The fool has become a spirit, and she can speak

Chapter 1898 Wheat Seeds

Shang tide got off the carriage and said apologetically, "His Highness had something to do and left early this morning. He forgot to hand over the things he was doing and kept everyone waiting all morning. I'm sorry."

Seeing that their employer had arrived and was speaking so politely, the people, who already had no complaints, had even less to say now. The employer was kind and friendly, and the wages he paid were fair and reasonable. Most importantly, the wages were never delayed; they were paid on time and he never defaulted on payments. As for the food he was given, there was nothing to complain about.

For example, just now, after sitting in the sun all morning without doing any work, the workers in charge of meals brought them lunch as soon as it was lunchtime. There were two dishes, one meat and one vegetable, and plenty of white flour buns. It's hard to find an employer like that.

They knew that their boss wasn't stupid, but rather kind-hearted.

Ma Sui was the foreman of the fields, in his forties. His father had also worked in the fields for the Prince's mansion, even before Ma Sui! He had farmed for most of his life, a seasoned farmer, hardworking and conscientious. Seeing that the employer paid well, provided good food, and, most importantly, didn't treat them like livestock, he thought, "Where else can I find a job where I have enough to eat and drink and still get paid?" So, Old Ma called his eldest son and his family over. When they arrived, Cheng Feng saw that Ma Sui's family were of good character, just like Old Ma—honest, kind, and hardworking—and thus gave them an important position.

Ma Sui led Shang tide to see the wheat seeds, and a large crowd gathered around them.

The wheat seeds in both trucks, like everyone else, were basking in the sun; a handful was scalding hot. "Your Highness, these are the wheat seeds we bought, and these are the seeds we saved from our fields last year."

Upon seeing this, Shang tide hesitated, "This...this isn't the same variety!" The wheat seeds were different in size, and even their colors varied.

No wonder Cheng Feng hasn't made a final decision yet, even though they're about to plant the seeds. It's like placing a bet on a crop.

Wheat can be planted at most twice here. In years without war or disaster, there is plenty of food left over.

If war breaks out again, Fengqi will not be able to provide military supplies and grain reserves. According to Shang Xi, the granaries in various parts of Fengqi are empty. If the people want to be prosperous, they need plenty of grain. Without grain, having silver is useless; they will still starve. Therefore, the land must be cultivated well.

Ma Sui explained to Shang tide, "Your Highness, the seeds with the darker seed coats are the ones we bought from Wulu County in the north, while the ones with the lighter seed coats are the ones we saved from our own fields. The seeds from Wulu County are cold-resistant and can be stored for a long time. However, our wheat is delicious, but we are afraid of encountering water during the harvest season, as it will sprout if it gets wet."

Ma Sui explained it clearly, and Shang tide listened carefully. Shang Xi understood: "Things that are easy to store don't taste good, and things that taste good will sprout when they get wet. Each has its advantages and disadvantages."

Ma Sui nodded, "Your Highness, the Prince is not here, so please make a decision! Let's take advantage of the good weather and plant the crops quickly."

A poor decision could affect the whole situation, so Shang tide had to be extremely cautious. "Which one has a higher fan conversion rate?"

"Our self-saved seeds—when we were selecting the seeds, the prince said the wheat had to taste good and have a high yield! It's just that last year there was a drought, so the seeds were small and not fully plump, so we went out to harvest..."

"We collected some wheat seeds there. Last year, there was a drought everywhere, but Wulu County had a bumper wheat harvest, and there were plenty of seeds. We bought some seeds there."

Shang tide knew all of this, especially about farming. You must have seeds in hand. Having seeds means you're prepared for any eventuality. Even if you fail to plant, you can replant. Without seeds, you can only watch helplessly as your fields crumble.

After considering it for a moment, Shang tide said, "Let's plant the seeds we saved last year. Although the seeds are a bit small, as long as they can sprout, that's fine. With more fertilizer, they won't have to worry about growing."

Ma Sui hesitated for a moment, "Your Highness, the Prince and we agreed that each type of seed would be used in equal proportions. If it rains a lot this year and the rainy season comes, we won't be able to harvest in time, and the wheat yield will be reduced."

Shang tide looked at the hundreds of farmers around her, realizing that she could reclaim as much land as she could, and made the final decision: "Let's plant our own seed."

Why plant wheat if it doesn't taste good? Plant the good ones.

So Shang tide made the final decision and quickly settled the matter.

After eating and drinking their fill, the group picked up their tools from the field and divided the work among themselves. The tasks for everyone had already been assigned, and they were just waiting to receive the seeds and go to the fields.

Twenty-odd people formed a group, and each group was responsible for a field. Soon, hundreds of people were scattered throughout the fields, each doing their own job. Shang tide and Da Yan were left standing at the edge of the field, guarding a cartload of seeds collected from Wulu County.

Shang Xi was still accompanied by more than twenty farmers. They were not there to work, but to watch the excitement.

It was February, the time when every household was busy preparing for planting. Every year at this time, many farmers would come to watch the excitement, taking the opportunity to learn and find out why the prince and princess's land had such a high yield per acre.

They also cultivated the land meticulously, and the methods were obtained from the prince and princess. The prince and princess generously shared their knowledge and never hesitated to teach them, passing on everything they knew, including how to make organic fertilizer.

However, the fields cultivated by these experienced farmers were still slightly inferior to those of the Prince Pang's mansion. Their yield per mu was always lower than that of the Prince Pang's mansion, and they could never catch up with the Prince's mansion's yield per mu.

An old farmer asked Shang tide, "Your Highness, your palace grows so much wheat? I remember you didn't grow this much last year. Is this field planted with millet?"

Shang tide smiled inwardly and outwardly. If the old man hadn't told her that this piece of land in front of her had been planted with millet last year, she wouldn't have remembered.

"Uncle, our land hasn't been improved enough. The grain we grow from millet is not as good as wheat. To make it easier to manage, we'll plant wheat this year. After all, wheat is a staple crop and is better than millet."

The old man nodded in agreement. "What the princess says is true. Our land is divided into main fields and secondary fields. The fertile, flat fields are the most precious main fields, where we only grow wheat and rice, which are our staple food for the whole year. The thin, sloping fields are used to grow millet and sorghum, just to fill in the gaps during famines. They are not as essential as wheat and rice, which are the foundation of our livelihood. It would be a waste to grow millet and sorghum on such fertile land as the prince's residence. My family has a sloping field, and we plan to focus on beans and millet. We haven't decided on the main field yet."

Shang tide turned her gaze away from the field and looked at the old man. She hadn't decided yet.

In just one month, no matter what kind of seeds you plant, you'll have to get them in the ground.

Their royal estate has vast tracts of land and abundant seeds, so they sow early every year. Meanwhile, the farmers around us haven't even planted their fields yet! They're waiting for the perfect time to sow.

However, those who make a living in the fields plan ahead; some even have a plan in mind for what to plant next, even as soon as this crop is planted.