"Father, let's start buying in bulk!"

Li Xiangdong felt that this matter should be handled sooner rather than later.

“The wheat is ripe now, but the commune doesn’t allow harvesting. The commune members don’t have much work to do, so why not take advantage of this lull and let them all gather wheat stalk seeds?”

Wang Zhenbo also agreed with Li Xiangdong's opinion.

Li Jin took two puffs of his pipe.

"That's fine, but there's no need to buy them! The brigade doesn't have that much money."

"From now until the wheat harvest, all members of the Lijiapo brigade will go to collect wheat wormwood seeds. Every day, they will be paid work points and given a certain number of kilograms of wheat wormwood seed oil based on the weight of the collected seeds."

Li Jin made the final decision.

Wang Zhenbo and Li Xiangdong both thought this was a good idea.

As for the wheatgrass seeds that Li Xiangdong paid Li Ying and her husband to purchase, of course, the ownership belongs to Li Xiangdong.

When Zhao Sufang brought Li Yan back, she felt that the room was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

What is this?

Zhao Sufang looked at the four bottles of dark green stuff on the kang (a heated brick bed), not knowing what they were.

"Oil pressed from wheatgrass seeds!" Li Jin exclaimed with delight.

"Zhenbo, take a bottle home and eat it later!"

Wang Zhenbo quickly waved his hand, explaining that Li Xiangdong had provided the money to buy the wheatgrass seeds, and he had only run an errand and paid a mere three cents in labor fees; he couldn't possibly accept a bottle of oil in return.

"Why are you being so polite? Besides, you've put in so much effort and money this morning. Take this and eat it first. In a while, our brigade won't be short of oil!"

Li Jin seemed quite spirited.

Zhao Sufang hadn't seen her husband with such a relaxed expression in many years.

"Uncle Bo, don't be so polite! I have something important to tell you."

Li Jin and Wang Zhenbo were overjoyed at the prospect of making a fortune. With a wave of their hands, they told Li Xiangdong to go ahead and say what he wanted.

The two of them thought Li Xiangdong had some trouble and needed their help!

As it turns out, it was indeed a difficult matter.

"I think the wheat is ripe, but when should we harvest it? The weather is unpredictable; June weather is like a child's face, it changes in an instant."

He finished speaking and silenced everyone in the room.

"Wife, go cook some food, make a lot! Zhenbo can eat here."

After a while, Li Jin broke the silence.

"Hey, Captain, talking about the wheat harvest makes me lose my appetite."

Wang Zhenbo sighed.

The irritability that had been suppressed by the wheatgrass seed oil surged back into Li Jin's mind with Wang Zhenbo's words, and he pinched his brow in worry.

“I went to a meeting at the commune this morning, and the commune leader Hu Shusong repeatedly emphasized that the production brigades below were not allowed to harvest wheat on their own.”

"They say the weather will be favorable this year, and the wheat yield per mu will definitely exceed 400. We must wait until the wheat is fully ripe before the whole commune launches a major wheat harvest campaign."

"Whoever harvests the wheat prematurely, resulting in it not growing to its full potential and the yield per mu not reaching the standard of 400 kilograms, will bear the responsibility!"

"Even if we wait until winter, the yield per mu won't reach 400!"

Speaking of this, Wang Zhenbo was extremely worried, feeling as if his white hairs were sprouting out in droves.

"Damn it, Hu Shusong is just a big talker, always spouting nonsense. Doesn't he fear his tongue will get twisted? I'm over forty and I've never seen wheat yield 400 jin per mu!"

Facing his confidants and son, Li Jin lost all control and cursed in anger.

"Captain, I've asked several elderly people recently, and they all have joint pain. Also, our salt jar is getting a little damp."

Wang Zhenbo was worried. He was a meticulous person, and he had been concerned ever since Uncle Li Jin mentioned that his joints hurt.

"Moreover, I checked the county annals, and in the past thirty years, the probability of rain at this time of year has been very high."

What Wang Zhenbo said was not unfounded.

There are always a few days in a year when it's guaranteed to rain, such as the 24th of June, the birthday of Guan Yu, and the 7th of July, the Qixi Festival.

"The weather forecast from the commune can predict up to fifteen days in advance, and they say it will be sunny all the time!"

Caught between traditional methods and scientific weather forecasts, Li Jin was torn.

Li Xiangdong, who had been listening silently, finally spoke.

"Dad, Uncle Bo, the weather forecast might not be accurate. Weather is affected by many variables, including time, terrain, and air. The longer the time frame, the more factors accumulate, making the forecast less accurate."

Current technology is far inferior to that of later generations. Even with big data technology, artificial intelligence, and various satellites, later generations still cannot make accurate measurements, let alone now.

"Xiangdong has really grown up and knows so much now," Wang Zhenbo praised Li Xiangdong.

When did Xiang Dong, this mischievous boy who used to climb on the roof and tear off the tiles every day, become so knowledgeable?

Think about the wheatgrass seed oil we just talked about, and then listen to how this little word describes it—the combination of various factors.

That's a great kid!

"Uncle Bo, don't flatter me. I just browsed around at Xinhua Bookstore."

Li Xiangdong quickly explained that he believed the excuses about Uncle Yan and Xinhua Bookstore would fool the two men.

Wang Zhenbo is meticulous; I mustn't let him see through my scheme!

"It's good that you know how to improve!"

Wang Zhenbo offered another compliment, but his brows remained furrowed, and he and Li Jin faced each other in worry.

"Dad, why do you think Hu Shusong insists on having everyone harvest the wheat together, and why does he have to organize this whole-cooperative campaign?"

"Also, have you noticed why Hu Shusong was so certain that the wheat yield per mu could reach 400 jin?"

Li Xiangdong noticed something unusual in Li Jin's words.

Li Jin thought for a moment, "Hu Shusong is a man who loves to show off; he's probably up to something again."

“Xiang Dong is right. Why does Hu Shusong insist on saying the yield is 400 jin per mu?” Wang Zhenbo frowned and pondered.

"I heard it was estimated by experts."

Li Jin snorted, "Experts don't farm, what do they know!"

Li Xiangdong chuckled; his father's words actually rhymed quite well.

Unexpectedly, the expert's reputation has been tarnished at this time.

However, on the other hand, there is always a small group of so-called experts who spout nonsense, which lowers the reputation and quality of the entire expert team.

There are even people like Hu Shusong who, for their own selfish gain, may falsely claim to be experts.

"Dad, Uncle Bo, do you think Hu Shusong will make everyone pay grain tax at a rate of 400 jin per mu?"

A single word awakened me from my dream!

Li Jin and Wang Zhenbo were suddenly as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over their heads. They were covered in cold sweat, their faces turned pale, and they looked at each other in dismay.

After a long pause, Wang Zhenbo stammered, "No, no, it can't be!"

"If we pay like this, what will the commune members eat!"

Li Jin was utterly terrified by his son's words.

He wanted to say it was impossible, but deep down he felt that his son was right.

Li Jin stopped fanning himself with a palm leaf fan; he felt cool from the inside out!

"If there's even the slightest possibility of that, we need to prepare in advance!" Li Xiangdong guided the two.

Li Jin made the final decision: "Let's eat first. People need food to survive. We can't just stop planting crops because we hear cicadas chirping."

"Alright! Maybe we're just worrying unnecessarily. Let's eat first!"