There is a Wangfu wife at home

Chapter 461 Discovering Cotton (Part [-])
As soon as the city gate opened, Juan, who was guarding first, raised his whip happily and drove the horse out of the city gate.
Run onto the road outside the city.

Zhao Shicheng's carriage followed.

Although the weather in the past few days is still cold, the weather is fine, and it is convenient to drive on days without rain or snow.

The headlights illuminate the road, and there is a bright moon in the sky, so the road is not strenuous.

The avenue to the north is wide enough for two or three carriages to walk side by side.

Zhao Tong drove the carriage and walked side by side with Juan's carriage.

The north wind was blowing hard, and the carriage trotted forward.

Two small coachmen of about the same age chatted from time to time.

One speaks Lin'an official dialect, and the other speaks the rural dialect of Yuezhou City.

The pronunciation is very different, and with half sign language and half guessing, they were able to chat very vigorously.

Juan showed off his newly bought cloak, "My teacher bought it, isn't it pretty?"

Zhao Tong said, "Today's weather is fine, maybe it's sunny. Look, there are many stars in the sky."

Juan said, "It hasn't snowed yet, but it's still cold. Fortunately, I have a new cloak. Except for my cold face, my whole body is warm."

Zhao Tong pointed to both sides of the road again, and said, "Ah, it's frosted, and the ground is white, like it has snowed."

Juan also looked into the field and said, "Why haven't the radishes in this field been harvested yet? It's too cold, and the radishes' hearts are cracked, so it's not good to eat. The radishes in our village have been harvested a long time ago. Put it in the cellar."

The chicken talks with the duck.

Hearing that Li Jiaoniang couldn't help being funny, Luo Cheng couldn't help raising his eyebrows several times.

Zhao Cong seemed to understand everything, he looked at Zhao Tong, then at Hu An, interjecting a few words from time to time.

Listening to three teenagers who are about the same age chatting with each other, walking, it is not lonely or boring.

Before I knew it, the sky was bright.

As soon as the sun came out, the frost on the ground gradually melted and became warmer.

When we arrived at Chenghuang Mountain, more than 100 miles away, the sun had already risen to the treetops.

Li Jiaoniang estimated the time, which is around eight o'clock in the morning in the modern world.

Chenghuang Mountain is taller than Nanshan Mountain, and the roads on the mountain are narrow and rugged.

Lin Mi Road is narrow, and the carriage cannot get on.

Juan and Zhao Tong stopped the carriage.

Both said, "The carriage can't go up the mountain, so it has to stop."

Luo Cheng lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage, looked around, and said, "Then walk up."

After Zhao Cong got off the carriage, he looked around like a curious baby.

Li Jiaoniang carried the gray fur ball and a small hand warmer, and then got out of the carriage.

Chenghuang Mountain is much cuter than Nanshan Mountain. The red maples all over the mountain are like enchanting spring flowers.

But Nanshan grows much more monotonous bamboos, and most of the mountains are monotonous gray-green.

"The scenery here is good." Li Jiaoniang praised, "Ximen Fei is good at choosing a place to live in seclusion."

Zhao Shicheng also got out of the carriage.

He looked around, frowned slightly and said, "I found out that Ximen Fei lives in Chenghuang Mountain, but I don't know which hillside or which hillside he lives in. Should we look for it separately or together? There is more than one way up the mountain. road."

There are four roads up the mountain in front of me, which stump everyone.

Li Jiaoniang smiled slightly and said, "This is a barren mountain. If you go alone, what if you encounter a large beast? Let's go together and take care of each other." She patted the little gray curly ball on the head, "I have Only a little spirit beast leads the way, so you won’t get lost.”

The gray-haired curly ball immediately bared its teeth proudly and pricked up its ears, "I am the smartest in the world."

Zhao Shicheng was surprised, "This little thing, has it been here?"

Li Jiaoniang smiled and said, "No, but didn't Zhao Guanren say that there is a fox's den in Ximen Fei's residence? This little beast recognizes a fox and tells it to look for a fox's scent. Let's follow behind, isn't it? "

Zhao Shicheng laughed in surprise, and said, "In this case, it will save a lot of effort."

"It's not too late, let's go quickly." Li Jiaoniang patted the little head of the gray curly ball, "Lead the way, little guy."

The little guy jumped to the ground and ran towards the leftmost road.

Li Jiaoniang pointed forward, "Go, everyone follow!"

Juan and Zhao Tong were guarding the carriage at the foot of the mountain.

Li Jiaoniang, Luo Cheng, Zhao Cong and Zhao Shicheng followed the gray hairy ball to the mountain.

Luo Cheng was carrying a pannier, holding Li Jiaoniang's hand, and walked in the front.

The mountain road is rugged, but fortunately it is not very steep, and the road is not strenuous.

From the foot of the mountain all the way to the road up the mountain, there are stone steps paved along the road.

It can be seen that there are people living in the place ahead of this road, or people often come and walk.

Before they knew it, the four of them came to a flat place halfway up the mountain.

Seeing that Li Jiaoniang's cheeks were flushed and her forehead was sweating, Luo Cheng said, "Let's rest for a while?" Then he took a cowhide water bag and dry food from the backpack he was carrying and put them on a stone, "Come here Drink some water and eat something."

Dry food is a box of rice cakes.

Four people, one serving per person.

Zhao Shicheng smiled and said, "Brother Luo is so careful, he brought water and food, I forgot."

Luo Cheng smiled slightly and said nothing.

He handed a leather bag and a box of rose cakes to Li Jiaoniang.

This bag contains honey water.

Li Jiaoniang took a sip, looked at him and smiled, she knew that her family's officials were careful and that she loved drinking honey water.

Zhao Shicheng and Zhao Cong each took water and snacks, and the two uncles and nephews sat together and talked.

Luo Cheng took Li Jiaoniang's hand, "Let's sit here."

Beside a rock, there is a pine tree root protruding, shaped like a chair with a backrest, which can be rested on.

Li Jiaoniang took off her cloak, Luo Cheng helped her hold it, and the two leaned on it to drink water and rest.

At this time, Li Jiaoniang unexpectedly saw two cotton trees growing beside a sunny cliff not far ahead.

Li Jiaoniang remembered that history books said that cotton would not start to attract attention in the Central Plains until 50 years later.

And it is only a small-area species. People from the Central Plains originally regarded cotton as an ornamental plant.

Two plants are planted here, and the roots of the cotton trees are tied with bamboo branches to fix the shape of the tree and prevent it from falling.

This shows that these two trees are not wild miscellaneous trees, but were moved here by someone.

But there are only two.

Not like picking cotton for spinning, but like—for viewing?

Seeing that she didn't drink water, Luo Cheng just stared at one place without blinking, and asked in surprise, "Jiaoniang, what's the matter? What are you looking at?"

"There, those two trees with white flowers." Li Jiaoniang put the cowhide water bag in Luo Cheng's hand and walked over.

The land on this mountain is fertile, and the two cotton trees really look like small trees, two ends bigger than hers, and they are covered with white fluffy flower balls, which are really cute.

Luo Cheng said, "This kind of flower tree is rare, what kind of flower is it called?"

Zhao Shicheng also saw the two flowering trees, walked over and said, "This is called cotton. When I was a child, I followed my father to the Xingzhou magistrate's house as a guest. I saw several of these flowering trees planted in his back garden. I asked for seeds to plant in my home in Lin'an City. The water and soil were probably unacceptable, and none of the seeds germinated. I didn't expect that there were two plants here. Seeing that the flower trees were surrounded by bamboo fences, they must have been planted by Ximen Fei from Hulushe. "

Zhao Cong also came over to take a look.

He reached out to touch the snow-white flower and said in surprise, "It's so soft." After smelling it, he frowned and said, "It's strange, why isn't it fragrant? There is no smell at all. Isn't this a flower? Why isn't it fragrant? My nose is sick ?"

Suspecting that something was wrong with his nose, he sniffed vigorously.

Still no scent.

Li Jiaoniang smiled and said, "This kind of flower tree blooms light yellow and red flowers in the early stage, and then turns bright red. After it bears green fruits, it blooms soft white flowers. The white flowers can be used for Cotton thread for making quilts and cotton clothes has no floral fragrance."

Zhao Shicheng asked in surprise, "How do you make clothes?"

Li Jiaoniang said, "It is used like kapok wadding, but it is more productive and warmer than kapok wadding, and the thread spun is stronger and more durable."

Zhao Shicheng was surprised, "Where did Miss Li know about it? I have been to many places when I was a child, but I have never heard of it. The flowers of this kind of flower tree can also be used to make clothes?"

Li Jiaoniang smiled and said, "I heard from an old servant of my family. He heard from my father before he was alive. He said that there are a lot of plants in the Western Regions, and people use this kind of flower weaving to make clothes."

She made up a reason.

Zhao Shicheng came to a sudden, "It turns out that there are a lot of plantings in the Western Regions. I haven't cleared customs with the Western Regions in Song Dynasty for many years. I don't know the details of the situation there for many years."

As he spoke, his expression darkened.

The Dasong court was down and down, bullied all around, and still cleared the customs?It would be polite not to come and stamp a dozen or step on them.Li Jiaoniang secretly mocked in her heart.

Luo Cheng said, "Jiaoniang, why don't you find some cotton seeds and plant them on the mountains where the wasteland is opened?"

(End of this chapter)