Chapter 56: Spring Plowing

Liu Fengshou was the one in charge of looking after the seeds, and at the moment, he was so anxious that his face was twisted in a frown. “Mengcheng, you’ve come at just the right time. Quickly, take a look and see why my seeds won’t sprout.”

“Didn’t they say soaking them in hot water would make them sprout? This is even worse than just scattering them directly into the ground.”

From the moment Zhao Mengcheng entered the door until now, Liu Fengshou had been grumbling incessantly. It was obvious he didn’t quite trust the High-yield Farming Method promoted by the County Magistrate and was only following it because of the Village Chief’s orders.

Zhao Mengcheng reached out and stirred the water in the large vat, immediately identifying where the problem lay.

“Uncle Fengshou, your temperature is wrong.”

Liu Fengshou said with a bitter face, “How could it be wrong? I followed the method provided by the authorities.”

“Mengcheng, you say the County Magistrate is a scholar who doesn’t know how to farm. Is the method he gave even reliable? Maybe we should just stick to how we did it in previous years. It would be bad if we missed the spring plowing.”

Zhao Mengcheng knew this was the heart of the issue. He looked at the man and asked, “Uncle, if you don’t trust the County Magistrate, you must at least trust me, right?”

Upon hearing this, Liu Fengshou immediately fell silent.

Zhao Mengcheng had known long ago that promoting the High-yield Farming Method wouldn’t be smooth. Uneducated commoners could be ignorant and stubborn, often relying solely on past experience.

Even a wise ruler facing the task of implementing new decrees would encounter countless obstacles, let alone the current situation.

Fortunately, while the villagers didn’t trust the Imperial Court, they trusted him.

Zhao Mengcheng grabbed Liu Fengshou’s hand and dipped it into the water with him. “Uncle, this water temperature is too low.”

Liu Fengshou felt a bit embarrassed and explained, “How is it low? I did exactly what the Village Chief said, feeling it with my hand until it felt a bit warm.”

Zhao Mengcheng explained patiently, “If it were summer, feeling a bit warm would be enough. But it is spring now and the weather is still cold. At this time, the water needs to feel slightly hot to be sufficient.”

Liu Fengshou knit his brows. “Mengcheng, if it’s any hotter, won’t the water cook the seeds? If that happens, my family won’t have any other grain to use as seed.”

Zhao Mengcheng understood their concerns, so he simply said, “If everyone is worried, come to my house and see for yourselves.”

After saying that, he led the group to the old house. Since the Tofu business was currently paused, Zhao Mengcheng had tidied up the rooms and was using them as a place for Seed Sprouting.

As soon as they entered, the room felt warm and cozy. He Shuiqing was still helping out at the Zhao family home and was currently boiling water.

The room was sheltered from the wind to maintain heat, and a layer of straw about a palm’s width thick was spread across the floor.

The large vats used for rice Seed Sprouting were placed on top of the straw. Slightly hot water was poured in, completely submerging the rice seeds.

Zhao Mengcheng decided to demonstrate the entire process from the beginning on the spot. “During the soaking process, the seeds must be stirred evenly. It’s best to maintain this temperature throughout. After stirring, press the lid down firmly.”

After finishing this step, he walked over to a pile of straw. “After six hours, the seeds can be taken out and covered with straw to keep them warm. After another eighteen hours, they should be about ready.”

He pulled back some of the straw. “Uncle, come and look. These seeds have already started showing white¹.”

Liu Fengshou followed him and looked. Sure enough, the seeds had plumped up slightly and were revealing a tender white color.

He couldn’t help but let out a cry of surprise.

Zhao Mengcheng walked to another spot. “This is the second soaking. The process is similar to the first, but the water temperature can be a bit lower. Uncle, the temperature of your water just now was like this. The soaking time is shortened by two hours, and the time they spend covered can be increased by two hours.”

Liu Fengshou touched the water and found it was exactly as described.

“After repeating this three times, the seeds will basically all have shown white and broken their husks². Come and see, these are the ones after three rounds.”

A group of people followed along step by step, and it was indeed as he said. After each soaking, the number of seeds breaking their husks increased.

In previous years when they scattered seeds directly, the number of seeds that germinated was never this high.

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t waste any more words and took them directly to see the final step. Beneath the straw, the majority of the seeds had already sprouted, huddling together in a dense mass.

“From soaking to sprouting, I only used five days. Look closely, these tender sprouts are already ready for the nursery beds. They can be moved to the seedling plots today. Using this method, the germination rate for the same bag of seeds could be three times what it was last year.”

Three times!

Upon hearing this number, the people of Qingshan Village, who had previously been indifferent or even thought the County Magistrate was being meddlesome, could no longer sit still.

Zhao Mengcheng added, “Uncle, soaking and breeding the seeds is a bit more troublesome, but the seeds we save alone are enough to eat for quite a while. This is essentially the government giving us free grain.”

Hearing this, Liu Fengshou immediately felt regretful. “Oh, if I had known, I would have listened more closely and worked harder. Do you think I can still save mine?”

“Just go back and raise the water temperature. Fortunately, you found me as soon as you noticed the problem. It’s not too late.”

Hearing this, Liu Fengshou couldn’t wait any longer and hurried back home.

The others were the same, each running back as fast as they could, wishing their seeds at home would sprout immediately.

Zhao Mengcheng finally let out a sigh of relief.

While there were many people around just now, He Shuiqing had remained silent. Now, he poked his head out. “Brother, you’ve worked hard.”

“It was nothing,” Zhao Mengcheng said with a smile.

He Shuiqing smiled sheepishly. Originally, he had wondered why Zhao Mengcheng hadn’t sprouted all the seeds together since he had enough space.

He had thought Zhao Mengcheng was also worried that the Seed Sprouting method was unstable, so he was testing a portion of the seeds first.

It wasn’t until today that he realized his brother wasn’t afraid of instability at all. He knew the villagers didn’t trust the County Magistrate, so he had simply demonstrated every step of the process visually.

Brother really worries himself to death for the sake of the village, He Shuiqing thought to himself.

Zhao Mengcheng actually wasn’t quite that kind-hearted. He did this only because he knew how important a good harvest was to the people. Only if the High-yield Farming Method was implemented would the area around Shanghe Town be able to increase production.

Once production increased and the people could fill their bellies, Shanghe Town would be able to find peace.

Furthermore, once unrest broke out, food would become a vital resource and might play an unexpected role.

Zhao Mengcheng kept these thoughts deep in his heart and did not reveal them in the slightest.

Many years later, when Shanghe Town rose to prominence amidst a chaotic world, the rebel armies from various regions would suddenly realize that this small town had actually accumulated massive wealth and resources.

At this time, no one could have predicted the future. They only felt that Zhao Mengcheng was truly a scholar. The methods the County Magistrate spoke of were bits and pieces, some of which they couldn’t even understand.

Yet Zhao Mengcheng learned them instantly and turned around to teach these old farmers.

He had barely spent any time in the fields before, but now that he was doing it, he was better at it than anyone else.

The people of Qingshan Village were completely won over by him and followed his lead in everything.

Zhao Mengcheng, who was so admired by the villagers, was actually facing a dilemma in his heart. He knew how to sprout seeds and breed seedlings, but actually going into the fields to plow the land was truly difficult for him.

Zhao Mengcheng’s knowledge remained in his mind, and he could follow steps perfectly, but manual labor in the fields was another matter entirely.

He knew the benefits of deep plowing and had planned early on to deep-plow the land he had bought.

It started smoothly. He let the ten acres bake in the sun thoroughly before flooding them with water. When the water covered the entire surface, the cold temperatures could freeze the overwintering pests and pathogens to death.

Then came the actual plowing.

Stepping onto the Iron Plow Head and driving the stubborn donkey, Zhao Mengcheng was full of confidence. Then, he tumbled headfirst into the field.

“Dad!” Zhao Chun and Zhao Mao, who had come to help, cried out in alarm and jumped into the field to save him.

Zhao Mengcheng flipped himself up and waved them off. “It’s fine. I just didn’t have my footing just now.”

Wiping the mud off his face, Zhao Mengcheng adjusted his angle. “This way will definitely be fine. You two stay on the bank so you don’t get hit.”

Zhao Mao’s face was full of worry, but seeing his father’s persistence, he could only return to the ridge uneasily.

Zhao Mengcheng was full of confidence, but reality dealt him another heavy blow. Although he didn’t fall this time, the Iron Plow Head quickly veered off course and charged toward the nearby ridge.

“Wait, stop quickly!”

The stubborn donkey didn’t listen at all. It plunged its head toward the ridge and began eating every bit of the tender grass that had just sprouted there.

Fortunately, Zhao Mengcheng was agile enough to jump off, otherwise he would have ended up on the ridge along with the Iron Plow Head.

Looking at the ruined ridge, Zhao Mengcheng gritted his teeth. “Donkeys aren’t suited for plowing. It seems I need to go buy an ox.”

Zhao Mao immediately said, “This stubborn donkey is so disobedient. It deserves a beating.”

Zhao Chun looked at his younger brother and then at his father, saying tentatively, “Dad, maybe it’s not the donkey’s fault.”

“Is the Iron Plow Head broken somewhere? Let me check it.”

Zhao Mengcheng lowered his head to inspect it. He felt that the design of this Iron Plow Head was indeed unreasonable and could be improved according to designs from later generations.

“I forgot about this matter before. I’m afraid it’s too late to go find a blacksmith now.”

Zhao Mengcheng pondered. The skilled craftsmen in the city had likely been reassigned by Magistrate Huang to forge that gold leaf as thin as a cicada’s wing³.

That wasn’t what Zhao Chun meant at all, and he scratched the back of his head anxiously.

“Dad, how about I give it a try?” Zhao Chun asked.

Zhao Mengcheng replied, “Plowing is backbreaking work. As long as your father is here, there is no need for you to do it.”

Displaying a spirit of perseverance, he pulled the stubborn donkey back onto the right path and patted its rump. “Work hard for me, or your extra evening meal is canceled.”

The donkey flicked its tail innocently, forced to take the blame for no reason.

Zhao Mengcheng carefully adjusted the position of the Iron Plow Head, determined the donkey’s path, and then stood upon it himself, shouting a command to go.

The next moment, he stumbled again and fell face-first into the dirt.

The stubborn donkey impatiently kicked its hind legs and shook its head vigorously.

Zhao Mengcheng stood up, his entire body radiating a cold aura. “Very well. Don’t even think about eating bean cakes tonight.”

Just then, He Shuiqing walked over. “Brother, what happened to you? You’re covered in mud.”

“It’s all because of this disobedient donkey.” Zhao Mengcheng brushed off the mud. “I provide for it with the best food and drink until it’s plump and strong, but as soon as it’s time to work, it tries to slack off. If I had known, I would have been better off buying an ox.”

He Shuiqing believed him and nodded. “Donkeys really aren’t as practical as oxen. They eat a lot, work little, and have stubborn tempers.”

Zhao Mengcheng patted the donkey. “Did you hear that? If you don’t start behaving, I’ll sell you. You might just end up being skinned and boiled into donkey-hide gelatin⁴.”

The donkey’s eyes were round and wide as it looked at Zhao Mengcheng innocently.

He Shuiqing reached out. “I, let me try.”

“Can you handle it? This fellow is quite wicked and constantly causes trouble,” Zhao Mengcheng remarked.

He Shuiqing had already adjusted his position. “Let me do it. I’m used to this work.”

Zhao Mengcheng was about to warn him to be careful, but he saw He Shuiqing give the donkey a pat. The Iron Plow Head, which had been so disobedient in Zhao Mengcheng’s hands, now moved exactly where it was directed.

In a short while, He Shuiqing had plowed an entire row.

It was fast, deep, and well-done. As the donkey passed Zhao Mengcheng, it let out a bray, seemingly protesting the injustice it had suffered.

Zhao Mengcheng’s face darkened.

Zhao Chun stifled a laugh. “Dad, I wanted to say it earlier. It’s not that the donkey isn’t trying, it’s just that you aren’t cut out for this.”

“How could Dad not be cut out for it? Dad can do anything. It’s just that the donkey was being mean,” Zhao Mao said, trying to cover for his father.

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He deliberately used his dirty hands to pinch his two sons’ cheeks. “Your father hasn’t become so stubborn that he can’t take a little criticism.”

He looked up at He Shuiqing, still puzzled. “My posture was very standard just now. Why didn’t it work?”

“Shuiqing, come down and let me try again.”

He Shuiqing smiled and said, “Brother, let me do it. It will be finished in a moment.”

“You are a scholar. You don’t need to farm.”

Before Zhao Mengcheng could say anything else, Liu Fengshou from next door also started laughing. He called out loudly, “Mengcheng, you have a good head on your shoulders and learn everything quickly. Just let others handle the farming. Otherwise, if we compare ourselves to you, we’ll all look like fools.”

Someone immediately chimed in, “You have to be bad at something so the rest of us can show off a bit.”

He Shuiqing simply started working, giving him no chance to refuse. He added, “Mother told me to come. Everything at home is already finished.”

Zhao Mengcheng couldn’t stop him. “Fine, but I’m going to pay you wages. You aren’t allowed to refuse.”

He Shuiqing smiled. “Thank you, Brother.”

Even so, Zhao Mengcheng still felt that if he went down and tried one more time, he would definitely get it. He had memorized He Shuiqing’s posture, movements, and angles.

“Mengcheng, since you’re here, come on. Let’s go look at the compost.”

Before Zhao Mengcheng could find an opportunity to practice, the Old Village Chief arrived and pulled him away.

The composting area was at the foot of the mountain. The villagers had dug several deep pits there, as the sandy soil prevented water from accumulating.

As soon as Magistrate Huang’s orders arrived, Zhao Mengcheng had convinced the Village Chief to start composting. So, although the start of spring was a bit cold, the fertilizer in Qingshan Village was nearly mature and could be put to use immediately.

The Old Village Chief began grumbling on the way. “Our village needs to plant both rice and cotton this year. It won’t do if we don’t have enough fertilizer.”

“The ‘black gold⁵‘ from the town was snatched up by the surrounding villages long ago. Our village never gets much each year, so we can only rely on this compost. Mengcheng, do you think this method will really work?”

Zhao Mengcheng knew he was worried and spoke to comfort him. “Uncle, look at how well the Seed Sprouting method worked. The composting will definitely be a success too.”

Hearing this, the Old Village Chief felt much more at ease.

The composting method Zhao Mengcheng had written in his booklet was simple and perfectly suited for farming households.

The bottom of the pit was first lined with branches and stalks to ensure air circulation. Then, layers of dry grass and vegetable leaves were piled on top. If there wasn’t enough, they gathered withered leaves from the mountain.

It couldn’t be exposed to rain or standing water, but the entire pile had to be kept moist. It needed to be stirred every seven days so the fertilizer inside could ferment properly.

Initially, Zhao Mengcheng had planned to build a biogas digester to utilize the gas produced by the fermenting compost.

Unfortunately, time was too tight this year, so Zhao Mengcheng had to temporarily set that idea aside.

When the Old Village Chief pulled Zhao Mengcheng to the site, they happened to catch the workers stirring the piles. The smell was incredible; even covering one’s nose and mouth was useless.

Zhao Mengcheng quickly held his breath.

The Old Village Chief, however, seemed to like the smell. He said with a beaming smile, “The scent is quite right. Go closer and see if it’s ready to use.”

Seeing him like this, Zhao Mengcheng felt his own cultivation was still lacking.

He walked over and saw that the color of the compost was nearly black. The texture was soft, with the oily richness of fertile black earth.

“It should be about ready. If you aren’t in a hurry, let it sit for another two days.”

The Old Village Chief had already looked at it and thought the same. Getting confirmation made him feel secure. “That’s good. It’ll be ready just in time.”

He pulled Zhao Mengcheng to inspect every compost pile. Once he was certain they would be ready for the spring plowing, the Old Village Chief saw that Zhao Mengcheng’s face had turned slightly pale and laughed. “You scholars really love cleanliness. No wonder you built your latrine so far away.”

Zhao Mengcheng laughed helplessly. “I can’t help it, it’s just how I am. With this fertilizer, our harvest this year will definitely be good.”

A smile remained on the Old Village Chief’s face. “This is all thanks to you. Sigh, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to make sense of those methods the County Magistrate mentioned.”

“A village needs a capable person, otherwise opportunities pass right by your eyes and you can’t grab them.”

The Old Village Chief truly believed this. Seeing how smoothly their village’s spring plowing was going while the neighboring villages were in chaos, still unable to figure out what the County Magistrate meant, he realized Zhao Mengcheng’s importance.

Thinking of how the neighboring village chiefs often came to his door to ask for advice, the Old Village Chief felt a bit of pride in his heart.

When Zhao Mengcheng left the composting site, he felt as though his entire body was covered in a strange odor.

He could tolerate mud on his clothes, but a lingering foul smell was truly unbearable. As soon as he entered the house, he went to the back room to wash, but the scent refused to dissipate.

Zhao Mengcheng was so bothered by the smell that he rarely lost his appetite, eating only three bowls of rice for the meal.

“Dad, you really don’t smell like anything. Why don’t you eat another two bowls?” Zhao Mao urged him worriedly.

Zhao Mengcheng waved a hand. “I feel a bit nauseous. I’ll be fine in a couple of days.”

Zhao Chun leaned in and sniffed him. “Dad, you already smell very nice. Not stinky at all.”

Zhao Mengcheng pushed the small head away. “Enough. Your father isn’t that delicate. You kids clear the table, I’m going to work.”

He just wasn’t used to the smell. If he truly minded it, he wouldn’t have gone to look earlier, let alone reached out to touch it to confirm if the fertilizer was ready.

However, as soon as he left, the three little ones were filled with worry.

Zhao Chun said, “Dad loves cleanliness, so he must be feeling terrible. He only ate three bowls of rice at noon.”

Zhao Mao followed up, “We have to think of a way.”

Zhao Xin said, “Give Dad my scented powder. Using it makes a person smell wonderful.”

“Dad doesn’t like the smell of cosmetics,” Zhao Mao immediately rejected the idea.

Tang Tang watched the three children discuss with such seriousness. He found it strange but was swept up in the atmosphere. “Does Uncle have anything he especially likes to eat? If it’s something he loves, he’ll surely eat more.”

“Dad loves everything, but he didn’t eat much today,” Zhao Chun said fretfully.

Zhao Mao suddenly said, “Dad likes to eat fresh things. Right now, we’re eating either pickled vegetables or cured meat. He must be tired of them.”

Since the start of spring, they had been busy, and Zhao Mengcheng hadn’t gone back to town. They were eating what was left over from the New Year.

“Then what should we do? Go to town to buy meat?” Zhao Xin asked.

Zhao Mao clapped his hands. “Let’s go dig for wild vegetables. We haven’t had any yet this year. Dad said last time that he wanted to taste the fresh greens of spring.”

“Where would there be wild vegetables now? They probably haven’t even grown yet,” Zhao Chun said with a frown.

“Then we’ll look carefully. There might not be large patches, but we can definitely find some. The ones sprouting now will be very tender. Dad will definitely like them.” Zhao Mao had made up his mind. He quickly finished cleaning and headed out with a small bamboo basket on his back.

Zhao Chun and Zhao Xin immediately followed, and Tang Tang also put on his own small basket to join them.

After living at the Zhao family home for over a month, he now had his own equipment.

At this time of year, the mountains were still a dull grey, and wild vegetables were hard to find. Their luck, however, was quite good. They soon found a small patch of shepherd’s purse at the foot of the mountain behind the house. Each plant had just sprouted and looked very fresh.

Zhao Mao and the others excitedly began to dig.

Tang Tang imitated Zhao Xin’s movements as he dug, asking in a low voice, “Sister Xin, Uncle really doesn’t look like a farmer.”

In his heart, he felt Zhao Mengcheng was very strange. Even though he was a native of Qingshan Village, his temperament was completely out of place in this village.

If one had to say, the aura this uncle occasionally gave off was very similar to his father’s, perhaps even more intense.

“My dad was never a farmer; he’s a scholar,” Zhao Xin answered without looking up as she dug. “He was very good at his studies, but Grandpa and Grandma passed away early, so Dad only studied for three years before having to come home.”

“When my mother was alive, she often said that Dad was smart and studious. If the family had the money to support his education, he might have even become the top scholar. Sigh, it’s all because we held him back.”

Liu Yunniang was a traditional woman who saw her husband as her whole world. In her eyes, her husband was the most capable person alive.

Zhao Xin had taken her mother’s words to heart, firmly believing her father was destined to be a top scholar and that the only reason he hadn’t succeeded was that he never got the chance to try.

Tang Tang was still young, and he truly believed Zhao Xin’s tall tales, convinced that Zhao Mengcheng had only stopped studying because of poverty despite possessing extraordinary talent and brilliance.

“I also think Uncle is amazing. It’s such a pity.”

Zhao Mao glanced at him. “There’s nothing to pity. My dad is doing very well now. He said that living a grounded life and being happy every day is better than anything else. Don’t say things like that anymore.”

Tang Tang pursed his lips. “Second Brother, I’ll remember that.”

Zhao Mao felt like he had punched a bale of cotton⁶. He let out a huff and walked off toward the other side.

Tang Tang felt a bit wronged. “Sister Xin’er, Second Brother doesn’t like me.”

Zhao Xin comforted him in a low voice. “It’s not that he doesn’t like you. He’s like that with everyone except Dad. Second Brother just loves protecting Dad. Sometimes he even scolds me and Big Brother. He can be really fierce.”

Zhao Chun shared the sentiment. “When he loses his temper, he even hits people. It’s terrifying.”

He touched his own cheek, a lingering fear in his heart. The memory of his face being swollen like a pig’s head was still fresh in his mind.

Zhao Xin glared at her eldest brother. “Don’t scare Xiao Tang. Second Brother would never hit anyone.”

She then emphasized to Tang Tang, “Xiao Tang, Second Brother is only stern with you for your own good. Dad says Second Brother has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. He might look grumpy, but he’s actually a very good person.”

Zhao Chun was full of grievances. No matter what he said, everyone believed he had simply fallen that day, and even his younger brother wouldn’t admit to hitting him.

Feeling slighted, Zhao Chun began digging up wild vegetables with excessive force.

Zhao Mao frowned and reminded him, “Don’t use so much strength. You’re crushing them. How are we supposed to eat them if they’re ruined?”

Zhao Chun quickly lightened his movements.

Tang Tang stole a glance at Zhao Mao. He could feel the wariness and caution in Zhao Mao’s eyes whenever the older boy looked at him. It had been that way from the very first moment they met.

This wariness was completely different from the attitude Zhao Mao showed toward his older brother and younger sister.

The four children worked together in harmony, and soon their baskets were full.

“That’s enough. Let’s head home and clean them first so we can eat them tonight. If Dad likes them, we’ll come back tomorrow. They’re only fresh when they’ve just been picked,” Zhao Mao said, standing up.

Back at the house, the four children divided the chores clearly. Zhao Chun boiled the water to blanch the vegetables, Zhao Mao and Zhao Xin sorted through the greens, and Tang Tang was responsible for washing them clean.

By the time Zhao Mengcheng finished his work and returned home, he walked into the house to find several plates of wild vegetables on the table, looking tender and very appetizing.

Translator’s Notes