Transmigrated as a Peasant Baby Who is Pampered by All

Chapter 179: 179 Types of Winter Sorghum in One Crop

Once Jiang Hu decided to do it, he grabbed ten pounds of sorghum seeds and headed to the fields with Second Aunt the next day.

This year, they only planted two acres of wheat. The wheat was sown in rows with half-meter gaps in between, which would be used in the second or third month of next year to plant corn. By the time corn reaches waist height, the wheat would be ready for harvest.

They have only a little over an acre of rapeseed, with another two acres left fallow, originally planned for several months of rest, to plant something else next spring.

Now, Jiang Hu was planning to plant all two acres with sorghum.

The first to notice the Jiang family’s activities was, of course, Liu Yang. While Jiang Hu was still carrying cow dung, Liu Yang ran over.

”Jiang Brother, what are you up to this winter? Weren’t you going to dig a lotus pond? Why are you heading up the mountain?”

Jiang Hu, who was planning to carry cow dung, slapped his thigh: ”I forgot about that.”

Liu Yang was puzzled: ”What happened? Did something happen?”

Usually, Jiang Brother wouldn’t forget things like this; he has a good memory.

Jiang Hu hesitated for a moment: ”I’m planning to plant a season of sorghum. Liu Yang, you know these sorghum seeds we have now grew in winter.”

While others might not know about this, Liu Yang certainly wasn’t confused. He had curiously watched those few sorghum plants several times back then.

Liu Yang nodded: ”I know, but why plant sorghum out of nowhere? Can’t we plant it in spring together? It would grow better then.”

Because he understood this matter, Liu Yang knew that the sorghum grown in winter didn’t have as high a yield as the ones planted in spring.

Jiang Hu didn’t know how to explain. After all, there was no basis for it. He couldn’t just say he got scared by something a child said, could he?

After some thought, Jiang Hu simply patted Liu Yang on the shoulder, speaking with heartfelt concern.

”We’ve been friends for so many years; don’t ask me why. I also don’t know how to explain. In any case, if you can, plant two acres of sorghum first. At least the sorghum can survive the winter without being wasted.”

After saying this, Jiang Hu didn’t say anything more and carried his basket away.

Liu Yang was a bit confused, but he somewhat understood what Jiang Hu meant.

He furrowed his brow, then gritted his teeth: ”Never mind, I’ll follow Jiang Brother. Even if I don’t eat meat, I can still drink soup. I’ll go back and plant sorghum too!”

With that thought, Liu Yang strode back, picked up a hoe, called his parents and wife, and started planting sorghum.

Someone saw him and asked what he was doing. He didn’t hide it, simply saying he saw Jiang Hu planting sorghum and was also planning to plant two acres.

Once someone starts, others follow. Seeing Jiang Hu planting sorghum and Liu Yang coming out from Jiang’s house, they all joined in planting sorghum.

Liu Yang always followed Jiang Hu, so there might be something he knew.

As a result, everyone began planting sorghum, following Jiang Hu and Liu Yang’s example, planting half their home seeds and keeping half.

By the time Jiang Hu realized, nearly every household in Fu’an Village was planting sorghum.

Jiang Hu was amused and troubled: ”Second Aunt, do you think we’re overreacting? If nothing happens next year, won’t everyone blame me?”

After all, the sorghum planted in winter indeed doesn’t yield as high as the one planted in spring.

Second Aunt shook her head: ”It doesn’t have much to do with us. We never said to plant in winter; it’s best if our worries are unfounded. That way, there won’t be much loss.”

Just a few pounds of sorghum seeds. Others don’t have much, but their family still has a few hundred pounds. If someone needs some, they might even sell it.

Now the family has rice grains, so they’re mostly eating rice, adding a little sweet potato to it.

Corn and sorghum grains, because of what Lord Xie did, have instead become rare items.

Thinking about this, he said: ”Oh well, planting in winter yields something too, so it doesn’t matter.”

Jiang Hu first nurtured the sorghum seedlings and then transplanted them. He fetched two buckets of clear water from the river, mixed them with manure from the latrine, and evenly sprinkled it on the seeds.

On the way back from the riverside, Jiang Hu furrowed his brow: ”Second Aunt, I never noticed before, but today I paid special attention. The river’s water level has indeed dropped significantly.”

In previous winters, the water level wasn’t this low. This year is indeed a bit different.

Second Aunt was surprised: ”Really?”

Jiang Hu nodded with a somewhat heavy expression: ”I’ll have to talk to the village head about this in the afternoon. Better safe than sorry.”

If a drought really occurs, the consequences...

Jiang Hu didn’t want to think more about it, hoping all of this was just him worrying too much.

And the joy of moving into a new home was significantly reduced at this moment, with his mind full of concern about the river’s water level dropping.

Second Aunt squeezed Jiang Hu’s hand, comforting him: ”Brother Hu, this isn’t something we can decide. Don’t be so tense; first, talk to the village head, then discuss other things.”

Jiang Hu sighed: ”If only we could contact Lord Xie, he has so much sorghum there. He could just find a place to plant during winter, and even if the winter yield is low, it would still be plentiful.”

Unfortunately, they didn’t have the connections to reach the agriculture official.

”What about that constable named Zhang Hu? He seems quite familiar with Lord Xie.”

Second Aunt’s sudden comment enlightened Jiang Hu: ”Oh right, Brother Zhang! He mentioned before that he lives in town.”

Having thought it through, Jiang Hu was no longer anxious: ”Second Aunt, let’s finish up here first, talk to the village head this afternoon, and I’ll go to town tomorrow to find Brother Zhang. I might come back a bit late.”

Yesterday afternoon, Shopkeeper Liu personally took quite a lot of vegetables back, so they weren’t going to deliver vegetables to town today, but they would tomorrow.

Even though it was just cabbages and radishes, fresh ones surely tasted better than those stored for a long time.

Moreover, Jiang Hu occasionally sent some wild chickens, rabbits, eggs, and fish. Although Shopkeeper Liu didn’t want fish caught from the river, he did like the fish raised by the Jiang family.

They just got to it and spread all the seeds over the ground by noon. During lunch, they mentioned the significantly dropping river levels.

Uncle Liu asked a few more questions: ”It’s normal for river levels to drop in winter. Little Jiang, why are you thinking so far ahead about drought?”

Isn’t that stretching the imagination too far?

Little Lucky Star lowered its head, eating without daring to say that it was the one whose imagination was stretching too far.

Jiang Hu didn’t mention Little Lucky Star. Generally, Little Lucky Star was always the one being kept hidden. Other than being called Little Lucky Star, it didn’t have any other noticeable traits.

It was the same this time.

”I also don’t want it to be true, but this year’s water level is indeed too low, making me a bit uneasy.”

Uncle Liu: ”But with just this reason, people might not believe you, right? Won’t the constable think you’re muddled?”

”I’ve thought about that too, but I’ll just tell him. Whatever the result, there’s nothing more I can do. At least it puts my mind at ease.”

Since Jiang Hu said this, Uncle Liu didn’t attempt to persuade him further.