Those weren’t merely rice sprouts—they were the lifeline that had emerged for their family in the depths of despair.
“Wonderful… this is wonderful…” Liu Shi murmured repeatedly, raising a hand to wipe the corners of her eyes.
Shen Weiwan steadied her mother. “Mother, it’ll still be a while before the rice can be transplanted into the fields. We can’t just sit and wait. Let’s plant vegetables first. Then we won’t have to buy any greens for the family, and we can even sell some for a little extra money.”
Liu Shi immediately nodded. “We’ll do as you say. Whatever you tell me to do, I’ll do.”
Though Shen Weiwan was the youngest in the family, her words now carried the most weight.
She never fussed or complained, nor was she arrogant or impatient. Everything she said was practical, and every arrangement she made had a backup plan. Without realizing it, her parents and elder brother had already begun treating her as the pillar of the family.
After breakfast, her father, Shen Jingzhi, went to work at the yamen as usual.
Before leaving, he deliberately walked over to inspect the fields and reminded them once more to behave prudently and work carefully. The worry in his eyes had lessened, replaced by a measure of reassurance.
With only the three of them left at home, Shen Weiwan immediately assigned tasks.
“Brother, come with me to the higher ground on the west side where water doesn’t collect. We’ll break up the clods of earth, pull out all the roots, and turn it into a vegetable patch.”
“Mother, go back to the house and gather all the vegetable seeds. Bring out whatever we have—greens, radishes, onions, garlic, anything.”
Once the work was divided, the three of them immediately got moving.
The western plot had already been cleared of surface weeds the day before, but the soil was still hard and packed with old roots.
An ordinary family would probably turn the earth casually and scatter the seeds, but Shen Weiwan refused to do that.
What she wanted was even sprouting, fast growth, and high yields. Every bit of effort had to count.
“Brother, the soil clumps must be broken apart—the finer, the better. That’s how the seeds take root. And all the roots need to be removed. Otherwise, the weeds will steal all the nutrients before the vegetables can even grow.”
As she spoke, Shen Weiwan bent over and worked the ground with her small hoe.
She was young and lacked strength, but she was incredibly patient. Stroke by stroke, she worked steadily, not overlooking a single hard clod or old root.
The siblings labored in the field while Liu Shi sorted through the vegetable seeds at home.
Some of the seeds had been stored for a long time and didn’t look particularly good. But after carefully inspecting them, Shen Weiwan determined that they were still usable. They might sprout more slowly, but with enough water and fertilizer, they would still grow vigorously.
By noon, the vegetable patch had finally been worked into soft, level soil, fine as flour, with neat furrows and ridges. It was obvious at a glance that the land had been meticulously prepared.
According to the needs of each type of vegetable, Shen Weiwan taught her mother how to make furrows, sow the seeds, cover them with soil, and gently press them down. The depth and spacing were all just right.
“Mother, the greens have tiny seeds, so only cover them with a thin layer of soil. If the layer is too thick, they won’t sprout. The radish seeds can be planted a little deeper. The onions and garlic should be planted in rows so they’re easier to tend later.”
Her movements were practiced and methodical. Liu Shi learned quickly and soon followed along quite skillfully.
By the time they covered the last handful of soil, the sun had already begun to set.
The three of them stood on the field ridge, looking at the neat vegetable patch filled with promise, then at the basket of sprouting rice seeds inside the house. The gloom that had weighed on their hearts for days seemed to be gradually blown away by the spring breeze and rain.
Supporting her aching waist, Liu Shi smiled genuinely despite her exhaustion.
“Looking at it this way… perhaps our land isn’t beyond saving after all.”
Shen Mingxuan wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes shining brightly.
“Mother, once the vegetables grow and the rice is transplanted, our family won’t have to worry about food anymore.”
Looking at the land they had cultivated with their own hands, Shen Weiwan said softly,
“This is only the beginning.”
Having vegetables to eat and rice to look forward to merely meant they had gained a foothold.
What she wanted was far more than simply enough food and clothing.
At dusk, Shen Jingzhi returned from the yamen. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he smelled the faint aroma of cooking from the house. Then he saw the neatly arranged vegetable patch and let out a long breath of relief.
He walked to the field, reached down to touch the soft soil, then went inside to inspect the sprouting rice seeds. On his usually gloomy face appeared a rare look of ease.
“Our Wan’er truly is more capable than her father,” he said sincerely. “I’ve lived for over thirty years and never knew farming involved so much knowledge.”
“Father, farming is a science too,” Shen Weiwan replied with a smile. “As long as we understand the weather and the land and tend it with care, the earth won’t treat us poorly.”
Dinner was still nothing more than coarse grain porridge with a little pickled vegetable, yet it somehow tasted better than before.
At the table, the family no longer wore worried expressions or sighed endlessly. Instead, they talked about the vegetables in the field, the rice seeds in the house, and the days that lay ahead.
A few more days passed.
When morning dew still clung to the blades of grass, Shen Weiwan was already crouching beside the bamboo basket of seedlings, carefully pulling out the millet seedlings one by one with their roots intact.
The tender white roots were wrapped in damp soil, and the green leaves sparkled with dew, brimming with vitality in the morning light.
“Brother, Mother, come take a look!” she called happily.
Shen Mingxuan and Liu Shi quickly set down their hoes and hurried over.
The millet seedlings they had nurtured over the past half month filled half a basket. Each one had grown to nearly half a foot tall, with broad, healthy leaves.
“They can be transplanted already?” Liu Shi asked nervously. She reached out to touch one but withdrew her hand. “I’ve heard the elders say that transplanting seedlings requires great care. If the roots break, they won’t survive.”
“Don’t worry, Mother.”
Shen Weiwan picked up a seedling and demonstrated, gently shaking some of the soil from its roots.
“The roots may look delicate, but they’re actually quite resilient. We just need to be careful not to bend the stems while transplanting.”
She led the two of them to the prepared field.
The land had already been divided into neat beds, with half a foot of space between each row—exactly the distance she had calculated. It wasted no land while ensuring good airflow and sunlight.
“This is how you plant them.”
Using a small trowel, Shen Weiwan dug a shallow hole in the bed, placed the seedling inside, and lightly pressed the soil around it.
“The soil should just cover the roots. If it’s too deep, the seedling will be smothered; if it’s too shallow, it won’t stand firmly.”
Shen Mingxuan learned quickly and soon began digging holes with confidence.
“Wan’er, do the spacing between the rows and plants all have to be the same?”
“More or less. It doesn’t have to be exact,” Shen Weiwan replied while planting. “But try to keep them evenly spaced. That way, when they grow, every plant can get sunlight, and the millet ears will be full and plump.”
Liu Shi also planted a few seedlings. At first, she was so worried about them falling over that she buried them too deeply.
Seeing this, Shen Weiwan smiled and gently pulled the seedlings up a little.
“Mother, look. This way the leaves can spread out, and the roots will establish themselves better.”
The three of them lined up and worked busily along the ridges.
The morning breeze carried the scent of damp earth. The millet seedlings passed from hand to hand like little green hopes, carefully planted into the soil.
Shen Weiwan was completely focused on her work when she suddenly heard Liu Shi exclaim softly, “Ah!”
Turning around, she saw that her mother had accidentally snapped off a leaf from one of the seedlings and was staring at it in dismay.
“It’s all right, Mother.”
Shen Weiwan walked over and took the damaged seedling.
“Losing a leaf isn’t a problem. As long as the roots aren’t damaged, it will still survive. Look—there’s already a new bud hidden inside the stem.”