Shen Yuan did not know until when he was practicing boxing and posture in the yard.
He only noticed that after the new hexagram was refreshed, he could still hear the little guy's heavy breathing in the yard.
Early the next morning, when he got up, he found that Shen Wenxing was already practicing posture in the yard.
"Didn't sleep all night?"
Shen Yuan approached him, feeling a bit guilty.
Although Sun Fuchun had said that the Blood Toad's Shedding had no side effects, everything has a limit, and excessive usage of such a great tonic is itself a side effect.
"Slept for a while."
Shen Wenxing held his hands, squatted with his legs bent in a horse stance.
"Father, the effect of this medicated meal is surprisingly good, and I don't want to waste it."
After speaking, he no longer paid attention to Shen Yuan and slowly closed his eyes, feeling the power of the medicated meal slowly flowing through his body.
Seeing this, Shen Yuan thought to himself.
How could it not be good?
It's the Hundred-Year Blood Toad's Exuvia, something that even noble family members at the County Government are eager to obtain.
But next time, it still has to be used less.
Not bothering with the eldest, after eating something simple, he sent Ah Nu to Master Lu's house and took the opportunity to discuss the selection and cultivation of seedlings with Uncle Ya.
Although Uncle Ya couldn't speak, he was literate, and they sat on the field ridge in the yard, using wood as a pen to communicate on the ground.
After a conversation, he discovered that Uncle Ya had a profound understanding of agronomy!
Shen Yuan couldn't help but bring up some advanced agronomy techniques from his previous life's memory, and although Uncle Ya hadn't heard of them, he was able to give timely guidance and offer corrective suggestions based on actual conditions.
The two chatted like this, until noon when Lu Zhiyuan came over, and it still hadn't ended.
"Mr. Shen, let's stop here for today. The old servant should go and cook for the master."
Realizing the morning class had ended, Uncle Ya hurriedly wrote a line on the ground, gave Lu Zhiyuan an apologetic bow, and rushed to the kitchen to prepare the meal.
Shen Yuan also stood up, ready to take his leave.
"Younger Brother Shen, do you understand agronomy?" Lu Zhiyuan asked curiously.
Shen Yuan smiled sheepishly: "I wouldn't say I understand, just some daily experience."
Originating from a rural area in the past life, although he didn't engage in agronomy-related fields after growing up, he learned some farming techniques from his elders during childhood.
"Younger Brother Shen, don't belittle yourself; Uncle Ya, being a grand master of agronomy, wouldn't lose sleep over just ordinary experiences."
Uncle Ya is a grand master of agronomy?
After hearing this, Shen Yuan looked with some surprise at the busy figure in the kitchen.
He always assumed Uncle Ya was just an ordinary servant, learning to read and write while being around Lu Zhiyuan.
Lu Zhiyuan seemingly saw through his thoughts and smiled, "Old man and Uncle Ya are not genuinely master and servant; we are close friends."
"If you have any agronomy-related questions in the future, Younger Brother Shen, feel free to seek Uncle Ya's advice."
Shen Yuan nodded slightly, understanding that Lu Zhiyuan wanted to find a soulmate for his close friend.
"Sir, I shall take my leave now."
After lunch, he still had to send his eldest, Shen Wenxing, to the Martial Arts Hall. Initially, he only intended to ask a few questions, but it ended up taking the whole morning.
When Shen Yuan returned home, he unexpectedly found that Village Chief Yang Changlin had been waiting at his house for a while.
"Why did you take so long? Uncle Yang has been waiting for you for half an hour." Hu Yufen came up to scold him.
"Heh... it's fine; I was just passing the time," Yang Changlin said with a smile.
Shen Yuan apologized and hurriedly sat down in front of him.
"Ah Yuan, I'm here to talk to you about the field property of Niu Erzhu's family."
Hearing this, Shen Yuan immediately asked, "Is there news from the county?"
Yang Changlin shook his head slightly, "The county's verdict is probably waiting until after the year's festival."
"Now, changes have occurred concerning the field property. The Scholar Li's family in the village also has taken a fancy to Niu Erzhu's fifteen acres and plans to purchase directly."
"You should know, the county officials do not like trouble. If the field can be sold outright, they certainly don't want to rent it out."
Shen Yuan understood his meaning.
Scholar Li was also a wealthy household in Jinliu Village. The old man had earned scholarly honors early in life but, now over sixty years old, had yet to pass the higher examinations.
Before the Mountain Patrol Captain Camp was established, his three sons were mountain wanderers, making considerable wealth through smuggling.
After the camp was set up, the three sons wisely gave up on smuggling, invested heavily in land, and became landlords with their wealth.
Now that he set his sights on Niu Erzhu's field property, if it comes down to family wealth, Shen Yuan knew he stood no chance.
Shen Yuan laughed bitterly, "I recognize the truth, but I can't compete with Scholar Li's family's wealth."
"If they want it, let them buy it."
Fifteen acres of land, if bought directly, would cost at least three hundred taels of silver by the government, double the price purchased directly from common people.
With the family being financially tight now, he simply couldn't afford it.
"There's still room to maneuver," Yang Changlin said seriously. "I heard Ah Nu has become Master Lu's student."
"Master Lu has a high reputation throughout Yunzhong County..."
"No, no," Shen Yuan directly refused before he could finish.
Ah Nu may have apprenticed under Lu Zhiyuan, but they couldn't trouble him with everything.
Lu Zhiyuan came to Jinliu Village seeking tranquility, pestering him with trivialities wouldn't do.
"Heh... I was just suggesting; if you don't want to bother him, let's drop the matter," said Yang Changlin.
"Alright, that's all; I'm leaving."
In the kitchen, Hu Yufen came out and said, "Uncle Yang, the food is almost ready. Stay and have a meal before you go?"
Yang Changlin waved his hand, leaving the small courtyard directly.
As his figure disappeared, Hu Yufen hesitated multiple times before approaching, "Uncle Yang had a point. For Master Lu, it might just be a matter of a word for him. We..."
Shen Yuan shook his head slightly.
They had already troubled him with fruit tree planting; to ask for help buying fields could taint the teacher-student bond between Ah Nu and Lu Zhiyuan.
Seeing his refusal, Hu Yufen said nothing more.
Though she had her thoughts, major family matters still adhered to Shen Yuan's decisions.
"Shi Tou, take a break, it's time to wash hands and prepare for meals," Shen Yuan called out, and Shi Tou, who had been practicing with a strange expression, finished and ran off to wash his hands.
After the meal, Hu Yufen busily tidied and cleaned his washed clothes.
"Father, I'd like to say goodbye to my younger brother."
Shen Wenxing came to the cowshed, looking at Shen Yuan who was feeding the cows.
Goodbye?
Shen Yuan didn't mind and said straightforwardly, "Go ahead, hurry back, don't be late to return to the Martial Arts Hall."
Shen Wenxing agreed and ran out of the house.
By evening, when Shen Yuan returned from town and went to pick up Ah Nu, Lu Zhiyuan stopped him.
"I have already written to County Magistrate Su, purchasing the fields from Niu's family."
"After the start of spring next year, you can rent those fields to cultivate, with rent being one shi of refined rice per acre, is that alright?"
Shen Yuan froze briefly upon hearing this, quickly realizing that Shi Tou must have gone to Lu Zhiyuan about this matter at noon.
Lu Zhiyuan must have known he wouldn't want to accept this favor, hence came up with this solution.
Renting each acre for one shi of refined rice per year was quite cheap.
"Thank you, sir."
He didn't want to accept this favor, but with these additional fifteen acres of good fields, it could significantly ease the burden on him.
He had to find a way to repay the favor in the future.