Picking Up a General to Plow the Fields

Chapter 301: Zhang Liang’s request

Because these people worked hard, of course they would be paid very well! Their wages were twice that of the other workers, plus a set of new clothes, two pairs of shoes, and better food.

However, if they were lazy and tried to hide it, the consequences would definitely be more than they could bear.

As for the cotton, some of the seedlings were lost in the transplanting process and a few had been lost when they had not germinated.
As a result, she lost about 50 acres worth of seedlings.

However, Lian Fang Zhou wasn’t worried.
These fifty acres would be used to grow other plants.
Three acres of potatoes, twenty acres of sweet potatoes, and twenty-seven acres of peanuts.

Potatoes could be cooked, peanuts could be eaten as snacks or pressed for oil, and sweet potatoes could be harvested in the autumn and their vines used as chicken feed.

However, while potatoes and peanuts could be planted directly, sweet potatoes were different.
First they had to be grown until they were seedlings and then their vines were cut and planted in the ground.
These vines were very fast growing, the more you cut them, the faster they grew, so that only half an acre of seedlings could produce enough vines for the entire twenty acres.

A normal sweet potato seedling produced ten or so branches.
When the vines were transplanted, it was best to cut them off one by one and leave one leaf behind.
Then plant two together in groups, burying a section of soil at equal intervals and exposing one of the plants.
From the outside, it made them look like waves.

Lian Fang Zhou taught this method to Aunt Zhang.

Aunt Zhang was happy to learn but Madam Zhao was a little skeptical.
In the end, though, she was only a daughter-in-law and had no right to speak at home, so she was silenced by Aunt Zhang after only a few words.

After they finished planting, Madam Zhao went to check on them twice a day and found that all of them had taken root and survived.
She was extremely excited that they had not wasted one sweet potato plant!

Excitement quickly returned to doubt and she worriedly asked Lian Fang Zhou in private: “Those sweet potato vines are alive but will they produce results? Won’t the vines just fail? It will be a huge waste!”

Lian Fang Zhou was amused but not surprised that Madam Zhao did not understand.
She smiled and said: “Sister-in-law, don’t worry! If there are no sweet potatoes by the time to harvest, I will pay you compensation based on how much is produced in other fields this year.”

“Oh, that’s too embarrassing!” Madam Zhao laughed, her eyes wide.
She sighed and shook her head: “No, mother-in-law would never accept it…”

Personally, Lian Fang Zhou felt that Madam Zhao was not bad.
Because she was very concerned with her own interests, she would inevitably think a little more carefully, but that was all.
If there was an opportunity to harm others for profit, she would never do it, that was why Lian Fang Zhou was not disgusted with her.

Hearing Madam Zhao’s words, Lian Fang Zhou thought about it and then laughed: “Oh, then I will pay the money to Sister-in-law? Don’t worry, I won’t tell the others!”

Madam Zhao’s eyes immediately lit up and her expression, which had been relaxed, was not obviously excited.

She made a ‘hehe’ sound a few times and rubbed her hands.
Saying a few words of courtesy, she smiled and said with great determination: “This is too embarrassing! You don’t need to pay all of it, just pay half…”

“Okay, then it’s settled!” Lian Fang Zhou nodded without hesitation.

Seeing the young girl smiling like that, Madam Zhao felt a little guilty: “If you need some help, just say it!” Then she left.

By now, the chicks in the orchard were already the size of a fist and were hopping around all day long, their small bodies finally growing their adult feathers.

The feathers of the young roosters grew more slowly, giving them a very comical appearance, while the hens were already almost completely grown, looking much more elegant.

Lian Fang Zhou estimated that after another ten days, there should be someone from the Xiaowang village coming to deliver the second batch of chicks.

Lian Fang Zhou’s current project was in the original cotton nursery.
Now that the seedlings were gone, she set aside 20 acres for breeding.

Although the cotton seeds produced this year could be planted next year, how could they compare with seeds that had been carefully selected and purposely bred?

No one understood the importance of good seeds better than Lian Fang Zhou, who had an education in agriculture.
Therefore, selective breeding was very important!

Lian Fang Zhou planned on taking care of these twenty acres personally.
She, Lian Ze, and Ah Jian would work together, with a few of Qin Fang’s workers occasionally coming to help.
Like this, it was enough.

The twenty acres would be carefully treated and fertilized, with regular weeding, pest control, and watering to ensure that the seeds produced were the highest quality possible.

After a year of maintenance, they would be able to produce some excellent varieties.

~

Over breakfast, Lian Fang Zhou, Ah Jian, and Lian Ze were discussing their plans at the nursery fields when Zhang Liang arrived at the house, calling out with a shy smile and a face full of hesitation.

Lian Fang Zhou had a very good impression of the Zhang family.
Seeing Zhang Liang like this, she laughed and asked him what the matter was: “If you have something you need to say, there is nothing to worry about!”

Zhang Liang was very honest and followed the rules.
For the last few weeks, he had been bringing grasshoppers, shrimp, and small fish over for Lian Fang Qing’s pheasant chicks every day.
However, he never stayed to chat, hurrying away without even saying a word to Lian Fang Qing.

So in Lian Fang Zhou’s mind, he was a very honest and upright child.

What could possibly entangle a good child like this?

Zhang Liang raised his head when he heard her and looked at Lian Fang Zhou, biting his lip.
Suddenly, he knelt down and kowtowed in front of her, saying: “Miss! I wish to learn martial arts with second master, I hope Miss will allow it!”

“What!” Stunned, Lian Fang Zhou’s eyes were wide.

Ah Jian and Lian Ze also raised their heads in surprise.

Zhang Liang was so embarrassed, his face was flushed red and his heart was pounding nervously.
He hung his head and did not dare to lift it but he continued to beg: “Miss, I am not afraid of hardship! I beg Miss to allow it!”

Because of his excitement, his voice was trembling audibly.

“Get up first, speak slowly if you have something to say!” Lian Fang Zhou said, coming back to her senses and hurriedly motioning Lian Ze to help him up.

Knowing Lian Fang Zhou’s personality, Zhang Liang kowtowed again and stood up honestly.
Pulling together his courage, he raised his head and looked up at her with his pair of pleading black eyes.

Lian Fang Zhou glanced at Ah Jian and he looked back at her, unconcerned.
It really didn’t matter to him!

With a light sigh, Lian Fang Zhou smiled softly: “When did you suddenly have this idea? Do your parents know?”

Zhang Liang replied honestly: “I don’t know, I just wanted to learn so I can help Miss in the future.
My parents won’t disagree!”

Truthfully, his parents had no idea.