Chapter 80
The Yichun military settlement had entered its busy spring plowing season. Wang Lang, having arrived at the Yichun camp, was also in charge of the settlement's farming operations. Everyone had spontaneously declared a truce, halting the tit-for-tat confrontation and focusing instead on their own development.
A new farm has been established in Juntun, but currently it has zero members.
On this day, General Manager Wu and Yu Chen gathered dozens of old farmers who were transferred from military settlements and had rich farming experience. They themselves were good at farming.
These old farmers who were summoned were confused and anxious.
The first thing Yu Chen said after he stood on the podium was, "Don't be nervous, everyone. I invited everyone here mainly to ask for your help."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a buzz of discussion below, and no one knew how they could help.
Yu Chen continued, "Everyone should know that we have signed an agreement with the Yichun Camp. The agreement states that this year, when our military farms harvest, we must deliver 880,000 dan of grain to the Yichun Camp."
Yes, the entire military settlement had heard about this. Now, hearing this massive number again, everyone was not in a good mood. These dozens of veteran farmers knew all too well how difficult it was to achieve a high yield, as farming depended entirely on the blessing of nature.
"But this agreement isn't entirely a bad thing for us. One advantage is that the amount of grain delivered to the Yichun camp is fixed. This means the better the grain we grow, the more we harvest, the more we can keep, and the more food everyone gets."
The old farmer below couldn't help but say, "But Master Yu, an average yield of 300 kilograms per mu is already the highest yield."
"We all know this. But don't worry, the higher-ups in our military settlement are not stupid. If we weren't sure at all, we wouldn't agree to such ridiculous conditions." Yu Chen first reassured everyone.
The people below thought about it and it seemed to be true. The military settlements had fought against the Yichun camp several times, and they had rarely suffered losses, often gaining advantages. Could it be that the adults and their men really had some way to increase production?
"I gathered you together because you are good at farming. I believe everyone has their own little tricks for farming."
When Yu Chen said this, many old farmers laughed.
"That's right, that's right. I'm from the south and I'm good at growing rice. Every autumn when the harvest comes, the rice ears are always heavy and longer than those of other people's crops."
"I'm good at growing wheat. Over the years, the yield from the land I've tended has never been less than 300 kilograms."
"My family has been growing millet for generations..."
The old farmers started discussing it in a flurry.
Yu Chen watched this scene with satisfaction. Yao Chunnuan told him not to underestimate the farmers, and asked him to brainstorm and find some ways to increase crop yields.
After they discussed for a while, Yu Chen continued, "I called everyone here this time to ask for your collective wisdom and to share your tips for increasing crop yields. Don't worry, the military settlement won't waste your suggestions. Once they are adopted and proven to be useful, you will be awarded corresponding merit points."
The reactions of the old farmers varied and could be generally divided into three categories.
The first type is the generous and grateful type. "I have some farming skills, and I'm willing to hand them over to the military settlement. After all, it was the military settlement that took me and my family in during our most difficult times."
The second type is the realistic type, "I don't know how many merit points I will get?" Now everyone knows that merit points are a good thing.
The third type is the self-proclaimed type, and more people are hesitant.
Chief Steward Wu took a look and spoke at the right moment, "There's no need to hoard these little farming tips. In fact, Chief Secretary Yao has already collected many tips for high-yield farming, and they're all here. For example, the dung seeding method, millet-mulberry intercropping, and bean-wheat intercropping..."
As Manager Wu spoke, the old farmers below all looked surprised, and many of the people behind him looked dejected.
After saying this, Yu Chen took them to the dozen or so sweet potato vine cultivation rooms that he had specially cleared out.
The old farmers' eyes widened when they saw their houses covered in lush green sweet potato vines. Winter had just passed, and the wild vegetables in the fields were just beginning to emerge. Yu Changshi had secretly cultivated such a thriving plant? I heard it was a kind of food, too.
With the kang, they also used broken pots and buckets to grow some vegetables in the winter, but the growth was definitely not as good as in normal seasons, and it was just enough to feed the family once or twice every three days. But it was not as good as Yu Changshi's sweet potato vine.
Yu Chen did not hide the method of growing sweet potatoes. In addition to light and warm constant temperature, he also used a lot of fertilizer that Yao Chunnuan had fermented before.
The old farmers then realized that in addition to wood ash and manure, the military settlement, under the guidance of Yao Zhubo, had also developed a solid fertilizer. The fertilizer was made by fermenting pig, cattle and sheep feces mixed with wood ash and rotten soil from the mountain. Looking at the extremely thick sweet potato vines, they knew that the fertilizer was well applied.
They were also told that after they had prepared the land, this fertilizer would be used as base fertilizer and applied to the public fields.
"After asking you this time, our military settlement will post a notice to recruit talents. We will give corresponding rewards to any settlers who can provide useful experience or suggestions. If someone gives the same suggestion before you, the reward will be given priority to the person who responds to the call first. Finally, the useful experience and suggestions you provide will be included in the booklet, and then used to guide the settlers in farming. We will work together to increase the output of the 1.1 million acres of land in the military settlement. Whether you want to tell it in the end is up to you." Yu Chen spoke openly, too lazy to test the waters with these old farmers.
By this point, the veteran farmers were all convinced. It turned out the military settlement had already mastered quite a few farming tricks, and Yu Changshi's questioning of them was likely a way to fill in any gaps. Why wouldn't they be reluctant? Many of these techniques weren't unique to them, and if they didn't share them, others would. It would be better to share them themselves and earn some merit points. Furthermore, Yu Changshi had said that these tips would become public domain for the military settlement. They could also use them to increase crop yields, which was a good thing.
Things were progressing smoothly, and Yu Chen immediately compiled a number of farming tips. He would later post a list of some of them and compile them into a book. Then, their military settlements would have a set of methods to increase yields.
Looking at the still rough booklet, Yu Chen thought, no wonder Yao Chunnuan said that the current farming methods are actually not inferior, but due to the Chinese people's tendency to cherish things and the limited means of dissemination, they have not found a way to significantly increase crop yields.
Moreover, after this experience, he also identified some of the more selfish individuals who were not suitable for inclusion in the farmyard. He would later extend invitations to other suitable individuals, believing that they would not refuse.
As Yu Chen had anticipated, the invited farmers were delighted. This was especially true when they learned their duties weren't particularly demanding; they would temporarily be responsible for transplanting sweet potato cuttings and planting some new crop varieties. These new varieties were collected by the caravan from various locations. Furthermore, once they joined the farm, they would be given the title of steward, with work points awarded to them on a regular basis. If they made outstanding contributions, they would receive merit points.
Before transplanting the two acres of sweet potato fields, Yu Chen specially had someone fence off ten acres of land and build a wall around it. Of these ten acres, two acres were used for transplanting sweet potatoes, and the rest were used to plant new species.
Otherwise, a little green in a sea of gray would be too eye-catching. You know, this is their secret weapon.
Wang Lang was in charge of the farming affairs at the Yichun camp. Compared to the initial situation, when Yao Chunnuan and the others had been so successful and at ease, Wang Lang felt exhausted and undermanned. Furthermore, the soldiers were too disorganized and lacked any enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, Wang Lang had been keeping an eye on the progress of spring plowing at the military settlement. He couldn't help but pay attention. After all, the settlement had promised to provide 880,000 dan of grain to the Yichun camp this year. He'd heard that Yao Chunnuan had single-handedly agreed to this deal, and he suspected she had a way to ensure the Yichun military settlement didn't suffer any setbacks after receiving the 880,000 dan. In fact, he suspected she had a way to significantly increase crop yields.
Sure enough, his attention was right. They actually came up with such a method! He had to get this method. And it shouldn't be difficult to do, right?
It only took Yu Chen a few days to compile a manual on crop cultivation techniques. At Yao Chunnuan's strong suggestion, he placed it in the exchange building, where residents in need could exchange the relevant parts for work points or merit points. The work points required were not high; a single crop's cultivation technique only cost twenty.
Dear veteran farmers: ...
This is what it means that the wool comes from the sheep.
On this day, Wang Lang received a transaction message from the other side. He brought his subordinates and waited for a long time, only to receive an unexpected guest.
Wang Lang turned and left.
Meng Yi called him and said with a smile, "Hey, don't leave. If you leave this time, I will still be the one waiting for you next time."
Wang Lang stopped and looked back. What did this mean?
"You know what I mean. Forget about looking for anyone else. No matter who you find, the result will be the same. Either you make a deal with me, or you don't. There is no third way."
Wang Lang sneered. The Yichun military settlement was guarding against him. "Tell me, how do you make the deal?"
"Four thousand eight hundred taels, a complete set of 'Crop Planting Techniques'."
Wang Lang's face darkened. "Your planting skills can be exchanged for a dozen work points and a few merit points in the exchange building. Are you sure you want to charge me 4,800 taels?"
"Sure. This is a complete set of planting techniques. I finally managed to put it together."
"Why don't you go and rob it?" Wang Lang's subordinates shouted.
"Aren't we just robbing you now?" Meng Yi glanced at them with disdain. "Anyway, that's the price. Just tell me whether you want it or not!"
The higher-ups in Yichun Military Village are really wicked. They took a good book on planting techniques and split it into nearly ten parts according to different crops, such as rice planting techniques and wheat planting techniques... This made it more difficult for them to steal the skills.
"No one knows whether you will tamper with the information you give us."
"We in Yichun Military Colony have always been aboveboard. If you have any doubts, after paying the silver, you will be allowed to go to the exchange building to take a look."
"And even if it's true, I don't know if your planting skills will be useful."
"Anything produced by the shogunate must be of the highest quality. I'll ask you one last time, do you want it or not? If not, then spring plowing will be overdue."
"want."
"That's right. Isn't it better to just trade honestly?" Meng Yi muttered. "Little guy, you want to take advantage of their military settlement? The people above have been wary of you for a long time."
"Four thousand eight hundred taels, you won't suffer a loss, you won't be cheated. If you use the planting techniques of our military settlements, and the yield of your newly reclaimed land increases by 20% to 30%, you will feel it is worth it."
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