person in the conventional sense, in the eyes of these simple, honest people, anyone who could feed them was a benefactor. This realization filled Fusu with complex and indescribable emotions.
As a prince of the Qin Empire from a young age, his education emphasized hierarchical concepts such as ruler-subject and father-son relationships. From childhood, he enjoyed the service and care of others, never considering the perspectives of ordinary people. To him, this lifestyle seemed perfectly acceptable. However, now, having gained a deeper understanding of the people's true needs, he felt a surge of inexplicable guilt and responsibility.
Fusu secretly vowed in his heart that he would make sure the people of Ouyue were well-fed and clothed, and that the people of Qin would live in peace and prosperity.
Just as Fusu was in a daze, a guard rushed over to report: "Young master, someone requests an audience."
Fusu looked puzzled and asked softly, "Who is it?"
The man lowered his voice and replied, "I am a Qin man." Fusu put down his hoe and hurriedly left with the guards.
Before long, Fusu returned to the mountain. In the wooden house, Fusu met the visitor. The man was unfamiliar. Upon seeing Fusu, the visitor first bowed deeply and said, "Greetings, young master. I am Lin Xiao, the princess's bodyguard. The princess has entrusted me with a matter and asks for your assistance."
Fusu asked, "What brings you here, Sister Jiayang?"
Lin Xiao replied, "The princess would like to ask you to plant some sugarcane."
Fusu looked on with suspicion and asked, "What is sugarcane?"
Lin Xiao then ordered two guards to bring a sugarcane and handed it to Fusu, saying, "Young master, this is sugarcane."
Fusu stared at the plant, which resembled a thick bamboo pole, filled with doubt, and asked, "What does Jiayang intend to do with this sugarcane?"
Lin Xiao replied, "I only know that the princess uses sugarcane to make sugar, and I know nothing else. The princess said that sugarcane can only be grown in warm and humid places, but there is no suitable land in Qin. That's why she sent me to ask you to help her plant it."
Fusu nodded thoughtfully and replied, "Alright, I understand. But how should this sugarcane be planted?"
Lin Xiao calmly replied, "This princess taught me before I came. All you need to do is dig a trench in the ground, cut the sugarcane seedlings into small sections, each with about 2-3 buds, put the seedlings in the trench with the buds facing up, and then cover them with soil."
As he spoke, Lin Xiao pointed out to Fusu where the buds were and explained in detail: "Sugarcane mainly grows buds through these nodes, and then the sugarcane grows."
Fusu suddenly understood, "So that's how it is." With that, he led Lin Xiao and the others down the mountain to find suitable land for planting sugarcane. Finding land for sugarcane in the vast land of Ouyue was easy. Once they found the land, everyone busied themselves planting sugarcane.
Because Lin Xiao brought a limited amount of sugarcane, it took everyone most of the day to finally plant all the sugarcane seedlings. Fu Su stood quietly by the field, gazing at the sugarcane he had planted with his own hands, his heart filled with endless anticipation.
He sincerely hoped that these sugarcane plants would grow vigorously like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, producing a large amount of sugar for Jiayang. At the same time, his thoughts raced like a wild horse: perhaps a dedicated sugarcane field could be established in Ouyue to attract more people to grow sugarcane. This would not only solve the sugar shortage problem but also improve the lives of the local people, and more importantly, establish a close commercial bond with the Qin Dynasty—undoubtedly a win-win situation for both the Qin and Ouyue.