Chapter 111: Preparing to Reclaim Wasteland and Farm

Early spring has arrived in Beijiang.

The ice-thawing river flows with a gurgling sound.

The grassland, having lain dormant for the winter, sees new shoots breaking through the soil.

The tires of the Minivan roll over the tender grass, which is still damp with the cold dew of early spring...

The vehicles file in one after another, driving into the Northern Frontier Camp.

"The Prince of Northern Pacification has returned to camp!"

Bursts of cheers erupt, and the anxiously waiting soldiers and civilians of the Northern Frontier Army flock to the camp gate, vying to welcome him.

The Old General also waits at the gate; having spent the winter recovering from illness, his face is now ruddy, and he has regained the might and imposing aura of an old general of the Northern Frontier!

He steps forward and bows with his hands cupped.

"Respectfully welcoming the Prince back!"

"Rise."

Xiao Moting jumps down from the Minivan and takes a deep breath of the air in Beijiang, which carries the scent of the wilderness.

He was born in Shengjing, but Beijiang is his true home.

The one hundred Northern Frontier Army soldiers who accompanied him to Shengjing all returned to the camp without a single scratch.

Everyone cheers and jumps for joy, while family members rush forward in excitement to embrace their loved ones.

The Xiao brothers have no family, so the two of them carefully move the wardrobe down from the Minivan and carry it into the tent.

As soon as Wu Da gets out of the vehicle, he looks around anxiously.

Suddenly, a figure comes sprinting over.

"Brother!"

"Little brother!"

Wu Da is extremely excited; he goes up and lands a punch on Wu Er's chest.

"Kid, you've only been in Beijiang for a few days, and you've become this sturdy?"

Wu Er smiles, "Brother, Beijiang is a good place."

After saying this, he walks to the front of Xiao Moting and suddenly kneels on the ground.

"Prince, thank you and thank the Goddess for saving all of us!"

"Since we arrived in Beijiang, we have had enough rice and vegetables, and even meat and fruit... I brought over twenty thousand Yannan refugees along the way north, and not a single one of them starved to death."

Behind him follows a massive, dark crowd of Yannan commoners.

The commoners all surge forward and kneel on the ground one after another.

"Many thanks to the Prince and the Goddess for the grace of saving our lives!"

"Our family was nearly starved to death in Yannan; it is all thanks to you and the Goddess that we were able to survive."

"We are willing to stay in Beijiang and contribute our efforts for you and the Goddess."

Xiao Moting scans the Yannan commoners kneeling all over the ground before him.

Most of them were farmers who worked the grain stores for the Yuan Family Army; just over ten days ago, they were all sallow and emaciated, thin as sticks, as if a gust of wind could blow them over.

But now, these people have all regained their vitality.

The elderly, who were suffering from both hunger and poverty, have seen their sallow faces turn ruddy, and the children, who were dying of starvation, have become lively and healthy...

The food of Beijiang has pulled these twenty thousand people back from the brink of death.

"Thank you, Prince of Northern Pacification!"

"Thank you, Goddess!"

The Yannan commoners kowtow repeatedly; everyone is truly grateful.

"Prince, you have finally returned!" Following a resonant female voice, Han Guiying walks forward with long strides, one hand pressing against the Long Sword at her waist. "You went to Shengjing, did you see Yunfei? I heard from Dabao that the Goddess cured the Lady's illness; this is truly wonderful."

Seeing Han Guiying, Xiao Moting speaks impatiently.

"Senior Sister, do you know how to embroider?"

He has kept in mind that Bai Wei wants to hold an exhibition and knows she is looking for embroidery.

Xiao Moting is a grown man who has never held a needle and thread and knows nothing of embroidery, but his Senior Sister is a young woman and must surely know.

"Embroidery?" Han Guiying is taken aback; she blinks twice, looking completely bewildered.

Beside her, the Old General gives a helpless, bitter smile.

"Prince, Guiying has hated needlework since she was a child; she only likes wielding blades and swords... Asking her to embroider is worse than asking her to go and kill the enemy!"

"Right, right." Han Guiying nods vigorously, "Embroidery is too hard; killing people is easy."

At this moment, several female soldiers emerge from behind her.

"Prince, General Han may not know embroidery, but we do."

"If the Goddess needs embroidery, we will embroider for her together."

Upon hearing that the Goddess needs embroidery, the female soldiers crowd forward, volunteering to sign up.

Many female refugees also vie to sign up.

The Goddess has helped them so much and even sent them food, necessities, and drinks... all of which are convenient and useful items; they are all very grateful.

Now, they finally have a chance to help the Goddess.

There are too many people signing up, so Xiao Moting can only issue an order to select the fifty people with the best embroidery skills to help Bai Wei with the embroidery.

Xiao Moting dispatches another Minivan, having ten Northern Frontier Army soldiers disguise themselves as merchants to drive back to Shengjing and inform Yunfei of the types of embroidery work Bai Wei requires.

His mother was once an Embroidery Maid in the palace and possesses superb skills; she will certainly be able to help Bai Wei.

Early the next morning.

Xiao Moting told Bai Wei about his return to the Northern Frontier.

Immediately after, he summoned his officers to discuss the matter of reclaiming wasteland for farming in the Northern Frontier.

The Northern Frontier Camp had originally taken in forty thousand refugees, later accepted the twelve-thousand-strong army under Yang Wei, and now had an additional twenty thousand farmers from Yannan...

The number of mouths waiting to be fed had suddenly increased by nearly two hundred thousand.

If it weren't for the one million two hundred thousand catties of Refined Rice stored in the granary, which had been traded from the Yuezhi Kingdom using Instant Noodles, the Northern Frontier truly would not have been able to support such a large group of people.

Qin Zhan thought for a moment.

"Prince, the vast stretch of wasteland to the south of the Northern Frontier could be reclaimed for farming by the idle young men in the camp."

Xiao Moting pondered.

"The soil in that wasteland is hard and barren; reclaiming it would consume a massive amount of manpower."

Xiao Dabao rubbed his hands together and gave a sheepish laugh, "Why not ask Shennü Daren? The Ham Sausage in the storeroom is almost gone..."

Qin Zhan kicked him, "When will you ever stop thinking about food? Asking about farming is a lie; wanting Shennü Daren to send Ham Sausage is the truth!"

No sooner had the words been spoken.

There was movement from the Wardrobe.

Xiao Dabao excitedly lunged forward in one stride and threw open the Wardrobe, "Let me..."

Clatter!

Countless bags of seeds poured out of the Wardrobe, piling up into a mountain and burying Xiao Dabao underneath, pressing him until he rolled his eyes.

"Xiao Dabao!" Qin Zhan was greatly alarmed and rushed over, trying to dig him out.

Xiao Moting was just about to speak when he suddenly saw a message sent by Bai Wei, and his expression changed instantly.

He took a stride, hoisted the Wardrobe up with one hand, and rushed out of the tent.

As soon as he set the Wardrobe down, there was a loud clattering sound from inside, followed by a pile of giant iron objects that fell out and piled up on the open ground in the blink of an eye.

On the Wardrobe, Bai Wei had already sent a message.

"Xiao Moting, you received the seeds I sent just now, right?"

"There are also electric seeders, Zongshen tillers, electric plows... fifty of each model; have the farmers use them to farm."

"I've recorded the usage instructions on the Tablet Computer; have everyone study them."

Qin Zhan finally managed to dig Xiao Dabao out from under the "mountain" of over a thousand catties of seeds.

When Xiao Dabao looked outside the tent, he broke into a cold sweat.

That was close!

If Xiao Moting hadn't been quick to move the Wardrobe away, those hundreds of seeders and tillers... if they had fallen on him, he would have been turned into meat paste.

Qin Zhan glared fiercely at Xiao Dabao.

"Is the stuff Shennü Daren sends to the Prince something you can just touch whenever you want? Let's see if you dare to be gluttonous again in the future!"