Chapter 30: Jealousy "The crops grown in his fields cannot be eaten...
The two men gazed at the bountiful wheat in the fields, their eyes filled with disbelief. The land at the frontier was barren, the climate dry and cold, and yet, from what Liu Yeshu had said along the way, this was the family's first year growing crops, and such a harvest was nothing short of a miracle.
Liu Yeshu feigned confusion. "Back then, my father and I picked five kilograms of wheat seeds and planted them in the fields. Was that a lot? Do you know what a normal harvest would be?"
The two servants exchanged bewildered glances, convinced that this young lady had never truly worked in the fields and lacked understanding of farming. The tall, sturdy servant stepped forward, bowed slightly, and replied respectfully, "Young lady, five pounds of wheat seeds, based on a typical harvest, would yield approximately four or five dan of grain."
Another servant nodded in agreement, "The land in this borderland isn't fertile to begin with, so both the right time and the right place are essential."
Liu Yeshu frowned slightly, thoughtfully asking, "So, how do you think the current harvest from this field compares to normal?"
The tall, sturdy servant looked around at the heavy wheat ears before him, made a mental estimate, a flicker of admiration and confusion in his eyes: "In my opinion, the harvest from this field, young lady, will probably be around ten or twelve dan. Such a harvest is simply unprecedented."
The short, fat servant couldn't help but interject, "Yes, these wheat ears are plump and golden, and their quality far surpasses that of ordinary crops. We've seen many fields along the way, but none are as bountiful as this. Is there some special farming method?"
Liu Yeshu avoided the main point and said, "My father and my younger brother are the ones who take care of the fields, so they should be taking good care of them."
"Of course not! I come here every day to take care of these crops, catching insects, loosening the soil, and watering them. I don't let them lack a drop of water!"
Liu Di straightened his back, holding the sickle tightly in his hand, breathing a little quickly, with the enthusiasm unique to teenagers, and was so excited that he almost couldn't help jumping up.
Liu Yeshu patted his brother's shoulder encouragingly: "Yes, you have been busy working in the fields recently. These crops are growing well, and you are the main contributor."
Father Liu stood aside, looking down at his son, then at Liu Yeshu. A deep tenderness flashed in his eyes, and his tense body relaxed. He smiled and said, "We'll finish harvesting the wheat by the end of August, and then we'll start harvesting cotton and corn in early September. I wonder how those two crops will fare."
The short and fat servant said, "Judging from the situation of the wheat, the harvest of cotton and corn will definitely not be bad!" After that, he picked up the sickle and walked into the field together. He and the tall and strong servant surrounded Father Liu and asked for advice on taking care of the crops.
Liu Yeshu rolled up her sleeves and joined the harvesters in the fields. Wheat stalks, taller than her calves, lay densely packed across the fields. The air was filled with the faint aroma of wheat, and the gentle breeze blew, and the golden ears of wheat swayed slightly in the sunlight.
She gripped the sickle tightly, leaned over and swung it lightly. The blade drew a silver light in the sunlight, and with a "swish", she cut off the first bunch of wheat ears.
"Watch your hands!" Father Liu shouted from a distance.
Liu Yeshu responded and gradually mastered the method of harvesting. The sickle slid along the wheat stalks, and the cut wheat ears fell gently to the ground with a rustling sound. The surface of the wheat ears was delicate and soft, while the wheat stalks were rough and slightly prickly. She piled the cut wheat ears together in handfuls.
The plump wheat grains slid gently in her hands, each one round and plump, as if the entire summer's sunshine and rain had gathered in this tiny grain, forming a golden bead. She took a deep breath, and the wheat fragrance made her feel at ease and warm.
The tall and strong servant had underestimated the yield of the warm-nourished seeds, and after nearly a week of hard work, they finally finished harvesting the wheat. Liu Yeshu and the servants carefully tied the harvested wheat ears into bundles and piled them neatly by the edge of the field.
Liu Yeshu and his younger brother, Liu Yeshu, held the wheat ears in one hand and the wheat stalks in the other. They rolled the stalks into a coil and tied them tightly with straw rope to keep the ears together. After each bundle was tied, it was thrown on the ground. Liu's father and servants transported it to the drying yard by camel. After three days of drying, they used sticks, stone clubs, or pitchforks to hit the wheat ears, causing the grains to fall out.
Liu Yeshu brought a lunch box to the four people and saw Liu Yeling using a winnowing basket to throw wheat grains and impurities into the air. The natural wind blew away the light wheat chaff, leaving behind heavy, plump wheat grains.
"Sister, after this step, our wheat is harvested, right?"
Liu Yeshu shook her head: "After threshing, the wheat grains still need to be air-dried for two days to ensure that they are dry and prevent mold."
She spread the clean wheat grains on the drying yard, not too thick, about one or two fingers high, and instructed the servants to turn them with a wooden or bamboo rake every once in a while to ensure that the wheat grains were evenly dried.
"Wait until the wheat kernels feel dry and firm to the touch. If they snap when you pinch them, they are dry enough."
After completing these, Liu Yeshu selected 20 kilograms of wheat grains with full grains and uniform color as seeds for the next year, and picked out 5 kilograms and put them in separate bags. The rest would be kept as food for the winter and could be sold for a profit.
"Dad, you wait here for the grain merchant to come and collect. I'll go return the seeds to Manager Li."
It was harvest time, and a constant stream of people were returning the seeds borrowed from Manager Li. When Liu Yeshu arrived at the warehouse, she saw quite a few people queuing in front of the door, some whispering about their families' harvests.
She stood patiently at the back of the team, her eyes casually scanning the air when she suddenly spotted Zhao Chunfang in the front row. With a hint of pride in her eyes, she spoke loudly to the woman next to her, "Thanks to Sergeant Sun's guidance, our land is fertile, and this year's harvest is quite good. The wheat ears are golden and plump, not a drop in the bucket at all!"
Although the people around him smiled, there was a hint of unhappiness in their eyes.
In a flash, the people in the front row returned their seeds one by one. Soon, Zhao Chunfang arrived. She proudly walked up to Manager Li and said loudly, "Manager Li, I'm returning all my seeds. This year's harvest was excellent, so I've even kept some extra."
Manager Li glanced at her indifferently and nodded, "Well, just put it here." Zhao Chunfang saw that Manager Li didn't react much. Although she was dissatisfied in her heart, she didn't say much, so she calmed down a little and turned away.
When it was Liu Yeshu's turn, she stepped forward and placed the sack steadily in front of Manager Li. She said calmly, "Manager Li, this is the seeds we returned. It's exactly the five kilograms we borrowed."
Manager Li raised his eyes and saw that it was Liu Yeshu. He remembered that Liu Yeshu's previous recipe had made him a lot of money and had already made back his investment. When he saw Liu Yeshu, he naturally looked more favorable.
He opened the sack, took a quick look, picked up a few grains of wheat, and flipped them over in his hands. His brows raised slightly, his face full of surprise: "Miss Liu, how come the grains are so full? The quality is excellent!"
Liu Yeshu smiled faintly and said, "The weather was favorable this year, and the wheat is growing well. Plus, my family took good care of it, so the harvest is pretty good."
Manager Li carefully examined the wheat grains in his hand, seemingly unconvinced. He glanced at the overflowing sacks, then at Liu Yeshu, as if he felt that this harvest was somewhat unusual. He murmured to himself, "The quality of these wheat grains is much better than usual. It's something special."
Liu Yeshu smiled faintly and said nothing, without further explanation.
Manager Li couldn't help but look at it with some admiration. He put the sack away, registered it in the register, and then said, "Such good seeds, when we plant them next year, we will definitely harvest more. It's really rare, rare."
After handing over the seeds, Liu Yeshu said goodbye politely and walked out of the warehouse.
Back at the drying yard, the grain merchant hadn't arrived yet. The wheat straw on the ground had become dry and tough after being dried in the sun, and was piled up in bundles. Liu Yeshu said, "Dad, let's divide the wheat straw into three parts."
Father Liu was puzzled: "Apart from feeding the camels, what other use is it?"
Liu Yeshu said, "We'll keep some for cooking. If it rains and we run out of firewood, we can use the straw to cook and boil water. It burns high and is relatively clean." Seeing Liu's father nod approvingly, she added, "We'll keep the rest for weaving straw mats and ropes. We can make mats and spread them on the ground to keep warm, and we can use the ropes to tie up the corn and cotton that will be harvested later."
If convicted slaves weren't prohibited from engaging in commerce, these straw mats and ropes would not only be practical but could also be sold at the market for a small sum of money. Liu Yeshu also planned to crush some of the wheat straw and mix it with other crop straw to make winter fodder for livestock.
Liu Di listened from the side and took notes silently in his mind.
Several grain merchants arrived with ox carts. The leader was of medium build, with a ruddy complexion and sharp eyes. He was accompanied by several servants, carrying books and weighing instruments. As they entered, they were greeted by Zhao Chunfang. Zhao Chunfang, looking pleased with himself, had already been waiting in front of his wheat field. He greeted them enthusiastically, "Brothers, come and see! My wheat grains are plump and full. We've had a good harvest this year."
The grain merchants approached calmly and began to examine the goods carefully. Zhao Chunfang was smug, as if he had won the battle, and he folded his hands over his chest.
The grain merchants approached the wheat pile. One of them leaned over and grabbed a handful of grains. He twisted them between his fingers, carefully feeling their dryness and texture. He then held the grains in the sun. While plump, they appeared slightly shriveled, and some grains were uneven. He frowned and shook his head slightly, already forming a conclusion.
"Mrs. Zhao, although this wheat looks good, some of the grains are not uniform and the color is a little dull. The dryness is okay, but it is a little lacking. If you want to sell it at a high price, it may not be easy." The grain merchant said slowly.
Zhao Chunfang's smile froze when she heard this. She tried to remain calm, but her tone was a little anxious: "This wheat is a good harvest this year. Take a closer look. I don't believe other families can surpass ours."
The grain merchant didn't bother to talk and continued walking forward, twisting the wheat at every turn and exchanging a few words with others. However, his expression remained unchanged throughout the journey, and it was obvious that he hadn't seen any wheat that particularly satisfied him.
Finally, the grain merchant came to the Liu family.
As the leading grain merchant approached, he was immediately drawn to the sheen of the wheat grains. He quickly stepped forward, grabbed a handful, and gently twisted them with his fingertips. He immediately felt the grains were dry and hard, while the husks were smooth and delicate, feeling excellent. He exclaimed, "This wheat is good!"
He looked up at the Liu family. He had never seen these people before. They were all unfamiliar faces and must have just moved here.
The grain merchant didn't pause, examining the grains more closely. He held the wheat kernels up to the sun. They were a uniform golden hue, each one plump and round. He twisted them between his fingertips. They were crisp and dry, without a trace of stickiness.
Seeing the grain merchant's expression, the servant beside him also stepped forward, picked up a handful of wheat, and took a look. Then he nodded repeatedly: "They are all top-quality products."
The grain merchant nodded with satisfaction and then negotiated, "We can buy this wheat at a price 10% higher than the market price."
Liu Di looked at Liu Yeshu excitedly, but seeing that his sister looked normal, he also restrained his expression.
Father Liu was also delighted and said, "If that's the case, it would be perfect."
Zhao Chunfang noticed the commotion over here, and then saw the grain merchant stop moving when he reached this place. He had already followed and stood behind the crowd. Now he interrupted with an unhappy look on his face: "My wheat is no worse than his. Why is his price higher than mine?"
The grain merchant calmly turned to look at Zhao Chunfang and said calmly, "Madam Zhao, your wheat is good, but it's indeed slightly inferior to Miss Liu's. Her wheat grains are full, of excellent quality, and properly dried. It's only natural that the price is 10% higher."
After hearing this, Zhao Chunfang's face turned pale and he angrily said, "The things grown in his fields cannot be eaten. They, they are fields for the dead!"
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