During her afternoon nap, Mu Yi'an was woken up by someone grabbing her hair.
Opening her eyes, she saw her chubby son's big, round eyes looking at her innocently.
The chubby little hands tugged at their hair again and again.
Ever since the two younger ones learned to roll over, Mu Yi'an and the others would stand outside their sleeping area to prevent them from rolling onto the floor.
The two children look very alike, but their personalities are completely opposite.
Shao Rong is the older brother, and he is more lively and active than his younger brother.
The boy lying next to her pillow, looking up at her with an innocent expression, was Jiang Shaorong.
It seems like it's about to get teeth; every now and then, a trickle of drool flows down like a thread.
Mu Yi'an sat up and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.
"You brat, you're not sleeping, and you've woken your old mother up. Am I going to spank you?"
Mu Yi'an reached out and picked up Shao Rong, afraid that he might wake Shao Ke up.
"Ah...ah..."
Shao Rong pointed out the window and made noises, indicating that she was going out.
Mu Yi'an used the blanket to block the edge of the bed, carried Shao Rong out, and made two more "ah ah" sounds, which actually woke Shao Ke up.
"Madam, has Young Master Rong woken up again?"
"That's right, he woke up on his own, lay down next to my pillow, and kept tugging at my hair until he woke me up."
Sister-in-law Wei took Young Master Rong from her and carried him out.
Mu Yi'an beckoned Yun Duo to come and watch over Shao Ke, while she went back to fix her hair.
Fortunately, I took off all my jewelry and earrings before going to bed.
Otherwise, it would be very dangerous if this child caught me.
Mu Yi'an returned to her room, tidied her hair a little, and changed her clothes.
When they came out again, Shao Ke was awake, and Yun Duo carried him around the yard.
"Madam, Aunt Li has prepared goat milk for the two young masters. It will be ready soon."
"Okay, you can hold him and play with him for a while, then after you finish feeding him, put him in the stroller and push him around."
Both children are quite heavy; my arms get sore after carrying them for a while.
Leaving Sister Wei and Yun Duo to watch the child, Mu Yi'an took Sister Fang to the melon field.
"Madam, you've come."
"Uncle Li, how are the melons this year?"
"It looks good, and it's not small either, but I wonder if it's sweet?"
The cantaloupes are growing well too. In another ten days or so, the watermelons will be ripe, but the cantaloupes will ripen a little later.
Mu Yi'an squatted down, looked at the melon vines, and gently tapped the watermelon with her hand; it was almost ripe.
"Uncle Li, I will be staying at the estate during this time, and the guards from my family will also be there."
"Have Xu Wu go to the nearby villages and find some strong, reliable men who can keep their mouths shut, so they can form two shifts to watch over the melon fields, one during the day and one at night."
Although the estate is surrounded by walls, one can't be too afraid of the unexpected.
Hiring a long-term laborer for a month requires protecting yourself from not only people but also animals.
"I'll talk to Xu Wu in a bit and tell him to go find someone tomorrow."
Mu Yi'an walked around the melon patch and then took a look at the cantaloupes. They were growing well and were quite large.
When they turned back, they saw Jiang Shuyun and the others coming from a distance.
"Shan Chang'an".
Mu Yi'an didn't expect that the headmaster of the academy would come.
"Is Madam Jiang going to the fields?"
Mu Yi'an was going to the melon field, so she specially changed into work pants and a long-sleeved jacket, and only wrapped a piece of floral cloth around her head.
"Yes, the watermelons are almost ripe. This is the first time we've grown them here, so we need to keep a close eye on them."
"Master, may I ask you a few questions?"
"Yi'an, this is Mr. Liang, who was introduced by the headmaster. You haven't met him yet."
Jiang Shuyun quickly introduced that he had been the one to entertain her before, and it was inconvenient for Yi An to have contact with her.
"Mr. Liang, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask."
"I heard that watermelons are best grown in sandy soil, and that a large temperature difference between day and night makes them even better."
Mu Yi'an thought of Mr. Liang and his group, who came from the Northwest, a place ravaged by yellow sand.
"I read in an ancient book that the ideal growing conditions for watermelons are long hours of sunshine, a large temperature difference between day and night, well-aerated soil, and moderate rainfall."
Mu Yi'an brought out that non-existent ancient book again. Jiang Shuyun had heard it so many times that she was starting to believe that such a book really existed.
"The Northwest has all these conditions."
The landlord may not understand the Northwest. The wind and sand are strong there, making it difficult to grow crops, and the area has been constantly defending against foreign enemies.
Although there have been no large-scale wars in recent years, minor skirmishes have occurred from time to time.
The people there had to defend themselves against foreign invasion while also trying to survive; it was truly not easy.
Soldiers farmed in their spare time and went to war in times of conflict.
The weather there is harsh, and the harvest is poor. The army needs provisions and pay, and not a small amount.
The imperial court would not withhold military pay, but ensuring that soldiers were well-fed and warmly clothed was not an easy task.
So, knowing about watermelons, I took the liberty of asking if it was possible to grow them in the Northwest.
Mr. Liang was actually quite embarrassed, but the Northwest was too harsh and needed some changes.
"Mr. Liang, I've never been to the Northwest, so I don't know what the real Northwest is like. Climate, soil, rainfall, and so on all affect watermelon cultivation."
I've only read some records in ancient books, and combined with my experience growing watermelons over the past few years, I have a few insights to share.
As for whether watermelons can be grown in the Northwest, we'll have to try.
If Mr. Liang needs it, I can write a detailed planting manual, including fertilizer preparation, field management, and everything else related to growing watermelons.
However, watermelons are not easy to transport, which is something that needs to be considered.
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