Chapter 1102: Didn't Dare to Believe a Single Word
Kaixian County.
Ran Ke, the Pacification Commissioner for Kaixian County, regarded Padi Tu with a peculiar expression.
After days of interaction, Ran Ke had confirmed one undeniable fact: the man before him possessed formidable combat prowess. His musketeers, in particular, were terrifyingly effective; not a single rebel could break through their lines.
What’s more, these musketeers also demonstrated impressive tactical discipline.
They had meticulously shored up every defensive weak point in the city. Several times, the rebels outside attempted covert maneuvers, only to be thwarted preemptively by these musketeers, who left no opening for attack.
With Padi Tu at the helm, Kaixian County was as solid as a mountain.
However...
While his musketeers were undeniably formidable, their general was prone to grandstanding and exaggeration, rarely uttering a sentence that wasn't over the top.
As the saying goes, "a cowardly soldier may ruin one, but a cowardly general ruins the whole lot."
Ran Ke’s head throbbed. *Look,* he thought, *he’s boasting again.*
Padi Tu, utterly oblivious to the peculiar glint in Ran Ke’s eyes, continued to prattle on with an air of triumph: “General Ran, I’m not just boasting, but our new crops—potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes—along with the Celestial Fertilizer, once introduced to your mountain villages, will ensure your Kaixian Tujia people never suffer hunger again. I guarantee it.”
Ran Ke dearly wanted to reply, *I'd believe you if I were a fool.*
But, exercising the fundamental social graces of a seasoned official, he managed to keep a polite smile plastered on his face, feigning belief in Padi Tu’s claims. “Oh, these new crops sound truly astonishing,” he said. “I absolutely must try them.”
He silently added: *Strange things I’ve never even heard of. They’re probably dreadful to eat, aren’t they? And whether they’ll yield anything at all is anyone’s guess. I don’t believe a word you’re saying.*
Padi Tu continued to boast: “It won’t be long before my logistics team arrives, and with them, all sorts of delicious provisions and fine clothes. We’ll arrange everything for you. Your Tujia people won’t have to hide away in the mountains anymore. Come out, stroll around, and interact more with us Han people. Let’s all live happily together!”
Ran Ke’s smile remained fixed. “Ah, that would be truly marvelous, thank you,” he replied.
Yet, in his mind, he scoffed: *Logistics team, my foot! This Sichuan region is riddled with complex terrain, and with rebels running rampant, how could anyone transport goods on a large scale? Besides, there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. You’ll just ship in massive amounts of goods and then ‘arrange’ them for me? I wouldn’t believe a word of it!*
Ran Ke had never in his life encountered someone so fond of grand pronouncements; it was truly a monumental headache.
He was still vigorously complaining in his mind when the Kaixian County Magistrate rushed in from outside, eyes wide with delight. “Master Tu, your logistics team has arrived! They’re here! So many carts, so much grain—oh, it’s incredible, so, so much!”
Padi Tu sprang to his feet, a wide grin splitting his face. “Hahahaha, they’re finally here, are they? Excellent! Let’s go, let’s go! We can finally make a grand display in front of the refugees!”
“Wait, wait, wait... they actually came?” Ran Ke blinked.
He genuinely hadn’t anticipated that the boaster’s words would ever materialize. With a completely bewildered expression, he trailed behind the Kaixian County Magistrate and Padi Tu as they headed outside.
The moment they reached the top of the south city wall, they beheld an endless procession on the official road stretching south. It was a dizzying array of horse-drawn carriages, ox carts, single-wheeled handcarts, and every other imaginable conveyance.
In the challenging terrain of Sichuan, the humble single-wheeled handcart was truly a marvel for transport. Yet, its carrying capacity was modest, meaning that even a slightly larger consignment of goods would inevitably stretch into a seemingly endless convoy.
The procession was impossibly long. The lead handcart was already at the city gates, while the tail of the column was still winding its way out of the distant mountains.
“Ah?!” Ran Ke gasped. “It really *is* a large-scale transport convoy! Master Tu, you... you weren’t lying to me after all?”
Padi Tu stared blankly.
He suddenly realized that the man hadn't believed a single word he’d uttered before.
This realization was infuriating.
Padi Tu, in a flash, leaped over to a handcart and demanded, “What are you transporting in there?”
The logistics soldier chuckled. “Corn, Master Tu. I’m carrying corn.”
“Excellent!” Padi Tu declared, hoisting the tarpaulin from the cart. He then pulled out a sack of corn, weighing around ten catties, carried it up to the city wall, and dropped the bag before Ran Ke and the County Magistrate. “See for yourselves! This is one of the new crops, called corn.”
Ran Ke cautiously untied the sack and retrieved a golden-yellow ear of corn. He held it in his hand, turning it over, examining it from all angles. “This is... just one ear?”
Padi Tu grinned. “Precisely. One ear is this big. Hehehe.”
That statement truly startled Ran Ke. If a single ear was indeed this substantial, then the yield of this crop would undoubtedly surpass rice by an unimaginable margin.
Padi Tu continued, “What’s more, this crop isn’t as finicky about soil as rice. It can be cultivated even on extremely barren land. Hehe, that’s right, I’m talking about your region, with its ‘Karst topography.’ It’s very difficult to grow rice here, isn’t it?”
“Ah?” Ran Ke blinked. “What ‘Karst topography’?”
Padi Tu shrugged. “I don’t know why it’s called that, but the Heavenly Lord told me that’s what the landform here is. Oh well, if you don’t understand, never mind. It just means rocky mountains.”
“This... this thing can really grow on rocky mountains?” Ran Ke asked incredulously.
Padi Tu snorted. “Of course! Why would I lie about that?”
Ran Ke reluctantly conceded the point, yet as he gazed at the enormous ear of corn in his hand, he couldn’t help but declare, “This surely can’t taste good.”
Padi Tu retorted, “Whether it tastes good or not, won’t we know once we cook it? Oh, and by the way, steaming makes it even sweeter. So, let’s steam it.”
Both Ran Ke and the County Magistrate found their curiosity thoroughly piqued. They quickly instructed their subordinates to prepare massive steamers and commence cooking...
The steaming process, fortunately, didn’t take long.
The sprawling transport convoy hadn't even finished unloading its goods within the city walls when the first batch was ready, the lid lifted from the steaming pot.
The instant the lid was removed, the sweet, earthy aroma of corn wafted out, assailing their nostrils.
Ran Ke took a single sniff, and his expression instantly transformed. “So fragrant!” he exclaimed.
The County Magistrate echoed, “Even the air has become sweet and fragrant.”
Each man picked up an ear of corn and brought it to his lips.
With every slow, deliberate bite, their expressions began to subtly shift.
“Delicious!”
“This is truly delicious.”
“Master Tu, were all the things you said before... actually true?”
“Master Tu, weren’t you just spinning tales?”
Padi Tu threw up his hands. “Hey, hey, hey! Every single word this Master Tu utters is the absolute truth! I’ve never told a single lie, alright? Why do you always assume I’m fabricating things?”
Ran Ke chuckled, a mixture of amusement and exasperation on his face. “Master Tu,” he said, “the way you speak—your tone, your cadence, even your hand gestures—it truly makes it sound like you’re just boasting! Anyone would take you for a petty rogue who never speaks a word of truth, relying solely on bluster to navigate the world.”
Padi Tu was speechless.
“But now,” Ran Ke continued, “I understand that you, Master Tu, are a man of your word, a true hero of the martial world. This friendship with you—our Kaixian Tujia people are honored to forge it, without a doubt.”
Padi Tu grumbled, “Why do I suddenly feel less than thrilled?”
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