Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 770 - 394: Snatching Food_1
In the second watch of the night, I seek your support in the shade of pink.
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At the threshing field, all the corn had been harvested. Lian Shouxin’s family and Zhang Qianhu were overseeing the final tasks, while petty officials busily weighed and recorded the last batch of corn kernels.
A servant came over and whispered a report to Shen Liu.
Shen Liu nodded, stood up, and followed the servant into Lian’s Shop. The group of officials naturally trailed behind Shen Liu.
In the main hall of Lian’s Shop, tables and chairs had been arranged. As Shen Liu led the people in, Lian Manman went over to guide Shen Liu to a table.
Shen Liu immediately noticed that the table and chairs arranged for him were the same ones he had used on previous visits. At first glance, these furnishings appeared no different from the others in the shop, but on closer inspection, one could tell that they were newer, cleaner, and better maintained. The chairs were also adorned with brocade backrests and cushions.
They had been well preserved since his first visit and had not been used since, reserved exclusively for when he came.
For Shen Liu, this level of treatment was not unusual. However, for some reason, at that moment, he felt particularly comfortable and content with Lian Manman’s gesture.
It was a respectful and considerate treatment, without any flattery or sycophancy.
Even as he thought this, Shen Liu’s face remained expressionless. He greeted Official Li with a nod and then sat down on the chair.
Corn porridge, corn pancakes, corn sponge cake, corn steamed buns, and stuffed buns were served one by one. Lian Manman briefly introduced each dish’s preparation and characteristics and then invited Shen Liu and the others to taste.
"Sixth Brother, this is delicious, try it," Fatty Shen ran up to Shen Liu, recommending a dish on the table and showing that he had already tasted it.
Shen Liu did not pick and choose, tasting each dish on the table, one after another. The other officials followed suit. Lian Manman sneakily watched Shen Liu, hoping to discern his favorite, but to her disappointment, he made it impossible to tell.
Shen Liu tasted each dish only twice, no more, no less, in a sequence from closest to furthest. From his expression, it was impossible to determine which he preferred.
After a short while, Zhang Qianhu entered with Lian Shouxin and others to report that all the corn had been harvested.
"...The total number of bags for the top-quality corn suitable for seeds is one hundred and sixty-four, weighing ten thousand six hundred eighty pounds. The lesser quality corn, not suitable for seeds, totals fifteen bags, weighing one thousand four hundred fifty-six pounds."
Zhang Qianhu’s words had barely ceased when the room fell silent, then quickly filled with excited chatter. Joy appeared on the officials’ faces, and they couldn’t help but stand up—some congratulated Shen Liu, while others whispered among themselves.
Shen Liu nodded and showed a slight hint of joy on his face, but it disappeared almost instantly, and he resumed his usual demeanor. He waved his hand, and the room immediately fell quiet.
"What does Official Li think?" Shen Liu asked the person beside him.
"Is this the total yield for twenty acres?" Official Li looked at Lian Shouxin and inquired.
"Reporting to the official," Lian Shouxin stepped forward respectfully to answer. After several encounters with officials and guidance from Shen Liu’s servants, along with what he had picked up on his own, Lian Shouxin had learned the proper etiquette for responding. "It is slightly less than twenty acres, approximately nineteen acres and seven parts."
During the spring sowing season, Lian Manman’s family had planted a total of twenty acres and two parts of corn. In early autumn, some of the corn growing in the fields was sold as baby corn. The corn that had now been harvested in autumn accounted for nineteen acres and seven parts.
To calculate the corn’s yield per acre, this figure had been recently re-measured to obtain an accurate number.
"Calculating it this way, the yield per acre of corn..."
"Is nine hundred and five pounds," Xiao Qi and Wu Lang, standing behind Lian Shouxin, couldn’t help but blurt out. After Xiao Qi spoke, they glanced around, saw everyone looking at them, and a bit embarrassed, involuntarily shuffled closer to Wu Lang.
"Reporting to the official, I’ve calculated it, and it’s about nine hundred and five pounds," another petty official with an abacus chimed in.
If it was calculated with an abacus, then it certainly must be correct.
"A yield of nine hundred pounds per acre... Truly, heaven blesses our Great Ming, heaven blesses our Great Ming..." Official Li’s beard quivered as he was moved to tears.
In this era, the North only harvested one crop per year while the South could manage two, but the yield per acre was generally low. In northern places like Thirty Mile Camp, where the land was considered fertile and the crops were well-tended, the maximum yield per acre was only about three hundred pounds per year. In the South, where rice and wheat were grown over two seasons, the total yield per acre rarely exceeded this number.
