October, the golden autumn month, is a season of harvest.

The experimental plots planted by Xu Di yielded a bumper harvest.

Under his careful tending, every ear of corn was plump. Xu Di picked them off one by one, dried them, and used the harvested corn kernels as seeds. The potatoes in the field also grew well. After the harvest, Xu Di took a few home and stir-fried some potato shreds and made a beef stew with potatoes.

The dishes were all cooked in large pots. Xu Di not only ate them with his own family, but also delivered them to the uncles and elders living in the front yard. As a result, the meal made everyone look forward to these new crops. After all, delicious food is something that many people cannot resist.

Xu Di's successful trial planting also excited the heir of the Marquis of Jingbei. He personally came to see the harvested grains and the unharvested grains in the fields. He felt that this matter could not be covered up and that he should submit a memorial to the Emperor to clarify the matter. However, this would involve the Zhang family. Back then, the Zhang family was forced to go overseas by some people. Bringing up these matters again would be detrimental to the Zhang family. Therefore, the heir of the Marquis of Jingbei pinned the matter on Xu Rao.

The memorial stated that Xu Rao discovered the seeds of these things in the trade market and realized their importance to Daliang and the people. So he approached him and set up an experimental field. After trial planting, it was proven that these things could completely feed the people. Most importantly, these things not only have high yields, but also do not have high requirements for the land. As long as they are managed properly, they can still grow even in barren land.

The heir of the Marquis of Jingbei sent the memorial to the capital by express courier. Xu Di was still carrying out his autumn harvest. The difference was that after the autumn harvest, he would plant winter wheat on the large estate he had just bought. Xu Di had been thinking about it for a long time and felt that he could divide the land into two parts. One part would be planted with winter wheat and intercropped with corn, and the other part would also be planted with winter wheat, but without intercropping with corn. After the wheat harvest, he would plant some soybeans to nourish the soil. The soil was still quite barren. Even with fertilizer, the fertilizer would weaken the soil after it had nourished the crops. Planting soybeans would not only allow him to harvest soybeans for oil, but he could also use the soybean residue as pig feed. Xu Di felt that no matter how delicious beef or mutton was, it was still not as delicious as pork.

Xu Di felt he was steadily progressing on the path of scientific planting and breeding research, but the thought of more delicious food and drinks in the future filled him with renewed energy. Since there wasn't much to do at the county government office, Xu Di brought his father to the experimental fields, and then there was the estate. Especially the estate, which Xu Rao and Zhang Zhaoci had originally entrusted with all the affairs of the estate to Xu Di. Xu Di was too impatient to run back and forth, so he handed over the construction of houses on the estate to Xu Rao. Although Xu Rao had been a professor for many years, he still retained some of the romanticism of a scholar. In addition, the estate not only had a small hill, but also a river, and there was even a spring on the hill that flowed water all year round.

Xu Rao led the craftsmen around the mountain twice and finally decided to build a large courtyard with three courtyards. He also brought in spring water from the mountain and built a small pond in the courtyard.

When they got home that evening and heard Xu Rao's description, Zhang Zhaoci and Xu Di looked at each other in bewilderment. Seeing his wife and son's expressions, Xu Rao's excited demeanor softened slightly, and he said, "What, you don't want to build it like this?"

Zhang Zhaoci said, "It's not that I'm unwilling, it's just that I originally planned to build this courtyard so that those brothers would have a place to live. But you have a pond and a big courtyard, I think you're building a villa for yourself to escape the summer heat?"

Xu Rao chuckled twice and said, "I just felt it was a pity not to make use of that mountain spring. Besides, once the estate is built, Xu Di's experimental fields will be moved there. It's a big place there, and our family will live there from now on. Xiao Jiu will also have a place to play. Xiao Jiu, what do you say?"

Xu Zhi was very longing to hear Xu Rao's description of the estate that had not yet been built. When her father asked her if she liked it, she immediately replied, "Yes."

Xu Rao said with a smile, "Look, look, even our Xiao Jiu says it's good."

Zhang Zhaoci sighed and said, "Old Xu, it's not that I don't want you to build a courtyard, but look at where we are. We're so close to the border. If there's any war, the villages and towns around here will be the first to be hit. If you build such a big courtyard on the mountain, aren't you just setting up a target for them? Why don't we reconsider?"

After listening, Xu Rao clicked his tongue and thought for a long time. He sighed and said, "I was too unrealistic. Alright, let's just build two simple rooms for those brothers to live in, and put some farm tools there. The houses don't need to be big, just five rooms and a yard will do."

Seeing that her father was in a bad mood when he said this, Xu Zhi said, "Father, we can't build it now. When we go back to the capital, Xiao Jiu will earn money to buy you a manor, and one with a spring, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Rao said, "Good, good, good. Our Xiao Jiu is such a good child. Father will wait to live in the estate that our Xiao Jiu bought for Father."

The house was a simple local mud-brick and black-tiled house. There were no wild animals around, so the courtyard wall was not built particularly high. The house was built quickly. After it was finished, the people who came to help manage the estate moved there. The autumn harvest had already begun there.

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