Winter Wheat

As dusk approached and the sun was about to touch the high mountains on the horizon, the people of the Zhou family returned from their day's work outside. Some were carrying buckets, some were carrying hoes, and a few had muddy hands. It was then that they discovered that Man Bao was studying medicine independently, and today she had already treated Mr. Zhou's illness.

According to Xiao Qian, this was, of course.

Mr. Zhou repeatedly emphasized, "Man Bao has only studied for two and a half days; she hasn't learned anything significant."

Ignoring Mr. Zhou's remarks, Old Zhou joyously summoned Man Bao over, exclaiming, "Well done, Man Bao." Keep learning, and in the future, whenever someone in the family falls ill, they will turn to you for treatment.

Man Bao nodded happily.

Not only Mr. Zhou, but everyone felt a shiver down their spine, especially Zhou Er, Zhou San, and Zhou Si, who still had some injuries. They broke into a cold sweat.

The happiest members of the family were likely Old Zhou and Man Bao.

Father and daughter beamed with joy.

Xiao Qian paid them no mind, calling Zhou Er, Zhou San, and Zhou Si over, and said, "Your injuries are almost healed. Tomorrow, we will borrow a cart from the village chief's house and go to the city to buy roof tiles." It's best to have the roof fixed in the next two days.

Old Zhou's attention was diverted as he nodded repeatedly, "Yes, I took a look today." The sun has been shining, the wheat is turning yellow; it should be ready for harvest in another month and a half. We must organize the household chores; otherwise, we'll be too busy during the summer harvest and won't have time to manage the household.

Everyone agreed.

"By the way, I carefully inspected the fields today and found some wheat growing exceptionally well." The spikes were long and plump," Old Zhou turned to Xiao Qian, "Tomorrow, have the families of the eldest son and the second son come with me to the fields to mark the locations of those spikes. When it's time to harvest, we'll start with those, keeping them as seedlings.

Xiao Qian nodded and asked, "Are they significantly better?"

"They are indeed." As I walked through three plots, I found the same kind of spikes mixed in. I didn't notice it last time, but this time I saw that the spikes were slightly taller than usual, and the grains were plump. "It's a pity; if it weren't for the flooding this year, I estimate it would have been even better."

"But the seeds and planting methods this year are the same as in previous years." "Could it be that some spikes changed because of the flooding?" Zhou Si asked. "Father, should we flood these wheat plants next year?"

Old Zhou fell into contemplation, considering the feasibility of this approach.

Anxious Man Bao: ... It's because she mixed in some wheat seeds bought from the market!

Giving a stern look to Zhou Si, who was suggesting dubious ideas, and to her father, she said, "Father, I have never heard of wheat enjoying being flooded."

However, Old Zhou shook his head and said, "I think Zhou Si has a point." Let's choose a smaller piece of land next year and experiment with watering it. "Then we'll see whether wheat grows better in dry fields or flooded fields."

Man Bao slouched, wondering, "What should I do?"

Zhiketa comforted her, "Host, since you have plenty of land, conducting an experiment on a small plot is harmless."

Fine.

However, it was unacceptable for Man Bao to assume that any of the easily infiltrated seeds would be wasted in the experiment. So, she pondered furiously, tapping her fingers until she came up with a solution that caught everyone's attention.

Man Bao gazed happily at Old Zhou and exclaimed, "Father, we can plant winter wheat!"

Though the winter temperatures were relatively mild, and she hadn't seen anyone plant it, Man Bao read in the book she borrowed from Zhiketa that in the future, humans would not only grow winter wheat but also practice intercropping in the spring and summer.

This method maximizes land use but requires fertile soil; otherwise, it could deplete the land's nutrients, resulting in poor yields.

Inter-cropping was not within Man Bao's consideration, but planting winter wheat definitely was.

During the winter, when there is less water, even the rice fields dried up, creating ideal conditions for growing wheat. After this harvest, Father would naturally realize that the issue was with the seeds, rather than any other factors. However, she couldn't tell Old Zhou this truth, so she listed the advantages of planting winter wheat.

"Father, the disaster wasn't severe this year, but if we don't plant winter wheat, what will we eat in April and May next year?"

Just as Old Zhou was about to speak, Man Bao continued, "Yizhou suffered heavily this year, so the price of grain will definitely rise next year." "If we plant more, we can sell some and earn money."

Old Zhou pondered, "But I'm afraid the soil won't support it."

He knew that the climate here could support winter wheat, as some villagers had planted it in the past. Even the landlords would cultivate winter wheat every other year, hiring workers from the village, including Zhou's family.

But the landlords' soil was fertile, with ample manure.

For families like theirs, planting winter wheat was no easy task. It could easily deplete the soil, affecting the quality of the wheat and subsequent rice planting.

Moreover, the villagers of Qili had sufficient land. Although they yearned for the additional food from winter wheat, through diligent farming in spring and summer, they could almost manage.

It was better than ruining the land.

However...

Old Zhou pondered. They had suffered a disaster this year, hadn't they?

Perhaps planting winter wheat was a viable option, especially considering the uncertainty of whether they would be exempt from taxes next year.

If not, their lives in the spring would be even harder.

Man Bao added, "Father, if you are worried about the lack of nutrients, we can have the older brother prepare more manure. He can sprinkle extra fertilizer and add more seeds while plowing the field after harvesting."

Old Zhou nodded, "That's a good idea." "What do you think?"

He looked at Xiao Qian.

Xiao Qian pondered, "We could plant some, but if we overplant, the soil may not have enough nutrients." "Although manure is composting faster now, it is still insufficient."

Man Bao casually suggested, "Then let's buy some."

Xiao Qian smiled and inquired, "Where can we buy it?"

"I know; from the county town," Man Bao exclaimed. "I asked Lord Bai, and he buys it from the laborers who collect night soil in the county town."

Everyone: ...

Xiao Qian gently tapped her on the head and said, "The meal is ready." Let's eat first and discuss afterwards.

Unaware of the peculiar taste of this meal, Man Bao thoroughly enjoyed it. She even shared the box of sweets that Liu had given her with everyone.

Some found the meal somewhat unusual, but since it was prepared by the eldest sister-in-law, they still managed to eat it. If it had been prepared by someone else, they doubted they could have stomached it.

Old Zhou planned how much wheat to plant, relishing the pastry his daughter had given him as a token of filial piety. Finally, he clapped his hands and said, "Alright, this year, let's plant some winter wheat and see."