Five Thousand Jin per Mu

Seeing how concerned his sister was about the farmers' fields, Ye Tian had no choice but to follow her.

Hu Liena hesitated for a moment but finally took off her expensive shoes, barefooted, and followed behind Ye Tian into the fields.

In response to Bibi Dong's inquiries, the farmer who was plowing the field paused his work and looked up to ask, "You are...?"

"She is my sister," explained Ye Tian, who had caught up.

The farmer, upon seeing Ye Tian's appearance, was shocked: "Oh my, young master, why have you come to such a dirty and messy place? You shouldn't be here..."

Ye Tian interrupted the farmer with a light laugh, "Don't forget, all the farming techniques were personally taught and promoted by me. This isn't my first time in the fields, and besides, I don't think getting a little dirt is messy. It's just another part of life's enjoyment."

The farmer looked at Ye Tian with gratitude.

Last year, a flood struck the seaside, causing many people to starve to death.

Only their farm was unaffected by the disaster.

The fact that the farmers here could live with enough food and warm clothing was entirely thanks to Young Master Ye Tian.

The farmer then glanced at Bibi Dong again. This beautiful woman turned out to be Ye Tian's sister—truly an earthly goddess.

Her gentle smile was proof that she and Ye Tian were of the same family, without the slightest hint of arrogance.

Since she was Ye Tian's sister, there was nothing to hide about the farming methods. The farmer explained plainly:

"Our plowing speed isn't fast because of the strength of the ox."

"The secret lies in this plow," the farmer said with a smile, patting the curved plow.

Bibi Dong bent down to examine it and quickly noticed the peculiarity of the plow. "This plow is curved."

"Yes," said Chen Jian, the farm manager, who explained to Bibi Dong: "This is called a curved-beam plow, invented by Young Master Ye Tian. Changing the curvature of the plow allows us to conserve the most energy. With such a plow, the plowing speed naturally increases, and it can turn over the soil more deeply."

After hearing Chen Jian's explanation, Bibi Dong looked at Ye Tian in astonishment: "I didn't expect, little brother, that you not only have a business mind but also a unique talent for agriculture."

Ye Tian smiled slightly and said nothing. This was simply a replica of the curved-beam plow from Earth's history. It really wasn't anything technically advanced.

Hu Liena, seeing the curved plow, couldn't help but ask, "There doesn't seem to be much difference between a straight plow and a curved one. Why does using the curved-beam plow save so much energy?"

The farm manager, Chen Jian, smiled and explained, "Some things are hard to distinguish just by looking at the surface, but in reality, the difference is significant."

"For example, lifting a bucket of water: is it the same effort to lift it with your arm perpendicular to the ground as it is to lift it parallel to the ground?"

"Obviously not," Hu Liena blurted out.

Chen Jian chuckled, "The curved-beam plow works on the same principle. As Young Master Ye Tian says, the point of force application is different, so the useful work done is different."

Hu Liena was surprised, her eyes widening slightly: "Useful work? What is that term?"

"Young Master Ye Tian calls this 'physics,' though I only understand the basics," Chen Jian replied.

"Physics?" The term intrigued even Bibi Dong, whose beautiful eyes turned toward Ye Tian.

Ye Tian replied seriously, "Physics is the logic behind all things. It's not something that can be explained clearly in a short time. However, a year ago, when I had some free time, I wrote a few textbooks on physics. The books are in the villa. Sister, you can take a look when you have time."

Of course, he didn't mention that these textbooks weren't written by him, but were a gift from the system during a holiday.

"Logic behind all things?" Bibi Dong nodded slightly, remembering the term "physics" in her mind, determined to study it when she returned.

Bibi Dong then had a hint of a probing thought. She gazed at Ye Tian and said, "Brother, such a useful tool should be kept secret. We can't let outsiders know about it."

Ye Tian raised an eyebrow and said, "Sister, your vision is too narrow. Such a useful tool should be promoted, allowing more farmers to use it to maximize its benefits."

It seemed that his sister was still too afraid of poverty. Keeping the curved-beam plow's secret would indeed allow his farm to make more money.

But this wasn't the kind of money Ye Tian wanted to earn.

Moreover, the secret of the curved-beam plow was too simple.

So simple that anyone could remember it with a glance and then copy it.

So, instead of keeping it secret, it was better to make it public and win people's hearts.

This answer left a trace of surprise in Bibi Dong's eyes. She hadn't expected Ye Tian to not only be smart but also so principled.

As the pope for many years, she rarely encountered someone as righteous as Ye Tian.

"You've already promoted it?" Bibi Dong asked, holding back her surprise.

Ye Tian sighed lightly, "Yes and no. Only about one-third of the farmers along the East Sea coast are using my curved-beam plow."

Hu Liena was shocked, "If the curved-beam plow increases efficiency, why are only a third of the farmers using it?"

Ye Tian explained, "Everything takes time. I'm not the ruler of the East Sea coast, so I can't force the farmers to use the curved-beam plow."

"I see," Hu Liena said regretfully. "If it's so hard to promote in a small place like the East Sea coast, how many years would it take to spread across the entire continent?"

"Exactly," Chen Jian agreed, "Such a useful tool, and yet it's a shame it can't be spread across the continent."

Bibi Dong smiled and said, "What if a force were to push it forward? Like the two great empires, or the Spirit Hall?"

Upon hearing his sister's words, Ye Tian let out a nasal laugh, "How is that possible? Would the two empires or the Spirit Hall even pay attention to a small place like the East Sea coast? And then find the invention of the curved-beam plow and promote it? That would be like finding a needle in a haystack!"

At this, Hu Liena covered her mouth and let out a laugh.

Ye Tian turned to Hu Liena, "Nana, why are you laughing?"

"Hm? Did I laugh?" Hu Liena feigned innocence and didn't admit it.

This guy Ye Tian was saying in front of the pope that the Spirit Hall wouldn't notice him.

It was just too funny.

Suddenly, her attention was drawn to a cart on the road.

The cart was loaded with round, yellow-skinned things.

These were plants she had never seen before. She turned and asked Ye Tian, "Brother, what are those round things?"

"Those are potatoes," Ye Tian replied without hesitation.

"Potatoes?" Even Bibi Dong was intrigued by the name, as she had never heard of such a crop.

Seeing Bibi Dong and Hu Liena's confusion, Chen Jian's face lit up as he explained, "Miss, it's understandable you don't know what potatoes are, having been away for a few years."

"This is a crop that Young Master Ye Tian discovered in the deep mountains, and it can yield five thousand jin per mu."

(End of Chapter)

(T/N: Jin (斤): A Chinese unit of weight, where one jin is approximately 0.5 kilograms (or about 1.1 pounds).

Mu (亩): A traditional Chinese unit of area used for measuring land, where one mu is approximately equal to 0.067 hectares (or about 0.165 acres).)