Chapter 62: Spring Plowing: Two servants, tall and strong, and short and fat, stood in line...

Liu Yeling was stunned for a moment, then took a closer look at the piece of metal in her sister's hand. It was an exceptionally fine piece of iron, intricately engraved with patterns and shimmering with a faint greenish hue. Seeing it, Liu Yeling's brows knitted into a frown.

"This...this isn't a part I made."

Liu Yeshu's eyes flickered upon hearing this. He pulled out a handkerchief embroidered with plum blossoms from his sleeve, gently wrapped the metal piece, and handed it to Liu Yeling, "Keep it safe. Don't let anyone see it."

Liu Yeling took the handkerchief and carefully tucked it into her bosom, her eyes still revealing a hint of resignation and anger. "Sister, what should we do next? The machine is so damaged that it's impossible to continue using it."

"Ship it home first and see if it can be repaired."

For the next few days, the Liu siblings toiled as usual, keeping silent about the damage to the machinery. However, every night, when everyone was asleep, Liu Yeling would light an oil lamp, carefully dismantle the machinery, and then attempt to repair the damaged parts piece by piece.

Although they tried their best to use the existing wood and iron sheets at home as substitutes, the difficulty of repair was far beyond their expectations. Not only were some key parts twisted, but the screw holes were also artificially enlarged, making it impossible to restore them to their original state. The Liu family also lacked sufficient tools and materials.

One evening, Sister Wang came to discuss business with Liu Yeshu. When she arrived in the yard and saw parts scattered all over the floor, she couldn't help but look surprised and asked, "Miss Liu, are you planning to change your career and become a blacksmith?"

Liu Yeshu smiled wryly and briefly explained the situation to Sister Wang. Sister Wang couldn't help but give them a thumbs-up. "The Liu siblings are truly capable, to have created such a powerful machine. However, now that it's broken down like this, I'm afraid it won't be repairable with our family's means."

Liu Yeshu sighed: "We are also worried about this matter. If there is really no other way, we may have to give up."

Sister Wang pondered for a moment, then suddenly slapped her thigh. "I remember someone! My late husband had an old comrade-in-arms who was a renowned craftsman specializing in fine artifacts. I think he could be of help to you."

Liu Yeling's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she quickly said, "Sister Wang, can you take me to find him?"

When Liu Yeling heard this, her eyes suddenly lit up like stars in the sky, and she eagerly begged Widow Wang to lead the way.

Seeing this, Liu Yeshu hurried to the kitchen to take out a basket of freshly baked meat buns, wrapped them tightly and asked them to take them as a thank you gift.

As night fell, Liu Yeling finally returned and excitedly shouted at Liu Yeshu's closed door: "Sister, there is a chance!" Her voice was filled with uncontrollable joy.

However, Liu Yeshu in the room was lost in thought. She had originally thought that once the equipment was repaired, it would be put to good use during the spring plowing season, and perhaps the whole family would receive due credit.

But now it seemed that even village officials like Li Guanshi were coveting their machinery. Without a strong enough backer, all their hard work would ultimately become someone else's wedding dress. She sighed softly, the account book in her hand pale in the moonlight.

Even without machinery, spring plowing has to continue.

One morning, when Liu Yeshu returned home, Housekeeper Zhao called her aside and reminded her with concern: "Miss Liu, spring plowing is about to begin. You need to prepare the seeds early. I'll go get you some silver."

Liu Yeshu understood that this was Qi Yu's special request. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, but she couldn't hide the slight awkwardness and complexity in her eyes. She took the silver bag and replied with a vague look, "Thank you, Butler Zhao."

Steward Zhao smiled and clapped his hands. He turned and waved to the servants nearby, motioning them to come forward and line up. He then said to Liu Yeshu, "Young lady, pick some people to help in the fields. Your family has limited males, so working in the fields might be a challenge."

Liu Yeshu nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, looked around at the servants, and said slowly, "The general's land requires twenty people to cultivate it step by step. I need five clever people to help with my own land. I will pay for these tasks separately. I hope everyone will do their best."

As soon as the words fell, the servants looked at each other, hesitant. It was clear that everyone had their own thoughts, but due to their status, they didn't dare to speak first. Liu Yeshu saw their concerns, smiled slightly, and asked casually, "Who here has experience working in the fields?"

After a moment's silence, a young man from the group stood up and saluted nervously, "Miss Liu, my name is Ah Cheng. My family has been farmers for generations. I've worked on the farm for many years. I'm quite familiar with plowing, sowing, and weeding."

Liu Yeshu looked at Ah Cheng gently, nodded slightly, and said encouragingly, "Okay, you have a lot of experience, come and help me in my fields." Ah Cheng was slightly startled, as if he had not expected to be chosen first. With a look of flattered joy on his face, he quickly clasped his fists and bowed his head, "Thank you for your trust, young lady. I will definitely live up to your trust."

Liu Yeshu then turned his gaze to a middle-aged servant beside Ah Cheng, with a slightly inquiring look and a gentle tone: "Old Li, are you also responsible for farming in the farm?"

Old Li stepped forward, bowed slightly, and replied with a somewhat reserved gesture, "Yes, young lady. Although I'm a bit older, I've been doing farm work for many years. I'm quite skilled at plowing, sowing, and harvesting." He raised his head and continued with some confidence, "Although I'm not as strong as young people, farm work requires skill, and experience is sometimes more valuable than strength."

Liu Yeshu pondered for a moment and continued, "In that case, Old Li, you are more familiar with the people in the village and know who is more suitable for what job than I do. I will select some people later, and then you will go to the fields of the general's mansion to lead the team and assign their respective tasks."

After hearing this, Old Li's eyes flickered with relief, and he nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, young lady, I will do my best and will not let you and the general down."

Liu Yeshu nodded and then said to Steward Zhao, "Steward Zhao, please help me arrange some farm tools. Hoes and plowshares are essential. Also, please ask the government to borrow five oxen to prepare for the spring plowing."

A tall, strong servant and a short, stout servant stood in the line, their expressions glancing at each other with a mixture of anticipation and unease. They had helped the Liu family during the autumn harvest, where Miss Liu was generous and kind, and their wages were generous. Seeing Liu Yeshu selecting people in public, they couldn't help but feel nervous, fearing they would be overlooked, and afraid of appearing rude if they spoke rashly.

Until the end, Liu Yeshu called on the two of them: "You two, come to my field. Spring plowing is the time when you need strength."

Upon hearing this, the two of them immediately lit up with joy and hurried forward to salute: "Thank you, young lady! We will definitely live up to your trust!"

Liu Yeshu nodded slightly and continued to select two younger and smarter young men from the crowd.

Butler Zhao nodded in satisfaction, clapped his hands, and turned to the servants, speaking loudly, "Did everyone hear clearly? Miss Liu's arrangements are the General's instructions. Doing a good job with spring plowing is the top priority. Everyone should do their best. The quality of the spring plowing will depend on you!"

As she went to the storehouse to get the silver, Liu Yeshu slowly opened her purse, revealing the delicate metal piece. She gently placed the purse on Butler Zhao's desk, her gaze grave as she lowered her voice and said, "Butler Zhao, you helped me find a blacksmith in the city to forge these bows and arrows. I have something I need you to research its origins."

Butler Zhao raised an eyebrow, looking at the metal piece and nodding slightly. He reached out, picked up the piece of metal, and examined it carefully. As expected, the metal piece was not only exquisitely carved, but also had a rare green luster on its surface. Butler Zhao was a seasoned veteran, and while he didn't understand the specifics of blacksmithing, it was clear that this craftsmanship was not ordinary farm implements.

"Miss Liu, don't worry," Butler Zhao put the metal piece back into his purse and said with a cupped hand, "I'll do my best to find out the origins of this piece of iron. I know all the reputable blacksmith shops in the city."

After leaving the general's mansion, Liu Yeshu slowly walked towards the West Market.

It was the morning market in the West Market at that time, and it was bustling with people. Vendors selling all kinds of goods were shouting enthusiastically. Stalls of various spices, cloths, fruits and vegetables were lined up along the street, and the air was filled with the mixed fragrance of grass, trees and soil.

Walking into the seed stalls on the east side of the West Market, you're greeted by a dazzling array of cloth bags and ceramic jars, large and small, filled with a variety of seeds. Golden grains, glossy black millet, and unsprouted potato seeds—the dazzling array seems to promise a bountiful harvest next year. Seeds in the West Market are much cheaper than in the East Market. Most of the seed vendors here are merchants visiting the border or small local farmers, offering affordable prices and high-quality seeds.

Liu Yeshu approached a stall. The owner was a middle-aged man with dark skin, evidently someone who'd been traveling for years. As soon as he saw Liu Yeshu stop, he greeted her warmly, "Miss, what seeds would you like? The seeds here are all harvested home, suitable for planting in this frontier, and guaranteed to have a high survival rate!" He pointed to several cloth bags piled beside him. "These are freshly dried wheat seeds from this year, and these are millet seeds. They're all good varieties."

Liu Yeshu smiled and nodded, then squatted down, picked up a handful of wheat seeds, and examined them carefully. The seeds were a healthy light yellow, with plump grains, clearly well-drying. She nodded slightly and asked, "Is this wheat hardy? We're growing it on the fields at the General's Mansion, which are large and close to the mountains, so the climate is relatively cold."

The stall owner immediately took over. "Girl, this wheat seed is the most cold-resistant variety. I tried planting a batch in the fields before winter last year. It's strong and resistant to wind and sand. The climate in our border areas is indeed not as warm as that in the Central Plains, but as long as you sow it at the right time, the wheat seedlings will grow vigorously in the warm spring. Besides, this wheat has a good yield and is suitable for large-scale planting."

Liu Yeshu looked slightly satisfied, then turned to look at the bag of millet seeds beside her. The millet grains were large and shiny black. Knowing that millet was hardy, drought-resistant, and well-suited to poor soil, it was exactly what the General's Mansion needed for its wasteland, she asked, "Is there a particular season for planting millet?"

The stall owner said cheerfully, "You're right, girl. If you plant millet too early, it won't germinate well. But if you plant it a little later, when the soil is full of energy, it will grow quickly. I have a very good variety of millet here, suitable for plots with a little more rain. Don't worry, this millet has a high germination rate. When the time comes, the fields will be covered with shiny black fields, and a good harvest is just around the corner."

Liu Yeshu pondered this carefully, and concluded that this millet was suitable for the low-lying fields of the General's Mansion. She then glanced at another type of wheat in the bag beside her. It was a more yellowish color, with plump grains, but not as fine as the previous seeds. Seeing her confusion, the stall owner quickly explained, "This is a common variety, suitable for small-scale plantings at home to save money. Those with larger fields don't need to worry about this."

She nodded, then stood up and said to the stall owner, "Then weigh me 200 kilograms of cold-resistant wheat seeds and 50 kilograms of millet." Just as she was about to pay, she suddenly remembered that there was a field to the north with hard soil. It had been difficult to cultivate in the past and was suitable for growing crops with deep roots and drought resistance. So she asked the stall owner, "Do you have buckwheat seeds?"