The villagers of Yunjia Village were stumped by Li Ying's words and fell silent for a moment.
Li Ying seemed to have anticipated this reaction. With a faint smile, she calmly said, "The matter of the business route is actually easy to deal with."
"The Peace Bank has no shortage of skilled craftsmen. The horse caravan heroes are familiar with the terrain, and the fishing village has abundant funds. As long as the villagers cooperate, it's not difficult to extend a flat path from the official road directly to Yunjia Village."
Village Head Yun never expected Li Ying to say such things. His face was filled with astonishment.
Building a mountain road to get out of Yunjia Village and reach the outside world was something they had never dared to dream of for years. It would cost a great deal of manpower and material resources. But now, this Miss Li was so confident and nonchalant about it?
Li Ying noticed his eagerness and calmly continued to explain.
"Village Head Yun, don't worry about the silver needed for road - building. The fishing village and the bank will bear all the costs. However, after the business route and the inn are completed, for ten years, all the tolls paid by travelers passing through Yunjia Village will belong to my Peace Bank. How about that?"
Village Head Yun showed a hesitant look, obviously calculating in his mind.
The business route was built relying on Yunjia Village, but they couldn't get a single bit of profit from it. It seemed a bit of a loss.
It was Bamboo Shoot who impatiently shouted, "Dad, don't be too greedy! If it weren't for Miss Li and Lord Lu's kind help, we would have a hard time surviving on our own, let alone building a road! We're just offering some worthless labor. Miss Li's proposal is already a great benefit to us!"
Li Ying nodded secretly. This young man, Bamboo Shoot, was devoted to his sister and was a clear - minded person. It would be reliable to hand over Yunjia Village to him in the future.
The villagers were enlightened by Bamboo Shoot's words. Seeing that the majority was in favor, Village Head Yun no longer hesitated. He gritted his teeth and agreed.
Li Ying signed a document with Yunjia Village, stating that she would soon arrange the staff of the Peace Bank to come for measurement. After the business route was open, all kinds of pickled seaweeds needed by Yunjia Village every month would be delivered by the horse caravan. All kinds of mountain products and mushrooms would also be purchased by the horse caravan after being dried.
After reaching an agreement, Li Ying didn't waste any more time. She heard from the villagers that the well water in Yunjia Village was from the same source as that in the nearby Dengjia Village. After a hasty dinner, she was about to set off.
The main course naturally included all kinds of mushrooms from Yunjia Village. Seeing Li Ying busy, Lu Xunguang naturally took the bamboo basket from her hand and was about to wash the basin of plain - looking mushrooms.
Li Ying quickly stopped him and said, "No! These are matsutake. You mustn't soak them repeatedly. The dirty - looking brown - black outer skin contains highly nutritious matsutake alcohol. If you scrape it all clean, it would be a waste."
As she spoke, she took out a thin bamboo knife, carefully scraped off the mud attached to the roots of the matsutake, then rinsed them slightly with a very thin stream of water, and cut them into slices of appropriate thickness.
She melted a thin layer of butter on a heated stone slab, neatly arranged the matsutake in a row, fried them until both sides were golden and slightly charred, and then sprinkled a layer of freshly ground coarse sea salt and pepper. This salt - baked matsutake had a tender texture. When eaten, it burst out fragrant juice in the mouth, with a faint and fresh pine fragrance. Every bite was delicious.
She removed the stems from the morel mushrooms, cut them in half, stuffed them with minced meat, pressed it slightly, evenly coated them with a thin layer of starch, and fried them in a pan over low heat until the meat patties smelled fragrant. Then she added yellow rice wine, soy sauce, and oyster sauce and simmered them.
The minced meat absorbed the delicious soup of the morel mushrooms and became extremely tender and delicious. The morel mushrooms also took on a strong meaty aroma. Every bite allowed one to taste the unique crispy and tender texture of the mushrooms and the softness of the meat patties. The two complemented each other perfectly.
The remaining morel stems and other miscellaneous mushrooms were cleaned and stewed with the small mountain chicken hunted by Lu Xunguang. This mushroom and chicken soup was refreshing but not bland. Every mouthful was full of fragrance. One sip could warm a person from the mouth to the lungs.
After a sumptuous meal, at night, Granny Sun took Mianmian back to the carriage to sleep on her own. Only Li Ying quietly walked up to Lu Xunguang. Seeing his furrowed brows and serious face, she gently patted his shoulder.
"Don't worry, Lu. The boss has Manager Du and a group of famous doctors with him. There must be no problem."
"We'll reach Dengjia Village tomorrow. As long as the well water is suitable, I'll definitely be able to refine the Nine - Dynasty Tribute Glue!"
She held Lu Xunguang's hand and vowed. Lu Xunguang just nodded but didn't say a word.
Li Ying changed the topic and said, "Lu, today I took the liberty to agree on the cooperation among the bank, the fishing village, and Yunjia Village..."
Before she could finish, Lu Xunguang waved his hand indifferently.
"A Ying, I've said before that if you want it, even if I were to hand over the entire Peace Bank to you, so be it. Opening a business route is a thing with all benefits and no harm. How could I be so unreasonable?"
Li Ying was touched but still seriously explained to him.
"The Peace Bank has been lying low for several years. Lian Ji has been neglecting its operation. It has already lost many industries, both openly and secretly. Now, if it wants to make a comeback, the simplest way is to start anew.
"The horse caravan transporting mushrooms and seaweeds is a brand - new business. Building a road for Yunjia Village seems like a complete loss, but before I left, I carefully checked the topographic map. There are many mountain villages along the way with rich products, but they lack a way to transport their goods out."
After the business route was completed, Yunjia Village would only be the first stop. Opening up the mountain - village market and completely connecting the mountain villages with the fishing village would bring endless business opportunities!
Seeing Lu Xunguang nodding frequently, Li Ying excitedly told him about her plan to open a "seaweed farm" after returning to the village.
The situation of the mountain villagers having a monotonous diet and lacking iodine couldn't only exist in Yunjia Village. If the seaweed from the fishing village was to be supplied to the mountain villages along the entire business route, what was obtained from beach - combing would surely be far from enough.
Sea lettuce was tender and suitable for making soup. Sargassum was crispy and tasted extremely refreshing when cold - dressed or cooked in hot - pot. Wakame was suitable for being pickled into spicy and delicious porridge accompaniments. Sea grapes were crystal - clear, like a plate of emerald jade, very attractive. All of these naturally needed to be cultivated!
She was speaking animatedly. Looking at Li Ying like this, Lu Xunguang suddenly hooked his lips and smiled.
"Having a wife like you, what more could I ask for?"
"A Ying, just go ahead with confidence. I'll take care of everything. You don't need to have any concerns."
His trust in her made Li Ying blush involuntarily.
She stood on tiptoe, put her hands around Lu Xunguang's neck, and gave him a kiss on the face.
"Lu, having you is my greatest fortune in three lifetimes."