Chapter 63: 63.Over-age Rice Paddy Keeper_1
A al had Zhang Yanping instantly unable to move an inch from his stool.
However, working was out of the question; he had resolved never to suffer that hardship in this lifeti. He decided to firmly plant himself on the chair, immovable even if his aunt scorned him.
As the one currently at the bottom of the food chain, Song Sancheng didn’t dare say a word after the al and eagerly set about clearing up the dishes and chopsticks.
And ever since Wu Lan found out that tea leaves could sell for ten thousand a pound, she tossed aside her rice bowl and headed straight for the mountains with her basket! More proactive than anyone.
What was the use of being mad at a man? Making money was what mattered most!
And Song Tan declared:
...
“Brother Yanping, this afternoon you should go dig in the vegetable garden with Qiaoqiao!”
Preparing the garden ant turning the soil over first, then breaking it up. Although the area was small, it was a ticulous task. For Qiaoqiao, who was taking on such a solemn task for the first ti, he did it with utmost seriousness.
The family’s own garden had actually been dug the night before, but Grandma and Grandpa said, since they wouldn’t lack vegetables after they started farming, they might as well clear out the adjacent plot for Song Tan too.
That plot hadn’t been dug up yet.
Just right for Zhang Yanping to get used to it.
Song Tan went to check on the bok choy seeds she had soaked at noon, sneakily added so Spiritual Energy, and now, after half a day, tiny sprouts were slightly bulging.
She planned to plant them all by evening.
The garden wasn’t large, all things considered—about three parts of an acre, nearly two hundred square ters.
But if they grew bok choy, which could wildly produce four thousand pounds per acre, this plot could normally yield around twelve hundred pounds.
If there was an addition of Spiritual Energy…
Song Tan did the calculations in her mind and was already in a rush to start.
She had great plans, but Zhang Yanping didn’t even lift his butt:
“I’m not going.” He was clearly determined.
“If you don’t go, you won’t have dinner tonight.”
“Then I won’t go.” Zhang Yanping chuckled, “Tantan, you’re still young, you don’t understand the persistence of adults. My aunt definitely won’t let
starve.”
Song Tan also smiled with deep aning, “Brother Yanping, she won’t let you starve, but that doesn’t an you’ll get to taste what we had at noon. If you’re willing to eat sothing different from us, then enjoy rotting away right here.”
Zhang Yanping’s heart skipped a beat.
But how could a grown man just admit defeat like this?
He stubbornly said, “Impossible, you guys are so busy; how could you have the ti to cook two separate als?”
Song Tan only smiled without answering.
But before that, a plot also needed to be plowed in the fields. The rice would need to be grown together first, then later transplanted.
And there were seedlings that needed to be cultivated as well.
Song Tan handed the tools to Qiaoqiao, “Be good, dig out Grandma and Grandpa’s garden well. If you do a good job, we’ll plant vegetables tonight.”
“Aren’t we planting corn?”
Qiaoqiao obviously disliked Song Tan’s way of gardening.
“We will, but it’s not the right ti now. When the ti cos, I’ll set aside a separate plot for our Qiaoqiao to plant corn, okay?”
Only then was Qiaoqiao content.
Zhang Yanping shook his head at his nephew’s na??ve and foolish appearance.
anwhile, Song Tan walked to the field and saw the old ox lounging there with several birds perched on it, and she couldn’t help but smile:
“Grandpa Li!”
“Ah!” A figure sitting on the ridge stood up—it was the owner of the old yellow cow.
“Grandpa Li, do the Milk Vetch plants in my field taste good?”
Old Li’s face creased into wrinkles as he smiled, “Good! Really good, even better than braised at. I have to cut a basketful every day.”
The matter was actually broached by Song Tan herself.
Having known hardship in his youth, Old Li wasn’t picky about food, and although these two patches of land had been grazed by cattle, he still found so tender and crisp corners to enjoy.
After trying it once, he would bring a basket when herding the cows every day, the flavors bursting in his mouth, making him feel there was sothing to look forward to each day.
Now looking at Song Tan, he felt that this girl was good in every aspect. Worthy of being a college graduate, she was even better at farming than them.
“Tantan, did you co here for sothing?”
In the adjacent areas of paddy and dry fields, Song Tan pointed out two patches of land:
“Grandpa Li, these days it’s ti to cultivate the rice seedlings, could you please plow these two patches thoroughly in the next couple of days?”
“The patch on top is dry land where I plan to nurture so vegetable seedlings, it also needs to be done with care.”
Plowing the fields was sothing Old Li had done for half his life, and now he agreed without a second thought:
“Don’t worry, I know exactly what you need, and I’ll do it properly for you.”
Then, pointing at a corner of the field:
“That spot, sheltered from the wind and well sunlit, close to the ditch, I’ll plow those two patches a bit finer.”
Glancing at the intense sun, the old man naturally had a bellyful of experience to share:
“Tell your father, when he has ti, to make more straw mats. With this weather, covering them early in the morning and evening is still necessary.”
“I reckon the chestnut trees on the mountain will bloom in a while, right? Don’t just focus on the chestnuts; the black fungus underneath needs to breathe too.”
The workload had increased again—Song Tan was genuinely getting a headache.
If this place was deserted, she might have used so small tricks, but now with so many people in the village, and the fields and forests under everyone’s watch, everything had to proceed slowly.
However, seeing Old Li’s eagerness, a thought struck Song Tan, and she suddenly asked:
“Grandpa Li, how about you help
manage the seedling cultivation for now? Later on, you can also take care of the two paddy fields.”
“I won’t talk about paying you or not, but I’ll take care of all your rice, flour, oil, vegetables, and at for the year. How does that sound?”
The old man had his wisdom, too. Old Li was all smiles as he said:
“If you don’t mind
being old and not able to work hard, just give
twenty pounds of pork from your house at the end of the year!”
Song Tan couldn’t help laughing and crying at the sa ti.
“Having an elder is like having a treasure. Grandpa Li, you’re much more capable than us young folks.”
Despite the old n in the village seeming frail and unsteady on their feet every day, put them in the fields, and they worked more efficiently than anyone else.
Those unyielding iron hands, when it ca to weeding, could outdo many of the younger able-bodied adults.
Not to ntion, Old Li had a deep understanding of growing rice, having spent the first half of his life doing just that, and now he assured firmly:
“Rest assured, I’ll make sure they are well-cared for.”
Now tasked with a responsibility, he was eager to offer more advice: “By the way, Tantan, that pond up there, clean it out when you have ti. There’s too much aquatic weed in it, rear so grass carp.”
Grass carp are voracious eaters of vegetation, suitable for such an environnt.
“The water quality in the pond is pretty good. When you get the chance, put so crucian carp fry in there, take good care of them, it can be another source of inco.”
Song Tan had this in mind, too.
“Grandpa Li, my plan was to release the fish fry after filling the paddy fields with water. Otherwise, they would all head down the ditches into the fields.”
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to farm fish in the rice fields. Her main concern was about the flock of ducks on the mountain, which would later go into the fields to graze. Syncing their activities could afford a slight delay.
But Old Li wasn’t worried:
“What’s there to be afraid of? If the fish end up in the rice field, that’s even better than ducks. They’ll help you by eating insects and weeds, and fertilizing the field. The TV’s always talking about that ‘rice fragrant’ fish; you can sell it for a higher price.”
“Just release more fry when the ti cos; I’ll look after them in the rice field for you.”
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