Traveling through time with a house, I teach people all over the country how to farm

Chapter 556: New Year's Greetings at the Duke's Mansion

Since Zheng Sisi has already lived on her own and has severed ties with the Xie family, there are no elders in the family, so she does not need to go out to pay New Year's greetings today. She only needs to go to her maternal grandparents' house tomorrow to complete the task of paying New Year's greetings.

On the second day of the Chinese New Year, Zheng Sisi was going to the Duke's Mansion to pay New Year's greetings, and Sheng Zhen wanted to follow her closely. Zheng Sisi was helpless, and she said, "We haven't gotten married yet, it's not good for you to go with us now."

Sheng Zhen said cheekily: "There's nothing wrong with it. If it were someone else, they would want me to go with them, right?"

"Okay, okay, okay, you have a great reputation, so come with us." So the two of them went to the Duke's Mansion with a cart full of gifts. Zheng Sisi also prepared a novel gift for everyone in the Duke's Mansion. The ladies had perfumes and cosmetics, and the men had some useful gadgets, including military kettles and thermos cups from several uncles and cousins.

Zheng Sisi felt that the gifts she prepared for everyone were very thoughtful and should be welcomed, but she was still a little worried. After all, she didn't know whether these gifts would suit everyone's tastes and preferences.

When they arrived at the Duke's Mansion, the servant at the door saw them, immediately came to greet them, and announced loudly: "The third prince and the princess are here!" Upon hearing the news, the entire Duke's Mansion was in an uproar.

Everyone ran out of their rooms to greet them, their faces filled with joy. The Duke and his wife personally came to the door to greet them, and Zheng Sisi and Sheng Zhen bowed to them.

Afterwards, Zheng Sisi handed the gifts she brought to Rose and Lily and asked them to distribute them. The Duke and his wife were very happy to see the gifts.

This wave of gifts also dazzled everyone's eyes, and everyone was very fond of them. In particular, several aunts received the legendary perfume, and they treasured it as if they had received holy water. The eldest aunt sprayed it on herself to try it out on the spot.

Zheng Sisi learned that her uncle was leaving Beijing for the north on the fifth day of the first lunar month. After hearing the news, she couldn't help feeling a sense of loss.

She immediately said, "I will go back and prepare a few carts of gifts for my uncles to take to the North."

However, the reality made her feel helpless. Her uncle hurriedly stopped her and said firmly: "Sisi, don't bother preparing gifts. We have to hurry back this time and ride as fast as we can. Although the border was relatively peaceful last year, we still can't let our guard down in case the enemy comes to rob us of our food because of food shortage."

When Zheng Sisi heard this, she was shocked. She never expected the situation to be so serious.

She couldn't help feeling depressed, and slowly said, "I had planned to prepare a few carriages for my uncles to fill with potatoes and sweet potatoes and take them to the north. It would be much more convenient to grow these crops there than to transport food from here."

Boss Zheng looked embarrassed. He knew the importance and high-yield characteristics of these two kinds of grains. If he could bring a batch of seeds over, it would be a great help to the people in the north.

Zheng Laoer pondered for a moment and made a suggestion: "Why don't we wait for your second cousin to go and take these things with us."

My second cousin wants to go after he gets married, but there are still a few months left, so it will be too late. Zheng Sisi said, "By the time my second cousin goes, the planting season will have passed."

Sheng Zhen thought for a moment, then said, "How about this, uncles go out as usual, you prepare the things you are going to take, and I will find a reliable team to help deliver them, so that we won't waste time."

Zheng Sisi's eyes lit up, and she thought this was a good idea. She said happily, "That's good too. I can also prepare some more seeds of other kinds of vegetables, such as peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, pumpkins, and green vegetables."

"Also, we can arrange for two servants who are familiar with planting to go with us. Let them stay there for two years and teach the locals how to grow these crops. In this way, the North will be able to be self-sufficient in the future and no longer need to rely on food shipped from other places."

Duke Zheng nodded in agreement after hearing this. He smiled and said, "That's great! If the North can produce its own food, there will be no need to transport large amounts of food from all over the country. Not only can it save manpower and material resources, but it can also ensure the living needs of local residents."

Zheng Sisi continued, "After arriving in the north, uncles must organize people to cultivate the land as soon as possible. I will give you a formula for composting, and you prepare the fertilizer according to the requirements. Once the seeds are delivered, they can be sown directly. However, this time we will not prepare rice seeds, because the climate conditions in the north may not allow for the cultivation of double-season rice."

Several people thought that Zheng Sisi's idea was good and thoughtful. She even arranged people who knew how to plant. With professional guidance, the people in the north just needed to follow her lead and it would save a lot of trouble.