"Jiujiu, is what you're saying really true?" Everyone stood up in shock, their eyes wide with astonishment.

It was well known that in years blessed with favorable weather, the most one could harvest from a mu of fertile land planted with rice and wheat was four to five hundred jin. Yet, these three crops didn't require fertile land, they could grow on wasteland and still produce a yield of over a thousand jin per mu. In years of drought, they could save many lives. Could this really be true?

Yang Mengchen nodded.

"Does Jiujiu know how to plant them?" Old Master Yang asked eagerly.

Yang Mengchen nodded again.

Old Master Yang instantly began to dance with excitement, "Good, this is really fantastic!" Being a farmer, he naturally cared most about crops and harvests.

The others were delirious with joy.

"No wonder Jiujiu insisted on buying them, that ten taels of silver was truly well spent!" Yang Chengrong exclaimed with a mixture of admiration and excitement.

As Yang Mengchen watched her family happily discuss the three crops, she couldn't help but throw a dampener on their spirits, "We must keep this matter a secret from outsiders for now."

"Why?" everyone asked, confused.

"Firstly, we only have a few seeds to start with, secondly, we don't have the financial resources to plant these seeds, and thirdly, we currently don't have the strength to ensure the safety of our entire family," said Yang Mengchen calmly. "If word gets out, it would surely attract those who would take them by force.

It could even draw the attention of the County Magistrate, or even the Imperial Court, and the consequences would be unimaginable."

"Jiujiu makes sense, we really have to be cautious," Yang Chaowu was the first to regain his composure.

After all, he had heard in the army about the open and secret struggles among the princes and the power struggles among Imperial Court Officials. If this news were to spread, Jiujiu would become a target, and their family had no strength to protect her. They would be at the mercy of others.

The excitement of the others cooled immediately upon hearing this, and their rationality slowly returned. They each took their seats, simultaneously looking towards Yang Mengchen, believing that since Jiujiu had said so, she must already have a strategy in mind.

Yang Mengchen did not disappoint them: "I plan to secretly mix the three crops in with the medicinal herbs on our wasteland when everyone in the village starts planting herbs. If anyone asks, we'll say they are new varieties. This way, it won't draw special attention from outsiders."

"That's a good plan," everyone agreed unanimously.

"Additionally, the whole family must insist on practicing Tai Chi morning and evening every day. I will also gradually teach everyone other self-defense techniques, which will help us to stay fit and defend ourselves or fight back if we encounter bad people. Starting tomorrow, after dinner every night, I will teach everyone to read and write.

I don't expect you to achieve high officialdom, I just hope no one in the family can be easily deceived by outsiders," said Yang Mengchen. She had intended to gradually improve the lives of her relatives, but the unexpected acquisition of these seeds not available in Dongchu Country meant she had to prepare for the worst.

Naturally, no one objected.

The eight brothers of the Yang family, including Yang Chengrong, secretly resolved to diligently study literacy, martial arts, and medicine. Only then could they protect their family.

Picking up the pen and paper on the table, Yang Mengchen began to draw as she explained: "Tomorrow, Uncle, first help me make a wooden rack like this, and about twenty or thirty boxes like this. Tomorrow night, I will use them to teach the family to read and write."

Yang Chaowen nodded in response.

After discussing serious matters, the family went to the courtyard to practice Tai Chi with Yang Mengchen, then washed up and rested.

The next day after breakfast, Old Master Yang and Yang Chaoyi left the house to take care of some business.

Meanwhile, the group of nine brothers and sisters of the Yang family, along with Yang Chunling and her younger brother, and the three Zhou siblings, made their way towards the mountain in a grand procession.

Yang Mengchen wanted to see if there were any precious herbs on the mountain, so he led everyone deeper into the wilderness. Surprisingly, they really found Du Zhong among several valuable medicinal herbs. While teaching the others how to pick them, he explained the relevant knowledge.

"Jiujiu, you actually know so much about herbs, it's truly amazing!" Yang Chunling kept exclaiming in admiration.

The four people from the Zhou family were also in awe of Yang Mengchen.

The eight brothers of Yang Chengrong looked proud, just like Rong Youyan.

Yang Mengchen smiled, and suddenly, his eyes lit up when he saw a plant growing under a yellow fir tree a few meters away. The plant was about fifty centimeters tall, with palmately compound leaves and tiny yellow-green flowers. He ran over and crouched down to take a closer look, and when he confirmed it was ginseng, the surprise in his eyes could not be contained.

He carefully dug out the ginseng and saw that the stem ring had densely packed stem bowls, while the body's iron lines were thin, tight, and deep. The circles were neatly opposed, never intersecting, and the skin of the ginseng body was dark in color. With few roots, Yang Mengchen estimated it to be at least a hundred years old.

Seeing his sister treating the herb like a treasure, Yang Chengrong quietly asked, "What is this?"

Just as Yang Mengchen was about to answer, suddenly, a thunderous roar of a tiger sounded, as if it was not far from the group. Birds scattered in panic, and the atmosphere became instantly tense and oppressive.

Yang Chengrong immediately stood in front of his sister, his gaze defensively scanning the surroundings.

The others quickly ran over, surrounding the pale-faced Yang Chunling, Zhou Hui, and Yang Mengchen, protecting them tightly in the middle.

Seeing that Yang Mengchen seemed to be heading to the right, Yang Chunling exclaimed in alarm, "Jiujiu, where are you going?"

The boys all turned to look at Yang Mengchen.

Yang Mengchen raised her hand, pointing in the direction of the tiger's roar, "I want to go over there and see."

The group firmly objected.

"Big brother, please let me go," pleaded Yang Mengchen, "I don't know why, but I feel like there's a voice calling me over there, sounding so urgent and desperate. It's a strange feeling, as if I'll regret it if I don't go."

After a moment of thought, Yang Chengrong nodded in agreement, "We will go with you." He believed his sister would not take risks lightly.

Yang Chunling and Zhou Hui, scared to go, Yang Chengrong ordered Yang Tiezhu, Zhou Pinghu, Zhou Pingbao, and the four youngest brothers to stay and protect the two.

The four brothers escorted their sister towards that direction for roughly half an hour before arriving at a small clearing.

The bloody and brutal scene not far ahead shocked the siblings into halting their steps.

They saw a completely white tiger confronting a wild boar, both animals smeared with blood, obviously having incurred serious injuries. Nearby lay a dead wild boar, three roe deer, four wild hares, and several wild chickens.

Seeing the arrival of the five siblings, the white tiger's murderous vibe seemed somewhat lessened, its eyes gleaming with joy and hope.

As for the wild boar, it bared its sharp tusks and made wheezing sounds, as if it was about to leave the white tiger and charge at the siblings.

"Be careful, Jiujiu," warned the Yang brothers, as they sensed danger and quickly moved to shield their sister.

Pushing her brothers aside, Yang Mengchen sprinted forward. As the wild boar lunged at her, she swiftly kicked hard into the boar's belly. At the same time, her sharp shovel ninja-like swept through, instantly slashing the boar's throat. The boar collapsed with a thud, blood gushing out, and in moments it lay motionless on the ground, dead.

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