Peaceful Farm Life

Chapter 685: Chapter 686 Grafting_1

”Official, she’s quite the fool,” Clerk Jiang reported with hidden glee, ”she actually thinks that the cucumber pests are getting worse every year because the plants are sown in the same plot each year. She even had me go out to investigate. What do you think, sir, isn’t it funny?”

Upon hearing this, Official Liu also laughed, ”Whether she’s foolish or not, since she asked you to make inquiries, just go through the motions, but be careful not to give yourself away. She mustn’t know that you are someone I’ve placed by her side.”

”Understood.”

”Do whatever she asks you to, she has connections above, and you can’t afford to offend her.” Official Liu said this with a smile, but the irony was thick. What did connections matter when this was his territory?

”Understood.”

After Clerk Jiang left, Official Liu picked up the cup of tea on the table, sipping it while he chuckled softly, ”Go ahead and make all the fuss you want. No matter how much you stir things up at the Agricultural Institute, it’s all under my control. If you make a mistake, I can blame it on you. If you accomplish nothing, then so be it. But if you actually manage to achieve something significant, then it will be mine, hehehe...”

...

Elsewhere, An Jing and Xiao Changyi left the Agricultural Institute and got into the carriage, then went home with the children.

By the time they got home, it was almost dark.

During dinner, An Jing hesitated for a moment but still asked, ”Husband, I’ve taken on the task of preventing and controlling diseases and pests. Do you have any thoughts about it?”

Xiao Changyi shook his head.

”Really none?”

”Hmm.”

”Husband...”

”Really none,” Xiao Changyi said with a hint of helplessness. After a pause, he added, ”If you didn’t let me join you as an official, I would have thoughts. Now, really none.”

If she did well with this task, it would be beneficial to the country and the people. Why would he object? He truly had no issues.

But if her new role as an official decreased the time she spent with him, then he would definitely have some concerns.

Upon hearing this, An Jing immediately burst into laughter. As she placed a piece of cured meat into her husband’s bowl, she said with a smile, ”Don’t worry, I will involve you in everything.”

”Hmm.”

An Jing added another piece of meat to her husband’s bowl and pondered, ”Actually, there’s no need for an investigation, I already suspect it’s caused by continuous cropping.”

”Then do you have a solution?”

”There is one, I’m just afraid it might not be successful.”

”What solution?”

”Grafting.” She had learned about this technique from a biology book back when she was studying.

”Grafting?”

”Yes, grafting. It involves taking a branch or bud from one plant and grafting it onto the stem or root of another plant, so that the grafted parts grow into a complete plant.”

Xiao Changyi knew this must be knowledge from An Jing’s previous world, yet he was still somewhat amazed, ”Can it really grow into one?”

”Yes,” An Jing nodded. ”The only thing is, I only know the theory, I haven’t practiced it, so I’m not sure if it will be successful. In any case, many people in our world use grafting technology in their greenhouse vegetable cultivation.”

”However,” An Jing continued with a laugh, ”if it’s successful, it will not only overcome the problems of continuous cropping, improve the plant’s resistance to adverse conditions, and prevent diseases like cucumber wilt and blight, but it can also lead to higher yields.”

Xiao Changyi didn’t ask any more questions, but simply said, ”When the time comes, teach me, and I will graft with you.”

”Of course~” An Jing nodded vigorously, her eyes curving into smiles. She loved doing anything with her husband; whatever it was, she was happy.