Unlike Wei Ruo and half of the populace of Taizhou prefecture who were rejoicing over their bountiful harvest, Madame Yun was in a state of distraught.
Her shop was poorly managed and the yield from both of her estates was unimpressive.
Although she had grown the late-ripening rice cultivar provided by Wei Ruo and also planted sweet potatoes in the mountainous areas of Xingshan County, both of her estates had relatively infertile soil. In particular, the five hundred acres she purchased near the city of Taizhou prefecture had compact soil, severely lacking fertility.
Initially, Madame Yun sought advice from Wei Ruo, who told her about soil improvement methods. However, due to cost considerations, Madame Yun did not make the significant effort nor investment in fertilization as advised by Wei Ruo.
Later, due to a lack of silver taels, Madame Yun even sold several of her servants, resulting in a shortage of labor for managing the estates.