Traveling through the busy farmland of a peasant girl

On this day, the sun was lazily shining on the country road, and news suddenly came from the old house that Shen Shaodong had purchased a full ten acres of land.

This news was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly causing ripples in the old house.

Liu was so anxious that she couldn't wait any longer and rushed towards Shen Shaodong.

She hurried all the way and soon arrived at Shen Shaodong's door.

Liu took a deep breath, stepped forward, and knocked on the door. The knocks, "dong dong dong," rang out in front of the quiet courtyard, sounding somewhat urgent.

When the door slowly opened, she saw her son, daughter-in-law and grandson carrying bamboo baskets. It seemed that they were going to the mountain again.

Liu didn't bother to greet anyone and just looked around the yard. Her eyes swept across the yard quickly, as if she was looking for something.

Then, she quickly stretched out her hand to stop him, and asked anxiously, "Is Daya not back yet?"

When Shen Shaodong saw that it was his mother coming, he slowly put down the bamboo basket on his back.

He raised his head, looked at his mother and said, "According to the estimated itinerary, I'll be back around tomorrow.

Mother, you came here in such a hurry, but what's the urgent matter?"

There was doubt in his eyes, and he was secretly wondering why his mother had come.

Liu stood there and said directly without beating around the bush, "I heard that you recently bought ten acres of land, but I'm wondering what you plan to plant there?

You also know that the harvest in recent years has not been very good. It seems that God is against us farmers. It is difficult to make a profit from growing any crops, and most of the businesses are losing money.

If we are not careful, our family will have a very hard time."

As she spoke, her brows furrowed, a look of worry on her face.

Shen Shaodong, however, looked calm, like a bottomless lake without a single ripple.

He said slowly, "Mother, Ah Li is going to the capital this time precisely to present high-yield grain seeds to the emperor."

At this point, he paused for a moment, as if he was organizing his words.

Then he continued, "Yesterday, I discussed it carefully with the embroiderer, and we decided to buy these ten acres of land and plant crops. If all goes well, we might be able to harvest a crop this year.

If this grain is planted well, the harvest will definitely be good, and it may even change our current situation."

After hearing what her son said, Mrs. Liu couldn't help but frown, and the confusion on her face deepened.

She asked doubtfully, “Aren’t there still crops on the land you just bought that haven’t been harvested yet?

Is it okay to plant new crops so hastily when the crops haven't even been harvested yet?"

Her eyes were fixed on her son, trying to find the answer from his face.

Shen Shaodong patiently explained, "I went to check it out, mother. You don't know, because of the continuous drought, half of the crops in the field have withered and died.

It's like the life force has been sucked away, it's heartbreaking to look at.

Although the original harvest season is still more than ten days away, we thought that since there is no hope for those crops anyway, we might as well harvest them directly and plant the new grain as soon as possible. Besides, Lord Bai’s farm has already planted the new grain.

My embroiderer and I had originally planned to go to the old house to let you know. We wanted to harvest the rest of our land early and plant new crops. This way, we might be able to see a big improvement in our harvest."

Liu frowned and thought hard for a long time, but still had no clue. She said goodbye to everyone in a hurry and hurried back to the old house.

As soon as they entered the main hall of the old house, they saw Old Man Shen Zhenxi sitting in the hall. Liu said hurriedly, "Old man, today I heard Dalang Shaodong talking about some high-yield crops outside. They are crops called potatoes and sweet potatoes, and there is also a new grain called corn. I heard it came from overseas and we have never had it here.

I pondered this carefully on the way back and felt that there seemed to be some truth to this matter, but I was unsure, so I hurried back to discuss it with you."

At this time, Shen Er, Shen Shaonan, and the scholar Shen San, Shen Shaoxi also heard the news and walked into the main hall.

Shen Shaonan was straightforward and spoke first, "Dad, Mom, although I have never seen corn, I find it strange just by hearing the name.

I have heard a little about potatoes and sweet potatoes.

I heard that potatoes have a very strong reproductive capacity, and you can harvest a lot of potatoes by planting one potato.

The same is true for sweet potatoes. When the vines spread out, clusters of fruits will be produced underground.

If these overseas crops could be grown in our fields, it might be a new turning point.”

Shen Shaoxi bowed and said calmly, "Dad, Mom, what my second brother said makes sense.

I have consulted many books and found that overseas lands are vast and contain many strange things.

These sweet potatoes are not afraid of poor soil and can grow safely. And this corn is unprecedented. If it is cultivated carefully, the harvest will be quite impressive, which will not only fill your stomach, but also earn you money to improve your family's financial situation.

As he was speaking, Shen Shaodong walked into the old house with samples of potatoes, sweet potatoes and corn.

He placed the samples on the table one by one and said, "Dad, Mom, brothers, look.

This potato has extremely low requirements for soil. Even in barren land, it can produce abundant fruits. It is durable and can be stored for a long time in any cellar, so that our family can have enough food to fill their stomachs during the lean period.

As for sweet potatoes, they can produce potatoes wherever the vines spread, and the yield is like a spring, endless. Roasted sweet potatoes are sweet and soft, and the sweet potato leaves can also be used in cooking. They are full of treasures.

Look at this corn, it has a strong adaptability to growth, taking root and growing in both dry land and sloping land, and its yield is quite impressive. A corn cob is heavy with full grains, and when mature, it is a golden color, which is really pleasing to the eye.

Shen Shaodong paused, then continued, "Dad, Mom, there's another important piece of news. Ah Li has presented these overseas grains to the emperor."

According to Master Shen Li, the yield of potatoes per mu can reach 2,000 kilograms, and the yield of sweet potatoes per mu can reach 5,000 kilograms.

The corn yield per mu is as much as 1,200 kilograms.

This high-yield grain has now attracted the attention of the imperial court. If we can be the first to plant it well in our own fields, we will surely receive rewards and support from the court in the future. This is a great opportunity for our family to prosper."

Old Man Shen stroked his beard with a hesitant look on his face: "Although these grains are good, we have never grown corn and know very little about its habits. We have only heard of potatoes and sweet potatoes.

If we act rashly and make a mistake, this year's harvest will be ruined."

He paced back and forth in the main room, deep in his heart.

On the one hand, he was well aware of the huge potential of these high-yield crops. If they could be successfully cultivated, the family would surely have no worries about food and clothing in the future.

But on the other hand, traditional planting concepts and concerns about unknown risks made him hesitate.

Seeing this, Shen Shaodong hurriedly said, "Dad, I understand your concerns, but in today's world, it's always good to have more food reserves.

We can first set aside a small portion of the land for trial planting. If successful, our future will be secure."

After hearing this, Old Man Shen paused and pondered for a long time. Gradually, a look of determination appeared in his eyes. He slammed the table and said, "Well, as you say, let's harvest the existing crops in the fields in advance and free up land to plant these high-yield crops from overseas. Let's give it a try. Maybe we can carve out a new path for our family."