"Oh, I see, no wonder it's ear by ear and not bagged grain.
I understand, I understand!
It's just that the entrance to this cave doesn't seem particularly large. Can ten million jin of grain really fit inside? Is the area inside exceptionally vast?"
After nodding in understanding, Yunqi Nüguan immediately raised another concern.
That was whether the weight difference would be too significant.
She knew the approximate volume of grain. This type of grain, still on the ear, would occupy more volume than threshed grain, not less. Yet, the amount of grain before her didn't seem sufficient by any measure.
It didn't look like enough for fifteen million jin.
Unless the cave had hollowed out the entire mountain. However, under normal circumstances, no natural cave could hollow out an entire mountain.
If it were artificially hollowed out, the commotion would have been considerable. It was impossible that she would have remained unaware of it, and there would be no record of it in the local county gazette.
Therefore, her doubt was reasonable.
At this moment, Ding Yun immediately bowed and apologized, "True Person Yunqi, I am truly sorry!
What I said earlier wasn't entirely true. I said the grain was stored in one cave, which was a lie. Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows; how would I dare to keep all my belongings together? Not to mention being discovered and moved, or a sudden mountain fire, which could result in heavy losses. Therefore, I actually stored them separately.
There are five other mountain caves as well.
They are all filled with grain.
The reason I didn't bring you here yesterday was mainly because I had to check if the grain in those mountain caves had been damaged or lost.
Only after confirming there were no losses did I dare to bring you.
So, your guess is correct; this place indeed doesn't hold ten million jin of grain. We need to move the grain from the other five caves to make up the quantity.
I apologize for lying to you!"
Ding Yun was purely misled by her own extremely spacious storage. She mistakenly thought that over ten million jin of grain might not be much, and could be stored in any random mountain cave. That's why she had directly said yesterday that all the grain was in one cave.
However, no matter how she looked, she couldn't find a cave large enough to hold so much grain. So now, she could only continue to concoct excuses to cover this loophole.
"So that's how it is. You don't need to apologize for this.
It's not wrong to be cautious.
Rather, I almost misunderstood you again..."
Just as Yunqi Nüguan was about to apologize to Ding Yun again, neither of them had paid attention to the laborers who were now excitedly clutching several ears of rice and wheat, their hearts filled with emotion.
They exchanged glances with each other.
And after murmuring a few words amongst themselves.
They decisively took the ears of rice and wheat, and in just a few steps, ran to Yunqi Nüguan. They immediately knelt down and said in a jumble of voices:
"True Person, we have a request!"
"We can forgo our wages. Can we buy some of these ears of rice and wheat to take back?"
"We are willing to pay two to three times the price."
"Please show us mercy!"
Their actions completely stunned Yunqi Nüguan. After a few seconds of愣, she finally reacted. While quickly helping them up, she asked:
"What are you doing?
Get up, get up quickly. We can discuss whatever you need to say properly. Why do I hear you just wanting these ears of rice and wheat? Is there anything strange about these ears of rice and wheat?"
Yunqi Nüguan was born into a wealthy family. Even after becoming a nun, she used her dowry to establish the Nanhua Temple. Although a vegetable garden was later opened behind the temple, only a few small vegetables were casually planted, with no regard for how much they yielded. As for wheat and rice, she had never cultivated them.
To put it bluntly.
She probably hadn't even seen an ear of rice or wheat.
She usually bought rice and flour directly.
So, even though she saw the ears of rice and wheat tightly held in the laborers' hands, she didn't think there was anything peculiar about them.
She was simply very puzzled.
She didn't understand why they were acting so erratically.
Ding Yun, who had been watching from the side, immediately understood why they were behaving this way.
However, she didn't offer to explain. Instead, she quickly seized the opportunity to mentally compile reasons for the exceptionally large yield and the numerous, plump grains on these ears of rice and wheat.
At this time, the laborers.
Also began to explain the reasons in a chorus of voices.
"True Person, you don't know, but the number of grains on these ears of rice and wheat is far greater and much plumper than the ears of rice and wheat we grow."
"Even in a good year, on fertile land, and with careful tending, the number of grains on the ears of rice and wheat from our fields is less than one-third of these ears of rice and wheat. Their plumpness is far inferior. If converted to actual yield.
It's at least more than four times greater!"
"Yes, such good seeds. We have lived for over twenty years and have never seen anything like it. If we could exchange some to take back and plant ourselves, I believe we will usher in an unprecedented harvest next year!"
"True Person, we don't dare to ask for too much.
Just sell us enough seeds for one or two mu of land!"
...
Only when they reached this point did Yunqi Nüguan thoughtfully take the ears of rice and wheat from their hands. Although she couldn't compare them to the ears of rice and wheat grown in ordinary people's fields to know their size, she believed these laborers wouldn't deceive her.
If the yield wasn't truly high.
They wouldn't be so desperate.
So, after a slight hesitation, she immediately said, "It's fine. Stop talking.
There's no problem with exchanging seeds for you.
Now, you should continue moving.
Your wages will be paid as usual. Additionally, each of you will be allowed to exchange seeds for ten mu of land, one to one, using ordinary wheat and rice."
With this promise, the laborers thanked her profusely. Then, they became incredibly enthusiastic and worked with great vigor.
They wished they could finish their tasks in an hour or two.
And exchange the seeds back today.
Meanwhile, Yunqi Nüguan had already pulled Ding Yun aside and asked hesitantly:
"Young Layperson Ding, you must have heard what those laborers just said. Do you know about this matter?"
"I know a little.
But I'm not entirely clear.
I only know that before my mother passed away, she had been collecting auspicious grains that appeared in various regions. She couldn't obtain the highest grade, as local officials had already secured them and presented them to the Emperor on his birthday each year to signify a bountiful harvest throughout the land.
However, she could still obtain the ones of slightly lower grade.
Those lower-grade auspicious grains were likely preserved by my mother for seed cultivation. These ears of rice and wheat might be the result of my mother's efforts.
As for anything more specific, I don't know."
Facing this situation, Ding Yun obviously couldn't claim that these superior seeds were cultivated by her. So, she could only bring out her fictional mother to take the blame.
After all, her fictional mother was already deceased.
And her maternal family was wiped out.
There were no witnesses to corroborate or refute, so she wasn't afraid of being exposed.