Chapter 53: Harvest

Chapter 53: Harvest

The peak of summer heat had passed, and autumn was deepening. The crops like corn, sorghum, and soybeans in the fields outside Du Village were nearly all harvested.

The grains were transported back home by the farmers to dry, and the unprocessed stalks lay in piles in the fields. The sky was high and clear, with not a cloud in sight, like a peaceful painting.

These stalks wouldn’t be wasted; whether used as fuel or mixed with manure for fertilizer, they were perfect.

The cotton pods in the cotton fields were also nearly ripe, and the cotton stalks were beginning to dry out. Although there was still a batch of autumn pods, accounting for about ten percent of the total yield, still growing, they had nearly finished their growth cycle for the year.

As the melons ripened and fell, and the cotton opened to release its fibers, everything followed the natural order, and under the diligent efforts of the farmers, a great harvest was celebrated.

Qiu Huanian hired a few day laborers to pick all the cotton from the three acres of land in batches. The untreated raw cotton was packed into large willow baskets, half a person's height, filling the ground of two back rooms to the point where there was no room to step.

After picking the cotton, the day laborers continued to process the raw cotton. Only one cotton gin had been made, and Qiu Huanian taught them how to operate it. Several people took turns operating the machine while others peeled the cotton. It took several days to turn all the raw cotton into processed cotton.

After the processed cotton was ready, Qiu Huanian chose a clear and crisp morning to take out a large balance scale. With a bit of fanfare, he called the family together to weigh this year's cotton harvest.

The large balance scale was specially bought by Qiu Huanian, several times larger than a small scale. The scale beam was as thick as a rolling pin and over a meter long, capable of weighing up to a hundred pounds.

Qiu Huanian couldn’t handle the scale by himself, so Du Yunse helped him hold it while Qiu Huanian was responsible for moving the counterweight and reading the scale. Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng stood around, watching the cotton and the weights on the scale with a mix of nerves and excitement.

"It’s gotta be six hundred pounds, it’s gotta be six hundred pounds..." Jiu Jiu muttered under her breath.

Having been around cotton farming for a year, Jiu Jiu had a good sense of cotton production. She knew that under normal conditions without disasters, cotton production per acre was around one hundred and eighty pounds. In a good year, the most seasoned farmers could produce two hundred pounds per acre.

Before planting the cotton, Qiu Huanian had claimed that using his methods, the yield per acre would definitely exceed two hundred pounds. At the time, everyone scoffed, thinking he was just talking big.

Now, Qiu Huanian had proven that he really knew how to grow cotton, but the actual yield was still unknown until it was weighed.

Most of the cotton from the three acres was already here. If the yield per acre reached two hundred pounds, the processed cotton piled in the back room should weigh around six hundred pounds.

Chun Sheng clenched his fists, staring intently at the processed cotton in the sacks, mimicking his sister, "Seven hundred pounds... seven hundred pounds..."

Qiu Huanian couldn’t help but laugh at the kids before tying several sacks of processed cotton together with Du Yunse and hanging them on the hook of the scale beam to weigh.

The back room was filled with over a hundred sacks of cotton. To keep them dry, they were stacked on wooden planks half a foot above the ground, piled like a half-wall, quite a sight to see. Cotton has low density, so a large sack weighed less than ten pounds, allowing them to weigh several tied-together sacks at once.

"These sacks are forty-three pounds..."

"These sacks are fifty-two pounds..."

"Forty-eight pounds..."

Qiu Huanian moved the counterweight precisely while calling out the final weight of each measurement. Chun Sheng bolted back to the study like a shot, bringing a used rice paper and an ink-dipped brush to squat on the ground and record the numbers.

His writing was all over the place, and the brush, not properly moistened, often tore the paper. Usually, Jiu Jiu would’ve given him an earful, but now she had no such thoughts.

Du Yunse held the scale steadily with both hands. Every time Qiu Huanian called out a weight, Chun Sheng hurriedly wrote it down on the paper. Jiu Jiu stood by, biting her lip, carefully watching the numbers on the paper and adding up the numbers in her head again and again.

Four hundred pounds... five hundred pounds... six hundred pounds!

Jiu Jiu suddenly looked up and saw that there were still more than ten sacks of cotton in the back room that hadn't been weighed.

Could it actually be seven hundred pounds? No, maybe even eight hundred pounds!

Qiu Huanian was also calculating the numbers in his mind. He wasn’t as on edge as Jiu Jiu, but he was itching to see the fruits of a year’s labor.

"Sixty-three pounds..."

"Fifty-one catties..."

...

"These last few bags are fifty-eight catties."

"There are a total of eight hundred and sixteen catties of cotton!" Jiu Jiu blurted out.

There is still a small batch of cotton in the field that hasn't been harvested. Including those, the total yield of cotton from the three mu of land is close to nine hundred catties, with the yield per mu almost reaching three hundred catties!

Qiu Huanian confirmed this number, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

A yield of three hundred catties of cotton per mu is quite a good figure even by modern agricultural standards. Achieving this yield is thanks to the naturally fertile black soil of the Northeast region, Qiu Huanian's continuous experimentation and improvement of planting techniques, and the meticulous care from spring to autumn.

Three mu of land, nearly nine hundred catties of cotton, after deducting taxes, still leaves more than eight hundred catties.

This is Qiu Huanian's first harvest season since traveling to ancient times. He believes that with continuous effort, such bountiful days will only increase in the future.

"Today, the whole family will take a day off to celebrate. Later, we'll go to town to buy meat and seasonings, and we'll have a harvest feast to celebrate!" Qiu Huanian announced.

"I want to eat roasted chicken!" Chun Sheng immediately responded enthusiastically.

"And we should have braised pork," Qiu Huanian added with a smile.

Chun Sheng continued, "Sister must want to eat tofu stuffed with meat."

Qiu Huanian looked at Du Yunse, deliberately emphasizing the first two words, "My husband must want to eat deep-fried quail."

"..." These are all dishes Qiu Huanian loves. Du Yunse chuckled helplessly, "I want to eat them all."

Finally, the family of four went to town together.

The monthly income from selling Sorghum Candy is about six taels of silver. Qiu Huanian spends two taels on medicine, one tael on better meals and clothes, and one tael on paper and brushes for everyone's education, leaving two taels.

For emergencies, the remaining two taels each month are saved by Qiu Huanian. Though the family lives comfortably, they can't spend freely; every penny must be used as planned.

But today, to celebrate the harvest, Qiu Huanian threw the budget out the window, planning to "spend big."

Their first stop in town was, naturally, Meng Yuanling's tofu shop. After parking the mule cart in the tofu shop's courtyard, Meng Yuanling happily pulled Qiu Huanian aside for a chat.

It's only been a little over half a year since Qiu Huanian first met Meng Yuanling, and the baby fat on Meng Yuanling's face has almost disappeared. His big, fluttering eyes are adorable on his small face, and his dimples are still there when he smiles.

Qiu Huanian noticed a primer book on the table where Meng Yuanling sells tofu and Sorghum Candy and exclaimed, "When did our Brother Ling start reading?"

When Qiu Huanian first met Meng Yuanling, he asked if Meng Yuanling wanted to learn to read, but Meng Yuanling wasn't very interested. In this era, most rural men are illiterate, and there's not much use for a boy to be literate.

Since Meng Yuanling wasn't interested, Qiu Huanian didn't push him. He didn't expect that in less than a year, Meng Yuanling would change his mind and start learning by himself.

Meng Yuanling shyly hid the primer book under the table, saying, "I'm just looking at it casually, nothing serious."

"Where did you get the primer book if you're just casually looking?" Qiu Huanian didn't believe it. Although primer books have fewer pages and are relatively cheaper, one still costs two qian of silver.

"I bought it with my own money," Meng Yuanling said with pride, "Thanks to Brother Hua for letting me sell Sorghum Candy. Having my own money really makes a difference. I don't have many places to spend it, so I've saved almost five taels of silver in the past few months."

"It's only right. I don't have the time to come to town every day, so it's perfect to leave it to you. When I first started selling Sorghum Candy, didn't you let me sell it for free in your tofu shop and even helped promote it?"

Meng Yuanling chuckled, "I heard that my aunt's family and your family have almost finished harvesting the cotton. How did it go? How much did you harvest in total?"

Qiu Huanian made a gesture of the number three.

Meng Yuanling was stunned for a moment, then lowered his voice and exclaimed in a whisper, "Three hundred jin in total, or three hundred jin per acre?"

"What do you think?" Qiu Huanian said with a smile.

"..." Meng Yuanling had learned to be smart, "Since you're asking that way, it must be three hundred jin per acre."

After stating the number of three hundred jin, his excitement and thrill subsided.

If Yun Cheng was the fanboy of Du Yunse in Qiu Huanian's teasing, then Meng Yuanling could be considered Qiu Huanian's "die-hard admirer."

In his eyes, Brother Hua could do anything and do it well. He always delivered on his promises. So, a yield of only one hundred jin per acre was absolutely impossible. It had to be the seemingly unbelievable three hundred jin.

Qiu Huanian nodded, and Meng Yuanling cheered, "This year, I'm going to use the money I earned to sew a pair of thick knee pads for each of my family members. I'll come to you for the cotton then."

"Sure, I'll pick the best cotton for you then."

Before leaving, Qiu Huanian noticed Meng Yuanling's hesitation and understood, "What, are you going to ask about Yun Cheng again?"

"Brother Hua, keep it down!" Meng Yuanling waved his hands anxiously. Although Qiu Huanian's voice was already very low, Meng Yuanling was still afraid someone might hear.

"I heard that during the autumn harvest every year, the county school gives rural students a few days off to go home and help. Is Yun Cheng... coming back?"

Qiu Huanian remembered that Meng Fuyue had mentioned a few days ago, "It should be these few days. His family didn't want Yun Cheng to return and disrupt his studies, but this year, Uncle Bao Yi went to serve forced labor, and there aren't enough people at home. Yun Cheng insisted on coming back to help."

The crops were almost harvested, but drying, storing the grain, and cleaning up the dried stalks were not easy tasks. If Yun Cheng came back to help for a few days, the headman's family would have less work.

Meng Yuanling patted his chest, let out a breath, and said nothing.

Qiu Huanian gave him an idea, "Your family doesn't do much farming. You can go to your aunt's house to help during those days and bring your primer to seek Yun Cheng's advice."

"This... this doesn't seem right," Meng Yuanling hesitated.

"Why not? Don't think too much about it. Just think of yourself as eager to learn. Yun Cheng won't turn you down," Qiu Huanian could now somewhat call himself a "veteran."

"I... I'll try then..." Though nothing was certain, Meng Yuanling was already nervous and tense.

...

After leaving the tofu store, Qiu Huanian's family of four officially started their shopping for the day. They walked the length of Qingfu Town's two intersecting streets.

Qiu Huanian bought two jin of pork, one jin of mutton, and a slaughtered chicken from the butcher shop. He then went to the spice shop to restock the spices they were missing at home. After coming out, he started looking at the goods on the small stalls along the street.

Autumn had arrived, and the game in the mountains was abundant and well-fed. The hunters living in the nearby mountains, who preferred not to go to the county, brought their good catches to sell in the town.

Qiu Huanian managed to buy a fat quail and a skinned rabbit.

"What do you do with the pelts you hunt?"

The hunter smiled as he packed for Qiu Huanian, "We mountain hunters all tan the pelts. After tanning, we store them and sell them in the county when we have enough. The pelts from the northeast are famous, and there are merchants from other places who come to the county specifically to buy pelts."

"It's a pity that there aren't many good game animals in our mountains. Most of the time, we hunt rabbits, and occasionally a fox. I have a distant relative who lives further north, and he even hunted a deer once! A whole deer pelt sold for ten taels of silver!"

At this point, the hunter's smile suddenly froze.

"What's wrong?"

"...That distant relative of mine was conscripted to serve forced labor at the border. News came a while ago that he died on the battlefield."

The topic was a bit heavy, and the hunter silently packed the meat for Qiu Huanian. Before leaving, he said, "If you're looking to buy pelts, come to me. It will definitely be cheaper than buying retail in the shops."

Seeing Qiu Huanian and his family carrying large and small bundles, it didn’t seem like they were short on money. Qiu Huanian was also interested in furs, which is why the hunter made that remark.

"Alright, if I need anything, I'll come to you."

Qiu Huanian was indeed looking into furs. Winter was approaching, and the winters in the northeast were no laughing matter. Of the four in his family, he was the sickly one, Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng were just kids, and even though Du Yunse was young and strong, enduring the cold wasn’t ideal. Qiu Huanian had to make thorough preparations.

In ancient times, the main things for keeping warm were cotton and furs.

Thanks to the constant hunting during the days when Sixteen was around, Qiu Huanian now had five rabbit pelts, two fox pelts, and a whole wild boar hide that was half a person’s size when laid out. Qiu Huanian planned to figure out how much more fur to buy to make hats, gloves, and shoes, fully equipping his family for the harsh winter.

After buying the groceries, Qiu Huanian also got Jiu Jiu a few gauze hairpins and Chun Sheng a red lacquered top that he couldn’t take his eyes off. Their final stop was the stationery shop in town.

The shop owner, Wang Cheng, was momentarily taken aback when he saw Qiu Huanian’s family but then greeted them with a smile, "Isn't this Master Qiu and Master Du? What would you like to buy today?"

"Two reams of Xuan paper, four wolf-hair brushes, and two sticks of pine-soot ink," Qiu Huanian listed the items. These supplies would last the family two to three months. It was better to buy more of the non-perishable items at once to avoid multiple trips.

"Alright, I'll pack them up for you right away."

Wang Cheng happily took the big order, marveling to himself as he grabbed the items from the shelves.

Just before this year’s Qingming Festival, this young man named Qiu Huanian had spent several days from dawn till dusk drawing sacrificial papers in his shop for a few taels of silver. Now, less than a year later, he was spending several taels of silver in one go!

He had heard their house was especially grand, and Du Yunse had even aced this year’s academy exam.

Who knows what they would achieve in a few more years!

...

Qiu Huanian’s family returned home with a mule cart full of goods, just in time to run into the family from the neighboring widow Zhuang’s house.

Ever since Zirong returned with her two kids and started causing trouble for Qiu Huanian’s family now and then, the widow Zhuang, feeling guilty, had cut off contact with Qiu Huanian’s family on her own.

At first, Zirong and her siblings Yuchuan were very haughty, often looking down on the villagers, calling them "country bumpkins" and "country women," and constantly mocking others.

But as time went on, they never got any help from Bai Yanwen, nor did the Bai family come to take them back. Bai Yanwen, who had brought them here, had even left Zhang County and returned to the capital. Zirong and her two kids, crying out to no avail, finally faced reality and became a bit more subdued.

Seeing the meat on the cart, Zirong pinched her side and forced a smile, "Brother Hua, are you cooking meat today?"

Before Qiu Huanian could answer, Chun Sheng shot back, "Yeah, we’re making braised pork, roasted chicken, fried quail, stuffed tofu... and a whole lot more meat!"

"But it’s all ours, so don’t even think about it!"

Chun Sheng still remembered the time when Yuchuan’s brother, Bai Lansheng, deliberately broke his top. Zirong, as the mother, not only didn’t discipline her child or compensate but instead scolded Chun Sheng for being petty, treating a top like a treasure.

Despite his young age, Chun Sheng was the type to hold a grudge, and Zirong and her family had been on his list for a while.

Zirong hadn’t had meat in almost a month. Seeing Qiu Huanian’s family buying so much meat, she had some thoughts, but Chun Sheng’s direct words made her lose face.

Jiu Jiu smiled gently, nodding at the glaring Yuchuan, every bit the proper young lady, with no intention of correcting her brother’s bluntness.

Qiu Huanian took everything in and smiled faintly, "Chun Sheng, Jiu Jiu, come with me to carry the things into the yard. Yun Se, please take the mule cart to the backyard."

Zirong watched as Qiu Huanian completely ignored her and walked off, grinding her teeth in frustration behind his back.

When they were kicked out, their jewelry and clothes had already been taken away. Bai Yanwen had only left them ten taels of silver to sever all ties.

Zirong had lived a life of luxury with Bai Yanwen for over a decade. Because her son Lansheng was Bai Yanwen’s only son for a long time, her status had even rivaled that of the main wife.

She was used to a life of luxury, and ten taels of silver weren’t nearly enough. The money had been squandered on the way back from the capital to Du Village, and now she couldn’t even afford decent winter clothes as winter approached.

Originally, she thought Bai Yanwen would stay in Zhang County for a long time. With two children by her side and no primary wife to complicate matters, she believed that over time, Bai Yanwen would eventually come back to her, so she wasn’t in a hurry.

Unexpectedly, Bai Yanwen suddenly left Zhang County without any warning, completely abandoning her and their two children in Du Village, as if he had completely forgotten about these two children and his once beloved concubine.

Zirong was unaware that Qiu Huanian had used "abandoning wife and children" to attack Bai Yanwen in The Garden of Harvested Blooms, which to some extent exacerbated Bai Yanwen’s disgust and callousness toward her and her children.

Yet, she still held a grudge against her neighbors.

Why is it that, coming from the same Du Village, she has fallen from grace and been sent back to this poor, dirty countryside, while Qiu Huanian’s family thrives!

No matter how Zirong thought, Qiu Huanian wouldn’t care even if he knew. After returning home, he immediately started preparing the meal, with Jiu Jiu and others pitching in to help. The family worked together, and in less than an hour, all the dishes were ready.

In addition to the previously planned dishes, Qiu Huanian also prepared cold rabbit and roasted lamb.

Aside from the earlier banter with Chun Sheng, these two dishes were the favorites of Jiu Jiu and Du Yunse, respectively.

"Brother Hua, isn’t this a bit too much..." Jiu Jiu hesitated, looking at the large table full of dishes.

Qiu Huanian smiled, "What’s the worry? It’s a once-a-year harvest; we should make plenty of everyone’s favorites. The weather is already cool, and if we can’t finish it, we can have it again tomorrow morning. It won’t go to waste."

The family happily sat around the stone table in the courtyard to eat, not bothering with formalities or saying any blessings. Laughter and chatter filled the autumn courtyard, blending with the rich aroma of the food and the fresh scent of grain that permeated Du Village, creating a refreshing and joyful atmosphere.

It wasn’t until nightfall that everyone finished eating and started clearing the leftovers.

Qiu Huanian opened a small jar of rice wine during the meal, but Du Yunse wouldn’t let him drink much. After much persuasion, he only had two small cups. He initially thought it wouldn’t affect him, but after washing up, the alcohol gradually took effect, and he leaned against the edge of the kang, giggling tipsily.

Du Yunse made sure the two children were asleep, checked the locks and windows, and then returned to the main room, only to find this scene.

The handsome young lad’s cheeks were slightly flushed, his smooth, silky hair falling over his shoulders, his eyes half-drunk and half-awake as he leaned against the edge of the kang, softly giggling, seemingly amused by something.

Du Yunse sighed, went over to carry Qiu Huanian to bed, "Who said two cups wouldn’t affect you? You’re already drunk."

Qiu Huanian smacked his lips, "I’m not drunk, not at all."

He clung to Du Yunse, burying his head in Du Yunse’s shoulder, "Don’t scold me, I want to drink!"

Du Yunse confirmed once again that his little husband was indeed drunk, and while bending down to carry him, he gently coaxed, "Alright, let’s rest for today, and we’ll discuss it tomorrow, okay?"

But Qiu Huanian resisted, refusing to be carried, "I’m not sleeping; I still have things to do."

Du Yunse protected his head to prevent him from bumping into anything, "What does Brother Hua want to do now?"

"I want... I want..." Qiu Huanian paused, and just as Du Yunse thought he wouldn’t say anything, he finally declared loudly, "I want to see you write a poem!"

A poem? Now? Du Yunse was momentarily speechless.

Qiu Huanian, still tipsy, pushed Du Yunse’s shoulders, making his demand sound like a playful plea, "Go write me a poem, right now."

"...What kind of poem does Brother Hua want?" Du Yunse began to seriously consider.

"A love poem! I’ve never received a love poem before!" Qiu Huanian’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

"..."

That night, Qiu Huanian dragged Du Yunse into the study for half an hour, finally "coaxing" out a satisfactory love poem.

Du Yunse had always been obliging, doing whatever Qiu Huanian wanted. However, the next morning, after Qiu Huanian sobered up, he felt embarrassed and hid the love poem at the bottom of his money box, forbidding anyone to mention it again.

The cotton yield from the clan leader’s family and Hu Qiuyan’s family was also weighed. It was their first time planting, and although they followed Qiu Huanian’s methods, many steps were not fully mastered. The final yield was about 250 pounds per mu, which, though not as high as Qiu Huanian’s 300 pounds per mu, was still impressive.

A few days later, Zhu Jingcheng, who had promised to buy the cotton, finally arrived in Du Village.