Chapter 30: Cultivating the Land Well

Even with the best of intentions, Ning Ye knew he was powerless to change the agricultural limitations of this era. After all, it had taken generations of effort in the future to achieve high crop yields; such a feat was simply impossible in these times.

He felt it was already quite an accomplishment to manage his own modest plot of land; as for anything more ambitious, he dared not dream.

These two bags of seeds were not many, but if planted and carefully preserved, they would multiply exponentially by next year. Sugarcane, in particular, was an excellent source of sugar. To the ancients, sugar might only be a treat, but to Ning Ye, it was a strategic resource.

Ning Ye carried the two bags of seeds out of the warehouse. The laborers, who had been working there for some time, looked at him with curiosity, as they had never had the chance to see this young master who had hired them from up close.

Just as Ning Ye was wondering where to find Hu Laosan, a small child suddenly ran into him. His clean clothes were instantly stained with dirt, and the child tumbled to the ground.

A woman with a face etched by hardship rushed over. "My lord, I am so sorry! My boy bumped into you; please, I beg you, do not be angry."

Ning Ye brushed the dust off his clothes. "I am fine. Check to see if the little one is hurt. If he’s alright, take him back. He shouldn't be running around like this outside."

The woman was taken aback, having never heard a high-ranking landlord speak with such kindness. Seeing that he wasn't merely being polite, she finally felt at ease.

Leaving the village, Ning Ye found Hu Laosan working in the fields. Although he had been tasked with supervising, Hu Laosan seemed unable to sit still and was always working alongside the men.

Seeing Ning Ye, Hu Laosan stood up respectfully and gave a standard military salute. "My lord, why are you here? Do you have any orders?"

"I see the land is mostly cleared, so I've brought you two bags of seeds. Plant these across twenty mu, and use wheat for the rest."

"Is that all, my lord?"

"You don't need to be so formal in daily life. Unless we are on an outside mission, this makes me uncomfortable."

Hu Laosan replied, "I am a simple man and not good at many things, so I only know how to follow orders. Please forgive me, my lord."

Ning Ye nodded. "Very well, as long as you are comfortable. Prioritize planting these seeds, and once you are finished, hand me the list of the people you have selected."

"Rest assured, my lord. I have investigated these people thoroughly; I will not let you down."

"I don't want a verbal report. You have all been learning to read and write for some time now; surely you can manage to write a list?"

Hu Laosan looked distressed. "My lord, I was born slow. Those characters look like heavenly scriptures to me. You are really making things difficult for me."

"I am ordering you to do it, so you must. There is still time before the deadline, so give it your best effort."

"Understood, I will complete the task. By the way, if you have time, you should check on Mr. Zhang. He has seemed a bit off lately."

Ning Ye was surprised. He hadn't spoken much with Zhang Zihe recently, but since the man lived in the main house, he hadn't expected any trouble. It seemed there was something he didn't know; he would have to go back and check on him.

Returning to the residence, Ning Ye headed straight to Zhang Zihe's quarters. Upon entering, he found Zhang Zifeng writing poetry under a tree.

Ning Ye walked over. Although the child was young, her calligraphy was quite impressive. "To have such a fine hand at such a young age—it seems your brother has taught you well."

Zhang Zifeng looked up. "My brother always liked to teach me these things. Do you think my writing is beautiful, sir?"

"At the very least, I couldn't write like that. Is your brother in?"

"Did you forget, sir? He’s currently teaching Wang Wu and the others how to read and write. He won't be back until evening."

Ning Ye coughed softly. "Has your brother been troubled by anything lately? If you know, can you tell me?"

Zhang Zifeng bit her finger. "Oh, so that’s why you’re here, sir. But I don't think you can help with this."

It seemed that even under his own nose, there were things he didn't know. Zhang Zihe really did have something on his mind.

"If you don't tell me, I won't know how to help. I can only assist if I know the situation."

"It's about my brother's sweetheart. I heard she is getting married soon."

After hearing the details, Ning Ye realized why this was something he couldn't easily manage; matters of the heart were not things he could force. Zhang Zihe had been betrothed to someone, but after the decline of the Zhang family, the other party had no intention of honoring the engagement. Recently, Zhang Zihe had learned that not only was the engagement broken, but she was about to marry someone else.

For any man, this would be devastating. It was no wonder Zhang Zihe had been so dejected; such a state of mind could easily lead to rash actions.

Ning Ye asked, "Mr. Zhang has been staying here with me. How did he find out about this?"

Zhang Zifeng tilted her head. "Oh, she sent a letter. That’s how my brother found out. It was probably a farewell letter."

"Where is the letter now? May I see it?"

Zhang Zifeng murmured, "Sir, that would be very improper."

"You're too young to understand. I’m trying to help your brother. Who knows? There might still be a chance to turn things around."

"Fine. Since you put it that way, I'll show you. To be honest, I'm very curious about what's written in it anyway."

Ning Ye couldn't help but smile wryly. The little girl had wanted to snoop herself but was afraid of her brother’s anger; his arrival had simply given her a convenient excuse.