Chapter 83◇
◎A hypocrite with a weak constitution◎
The sparrow found the answer to its question from the old man.
In the past, farmers usually plowed the land in the autumn. However, autumn was a busy time, and if they went to plow the land after the harvest, they would often encounter autumn rain halfway through. Farmers were afraid that the land would not be effective if it was plowed in this way, so later, farming experts would wait until after the autumn rain before plowing the land.
The land was tilled properly, but when it was time to cultivate it again the following spring, it was discovered that the fields were cracked in large numbers, and the originally soft soil had become hard. Even though a lot of effort was put into breaking it up piece by piece, the seedlings that grew were not as strong as in previous years.
This terrified the farmers, who said it was the wrath of Heaven, a way to let the land that had painstakingly nurtured the seedlings for a year rest and recuperate. Therefore, they said they couldn't disturb the soil in autumn, and the plowing naturally had to be done in the spring.
Upon hearing this, even Feng Ran, who had the lowest level of education, wanted to complain. Why make it so superstitious when you're just farming? Don't you know about scientific farming?
It is obvious that none of the farmers here know how to farm scientifically, so they all believe in the so-called will of Heaven.
None of the four, including Duan Jingchuan, had ever actually farmed, but they all scoffed at the idea of divine wrath, calling it utter nonsense.
Duan Jingchuan said, "Old man, haven't you tried thoroughly turning over the soil before the autumn rains?" Duan Jingchuan didn't understand farming, but Huang Que's "playing house" gave him a new idea. Mud houses are prone to cracking, but when rain falls on the land, unless the soil is special, it won't easily crack.
The old man sighed, “Young master, you don’t know this. Every year during the autumn harvest, we have to carry the grain back bit by bit by hand. We can barely finish harvesting, and we’re so tired that we can’t get out of bed for several days. If we rest for three to five days and then come back to till the land, it will be a bit late.”
Both spring planting and autumn harvest must be timed precisely; too fast or too slow is not good. They rely on this harvest for the whole year, so if they can produce more grain, how could they slack off?
The old man was originally a farmer from a nearby village, but due to unpredictable droughts and floods, he couldn't make a living, so he sold himself to a wealthy family's estate as a long-term laborer.
He would try his best to increase grain production whenever possible. Although he was old and might be destined to be someone else's servant for the rest of his life, he still had sons and grandsons. As long as he persevered generation after generation, he would eventually rise above his circumstances.
After hearing this, Huang Que pondered, "Won't turning the soil in spring delay spring planting?"
As he said this, the old man's face showed even more distress. "How could it not be delayed? It's just that spring planting is much easier than autumn harvesting."
Seeing that his father-in-law had nothing else of value to say, Duan Jingchuan took his leave.
Feng Ran didn't quite understand. "Husband, why don't you give that old man some money as a thank you? He looks so tired." Duan Jingchuan used to scatter money when asking for directions, so this time's difference puzzled her.
Duan Jingchuan smiled slightly, but instead of answering directly, he patiently guided her, "Does Madam think that old man is a farmer from one of the surrounding villages or a farmhand?"
“Farmer, there are several other old men in the field dressed the same way.” Couldn’t the farmhand be paid? Feng Ran didn’t understand.
"What do you think?" Duan Jingchuan suddenly remembered that he not only had to teach an older child, but also take care of a younger one.
Huang Que blinked. "Could it be because there are too many farmhands in the fields? I counted them carefully, there are fourteen of them. If each of them pays five qian of silver, that would be seven taels!"
He had observed the rewards given along the way, and most of them were five qian of silver. But it wouldn't be worth taking out seven taels of silver all at once, since he hadn't gotten much information out of them. Besides, he only had three taels of silver in his own savings, so seven taels was already a lot.
"Nonsense, my husband is not stingy at all. There must be a reason I don't know, right, my husband?" Feng Ran always stood on Duan Jingchuan's side, giving him a smug look.
Duan Jingchuan coughed lightly, “You only saw the farmhands in the fields, but you didn’t notice the foreman watching from a distance. If I had given them money just now, they probably wouldn’t have received it, and they might even have been punished.”
"Ah, I understand. If we only give it to one person, the others will inevitably be envious. If we give it to everyone, it will cause dissatisfaction in the manager. But then, how can we thank him?" Huang Que understood immediately, but a new problem arose.
Feng Ran understood and patted Huang Que on the shoulder, "If that's the case, there aren't many legitimate ways. Little Que, it's up to your generation to work hard so that all the farmhands can work hard without selling their bodies and live more comfortably."
The weight on Huang Que's shoulders was immense, and he was eager to try. "I will!" he said, clenching his little fist. He would do his best to do what his sister asked him to do!
Before making any effort, Huang Que had something to say.
The old man had resolved his previous questions, but new ones arose. He immediately transformed into a walking encyclopedia of questions, bombarding Duan Jingchuan and Fang Yuan with questions.
"Why can't oxen be used to plow the fields? Why didn't tools appear to save people's labor? Why do farmers carry their own grain home instead of using horse-drawn carts?"
Fang Yuan was bewildered by these questions and was trying to figure out how to explain things in a way that would satisfy the young master and salvage his precarious image when Duan Jingchuan spoke up.
He patted Huang Que's head with a smile, and said in a very gentle but forceful tone, "You're right, these are all problems, so why can't you try to help them solve them yourself?"
Upon hearing this, Huang Que's eyes lit up, and she looked at Fang Yuan expectantly. "Sir, may I ask you more questions about farming in the future?"
Fang Yuan opened his mouth, wanting to say that he should study some politics, but looking at those bright eyes in front of him, those eyes full of love and expectation, he suddenly couldn't bring himself to say the refusal.
He once possessed such a pure and innocent heart, but he succumbed to reality. This sincerity should not be rejected; it should be treated with kindness.
Yes! Why can't the oriole shine in agriculture? Throughout history, countless people have failed on this path, so who says any one path is necessarily correct?
"Alright, I will accompany you to learn more in the future, and strive to bring more benefits to these hardworking people." Fang Yuan said to himself.
Suddenly, the heavy burden in my heart dissipated, and the worry buried in my eyes disappeared, replaced by a blazing flame called love.
The radiance emanating from Fang Yuan, this little old man, stung Feng Ran's eyes. She looked at Duan Jingchuan with a questioning gaze, "What's wrong with him? Has he gone mad?"
Duan Jingchuan smiled and shook his head, then took Feng Ran's hand and turned to leave.
Feng Ran pouted. This old man was just looking at her with a face full of anger, but how come he's all smiles now? How strange. Could it be that he's broken through the menopausal barrier?
The group set off again. Since they were not on official business and it was all their own initiative, they traveled very slowly, stopping and starting along the way.
Feng Ran also begged Duan Jingchuan to teach her how to ride a horse. After she learned, she no longer sat in the carriage, but rode side by side with Duan Jingchuan.
The two horses were very close together, and Feng Ran complained softly, "Husband, why did you put those two eyesores in our carriage? It's not even convenient for me to take a sniff."
Duan Jingchuan gave a forced smile, perhaps because he was in the wilderness and his personality had become more relaxed. He parted his thin lips slightly and said, "I'm afraid that if Madam takes care of herself, I'll be the one who's weak."
His wife had countless ways of tormenting him, and he was still terrified. Whenever he was inconvenient, his wife would take matters into her own hands, and he just couldn't refuse her or control himself.
Since Xiong Qi was driving the carriage, it was inconvenient for him to sit inside. Xiu'er was also shy and had already sided with his wife. If his wife gave Xiu'er a look, Xiu'er would go outside in the cold wind with a forced smile rather than bother his wife's advances from inside the carriage. After much thought, Huang Que and Fang Yuan were the most suitable candidates.
Surely the lady wouldn't put her hand inside his clothes in front of the child?
It wasn't that he disliked it; in any other setting, he would have welcomed it with open arms and feet. But this was in a carriage, on a busy street. Even if he were given a lot of face, he couldn't accept it.
Feng Ran clicked her teeth and scoffed, "Pretentious." Still unwilling to give up, she grabbed Duan Jingchuan's sleeve, pinched his hand hidden inside, and, taking advantage of the entanglement of their wide sleeves, kept messing with his hand.
Duan Jingchuan's brow twitched. He covered his front with his cloak, then spurred his horse closer to Feng Ran, letting her have some fun.
Feng Ran muttered, "She says one thing but does another."
Duan Jingchuan lowered his head and remained silent.
Although they were heading north, many wildflowers were already blooming proudly. He would occasionally pick a couple of small flowers and put them in his wife's hair. For a while, all that could be heard was Feng Ran's hearty laughter.
Huang Que and Fang Yuan were reading in the carriage when they glanced at the celestial couple ahead and murmured, "If only they were my parents."
Fang Yuan was so shocked that his hair stood on end. "Young Master, don't talk nonsense!"
The oriole turned its head, and its seemingly innocent eyes now revealed an indescribable danger and warning.
Fang Yuan felt a chill run down his spine. For a moment, he even thought that the child in front of him had not lost his memory. However, he had tested him many times, and even the servants in the Marquis's mansion said that Huang Que had indeed damaged his brain and did not remember anything from before.
He tried to calm himself down, concluding that they must value the couple too much to allow him to say a bad word about them. But those words were indeed unacceptable; otherwise, they could have brought utter disaster upon the kind couple.
Fang Yuan carefully considered his words before speaking: "Young master, you have only temporarily lost your memory, but you naturally have biological parents. You must not say anything like that again."
Huang Que squinted at Fang Yuan: "What are you saying, sir? Did you mishear me?"
Fang Yuan's throat tightened. "Oh, I didn't hear anything."
The atmosphere during the lesson was tense. Fang Yuan racked his brains to recall what he knew, and just as he was talking about the way of being a ruler, Feng Ran's head suddenly popped in.
“Mr. Fang, what are you talking about, a five or six-year-old kid, about the old ways of being a ruler? He doesn’t even know how to be a child. Come here, little sparrow, let me take you out to play.”
Actually, Feng Ran was still bored. Her husband was very shy, and he would blush after touching her little hands a couple of times. It made her very itchy. In order to prevent her wolfish nature from erupting, she decided to take the child out for a walk. The child had been in the carriage all the time, and she wondered if he would get sick from being bored.
Huang Que, who was temporarily pulled out to act as a mediator, was excited. At this moment, he had a bit of the innocence and cuteness of a child. He ran around happily on the grass. When he saw a stream in front of him, he leaned on a rock and looked around. He shouted loudly, "Sister, brother-in-law, there are fish here!"
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