Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 765 - 391: Picking Corn_2
There was also a fourth group of people who were responsible for examining and harvesting the cornstalks once the ears of corn had been picked.
Because there were many laborers, and the division of labor was very reasonable, the speed of corn harvesting was very fast. ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐๐จ๐๐ฏ๐๐๐ง๐๐น.๐ฐ๐ผ๐
Lian Manman followed the first cart transporting corn to her familyโs threshing ground, which, in addition to the ears of corn, also carried two bundles of cornstalks.
At the threshing ground, Lian Manman stopped Lian Shouxin and didnโt let him unload the corn first but instead had him unload the two bundles of cornstalks. These cornstalks were just selected from the fields for being the thickest and most robust, with all their leaves stripped off, leaving bare poles.
"Dad, we need to find a couple of thick hemp ropes," Lian Manman said to Lian Shouxin.
"Manman, what are you planning to do?" Lian Shouxin asked.
"Dad, the corn ears are wet, and we need to dry them, donโt we? Just spreading them carelessly on the ground not only takes up space but also slows down the drying. We can use these cornstalks to build a corn fence, which will speed up the drying," Lian Manman explained.
She had seen this method of drying corn used by others in her previous life.
"That makes sense," Lian Shouxin, an old and experienced farmer, understood immediately after Manmanโs explanation.
Soon, Lian Shouxin found two thick hemp ropes and, together with Zhang Qingnian and Zhang Liunian, they wove the cornstalks with the ropes like making a rainproof curtain with sorghum stalks. Eventually, they secured the ends together to form a cylindrical structure that stood upโit was a corn fence.
Subsequently, the corn ears were poured into the fence, ensuring even distribution to prevent the fence from toppling over. This increased the surface area of the corn ears in contact with air, allowing them to dry in a shorter amount of time.
Corn with good quality and those of lesser quality were also separated for drying.
Manman had her plans. Her familyโs corn was certainly going to be sold. The high-quality ones could be used as seed corn, while the lesser-quality ones she intended to keep for her family to eat.
By the time the third corn fence was set up, officials from Jinyang County and Liaodong Prefecture had arrived. Among them, Manman recognized Official Li from his previous visit and the Magistrate of Jinyang.
These officials observed the corn harvesting process, and a petty official was seen quickly jotting down notes.
About twenty acres of corn were harvested in just one morning, and Commander Zhang also led people to help harvest most of Lian Manmanโs sorghum and broomcorn.
Looking at the neatly arranged corn fences, sorghum stacks, and broomcorn stacks on the threshing ground, Manman couldnโt help but marvel at the powerful effect of many hands working together.
Lady Zhang and Lian Zhizhi came back from the fields earlier, Wu Yugui had sent a message home, and Lady Wang, accompanied by Wu Jiayu, also came to help prepare the meal.
Since they were sturdy laborers engaged in physical work, lunch at Manmanโs house was prepared to be very hearty and substantial. They made arrangements for four tables worth of food, with each table featuring a large pot of chicken stewed with mushrooms, glass noodles, tofu stewed with carp, roast goose, and soy sauce pork knuckles. Additionally, they prepared five stir-fried dishes and four cold dishes. The staple food was arranged to be white rice and steamed buns made from wheat flour.
There were a few issues when inviting Commander Zhang to lunch after finishing the noon work.
"Military orders are as immovable as mountains; the Sixth Master has commanded to finish the work and return quickly without disturbing the local area," said Commander Zhang, refusing the offer to have a meal, explaining he had to return immediately to report back.
Commander Zhangโs citing of military orders placed Lian Shouxin in a difficult position. He would feel remiss not to offer Commander Zhang and his men a meal, but he didnโt want to make Commander Zhang violate military orders either.
In front of the Lian family, Commander Zhang always referred to Shen Liu as "Sixth Master." By still invoking military orders and calling him "Sixth Master," Lian Manman blinked, wondering if this meant, in both official and personal capacities, Commander Zhang was Shen Liuโs confidant. And could there be room for negotiation regarding not "disturbing the local area"?
"Commander, isnโt there a saying, โBefore the troops move, the provisions must go aheadโ? Itโs also said that even the Emperorโs house does not withhold food from the soldiers. Itโs time for a meal, and the Sixth Master surely wouldnโt want to stop you from eating, right?" Lian Manman said with a smile.
Hearing Lian Manmanโs words, Commander Zhang couldnโt help but smile, and the soldiers behind him also chuckled.
"This young lady really has a way with words."
"There is nothing special prepared, only home-cooked dishes. In our farmsteads, itโs customary to offer a meal to those who help with the work; otherwise, itโs like disrespecting the host family," Lian Manman continued, "Commander, didnโt you just say that following the orders of the Sixth Master, everything here can be arranged by us?"
"Then I will follow Miss Lianโs orders," Commander Zhang responded with a clasped fist and a smile.
The feast was arranged inside the shop, where there was ample space and everything was ready. Lian Shouxin brought wine over, but Commander Zhang stopped him.
"We can eat, but absolutely no drinking," Commander Zhang said with firm determination.
Lian Shouxin understood; they indeed had military discipline, and it wouldnโt look right for a group of soldiers to ride back drunk, so he let it go.
After eating, Commander Zhang didnโt leave immediately but helped Lian Shouxin and the others in the fields, gathering peanuts, soybeans, and even setting a time with Lian Manman for corn harvesting before bidding farewell.
Five days later, the corn would be dry enough to be threshed and it would be the right time to calculate the yield.
After Commander Zhang left, Lian Manmanโs large family worked a while longer in the fields. As dusk approached, they too stopped working.
There were only fifty-one acres of land. If Lian Manmanโs family had to harvest it themselves, it would probably take six or seven days. Even with Lian Shouliโs family, the Wu family, and Zhang Qingshanโs family helping, it would still take two or three days. But thanks to the dozen or so able-bodied laborers that Commander Zhang brought, the work was done in just one day.
The anticipated backaches, leg pains, and blisters from the harvest hadnโt occurred; Lian Manman, with her clothes fluttering, stood at the threshing floor, determined in her mind.
She resolved to earn more money, to hire workers, to become an absentee Little Landlord!
******
Here is one update, with another coming this evening.
Congratulations to Lanthanum Is Not Blue for becoming the first Hall Master of "Rebirth of the Little Landlord," and the first Hall Master ever in the few books that Ruoyan has written. (To be continued. If you like this work, please consider supporting by voting with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
