Chapter 16 Seeding the seeds
When it was time to plow the farmland, the men first turned over the soil, which had been plowed for the winter. They tied a coarse linen belt around their waists, held the wooden plow handles with both hands, and walked forward. After a few rounds, they found that not only did they save effort, but they also turned the soil quickly and effectively. It wasn't long before they had turned over all the dozen acres of land. Then they applied fertilizer—the manure mixed with manure by the villagers, which later became known as farmyard manure.
Following the instructions of the owner of the farm, the people in the fields buried fertilizer in the soil about as thick as a palm, and finally planted seeds in the soil one to two fingers wide.
After doing all this, it was not over yet. The person in charge led them to dig a long road under the ridge of the field, saying that it would be used to divert water for irrigation in the future.
The farming method taught to them by the master is very different from what the farmers learned from their fathers. In the past, they only knew to turn the soil before winter, turn the soil again after winter, and then plant the seeds stored in the previous year. They knew when to plant and when to harvest spring wheat, but that was all they knew. It was passed down from generation to generation, and they farmed like this year after year.
At first, some people nearby secretly watched the men working in the fields. Later, when they saw that no one was driving them away, they stood on the edge of the field with their hands in their pockets and watched curiously.
They had heard about the owner of the farm a long time ago. They heard that he was very powerful and could turn the beets they usually used to make soup into sugar. At first, some people didn't believe it, but many people said that they saw everyone returning home from the farm holding a cloth bag filled with sugar, so everyone finally believed it.
However, apart from the people who worked on the farm, not many people believed the saying on the farm that "one mu of land can produce four stone of grain."
The farmers around were watching the men busy working in the fields and using such good farm tools. At this time, some farmers with relatively flexible minds became interested and wanted to learn this new method. However, the majority of farmers were indifferent and just came to watch the fun.
The village chief of Xiaoshi Village was one of those who had ideas.
After discussing with several influential elders in the village, he came to Dazhuang's house.
After listening to the words of the village chief of Xiaoshi Village, Dazhuang said that he would discuss this matter with the person in charge, and then the person in charge of Zhuangzi would tell the master. If the master agreed to teach the wooden plow and fertilizer mixing method to Xiaoshi Village, Dazhuang would not hesitate and immediately teach everyone what he knew about the fertilizer mixing method and how to apply fertilizer to the soil.
The head of Xiaoshi Village frowned and said, "You are from Xiaoshi Village, but you can't even help the village with such a small matter? Your parents have land to farm too."
Da Zhuang smiled bitterly: "Village head, you know I am only working on the farm. I am from Xiaoshi Village, but this fertilizer mixing method is for the land on the farm. If I use it in our village without permission, I am afraid that the head of the farm will bring people to Xiaoshi Village to cause trouble for us."
When the village chief heard this, he realized that this was indeed the case, and his expression relaxed.
Da Zhuang hurriedly told the person in charge what the village chief had said.
...
That afternoon, the head of the village came to ask to see Yan Xuanyu, saying that many people wanted to learn Zhuangzi's method of mixing and applying fertilizer, and also wanted to borrow the plow from the village.
The Zhuangzi master didn't want to lend it. It was their farm, so why should he give it to the farmers? If they wanted to learn the method and use the new plow, then all their land would belong to the Zhuangzi!
Yan Xuanyu had no idea what the head of the manor was thinking. He was quite happy to hear that nearby farmers were attracted by the farming methods of the manor so quickly, because he knew that farmers' ideas were difficult to change, and this was a matter of the land. They would rather believe in themselves and their parents, and would rather be conservative than follow this unprecedented method of farming.
Yan Xuanyu certainly wasn't going to hide his knowledge. He'd originally planned to wait until the wheat on the farm was harvested before promoting his fertilization method. Unexpectedly, this year, farmers were willing to follow suit. This was a pleasant surprise. Imagine if a fellow villager harvested twice as much wheat as his own. How could he not be jealous? How could he not want to learn quickly?
As long as the farmers' yields increase, this matter will be more convincing, easier to accept, and easier to promote.
Under the leadership of the village chief, most farmers in Xiaoshi Village actually used the fertilization method. Many farmers near the village also learned to farm like the village chief, but not as many as those in Xiaoshi Village.
After asking, Yan Xuanyu learned that the reason why most farmers in Xiaoshi Village could use the fertilization method passed down from the farm was because of a man named Dazhuang who worked on the farm in Xiaoshi Village.
After listening to Dazhuang giving the sugar, which was extremely precious to farmers, to the children in the village, he first made the villagers believe how powerful the owner of the farm was. He then told the village chief in detail how to mix and apply fertilizer, and even told the people of Xiaoshi Village how to use the wooden plow on the farm and what its function was.
Finally, the village chief of Xiaoshi Village made the final decision.
Things in the fields would take several months to complete, and spring wheat would take three or four months to mature. Before that, Yan Xuanyu had done everything he was supposed to do. He thought about it carefully again and taught them how to dig ditches. In addition, there were also farming issues such as how to prevent insects in the fields. Yan Xuanyu would not teach randomly, but only taught the nearby farmers the things he had read in books in his previous life that he could remember clearly.
Yan Xuanyu did not stay in the farm all the time. He left the farm and stood on the ridge of the field.
One acre and four dan was the conclusion he came to after estimating the current seed quality. Although it was too little compared to later generations, he noticed the shock in everyone's eyes when he said "one acre and four dan".
During the month when spring plowing began, Yan Xuanyu often walked in the fields, not even caring about the mud on his clothes.
The farmers found that the owner often asked them about things in the fields in his free time, such as how they preserved wheat seeds and how they stored grain.
Li Zhongxian went from being nervous at the beginning and constantly saying "Your Majesty, you must not do this" to being silent later. He just stood behind Yan Xuanyu and served silently, and also looked at this land with his own eyes.
The image of the owner of the village, who was mysterious in the eyes of all the farmers at the beginning, gradually changed. No one knew what the owner's identity was, but he was always very casual when talking to them. It was just that he was too weak and looked very thin.
The owner helped them modify the plows and even lent the plows on the farm to those who did not have farm tools at home for free, as long as they returned the plows intact after use.
For a time, the farmers around Zhuangzi were all deeply grateful to Yan Xuanyu - even though they only knew to call him the master and didn't even know his last name.
When Grandma Li from Shitou Village came slowly to the field on crutches, she happened to meet Yan Xuanyu standing under an old tree in front of the village. She walked over happily and squinted her eyes to look at the overly thin young man.
Yan Xuanyu looked at the countless people bending over and busy with spring plowing in the fields. They held the soil in their hands, hoping that it could bring them some food to fill their stomachs.
When the spring plowing is over, the emperor, after fasting and bathing, should return to the capital from the southern suburbs.
This trip to the villa away from everyone's eyes and ears made Yan Xuanyu realize that if he wanted to truly become the "wise king" he wanted, he could not only stand on the Golden Throne Palace and overlook the world, but also put his feet on the ground to see.
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