The two of them were the first to take a small boat ashore.
The oarsmen from Ze’a County were feeling nervous now, uneasy in their hearts, fearing that once they reached their destination and lost their usefulness, they might be killed.
Xie Nanxiao was well aware of their thoughts and quickly gave an order: “What are you standing there for? Get ashore now and tie up the cables.”
Only then did the oarsmen relax, grinning as they replied, “Alright, alright, we’re on it.”
With that, they all leaped into the sea with loud splashes, sending up countless sprays of water. They swam swiftly and soon reached the shore, secured the mooring ropes, and then ran off toward the sandy beach.
The crew from the Jin Yang Army were not to be outdone. They too jumped into the sea with similar splashes, looking like dumplings being dropped into a pot…
Xie Nanxiao: “…”
Kang Sheng watched the others diving into the water with great envy. He was a land dweller who couldn’t swim, brought along this time solely for building houses.
He and the workers had to take a small boat to the shore.
Once everyone was on land, Jiang Jin called a brief meeting, assigned tasks, and everyone went their separate ways.
At noon, sunlight struck the sea’s surface, casting a dazzling glow.
A fair number of people had gathered at the Daqing County docks, a noticeable change from the usual quiet.
Qingming and Jin Feng stood not far from the shore, chatting casually.
Qingming had received a carrier pigeon message from Jiang Jin, informing him that Dong Si was expected to arrive that day. He had already informed Daqing County in advance.
“How many troops does your Jin Yang Army have?” Jin Feng probed, trying to feel things out.
Since both sides were interested in cooperating, naturally they needed to learn more about each other.
Qingming smiled and replied, “Our forces are not that large, naturally we can’t compare to Daqing.”
Jin Feng silently cursed him for being evasive but knew the other party wasn’t willing to go into detail. He changed the subject instead.
“What’s the name of your envoy this time? Are there any taboos I should be aware of so I can make proper arrangements?”
Qingming’s smile was warm and pleasant: “You mean Ambassador Dong? He has no taboos at all. He’s the most amicable person.”
Hearing this, Jin Feng didn’t relax in the least. Someone with no taboos was the biggest taboo, and amicability often signaled a smiling tiger.
This envoy, he suspected, was no pushover.
Little did Qingming know that his few words of truth had already put Jin Feng on guard.
At least, what he had said was true. In his memory, Dong Si had always been friendly and approachable.
“Here they come. Is that your ship?” Jin Feng pointed at a large cargo vessel sailing slowly into view from afar.
Qingming: “...I suppose so.”
Truth be told, he wasn’t sure. That ship was newly acquired by their commander, and he hadn’t returned to Gofeng in a long time—how would he know?
Dong Si gazed at the impressive military docks and the row of moored warships. Inwardly, he thought, No rush. All of this will belong to our lord soon enough.
“Raise the military flag!” he ordered loudly.
To avoid unnecessary trouble along the way, no flags had been flown during the voyage.
The flag of the Jin Yang Army was soon hoisted, flapping sharply in the sea breeze. Instantly, everyone on board stood taller, their presence transformed.
Qingming straightened his back as well, a smile spreading across his face: “That’s right. That’s our people.”
Jin Feng glanced at Qingming, who seemed somewhat different, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint why.
A quarter of an hour later, upon seeing the large heads of cabbage and white radishes growing in wooden crates, Jin Feng’s whole body trembled with excitement. “These... these are your high-yield crop seeds?”
He didn’t recognize the white, half-buried vegetable, but he knew what Chinese cabbage was—even if it looked a bit different from the kind they normally grew.
But more or less, it was cabbage. Those vibrant green leaves were so tempting you almost wanted to take a bite.
More importantly, these cabbages were packed densely, each one robust and promising a decent weight.
If the yield was really this high, then the claim of ten thousand jin per mu might not be an exaggeration.
He hadn’t expected Gofeng to actually possess such high-yield vegetable seeds.
When food runs out, common folk will even eat dirt.
In times of famine, anything edible counted as good food.
Dong Si smiled smoothly, pulling up a fairly large white radish. “This is a white radish. Take a look.”
Jin Feng accepted it with trembling hands. It was indeed heavy; this single radish must weigh three or four jin.
Dong Si pulled up another white radish. This time, with experience, he chose a smaller, underdeveloped one.
He snapped it in half with a crisp crack.
Satisfied, he wiped it clean on his sleeve without minding the dirt, then took a bite with a loud crunch. “White radish can be eaten raw. It has a slight kick, though. You should try it, too.”
Naturally, Jin Feng wanted to taste it. He followed suit, wiping it on his sleeve, only to realize the radish was so big he didn’t know where to start.
Dong Si was quick to act and handed the other half to Jin Feng.
Jin Feng didn’t stand on ceremony and took a bite. It was crunchy and refreshing, tender and juicy.
Whether it was the spiciness or not, he felt his eyes moisten. Crops this prolific... they had hope.
Dong Si laughed and went on, “When it’s cooked later, it’ll taste even better. You can stew it with meat, shred it, slice it…”
Jin Feng listened intently, nodding repeatedly, silently memorizing the recipes.
After briefly mentioning a few common ways to cook radish, Dong Si patted Jin Feng’s shoulder.
“Now that you’re here, don’t stand on ceremony. Tell me what flavor you like, and I’ll have the cook prepare it for you.”
Jin Feng nodded, though he felt a strange sensation but couldn’t pinpoint it. “Alright, then I’ll trouble you, Ambassador Dong.”
Dong Si waved his hand dismissively, “Don’t be so formal with me. Now that you’re at... ah, what’s this place called again?”
Qingming chimed in with a smile, “This is Xinge Dock in Daqing County.”
Dong Si nodded. “Now that you’re at Xinge Dock, I’ll make sure you feel right at home. Just relax and enjoy yourself.”
Jin Feng: “…”
He finally realized what was off. He was the host here, so how had the roles reversed?
Jin Feng studied Dong Si carefully, but the man’s expression showed nothing unusual. Probably just my imagination, he thought.
Dong Si turned his gaze to the large warships anchored at the dock, a satisfied smile on his face. “Not bad, not bad. You’ve kept these ships in good shape. You’ve done well.”
That odd feeling crept back, but Jin Feng shook it off and regained a bit of his pride.
“Naturally. We have professional shipwrights who maintain them every day. Their performance is well preserved.”
Dong Si nodded and asked curiously, “You’re by the sea—you can fish for food. Why are you still so short of grain?”
Jin Feng gave a bitter smile. “We don’t usually venture into deep waters. We just fish nearby. As time goes on, the catch gets smaller. Besides, with so many mouths to feed, the fish we bring in doesn’t go far.”
In the past, naval forces had to train—they weren’t out fishing. Only this year, with the drought slashing crop yields, had they been forced to dispatch the navy to fish at sea.
Dong Si understood and changed the subject. “Is your navy still around three thousand men? Any losses?”
Jin Feng was startled. “How… how do you know that?”
Dong Si wore an inscrutable expression. “What I need to know, I know.”
