Dad, don't be greedy! My brother climbed into the emperor's bed, and I became famous overn

The next morning.

Tao Yuan, the manager of Longmen Inn, and his wife Zhou Hui stood in front of the Jizhou branch of Pujitang, looking at the three-courtyard mansion facing the street.

The building features blue bricks and gray tiles, and has a wide facade.

The main hall is adorned with a plaque bearing the three gilded characters "Puji Hall," while couplets with gold characters on a red background hang on the pillars on both sides.

There are also dedicated storerooms and accounting offices in the backyard.

Zhou Hui followed behind him, her eyes filled with surprise.

"This shop...is much more impressive than the Dragon Gate Inn."

Tao Yuan turned around and cupped his hands in greeting to Gu Mingyue behind him.

"Master Gu, my wife and I will definitely manage this Jizhou branch business with all our might."

Gu Mingyue sat in the armchair in the hall, with account books and several contracts on the table.

"Manager Tao, you're too kind. Now that we've joined Pujitang, we're family."

She gestured for the two of them to sit down opposite her.

Taozhi brought over the tea.

Gu Mingyue opened the account book in front of her and assigned the two of them their next tasks.

"Currently, the Jizhou branch has three main tasks."

"First of all, the crops of the people in Jizhou have almost completely failed this season. We need to ensure that they can survive this famine. Therefore, you are responsible for promoting the planting of potatoes and sweet potatoes."

"Of course, we can't skimp on next year's wheat and sorghum either."

The eyes of Tao Yuan and his wife shone with fervent warmth.

"Our employer is truly kind-hearted! We will certainly comply!"

Gu Mingyue smiled gently and continued:

"After the locust plague was eradicated, the remaining million ducks were used to recruit all the farmers in the north who were willing to cooperate."

Tao Yuan's eyes widened, and he exchanged a glance with his wife.

"A million?"

"Yes." Gu Mingyue nodded.

"This is considered a benefit of joining Pujitang. After these ducks have exterminated the locusts, you should have them distributed in batches to the village heads in various places."

"The village head will distribute ducks to the farmers in the village. They will use the ducks to continue pest control and at the same time lay eggs and hatch chicks."

"Pujitang will purchase the grain grown by these farmers at a clearly marked price in the future."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Hui frowned slightly.

"Master, I have a concern."

Gu Mingyue looked up at her.

"explain."

Zhou Hui carefully considered her words before speaking: "Over the years, the people of Jizhou have been exploited by the Cui family, and they have very little money left. Now that the harvest has failed, what if they can't afford to buy sweet potatoes and all flee the famine?"

"Yes, that's a very good question."

Gu Mingyue took an account book.

The document openly records the expenses incurred in Jizhou this time.

Previously, 120,000 taels of silver were spent on paying the laborers. The construction of the winery and pesticide workshop only cost 200 taels of silver in total.

Upon checking the system tasks, I found that there were still nearly 80,000 taels of silver lying around.

She looked at Tao Yuan and Zhou Hui.

"I'll leave 80,000 taels of silver for the Jizhou branch."

Tao Yuan and Zhou Hui looked up at the same time.

"Go find Magistrate Zhao, rent the surrounding wasteland, and then hire people to cultivate it. Expand grain planting next year."

"The farmers who come to work will be paid 150 coins per person, paid daily."

"This way, people will have money in their hands and can support themselves until the newly planted grains ripen."

Zhou Hui and Tao Yuan exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with surprise.

"Are the people taking the wages we pay them to buy our grain?"

"right."

Gu Mingyue nodded.

"If the people can survive, the Jizhou branch of Pujitang can become the granary of the north in the future."

"Finally, there's the brewing and sales of Sanliangye. The distillery is already under construction and is expected to start production in about two weeks. In the future, the finest sorghum seeds will be selected and planted specifically in the Jizhou region. This is to ensure the quality of Sanliangye."

Tao Yuan cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, his expression solemn.

"Don't worry, boss, we will definitely make the Jizhou branch a great success."

Gu Mingyue: "..."

Actually, it doesn't need to be too popular.

"You must remember that our Pujitang is not in it for the money, but simply to help improve people's lives."

Tao Yuan and Zhou Hui were even more moved and excitedly replied:

"Understood! Don't worry, boss!"

That afternoon.

The entrance to Pujitang Grain Shop was already crowded with people.

Some people carried bamboo baskets on their backs, while others carried cloth bags, all staring longingly at the tightly closed door.

"I heard there's no grain left to sell in the whole city today!"

"However, Pujitang said they've switched to selling other things."

"What do you sell? Is it edible?"

The crowd was buzzing with discussion.

The door of the grain shop finally creaked open.

Tao Yuan led several employees of Pujitang out from inside.

He cleared his throat and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Dear fellow villagers! Starting today, Pujitang Grain Shop will temporarily suspend the sale of rice and will instead sell new grain!"

The crowd immediately erupted in uproar.

"Huh? How long is 'short-term'? Will there be more rice for sale later?"

"What is new grain?"

Tao Yuan waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

"Don't worry, everyone! This new grain is even more filling than regular rice! It's only five coins a pound!"

Dissenting voices arose from the crowd.

"What is it?"

Tao Yuan pulled out several clean potatoes and sweet potatoes from the sack behind him and held them high.

"Look everyone! These are potatoes and sweet potatoes!"

The people craned their necks and squeezed forward, trying to see what it was.

Someone muttered under their breath, "Aren't these the clods of dirt that the Pujitang employees dug up the other day?"

"Yes, yes, yes! I went digging there too! They said it was for medicinal purposes!"

"Can medicinal herbs still be eaten?"

Tao Yuan clapped his hands to attract attention.

"Folks! These two things are not only edible, but they're also incredibly filling! You can boil them, steam them, or roast them!"

He turned and pointed to the makeshift stove set up at the entrance of the grain shop.

"Seeing is believing! Come on! We won't keep you in suspense today; we'll make a few dishes for you to try right here!"

The men quickly got to work.

Some people slice potatoes and stir-fry them, while others wash sweet potatoes and put them directly into the charcoal fire to roast.

Soon, the aroma of stir-fried potato slices wafted out.

The aroma of scallions and salt, combined with the natural sweetness and softness of the potatoes, is enough to make your mouth water.

Roasted sweet potatoes are even more outrageous.

As soon as the aroma of caramelized sweetness wafted out, the onlookers collectively swallowed hard.

"It smells so good..."

"This smells... even better than wheat cakes!"

The waiter ladled the stir-fried potato slices into rough porcelain bowls and handed them out to the crowd one by one.

"Come on, everyone! It's free!"

The people took the bowl with some skepticism, picked up a slice of potato with their chopsticks, and put it in their mouths.

After chewing a couple of times, their eyes lit up.

"Soft, chewy, and savory! Delicious!"

The roasted sweet potatoes were also cut into small pieces and distributed.

An old man took a bite, and the steaming hot sweet potato melted in his mouth, so sweet that he squinted his eyes.

"Mmm! So sweet! Delicious!"

"This thing... can it really be eaten as food?"

Tao Yuan shouted, "Of course it can be used as food, and it can even be made into a side dish!"

"If we plant this, it can yield 2,000 catties per mu! If we grow some at home, we won't have to worry about going hungry in years of disaster!"

"Two thousand catties?!"

The crowd erupted in uproar.

"Did I hear that right?"

"Good heavens! That's several times more than wheat!"

Tao Yuan struck while the iron was hot.

"Furthermore! Starting today, Pujitang will teach everyone how to plant crops for free! If your land has already failed, hurry up and replant now, and you'll be able to harvest your own grain in three months!"

These words caused an uproar among the people.

A middle-aged woman pushed her way to the front and asked excitedly:

"Shopkeeper! Is your boss really a living saint?! Can this stuff really be produced in such large quantities? That's enough food to save our whole family's lives!"

"Really!" Tao Yuan nodded.

"Free tutorial on sprouting seeds!"

"As long as you bury it in the soil and water it regularly, it will survive!"

The crowd erupted in cheers.

"Quick! Give me ten pounds!"

"I want twenty pounds!"

A long queue instantly formed in front of the grain store.

Gu Mingyue and Taozhi sat in a carriage by the street, watched this scene, and then lowered the curtains.

"Let's go, everything's settled here. Let's go find my brother. Before we go back to Beijing, we need to visit Father's old house."