Chapter 39

After more than two months of severe drought, Huagui County was blessed with a heavy downpour. This rain was a boon for the farmers, and after the rain, the fields began the autumn sowing work.

In Huagui County, the main crop for this season was winter wheat. However, Wang Xiaoqiang decided to plant Yuzhu yam, and he planned to plant forty acres of it. This decision caused quite a stir locally, and for several days, not only the old and young in Sanmiao Village but also people from the surrounding villages were discussing it:

"Wang Xiaoqiang must be crazy, planting forty acres of Yuzhu yam, he really dares to think big!"

"He is clearly courting death. Don't think that just because he harvested a season of corn, he can whimsically plant yams. The higher you climb, the harder you fall..."

Wang Xiaoqiang paid no heed to others' opinions. Indeed, planting forty acres of Yuzhu yam was a huge risk for others, but for him, there was no risk at all.

There are several methods for planting Yuzhu yam, but the most convenient and best method is the zero-yield seed method. First, he selected the seeds. Wang Xiaoqiang bought the seeds from the county town, and they were delivered the next day. The seed tubers he selected were bright in color, with full buds, thick stems, sparse nodules, few roots, no pests or diseases, no rot, and no frost damage, making them an excellent variety.

Since it was the zero-yield seed method, the step of sprouting was skipped.

After the seeds were delivered, Wang Xiaoqiang began the sowing process. Before sowing, he used wood elemental spirit energy to "soak" the zero-yield seeds, similar to how others soak seeds in a solution.

Wang Xiaoqiang believed that wood, which promotes growth, would have a certain auxiliary effect on the germination of the yam zero-yield seeds.

Yuzhu yam is a two-year crop, and it can only be planted again after a three-year interval, making it a five-year cycle. If it really took five years, the yield would not compare to that of ordinary crops, which is why most people were hesitant to plant Yuzhu yam.

Wang Xiaoqiang did not want to work in vain. He had the Five Elements Spirit Spring and intended to make good use of it. After soaking the seeds with wood elemental spirit energy, he began the sowing process.

The sowing of yam zero-yield seeds can only be done manually, and forty acres was a massive task. To complete the sowing within two to three days, he had to hire help. Moreover, such a labor-intensive task was beyond his capabilities alone. There were many idle people in the village, and as long as he was willing to pay, he could hire them.

That day, Wang Xiaoqiang walked around the village, asking each household. He offered a generous wage of 80 yuan per person per day, which was almost as much as what construction workers earned. There were no gender restrictions, as long as they did not slack off.

The sowing of autumn wheat is now done with a sowing machine, which is very convenient. After sowing, people had free time. Since they were idle anyway, everyone was happy to earn some money. As a result, 38 people agreed to help. Wang Xiaoqiang did not limit the number of people; more people meant faster work, and early sowing was beneficial for the sprouting. Among the 38 people were Xia Sanwa's family. Since that day Xia Sanwa returned from the county town, he had quit gambling and never touched mahjong again. He focused on farming and doing small business to save money to pay back the Guo family. In his spare time, he encouraged his daughter to actively show affection to Wang Xiaoqiang. Whenever Xia Sanwa mentioned this, Xia Gui Fang would blush and lower her head. When Wang Xiaoqiang recruited workers, Xia Sanwa immediately agreed and rallied his family to participate, even promising to work for free.

Forty acres of land, with 38 people plus Wang Xiaoqiang and Liu Juyi, made a total of 40 people, which meant one person per acre, greatly reducing the sowing time to just two days.

Liu Juyi volunteered to help with the sowing, and Wang Xiaoqiang could not stop her. Wang Xiaoqiang, the landlord, also joined the sowing team. He did not become lazy just because he had money; instead, he believed that working was good for his health, just like how a horse needs to be ridden and a person needs to exercise.

Moreover, working in the fields with others, chatting and laughing, was lively and interesting. The villagers, both men and women, spoke freely and without restraint. Married men and young women often joked and teased each other, making the atmosphere lively and fun.

When Xia Gui Fang, the village beauty, arrived in the field, she immediately drew everyone's attention.

Originally, the focus of the men was on the still-attractive Liu widow. However, as soon as Xia Gui Fang arrived, the Liu widow immediately lost her appeal.

This made the Liu widow very unhappy. With a sour mood, she deliberately teased Xia Gui Fang: "Oh, Xiaofang, you're working for your future husband?"

Xia Gui Fang blushed immediately. Xia Sanwa, who arrived later, was not embarrassed at all and said: "That's right, I'm working for my future husband. What's wrong with that? Are you jealous?"

The Liu widow did not expect Xia Sanwa to be so thick-skinned. She rolled her eyes and said: "Pfft, Xia Sanwa, you're just being one-sided. How can you not see any signs?"

"Ha, Liu widow, do you want to see?" Xia Sanwa confidently instructed his daughter: "Xiaofang, go, go to Wang Xiaoqiang and hold his hand, let her see..."

Xia Gui Fang's face turned bright red, and she said shyly: "Dad, what are you talking about? You're embarrassing me!"

Xia Sanwa said dismissively: "Pfft, what's the big deal? You're just inexperienced. In the city, people kiss on the street, and some even go to work naked..."

Saying this, Xia Sanwa looked at the Liu widow with a slight nod: "Right, Liu widow, you know more about this than I do..."

"Spit, don't change the subject," the Liu widow rolled her eyes at Xia Sanwa: "If you have the guts, let Xiaofang go and hold Wang Xiaoqiang's hand..."

"Right, let Xiaofang go and hold Wang Xiaoqiang's hand, otherwise, no one will believe it," Da Niu's wife encouraged.

"Xiaofang, go, be bold, go and hold Wang Xiaoqiang's hand, don't be so timid," Xia Sanwa urged again, and he tempted her: "Don't you want to buy a set of cosmetics? If you do as I say, I'll give you the money when we get home."

Xia Gui Fang subconsciously glanced at Wang Xiaoqiang, who was standing not far away. Since her father mentioned marrying her to Wang Xiaoqiang, she had been thinking about it every night. She was a conservative and traditional girl, and although she had attended junior high school, her mindset was not as open as that of city girls. She was quite satisfied with Wang Xiaoqiang. They were classmates and knew each other well. Wang Xiaoqiang was honest, hardworking, and had helped her out of a crisis, which she was very grateful for. If her father had arranged the marriage through a matchmaker, she would have considered it a good match. Unfortunately, her father did not use a matchmaker but instead urged her to show affection to Wang Xiaoqiang, which made her very uncomfortable.

Especially in a situation like this, with so many people watching, her father actually asked her to hold Wang Xiaoqiang's hand. No matter what, she could not bring herself to do it.