jdhmnovel Chapter 1070 Brook Willow
Chapter 1070 Brook Willow
It was almost the hour of Si.
The carriage rolled over the stone bridge outside the village. The wind wrapped in sweet water vapor rolled up the curtains. The scene in front of her made Shen Zheng slow down her breathing.
Continuous paddy fields spread out along the terrain, and hundreds of acres of rice waves shimmer green in the sunlight.
The tenants walked across the fields carrying hoes and bamboo baskets on their shoulders, willow branches brushing against their heads, and the summer scenery continued.
Shen Zheng stretched her wrist out of the small window, but her fingertips were still some distance away from the rice field.
"The rice has already entered the ears..." She looked at the rice field and sighed, "I wonder how the rice in the county is growing."
Cui Jinyin leaned forward, looking at the undulating waves of rice outside the car, her eyes filled with surprise. "Teacher, is the rice in Tongan County more lush than what we see now?"
Lush?
Shen Zheng's thoughts went back to a year ago, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, "Then... maybe it can no longer be called 'luxuriant'."
The difference between a rice yield of a few hundred kilograms per mu and a rice yield of a thousand kilograms per mu is obvious at a glance.
Cui Jinyin's mouth dropped open slightly, as if she couldn't imagine that scene. "Then...if we set off tomorrow, can we catch the autumn harvest in Tongan County?"
To be honest, she has never seen the autumn harvest in her life!
"Yes." Shen Zheng answered quickly, "As long as we don't get delayed on the way, we can catch up."
Last year, each household in Tongan County planted only one acre of high-yield rice; this year, everyone has "made full use of the fields", and all paddy fields suitable for farming, without exception, have been planted with high-yield rice.
If she missed the grand harvest scene, she would regret it to death.
"I heard harvesting rice isn't difficult at all." Cui Jinyin leaned against the small window, supporting her chin as she spoke, "I'll go help harvest the rice when we get back to Tongan County."
Let the people of Tongan accept her from the bottom of their hearts!
Shen Zheng slowly turned her head, her expression slightly stiff, her tone filled with doubt: "Harvesting rice...isn't that difficult? Who told you that?"
"That's what Brother Yuan said." Cui Jinyin retracted her right hand and clenched it in mid-air. "He said it's like this: hold the sickle in one hand and pinch the rice roots with the other, then gently swipe and the rice will be harvested."
It’s just one movement of the left hand and one movement of the right hand. What’s so difficult about it?
"......" Shen Zheng saw a few big words on her face - a newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger.
After a pause, Shen Zheng said, "It's good that you have this intention."
"But I'm afraid you don't have the energy!" Yu Nanshu put away the sketchbook, looked Cui Jinyin up and down, and acted as Shen Zheng's mouth: "Do you think farm work is easy? Just bending over repeatedly is unbearable!"
Not to mention that the rice leaves are hairy and will cut your skin and hurt if you touch them!
Cui Jinyin was stunned.
Oh yes, there are also the two movements of bending over and standing up.
But what’s so difficult about bending?
She couldn't figure it out for the time being, but she didn't argue with Yu Nanshu.
After all, she is the teacher's sister, so she should give in if possible, because she is the teacher's number one disciple.
The carriage bumped along, passing through sandy ground and around clay land. Suddenly, a burst of fruity fragrance hit us, refreshing our hearts.
Shen Zheng closed her eyes and smelled it.
It smells like peach.
"Almost there," she said.
I still remember that I heard from Grandma Gu that there were fifty acres of cultivated land near the village, planted with fruit trees and medicinal herbs. Through the cultivated land was the main gate of the village.
Hearing they were almost there, Yu Nanshu's eyes lit up. She leaned out of the carriage window and shouted to the carriage behind, "Zi Yan, we're almost there!"
After waiting for a while, Fang Ziyan's excited voice came with the wind: "Nan Shu, I smell the fragrance of peaches! Let's go pick peaches later, okay!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a line of carriages turned a corner and a lush fruit forest came into view.
Hundreds of peach and plum trees stand scattered around, their old branches cracked and their new branches bearing fruit. Golden straw is spread under the trees, and the shadows of the trees are mottled on the straw.
The carriage rolled through the orchard, but the peach branches captured everyone's heart.
......
As soon as the carriage arrived at the gate of the manor, Manager Mei brought people to greet them.
Shen Zheng took a quick look at him.
He is about forty years old, has a steady temperament, and has calluses on the knuckles of his hands. He must be a person who knows how to work and is willing to work.
He led everyone into the village, and after walking half a mile along the village gate, they saw a clear stream winding through the village. This was the source of the village's name - Xiliu.
On the east side of the stream bank is an open mudflat grassland, about the size of two threshing grounds. At this time, dozens of round-tables have been placed on the grassland.
"Sir, actually, this place... was originally where the tenants kept ducks." He asked Shen Zheng to sit down and whispered, "But the ducks dirty the water and often steal the vegetable seedlings, so I forbade the tenants to raise ducks... Over time, this mudflat became unused, but I have always assigned people to take care of it. When I heard that you and the soldiers were planning a banquet, I immediately thought of this place. I hope you don't mind."
Looking at the lush greenery in front of her, Shen Zheng was extremely satisfied.
"I like this place. Thank you for your hard work, Manager Mei."
Manager Mei was flattered and kept saying "I dare not".
He originally thought that since Lady Shen had entered the official career as a woman, she must have experienced many hardships and difficulties, and had developed a cold and hard heart, so she must be difficult to approach.
Who would have thought that when I met her today, she was not only gentle in her words, but also loved to laugh, making people feel so friendly.
His tense heart relaxed a little, and he bowed and said, "Please wait a moment, sir. I will take someone to process the lamb and send it back to you when it's done."
"No need." Feeling the soft touch of the grass under her feet, Shen Zheng said, "We'll take care of the lambs ourselves. Just send us a few large buckets to collect the lamb's blood. We won't need the blood, so let it solidify in the buckets and distribute it to the tenants on the farm."
Manager Mei was stunned.
"Distribute the sheep's blood to the tenants?" he repeated subconsciously.
Sheep blood is a precious thing. Lord Shen said to divide it...so we divide it?
Shen Zheng nodded: "Let's share it. Sheep's blood can replenish Qi and blood without hurting the spleen and stomach. It can be considered a good dish."
"Hey, hey! I've made a note of this. I'll thank Master Shen on behalf of everyone else!"
Manager Mei was about to leave, but then he seemed to think of something. He pulled the girl beside him and turned around and said, "Master Shen, this is my daughter Mei Rui. I'll leave her here. If you need anything, just tell her."
"My name is Mei Rui, and I'm honored to meet you, Lord Shen." Mei Rui immediately stepped forward and saluted, looking a little nervous.
Shen Zheng looked at her for a moment and nodded. "There are many people here today, so it would be good if someone from the farm is here. Miss Mei, please stay with us. Also, Manager Mei, please call over those who came yesterday."
Dozens of lambs are still waiting to be processed. If the county soldiers don't work harder, I'm afraid we won't be able to eat the roasted whole lamb by dark.
As soon as Manager Mei left, Yu Nanshu and the others couldn't sit still anymore and started chattering about picking fruit.
Xiao Yuan was still in shock that "all the people in such a big village are adults", and he followed the few people to the orchard.