Chapter 106

106 Planting, Breeding
The seedlings in the field had already grown to a green color. The rice seeds had already grown first leaves, and so had the wild rice that Li Yu had scattered. However, those wild rice leaves were clearly half an inch taller than the home rice. They looked to be growing well.
After working for more than half a month, the wheat was finally all taken back home, leaving some women to dry the wheat in the field. Ruyi led the long-term laborers to plow and level the fields to prepare for the next planting.
Li Yu plucked a wild seedling. Seeing that the seedlings were not as oily green as the home seedling and that they were also longer, she turned around and plucked a seedling from the field. Seeing that the seedlings were thick, had many white roots, and had good green leaves, she said happily to Zhou Jia, “I’m finally relieved. This batch of seedlings is still very good.”
“That’s good. Otherwise, you’ll have worked for nothing.” Zhou Jia smiled and pointed at the wild ducks. “How do you plan to plant these wild seedlings?”
Li Yu gave the seedlings to Er Ya and pointed to the field at the edge. “I plan to plant them in those two fields. I plan to try breeding it.”
“Breeding.” Zhou Jia thought for a while and didn’t know what breeding was. He looked at Li Yu in confusion. “What’s breeding? Is it to plant wild rice in the future?”
Li Yu thought for a moment and organized her words. “Breeding is a way for wild rice to be planted in a row or two rows of domestic rice. When the rice blooms, we use a bamboo pole or a rope to drive the pollen of the wild rice towards the domestic rice. I’m not sure if the wild rice and the domestic rice can bloom at the same time, but that has to happen for pollination to be successful. This will allow them to interbreed and change their varieties.”
Zhou Jia listened to Li Yu talk about wild rice and domestic rice, but he was still confused and felt a little discouraged. “I didn’t expect farming to involve so much knowledge.”
Li Yu nodded. “If you want a high yield, you have to pay attention to the method of farming.”
Zhou Jia agreed readily. “Yes! Just like how we study, we have to pay attention to the method. As long as we find a suitable method, we will get twice the results with half the effort.”
Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia’s thin face and felt a little sorry for him. “Look, you’ve lost weight. You’re close to the Fall Quarter Examinations. It’s fine if you relax a little. I don’t think it’s good to be too tense. We have to let nature take its course. In short, your health is more important.”
Zhou Jia’s heart warmed when he heard that. He smiled at Li Yu. “Yu’er, don’t worry. I know my limits.” The two of them looked at each other and smiled.
At this moment, Er Ya ran over. “Miss, the field seedlings are ready. Uncle Kim is asking you how to plant them.”
Li Yu said to Zhou Jia, “Go back to the house first. I’ll go and watch them plant a few lines before coming back.”
Zhou Jia nodded and watched Li Yu walk away with Er Ya.
After the seedlings were planted, the wheat was also dried up. Before entering the warehouse, Li Yu calculated that the yield of more than 200 acres of wheat was less than 500 catties per acre. In her previous life, there were at least 800 to 900 catties per acre!
However, the long-term workers and servants were all amazed. Zhao Junzi looked at the wheat with an excited expression. “In the past, our best harvest was only about 200 catties. This yield has doubled.”
Er Ya looked at Zhao Laizi and said with a smile, “Grandpa, don’t you see how meticulous Miss was in choosing the seeds? Just like how the seedlings this time have been screened a few times from the beginning. There’s also the catalysis and training of buds. I’ve never heard of these before.”
A footman said, “That’s right. It seems that we still have to learn how to farm from you. There are still many ways to study.”
Er Ya contradicted him. “Sir knows nothing about farming. Miss arranged it.”
At this moment, Jin Jiu hurriedly ran into the manor. A corner of his mouth was bleeding. “Miss, are you there? Someone insisted on going down to the lotus pond to fish. We couldn’t persuade him and he even injured me.”
“Everyone, quickly go to the pond to take a look. I’ll call the Miss.” Er Ya turned around and ran towards Li Yu’s house.
Jin Jiu, Zhao Laizi, and a few other long-term workers hurriedly ran towards the lotus pond. When they arrived, they saw a man in embroidered clothes sitting on a wooden boat with a flirtatious woman. The boat was filled with lotus flowers.
A man was still fishing in the water with a net. Jin Jiu’s heart ached when he saw the lotus flowers. He shouted, “Look! They were about to form lotus seeds. They’ve ruined them.”
Everyone looked at the men in embroidered clothes and was at a loss. At this moment, Li Yu and Zhou Jia arrived. The two of them saw a carriage parked by the pond. One of the men was sitting with his legs crossed and looking at Jin Jiu and the others arrogantly.
Li Yu saw that the lotus pond with the most lotus flowers had been ruined by those people. The fish had also been scooped up from the pond by that man and poured back.
As Li Yu looked coldly at the two men in embroidered clothes who were fearless, the anger in her heart surged.
Zhou Jia said to Li Yu, “Yu’er, don’t be rash. These people are probably here to cause trouble on purpose. Otherwise, how would they find us in such a remote place?”
“I see. Tell Ruyi to find out more from the coachman.”
When Ruyi heard this, he turned around and walked toward the coachman. He smiled at the horse-faced coachman and said, “Brother, may I ask which family you’re from?”
The horse-faced man looked up at Ruyi arrogantly. “From High Scholar Ye’s residence.”
When Ruyi heard this, he understood that Madam Ye had come to cause trouble. Ruyi cupped his fists and thanked the coachman. He turned around and said to the two of them, “Young Master, Miss, he said that they are from High Scholar Ye’s residence.”
Zhou Jia and Li Yu were enlightened when they heard that. “So they’re from Madam Ye. Looks like they’re here to cause trouble on purpose.”
“Since they’re deliberately looking for trouble, there’s no need to be polite,” Li Yu said coldly.
Zhou Jia shouted at the few people in the lotus pond, “Young masters on the boat, listen up. My family bought this pond. The lotus flowers in the pond were planted by my family. Also, the fish is raised by my family. Please come up and don’t ruin anything. On account that this is your first time here, we won’t ask you to compensate for the losses.”
The man on the boat with the net smiled and said to the three people sitting on the deck, “Did you hear that? They bought it and told us to go back quickly!”
The man in purple clothes kissed the woman beside him and smiled wretchedly. “Tell him that I haven’t had enough fun. When I’m comfortable, I’ll naturally go up.”
The man in the net turned around and looked at the lotus pond. He shouted proudly, “Our Young Master Ye said that he hasn’t had a good time yet. When he has had a good time, he will go up.”
After shouting, he suddenly saw Li Yu standing by the pond. He pointed at Li Yu and said to Young Master Ye, “Brother Ye, look, there’s a beauty standing by the pond.”
Young Master Ye narrowed his eyes and turned around to take a look. He smiled lecherously. “I can’t see it clearly.”
Li Yu looked coldly at the few people in the pond. “Since they don’t want to come up, we won’t let them up. Use a bamboo pole to poke them into the middle of the lotus pond. Let’s see how long they can last. When he can’t take it anymore, let him compensate and admit his mistake.”
“Your idea is still the best. I’ll waste time with them here today.” Zhou Jia smiled.
When everyone heard this, they laughed and prepared to watch the young master embarrass himself.