The busy days flashed by in an instant.
Long Zhenting led Shiyi and the four others to the foot of the mountain every day to dig the fish pond. Through their unremitting efforts, the pond was finally completed. Next, they would begin preparing the farmland according to Qiao Zilin’s meticulous plans.
Meanwhile, Liu Yu had become utterly captivated by Qiao Zilin’s cooking after sharing several of her home-cooked meals. He had settled in for the time being, spending his days wandering the back mountains to gather medicinal herbs, and occasionally heading down to the foot of the hill to lend a hand.
While everyone else was occupied, Qiao Zilin did not remain idle.
Originally, she had intended to plant flowers and trees in the courtyard, but she had since changed her mind. Because the planned fields were at the base of the mountain, it was far too long a walk just to pick vegetables.
Furthermore, it seemed a waste not to use such a spacious courtyard for crops. It was close to the kitchen, making harvesting convenient, and management would be much easier. The courtyard would also look more beautiful adorned with lush greenery.
One day, Qing Mei threw a bit of a temper tantrum after her hands blistered from swinging a hoe. “Miss, you are the legitimate eldest daughter of the Prime Minister’s residence, yet here you are, reduced to dealing with mud every day. It is all because the Prime Minister was too biased. If you had married the Prince Regent, you wouldn’t have to suffer like this.”
She had no way of knowing how miserable Zina, who had married the Prince Regent, truly was.
Hearing this, Qiao Zilin immediately scolded her, “Qing Mei, do not speak such nonsense. Your mistress happens to love this carefree life. This kind of existence is far more comfortable than living in the Imperial Palace.”
Qing Mei looked up and saw the slight anger on Qiao Zilin’s face. She immediately apologized, “I am sorry, Miss. This servant misspoke.”
Qiao Zilin wasn’t truly angry, for she genuinely loved her current life, but she spoke with earnest gravity, “Qing Mei, remember this. You can eat what you like, but you cannot say whatever you please. Be careful, for disaster follows a loose tongue, and walls have ears.”
“Yes, Miss. This servant will keep that in mind.”
Qiao Zilin looked at her, then glanced at the sky. “Alright, go and bring out the grain seeds. The sprouts have grown quite long, we shall sow them in the field tonight.”
“Yes, Miss.”
fifteen minutes later, the mistress and servant arrived at the foot of the mountain.
By now, after a period of transformation, the area had become orderly and neat, no longer overgrown with wild weeds.
Paddy fields appeared before their eyes, arranged in tidy rows.
Qiao Zilin’s plan involved using ten catties of seed for five mu of paddy field, so they had reclaimed five mu of land. The remaining space was set aside for planting chili peppers, vegetables, and other crops.
Qiao Zilin led Qing Mei along the path at the foot of the mountain until they reached a large fish pond at the end.
The spring at the original puddle had been cleared, and clear water bubbled out continuously. The pond below was now filled to the brim. If there were no leaks, they could soon prepare to raise fish.
The water from the spring not only filled the pond but also flowed down through the ditches Long Zhenting and the others had just dug. The sound of the splashing water made Qiao Zilin feel as though she were beside a small bridge over a flowing stream, a sound that was exceptionally soothing.
The men working at the foot of the mountain saw them and walked over.
Long Zhenting looked at the grain seeds resting quietly on the ground and asked curiously, “Lin’er, are you planning to sow these seeds now?”
Qiao Zilin began to take off her shoes as she replied, “Yes, husband. Once the sun sets and the temperature drops, we can sow them. Before that, we need to tidy up the paddy field.”
As she spoke, she pulled on the long stockings she had sewn herself. She picked up a field-leveling tool and stepped into the muddy water.
Today, Long Zhenting did not stop her. He knew this step was crucial, and since none of them knew how to do it, they stood by, waiting for Qiao Zilin’s instructions.
Qiao Zilin looked at the long stretch of the field. Dividing it vertically would make the sections too long, so she decided to divide it horizontally.
She explained the process as she worked. Once she had shaped a rough section, she looked up at the men. “Like this. Do you understand?”
Shiyi said excitedly, “I understand, Madam! It’s just like raising a bed to plant vegetables, right?”
Qiao Zilin looked at the seventeen-year-old youth. He was lively, cheerful, and very capable. She wondered why his parents would ever have abandoned him.
“Since you understand, get to work!”
“Madam, why must the seeds be sown only after sunset? Are they afraid of the light?” Shiwu asked while scooping up mud, voicing his confusion. They had seen other villagers sowing at any time of day.
“Afraid of the light? Do the seeds feel embarrassed?” Qiao Zilin joked, “They probably don’t, haha… The reason we wait until evening is that these seeds have just sprouted tender buds. If the temperature is too high, the heat will scald the sprouts. Once scalded, they won’t grow.”
The group realized the truth. No wonder the survival rate of the rice planted by others was so low; this was likely one of the reasons.
After the eight of them worked for an hour, the seedling bed was finally ready.
Shiyi looked at the neat, raised beds in the water, his mind full of questions. “Madam, even if we set aside the fact that you didn’t just throw the seeds directly into the water, why does the paddy field have to be shaped like a vegetable garden?”
This question actually stumped Qiao Zilin. She knew that farmers always prepared seedling beds this way, but she wasn’t entirely sure why. “Doing it this way makes drainage easier, I suppose! Anyway, it’s getting late. Let’s hurry and sow the seeds, or it will be too dark to see.”
Qiao Zilin distributed the seeds into water ladles for everyone. She began to grab handfuls of grain and toss them evenly across the field.
As she sowed, she instructed, “Everyone, remember to be gentle when you grab them. Do not break the sprouts. Also, try to scatter them as evenly as possible.”
“Yes, Madam.”
Although it was everyone’s first time, they treated the task with great seriousness, knowing that food was hard to come by.
They watched Qiao Zilin’s casual movements; with a single toss, the seeds landed perfectly and evenly in the mud. It looked effortless, but once the seeds were in their own hands, they realized it was anything but easy.
Their hands were not nearly as nimble. The seeds they threw out landed in clumps, not even at all.
To compensate, they tried bending low or squatting, staying as close to the ground as possible. They released only a few grains at a time, which allowed for better control and more even distribution.
Eventually, practice made perfect. After a few attempts, they were finally able to scatter the seeds evenly across the muddy field.
“Alright, everyone has worked hard. Let’s go home and cook dinner.”
At the mention of cooking, everyone asked in unison, “Madam, what are we eating tonight?”
Qiao Zilin thought for a moment. They ate chicken or fish almost every day, and she hadn’t had pork in a long time. She suddenly craved twice-cooked pork with green peppers.
The mere thought of it made her mouth water.