Daily life of farming and supporting a family on the ancient Loess Plateau

Huo Zhenglian couldn't help but admire her inwardly. He wondered how the Ji family raised their daughter, how they could raise such a girl whose style was completely different from that of ordinary girls.

He nodded slightly, affectionately patted one of the booklets, and said, "Girl, I've read both of these booklets. The contents are very detailed. Especially this one, 'Experimental Data,' which is well-organized and contains solid content. From this booklet, I can almost see the crops in your 'experimental fields,' from plowing to harvesting, from seedling to maturity, step by step, how they grew."

Having read the entire text, as an elder, I have gained many insights. It's important to understand that the crops and planting methods of most farmers are based on what they've seen and learned in their local area, passed down from their elders. They rarely research the produce themselves or discover new principles and methods. Some might call this the foolishness, laziness, and self-satisfaction of farmers, but I don't think so.

On this loess plateau of Northwest China, it's not that the people are lazy or ignorant, but rather that heaven has bestowed too little upon them. It's not that they are unwilling to think about or change things, but that their very existence is fraught with hardship. When they can't even get enough to eat, where do they find the strength and courage to think about or try new things?

However, you've defied common perceptions of farmers, daring to do what others wouldn't, daring to experiment with the land! Since these notebooks record methods of experimentation and innovation, their value is evident. So why did you send them to me?

Huo Zhenglian spoke like an elder, which made Ji Yongling feel very comfortable.

She bowed and said, "Sir, your concern for the people of Ningping County and your constant concern for the harvest are a blessing to us. I know that you want our crops in Ningping County to be bountiful more than anyone else."

Our harvest is great! I'm sure you, as the local official, are just as happy as we farmers are. I'm giving you these two booklets in the hope that even more crops in Ningping County will yield high yields.”

Huo Zhenglian smiled slightly and said, "You're quite the smooth talker! High grain yields in the fields are beneficial not only to Ningping County but to everyone in the world. As the head of a county, I naturally hope that the people under my jurisdiction can live in abundance. Now, let me ask you, are the data in these two booklets accurate and reliable?"

Ji Yongling nodded and said sincerely, "Your Excellency, the data in this experimental field book was all personally observed and recorded by me, and it is absolutely accurate! The data in that terraced field book is the yield per mu of the terraced fields that each household in Niujiazhuang has renovated this year."

I wouldn't dare say the harvest figures are 100% accurate, but they're certainly close to the mark. Farmers are honest; they would never dare to falsify grain yields.

Upon hearing this, Huo Zhenglian smiled with satisfaction.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Ji Yongling; rather, he never blindly believed anything or anyone, and he always made his own judgments. This was a fundamental quality of a public official who wouldn't be easily deceived.

He nodded in satisfaction and said, "Very good! However, there are some things in this booklet that I don't quite understand, such as what selenium is and where it comes from?"

"Your Excellency, selenium is a mineral that can be used as fertilizer, so the people in our village call it selenium fertilizer," Ji Yongling explained patiently. "Selenium has an excellent effect on improving soil, which can increase soil fertility and enable crops to grow better."

I mixed different doses of selenium into several experimental plots and found that, at the appropriate dose, selenium had a very good promoting effect on crop growth. The corn in the experimental plots grew significantly better than the corn in the terraced fields that had been modified by other farmers.

As for the source of this selenium, we actually discovered it by chance in a depression southeast of Niujiazhuang. At the time, we weren't entirely sure if it was selenium ore, which is why we didn't report it.

Huo Zhenglian stroked his beard, and asked thoughtfully, "Zhiyuan once asked me if I knew of a mineral called selenium. Could it be that the selenium he was referring to is the selenium you are using as fertilizer now?"

Ji Yongling nodded and said, "Yes, sir! When I talked to Young Master Huo about willow scab disease, he asked about the prevention and treatment methods, and I mentioned selenium mines to him. Actually, I didn't have much hope of finding a selenium mine at the time, after all... this kind of mineral might not have been recognized yet. I never expected that there would be a selenium mine in our Ningping County!"

Huo Zhenglian asked with great interest, "So, selenium can be used not only as fertilizer but also as medicine to treat willow scab disease? If that's really the case, then you've done a great service! You know, willow scab disease isn't just a problem in our Ningping County and Qingzhou Prefecture; many people in the mountains and valleys of Sichuan, Yunnan, and Shanxi also suffer from it."

Although this disease isn't easily fatal, for farmers, developing leg joint deformities and an inability to walk is undoubtedly a death sentence!

How could Ji Yongling not know the dangers of this endemic disease?

Willow Guai Zi disease, also known as Kashin-Beck disease in later generations, can cause chronic deforming bone and joint damage, making people unable to work. It still exists in remote mountainous areas in later generations.

Ji Yongling sighed inwardly and said, "Yes, sir! People in damp and cold mountainous areas are prone to this willow scab disease, but the selenium in the selenium mine cannot be directly used as medicine to treat willow scab disease."

Only by thoroughly mixing selenium fertilizer with the soil and applying it as a base fertilizer, allowing crops to absorb it, and then consuming these selenium-rich grains and vegetables, can we prevent and treat this disease.

"Oh? It can't be used directly? That's a bit of a pity! Why is that?" Huo Zhenglian asked, puzzled.

Ji Yongling thought for a moment. She couldn't very well say that the selenium applied to the soil was inorganic fertilizer, while the selenium in plants was organic selenium, and only organic selenium could be better absorbed and utilized by the human body.

She organized her thoughts and said, "Sir, while selenium is important to us humans, it's also a double-edged sword. It's not true that the more you supplement, the better. The selenium in this selenium ore is quite toxic. Whether ingested directly or through indirect excessive intake, it can produce significant toxic side effects."

Our relatives in Jijiawa Village developed obvious symptoms of poisoning, such as hair loss and nail discoloration, because they drank water near the selenium mine and ate vegetables grown in the fields around the mine for a long time.

Furthermore, the selenium in selenium ore is not easily absorbed by our bodies when ingested directly, making it unsuitable for human and livestock consumption. However, when used as fertilizer for crops, it is absorbed by plants, and we can then absorb the selenium effectively by eating these selenium-rich crops, thus contributing to disease prevention and treatment.

Huo Zhenglian suddenly realized, "So that's how it is! In other words, selenium can both prevent and treat diseases, and it can also cause poisoning! You really know a lot, girl! No wonder Zhiyuan said you could be my teacher. Since selenium has such benefits, are there any other uses? Is it like iron ore or copper ore?"