Since the decision was made, preparations began.
The next morning, Fang Er arranged for people to cut sweet potato vines from the sweet potato fields. These could be taken back and planted around Fangjiazhuang.
He himself went to the three rooms where the roosters were kept.
He opened the small door dug into the window and peeked in.
Wow!
Chicks had actually hatched!
And quite a few of them!
There were over a dozen in each room.
Seeing Fang Er's satisfied expression, Xiao Qing happily said, "Young master, Qing'er took care of all these chickens. How is it, Qing'er is amazing, right?"
Fang Er smiled. "It's not enough yet. We'll take them back to Chang'an and set up a chicken farming workshop. Over time, as these native chickens are improved generation after generation, they can all grow as large as this big rooster."
Xiao Qing looked at him with her mouth agape in surprise. "Really? But this big rooster is so huge, Qing'er doesn't dare to go near it, afraid of being pecked."
Fang Er wouldn't let her go in to catch the chickens. He directly called Guan Dao and the others over.
When Lü Shuang saw the chicks, he was also very surprised. These hens were bought by him. How long had it been? A little over a month? In any case, less than two months. And so many chicks had been produced.
The three roosters were placed in separate cages. The chicks were put together, and the hens didn't matter much as Fangjiazhuang also had them. Lü Shuang was directly instructed to take them to Liu Dacheng.
Indeed, ever since Liu Dacheng arrived, Fang Er hadn't had to worry about affairs in Shenyang City. Liu Dacheng handled everything meticulously.
After the chickens and sweet potato vines were all packed up, Fang Er went to the Ordnance Department again. Those machines absolutely had to be taken back. Leaving them here would be a waste. One advantage of his system was that anything produced by the system could be stored in his storage space. This was indeed very convenient, eliminating the need to have people transport the machines back by ox cart.
Cheng Yaojin, upon learning that Fang Er was returning to Chang'an, also came to find him. "Hey, brother, can you take this old brother back with you? The technicians in Shenyang City aren't good enough. My old back hasn't gotten any better after a whole night of massages."
Fang Er spat at him. "A whole night of massages? I'm afraid after they fixed it, you strained it again, didn't you?"
Cheng Yaojin chuckled sheepishly. Fang Er continued, "Brother Yuchi hasn't returned from Pyongyang yet. You need to stay here to hold the fort. Otherwise, what if there's something Chu Mo and the others can't handle?"
Cheng Yaojin was a bit displeased. "What can't be handled? Just you wait, I'll write a few words for him and that will be enough." He then had someone bring him brush and ink. In a script resembling dog-scratching, he wrote a message: "When in doubt, kill! When provoked, kill! When disobeying orders, kill!"
Fang Er exclaimed internally, "Holy crap! This is truly the style of a military officer. These three 'kill' commands are simple and brutal, but I like it!" After months of dealing with Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje, Fang Er's disposition had changed significantly. "Slacker? Go to hell. What's more satisfying than firing guns and cannons?"
Cheng Yaojin wanted to leave, and Liu Dacheng said nothing. It wasn't his place to say anything. He simply wrote a memorial and handed it to Cheng Yaojin to take to the Emperor.
The personnel returning to Chang'an were finalized. Fang Er instructed Liu Dacheng on matters to pay attention to after his departure. "Make sure to look after the sweet potatoes, potatoes, and pumpkins in the fields. Also, we captured quite a few prisoners this time, and they are already on their way back. Once they are all sent back, arrange for people to start building roads. Here are two letters for Ma Tao and Tan Zong; they will cooperate with you. I'm only entrusting these two matters to you. If you do them well, I guarantee you a promotion to Prefect."
Liu Dacheng repeatedly assured him. As the shepherd of the people, he understood the importance of high-yield crops better than anyone. He also understood cement roads. Once these were built, even without the Marquis of Liaodong's diesel vehicles, the speed of horseback riding alone from here to Chang'an would save a considerable amount of time. With roads, there would be opportunities for development. Those merchants from inland had already begun complaining about road conditions. "Your Excellency, rest assured, this subordinate will handle it properly!"
Fang Er nodded and got into the pickup truck. Xiao Qing had already taken a seat in the back. This was her first time riding in a pickup truck. She was very curious and a little nervous.
Cheng Yaojin tried to get into the car, but Fang Er pulled him aside. Pointing to the armored vehicle, he said, "Old Brother Cheng, I'll give you an armored vehicle. Choose whichever you like. Don't crowd in with your brother."
Cheng Yaojin looked at Fang Er, then at Xiao Qing in the back. He instantly understood something. With a knowing smirk, he nodded and said, "Don't worry! Brother understands you! Keep it up, hehe!"
Fang Er rolled his eyes at him and drove off. Cheng Yaojin casually got into an armored vehicle. The sweet potato vines and chickens were loaded onto the armored vehicles. With the Yanyun Cavalry taking care of them, the chickens had enough to eat, and the sweet potato vines were occasionally sprinkled with water to prevent them from drying out. The convoy began its journey towards Chang'an.