jdhmnovel Chapter 271 Oh dear, the supplies gathering mission has taken another step forward.
Chapter 271 Oh dear, the supplies gathering mission has taken another step forward.
Li Qingqing squatted down and touched the straw mat covering the seedlings.
The straw mats are well-woven; it would be better if they could be replaced with plastic film…
A thought flashed through Li Qingqing's mind. She looked at Liu Gen beside her, and a smile appeared on her lips.
"Your straw mat is woven quite tightly, so it's not easy for wind and frost to get in. However, it also blocks out the sunlight. I suppose you have to turn the straw mat over every day?"
“That’s right, I take care of them every day. When the weather is nice, I uncover the straw mats and let them bask in the sun!” Liu Gen smiled shyly.
Li Qingqing nodded slightly, her smile deepening as she patiently guided her.
“I’ve read about something in a book that’s thin and transparent, allowing sunlight to stream in without obstruction while also protecting against wind and frost. It would be perfect for covering seedlings. Have you ever seen such a thing? Or anything similar?”
Upon hearing this, Liu Gen's thick eyebrows immediately furrowed.
He lowered his head and pondered for a long time, finally shaking his head helplessly and saying with some regret,
"Reporting to the city lord, I have never seen anything like this before. If I had to think of something similar, the only thing I could think of is oiled paper. However, although oiled paper is translucent, it is too precious for us to afford. Moreover, it cannot withstand the elements. If it snows, the accumulated snow will surely crush it. I think this straw mat is much more sturdy."
Li Qingqing smiled, understanding dawning on her.
She stood up and said, "Liu Gen, your idea is good. Come with me to the village office. I need to discuss some things with your village head. You can listen in too."
Originally, the border town did not have a village head office; the town's residents would go directly to the village head's house to find someone if they had any problems.
Later, when Li Qingqing asked the village head and others to build the market, they built an extra main building next to the market, which led to the establishment of a dedicated village office.
The village head usually handles official business at the village office, and can also resolve any conflicts that arise at the market in a timely manner.
When Li Qingqing and Liu Gen entered the neighborhood office, the neighborhood head and Uncle Liu had already been waiting inside for a long time.
Upon seeing Li Qingqing, the two quickly stood up and bowed.
"No need for formalities, please sit down and talk." Li Qingqing walked straight to the head seat and sat down.
She glanced around and saw Liu Gen standing awkwardly outside the door, not daring to come in. She then called out, "Liu Gen, come in and sit down too."
Liu Gen glanced at Li Qingqing, then looked at Uncle Liu with some unease.
"The city lord told you to come in, so hurry up and come in. Don't dawdle there." Uncle Liu quickly gestured for Liu Gen to come in.
Uncle Liu wondered to himself, when did the city lord recognize his son?
Once everyone was seated, Li Qingqing got straight to the point.
“Right now I need a lot of fresh vegetables. I would like to ask the village head and Uncle Liu to inform everyone that each household should reserve at least one vegetable plot specifically for growing vegetables, and that the vegetable plots must be properly prepared in the next few days.”
"Is this the season for planting vegetables?"
Upon hearing this, the village head exchanged a surprised glance with Uncle Liu, then looked at Li Qingqing and gave a somewhat awkward smile.
"Lord, it's too cold outside right now... I'm afraid these crops won't grow!"
"Yes, yes, this goes against the natural order, it's impossible, impossible!" Uncle Liu shook his head repeatedly and hurriedly agreed.
"Don't rush, let me finish."
Li Qingqing smiled and looked at the two of them, "I was just strolling around the vegetable garden when I unexpectedly saw someone covering the vegetable beds with straw mats to grow seedlings."
She then briefly recounted what Liu Gen had just done to the village head and Uncle Liu.
"This method is not bad!" A hint of surprise flashed in the village head's eyes.
He thought to himself that this could not possibly have been done by the families of the soldiers under his jurisdiction; it must have been done by one of the capable people among these outsiders.
The village head then looked at Uncle Liu and asked, "Could it be that one of you had this ingenious idea?"
Just as Uncle Liu was about to shake his head in denial, his gaze inadvertently fell on Liu Gen, who was sitting next to him and looking at him somewhat uncomfortably.
Suddenly, I remembered my son acting strangely these past few days, always running to the vegetable garden, and saying he had a surprise for me. Could it be...?
He looked at Liu Gen with suspicion, but Li Qingqing had already explained.
"The person who came up with this idea was Liu Gen. According to his thinking, if we use bamboo frames and cover them with straw mats to build a bamboo shed about half a person's height for insulation, it may be possible to grow more winter vegetables. This method is inexpensive and the materials are easy to obtain, so it can be widely promoted!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Gen's face flushed red.
He subconsciously raised his hand to rub his slightly flushed face, but then suddenly remembered that there was dirt on his hands that he hadn't washed off, which must have gotten on his face.
Liu Gen was even more embarrassed. He glanced at Uncle Liu sitting next to him, then turned to look at Li Qingqing. His lips moved, and he managed to squeeze out a sentence.
"I was just figuring it out randomly, and I don't even know if it will succeed in the end."
Seeing Liu Gen's nervous expression, Li Qingqing chuckled.
"Most of the knowledge in this world starts with guesswork. Look at the saw that carpenters use. Wasn't it made by Lu Ban after he cut his hand on grass and made it by guesswork? Right now, I need someone like you who is good at guesswork, to be in charge of planting vegetables in winter. Would you be willing to help me?"
Li Qingqing secretly pondered that Liu Gen's straw mat seedling cultivation was similar to the vegetable greenhouses of later generations. With just a little guidance, she could use his help to create a simplified version of the straw mat mobile greenhouse.
Seedlings are first raised in a greenhouse and then transplanted to a larger greenhouse.
No plastic film is needed. As long as the straw mat is well-woven and people adjust the covering according to the weather, the matter will be accomplished!
Moreover, using Liu Gen's method as cover, it would be more convincing to promote winter greenhouse cultivation throughout the city...
Hey, the supplies gathering mission has taken another step forward!
"I, I..." Liu Gen was so excited that he was somewhat incoherent. He subconsciously looked at Uncle Liu.
Uncle Liu suddenly realized what was happening and quickly said,
“Lord, your idea of keeping the thatched hut warm is really good. It’s my son’s good fortune to be able to help you. But he’s clumsy with words, so I’m afraid he can’t shoulder such a heavy responsibility.”
"Oh? Liu Gen is your son?"
Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Li Qingqing's eyes, but she quickly smiled and said, "Then I'm even more relieved!"
Uncle Liu is an upright man, so his son is probably not much different. Moreover, Uncle Liu has been assisting the village head with various affairs these days without complaint or regret. It's time to give him a formal identity.
Thinking of this, Li Qingqing looked at Zhao Lizheng and said:
"Village Chief, I have many things to do in implementing the new policies. Today, I officially appoint Liu Bo as the Deputy Village Chief. The two of you will work together to govern this border town well. In the future, you two can discuss and make decisions on the affairs of the town."
After Li Qingqing finished speaking, she looked at Liu Gen again.
"Liu Gen, I hereby appoint you as the supervisor of agricultural affairs, responsible for assisting the two village heads in handling all agricultural affairs within the city! Agricultural affairs are complex, especially the implementation of new policies, which may encounter many obstacles. Although you do not have an official title, your responsibilities are significant. On a regular basis, you shall consult with the two village heads on all matters. In case of special circumstances, you may report directly to me or the kiln manager."
"The kiln manager?" Zhao Lizheng was somewhat surprised. He watched as Liu Gen and Liu Bo happily thanked the city lord, but he wondered to himself, who has the city lord appointed this time?
As if knowing his thoughts, after instructing Uncle Liu and Liu Gen on some matters, Li Qingqing continued,
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, before coming here, I appointed a new kiln manager. In addition to being in charge of the official kiln affairs, I also put him in charge of the greenhouse. He will build the greenhouse as soon as possible in the next few days. After you have built the greenhouse, I will have him breed in the greenhouse and then transplant the seedlings to the greenhouse."
Li Qingqing explained with a smile, completely ignoring the increasingly surprised looks from the village head and Uncle Liu, and then gave the order.
"Village head, Uncle Liu, I'm assigning you another task. While the weather is nice right now, you two are responsible for urging everyone to make as many pickled and dried vegetables as possible, the more the better. Once they're done, hand them over to me, and I'll buy them all! You don't need to worry about not having enough to eat in the winter; I'll make sure everyone has enough fresh vegetables for the winter!"