The harvest season has arrived, but it is not autumn.
After the start of spring, Zhang Deshui instructed Zhang Songshu to keep detailed records of the solar terms, weather, and crop growth.
Later, Li Lanzhen saw that it was very inconvenient for him to write on a single sheet of Xuan paper.
So I found him a notebook that looked like a drawing book from my storage space.
There were no grids or stripes on it, just plain white paper.
The pen used was not a calligraphy brush, but a charcoal pencil.
Speaking of charcoal pencils, nowadays, apart from children learning in schools who must use calligraphy brushes.
Everyone else learned how to use a charcoal pencil.
Li Lanzhen also encouraged all women to learn to read and write like the children.
Start by learning to write your own name.
So for the past six months or so, the women in Peach Blossom Spring have been able to write their own names, and some of them have even learned to recognize several hundred characters.
When Han Shunde saw that the women were all studying diligently, he encouraged the men to seize every opportunity during the off-season, whether it was eating in the fields or in the yard, to learn to read and write.
Of course, it starts with being able to write your own name.
Therefore, they all use charcoal pencils, and the use of charcoal pencils makes writing easier for them.
It's not as resistant as using a calligraphy brush.
When they first started talking about recognizing and writing characters, the men raised their rough, rake-like hands and laughed as they spoke.
"Village chief, look at my hand! Does this look like the hand that holds a calligraphy brush? If I squeeze it too hard, I'll break it!"
This caused everyone to burst into laughter.
Han Shunde gave him a lecture.
Later, Xue Laohu told them that writing with charcoal pencils was faster and more convenient.
Have your wife sew a bag out of old cloth, put a dozen or so charcoal pencils inside, and you can write anytime, anywhere.
So on this day, when Han Shunde convened the village committee meeting.
Zhang Songshu then took out his precious notebook.
Upon closer inspection, Li Lanzhen realized that Li Sanya had sewn a piece of cloth onto the outside of the notebook to create a cover.
Zhang Songshu carefully opened the package and reported to everyone on the planting time, growth status, and maturity of the rice, wheat, corn, various beans, sweet potatoes, and potatoes.
After listening, everyone exchanged ideas.
Han Shunde looked at Zhang Deshui.
"Brother, what crops do you think we should harvest first?"
Han Dazhong also frowned as he spoke.
"That's right, Brother Zhang, look at this mess."
When we were in Hanjiacun, the wheat was harvested around July or August.
Rice and corn should be harvested in the fall.
But look, now they've all matured, one by one, as if they're racing against time.
That day I secretly went and rummaged through the sweet potato field.
Guess how big those sweet potatoes were? Bigger than those grown in greenhouses! This big! My goodness!
Hearing his gestures and explanations, everyone burst into laughter.
There was pride, joy, and satisfaction in that laughter!
Li Lanzhen didn't know anything about planting, but what the original owner of the body said was similar to what Han Dazhong had said.
She didn't know what to do, so she waited to see what Zhang Deshui had to say.
Under everyone's urging gazes, Zhang Deshui spoke.
"Let's harvest the wheat first!"
The wheat is ripe; even the stalks have turned yellow and dry.
I'm afraid a gust of wind might cause severe lodging, which would reduce the wheat yield! That would be such a waste!
Moreover, each ear of wheat has more than 50 grains on it.
Good heavens!
Have you ever seen anything like it? This is the first time I've ever seen anything like it! Every single grain of wheat is plump and round; one bite and you're enveloped in its rich wheat flavor.
His description made everyone unconsciously swallow.
Seeing everyone's expressions, Zhang Deshui chuckled and said...
"We harvest the wheat first, and after the wheat is harvested, we thresh the grains and store them in the warehouse. Then we immediately harvest the rice."
Then we'll go pick the corn cobs.
Zhang Songshu then reminded his father.
"Dad, can't the sweet potatoes and potatoes grow any longer? I see that all the potato vines have collapsed and turned yellow."
Zhang Deshui sat there, confidently tapping the table as he spoke.
"The land where potatoes and sweet potatoes are grown has a high sand content and loose soil. The whole village, young and old, can harvest the potatoes in a single day."
After speaking, he looked around at everyone.
"This is what I'm thinking. Since the sweet potatoes and potatoes are ripe, we should harvest them now."
Then plant another crop, and let it grow as big as it can before the snow falls.
What do you think?
When everyone heard that they could plant one more crop, they thought it was the same as harvesting one more crop of grain. With one more crop of grain, they could have enough to eat in winter. What more could they say?
The word uttered in unison: "Stop."
Han Shunde told everyone with a smile.
"I have some good news to share with everyone."
Uncle Li from the woodworking workshop has researched and developed a rice threshing machine.
Lightweight and easy to use, I've already used it, it's fantastic!
Upon hearing this, Zhang Deshui's small eyes lit up as he stared at Han Shunde.
"Village chief, it's true. How many threshing machines have you built?"
They know very well that rice transplanters are a great help when transplanting rice seedlings in the spring.
Now a threshing machine has been developed, which will further reduce the time required to process rice!
"Of course it's true. When I went there yesterday, there were already ten threshing machines."
After we harvest the sweet potatoes, potatoes, and wheat, we should have about twenty or thirty machines.
Upon hearing this, everyone was overjoyed and eager to try their best.
Zhang Deshui said, "That's great!"
A few days ago I went to the carpentry workshop and saw that Uncle Li had carved more than a dozen stone rollers.
We've also prepared the wheat drying ground.
After the wheat is harvested, it is carried to the threshing ground to dry. Once dried, it can be threshed by horses harnessed to stone rollers.
Li Lanzhen sat quietly, watching them talk excitedly about these seemingly outdated manual agricultural machines.
Come to think of it, the people outside Peach Blossom Spring are still using primitive farming tools to plant and harvest crops.
The work was inefficient and the workload was heavy, leaving ordinary people exhausted and unable to get enough to eat.
She sighed unconsciously.
Zhang Deshui immediately heard her sigh.
"What's troubling you, Lanzhen? Why are you sighing?" she asked, puzzled.
Li Lanzhen chuckled and said.
"No, I thought of the common people outside of Peach Blossom Spring. They grow and harvest crops. Without these farming tools, they would be very tired and would spend much more time doing these farm chores."
Her words silenced everyone. They lowered their heads, all thinking about their past lives, toiling in the fields and struggling to make ends meet even after a year's work.
These words greatly surprised the Crown Prince, who was sitting to the side, and he stared intently at Li Lanzhen.
"Aunt Lanzhen is truly a unique woman, unlike any other woman he has ever seen in this dynasty."
Before this, the Crown Prince felt that his mother was strong and powerful enough to shoulder the responsibility of being the mother of the nation and manage the harem well, which was not easy!
Unexpectedly, meeting Li Lanzhen here completely overturned his impression of women from this dynasty.
Aunt Lanzhen always had the world in her heart. If he were a man, he would definitely recommend her to the Emperor!
well!
The crown prince couldn't help but sigh, which immediately drew everyone's attention.
The crown prince waved his hand and said.
"You all say what you want, I'm just expressing my own feelings, that's all."
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