Dr. Sheng was about to ask more questions when Qin Danian waved them over.
"Dr. Sheng, the Cistanche is ready to be dug up. Let's go take a look," Qin Junyao, supported by Liu Yu, invited Dr. Sheng towards Qin Danian.
"Let's go see. It's my first time seeing Cistanche that I've grown myself."
Dr. Sheng, despite his age, moved nimbly, quickly catching up to Qin Danian.
By the time Qin Junyao arrived, one Cistanche had already been dug up and was in Dr. Sheng's hands.
"Junyao, it's very good. The size is decent, and it can be harvested," Dr. Sheng said, wiping the soil off the Cistanche with his sleeve and excitedly showing it to Qin Junyao.
Qin Junyao walked carefully through the soft ground to Dr. Sheng's side. She saw several more Cistanche of varying sizes in the large pit that had been dug.
"Brother, for each Haloxylon tree, choose one or two large ones to dig up. After digging this pit, add some camel or sheep dung to the bottom, but don't disturb the smaller ones."
"Fill the soil back in and pat it down firmly. Let it grow longer, and the best quality will be harvested next spring."
"This is also very good, very good," Dr. Sheng said, hugging the Cistanche in his hand, his eyes crinkling into a smile as he looked at the rows of Haloxylon trees in the distance.
Cistanche should not be dug up after it has grown out of the soil. It is best to harvest it when there is a slight bulge on the surface. To allow the unharvested small Cistanche to grow better, a thin wooden slice must be used for cutting, not metal.
Therefore, from finding the spot to digging the pit and then harvesting, great care and caution are required.
Qin Junyao watched as Qin Danian and his men dug out a few more without issue, and then left.
She couldn't help much and would only be a distraction, so it was best for her to leave.
Dr. Sheng refused to return with Qin Junyao. He wanted to witness the miracle and personally harvest the medicinal herbs.
Qin Junyao did not go straight home after leaving. Instead, she went to the grassland she had planted. The grass was yellowish and sparse, with some Euphorbia interspersed.
The space's well water wasn't enough.
After the initial watering to ensure survival, the Haloxylon forest didn't need space well water. Cistanche grew in sand, and space well water couldn't be used to improve the soil.
But if she wanted to use less space well water for the grassland, she needed a water source.
Qin Junyao felt a headache coming on. To solve the water problem for the grassland, the newly acquired silver notes would have to be spent.
Whether it was diverting water from the mountains, digging reservoirs for storage, or finding underground water veins for wells, all required a large amount of labor, resources, and capital.
Qin Junyao was determined to develop the grassland. The strong roots of the grass could help resist the northern winds and sand.
Qin Junyao also planned to plant a protective forest on the edge of the grassland next year to ensure that the sandstorms blowing from the north would not affect the wheat fields.
Even with the soil improved by the space well water, excessive sand could still cover the surface of the fertile land, preventing crops from growing.
Liu Yu supported Qin Junyao as she surveyed the area. "Madam, the camel herders say the camels love this grass. This year's camels have grown so well thanks to Master Qin's forage grass and this grass."
"Several camels have even given birth to young ones."
"Madam, aren't you happy?"
Qin Junyao forced a smile. "Of course, I'm happy the camels are thriving. By the way, Steward Ling sent a message saying when he would come?"
"Shenshi (around 3-5 PM), Madam. Is Steward Ling coming about the land?"
Qin Junyao nodded. "Yes, along the edge of this desert, any Gobi within a hundred li radius can be bought."
"Let's go back and check how much money is left in the accounts."