The hardest time was when we were threshing wheat, but it was also the most enjoyable.

By the time the sun was high in the sky, all the wheat had been bundled and moved to the courtyard.

Fortunately, Jiang Zhi had mixed quicklime with rammed earth to compact the courtyard, so now all that's needed is to sweep it clean before piling up wheat.

After finishing moving the wheat bundles early in the morning, everyone hurriedly ate breakfast and then needed to thresh the wheat.

As is customary, a wooden stump of suitable height is first placed in the courtyard, and then half of a stone mill is placed on top of it.

People would take the bundles of wheat and pound them forcefully on a stone mill until the grains fell off the ears of wheat, then throw the remaining bundles of wheat aside.

Xiaoman and Xu Errui were the main force in threshing the wheat, and they could thresh the wheat grains off the ground in no time.

Grandpa Xiaoman, holding a wooden stick, would carefully tap the bundles of wheat straw that had been thrown out, making sure that not a single grain of wheat was missed.

Jiang Zhi and Chun Feng assisted in carefully carrying all the clean wheat straw, leaving not a single blade, into the woods and piling it up. This straw could be used for cooking or building thatched houses.

The harvested wheat grains should be dried quickly while the sun is shining, otherwise they will sprout soon if it rains.

During the Xiaoman solar term, the nurse spreads an oilcloth on the terraced fields and then pours the wheat grains on it and spreads them out evenly.

Both families were filled with utmost piety and excitement. After the war, the refugees, and the uphill climb, they were finally able to begin harvesting grain!

That evening, Chunfeng roasted the new wheat until dry, ground it into flour, sifted out the coarse husks, and then added eggs and chives to make wheat cakes.

Although the coarse bran mixed in was a bit tough, the long-lost aroma of wheat whetted everyone's appetite, and they ate until they licked their fingers clean.

Jiang Zhi was, without exaggeration, completely stuffed.

Grandpa Xiaoman counted on his fingers and exclaimed, "Five ridges, dried, can yield more than two hundred catties, such a high yield!"

If five acres of land at the foot of the mountain yielded this much, the wheat alone would amount to a thousand catties a year… Ah! Even if we couldn't eat it all, we could still save a few taels of silver!

Jiang Zhi shook her head in disbelief: Only two hundred catties of wheat? Not even enough to go around!

With improved seeds and fertilizers, the yield per mu has reached 1200 to 1500 jin.

The harvest was good this time, thanks to the absence of pests and diseases. It seems that we need to pay more attention to wheat cultivation and make better use of scientific and technological methods.

After the wheat harvest, it will be time to transplant rice seedlings.

This should normally be done simultaneously. Jiang Zhi had also participated in the "double rush" and "battle of Red May" farm work. If the work was slow, she would have to stand in the flooded wheat field to cut the wheat ears.

The wheat was left to dry in the courtyard, with the attentive Qiaoyun watching over it at home.

Qiaoyun had a heavy task; she needed to constantly observe the movement of the clouds in the sky to prevent the rain from sneaking up on her from the mountains.

The rest of the people went to the terraced fields, used hoes to dig up the wheat stalks, broke up the clods of earth, and then poured water into the fields.

With the existing irrigation ditches, the wheat fields are not short of water, and it is also convenient to cultivate rice paddies now.

Since there were no oxen to pull the plow, Xu Errui and Xiaoman took turns walking in front to pull the hoe.

Meanwhile, Grandpa Xiaoman was busy plastering the paddy field ridges with mud.

Now it's a race against time to plant and harvest; time waits for no one. They didn't even stop working at night, working in one go until dawn.

In the morning light, the terraced fields shimmered, and the rice seedlings had already been pulled from the nursery.

This time, Jiang Zhi insisted on doing things her way.

"The seedlings should be spaced a full foot apart, and they also need to be tied with ropes to ensure they are planted neatly and uniformly, with the furrows facing the sunrise and sunset."

Xiaomanye and Errui were all dumbfounded. Xiaomanye said, "Errui's mother, you planted them so sparsely, you're wasting the field!"

Xu Errui also said, "In the past, we would plant rice seedlings along the edge of the field. It was convenient, and the seedlings were planted close together, so we could harvest more. Mother, you taught me that."

He used to get beaten a lot for planting rice seedlings, so why has he changed now?

Jiang Zhi remained unfazed: "We planted the wrong crops before, which is why the yield was low and we went hungry every year!"

"Lord Changgeng, you promised to do as I say when it comes to farming, and this wheat is proof of that!"

Is this... also a reason?

Xiaomanye held back, he did say that, and the terraced fields were built by Errui's mother.

Finally, the rice was planted according to Jiang Zhi's instructions.

Looking at the sparse rice seedlings planted in the water, the entire terraced field looked empty, and Xiaoman felt a pang of heartache.

What a waste! Such a waste!

However, Xiaoman's heartache didn't last long, as he was busy with other things.

It's time to harvest the soybeans on the hillside.

Unlike wheat in terraced fields, which can be harvested all at once, soybeans there are time-consuming and labor-intensive to harvest.

The hillside was large, and no matter how hard Xiaomanye tried to weed, he couldn't match the vitality of the wild grass.

Especially in June, with abundant rainfall and intense sunshine, the grass grows lush but the bean sprouts are sparse.

Moreover, in order to take care of the wheat, they unintentionally neglected this patch of beans.

The edges of the bean fields, where people walk around frequently, are a little better off; you can still see soil after wielding a hoe a few times a day. In other areas, the soybeans are hidden in the grass.

So the group started looking for bean vines in the grass.

It must be said that the burnt straw ash provides fertilizer and also helps with early weeding and seedling protection.

Even though the grass has now covered the soybean vines, the soybeans are still deeply rooted and strong, and the pods are still plump and firm.

This search made Xiaoman's heart ache again. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that rabbits had eaten quite a few bean pods in the grass. He could only curse as he hurriedly harvested the beans.

Harvesting soybeans requires timing. Harvesting too early will result in immature beans and reduced yield, while harvesting too late will cause the pods to burst open and the beans to fall off.

You need to wait until the soybean leaves wither and the pods turn yellow before cutting the seedlings in the morning while they are still wet with dew.

It took them several more days to find the soybeans from the weeds.

It must be said that extensive planting does not necessarily mean a meager harvest. The bean seeds that were carelessly scattered were enough to fill the yard of Xiaoman's family at the foot of the cliff.

Soybeans cannot be directly pounded after harvesting; they need to be dried thoroughly. Finally, on a clear autumn day, sit down and slowly pound them.

Grandpa Xiaoman built a frame with tree branches outside the woods, bundled soybean stalks into small bunches, and hung them upside down on wooden sticks in a figure-eight pattern. This way, they could dry slowly and wouldn't rot even if exposed to sun and rain.

With the farm work temporarily eased for a few days, Jiang Zhi took advantage of the hot sun and the fact that they couldn't go out that day to check on Xu Dazhu's back injury.

After taking the medication for more than half a month, Xu Dazhu still has no feeling in his legs, but he feels that the swelling and pain in his lower back has lessened, and the tingling sensation is particularly noticeable.

In traditional Chinese medicine, soreness, numbness, distension, and pain represent different symptoms and degrees of disease.

Sourness indicates insufficient qi and blood, and a lack of nourishment in the body, which is the mildest form of the illness.

Numbness is a physical discomfort caused by poor blood circulation, even though Qi can circulate normally.

Everyone has experienced the feeling of stretching their legs for too long. Because the air is released but the blood is not, the skin will turn white and feel like insects and ants are crawling under the skin.

Bloating is the result of blocked or obstructed flow of qi; if the blockage becomes more severe, it will cause pain.

Itching is the best of all the reactions; when the body's Qi and blood are abundant, stimulation will produce an itchy sensation.

If the wound feels itchy, it means that new granulation tissue is growing.

Now, Xu Dazhu's pain has gone from unbearable to a tingling sensation, which means that his blood and qi are stirring in the injured area, opening up new pathways.

Another, and even more important, result was a significant improvement in his incontinence.

Speaking of this reaction, Xu Dazhu was a little embarrassed in front of his aunt Jiang Zhi, but Xiaoman's grandparents were very happy.

Of course, now there's one more happy person: Chunfeng is all smiles, her face flushed.

Jiang Zhi concluded that fleeing famine had turned out to be a blessing in disguise, and for the past few months he had been surviving on kudzu root powder.

This is a health supplement; I can't take it like this at other times.

In addition, eating wild yam, tung oil, and bee pupae can help replenish kidney energy and improve bowel and bladder control.

Moreover, with regular meals and a cheerful mood, I no longer have to go hungry every day like before, and my stomach and intestines have gradually recovered, no longer suffering from alternating diarrhea and constipation.