Chapter 488: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 488: Deep Mountain Farming (2)
Now, the seedlings Mo family nurtured since early April had grown well, and the terraced fields were filled with spirit spring water, awaiting transplantation. Transplanting was a light task, involving a bit of sun exposure and the potential for sore muscles from bending over, but it didn't require much effort. With daily wages ranging from fifteen to twenty wen, whenever villagers had free time, those skilled at transplanting rice seedlings would spontaneously head to the fields.
The rice variety was a hybrid developed in Mo Yan's previous life, with specific requirements for seedling spacing to avoid overcrowding, which could reduce yield and complicate weeding and pest control.
Despite her initial reminders, Mo Yan still worried that someone might transplant the seedlings according to traditional spacing. After finishing her tasks in the medicinal garden, she specifically went to inspect the terraced fields.
Upon arrival, she saw several mu of rice seedlings densely packed with half the spacing she had instructed. Mo Yan didn't know what to say.
An elderly man surnamed Ding, seeing her troubled expression, kindly advised, "Miss Yan, in all my years of farming, I've never seen rice seedlings spaced as widely as you've suggested! The soil in these paddy fields is shallow and hasn't been cultivated before. If we follow your spacing, the seedlings won't grow properly. Wouldn't that be a waste of effort?"
Knowing the old man meant well, Mo Yan wasn't angry. Instead, she pulled out a few seedlings to explain, "Uncle Ding, you're an experienced farmer, and your point is valid. It's just that these seedlings are truly different from before, they sprout vigorously! Look, normally, seedlings are solitary, but these have at least tripled. Isn't this growth better? If we plant them too close, they won't have space to grow properly and will end up stifled and eventually wither."
As they debated, other villagers, busy transplanting, listened intently. They too noticed the difference in these seedlings but hadn't raised or seen such before. They were skeptical of Mo Yan's claims, thinking these seedlings might be a new variety sourced from elsewhere, demanding wider spacing.
Uncle Ding compared the seedlings in his hand with those he grew before fleeing. He nodded, "Indeed, while these seedlings take about the same time to nurture as before, their growth is much stronger. Just transplanted, they already look like they've been in the ground for seven or eight days."
Hearing his acknowledgment, Mo Yan continued, "Uncle Ding, I don't know what changed in these seedlings, but their growth is much faster. With this, they'll surely yield more than regular seedlings. Planting them too close might result in overcrowding, causing them to wither in the end. If the spacing is wider, we might harvest less, but narrower spacing could kill most of the rice, leading to a complete crop failure!"
At the mention of "crop failure," Uncle Ding's expression finally changed. Farming families relied on nature for their sustenance, and a crop failure due to seedling spacing issues could be disastrous.
Ultimately, the villagers followed Mo Yan's advice and widened the spacing of the seedlings. As for the already planted sections, Mo Yan didn't have them replant, using them instead as a negative example. Some villagers still believed narrower spacing would yield better crops.
With 120 mu of paddy fields and no transplanting machine, it took a full three days for 150 people to finish transplanting. Planting the seedlings was just the first step; the harvest's success depended on subsequent care. After all, spirit spring water wasn't omnipotent; while it accelerated seedling growth, it also benefited weeds and pests. Therefore, meticulous care in the following months was crucial.
Mo Yan had only grown rice in the spatial field, where there were no weeds or pests. Planting there meant waiting for harvest without needing to care for the rice. Lacking experience in rice farming, she planned to hire someone for the job.
Impressed by Uncle Ding's skill, having farmed all his life, Mo Yan hired him for 300 wen a month to monitor the seedlings daily. If irrigation, weeding, pest control, or fertilizing was needed, he would arrange it. If he worked himself, she would pay him extra.
This arrangement provided substantial income for Uncle Ding, whose life was otherwise difficult. He readily agreed.
Mo Yan no longer worried much about fieldwork, focusing her energy on the winery and medicinal garden.
After months of searching and consideration, she settled on a location for the winery, upstream three li from Liuyang Village, at the river's source. There lay a large expanse of gentle valley, with several small and large slopes perfect for building houses and planting grapes.
Having found no suitable caretaker for the medicinal garden, which needed daily attention, Mo Yan spent almost all her daytime there. Luckily, with the time difference inside the spatial field, after working there, she could rest inside and slowly plan for the winery. Otherwise, even with extra hands and a head, she'd struggle to keep up.
However, on the tenth day of May, Mo Yan put aside her current tasks and followed the three beasts into the mountains, meeting up with the giant python that hadn't descended for a long time. Under their cautious guidance, she entered the depths of Yuhua Mountain, where no human had ever set foot.
Amongst towering cliffs and dense forests that obscured the sky, various strange sounds occasionally echoed in the deep woods. Even the beasts and python, usually playful when entering the mountains, became cautious. All of this made Mo Yan instinctively vigilant, carefully observing her surroundings. If danger arose, she could quickly retreat with the four beasts into the spatial field for safety.
Yuhua Mountain's size was unknown. It housed the naturally gifted Da Bai, the hundred-year-old python, and even the vanished Black Lingzhi. No one knew if there were stronger beasts than Da Bai and the python inside.
Although Yuhua Mountain held vast natural treasures, Mo Yan didn't dare to be careless. Previously, she only moved around in territories controlled by the python and Da Bai, which was safe. This time was different, and what might happen was unpredictable...
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