The Female Officer Became a Farmer After Getting Reborn - Chapter 143

143 Great Backer

“That’s right! Why didn’t I think of that?! Who wouldn’t want rice with such a high yield?” Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu. “You just have to select it once, right?”

“In addition to that box of good rice, the other ten or so acres of rice seeds are also good rice seeds that I chose by hybridizing wild rice with domestic rice. They were planted after hybridizing again this year.

I think if we want to maintain a good variety, we need to find some wild rice. After spending more effort to crossbreed it well, there should be a better yield.”

!!
Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and felt that he was really very lucky to have met Li Yu. Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu with surging emotions. “Yu’er, you’re already very outstanding to be able to nurture such excellent rice seeds. I, Zhou Jia, am very lucky to have such an outstanding wife like you.”

Li Yu looked at him and smiled reproachfully. “Who praises their wife like you?”

Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and thought to himself, There’s still a higher yield. If this news spreads, it will definitely attract countless people.

Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and said worriedly, “Yu’er, it’s a good thing that you’ve cultivated a high-yielding grain seed. If those high-ranking officials find out, they will definitely come and snatch it. I’m afraid my status as a Top Scorer won’t be able to protect these industries. I want to go to the capital to take the exam after we get married next year. When I achieve better results, we can sell the grain seed.”

When Li Yu heard this, she also understood that Zhou Jia was right. In this world where the strong preyed on the weak, the most outstanding things were the targets of those high-ranking officials and nobles, unless you had a stronger backer.

Li Yu suddenly thought of the owner of the small wooden sword. He was now the most powerful person in Great Yong. Putting aside the desire to save him, in this era where there was only one food variety, would she be afraid of not having a backer if she handed him high-yielding grain seeds?

Li Yu got up and entered the house to take out the small wooden sword. She handed it to Zhou Jia and smiled slyly. “Xiao Xi, have you forgotten that we have the greatest backer now? When the rice is harvested and we know the exact acreage, send the acreage yield of the new rice seeds and the method of cultivation to the Four Seas Bank. Ask them to give the rice seeds to Young Master and tell him that we planted high-yielding grains. Just say that we want to partner with him in the seed business. Who doesn’t like good things that come knocking on their door?”

Zhou Jia took the little wooden sword and thought to himself, That’s right! How could I have forgotten! Is there a bigger backer than him?! This is all thanks to the good karma formed by the Yu’er.

“Yu’er. You can’t send rice. You have to send rice ears. That makes more sense.”

Li Yu thought for a moment and understood the reason. The production could be hidden, but the rice ears could not be hidden. It was better to give them away.

“That’s very thoughtful of you. I’ll go and cut some rice ears to dry before the harvest.”

Before the rice was harvested, Li Yu went to the field and chose ten medium-sized grains of rice. She took them home and dried them under the eaves.

After a few days, after more than ten acres of rice were harvested, Li Yu found that the yield was more than seven stones per acre.

Li Yu knew that there was still a huge gap between the production of food compared to her previous life, but it was already very good compared to the average production of four catties of food in the village.

Li Yu handed the dried rice ears to Zhou Jia and told him the method of cultivating rice seeds, as well as the method of choosing salt water, soaking the seeds in lime, and fertilizing them. “These are all medium-grade rice ears selected from the field. They’ve already been dried. Put them in a box and send them to the Four Seas Bank.”

Zhou Jia took the golden rice ears and carefully put them into the wooden box padded with cattails. He entered the house and wrote a note. “Yu’er, I’ll go to Tongzhou then. Don’t tire yourself out at home.”

Li Yu saw that Zhou Jia was sweating profusely. “I know. Don’t be in a hurry. Just wait for Zhao Cai to haul those bags next time!”

Seeing Li Yu’s heartache, Zhou Jia felt a tinge of sweetness in his heart. “I’m driving the car, not pulling it. Don’t worry. I know what to do. Don’t tire yourself out at home.”

After the two of them said goodbye, Zhou Jia drove the mule cart to Tongzhou. After pulling the goods to the shop and handing them to Zhao Cai, he went home to wash up and change his clothes to go to the Four Seas Bank.

Zhou Jia realized that the business of the Four Seas Bank was getting more and more prosperous. There were carriages parked in front of the two-story building, and people were coming and going into the shop. It was a prosperous scene.

The shop assistant went forward and asked politely, “May I ask if you’re saving money or exchanging it?”

Zhou Jia said to the shop assistant, “Brother, please inform the shopkeeper that I want to see him.”

Seeing that Zhou Jia was not ordinary, the shop assistant did not dare to be negligent. He bowed and said, “Young Master, follow me to sit there for a moment.”

Zhou Jia nodded and followed the shop assistant to the inner room to sit down. A moment later, the shop assistant and an ordinary-looking middle-aged man walked out of the inner hall.

The shop assistant pointed at Zhou Jia and said, “Shopkeeper Chu, this young master wants to see you.”

Shopkeeper Chu looked at Zhou Jia and cupped his hands politely. “May I ask what instructions you have for me?”

Zhou Jia cupped his hands and handed the small wooden sword to the shopkeeper. He smiled and said, “Shopkeeper, I have a few stalks of rice. Please give them to the owner of this small wooden sword.”

Shopkeeper Chu took the small wooden sword and thought to himself, Master said last time that he gave the ebony sword to an engaged couple. The woman’s surname was Li, and the man’s surname was Zhou Jia. He should be this person.

Shopkeeper Chu returned the small wooden sword to Zhou Jia warmly and respectfully bowed. “Mr. Zhou, don’t worry. I’ll definitely deliver it as soon as possible.”

Zhou Jia smiled and handed the box to Shopkeeper Chu. “Thank you.”

Shopkeeper Chu took the box from Zhou Jia’s hand respectfully and said to him, “Mr. Zhou, my surname is Chu and my name is Si Hai. If there’s anything in the future, just inform me.”

Zhou Jia smiled and cupped his hands. “Alright, sorry to trouble you, Shopkeeper Chu.”

Zhou Jia came out of the Four Seas Bank and went to Shen Wu’s house. An old family member told Zhou Jia that Shen Wu had gone to Qingzhou last year and had yet to return.

Zhou Jia thought to himself, Shen Wu has been gone for so long. Could it be that Great Qi had attacked? Zhou Jia shook his head and went back.

After the rice was harvested, Li Yu went to the mountains to pick some wild rice. Just as she returned to the village, Old Hu brought people over.

Old Hu brought people to carry chickens, ducks, a bag of white rice, and half a bag of wild rice. He handed it to Li Yu and said in embarrassment, “Miss, you taught us how to breed and even arranged work for the women in the village. I and the villagers don’t have anything good to thank you for. We raised the chickens and ducks ourselves, and the food from what we collected this year. Also, in this bag is the wild rice that everyone found. The wild rice was picked in a few places and packed in separate bags.”

Li Yu took the wild rice and felt a little emotional. She had just casually said that she liked to collect these things, but he had actually remembered it.

“Old man, wait for me for a while.” Li Yu went to the warehouse to get a bag of this year’s rice seeds and handed it to Old Hu. “Take these rice seeds back and take good care of them. Next year, plant these rice seeds according to the method I taught you.”