When Jiang Shuyun came in again, Mu Yi'an and her daughter were already asleep. The little girl was holding onto Mu Yi'an's clothes with one hand, and the two of them were sleeping soundly close together.

The next day, after feeding the baby, Mu Yi'an asked her mother-in-law to help look after the child, and then went out with Jiang Shuyun to check on their rice paddies.

"Third Uncle, the rice is ripe, right? We can save it for seed."

Mu Yi'an had already checked; the rice was ripe and ready for harvest. But she couldn't act like she knew everything, that would be a bit abnormal.

"Okay, shall we start now?"

Uncle Jiang looked at the heavy ears of rice in the field and was overjoyed. He could earn a couple more strings of cash this year. Maybe next year he could send his younger children to learn to read for a couple of years, and then they could find work in the county.

"Let's start now. We need to pick the plumpest and heaviest rice ears to cut. Third Uncle, is there anyone else in the family who is free? Call them all over and finish quickly so we can have the autumn harvest and prepare for a change in the weather. Saving rice seeds is also extra work. I can't let you work for free. After you've finished picking all twenty acres of rice, I'll pay you fifty coins to buy meat for the children."

Mu Yi'an knew that paid services and free services had different effects.

"Why should we pay? That would be insulting your third uncle. We're the ones who are getting the better deal, so we don't need to pay. Eldest brother, go home and call everyone in the family. Bring a knife and scissors. There are plenty of us, we can finish this in no time."

Uncle Jiang knew perfectly well that by renting Shuyun's wife's land, they didn't have to pay taxes and could even get 40% of the profits—they were getting a great deal.

Jiang Shuqi agreed and turned to go home. He was also a quiet person and not good at saying nice things.

Mu Yi'an didn't say anything more. He would finish the work first and then see what to give to Uncle Jiang's family.

A short while later, Jiang Shuqi arrived with his four brothers and two sisters.

Uncle Jiang's family has seven children: five boys and two girls. Jiang Shuqi is the eldest, twenty-two years old, married, and has a five- or six-month-old baby. His younger siblings are all still unmarried; the pressure of finding husbands for six children is immense.

"Take your tools, line up in a row, and cut down the plumpest ears of rice. Be careful not to trample the rice seedlings and ruin the grain."

"Understood, Father."

The children, big and small, lined up in a row and started working, following their father's instructions.

Mu Yi'an took a look and found that they had all done a good job, were very serious, and had not tried to cheat or take shortcuts.

Jiang Shuyun followed Mu Yi'an's example, picking plump ears of rice from the paddy field and putting them into her basket. The golden ears of rice swayed in the wind, looking like golden waves from afar.

At this moment, Jiang Shuyun understood a little better the autumn harvest scene described in the book. The bright smiles on the farmers' faces were truly a joy that came from the heart.

Twenty acres of land, not a lot, and a dozen or so people walked through it in a short time.

"Third Uncle, take these rice ears back, dry them, and store them well for next year. Then compare them with this year's harvest to see if the yield has increased."

"Okay, I'll be careful. These are seeds, after all!"

As a farmer, Uncle Jiang knew the importance of seeds.

"Then we'll have to trouble you, Uncle. The rest can be harvested now. We'll head back first. If you need anything, come find us at home."

Jiang Shuyun gave a brief explanation to her third uncle's family and then led Mu Yi'an home.

"Father, when do you think we'll be able to have our own land?"

"Yes, things are much better now than before. We'll try to get the second child engaged by the end of the year, and after another year, it'll be the third child's turn. When conditions improve, we'll send the children to school for a few days to learn some words. Things will gradually get better and better."

"Yes, things will get better."

Looking at the heavy ears of rice, Jiang Shuqi's heart was filled with hope.

"Shuqi, you take the second son and the others home and tell your mother to make sure they dry properly. These are seeds!"

"I understand, Dad. Don't worry, Mom knows why we're here. I'll explain it to you again when we get back, so you don't need to worry."

Jiang Shuqi, along with his second and third younger brothers, carried ears of rice home, while Uncle Jiang led the other older children to begin harvesting the rice.

Mu Yi'an and Jiang Shuyun arrived home shortly after. She took out some copper coins from the inner room and handed them to Jiang Shuyun.

"Go to the Mu family later and talk to my older brother about saving the rice seeds. While you're at it, stop by the butcher shop in town and buy a few pounds of meat to send to Uncle Jiang's family. After all, today's matter is extra, so let's express our gratitude in some way."

"Okay, I got it, I'll go right now. Oh dear, I suddenly miss my bicycle."

Jiang Shuyun thought about how she was going to walk five miles, ten miles round trip, and her feet started to hurt.

"Why don't you ride a donkey there?"

"Forget it, it's too scary. I've only ever learned to ride a horse on the grasslands in my entire life, and I don't even know if I can still do it now. I'll just walk, consider it exercise."

Mu Yi'an looked at the timid Jiang Shuyun and didn't point it out.

There's nothing at home that I can give to my parents. The fabric that Madam Wei gave us before has a color suitable for young people, so I'll get it later.

Jiang Shuyun rested for a while, then got up and went to her in-laws' house.

Brother Mu is actually home today. The autumn harvest is about to begin, and there's a lot to do, both long-term and short-term workers.

"Shuyun, what brings you here?"

"Brother, I need to talk to you about something. Are your parents-in-law home? I'll go say hello."

"He's inside. Come on, let's go in together."

Mu Zichen asked Uncle Wang to take care of the task he had just assigned, then turned and went inside with Jiang Shuyun.

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