You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

I'm currently reading Chapter 266 of the novel "Cola's Novel": This isn't growing vegetables, it's growing gold! I'm completely engrossed in it.

Not long after the last few withered leaves of late autumn were swept away by the cold wind, a chief official from the Ministry of Works' Agricultural Reclamation Office, accompanied by two attendants, rode to Qingxi Village, thirty miles south of Yingtian Prefecture.

The village is small, with about fifty or sixty households. It is backed by a low mountain, and a clear stream meanders in front of the village. The land is not the most fertile, but because the villagers have been skilled in gardening for generations, the melons and vegetables they grow are well-known in the area.

In particular, their cultivation of winter vegetables is always ten days to half a month earlier than elsewhere, hence the name "Qingxi" (meaning "green stream").

It was afternoon, and under the old locust tree at the village entrance, several elderly people sunbathing and children playing curiously watched the three uninvited guests.

The person in charge, surnamed Wu, was a kind-looking middle-aged man. After dismounting, he politely inquired about the village chief's home.

Before long, the somewhat flustered village chief and several village elders who had rushed over upon hearing the news welcomed Wu into their fairly spacious main room.

Upon hearing that the visitor was an official from the Ministry of Works in the capital, everyone felt somewhat uneasy.

"My fellow villagers, there's no need to be alarmed."

Wu, the steward, waved his hand amiably, gesturing for everyone to sit down: "I have come here on the orders of Minister Shen of the Ministry of Works and His Majesty. There is a new task concerning agriculture that we would like to ask your village to be a pilot project for."

"Pilot program?"

The old village chief, surnamed Chen, was a lean and shrewd old man. Hearing this, he asked with puzzlement, "What kind of work are you referring to, sir?"

"Our village doesn't know how to do anything besides farming and tending vegetable gardens."

"What I need is your skill in tending a vegetable garden!"

Master Wu smiled and took out a roll of blueprints and several crystal-clear flat glass samples from a box held by his attendant, and placed them on the table.

"The Ministry of Works of the Imperial Court has recently produced a new type of 'bright tile,' which is translucent, heat-insulating, and extremely durable. His Majesty has decreed that these tiles be used to build greenhouses for growing fresh vegetables during the winter."

"Your village is renowned for its vegetable cultivation techniques. Minister Shen of the Ministry of Works specifically requested that you be entrusted with the task of piloting this greenhouse project."

"Growing vegetables in winter?" An old villager's eyes widened. He picked up a piece of glass, held it up to the light, and then touched it. "This... this thing can be used to build a shed, and it'll keep the house warm in winter?"

"Can it even grow vegetables?"

"This...this is practically divine magic!"

"Yes, sir," another old farmer shook his head, "we can grow some cold-resistant spinach and mustard greens in winter, but that depends on the weather."

"In the dead of winter, the ground is frozen. There's only light, but no heat, so the vegetable seedlings won't survive!"

"Exactly, even if it's warmer inside the shed, it still needs sunshine, right?"

"Winter days are short, it's so boring!"

"Growing fresh vegetables in winter...I've never even heard of that!"

A chorus of questioning voices immediately filled the main room.

No wonder, for thousands of years, farming has always depended on the seasons. Winter is a time when all things wither and lie dormant, waiting for spring – this is an ironclad rule.

This idea of ​​greenhouses is beyond their scope of experience.

Looking at the incredibly clear glass plate on the table, and then at the confident expression on Wu's face, Village Chief Chen was filled with doubt.

He was more knowledgeable than the average villager, and knew that the imperial court had recently come up with many novel things: cement, chicken essence, and garlic potion that was said to prevent rotting flesh...

Can tender green vegetables be grown in winter?

This is really...

As if anticipating their reaction, Manager Wu patiently explained, "Please rest assured, the Ministry of Works has consulted scholars well-versed in agriculture to repeatedly refine this greenhouse method, and has even built small greenhouses for testing. It has indeed proven to be remarkably effective."

"The principle is that these glass tiles can let in light and lock in heat. They can accumulate sunlight and heat during the day and reduce the invasion of cold air at night. The temperature inside the greenhouse can be much higher than outside, just like spring in Jiangnan."

"The imperial court is not asking you to conjure vegetables out of thin air, but rather to provide the materials for the greenhouse, as well as the necessary seedlings and charcoal."

"All you need to do is use your usual skills in tending the vegetable garden and take good care of it."

He paused, then said earnestly, "If this succeeds, not only will the vegetables produced in the greenhouses be sold by your village at a high price, but the imperial court will also provide additional subsidies."

"More importantly, if this method can be widely promoted, the people of the world will also have fresh vegetables to eat in winter, and the soldiers on the frontier will also have fresh vegetables to nourish them in the cold winter. This is a great thing that benefits the country and future generations."

"Your village's name will also be recorded in agricultural history."

Will it be recorded in agricultural history? Will it bring benefits to the nation?

The villagers looked at each other, overwhelmed by the weight of these words.

But the price will definitely be high, and there are additional subsidies, which I understand.

Looking at this official, his words were earnest, and he didn't seem to be there to deceive these peasants.

Village Chief Chen exchanged glances with several village elders, pondered for a while, and then said, "Since it is His Majesty's decree and the imperial court's dispatch, and also..."

"Given Minister Shen's high regard, even though our Qingxi Village is a small place, we cannot be ungrateful!"

"We'll take this job!"

"But we've never tried this method before, what if it fails..."

"It's alright."

Manager Wu: "The Ministry of Works will send a specialist to provide guidance, and they will live and eat with you all, exploring together."

"Let's work together to make this greenhouse a success in Qingxi Village!"

And that's how it was settled.

Although doubts were not completely dispelled, the government's support and the potential benefits drove them forward.

.....

Time flies, and winter has arrived.

On this day, snowflakes unexpectedly fell in Yingtian Prefecture.

The snowflakes were small and fine, like salt, falling on rooftops, treetops, and bluestone paths, quickly turning into damp patches of water, but adding a touch of biting chill to this southern capital.

The largest vegetable market in the east of the city was as bustling as ever.

Despite the damp and cold weather, the place was still bustling with people.

The shouts of vendors, the haggling of customers, the flapping of chickens and ducks, and the rumbling of wheels rolling over the wet ground, all mixed with the smells of various dried goods and pickled vegetables, create a vibrant and bustling scene of everyday life.

"It's so cold today! My hands are stiff!" A middle-aged fishmonger stamped his feet and breathed on his hands to warm them.

"Who says otherwise! I heard the Yellow River in the north is frozen over! I wonder how those refugees are being settled," Old Wang, who sells tofu nearby, chimed in.

"Hey, you're right!" A well-informed vegetable vendor leaned over and whispered, "My second uncle works as a small manager at the cement workshop in the south of the city."

"He said those refugees are quite something now!"

"Once you're in the workshop, you get three meals a day, all you can eat, and every few days you can even have meat!"

"If you do a good job, your wages are more reliable than if you set up a street stall!"

"Many people went into the workshops, and their families could also be brought in; even the children could learn to read!"

"Tsk, I'm even thinking of becoming a homeless person!"

"Come on!" the fishmonger scoffed. "That's His Majesty's benevolence, giving us a way to survive!"

"You're going? They're looking for someone who truly has no way out!"

"I heard that garlic workshop also recruits homeless people to make that... allicin?"

"They say it's a miracle cure for soldiers! These are all good jobs!"

"That's right, His Majesty truly works for the people." Old Wang, the tofu seller, nodded. "Exactly..."

"What is it?" the vegetable vendor pressed.

Old Wang looked around, his voice even lower: "It's just... about private morality, tsk... have you heard about what happened at the Shuiyue Nunnery lately?"

Several vendors nearby immediately noticed and moved closer.

Such palace secrets and romantic tales are most likely to attract gossip among the common people.

"I've never heard of that!" A woman selling groceries curled her lip. "Weren't all the pretty abbesses from that nunnery arrested by the Imperial City Guard?"

"I heard it's because it hid money belonging to corrupt officials!"

"They did arrest him, but he turned out fine afterwards, didn't he?"

"I overheard my distant nephew, who works at the Ministry of Rites, mention it briefly when he was drunk."

'

A tall, thin man said mysteriously, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty seems to frequently visit the Shuiyue Nunnery incognito!"

"Where are you going?"

"Ha, that Abbess Jingchen is a beauty like a celestial being, eloquent, and knows how to serve people... what else can she do?"

"Ah? Then... then what about Lady Yong'an..." someone asked in surprise.

"Hey! That's such an old almanac!"

"These days, His Majesty probably prefers the meditation rooms at Shuiyue Nunnery to the imperial palace's sleeping quarters!"

The tall, thin man shook his head and said, "That's why they say even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman! His Majesty's martial arts are unparalleled, but... this is something he can't help but..."

"Shh! Keep your voice down! You'll lose your head!" the fishmonger hissed, glancing nervously left and right.

Everyone shrank back slightly, but the gossip in their eyes burned even brighter.

The emperor's scandalous affairs are always the most exciting topics of conversation.

Some lamented that even the emperor could be attracted to beautiful women, some felt something was amiss, and others thought the emperor's achievements were so great that this small matter didn't matter.

Amidst the clamor of discussion, a rather plain-looking donkey cart creaked and groaned its way into the market and stopped in an inconspicuous corner.

The driver was a dark-skinned man in his forties, wearing a thick old cotton-padded coat, who carefully unloaded several willow baskets covered with thick cotton quilts from the cart.

At first, not many people paid attention to this ordinary vegetable truck.

Until the man lifted the quilt, revealing a basket full of vibrant, fresh green things...

"Good heavens! That's...that's green vegetables?!"

"At this time of year? Where...where did this come from?!"

"That lush green...is that bok choy? And spinach? This...how is this possible!"

The gasps of surprise were like drops of water thrown into a hot oil pan, instantly igniting the entire market!

Countless eyes were drawn to the baskets of vibrant green that looked almost unreal against the gray winter sky.

Amidst the incredulous gazes of everyone, the dark-skinned man somewhat awkwardly set up his stall and honestly said in a local accent, "The vegetables from...Qingxi Village are freshly picked from the greenhouse, they're still very fresh."

"Qingxi Village?! Greenhouses!"

"That's the pilot project that the Ministry of Works found?!"

"Yes, yes!" The man nodded repeatedly, "Our village followed the method of the Minister of Works, built greenhouses, lit charcoal, and it really grew successfully!"

"These were picked out by our village chief. He told me to send some of the good ones to the Ministry of Works for the adults to try, and only the rest were brought here to sell."

After a brief silence, the crowd erupted in chaos!

"These are really fresh vegetables grown in winter?! Amazing! Absolutely amazing!"

"The Ministry of Works... they've turned winter into spring!"

"Quick! Give me two pounds! No, three pounds! In the dead of winter, I wouldn't trade meat for a bite of fresh green leaves!"

"Me too! Weigh some for me!"

"I was here first! Give it to me!"

The crowd surged toward the donkey cart like a tidal wave, completely surrounding the dark-skinned man.

Everyone went crazy looking at the fresh, vibrant vegetables that seemed to still carry the warmth of the greenhouse!

This is something rarer than any delicacy!

It was a miracle in the dead of winter!

The vegetable farmer had never seen anything like this before. He hurriedly grabbed the scales, collected the money, and packed the vegetables, all in a flurry of activity.

He had hoped to get a decent price, but the vegetable basket emptied quickly, while more and more hands offered money and higher and higher prices!

"I'll pay double! Give me five pounds!"

"Three times the price! I'll take the rest!"

"Four times the price! Sell it to me! My wife's been complaining about not having any fresh vegetables to eat with her rice!"

Soon, the simple rush to buy turned into a bidding war.

Managers of wealthy families, purchasing agents from restaurants, and even some merchants who sensed a business opportunity all rushed to the scene and joined the competition.

Those few baskets of ordinary green vegetables sparked a frenzy in the winter vegetable market, almost like an auction!

Prices skyrocketed, far exceeding everyone's expectations.

The man from Qingxi Village, while frantically dealing with the situation, looked at the unexpectedly large amount of copper coins and silver coins. His hands trembled slightly, and he felt a mixture of surprise, joy, and a sense of unreality.

This……

Are the vegetables in this greenhouse really that precious?

Meanwhile, ordinary people who couldn't get in or couldn't afford the price could only watch helplessly, clicking their tongues in amazement, and their discussions grew even louder.

"Good heavens!"

"This isn't buying groceries, it's robbing gold!"

"Qingxi Village is going to be rich! They can even grow this treasure in winter!"

"This greenhouse at the Ministry of Works...it's incredible! Absolutely incredible!"

"We need to find out quickly if our village can get one of these greenhouses too."

In the crowd, a plump woman who was quick and nimble and squeezed to the front finally managed to snag two large bunches of fresh and tender bok choy at a price five times higher than usual.

Her face lit up with a smile, and she hugged him tightly, as if afraid someone would snatch him away, and proudly exclaimed at the top of her lungs, "Oh my!"

"Finally, I got one!"

"My husband just recovered from a cold, and the doctor said he should eat something light and fresh. Where can we find that in the dead of winter?"

"That's great!"

"I'll stir-fry a plate of this for dinner, and make him some egg drop soup too. He'll be thrilled!"

A tall, thin man carrying an empty basket stomped his feet in frustration, pointing at the plump woman's arms full of vibrant green vegetable leaves: "Hey, Aunt Wang, couldn't you have left some for me?"

"My son is a picky eater. He insists the pickled vegetables are too salty and only wants some green leaves. I've been looking for him for ages!"

"Damn, I'm going to have to listen to his tantrums again tonight!"

On the other side, a well-dressed middle-aged man, who looked like the steward of a wealthy family, directed his servants to carefully carry several bundles of spinach and a basket of fresh bok choy onto his own carriage, his face full of satisfaction.

"The master has been entertaining guests these past few days and was worried that the winter dishes were too monotonous; these fresh vegetables are just in time!"

"Although the price is a bit high, at this time of year, even if you have the money, there's nowhere to buy it!"

"The master will surely be satisfied!"

The dark-skinned man from Qingxi Village, having finally managed to buy the last few vegetable leaves at a high price, was still somewhat dazed as he wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at the heavy, almost burning-hot money bag in his arms.

Hearing the sighs and frustrations of those around him who hadn't bought any, and some chasing after him asking, "Is there any left?" and "Are you coming tomorrow?", he finally snapped out of his daze and raised his voice to shout:

"Dear gentlemen, ladies, and neighbors, I'm so sorry, so sorry!"

That's all for today, that's it! The next batch... the next batch will probably have to wait... about ten days!

"Even if vegetables grow fast in a greenhouse, they still need time to grow, right?"

"Next time, I'll definitely bring in more!"

"Ten days or so?!"

"We have to wait that long!"

"Oh, what hope..."

Those who missed out were even more frustrated, but hearing the exact time gave them hope again.

At this moment, someone in the crowd did some calculations and exclaimed, "Good heavens, this basket of vegetables probably sold for the price of a whole year in normal times."

"With crops every ten days, Qingxi Village... is probably about to become rich!"

"Absolutely! This isn't growing vegetables, it's growing gold!"

"The Ministry of Works' greenhouses are truly a stroke of genius! What incredible luck Qingxi Village has had to be chosen by the imperial court!"

"I need to hurry and ask someone to go to Qingxi Village to inquire about it, see if I can pull some strings and learn this skill, even if it's just to be an assistant!"

"Come on, this is definitely a secret technique of the imperial court. Do you think you can just teach it to anyone?"

"Even if I don't teach you, you should still look for the Qingxi Village brand when buying winter vegetables in the future!"

"Tsk tsk, looks like we'll see more greenery next winter..."

Locking in mental illness is showing some improvement, locking in Cola Novels, locking in every update of "Wandering the Heavens as a Tyrant, You Don't Understand My Happiness".