Zhao Jiaqi felt like she had fallen into a pit.
This pit was specifically for making money, and suddenly, she felt this trip was quite worthwhile.
However, she didn't plan to grow greenhouse vegetables herself. She still wanted to cooperate with Helian Zhicheng, which would be a more conservative approach.
To better understand the local area, the couple, along with a translator, took to the streets the next day.
After a tour of the market, aside from the vegetables being a bit expensive, other items like meat were relatively similar in price. The most expensive item was grain.
"Husband, I want to try growing greenhouse vegetables in this place!"
"Greenhouse?" Fan Zehao raised an eyebrow, then directly shook his head, "The land here can't even grow grain. Can it grow vegetables?"
Zhao Jiaqi was also unsure, "I haven't seen what the land here is like. If I can see it, I'll know if it can be grown!"
Seeing that his wife was still so persistent, Fan Zehao understood that no matter how he refused, it would be useless. So, he decided to accompany her.
Some people never learn until they hit a wall.
The couple went to the nearby fields and carefully observed several villages. They discovered that the land here was all saline-alkali land, which would require improvement before it could be planted.
Looking at the land that had been neglected for so long, Zhao Jiaqi sighed softly, what a pity, this was originally good land, but it had become barren.
Fan Zehao saw his wife sighing leisurely and initially thought she was disappointed that the land couldn't be farmed. However, the result greatly surprised him.
"This land can be farmed, it's just a bit troublesome!"
Upon hearing this, Fan Zehao didn't show any happy expression; his face was more of a grimace. His wife saying this meant she was preparing to reclaim this land.
As they walked back, they passed by the harbor and decided to go together to witness the spectacle of catching seafood. All the boats were filled with seafood, yet the fishermen didn't seem particularly joyful.
Days like these felt like a repetition, devoid of much pleasure, like zombies walking on a road.
There was no sign of vibrant life.
Zhao Jiaqi looked at the seafood being brought ashore. It wasn't particularly plump, but it was edible. At this season, it was impossible to find plump seafood.
Walking along the coast, she occasionally picked up shells and chased after the waves. Her shoes were wet, but it couldn't dampen her joyful smile.
Since arriving in Dingbeiliao, his wife hadn't been this happy. Especially now, she was acting like a child, which brought a long-lost smile to Fan Zehao's face as well.
He chased after her, and the two laughed and played, astonishing onlookers. Were they so full of energy that they weren't hungry?
At this moment, they were afraid to speak too much, lest they become hungry faster, and then have to eat more grain, which was prohibitively expensive. Only those who worked hard could afford to eat it.
The wives and daughters at home only got to eat it occasionally during the New Year.
Zhao Jiaqi, who was running and playing, was attracted by some plants by the sea. She walked closer to examine them and discovered, to her surprise, that it was saltwater rice!
Excitedly, she grabbed her husband's sleeve, "Quick, look, it's saltwater rice!"
Fan Zehao was baffled. He saw it was rice, but how did it become saltwater rice?
"Rice is grown in water, using river water. River water is not salty, so growing rice is very successful!"
Zhao Jiaqi pointed to the few well-grown stalks of saltwater rice, "This is saltwater rice, grown with seawater. It's not only salt-tolerant, but even if it floods for days, this saltwater rice is fine and can still grow!"
Hearing his wife explain, Fan Zehao became curious, "If what you say is true, then this saltwater rice is a good thing. Why isn't it planted locally?"
Zhao Jiaqi offered a few possibilities.
"First, there's no one here who knows how to plant saltwater rice, or even recognizes it. They might mistake it for wild grass!"
"Second, the conditions for planting are also an important factor. If I weren't from a later generation, I might not recognize it even if I saw it!"
Fan Zehao chuckled, "That's the main point!"
The two looked at each other and smiled. The sea breeze blew, lifting Zhao Jiaqi's skirt and scattering her worries.
"I want to experiment and see if I can grow saltwater rice. If it succeeds, it will bring fortune to the hardworking people of this land!"
Seeing his wife's glowing face, Fan Zehao felt he had no other option but to support her.
With this discovery, she returned to the separate residence and began researching the harvested saltwater rice. She would be occupied for days, sometimes not being seen for several days.
Meanwhile, Duan Yao had finished her work at the workshop and hadn't seen her sister-in-law for several days. She asked the housekeeper, "Do you know what the Princess Consort has been busy with lately?"
The housekeeper frowned and replied uncertainly, "I overheard her say something about researching some kind of rice, and then I haven't seen the Princess Consort. She only comes out occasionally for meals."
Rice?
Duan Yao shook her head slightly. The land in their region had already been thoroughly studied. It was only suitable for growing medicinal herbs, and there were some barren areas where nothing could grow, let alone rice.
She thought her sister-in-law researching this was a waste of energy; she should rest.
No, she couldn't let her sister-in-law get exhausted. If she were to fall ill, it wouldn't just be her own worry; the Prince would surely fly into a rage. Everyone knew how much the Prince cherished the Princess Consort.
With this thought, her footsteps led her to that room.
After knocking a few times, Fan Zehao opened the door. Seeing that it was the Empress, he stepped out, "I'll leave my wife to you. I'll head back first!"
Duan Yao understood that he was inconveniencing them by being there, so he was making way for the two sisters-in-law to have a proper chat.
She nodded gratefully to Fan Zehao, "Don't worry, I will definitely take good care of the Princess Consort!"
With the Empress's assurance, Fan Zehao returned to the bedroom with peace of mind.
In the dimly lit room, rows of boxes on the bed startled Duan Yao, leaving her confused.
"Sister-in-law, what are you doing?"
Zhao Jiaqi beckoned her over, "Second Sister-in-law, come and see!"
Duan Yao followed her gaze and saw some sprouting seeds. "What are these?"
She couldn't quite make them out. She had never worked in the fields and had never seen seeds before.
Zhao Jiaqi smiled, with a hint of pride, "These are saltwater rice seeds. If they can be successfully cultivated into seedlings, it means that rice can be grown on your land."
Growing rice, the words sounded like a fairy tale to Duan Yao.
After a moment of stunned silence, she chuckled, "Sister-in-law, this joke isn't funny at all. Our land here is truly only suitable for medicinal herbs!"
"We've tried growing rice before, but the results were disappointing. It wouldn't even sprout, let alone grow!"
Seeing her agitation, Zhao Jiaqi immediately placed the sprouting seeds before her. "Look into my eyes, and then look at these seeds. Do I look like I'm joking with you?"