Chapter 128, Grain Seeds
After the Double Ninth Festival, Rice Flower's life returned to normal.
After class every day, after finishing the homework assigned by Master Shen, I would go to the old lady's yard and help her take care of the flowers and plants in the yard.
Recently, Daohua has read several ancient books on grafting and is very interested in studying flower grafting and cultivating some special flowers and plants.
In ancient times, there were not many types of flowers and plants suitable for potted planting. In addition, due to regional differences, the flowers and plants that can be seen on a daily basis are actually rather monotonous.
The flower shop currently sells some common types of flowers, which are also sold in other flower shops. If she wants the flower shop business to continue to be prosperous, she feels that the flower shop must be irreplaceable.
In the yard, Old Lady Yan felt distressed as she watched the rice flowers being destroyed by her harsh hands. She wanted to stop them, but the girl insisted that she was improving the flower seeds, leaving her in a dilemma.
"Mom, why don't you talk about the rice flowers? Even if you have a lot of flowers and plants in your yard, they can't stand being ruined like this!"
When everyone came to pay their respects recently, they could see Daohua with muddy hands pulling and throwing the flowers and plants in the yard. Even Yan Zhigao, who didn't pay much attention to the backyard, knew that the eldest daughter was destroying the flowers and plants in the old lady's yard.
One evening, the Yan family was waiting for dinner in the old lady's yard, and Yan Zhiyuan couldn't help but complain to the old lady.
This time, before the old lady could say anything, Yan Zhiqiang, who was usually not very talkative, began to explain for Daohua.
"The rice flowers are not being harmed by the weeds; she is improving the flower seeds."
Yan Zhiyuan sneered, "Third brother, I admit that Daohua is indeed good at growing and caring for flowers, but isn't it a bit too much to say that a little girl like her is trying to improve flower varieties? I think she's just fooling around."
"I'm your second brother, and I'm no stranger to experience. Over the years, following your eldest brother's side, I've visited many wealthy families. Those well-off families often have flower growers who specialize in tending to their flowers. So, has anyone heard of any new flowers coming out of someone's family?"
"Let's not talk about other families, let's just talk about Xingzhou City's number one family, the Zhou family. Old Master Zhou is famous for his love of flowers, but aren't the flowers he grows all familiar to everyone?"
After saying that, Yan Zhiyuan looked at Yan Zhigao and Madam Li with a smile.
"Brother, sister-in-law, I know that selling watermelons has made our family a little more comfortable this year, but I think we should save where we can and not be extravagant, right?"
This time, it was Yan Zhiqiang who spoke out to refute Yan Zhiyuan: "Second brother, you are right, but our Daohua is an expert in farm work. When she said she was improving the flower seeds, she was actually improving the flower seeds."
Without waiting for Yan Zhiyuan to speak, he looked at Yan Zhigao and said, "Brother, the autumn crops on the farm have all been harvested this year. I have already sent the account book to my sister-in-law."
"I won't go into other details. Let me just say that from the same acre of paddy field, with ordinary rice seeds, you can only harvest about 4 dan of grain. But with rice seeds improved with rice flowers, you can harvest at least 1 dan more. For those who take better care of the land, it's not impossible to harvest 2 dan more."
Hearing this, the others didn't react much, but Yan Zhigao, who always paid attention to the people's livelihood, stood up and asked anxiously, "Are you serious? Are you not lying to me?"
If there weren't so many people present, he would have rushed up and shaken his third brother to see if he was talking nonsense.
Yan Zhiqiang: "Brother, you can look through our family's account books from previous years and compare them with this year's. This year, Zhuangzi bought the farmland a little late and missed the spring plowing. Otherwise, you could go to the fields and see the harvest scene with your own eyes."
Yan Zhigao stared at Yan Zhiqiang closely. Seeing that he looked serious and showed no signs of lying, he was extremely excited.
What are political achievements?
Ensuring that the people have enough food and clothing is his greatest political achievement and also his original intention in becoming an official.
Yan Zhigao didn't care about the other people present. He rubbed his hands and walked around the room excitedly.
Seeing this, everyone looked surprised.
In order to maintain his dignity as the head of the family, Yan Zhigao always kept his emotions hidden in front of the Yan family. It was very rare for him to reveal his emotions so unreservedly.
"Where's the account book? Go show it to me!"
Yan Zhigao wandered around for a while, then quickly grabbed Yan Zhiqiang and asked.
Yan Zhiqiang didn't expect Yan Zhigao to be so excited and was stunned for a moment.
"Third brother, please say something. Where is the account book?" Yan Zhigao was so anxious that he actually followed his inner thoughts and grabbed Yan Zhiqiang and shook him a few times.
At this time, Old Lady Yan spoke up, looking at her eldest son unhappily: "Big brother, let go of your third brother. Look at how you look now, do you look a bit like a prefect?"
Yan Zhigao withdrew his hand awkwardly: "Mom, isn't my son excited?"
Seeing that her eldest son was indeed extremely anxious, the old lady called Sun's mother over and said, "Go, get me the account book from the box in the inner room."
While waiting, Yan Zhiyuan looked at Yan Zhiqiang in disbelief, "Third brother, I know you like Daohua, but don't lie to me just to speak for her!"
"Bang!"
The old lady put the teacup in her hand down heavily on the table: "Second brother, Third brother never lies, don't you know?"
Seeing this, Yan Zhigao's heart, which had been lifted up by Yan Zhiyuan's words, fell back. His mother was like this, so he thought what his third brother had just said must be true.
"I"
Yan Zhiyuan choked and was about to defend himself when Sun Ma came out with the account book.
Yan Zhigao eagerly took the account book and looked at the childish handwriting on it. He asked in surprise, "Did Daohua write this account book?"
The old lady smiled and said, "Your daughter said that only by clearly understanding the harvest in the fields can we better improve the grain varieties. Look, ever since she and Third Uncle got married, she has been keeping all the household accounts."
Yan Zhigao looked very carefully and recorded the accounts very carefully, including records of the harvests of paddy fields, dry land, and even wasteland and barren hills.
The more he looked, the more shocked Yan Zhigao was.
The records in this account book are clearer and more detailed than those in the government office.
There is a comparison between the harvests of paddy fields and dry land, and even a comparison between the yields of different types of grain, and the comparison tables are clear at a glance.
"Mom, was this really written by Daohua?" Yan Zhigao asked again, with disbelief in his tone.
The old lady said angrily: "If it's not her, then it could be me, an old woman!"
Yan Zhigao looked at Yan Zhiqiang again, and Yan Zhiqiang nodded immediately.
At this moment, Daohua walked in. Seeing that no one in the room was talking, she wondered, "What's wrong with everyone?" Then she sat down next to the old lady and said, "Grandma, I'm hungry. Aren't we having dinner yet?"
"Daohua, Dad wants to ask you, are you the one who keeps track of this account book?" Yan Zhigao asked, holding the account book.
When Daohua saw that it was the account book recording the family’s grain harvest, she immediately became excited.
She has been wanting to promote her grain varieties for a long time. The grain production of ancient people was too low, so many people could not get enough to eat. She was fortunate to have a space to grow grain, and she wanted to do her best to do something so that her trip to ancient times would not be in vain.
"Yes, father, let me tell you, the grain seeds I improved are very good. When do you think we can promote them in Xingzhou City?"
The experience of fleeing before had left a deep impression on her.
There are really starving people and suffering everywhere!
She originally thought that since she missed the spring plowing this year, the issue of grain planting would not be discussed until at least next year. She did not expect happiness to come so suddenly.
Looking at his eldest daughter who seemed even more excited than himself, Yan Zhigao was distracted.
(End of this chapter)
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