CHAPTER 120: CHAPTER 120: ANOTHER CHANCE FOR A THREE-MONTH SENTENCE REDUCTION

Back at the camp, Zhang Feng’s eyes lit up when he saw the potatoes.

"Quick, make potatoes."

As the Commander of the Fire Head Army, Zhang Feng had tasted many delicacies. After eating potatoes for such a long time, he could taste nothing but blandness.

However, their method of cooking potatoes was simple; everyone just boiled them and at most added some oil and salt.

So the taste wasn’t something to look forward to.

Nevertheless, even boiled, the potatoes were sandy, the texture excellent, and they carried a faint salty flavor, intrinsic to the potatoes themselves.

As he was eating, Zhang Feng noticed the two government officers carefully kicking the wooden barrel behind them, and he couldn’t help but frown.

"What are you kicking?"

The two officers, feeling guilty, said, "Noth... nothing."

They only had this one barrel, counting on the fermented tofu to improve the taste.

If they took it out, there wouldn’t be much left after a few meals by so many people.

Thinking of this, the two officers instinctively kicked the barrel further behind them again.

Zhang Feng got up, walked over to the barrel, and opened the lid.

He saw the bright red fermented tofu and used chopsticks to stir the peculiar item, discovering it was white inside.

He tasted the chopsticks and paused.

The chili sauce was just right, a bit spicy but mainly fragrant, and the fermented tofu was salty with a rich aroma.

He took another bite of the potato along with it.

The flavor instantly elevated by several levels.

"What treasure is this?"

The officers, feeling cornered, replied, "It’s called fermented tofu by the Third Household."

Ah, so it was from the Third Household, not a surprise then.

The Third Household always came up with odd but delicious things.

Zhang Feng joyfully nodded, "Very good."

After saying this, he confiscated the fermented tofu.

The two officers cried bitterly, their eyes red with urgency.

They knew it, they just knew it.

There wasn’t a single good item that leaders wouldn’t take.

Especially Zhang Feng, who was the best at snatching delicious things from his subordinates.

Such a big barrel, so much fermented tofu.

He just seized it, showing no regard for face as a leader!

No, he wasn’t even their leader!

They shouldn’t have been greedy for those potatoes earlier; they should have left the potatoes and gone quickly.

Their fermented tofu!

...

Another two days quickly passed, and another wave of potatoes was ready to be harvested.

The officials initially thought the potatoes from others wouldn’t be much different from the Third Household’s. After all, the potato seedlings looked about the same height, so they didn’t approach Pei Shu’er to discuss increasing the yield.

However, when it came time to harvest, digging them up revealed they were still only the size of a child’s fist.

And there were only four potatoes, the others were only as big as fingernails.

The officers turned pale, nearly fainting.

They were relying on this small tax yield to get by; 4,000 kilos of taxes, enough for 20,000 people for how long?

Every person would need at least a couple of liang so they could have a meal or two.

Now the potatoes’ yield per mu was probably only 800 kilos, which is normal per mu. However, earlier stimulated by the Third Household’s yield per mu, this yield really wasn’t impressive.

Importantly, it wasn’t enough for the soldiers to eat.

Even though the soldiers farmed in their spare time, it wasn’t yet harvest time.

Zhang Feng found General Zhao and reported the tax situation to him.

General Zhao was at his wits’ end; the grain nearby was almost depleted.

Earlier, they’d collected some cabbage, but now the cabbage was nearly gone too, relying on the upcoming potatoes, but they were now failing.

"Didn’t you say that the yield per mu of potatoes grown by the Tang Family’s Third Household is exceptionally high? If that’s the case, go find them."

Zhang Feng hinted, "General, the Third Household’s people are currently doing quite well and are likely still hoping for a sentence reduction."

Just for a month, General Zhao said nothing, picked up the pen, and was about to write.

Zhang Feng continued, "Besides potatoes, there are also sweet potatoes on the Deserted Mountain, both are filling foods, and there are other crops on the mountain... the rice is also nearing maturity..."

General Zhao was silent for a long time before speaking, "Then order Pei Shu’er to lead everyone on the Deserted Mountain to increase the yield, and this way, collectively reduce the Third Household’s sentence by three months."

This seemed stingy, and the Third Household appeared to be losing out, but it was a very favorable deduction.

Zhang Feng also knew that this was exactly what the Third Household really wanted.

If they were given Silver, they wouldn’t necessarily be as happy.

Now with the previous month’s deduction added, that would make four months of reduced sentence.

And it was a collective sentence reduction!

They just arrived and could reduce their sentence simply by farming,

Compared to those risking their lives on the battlefield, numbly killing until their hands were sore without earning any reduction, it was indeed too easy.

But the technique, not just in Dayan but even in neighboring countries, it was unique.

Anyway, they had never seen anything like it.

Even such barren land could yield like this.

Moreover, as long as the provisions were stable, the soldiers wouldn’t worry in battles.

It was only at a time when they lacked supplies, else the Third Household would have a hard bargain if they wanted a sentence reduction.

Thinking of this, Zhang Feng realized that such a reward seemed quick but really could only be achieved by Pei Shu’er.

Zhang Feng immediately took the order to the Third Household to announce it.

"Order the Tang Family’s Third Household to increase the yield per mu of all crops on the Deserted Mountain, and when the time comes, collectively reduce the sentence of the Tang Family’s Third Household by three months."

Upon hearing this, the Third Household members were elated, having just had a sentence reduction, and now another.

This fast sentence reduction let them see the hope of returning to the Capital!

The exiles on the Deserted Mountain were happy yet also filled with envy and jealousy, though they couldn’t be outfought.

Who told them they didn’t have a daughter-in-law named Pei Shu’er?

As for their own son, he was hopeless. Previously, his sight was the same as being blind, unable to see Pei Shu’er as a gem!

Families originally aligned with the Minister’s Mansion now felt some regret.

If they knew they would face such hardship today, they would have had their sons marry Pei Shu’er early on.

Thus, after arriving here, they wouldn’t be worrying about food.

Now, it’s too late for everyone to regret it.

As for those who, due to the wild boar incident, were shunned by others on the mountain, they felt even more complicated emotions.

Life hadn’t been easy for them lately, scarcely interacting with others.

If not for that moment of folly, they wouldn’t have ended up like this.

Maybe they could have become subordinates of the Third Household and enjoyed the reduction too.

Da Tian was an honest man who, even before Tang Qingrou met Niu Qian, was subtly attracted to him. Despite her following Niu Qian, Da Tian still longed for Tang Qingrou.

His approach was quite adept.

After learning such news, he didn’t stay there any longer and quickly ran to Yuhua Valley to find Tang Qingrou, recounting the situation to her.

Tang Qingrou, upon hearing that the Third Household just had a one-month sentence reduction and was now going to have another three-month reduction,

felt full of resentment and jealousy.

Despite being a concubine’s daughter, Tang Qingrou was also outstanding and was reputedly talented in the entire Capital.

Why the Third Household?

Why Pei Shu’er?