Chapter 90: Spring Plowing

◎ Family Farming Chronicles ◇

Since the decision was made to plant barley, Yu Lian wasted no time and got straight to work. She instructed Hua Sanduo to purchase high-quality barley seeds from the town and then started digging and turning the soil, followed by sowing the seeds.

Barley being an inexpensive crop, its seeds were not costly either. The challenge lay in the fact that all the villagers were busy with their own spring plowing; who would have the leisure to help with digging and planting?

Thus, Yu Lian rolled up her sleeves and called on her entire family, young and old, to join in the farming efforts.

The entire family looked at the vast stretch of uncultivated farmland and fell silent.

The matriarch felt that her granddaughter-in-law overestimated her aging limbs. If she were twenty years younger, she might have managed this task, but now, with her white hair and wrinkles, and her joints prone to arthritis and aching, her back lacked the strength for such labor.

If it weren't for the encouragement of her granddaughter-in-law to raise pigs in the countryside, which had increased her daily physical activity and improved her mobility, she might not have been as agile as she was now, and her other ailments might have worsened. Whether she could stand or lie down would have been a different matter altogether.

Mrs. Chen, Aunt Mei, usually spent her days sewing and attending to the kitchen. She was not cut out for farm work. Aunt Mei considered it a significant accomplishment that she could now kill a chicken independently.

The three youngest members of the family also looked down at their small arms and legs, tugging at their sister-in-law's sleeve, asking if she was joking.

Hua Zhan remained silent, standing quietly for just two seconds before he picked up the hoe and began working without another word.

Zhu Ying, the young and robust black-haired man, proved to be even quicker. The moment the young mistress finished her sentence, he was already digging away with his hoe, "Heave-ho, heave-ho." As the young mistress's number one fan, how could he not heed her words?

Hua Zhan glanced over, "..."

With the two main male laborers on the job, the rest of the tasks became much easier. Lady Mei was sent back by Yu Lian, tasked with managing all household affairs – cooking, cleaning, and laundry. Despite the small family size, these chores were no easy feat and kept her busy from dawn till dusk.

Yet, Lady Mei received the assignment with delight and surprise. The three children looked on with a tinge of envy. The twins claimed they were still young but capable; they could cook in place of Lady Mei and even deliver meals to the field, allowing her to focus on farming.

Before she could finish her sentence, she was hauled back by her own father. The two small hoes that had been prepared beforehand were thrust into their hands, instructing them to start digging immediately, without the slightest complaint.

The twins: "..."

After the New Year celebrations, the two boys had grown significantly taller and stronger. Thanks to Zhu Ying's guidance in martial arts, they dedicated each day to honing their fundamentals. Their appetites increased as swiftly as their height, yet pleasingly, their rapid growth did not come at the cost of their physique; they appeared much more robust than when they first arrived.

In the countryside, there's no comparable cuisine to that found in an aristocratic residence. There, amidst the abundance of meat and fish, all they seemed to consume were two flour-based buns. Yet, despite this, their time in the village had transformed them into sturdy young lads, as robust as two young calves.

In the eyes of Hua Yan and Hua Xing, cultivating the land seemed like an event from just last year, when they were also coerced by their father to clear new fields. Back then, with their meager strength, they would tire quickly after just a short while carrying their hoes. Thus, in their young hearts, cultivating the land and engaging in farm work left only one indelible impression: it was arduous, unbearably so.

But with Father having thrown the hoe over, they had no choice but to comply. Neither of them dared defy their father's command, and besides, they had their wicked sister-in-law watching from behind.

Reluctantly, the twins picked up the hoes and began digging into the earth. The blades sank deep into the soil, almost half their length. They exchanged glances, surprised and intrigued, and continued their labor with increased vigor. Their swings became faster, and their strength more apparent.

Zhu Ying burst into laughter, praising her two disciples for their progress. The twins, no longer complaining about the hardship or fatigue, now worked with unparalleled enthusiasm.

This felt different from hoeing the land last year. Back then, it had seemed arduous, exhausting, and bitter. Now, it didn't seem so. Their strength had grown significantly, allowing them to easily turn the soil. This newfound ease ignited their interest.

Hua Zhan nodded approvingly but remained silent. In his view, last year the uncultivated land had been hard and difficult to work. But after a year of being softened by snow, and with his sons having grown significantly and learned martial arts, the task was no longer in the same league. The combination of these factors made the work much easier for them.

With the men engaged in their tasks, what should the womenfolk do?

Yu Lian found herself sandwiched between her aged grandmother on one side and her frail mother-in-law on the other, with a scrawny young sister-in-law trailing behind like a tiny monkey. She divided the land into three plots, assigning each of them one. Little Guo'er's was the smallest, barely measuring two or three square meters, while the grandmother, Mrs. Chen, and Yu Lian shared plots of equal size.

Delighted despite her young age, Little Guo'er eagerly started digging with her miniature hoe.

Following closely behind, Yu Lian began her work, soon joined by the hesitant grandmother and Mrs. Chen.

The workshop had ceased operations, and the entire village was absorbed in farming. Regardless of gender or age, whoever could wield a hoe was not idle. Villagers passing by saw the Yu Lian family tending to their fields and, rather than expressing surprise, they smiled encouragingly, urging them on. Some even offered to lend a hand once their own work was done, claiming they worked quickly and would come to assist the Yu Lian family later.

Of course, there would be no charge for this. Last year, they had already earned a considerable amount of silver from working in the land reclamation and construction workshops. How could they have the heart to accept payment? During the busy farming seasons, some families in the village were short on manpower. Whenever possible, the villagers lent a helping hand to one another.

Appearances deceiving, Yu Lian pretended to be leisurely weeding her plot, but her peripheral vision kept watch on the others. Remarkably, the elderly lady proved far more agile than Mrs. Chen. It seemed that Mrs. Chen, having been coddled all her life, still found the mud beneath her feet distasteful, her fastidious nature causing her movements to be hesitant and slow.

Back when she first transmigrated, Yu Lian wouldn't have dreamed of tilling the land. At that time, she would have likely found an excuse to avoid such labor. But now, those thoughts were far from her mind. Since she was already living in a rural area and aspired to become a paramount landowner in the future, it was only natural for her to forge a close relationship with her soil. How could she disdain it?

Intent on engaging Mrs. Chen and the elder lady, her movements became even more agile and skilled. Before long, she finished digging the area she had marked out. The elder lady and Mrs. Chen paused to gaze at her, their eyes wide with astonishment. How could Lian'er be so proficient?

Yu Lian reassured them, suggesting they view farm work as a form of bodily exercise. She illustrated her point by asking if they didn't feel their health had improved since Grandmother and Mother came to the countryside, if they didn't feel stronger and more energetic?

The old lady pondered the matter carefully and Mrs. Chen nodded in agreement, somewhat embarrassed. In the past, she wasn't exactly fragile, but she would frequently catch colds and cough. Now, such occurrences were much rarer; even during the harsh winter, she only had a minor cold once, displaying an unprecedented resilience.

With no further prompting from Yu Lian, the two of them dove into their work diligently, disregarding the dirtiness of the land or whether they could actually wield the hoes. The most important thing was to get moving.

One advantage of being an adult was that once the benefits of a task were clearly explained, they would undertake it without complaint. Children, on the other hand, needed coaxing and praise.

Gradually, both the old lady and Mrs. Chen found their rhythm. Slowly, they forgot their former identities, focusing solely on the act of hoeing. They even began to derive enjoyment from it, their swings growing more rapid with each passing moment.

Little Guo'er had always looked up to her sister-in-law as a role model. Seeing that her sister-in-law had already finished tilling her large plot, she puffed her cheeks and exerted herself to complete her own, despite her small size and limited strength. While her furrows weren't as deep as those dug by adults, they were passable for the hearty barley crop.

After finishing her task, Little Guo'er dashed over to her sister-in-law, looking up and proudly declaring that she had completed her digging!

Then, as expected, she received a loving pat on the head from Yu Lian, who praised her with words of encouragement, telling her how wonderful and obedient she was. This filled Little Guo'er's eyes with a starry radiance.

Next, Yu Lian assigned her another plot, and this time, Little Guo'er felt a sense of accomplishment and a boost in confidence. She eagerly asked her sister-in-law for an even larger piece of land, preferably as big as their grandmother's and mother's plots.

Once she received her new plot, she skipped over joyfully to continue working.

The entire family labored from dawn till dusk for two consecutive days before they managed to prepare the ten acres of land. Planting was the next step.

It must be said that the rapid completion of the ten acres was largely due to the two men, Hua Zhan and Zhu Ying, especially Zhu Ying, who was young, strong, and skilled in martial arts. Digging was effortless for him; he could clear several acres alone in a day. The women found it more challenging, but in Yu Lian's view, it was still a significant improvement and milestone.

Despite the exhaustion, neither the grandmother nor Mrs. Chen suggested going home to rest. They persevered for two days, following the grandmother's belief that, as a family, they should share the workload equally, not leaving it all to those with greater strength.

Yu Lian's business matters were beyond their comprehension, and digging merely involved swinging a hoe – how could they shirk their responsibilities?

However, while the men, with their martial arts training, and the children, who recovered quickly due to their youthful energy and active lifestyles, didn't feel the strain as much, the elderly Mrs. Chen was exhausted to the point of being unable to straighten her back. Her whole body ached, as if she had undergone a brutal physical ordeal.

Yu Lian herself was also suffering. She maintained a cheerful smile in public but clenched her sore arms in private, fighting back tears.

And then... genuine tears fell.

Plop, a sparkling teardrop landed on the back of her hand.

Yu Lian: "..." Damn it, this original body's tendency to cry at the slightest provocation. Was there even a debuff that caused pain to turn into tears?

Just as this happened, the men returned from outside, carrying their hoes. They saw Yu Lian holding her hand and weeping.

Hua Zhan paused, giving his daughter-in-law a deep and complicated glance before silently sighing.

That mischievous boy in the letter hadn't been lying after all; his daughter-in-law had truly suffered.

Zhu Ying: !!! Young Lady is crying again!

The women were already exhausted to the point of being unable to stand straight. Yu Lian, in particular, had secretly shed many tears and endured much hardship.

Therefore, Hua Zhan suggested that they rest at home while he sought advice from the village's experienced farmers. He then led Zhu Ying and the twins to sow the barley seeds on their ten acres of land.

It took only two or three days to complete the task, demonstrating remarkable efficiency. Yu Lian couldn't help but marvel—how wonderful it was to have martial arts skills!

Villager: "..." They were envious too! She was clearly a beginner!

What was even more delightful was that shortly after the planting, a gentle spring rain fell. The timely rainfall was just right - neither too heavy nor too light, perfectly nourishing the newly sown seeds without causing floods that might spoil them in the soil.

Uncle Two remarked that with such a rain, their work became much easier. There was no need to irrigate the seeds immediately; they only needed to keep an eye on the land and water it regularly to prevent drought. Now, all that was left was to wait for the seeds to germinate.