Flowers in full bloom

Chapter 707 Borrowing Grain Seeds

It is indeed a little fox, Bai Liyun said in his heart, picking up the teacup and taking a sip. He was a little embarrassed to ask Hualei to rent grain seeds.

Because he also knew that neither the Xichang government nor the people of Xichang had any extra seeds except those reserved for themselves, and there was not necessarily any grain seeds available for rent.

He glanced at Bai Yunhe, who was sitting at the lower right, hoping that he would speak up and bring up the topic so that he could also propose the request to lease grain seeds.

However, whether it was because there was no tacit understanding between father and son, or for some other reason, Bai Yunhe kept staring at the teacup in his hand and did not receive any eye cues from his father.

What a useless guy, he is so disloyal, Bai Liyun was angry.

Hualei picked up the teacup and took a sip. She understood Bailiyun's hesitation to speak, but she didn't dare to speak easily when she thought of her own difficulties.

When she raised her eyes, she saw Bai Yunhe opposite her. Thinking about the friendship he had just shown by offering to help her, she sighed softly in her heart.

He took the initiative to speak, "Uncle, if the Western Frontier Military Camp is also willing to cultivate land to support the soldiers, and His Majesty agrees, I can help provide grain seeds and other things."

"Oh, really? Then I'll thank my niece-in-law on behalf of the soldiers in Western Xinjiang." Bai Liyun was delighted and took advantage of the situation. He invited Hualei to have lunch, not just to keep in touch.

However, he was also surprised that Hua Lei offered to help. In fact, he had already written a memorial to the emperor, and Emperor Shengwu also agreed to the idea of ​​setting up farmland and raising soldiers in the Western Frontier military camp.

However, the Western Frontier was different from the Northern Desert. The imperial court vigorously supported the Northern Desert, allocating silver, tools, manpower, and grain. If the Western Frontier military camp wanted to cultivate land and raise soldiers, it had to provide all the grain, seeds, and farm tools on its own.

As for farm tools, Bai Liyun had a way. After all, the craftsmen in the Crossbow Office were very skilled. But he couldn't solve the problem of grain.

Xichang was the poorest place, the people were poor, the government was poor, and there was no extra grain to rent to the military camp.

The military pay sent by the imperial court was also ground into powder and could not be used as grain. Even if it was not ground into powder, it was still the soldiers' rations and could not be used.

If they went to Shangjing City to buy, the military camp would not have that much silver. And the corn grown in Shangjing City's own fields was all purchased by the court, leaving only one season's worth of corn seeds.

Moreover, the imperial court had stipulated that as a military general, he did not have the power to dispatch food and grain, so Bai Liyun was in a situation where he had no rice to cook.

He heard that Pei Jingyang had to ask Minister Zhang to rent grain seeds in the first year so that he could cultivate the land, so he also hoped that he could rent them from the Xichang government.

However, the government office was really poor before, and Magistrate Fei only worked for a year before he had to go into mourning, so Bai Liyun could only temporarily suppress the idea of ​​establishing military farms.

Earlier, when he saw Hua Lei coming to Xichang, he used his authority to dispatch a lot of grain seeds and began to vigorously promote corn planting in various parts of Xichang.

Now, with ponds and wells being dug, there should be no problem with irrigating the farmland this year, and the government office will most likely have surplus corn to plant.

As the prefect, Hua Lei had the power to dispatch grains. Therefore, he wanted to try the idea of ​​raising soldiers by farming. This was also one of the reasons why he received Hua Lei's invitation and agreed to meet her.

Bai Yunhe, who was standing opposite, looked up at Hualei and sighed inwardly. She was always so kind to the soldiers. He was reluctant to speak because he knew she was in trouble. Unexpectedly, she took the initiative to confront him.

"Niece-in-law, it would be great if we could really rent grain seeds to the military camp. I wonder how much we can rent and what the rent is?" Bai Liyun asked with a smile.

"Uncle, I'm telling you the truth. If there hadn't been a drought this year, or if the ponds and wells could have satisfied the irrigation needs, the corn in the government office would have had a good harvest this year.

However, I want to continue to vigorously promote the harvest of corn seeds in the state capitals below, so I am not sure how much of it can be given to the military camps.”

Seeing Bailiyun's disappointed face, Hualei paused. Thinking of how Bailiyun readily agreed to help her just now, she softened her heart and continued.

“So, I can’t guarantee the government’s grain seeds, but as long as the corn harvest is good, the government will return my personal corn seeds to me.

So I can lend my own corn seeds to the army camp. The quantity is not small. I loaded a ship with it last year.

It's definitely enough to open up wasteland for the military camp. It only takes four to six kilograms of corn seeds to plant one acre of land. In addition, I also have a small amount of wheat seeds, rice seeds, and various bean seeds. "Hua Lei explained.

"Really? That's great. Okay, I won't think about the extra money. I'll just borrow according to the amount my niece-in-law has. How about this? I'll pay you part of the rent in advance?

Or should I wait until the next corn harvest, and then I will return the corn seeds to you? And how much extra will I add?" Bai Liyun was afraid that Hualei would regret it, so he prepared to pay the rent first.

He was familiar with many details of Mobei Pei Jingyang's grain seed leasing, so he also knew that after the grain seeds were returned in equal amounts, he would be given an additional 20% as seed rental.

"No need to pay rent, uncle. I will lend you my personal corn seeds for free. Just wait until the corn harvest is good and return the same amount of corn seeds to me."

Bailiyun asked the Nufang Office to help him and confiscate his banknotes. Hualei felt embarrassed to charge an extra 20%. After all, he had lent his corn seeds to the government office and did not charge rent.

"How can this be possible?" Bai Liyun said in disbelief. He was already satisfied to be able to borrow the grain seeds, but he was embarrassed to borrow them for free.

"I can decide for myself the corn seeds and buckwheat seeds, and I don't have to pay any extra rent. If my uncle still needs other grain seeds from the government office at that time, I can return the same amount and add an extra 20%, the same as Mobei." Hua Lei also put forward her own ideas about the grain seeds of the government office.

"Niece-in-law, it seems like you're at a disadvantage by doing this..." Bai Liyun said hesitantly.

"It's not a loss. My own grain seeds were not damaged. Just consider it as a favor I paid back my uncle for helping me make the waterwheel for the government office." Hua Lei smiled and said.

Seeing Hualei's calm face, Bailiyun was really shocked and even happier in his heart. However, besides being happy, he was also really regretful.

If Hualei could be my daughter-in-law, I would be even more powerful now. Alas! Useless guy, if there are flowers to be plucked, you should pluck them immediately, don't wait until there are no flowers and you have nothing to pluck! Now, everything is too late!

“Uncle, it may take several months for corn seeds to be available, and if we want to plant them, we may have to wait until next year.

If uncle is not obsessed with corn seeds, I have other grain seeds that I can lend you.