The land Old Yang had allocated to the third household included two mu of paddy field and two mu of dry farmland.
Yang Ruoqing hadn't yet gone to see the paddy fields. For now, she followed Sun Shi to their two mu of dry land.
"Did Grandpa and Grandma think I'm too fat and gave us a plot this far away just to get me walking more and exercising?"
Standing on the ridge of their dry land, Yang Ruoqing looked around and joked.
Sun Shi gazed at the plot before them and shook her head inwardly.
This half-mile of dry land sat right at the foot of the mountain and used to be undeveloped wasteland.
The Yang family had once tried growing cotton here, but during a drought the yield had been poor. Later they switched to soybeans, peanuts, and sesame. Perhaps due to the soil quality, the harvests never matched those from other dry lands around the base of the mountain.
"Qing'er, don't complain. The fact that your grandma even gave us this plot is better than nothing. If we manage it well, we'll still get some harvest from it."
Sun Shi smiled as she took out some radish and pumpkin seeds she had borrowed from Guihua's household and set them aside.
Yang Ruoqing nodded in agreement. That was true—having something was always better than having nothing. With hard work and the right know-how, even a patch of wasteland could show its value.
"Mom, let's start preparing the land, then!"
Yang Ruoqing grabbed her smaller hoe and, after discussing briefly with Sun Shi atop the ridge, the mother and daughter carried their hoes into the field and began turning the soil.
Though she was a special agent in her past life, Yang Ruoqing was no stranger to farm work.
Why?
Because once, while on a mission, she'd gone undercover for over half a year in a farming household deep in the Dabie Mountains. During that time, she'd learned many survival skills common among peasant families.
Tilling land, planting rice, and sowing vegetables—none of it was difficult for her.
As she worked, the crisp sound of the hoe turning the soil echoed around her, reminiscent of slicing through fresh yams with a blade—a pleasing and satisfying sound.
Hoe after hoe struck the earth, revealing reddish soil beneath. The soil here was loose, slightly acidic, and sandy. It would be perfect for drought-resistant crops like corn, peanuts, sweet potatoes, and regular potatoes.
As Yang Ruoqing continued swinging her hoe to level the land, she let her mind wander, envisioning the joy of harvest. Every swing was a labor of love for her family, filling her heart with excitement and happiness.
"Qing'er, if you're tired, take a break and have some tea to wet your throat!"
Sun Shi, leaning on her hoe and wiping sweat from her brow, called out with a smile.
"I'm not tired at all, Mom! Just thinking about how we'll be able to eat our own crisp and juicy radishes this winter gives me endless energy!" Yang Ruoqing looked up, grinning.
Sun Shi nodded, her eyes also filled with a genuine smile. Mother and daughter were of one heart.
"Daughter, let's work hard and get the land leveled before noon. Then we can sow the radish seeds. Once those radish greens sprout, we'll have our very own vegetable patch!"
"Mm!" Yang Ruoqing nodded earnestly. Whether it was the juicy radish itself or the lush green leaves, the thought of rustic home-cooked meals made her mouth water. She dug with even more vigor.
Once the land was fairly level, it was time to start placing seeds into the small soil mounds they had prepared.
"Qing'er, I'll do the seeding. You follow behind and water them," Sun Shi instructed.
"Got it!" Yang Ruoqing responded cheerfully and followed closely behind her mother as they began the process in an orderly fashion.
Sun Shi bent down and dropped two to four radish seeds into each small soil pocket. Yang Ruoqing then poured a bit of water in and afterward gently sprinkled a layer of fine sand over the top to cover the seeds.
Next, they did the same with the pumpkin seeds, planting them along the field's edge.
If these pumpkins were being planted in the courtyard or by a wall, they'd need trellises.
But here, since there was a forest next to the field, once the vines began to grow, the roots and tendrils could just sprawl freely along the ground.
"Qing'er, I'll finish up what's left. You go take a break on the grass over there," Sun Shi said as she continued covering the soil.
Seeing that most of the work was done, Yang Ruoqing cheerfully agreed. "Aye!" She bounded up the ridge and sat down on the grassy patch nearby to rest.
As soon as she sat, she instinctively used her hand to brace herself on the grass—but something pricked her sharply, causing her to suck in a breath through her teeth.
Looking down, she saw a clump of stinging nettle.
The tiny barbed hairs on the plant's surface had scratched her palm, breaking the skin and drawing a few drops of blood. It hurt, tingled, and itched—like being bitten by ants. A few tiny spines were even stuck in her skin.
Yang Ruoqing bent her head and began picking out the fine little barbs one by one. By that time, Sun Shi had finished and walked over. Seeing her condition, she said:
"This forest is full of those stinging grasses. It's autumn now, so it's not too bad, but in spring and summer, they grow in thick patches by the fields, ridges, and woods. Even pigs, cows, and sheep won't go near them."
Yang Ruoqing listened intently, her mind spinning with ideas.
The villagers probably didn't know the benefits of stinging nettle, did they? Sure, they stung like cactus, and during spring and summer, the texture was too harsh even for livestock.
However, once autumn arrived and the nettles began producing seeds, the stinging flavor would diminish. If you harvested the leaves and chopped them up to mix with wheat bran and rice husks, it'd make for extremely nutritious pig feed!
In under two months, the pigs would have sleek coats and plump bodies!
With that thought, a lightbulb went off in Yang Ruoqing's head. She stood up and said to Sun Shi:
"Mom, I'm going to gather some stinging nettle leaves to bring home!"
Sun Shi thought she had misheard and looked baffled. "That stuff? Even pigs won't eat it, and it's not fit for humans either. Qing'er, what are you planning to do?"
"Mom, I won't tell you just yet. You'll understand later!" Yang Ruoqing deliberately kept it vague. She knew that even if she explained now, Sun Shi probably wouldn't believe her.
After all, the original owner of this body had been mentally challenged, not even capable of taking care of herself.
"Well, alright then. I'll come with you into the woods. I can gather some pine needles while I'm at it. But you must promise not to go too far in. We'll just stick to the forest's edge!"
Sun Shi reminded her, brushing it off as a child's whim and not thinking too much of it.
The two of them discussed it quickly and headed into the woods.
It was the same forest Yang Ruoqing had ventured into yesterday afternoon to gather wild vegetables, only this time they entered from the opposite side.
Once inside, she found that Sun Shi was right—clusters of mature stinging nettle were growing everywhere.
While Sun Shi gathered pine needles, Yang Ruoqing collected nettle leaves. Before long, their bamboo baskets were filled to the brim. They even picked a few edible wild vegetables along the way!
(End of Chapter)