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Chapter 574: We'll Go All In, No Matter the Cost

After the river channel was widened, a steady stream of cargo ships arrived in Jishan County, Jiangzhou.

At the same time, numerous waterwheels were desperately built along both banks of the river.

For the past few days, the heavens had blessed them with ceaseless rain.

Yet, the carpenters remained tirelessly at work, braving the downpour to frantically construct waterwheels.

Jishan was a crucial agricultural hub; if its farming thrived, the entire city would flourish. There was no reason for the carpenters not to give their all.

Mo Xiaopin, serving as Jiangzhou's Baojia head, militia instructor, and effectively the current administrator of Jiangzhou, had been absolutely consumed with worry these past few days, relentlessly organizing farmers for the final preparations before spring plowing.

It was already the winter of the fourth year of Chongzhen, and with the Lunar New Year fast approaching, spring plowing was imminent. Time was truly of the essence.

Just as he was swamped with work, another large vessel sailed into view.

Mo Xiaopin glanced at the river and let out a soft "Eh?" The approaching ship wasn't a cargo vessel at all, but a passenger boat—the kind high officials and dignitaries would use for leisurely cruises on the Qinhuai River.

But then he immediately understood. The boat had neither sails nor oars, clearly another one of those peculiar vessels used by Mr. Bai's group.

In a flash, Mo Xiaopin deduced that important figures must be onboard. He quickly set aside his work and hurried to the dock.

The cabin door of the pleasure boat opened, and from within emerged a young lady who appeared delicate, shy, and somewhat timid. She looked no older than sixteen or seventeen, a prim and proper young mistress.

Yet, trailing behind her were not maidservants, but a group of young men. These men didn't seem ordinary either; each appeared remarkably learned, exuding the air of scholars.

Mo Xiaopin thought to himself, "These are all children of high officials and noble families!"

Such people were best not offended. Heaven knew what positions their elders held in court; displeasing just one could easily lead to ruin for his entire family.

With that in mind, he hastily stepped forward, clasping his hands in a respectful salute. "Young sirs and madam, are you here to visit Jiangzhou? I am Mo Xiaopin; you may call me Overseer Mo. May I inquire..."

The leading young lady immediately darted behind the group, evidently unaccustomed to dealing with strangers.

To his surprise, the young men were quite polite, displaying none of the arrogance typical of privileged youths. Instead, they collectively offered a proper salute to Mo Xiaopin. "Overseer Mo," one spoke, "we are from Gao Family Village, Chengcheng County, Shaanxi, and we are chemistry interns."

"Chemistry majors? Interns?" Mo Xiaopin couldn't make heads or tails of it. All he knew was that any title ending with "sheng" usually denoted a scholar, so it was best to build good rapport. He continued his bow. "Esteemed guests, as you are new to the area, if you don't mind, I would be honored to show you around."

Upon hearing this, the young men collectively turned their heads to look at the young lady still hiding behind them.

Mo Xiaopin realized, the sixteen or seventeen-year-old young lady was their leader!

To his astonishment, the young men actually asked the young lady, "Teacher San, please make the decision."

It turned out this young lady was San Shier's daughter, Miss San!

She had served as a chemistry teacher at Gao Family Village School and was also the female director of the Gao Family Village Chemical Factory, enjoying a distinguished reputation throughout the village.

Despite her widespread renown, she possessed a timid and shy nature, highly unsuited for interacting with strangers. Mo Xiaopin's "proactive greeting" had startled her earlier, and now she was hiding behind her students.

Seeing everyone's eyes on her, she finally composed herself, clearing her throat lightly. "We are new to this place and unfamiliar with its ways. Having Overseer Mo guide us around would be ideal. Shouldn't you all thank him?"

The interns promptly clasped their hands in salute to Mo Xiaopin. "Thank you, Overseer Mo."

Once the greetings were exchanged, Miss San finally seemed to settle her nerves and stopped panicking. She cautiously stepped to the front of the group, with her interns trailing behind, all wearing earnest expressions.

Mo Xiaopin, too, was now quite bewildered. If this young lady were the daughter of a high official, it wouldn't be strange for other wealthy scions, whose elders held lower ranks, to defer to her. But for them all to call her "Teacher" was simply astounding.

Mo Xiaopin asked, "Teacher San, what brings you here...?"

Miss San's small face flushed crimson, clearly suffering from stage fright, but she spoke in a soft, quiet voice. "Jishan County, Jiangzhou, is a vital agricultural region. Since ancient times, it has been primarily focused on farming, and with irrigation and navigation provided by the Fen River, it possesses excellent conditions. Therefore, this area is certainly destined to be developed as a major agricultural center."

"Hmm?" Mo Xiaopin murmured, puzzled.

Miss San continued, "This area will definitely require large quantities of celestial fertilizer in the future. We can't rely solely on transport; we must build a large-scale chemical factory locally."

Mo Xiaopin was utterly bewildered.

This was entirely beyond his comprehension, a complete blind spot in his knowledge. He simply couldn't understand what she was talking about.

Miss San turned to her interns. "Your most important task here is to learn how to build a chemical fertilizer plant from scratch."

The interns responded in unison, "Understood, Teacher San."

Mo Xiaopin stammered, "Uh... uh... what am I supposed to say?"

Miss San's face reddened. "Ah! Um... my apologies, I didn't explain clearly... it's just..." She truly struggled with speaking to strangers, her words catching in her throat three times in a single sentence.

Unable to continue, she waved a hand. "Interns, you explain it for me."

Instantly, the group of students swarmed around Mo Xiaopin, eagerly explaining the intricacies of celestial fertilizer, one after another.

Mo Xiaopin listened for a long while, his head swimming, before finally grasping a tiny fraction of it: there was a substance that could significantly improve crop yields, called celestial fertilizer, and it needed to be produced in something called a chemical factory.

Mo Xiaopin thought to himself, "These people must all be adherents of the Heavenly Lord Daoist Sect. From their speech and demeanor, it's clear their parents hold extremely high positions within the sect."

What they proposed to do, he still didn't fully comprehend, nor did he know if it would be profitable. However, investing a share would surely not be a mistake. Even if he lost money, it would be an investment in goodwill.

He needed to broaden his perspective.

Earning goodwill was far more valuable than simply earning money.

Mo Xiaopin put on a beaming face. "Teacher San! Since this... 'thing' you've described is so beneficial for agricultural development and improving crop yields, then it truly is a good thing for both the nation and its people! As someone named Mo, I have no reason not to pursue it. I'll go all in, even if it means selling everything I own. Count me in on this venture!"