Chapter 288: Visiting the Farmland

After eating the water radish, Bai Wei opened Baidu on her phone again, found another gas station, and drove the Military Truck over to refuel.

Just like that, Bai Wei ran back and forth to several gas stations, putting the diesel she added into the fuel tank into iron oil drums, hoarding a total of 5,200 liters of diesel.

By evening, she sent all 5,200 liters of diesel, along with the 7,000-plus liters of diesel she had bought from Zhang Shen's nephew, to Xiao Moting all at once.

Over 10,000 liters of diesel was enough for them to use for half a month.

Whenever she had free time, she would run to different gas stations and send the fuel she brought back to the Beijiang.

Although it was a bit troublesome, the fuel consumption problem in the Beijiang had been solved.

……

The Beijiang.

Dozens of oil drums were neatly arranged on the ground.

Xiao Moting was deeply moved.

He had exchanged notes with Bai Wei and knew that she had been running to gas stations trip after trip, putting the fuel she added into oil drums.

Although she never mentioned the trouble and hardship involved, he understood it.

All he could do was express his gratitude.

The soldiers around him also understood in their hearts, and their faces were filled with emotion.

Xiao Moting raised his head and scanned the crowd with dignity.

"Keep these diesel supplies properly stored, away from open flames and crowds."

"Diesel is hard to come by; from now on, vehicles in the Beijiang must still not be used indiscriminately."

The soldiers nodded one after another, all in agreement.

At this moment, a soldier came to report.

"Prince, the commoners from the surrounding towns have come to collect seeds and pesticides."

Xiao Moting snapped back to reality and ordered in a deep voice.

"Have them line up at the camp entrance and wait for the seeds to be distributed."

A few days ago, Bai Wei had sent a batch of seeds and pesticides for him to distribute to the farmers in the Beijiang for planting.

These seeds were all high-quality vegetable seeds from the Goddess's side; the vegetables grown from them not only grew quickly but also tasted good.

Xiao Moting spread the news about the seed distribution, letting all farmers who wanted to farm come to collect them.

He walked to the camp entrance, looked up, and couldn't help but knit his brows.

"Why are there so few people?"

Outside the gate, a few hundred people stood scattered, far fewer than the number of people he had imagined would come to collect seeds.

Moreover, many of these few hundred people didn't look like farmers; instead, they looked like they were just here to watch the excitement.

At this time, soldiers carried over dozens of sacks, all filled with seeds.

Qin Zhan looked helpless as he stepped forward to report.

"Prince, these are the only commoners who have come to collect seeds."

"I just asked around; everyone thinks that since the grain seeds distributed by the military camp are free, they certainly can't be good things, so they are all taking a wait-and-see approach. Also, everyone has never seen these new types of vegetable seeds, and they always feel that they have their own seeds at home and think the distance is too far to be worth the trip, so they are unwilling to come."

Xiao Moting's brows were tightly locked.

Vegetable seeds were not rare items; many farmers had vegetable seeds harvested from their fields stored in their cellars.

Over the years, the exorbitant taxes and levies of the Daliang Kingdom had terrified the farmers; in their minds, they felt that the government could not possibly distribute good things for free, so they were unwilling to come.

Xiao Moting looked up and scanned the crowd standing outside the gate.

These people did not trust the government; even if the vegetable seeds were distributed to them, they would not cultivate them properly after taking them back, and they would only waste the precious vegetable seeds sent by Bai.

He had to make them convinced.

The farmers who had come to collect vegetable seeds gathered together, arms crossed, discussing among themselves.

"……Would the government give us good things? Impossible, it's more likely they'll ask us for silver."

"I'm just here to watch the excitement; it doesn't cost money anyway."

"I heard the vegetable seeds distributed by the government are different from ours. If these new seeds are planted in the fields and no vegetables grow, what then? It would be a waste of our effort."

Xiao Moting looked up, took out a megaphone, and said loudly.

"The grain seeds and vegetable seeds distributed to you have already been grown in our Beijiang Camp."

"Now, I will take you to visit and see the quality of these vegetables."

After speaking, he tilted his head and gave Qin Zhan a look.

Qin Zhan immediately stepped forward and ordered the commoners.

"Follow me into the Beijiang Camp to see the vegetables in the fields."

The villagers had no choice but to line up and follow behind Qin Zhan toward the farmland of the Beijiang Camp.

Many people were still whispering.

"What a bother, I wouldn't have come if I had known."

"I don't believe the government is that kind; they must be trying to find a way to collect our silver."

"The taxes are already heavy enough, what do they want now? If this continues, we won't even be able to afford food."

Xiao Moting walked in front, keeping the commoners' words in his heart.

He did not blame these farmers for being afraid; rather, it was because the treasury of the Daliang Kingdom had been empty in the past, and the Imperial Court had imposed heavy taxes on farmers to fill the treasury, making everyone lose faith in the Imperial Court.

Soon, the group arrived at the farmland.

The crowd looked up, and one after another, they revealed expressions of shock.

"Such a large piece of land, is this the farmland of the Beijiang Camp?"

"So many vegetables, all of them are lush and green."

"These vegetables have grown so well, even better than the vegetables grown by the best farmers in our village."

Before their eyes, the boundless fields spread out across the ground, with vast stretches of rice paddies, cornfields, and vegetable patches...

The fields were arranged neatly, and the vegetables in the ground were growing vigorously, lush and green.

Beside them were rows of tidy brick-and-tile houses, with Solar Power panels covering their roofs.

In the fields, over a dozen farmers, carrying sprayers and pesticide applicators... were spraying and fertilizing the vegetables.

In the distance, several more farmers were driving tillers, breaking in wasteland.

The two hundred or so commoners were all dumbfounded; they had never even seen these things before!

Qin Zhan stepped forward to introduce them.

"The vegetables and grain in our fields were grown using the seeds we distributed to you."

"Look, how well these vegetables have grown."

The commoners watched, wide-eyed and tongue-tied, and one person asked cautiously.

"Sir soldier, may I pick a vegetable to smell it?"

Qin Zhan looked toward Xiao Moting, waiting for his instructions.

Xiao Moting nodded, "You may pick the vegetables, taste the vegetables... that is no problem, but you must not damage the vegetable patches."

"Yes, yes..."

The commoners had long been itching with curiosity and rushed to the edge of the vegetable patches; some couldn't wait to pick a leaf, smelled it, and popped it into their mouths, their eyes lighting up instantly.

"This vegetable is truly fragrant; I have never eaten such delicious vegetables before."

Qin Zhan smiled, "The vegetable in your hand is called Sweet Potato Vine; the leaves can be eaten, and the sweet potatoes grown can serve as a staple food, both sweet and soft."

"Then, what is this?" another commoner asked, holding up the vegetable in their hand, their expression excited.

"This is Spinach, a vegetable from the Western Regions," Qin Zhan said, "but now we have the seeds, and they are even improved-variety seeds; the Spinach grown is much tastier than that from the Western Regions, and it grows fast, ready to eat in a month."

The commoners were very excited as they watched; the vegetables in the fields had grown so well, and there were several types of vegetables they had never seen at all.

Half of the doubts in everyone's hearts were dispelled.