Chapter 148

Chapter 148

“Old Xie, I knew I could count on you. You haven’t lost your edge at all. I brought three thousand taels of gold back from the mine this time, which should last us for a while. I think we need to rush the work before winter arrives.”

After speaking, Xiao Che watched Xie Chengyan, wondering whether he had another way to get construction moving as quickly as possible.

Xie Chengyan turned his attention to the soldiers in the rear courtyard.

“What if we send a thousand soldiers ahead and build the inner city first?”

“That’s a good idea, but a city is useless without food. I think we can have the Dragon Tiger Guard reclaim the wasteland…”

“Are you joking? You want the Dragon Tiger Guard to reclaim farmland? Isn’t that a criminal waste of talent?”

Xie Chengyan found the suggestion absurd.

Xiao Che did not agree.

“Our most urgent task is establishing a firm foothold as quickly as possible.

“The Dragon Tiger Guards do nothing here but train each day. The rest of the time, they sit idle while we spend a fortune supporting them.

“I think we should let everyone become self-sufficient. I can send word to Mo’er and have him ask Old Han to bring out some of the draft cattle.

“The second potato crop in the valley has already been planted, so the cattle aren’t needed for now.

“The farming tools are ready too. We can also send out experienced farmers to teach everyone how to work the land.

“As long as we harvest one potato crop before winter, this year’s food supply will be secure.”

Xie Chengyan gradually calmed down and considered whether Xiao Che’s plan was feasible. History did contain examples of soldiers feeding themselves through farming.

They would not be the first. Still, using elite troops like the Dragon Tiger Guard to reclaim wasteland felt utterly preposterous. Xie Chengyan wondered what the Emperor would think if he learned that the soldiers he had worked so hard to train had become farmers.

“Fine. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Once we bring more people into the town, everything can begin operating normally. For now, we have no other choice.”

By the time the two men reached an agreement, most of the day had slipped away without their noticing.

It was completely dark when Xiao Che left Xie Chengyan’s study.

He went straight to the western side courtyard. Jin Bao had already taken off her little shoes and curled up with Xiao Jingxing on the heated platform, pestering Eldest Brother for a story.

Brother and sister turned their heads at the same time when Xiao Che entered.

“Father.”

“Daddy.”

Xiao Che sat at the edge of the platform.

“Xing’er, can you get out of bed and walk yet?”

Xiao Jingxing nodded. “Yes. The physician says I need to move around for a while each day, or my blood won’t circulate properly. I walk for one double-hour every day. At first, my body felt weak, but I’ve felt better over the past two days.”

Xiao Che sighed. “You’ve suffered terribly on this journey. Rest and recover for now.”

Xiao Jingxing could tell that something was on his father’s mind.

“Father, are you and Uncle Xie planning something?”

Xiao Che did not hide it from him.

“Yes. We’re preparing to move and build a military stronghold of our own near the gold mine. Your Uncle Xie and I have completed the preliminary design. He’s still refining the details. We’ll discuss the rest tomorrow.”

The moment Jin Bao heard this, she crawled out from under the covers.

“Daddy, are we going to build houses?”

Xiao Che stroked Jin Bao’s fluffy hair and nodded with a smile.

“That’s right. We’re going to build lots of houses.”

Jin Bao clapped her little hands in delight.

“Yay! Everyone will have a house, and nobody will have to be cold again. Daddy, Baby will teach you how to make cement bricks tomorrow. We can build houses that snow won’t crush!”

Hearing her mention them again, Xiao Che’s curiosity was thoroughly aroused.
“All right. First thing tomorrow morning, we’ll make cement bricks.”

The following day, Jin Bao’s big eyes opened at the first light of dawn. She was not sleepy at all.

She sat up and discovered that Daddy was already gone. Only Eldest Brother remained asleep.

Afraid of waking him, Jin Bao quietly crawled out from under the covers and tried to climb down from the heated platform. It was a little too high, making the descent difficult.

Fortunately, she was good at climbing. She clung to the edge, braced her feet against the side, stuck out her little bottom, and swiftly wriggled down.

She did not forget to crane her neck and check whether she had woken Xiao Jingxing.

Only when he remained motionless did she breathe a sigh of relief. Carrying her little shoes, she slipped soundlessly out of the western side courtyard. Then she sat on the ground outside and put them on by herself.

When Xiao Che returned from the training grounds, he spotted his daughter in the distance. She stood with her hands clasped behind her back and her neck stretched out, waiting for someone.

As he drew closer, he discovered that her hair was a mess, every button on her clothes was fastened wrong, and her shoes were on the opposite feet.

The corner of Xiao Che’s mouth twitched. He bent down and picked her up, switching her shoes to the correct feet as he walked.

Back in the room, he carefully dressed her again and tied her hair into two ponytails.

Apart from Xiao Jingxing, who had spent so long away from home, every man in the Xiao Family now knew how to style Jin Bao’s hair.

When Jin Bao emerged again, she looked clean and tidy.

After a simple breakfast, she pestered Xiao Che to begin making cement bricks.

Xiao Che set aside his work and joined his daughter in experimenting with them.

“Daddy, first we need to find a kiln.”

That was easy. The Xie Family estate had two small kilns.

“Your uncle has two small kilns here. Will those be enough?”

“Mm-hmm, they’re enough. Now let’s find that kind of stone and soil, okay?”

Xiao Che had no idea what she meant. He could only follow along.

A large mountain rose directly behind the estate.

Xiao Che had Ye Qi bring tools, and the group followed Jin Bao into the mountain.

After wandering through the woods for an unknown length of time, Jin Bao finally pointed at an outcrop. “Daddy, this is it! Those are the stones. Have Uncle Ye Qi bring lots of them back.”

Xiao Che nodded slightly to Ye Qi.

Ye Qi led the Shadow Guards forward and picked up several large chunks from the ground, placing them in carrying baskets.

Xiao Che did not understand what these rocks had to do with building houses. But if his daughter said they were useful, they probably were.

“Daughter, do we go back and fire the stones now?”

“No, we still need a kind of yellow soil. Wait a little. Let Baby ask the big trees.”

Jin Bao closed her eyes and carefully sensed the awareness radiating from the plants in the forest. A long moment later, her eyes opened.

“Found it! Daddy, hurry that way. Baby found the yellow soil!”

Xiao Che quickly followed her.

On the western side of the forest, Jin Bao finally found the yellow earth she wanted.

“Uncle Ye Qi, please pack some of this soil too.”

After finding the yellow earth, Jin Bao led everyone to a nearby river to collect river sand.

With all the materials assembled, they finally returned to the estate before nightfall.

Without pausing to rest, Jin Bao directed Ye Qi to place the stones in a small kiln and fire them.

Only after every stone glowed red did she have them put out the fire. Once the stones inside cooled, they dropped them into water.

This produced a paste of slaked lime.

As they followed Jin Bao’s instructions step by step, Xiao Che’s expression gradually shifted from curiosity to solemn concentration.