A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

Gu Xixi smelled the soil in her palm, then pinched some with her fingers, gently rubbed it, and then let a handful of soil fall naturally, observing how it scattered.

Meng Chengping muttered to Mu Nanzhao, "This is just like a traditional Chinese medicine doctor examining patients, requiring observation, listening, questioning, and palpation?"

Mu Nanzhao ignored him and just stood there quietly.

Meng Chengping, however, couldn't stand the loneliness; he felt restless if he didn't say a few words every now and then.

He glanced at Mu Nanzhao's black embroidered cloak and chuckled, "This cloak is made of squirrel fur inside and embroidered silk on the outside. It must be expensive, right?"

"Brother Mu, how come I've never seen you wear something this nice before?"

"Mr. Gu just bought this for you recently, right? It looks brand new."

"Since Mr. Gu is so generous, have you two made some progress recently?"

Meng Chengping rattled off a bunch of things, only to be met with two words from Mu Nanzhao: "Noisy."

Finally, Gu Xixi turned around. "General Meng, do you know where we can find a water source around here?"

Meng Chengping replied, "Go another mile north, and there's a river."

Gu Xixi nodded and took out a piece of pith paper that had been cut to the size of a palm from her small crossbody bag.

She bent down, quickly grabbed a handful of dirt, and said, "Let's go check out that river now."

The river Meng Chengping was referring to is a seasonal river. Its source is the snow and ice on the distant mountains.

From the thawing in mid-spring to late autumn, this is the river's high-water season.

Currently, the river is frozen and dry, with a shallow riverbed and various colored stones clearly visible through the thick ice.

Gu Xixi gazed in the direction the river originated and asked, "Backed by mountains, the climate in this area should be similar to that of Huachidu Village, right?"

"If the year is normal, spring will have even rainfall, and the weather will be humid and mild. Summer will often have thunderstorms and heavy rain. Autumn will be rainy and continuous. When it snows in winter, the snow depth can reach up to the calves."

Meng Chengping listened in astonishment, "What Boss Gu said is absolutely accurate, as if he has lived here for a long time and witnessed it with his own eyes."

Gu Xixi seemed thoughtful. "The irrigation water supply is still sufficient, which is good news."

Upon hearing this, Meng Chengping anxiously pressed for more information, "Is there any other good news? What did you think of the land just now?"

Gu Xixi got playful and stretched out her foot to step on the ice that had formed on the river.

After confirming that it was secure, she boldly stood on it, unable to stop smiling, and said, "The soil has moderate stickiness, is relatively loose, and is rich in nutrients, which are good points. The soil is generally saline-alkaline, which is the biggest problem."

“Salt and alkali,” Meng Chengping squinted. “I know that.”

"The Northwest is full of saline-alkali flats. When the wind blows, a layer of salt and alkali frost forms on the surface. The groundwater drawn up from there is bitter. Apart from some wild grass, nothing else can grow."

He asked somewhat dejectedly, "You said that so much wasteland around here is saline-alkali land, which means it's impossible to grow crops."

Gu Xixi turned her gaze, a half-smile on her face, "When did I say it couldn't be planted?"

Meng Chengping was taken aback, then overjoyed, "Boss Gu has a solution?"

Gu Xixi nodded and said, "It's not difficult. Once I bring the collected samples back, I'll be able to find a solution."

Meng Chengping thought to himself, "This must be the secret technique that has been rumored."

Gu Xixi turned back and walked towards the shore. "I'm not playing anymore, I have important business to attend to."

Mu Nanzhao naturally reached out his hand.

Gu Xixi looked at the hand extended in front of her. The ten fingers were long and slender with even joints, extremely beautiful. It was clearly a hand that had been pampered in the past.

In contrast, Gu Xixi looked down at her hands, which were just as unattractive before and after she transmigrated into the book. Her fingers were chubby, and her skin was inevitably rough due to her constant contact with reagents and water and handling various plants.

She hesitated for a moment, then tried to calmly place her hand in Mu Nanzhao's.

Mu Nanzhao didn't seem to exert any effort, and Gu Xixi easily stepped onto the ground.

She withdrew her hand and thanked him with a smile. But then she saw Meng Chengping's amused look, as if he were watching a grand drama.

Gu Xixi said calmly, "I am very interested in the salt flats that General Meng mentioned. May I go there to take a look?"

“It is possible, but…” Meng Chengping looked hesitant. “The salt flats are further west.”

Mu Nanzhao pondered for a moment and said, "The largest military camp of Beili is located not far outside the pass, where it borders Beili to the west."

Meng Chengping nodded, "That's exactly right."

"Therefore, the chances of encountering spies from the Northern Li are greater over there."

"The general ordered me to ensure your safety at all costs, otherwise we'd better not go."

Mu Nanzhao asked Gu Xixi, "Why do you want to go to the salt flats?"

Gu Xixi said, "Remember what I said before about grass suitable for horses? Maybe we can find it in that place."

Upon hearing this, Meng Chengping was so excited that he couldn't speak, "Boss Gu can really even solve the problem of feeding the warhorses?"

Gu Xixi was very cautious. "I can't guarantee anything. We'll have to go and see for ourselves."

Mu Nanzhao and Meng Chengping exchanged a glance and made up their minds.

Meng Chengping said solemnly, "Boss Gu risked his life for the Northwest Army. We will risk our lives to bring you here and send you back in the same way you were invited!"

Back in the carriage, Mu Nanzhao said, "Any action that benefits the Northwest Army will undoubtedly benefit Meng Chengping, and I am happy to see it happen."

“It is only natural for Meng Chengping and me to take this risk, but you didn’t have to.”

He looked across at them, his eyes deep, "It's not too late for you to tell them to turn back now."

Gu Xixi crossed her arms and looked at Mu Nanzhao with a half-smile, "You all have your own plans, how do you know I don't?"

The two looked at each other for a moment, and Mu Nanzhao chuckled helplessly, "Fine, since neither of us will suffer a loss, let's go together."

Gu Xixi certainly had her own plans, in addition to the reasons she had previously given Meng Chengping, which was to hope for peace on the frontier.

There is another reason, and that is "passion".

I love discovering different crops and conquering planting challenges on different lands.

Heading west, you can see the sun slowly sinking below the horizon.

Gu Xixi had lost count of how many times she had lifted the curtain to look outside.

Finally, they heard Meng Chengping excitedly shout, "We're almost there! We can already see the salt flats ahead!"

To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, the carriage stopped a little further away and hid behind a pile of rocks.

Gu Xixi and the others walked towards the salt flats.

The salt flats are right next to the desert. The mudflats, which are a mixture of soil and mud, have natural boundaries. If you stand on high ground, the large, irregular shapes look like huge branding marks.

Despite the cold weather, the mud and water in the saline-alkali flats did not freeze, indicating high salinity.

Gu Xixi stepped through the mud and water, carefully searching through a patch of covered land.

There are only two types of plants here. Some grasses can grow up to half a person's height, with thick and tough leaves. Even though they turn yellow at this time of year, they still stand firm against the cold northwest wind.

The other part, hidden beneath these tall grasses, grows close to the ground and has long since dried up and withered.