xymnovel Chapter 35 Exercising Privileges
Chapter 35 Exercising Privileges
Zhu Kaishan noticed that Lu Xingzhou was touching the seedlings but not moving, so he hurriedly stepped forward to ask:
"Boss, do you see anything wrong with these seedlings?"
"Oh? No, you're very beautiful!"
Whether it's 'water vapor' or 'golden light', only Lu Xingzhou can see it, so it's normal for him to be misunderstood.
He stood up calmly and walked towards the potato field.
The change in [Yi Yang Ding] occurred the moment he touched the bean sprouts.
But a new problem arose.
The rice seedlings had already sprouted a week ago. Although he wasn't there when the rice was being transplanted, he touched them when he released his source energy to protect and save the seedlings.
Why can bean sprouts increase primordial energy, but rice seedlings cannot?
Arriving at the 100-acre potato field, I reached out to the thriving potato vines.
"Also?!!"
Although the amount of primordial energy drawn in is not as much as that drawn from the 1800 mu soybean field, there are still changes.
"That's even stranger!! Why isn't the rice growing well?"
The appearance of the Yi Yang Cauldron was abrupt. There was no spirit inside, no old man hidden inside, and no cultivation techniques engraved on it. Lu Xingzhou had to figure everything out on his own.
Unable to figure out what the difference was, he decided to observe further.
Regardless of the circumstances, a breakthrough in the total amount of Origin Qi is a good thing.
Although currently, it only requires less than one-thirtieth of the total source energy to germinate seeds for 2000 mu of land at a time, it will not be enough when the land is developed to 6 mu or more in the future.
Moreover, crop growth is not limited to the seedling stage.
Taking soybeans as an example, the growth process can be divided into more than a dozen small stages, from germination, seedling, branching, flowering, pod formation, grain filling, to final maturity and harvest. Each stage carries various risks of pests and diseases.
In this era without pesticides, there are many places where we will need to use Yuan Qi in the future if we don't want to reduce or destroy our crops.
Moreover, Lu Xingzhou's plan also includes other places where the Origin Qi of Heaven and Earth is needed.
If you can figure out how to increase the total amount of source energy, then you can handle things with ease and confidence.
Back inside the enclosure.
Just then, Lin Fengyi, Na Wen, and Xian'er, who were doing needlework together under the eaves, were about to part ways and go back to their rooms.
Upon seeing him, Lin Fengyi's eyes lit up.
He handed the needle and thread to Na Wen, then ran over to greet her, only to be embraced by Lu Xingzhou.
"Sir, you're back!"
"Um!"
Na Wen covered her mouth and giggled, but then noticed that Xian'er, who had just been chatting and laughing with her, suddenly had a blank look in her eyes, and her smile froze on her face.
Although Xian'er was originally engaged to Zhu Chuanwen, she never blamed her for marrying Chuanwen and for developing feelings for Chuanwu.
But Wen herself also had a knot in her heart.
Things have finally improved after spending these past few days together.
Seeing Lu Xingzhou and Lin Fengyi so affectionate today touched Xian'er's heart and also made Na Wen feel awkward.
In front of a courtyard full of women and children, Lu Xingzhou was very considerate of his own woman's feelings.
She gently hugged Lin Fengyi, whispered a few words in her ear, and then let her go. She didn't do anything indecent, otherwise Xian'er might have been so provoked that she would have exploded on the spot.
"Has the water from the three rivers not returned yet?"
Lin Fengyi replied, "No, it will take them at least two days to travel by carriage back and forth. They probably won't be home until tomorrow at the earliest."
"Okay, let's get going."
"What's the rush?"
Lu Xingzhou chuckled: "You're asking a question you already know the answer to!"
Lin Fengyi, overcome with shyness, turned and ran back to the east room.
Two days later.
May 2nd, the 5th day of the third month in the lunar calendar.
It is auspicious for weddings, travel, moving, raising livestock, and opening a business.
Around noon, seven or eight large, fully loaded ships sailed up the upper reaches of the Xiliao River.
As the boat passed the otter's den, it created waves that capsized baby otters that were practicing swimming, causing the adult otters to squeak in anger.
Its fierce yet adorable appearance made Lu Xingzhou, who was standing on the dock, burst into laughter.
Hearing the noise, Yu Fengzhi, who was on the boat, also ran to the side of the boat to see what was going on.
"This is... a water cat? It's so cute and fluffy!!"
Standing at the bow of the boat, Yu Fengzhu showed no interest in the otters and teased Lu Xingzhou from a distance:
"The old saying is absolutely true! My friend, you're just beaming with joy! Hahahaha!"
Lu Xingzhou wasn't ashamed at all.
"Haha~ Absolutely!"
As soon as the boat docked, Yu Fengzhi eagerly disembarked: "Greetings, Brother Lu! Why isn't Sister-in-law Fengyi here?"
"She's probably leading everyone in cooking right now!"
"Hehehe~ You two chat, I'm going to find my sister-in-law!"
No matter how sensible she is, she's still a child at fourteen or fifteen. Yu Fengzhi should go and see Lin Fengyi's surprised and delighted expression. How funny that would be!
Inside the enclosure, Zhu Kaishan led his men out to unload the goods, and they noticed that many of the items were bright red:
"Master, are you celebrating a happy occasion?"
"Yes, prepare a feast for Fengyi, and tell everyone not to eat too much for lunch, as there will be plenty of meat and wine for dinner!!"
"Alright~~!"
Inside the enclosure, Lin Fengyi's suspicions had been confirmed by Yu Fengzhi, and she ran back to her room, at a loss, refusing to come out.
Last night, Lu Xingzhou asked Wen's mother to prepare enough lunch for dozens more people to entertain Yu Fengzhu and his party.
People from the three rivers hang big red lanterns and paste red silk "double happiness" characters all around the village.
Preparations for tonight's banquet are only just beginning, and time is already very tight.
The newly arrived chickens, ducks, beef, and lamb needed to be blanched immediately, so the kitchen was too busy to move around much, and two large pots were set up right in the yard.
The aroma of meat wafted through the air, making the children's mouths water.
Despite Lu Xingzhou telling them not to eat much for lunch, they insisted on having two extra bowls of cornmeal porridge because of the strong aroma of meat.
With a long time to go before the banquet, Lu Xingzhou prepared to distribute the clothes, shoes, and socks he had bought for the farmhands.
Moreover, they acted like landlords, making forceful demands:
"It's my wedding day, and everyone's dressed in rags! What kind of appearance is this? Everyone who's covered in dirt, wash up properly and put on new clothes before you come out, or you're not allowed to sit at the table!"
Other landlords, no matter how many concubines they took, would practically go door-to-door demanding dowries.
Our young master is quite something; not only does he not want any monetary gifts from everyone, he even gives us new clothes!
The farmhands were overjoyed.
"Thank you for the reward, sir!"
Lu Xingzhou originally intended to use the wedding as an opportunity to curry favor with the farmhands, so that Lin Fengyi would distribute clothes to everyone and further solidify her status as the mistress of the house.
She hid inside and wouldn't come out, so I had to do it myself.
Each family lined up to report the number of people, and everyone, regardless of age, was treated equally, receiving a set of shirt, pants, and cloth shoes!
Although it's just an ordinary cotton-padded coat, they wouldn't normally be able to afford one!
Don't be fooled by the fact that a set of children's clothes, shoes, and socks only costs 2.5 yuan. Adults' clothes cost an average of 4 yuan, and a family of 5 would cost more than 10 yuan.
Although the climate in Northeast China dictates that, to avoid freezing to death, the kind of life where five people share three pairs of pants, as was the case in the Guanzhong Plain, would be impossible.
However, for farming families who have little savings throughout the year, it is not possible to buy new clothes for the Lunar New Year every year; patched clothes are still the norm.
Besides Lu Xingzhou and Lin Fengyi, the 161 people in the village spent a total of 588 dollars on clothes, a very auspicious number.
Lu Xingzhou expressed his satisfaction, and the farmhands were naturally even more satisfied.
Some, unable to absorb the nutrients, even began to sympathize with the wealthy Lu Xingzhou, feeling that he was being a bit extravagant.
Chen Damangzi, ever outspoken, said, "Boss, next time you have a happy occasion and reward us, just buy some fabric so the old women can make their own clothes. Why do we have to buy new clothes every day?"
Contrary to common sense, ready-made clothes were expensive at the time, making it cheaper to buy fabric and sew them by hand at home.
He wasn't foolish enough to refuse any benefits; rather, he was thinking about saving Lu Xingzhou some money.
This statement was widely accepted.
"That's right, that's right! The employer is kind, and we're not heartless either. We can't waste this money next time!"
"Yeah, with that money, we could add five more cows! That would save so much effort!"
Lu Xingzhou laughed and scolded, "Is it wrong to give you new clothes? On my joyous day, are you trying to make me unhappy?"
He felt that making farmhands work barefoot on the cold ground was inhuman; these were necessary labor protections.
But in this world where clothes are passed down through three generations, and people leave but the clothes remain.
Even their own fathers have never been this kind to them.
"Hahaha~ We wouldn't dare! Thank you for the generous gift, sir. I wish you a healthy baby boy soon!"
"Yes, yes, may you hold the young master in your arms soon!"
The boys, having received their clothes, led the other boys to bathe in the Xiliao River. The girls, with their mothers, went inside to boil water and wash themselves.
After washing and cleaning themselves, and changing into new clothes, they came out looking quite fresh and vibrant.
Seeing this, Lu Xingzhou felt that they were more like real people.
While things are still fresh in our minds, let's set some rules.
"Hey~~ That's more like it! They all look so filthy, it's driving me crazy! Chuanwen, from now on you're in charge of keeping an eye on them. Anyone who goes more than three days without showering, give them a good slap across the face!"
Zhu Chuanwen laughed loudly: "Hahahaha, boss, you're all right! I hit really hard! Anyone who disobeys you, I guarantee I'll knock out half their teeth with one slap!"
It's pointless to tell those illiterate farmhands that cleaning is good for their health.
Lu Xingzhou wasn't mocking everyone for being uncultured; he had actually seen people who did the work.
Especially during the busy farming season, farmhands who are exhausted after a day's work have to be waited on by their wives to wash their feet.
If you speak in a friendly and gentle manner, no one will care.
Landlords are supposed to have special privileges; otherwise, what's the point of being a landlord?!