Flowers in full bloom

In the southeast, in a low-lying area, two large areas were marked out as fish ponds. This location is suitable for fish farming, and when she has free time, Hualei plans to ask villagers from nearby villages to help dig fish ponds.

At the far west, where the terrain is relatively high, an area is set aside for growing vegetables. When the land is turned over, the silt left by the flood is the best fertilizer, which is very suitable for the growth of vegetables.

In addition, Hualei also dug some ditches according to the specific conditions of each area. These ditches can play the role of irrigation and drainage, ensuring that crops get enough water while avoiding damage to crops due to waterlogging.

On June 15th, Hua Lei took Uncle Fu to the Sinong Bureau, a small branch of the Ministry of Revenue, where they could buy a lot of vegetable seeds, vegetable seedlings, and many grain seeds. After all, this was the capital, the most economically developed place in the Great Sheng Dynasty.

Vegetable seeds and seedlings are very complete, which is also convenient for Hualei. The Agricultural Bureau brought back a lot of vegetable seeds and seedlings. Cabbage seeds, radish seeds, winter melon seedlings, loofah seedlings, cucumber seedlings, cowpeas, as long as they are suitable for planting in this season, Hualei bought them all.

Another batch of taro seedlings and wild rice seedlings were ordered, because when Hualei went there, both types of seedlings at the Agriculture Bureau were still small and would take about ten days to be available for sale.

Then he asked Uncle Zhao to take a few young and strong men from Yuanying Manor and drive a few oxen borrowed from Baihua Manor to start plowing the land in the westernmost area.

Because growing vegetables does not require deep plowing like growing rice. After just turning the soil once to loosen the surface soil, a few men will follow up with iron-toothed farm tools to clean it up, and then you can directly sow vegetable seeds.

So the movement was much faster, and they could turn over about 20 to 30 mu of land in a day. Aunt Zhao and Aunt Fu divided their families into groups and followed behind with their wives to sow vegetable seeds and plant various vegetable seedlings.

After sowing the seeds, Zheng Dasao, Kong Xiaoya and a few others came with some people and used long-handled wooden spoons to water the vegetable seeds and seedlings. Because there was a puddle nearby, watering was very convenient.

The entire process from tilling the soil to sowing to watering has been turned into an assembly line operation, and twenty to thirty acres of sowing can be completed in one day. After all, sowing vegetable seeds is relatively easy, and it can be done with a wave of the hand. Hualei deliberately sowed more cabbage seeds, thinking that he would definitely need to eat them and use them in the future when raising chickens, ducks and geese.

A lot of beans are planted. If we can’t eat them all, we can pickle them into sour and spicy beans, which will definitely be popular. Last year, the chili sauce and chopped pepper sauce from Baihua Zhuang were directly shipped to Mobei and were not put on the shelves of Hua Qianbian Shop.

If there are more cowpeas this year, we can also make a batch, which will definitely sell well. Winter melon, loofah, eggplant and other vegetables are planted in relatively small quantities, just enough for the farm to eat.

The sowing on the farm was still in full swing. That day, Hua Lei asked Uncle Fu to take her on a mule cart to another branch of the government's Ministry of Revenue, Du Mu Cao. Du Mu Cao was in charge of the breeding and hatching of the government's cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks, and geese.

The meat of chickens, ducks and geese was provided to the emperor and his concubines in the imperial city. It was also provided to the people for large-scale purchases, including the supply of various chicks and ducklings.

Hua Lei took Uncle Fu to find Manager Zhou, who was in charge of this area under Du Mu Cao. Manager Zhou was a fat old man in his fifties. Perhaps because he was on the emperor's payroll, he was fat and kind-hearted. It was said that although his monthly salary was not very high, his benefits were very good, and he would receive chicken, duck, meat, eggs and other things every month.

Before Hualei came, they had just distributed this month's welfare, so they were probably in a good mood and answered all of Hualei's questions. When they heard that Hualei wanted to buy chicks, ducklings, and goslings, they were very enthusiastic and personally took Hualei to the place where these poultry were raised. In the end, Hualei bought 1,000 chickens, ducks, and geese. Some of the ducks were egg-laying ducklings.

Manager Zhou, who was in a good mood, also gave Hualei some chicken and duck feed, weighing 50 kilograms each. Then, with the introduction of Manager Zhou, Hualei went to find another manager, Manager Zhu, who was in charge of cattle, sheep and pigs. Hualei bought 200 piglets and also bought a few oxen to join the large team of sowing.

After returning, they put the chicks in the westernmost area, where the small brick house at the back had been slightly renovated and turned into a chicken coop, and the four farmers living there were asked to raise the chicks.

The ducklings and goslings were placed in the middle area. Of the eight farmers who originally lived here, four were in charge of the ducklings and four were in charge of the goslings, which was just right.

The piglets were directly locked up in the renovated pig house on the east side. They were managed by the four farmers who originally lived here. Hualei originally wanted to consult the farmers to see if there were any talents among them who were good at raising pigs. If they were good at raising pigs, they would be transferred to the pig raising group, and if they were good at raising chickens, they would be transferred to the chicken raising group.

When asked, they could basically say they knew how to do it, or they could say they didn't. Because in the past, the farm would raise dozens of chickens, ducks, and pigs, and they had some experience, but they were not professionals.

Hualei simply gave up the idea and decided to divide the fields according to where they lived, raising whatever was their turn. In the future, we will have to transfer the literate people from Baihuazhuang and Qingyunxiang here. Each person will be in charge of a breeding group.

Recently, the two brothers of the Zhao family and the two brothers of the Zheng family have been learning and applying what they have learned. They have led four breeding teams respectively to popularize the things that farmers on the village need to pay attention to in breeding.

Because Hua Lei felt that she did not have enough experience in breeding, she specially bought 40-day-old poultry chicks. Although it cost a little more money than 20-day-old poultry chicks, it was much easier to take care of them.

The purchased chicks, ducklings and goslings were released outside during the day. The children of the farmers in charge took turns to graze them with a thin bamboo pole tied with an old cloth strip. They were then driven back to the poultry house at night.

Therefore, the insects that Hualei saw crawling at the roots of the wheat stubble became the best food for the chicks, ducklings and geese. After eating the high-protein insects, these poultry babies quickly expanded themselves.

Hualei herself has been taking time to read books on breeding during this period. She also teaches books to people who can read in Baihua Manor. These materials are all handwritten and can be borrowed from Mu Cao. Hualei also found three or four books when she was looking for defective books. At this time, Hualei also found them from the bookshelf and put them in Yuanying Manor.

More than ten days passed after the poultry were bought. Hua Lei felt that the things on the farm were almost in order, so she went to the northern city area and bought a millstone. She then went to Du Mu Cao and spent six taels of silver to buy a mule to pull the mill, in preparation for making tofu.