She was now valued by Qiao Yan, entrusted with agricultural tasks, but she hadn’t intended to neglect her son’s education.

Reflecting on her thoughts when she first arrived in Leping, compared to now, it felt like a dream.

Just as she thought this, she suddenly saw Qiao Yan crouching by the mountain field ridges.

“Come over here.”

Following Qiao Yan’s pointed finger, Qin Yu looked over and saw sparse soil covering a faint green shoot, mostly obscured by the earth above.

If not for Qiao Yan’s sharp eyes, they might have missed this budding seedling during their walk.

Seeing this, a smile of delight couldn’t help but spread across Qin Yu’s face.

In the days before Qiao Yan headed to Jinyang, Qin Yu had mostly emulated her calm demeanor, which helped keep the Black Mountain bandits, who were conscious of their eating capital on the yam field, obedient.

The psychological pressure was not enough for outsiders to explain.

Fortunately, this sprouting sight was a great start.

The two of them walked forward again.

Perhaps because Qiao Yan returned at the right time, they even saw several new shoots sprouting.

Although they had not yet seen a row of green growth breaking through the soil, it was enough to bring joy to the heart.

In this way, this sprout was not exceptional, but it was the right time.

It couldn’t be better!

“Wait until the yam sprouts break the ground. Then move that bracket, two feet apart and reinforce it, and wait until the brackets are in place, then send someone to collect the county’s bean cake fertilizer, and add one more cycle.”

Qiao Yan cleared the loose soil and checked the status of the new seedlings.

The weak state of the sprout swayed in the gentle breeze, but the solid lower tuber didn’t appear weak at first sight, and it was with that similarity that made Qin Yu joyous.

She immediately looked up at the sky

In Bingzhou, or the area around Shangdang, the climate was typically characterized by simultaneous rain and heat, though it wasn’t yet the season for it.

However, perhaps due to favorable weather, Qin Yu noticed the sky was overcast, reminiscent of the impending spring rain.

Considering that yam tubers disliked waterlogging but also needed adequate moisture, relying on natural rainfall seemed sufficient.

“Make sure you keep an eye on them,” Qiao Yan pointed to the people moving among the yam fields. “Don’t let them overwater just to keep themselves busy.”

Qin Yu wasn’t particularly worried, knowing that those who had experience in farming tasks like Xu Fu wouldn’t cause trouble.

However, some individuals summoned by Chu Yan and Zhang Niujiao, who were originally freelancers, were accustomed to gathering and fighting for fun.

Suddenly instructing them to “put down their weapons and return to the fields” implied that food would be provided once the land was cultivated.

Qiao Yan couldn’t help but foresee potential problems.

Fortunately, Qin Yu not only had the courage to control these individuals but also possessed the meticulousness that Qiao Yan admired.

Since she had given the necessary orders, Qin Yu would naturally pay close attention to the execution of these tasks.

“Let’s go. Come back with me in five days to check on things again,” Qiao Yan said, brushing the dirt off her hands.

She planned to return after all the yam seedlings had sprouted to assess their survival rate.

Considering the disinfecting capabilities of Han Dynasty yam tubers, achieving a full sprouting and survival rate was unlikely.

However, with such a planting area, achieving a survival rate of seventy percent by autumn would still yield a substantial harvest.

Qin Yu quickly agreed.

Of course, while they anticipated the harvest, she couldn’t ignore the fact that her departure from Leping was still a dozen days away.

Although Cheng Li, the acting governor of Leping, had full authority to handle official business, there were still some matters that required her decision-making.

After inspecting the yam fields, there was still plenty for her to do, and Qiao Yan had no intention of staying here.

Just as she was about to turn and leave, she heard a loud shout from behind, “Lord Qiao, please wait!”

Turning back towards the voice, she saw a young man agilely crossing the yam fields, not stopping at any one spot but swiftly approaching her.

“Before Dian Wei, who was following behind her, could intercept, the young man obediently stopped about ten steps away from her.

“Others give you the nickname ‘Flying Swallow,’ and it’s well deserved…” Qiao Yan remarked as she watched him.

This visitor was none other than Chu Yan from the Black Mountain Army.

Previously, when dividing these troops into different professions to prevent them from contacting each other, Qiao Yan had heard the person in charge of supervising various tasks mention that Chu Yan showed outstanding learning ability and speed in his work, which was evident even now as he transferred his skills to planting yam seedlings.

If one were to nominate an exemplary model worker among these people, Chu Yan would surely be on the list.

And now he had come to ask…

“Lord Qiao praises me too much,” Chu Yan said calmly in response to the teasing about his nickname. “I came to inquire, does the Leping County still lack manpower?”

Could they be short on manpower?

Though surprising, this request seemed reasonable.

Chu Yan, a leader of the Black Mountain Army, was renowned for his command abilities.

Even though he currently only commanded four to five thousand men, at its peak, his commands are also top notch.

He hadn’t let it go to his head.

Instead, he had chosen to request a title from the court as a middle-ranking officer, transitioning from bandit to official—a testament to his strategic acumen.

Given Leping’s demonstrated competitiveness, his decision to pledge allegiance swiftly wasn’t unexpected.

Qiao Yan admired him and found his actions aligning with her goals.

After Chu Yan finished speaking, he met Qiao Yan’s steady gaze.

Seeing the decisive and clear-headed county lord up close during the day, Chu Yan realized his feelings were different from that night of capture.

However, one thing remained consistent—he recognized her as a formidable figure, a judgment he hadn’t wavered from in the past six months.

Though she was young, Chu Yan couldn’t quite gauge her attitude.

Especially after hearing that Qiao Yan had brought back another military commander yesterday, he became even more uncertain about his chances to persuade her.

Would she see him as a prisoner or as a trustworthy subordinate?

He knew that if he chose to surrender, he would need to be seen as a capable advisor who could handle responsibilities, not just an ordinary turncoat.

Now was the best time.

But standing before Qiao Yan, he couldn’t help but feel nervous.

After a moment of silence following his words, exacerbated by the oppressive atmosphere of the overcast day, Qiao Yan finally spoke.

“Chu Yan,” she raised her gaze and began, “Indeed, we are in need of manpower. But please tell me, why should it be you?”

Why should she trust a former bandit leader?