Qingzhou, located in the southern part of China, grows rice twice a year. Usually the summer crops have not yet been dried and harvested, and then preparations for planting the autumn crops begin.
The days were spent in a busy manner, and the millet was still drying in the drying field. On the boundary of Yangmei Village, farmers had already begun to plow the fields and prepare to transplant rice seedlings.
Tian Minyan's family had to cultivate rice fields for autumn sowing and fish farming, and they hadn't had much rest since the harvest. After the ears of grain were harvested, Tian Huairen took the long-term workers with hoes to the fields every day to build ridges, weed, and cut water.
fields, and paddy fields were renovated.
The Tian family only had one animal, the old buffalo. In order not to affect the autumn sowing progress, Tian Minyan proposed to buy another animal and spent nearly four taels of silver to buy a black buffalo. Xiao Wu was very happy about this and named it Dahei.
, because this is the exclusive property of their three-bedroom house. Even if the people from the old house come back and want the old buffalo back in the future, they will not be without livestock.
After buying the buffalo, Tian Minyan divided her hands into two groups to plow the fields. She was determined to double the crops in the fields than before, so naturally she was more concerned about it and supervised the work herself.
The twenty acres of land bought from the Xie family are all at the east end of the mountain pit. Tian Minyan and the others also have an acre of land there when they split up. In order to facilitate management, Tian Minyan had already had an argument with the old man and transferred the three acres at the west end.
The land has also changed to this side.
As a result, Tian Minyan and her family have 24 acres of paddy fields on the east side. Tian Minyan plans to use all the 24 acres of paddy fields in Yugou and Yudang. In addition, there are also rents from the old house.
Tian Minyan also paid for the more than ten acres of paddy fields that were leased.
Originally, in order to avoid causing unnecessary trouble, Tian Minyan thought that they would not do this over there, but when she thought about it carefully, the land they rented had a good harvest, and apart from paying 20% of the rent, the rest was theirs.
That's it, just think it's a bargain for those in the old house.
As a result, the land of the Tian family this year is different than before. The field ridges are higher and wider, and the fields are beaten very firmly. A cross-shaped ditch is dug in the field, as straight as if measured with a rope, in the middle or at the corner of the field.
There is also Taipa, which is as deep as one meter.
Some people saw this and were confused. What kind of evil moth was the Tian family doing? This was also the first time for Tian Minyan to raise fish in rice fields. She didn’t know whether it was successful or not, so she didn’t promote it. Of course, she also had some selfish intentions.
, She wanted to eat crabs. But because she had good friendships with several people who harvested crops in partnership with the Tian family, she simply said a few words, and they got it without asking.
But some shrewd ones, seeing what the Tian family was doing, didn't ask any questions and just followed suit and dug out the fish.
It was time to rush for autumn sowing again, and Tian Minyan once again felt the heat of facing the loess and turning her back to the sky.
After a joint harvest, Tian Minyan and the others became friends with Seventh Uncle Luo Huzi and other families. This time, after they finished the autumn sowing on their own land, Tian Minyan and the others came to help with the autumn sowing without asking.
The farmers honestly didn't ask for any reward, so Tian Minyan went to Butcher Zhang to buy meat and big pig bones to make soup, so she could reward everyone.
Someone helped, and the forty acres of paddy fields were soon planted with seedlings. That night, Tian Minyan and Luo Shi prepared a table, and the people who were going to help were invited to have a drink.
Farmers all drank from big bowls and ate meat. The seventh uncle chewed the crispy and fragrant pig intestines, took a sip of wine, and said with a crunch: "Third brother, your daughter is the one who knows how to cook this. This intestines
Once fried like this, it becomes even more fragrant. It goes great with wine!”
Tian Huairen poured wine for him again and said, "She just knows some weird things."
"These peanuts are good, but they're not very fragrant when eaten." Luo Huzi peeled off a plate of salted dried peanuts and said with a smile.
"It's delicious. It's just that I have a toothache after eating too much. Especially on this hot day. If I eat it tonight, I'll have a mouth full of it when I wake up tomorrow." Uncle Zhu interjected.
"Sister Yan'er's method is novel. My wife also dried a vat of it. She peeled a few and ate them to satisfy her cravings when her mouth was itchy." Zhu Dalang glanced at Wu at the other table and said.
"You kid, that's fine. We've just been married not long ago, and now you're going to be a father." Luo Huzi hit him on the shoulder, hooked his shoulder and said, "Young people are full of energy."
Everyone at the dinner table knew that Wu was pregnant, and Zhu Dalang was also a green-headed boy who was new to meat. When he said this, his face turned red with embarrassment.
"Brother Zhu, I salute you and congratulate you on becoming a grandpa." Tian Huairen picked up the bowl, touched it with Uncle Zhu, and drank it all in one gulp.
Uncle Zhu also drank all the wine in the bowl and said boldly: "I am happy today. My grandson will be born tomorrow. I will prepare a good banquet and treat everyone to a full meal."
At the women's table, Mrs. Wu blushed with embarrassment, while Tian Minyan said loudly: "Uncle Zhu, your grandson will be invited to a good banquet, but what about your granddaughter? You won't be invited?"
"Please, why don't you invite me? I invite you as well as your grandchildren. Sister-in-law, you are not afraid even if you have a daughter. My father and your mother will not mind it. You and I are young, and if we have children one after another, there will always be a good one." Uncle Zhu
He shouted with a loud voice, making the young couple's faces turn red with blood from embarrassment.
Aunt Zhu laughed and scolded here, and said, "You're the only one who talks too much after eating two cups of horse urine. Do you know it's embarrassing?" She then said to Luo Shi, "It's always like this. When you eat wine and eat, your tongue will get bigger."
You can say anything."
"Her aunt, it's up to him to be happy today. Moreover, his uncle is right, the children are all young, so it would be better if this first born is a born one. If it is a girl, it will bloom first and bear fruit later." Luo Shi
He cheerfully said to Mrs. Wu: "You are a lucky person. You got pregnant not long after we got married. You will be even more blessed in the future."
"Auntie..." Wu said in embarrassment.
"Girls like our Yan Yatou are the best." The seventh uncle spoke this time and said with a smile: "Yan Yatou, come over to my uncle and tell him what raising fish in rice fields is."
Why, the rice seedlings have been planted now, when will the fish fry be released?"
Tian Minyan hurried over, picked up the jug and poured wine for the people at the table. She told the time to release the fish fry in a crisp voice. Generally, from seven to fifteen days, when the seedlings have turned green, they will start releasing the fish fry. Because of this
The seedlings have grown steadily and the fish will not eat them.
"My old man has lived for most of his life, and this is the first time I have heard that fish can be raised in this way. If it is really possible, I will really see that I will die in peace." The seventh uncle said, stroking his beard.
"Seventh uncle, you must be strong and strong. You must live for at least a thousand years before you can meet the Buddha." Tian Minyan winked and said with a smile.
"Haha, then I won't become an old monster?"
"What are you afraid of? I will live to be a thousand and one years old with you." Tian Minyan said again tightly.
"Haha, you girl, why are you so sweet after what you eat?" Uncle Seventh laughed out loud.
"Having said that, if this rice field fish farming can really be achieved, we Yangmei Village will be the first to do it. If this technical work can be introduced, it will be a great merit." Luo Huzi pursed his lips and said: "Yan Yatou, we all Remember this affection."
"Brother Huzi, why are you saying this? You have trusted me, but I haven't grown up yet." Tian Minyan said quickly: "Even if there are mistakes, there are still mistakes."
"I'm not afraid of that. It's just a matter of the fish dying. We can trust you, Yan Yatou."
"In a few days, my uncle will deliver the fry and they will be released at that time. Uncle Seventh, our families have fields connected together. This is what I think..." Tian Minyan explained her plan.
The fish fry must be guarded here. Her family's more than 20 acres of land are concentrated in one area, so naturally they have to build a thatched house and let the long-term workers take turns guarding it at night. As for other families, most of their fields are basically connected together. If you do this, you will avoid someone stealing fish.
And this idea was approved by everyone.
Then, Tian Minyan talked about growing potatoes on her own wasteland, and this manpower must be hired. Luo Huzi would go to the town to find work during his spare time, so Tian Minyan asked him to help at the price of a day laborer, and the seventh uncle's family also had people who could do the work. I also invited my son, but as for Uncle Zhu’s house, because there was a blacksmith shop and no manpower, I gave up.
As the days passed, the seedlings quickly turned green again. Tian Minyan checked the growth and found that it was ready to release fish fry. She quickly sent someone to send a message to her uncle and others to send the fry.
The fish fry have been prepared a long time ago. Even uncle Qi and his family bought the fish fry from Uncle Tian Minyan and shipped them here together.
When Tian Minyan's uncle entered the village, many people were enjoying the cool air and gnashing their teeth under the banyan tree at the head of the village. Luo Yaoguang and his brothers came to help the Tian family with farm work for a few days. People in the village also recognized them and saw them driving a bullock cart and carrying a bucket. Looking at the contents of the bucket, I couldn't help but curiously asked: "Her uncle is here, what is it filled with?"
"It's fish fry!" Luo Yaoguang replied with a smile: "Send it to my sister's house."
Fish fry? The villagers looked at each other after hearing this. They had never heard that the Tian family dug fish ponds to raise fish. Where did they go to raise fish?
The gossip said: "Let's go and see the excitement."
So, a swarm of swarms followed the ox cart behind Luo Yaoguang.
Tian Minyan had received the news a long time ago and had waited early with her people. When her uncle arrived, she ordered several long-term workers and the seventh uncle who was waiting to get busy.
As a result, the villagers all saw large wooden basins lined up in front of Tian's house, filled with some water. Tian Minyan and her uncle brought the fry from the car and poured them directly into the water to soak.
"Second girl, are you raising fish in a wooden basin?" Someone in the crowd asked with a smile: "Fish need turbid water, can they be raised in clean water?"
"Second girl, where is your fish pond? Why don't you see your pond being dug?"
Tian Minyan smiled: "Our family didn't dig a fish pond, the fry were thrown into the field."
As soon as she said this, the crowd immediately fell silent, and they immediately thought of the Tian family's land for sowing this autumn. It was weird, with holes dug. They didn't know what the Tian family was going to do at first, but now it seems that the hole is for Come to fish?
Soon, the crowd was buzzing with conversation.
On Tian Minyan's side, the fry that had been soaked and sterilized in salt water were ready. He quickly weighed them according to the original proportions and put forty pounds of fry per acre, mainly carp, grass carp, and crucian carp.
Uncle Qi and the others also collected fish fry here and then went to their own fields to release them.
Raising fish in rice fields was unheard of. The people in the village were so excited that they all followed Tian Minyan and the others to the fields to watch.
Their eyes widened when they saw several long-term workers from the Tian family pouring the fry from the wooden barrels into the field.
"Old man Li, old man Chen, you two are old farmers in our village. Is the Tian family's approach feasible?" someone asked two gray-haired old men who were watching the excitement in the crowd.
"How can this be done? No, it can't be done." Old Man Li looked at it for a while, frowned and shook his head.
Old man Chen hesitated for a while, then looked closer and saw the fish that had fallen into the field swimming happily among the seedlings in groups without making any sound.
"Old man Chen, are you sure?"
"I can't tell for sure, but this fish didn't bite the seedlings. Let's see what happened to the fish when we were drying the fields." Old man Chen took a puff of his dry cigarette and said.
"I don't think so. It's already dry in autumn, and this crop is drier. Aren't all the fish dead when the fields are dried? No, no." A middle-aged man said, shaking his head.
"Then Mr. Tian has too much money and nowhere to spend it?"
"I can't tell for sure. You see, the Tian family's troubles are all paid for. Aren't the preserved eggs also from the Tian family? That one also made a lot of money."
"The Liu family also has a share."
"also the same."
"Oh, if it really works, then we will suffer a big loss again." Someone slapped his thigh suddenly and said in annoyance: "How about we buy some fry now?"
"Don't be stupid. People dig ditches and holes in the ground before planting rice. This may not be possible. Let's see. If it can be done, we will do the same next year."
As for those who had followed the Tian family in digging ditches and fish holes for a long time, seeing that Tian Minyan and his family dug these holes in this way, they quickly contacted the fish fry to release them.
All the paddy fields had been stocked with fish fry, and Tian Minyan even took a special trip there. When she saw the fish swimming around in groups, she seemed so happy.
The next feeding and management is important. After all, the fish need to be irrigated shallowly to dry the fields. If not done well, the fish will die from lack of water when drying the fields.
The big commotion caused by Tian Minyan's family soon reached the ears of the county magistrate.
"Raising fish in rice fields?" Wen Shanchu stood up behind the desk, looked at Dai Zhubo and asked: "Are you sure you are the Tian family from Yangmei Village?"
"Yes, sir, it's just that many old farmers don't like this practice. I asked my official and heard that it was all caused by the girl from the Tian family." Dai Zhubo was somewhat disapproving of the Tian family's practice: "Little
Yatou Pianzi doesn’t know how fresh that sounds. Hehe, the adults in the Tian family also believe her and let her mess with her. If the production of fertile farmland is reduced, then..."
Wen Shanchu pondered for a moment with his hands behind his back, and said: "The official duties have been piled up recently, and my head is swollen. It just so happens that after autumn sowing, I have not visited the towns. Lord Dai Bo, you and Lin County Cheng will take care of the important matters."
We will sort out the official duties and deal with them first. After that, we will go to the villages to inspect them."
Lord Dai was stunned for a moment, then said: "Yes, sir."
"By the way, what I want is to conduct an unannounced visit incognito. The commotion in Yangmei Village last time was too big, which was a waste of people and money. We are not allowed to inform the mayors of the towns, Li Zheng, especially those gentry and local tycoons." Wen Shanchu glanced at him.
: "I am not the greedy county magistrate." He was talking about the former magistrate of Qingping County.
When Dai Zhubo received the warning look, he quickly lowered his head and responded tremblingly: "Yes, sir."
