Chapter 71: Impressive High-Yield Rice Seedlings
Although the village chief had previously said that families without money could work to pay off their debts, everyone still wanted to weigh the pros and cons. If the price was too high and not worth it...
Gu Jiayue had already made up her mind. She was not doing this for profit, but simply to help the villagers live a better life. But she also didn't intend to give it away for free.
It wasn't that she couldn't afford it, but she couldn't set a precedent. Otherwise, everyone would think she was being taken advantage of.
Furthermore, although the seedlings were not purchased at any cost, Hu Zi still spent a lot of money on the trip and hiring many ox carts to transport the goods.
At least you have to earn back some money for travel, right?
"Village chief, Hu Zi just told me there are two kinds of rice seedlings here. The five carts with red ropes tied to them are high-yield rice seedlings, so they cost one penny per jin. The ones without red ropes are ordinary rice seedlings, and they cost one penny per jin. This is the price Hu Zi agreed on with my sister's family, and I won't raise the price. If you all think it's suitable, you can take it and plant it."
"If it's not enough, Hu Zi can bring people back to get more."
When the villagers heard this, they all exchanged opinions in low voices, and ultimately all agreed that the price was fair.
Previously, it cost one penny to buy three pounds in the county town.
However, people still have doubts about the high-yield rice seedlings that cost only a penny per pound. Who knows if they can really produce high yields?
"I never thought there would be such a kind-hearted landlord in this world." Someone whispered.
"There's no such thing as a kind-hearted person. Have you ever heard that person is Jiayue's sister? They must be doing this out of consideration for Jiayue, otherwise why would they sell such excellent rice seedlings to us?"
"That's absolutely right. Look at these seedlings. They're grown from high-quality, fine-grained varieties. They're thick and strong. They'll definitely survive if planted."
"Hey, those high-yield rice seedlings, can you tell how they're different from the ordinary ones?"
"It's just that the leaves are greener and the roots are thicker and more numerous. Whether it will yield high yields is still unknown. Maybe they're just trying to trick us."
Grandma was deeply displeased when she heard these words. She was about to put her hands on her hips and scold, but suddenly remembered that she was now an "old lady" and needed to be more attentive to her manners, so she coughed twice. "Some people have just eaten too many sprouted potatoes and lost their minds. They have no self-awareness at all. Who is my daughter Jiayue? How could she cheat you out of a few copper coins? It's up to you to buy them or not. These high-yield seedlings are not even enough for my own farm!"
Hearing this, the women shut up in embarrassment.
Grandma raised her head like a victorious rooster. "Jiayue, we want all five carts of high-yield rice seedlings."
Having said that, grandma was actually a little nervous.
It wasn't that she didn't trust Jiayue, she just thought she was still young and might be deceived. After all, such high-yield rice seedlings were something she had never heard of before.
But judging by the appearance of these seedlings, they shouldn't be too bad when they grow out. Even if they don't reach a high yield, it should be about the same as before.
So she thought that if no one bought them, she would buy them all. She still had some savings at home, which should be enough. She couldn't let anyone laugh at Gu Jiayue.
Some people were dissatisfied and wanted to argue with Grandma, but were stopped by the people beside them: "Forget it, what she said is not wrong. Jiayue girl is busying around, but she has no ulterior motive. She is just kind-hearted. Please don't cause trouble anymore."
The village chief didn't want to give these people any slack. He said loudly, "Jiayue has already stated the price, and the seedlings are here. It's up to you to decide whether you want to plant them and what kind to plant. Those who have money can go home and get the money. Those who don't have money can decide how many seedlings they need and work to pay off their debts later!"
After the village chief finished speaking, everyone turned around and went to discuss the matter with people they knew.
After about a quarter of an hour, people came to register with the village chief's son.
Most people chose to buy ordinary seedlings. Some people who had good relationships with the Gu family gritted their teeth and bought a few high-yield seedlings. But in the end, nearly a thousand kilograms of high-yield seedlings were left unsold.
Because Gu Jiayue was the one who took the lead in organizing this matter, the Gu family did not step forward to choose to buy it at the beginning, but waited until the end to make a decision. Grandma Gu looked at the approximately 1,000 kilograms of rice seedlings, waved her hand, and gave Gu Jiayue a tael of silver: "Huzi, help me transport them to the fields."
Gu Jiayue took the silver and smiled bitterly.
She is a grandmother who makes distinctions too clearly.
But she knew in her heart that it was her grandmother who was protecting her.
So she did not refuse, thinking that everyone would be busy again, and she would ask Hua Chao and Aunt Cai to make more delicious food, as a way of repaying her grandmother's kindness.
Everyone who received their share of seedlings wasted no time, carrying them to the fields on their shoulders or backs. Those whose fields were nearby had already begun planting, unwilling to waste a moment.
"Uncle Village Chief, you must inform the villagers that the high-yield rice needs to be planted separately so that we can compare the yield and the seeds saved."
"Okay, I've got that!" The village chief responded in a hoarse voice, carrying a load of seedlings.
His family also bought a lot of high-yield seedlings, and they have to think carefully about where to plant them.
In fact, he was a little worried, but his wife waved her hand and bought 500 kilograms, and he did not dare to stop her.
Never mind, the rice seedlings are looking pretty healthy, so they shouldn't be too bad. It doesn't matter if the yield is high or not, as long as it's not too bad.
The area around the banyan tree gradually became quiet. Hu Zi paid the wages to the drivers and let them go back.
Seeing the fatigue on his face, Gu Jiayue quickly asked him to go home and rest.
"Yuhe, Goudan."
Gu Yuhe was surrounding Hu Zi, asking him to teach him how to ride a horse, when he heard his beloved second sister calling him.
Before he could react, Goudan, oh no, Zhang Chuyan, ran over first: "Master, you called me?"
Gu Yuhe curled his lips and muttered in his heart: Humph, lackey.
When he approached, Gu Jiayue pulled the two children over and asked them to sit on the stone under the banyan tree: "Well, I will assign a task to you two."
"Master, please give your instructions."
"Go back and ask your family to allocate a piece of land for you. It doesn't have to be too big, just two meters square. Then you can plant rice with your parents."
Taohua Village is surrounded by towering hillsides, and the thing that is most abundant is stones.
The clever villagers found many large stones, smoothed them and placed them under the banyan tree as stools.
On weekdays, the village aunts and grandmothers love to come here to enjoy the breeze, cool down, and chat. As more and more people come, the surrounding land has been trampled and flattened, and it has begun to take on the appearance of a square.
Gu Jiayue thought that if she had the chance, she would definitely renovate it. She could hold some cultural performances or dances there, and it would surely be very lively.
"Second sister, we already know how to grow rice. We don't need to learn it again, right?" Gu Yuhe thought his second sister was going to talk about something big, but it turned out to be about farming. How difficult is that?
He had just helped with the planting a week ago, and even since the year before last, he was the one who sowed the rice seeds when raising the seedlings. It was a piece of cake for him.
"Yes, Master, I started helping my family transport rice seedlings when I was three years old." Children from poor families have to grow up early, and this is fully reflected in Zhang Chuyan.
The Gu family is large and prosperous, and everyone works together during the busy farming season. They are not so strict with their children, as long as they do not leave the village.
But Zhang Chuyan's family was poor and had a small population. Not only did he have to cultivate his own fields, but he also had to help his grandparents with housework, so he started helping with housework at the age of three.
Gu Jiayue didn't interrupt the two children. She gave them an affirmative look, encouraging them to express their ideas. Then, she smiled and said, "I understand. However, Huzi brought back a brand new type of rice seedling this time. I want you two to plant these two seedlings together, carefully observe the differences between them, record their changes daily, and submit a report to me after the harvest."
When teaching, we cannot always keep students indoors reading textbooks. We should arrange some labor courses from time to time. This can not only broaden their horizons and increase their knowledge, but also help children remember their roots and understand the hardships of farming.
"Ah? I still don't quite understand." Gu Yuhe scratched the back of his head, looking confused.
The clever Zhang Chuyan had already understood, but he was still confused: "Master, what do you mean by report?"
"A report is a common official document used to convey information, report on situations, and provide feedback to a specific person. There are many different types of reports, and the one I'm asking you to write is an observation report. Since you're still young, there's no need to worry about the format. Simply record the conditions of the two types of seedlings daily, even in the form of a diary. Once I approve your report, I'll give you a generous reward."
Gu Yuhe looked at Gu Jiayue with empty eyes, feeling that the world had lost all its warmth: "If you want to farm, then farm the land. Why do you have to write articles?"
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