nycdaug Chapter 143 More Than Just a Pound!
Chapter 143 More Than Just a Pound!
When Ling Yao arrived at the city gate as promised, Tian Tian was already waiting there.
Zhang Fusheng went home to transplant rice seedlings, so Tian Tian used a horse-drawn cart.
The two went to the seedbed first and dug up some of the remaining seedlings.
Ling Yao held the list and map of high-yield rice varieties and planned the route.
After transplanting the rice seedlings, the villagers stayed in their fields, waiting for Tian Tian to come and inspect them.
They greeted Tian Tian with great enthusiasm, offering her gifts as soon as they came up to her.
"Second Miss, this is just a small token of my appreciation, please don't find it offensive."
"Yes, please don't be disgusted by it."
Tian Tian looked down...
A bag full of chicken and duck eggs, neatly separated by straw.
There are also vegetables grown at home, wild vegetables dug up, winter bamboo shoots, and even wild fruits.
"Second Miss, you must accept this; it's just a small token of our appreciation."
But Tian Tian couldn't hold any more in her hands.
Seeing this, everyone started stuffing things into Ling Yao's arms and tossing them onto the carriage...
They seemed afraid that Tian Tian wouldn't accept it.
Tian Tian felt helpless; it was impossible to...
"Since you all are so kind as to accept my invitation, then I, Tian Tian, will not refuse."
"Thank you all for your trust in me, and I assure you that my high-yield rice variety will not disappoint you!"
"Miss Tian, we absolutely trust you!" Everyone raised their hands in support of her.
When Tian Tian turned to look at Ling Yao, she saw that he looked very moved.
"Go check and see if there are any substandard rice seedlings in everyone's fields."
Ling Yao turned his head from his excitement, "Ah..."
"Oh..."
The rice seedlings in the fields of the people have been planted in rows, and at a glance, they are even more neat and orderly than the soldiers.
Because of this, it's easy to spot where seedlings are missing or where they're not standing firmly.
Having learned from the morning's experience, Ling Yao was quick-witted, agile, and nimble-fingered.
At a glance, he would see where seedlings were missing and immediately take the seedlings down to fill the gaps.
If a seedling is crooked, replant it.
Taking this opportunity, Tian Tian reminded everyone of some points to pay attention to.
The post-transplanting greening process is crucial, and the water level during this period should be controlled at three to five centimeters.
So tomorrow morning, everyone should slowly irrigate the fields, making sure not to submerge the heart leaves.
"Then we'll bring the water in tonight." The people were at their most enthusiastic, eager to start the watering process immediately.
"No." But Tian Tian stopped them, "The weather is still cool now, and the water temperature will be too low at night."
"I'll get up first thing tomorrow morning to fill the bottle."
Watering the plants early in the morning allows the water temperature to rise as the daytime temperature increases.
Even after nightfall, the water temperature will gradually decrease after being dried during the day, giving the seedlings a chance to adapt.
"Okay, we'll listen to you, young lady."
More than 30 households, plus the fourth, fifth, and sixth households, were all inspected.
Tian Tian then took Ling Yao to Willow Tree Village.
Seeing that it was getting dark, Zhang Fusheng waved his hand, telling his family to go home. "Go home, Second Miss is very busy today, she probably won't be able to come."
He realized that he had only heard the second young lady tell others to wait for her, but she hadn't told him to.
Perhaps Miss Tian Er wasn't planning to come, after all, Willow Village is so far from the county.
He glanced back at his three mu of land, and saw rows of rice seedlings... nothing seemed amiss.
"Hey, Fusheng, look." Aunt Zhang pointed in the direction of the village entrance.
A horse-drawn carriage is coming from there.
“It’s the Second Miss’s carriage.” Zhang Fusheng recognized it at a glance.
He quickly led everyone to the village entrance to greet her, "Second Miss, it's so late, I thought you weren't coming."
Tian Tian poked her head out of the carriage. "How can that be? We must check it today."
If timely inspections are not conducted, differences will appear when replanting seedlings later.
"Thank you, Second Miss." Zhang Fusheng's voice choked with emotion.
"Young lady, it's getting late. Why don't you have dinner first, and then continue watching?"
"Let's look at it first, otherwise we won't be able to see it clearly if we wait any longer," Tian Tian said.
Zhang Fusheng looked up at the sky and realized that it was true; if it got any later, he wouldn't be able to see the rice seedlings in the field.
"So...you'll stay for dinner after the checkup?"
Tian Tian didn't refuse, "Okay."
Zhang Fusheng waved happily to Aunt Zhang, "Go back and cook, make more dishes."
Aunt Zhang readily agreed and turned to run home.
After Tian Tian and Ling Yao finished inspecting the rice seedlings in the field, they arrived at the Zhang family's house.
Then I saw that the table was full of food.
The freshest wild vegetables of early spring, the chicken from our farm killed, and the eggs...
"Why did you kill the chicken?!" Tian Tian exclaimed in surprise. Chickens in farmhouses are usually kept to lay eggs.
Aunt Zhang was a little reserved. "We don't have much to offer the young lady at home, but this chicken is a dish we can serve."
"Young lady, please eat more and drink more chicken soup,"
"Let's all eat together, don't be shy." Tian Tian sat down and invited the others to sit down as well.
Everyone sat around the table, eating and chatting.
"Young lady, how much can your high-yield rice variety actually yield per acre?"
After a while, Aunt Zhang started talking.
She worked at a shop next to the teahouse, which was closed to customers, so she rarely had the chance to hear what was going on outside.
So she was unaware that the rumors about the high-yield rice variety had increased from the initial 800 jin to 1,000 jin.
If there were any more, no one would dare to spread it anymore.
Tian Tian glanced at Ling Yao, who was listening intently. She had mentioned rice yield per mu to Li Huaiyuan, but not to Ling Yao.
After observing Ling Yao for some time, she realized that he was genuinely concerned about rice cultivation and that he truly cared for the people.
So, to motivate him to keep going...
Tian Tian raised her eyebrows slightly and slowly said, "Rumors outside say that my rice yield is as high as a thousand catties per mu."
"Are there really that many?!" Ling Yao was the first to exclaim in surprise.
Zhang Fusheng and Aunt Zhang's eyes lit up with surprise.
Tian Tian shook her head, "No..."
Ling Yao's shrugged shoulders slowly slumped down. "I've always felt that this rumor was exaggerated."
"But...can it weigh 600 jin?"
"If it's not 600 jin, 500 jin will do."
Tian Tian looked at him and smiled, "More than a thousand catties."
Everyone was shocked.
People don't even dare to speculate or spread rumors that exceed 1,000 jin (500 kg), because this number is just too astonishing.
That's three times the original amount!
"If everyone plants it the way I do, the yield will be more than a thousand catties!"
Tian Tian repeated, and her next sentence was even more earth-shattering!
“1,200 jin, 1,400 jin, or even 1,600 jin... are all possible.”
With a clang...
Tian Tian turned her head and saw Zhang Fusheng's father so shocked that he fell to the ground.
Zhang Fusheng quickly helped him up, "Dad, be careful..."
Old Zhang chuckled awkwardly, "Father, Father was frightened..."
"Father, at your age, I've never heard of rice yielding so much per mu..."
Old Zhang looked at Tian Tian, his expression dazed, "Second Miss Tian...you're not joking, are you?"
He's sixty-five this year, and he's been farming since he was a teenager, over fifty years now, and he's never seen anything with such a high yield per acre...