Looking at Xi Zhicai’s expression, if Guo Jia were to translate it, it would probably be something like:

“Are we really so unfamiliar with each other that you need to justify yourself like this, or do you genuinely believe what you’re saying?”

Even though Xi Zhicai had left Yingchuan for Leping over three years ago, their letters showed they still knew each other well.

So it wasn’t surprising to Guo Jia that Xi Zhicai followed the saying “books are one’s nourishment” and invited him for a meal and to catch up, setting a spread on the table.

Next to Guo Jia was a proper meal, while on Xi Zhicai’s side were lined up books.

“… What a troublesome friend.”

No one else would dare claim this!

Of course, Xi Zhicai couldn’t help but awkwardly smile at the chicken feather gift in front of him, feeling like he had met his match when he looked at Guo Jia.

This kid really hadn’t changed a bit!

But overall, Xi Zhicai admitted Guo Jia had the upper hand as the host.

Xi Zhicai comforted himself with this thought.

He set the strange gift aside and calmly picked up a spoon to stir the sticky rice balls in his bowl, which were flavored with sweet fermented rice wine and a hint of osmanthus fragrance.

And just to show his hospitality, Xi Zhicai served up Dongpo pork, cucumber with garlic, and braised ribs with turnip, all carefully prepared.

Guo Jia was surprised when another dish of mountain chicken and common sunflowers was brought out.

His eyes flickered.

In front of him, neatly arranged, were still about ten books, separating him from the wooden bowls and basins.

“Is this Xi Zhicai’s way of entertaining guests?” Guo Jia casually picked up one of the books in front of him and asked.

“Although Lady Qiao took you to Dongpo Garden, those not from Leping cannot see what’s in front of you.” Xi Zhicai lifted his chin, indicating Guo Jia should pay attention to the content of the books.

Guo Jia lowered his gaze to the book in his hand, seeing it was a newly copied version of the Si Sheng Zhi book.

If it were just that, it would be fine.

Si Sheng Zhi was written in the late Western Han Dynasty, a book on agriculture and farming.

Though Guo Jia’s studies focused on classics and strategies, his broad interests had led him to read it before.

But the book he held now was different.

Because it wasn’t limited to bamboo slips for recording, its contents weren’t confined to text alone.

It included illustrations.

The Si Sheng Zhi book documented farming experiences in the Yellow River basin, particularly on the Guanzhong Plain.

Given the distance between Luoyang and Leping, crops that could be grown in Luoyang could mostly be grown in Leping as well.

As Guo Jia entered the county town, he saw scenes of autumn harvest already completed.

From what he observed and the dishes in front of him, it seemed that the agricultural practices described in the book were indeed applicable in Leping.

For instance, the book mentioned the method of “qu fields and water soaking cultivation,” which had been practiced in Leping.

What were originally just a few lines of text were expanded with annotations and illustrations in the book, showing practical results achieved.

For example, to achieve drought resistance and increase yield, the book described digging deep furrows at one-foot intervals across 15 sections of “qu fields.”

Such visual representations were easier for local residents to understand compared to plain text.

As Guo Jia flipped through, he noticed similar detailed records about seed storage.

After completing the transcription and supplements of the Si Sheng Zhi book, there was an appendix detailing the cultivation of yams in Leping.

Unlike Xi Zhicai’s simple description of a good harvest in his letters, the planting processes recorded in the illustrations were quite intricate.

Guo Jia sighed to himself as he read, marveling at the concerted human effort behind Leping’s prosperity.

He wondered how Qiao Yan had convinced people to undertake such laborious projects.

The inclusion of illustrations made the book accessible even to those unfamiliar with farming techniques.

Without realizing it, Guo Jia had reached the end of the book and set it aside, picking up another one.

This was another practical book.

When Wu Pu, a disciple of Hua Tuo, arrived in Leping, he repaid Qiao Yan’s support by not only collecting medical cases in the region of Bingzhou but also supplying medicinal herbs.

He didn’t hesitate to apply his surgical and operational skills learned from Hua Tuo to record other things.

For example, castrating pigs.

This could also be considered a kind of operation.

Although castrating pigs dates back to the Shang and Zhou dynasties, it had never been recorded in this way in books before, complete with detailed illustrations.

It also covered the construction of pigsties and methods for raising meat pigs.

Like Xi Zhicai’s letters, which only mentioned the results, the actual process was quite complex.

Guo Jia couldn’t help but glanced at the fellow opposite him.

After three years, Xi Zhicai looked healthier and fuller in this county, still busy planning for people.

Despite the literary style in his letters, Xi Zhicai showed no guilt.

He confidently picked up a shiny piece of Dongpo pork under Guo Jia’s gaze and enjoyed the food calmly, clearly benefiting from his work.

Guo Jia felt a twinge of envy but reached out honestly to open the third book.

This one was about medicine, but uniquely focused on women’s health.

It collected herbal remedies for gynecological issues recorded in the Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica, along with case studies provided by Wu Pu.

Considering the coeducation in the county academy, it made sense to compile such a specialized medical book.

With its vivid illustrations and text, Guo Jia didn’t realize he had reached the end of this book too, then flipped open the fourth book.

Unlike the previous agricultural and medical texts, this one detailed the construction, maintenance, and repair of agricultural machinery like the dragon bone plow.

Seeing the dismantling diagrams, Guo Jia even entertained thoughts of making one himself.

But he quickly shook his head, dismissing the idea.

He knew he wasn’t cut out for such things.

What Guo Jia couldn’t deny was that this method of recording made information easier to grasp and more impactful.

Qiao Yan, the Marquis of Leping, was truly a pragmatic thinker to come up with such a way of spreading knowledge.

Putting the books back, Guo Jia picked up the fifth one.

With the groundwork laid by the first four books, he almost abandoned his earlier skepticism about Xi Zhicai’s hospitality with books.

Just seeing these first four books made his trip to Leping worthwhile.

He wasn’t surprised to find that the fifth book detailed methods for preventing and controlling locusts.

It recorded strategies meticulously ordered by Qiao Yan during a previous locust plague in Bingzhou.

He had heard about the devastating locust plague during the second year of Zhongping, which severely affected neighboring provinces but spared Bingzhou under Marquis Qiao Yan.

Now it was clear that this “spared” was not mere luck but the result of thorough preparation.

Opening the sixth book, Guo Jia found it contained basic songs and rhymes used for teaching literacy in Leping.

But when Guo Jia flipped to the seventh book…

He clearly saw “Cement” written on the cover, but inside was completely blank.

He immediately looked up at Xi Zhicai and asked, “Did you pick up the wrong book?”

“Why would I make such a mistake?”

Xi Zhicai was already enjoying dessert after the meal.

Earlier, he had mentioned making cakes with yams, and now he boldly presented one in front of Guo Jia.

The warm yam cake exuded a sweet aroma of honey as Xi Zhicai broke it open, spreading the fragrance even more.

Guo Jia had claimed he was hungry earlier just as an excuse, but now he truly felt tempted by the smell.

However, the fellow across from him seemed completely unaware of this.

While eating, he replied seriously, “I’m agile in mind and body now, I wouldn’t make such an error. It’s simply because you’re just passing through Leping. How could I divulge everything to you?”

“Sharing earlier information was fine, as it often spreads through word of mouth in Bingzhou, benefiting the people. But some things shouldn’t be said.”

It wasn’t just about Guo Jia potentially using the information against them.

Despite Guo Jia’s casual appearance, Xi Zhicai trusted his character.

Xi Zhicai was keenly aware of what Qiao Yan had been up to in the past two years, and he believed it was inappropriate for outsiders to know about it, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Take the academy buildings they were in now, for example.

At first glance, they seemed ordinary, but they were actually made of bricks.

Unlike typical gray bricks, these were red bricks produced under Qiao Yan’s direction with a streamlined manufacturing process.

The use of these red bricks significantly reduced construction costs for the academy in Leping and the housing for the Black Mountain troops stationed on the mountain.

And it wasn’t just for the Black Mountain troops.